You made the mess, you pay
4/19/2011We have a Republican Party that pushed deregulation, caused the Wall Street mess, got us into two unfunded wars, and now says senior citizens, the poor, and schoolchildren should pay for the mess. Give me a break.
Gerald W. Karow
290th Street
Start making cuts with Congress
Your Apr. 7 article “Report: GOP plan would raise seniors’ health costs” is a bitter pill to swallow, made more tolerable by the knowledge that everyone will have to make concessions.
But shouldn’t cuts start at the top with our representatives who make the laws? Where have congressmen cut their own budgets? Are they still getting automatic raises?
Jean Friis
Homewood Avenue
Republican ‘path’ is unconscionable
The House Republican budget blueprint, “The Path to Prosperity,” proposes cuts in spending on senior health care, poor children’s food programs, and help for millions of unemployed Americans, while it supports permanent tax cuts for the wealthy.
There is a need to trim the national debt, but it is unconscionable to do it by pushing the average citizen further into financial hardship. How could U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) and his cohorts come up with such a cruel joke on the nation’s most vulnerable?
I believe the majority of Republicans will not support such an outrageous proposal. But this majority, as part of our overall national silent majority, just doesn’t bother to know where our leadership is taking us.
There have been editorials and opinions in The Blade and other newspapers and magazines about this unfair plan.
But who reads them? How do we awaken the majority? Who represents us? Certainly not Mr. Ryan.
Tasadduq Hussain
Maumee
Choose right way to trim the budget
We citizens have choices that will show the real character of our nation, not just what we claim it is.
If we choose the Republican budget plan for 2012, we will be choosing the form of our destruction. Those who live by greed will die by greed.
If we are willing to have hundreds of thousands of elderly, disabled, unemployed, and poor people suffer so that the upper 2 percent of wealthy families can get wealthier, it will show that truth, justice, and the American way have been destroyed.
Christy Besozzi
Perrysburg
Politicians haggle, constituents hurt
Since before the birth of our nation, our representatives haggled among themselves at the expense of constituents.
During the Revolutionary war, General George Washington’s troops froze and starved because of red tape.
During the Civil War, Union troops starved while food was stored in Washington.
I’m sure wounded soldiers in World War I, World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam wars have had similar difficulties.
Today Congress is tied up with budget problems. But the military will be expected to continue fighting and sacrificing for us.
Congress should trim its perks and salaries to get back to reality.
Kay Bowsher
James Gate Drive
What’s purpose in military cuts?
Michelle Obama and Jill Biden want to keep military wives and husbands working (“Nation’s top spouses tout hiring military,” April 15). I wonder whether their sudden interest in military families has anything to do with their husbands wanting to cut funding for the military.
Christine A. Holliday
Claudia Drive
Editor’s Note: The writer is the mother of a serviceman in Afghanistan.
Want trust? Learn how to manage
For years, the government has mishandled and partially wasted tax revenue. Maybe that is why we who pay don’t trust it to use funds correctly.
We all know we have to pay taxes to have the country we have, but maybe we taxpayers are just tired of mismanagement by both parties. Keeping the current tax rates forces the government to manage our money more frugally.
Jack Bushmeyer
Perrysburg
Young musicians deserve applause
April 17’s Toledo Youth Orchestra concert, “Spotlight! Young Musicians,” exhibited a high level of collaboration, musicianship and professionalism.
Solos were by three Toledo Young Artists Competition winners: pianist April Guo, cellist Lee Ann Song, and violinist Michael Bechtel. The performances spotlighted their talent, ability, and poise. Each earned well-deserved standing ovations.
During these difficult times for the arts in the schools, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra ‘s sponsorship of this type of youth program merits continuing support by parents, friends, and the community.
Howard S. Madigan
Sylvania
Rotary Club has sterling mission
I recently attended an annual fund-raiser for grants submitted for consideration to the Rotary Club of Toledo.
Of the 32,000 member clubs worldwide in this nonprofit organization, Toledo ranks 44th in the number of members and is one of the oldest clubs in the United States.
A member gave me insight into Rotary’s mission statement. The use of funds is to be split between the community and foreign projects in third-world countries.
When I said I was unaware of all that the Rotary Club did, I was told it wasn’t a priority to make public the many services it provides.
The club’s satisfaction seems to lie in the fact that its mandate is to provide assistance where needed.
Everyone in Toledo should know that behind every Rotary Club sign are men and women who put others before themselves. Its motto is “service above self.”
Dominic R. Napoli
Westowne Court
Whitman Ford closing a shame
I was disappointed to learn that the Whitman Ford dealership will be closing by the end of this month (“Whitman Ford closing at the end of April,” April 13).
The Whitman family has been a pillar in the Bedford community for many years. John Whitman and his family have proven their love for their hometown by donating land for Monroe Community College and providing funds to help build the YMCA.
This town will be losing a business, jobs, tax money, and a fine Christian man. The law suits, threats, and boycotts have given the little town a bad name.
Shirley Konoff
Temperance
Social Security hike? No way
I was so happy that the government finally might give us a 1.2 percent raise in Social Security payments, and then came the kicker. It is raising Medicare rate by 18 percent (“Medicare rates could eat up raise in Social Security,” March 28).
We will lose money when we pay our income tax as we’ll pay taxes on our entire so-called raise.
David Wilbarger
Woodville
Can you prove your birth place?
Some Americans believe that the Apollo moon landings were a hoax, even though hundreds of thousands of Americans were part of this endeavor.
Now it’s the birthers’ turn. They say President Obama was not born in Hawaii, despite evidence. They include potential presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Unlike the Biblical Doubting Thomas, who denied the resurrection of Jesus unless shown the wounds, there is no amount of evidence that will ever sway birthers.
Karl Walters
Fostoria