It's a changing world
It's a changing world
EDITOR:
Delphi workers and union's representatives should read the book "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman. I hope it would open their eyes to the changes going on worldwide for technology and employment.
China and India are graduating 35,000 engineers a year and are taking over the electronic industry as well as other industries. If the people of this Valley want to keep their jobs they will take a pay cut and learn to live with it. Retirees will have to learn also to pay a reasonable amount for health insurance. We need the stockholders to get after the CEOs in industry to stop the huge payoffs and bonuses they get.
We need President Bush to stop handing out millions, trillions of dollars overseas and start taking care of our own.
Mrs. C.M. GEISE
Youngstown
Does Girard have a future?
EDITOR:
One thing the people of Girard will never see is someone getting the key to the city. The lock of the city was destroyed some five years ago.
City council and the people of Girard have during this time not seen fit to fix this broken lock. The city's resources, finances and its ability to sustain our heritage is gone.
These past five years resulted in many negatives for the city and little, if any, positives. Ribbon cuttings and planting trees do not measure up to the losses the city has suffered.
The recent defeat of the .25 percent income tax increase was more than doubled from the previous election margin of 144 votes.
The mayor commented on winning his second term for office that the people of Girard have mandated him to lead the city. Apparently, they have spoken again. With no sound written commitment that the income tax money would be spent solely for the police department, voters just assumed it would be spent as always, unnecessary and unaccountable.
Now with the cloud of the proposed landfill dump hanging over the city of Girard, the citizens are leery of its future.
In January 2006, some new blood will be infused into city council. Two of the gentlemen have prior experience as councilmen and the others are newcomers. I was really looking for a fresh approach to the future of Girard. But a news article printed two days after the election in The Vindicator about newly elected Fourth Ward Councilman Dan Moadus' comments have cast some doubt.
Mr. Moadus filed a lawsuit with court pertaining to the speed cameras being used in the city. He now admits he will not attempt to change the camera policy within city council but will continue the fight in court. He readily admits that his pending lawsuit was a boost to his election campaign. Mr. Moadus, either you are 100 percent against the camera use or you are not. It's too bad his Fourth Ward opponent, Chuck Doran, did not have the foresight to file a lawsuit on his own against the landfill company waiting to open a dump site in the city. If he had won, he too could have been interviewed and made a statement that he won't oppose the landfill while on city council.
Come January, the people of Girard will find out if there will be a future for the year 2007 or if the year 2006 will be the end of a once proud city.
TONY ROSACE
Girard
Riding the rails makes sense
EDITOR:
Everywhere I go, it seems like we're running out of room, and I bet that traveling for Thanksgiving or Christmas will reinforce my point. I'm part of a group called GoRail, which has brought together thousands of people across the country to advocate for increasing freight rail hauling capacity. It's not something we think about every day, but freight shipments take up a huge chunk of highway capacity and are a vital part of the economy. The amount of goods shipped long-haul is expected to increase dramatically by 2020 and one way to accommodate these goods is to adopt policies that ensure more freight moves on the rails. Not only would it help with highway congestion, but it would mean safer highways, less pollution, and likely even cheaper shipping costs, too.
I also believe we need passenger rail capacity as well. The United States is one of the very few countries that does not really subsidize passenger rail. With the high price of fuel and the overall cost of operating a motor vehicle, passenger rail makes sense.
WALTON J. TULLY
Newton Falls
Give people the credit
EDITOR:
I believe if more thought was given in the naming of the Youngstown Convocation Center, a different name might have been decided on.
The center was built by people. Performances will be given by people, and the center will be supported by people attending the events and games. Why not honor our community by naming the Convocation Center "The People's Center?"
Having owned many Chevrolet cars, not only do I rate them highly but I also respect their name. But it is my belief that Chevrolets belong on the road, driven by people, and since people will be occupying the seats within the center they deserve the honor of being named "The People's Center."
Without human planning, effort spirit, and determination there wouldn't be the beautiful center for people to enjoy.
MARY LOU JURINA
Youngstown
Give Traficant the credit
EDITOR:
Youngstown just proved that if you have enough money you can buy anything. If you recall, it was Congressman Traficant who had the foresight to acquire the money to build this building downtown. If not for him, there would be no center. You can call it the Youngstown Convocation Center or the Chevrolet Centre, but as far as I'm concerned, it is the Traficant Building.
He is the one congressman who was made to pay for his mistakes. Why not let him have his accomplishments? If anyone in Youngstown had a backbone and stopped looking at the dollar signs, this would have been named the Traficant Building from the start. I don't recall Chevrolet coming around before to say they would help with the building. It is just since they saw what a great building this is that they came around. It seems money talks loud in some circles.
Mr. Traficant, not everyone forgot what you have done for this area. Not only is there the center, but the money for the new courthouse was his doing and that got named after someone else. It seems true "the good you do dies young, but the bad lives forever."
J.L. CIAVARELLA
Mineral Ridge