Oil, gas industry fixed 639 miles of roads

I respond to the Feb. 14 letter “Roads need more help from oil, gas companies” from Nancy Alltop. We in the oil and gas industry have not only fulfilled our commitments but have gone above and beyond when it comes to roads in southeast Ohio. The oil and gas industry is exclusively spending millions of dollars on public infrastructure projects. Data from eight county engineers in Appalachia shows that 639 road miles have been improved to the tune of $302 million. That contribution comes directly from industry dollars, not taxpayer dollars.

This has all been done through road-use maintenance agreements that are directly connected to drilling permits, a process initiated by producers, pipeline companies and industry affiliates. It assesses the route that our traffic is going to take before the truck leaves its bay. More often than not, the road needs to be improved before we start hauling, which the industry will happily do. That could involve a full-depth reclamation, paving, guardrails or slip repairs.

We cannot simply be the fixer for all issues, particularly on roads that we share with neighbors in the community, trash haulers, industrial trucks, school buses and anyone else. We are however, going to continue to do our part. Matthew Hammond, executive vice president, Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Columbus

Catholic laity must do more for abuse victims

Pope Francis is hosting a four-day summit of nearly 200 bishops and other prelates to "better understand the gravity and urgency of the difficulties"? It has been nearly two decades and, beyond that, the realities of the Catholic Church's criminal clerical sexual abuse of minors has been publicly reported. I have very little faith that the hierarchy has the ability to reform itself.

If, after 20 years, the pastors, bishops, cardinals and popes do not understand the gravity and urgency of the criminal sexual abuse of minors by clerics and religious, how can we laity of the church expect significant and required structural changes?

We laity must do more to let our voices of concern be heard. We must do more to support and advocate for victims of clerical and religious sex abuse.

It is past time for every baptized Catholic to respond. In a respectful tone, we can all approach our pastors and bishops and demand the necessary conversations needed in our parishes and dioceses.

John Seryak, Reynoldsburg

Senior citizens are paying into Medicare

People on Social Security know Medicare is not free. Senior citizens pay from about $2,000 to $6,000 per year for Medicare with drug coverage based on their income. The premium is taken out of their pension checks each month.

Medicare pays most hospital expenses except doctor bills in and out of the hospital, of which Medicare pays 80 percent. There is a different program for drugs. Many senior citizens pay for Medicare Advantage insurance to cover what Medicare does not cover and they pay $1,000 to $3,000 a year for this added insurance. About 56 million Americans are on Medicare. Over three-quarters of a person’s health-care costs occur in the last 10 years of life.

Medicaid is a government program for the poor. There are 74 million Americans on Medicaid and many of those are seniors in nursing homes.

Nearly 156 million healthy working Americans receive all or part of their healthcare coverage through private insurance provided by their employer.

Both Medicare and Medicaid require providers to compete for the business of providing services to each patient. The Veterans Administration does not, and is a system of socialized medicine owned and operated by our government. It serves many elderly former military members. No politician is suggesting such a system for all Americans.

It has been estimated that it would cost $3.26 trillion a year to provide health care to everyone. However, it does not take into consideration what seniors are now paying and what Medicaid is now paying. In reality there would be a substantial savings if everyone including employers paid what they are presently paying toward a Medicare program.

John Y. Seiling, Powell

Chiropractors back policies that protect patients

As president of the Ohio State Chiropractic Association and a doctor of chiropractic for more than 30 years, I was appalled by the actions of former chiropractor Ryan Smith. It came as a further surprise to me that doctors of chiropractic are not included in Ohio’s sexual-battery statute (Dispatch article, Tuesday). We, as trusted health-care professionals, have a responsibility to the patient and to the public to be trustworthy and honorable. When that trust is broken, we all lose.

Those of us who get into this profession do so because we are passionate about helping people get through all types of pain in a safe, nonpharmacological way. The OSCA supports public policy that further protects patients from any form of misconduct.

Ohio’s sexual-battery statute should cover all professionals in positions of trust, and this includes all medical professionals. We need to work together to take steps to further protect all Ohio patients.

Dr. Jerrold Simon, Columbus

New law adversely affects small breeders

It’s always sad when I see something on the media about puppy mills and abused animals. I was so happy when new laws were made to stop them here in Ohio. But there are always two sides to every story, even this one. Reputable dog breeders are now being forced out of business and it doesn’t matter how clean the conditions or how well your dogs are taken care of.

It appears that by selling even one puppy, breeders are classified as a pet store and required to purchase a $500 license or risk a $10,000 penalty. Who was behind the lobbying to push the bill through? I’m told it’s Petland and the Humane Society of the United States.

And once small breeders are gone, this will allow Petland to become a monopoly selling puppies in Ohio. Cathy Talik, London

Performing abortions must be lucrative business

The Los Angeles Times article "Doctors travel to do abortions where few clinics exist" in Sunday’s Dispatch was very educational, while also disturbing to me. I haven’t been able to grasp the desire of women

to dispose of the life that is growing deep within them. Having two adopted children and with one adopted grandchild, I cannot understand how people can actually pay money to destroy a life while others sacrifice and wait years to adopt children.

It seemed so cold and unnatural that one mother was holding her 1-year-old, and another mother was listening to her 4-year-old’s cheerful babbling, while they were deciding to destroy what would have become their children’s siblings.

According to Planned Parenthood’s 2017-2018 report, it performed 334,757 abortions, received $563.8 million in taxpayer funds and made $244.8 million in profits. No wonder doctors are willing to travel to perform as many abortions as they can. How much is one little life worth?

Nancy Sorley, Hilliard

Rep. Jordan doesn't grasp his role in government

The Tuesday Dispatch article "Jordan: Border crisis is the priority" quoted U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan saying “it’s not my decision” as to what gets cut, in reference to funds for military projects being reallocated for border-wall construction under President Trump’s national-emergency declaration. I have long thought that Jordan fails to understand how our democracy is designed — it functions well only with compromise, which Jordan rejects routinely.

His support of the president’s declaration and subsequent conclusion that reallocation of funds is not under his purview is not only another example of Jordan’s uncompromising approach to governing, but also evidence that he is willing to ignore the constitutional role of Congress in appropriation of funds.

Michael Mccullough, Columbus