Stop, thief, and think about the pain you are causing
Stop, thief, and think about the pain you are causing
EDITOR
I am writing this in regard to an incident of theft which occurred Nov. 13 at a local church. My father-in-law is 90 years old and depends on a wheelchair and others to get around. His most prized possession, which was always with him, was taken from him while attending Sunday service.
He left his hat on a table where he's left it for years. This is not an ordinary hat. It represents 60-plus years of his life. It was a navy baseball cap with a gold Masonic emblem that held a collection of emblems, pins, and patches that span the last 60 years of his life -- from his World War II army unit, the Masons, his business involvement, travels with his now-deceased wife and other members of his family, and his Christian faith. It was a testimony of his life, who he was and is.
It is of very small monetary value but of great priceless sentimental value. This incident has greatly troubled us. No one can imagine what this hat has meant to him. It is irreplaceable. Our pleas and prayers are that through this letter God will touch the heart of the one who took this hat or the heart of anyone knowing its whereabouts. It should be returned to its 90-year-old distraught owner.
We are offering a monetary reward for its return or for information regarding the one who took it. We're not looking to bring charges -- we just want it returned to my gentle, kind, elderly father-in-law. It can be returned directly to him, to the church from which it was taken, or at any other designated location.
KATHLEEN ORR
Youngstown
Ohio in unenviable position: number one in foreclosures
EDITOR:
Ohio's spot as number one nationally in home foreclosures is shining light on the dreadful consequences of predatory lending -- the most significant being the loss of the most important asset most people will ever own, their home.
The reach and effect of abusive lending practices have increased along with the growth of the sub-prime lending industry; Ohio has not kept pace with adequate consumer protections. However, there is good news. The General Assembly is poised to take an important step toward protecting homeowners from unfair lending practices.
It has been a long and arduous task to reach this stage. Yet, some lawmakers are still hung up on provisions that most people would find reasonable. For example, one sticking point involves spelling out the duties of mortgage brokers. Brokers object to language clarifying their duty to make reasonable efforts to secure loans that are advantageous to the borrowers. Such clarity is needed because often compensation from a lender to a mortgage broker creates an obvious incentive for brokers to make loans with the highest interest rates and fees possible, regardless of whether the borrower could qualify for better terms.
Another bone of contention is the behind-the-scenes threats some lenders are making to leave Ohio if lawmakers grant the attorney general the authority to police lender abuses, a safeguard available in 48 other states. Lenders made similar threats prior to enactment of the North Carolina statue, which has not slowed sub-prime lending but has saved consumers millions of dollars in fees and other charges.
Bills now before the Senate Finance Committee are modest proposals, compared to laws in some other states, but still afford important protections. The time to act is now. We call upon the Senate and House to pass SB 185, which protects Ohioans from unfair and deceptive lenders.
RON BRIDGES
Government Affairs Representative AARP Ohio
Columbus