School board member's pro levy column an act of desperation| Letters
The desperation is clear
Re "If levy fails, efforts to stop teen violence will be affected," Nov. 2: Shame on soon to be former Columbus City Schools board of education member Carol Beckerle for equating the levy with the new “We Got Us" campaign.
It is a sign supporters of the district's proposed 7.7 mill levy are operating out of desperation.
The We Got Us campaign requested the assistance of the district and requested students participate — not the board of education.
Why is the soon to be off the board member sharing information on the paid ambassadors in each school.
Simply endorse the “We Got Us” campaign. Don't try to falsely attach it to the levy.
Nana M. Watson, president, Columbus Branch NAACP
You can't decide for other people
Re "Letter: Our daughter's life was sacred," Oct. 28: This response is to Sarah Bellman of Celina—I am truly sorry for your loss. But that’s the point, you had the right to choose.
Every mother should have the right to choose what is best for them.
Don’t let your beliefs guide someone else’s beliefs.
That’s called individual freedom.
Peter McCoy, Upper Arlington
Issue 1 will enshrine parents' right, not take them away
"No on Issue 1" signs promote parental rights, however, will deliver exactly the opposite.
By handing government the right to dictate a pregnant mother’s right to choose, their parental rights have been eliminated.
Even parents of minor girls are denied their rights of choice, as the state of Ohio has made the decision in advance.
More: Issue 1 will not remove parental consent for abortions. Here's how we know.
What a "no" vote on Issue 1 will do is dictate health care and right to choose, eliminating everyone’s rights. Government should not be involved. Abortion decisions should be left to the individual and family to decide.
Ted Sinks, Delaware
Ginther is right for Columbus
The Columbus/Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council representing 21 local unions and 18,000 members has proudly endorsed Mayor Andrew J. Ginther.
Becoming the Midwest’s second largest city doesn’t come without its challenges.
Ginther has faced those challenges head on. The mayor continues to invest in our neighborhoods with more police, fire and safety. He is also the first Mayor in the history of the City of Columbus to utilize Community Benefit Agreements on city construction projects. CBA’s guarantee that a job is done safely, on time and under budget while utilizing a local and diverse workforce made up of women, people of color and veterans. This means people are building projects in their own neighborhoods and directly benefiting from the economic development in their communities.
Columbus is no longer considered a “rust belt” city and is quickly becoming the “Silicon Heartland.”
Numerous datacenters including Amazon and Facebook continue to appear throughout the city and the Google campus located in south Columbus has sparked the construction of two additional campuses in central Ohio.
All of this leads to more jobs for our members and opens the door for lucrative careers in the construction trades for all citizens of Columbus. In Ginther’s first year in office the Columbus Building Trades reported 4.3 million hours worked.
By last year that number had more than doubled to 9.1 million work hours.
Our city needs Mayor Ginther.
An experienced leader who continues to work tirelessly to invest in our neighborhoods, support affordable and sustainable housing, and continues to make Columbus a destination for economic growth and development.
The policies created under his administration will ensure that Columbus remains America’s Opportunity City.
Dorsey Hager, Jr., Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Columbus/Central Ohio Building & Construction Trades Council
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Issue 1 will give parents rights not take them away
