Letters: Adults have right to smoke flavored tobacco. Kroger workers deserve raises

We don't need a nanny state

With the concern being children using flavored tobacco, the Columbus city government’s focus should be on keeping the product from them, not prohibiting sales to adults. By preventing adults from buying the product in order to keep children from it, city officials would be treating adults like children and promoting a nanny state.

Moreover, if flavored cigarettes are banned but more harmful tobacco products can still be sold, some people will buy the latter as a replacement. This defeats the ban’s alleged purpose of promoting a healthier society.

More:Our view: City must spoil sinister ploy. Ban flavored vaping tobacco, menthol cigarettes.

And for adults who still want to buy flavored tobacco when honest and regulated businesses can no longer sell it, organized crime and the black market will be happy to meet the demand, with no regulatory oversight and at an exorbitant profit. They'll have no qualms about also selling the product to minors. Prohibition and the War on Drugs teach that this is what happens when adults are not allowed to legally buy products they want.

More:Coalition to End Tobacco Targeting calls on city to end sale of flavored tobacco products

For the U.S. to truly be a “land of the free,” adults who are not harming others should be able to decide for themselves what they do with and put inside their bodies.

Joseph Sommer, Columbus

Give Kroger workers a raise

Thank you very much for the Sept. 20 article, "Kroger reveals details of offer."

We live in Clintonville and have shopped at the Kroger at East North Broadway forever. We do that because Kroger is a union shop and we support workers. We know that every benefit any worker has ever gotten, including management, has been the result of hard-fought battles and strikes by workers.

More:Kroger releases more details about rejected contract offer

The Dispatch article stated what we’ve known for a while. Kroger employees continue to be taken advantage of by a company making billions of dollars, especially during the pandemic.

The East North Broadway store is constantly understaffed during peak times. The roof has leaked for years in several spots in the store, inconveniencing customers and causing trouble and extra work for employees.

More:Ohio Kroger workers authorize strike but no strike set

My proposal to the bigwigs at Kroger: Schedule more workers during high-volume shifts; use some of CEO Rodney McMullen’s excess pay to give all workers a $5 raise per hour; and please fix the roof at the East North Broadway store.

If there is an eventual strike, we won’t be crossing the picket line and urge others to do the same.

Deborah A. Crawford, Columbus

'Power brokers' determine our future

As we approach the mid-term elections, Ohio will be choosing a new senator to represent our voice in Congress. Both Tim Ryan and J.D. Vance present a positive image and personality.

Unfortunately, neither one of these individuals in and of themselves will have little, if any, impact on policy. Whoever is elected will be joining the power brokers of each party.

If Ohioans are satisfied with the current state of our nation and the legislation the current administration has enacted or proposed, they will vote for Ryan.

More:Tim Ryan, J.D. Vance neck and neck in new Ohio Senate poll

On the other hand, if Ohioans elect Vance, there is a possibility that an alternative policy agenda represented by the Republicans, which is diametrically different than the current administration, could be promulgated should the political landscape become more balanced.

It is the party in power that will determine the future of our Constitutional Republic, not an individual person. The voters of Ohio will determine our future for better or for worse by placing the power of legislation and oversight to the controlling party.

More:Bridgeland: J.D. Vance, others advance myth election was rigged. Vote country over party

Due to the imbalance in power, it appears that we are experiencing unequal protection under the law as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to our Constitution as political opponents are being harassed.

Kent Johnson, Worthington

Bye-bye free wastebasket liners

I recently traveled to the state of Delaware, where plastic bags are no longer provided by any merchants. It took about three days to adjust.

Although I will miss the free wastebasket liners once they are more fully banned in Ohio, I will not miss collecting them to take for recycling, an activity of conscience I can do without.

Nancy Rafert, Clintonville

More:Letters: Ditching plastic bags will help Giant Eagle get over on customers a dime at a time

Giant Eagle should not be the last

I wholeheartedly support Giant Eagle’s ban of plastic bags.

My use of reusable bags goes back many years. Some are bags given by vendors, some are souvenirs of trips, and one will keep frozen food from defrosting on hot summer days.

More:Are plastic shopping bag a danger to Earth or a must? Readers react to Giant Eagle's plan

Cost of buying reusable bags is miniscule and they last for years. Even buying a paper bag, also reusable, is a small price to pay for our environment. Paper bags also recycle and biodegrade. Not plastic bags.

Do you consistently return them to collection points? That helps.

I hope other grocery chains join in Giant Eagle’s effort.

Louise Davidson, Dublin

So many better alternatives than plastic bags

The objective of the plastic bag phase-out is to reduce the environmental impact of non-degradable plastics. The heavy paper bags at Giant Eagle are being sold at cost or less. With care, such can be used again.

The end result of this change is to urge customers to employ reusable bags, be they cloth or heavy-duty plastic. Even the classic net bag used by shoppers in other countries is welcome.

Jeffrey Tolliver, Columbus

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: Adults should not be included in flavored tobacco ban