Bin Laden attacks our way of life

11/9/2006

Regarding Afghanistan and Iraq, our government tells us we are winning because we are killing a lot more of them than they are of us, but at what cost? Deaths are not the objective of Osama bin Laden; it's all about the money.

He declared war on the U.S. sometime around 1996. He wants to destroy the "Great Satan," and he knows there is more than one way to skin a cat! His attacks weren't about killing people as much as they were about provoking us into crashing headlong into any expensive venture, whether it is chasing him around the world, blowing up a bunch of caves in Afghanistan, or attacking anything that would consume resources. At this he has been incredibly successful.

Along comes "Fearless George" Bush, who wants to attack anything that will put him in the ranks of the great presidents, (all great presidents have been wartime presidents). Osama handed him an excuse on 9/11 and George went for it like a mouse for the cheese in a trap.

Look at what's happening. Bin Laden started a war with the U.S., but he has no chance of defeating us militarily, so he has turned our military strength into his own weapon. He has us squandering our financial resources thousands of times faster than the terrorists. We cannot afford it, and he knows it. Our corporations are taking advantage of the "no bid" contracts while in actuality they are doing nothing less than expediting his victory.

He doesn't care about killing us as much as he cares about bankrupting us. He wants to destroy our way of life, and he is doing it by using our "stay the course" and "victory at all cost" attitude to destroy our economy.

Karl I. Petersen

Clover Lane

Bush is responsible for Iraq's deadly toll

In my opinion the Iraq war was unnecessary and is unwinnable.

I hold George Bush solely responsible for the more than 2,800 servicemen and women killed as well as the 20,000 wounded, maimed, and mentally distressed plus the thousands of Iraq citizens killed and wounded and those left homeless, without power, etc.

If, indeed, "Mission Accomplished" occurred more than three years ago, why are we still there?

VIVIAN SHAY

Oldham Drive

Mercy College is an investment in future

Thank you for the Oct. 25 article on the cost of college tuition, highlighting the impact of long-term finances on students in higher education. At Mercy College the affordability of a college education is something that we think about each and every day. From our board of trustees to our faculty and staff, Mercy College is committed to doing everything it can to keep the costs of a college education as low as possible.

While we are pleased that our tuition, ($7,800 per year), is considerably less than the average of private four-year colleges, we will continue to look for ways to keep our costs as low as possible, including maximizing financial aid to our students, who will receive approximately $1.38 million in financial aid this academic year. One important reason is that we believe that students who graduate without debt to private lenders are in a better position to thrive in their professional careers.

At Mercy College, we believe that a college education is an investment. Our students are well prepared to enter the health-care work force, one of the fastest growing fields in the job market today. Mercy College strives to provide our students with the skills for a life-long career as health-care professionals and to achieve satisfaction by helping people in need.

In that light, we believe that higher education in general - and at Mercy College in particular - remains an important investment in a person's spiritual and economic future.

JOHN F. HAYWARD

President

Mercy College

Emergency care system stretched thin

Parade magazine's Oct. 29 article, "How to Stay Safe in the ER," highlighted many of the difficulties faced by patients and physicians in our emergency system nationwide.

It confirmed what many ER doctors already know: The emergency health-care system in the United States is stretched dangerously thin. Every day in the U.S., there are more than 300,000 patients who visit an ER. The number of ER patient visits is increasing at the same time many hospitals and ERs are closing due to financial or other reasons.

Although we do our best to provide quality medical care to each and every patient, sometimes patients do face long waits, or uncomfortable waits on ER gurneys while awaiting hospital beds.

If you have an emergency medical condition, the ER is still the best place for you to go. Call 911 for an ambulance if it is an emergency. Make sure to communicate effectively to the doctors and nurses about your condition. Understand that often minor complaints will face longer waits for treatment than true emergencies.

If you would like to get involved on a national level, you can urge Congress to support legislation to help protect our emergency system, the Access to Emergency Medical Services Act (HR 3875 and S 2750).

Catherine A. Marco

President, Ohio Chapter

American College

of Emergency Physicians

Department of Surgery

Confusion reigns over garbage pick-up

I am one of the homeowners who received a garbage fine of $75. Actually I own a rental home in the city of Toledo. My tenants moved in Sept. 1. They did put one cardboard box out early. They knew that there were new garbage pick-up rules but thought the enforcement started Oct. 31. So did I. Confusion reigns.

Is it 8 p.m. or 5 p.m.? Are bags allowed? I now hear that cans are a must. The ticket gave me only 24 hours to issue a complaint. In order to issue a complaint I had to post a $50 cash bond. If I lost I would lose that $50. Unbelievable! No warning. No written notice to the homeowner. No grace period.

I feel that our mayor is managing by whim instead of good ideas put in place in a timely manner. Instead of leading our city in a thoughtful, intelligent way, he is blustering his way through problems in an unprofessional manner, causing citizens and his council to be caught in the middle. Toledo Pride is turning into Toledo anger.

SUSAN THOMAS

West Bancroft Street

A billion here, a billion there

BP reported on Oct. 24 that its third-quarter profit declined. Income for the three months was $6.2 billion, compared with $6.5 billion in the third quarter of 2005.

Our sympathy cards went immediately into the mail, along with a copy to "King George." I know our administration will do all in its power to help BP.

G.A. WILHELM

Maumee

The EZPass makes road trips a breeze

EZPass is the EZ way to go when you are on a trip. My wife and I have an EZPass account and recently we were on a trip to Boston to visit our daughter, her husband, and our grandson. Our trip through the New York Thruway and Massachusetts Turnpike was a breeze.

With the EZPass you can drive through the toll gates at 5 mph or 15 mph, depending on the location, and we never made a stop to pay a toll. We passed through lots of toll plazas that had long lines of cars and trucks waiting to pay their tolls. The only tolls that we had to stop to pay were on the Ohio Turnpike.

Another nice thing about EZPass is that in the winter you won't have to open your window to pay the tolls.

Stephen Rentz

Whitehouse

I heard a report that the cost of advertising for all offices in the Nov. 7 elections exceeded $2 billion. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman once said "War is hell." Wonder how the general would refer to the boondoggle we presently call politics in this country.

JESSE OTTO, JR.

107th Street