Corporate welfare never ends

1/15/2013

Blade Editor David Kushma’s Jan. 6 op-ed column, “Taxpayers can’t afford blank checks to business,” appeared in the same edition with the article “Give us a break! Bill offers $76B in aid to various businesses, individuals” describing federal “blank checks.”

Politicians preach populism but take care of their cronies. When will justice be served? Certainly not at the ballot box, as the November elections confirmed.

HAROLD HOFFMAN
Tanglewood Drive

Staff could have nonlethal items

As a public-school employee, I would help in any way possible to protect schoolchildren. If the community and the school district deem it necessary to arm employees — as long as they are properly trained, tested, and qualified, including a background check — I am on board (“Montpelier schools OKs armed janitors; Conn. shootings tipping point,” Jan. 11).

The unfortunate reality is that force can be only stopped by force. If arming school employees is too big of a step, how about some nonlethal options, such as pepper foam or gel, or a tactical strobing flashlight to disorient a gunman?

School employees never can take the place of a police force. However, factories, banks, and businesses have some sort of contingency force. Why don’t schools?

RANDY ALCOCK
Blissfield, Mich.
Editor’s note: The writer is president of American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 2071, which represents custodial workers in Bedford Public Schools.

Turning to God would help society

Government leaders are trying to find a solution to stop mass shootings. Some believe gun control or letting teachers carry guns to school is the answer. Others think better mental-health care would help, or having police officers patrol schools’ halls.

When the Bible, prayer and the Ten Commandments were removed from public schools, our children lost standards to live by.

I don’t understand why anyone who cares about the well being of our children would want to remove these guidelines from our schools. We have something more powerful than bullets: prayer.

SHIRLEY KONOFF
Temperance

How to preserve turnpike jobs?

A letter writer complained about Gov. John Kasich’s plans for the Ohio Turnpike (“Turnpike plan is off course,” Readers’ Forum, Dec. 23). The writer said she could get a transponder to save money, but that would put more toll booth operators out of work. Then she said that the turnpike should get rid of all tolls, as authorities promised when the turnpike was built.

But if that were to happen, all the booth operators would no longer be employed. Which does the letter writer want?

LARRY REED
Maumee