Congratulations to Toledo City Council for its due diligence on the latest Marina District project ("Chinese 'reassessing' purchase of Marina," April 16).
After spending money on developer Larry Dillin's empty promises, Toledo had a chance to make some of it back, but council may have killed the deal.
I hope that in the next election, voters do their due diligence when council members talk about the great job they have done for the city.
Mike Young
Claredale Road
Unions wonder why they draw ire
If labor unions wonder why they continue to draw the ire of the general public, they need look no further than the Marina District debacle.
Thanks to typical strong-arm tactics and veiled threats made by Ron Rothenbuhler of the carpenters' union, Dashing Pacific has withdrawn its offer to purchase and develop the property.
The blame is equally shared by city council members who, for the most part, predictably caved in to union demands.
Kevin Decker
Whitehouse
Council under unions' orders?
Members of Toledo City Council who raised negative questions about the sale of the Marina District must have received marching orders from the union leaders who have them in their pockets.
It's another case of how a city with so much potential has the rug pulled out from under it by those who say they are protecting the interest of their members.
If union leaders had such interest, they would work with the Chinese and show them that by working with union labor, they would get a better product at a more reasonable rate.
A.J. McLoughlin
Gralyn Drive
Chinese? Why not? Consider Chrysler
When I read of the worries about the sale of The Docks to the Chinese, I wonder where these worrywarts were when Fiat took control of Chrysler. Remember, Jeep is now partially Italian owned.
Eric Horvath
Martin, Ohio
What happened to public money?
Your April 10 article "Marina District proposals swirled for a dozen years" raised questions, particularly about what the $43 million of public money was spent on.
Karl R. Filzer, Sr.
111th Street
Sales to Chinese are unbelievable
I could not believe that Toledo was considering selling about 69 acres of Marina District property to Chinese investors for $3.8 million ("City to sell most of Marina District," April 9).
This was just after the city agreed to sell The Docks for just over $2 million to the investors.
Did the city also agree to give the buyers long-term tax exclusions?
James McWilliams
Sylvania
Audit needed of city's books
Toledo mulls a sale of riverfront properties for $3.8 million. The "profit" may turn into a $1 million windfall for the city ("Old loan could slash profit from Marina sale," April 12).
Does the city have any auditors?
Jack Snyder
Erie
Loretta Lynn coverage splendid
Thank you for the great coverage of the Loretta Lynn concert.
Your previewer's story was outstanding, and the pictures of the "Queen of Country Music" were beautiful ("Loretta Lynn: 'Honky Tonk Girl' still going strong," April 10).
Also, the review of the concert was right on the money ("Loretta Lynn's voice still rings true in concert," April 15).
Rick Cornett
Lewis Avenue
Gasoline prices? We were warned
What's the big deal about gasoline prices? Months ago, experts projected the cost of a gallon of gas at $5 by summer.
Marcia W. Punsalan
Oregon
Sylvania Schools deserve backing
The teachers, administrators, and support staff of Sylvania Schools are to be commended for relinquishing pay and benefits to prevent more job losses than may now be necessary ("Sylvania school board to kick off campaign with rally," Neighbors West, March 23).
Their farsighted decision, costly to them in the short run, will help our schools to continue offering an excellent education.
School employees have contributed their share toward balancing the budget. Now, voters need to go to the polls in May and vote for the school levy.
Clark H. Reber
Sylvania
Editor's Note: The writer is a substitute teacher in Sylvania Schools.
Kasich's plans don't help schools
I began teaching in the 1960s in Marion, Ohio. One day, the staff of our elementary physical education department met, and I complained about my $4,165 salary. Our senior teacher told me that I and another male teacher got $165 for travel expenses because as men we were considered heads of households. She further explained that because the other teachers were women, they were not considered heads of households and did not qualify for the extra travel pay.
This is how it was without unions and collective bargaining. We now enter a new era, a world of Gov. John Kasich ("Kasich signs measure restricting labor rights," April 1).
Given the hard economic times, should public employees sit down at the table and re-evaluate their agreements? In some cases, yes, but that's just what many unions have been doing.
Our governor should not dictate to public workers what their working conditions should be. One can only guess what motivates Mr. Kasich or what this heavy-handed governor is capable of coming up with next.
Rich Jones
Williston, Ohio
Re-enactments carry reminder
Many communities in the past few days have remembered and celebrated the start of the Civil War 150 years ago ("Ohio, Michigan prepare to honor their [Civil War] sacrifices," April 12).
Some of these celebrations involve battle re-enactments. I did not hear anyone accuse those who portrayed Southern soldiers of favoring slavery or wanting to secede from the United States.
This seems like a change from last year, when congressional candidate Rich Iott took a role as a World War II German soldier and was roundly criticized just because he was running for public office.
I find these two events ironic and last year's criticism hypocritical.
Thomas K. Blochowski
Sylvania
Will re-enactors get public heat?
I sure hope no one involved in the Civil War re-enactments will be running for public office this fall.
Tony Esposito
Regina Parkway
Health care needs single-payer plan
I chose one of the new Medicare Advantage plans because I want to do my part to reduce Medicare costs and my out-of-pocket costs.
I told a representative of the company that administers my plan that I did not want to contribute to its privatization.
The representative told me that Medicare was already privatized, in that insurance companies were administering these plans.
We need a centralized patient record system and a not-for-profit single-payer system to cut costs.
Millicent Marquart
Perrysburg