DEAR EDITOR:
Looks like the "leadership" of Warren are going to get their multi-million dollar office building. They say it is for convenience and savings. Raise your hand if you or anyone you know has moved out of Warren because you have to go to a separate office to get a permit than you do when you pay your water bill.
Now raise your hand if you or anyone you know has moved out of Warren because of crime, blight, crumbling roads or because of poor leadership. I'm one of them.
These "leaders" also say that they cannot use an existing building for this "one-stop" on South Park Avenue because it would be hard to find. So let me get this straight. These "leaders" think citizens are too dumb to find a building just off of 422 on Park. How many people voted for these people who think people are that dumb?
One thing is for certain, these "leaders" do think the people of Warren are not smart enough or so unmotivated that they will allow their council people to sign onto this boondoggle. Replacing debt with debt is not smart. Taking ownership of a $1.6 million bond payment every year to save $20,000 to $30,000 in utilities is not smart. Thinking that a city with Warren's issues needs a $12.5 million office building is not smart. Actually, once the debt is paid off, the office building will cost close to twice that amount.
Let's talk where they are putting it. Having WRAP pay $375,000 for four acres of flood-ridden peninsula last year, under the guise of development for retail and condos was not smart. Especially when it sure seems like the real plan was to put this office space there. Why the lies and misinformation? And why did they pay so much for that land? And how arrogant is the "leadership" that they paid so much for this land a year before they even have permission from council to borrow the money to build their office building? And raise your hand if you can name any other undeveloped land in Warren worth what the city and WRAP paid for this empty, vacant space.
Warren still cannot put enough police on the streets. Warren cannot take down all the vacant houses. Warren cannot fix all the roads. Warren cannot keep the prostitutes and drug dealers off the streets. Warren cannot attract worthwhile industry and business. Warren cannot keep enough firefighters on. Warren cannot keep its citizens from moving away. Warren cannot plan for a rainy day. Warren cannot remember that it was just a few years ago that it was absolutely broke. Warren thinks those days are over, and they will not be if a stupid idea like this passes for true planning.
But Warren can demand a more than $20 million-plus office building (let's start talking the true cost once paid off). If these council people choose to represent the interests of administration, current and prior, rather than the interests of the people they represent, there needs to be a true accounting for them next election. We were promised a different sort of leadership by this mayor. Why are we getting more of the same bad ideas?
Helen Hader
Youngstown