If sewer rates go up, all should have to pay

If sewer rates go up, all should have to pay
EDITOR:
Why is it that Youngstown's sewer rates have to go up at all?
Did anyone assess the Youngstown area to see if his or her customers can afford a 33 percent increase over the next three years?
Youngstown's population consists of people on welfare, Social Security, and the others do not even have a job. When the children of Youngstown graduate they leave town never to return.
Youngstown's population is not what it was years ago and these outlining communities have literally sucked the city of Youngstown dry.
Now they are crying foul play when they heard than an increase in the sewer rates might affect them.
My personal feelings on the matter is that they could more afford the increase than Youngstown can with its poverty stricken population. Plus, the people who live in the outlining areas hold most of the jobs in Youngstown as we all know.
I feel that it is time for someone to question the five-year rate plan the city and county negotiated in 1999. Was it agreed that those rates were locked in and would not change regardless of what Youngstown did with its customers? If so, why?
Why is it that Youngstown's customers have to carry the weight of the surrounding county?
The sewer plants are in Youngstown and I feel that Youngstown should benefit from any increase not pay for any increase because those plants are toxic and the smell is just as bad.
Youngstown's customers always get shafted when it comes to paying for anything.
When you really think about it, the people who live in Boardman, Austintown, and Poland run Youngstown, and this secret five-year rate plan was designed to only benefit them not the city of Youngstown.
Youngstown has suffered enough and will continue to suffer unless someone stops these so-called system customers, they are using the sewers, but don't want to pay like everyone else. They want something for basically nothing.
GEORGE WARREN
Youngstown
It shouldn't fall to Girard to have to save the lakes
EDITOR:
It seems to me that people and businesses, or reverse order, want to reside where there are good schools and beautiful recreational areas. After we are robbed of the lion's share of our tax dollars by our federal government Mahoning County has gotten a few handouts, like two federal courthouses, that a few use and an unbuilt convocation center. Trumbull County has gotten some airport improvements but still cannot support a carrier.
Now we have a potentially beautiful Girard Lakes area that could be a recreational area and water supply, which could benefit all of southeastern Trumbull County. However it is left to bankrupt Girard to try to save and develop this great potential resource.
In the grand scheme of how our elected officials squander our money, it is pathetic that the county does not step in, and all the representatives who showed their dedication to ethics by kicking Jimbo out, can't find $10 million to fix the dam. Query: In federal projects, what is $10 million? What a joke.
The biggest joke is we allow this to continue. Until we wake up and quit letting the Washington gang confiscate the majority of taxes, we will continue to scrounge for our important local projects like schools and open recreation areas.
ATTY. PHILLIP S. ARBIE
Warren