Someone at hospital should have sounded alarm
I respond to the allegations that are currently unfolding against Mount Carmel West hospital and their former physician. How could this have happened for so long without anyone speaking up?
I am not a medical professional, but have worked in the past in the health-care environment. I understand that in an emergency situation, time is of the essence; medical personnel must be prepared and react quickly. Medications are routinely administered to relieve the patient’s pain. But didn’t anyone involved wonder about the excessive amount of medication that this physician was ordering after just the first few incidents? Wasn’t anyone paying attention to the alarming amounts of medications that were being prescribed by this physician on a regular basis? Perhaps those involved were concerned with retaliation or worried about losing their job.
However, it’s not who’s right, but what’s right that matters. My heart goes out to the families that have lost their loved ones due to this negligence.
Linda Peck, Johnstown
Higher taxes on wealthy will hurt US economy
From each according to his ability to each according to his need? Democrats are absolutely justified being incensed over individuals who have become billionaires and do not share the majority of their wealth with the less fortunate. Aren’t we all equal? Shouldn’t we (me) have a share in their bounty?
Besides, who knows better than our bickering congressional leaders and stellar social reformers — AOC, Rashida Tlaib, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren, to name but a few — to best spend our tax dollars? My gosh, has any government agency ever mismanaged public funds? Never.
If only Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg had not sat around, idly, thinking of ways to invest their hundreds of millions to grow businesses, to employ thousands and help grow our economy, just think where we would be. By gosh we could have free college for everyone; we could have guaranteed minimum income for everyone; we could have 100 percent employment; we could have free housing, etc.
Oh wait! We took all that investment capital away from those greedy capitalists, we don’t have enough money anymore. Flash! Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg, along with Apple, Microsoft and Boeing, plus 30 other corporations announce their intentions to shut down U.S. enterprises and factories. Atlas shrugged?
Bob Schneider, Shawnee Hills
Consumers’ counsel has forgotten its mission
I strongly agree with the Saturday Dispatch editorial “Clean-power projects need more advocates in Ohio government.” As noted, one of the entities fighting this project is the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, the alleged representative of AEP Ohio’s residential utility customers. How is it that the OCC has aligned itself with the coal industry and against its customers in such an important case?
As a former assistant Consumers’ Counsel and now an advocate for Ohio’s low-income utility customers, I find OCC’S opposition frustrating and contradictory to overwhelming support for the solar project expressed by AEP’S residential customers. At a public hearing at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, dozens of AEP Ohio residential customers bravely stood to state their support — even if it meant paying a little bit more.
The project will produce jobs, fight climate change and provide relief for this economically beleaguered region. At the hearing, OCC representatives accosted members of the public and attempted to change their minds on the project for the short-sighted, short-term cost reasons stated in the editorial.
Instead, it bolstered its opposition by employing the services of a noted climatescience denier and a second expert witness touting his opposition testimony for OCC as a steppingstone to the open PUCO commissioner seat.
It is time to turn the corner on energy generation and prepare for Ohio’s energy future.
Christopher J. Allwein, executive director, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, Columbus
Article overemphasized presidential divisiveness
I respond to the Wednesday Dispatch article “Trump urges parties to work for common good,” as I was particularly concerned with the one-sided view on the president's comments on late-term abortion (“Trump plunged into the divisive issues of abortion rights…”). He was clearly calling out late-term abortions and in particular New York’s recent celebration of a law supporters refer to as the “Reproductive Health Act.”
Many Americans consider late-term abortion — that is the termination of an infant’s life up to and including the time of birth — to be counter to our country’s core values. Where was the discussion regarding the Democrats' reaction or lack thereof? There were many opportunities to represent multiple views on this subject, but the writers chose to focus on presidential divisiveness.
I find it counterintuitive that we have laws that go to great length to protect animals, including those we intend to slaughter and eat, but we believe it is divisive to ask for intelligent people to have open dialogue around protection of a viable human being.
Michael P. Smith, Reynoldsburg
Sandra Mahoney, Dublin
There is no crisis on southern border
In the worst terrorist act in the United States, the hijackers who flew into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania came
John Suter, Pandora