Warren officials have not sacrificed enough

Warren officials havenot sacrificed enough
EDITOR:
Since I live in Warren, I was interested in the excuses the mayor and city council have for not having adequate police and fire protection.
You would think that since the income tax increase has failed so many times the people who run the town would say to themselves, we need to explore other options.
I know that I should become more involved by going to council meetings, as should other citizens of Warren, as The Vindicator has suggested. However, who really can do this and know what is going on anyway? Isn't the election of good officials supposed to represent the citizens and our welfare?
What do we have to show for the amount of taxes we pay now? The wonderful roads that we have? The way we always get the streets cleaned after a big storm? Have the mayor and the city officials gotten together and taken a pay cut or pay freeze? Isn't that what people have done in the private sector when the company has asked them to do this to save jobs and be more competitive? Has the government really stayed within the budget as you and I have to do?
For me to support a tax increase of any kind, the mayor will have to show that he is sincere in trying to find a solution by sacrificing part of his own salary for the good of the community. Please let's remember how he voted himself a raise as soon as he got into office.
Actions speak louder than words. I feel bad for the police and fire people who are out of work, and we are suffering because of the lack of these services.
PAT ZOCCALI
Warren
High-speed police chasesare risky but avoidable
EDITOR:
Regarding the Feb. I accident on Southern Boulevard involving a police cruiser, it is certainly easy and convenient to assign the blame to the young man who was killed and is not here to tell his side of the story.
While the grand jury correctly found no criminal culpability on the part of the police officer, that does not mean the existing police policy is without fault. The police must respond as quickly as possible in emergency situations, but not at the expense of innocent lives. In establishing police policy, more is needed than merely assuming that because sirens and flasher lights are in operation, everything will go as expected.
The primary reason for the severity of this accident was the high speed.
Is 76 mph on a township road a safe speed under any circumstances for any vehicle including a police cruiser? In authorizing such high speeds, is the safety of other motorists considered?
In view of the fact that the cruiser crashed into the second car at 76 mph, was appropriate caution being exercised? The distance from Route 224 to the point of impact is about 0.4 mile. At 76 mph it would have taken the cruiser about 20 seconds to travel this distance. How much of this time was available for the second driver to react?
Considering such a short time, was it valid to assume that he was fully aware of and fully comprehended action that was taking place behind him? Could he already have initiated his left turn before realizing what was happening?
The fact that this accident happened indicates that a serious problem exists that needs to be corrected to preclude the occurrence of such incidents in the future. I do not presume to know the solution to this problem, but I do know for certain that excessive speed kills -- no matter who the driver -- and lives can be saved by exercising appropriate caution.
RONALD L. MORGAN
Boardman