To understand dispute, take a juvenile court tour

To understand dispute,take a juvenile court tour
EDITOR:
I read the letter from the writer who had a concern that judges could simply order the commissioners to fund the courts.
A judge cannot simply issue such an order and demand it to be followed. Judges are held to a standard of proof. Judges, such as Theresa Dellick, had to prove to the Ohio Supreme Court that the budget request was reasonable and necessary.
Conversely, the commissioners had to prove that the budget was unreasonable and unnecessary. In Judge Dellick's case, the commissioners were not only unable to prove their case but agreed that the juvenile court's budget was reasonable and necessary.
Rather than rely on one-sided political opinion, the writer could better appreciate these facts and the process by reviewing the Supreme Court's opinion. See Maloney and Dellick vs. Sherlock.
The writer, and the public as a whole, should know that the juvenile court is more than just a court. It is also a jail, probation department, clerk of court, and a restitution/community service program. In addition to all these responsibilities, Judge Dellick is the only judge responsible for building upkeep and maintenance.
The writer should also realize that juvenile court's 2002 funding was $5.3 million out of the $56.5 million general fund for the entire county. Auditor George Tablack has repeatedly confirmed that the small increase from the 2002 budget is insignificant and does not explain the progressive depletion of the county's reserves.
The writer, as well as the public in general, is invited and encouraged to tour the juvenile court to get a better understanding of the vast responsibility of the juvenile justice system.
EVA BURRIS
Juvenile court administrator
Youngstown
United States needs to workon fixing problems at home
EDITOR:
A recent letter declared that people are asking too much in the way of health care and drug benefits to the American people. I do not know the individual who wrote the letter, but I believe that person is out of touch with reality.
America is considered to be the No. 1 superpower in the world. We spend money like drunken sailors to help foreign countries. We provide them with drugs, medical and financial aid. We send Peace Corps volunteers to assist and instruct them to uplift their health and living standards. We provide them safe drinking water, housing and myriad other services. We even help ungrateful foreign governments that hate us and attempt to destroy us and our lifestyles. Many of these people who are evildoers come to our country for the education they cannot receive in their native lands. Many of these ingrates use the technology they acquired here to wreak havoc upon us.
We are the only western power that does not provide a comprehensive health care program for its own citizens. The average gainfully employed American worker pays taxes for more than one half of every year. Much of that money is used to provide the benefits that I have described to help foreigners to the benefits denied the people of our own nation. Something is dreadfully wrong with that scenario. Our federal and state lawmakers and government employees have conveniently set up benefit programs that could be classified as state of the art programs while turning their backs on the people who pay their salaries. I feel everyone should come under the Social Security system and abolish these favored workers pensions and benefits systems. The Social Security system should be placed in a lock-box program not to be delved into every time the government needs to be bailed out of a financial quagmire.
I personally have raised a large family of nine tax-paying citizens. My wife stayed home and did an exemplary job of nurturing and providing all of us with the best of care. Today, at the age of 76, she receives a whopping pension of $386 a month, including the $1 per month cost of living increase she received this year.
BEN PAULSEY
Warren