Don't forget Ford; no aid needed
9/28/2012I am tired of hearing how President Obama and Democrats saved General Motors and Chrysler with bailouts, while people don't hear about Ford Motor Co. ("Ford to add 1,200 jobs to area plant," Sept. 11).
Ford did not take one cent of taxpayer money. Ford is doing quite well, as evidenced by its announcement that it is hiring at its Flat Rock assembly plant in Michigan.
Mark Cousino
Harvest Lane
Auto workers back, but others jobless
Mr. Obama says he has saved jobs. But taxpayers bailed out the auto industry. With a change in management, the automakers turned it around.
Millions of Americans still don't have a job. The national debt is $16 trillion. Mr. Obama has had 3 1/2 years to get people working. He has only one plan: to get re-elected.
When autoworkers and all other people with a job walk into the voting booth, they should think of unemployed Americans and give them a chance to get a job too.
Kathleen Persensky
Norwalk, Ohio
A pistol-packing public not wise
The argument for everyone exercising Second Amendment rights and toting a gun has been called into question by the awful injuries suffered by nine innocent passers-by on the streets of New York City ("Tourist-site victims all shot by police; Empire State Bldg. gunman killed," Aug. 26).
Police officers opened fire, killing a man who had been intent on killing a former colleague. The argument for the mass arming of the populace is that if every citizen carried a gun, such shootings could have been prevented.
Given what happened on a New York street in broad daylight, it's not hard to imagine the calamitous results from people digging out their Magnums and taking shaky aim in the dark and crowded movie theater in Colorado where 12 people were killed by a gunman.
Frank Ward
Goddard Road
Deputy sheriff questions shortfall
I am a Lucas County deputy sheriff. How can the sheriff's department budget have a shortfall ("Shortfall in funds for sheriff predicted," Aug. 15)?
Sheriff's department employees have not received a pay raise in more than six years. Last year, we gave the county 15 unpaid furlough days to help with its budget.
County commissioners are targeting our department because we are the largest county agency. We are also one of the most necessary agencies, because we provide protection and security to all county residents. It is impossible to do our jobs correctly without necessary funding for our department.
If county commissioners are true leaders, why don't they lead by example and take pay cuts and furlough days? But that will not happen.
Randy Gill
Oregon