Mudslinging diatribes are irresponsible

2/8/2006

After reading Jack Kelly's Feb. 4 column I have to question why an otherwise reasonably good newspaper like The Blade continues to publish the rantings of a man who seems to have little or no acquaintance with facts or truth.

In his most recent polemic, Mr. Kelly tries to rekindle the fires of fear by asserting that Saddam did have WMD and that all these weapons were somehow secretly transported to Syria under the noses of the entire world.

He then insinuates that the reason the hearsay upon which he bases his allegations have received little press coverage is it contradicts those who believe that Saddam did not have WMD. He also insinuates that those who have made such statements are in trouble (he means Democrats).

The fact is, one of the politicians who now claims that Saddam did not have WMD when the Iraq War started is President George W. Bush. In the report published by the blue-ribbon commission established by the President, commonly called the Robb-Silberman Commission, it was conclusively demonstrated that Saddam had no WMD and was not then capable of producing WMD. In short, the United Nations sanctions were working.

Furthermore, this is not the first time Mr. Kelly has published a column which was factually grossly inaccurate.

It is irresponsible of The Blade to continue to publish the mudslinging, half-baked, factually inaccurate, neo-con-biased diatribes of Mr. Kelly.

Russell Gerney

Brighton Avenue

Another major sporting event - another butchered rendition of our national anthem.

Just because you're famous, doesn't mean you're qualified to sing the Star Spangled Banner - as evidenced by Aretha Franklin's and Aaron Neville's attempt at the Super Bowl.

Why is it so many singers treat our national anthem like a pop song that needs some sort of sad embellishment?

It is a beautiful, inspiring patriotic anthem that should be sung like it is written.

If I were auditioning them, I would have been looking for someone else!

Don Spurlin

Robinwood Avenue

It may be true that Toledo is becoming a retail magnet, but we need jobs. The mayor recently made comments about giving in to Costco for fear of their pulling out of the deal.

We should be afraid of them pulling out - we need jobs! If they opt out, it won't be because they couldn't have their way - it would more likely that they don't want to deal with so many egos sitting in One Government Center.

I think the mayor and City Council should do something about all the retail and office buildings that sit empty in this city. Put the egos back on the shelf and get to work at revitalizing Toledo, so more companies will want to move in here.

More companies equals more jobs!

Stop bickering over a street that goes down the middle of the new Westgate (or not)!

Bobbi Anderson

Alvin Street

The City of Toledo and the Westgate hierarchy can quit their squabbles, threatened lawsuits, future traffic congestion, etc., if Costco would decide to move to the Perrysburg area.

Everyone knows that anything happening is happening in Perrysburg and the township. There is vacant land and existing properties just waiting for the bulldozers to start moving dirt, as all of the infrastructure is just waiting for the ribbon cutting.

Let it happen in Wood County!

Jim Bilkovsky

Perrysburg

While I am a supporter of northwest Ohio as a whole, it is increasingly difficult to ever see a day when there will be a willingness for suburbs to want to form a regional government with Toledo and Lucas County.

The latest fiascoes with Toledo City Council president and the mayor trying to run off Costco are perfect examples of why nothing positive gets done in the city of Toledo.

Personally I hope that Costco says the heck with it and builds in Wood County. Let the mayor and his partners on the county commission explain that away. I do hope that it can be worked out, but I don't believe that will be the outcome.

larry reed

Maumee

After reading Liz Holland's well thought out argument for the development of her property (emphasis on "her") and the mayor's "vision thing," I have one word for Carty: "Butt out."

OK, that's two words, but the idea's still the same.

Mayor Finkbeiner is going to fritter away almost 200 jobs and $1.25 million yearly in tax revenue because the Westgate development was done under someone else's (Jack Ford's) watch. That must cause him unending pain.

He should deal with it. It never was his property, it isn't his property now, and, hopefully, it never will be his property. Get out of the way.

He has already wasted $9,000 of taxpayer money on an unsolicited study that took an unrealistic view of the best use of a private space. Will the citizens of Toledo get their best possible return on that?

And finally, how dare he bring up Owens Corning's world headquarters as a high point of his first term? Does he think people in this town have such short memories that they forgot his personal profit from that endeavor?

He should stop now, before this spirals down into an "everybody loses" situation.

John Swaile

North Summit Street

I must protest!

Everyone is saying that John Boehner's new position as House majority leader will be good for Ohio.

The implication, sometimes stated outright, is that he will bring our state more pork-barrel money. These are the same people who decry wasteful spending when it's done in other states, i.e. bridge building in Alaska.

And don't tell me it's going to happen anyway so we might as well be the ones to benefit. If it's going to stop, someone has to be the first to take a stand, set the example by refusing the pork, take the high moral ground, and insist that others follow.

Of course, I could be all wrong and other states will continue to gorge at the federal trough. But perhaps Mr. Boehner's real opportunity here is to use his newly acquired position to start this process, to work to change the rules that allow Congress to buy re-election with our tax dollars, to stop earmarking, to stop deficit spending, and to start Congress on the road to fiscal responsibility.

Yeah, I know. It sounds crazy, but wouldn't it be nice if it really happened?

Lewis Derr

West Bancroft Street

In reference to a recent article, "Ohio clergy ask IRS to check two churches' 'politics,' " it occurs to me that, if there should be no taxation without representation, then, conversely, there should be no representation without taxation.

That is, if any church, as a church - or any tax-exempt organization - seeks to represent itself to the state for "partisan politics," then it must also expect to be subjected to taxation by that state.

To put it yet another way, if taxation without representation is tyranny, then representation without taxation is license, conferring greater rights on some citizens than on others.

ROBERT SIDDENS

Luddington Avenue

Cindy Sheehan being escorted from the State of the Union address for wearing a T-shirt wasn't a defeat for free speech, it was a victory for good taste.

Delmer O. Gasche

Morenci Mich.