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Letters to the Editor

I have received mail and text messages from campaigns trying to smear their opponents. One was so awful it was exploiting the death of a man to gain political points. If people running for office don’t have enough merit of their own to run on, they don’t deserve my vote. These text messages are blocked and the mail goes in the trash. If a candidate goes that low, they don’t deserve my vote. Stop the dirty politics. We’re all tired of it. — Cortland Once again the Democrats showed how crazy they really are. When President Trump said he was going to destroy the Iranian ...

Thank you to Congressman Joyce for supporting YARS

Letters to the Editor

DEAR EDITOR: As Executive Director of the Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission, I’ve had the privilege of advocating for the Youngstown Air Reserve Station and witnessing its impact on the Mahoning Valley. To the outside eye, it’s impossible to comprehend the work that happens behind the scenes to keep military bases like YARS running. In a recent op-ed, Congressman Dave Joyce of Ohio’s 14th Congressional District outlined his achievements for YARS and its surrounding communities. First off, I want to thank him for his work. I had the pleasure of working for Sen. Rob ...

President Trump is not helping on environmental issues

Letters to the Editor

DEAR EDITOR: The Environmental Protection Agency just announced that Ohio is no longer on the list of states that do not meet clean air standards. U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce writes, “As someone who has worked hard to promote policies that protect our environment and boost our economy, this announcement proves that both goals can be achieved.” U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno states, “For Ohio to hit this milestone, Cleveland hit this milestone, is really, really important, because quite frankly, taking care of the environment and being good stewards is not really a partisan issue.” Yet ...

Too much taxpayer money is going to the schools

Letters to the Editor

DEAR EDITOR: In 2024, U.S. schools spent $30 billion on laptops and tablets. They were going to revolutionize teaching by spending 10 times the money on textbooks. Gen Z was the first generation to use computers, and this generation has experienced a decline in IQ. Now we have a new generation on computers. It seems they threw money at a shiny object without showing how this harmed students. They are not being taught by teachers but by a screen, and we, as taxpayers, are losing. Tech is a lazy substitute for better-quality teaching, making teachers just babysitters. Unions demand less ...

Too many rules ruin child-care goals

Editorials

Child care got expensive — more than $13,000 per child, per year. So many people want government to pay for it. My state just agreed. New York will fund free child care. Yay! But wait, what government does isn’t free. Taxpayers pay. And taxpayers pay more because “government rules have unintended consequences,” says Carrie Lukas of Independent Women’s Forum. Washington, D.C., day care teachers must have a degree in early childhood education. That can take two years and cost $22,000. “Of course you’re going to have to pay a lot more,” says Lukas in my new ...

Don’t count on any fast move of Mahoning elections board

David Skolnick

For the past two years, Mahoning County Board of Elections officials have vocally complained about the conditions at its offices at Oakhill Renaissance Place. There’s been a lot of talk. There’s even been singing as board Chairman David Betras performed in front of the county commissioners. Could action finally be forthcoming? That’s difficult to determine, but things have progressed more in the last six weeks than they have at any other time during the past two years. All involved parties agree on one thing: Getting the board of elections and other county offices out of ...