Trending
Endless negative election ads serve no useful purpose
DEAR EDITOR:
As election season heats up, my message to the candidates is simple: Tell us what you stand for, not just what your opponent stands against.
I am incredibly tired of the constant barrage of negative ads and twisted truths filling our screens and mailboxes. Tearing down another person doesn't make a candidate look better; it just leaves voters feeling exhausted and cynical about the entire political process.
Instead of wastefully spending campaign dollars on attack ads, I challenge every candidate to use their platform to promote their own vision. Tell us your plans for our community. Share your proposed solutions to the challenges we face. Give us clear, honest reasons why you deserve our support.
Let's elevate the conversation. Stop talking about your opponent and finally give us a real reason to vote for
you.
SUE DATISH
Howland
Greathouse's argument on pay raises doesn't add up
DEAR EDITOR:
Warren City Councilman Greg Greathouse's op-ed asks Warren residents if 97 cents a year is really too much to ask for council's dedication. This framing entirely misses the point. The current "Repeal the Raises" movement isn't about a few pennies -- it is a direct response to a profound lack of accountability, transparency and professional representation in municipal government.
The assertion that council "sets compensation for every city employee" as justification for bypassing a citizen vote ignores the unique ethical conflict of voting for one's own paycheck. When council members approved an immediate 89% salary increase, they did so while knowing the public had no direct mechanism to vote on the matter inside the chamber. Holding three poorly advertised special meetings is not a meaningful substitute for genuine, transparent public engagement.
Furthermore, the editorial paints a picture of council members who are universally accessible and eager to help residents with problems. My personal experience, and the experiences of many others in this community, tells a very different story. Rather than answering hard questions about local infrastructure or environmental concerns, certain public officials have chosen to actively silence, block and target private citizens on the very social media platforms they use to conduct ward business.
When constituents are met with public intimidation and digital retaliation simply for asking questions about municipal policy, the administration forfeits the right to demand a reward from the taxpayers. We are told to look at ward cleanups and sidewalk tallies as justification for higher pay. However, basic community fieldwork should be a minimum expectation of public service, not a leverage point for self-approved financial gain.
If council members expect residents to fund substantial salary adjustments, they must first demonstrate a baseline commitment to the First Amendment and professional conduct toward the public. Until leadership prioritizes real accountability over defensive public relations, Warren voters have every right to vote YES on the ballot initiative to repeal these raises.
KELLY MOREHEAD
Warren
Six months after news report,
veterans bill remains stuck
DEAR EDITOR:
Back in April, WFMJ-TV reported that Senate Bill 92 was on hold in the Ohio Senate. Six months later, nothing has changed.
The bill would fully exempt the primary residences of veterans rated 100% permanently and totally disabled, and their surviving spouses, from property tax. It received one hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee, on Feb. 18, 2025. It hasn't had a second.
According to the VA's fiscal 2025 data, Trumbull County has 973 veterans with a 100% disability rating and Mahoning County has 1,009.
I served 11 years in the Navy, four on active duty, and worked as a Veteran Service Officer at the Sandusky Veterans Home. The Legislative Service Commission found a typical totally disabled veteran still paid about $2,450 a year even after Ohio's partial exemption.
Committee chairman Sen. Louis Blessing III decides whether the bill gets heard again. Six Senate session days remain before it dies Dec. 31.
Please call Chairman Blessing's office at 614-466-8068 and ask for a hearing and committee vote on SB 92.
JOSHUA HOUSE
Vermilion
GOP, independent voters
should back Kristen Rock
DEAR EDITOR:
As a Republican and a conservative voter since I started working and paying taxes, I typically look for political ideology that aligns with mine. However, when it comes to the future of our county, effective government, fiscal prudence and strong character should take priority over political labels. In local government, we need leaders who are focused on results rather than partisan rhetoric. That is why I am considering Kristen Rock, a Democrat for Trumbull County commissioner
I partnered and worked with Kristen Rock on a community project to try and save Logan Swim and Tennis Club, struggling then due to dropping memberships and long overdue maintenance. Kristen helped lead efforts to restructure membership rates, recruit new members and organize volunteers to tackle badly needed improvements. Members pitched in to repair plumbing, clean and paint the pool and address other maintenance needs. She helped bring together a new board of trustees, made up of people with different skills but a common purpose, pitching in their unique talents to save the club and prevent another eyesore from dotting Trumbull County.
Kristen and I recently spoke regarding her vision for our community. I can state with confidence that she embodies the core values we need in office including:
● Fiscal responsibility: She understands that the government must live within its means. I believe her to be committed to ensuring transparency and eliminating wasteful spending.
● Economic vision: Our county needs to attract outside economic opportunities and high-quality jobs. Kristen is articulate, well-credentialed and has the demeanor and business acumen required to represent our county to outside businesses and investors.
● Strong family values: She has a strong foundation in faith, and is a person of integrity who is firmly rooted in family values. She understands the challenges local families face and I believe is dedicated to making our county a safe, thriving place to raise the next generation.
We need a leader who can bridge divides, listen to all constituents and put the economic and cultural well-being of Trumbull County first. Kristen Rock is that leader.
I suggest to my fellow conservatives and all independent voters to look beyond the letter next to the name on the ballot this November and meet Kristen at her events or as she's walking and knocking on your door. She's worth consideration as a new county commissioner.
ERIC DelCOLLE
Liberty
Are 'genius visas' still
available in the US?
DEAR EDITOR:
AI is a wonderful tool.
Can you still get a "genius visa" like the current first lady in the White House?
My AI of choice (not a browser AI) said the following factual information, and cited its sources so you could check its answer if you feel the need to:
Yes. The "Einstein visa" Melania Trump received is the EB-1 green card, and its extraordinary-ability subcategory (EB-1A) is still open in 2026. She was approved for the EB-1 in 2001 and became a U.S. citizen in 2006.
How it works now:
● It's a self-petition category: no employer sponsor, no job offer, and no labor certification needed.
● It covers people with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, backed by sustained national or international acclaim. You generally have to meet at least 3 of 10 evidence criteria (major awards, press coverage about you, high pay, judging others' work, etc.), then convince the officer you're near the top of your field.
● Premium processing (15 business days) costs $2,965 as of March 1, 2026. Standard processing currently runs about 6 to 19 months.
● For most countries EB-1 is "Current" in the visa bulletin, but applicants from India and China still face significant backlogs.
The catch: it's harder than it used to be. USCIS approval rates for EB-1A petitions have dropped sharply, and lawyers note officers now focus on demonstrated impact rather than box-ticking. That said, lawyers have long said the bar is less "genius-only" than the nickname suggests -- one LA attorney said they'd succeeded with models no more accomplished than Melania Trump.
If you're considering it, an immigration attorney can tell you whether EB-1A or the EB-2 National Interest Waiver fits your profile better. I'm not a lawyer, so treat this as general information.
Sources:
● Global Immigration - 2026 EB-1A requirements
● Alma - EB-1A vs H-1B
● Visa Atlas - EB-1A
● Boston 25 News - "Melania Trump's Einstein visa"
● WRAL - "Did Melania Trump merit an Einstein visa?"
AI is a wonderful tool of efficiency to obtain, at least at the moment, truthful factual information that an American family can use to help them achieve the American Dream again. AI allows families to obtain good information and also to reach out to hundreds of people or organizations or government officials with your concern, view and even demand if necessary; and it can all be done in minutes.
CARL CASALE
The Villages, Fla.
Governor candidate Vivek
is just so 'RamaSmarmy'
DEAR EDITOR:
I Googled the definition of smarmy and found the following: "Someone who is excessively, unpleasantly or insincerely polite, smooth, or flattering. A smarmy person often acts overly nice or charming with a hidden agenda, making their behavior feel fake, greasy, or manipulative rather than genuine."
I think that is a spot-on definition of Vivek RamaSmarmy.
WILLIAM MAJCHER
Cortland
Ramaswamy's anti-Acton
ad is simply despicable
DEAR EDITOR:
Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to a new despicable low, using Dr. Acton's estranged biological mother in a political ad. This is a woman who lost custody of Amy and her brother when Amy was 12, and then ran away with the man who was arrested and charged with sexually abusing Amy.
I'm horrified that Ramaswamy would platform this woman and accuse Amy of lying about what happened to her, but unfortunately, I'm not surprised. Ramaswamy has consistently stood by sexual offenders and has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Jeffrey Epstein conspirators. This is who Vivek Ramaswamy is. He is willing to do absolutely anything, and hurt anyone, to get what he wants.
I can't imagine what Amy is going through right now -- seeing the woman who abused her, who she hasn't seen since her court date, suddenly pop up on the television to call her a liar. It's a nightmare scenario for any abuse survivor, and I'm happy to see Amy is taking it in stride. It shows just how tough she is, staying laser-focused on standing up for us and making our lives better.
It also shows how morally bankrupt Ramaswamy is. He's interested in one thing, and one thing only: himself. He is not fit to lead Ohio.
BETHANY DOUBLE
Farmdale
Be informed on all the races,
issues on ballot when voting
DEAR EDITOR:
We all know there's an election for governor and U.S senator in just a couple of days. But have you ever gone into a voting booth, looked at your ballot and thought, I didn't know we were voting for all these?
Besides governor and senator, you may be aware from ads and yard signs that we're also electing a county commissioner and a common pleas court judge. But we are also voting for (all in Ohio) attorney general, auditor, treasurer, secretary of state and two Ohio Supreme Court justices.
In addition to your representative to Congress, we are voting for our state representative. And county auditor. (Three other judges are running unopposed.) And of course state Issue 3.
Don't be one of those people who is surprised by all that's on the ballot. Prepare yourself to vote by learning about ALL the candidates. Go to voteohio.gov and you can download a sample ballot and see exactly what you will have in front of you on Election Day. Think how much easier it is for you to get information today than for voters 200 years ago. Take advantage of it. Please vote informed.
ROBERT LOWE
Girard
Some poetic justice on why
to vote blue this election
DEAR EDITOR:
A misguided war, tariffs, lessening environmental and safety rules, corruption, destruction of our economy, inept Cabinet, etc. bring me to this: Vote Blue This Year
This year I cast my hopeful vote,
For helping hands and dreams afloat.
For bridges built and voices heard,
For action matched, every word.
For schools that teach, for care that's fair,
For cleaner skies and kinder care.
For workers striving day by day,
To earn a living honest way.
For neighbors different yet the same,
Deserving respect beyond a name.
For common good and shared pursuit,
For planting trees and tending fruit.
Democracy asks me to choose,
To weigh the paths, the wins, the views.
And after thought, both heart and head,
I mark blue on the ballot spread.
Whatever choice another makes,
May it be one their conscience takes.
But as for me, when voting's due,
With hope for change, I must vote blue.
JOHN A. TROTOGOTT
Cortland
President Trump is all about
distracting us from damage
DEAR EDITOR:
I will admit that President Donald Trump is good at one thing. And, it is not golf. He has got "distraction" down to a science. He needs these tricks as he has few legitimate answers when it comes to how badly he is failing Americans.
Many are having a difficult time keeping up with the cost of almost everything. We are in a war initiated by both he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that we shouldn't be in, costing billions, with American military lives lost.
Trump is now going to accept tons of diesel fuel from Russia. With this relationship between Trump and Putin, Ukraine is being tossed under the bus. Please remember that Ukraine is our ally, Russia is not, never was. Attacking Ukraine President Zelenskyy shows Trump's lack of character as Zelenskyy's efforts to protect his country are heroic; Trump's efforts to thwart them are just sad.
Trump is spending millions on NEEDLESS extravagances and self aggrandizement, selling off our national parks, federal lands, and assuming entitlement to any building or institution in Washington, D.C., or elsewhere that catches his eye.
We don't know how much ICE has cost in both equipment, and sadly, lives. The loss of several American lives and deaths of immigrants occurring in these prisons remain a sad chapter for America. His lawsuits are legendary; his ability to circumvent the Rule of Law and the Constitution is well known, and the shame of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling for him more times than not.
To have these degrading ads by Ramaswamy cheered by Trump and Vice President JD Vance is despicable. This crudeness has deeply infected this administration. Admittedly politics has never been all that nice, even very dirty, but this administration has taken it to a new low. Many millions, maybe billions, have been spent on political ads -- money better spent elsewhere.
Remember, billions work their way to trillions, sometimes quite easily, and trillions could make or break our country's bottom line. Trump is taking us there. Please vote responsibly and really think about your choice. It could make or break us.
JEANNE McDERMOTT
Liberty
In praise of Dennis Watkins, Miriam Fife
DEAR EDITOR:
As president of the Trumbull County Sheriff's Employees and Deputies Retirees Association, I make this statement on behalf of our members.
Our members and I have spent our adult lives in law enforcement. I, myself, have practiced law for 43 years and served as a former judicial officer and court magistrate for 24 years.
We have never seen a worse travesty of justice than in the Raymond Fife case. I came to know Miriam Fife well after Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins appointed her to be his victim of crime advocate, with an office in the Trumbull County Courthouse. Miriam always did a wonderful job in advising me and helping me prepare applications for the State of Ohio Victims of Crime Compensation Fund. She was very generous with her time, assisting me in the preparation for hearings that are required to be attended in Columbus if your initial request is denied and you file for appeal.
Thanks to Miriam, in no small way, I was able to obtain just financial compensation for the many victims of crime represented over the years.
Miriam was a very devoted and passionate victim of crime advocate, working under a 40-year grieving stress that would have destroyed a lesser person. Her suffering and grief were caused by weak, spineless politicians and a failure of laws and justice in the federal and state courts -- a much-broken system that should have protected her.
Instead, it afforded a convicted murderer/killer of the worst sort the right to seek endless meritless appeals of his conviction over a 40-year period, a generation in our time.
This failure of our politicians and courts should weigh heavy on us all. Our state and federal governments must have the same deference for victims of crimes as they do for the speedy trial rights of defendants as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and by state law.
Thank God for our phenomenal, long-time prosecutor, Dennis Watkins, and his legal staff, who kept eternal vigilance and dedication, passionately and vigorously defeating 40 years of appeals in the state and federal courts--and even in the U.S. Supreme Court -- that a lesser man would have abandoned long, long ago.
We have the utmost respect and gratitude for our Prosecutor Dennis Watkins, whose courage and commitment to justice for Miriam and her family and our entire community for these 40 years are exemplary. He has our support at any hour.
And Miriam, as you and your family look down upon us, know that there are many good people who join us in marching and carrying the torch for you as long as it takes to get the justice you were so callously denied.
MARK S. FINAMORE
President TCSO Employees
and Deputies Retirees Association
Warren
Remembering age-old KISS principle
DEAR EDITOR:
The KISS principle stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid."
Trump and his party enablers' fight is not outside of the United States; it is domestic, within America.
The Republican agenda is "downsizing government."
My simple illustration on how they see it:
Let's say America is a village, led by a chief executive and a legislative council. Trump is the mayor, Vance is the village administrator and the senators are the village council. The village solicitor represents the Supreme Court.
At a village meeting they vote a resolution to remove all stop signs, to remove all red lights, and also to remove any speed limit within the enclave. The villagers, with their lack of insight, are now happy, they can now drive how they please. Within a short period of time, there are car accidents all over town.
The village administration is in some way connected to everything with the automobile industry. The mayor owns collision shops, the administrator owns the towing companies, council has all the parts stores, and the village solicitor sits on the Supreme Court.
Village residents can't go from point A to point B without spending a lot of money.
If that's not bad enough, the rest of Trump's family owns all the gas stations and insurance companies.
This Republican Party built a company store.
You can see how downsizing government took away all the laws and guardrails to create a monopoly.
PAUL R. LAWSON
McDonald
Power of purse must stay with Congress
DEAR EDITOR:
The elections are around the corner. We entrust our elected officials with enormous responsibility. Those officials take an oath of office and have certain responsibilities as members of the legislative branch.
But what happens if they disregard any of their duties? One such duty is appropriations. Congress has the power of the purse and decides how our hard-earned tax dollars are spent. But the current administration is disregarding this duty, and through rescissions (the most recent of which was announced in September), has canceled the spending of previously approved and appropriated funds. These are funds that our officials have decided are important for the well-being of Americans, but the Trump administration has canceled them.
Did our members of Congress fight these rescissions and take back their constitutional right? No. They are letting the current administration take away approved funding, and take away one of their key duties. We need to stop these rescissions and we need to ensure that money appropriated by Congress is spent.
Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted and Reps. Mike Rulli and Dave Joyce need to push back on these rescissions, and include language in any funding bill stating that appropriated funds must be spent as intended.
KEITH TASK
Southington