Accident-report chasers are a discredit to legal profession

Accident-report chasers are a discredit to legal profession
EDITOR:
My 11-year-old daughter was recently involved in an auto accident. She was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her aunt. The other driver acted quite responsibly -- he stopped immediately, provided proof of insurance and was completely honest with the responding officer in admitting his fault in the incident. There were no injuries, and damage to the car in which my daughter was riding was minimal.
To date, I have received in the mail three letters from attorneys offering to represent us in any legal action against this man or his insurance company. While I understand that there are times when accident victims need representation and compensation, to try to encourage legal action in a case such as ours is not only irresponsible, but morally unconscionable. Our legal system is our most powerful ally in the protection of our citizens, and using it to seek unwarranted compensation is a crime of the utmost disrespect to this great country.
Attorneys like these are perfect examples of the "frivolous lawsuit." I have always been opposed to limiting damages in legal cases, but if legislation is ever passed to do just that, it will be because attorneys like these have prostituted a once noble profession. If they can't find a victim who truly needs their counsel and representation, they should find another line of work.
TRICIA BARNES
New Waterford
A beautiful dog died needlessly at the pound
EDITOR:
What is wrong with our dog pound? On Tuesday, out of the blue, I stopped at the dog pound. I had been toying with the idea of another dog, but not seriously looking. I had my heart set on a husky so I didn't want just any dog and really didn't expect to find anything like that at the pound.
Well to my surprise, when I walked in there was the most beautiful husky. I was in love. I had never gotten a dog from the pound before so I really wasn't sure of how things worked. While I was playing with this wonderful creature, one of the workers there came into the room and I told him I was really interested in this animal and what was the procedure for adoption. I explained that I didn't know how this dog would get along with my dog, And I'd also have to go home and discuss it with my family. The man told me the dog was now available and would probably have until Friday before they put him down. By then it was around 3 p.m. and the pound is only open till 4:30 p.m. By the time I talked to my family the pound was closed.
I went to the pounds web site and read about adoptions and it states that a dog can be returned. I wondered why the man who worked there didn't tell me this when I questioned him. Oh, well, he did say the dog had until Friday, so I figured I'd call first thing Wednesday morning. I spent an anxious night awaiting this dog. My daughter and I were so excited.
I started calling the next morning, even before the pound opened, which is 10 a.m. I finally got the same man I talked to the day before and he said, sorry, we already put him to sleep. How could they do that?
I know realistically they can't keep all the animals and they have to put them to sleep, but I talked at length to this man. He knew I was interested. He could have at least held off one day.
He pretty much assured me this animal had at least a couple of days. They didn't even give him 24 hours. How do they expect people to adopt animals with such terrible hours and people who work there who don't care and in essence lie to people. This poor beautiful creature was destroyed before he even had a chance.
I know there is nothing that can be done for this dog, but I wanted to make the public aware of what happened and maybe something can be done to prevent this from happening to another animal.
CINDY COMINSKY
Austintown
Public officials get away with blackmailing taxpayers
EDITOR:
If I or any other regular citizen ever attempted blackmail we would be charged with a felony and face jail and other penalties. Why is it that large corporations and political bodies and others supported from the taxpayer-filled trough use it all the time?
If GM wants a tax break or other giveaways from the government entities they say if we don't get what we want we may close the plant.
If a school system doesn't get more money on demand we will make your children walk to school or they will have to pay to play sports. Never mentioned is trying to get their out-of-control payroll and benefit costs back in line with the people who pay the taxes to support the schools. Most employees work a schedule that would be considered part time in the private sector. They earn a very generous wage for doing so. If the residents don't want to pay more taxes to support out-of-control spending by their elected and appointed representatives, the powers that be have many blackmail tools at their disposal. They threaten to turn prisoners loose on law-abiding citizens. They cut back on the most important services to the little people. No mention of payroll or benefits that far exceed what people who pay the taxes enjoy.
I advocate we pay no new taxes until the leaders in all forms of taxpayers-supported venues adopt a large portion of the cuts recommended by outside auditors with less personal agendas. This includes a good deal of consolidation of services, courts using the video arraignment in place at a large cost to taxpayers, and realignment of wages and benefits to reflect the trends in the trough-filling workplace.
Until our leaders come back to live in the real world, I say we should learn to live without the things they use as blackmail to get more money from a well that is drying up.
ROBERT HUSTED
New Springfield
It's time to rein in debt
EDITOR:
With our national debt ballooning into trillions of dollars, doesn't this suggest the federal government is heading toward bankruptcy?
How can the government continue to remain so deeply mired in red ink with no consequences for its actions?
There is no evidence that there are large scale layoffs in federal employment, as has happened at the local government level.
It's time to put a leash on the president and Congress for their reckless fiscal misbehavior.
This whole scenario of debt is unbelievable.
Our free flowing credit environment seems to be triggering mass bankruptcy filings across the nation. Mortgage foreclosures also are on the rise.
Doesn't anybody worry about debt anymore?
The time has come for Congress to enact legislation that will punish companies financially for laying off American workers, and outsourcing their jobs to foreign countries to take advantage of cheaper labor costs.
These layoffs have cost the Social Security program billions of dollars in lost tax revenue. Working people pay 6.2 percent in Social Security tax, and their employers 6.2 percent. This shuts off when workers are idled.
U.S. companies, according to USA Today, have about $420 billion in profits stockpiled in offshore accounts.
A tax break under the American Jobs Creation Act would allow these companies to bring back a large chunk of this money, and Uncle Sam would net about $2.8 billion in tax revenue.
Wouldn't it be fair if 6.2 percent from part of the $420 billion was rolled into the Social Security Trust Fund? That would be the penalty for laying off American workers.
TOM PERJOL
Brookfield
Conductor treated badly
EDITOR:
The nonrenewal of the contract of Isaiah Jackson is a terrible shame. His work with the Youngstown Symphony is a bright spot for the whole community. My wife and I have attended a number of the concerts in the past, and we always enjoyed them.
I don't remember ever reading a bad review of one of his concerts. Isaiah's departure saddens me and now the stories about the way it was handled surely discredits the Symphony Society Board. Is the board ever going to find another conductor who says he loves Youngstown? I think Mr. Jackson is a wonderful conductor and board members should get down on their knees and beg Mr. Jackson to extend his contract.
JAMES E. MOORE
Lowellville