Let’s resolve to make US a lot more unified in 2017

Let’s resolve to make US a lot more unified in 2017

Since every new year should start with new beginnings, Americans would be wise to make and keep a resolution to work toward uniting our country. Our country is every American’s home, and its people are our family.

God gave all of humanity a blueprint to learn and live by, and that blueprint states, “hate destroys, and love unifies and continues to stay strong.”

When people learn to keep in touch and use their minds wisely, their hearts to love and feel with and their souls to store the best of everything and use when needed, then and only then will you have unity, strength and progress.

America has and always will be great and will become even greater when Americans continue to participate.

To one and all, Happy New Year.

Mary Lou Jurina, Youngstown

American workers facing tough times in next 4 years

The future is sup- posed to bring leisure and prosperity to working people, not joblessness and misery. Well, that was before the money grabbers took over. Amazon has announced that it’s planning on opening a grocery store that has no cashiers or checkout lines. How about that, America!

The Donald also has nominated a CEO, Andrew Puzder, to become secretary of Labor. This is the same anti-worker, anti-union, anti-American who boasted about the advantages of replacing human employees with machines, and I quote this individual. “They’re always polite, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, they never slip and fall or file an age, sex or race discrimination case.” Wow! I just might ask one of them for a date.

With Donald’s pick of Puzder for labor secretary and the anti-worker House and Senate and don’t forget the Supreme (Corporate) Court, organized labor faces an uphill battle for a fair economy, fair trade, decent jobs and a living wage.

The robot revolution isn’t here quite yet, but the day is coming. A 2013 study claimed that 47 percent of American jobs will be lost to automation. If that doesn’t want you to go regurgitate your lunch, then I don’t know what will.

Stores already have self checkout lanes, but what if they decide to go the Amazon way and use nothing but robots and machines? A whole lot of jobs lost, unemployment, cities losing tax revenue, etc. This is not what the Labor Department and our Congress are supposed to do to make available good paying jobs and family sustaining wages; but when you have an anti-union secretary of Labor, an anti-worker Congress and a billionaire in the White House who is going to take care of his corporate and Wall Street supporters, then it’s an uphill battle for the next four years for the labor movement. God bless them!

Bud McKelvey, Hermitage

Bishop should reconsider plan for Syrian refugees

On Christmas Day, I saw Bishop George V. Murry of the Youngstown Catholic Diocese announce on the news that the diocese still plans to bring Syrian refugees to the Youngstown area.

Are you for real, Bishop Murry? Are you not aware that a clear and present danger to the security of this country comes from the people of the Middle East; have you forgotten the mass shootings in Paris, the carnage at the Orlando nightclub or in recent days the truck killing in the German market place?

These people have one thought in mind, and that is to deprive us of our way of life. Their mission is to destroy our culture and our beliefs

This is a mission they must not win. We must stand strong and united against all enemies both foreign and domestic. Reconsider what you are about to do.

Jim Eidel, Beaver Township

Concealed weapons don’t belong on a college campus

At the end of its recent lame-duck session, the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly snuck in many pieces of onerous legislation. One of the worst was Senate Bill 199, which, in part, modified the existing prohibition “against carrying a concealed handgun onto institutions of higher education, day-care facilities, aircraft, certain government facilities, public areas of airport terminals and school safety zones”.

This legislation was Republican-sponsored and in the Senate had the support of one lone Democrat. In the House, it had the support of eight Democrats. There were 81 Republicans in total who supported it in the Senate and House. On Dec. 19, Ohio’s Republican governor, John Kasich, signed this misguided legislation into law.

The passage of SB 199 is a big win for the National Rifle Association and demonstrates how much control the NRA has over Ohio’s Republican governor and GOP legislators. The fact that the governor and legislators show so little concern for the safety of our children and students is shocking. It also serves to demonstrate the hypocrisy of the governor and legislators because Ohio’s law continues to prohibit carrying a concealed handgun in the Ohio Statehouse – the workplace of the governor and the Legislature.

I think if Gov. Kasich and the Republican legislators truly believe it makes children and students safer when citizens carry concealed firearms on university campuses and in day-care facilities, it should also make our elected officials safer when concealed firearms are carried by citizens into the Statehouse. I do not look for this oversight to be corrected any time soon.

Martin Bramlett, Ravenna

Girard traffic cameras not good for businesses

When choosing where to spend one’s hard-earned money, I believe the first consideration should be whether you are made to feel welcome in the business (or in this case the city) where that purchase is to be made. Over the years, my wife and I have frequented the city of Girard to patronize restaurants, bars and various other places of business.

Recently, I was sent an expensive speeding ticket that originated from a hand-held camera in Girard. I also know of several other people who have gotten similar tickets in recent weeks. Was I speeding?

Yes ... exactly 10 mph over the limit at a time when there was virtually no traffic or threat to public safety. This practice continues despite the fact these tickets are nothing more than a “money grab.”

This is not an indictment on law enforcement. I have the utmost respect for the job they do every day. They are simply executing the wishes of city government. If these tickets did any public good, I’d have no problem with them. But they are simply designed to drive revenue for the city of Girard.

The courts have upheld the use of these cameras as being constitutional, so the city will get its check from me.

They will however, never see me spend a penny in the city of Girard again. The real losers in this situation are the good business owners of Girard, who will continue to see their business decline as people will (like me) go out of their way to avoid the city.

Steve Senediak, Hubbard

Irony of ironies: bins for recycling aren’t recyclable

I stopped at the re- cycling office in Austintown and asked for a new recycle bin. I told them my recycle bin needed recycled since it was broken and cracked.

To my surprise, they said just put it out for the trash because it isn’t recyclable.

This caught me by surprise; it’s 2017, and they haven’t figured out a way to make these bins recyclable. Only in America; Happy New Year.

Andy Pappagallo Sr., Austintown