Finkbeiner should look in the mirror

12/11/2005

In my opinion, Toledo Police Chief Michael Navarre is a decent man of integrity whom I support to continue as our police chief. Why does Mayor-elect Carty Finkbeiner assume he has the right to remove Chief Navarre? Is Chief Navarre perfect? No. But perhaps the mayor-elect should look in the mirror before he starts pointing fingers at others.

I had really hoped that Carty had changed during his four-year break, but unfortunately, it appears he's back to firing city staff at will, or making their jobs so undesirable that they'll resign on their own. We're still hoping for a "kinder, gentler, Carty" - please.

JOHN PAVLICA, JR.

Elmhurst Road

After Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre failed to prevent the October riot, which cost taxpayers money, is he about to spend more city dollars in court? Incoming Mayor Finkbeiner wants to replace him. Before spending more of the taxpayers' money, Chief Navarre should reconsider what's best for the citizens of Toledo.

KRISTY BOLLIS

Glanzman Road

You have to admit that Carty has not lost his touch! In the same week that the Nazis are returning to Toledo, he discredits the chief of police! What timing! And Carty has not even taken office yet!

JIM RICHARD

Sylvania

Toledo Police Chief Michael Navarre's decision to fight his removal as chief of police is just plain wrong. No one has a lifetime appointment to any position in local government, especially the chief of police.

RON KORSOG

Sarasota, Fla.

Editor's note: Mr. Korsog is a retired Toledo police officer and former president of the Toledo Police Command Officers Association.

Thank you for your recent coverage regarding World AIDS Day. The theme for this year's observance was "Keep the Promise." This theme carries an important message right now, at a time when many people have grown complacent about the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

HIV/AIDS has impacted men and women in all age and race/ethnic groups in all geographic regions of Ohio. In 2003 (the most recent figures available), there were 1,001 new HIV diagnoses in Ohio. Among these, 23 percent were female and 44 percent were African-American. And the number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Ohio continues to increase every year.

The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, which provides care and treatment to half-a-million Americans who otherwise couldn't afford it, is currently up for renewal by Congress. In Ohio, CARE Act funds provide medical care, life-saving medications, housing assistance, and case management - services that have made a profound difference to many of Ohio's families. With nearly three out of four people with HIV uninsured or dependent on public assistance, the CARE Act is literally a matter of life and death.

We need to "keep the promise" that has helped keep people alive over the last 15 years through the Ryan White CARE Act. Our members of Congress should not only renew this legislation, but strengthen it to realistically address this continuing public health challenge and ensure that every Ohioan who needs it has access to lifesaving HIV treatment.

J. KEVIN SULLIVAN

Executive Director

Ohio AIDS Coalition

Columbus

President Bush, to support his thesis that things are improving in Iraq, cited an example of an Iraqi unit that led an attack on insurgents, followed by American troops. CNN called a reporter imbedded in that unit and asked him what happened, He said he witnessed the whole thing firsthand and watched the Americans direct the attack and carry it out with limited Iraqi help. In fact, an Iraqi officer loudly opposed American orders.

Another addition to the flourishing proboscis of President Pinocchio? Or did he just parrot what his obsequious advisers told him? It all harkens back to how we got there in the first place.

MICHAEL WATKINS

Bowling Green

I want to thank The Blade for the coverage of the Army-Navy game.

With a high-power magnifying glass, I found a single column about an inch and a quarter high giving the score and not much else. This appeared under a photo of the USC-UCLA game, with the rest of the page covering details of that game.

Considering that the Army-Navy game brought in the largest crowd in the country on that day and presented a pageant that was generally superior to a Super Bowl, it seemed odd that your paper didn't have more to say about it.

Not only was this the 105th consecutive game between these two schools, but we are at war today, and every one of the 8,000 cadets and midshipmen who were there are looking to serve in combat upon their graduation.

Is it possible that that is the reason The Blade turned its back on the game?

ROBERT J. LAUER

Sulphur Spring Road

Since January, 2001, we have lost faith in the idea that our votes matter, we have lost two towers in New York, an entire city in Louisiana, and 2,000 (and counting) soldiers in Iraq.

We have lost a whole pile of weapons of mass destruction, a huge chunk of our children's future, spending and going in debt for hundreds of billions of dollars so those soldiers - our children - could die far from home. We have become a pariah in the international community. We have adopted torture as being "OK for us." Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed. The infrastructure of Iraq has been destroyed.

Our troops are doing what they are ordered to do. They deserve to be supported. They also deserve to be brought home.

Americans deserve to stop being invaders in a foreign land. You cannot force democracy on a people. It is time to stop trying.

DEE MALTBY

Wayne, Ohio

A Dec. 5 letter ("Made in America") said "If the American public does not wake up now and demand products made in the U.S.A., we won't have any good-paying jobs left. The more off-shore products that come in, the fewer jobs we will have here."

Out-sourcing has been going on for years. Would the writer rather pay 39 cents a pound for bananas from Honduras, or $3 a pound for bananas grown in a hothouse here in Ohio?

I, for one, am having a tough time in the Bush economy. I cannot see paying sometimes double the cost of an item just because it has a label saying "Made in U.S.A."

Tell you what. When U.S. products equal the price of imported products, I will be first in line to buy them.

Until then, I will be looking for the lowest price/best value for my dollar.

MARK D. LONG

Holland

A Nov. 30 letter was titled "Democratic Party is flirting with treason."

If you remove the last "t" you have reason, as in reasonable, which, by the strident and/or desperate tone of the letter writer, would indicate this is a concept foreign to this individual.

JAMES FALBUSH

Findlay