State must ensure water quality
9/9/2010I applaud your initiative to help monitor the algae in Lake Erie (“Toxic algae blooms choking Lake Erie,” Aug. 29). However, it is the responsibility of state government to ensure that our water is safe.
While the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency just started testing for mycrocystis in lakes, we also need to test for and regulate nutrients in our streams and rivers. To protect our health, economy, and environment, it is critical to stop the excess amount of nutrients that are fueling algae blooms.
The Ohio EPA phosphorus task force has identified the root source of algae blooms as nonpoint agricultural runoff. Raised levels of bio-available phosphorus are responsible for the toxicity of our water, which leads to many significant environmental consequences, along with decreased revenue from tourism and higher water treatment costs.
The state EPA developed numeric nutrient criteria, which would set limits for phosphorus and nitrogen, two years ago. Why are we still waiting for these regulations to be implemented?
We need numeric criteria to cover the critical areas of Lake Erie and the Maumee River. If OEPA’s criteria do not cover the Maumee and other large rivers flowing into the lake, these criteria will be of minimal benefit to the lake.
The Maumee contributes the lion’s share of agricultural runoff to the lake. With Lake Erie’s growing algae problems, will OEPA dare not to include the Maumee in its standards?
The state should be reprimanded for allowing our water to degrade to such bad condition and for neglecting to set total maximum daily loads of pollution levels for the Maumee River.
Anthony Szilagye
Rossford
Obama will get message later
Maureen Dowd’s Sept. 4 op-ed column, “Obama’s not-so-magic carpet ride” hit it right on the nose. The excesses the Obamas are carrying out in the White House are shameful and in very bad taste.
Excessive vacations and redecorating the Oval Office are ridiculous. The rug should also have the quote: “It’s the economy, stupid.”
They just don’t get it, do they? They will in November, 2012.
E.D. Taylor
Sturbridge Road
Newcomers can do little in D.C.
I question new political candidates who want to take on incumbent opponents with years of service in Washington.
How will incoming freshmen politicians with no seniority expect to do what they claim? They will have no say about anything.
Legislation they try to introduce will be tied up in committee, if it gets that far. They will be basically ignored until they are able to prove themselves over years. Until then, their districts’ needs will be ignored by Congress.
And how can they say current representatives ignore the majority in their district? Have they asked all voters what they want or think? Polling a few likely voters only tells you what a majority of likely voters think.
Until these questions are answered, I doubt I could ever vote for them.
Stephen R. Kellogg
Champion Street
Reopen stores, then let’s talk
Is Rich Iott really going to slam Marcy Kaptur for not creating enough jobs during this miserable economy? If he reopens some of the Pharms and Food Town stores, maybe I’ll consider giving him my vote.
Terri Blair
Oregon
Can Iott even get back what’s lost?
As the man who oversaw the huge loss of jobs in this area after the demise of Seaway Food Town, the self-titled “job creator” is going to have to create an awful lot of jobs just to get us back to even (“Iott rips Kaptur for boxing club funding,” Sept. 3).
Hal Simon
Maumee
Enough to keep Latta at home
Doesn’t U.S. Rep. Bob Latta have enough to keep him busy in his own district without traveling to the Gulf of Mexico (“After visiting Gulf, Latta calls for more investigation into BP spill,” July 13)?
I don’t see any benefit to this boondoggle other than political fodder and a chance for him to work on his tan.
Larry Crouch
Maumee
Condemnation for unity is sad
What a sad nation we have become, when a Christian man gathers thousands of people peacefully, admonishes them to pray for guidance and peace, for the leaders of our country, and for their safety and wisdom, and is condemned by Kathleen Parker in her Sept. 4 op-ed column, “Glenn Beck betrays the addict’s grandiosity.”
Where have we gone wrong?
Charlotte Reschly
Sylvania
Take charge of utility readings
In response to the Sept. 4 Readers’ Forum letter “Edison: Invest in meter readers,” about Toledo Edison’s inaccurate estimated readings, here’s how to avoid being overcharged.
Do not have any utility bill automatically deducted from your checking account. Disputed billing is much easier to resolve if the company doesn’t already have your cash in hand.
When the bill arrives, make a note of the next meter reading date and read it yourself on that date.
If the meter reading is inaccurate, call Edison and tell the customer service representative the accurate reading. Edison will send a new, revised, and accurate bill with a new “pay by” date.
Put yourself in charge and don’t be a victim.
Carol J. Heaney
Wauseon
The reality facing the impoverished
The Sept. 4 letter “Don’t blame food industry” was correct on many counts about foods high in fat and calories.
However, the writer either doesn’t know or has forgotten what it is like to live in poverty and to be ignorant.
The ignorant know little about calories and fat and the contents of food. They may not even read very well. If they are also poor, they buy cheap potatoes, hamburger, probably white bread because it is inexpensive, chips, and sugary products — whatever will fill them and the kids up.
The elderly poor may be ignorant as well, but what can you do on a Social Security check of $220? Many buy cat food to eat.
Barbara Rochelle
Heysler Road
Thanks to OSU, bed bugs gone
I was glad to see the Ohio State University’s entomology department referred to in your Sept. 3 article on bed bugs, “Bed bugs are here to stay, speaker says.”
We had an infestation of bed bugs this spring and summer. I found the department’s Web site to be extremely helpful.
When I received an estimate of more than $2,000 to deal with our “mild infestation,” I turned to the Internet for help. The OSU site is very specific and helped us beat the bugs. After a lot of washing, drying, and vacuuming, and more than a few tears, we are bug-free.
Denise Shumway
Holland