Letters to the Editor
Commentary shows prejudice
7/28/2013You stooped to a new low with the July 23 commentary by Blade associate editor Keith Burris, “Lopez’s negatives mounting.” I have lived in Toledo for more than 40 years, and I have never heard of Mr. Burris or know of any of his accomplishments, other than that he can mow his lawn.
His commentary on the front page of the Second News section continues your attack on Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez’s campaign for mayor of Toledo.
Ms. Lopez, through hard work, has straightened out the mess at the auditor’s office. The raises she gave to the workers in her office were nowhere near the amount of the raises given to Mayor Mike Bell’s lackeys.
You again show your prejudice against women, single women, and people of Hispanic origin.
GARY BUCK
Scottwood Avenue
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Lopez should go after scofflaws
Ms. Lopez is so quick to criticize our city government. Why doesn’t she start by cleaning up her own department?
BARBARA HALASZ
Valentine Street
Highway cameras of little benefit
In addition to concerns about Big Brother spying on us, brought up in the July 12 Readers’ Forum letter “Highway cameras invoke spying,” I have another concern: cost versus benefit.
An Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman said the cameras in the freeway management system help with traffic flow. This project took place without any public scrutiny that I know of.
If the cameras could detect a wrong-way driver and save a few lives, there may be a benefit. But simply monitoring traffic does not seem to provide any substantial benefit.
The money spent on these cameras could have been better spent repairing roads and bridges. This is just one more example of out-of-control government spending.
BRENDAN BUCKLEY
Orchard Trail Drive
Rebuild, not move, Rt. 64 span
The option of relocating the State Rt. 64 bridge in Waterville to a site at the foot of Farnsworth Road is a poor choice (“State scouts project sites in Waterville area,” July 15).
This part of Waterville is a designated historic district. It has many homes that were built before 1900, including mine, in 1854, and the 1828 Columbian House. The historic nature of Waterville would be jeopardized by the intrusion of Route 64 and the accompanying bridge.
The Waterville Historical Society conducts tours of the historic district for the public, including groups of schoolchildren. The society prides itself on preserving this part of Waterville and its history. A state route and bridge at the Farnsworth Road location would bisect the historic district and interfere with the tours.
Closing the existing Route 64 bridge and building a replacement at the same site would inconvenience some motorists for a couple of years. But it would be a small price to pay for preserving Waterville’s history for future generations.
FLORENCE WHEELDEN
Waterville
Detroit provides Toledo a lesson
Your July 23 editorial “Rebirth of Detroit” was great. We need to heed what has happened to Detroit and try to not let it happen to Toledo.
JEANETTE CEGLIO
Strauss Avenue