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Support Amy Action in Ohio governor's race
DEAR EDITOR:
Ohioans met Dr. Amy Acton during the COVID crisis, when she appeared regularly with Gov. Mike DeWine during his televised daily reports. She had the calm, reassuring presence of someone who does not get befuddled by problems. She knows how to figure things out.
One of her primary focuses, in her bid to succeed DeWine, is her promise to families that she will return the economy to normal. Her ideas will put money back in our pockets again. She has suggested a working families tax cut that will benefit parents who are working in order to keep their families safe. She plans to pass an Earned Income tax credit that will help 775,000 working families to rise above poverty-level incomes. She is suggesting a child tax credit of $1,000 for children up to six years old and $500 for families whose children are between 7 and 15.
Acton plans to restore funds designated for use by our public school systems. People do not understand that state dollars are assigned to individual children for their specific educational needs, and they follow the child wherever that child goes. How can our local public schools create a budget and run efficiently when people, including Vivek Ramaswamy, her chief opponent, want to divert public school funds for use by charter schools?
Recently, I investigated television ads challenging her that were placed not by Ramaswamy but by someone who supports his candidacy. The ad hit her with a double punch. First, it stated that she has a history of alcohol abuse. That claim stemmed from an incident seven years ago in which a policeman came to her home following a call made by another family member. Her husband explained then, and recently repeated, that it was he who had more than one drink, which caused him to complain about her long working hours. There were no charges or arrests.
The same ad indicated that she lacked sufficient medical training, but that ad lies by omission: She had to defer an internship before her medical residency because of her pregnancy. The state's license look-up page shows that she got her medical license in 1994 and is in good standing.
She stands aligned with Sherrod Brown in promoting the dignity of work. The Ohio economy ranks 41st in GDP growth. She wants to develop regional awareness of Ohio's many benefits, hold businesses more accountable for compliance and support the many small businesses that make up our varied communities
LINDA COCUZZI RICHTER
Niles
Prioritize most dangerous intersection in Howland
DEAR EDITOR:
ODOT and Howland officials need to give some safety explanation. They said major changes were going to be made at the dangerous intersection of Route 82 and Howland-Wilson Road. The "Road Closed" signs were placed on the ground on Howland Wilson Road.
Then, all of a sudden, that appeared to get put on the back burner and a major project at Route 46 and Market Street took its place. I'm sure that has been planned for a long time. The intersection at Route. 82 and Howland-Wilson Road is dangerous and, in my opinion, should have come first.
RAYMOND WEBKER
Niles
Water Board problems are not difficult to figure out
DEAR EDITOR:
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what caused several members of the Water Board to evaporate and abandon the committee and their constituents.
The very thought of some townships losing their "pass through gravy" fees they tack on the water bills was enough to scare them off.
The possibility of losing big money they don't deserve or earn is more that they could swallow.
Regionalization is the very thing that caused the collapse, and they all are gutless to abandon Trumbull County and their constituents.
ROBERT A. PLANT
USMC Veteran
Warren
Get your garbage together so others don't have to
DEAR EDITOR:
Onion: To those people who do not contain their garbage in trash bags and recycle and break down their cardboard.
I feel sorry for the garbage collector. They are not paid enough to pick up cans and bottles, styrofoam containers, etc. This loose trash ends up in neighbors' yards and streets because they are lazy and too lazy to recycle.
RUTH LILLEY
Niles
Dad had it right all those years ago
DEAR EDITOR:
When I watch the news or read the newspaper, I'm reminded of things my dad said when I was too young to understand.
Dad's rules include: 1) Figuring where you stand politically is not easy and takes a long time. You have to pay attention and keep score; 2) there are only two types of people in this world -- idiots and not idiots.
Both of them come in different sizes, shapes, colors, races, pay scales, religions, genders, etc. It does not matter if there is an R or D (reverend or doctor?) behind your name; and 3) the solution to most problems is right in front of you if you want to see it.
Dad's rules 1 and 2 have been proven; I'm not sure about 3 yet. But I see more examples. Such as those ("whackjob/yahoos") protesting ICE in the streets. If you have an illegal alien with a removal order in your jail, don't release them to the streets. (Duh). If a city/state won't follow federal law, cut off federal money. (Just some random thoughts).
How long can anyone be in elected office -- longer than my grandson has been alive? (He will be 25). We need to look at term limits 2.0. You can serve as many terms as elected but only two in a row. It should apply to towns and trustees and school boards.
Speaking of school boards and the Department of Education, why do they not all have some teaching in their backgrounds? Teachers' hands are tied by unions, which have outlived their usefulness if they are more interested in being a political voting bloc than working for the members.
Everybody should stop giving Joe Biden flack about what happened during his term. Even Stevie Wonder would be able to see he was out to lunch before he was VP and that he was already without a clue.
I, for one, am glad America has big, brass balls again. When they kick us in the shins, they hurt their feet. (There is more to say here, but it took three drafts to get here, and I didn't want to make it long and boring.)
In closing, I've noticed jokes in the news that wrote themselves. Biden and Harris both said "don't." Trump said I atolla you not to. I don't know if this is more sad or funny. Bernie Sanders makes Doc Brown seem normal. Picture Bernie in front of a DeLorean pointing his finger and shouting, "Great Scott, Marty! We have to get you back to the future!"
TIM VAN DYKE
Struthers
Kindred spirit found among anti-Trump letters
DEAR EDITOR:
I applaud the man from Canfield whose 7/25 letter voices my shared opinion that people who dislike Trump, but love his policies, have a limited understanding of 47 that misses his incompetence and corruption and the damage they have done to all citizens. Chaos, fear and self service are the starting point for all Trump "policies." The writer is certainly correct on the broad issues of economy, energy independence and judicial appointments. I always thought "drill baby drill" was just a bumper sticker. It is.
The letter uses admirable discretion whereas I lean toward more rhetorical policy names to describe Trump's reign.
Like "face plant and shoot" for drivers darker than Trump's spray tan when met by ICE. Or the "who cares it's your only meal" repeal of SNAP benefits for kids too hungry to learn at school. Maybe "you're a great patriot" for bitcoin investors who lost their shirts while Trump profited from his worthless NFTs.
That will make investors feel better than his total abandonment of affordable healthcare.
Big Brother's motto of "war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" in the novel "1984" are akin to Trump rants.
Especially so, now that his war of choice with Iran smacks of the forever wars of Oceania, the fictional country of "1984", that helped keep the populace enslaved, hungry, afraid and distracted by hate of "the other" and not Big Brother. Maybe 47 will add his slogans to the public banners of his scowling face now on every public building in DC. Wow, just like Big Brother.
We must vote Trump and his Congressional enablers out, while we are free to do so.
JIM CARTWRIGHT
Canfield
Why are we allowing America to be invaded?
DEAR EDITOR:
Our country has been invaded. Not an armed invasion, like World War II, but an invasion, nevertheless. Somebody left the door not just unlocked, but wide open; off the hinges even.
Disagree? Here are some facts. Between 15 million and 30 million people have entered the United States illegally since 2000; not taking the procedural route that has well-served every country in the world. There are 184 countries in the world that have populations less than 30 million, including Australia and Taiwan. Countries with less than 15 million people include Belgium, Sweden, Greece, and Austria. Would those countries look upon 15 to 30 million people crossing their borders an invasion?
D-Day in WWII Europe involved over 160,000 Allied soldiers. By the end of the war in 1944 the Allies had 1.5 million front-line combat troops entering Germany.
We have AT LEAST that many wandering around our country.
Why do "Democratic Socialists," progressives, and just plain liberals insist this is OK with them? They have been taught ever since WWII that socialism is good, and you should hate America and its history. Or, they just want to "fundamentally change" America, following Obama's stated goal. The United Socialist States of America (USSA). Say it. Communism.
When President Trump said he was going to hammer Iran for "unconditional surrender," I said, "YES! We haven't had that since 1944!" Iran was on the verge of becoming a nuclear power. He may have saved the world from a holy war disaster.
Liberals, progressives, and socialists are all considered, "fellow travelers" on the road to full communism. People who support these ideologies without fully understanding this are called, "useful idiots." Truth. Are they, "willfully ignorant?" Do they not know the history of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)?
Since the 1950s socialists have taken over our education systems, culminating in the Department of Education formed in 1979 by Jimmy Carter. Now the American Federation of Teachers runs the show; we have gone from first in the world in 1979 to 39th today. It's easier to convince stupid people to accept socialism.
If we do go communist, it will take 50 years before our grandchildren rise up and throw off that yoke. That's how long it took for the USSR to fall. Communist China would have starved long ago without capitalism.
DONALD K. ALLEN, DVM
Boardman