Times have changed and so has cost of higher education
Reading Michael Arace’s Dec. 1 column, “In 1961, OSU nixed Rose Bowl; students rioted,” I was struck with an amazing fact: the cost of tuition that year. It was three hundred dollars ($300!).
According to Inflation Calculator, that’s $2,775 today. Dollartimes pegs it at $2,622. Either way, that’s far short of the $11,000 tuition cited in the article.
For those people who think kids ought to just work their way through college without taking out student loans, this should be proof that things aren’t the way they were back in our day. And that $11,000 does not include room and board.
Due to market pressures, our institutions of higher education have had to become businesses in order to compete for customers (oops, I mean students), and
of course, those costs are passed along. Gotta love capitalism.
Cheryl Gordon, Logan
Anti-abortion camp should focus on pregnancy prevention
If anti-abortionists are so hell-bent on preventing abortions, why do they not more fully concentrate on preventing accidental and unwanted pregnancies by offering contraceptive information and treatment?
Putting their energies into prevention might truly make a difference.
Marlene Hyman, Columbus
Metro Parks raises, bonuses called into question
I am extremely frustrated with the Metro Parks board in “rewarding” its top executives with a 5% wage increase plus bonuses ranging from $10,000 for its executive director, and others from $7,500 to $5,000.
Grrr! It seems like the Zoo and Ohiohealth all over again. Hooray for Theodore Decker’s great column today, too!
They (all the above) need to build and enhance a culture of ethical behavior from top to bottom within their organizations.
I am so frustrated and quite frankly disappointed.
Kathleen Roberts, Galloway
Property tax bill would protect homeowners
Soon, Ohio property tax bills will be sent to Ohio homeowners. Unfortunately for some, this will be the saddest day of the year. As property taxes rise, many homeowners might be forced to decide between paying their property taxes and doing without basic necessities, or not paying and possibly losing their homes.
State Sen. Hearcel Craig and Franklin County Auditor Mike Stinziano are to be applauded for their efforts to solve this tragedy and keep retirees and hardworking Ohioans in their homes.
Sen. Craig’s sponsorship of Senate Bill 159 and Auditor Stinziano’s support are giant steps toward achieving this reality by calling for a 5% annual cap on property tax increases for those at or below 100% of their county’s median income.
According to The Dispatch, over 200,000 residents in Franklin County alone would benefit from this legislation.
Many neighborhoods are undergoing an amazing transformation from being distressed to a desired place to live. This gentrification is great news for the vitality of Columbus and other communities around the state.
But that vitality will be irreparably harmed if we don’t recognize that diverse neighborhoods are better for all our citizens. We should work hard to keep them that way by helping long time homeowners stay in their homes.
Thirty-four other states have already enacted similar legislation to protect the economic diversity of their neighborhoods and now it’s time for Ohio to step up and do the same.
Dan Rosen, Eastmoor
An open letter to Pat Tiberi and GOP friends
To my former Northland High School bandmate and more recently, my former congressman, Pat Tiberi:
Let’s be honest, and not avoid the facts.
Trump, in his bottomless executive abuses, tried to steal the 2020 election, lied, incited deadly violence, and committed high crimes.
Why isn’t he in prison?
He enriched himself while adding $7.8 trillion to our debt, shattered George W. Bush’s records for deficits and bailouts, and set records for trade deficits and job losses.
Why has the Republican Party sold our country out, carrying out a tragically failed racist grifter’s assaults against our democracy?
Can any of my Republican friends be so kind as to explain?
Happy Chichester, Columbus