Despite Wesley Avenue, West Side is fine place to live

Despite Wesley Avenue,West Side is fine place to live
EDITOR:
Here's my response to the Nov. 20 letter about the deterioration of the West Side of Youngstown and Wesley Avenue.
Five years ago at the age of 20, I fulfilled my dream of home ownership. I bought my house on the West Side of Youngstown because the price was right, I liked it, and I liked the neighborhood. But more than that, I wanted to be a part of Youngstown. Yes, I, a young person with plenty of options, wanted to be a resident of Youngstown. I believed then as I do now that this city will overcome its problems and stay a nice place to live.
While the houses on Wesley Avenue are an embarrassment to us all, they certainly are the exception and not the rule on the West Side. The proper authorities are aware of what's happening on Wesley. In due time, the houses will be knocked down. Sure, it would be great if they could be knocked down today, but that is not how the system works. I am confident that the urgency Mayor Jay Williams has given to the demolition program in the city will continue and be applied to this problem.
We do not need residents of other communities "challenging" us to "do something". We do not need to worry about St. Brendan School closing. This parish is still a neighborhood anchor and a welcome neighbor. We do not need to worry about the brand new, high-tech West Elementary being on the south side of Mahoning Ave. We still consider that to be a part of our neighborhood. Most importantly, we DO NOT need to "wake up before it is too late."
We take pride in our neighborhood and Youngstown every day by doing something very simple: We live there. Many detractors of our fine city and neighborhood can't say as much.
MARK BUGNO
Youngstown
Automation, incompetenceexplain Postal Service woes
EDITOR:
The folks of Youngstown won't wake up to the crisis in the Postal Service until it's too late and requires the intervention of U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan.
The Post Office developed by Benjamin Franklin was the best in the world for lo these 200 years, and suddenly it's broke? There are two items at play here which were not adequately covered by Mr. Stanar in his recent letter: 1) gradual elimination of the "human element" with the introduction of high-priced electronic equipment; 2) vast incompetence of Postal Service management from Washington to Youngstown. These situations are based on a system of "bonuses for profit" for management and the inherent greed of Big Business as they fight to get the big contracts to provide mail processing equipment and delivery vehicles for the letter carriers. As the technology rises, more money must be diverted from workers. The bigger the profit the Postal Service earns, the bigger the bonuses to Postal Service managers and supervisors! And there is a booger hiding in the bushes: Privatization.
House Bill 22 is an abhorrent attempt to generate an easier system to create stamp-price increases and limit the bargaining powers of postal unions.
Let's see a show of hands. How many people out there know that the Pony Express was actually a failed attempt at privatization? That's what I thought! And the same thing is going to happen if the U.S. government is permitted to privatize mail delivery, window services, and repair of vehicles. Deliveries will be bid to companies that will readily deliver to areas like Poland, Canfield, and Austintown, while the residents of Youngstown would be lucky to get mail once a week. That's all in addition to the mail processing deficiencies currently in place by the Postal Service management enumerated by Mr. Stanar.
And if you think the 0.39 stamp is too pricey to mail a letter, then get ready for the 1.00-a-pop letter by private delivery companies! They would need money to cover CEO salaries and bonuses, management salaries, minimum wage for other processors and delivery people, overhead, capital property, etc.
If you really want to have an impact on improving the efficiency of mail delivery in the Youngstown Delivery Area, which includes Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties, maybe it's time to form a long line at the Postmaster's Office, 99 South Walnut Street, Youngstown OH 44501 and personally ask him why you have to stand in long lines at local Post Offices and Stations... if his door is open, that is!
JOHN ZORDICH
Youngstown