Mike DeWine blatantly lied in ad and that's unnerving| Letters

Mike DeWine knows he's not telling the truth

Just this past weekend, Fox News Digital featured Ohio Governor Mike DeWine discussing his concerns regarding Issue 1, the ballot item that establishes an amendment to the state constitution enshrining the right to reproductive freedom.

In discussing the issue, the governor was quoted as saying that Issue 1 would allow abortion at any point in the pregnancy.

No governor, it would not.

And I’m quite sure you know that it would not.

Letters: Mike DeWine's trolling Ohio with deceptive, dangerous anti-abortion ad

Issue 1 clearly states that abortion would only be allowed up to the point of fetal viability outside the womb, which would occur at approximately 23 weeks.

Beyond this, abortion would only be allowed to save the life of the mother. As the leader of our state, the fact that you are comfortable stating blatant falsehoods is disconcerting. The fact that you state these falsehoods to a national audience, and therefore, the Ohioans you supposedly support and represent, is reprehensible.

Robin Kelly, Valley City

Marijuana business are of questionable value

Hopefully the Oct. 22 front page article, “Can Issue 2 Save the Struggling Marijuana Industry?” is an alert to Ohio voters that legalization does not necessarily solve the illegal (black) market problem.

Why not learn from the painful experiences of businesses and 12 states? Why should the government support businesses of questionable value?

Virginia H. Songstad, Columbus

Is this what they mean by cow town?

Someone needs to teach Mayor Andrew Ginther how to read a calendar.

He first announced the need to build a crime center in 2019. His dynamic duo partner, Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin, finally got city council to approve funds for a "study" in spring of 2021.

More: Ginther teases new Linden Public Safety campus for 2027 completion

Then in the fall of 2021 money was earmarked in the budget for the work. Of course, Hardin has been too busy to get this money to work.

Council finally approved the use of funds last week which is two years after the earmark was made. We heard nothing from the dynamic duo of Ginther and Hardin until last week as we are getting near to the mayoral and council elections in November. With a target completion date of 2027, the dynamic duo will be able to brag about their great accomplishment of building a crime center.

Their timeline for the crime center is consistent with their estimates and timeline for a new youth sports complex for Linden kids that they announced over five years ago. It should also be ready by the next election cycle.

Of course, it won't be in Linden but over six miles away near Westerville. Makes you wonder if the crime center will actually be built and opened in North Linden.

If the duo of Ginther and Hardin lived in Texas they would be known for being "All hat and no cattle" which is an idiom meaning "all talk, no action."

Well, Columbus has been called a cow town by many so maybe the description does apply to them.

Raymond D'Angelo, Westerville

More: How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch

The hunting and fishing hoax

The only reason for putting the unnecessary proposed hunting and fishing constitutional amendment on the ballot in Nov. 2024 is to bring Republicans out to vote against the redistricting amendment ballot issue.

Legislators don't have to perform the arduous job of collecting hundreds of thousands of signatures to do this while citizens spend so much time and money doing what's required for a citizen-initiated Amendment. I hope everyone sees through this hoax.

More: A right to hunt and fish? Ohio lawmakers float new constitutional amendment

More: Push for hunting, fishing constitutional amendment a ruse to energize far right

Janice Oakley, Sagamore Hills

Thou shalt not kill

I see commercials stating that Issue 1 is excessive.

One of the 10 commandments is "thou shalt not kill." How can murdering your own child not be "excessive?"

Abortion is murder, and there is no other word for it.

I think that God would rule abortion as murder. Imagine any human being macerated after being torn from its home.

I can't believe that anyone would approve of this procedure if they saw it performed and felt for the sanctity of life.

A lot of people need to look at the truth and vote "no" on Issue 1.

Dean Moyer, Columbus

Notice how they aren't taking about material, infant, mortality?

Extreme abortion bans like Ohio’s six-week ban (currently on hold by a court order) not only restrict access to abortion, but they also make it more difficult for women to access pregnancy care, birth control, cancer screenings and other reproductive care.

And the elephant in the room that anti-abortion supporters don’t want to admit is that when access to abortion decreases, maternal and infant mortality increases.

Study after study have shown that the states with the most restrictive abortion laws also have the worst infant and maternal mortality rates.

The fact is, abortion bans harm all women, including those who seek prenatal care. There has been an increase in funding here in Ohio to Pregnancy Crisis Centers — which do not provide actual health care services — at the expense of clinics that do. Patients who go to these clinics end up experiencing a delay in care if they chose to have an abortion.

Issue 1 will ensure that women have access to the life-saving reproductive care they need. Issue 1 will save lives. Join me in voting "yes" on Issue 1.

Dr. Anita Somani MD, fellow of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists., State Representative, District 11

Ask the people who live near Greyhound stop about safety

From article "Ginther debuts attack ad as mayor's race heats up," Oct. 22: "Neighborhood safety is Mayor Andrew Ginther’s top priority. Full Stop," said Ginther campaign spokesman Cameron Keir. '... Mayor Ginther refused to allow voters to go to the polls with misinformation spread by his opponent in a cheap attempt to score political points on safety or any other issue.'

I'm not sure the people living around the Greyhound stop on Wilson Road would echo that assessment. Surely, of the 150 officers patrolling the Short North during the 'crime wave," a few could have been spared to keep order at the Greyhound mini mart.

Dave Schwendenman, Columbus

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Andrew Ginther does not care about safety of people near Greyhound stop