Breaking up Valley is easy to do

June 4, 2021

Breaking up is hard to do, but the longtime marriage between most of Mahoning and Trumbull counties in one congressional district is nearing its end. When a new congressional map for the state is approved later this year, don’t expect neighboring counties to be in the same congressional district. The new map takes effect Jan. 1, 2023. For decades, nearly all of the two counties were in the same district, along with Columbiana County. When redistricting occurred in 2002, things changed. Primarily because of criminal charges against James A. Traficant Jr., former congressman ...

GOP’s crowded local primary

May 28, 2021

It doesn’t say much good about the state of the U.S. Senate Republican primary that state Rep. Bill Johnson decided to not run largely because of financial considerations. Johnson, R-Marietta, is one of the strongest fundraisers among Ohio members of the U.S. House — made even more impressive that his base is in Appalachia — and the Senate race was too rich for his blood. “Many of (the Republican candidates) have significant money in the bank or can self-fund,” he said, adding raising money “can be exceptionally slow in a contested primary.” It looks like only the ...

Big lottery impact is long shot

May 21, 2021

When Gov. Mike DeWine said he was lifting virtually all health orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, he also announced five weekly drawings, starting next week, with a prize of $1 million each to those who have at least started the vaccination process. “I know that some may say, ‘DeWine, you’re crazy. This $1 million drawing idea of yours is a waste of money,’” he said. DeWine, a Republican, continued: “But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic, when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it, is a life lost to COVID-19.” Based on the ...

Congress reopens pork barrel

May 14, 2021

Depending on to whom you speak, congressional earmarks are a great abuse of the system or are a benefit to communities in desperate need of federal funds for worthwhile projects. There is no denying that the policy, also known as pork barrel spending, got out of control years ago. The most commonly used example was the proposed Gravina Island Bridge in two small Alaskan towns. You might remember it as the “Bridge to Nowhere.” When the $300 million proposal was put in an appropriations bill in 2005, two of the more influential members of Congress happened to be from ...

Voter turnout shows disinterest

May 7, 2021

Democracy in the Mahoning Valley didn’t die during the primary election, but it sustained a nasty wound. Election officials in Trumbull and Mahoning counties predicted typically poor turnout for an odd-numbered primary. That was expected for a few reasons. First, among the candidates, there were only contested Democratic primaries so there was no reason for Republicans to vote, though there are very few registered in Youngstown, Warren, Girard, Struthers and Niles — where primaries were held in the two counties. Second, there were very few tax levies on the ballot, and you ...

Ryan is likely Dems’ nominee

April 30, 2021

Since Jan. 25, when U.S. Sen. Rob Portman announced he wouldn’t seek re-election next year, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan has focused on succeeding him. In mid-November, shortly after winning his 10th two-year House term, Ryan, D-Howland, told me he had no intention of leaving that position unless redrawing of congressional lines for 2022 gave him an unfavorable district or forced him to run against a Republican incumbent. He and I both knew Ohio would lose a congressional seat. Hours after Ryan’s Senate announcement Monday, it became official that, in all likelihood, it would be his ...