Mahoning County needs tax, but it must be fairly divided
Mahoning County needs tax, but it must be fairly divided
EDITOR:
A few days after the defeat of the Mahoning County 0.5 percent sales tax in the Nov. 2 election, Mahoning County Auditor, George Tablack was kind enough to meet with several dozen Lake Milton citizens at a breakfast meeting at Westfall's Family Restaurant in far western Mahoning County.
Mr. Tablack listened respectfully and spoke, as did many members present from the community. Most of the complaints were that taxpayers can trace the rise in violent crime in the county to the same source as the public schools' ailments. The parts of the county that produce the alarming numbers of illegitimate illiterates are also giving us the greatest number of gun-toting felons, rapists, muggers and drug users and sellers.
Mr. Tablack pointed out that some rural communities were simply being hard-hearted and insensitive. Voices came back that rural voters have been good-hearted, bleeding-hearted and ultra-sensitive for many years. And what has it gotten us? Most agreed that "left out in the cold" has been the answer when it came to equal revenue sharing of county dollars. "Send in the money and shut up" has been the message from Mahoning County elected officials and county employees, both now and in the past.
For me personally, I simply think that the sales tax isn't generating enough money to go around. My suggestion to Mr. Tablack would call for the newly elected commissioners to support a continuous 0.75 percent levy, prepared and presented to all of Mahoning County township trustees in a special meeting called for by the newly elected Mahoning County commissioners. It would be agreed in writing that the first $15 million provided by the sales tax would go directly to Mahoning County. Every dollar over that figure ($4 or $5 million) would be distributed to all of the townships, according to the populations.
For revenue sharing purposes, the city of Youngstown (although not a township) would be considered as the 15th district. The Youngstown mayor, city council, township trustees and the Mahoning County officials would be responsible for getting the return revenue figures out to the public prior to the election. The problem now is not the amount of the sales tax, but the lopsided destination of the spending. This solution would provide fair and equal tax revenue sharing to all the residents of Mahoning County.
DAVID METZLER
North Jackson
Letter was a malicious attack on a defender of the unborn
EDITOR:
Let me respond to a malicious letter that appeared in the Nov. 14 Vindicator. The Rev. William J. Witt is a giant of a man, head and shoulders above most others that you will ever meet in this life. Father is a man of firm beliefs and soundly reasoned convictions on many issues.
Certainly he has been an outspoken and tireless defender for the unborn, and all life, for many years (there is nothing "sniveling" about it), as well as being opposed to the senseless war in Iraq. He is a genial gentleman whom many are proud to call their friend. He is a trusted port in the storm. Father's mind is very acute; he is a man of many parts whose life has been so interesting that his autobiography could be a best seller were he ever to write it.
But small minds don't get it. He probably wears their contempt as a badge of honor, for Christ's sake.
IDA M. CALLAN
Girard
Congratulations, Campbell
EDITOR:
I would like to congratulate the citizens of Campbell for not permitting themselves to be duped twice in a row on tax levies.
My hat's off to the citizens of Campbell for their vote on Nov. 2.
RON LUTHERN
Campbell