Gov. John Kasich and the state legislature must decide if Ohio will open Medicaid services to more people.
For the health and safety of all Ohioans, I say take the federal money and use it right here to help Ohioans.
Medicaid is a health-care program for qualified, low-income people that is supported by both the state and federal government.
On the question of expansion, the federal government is offering a generous deal to the states. If we expand Medicaid, the federal government will fund the program 100 percent the first three years (2014-2016), then 95 percent (2017), then 94 percent (2018), then 93 percent (2019). From 2020 on, the feds will pay 90 percent of the costs of the expanded coverage.
Ohio needs to seriously consider this deal. Expansion of Medicaid would boost the health-care sector of our economy and decrease the cost we all pay to cover uncompensated care.
In addition, if Ohio doesn’t expand Medicaid, the tax dollars we pay will simply go to another state. Nothing is saved by not choosing to expand. The money that could be kept right here helping our own citizens will be spent elsewhere.
Bruce Freeman
Akron
Flawed models of global warming
Recently, two letters to the editor (“Snitchler’s weakness,” Jan. 15 and “Medieval thinking,” Jan. 20) have taken to task the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for expressing his personal opinion of green energy and global warming and also Gov. John Kasich for appointing a non-scientist to this position.
The letters express a sneering attitude toward those who disagree with the theory (and it is just that) that man’s burning of fossil fuels is driving global warming. Those people must be fools, they say.
Well, there are many well-respected climatologists and other scientists who agree that the Earth is warming but attribute the most important reasons to natural causes and support their argument with vast amounts of real data from the historical record.
The real fools are those who discount the record and instead rely on computer models. First, they assume that the burning of fossil fuels must be the cause. Then they create elaborate computer models to prove that this is so.
If the models fail to prove their theory, they re-jigger the models until they begin to prove their point. And they call that science?
Having panicked politicians with their doomsday predictions of how man is destroying the planet, these “scientists” then extract huge sums of money to continue their computer modeling. The United Nations then appoints a panel of these “experts” to issue periodic warnings of how dire the situation is getting, which opens the spigot for ever more research money.
The Earth has undergone countless periods of warming and cooling before man ever came on the scene. The current warming period began prior to the Industrial Revolution. It will continue to warm for quite some time, no matter what man does.
In the meantime, some folks who are smarter than everyone else want us to spend enormous sums of money to prevent the inevitable.
Robert Umbarger
Munroe Falls
Evidence of injustice
Three court cases concerned with justice deferred have come into prominence recently.
Joe D’Ambrosio, who spent 21 years on death row, finally received justice: Judge Michael J. Russo of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas ruled that D’Ambrosio was wrongly imprisoned and could seek reimbursement from the state.
In 1989, a jogger was brutally raped and beaten in Central Park in New York City.
The “usual suspects,” four black and one Hispanic juvenile, were rounded up, bullied relentlessly and finally pleaded guilty.
In 2002, a convicted rapist confessed to the crime. Ken Burns, his daughter, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon have produced the documentary, The Central Park Five. The documentary was reviewed favorably in the New Yorker and Wall Street Journal.
The “five” filed a lawsuit against the city nearly 10 years ago. They have not received a response. Ken Burns’ documentary may hasten the process.
In Lorain County, for more than 15 years, many writers have questioned the convictions in a Head Start case.
Ron Mott reported on Dateline NBC last year that former Head Start bus driver Nancy Smith was wrongfully accused of child molestation. An article written by Lona Manning for Crime Magazine labeled the case “The Shame of Lorain.”
A pardon application has been filed with Gov. John Kasich by the Ohio Innocence Project.
At a hearing on Tuesday, we’ll learn the governor’s decision. I hope it will be a right and just one.
Celine E. Riedel
Avon Lake
On guard and still vulnerable
I think NRA President Wayne LaPierre should be complimented on making a constructive suggestion to install armed guards in each of our schools to prevent another gun tragedy.
In Stow, we have nine public schools and two parochial schools, so we would need probably 12 officers, including one supervisor.
At $50,000 each for pay and benefits, this would be only $600,000, which I am sure local taxpayers would be happy to supply, especially if the National Rifle Association helped with the campaign.
However, LaPierre didn’t go far enough. Several years ago, there was a mass shooting at a McDonald’s restaurant.
Following LaPierre’s wise counsel, we should also install armed guards at each McDonald’s restaurant to protect customers.
And last fall, there was a mass shooting at a movie theater. We should install armed guards at all movie theaters in the country.
And, of course, there was a mass shooting at a shopping mall, so we should make sure that each shopping mall has several armed guards to prevent mass shootings.
And, we should insist that an armed guard go to the site of each fire before firefighters are allowed access.
Such policies would protect us from maniacs who get their hands on guns, and also vastly improve our unemployment statistics.
And we would all feel safer until the next tragedy.
Gene Stebbins
Stow
Upgrade for Palestinians
I was very pleased to read that the Palestinians have now received their upgrade in status as a recognized U.N. state (“U.N. vote upgrades Palestinians’ status,” Dec. 30).
I love both the Jewish people and the Palestinians. But Israel has had its foot on the neck of the Palestinians for way too long. Israel, controlling especially basic water flow for drinking and bathing, cannot be construed as both “godly” and “persecuting” in the same breath.
Reality had to finally sink into the hearts and minds of the U.N. members.
Even though our own diplomats may currently “balk” at this U.N. resolution, it will have a calming effect on the entire Mideast situation months from now.
Those who are prosecuted around the world understand persecution well, and I say a prayer and a bravo to the U.N.
Theresa M. Shimp
Akron
A veteran who deserves better
In regard to the Jan. 18 Beacon Journal article “Homeowner in custody as deadly threats grow”:
What is wrong with America, anyway? Lawrence Modic faithfully served our country for 21 years, and this is the thanks he gets.
Come on, people. Instead of tearing his house down, why not have Habitat for Humanity get together and restore it? Would that be asking too much?
Modic was trained by our military to serve and protect. Now he is arrested for trying to protect his own property. It was different when he was fighting to protect yours, huh?
If nothing can be done but to tear his house down, for Pete’s sake, build him a new one instead of charging him $4,200 for the demolition.
There is something terribly wrong with this picture. The real estate agent surely had to know the situation and condition of that house before the deal was closed. It looks like that would be a very neat little house to restore. Where are those who care about our veterans — or is it all about self?
I think Modic is really being treated very unfairly. Why not help the man? I sure wish someone would step up to the plate and give this man a hand. And I don’t mean hand cuffs. I really have to admire his courage. After all, he is just trying to protect what is rightfully his. Is that so wrong?
May God help him, and may God have mercy on us and help us all to help our fellow man.
Loraine Ellett
Hudson
