Letters: Waitstaff deserve big tips this week. Needy should volunteer for food bank.
Remember to tip your servers during Restaurant Week
I am looking forward to Restaurant Week ("Restaurant Week offers region’s 'best of the best,'”), Jan. 24 through 29.
More: Restaurant Week serves up a taste of 'the best of the best' in local dining Jan. 24-29
However, as one who spent most of my career in the food service industry, I want to encourage everyone visiting restaurants this week to be very generous tippers.
More: Ohio restaurant workers are making less money thanks to the pandemic. How are they coping?
Food service is a challenging business and the last two years have been even more challenging.
More: 'It's coming at a really bad time': Omicron has Columbus restaurateurs feeling deja vu
Why not surprise your server with a 100% tip?
They deserve it.
Robert Horn, Columbus
More: How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch
Bill requiring teachers to post curricula leaves a lot of unanswered questions
The Ohio House bill that would require schools to post lesson plans and curricula online is a bad proposal.
More: 'Teacher transparency bill': Republican lawmakers want Ohio school syllabi shared online
It would take an undue amount of time for overworked school personnel to collect and post these materials online, not to mention the time needed to correct any postings and to respond to parent questions.
I'm sure a full-time staff member would need to be hired to oversee these responsibilities. And that would add to school district expenses.
More: Letters: Don't urge teachers to post curriculums.
News coverage of the bill has left unanswered questions.
How regularly are the required materials to be posted? What will be the consequences for schools that fail to meet the proposed law's requirements? What would follow for teachers, schools, and school districts if parents demand changes in posted curricula?
More: Letters: Teachers need parents' involvement, not another mandate
All of this sounds like too much trouble for local schools and an open door for activists and others with a chip on their shoulder against teachers unions and "the left."
More: Letters: Posting curricula not a big deal.
This bill is guaranteed to score points with certain voters. Ironically, the same type of politician and voter who complains about government overreach and excessive regulation sees this bill favorably.
I guess it's all about who is doing the governing and regulating.
Kevin Johnson, Brunswick
Other concerns exist besides voter suppression
For all those who believe in voter suppression, maybe you should be more concerned about election finance laws.
More: Term limits, a balanced budget: Ohio Republicans want to amend the U.S. Constitution
First, term limits: no more career politicians. Second, no more dark money or money from outside interests. Third, and most importantly, those running for office (local, state and federal) can only receive campaign donations from the constituents in their district.
More: Letters: Dark money can be jettisoned from politics with amendment
Could you imagine how anyone, not just the rich, could run for office?
Julie May, Columbus
Funding schools by taxing property owners 'unfair'
Our state legislators should find a way to allocate more monies to our school districts or enforce school districts to manage their expenses with the money the state allocates to each district.
More: Letters: Seniors get nothing from state-of-the-art schools, should not have to fund them
It is unfair to many property owners that property taxes are used to subsidize school districts. We all live on budgets, so should our schools and stop trying to be a step
better than other school districts.
Robert Hopkins, Hilliard
More: Franklin County property tax bills late again this year; payment deadline now Jan. 31
Put your thinking cap on. Unemployed, needy should volunteer at food banks
The Dispatch headline reads, "Food banks scrambling for volunteers."
Many who don't work and don't have a lot to do get free food from those food banks, so let's put our thinking caps back on and think really hard.
Who might be ideal candidates to help out?
More: Pantries coping with demand amid inflation, supply-chain issues
Yes, we certainly need to help the needy; but eternally providing assistance to any and all without any expectation of effort by those who are capable has and will only incentivize so many more to line up for free stuff instead of embracing the value of self-reliance.
Dennis Singleton, Dayton
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: What would the guidelines be for a teacher transparency law?
