The demise of the small villages such as Waterloo, Arabia, Wilgus and Patriot, etc., is very detrimental to the very foundation of our government, not only local but to state and national.

I was born in the village of Waterloo 89 years ago. The village had, at that time, doctors, a funeral home, a dentist, general stores, cream stations, schools and churches. The doctors moved to Ironton. Then the funeral home moved. The cream station was removed. We went through several general stores and restaurants.

Then the school was moved. That moved just about killed the village. The removal of the post office will be the death blow. Then all we will have is memories.

Without our rural communities, what will the urban areas do?

Ralph Lunsford

Waterloo

 

Supporting our veterans worth price of cup of coffee

I am a volunteer with the AMVETS here in Ironton. Last Saturday the veterans from there had a “clover drive” to make a little money so they can help veterans who are in need of such. It was cold and drizzling rain-it was just a miserable day.

As I was standing there and observing the men, I got to thinking about what a veteran has to go through when he is out in the field somewhere fighting for our freedom. He cannot come in out of the cold and warm himself or come out of extreme heat to cool off. He just has to deal with the misery. A veteran has no easy life but yet they are willing to step in and help when needed.

So the next time you see a veteran standing out there trying to get donations-please be kind and drop in a donation. Whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated. Too many cars just drove by and ignored them.

Is it worth the price of a cup of coffee? I certainly think so. Thanks to all who stopped and gave.

Elfriede Osburn

Ironton

 

Issue 2 is part of Kasich’s plan to destroy unions

It should come as no surprise that Gov. John Kasich would count on the poor memory of the voters when it came time to implement his conservative agenda. After all, it’s something his party has counted on for years.

Mr. Kasich said creating jobs (or more accurately JOBS, JOBS, JOBS) would be his top priority and ran seemingly endless television commercials touting his ability to be the economic savior of Ohio.

It now appears that he had at least one higher priority: destroying Ohio’s public service unions. If he ever ran commercial on that priority, I missed it.

If he actually had, I suspect his two percent victory at the polls would be a landslide defeat.

Conservative politicians and their right-wing financiers have once again resorted to their tried and true methods of playing one group of Americans against another in the old “us vs. them” game.

This time it is the private sector workers against government workers. Once upon a time it was whites against blacks, hardhats against students, the “silent majority” against war protestors and “all patriotic Americans” against liberals.

In reality, the only class war these politicians seem to oppose is one where the rich and powerful are asked to pay taxes.

Now the governor’s wealthy supporters are again flooding the media with glossy anti-union “information”, much of it misleading at best. One recent commercial reports “government employees make 43 percent more in wages and benefits than the rest of us.”

I sincerely doubt government employees make 43 percent more than the people who ordered and paid for this commercial.

The source of this data is reportedly a conservative “think tank,” known for supplying numerous neoconservatives to the George W, Bush administration.

We all know the accuracy concerning the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. With their track record I have deep reservation about anything they report.

Even if that figure is correct, what’s wrong with paying these folks a middle class wage?

Teachers and other professionals have spent years working for degrees to qualify them for their positions. Police and firefighters put their lives on the line every day.

Why should they be demonized for getting a decent pension? It was a benefit they bargained for in good faith.

Unfortunately, good faith does not seem to be much of a priority in the Kasich administration.

It should surprise no one that private sector benefits may have fallen behind the public sector.

Conservatives and the big money people have spent the past 30 years breaking private sector unions and sending their jobs to China and Mexico.

If Kasich and company have their way workers will indeed have the same pay and benefits: next to nothing like those in the third world.

The governor has fought diligently to keep his wealthy friends from paying taxes. It’s too bad he won’t fight for middle class Ohio workers to keep their hard earned rights.

Why does he insist on bringing down public worker benefits when he should be bringing up benefits for all workers?

I worry about the future of Ohio when dedicated public servants are being hung out to dry to further a political agenda.

Why would young, intelligent people want to become educators, police officers or firefighters under an administration that will offer them low pay, no rights and little respect?

Merlyn Marten

Proctorville

 

Seniors need us more than ever

I am writing this letter in support of the senior citizens levy.

I have been told by the folks at the Community Action Organization that without this levy, vital services for our seniors will have to be drastically cut or eliminated. Things like senior medical transportation, home meal deliveries and the operation of senior centers. Is this really the legacy we want for our county?

Our senior citizens are the ones who came before us, the ones who created the life we all now enjoy. They made sacrifices back then and met the challenges of their day.

Of all the times I can remember, our senior citizens need us now more than ever before.

Rising gas prices, the rising cost of food and life preserving drugs is putting real pressure on those fixed incomes.

How can we turn our backs on them now, after all, they are someone’s grandmother, grandfather, aunt or uncle.

They are where we all will be, some of us sooner than later. We must avoid a situation where our county has to cut services for this vital segment of our community.

Steve Dodgion

Superintendent Collins Career Center

 

Property owners are paying enough

Enough is enough.

It seems every election there is a levy (tax increase) on property owners on the ballot.

Example: The senior levy is soon to be voted on again. The Collins Career Center levy will be back.

All who vote in Lawrence County are not property owners, probably several hundred judging by all the apartment buildings.

It’s easy to vote for something when someone else is paying the bill. I’m sure most all seniors are property owners themselves. This tax will not serve all seniors in Lawrence County.

Some chose not to participate.

Also in a few short months, Collins officials will be asking for a property tax increase.

They have available from the government a $7.3 million interest free loan plus another $15 million from the Ohio School Facilities Commission, yet they want more.

With all the federal and state budget cuts, it all flows down to the property owners. Unfortunately property owners are at the bottom.

You hear it will be only “so so” on a person whose home is worth $100,000 but add on all the “so sos” plus all the other levies.

There is no good time for a tax increase but this has got to be the worst.

Especially when most of us are trying just to get by. Just try to get by with what you have for now. Property owners have to.

J.R. Smoot

Burlington