Big John will set you straight

Big John will set you straight

Gov. John Kasich and leg- islative leaders held a year-end press conference touting their accomplishments of 2012.

Regarding his proposal to leverage the Ohio Turnpike to borrow $1.5 billion to fund other projects, the governor was asked if Ohio should be borrowing more money.

“There is an appropriate amount of debt that can be added to an asset to unlock its value,” Kasich began. Then, with trademark modesty, he continued, “That’s something that people who don’t know anything about economics, finance, or jobs, have a hard time understanding. Have them come see me.”

Really? So, if we go see him, we’ll learn how Ohio pensions lost $480 million invested with Lehman Bros., managed by John Kasich?

John Kasich is the smartest guy in the room. Any room. Just ask him. And, not the best interests of Ohioans, certainly not his spineless GOP legislative allies, and definitely not Ohio’s Constitution will stop John Kasich from doing what’s best for John Kasich, although even his most fervent acolytes must surely grow weary of his frequent massaging of his own grotesquely outsized ego.

Go see him? Heaven help us.

Chris Crowe, Canfield

The fate of Obama’s union: bigger

As I listened to President Obama’s State of the Union speech, it wasn’t any more full of baloney than most of those I’ve heard over the last 50 years. But one thing is certain: The federal government is going to get bigger and more oppressive under this president, and the American people are going to get poorer and more opressed under this Marxist government.

I just came up with a great idea for this president. Since the leftist media thinks he’s so wonderful and so smart, and since he spends no time governing, maybe he can apply for a part-time job. I hear the Vatican is looking for a pope.

Frank Santolla, North Lima

Background checks are effective

The reasons the NRA oppos- es universal background checks are pathetic and display a fundamental ignorance of what the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act is intended to do. The intent of the act is simple: try to prevent gun sales or transfers to certain people, and specifically criminals.

Some 1.7 million firearms transactions have been blocked by background check systems since 1998. The vast majority of these were initiated by criminals. To that extent the background check system has fulfilled its intent. But since all sales or transfers are not subjected to check, the system should be expanded.

NRA’s Lapierre says that “criminals will not subject themselves to background.” Not so. Actually criminals are amazingly stupid. Case in point, in Colorado last year 16 applications for a firearm came from persons who had been convicted of homicide. 578 applications were from persons who had been convicted of assault. Even more astounding was that 20 applications were made by persons who were fugitives on assault charges, 11 were fugitives on burglary charges. All together, local law enforcement made 236 arrests for persons applying for a firearm while an active warrant was on the applicant. There’s no telling how many arrests might be made if the check system was applied universally. But arresting people or charging people with perjury is not the goal of the Brady Act, reducing access of firearms to criminals is the goal. Colorado denied access to 7,300 applicants last year.

But sometimes innocent people are denied. That is why there is an appeal process. One of the most frequent reasons an otherwise qualified applicant is denied is because the applicant failed to provide sufficient information to distinguish himself from another person of the same name.

It’s time that the Brady background check system is expanded.

Robert Elston, New Middletown

Right to own a gun is under attack

Marching to a fearful beat, was the headline for a letter in The Vindicator on Feb 7. The writer should take off his rose-colored glasses.

The real issue here is it’s not the gun, it’s the right of ownership that is in question. Regardless of whether I use this gun for hunting, target practice or just mount it over the fireplace, it is my right to own. Channel your energy in getting the criminal element off the street. That is the real issue here.

And, yes, I’m a proud member of the NRA

Jim Eidel, Poland

Carbon monoxide is detectable

On the news recently, dur- ing East Coast blizzard, a young boy died warming up in his family car while the father was digging it out of the deep snow.

This no longer has to be. With today’s advancements in technology the auto companies could add some type of kill switch to the engine when odorless poison gas builds up to a dangerous level.

Since 1970 several designs for carbon monoxide detectors for automobiles have been patented, so the car companies are aware of this idea, and they could add these life saving devices. I’m not Ralph Nader, but I would like him to urge the auto companies to add this simple inexpensive device to make their products safer.

Alan Davis, Youngstown