Wonderful ebb and flow of politics

12/18/2006

Last week Sen. Mike DeWine spent several days speaking on the Senate floor eulogizing every Ohio soldier, more than 70 of them, who has been killed in Iraq. He then gave accolades to his staff, friends, and family for their love and support during his years in Congress.

When finished, Democratic Sens. Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, and Jay Rockefeller went to the podium and praised Mr. DeWine as a wonderful nonpartisan senator and a good friend.

And to think that only a short time ago the new senator-elect from Ohio and his party were saying, and I paraphrase: Mike wasn't fit to be elected dog catcher.

Isn't politics wonderful?

DEL BORDNER

Fairfax Road

This letter is to the couple who found my special daughter's puppy - a miniature apricot poodle, not two years old. I got the puppy for Julie Ann, 46 years old, who will never have a life of her own due to epilepticies, a more severe form of epilepsy. Sugar, the poodle, was a Valentine gift for her to hug and love.

On Nov. 17, I received a response to the ad I placed in The Blade and the woman who called said she would return Sugar that same day. She said her two daughters had renamed our poodle Cookie. I waited all afternoon for her to return Sugar. Four weeks later I'm still waiting.

I am 84 years old and I have never thought ill of any parent before in my life as I do now.

It would be so good to have Sugar back with us, where she belongs, before Christmas.

Jeanne T. Woodward

Greenwood Avenue

The response of Joel S. Beren to former President Jimmy Carter's book claimed that U.N. Resolution 242 does not intimate a return to the recognized borders of Israel. Those borders were established in 1948 when Israel was founded.

Here is the exact text of U.N. resolution 242 concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict in 1967:

"Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict; termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgement of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every state in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force."

I understand that the "recent conflict" referred to in the resolution is the 1967 war in the Middle East. The language of the resolution makes clear that the territory in question is what is now commonly referred to as the "Occupied Territories." The borders to which forces were to withdraw were the "recognized boundaries" of every state in the area.

Those borders, in the case of Israel, were those of 1948. In addition to being the recognized borders of Israel, the borders in Resolution 242 should be "secure."

It is obviously the concern of Israel to make its side of those borders secure just as it is for the Palestinians to make their side of this border secure.

Mr. Beren is correct when he states that Resolution 242 does not use the words "return to Israel's 1948 borders."

I would be interested to know which were, in Mr. Beren's estimation, those "recognized" borders of Resolution 242 if they are other than the 1948 borders of Israel in 1948.

Andrew M. Chermak

Collingwood Boulevard

Am I the only one who is sick and tired of former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton still trying to have their time in the spotlight? Mr. Carter was the worst president in this generation and Mr. Clinton had his day, some say good, others bad.

But despite all the mistakes that both made, never did you hear past presidents Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, or Ronald Reagan discussing them in the national spotlight.

George Bush the elder gained more respect from me every day when he kept his mouth shut during the Clinton years and has kept a low profile during his son's administration.

Don't you think that he could have commented many times during the Clinton days but didn't out of respect for the presidency?

Maybe Mr. Clinton and Mr. Carter didn't leave much of a legacy so they are still trying to build one. For me, I would hope they would just shut up once and for all.

Jim Moline

Sylvania

As a board member of the Toledo Public Schools, I would like to respond to a recent Blade editorial.

First, the school district is made up of more than just teachers. Let's not forget the principals, the secretaries, the food service workers, and the other professionals who work throughout the district.

With that said, our teachers are not the only employees who have not received a pay raise in five years. No district employee has been given a salary increase during that time.

Amazingly, our employees' dedication to providing our students a quality education has not weakened.

Some •employees have received incremental salary increases for years of service to the district or for completing a professional certification or higher education degree. Because the district does not offer an employee tuition reimbursement plan, teachers and other employees who choose to further their education must pay their tuition expenses out of their own pocket. Many take out second mortgages, borrow money from a family member, or work an additional job to reach their educational goals.

Teaching is a spirit, a challenge, and a commitment that those who work to educate our students choose to follow. The district is facing a large deficit. Now is the time we all must come together in support of our students. It will take everyone involved to make concessions in an effort to balance the budget.

I am reaffirming a promise I made when I first ran for the board in 1997. That promise was to make TPS the best it can be, and that includes paying our employees a competitive salary.

In order for that to happen, our board of education and this community must work together as a team so that our school district can remain a competitive and viable asset to our city.

Larry Sykes

Member

Board of Education

Toledo Public Schools

Lest we forget, the original name given by the Bush Administration for the war on Iraq was Operation Iraqi Liberation.

Yes, OIL.

Was it the arrogance of power, or were they just too blinded by their greed to see the obvious reference to oil when someone coined that clever little title? Perhaps the administration didn't care because it expected the war to end quickly with the Iraqis greeting the American victors as their liberators. Anyway, the name was soon changed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Smart move!

However, it is readily apparent that the lust for Iraq's oil has not gone away.

It's there in black and white among the recommendations of the Iraqi Study Group headed by that good old Texas statesman and friend of American oil interests, James Baker.

Even though the report makes reference to distributing the oil wealth to the Iraqi people, it will still prove to be a bonanza to the oil companies. It is no wonder that Mr. Baker is very insistent that the recommendations of the ISG be implemented in their entirety.

Bob Pacer

Delta, Ohio

Your article on the creation of wetlands near Pearson Park was the bright spot of my week. What would childhood be without watching tadpoles in the spring? Listening to the croaking of bullfrogs at dusk? On behalf of us former children whose memories were built upon the edge of ponds and under the shelter of graceful oaks, a sincere thank you to all of those who are helping to bring these joys to the future children of northwest Ohio.

Mary Rogers

Perrysburg