Learn from gas, electric companies
5/10/2010Columbia Gas of Ohio and Toledo Edison have figured out how to run a public utility. I suggest Toledo's water department meet with them and adopt their procedures ("Toledoans boiling at water liens," May 2).
Columbia Gas and Toledo Edison bill the users of the utility. Toledo bills the deed holder, who has to try to collect from the user.
The natural gas and electric companies bill monthly; the city bills quarterly. People are more likely to pay a smaller monthly bill than a larger quarterly bill. By billing monthly, the city also would know much sooner whether it has a collection or meter issue, and customers would know much sooner whether they have consumption issues.
Also, Columbia Gas and Toledo Edison have service termination policies. If Toledo has one, it's obviously not enforced. And regarding collections: wow.
Jeff Savage
Maumee
An April 8 letter writer suggested that Rep. Marcy Kaptur is unresponsive to communications from her constituents ("Kaptur, say why you changed"). My experience with Miss Kaptur and her staff has been just the opposite.
My first contact with her office was more than 20 years ago, when I was charged for student loans I had already paid. Miss Kaptur's staff quickly cut through the red tape and discovered that my university had switched my files with those of another student.
Since then, my family and I have contacted her office on numerous occasions. I appreciate Miss Kaptur's accessibility, hard work, and commitment to the people in her district. We are fortunate to have her as our advocate in Washington.
Juanita Torrence
Monclova
Kudos to Ryan Ketchner, the Mud Hens pitcher you profiled April 28 ("Pitcher doesn't let disability stop his dreams").
Although I am glad that we are enlightened enough not to refer to Mr. Ketchner as "dummy," I wonder why the same respect was not extended to Luther Haden Taylor and William Ellsworth Hoy, deaf athletes also mentioned in the story.
It only took seconds online to find out their first names. And I discovered that the hand signals used by baseball umpires came about because of Mr. Hoy's participation in the game.
Deborah Johnston
Waterville
I am sick of teachers complaining about the profession they chose. The April 30 letter "Visit a classroom before judging" from a retired Bedford High School teacher sums up how many teachers feel about their jobs.
Imagine being taught by a teacher who does not want to be there (children can't fire teachers) and who talks to students (whose parents taught them to treat adults with respect) any way he or she wants. Picture being trapped in a room for five hours a day with someone you can tell holds you in contempt.
My grandson will be a senior at Bedford next year, so I'm glad she's gone.
Jean Pickard
Temperance
Like every other liberal, former Toledo City Councilman Louis Escobar runs his mouth without having all the facts ("Immigration law in Arizona sparks Toledo protest," May 2).
The fact is that the U.S. border with Mexico is not secure. The fact is that most of those crossing the border illegally are Hispanic. The fact is that many of those Hispanics are engaged in much more malicious and dangerous activity than simply crossing an international border illegally.
If you are asked to show proof of legal citizenship, show it and be on your way. In what way were you harmed? You helped make our country safer.
Greg Narewski
Marlow Road
I have black hair and I tan easily. I don't carry my birth certificate. If I spent a couple of weeks vacationing in sunny Arizona, I could be mistaken for a Hispanic. The risk of being hauled off to detention wouldn't be worth vacationing there.
We must stop the flood of illegal immigrants. One way is to go after the companies that employ illegal immigrants, not asking for paperwork to obtain cheap labor.
For years, the federal government did little about these employers. Since President Obama took office, there has been increased scrutiny of these companies. According to McClatchy Newspapers, 1,444 companies were audited in fiscal 2009. In the first five months of this year, 1,180 were audited, with 63 employers fined a total of $1.9 million. In 2004, under President George W. Bush, only three were fined, and none was fined in 2006.
We have millions of unemployed Americans who need jobs. Losing cheap labor would oblige employers to provide fair wages.
Jeannie Jones
Springfield Township
Not all Republicans fit the stereotype held by some of the old guard ("Stainbrook pal rolls into local GOP," April 30), but we are Republicans nonetheless.
I ran for the central committee in Precinct 17A. I believe in lower taxes, small government, and religious freedom. I am pro-life and pro-gun. I'm a school bus driver and a licensed, ordained minister.
I also have ear piercings, a nose piercing, sleeve tattoos, and spiked hair that is bleached white. I am a tattoo artist.
I was asked to run for the central committee by Jon Stainbrook, and accepted because I always have had an interest in politics.
Does this mean I'll vote as Mr. Stainbrook does all the time and agree with everything he does? Of course not, but he is the only member of the party I have supported for almost 20 years ever to reach out to me or to acknowledge that not all Republicans wear suits and play golf.
Heath Holland
South Avenue
The Blade reports that so-and-so was injured and taken to the University of Toledo Medical Center, the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital ("S. Toledo man stabbed outside Route 66 bar," May 6).
We all know it was the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital. Give it a rest.
C.T. Jennings
Lambertville
Thanks to The Blade, J. Foster Jewelers, and Waterford Commons for providing free tickets to the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldiers' Chorus concert at the University of Toledo's Savage Arena on April 30.
From the opening singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" to the closing rendition of "America the Beautiful," the capacity crowd clapped vigorously to show its appreciation. The Springfield High School Band joined for one of the marches.
It was good to show our patriotism as we joined the band in saluting our military personnel and our country.
Patricia Bercher
Lockwood Avenue
The Army concert at Savage Arena was a very enjoyable evening for everyone who attended. But neither The Blade nor the television stations gave it any coverage. Carrie Underwood, Elton John, and Bill Cosby must be more important. Has The Blade lost its priorities?
Roseann Hudzinski
South Holland-
Sylvania Road