What are the facts on city officials’ raises?

DEAR EDITOR:

As a Warren taxpayer, I am outraged that City Auditor Vince Flask refuses to provide a simple, total dollar amount for what the recent pay raises for elected and appointed officials are costing us.

On May 8, I requested a spreadsheet — formatted exactly like the one his office already gave council — showing each official’s raises from 2023 through 2025. Instead of answering a straightforward question, Auditor Flask hid behind technicalities, claiming that the spreadsheet was merely “illustrative” and that my requested format is not a record kept “in the ordinary and customary course of record keeping.” He then buried me in contracts and ordinances.

This is not transparency. The public was previously told the raises would cost the city about $260,000 more per year, and we know the mayor, auditor, council members, and others are seeing massive percentage increases. Yet now, when voters are likely to see “Repeal the Pay Raises” on the November ballot, the same official whose own salary is rising suddenly cannot or will not add up the total cost.

The timing is impossible to ignore. The auditor’s pay is directly tied to these raises, and his office plays a key role in handling referendum petitions. Taxpayers have every right to worry that the same stonewalling used to hide the full price tag of these raises could be used to slow-walk or undermine petitions that threaten them.

Warren residents deserve clear numbers, not political games.

JAMES WALKER

Warren

Looking ahead to America’s 51st state

DEAR EDITOR:

It has finally happened…our American flag is “with child” …a new baby state, a little rascal from South America, Venezuela, is on the way!

How will they arrange all the stars on “Old Glory” now? 51 stars feels so crowded … maybe we can drop California or Florida or give Alaska back to Russia.

“Don’t cry for me Venezuela.” No, been done.” Don’t blame it on me, Venezuela.”

The President has pushed you ahead of the line; Greenland is still waiting just like Americans are waiting for a long-promised national insurance plan or low inflation or a 4-6 week war in Iran or the full release of the Epstein files.

I digress.

Welcome aboard!

Let me be the first to suggest your 51st state symbols:

State song: “Oil, say can you see?”

State Bird: 1st choice: Blue Footed Booby (inspired by someone you know); 2nd choice: Red Wattlebird (ditto); 3rd choice: Little Bustard (ditto); 4th choice: Superb Lyrebird (ditto).

State Flower: Obedient Plant (get used to it, especially in primaries).

State Tree: 1st choice: Weeping Willow (references your lost sovereignty); 2nd choice: Elephant Tree (your new political party’s symbol); 3rd choice: Black Locust (never mind, no chance, wrong color).

Coat of Arms: Resplendent Venezuelan shoreline with an azure background,

“Gilded Class” Pirate Ships approaching, manosphere crew clean-shaven.

State Fast Food: McDonald’s.

National Language: English.

State Colors: Gilded red, white, and blue

State Reptile: To be announced (checking RFK Jr’s trunk.)

Again, welcome aboard!

PS: BTW, how do you feel about “rigged’ and “stolen” elections?”

PPS: And gerrymandering?

SHELDON FIREM

Chardon

On safe water, gratis from the Man in Black

DEAR EDITOR:

There was a time when nature handed us spring water from the earth. It was pure, as nature intended.

The industrial age severely degraded drinking water. Rapid urbanization and industrial expansion meant sewage, factory waste and toxins were dumped directly in waterways.

It peaked in the 1970s, before major environmental regulations. Studies found dozens of chemicals in drinking water, leading to the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974) to address systematic contamination.

The 2020 President Trump administration’s “Navigable Waters Protection Rule” significantly weakened the Clean Water Act (1972) by reducing federal protections.

Johnny Cash’s song, “Don’t Go Near the Water,” which addresses environmental pollution, was released in 1974.

Don’t go near the water, children.

See the fish all dead upon the shore.

Don’t go near the water,

‘Cause the water isn’t water anymore.

From the fountains in the mountains,

Comes the water running cool and clear and blue.

‘And it comes down from the hills,

And it goes down to the towns and passes through.

When it gets down to the cities,

Then the water turns into a dirty gray.

It’s poisoned and polluted,

By the people as it goes along its way.

Don’t go near the water, children.

See the fish all dead upon the shore.

Don’t go near the water,

‘Cause the water isn’t water anymore.

I took my boy fishin’ to my old favorite fishing hole.

I had caught many a fish out of that deep, clear water,

From the time I was a boy like him.

After we’d fished a few minutes

He said, “Did you get a bite yet, Daddy?”

I said, “I think I got a nibble, son.”

“Me too,” he said

Then he said, “Daddy if we catch a fish can we eat him?”

I said, “Well, there was a time, son.

This water’s bad now and I might not be safe to eat the fish

But there was a time…”

… Don’t go near the water children,

See the fish all dead upon the shore.

Don’t go near the water

‘Cause the water isn’t water anymore.

PAUL LAWSON

McDonald

Grateful for fantastic Warren music show

DEAR EDITOR:

Still buzzing from Thursday night (May 7). My heart is so full after seeing Warren Civic Music and Mariano Longo put on such a spectacular show. It’s truly humbling to realize that the incredible orchestra, the conductor and every single singer are all from right here at home. We are beyond blessed to have this level of world-class talent in Trumbull County.

It wasn’t just a performance; it was a night of pure magic–from the stunning arrangements to the voices that gave me chills. Huge kudos to the orchestra, Mariano and our amazing local stars: Janis Jones, Doug Thomas, Aairo, Jenny Brady, and Janet Opritza-Davis. A special shout out to Rebekah Mancino and Erica Syroid.

Thank you all for a night Warren won’t soon forget.

SUE DATISH

Warren

Court has joined

criminal enterprise

DEAR EDITOR:

The six MAGA justices on the U.S. Supreme Court are now officially complicit in Trump’s corruption and efforts to destroy our freedom. Sadly, unknown to most Americans, these justices were picked from a list created by Leonard Leo and The Federalist Society — totally detached from the will of any voter and covering decades.

Their most recent abomination was allowing Trump to deport people who came to America seeking asylum to war-torn South Sudan. And the people Trump’s sending there aren’t even Sudanese or Africans but mostly Asians.

After ruling that Trump can commit felonies with complete impunity, that Republicans can purge voters who fail to return a junk-mail-appearing postcard, that billionaires can buy and bribe politicians and that federal judges can be stopped from blocking Trump’s illegal executive orders, these six on-the-take “justices” have destroyed the reputation of the court, weakened our constitutional guardrails, and proved the need for the next president and a new Congress to expand the court and impose term limits on its justices.

TODD SCHNEIDER

Cuyahoga Falls

California’s Khanna speaks truth in visit

DEAR EDITOR:

On Friday, May 8, U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, visited Ultium Cells in Lordstown to tour the plant and discuss restoring manufacturing, job creation and EV technology. As of now more than 1,000 workers are laid off because of slow EV sales following the end of a federal $7,500 consumer tax credit.

Khanna said we must prevent Chinese firms from receiving U.S. production tax credits, restore the EV tax credit to boost demand and expand charging infrastructure. Khanna said he would push colleagues in Congress for an emergency extension of EV tax credits.

If President Trump can build a golden ballroom, a 250-foot-tall gold-accented arch and spend our money on this and other nonessential things, he should support this. Where is our U.S. Congressman Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge? Missing in action as usual.

ROYAL STARGELL

Warren

New pharmaceuticals really good for us?

DEAR EDITOR:

You see a new one every week advertised on TV. Crazy trade names, treating all sorts of inflammatory and other chronic problems. I noticed that they all end in “-umab.” I wondered why the product name, which is usually in smaller print than the trade name, were so similar? So, I did a search, and came up with a PDF page giving the rules for naming new pharmaceuticals.

The “-umab” means human monoclonal antibodies. They can take part of an antibody and insert it into another. It’s called, CRISPR, which stands for “clustered interspaced short palindromic repeats.” It’s altering your genetic sequences to achieve a desired medical outcome. I’m fine with that; it’s hard to argue with successful treatments. But, there’s a rub. There always is.

These “parts” that are inserted into human antibodies are not always human. They can come from mice, the crab-eating Macaque monkey, or “other” nonhuman sources. All well and good, but did anyone check with Mother Nature first? They are usually injections, given monthly, and are often quite effective in controlling, but not curing the problems. After all, the pharmaceutical industry wants lifetime patients, not cured ones.

There are many, many of these “new” antibodies, with research increasing as we speak. After all, they already have your DNA if you submitted a cheek swab to see what your origins are. Big money here, and the research and development (R&D) is expensive, and must be recouped in the price of the product. Nobody knows yet what the long-term effects are, kind of like the COVID vaccines. See the current list here:

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_therapeutic_monoclonal_antibodies)

]So, I guess time will tell. I’m glad I don’t have rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, or lupus. Because if I did, my doctor would be saying, “Let’s try this.” And in a couple months or years I would have a sudden craving for bananas, or an unusual appetite for cheese!

DONALD ALLEN

Boardma