Unjust criticism of Frangos may scare other developers

Unjust criticism of Frangos may scare other developers

EDITOR:

I’m old enough to remember the best days of Youngstown when the buses ran every 15 minutes from downtown to Campbell. Many times, it would be difficult to find an empty seat, and riders would be squeezed together, standing all the way to their destination. I have seen the changes through the years and understand how these changes came about. I’ve always felt that downtown, with the courthouses and government buildings, should be the hub of all the surrounding areas. Somehow or other, things went from bad to worse for the downtown area.

The point of this letter is the Lou Frangos issue and the Stambaugh Building window problem. It wasn’t that long ago that he was being hailed as the “Donald Trump of Youngstown.” I believe that if the window situation was not handled properly, it was an honest mistake. I think Frangos wanted to make sure that no other windows would fall out and cause serious problems. What was surprising was the rush to judgment against Frangos by so many. The publicity was terrible. How long was that building and the others downtown for sale before they were bought by him? Here is someone who had enough faith in the restoration of those buildings and eventually hoping to realize financial gain as any business person would, who has probably put in a lot of money to date. He really didn’t deserve all that negative publicity.

Who knows what effect this might have on future developers or entrepreneurs who might want to come downtown? I think his presence here has had a positive effect. There is more activity, more new businesses opening downtown, all of which have an economic ripple effect for the better. Mistakes will happen as they do with any large product and they should be corrected, and rules and regulations should be followed. But let’s not scare away future business. As for the fear of downtown “blight,” I wonder what would have happened to all the buildings if they had not been purchased by Frangos? Would the solution be to demolish and just get rid of the eyesores and blight? Would that be better?

CALIOPE GIALOUSIS

Campbell

Bush enjoys trip to Europe on the backs of Americans

EDITOR:

Did anyone read the very good article in The Vindicator on June 16 titled “Bush enjoys perks of traveling abroad?”

Yes, he is enjoying all his trips at our expense. He is using borrowed money from China and our Social Security. That money is also paying for the Iraq war.

Most countries do not welcome his visits. But he is enjoying his trips while our soldiers are getting killed and maimed in Iraq. He said he is planning five more trips before his term is up. As long as it is free, why not?

Our citizens cannot afford a vacation. Please, dear God, don’t let him get us in a war with Iran or Pakistan. He should take a trip to those countries.

Please, let our Cleveland Congressman Dennis Kucinich continue to work for Bush’s impeachment. I can see the rest of the world “clap their hands” when he is impeached. I also believe once he is out, and the war ends, our country will turn around for the better.

THELMA L. WERTZ

Canfield

Death penalty options: Knifing, strangulation?

EDITOR:

If death by lethal injection is ruled to be unconstitutional in Ohio, I’m curious as to what method of execution would be constitutional.

Would putting to death those who have killed others by shootings, knifings, strangulation, etc., be better manners of execution?

Either I am completely ignorant of what I believe justice to be or in truth victims can never really receive real justice.

When the life of someone is taken their loved ones are sentenced to living a constant, painful life. My sympathy has and always will be for the victims and their loved ones.

Those who victimize cheapen their own lives by their actions.

I find it hard to believe the concern given the manner of death to those who placed no value on their victims’ lives.

Those who use God’s power by ending another’s life will have to pay their debt to society before they are judged by God.

MARY LOU JURINA

Youngstown

Busing plan angers Austintown mother

EDITOR:

I had to laugh when I opened my paper recently. There it was, in black and white, for the whole county to see just how incredibly stupid our superintendent thinks the parents of Austintown have become.

He dresses up the new busing schedule with pretty words and promises, but we all know the whole idea is just plain bad. I think it is right up there with investigative math (which the teachers hate — but hey, what do they know?), open enrollment and inclusion. However, I don’t dare call his office to complain because I will once again be spoken to like a little child that needs my hand patted with a “now, now, let those of us who know better make the big decisions.” He can promise all the video cameras and radios he wants, nothing he can say or do will make this a good idea.

I have done some questioning with the Ohio Department of Education’s transportation department. According to Brian Whitta “Nothing in Ohio law prohibits a school district from combining any number of grade levels together on the same school bus.” However, and this is where it gets interesting, Mr. Whitta also explains “Ohio school districts only receive funding for students only when they are actually riding the school bus.” So, the fact is, I am going to drive my daughter to and from school every day. I simply will not put my 9-year-old girl on a bus with teenagers that I don’t know. But at least I will have the satisfaction of knowing that Austintown School District will not be getting any state funding for busing with my child’s name on it. I have heard that Superintendent Doug Heuer had been looking for a new job over the last year; I sincerely hope he finds one. The school board members who wish to keep their positions had better think long and hard about what is happening. Parents are not happy. Quite frankly, I would be more inclined to vote George W. for a third term before I would ever vote for any one of them.

Oh, one more thing. Until this situation is corrected, you can forget about my vote in support of a levy. It’s a shame, too. This is the first time I will have ever voted against a levy.

SHANNON L. MURPHY

Austintown

Candidates’ age revisited

EDITOR:

A recently published letter strongly suggested John McCain unqualified for president solely because of his age.

The letter writer mentioned President Woodrow Wilson (World War I era), and Franklin Roosevelt (World War II era) as being specifically impaired, and President Ronald Reagan (end of cold war era) as supposedly somehow impaired.

As the writer should know, tremendous advances in the past two decades in medical science (including the biosciences) have effectively enabled many older persons to function and, yes, even lead. Age alone is just one factor when choosing a leader.

Partisan political preferences can cloud one’s view; however, it is unlikely medical science shall soon overcome that affliction.

CARL D. RAFOTH, R. Ph.

Youngstown

Reader counts the ways U.S. has lost its greatness

EDITOR:

I am sorry to say but as an American citizen born and raised here, I see America as a nation in decline. Much of our industrial base has gone to Third World nations and many in the business and political communities call this progress. We are becoming a Third World nation as well.

Many say you can always get retrained. In a depressed community like the Youngstown metropolitan area, retrained to do what?

Americans are using their charge cards at an all-time high at record interest rates. We owe billions to banks for charge cards. which is why many are filing bankruptcy.

Gas is at an all-time high, and on cable news channels you see some cute reporter with a beautiful smile and her legs crossed winking at the camera telling you it is merely supply and demand and there is no conspiracy among the oil companies to screw the American consumer. What propaganda by the news and business communities.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties are a joke anymore. All the Democrats seem to be worried about are gay rights and playing the race card with Barack Obama.

Our brilliant President George Bush has painted us into a corner with the Iraq war, and we now owe China billions of dollars for helping us finance the war.

America, a once great nation, is no longer a great nation.

GARY GERGEL

Youngstown