LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Levin needs to get wise on abuse
6/21/2013The insistence by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D., Mich.) that rape cases in the military be reported to the chain of command instead of prosecutors is as lame as leaving the sexual assaults of predator Roman Catholic clergy in the hands of bishops and cardinals (“Base of abuse,” editorial, June 15).
The institution gets served, but the rape victims won’t be. And violent sexual predators will be treated as lusty boys for whom there is much forbearance.
Whatever happened to the good senator’s smarts, or to his eyes that apparently have ceased to see?
EILEEN FOLEY
Lowe Road
State funds to aid youths lauded
It was nice to read your June 8 article “Kids Unlimited gets earmark; Toledo after-school program included in state Senate budget.” This shows that Toledo and northwest Ohio can get their share of state tax dollars.
I was also impressed by the cooperation between state senators from different parties: Democrat Edna Brown of Toledo and Republican Randy Gardner of Bowling Green. We could use more bipartisanship among our elected officials. I thank them for setting a good example.
I hope the funding remains in the state budget. What better way to use taxpayer’s dollars than helping young children?
CHRIS WULF
McGregor Lane
Unions make life better for all
The writer of the June 4 Readers’ Forum letter “Right to choose is way work must be” refers to advocates of union shops that require union membership and payment of dues as control freaks and thieves.
I wonder what terms he would use to describe employees who receive the benefits of a union contract, but feel no obligation to share the cost involved in obtaining those benefits.
How many employees would opt out of paying union dues if doing so meant accepting pay, benefits, and conditions at the levels that existed prior to union representation?
JOHN DURBACK
Sylvania
‘Thieves’ pay no dues, get benefits
If it were not for unions, there would be no middle class. Companies do not work with a heart; they work with a bottom line. If not for unions, workers would not receive the respect and benefits they deserve.
The only thieves in a union are those who want all the pay and benefits of a union, but do not want to pay dues.
KEITH FINLEY
Middleton Township