In the Valley, who needs honest elected officials?

In the Valley, who needs honest elected officials?
EDITOR:
I was interested in the comments from the former Valley resident who now resides in Seattle and is thankful he no longer has to deal with the & quot;corrupt mess & quot; the rest of us still call home.
Just because he took the coward's way out and moved to a desirable location, does that give him the right to gloat? The way he talks, one would conclude that where he lives, citizens actually expect their elected officials to respect and obey the law. What kind of an inefficient, hamstrung system is that?
To all you other lily-livered wieners out there who are disturbed by the fact that you still reside in the Valley and just can't wait to leave, I have news: after the last one of you jumps ship, I'll still be here. Don't worry -- I'll power down the engines and turn out the lights.
JOHN ZEDAKER
Poland
Orenic's actions make him ill-suited as principal
EDITOR:
It was with particular interest that I read your May 8 article detailing former Struthers Council President Michael Orenic's voice mail message to Mayor Dan Mamula.
Although Mr. Orenic has since been defeated and resigned his position as council president, he is still a principal at Byzantine Catholic Central School. After reading that article, I had to ask myself, if I had children or grandchildren attending B.C.C. school, would I want someone of such questionable character and impulse control guiding and leading them on a day-to-day basis?
I think not.
Praying for harm to fall on someone's children or grandchildren is not befitting of anyone, let alone a principal of a Catholic grade school. Monsignor Victor Romza needs to do the right thing and ask for this man's resignation as principal. The best interests of some children and grandchildren are at stake.
LORRAINE J. MULICHAK
Columbus
Traficant unfairly singled out by Justice Department
EDITOR:
Although I am saddened by the indictment of Congressman James Traficant by the Justice Department, my loyalty, support and prayers for our congressman will continue.
Randy Walter wasted no time in suggesting the congressman should resign for the good of the Valley. Those who are fair-minded and wise will remember that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Being accused of committing a crime is no proof of guilt.
As a life-long senior resident of the Mahoning Valley, I can assure Mr. Walter that the Valley's tarnished image did not begin with Congressman Traficant or any one person. It took people who engaged in illegal activities, elected public officials paid to look the other way when wrongdoing was taking place and some citizens who found nothing wrong in playing the "bug," making, selling or buying home-made alcohol, knowingly buying stolen property along with other illegal activities.
There was a time when the steel mills provided jobs for generations of people, and so long as illegal activities in the Valley did nothing to upset their lives complaints by the average citizen were few and far between.
I strongly urge those who supported the congressman to hold on to their beliefs and to remember the congressman in their prayers. It's well known that anyone who dares to be different becomes a target for ridicule and too often abuse.
I only know the Justice Department has targeted Congressman Traficant not for truth and justice, but instead for revenge.
MARY LOU JURINA
Youngstown
Nurses say hospital is misleading the public
EDITOR:
I find it amusing that in a Vindicator article Evonne Wolosyn stated that Forum Health did not want to negotiate a contract through the press, yet that is exactly what they have done.
The last two Sunday ads to & quot;inform the community & quot; of their proposals proves this. Does the community wonder what is not being told?
Consider the 3 percent pay raise offered. It will essentially be negated by the increase in medical co-payment and prescription payment plans they have put on the table.
Or how about the & quot;equitable vacation and holiday schedule & quot; they informed you of? Did they inform you that should a senior nurse have vacation, for example, on Independence Day, and it is her turn that year to work that holiday, she will have to come off vacation and work it? How many of Forum Health's administrators will come off their vacations to work a holiday?
Have they & quot;informed & quot; the community of the extreme amount of money being spent on the & quot;replacements & quot;? Hotels, food, drink, and entertainment are all being paid for by the hospital, not to mention the high salaries. They are treating a bunch of strangers better than their own nurses, their own & quot;community. & quot;
The bottom line here is respect and consideration. The hospital has shown neither to their nurses. This is why there is a strike. This is why they will lose valuable nurses from this community.
CAROL YODER, R.N.
Hubbard
Student sees abortionas a moral wrong
EDITOR:
Abortion is morally because it is killing a life, which means that you are stopping the growth of a generation.
It is mental abuse for females who have the abortions. For the rest of her life, she'll have to think in the back of her mind, that she had a child murdered.
Abortion can be unhealthy for the female body. There is a chance she won't be able to bear children in the future. Also, a botched abortion could cause ovarian cysts, uterine damage, and things of that nature.
If abortions are illegal, teen sex may decrease. Teens will have to stop running from their responsibility. They'll think twice before indulging in adult life.
TIARA HARRIS
Youngstown
X The writer is a student at Woodrow Wilson High School.
Give benefit of doubt to those who served in war
EDITOR:
The war in Vietnam -- it was then, this is now, and it was different.
The American warrior should never be judged by how many civilians were killed. The judgment should be on how many young American men were killed by Vietnamese civilians.
Then and only then will the non warriors of America understand the truth of the war in Vietnam.
If there is any benefit of a doubt, it should be given to the brave men and women who served in the armed forces instead of giving any merit to anything the Jane Fondas, Peter Arnetts and Gregory Visticas of the world have to say.
STEVE KOPA
Weirton W.Va.