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Trump's election dividend is a joke and illegal
DEAR EDITOR:
Oh, wow! A $5,000 dividend for every American citizen over the age of 18. Oh WOW, what an amazing, wonderful, beautiful, big boon.
Oh, wait, I have to vote as he wishes. Isn't that buying my vote? Don't worry, it is just a benefit for doing the "right" thing. That's $5,000 for approximately 242 million adult citizens. Wouldn't that be approximately one trillion two hundred ten billion dollars? Oh, don't worry, it will come out of the money collected from tariffs. Hmmm, don't we pay higher prices already because of tariffs that are passed onto us by companies? Oh, don't worry, the government will make up the difference. Hmmm, aren't we the government and what supports the government is our tax money? Oh, don't worry it will all come back to us as we are only allowed to spend it in the United States.
So, if it is our money to begin with, coming back to us, then we haven't really been given anything at all and we have surrendered our vote to the highest bidder. Are we looking to perhaps only serve ourselves as individuals rather than serving what is best for our country? Remember those in Washington have made a pledge to defend our Constitution above all else, and we also have made a pledge every time we recite the Pledge of Allegiance. "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." We are pledging allegiance to our country, not one man, not one party.
Two things to consider when supporting this dividend:
No. 1 18 U.S. Code 597:
Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote -- shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
No. 2 This is an interesting breakdown on Trump's $5,000 Dividend:
https://www.thepricer.org/trumps-5000-dividend-who-would-get-it-and-how-much-would-it-cost/
CAROL BAKER
Roaming Shores
Why it should be a NO vote on Issue 3
DEAR EDITOR:
Several things in your weekend editorial of Sept. 19 meriting support for Issue 3 don't add up. We already have a voter photo ID requirement in the law. I suspect Issue 3 is just a further attempt to limit participation by taking away one's ability to use bank statements and utility bills as identification.
It seems our legislators have created a problem where there is none. I base this on their attempt to pass an amendment restricting passage of future amendments to a vote of at least 60% approval. Another is the Legislature's failure to adopt the amendments on redistricting, marijuana use and abortion as written and passed by the majority of Ohio voters. Your own comments that very few cases of documented fraud in State and Federal elections do not justify your support for Issue 3. We need no more restrictions on our right to vote!
Furthermore, you cite confidence in our elections as a reason for Issue 3 when the Conservative efforts across the nation to restrict access and make voting more difficult have caused much of the confusion. One man's refusal to accept a legitimate outcome of an election is not a good reason to punish the Americans who want to participate in a proven, fair and just election system that has worked for a very long time.
This is just another attempt at restricting voter access. I recommend a NO vote on Issue 3.
LARRY KUHN
Leavittsburg
Samuel Adams warned us about today long ago
DEAR EDITOR:
"If ever a time should come when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its patriots to prevent its ruin."
-- Samuel Adams.
Sounds like something we need now!
ARLOWAYNE WOLFORD
Warren
Did you vote based on lies about immigrants?
DEAR EDITOR:
In campaigning for the presidency, Donald Trump convinced many Americans that he would deport only the immigrants that were criminals, rapists, murderers and who were sponging off the government and taking your jobs. He vowed to lower prices in just about every facet of our lives, and he would start no new wars.
Well, he failed all around. If you voted for him to get rid of the immigrants because you yourself had "run ins" or were abused, raped or had family "killed by an immigrant," or if they took your job, I can understand. But, if you really had no issues other than the bold-faced lies he told about immigrants -- that they ate cats and were cheating the government, but you had never really met or knew any immigrants, never really thought about them until he and JD Vance told you awful stories about them, well, then you were duped. It was all lies.
Most immigrants aren't white, and he is a racist and has a problem with color. He is not going after only criminal immigrants, he is viciously going after all of them, though most are honest, hardworking and raising families. Many deported have had businesses here for years, paid taxes and raised their families. Many also have sons and daughters in OUR military, defending OUR country.
Yes, there are criminals amongst them, but with the capability of ICE to get information I am sure they can and will find them. However, using racial profiling, ICE has also arrested American citizens of color. Can you really not see his callous disregard for humanity? Did you vote for that?
JEANNE McDERMOTT
Liberty
Trumbull Commissioners dropped ball on data centers
DEAR EDITOR:
This is in response to the news that our three Trumbull County Commissioners voted unanimously to effectively ban data centers by requiring a "study," which would take a year to determine how to handle this issue.
Data centers are the "manufacturing plants" of the future. Any concerns locals have regarding these centers could be negotiated with the firms desiring to install them. They are essential to the development and implementation of Artificial intelligence, which is the wave of the future.
We need to be glad these three gentlemen were not in office in the early 1900s, when steel companies and Packard Electric led a great explosion of manufacturing in our area that Ied to a population of 63,000 in Warren by 1974.
lf they were in office they would have objected to "too much smoke and noise" from these plants and they would have expanded elsewhere. The good citizens of Trumbul! County should take their next opportunity to remove these fine gentlemen from office.
RAYMOND BARNHART
Warren
The US war in Iran needs to end right now
DEAR EDITOR:
We need to end this misguided war. We have lost it. Although we have seriously damaged Iran, which is a positive outcome, it is time to come home.
As the war spreads across the Middle East, it has caused fuel shortages: tankers are under attack and oil pipelines are being bombed. These shortages affect airlines, trucking, rail, shipping, delivery companies, manufacturing and farming. They also put pressure on the bond market. Every entity borrows from bonds. Fuel shortages raise bond markets, and it makes everyone's borrowing more expensive. Government costs go up, mortgage rates are raised, businesses cut investing. I am afraid our economy will get worse very soon.
Our pantload, so-called head of state needs to wake up and take care of this. Check out local gas and diesel and food prices.
JOHN A. TROTOGOTT
Cortland
Our neighbors in Canada don't deserve Trump's scorn
DEAR EDITOR:
This letter is written in response to our government's continued antagonism directed at Canada. President Trump is engaging in increasingly erratic behavior, and it is further evidence why someone as desperate for attention as him should never have been voted into office. The severe arrogance from our government and the president's declining mental faculties do not accomplish anything beyond turning allies into enemies.
Salvation through tariffs was the fiscal centerpiece of President Trump's campaigns. Since tariffs require discretion, his ideas are more like empty boasts than anything else and not any variety of informed thinking. The president thinks he can bully a nation like Canada into doing whatever he wants. He will fail. Canada is a strong, stable nation that can handle itself.
The people of Canada do not deserve to be treated like this.
For anyone interested, here is one way of out of many to subvert the latest tariff scheme against Canada: physically go there and spend money. Take yourself out to dinner or maybe go to a concert as money spent there stays there. Make it a way to celebrate an anniversary or a weekend getaway with friends. I get that there is an investment of time and your budget to this but it is worth it.
It's about a three and a half-hour drive (four without tolls) from Warren to access Canada via the Ambassador Bridge (or the tunnel) so it can be done as a day trip to Windsor if you prefer. That's the city I know best and not far from the border. Gasoline is even more expensive now due to a stupid war, so carpool if that helps. If it is financially not in the cards for you then encourage someone to go who can, with the ever-popular Canadian side of Niagara Falls as another option.
I was born in Warren and know that there are many places to go and businesses to explore in the surrounding area. By all means find them and support them as well.
So why defend Canada?
I think they deserve respect. And I do not need to live there to believe that.
Far too many silently consent to the personality cult around President Trump and anyone that voted for him or that failed to vote at all are responsible for the train wreck of a government in power now. Continuing to harass and mock other nations does not strengthen the United States of America.
ROBERT HELTZEL
Hamden, Connecticut
Formerly of Niles
Acton intruder should face felony charges
DEAR EDITOR:
It is a sad commentary when an individual in this state, with two guns and a stun gun on his person, can knock down and injure several people at a political rally as he heads toward a candidate for governor, and face only misdemeanor charges.
In our climate of political violence, this is a recipe for disaster. Already some are shamefully claiming the incident was not serious. Fortunately, Gov. Mike DeWine has spoken out about such misleading and perhaps ultimately dangerous rhetoric.
STEPHEN GLADSTONE
Shaker Heights