School board chief made poor pick for commission

School board chief made poor pick for commission

I’m a little surprised, but it was not unexpected. The appointment by Brenda Kimble of Carol Staten to the Academic Distress Commission is a travesty. Gee, what a coincidence – they are cousins.

Staten was an administrator for many years and rehired and rehired and substituted as an “administrator,” and Kimble says and “perhaps as a teacher.”

The law says Kimble was to appoint a district teacher. Sense would mean a current full-time teacher. But sense doesn’t appear to mean anything to her. Who knows better than a teacher as to what’s going on and would have the most insight into the problems and be an asset to the solution?

Kimble was instrumental in the former superintendent’s decision to leave. Be careful what you wish for. Things will probably get worse in that the government is now involved. Who wastes more money than the government?

The board president and the board are part of the problem. Then they have the nerve to hire a part-time consultant for $6,500 a month. The board should all run for Congress. It’s easy to spend someone else’s money – that’s us, the taxpayers.

Kimble’s appointment was an insult to the teachers and the people of Youngstown. But it shows you her true character.

The bottom line for whoever is in charge (not being politically correct) falls to the parents, whether it’s one or two. The problem stems from the family. Until they accept responsibility and teach their children respect, work, accountability, self-discipline and all the things that made America great, Youngstown schools are doomed.

Terry Gallagher, Youngstown

Ryan, tea bags in Congress show lack of compassion

After the last clown circus debate, candidate Ted Cruz demanded that future debates be moderated by people like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.

Why stop there? How about Ted Nugent, Cliven Bundy and Sarah Palin? If Teddy demands Limbaugh and Hannity, then Hillary can demand Michael Moore and Bruce Springsteen to be her moderators.

How about the Koch brothers’ new speaker of the House, Paul Ryan. Ryan paints himself as a “champion of the people.” But the people Ryan defends are corporations. Remember the “Ryan budget.” Every year his budget proposed sharp cuts to social services and steep tax discounts for the rich. So, we see who he really works for.

His stupid budget cut $89 billion in Pell Grants for college; then there’s the $125 billion in proposed cuts to food stamps. What kind of person would destroy a mother who relies on food assistance to feed her children because her low-life employer pays her a poverty wage?

Paul Ryan and the rest of the tea party Republicans in Congress, “that’s who.”

Ryan’s latest budget would slash billions from infrastructure, medical research and virtually every other service that provides security to Americans. The only thing Ryan proposes on health care is repealing the Affordable Health Care Act. Instead of ending tax breaks for corporations who ship jobs overseas, he would make them permanent, but he would eliminate tax credits for millions of Americans. What kind of human being would do that to his fellow Americans? Paul Ryan, that’s who! And he’s got the backing of the tea bags in Congress.

Vote Democrat.

Bud McKelvey, Hermitage Pa.

Mixed views on Obama’s TV address on terrorism

Contrary to my conservative colleagues, including all 2016 Republican presidential candidates, I felt President Barack Obama’s Oval Office speech was short, direct and for the first time gave recognition to the fact that the San Bernardino shooting was terrorism.

He assured us that ISIL will be defeated and what he is doing to effect this with coalition forces and without American loss of life. He spelled out that our air campaign has been hitting high-value targets and oil-supply lines.

That he is late to the party there is no doubt. Perhaps as Dana Perino said, his Sunday oratory lacked the magic and fervor that he has when speaking about gun control and disarming the American citizenry.

I could not believe when Bill O’Reilly, after laying out a laundry list of Muslim-favoring actions by this president during his two terms in office, would ask Charles Krauthammer what he thinks – that half the country thinks as he does that Obama is just incompetent and unfit to be president or as the other half of the country thinks that Obama is accomplishing just what he intends.

That is to punish Americans for what he, Obama, believes (incorrectly) is America being an imperialist colonizing country that needs to be held accountable. I have never heard any commentator make such a bold direct statement on what many of us, (myself included) believe.

Tom Page, Boardman

Make room for immigrants

HilLary Clinton is a firm believer in creating a path for citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. To deport them all or “round them up” would be impractical and wouldn’t benefit this country. We as a country are built on a foundation of immigrants.

All of our ancestors are immigrants, and there is no one in this country who has a right to be here more than you right? Well, deporting the millions that come over here to live the American dream would be un-American.

This country is a melting pot of greatness and to deny people who have lived and worked here honestly and not caused any harm to anyone would be once again un-American.

Our great country thrives off of immigrants, and there is no reason, with a country as big as the United States of America that we can’t make room for the 11 million immigrants already living here.

Tachieka Williams, Youngstown