A Great Lakes "Thanks" to the Plain Dealer!

Dear editors of the Plain Dealer:

Thank you for the continuing focus the Plain Dealer has been giving to the
controversial, and potentially very damaging to all of the Great Lakes region,
piece of legislation that passed both the Ohio House and Senate—and especially
for your “11th hour” editorial leading Ohio governor John Kasich, and all readers,
back to his utterance of support for the Great Lakes last year on the campaign trail.

I do not believe that Gov. Kasich would have vetoed this bill without the
pressure from the Plain Dealer. To publically acknowledge the newspaper's
large role I added comments to Facebook posts by two environmental
activists about Kasich's veto.

Pat Carey [1], a long time University Heights-based land use professional and
activist posted a link on Facebook to PD reporter Joe Guillen's Friday,
July 15th Cleveland.com article [2] about the veto to which this comment was
added: “The PD's recent editorial left no doubt about what the governor
should do for the greater business community. Great News! Hurrah!!!”

Stefanie Penn Spear [3], publisher of Earthwatch Ohio, posted a Facebook storyhr
about Kasich's veto to which this was added:

“The Plain Dealer's July 15th, 2011 article about the governor's veto said
that something like this bill will come around again. Stay on your guard
for upcoming moves [at the statehouse]. [And] remember the following quote
from the PD article. This should help keep all concerned on our toes:

"The governor made an absolutely bad judgment call on this," said Rep.
Lynn Wachtmann, a Republican from Napoleon [Ohio] who sponsored the bill.
"Evidently, he wants the environmentalists, the wackos, to write this
bill.”

The Plain Dealer is good for reposting. Keep up the focused work.

Sincerely, Lee Batdorff, formerly active with the Northeast Ohio Sierra Club and the Ohio Sierra Club

To: "Daryl Kannberg" darylkannberg [at] plaind [dot] com
 "Debbie  Van Tassel"
 "Debra Adams  Simmons"
 "Elizabeth  McIntyre"
 "Elizabeth Sullivan"
 "Randy Roguski"
 "Susan  Goldberg"
 "Terrance C. Z.  Egger"

Cc: "Chris Ball" letters [at] plaind [dot] com
 "Chris Ronayne" cronayne [at] universitycircle [dot] org
"Joe  Guillen" jquillen [at] plaind [dot] com
 "Michelle Jarboe" mjarboe [at] plaind [dot] com
 "Stephanie Spear" spear [at] ecowatch [dot] org
 "Steven Litt" slitt [at] plaind [dot] com
 "Tom Bier" tom [at] urban [dot] csuohio [dot] edu