Letters to the Editor
Failed Policies, Not Attacks
I wanted to respond to Therese Juskiewicz comments in a Dec. 8 letter to the editor about Nancy McArthur being “wrong.”
For those who do not know, I was the Ohio State Senate Candidate for the 32nd District, so I can say having actually run for office this election cycle was, without a doubt, a reflection on the failed policies of the last 8 years and not a misguided, misogynistic attack on Hillary.
Therese cited what she felt were the accomplishments of the former administration. I could take any one of her comments and show how the policy or action failed, but I will stick to just one that is near and dear to me personally. I will, however, take her letter and reply via video on my former campaign’s Facebook page. You can find it at “Rob Allen for Ohio.”
Therese points to Obamacare as a point of pride for the left because “20 million Americans now have health insurance.”
In 2013, I lost my job making $45,000 a year, plus benefits, to cutbacks my employer was making because of the ACA. Before they let me go, however, I was asked by the leadership to move my entire staff of 20-plus employees from full-time to part-time status because they could not afford to provide them healthcare coverage, either.
So much for Sen. Harry Reid’s promise that no one would lose their job.
And, for the record, I now make $11.94 an hour and I am still looking four years later for gainful employment.
Those employees, like me, had families to support and full-time jobs and were making ends meet. Like me, they and their families now exist on far less because of an ill-conceived law that forces us to buy something we cannot afford.
Like me, the healthcare they and their families gained was through Medicaid, as our jobs and wages were lost or diminished and we had to turn to the government to keep from being fined for not having healthcare that we could no longer afford to purchase.
That isn’t something to be proud of Therese, but rather it is a travesty of Big Government and indicative of Democrat policies to take away everything one family has just to provide for someone else, thereby impoverishing two families.
Then, while the Democratic Party blindly patted itself on the back and celebrated, they ignored the pleas of half of America that wanted nothing to do with their redistribution of wealth from the middle to the lower class, all while exempting themselves and the upper class from the same law.
With the cost on the state exchanges and premiums rising at a rate in some places across the country as much as 400-600 percent, or more, the poorly named “Affordable” Care Act was anything but what it promised to be.
If that is what Democrats consider a “success,” you need look no further to find the reason for Republican success at the polls.
Rob Allen
Chardon
Any Prior Experience, Interest
One wonders how many laws have to be broken before legal action is taken against an organization.
At last month’s Geauga Park District commissioners meeting people were not allowed to record the meeting — a direct violation of state law.
It also appears park commissioners were engaged in a private meeting prior to the official meeting — a clear violation of sunshine laws if that was so.
A new park commissioner, Andrej N. Lah, was appointed by Judge Grendell. Once again, Mr. Lah, who is in charge of cemeteries for the Cleveland Diocese, is consistant with virtually all of Grendell’s appointments in having shown no previous experience or interest in natural area protection.
Mr. Lah, if you read LTEs perhaps you can tell us if you have ever supported any organization with an interest in protecting natural areas or biodiversity? Have you ever volunteered for any park district? Are you a member of any environmental group interested in conservation? Are you a member of Western Reserve Land Conservancy? Nature Conservancy? The Audubon Society?
Warning, Mr. Lah … if you publicly answer yes to any of the above you likely will be immediately fired by the good judge.
John G. Augustine
Parkman Township
