Practice makes perfect

Practice makes perfect

EDITOR:

Three cheers for Don Hanni, Jim Graham and Bert de Souza. These three men have succeeded in getting Hillary Clinton to pledge that she is willing to debate her opponent here in Youngstown.

I have known Don Hanni since I was a little boy. My late mother, Marge McGuiness, was secretary to Bishop James Malone and she just loved Don Hanni. She always said Don Hanni is not perfect by a long shot, but he’s a good Catholic, a great Democratic Party chairman and one of the best lawyers in the State of Ohio.

Don just suffered a stroke, but at age 82 he’s still going strong. I recently asked him “when are you going to retire?” He said “I’ve got to keep practicing; I can’t get it right.”

ARTHUR W. McGUINESS

Youngstown

Enough to spin your head

EDITOR:

Monday’s Vindicator ran the gamut from the ridiculous to the sublime in addressing the country’s woes.

Appearing in several different places in the paper: 1) the editorial applauded the economic “stimulus” rebates recently enacted — without mentioning the fact that the $130 billion needed to fund them likely had to be borrowed from China; 2) the 2nd-quarter GDP formula espoused by all the economic “experts” does little to dissuade 61 percent of America’s public who have indicated that the recession is already here; 3) Convoluted Cal Thomas lamented that we should send “payment past due” notices to the 41 nations that had pledged to help pay for the illegal debacle in the desert (that’s like asking the homeless who live under the Market Street Bridge to make pledges to pay off the debt of the Chevrolet Convention Center; 4) in the Years Ago section (February 11, 1933), a bureau would be set up to work out mortgage loan problems for Youngstown homeowners.

As I sit here writing this, Lou Dobbs is discussing the “horrific” shape of the economy (housing/unemployment/credit) with an economic expert from Yale who keeps using GDP percentages to explain why we’re not really as bad off as we think we are!

In my little world, there are only two things that scream recession: wages and prices. As I move from day to day, I am on a limited income that is constantly offset by the ever increasing costs of food, electricity, heating gas, gasoline, home repairs, auto repairs, etc.

There are two quick fixes we could try: The editorial’s wry idea of getting out of Iraq, or send Convoluted Cal to sell pencils on street corners in those 41 nations who promised to help pay for Dubya’s debacle.

JOHN ZORDICH

Youngstown

Board should get serious

EDITOR:

A recommendation for $17million in spending cuts is like a cool breeze on a hot day. I hope the Youngstown School Board has the good sense to implement the recommendations and to go even further. Supt. Webb said that “nothing in the audit is carved in stone.” I would hope that the board would find even more ways to reduce budget costs.

If the board can accomplish those spending cuts — and additional ones also — I’m sure voters will give a second thought to a tax issue. However, the initial action must come from the board. We would like to know that the board means serious business by implementing the suggested changes before the primary ballot date of March 4.

WILLIAM D. GRAEBING

Youngstown