TO THE EDITOR: As one who has lived most of his adult life in the Cincinnati area, it pains me deeply to see the one-time Queen City continue to let its pride go down the Dumpster.

One example: As I entered an onramp within our city, I noticed (among the bottles, cans and other debris that are commonplace these days) many newspapers, most still in their orange sleeves, strewn along the side of the ramp for perhaps a city block.

While on the subject, many thanks to those folks who volunteer their time and efforts to help keep this junk picked up. However, this could now be a 24-7 job. I think I have at least a partial solution: Impose a state deposit tax of ten cents on all bottles and cans. This has been done in Michigan and several other states, and the decrease in roadside litter is very obvious.

Of course, some will continue to throw newspapers, etc., out of their vehicles, but most begin to take pride in the new roadside appearance.

Paul Logeman
East Walnut Hills

FOP loses respect with handling of cops

I read with interest the story ("Police want out of race accord" April 30), about the police union's (Fraternal Order of Police) proposed withdrawal from the collaborative agreement. Let me get this straight - more than 200 of the union's 1,050 members vote to drop out, and that's unanimous? What did the almost 850 other members vote? Perhaps Roger Webster and Keith Fangman would be better advised to consult their dictionaries (or their calculators) before throwing around 50-cent words and numbers that just don't add up.

Webster and Fangman seem to take exception to federal Judge Susan Dlott's "bias" against police officers. Dlott recognizes that there are two sides to this, and neither sparkles. It was irresponsible for Timothy Thomas to run from the cops on that unfortunate night, and it cost him his life. It was also irresponsible for Officer Steven Roach to have his finger on the trigger while running in pursuit. But Officer Roach knew then, as he knows now, that he was in violation of department policy and his training by handling a loaded firearm in such a cavalier manner. Roach did know better and that's the rub.

Watchers of The Andy Griffith Show know it was similar lack of responsible weapon handling that led to Deputy Barney Fife's infamous 'bullet in the pocket" rule. Sorry, Webster and Fangman, but I can't bring myself to respect the FOP until you stop coddling bad cops. Prove me wrong. We all want the system to work, and we all have to work together. Stop trying to portray cops as blameless - you insult us all.

Russ Bowman
Mount Carmel

How many years for no smiling license plate?

Being one of the unhappy Kentucky car owners sporting a smiley-faced sun on the back of my Honda, I am in total agreement with "Local Voices" Russell Thomas' comments ("Kentucky needs simple auto plates" April 30).

It is all I can do from taking just a bit of yellow paint to at least block out that grin, but somehow I don't want to have to explain to my granddaughter why grandma's in jail. But what is the penalty for defacing a license plate? It might be worth it.

Anita Cherry
Edgewood

Glorious flower show was off the scale

On a scale of 1 to 10, the flower show rates a 15. What a glorious beauty, colorful view - Lake Como. The dedication of all people involved is unbelievable. Thanks for a glorious show.

June Riefle
Mount Lookout

U.N. role needed now to get rid of weapons

In a famous play, the psychotic captain of the Caine asked, "Who stole my strawberries?" "We'll find those missing weapons of mass destruction and the evidence will be convincing," insist Bush's administration officials, sounding more like the captain of the Caine. Now more than ever there is a crying need for a U.N. role and its team of unaffiliated weapons inspectors.

The world needs to break through this logjam of doubts and recriminations. It's time to declare that no one, no country may have weapons of mass destruction - whether Iraq, North Korea, Israel or the United States or any country.

Let us take this opportunity to declare that principle and then to multilaterally enforce it through the United Nations.

Mike Murphy
Camp Washington

Bush's tax cut a start for a lot of people

You know why syndicated columnist Paul Krugman's a liberal? Because he can afford to be by using everyone else's money, tax money in this case ("Taking a different path," April 29). This exposes the antitax cut.

To finance their agenda, they'll take yours, everyone else's money, and mine. Krugman's arrogance toward a tax cut is just what I would expect from his type. The $800 to $2,500 tax cut may not be that big of a deal to some, but to me and plenty others, it's a start. Thank you, George Bush.

Tom Huber
Colerain Township

Plan to cut taxes on dividends benefits all

President Bush's plan to eliminate taxes on stock dividends is good for all Americans, not just the rich. Nearly half of all Americans own stocks, and many more depend on pensions that own stocks. Most colleges and charitable foundations own stocks. Double taxation - once on corporate income and again on dividends paid to shareholders - is unfair. It hurts the economy by increasing discouraging investment.

Everyone who owns stocks, works for a corporation or institution of higher education, is attending or will attend college or supports a major charity will benefit from eliminating dividend taxes. That includes the vast majority of Americans of all ages, incomes and social groups.

Sheldon Wagner Jr.
Oakley

Covington ordinance defies God's will

The national homosexual agenda advances once again as the Covington civil government voted to expand a human rights ordinance ("Gays win expanded rights coverage" April 30), prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. As a pastor of a local church I must ask, "Where will this force-fed and enforced doctrine of tolerance and diversity end?"

By what standard will we, the spoken of "posterity" of our nation and local communities, base our civilization on?

The Covington City Commission has, in essence, exalted the new absolute of tolerance and diversity without regard to, and to the subversion of, the clearly spelled out laws of God as recorded in the Bible and confirmed by our nation's historical common law. The commission has shaken its fist in God's face. God Himself will hold them, along with all the Christian churches in Covington who remained silent allowing this process to take place, accountable.

Is there no fear of God any more? We can all expect His wrath and judgment to come upon us for what we have done.

Lawrence Blanchard
Florence

At $900M, light rail would be a bargain

If I understand the cost figures quoted in the light rail article in the Metro section on April 29, adding one lane to I-75 would cost $616 million, while a light rail system alongside I-75 would cost $900 million, only 50 percent more. This sounds like a bargain. If you have ever been in a city with a good light rail system, like Toronto, Chicago, Salt Lake City or London, you know how easy it is to get downtown from the suburbs on the rail system. One lane of highway will barely help the congestion on I-75 and will only overcrowd the surface streets and parking downtown.

Light rail is a more permanent solution to making it easy to get downtown to visit or work.

Mac Jacob
Wyoming