Support for bill insulted millions of loving parents

Support for bill insultedmillions of loving parents
EDITOR:
Despite what's being reported in the news, parents did not support Senate Bill 1248. To the contrary, thousands of parents around the United States called lawmakers, signed petitions, sent letters, faxes and e-mails asking them to reject the bill. With their children in tow, parents went to Washington, D.C., to meet with senators, discuss their concerns and the negative impact the bill would have on educating children with disabilities.
In response, parents were told that the bill was a bipartisan effort and that it was a great step forward in the education of children with disabilities. On May 12 and 13, parents watched C-Span, hoping against hope, that they had been able to help the senators understand how the bill would leave children with disabilities behind. I know because I was one of "those" parents.
I was shocked as I watched senator after senator stigmatize parents in a variety of ways. As a parent of a child receiving special-education services, I felt demeaned. I wept as I listened to my child being blamed for denying other children a quality education. "Bipartisan" seemed to mean both parties agreed that parents were to blame for the failures of schools to provide an education to children with disabilities that would ensure a productive life, free of public assistance and poverty.
The most notable Democrat was Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. She stated that the surge in children receiving special-education services was because of parental neglect. She further explained that the number of children with speech and language disorders would be reduced if parents "look directly in the eyes of a child, to speak with clear diction, to actually show them how to speak and to talk to children, and to have a conversation with them, even if they are unable to speak but just hearing the language." How I wish that life were so simple! I have spent hours talking to my child, reading and conversing, but that cannot undo the realities of my child's neurological condition. Landrieu insulted millions of loving parents who work hard to provide their children with everything they need, as well as contradicting a multitude of research by noted scientists.
Landrieu's Republican counterpart, Sen. Jeffrey Sessions of Alabama, perpetuated the myth that parents are filing frivolous lawsuits. According to Sessions, "What we are finding is lawsuits have been filed all over the country, schools have been taken to court at great expense." However, the Special Education Expenditure Project Report by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Planning, which studied the costs of special-education litigation, discovered the opposite. The SEEP Report actually found that less than one-half of 1 percent of children in special education had parents who sued a school district. For the 6.5 million children in the United States receiving special-education services, the cost was a mere 27 cents per pupil.
Finally, there were three brave senators whom I have awarded medals of honor. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont had the courage to stand up and say no to S.B. 1248.
DAWN KLEIN
Columbiana
Still waiting for engineerto answer constituent's call
EDITOR:
Have you ever called the Mahoning County Engineers office? A nice, older, gentle voice answers the phone, listens to your problem and/or request, pretends to care and then tells you someone will get back to you the same day with an answer. I've given them my work, home and cellular number to be accessible 24/7.
Well, it has been a year and a half and still no reply. Not only have I called, but so have my neighbors with the same lip service. Many of our roads and railroad tracks are in very poor condition, and several ditches flood when it rains all due to a lack of effort. It's funny though how they're not even embarrassed to ask for new levies, income tax increases, county raises, etc. What is their real purpose if it's not to serve the citizens of Mahoning County who pay their salaries?
BILL JEFFRIES Jr.North Jackson
Public officials were not whining about funds
EDITOR:
In the Friday, May 14, 2004, edition of The Vindicator, a letter appeared that was titled "Why are public officials whining about $10 million?
As a result of unclear information, Mr. Samuel M. Moffie asked, "Since when did $10 million divided up by five schools become such a nuisance?" The correct answer to that question is two parts. First, the $10 million delinquent tax collection to which Mahoning County Treasurer John Reardon referred was county government wide. That is to say that $10 million was not split up by five school districts but rather every governmental agency in Mahoning County including schools, townships, mental health ... etc. Second, the actual lien sale was not for $10 million. Mr. Reardon said that the actual check for the lien sale was about $4 million. That amount has not been confirmed with Auditor George Tablack's office as of this writing. Mr. Tablack's office to date can account for in the neighborhood of $2.8 million.
Mr. Reardon's office has done a great job collecting delinquent taxes for at least the last five years. I personally compiled data of eight different Mahoning County school districts, and each district showed increased in delinquent tax collections between 2000 and 2003. Again, great job county treasurer's office staff!
The most recent tax distribution for first half 2004 was actually lower than first half 2003. In the eight districts I surveyed, collections ranged from minus 11.19 percent to minus 35.41percent below last year. This of course makes sense because delinquent properties cannot grow forever. Because the treasurer's office has been so vigilant in collecting old delinquencies since Mr. Reardon's election in 1998, it stands to reason that eventually only a minimum of new delinquencies will exist on the county's tax duplicate.
I disagree with Mr. Moffie that public officials were whining, not only because he did not have his facts straight but also because they weren't whining at all. They, and now I simply want to clarify that our respective governmental agencies did not receive, and will not receive $10 million in unexpected funds as one may have been led to believe if they did not pay close attention during Mr. Reardon's press conference -- and most certainly not $10 million among five school districts.
JAMES PHILLIPS
Treasurer/CFO
South Range Local Schools
Use intellectual discussion to find fine lines of diversity
EDITOR:
We have to agree with The Vindicator [May 12, 2004] that taking the narrow view of the beginning of life hampers stem cell research and the use of the morning-after pill.
And, "as religious philosophy, people are perfectly free to accept that inflexible standard and to live their lives by it."
But to say that using such a philosophy to form government policy is wrong in a nation as diverse as ours, opens a Pandora's box. Just what is diversity, and which diversities should be kept in the box while others should be brought out and celebrated?
Our world and universe contains lots of diversities. There is diversity of plant life and animal life, of races, languages and living conditions. There is diversity of religions and philosophies, and even diversity when it comes to respect for human life.
Why do we fail to engage in the intellectual struggle and discussion that should be occurring about acceptable vs. unacceptable diversities? This is another diversity: people who reject thinking about something that might require a change in their lives vs. those who seek truth even when it might show their own wrong thinking.
Our respect is given to those who hold thoughtful absolutes and are willing to take the criticism that comes when they apply their intellectual framework to all of life, public and private.
Too many have accepted the position that if there is philosophical (religious) truth, it cannot be known. That is the convenient position that allows us to do as we please.
PHIL & amp; CAROLYN MUNRO
Youngstown
Don't let misdeeds of a fewtarnish U.S. mission in Iraq
EDITOR:
By now all of us are aware of the shocking and disgusting pictures of mistreated Iraqi prisoners detained at Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. We must not let the cruel and cowardly acts of a few tarnish the good being done by the 135,000 military personnel deployed in Iraq.
Their task is more than we could have ever expected. We are engaged in daily combat by an enemy who thrives on war and destruction. Our troops are fighting not only an enemy in uniform, but a country that knows nothing else but causing terror. Not to support our troops at this time would be selfish and cruel on our part.
I, for one, am proud to have a brother, Lt. Col. David Yeropoli, who just returned home from Iraq, where he served as a military surgeon in charge of all medical facilities at Abu Ghraib Prison.
Knowing him and his devotion to country and profession, I know all who were under his care received nothing but the best. We must support all our young men and women who now need all of our prayers and support to continue doing the fine job they have gotten under way. God bless them all; God bless and protect our country.
ROCKY YEROPOLI
Campbell
People need to wake up:Torture is a reality of war
EDITOR:
Well the cat's out of the bag, and they're looking for someone to blame. If you folks think that this is the first time that the greatest Army in the known world has tortured someone to get information, you must have been asleep for along time.
How do you think you get the enemy to tell you what you want to know about the size of his army and where they are? Do you think that we sit a prisoner down at a 14-course dinner and then bring in the dancing girls after dessert and he will just tell us everything we want to know and answer all our questions ?
In every war -- yes, I said every war -- some folks get tortured. That's war. We do it, the Germans did it, Japan did it, Russia did it, Genghis Khan did it, and you can bet your booty that Caesar did it. I was in Vietnam, and, yes, we did it there, too. So now that we all have the knowledge that it is done and it will always be done, let's get on with life.
I am not saying that we should continue to torture folks, but the only way we can stop is to stop having wars.
GEORGE ADAMROVICH
Hubbard
Let's get moving onindoor racetrack idea
EDITOR:
I read that there is talk about building an indoor racetrack in Trumbull County. I believe that is a good idea.
First of all, this area was the hotbed of racing when NASCAR first started; I know, I was a member and so were about 100 or more from this area. We ran six nights a week, sometimes twice a day. The national champ was from Warren. And you couldn't find a finer person. A very quiet man. Mike Klapak. Out of the top 20 in points we had the top 14 or 15 drivers in the country from this area, and some are still living. I remember when in 1949 or '50 or '51 Lee Petty was here at Canfield Speedway for a race and Richard, too young to drive, was here also.
We also had local drivers go to Daytona to run when they used to run on the highway and then on the beach, before the super speedways.
So this is still a hotbed for racing. This track can be used for a lot of other things also: tractor pulls, motorcycle racing, or the world of Outlaws, just to name a few. I hope this project doesn't end up like the arena deal in Mahoning County. Start to think positive about this area, and good things will happen!
BOB STURGEON
Austintown