Arena expectations need more than talk to happen

Arena expectations need more than talk to happen
EDITOR:
I want to commend Bertram de Souza for his Feb. 18 column which was the most accurate assessment of Youngstown. I liked his comparison of a diamond in the rough. The approaches to the downtown are far from creating a favorable impression of the city. Market Street gives the appearance of a ghost town. Some of it is barely occupied, and the rest is boarded up.
The 13-member civic center board and city council are like two soccer teams, kicking a $26 million ball back and forth; neither wanting to score. When they finish awarding money to consultants and advisers, the grant will be depleted. Meanwhile, the congressman sits back amused at the proceedings.
To put a convocation center downtown, it must be first established if the people of Youngstown want it. What type of activities will it be used for? Pro basketball? No, we tried that already. YSU basketball? No way. They have their own facility that they only fill if they have a winning season.
Is there a mad rush of business people coming forward to invest in downtown? It would be wise to poll them now.
Where will the convocation center be located with adequate parking? One solution would be to turn the city into a college city, similar to State College, Pa., which is home for Penn State students. The downtown is replete with shops and restaurants so crowded after a football game you can hardly get around.
The city, as Bertram de Souza wrote, must be made attractive to the public. Ice hockey, arena football, a circus once a year are seasonal attractions. There must be enough attractions to bring in enough money to sustain maintenance costs year round. Will these two sports turn people on? Twenty-six million dollars is not enough to rehabilitate the city nor is it enough to build a convocation center.
The congressman will have to come up with a much larger grant along with help from the state of Ohio. The arena by itself will indeed be a diamond in the rough or another white elephant. I am not a nay-sayer -- I prefer being called a realist.
PERRY DiPIETRO
Boardman
Gambling for education sends the wrong message
EDITOR:
It seems our leadership in the Statehouse is at it again. Since the lottery is losing money, they think bringing in more gambling will help fund the education crisis in Ohio.
The state lottery has been a big letdown since it started. How can it fully fund schools when only six cents of every dollar goes to education? And every dollar a school receives from outside sources is less tax money received from the state. How fair is this? Is this adequate and equitable funding, thinking that gambling dollars will help be the cure all?
Gambling does not increase revenue anywhere. Does our leadership really think that the racetracks are going to give up extra revenue to the state?
What kind of message are they sending to students? We tell them not to smoke because it brings health problems, yet money from tobacco lawsuits will help pay for their health care. People will keep smoking thinking they are contributing to a good cause yet damaging their health.
DUI fines may go to improving our highways and infrastructure, yet people keep drinking, thinking they are helping to contribute to highway construction.
So we are going to say I am gambling to help fund your education. In the meantime, spend hard earned money on keeping racetracks and lottery places in business.
Gambling does affect people. All people, especially those who can least afford to do so.
KATHY JOHNSON
Lisbon
Energy costs critical for Ohio's manufacturers
EDITOR:
The news today is filled with reports of turbulent energy markets. Here in Ohio, consumers are paying record high prices for natural gas, and are becoming more and more worried about the possibility of paying similarly high prices for electricity.
This is an especially critical issue for Ohio's manufacturers. In today's intense global markets, manufacturers simply cannot pass new energy costs on to our customers. The explosion in natural gas prices is severely straining the cash flow of industry statewide. If the trend continues the competitiveness of Ohio's manufacturers will be at risk, as well as jobs, tax revenues and economic benefits they generate.
That's one reason it's disturbing to see environmental extremists working so hard to eliminate coal as a source of generating electricity. Coal is America's most affordable and abundant source of electricity. It supplies almost 90 percent of the electricity consumed in Ohio, and it has played a major role in keeping electricity costs in our state lower than the national average.
Electricity prices will skyrocket if we are forced to replace coal-based power plants with other, more expensive sources of generation. Look at what's happening with the price of natural gas, the most popular alternative to coal, and it's easy to imagine what that could mean for our electric bills.
To suggest that Ohio needs to choose between coal or clean air is misleading and inaccurate. Thanks to billions of dollars of investments in clean-air technologies, our air today is a lot cleaner than it was 30 years ago.
Meeting America's growing demand for reliable, affordable energy is key to continued economic prosperity. For the manufacturers that form the backbone of Ohio's economy, affordable energy is essential to our continued competitiveness and long-term survival.
BARRY L. ANDERSON
Warren
X The writer is vice president and general manager of Schaefer Equipment.
Honesty still best policy
EDITOR:
Find me an honest man. I can show you an honest couple. Sandra and Jim Zatchok of Youngstown We do not hear about good people like them enough. We only hear about the bad guys. I lost my wallet. They found it and tried to find me. They were calling the police while I was calling the police. Bless these dear souls. They were so wonderful. Surely there is a gold seat in heaven for honesty.
Look at your wallet. It has everything about you in it: your credit cards and ATM card, your weight and age. How many people know these two numbers? Take a note from Sandra, don't put everything about you in your wallet.
BARBARA KOSANOVIC
Youngstown