Retirees can count on nothing

7/31/2006

While I have never worked at Dana, it upsets me that this company plans to reduce retiree benefits. Unfortunately, this has happened at other companies and probably will be allowed to continue because of a lack of appreciation of those who gave their lives to these companies.

When people are working and contracts renewed, employees often accept less or give away more because of the promise of increased benefits once retired. However, these agreements must mean nothing because retirees constantly are being targeted when companies try to cut costs.

Funny, their (owners or upper management) salaries or retiree perks never seem to be affected and are usually increased as we have seen, often, on the news.

Where is the political uproar by those we have elected to help us? Does not one person in power care?

I hope those who are working now are watching this and know that one day they, too, may face the same betrayal by those who promised them "the world" in their "golden years" but in the end, suffer as much or even more than they did when they worked all those years.

Promises promises.

MARK D. FUQUEA

Stickney Avenue

Recently The Blade published a very insightful editorial about the current status and political failure of charter schools in Ohio. This brought a response from Terry Ryan, vice president of the Fordham Foundation. What Mr. Ryan doesn't acknowledge is that the charter schools he supports have very limited oversight in Ohio. This is also true of the groups that manage charter schools both in Michigan and nationally.

Of privately managed schools in both states and nationally, 75-80 percent are operated by these "cash-cow" management groups. This profit motivation is very questionable.

In addition, not only Ohio charters are over 60 percent in academic emergency status, but nationally 75 percent of charter schools are in this category. All or most public schools are significantly above this.

It is time The Blade and all fiscally responsible citizens demand a GAO (Government Accountability Office) study of the cost-benefit analysis between charter and regular K-12 programs.

Thanks to The Blade for exposing the charter school "cash-cow" results to the public.

HERBERT S. MOYER

Temperance

Editor's note: Mr. Moyer is former superintendent of Bedford Public Schools.

What has brought Israelis and Palestinians to the brink of war? Biblical history provides the truth behind the conflict in the "Holy Land."

The God of the Bible promised the "Holy Land" as an everlasting possession to Abraham's descendants. That promise has caused strife and war between Jews and Arabs ever since. To understand the root cause of this conflict we need to look at God's covenant with Abraham.

God called Abraham out of the Chaldeans (Iraq) into Canaan (Israel) in 2000 B.C. God then established an everlasting covenant with Abraham, granting his descendants possession of this land. God promised Abraham a son who would be heir to this land. Abraham's wife Sarah, beyond childbearing years, told Abraham to have relations with her Egyptian maidservant Hagar.

Abraham fathered a son Ishmael by Hagar, but he was not the legitimate son God promised. Fourteen years later Sarah gave birth to Isaac, the promised son, and legitimate heir to the land. Ishmael jealously mocked Isaac and the conflict began. Sarah banished Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham's household, but God blessed Ishmael and his descendants (Arabs) just the same.

The Isaac/Ishmael conflict continues. Today, Jews and Arabs are locked in a battle for the land. The heart of this conflict comes down to birthright; which of Abraham's sons had the right to the land? God's covenant reveals Isaac's descendants (Jews) have the right and this has caused hatred throughout the Arab world. Jealousy was the source of Ishmael's hatred for Isaac and that jealousy ignites flames of hatred that continue to this day.

God blessed Isaac's descendants with the "Holy Land" and Ishmael's descendants to be a great nation(s). Today, we witness these great blessings. Scripture reveals that Arabs and Jews will not have true peace until the Messiah returns.

CHRISTOPHER WARREN BAKER

Sylvania

A few weeks ago, I E-mailed a friend who recently graduated from the University of Toledo. I asked her, "How's your summer? Your family? Lebanon?"

She responded on July 9: "Oh Veronica, you don't know how nourishing it is to be among your family and friends, to be in the place you grew up in. It is amazing."

We were excited because she was to return to the United States at the end of the month. We were going to go camping and then drive to Purdue, where she has been awarded an assistantship to pursue her PhD.

On July 16, I received a very different E-mail. "My family and I changed two places so far trying to stay safe. Right now, there is nothing called Beirut We will be out of food and gas in the next two days Please do something."

I watch the news and read the paper and see that the U.S. citizens and the Canadians and the French are being evacuated. I am thankful that people are risking their lives to bring these civilians to safety.

However, I do not know what will happen to my friend - to the innocent Lebanese, Palestinians, and Israelis.

My only hope is that the fighting will end soon so that international aid can move in and start helping those people who cannot escape.

My friend asked me to do what I can, so I am urging everyone to support the Red Cross or any other organization that is set up to help.

I am afraid that after the bombing has stopped and the Americans have come home, we will forget.

Please do not forget the people who remain in the devastated areas of Lebanon and Israel.

VERONICA JAYNE

Perrysburg

I just read your story about the disgraceful case of Ohio University's sanctioning blatant plagiarism by 20 of its engineering master's degree graduates.

That 20 of the students plagiarized at all is a serious sign of an unethical ethos pervading the entire School of Engineering, but for Ohio University to let them go with a proverbial slap on the wrist (they merely had to rewrite parts of their theses) disgraces the entire College of Engineering and Ohio University.

Engineering students take precious few courses in the humanities, where they might have learned the ethical and moral implications of cheating. For the university to sanction their behavior is an outrage.

As a professor at University of Toledo, I have a policy statement that I will fail any student caught cheating in my classes. I follow this policy absolutely and with complete fairness (as many students whom I have failed will attest). As far as I know, the University of Toledo would never take a massive case of plagiarism so lightly.

This strikes me as an institution-wide failure that should be addressed and dealt with by the Ohio Board of Regents in the most aggressive manner possible. Higher education in Ohio deserves infinitely better than this.

What on earth is the Ohio University administration thinking if condoning this behavior and shaming their institution?

RUSSELL REISING

Professor of American Literature and Culture

University of Toledo

I read the nice letter from the president of Columbia Gas of Ohio congratulating the City for the Triple A All-Star game. He said that "Toledo is a great place to work." I was going to call Columbia Gas and tell them the letter was really nice from their very busy president. However, I forgot the gas company moved its employees to other parts of Ohio. Maybe somebody should remind the president that Toledo really is a great place to work for those left behind.

ROBERT. L. LOHMEYER

Sylvania