Letters to the editor: Toomey's votes hurt veterans

I just read about Sen. Pat Toomey's visit to the area for a round-table discussion with veterans. I was shocked by the senator's response to a question regarding his voting record on veterans issues.

Someone asked him about why he voted against seven of eight Veterans Affairs appropriations bills and against the veterans jobs bill. He explained that he didn't vote for these bills because they were either tied to other appropriations bills or added too much to the deficit.

I was surprised because I expected that as a so-called "leader on financial issues," he would know how to foresee the cost of war when he voted for fighting two simultaneous wars. After voting to send our young men and women to war, is Sen. Toomey really claiming he won't vote for these bills because they are too costly for our country? This is the cost of war, Sen. Toomey.

Only 1 percent of our country's population serves in our armed forces, while 99 percent seek to pay them back for their sacrifice. This jobs bill was the sacrifice we needed to make to pay them back, no matter the cost.

Beside the costly wars, our country's leaders made numerous financial mistakes that led to the deficit we hold today. Why does Sen. Toomey insist on making our veterans pay for such mistakes? We need a senator who can make a decision on sending our soldiers to war with the foresight to care for them when they return. Instead, we have a senator who puts a price on them, and $1 billion was just too much.

Bill Cole/Erie County Democratic Party chairman, Erie


Minimum wage rhetoric untrue


President Barack Obama is calling for an increase in the national minimum wage. Some want it even higher.

Many companies complain that it would significantly raise their costs. However, we have a perfect example in America. As of right now, Washington state has the highest minimum wage in the nation. It is $9.19 an hour. Soon it will be adjusted higher for inflation.

As of 2012, their cost of a Big Mac was $3.47. Washington's unemployment rate is 6.9 percent. The cost of a gallon of gas statewide is currently 10 cents higher than in Pennsylvania. The cost of utilities is lower than the national average.

The cost of an average square foot of property in Washington is 84 cents. In Pennsylvania, the average square-foot price is 94 cents. Next time, ask corporate America where it is getting the figures that significant rises in the minimum wage creates a significant rise in costs.

According to Washington state, it simply is not true. Fast food, gas prices, utilities and rentals don't rise. Please tell corporate America to stop lying.

Thomas Miller/Erie


Snyder's plan for Red Wings wrong


Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it. We see that again and again in public affairs, most recently through the stunning proposal to provide what would be primarily public funding of a new $450 million facility for the billionaire owners of the Detroit Red Wings.

The scheme, which is supported by the "conservative" Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, is a particular affront at a time when Detroit is in the midst of a bankruptcy proceeding and every stop is being pulled out to enable it to become solvent, including attacking the pensions of retired city employees, whose average annual benefit is the "lofty" sum of $19,000.

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm was vilified for being an ineffective liberal Democratic leader who supposedly led the once-great state of Michigan down the drain, and the people, in turn, decided that a Republican deserved a chance to lead the state. But what Snyder proposes to do with public money is an abuse of power, an obscene gesture to those who voted for him in good faith with the mistaken belief that he would be a responsible steward of the public purse.

Oren M. Spiegler/Upper Saint Clair


iPad purchase draws criticism


The front-page article "Middle school: iPads for all" states that each of the 660 students at James W. Parker Middle School, along with teachers, will each receive an Apple iPad Mini, soon after the start of school (Erie Times-News, Aug. 19).

After getting out my trusty old school calculator, I figured that each of these iPad Minis comes to about $530. Wow, I'd hate to see what the iPad Maxis are going for.

General McLane schools Superintendent Richard Scaletta hopes that using this technology will improve the way students are taught. As the father of a graduate student and third- and sixth-graders, I don't care as much about how my children are taught, but more importantly how and what my children learn. There is a huge difference.

Everyone knows that as soon as you purchase a brand-new car and drive it off the lot, its value has decreased considerably. And everyone knows that as soon as you purchase a brand new cell phone, iPad or eBook, those items are becoming obsolete as you carry them out to your car.

With that being said, the title of the article should have been "General McLane wastes $350K."

Mark B. Morrow/McKean


U.S. intervention in Syria opposed


Many people have expressed conflicting ideas about a possible military strike against Syria for allegedly killing hundreds of civilians with chemical weapons.

Many of us seem to have forgotten that we are talking about people -- people with families, friends, wishes, dreams, hopes and aspirations. There is a large disconnect between the people of a country and the government of that country; this country being a prime example.

I had the fortunate opportunity of living and working in Syria. I lived in the city of Homs. Now it is in the news for being a city of ruins. When I was living there, it was a great and fun city to call home. My best friend lives in Damascus, in a section that has been under fire for more than a year. He and his mother have no way to escape.

The actions of the Assad regime are despicable and completely hate-filled. The killing and maiming of one's own people is beyond comprehension. Bashar Assad and his regime have definitely crossed over that "red line" that many of us have heard about lately. However, I do not feel that this justifies the intervention of American troops (which is not being considered).

One problem I see is that many Americans and others in the West are viewing this with Western eyes. We need to remember that the Middle East is not a Western region. There is a distinct difference in culture, history, manner of thinking and so forth.

I fear that the intrusion of America in the civil war in Syria is not the answer.

Mark Grantham/Corry