Investment in transit would benefit roadways

This month, we have seen three proposals to provide funding for public transit in Ohio. The governor has proposed $40 million per year using federal funds; the House increased that number to $100 million. Now, the Senate has endorsed $55 million, not through federal funds, but instead from the state's general revenue fund.

It is vital that transit agencies have access to a variety of funding options. Utilizing federal "flex" funding provides transit agencies access to funds for capital expenditures; state funding will provide a needed boost in funding for operational assistance at agencies across the state.

In the past decade, state funding for public transportation has fallen to historically low levels, just as demand is increasing. Forty-five percent of residents surveyed in rural southeast Ohio and northern Kentucky rely on methods of transportation other than a personal vehicle for their primary means of travel. Nearly a third of those surveyed indicated that they have difficulty finding transportation alternatives.

In Ohio’s urban areas, service workers and professionals alike need mobility solutions that safely and quickly get them from home to work and other destinations.

Pairing the motor-fuel tax with much-needed increased investment in transit will ensure Ohio’s roadways are safely and effectively moving people and goods.

Jason Warner, manager, Government Affairs, Greater Ohio Policy Center

Large states need check on power over elections

Letter writers Ryan Beem and Jonathan Stern didn’t like the results of the last election so they want to change the election process that has worked just fine for more than 200 years.

Letter writer Mark Fohl is 100 percent correct ("Electoral College assures every state's voters count," March 17). If we got rid of the Electoral College, California and New York would be electing our president for years to come. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 3 million votes, and 2 million of those extra votes came from California and 1 million more from New York. My vote, like a lot of other people's in this country, would have been canceled out by two states if we change our current process.

We are not England or France, which are one country, one vote. The Founding Fathers were smart enough to realize that each state has a say in how this country is run, thus two senators for each state regardless of population. They did not want bigger states like California to run roughshod over smaller states.

Beem asked whether there were Republican voters in California. They are smart and fleeing because it costs too much to live there.

Jeff Bickle, Hilliard

Portman's response to rant was disappointing

When President Trump appeared at a tank plant in Lima on Wednesday he spent several minutes attacking John Mccain. Why the president would rant hatefully about a dead American patriot who spent decades in honorable service to his country is mind-boggling. To what end?

But equally sad is that Sen. Rob Portman was in the audience. And when asked about the president’s remarks, he couldn’t bring himself to criticize Trump. The best he could do was affirm that John Mccain was a war hero. But then he rationalized that somehow Trump’s attack on Mccain was different because he included policy issues.

Trump’s comments were not different. They were unpresidential and unAmerican. For Portman to avoid criticizing that behavior makes him an accessory to the injustice done to Mccain’s memory and an embarrassment to Ohioans. Mark Mathys, Columbus

Something has to give to pay for services

The Wednesday Dispatch article “Senate can’t decide on gas-tax hike” on the conservative opposition to Gov. Mike Dewine’s gasoline-tax increase included a quote from Sen. Rob Mccolley, R-napoleon, who said: “A standard Ohioan is not going to look for their taxes or fees to go up to pay for essential services.”

Excuse me? Who will then pay for these? The tooth fairy?

Kari Inglis, Hilliard

Volunteers are vital to CAPA’S success

The March 17 Dispatch article "Golden touch" in recognition of CAPA'S 50th anniversary highlighted how fortunate Columbus residents are to have beautiful, historic theaters that were saved from the wrecking ball by the generous support of individual donors and the tremendous support of the philanthropy of AEP, Nationwide Insurance, Huntington National Bank and others.

Residents can be proud that after 50 years, the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts has been fiscally responsible and able to end its year in the black, with a positive balance of $200,000. The article failed to mention that balance would never have been attained without the hours and hours of free service provided by CAPA volunteers.

When volunteers sign up, they make a commitment to serve at a minimum of 24 events. If one considers that the United States estimates a volunteer hour at $21 and we are fortunate to currently have 700 volunteers, that is equivalent to $1,134 per volunteer or $793,800. Without our volunteers, what would the year-end balance be?

Thank you to the philanthropic Columbus community and volunteers. To volunteer, see the CAPA website for details.

Barbara Topolosky, Bexley

Air attack could violate conditions set by US

The (Minneapolis) Star-tribune editorial "India-pakistan may be biggest worry" in the March 12 Dispatch concluded with the Pakistan prime minister’s call to India “to sit and settle this (current) conflict with talks.” Before any such talks, Pakistan should respond to its alleged use of F-16 fighter jets against India.

During its attempted air incursion recently, Pakistan might have violated Washington's terms and conditions for sale of any weapons systems, which prohibit their use for offensive purposes.

American military officials have assured Congress that the U.S. has a ''very enhanced end-use monitoring program'' of Pakistan’s F-16s, which has long been

a symbol of pride for the Pakistan Air Force.

The assurances suggested the U.S. can easily determine whether Pakistan used the F-16s in its air attack on India with the possible loss of one F-16 that New Delhi says was shot down. After initial reports that F-16 jets were involved in the attack, Pakistan now claims only its China-developed JF-17 aircraft was used.

However, India has presented evidence of the use of an Amraam missile, which can be deployed only on the F-16. India has asked the United States to also examine whether the use of F-16 against India is in accordance with the terms and conditions of sale.

U.S. officials and military commanders are in a delicate situation with Pakistan’s continued patronage of terrorism in view of Islamabad’s role in bringing the Taliban to the table to enable an American exit from Afghanistan.

Raman Ravishankar, Dublin

Easing up on regulations could put lives at risk

Senate Bill 1 proposes to slash state regulations by 30 percent, in part by flagging the use of words such as “shall, must, require or prohibit” in considering which regulations might be eliminated. So we shouldn’t have rules saying that someone “shall not” dump mercury upstream of a park where children wade or “shall not” dump volatile organic chemicals into the ground where vapors can reach residents (potentially causing birth defects and cancer), according to this bill.

For state Sen. Kristina Roegner, R-hudson — who is a primary sponsor of the “Heartbeat Bill” and professes to be pro-life — to co-sponsor SB 1 is the sheer definition of hypocrisy. Dawn Busalacchi, Granville