Port board chief already overpaid
Since when is a bonus given for doing your job? I feel James Hartung is already overpaid. His salary has been increased by 50 percent in just eight years.

In these economic times, with high unemployment, companies closing, and bankruptcies at record highs, a raise and a bonus are inappropriate. I don’t think Mr. Hartung has done a very good job. And to reward him for poor performance is not sending a good signal to the taxpayer.

As it stands, I will not vote for any more money for the Port Authority. I really think we need new leadership on the Port Authority Board. The present board is out of touch with the taxpayer. Our tax money is not being used properly.

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JAMES MARKIN
Sylvania

Kapszukiewicz for commissioner? No
Wade Kapszukiewicz, the driving force behind two of the dumbest pieces of legislation I’ve ever seen, now wants to be county commissioner?

Just remember, folks, this is the man who, in the supposed interests of public safety, made every handgun owner in the city go through a ridiculous charade of paperwork in order to keep a handgun.

Most citizens don’t know that this involved going through fourteen pages of paperwork to show their handgun met the legal requirements of not being a "Saturday night special" and required having their sworn statement signed by a notary.

And then what do we do with this statement? Do we file it with the city, or does the city keep a record of the serial number of our handguns? No! We file this wad of paper away with our handgun on the off chance that someday we might be asked for it by the police. How many criminals do you suppose went through this charade?

Now he proposes that the city pick up the cost of health care for two people who are living together, just because they say they are partners and/or are their "significant other."

Please, give me a break. Why do certain politicians think the taxpayers are made of money? They sure are free and easy with our" money. Is this what comes of feeding at the public trough?

And this man wants to be a county commissioner?

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JOHN R. HUFF
Douglas Road

Don’t make politics black vs. white thing
Election analysts continue to decry that not enough black voters showed up at the polls or that the GOP courted white voters to show up in droves.

These pundits need to quit making politics a black vs. white issue. The reality is, according to the 2000 U.S. Census, 75 percent of Americans are Caucasian, and 12.3 percent are African-Americans.

Sheer numbers would show there should be landslide victories if one party or the other strictly represented a particular race.

Unfortunately, this race-baiting by those with political interests, along with some radical civil rights members, fuels racism within our country.

I am an American first and foremost. I look at my friends and my neighbors as such. They are not my white friend or my black neighbor. To do so would feed the racist frenzy. I do, however, refer to my friends as conservatives, moderates, or liberals. This is precisely how the analysts should view all elections and the respective results.

They should concentrate on American ideals and principles as determining election outcomes, thus showing what is important to Americans as a whole. Look at us collectively as a group of Americans.

Feel free to make reference to our numbers by which we are registered to a political party but quit categorizing us by elements that are not important, such as our heritages.

Focusing on race as a primary variable in any event promotes bias among ourselves and prohibits us as a society from ever practicing the concept of "united" within the United States.

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ED NAGLE
Caroline Avenue

‘Perplexing’ describes FM 91’s music format
Perplexing is a word every classical-music lover could agree upon at the thought of FM 91’s current format.

Considering a huge portion of the classical music format is broadcast during 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., it is safe to assume that a great deal of listening is occurring at the workplace.

This environment, according to this listener at work, lends itself to music which is upbeat and bright. By this I mean full orchestral symphony music, not sad and pensive string quartet pieces, and particularly opera. It is very annoying to have the office mood shattered with an ear-piercing violin solo or an opera singer bellowing at the top of his or her lungs. I am not suggesting FM 91 entirely cut out those strong elements of classical programming; just, please, reduce their occurrences.

FM 91 also broadcasts pieces which have such low passages that the listener wonders if the station is still on the air. I would like to suggest more classical guitar pieces, something which it seems to take days for the station to air.

Music programmers at FM 91 would be well advised to log on to KING-FM in Seattle, WCRB-FM in Boston, and NPR affiliate WUSF-FM in Tampa as models. These stations have their classical-music programming down to the letter.

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RIC HERROLD
Tall Oaks Road

Bush has underlying agenda in Iraq war
Zero tolerance, President Bush tells the world. Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people better abide by the U.N. resolutions or face severe consequences. Well, let us read between the lines: We’re going to war.

I am still confused as to what all of a sudden triggered Iraq to be such a threat to our country. After all, we patrol the northern and southern borders, our satellites are continually feeding us pictures, and we defeated them in war in a few weeks in 1991.

Is Saddam really that stupid to risk retaliation by the greatest super power in the world? I think not. President Bush has an underlying agenda, and as citizens of this great country we should be asking what it is.

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HIDER NASERDIN
Perrysburg

Donate and don’t demand something back
I applaud The Blade’s criticism of using police cars as billboards for commercial advertisements. Corporate America should be free to make donations to civic enterprises as a matter of community responsibility and pride without expectations of compensation.

However, any quid pro quo arrangement should be frowned upon, if only because it smacks of the appearance of impropriety.

Now say "Fifth Third Field" five times fast.

THOMAS NAMES
Wendover Drive