LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Water plant needs city’s attention
7/16/2013The contenders for Toledo Mayor Mike Bell’s job have failed to address the ticking time bomb that is the city’s drinking water plant (“Council puts water plant project on hold,” July 10).
Mayoral challenge Anita Lopez, the Lucas County auditor, says she wants to audit “every dollar” the city is spending on water and sewer lines. A better target for an audit would be all the money generated by the sale of Toledo’s water during the 12 years that former mayors Carty Finkbeiner and Jack Ford were running our city. This crisis didn’t start yesterday.
Mayor Bell is taking on the issues that may bring our city to the brink of bankruptcy: a breakdown in our water and sewer system and out-of-control city employees’ payroll and benefits contracts.
What good are grandiose plans for new jobs and more police officers and firefighters if the city has no money?
MIKE McMAHON
Robinwood Avenue
Lopez does well; leave her alone
Please discontinue your negative treatment of Ms. Lopez; she has done a good job as Lucas County auditor (“Credit and credibility,” editorial, July 2). Her office runs efficiently and is responsive to Lucas County residents.
MARY JO TARINI
Springfield Township
Homestead tax loss bemoaned
The new Ohio budget includes the demise of the homestead exemption tax break for seniors and disabled people who receive more than $30,000 a year (“Mix of tax cuts, hike approved,” June 26). I expected an outcry from you and other major Ohio papers, plus the AARP.
Was this legislation sneaked through the process? We seniors got snookered.
SCOTT CLARKE
Starr Avenue
Kasich's backing no help to Bell?
Although several members of Toledo City Council have said some mean things about Mayor Bell, Gov. John Kasich may have topped them by calling the mayor “my buddy” (“GOP appears to be banking on independent Bell,” July 7). That's not likely to help the mayor's campaign for re-election.
JIM RICHARD
Sylvania Township
Bingle not a true Catholic priest
As a Roman Catholic, I need to correct a misconception about Rev. Beverly Bingle (“Holy Spirit Catholic Community expands,” July 6). She is not a Roman Catholic priest. Her ordination was never sanctioned by the church in Rome or the Toledo Catholic diocese.
People may call her a priest, but not a Roman Catholic priest. She is a woman who was Roman Catholic and left the church to pursue something that the church probably never will approve.
MARY MILLER
Maumee