Innocent people losing protection

January 11, 2013

The Sunset Lounge is closed. That is good news, but I have to wonder why it took two murders connected to the club to finally accomplish this, and why the closing may be just temporary.There have been problems associated with Sunset dating back to its opening in May of last year, including 20 calls for service received by the Warren City Police between May and August .In July, LaShawn Zeigler was found guilty of a probation violation. In 2010, Zeigler was given 5 years probation after pleading guilty to receiving stolen property, tampering with records, falsification, marijuana ...

Water should not be bartered

January 7, 2013

Having spent some time in government I know a little bit about water rates, water departments and water fund laws. It always amazes me just how accepting and compliant people are about water issues. The only water issue people ever remark about is when they get a higher than expected water bill; the aggregate cost, however, doesn't seem to faze them.Before I tell you about how the water users in my town overlooked being billed twice for over $400,000 of water, it is important that you understand some legalities surrounding water rates. Our state constitution requires that tax rates be ...

Providing a bright spot in the day

January 4, 2013

Imagine yourself alone, friends and family are all working or out of town or perhaps passed on. You are physically or mentally disabled and unable to shop for food, let alone cook a meal for yourself. Perhaps you have just been in the hospital for a period of time, are off work for six weeks and live alone.How do you cope?You enroll in Trumbull County Mobile Meals.I first learned of this service through a friend of ours, Ron Gordon, who retired a few years ago. Ron had decided that, after working shifts for years, he wanted to volunteer to reconnect with the community. He considered ...

You can help make a difference

January 3, 2013

On the very snowy day after Christmas, I spent a few hours with some people from the Mahoning Valley Hope Center passing out blankets and meals to the homeless on the streets of Warren.It was sad to look around and see the poverty and hopelessness that is part of the city. It is tempting to think that the government should do something to fix it. The problem is that for almost 50 years, the government has been doing things, and all they've succeeded in doing is making the problems worse.Government tends to do most things poorly and especially things that involve people. Bureaucracies ...