Two stories outraged many of you

Why don't you run a story on why the Columbus Dispatch mis-labels illegal aliens as immigrants?

I would love to know why you adhere to a policy that is obviously propaganda and perpetuates an outright lie.

What is your flawed reasoning behind lying to your readers?

The Officer that issued the Tickets did the right thing. The Patrol Officer insured that all T,s crossed and all I,s dotted. Making sure that there was no room for a "Plea Down" to a lesser charge equal to a "Slap on the Wrist", Being that they were law enforcement officials. Verifying and gathering Data from the Patrol Officer in the airplane.

This opinion is right on, as is the reaction of most readers.

The Governor should personally intervene in the motorcycle case and make sure appropriate punishment is meted out to all involved.

The Highway Patrol should hang its head in shame that it was caught cutting deals for its own. This time they caught. How many other times don't they get caught?

Santuoma - where is the apology in the Dispatch that you were told to write as part of your deal with the courts? We're waiting "baggy eyes"!

Be sure to follow up with the two officers who were going 150 mph on motorcycles are cleared of all charges and reinstated with back pay.

I think the OSHP was correct in waiting to write the tickets to avoid errors on the actual ticket.
Too many can be dismissed by a court because of an improper location, section number, time of day etc.
After time to get wording right these two now face tickets that are perfect no loopholes. I concur with many that a more serious charge should have been filed as would have been against a civilain on a bike at 147 or 149.
I do think the Dispatch has done a good job on these two but could dig deeper on some others like nepotism in a Sheriff's Department just south of here like was in Noble County yet no one has bothered to investigate the county just south of us.Noble County had wife on payroll the county jsut south had wife and son that has been promoted through the ranks by Dad. No tests No Merit Just Dad's signature

The first thing the judge should have done was to take Santuomo's job. People like Michael Vick and Santuomo are people that have come out of the slim of humanity to do work of the devil. The French had a good place for people like Vick and Santuomo, "Hell's Island".

Your "call" was right. All of these individuals should and must be held to a higher standard. I am fairly confident that if any other driver was traveling at such a high (and dangerous) rate of speed, there would have been not "consultation with superiors" and tickets would have been issued on the spot. Is there anyone with any degree of intelligence that does not believe that traveling at that rate of speed on a highway was not "reckless"? Should they be permitted to drive (even to work)? I think not. Both of these gentlemen (actually idiots) should not be permitted to drive for the maximum period of time. So they loose their jobs. Whopee. Maybe they wont speed again. I for one know the highways will be safer while they are not driving.

Ohio-Statehouse-SOLD wrote:

The Officer that issued the Tickets did the right thing. The Patrol Officer insured that all T,s crossed and all I,s dotted. Making sure that there was no room for a "Plea Down" to a lesser charge equal to a "Slap on the Wrist", Being that they were law enforcement officials. Verifying and gathering Data from the Patrol Officer in the airplane.

How fast was the airplane going? Was the airplane even there? Was the pilot licenced? Did he have his medical papers on him? Has he passed his anti terrorism check? Is he an illegal alien?

does the dispatch know who actually made the decision to charge these guys? how high up did this go?

interesting that we haven't read that the inspector general has opened an investigation.

oh wait. he is former highway patrol, too.

As long as cops are termed "heroes" and given state funerals and other forms of worship they must be held to higher standards.

What's outrageous is all of the attention paid to two speeding cops and the media's beatification of Michael Jackson. This, of course, is in contrast to the collective shrugging of shoulders among the "Blame Bush" set inside the Dispatch newsroom. Every tax-paying American with a job is about to take a series of slaps upside the head from a runaway freight train known as the tax-and-spend Democrats. The midterm elections cannot get here fast enough.

Somebody shot his own dogs?! When did this happen?

Wow Ben. Thanks for saving us from ourselves. I love how you use your column to justify to yourself what you print and the angle you take. Try a column explaining to us why you never have a headline that reads, "Dispatch had facts incorrect" or "error made in reporting story that mislead the reader" No that is buried in 8 font in the back the life section. If you want to hold public servants to a higher standard make sure it is across the board and dont protect your "sacred cows"

Columbus Police Officers had never had to drive to the same standards they enforce,and don't give me that tired line that they may be on a call. I've personally witnessed CPD turning on the lights to avoid stopping at red lights and seen them eating burgers at the McDonalds the next corner. Not to mention speed limits don't apply.

So the troopers were going too fast. They weren't on duty, and they were only putting themselves at risk. Whoop-Dee-friggin-Doo. Get a life people. Boo-Hoo.

Stupid whiny people.

GATX wrote:

This opinion is right on, as is the reaction of most readers.
The Governor should personally intervene in the motorcycle case and make sure appropriate punishment is meted out to all involved.
The Highway Patrol should hang its head in shame that it was caught cutting deals for its own. This time they caught. How many other times don't they get caught?

I agree. As a former employee at OSHP I can tell you this--troopers take care of their own. They will cover for other grayshirts and, to a lesser extent, other employees until the media outs them. Look at the story a month or so ago about one of their lobbyists that got into a fight with police at Muirfield...the guy had multiple DUIs already and remained employed until the media broke the story. Look at troopers that were involved in office affairs--nothing happened but slaps on the wrist. Nothing will happen to this guy. The corruption in that agency is a main reason I left.

Please please post some follow up stories of the harsh (or not) punishment these two receive for their acts of great stupidity.

And to those who are still chanting "they did nothing wrong, it was just speeding". Nope, wrong, they placed everybody on that road in danger. They could have crashed killing and injuring many people. They should get the same punishment I would get if I did this. An immediate ticket, speeding, reckless operation, racing, etc. So what if it is hard to prove in court. At least they'd be charged with the proper things.

George C wrote:

Be sure to follow up with the two officers who were going 150 mph on motorcycles are cleared of all charges and reinstated with back pay.