Over the course of my first 15 months in Congress, I have come to realize two things about our nation's capital: Washington is indeed broken and, even with multiple consecutive years of trillion dollar deficits, no one there can agree on where we need to cut spending or how to get it done.
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To the Editor:
Wow! That letter to the editor last week from the guy in Hinckley was really something. He was upset with the people in Florida, Allen West, Republicans, Joe Wilson, Rush Limbaugh, Jan Brewer and Tea Party folks. He sums it all up by saying: "This current Republican Party is the most uncivil, hateful bunch of people I have ever seen in politics."
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One of my proudest accomplishments during this General Assembly has been balancing the state budget without raising taxes. This is especially true after facing a deficit of $8 billion because of the irresponsible spending and reliance on one-time money for recurring expenses by previous administrations.
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To the Editor:
I have never been so disturbed by a letter to the editor than I am now. The letter headlined "Republicans promote hate, divide people," accused republicans of promoting hate and was nothing more than vitriolic garbage.
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To the Editor:
I have a solution to the school budget crises that won't require a tax levy, a local income tax or any other type of tax they can think of. It is accomplished in two steps. Step One: Set up a school fund where people can make tax deductible contributions to the school system of their choice and/or create a continual fund raising program (i.e. running a BINGO program). Step two: Take any remaining shortfall in the budget, divide it evenly by the number of students and send a tuition bill to the parents of those students and/or reduce staff accordingly to fit the budget. That's what private schools do. Why should public schools be exempt from this?
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To the Editor:
I have a solution to the school budget crises that won't require a tax levy, a local income tax or any other type of tax they can think of. It is accomplished in two steps. Step One: Set up a school fund where people can make tax deductible contributions to the school system of their choice and/or create a continual fund raising program (i.e. running a BINGO program). Step two: Take any remaining shortfall in the budget, divide it evenly by the number of students and send a tuition bill to the parents of those students and/or reduce staff accordingly to fit the budget. That's what private schools do. Why should public schools be exempt from this?
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To the Editor:
The question I have is: "Why do Republicans continue to vote in the people who keep telling all of us that they don't care one tiny bit about any person who gets their hands dirty while at work? That would include most people who are reading this letter. The Republican Party ran for office in the last election, saying it was all about "jobs."
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The Obama administration last week issued a proposed rule governing hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on public land that will - for the first time - require disclosure of the chemicals used. This will make President Obama's environmental friends happy and it sounds good to me as well.
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I read a column this week by Robert Samuelson from that other little Post newspaper - the Washington one. Bless their hearts, they keep trying to live up to our standards. But they aren't THE Post like us, they are just the Washington one.
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To the Editor:
No one would mistake me for a cheerleader of our federal government, and here it goes again. In my afternoon mail, Newsmax reported that the FDA is considering allowing Americans to obtain drugs for certain medical conditions without need of a prescription. What could possibly go wrong with that? Don't ask. Comments are being accepted until May 7, and then a decision may come any time after that.
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To the Editor:
There is an old adage that one should not watch sausage or legislation being made as the sight is repulsive. This seems to be especially relevant to the Medina City Council's attempt to ram through a Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) as an emergency measure.
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Helping to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Ohioans is one of the primary reasons I enjoy the privilege of serving as your legislator. By listening to your views and representing them in the legislative process, we are able to craft legislation aimed at improving a given situation.
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Last weekend I attended the 10th Annual Rally for Troops in Cleveland. It was an honor to be there to welcome home so many of the brave men and women who have served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. It was also great to see so many people have come out to welcome them home and recognize their service.
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To the Editor:
So a letter-writer from Litchfield (in the April 28 edition of The Post) believes the Great Recession was caused by "Democrats that forced the bankers to put everyone into their own homes."
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Justin Kuemerle, a Wright State University student, relies on federal student loans to help pay for school. He recently told me that without Stafford Loans, he would have to forgo college.
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To the Editor:
President Obama likes to compare himself with President Lincoln, the first Republican President. There is a good reason for that. In Lincoln's day, President Obama's Democratic Party was against freeing black Americans from slavery.
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To the Editor:
I am responding to a letter to the editor that was in the paper Saturday, April 21, titled "Withhold donations until 13 churches reopened."
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To the Editor:
A little bit interesting, but doesn't take much math, to figure why the "home school" bunch (that be the parents) are so set against any funding for the public schools; may be because it would affect them since that is namely how schools are mainly funded in this state - through property taxes! Kid doesn't attend the schools, "then why should we take the hit." What the reasons are for home-schooling instead of school attendance could be anyone's guess - socialistic programs believed to be taught at the public, not wanting to associate with those attending the schools, have trouble getting up early, whatever. The state allows home rule, that's fine. Yet the property owner in this state still must realize that, as it is now, they will be required to pay for the schools, through property taxes, until public school funding schemes are changed. First in 1997, and several times since then, the way that the schools have been funded has been declared "unconstitutional;" if these people want to change all that, they need to work through the politics.
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To the Editor:
Do we really want to give another four years to a president who believes our Constitution is nothing more than an old piece of paper that should be discarded or ignored when he sees fit; to a president who is hell-bent on eventually depriving you and me the right to defend ourselves with a gun; and whose plans are to eventually disarm all our citizens one way or another?
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To the Editor:
The people of Florida got what they deserve when they elected that "uppity Negro" Allen West, as representative. Now he is saying the Democrats have about 80 communists in the House! The boy must think he is still in the military with that thug attitude of his. And I thought being a Muslim was all about harmony and living in peace with your fellow man.
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Although motorcycles represent a little more than 3 percent of all registered vehicles in Ohio, motorcycle fatalities in Ohio account for over 16 percent of the total traffic fatalities annually. Of those crashes, the majority of them are not the motorcyclist's fault and around 72 percent of them involve a car.
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To the Editor:
Have you thought about the fluoride in our drinking water? Here are some facts you should know:
Time Magazine included fluoride in its "Top Ten Common Household Toxins" on April 12, 2010.
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A letter to the editor we received in Brunswick this week suggested that we start a bad road contest. We have received letters like this from multiple towns over the past year and the letter writer's suggestion struck me as a good idea.
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Last week the trustees of the Medicare and Social Security Trust Funds released their annual report. The results, while not altogether surprising, are still disturbing.
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To the editor:
As a concerned citizen of Medina County, and a Montville Township resident, I want to let people know that they need to take one night to attend a township meeting. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
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To the editor:
As a concerned citizen of Medina County, and a Montville Township resident, I want to let people know that they need to take one night to attend a township meeting. Meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month.
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