Police and fire protection outrank luxury items

Police and fire protection outrank luxury items
EDITOR:
When a community lacks a strong safety force, its residents are placed at risk to tragic and criminal results.
Along with the thousands of other senior retirees in our community, my husband and I also survive on a fixed income. Paying taxes was not the thing we enjoyed doing most, but the one thing we faithfully did was to always support our safety forces. A community is only as strong as our safety forces whose dangerous jobs are to protect and safeguard our community.
I will gladly decrease spending money on some of the little luxuries I have gotten used to over the years if the safety of my family and myself are at stake.
When safety becomes an issue it cannot become a debatable matter because it is a human necessity, pure and simple.
No one, including me, likes to pay more taxes, but when I pay extra taxes to support our safety forces it's with the thought, "When a community supports its safety forces, it's really supporting its own safety." My safety is worth a few extra dollars, and hopefully other will value their safety above everything else.
MARY LOU JURINA
Youngstown
Turning a positive into a negative is no great trick
EDITOR:
I am writing in response to the August 14 article entitled, "Immaculate Conception, Does bell for pupils also toll for school?"
Ron Cole, The Vindicator education writer, chose to center on the cloudy future of the school instead of informing the readers about the mission of the school, which is to serve as a stabilizing factor for the inner-city community and its commitment to provide students with a quality Christ-centered education based upon discipline, moral values and academic excellence. The writer chose to focus much of his article on the declining numbers instead of informing the readers about the uniqueness of an extended school calendar which allows for additional educational opportunities and recreational community enrichment.
Instead of featuring all the positives that Immaculate Conception has contributed to the community over the last 119 years and will continue to provide, Mr. Cole has only centered on the cloudy future.
With so much negative press about the city of Youngstown recently, this article could have featured one of Youngstown's bright lights, the students and programs at Immaculate Conception School -- instead Mr. Cole has closed one more door in Youngstown. If local writers fail to see the good of the city, will anyone else?
Monsignor JOHN A, ZURAW
Administrator
Immaculate Conception Church
Youngstown
The people spoke, butwas anyone listening?
EDITOR:
Canfield Township residents have again told their trustees, "No Zoning Changes." The Vindicator article on the voters objection to the zoning change indicates that the developer is looking out for us relative to keeping taxes down and improving services.
First, we aren't complaining about taxes (lowest rate in Mahoning County) and the new project will increase the demand for more services (more spending) without improving them. Second, we don't need the new facilities proposed. The new construction is not imperative to improving the life style of the township. In fact, it will only create traffic problems equal to Boardman's Rt. 224 rolling parking lot. Third, the developer knew the zoning limits when the land was purchased and should not have bought it if he couldn't make it work in zoning. Lastly, with regard to Mr. Reese's position, how does changing the zoning provide any control over development? This doesn't make any sense.
Hopefully, the trustees will finally get the message, leave the zoning as it is, now and in the future. The people have spoken. The township doesn't need to spend money on repeat referendums if the trustees heed the voice of their electorate.
DANIEL VICTOR BIENKO
Canfield