Cause of downfall no secret

Cause of downfall no secret

EDITOR:

Does anyone know what caused the downfall of our economy? I saw it coming years ago. The banks and mortgage companies were lending money to people who cannot afford to pay it back. With no down payment for a $700,000 home, the bank knew and the buyer knew that if they could not save for a down payment, they could not make the payments. The more mortgages sold, the CEO (on top) will get more millions of dollars a year.

And yet, Congress asked no questions and allocated money to them. Now they are wondering where their money went.

With much scrutinizing, the House approved money for the Big Three automakers. The Senate could not pass it. They say if General Motors goes, so goes the country. Many jobs are dependent on the Big Three. We want American cars, made in America.

Many businesses are closing because people used their charge cards to the max, and did not pay their bill, which resulted in companies not getting their money and having to close. Hopefully and prayerfully we will get past this soon.

T.L. WERTZ

Canfield

A pleasant dam surprise

EDITOR:

I was somewhat surprised when I caught part of a recent TV interview on WFMJ in which Girard Mayor James J. Melfi proposed the restoration of the Lower Girard Lake Dam under an ambitious economic stimulus plan that is very likely to be forthcoming under the presidency of Barack Obama.

My surprise to this defiantly upbeat proposal was due to the recollection that Melfi’s previous statements regarding the Girard Lakes have been largely negative.

He has deplored the pollution of the upper lake (apparently due to leakage from county septic systems) and bemoaned the city’s constant need to pay interest on the debt the city incurred with the $2.25 million 1995 purchase of the lakes from Ohio Water Service under the administration of Mayor Vincent Schuyler.

He even spoke positively of the drainage of the lower lake due to the dam’s deterioration, saying that the creation of a swamp there could serve as a wetlands bank to offset the loss of such areas elsewhere in the city because of development.

Melfi also supported the further timbering of the Girard Lakes woods, (which I believe was a serious mistake) to combat city red ink.

But of course the $16 million restoration of the lower lake’s dam would be a very positive step for the city and the Mahoning Valley.

Where there is now just a 90-acre sea of weeds and cattails, there would be instead a scenic location for boating and fishing

And the dam itself is an historic site as a reminder of the Valley’s steel heyday, since it was constructed a century ago across Squaw Creek to help meet the steel industry’s water needs.

The 450-foot long Ambursen-style concrete dam has been cited as one of only two existing dams of its type in the state. (If it is reconstructed, one hopes that the original design would be retained.)

I believe the size and location of the Girard Lakes area (which makes it so accessible to the vast majority of county residents) make it a very feasible location for the development of recreational and cultural facilities. I’m glad Mayor Melfi is starting to bend toward that way of thinking.

ROBERT R. STANGER

Boardman

See you later, alligator

EDITOR:

Recent news reports about gun violence have been uniformly ugly. There was a big page one report, with color photos, saying that, “the election of Barack Obama has sent gun sales through the roof out of fear he’ll quickly re-enact the federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.”

Well, duh, why shouldn’t he do just that? Assault weapons have no role in home defense, except perhaps for people running big street drug operations trying to protect their bases. Even worse, there has been really scary news recently from Mexico, where assault weapons smuggled in from Texas are being used by “narcotraffickers” to murder and intimidate the police.

And then there was the recent homicide in Warren, by a man stealing guns from the home of a neighbor who had been kind to him in the past. Just one more variation on news reports about firearms-related tragedies, both deliberate and accidental, that appear with mind-numbing regularity. This can only get worse as more and more people are stampeded into buying firearms.

Having guns in a home is sort of like keeping an alligator as a pet, imposing both legal and moral burdens on the people involved. It can be done, but only if everyone is fully informed about the hazards and follows the rules faithfully, 24/7. You must understand and always obey the essential procedures of firearms safety. You must know what a police officer knows about when it is legal and justifiable to fire that weapon at another human being. You must have thought through your own moral code as to when you might pull the trigger, always being aware that your bullet could cause a tragedy that you didn’t intend. You must develop and maintain your shooting skill, as police officers do, through regular firing practice. You must protect your gun from being stolen and used, either deliberately or accidentally, to rob, injure or kill someone.

ROBERT D. GILLETTE

Poland

New students are welcome

EDITOR:

I am glad to see that a public university is finally on the same side as the college student. The fact that Youngstown State University is reducing the surcharge for some out-of-state undergraduate students is paving the way for a bright future for YSU. Lowering the surcharge for Western Pennsylvania students can only help the university.

Peterson.com, a Web site providing straight-to-the-point information for college students, notes that as soon as a university reduces the charges for out-of-state students, the university attracts a broader range of students and enrollment can increase dramatically. It cites universities in Wisconsin and South Dakota as examples.

As a student currently attending YSU, I am happy to hear that YSU’s horizons are being expanded. I welcome the idea of reducing surcharges, and I hope that this measure will open YSU’s doors to a wider variety of students.

PAUL MILLER

Youngstown