Trying walking in the shoes of teachers in Austintown

Trying walking in the shoesof teachers in Austintown
EDITOR:
This letter is in regard to the editorial of May 19 that reported that the teachers in Austintown still "don't get it." I believe that the writer is uninformed in his assertions. Granted, he did give the teachers credit for voting unanimously for a pay freeze but chided them for not giving back more in hospitalization benefits. Apparently, the writer has not delved into the matter completely. If he had, he would be aware that Austintown teachers, in the early years of this contract elected to change benefits to help the board of education save money. Furthermore, Austintown teachers have been paying a portion of their hospitalization for years.
Just as in any other industry, where employees work to help the company work more efficiently, nearly 40 percent of the high school staff works in mentoring programs and before school and after school tutoring programs at no cost to the taxpayers in Austintown. And as long as costs are at issue, statistically, teachers earn approximately 66 percent of what other similarly educated workers earn. And that takes into account the number of days teachers work when compared with the number of days worked by other industries. And sir, please tell me in what other industry do employees regularly bring personally purchased supplies from home to work.
Before the writer of the editorial in question again tells the public the Austintown teachers "just don't get it," I invite him to walk in my or one of my colleagues' shoes for a day or two and see what transpires.
Your editorial was informative but incomplete. Instead of placing the blame on teachers, principals or the boards of education, look to the state Legislature, which after being in violation of constitutional funding for schools during the past 10 years not only hasn't fixed the problem but also continues to reduce school funding. Ask yourself, why are 75 percent of all school systems in Ohio currently projected to be in debt by the end of 2005. Ask yourself, could all those teachers, boards of education and principals be that incompetent. No ladies and gentlemen, the state Legislature is where the problem lies. I dare you to vent your frustrations to them.
WILLIAM V. SULENSKI
Austintown
Enough is enough! It's timefor America to cut Bush loose
EDITOR:
Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent searching for the tons of sarin gas and other chemical weapons that Colin Powell told the United Nations Iraq possessed. What has been found are weapons of moral destruction of American credibility in the prison where a few are being blamed for torture and abuse.
Fact is, the Red Cross reported for months that this behavior is commonplace by those in charge. The shock and awe by the military invasion has become shocking and awful.
The Bush administration points at intelligence for poor and faulty information giving them reasons to invade Iraq. My question is, why hasn't anyone been fired? Surely someone should be held accountable for thousands of deaths and injuries caused by inaccurate information.
Now, the Pentagon has requested $25 billion more of taxpayer money, bringing the cost to nearly $200 billion to continue this huge blunder and what appears to be a no-win fiasco.
How can "Rummy Ache" go to Iraq and make jokes, smile and blatantly try to mislead the world that only a few have committed torture and abuse? The Bush administration condemns the brutal murder of Nick Berg, as it should, but who will condemn an administration that holds itself to higher standards, yet allows months of disgusting actions toward Iraqi prisoners?
Powell told the world if Iraq asks America to leave Iraq, the United States will do so. Why is America transferring 4,000 troops out of South Korea to Iraq? Why is the U.S. government building several military bases in Iraq? Why is it building an embassy that will employ 2,000 people?
I'd say, it has no plans to get out of Iraq. Could Iraq be a base for further invasions of Middle Eastern countries? Last week, Bush signed an executive order imposing sanctions on Syria. Could it be next? "The Project for a New American Century," written by Paul Wolfowitz over a decade ago, spelled out a plan to control the Middle East.
This world and the United States are suffering from mad cowboy disease, the "Bring 'Em On" policy of George Bush, causing death and hatred toward America all over the world. It's time to cut him from the herd.
JANET WALLS
Youngstown