Scholarship fund helps students

10/27/2010

The new movie Waiting for Superman is getting lots of attention (“Superman can’t solve everything,” Oct. 22). The movie focuses on five children who are trying to get into charter schools with very few openings, in the hope of leaving their current public school.

In Toledo, elementary school students do not have to wait for Superman if they are unhappy with their school. Educational opportunity is available through the Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund. The fund provides need-based scholarships for students to attend a private school of their choice for kindergarten through the eighth grade.

Ann Riddle

Program Coordinator

Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund Inc.

Spielbusch Avenue

EdChoice gives children a chance

The Ohio Education Choice Scholarship program allows our children to choose a different school instead of attending a school that is in academic emergency (“Central top voucher beneficiary; local faith-based schools gain,” Sept. 23).

My daughter did not want to go to a public school as a freshman. I heard about EdChoice, applied, and she was accepted to Central Catholic High School. It has made all the difference to her. She receives an excellent education with devoted teachers and many options, and she loves to go to school.

EdChoice expands opportunities for children whose parents can’t afford the type of education that they want for their children. No child should be left out.

Tamara Coley

Locust Street

Position appears inconsistent

In your Oct. 10 editorial “How big an empire?”, you worry that Mike Ilitch’s purchase of the Pistons basketball franchise will give him a near monopoly over the entertainment industry in Detroit. You correctly reason that Mr. Ilitch will probably want some corporate welfare — i.e., taxpayer support — to build a new facility in downtown Detroit. Even more alarming to you, Mr. Ilitch brazenly admits he does these deals to make a profit.

Didn’t you support building a baseball stadium and an arena in downtown Toledo? Weren’t these projects partially funded by taxpayers? Does it matter to you how burdened Toledo’s taxpayers are when a levy or tax increase that you supports comes before voters?

Does the Block family run its business concerns, including Buckeye CableSystem, to make a profit? Wasn’t that a core argument during labor negotiations?

Tim Lester

Eastbrook Drive

Ethanol hasn’t raised food prices

Your Oct. 17 article “Ethanol’s future volatile; fate hinges on key decisions” about changes to the ethanol blend in gasoline repeated a myth about ethanol production. Contrary to claims made by the National Pork Producers and others, ethanol has not dramatically raised the price of food.

This myth started when the Grocery Manufacturers Association waged a propaganda campaign blaming ethanol for increases in family food costs. It’s false. The World Bank recently released a study that showed the key factors affecting food prices are energy costs and market speculation.

Other studies from universities across the country have shown the same thing. The ethanol industry is providing a use for increased corn production from Ohio’s farmers.

The article also neglected to report that only the starch from corn is used in ethanol production. The high-value portion of corn, protein and fat, is returned to the feed supply. We can keep producing ethanol and jobs in Ohio without hurting food prices.

Mark Borer

President

Ohio Ethanol Producers Association

General Manager, POET Biorefining

Leipsic, Ohio

Nutter is careful with tax dollars

In your Oct. 13 editorial “For Ohio House” (81st District), you correctly noted Democrat Benjamin Nutter’s “sharp pencil” with respect to government financing and budgetary issues, and acknowledged his proper attention to these important subjects as president of the Seneca County Board of Commissioners. But you said that Mr. Nutter’s initial opposition to renovating the historic Seneca County Courthouse “suggests the limits of his rhetoric.”

During the past two years, I have had considerable personal experience with Mr. Nutter. Two things became evident. First, his early opposition to renovation of the courthouse was based solely upon the financial information that was available at that time. He is a “numbers” man — a responsible politician when it comes to spending taxpayers’ money in the wisest and most beneficial manner. Second, he was willing to change his position based on validated new information. He has a true sense of fairness.

Seneca County has been fortunate to have two commissioners who were willing to change direction after new and substantiated estimates were presented to them. Mr. Nutter and Commissioner Dave Sauber should be commended for their responsible approach to this important community project.

Franklin B. Conaway

President

Seneca County Courthouse

and Downtown Redevelopment Group

Tiffin

Entitlements could cost U.S.

I compliment Blade Editor David Kushma for his Oct. 24 op-ed column, “No pandering on Social Security.” Entitlements will take the country into default or bankruptcy.

Frank M. Harris

Maumee

Elderly can’t vote themselves a raise

Senior citizens did not receive a $250 Social Security check this year because Congress voted it down. Now, with elections looming, lawmakers say they will be happy to vote for it. Don’t believe everything you hear and only half of what you read.

Seniors did not receive a cost-of-living Social Security increase this year and will not receive one next year. Congress, however, did vote itself a pay increase.

Medicare Part B increases every year, as do our premiums for our supplements. Once again, seniors have less money to live on.

I receive about $1,200 a month in Social Security benefits and have to decide where the money is best spent. I don’t have the ability to vote myself an increase whenever the need arises, as Congress does.

Carole Duke

Temperance

One more step to perfect voting

Tom Walton’s op-ed column against unrestricted absentee voting (“Voting worth the effort of waiting until Election Day,” Oct. 25) missed the point. In this case, the end does justify the means.

Whether you stand in line to touch a screen, or sit at your dining room table as I did to fill out an absentee ballot, you’ve done your civic duty.

Now if we could create a “do not call me because I’ve already voted” list for political pollsters and campaign robo-dialers, the system would be perfect.

Bob Seybold

Berkeley Drive

Change happens by cleaning house

Locally, we have career politicians who drift from the school board to City Council to mayor and back to any office that will keep them feeding at the public trough. At the state level, a politician who was a U.S. senator is running for state attorney general.

You will never change things by re-electing politicians because you are familiar with their names. Change only happens when you make it happen. Clean the deadbeats out and vote for somebody else.

Ron Marshall

Islington Street