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Indiana governor has it right

4/11/2011

Your April 3 story about Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' success in eliminating collective bargaining for public employees and improving the economy ("Governor of Indiana led way on cuts") disproves the hysterical letters in Readers' Forum that say eliminating collective bargaining will destroy the middle class.

Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio are trying to duplicate his success, and the unions and Democrats are going crazy and spreading misinformation. If collective bargaining is so great, why did 95 percent of Indiana's state employees stop paying dues and leave unions? Governor Daniels also reduced the number of state employees and cut spending.

The result is a state that attracts businesses, many of them from Ohio. Instead of complaining, unions and Readers' Forum writers should offer positive ideas to improve Ohio's economy and lower the need for the present tax load.

Raymond M. Elieff

Suder Avenue

86.3% of Ohioans are missing out

I was surprised to see that only 13.7 percent of Ohio workers are in unions ("Repeal effort ramps up as labor ranks dwindle," April 5). This explains the hatred for organized labor. It's too bad people can't see past their hatred to wonder why Gov. Kasich blames all of Ohio's problems on unions when the numbers just don't add up.

Why don't the haters want their kids to have a good job? Or themselves? The next generation of workers will be not only unorganized but also likely victimized.

How would it feel if you worked somewhere for 20 years and your boss fired you because he wanted to bring his son or daughter into the job? Unions are better than 86.3 percent of Ohioans will ever know.

Joseph Hamernik

Nebraska Avenue

New light bulbs pose hazards

In 2007, Congress banned traditional incandescent light bulbs starting in 2012. Good-bye, Thomas Edison and his invention. What's next? Will Congress tell us what type of socks or underwear to buy?

In an effort to go green, Congress destroyed more American jobs. The last major General Electric factory that made ordinary incandescent bulbs in the United States closed in September, 2007.

Rather than helping American industry, compact fluorescent bulbs are made almost entirely overseas, mostly in China.

The Environmental Protection Agency doesn't like the bulbs because the amount of mercury in one of them is enough to contaminate as much as 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe drinking levels. A broken bulb in the home can create a serious health hazard.

Last month, Sen. Mike Enzi (R., Wyo.) introduced a bill that would repeal portions of the 2007 law. Forget writing to U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur to support the new bill; she voted in favor of the 2007 bill along with Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Ron Mainous

Port Clinton

Politicians should feel what we feel

Our elected officials should practice what they preach. They want working people to take wage cuts and pay for their health-care benefits. Government officials should take a 15 percent wage cut and pay 50 percent of their health-care benefits.

Why not take a survey to see whether working people agree?

Robert E. Sweet

Broadway