What would Jesus say? Here’s one possibility

What would Jesus say?
Here’s one possibility

EDITOR:

December 25 is quickly approaching. When I checked my calendar, it has “Christmas” written in bold letters under the date! I looked Christmas up in Webster’s New World Dictionary and Christmas was defined as “a holiday on December 25 celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ”.

If Jesus was sitting around with some of His followers today, the conversation might go something like this:

JESUS: Why don’t I hear Merry Christmas being said very often any more?

FOLLOWERS: Well, Lord, we don’t want to offend anyone.

JESUS: You don’t want to offend anyone? Who’s anyone?

FOLLOWERS: Lord, those who are not Christian and the non-believers.

JESUS: Last time I checked, in this land of the free and home of the brave, close to 80 percent of the population were Christian and around 20 percent were non-Christian or non-believers. So you are telling me that an overwhelming majority of Americans, who are Christian, are not saying Merry Christmas in schools, stores, work places and on the street because they might offend less than 20 percent of the population? It doesn’t sound very American and democratic to me. Doesn’t the majority still rule in America? Hmmm, seems to me that you Christians are the ones who should be offended. After all, it is our day.

FOLLOWERS: You might be right, Lord.

JESUS: Of course I’m right — I’m God.

Merry Christmas.

JOANNE BROWN

Poland

School board president should set a better example

EDITOR:

The idea of a school board president asking residents of a community to vote down school levies because of teachers “only” spending four and a half hours with students is so far out of sight, it’s in orbit. Only four and a half hours of work per school day — please.

First of all, students need to be supervised constantly, most especially in these trying times. Secondly, parents often need to be notified for any number of matters pertaining to their children when these youngsters are in school.

Then, of course, there’s the time it takes to grade tests, projects, essays, etc. In short, anything students produce requires evaluation by the person assigning it. Oh yes, I believe that would be a teacher.

While it would be wonderful if a person could just appear before a class of young people each school day without adequate preparation or lesson plans, it simply doesn’t work. Mostly, it doesn’t happen — at least not for long. Then there are committee meetings, disciplinary actions, any number of “fun things” just waiting to fill a teacher’s day.

Having taught 31 years, most of them in Austintown, I know a little about what is demanded of those who “put in” a complete day, and, sometimes, what turns out to be a very long day.

As a senior citizen and longtime Austintown resident, I sincerely hope that other Austintown residents or residents of any community, for that matter, will take a long, hard look at what teachers are required to do. They, like other professionals, have college degrees and special training to work in their respective fields. They need respect, and one would think that a school board president would be one of the first in line to offer it.

MARY LOUISE CONNOLLY

Austintown

Public can no longer afford to support employees

EDITOR:

As we all know, the private sector has been taking pay cuts, from the airlines down to the production workers (what is left of them, that is).

These are the same people who pay the public workers their wages and fringe benefits through property and other taxes.

Speaking of property taxes, we are seeing thousands upon thousands of mortgage foreclosures in our country. The property taxes on most of these foreclosures are not being paid. Property taxes are the life blood of the public worker.

My property taxes for my house for the last half was $1,137. Of that, $680 was for schools and $234 for Austintown Township. I figure $914 of my tax was for public workers. That comes out to about 80 percent. We private sector retirees get no raises on our pensions. We do sometimes get small raise on Social Security. Federal workers, state workers, public workers, schools, police, etc. — most get raises every year on their wages and pensions.

We private sector workers must pay for these raises when our pensions are frozen for years. I don’t have the answers to all this, but it is not fair. If public workers really want to save their jobs, they should be taking pay cuts now. Don’t wait for the system to collapse. After all, we do need public workers.

We do have a serious problem here, the politicians, somehow or another should be working for changes in the system now. Don’t wait for it to collapse.

For now, I do think pay cuts are the answer across the board. That means everybody.

ANTHONY J. JACOLA

Mineral Ridge

Why Democrats are losing

EDITOR:

Regarding Bertram de Souza’s column last Sunday, I wish to thank him. It’s never been explained more beautifully why so very many Democrats have either deserted the party and/or switch back and forth with their votes.

Many of us still have faith in some Democrats. I had that faith in Marc Dann and voted for him. Within a few weeks I was sorry. Now I’m grateful to the Daily News for exposing his insult to my God. My disappointment extends to the governor for his blatant disregard. It’s no “political sham”— de Souza’s phrase — to expect an apology from Dann.

The middle class was called the back-bone of America. Most middle class were Democrats. Since Roe v. Wade the party has been disgruntled and split. Since jobs of the middle class have been shipped to China and other countries via Democrats, the backbone of America has quite a few slipped discs and walks with the GOP as a crutch.

I know I voted for the Amendment on Marriage and most voted against the casino-style gambling. It should be noted now that Marc Dann will again try for casino-style gambling.

When we find a way to get our jobs back to America, reverse Roe v. Wade, and our party back from radicals to fix the backbone of America, we’ll once again be the party of values and the party of the middle class. So don’t despair, all you Christians, all those with jobs exported, all you Democrats with values, even those that have left the party — we will keep working to mend our torn party. Till then, we’ll all vote with our intellect, hearts and prayers.

SANDRA A. MANKE

Youngstown

Y’town takes another hit

EDITOR:

I am saddened by the layoffs at WYTV. Once again, Youngstown is hit right in the gut from outside ownership that couldn’t care less about the toll on the hard working souls or the community it allegedly serves. This is another reason the broadcasting business should have never been deregulated by the FCC.

The mighty “33” battled heavy odds over the years. The station, for the most part been mismanaged and underfunded for years, if not decades. I was a reporter at 33 from 1979 to 1985. I covered City Hall and the police beat. We battled WKBN and WFMJ toe to toe.

Those were the greatest days of my 25 year broadcast news career. I was there for the “Death of Steel.” I am glad I won’t be there when the WYTV newsroom goes dark.

Good luck, news people. You deserved better.

DENNY BRAND

Overland Park, Kansas

X The writer was WYTV reporter from 1979 to 1985 and now teaches broadcast journalism in a Kansas City suburb.