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Letters to the editor

Student voters should not vote for Tally issue

Last year at this time the Miami University student government was approached by a Miami employee who tried to get student government to come out in support of a local property tax increase for a new public school building. This issue was soundly defeated last year but is on the ballot again next month.

This issue is strictly a local citizens' issue. If passed, it would raise property taxes for local citizens for the next 20 years, long after current Miami students have departed Oxford. However, in the short-run, Miami students who rent apartments would surely find that their rent would go up as the apartment owners, without a doubt, would pass on their increased tax costs to students.

By all means, students should vote on national and state issues. However, please leave the local issues like the Talawanda School District Bond Issue tax increase to us local citizens.

Shirley BurgherHanover Township

Cincinnati Bell could raise service rates

Residential telephone customers in the Bethany, Harrison, Little Miami and Williamsburg exchanges need to know about a Cincinnati Bell request that could allow its rates for basic local service and basic Caller ID to increase each year. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) will decide whether Cincinnati Bell should have the ability to increase rates without the oversight that currently protects residents.

Cincinnati Bell wants the freedom to raise rates paid by many consumers in the four exchanges. If the request is approved, Cincinnati Bell could increase its monthly basic local rate by $1.25 each year and the price of basic Caller ID by 50 cents each year. Cincinnati Bell already has gained the ability to increase the rates in the Cincinnati and Hamilton exchanges. In both 2007 and 2008, the company imposed the maximum $1.25 rate increase to basic local service.

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), a residential utility consumer advocate, has examined Cincinnati Bell's request and found it failed to meet the statutory requirements that these local exchanges be open to competition and that reasonably available alternatives be available to residential consumers.

If the request is approved, residential consumers who simply want basic dial tone service could see their bills increase while having few, if any, comparable choices. Customers need to be able to count on a reasonably priced telephone service, especially those customers who do not want or cannot afford a package or a cell phone.

The OCC has objected to the ability for Cincinnati Bell to raise its rates in the four exchanges, and has asked that the PUCO reject the telephone company's request.

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Janine Migden-Ostrander Consumers' CounselColumbus

Injecting race issue in campaign dangerous

I have heard in the past few days that the only way that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) can win this election is to make Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) "unacceptable" to the American people. I will concede that this may indeed be a factual statement, but the manner in which they are doing so is dangerous and will have a damaging effect on the American political system.

At first, I thought the McCain campaign would attack Obama's character on the grounds of illegal campaign contributions, which I must say had me worried, but then I heard Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) say something much more alarming. Oct. 4, Palin accused Barack Obama as "palling around with terrorists" and that he "doesn't see America how you and I see America." Setting aside the outrageous claim that Obama is a terrorist or doesn't love his country, let's look at the subtle racial tones. This is a statement that creates the false image of a black presidential nominee "palling around" with terrorists while assuring a predominantly white audience that he doesn't see their America. I am in no way suggesting that McCain or Palin are interjecting race into this election but whether intended or not, portraying Obama as "not like us" is another potential appeal to racism. It suggests that the Hawaiian-born Christian is, at heart, un-American. Allowing race to creep into this election is unacceptable. As was evident with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy, forcing Obama to abandon issues and speak about race leads to "unresolved arguments about America's promise to treat all people equally."

Perhaps the most alarming thing is that this incendiary language lends itself to extremist thoughts. At one of Palin's rallies, where she attacked Obama for "palling around with terrorists," it is easy to hear someone yell in the background, "kill the terrorist!" If this level of attacks continues, I, and many much older African Americans, worry where this will lead.

The McCain campaign is currently towing a dangerous line and if this incendiary language is allowed to continue, I fear this will lead the campaign down a path that none wish to see traveled. I call on both Democrats and Republicans to reject the current line of inflammatory attacks on Obama's character and get back to the issues that are important to all Americans.

Aaron TurnerCo-President Miami University College Democratsturnerav@muohio.edu

Student senate applauds journalistic action

In regard to the editorial titled, "Student government, court issue could stop momentum" printed Oct. 7, we would like to thank the editorial board for the accuracy of the information and for clearly articulating the difficult position that Student Senate and the Associated Student Government (ASG) is currently faced with.

We genuinely respect and appreciate your commitment to accurately presenting the positions of the various parties involved to the student body. Being given the responsibility of representing the concerns and opinions of the study body, we are thankful that you are able to describe the issues that we are faced with in good conscience and with clear terms. With the sensitivity of the issues we are soon to face in ASG, in the wake of the events from the last two weeks, we are glad that this style of reporting is exhibited in your paper.

It is a credit to your style of professional journalism, that any newspaper wishes to embody, and it is our sincerest hope that you will continue to exemplify this demeanor as ASG begins to move forward.

Douglas E. HaynesPresidentStudent Senatehaynesde@muohio.edu

Andrew FergusonTreasurer Associated Student Governmentfergusaj@muohio.edu

Jeffrey PuthoffSecretary for Public RelationsAssociated Student Governmentputhofjr@muohio.edu