Public employees got a bad rap from de Souza

Public employees got a bad rap from de Souza

EDITOR:

I would like to respond to the Jan. 10 column by Bertram de Souza. Mr. de Souza should probably study up on a topic before he writes about it.

First of all, public employees paid into their retirement system and many of us paid at a much higher rate than the so-called private sector. As public employees, most of us did not pay into Social Security system. So why should our retirement deductions should be given to the failing Social Security system, which we are not even entitled to draw on?

Yes, paid vacation and sick leave are given to public employees just as in any other job, and, yes, it can be accumulated. (To a predetermined amount) I can tell you many times I was denied vacation time due to being short of manpower. Should I be punished by losing vacation time because I wasn’t allowed to use it? I wonder how many so-called private sector workers have been denied time off to attend a family function because “we’re too short on the streets” or “we need manpower in the jail” or “sorry, I need you on the medic tonight.” I would like to ask Mr. de Souza to spend a few hours in a cruiser or in a county or state correctional facility being called every vile name imaginable, being physically assaulted and even having human waste thrown on him, then tell those officers they don’t deserve their retirement cause they are “not about public service.”

Mr. de Souza should also be reminded that vacation and sick time are contractual issues which are negotiated by the employees unions. Not the retirement system. “Not about public service.” I hope Mr. de Souza never needs one of us but if he should, maybe he could tell the responding officer, fireman, EMT, or medic that they are “not about public service.”

Finally, Mr. de Souza’s comments concerning “the best and brightest” and “excellence is not the chief criterion for employment” are just plain stupid. I know of very few public service jobs that are not filled from a civil service test which is administered by the Civil Service Commission.

GENE WISE

Austintown

Maskell will be missed

EDITOR:

I read with sadness the Jan. 7 tribute for Thomas Maskell. He was a regular contributor to your letters column and one of the persons who made it worth reading.

He and I had many political agreements, and it was always refreshing to hear Tom’s philosophy on current events.

As the main speaker at the Libertarian meeting a few months ago, he spoke on methods of effecting change from the everyday political situations that we have around us. His message was to consider practical solutions and to avoid philosophical solutions.

He always wrote and spoke in an authoritative way using logic to make his points. His writing and wit will be sadly missed.

DONALD BUTLER

Warren

People who were railroaded have empathy for Traficant

EDITOR:

Any of you Jim Traficant bashers ever wonder why there are so many followers who still believe in him? Maybe, like me, they’re sick of the status quo. And maybe he was wrongfully convicted. If you don’t think that corruption exists in government or in the courtroom, think again. I’ve seen it first hand.

I was forced to retire from Republic Technologies International due to a plant shutdown. PBGC took us to court because they didn’t want us to pay pensions to people with under 30 years service. After Judge Economus ruled in our favor, they were forced to start paying. They appealed, we were denied our pensions, and they want their money back. I thought they were supposed to take over pensions, not deny them.

My co-workers in Beaver Falls, Pa., and I also have a lawsuit going on against our international union since 2005 for various claims of misrepresentation. If someone would just look at the overwhelming evidence we have, I can’t see how we could lose. But last year a judge ruled against us because of time limits. Why couldn’t he do that way back when we first filed? Sounds fishy to me. All we want is to get a fair trial. We’re appealing.

So I think it’s very possible Traficant was railroaded. Congress doesn’t like rabble rousers.

JACK THOMAS

Struthers

What a YSU president needs

EDITOR:

As a taxpayer, citizen, former employee and holder of undergraduate and graduate degrees from Youngstown State University, I would like to cite a few attributes that I would like to see in the next YSU president.

If YSU is to continue its progressive leadership in the new decade, I believe that, in additional to the usual organizational and administrative skills, the new president must:

UHave a broad knowledge of fund raising.

UBe able to further stabilize enrollment when the economy rebounds and the new Warren-based Eastern Gateway Community College is fully operational.

URecognize that the country has become much more diverse racially and culturally and YSU is uniquely qualified to take a stronger lead in helping the local community embrace that diversity.

USee the need to aggressively recruit minority candidates, especially African Americans and Hispanic Americans, for top administrative and faculty positions.

U See the need to actually get out in the five-county YSU service area, especially in Columbiana and Trumbull counties in Ohio, and Lawrence and Mercer counties in Pennsylvania, to address students, schools, businesses, organizations, and other groups on the educational programs that the university has to offer.

All four of the final candidates appear to have excellent credentials. I am confident that the YSU Board of Trustees, under the leadership of Scott Schulick, whom I have known for years, will make an excellent choice.

LEON STENNIS

Youngstown

Dropping ‘rule of 10’ would open door to spoils system

EDITOR:

I feel it is necessary to express my concerns in regards to the legislation pending before city council concerning the proposed changes to the civil service hiring process.

Council is considering waiving the “rule of 10,” which requires the appointing authority to choose from a list compiled from competitive exams, and allowing the appointing authority to choose from a list of applicants who obtain only a passing score.

Allowing applicants to be chosen from a pass/fail list could create untold problems in the hiring process such as nepotism, patronage and corruption. We should be very apprehensive of reverting to a “spoils system”.

The benefits of requiring testing for civil service positions are getting the most qualified and motivated people available. There are area police departments that require applicants to have a four year college degree just to apply. To keep a diversified work force the city could offer tutoring or training classes to prospective applicants.

While other communities have raised the standards for applicants, the city is attempting to lower them. As I have heard many area politicians say, “As the city goes, so goes the county.” Where is city council leading us?

If you need a police officer or firefighter in an emergency, would you want the most qualified, motivated and intelligent one, or someone with the most political connections?

Det./Sgt. CHARLES GUZZY

Youngstown

X The writer is president of Youngstown Police Ranking Officers, the union that represents the department’s sergeants, detective sergeants, lieutenants and captains.

Charity outperforms taxes

EDITOR:

I recently had one of those “teachable moments” with my 7-year-old daughter.

A mother in our community is experiencing some financial difficulty due the illness of her daughter. The PTO at my daughter’s school is collecting donations to provide assistance to this mother and her children in their time of need.

I explained the circumstances to my daughter and asked her if we should make a donation. She said that we should because it is good to help others. Then I asked her if she would feel the same way if she didn’t have a choice. She said that she still would but didn’t think it was right for someone to tell her that she had to make a donation.

This gave me the opportunity to explain to my daughter the difference between having the choice to give (charity) and not having the choice (tax redistribution).

Individuals do a better and more efficient job of helping the truly needy get back on their feet.

BILL HEGARTY

Poland

A historic health-care bill

EDITOR:

Recently a research team at Harvard Medical School released a report that says over 44,000 Americans die each year, including over 2,200 veterans, because of the lack of health insurance. This is equivalent to a 9/11 attack every month in a year. Under the leadership of President Obama, Senate majority leader Harry Reid, and House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congress is pushing ahead with a health insurance reform bill that will assure that over 30 million Americans will have access to affordable health care coverage that they currently do not have. This bill is as historic as Social Security. No other president has been able to get this type of legislation that the vast majority of Americans want. This plan will address those costs, reduce the deficit, cover those who cannot get coverage, and, most important, save lives.

The Republican Party has been spreading lies about the bill to try to scare people into not supporting this historic legislation that will benefit Americans. There is a reason that health insurance companies are spending over $1.5 million a day to defeat this legislation. They are investing to protect their profits over the lives of 44,000 Americans each year and the Republican Party is more than willing to do their dirty work.

In our Constitution’s preamble it states that we need to “form a more perfect union” so that our country can progress and we progress as Americans. Since President Teddy Roosevelt many other presidents have tried to provide some type of health insurance reform in this country. President Obama will be the first to achieve this historic legislation.

TOM LAMB

Youngstown

Potholes already?

EDITOR:

As I drive both north and south on 680, the questions arises: Why would there be two huge potholes on a newly paved roadway? (One southbound just past South Avenue and the other northbound before Midlothian Blvd.)

I realize we have had extremely cold weather, snow and ice, but one has to question why this has happened so quickly since the freeway was recently paved. Were improper materials used? It just doesn’t make sense.

PHYLLIS RICCHIUTI

Poland