How, exactly, do we make a living?

4/27/2006

With minimum wage still at $5.15 an hour and the price of gasoline on its way to hitting about $1.50 less than that, the question arises: "How in the world does anybody expect to make a living?"

It's come to the point that we cannot even get a little bit of welfare, especially if you are married, because you have to go get a job, and when you do find a job, the only thing that it's paying for is the gas that you need to get there. Meanwhile, the fat cats who own these oil companies are getting their lobster delivered to them by the bucketfuls, forgetting completely that the little people they are screwing over are ultimately the ones who are providing them a paycheck by buying their gas.

So what are we supposed to do? Let's all go live in the low-income housing developments and work at McDonald's so that at least we can afford the gas it takes to get there. And what about those jobs that are supposed to pay a little bit more, like factory positions? Some are hiring at no higher than around $7.50 an hour, which would be great if it wasn't for the fact that you can't rent a house for less than $650 a month to make accommodations for your spouse and your two kids.

I am just really confused. I do not understand the logic behind the poor judgment that this administration has shown to us again and again. We have all become slaves of production, being forced into a sort of chain gang of jobs that will never make us more than another big corporation's lab rat.

Chauna Tye

Berdan Avenue

Did Bob McCloskey really think East Toledo was being considered as a home for an amusement park?

Did George W. Bush really believe Dick Cheney when he said we would wrap up business in Iraq in just a few short months?

George? Bob? I have a bridge I'd like to sell you!

Chris Maloney

Hopewell Place

From her soap box, The Blade's Rose Russell piously lectured us on the evils of stereotyping the alleged victim in the Duke lacrosse case. She then went on to speak out of the other side of her mouth and do that very thing to the lacrosse players, noting in particular their privileged upbringing.

The key piece of evidence, according to Ms. Russell, was the "fact" that a cab driver overheard an anonymous guest leaving the party verbalizing the sentence fragment "just a stripper."

Ms. Russell went on to assign a set of values, meanings, and associated guilt to these three words. What I'd like to know is the context of the sentence fragment, or even just the rest of the sentence.

Perhaps one guest was asking another if the woman had a second job, and the other replied "no, she's just a stripper." The point is, that those three words, uttered by an anonymous party-goer and assigned such significance by Ms. Russell, are an indication of absolutely nothing.

They're not proof of guilt, may have been directed at someone other than the alleged victim, and may have no bearing on the case at all. Yet she uses these three words to paint a picture of the lacrosse players that fits her stereotype of them.

If Ms. Russell has any journalistic integrity at all, she will acknowledge that the lacrosse players are innocent until proven guilty. If they are found guilty by a jury of their peers, beyond a reasonable doubt, then they should be punished to the maximum extent of the law.

Until that point, however, the accuser's claims, especially in the absence of corroborating evidence, should bear no more weight than those of the accused.

Brian K. Meyers

Oregon

"This is like deja vu all over again." I wonder if Yogi Berra was speaking of the upcoming May 2 primary ballot. The voters might say the same thing as they enter the voting booth and read the names of folks they may have voted for just seven months ago. It reminds me of the political version of the game, "musical chairs."

In Toledo, recently elected City Council members Phil Copeland and George Sarantou apparently have decided that they already need a change as they snub the voters by running for Lucas County commissioner.

Mayor Tim Wagener of Maumee, expected to serve his city until December, 2007, decided that he, too, would like a commissioner's chair instead.

In Sylvania, Pam Haynam, sworn in to serve on the Sylvania School Board in January of this year, is running for that prized commissioner position as well.

Also in Sylvania, James Nusbaum appears doubly dissatisfied with his Sylvania school board position. Last year Mr. Nusbaum ran unsuccessfully for judge of the Sylvania Municipal Court and this year he is running for Lucas County Court of Common Pleas. Perhaps his school board chair is too uncomfortable.

When we read the paper on the morning of May 3 we ought not be surprised by the low turnout of voters. As the old saying goes, "once bitten, twice shy."

Denis Eble

Sylvania Township

Quoting Donald Rumsfeld in defense of war on Iraq:

"Can you imagine if they won, with all the oil and all the wealth they have over there?"

After trying to make Americans believe it was because of WMDs, Saddam's part in 9/11, and bringing democracy to tyrannized Iraqis, he now admits what some have claimed all along - "It's the oil, stupid!"

Mr. Rumsfeld was quoted by retired Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney, who spoke of advising "that's exactly the story you should tell every day to America, so America knows why we fight."

Not for good, not for self-protection, but for oil and wealth? That's the higher purpose that has led to the death and maiming of thousands upon thousands of Iraqi people and American soldiers?

Why should anyone think that story would be to their advantage?

Patricia Osborn

Ottawa Hills

In today's world of DNA, do we shoot first and ask questions later? Are they going to shoot every bear in the Cherokee National Forest, pile them up, and test them later? And then how would they be sure?

Arbitrarily killing a bear because it is in the neighborhood of an attack is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of! Testing intestinal contents after three or four days? When do we apply logic instead of panic?

Harsh, but true. Remember, bears have the right of way; it's humans who are intruding! If you're in bear country, conduct yourself accordingly. Why not tranquilize and test?

Jim Wesolowski

Petersburg, Mich.

Exactly what kind of "authorities" are managing the Darlington Nursing and Rehabilitation Center?

Allowing a woman on oxygen, in their care, to smoke is careless and demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the hazards of a source of oxygen in close proximity to something burning, like a cigarette.

If they think that oxygen is a flammable gas, they certainly shouldn't be in charge of anything and should be sent back to high school where students learn basic things - such as oxygen supports combustion, but by itself is not flammable.

Gary L. Franks

Perrysburg

The Toledo Storm is in the second round of the Kelly Cup playoffs. The fans need to support this hockey team and its ownership. A crowd of just 1,500 at a playoff game is an embarrassment to this community. These players love playing in this town and give 110 percent effort; the least we can do is sell out the old arena and show them what great hockey fans we are. Barry Soskin was good enough to help save this franchise. Let's show him the support he deserves.

Michael Kelly

Maumee