Warren is making the tough, right decision to downsize

Warren is making the tough, right decision to downsize

EDITOR:

The city of Warren, like many communities in the Mahoning Valley, is struggling financially from population loss, dwindling revenues and increased costs of operations.

Because Ohio law prohibits deficit spending, Mayor Michael O’Brien and city council had to make some tough decisions recently to balance Warren’s 2009 budget. That included layoffs of 55 city employees, 31 of which were safety forces.

Those layoffs were the result of city revenues dropping by $1.4 million in the last five years, while spending continued to rise, including a $2.2 million increase in the police and fire budgets during that time.

The mayor has been widely criticized for the layoff actions this year. We believe the mayor is doing the right thing — right-sizing a city workforce in a community that is seeing significant population and revenue loss.

The facts speak for themselves. How can a city continue the status quo when income tax revenue from one of its mainstay employers, Delphi Packard, has dropped from $2 million a year in 2003 to $100,000 this year?

How can a city losing population and major employers allow spending to increase year after year? Businesses downsize when there is a downturn in the economy and they lose customers. Local governments must do the same.

The mayor has taken the right steps to keep the city afloat. By the looks of revenue and spending projections, there will be more hard times in future budgets.

That’s why the Regional Chamber believes Warren and other area communities need to continue to seriously look at ways to streamline operations, share services with other communities and find common sense ways to provide services at lower costs.

The mayor and City Council should take action to contract with a private company to collect income taxes. Other communities have done so with positive results: significant reductions in employee costs and higher income tax collections.

The county health district has suggested that the county and city consolidate their health departments. That would again provide the city savings and provide all county residents with services from a county health department for all the people.

There are probably other good ideas out there as well. The mayor has said that he welcomes suggestions.

I believe the mayor is moving in the right direction to improve the city’s long-term financial health but much more needs to be done.

THOMAS M. HUMPHRIES

President and CEO

The Regional Chamber

Why fawn over GM?

EDITOR:

This time last year Johnson Rubber in Middlefield filed for bankruptcy. The company’s roots went back to 1895, predating GM. Their business was 70 percent auto related and much of their workforce came from the Trumbull County area. About 500 employees lost their jobs. Creditors lost millions, including my company. It was my decision, my risk, and ultimately my bad.

Rightly or wrongly nobody much cared about these people. Where was Governor Ted, Senator George, or Timmy Ryan? I don’t recall any editorial outrage or sympathy from the local talking radioheads. Not even a peep from Jim Graham.

Now with the shoe on the other foot we’re all supposed to rally around the GM/UAW flagpole. This combo has managed to lose $15 billion in the past two years or so. Now they want the taxpayers to give them a “loan” not supported with collateral or any guarantee that it will be paid back. Those against the loan are called names for being anti-labor. Personally, I’m anti-stupid. Some point to the financial industry bailout as precedent yet fail to see the difference. The financial mess was caused by our government and all those that run it. Of course they are going to cover their rears.

We have become a country that rewards incompetence. Our system re-elects leaders that don’t lead. We bail out the losers and tax the winners. Some motivation.

The fact is that GM has been bankrupt in all but name for years. The solutions to their problems need to come from within. Henry Ford knew he had to make a car people could afford to survive. My guess is that if GM/UAW and the retirees get down to it and made a $10,000 Cobalt you’d have these shifts humming along 24/7. And maybe some of the forgotten Johnson Rubber people could land a job.

TIMOTHY RYAN

Newton Falls

Southern senators sell us out

EDITOR:

Let me start by saying that I’m an employee of the Lordstown GM complex. I’m surrounded by good, hard-working people who all take pride in their job.

In Washington, D.C., there was a group of southern senators who would stop at nothing to sell out these workers and our country.

These senators take more pride in the Confederate flag than the American flag, so it doesn’t mean anything to them to walk all over American values like “an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.”

Let me suggest this to them: Stop flying your Confederate flag, stop flying our American flag, and start flying the Japanese flag in your southern states. You build all their cars, you should fly their flag also.

There is nothing American about what these senators are trying to do the American auto workers, this country and what it stands for.

THOMAS HARRIS III

Youngstown

Halloween trumps Christmas

EDITOR:

Let me get this right: Some school officials are stopping students from greeting each other with “merry Christmas,” yet it’s OK to dress up in October in horrific, satanic get-ups and celebrate Halloween?

What message do these school officials think they’re sending to impressionable children and teenagers? That Christmas is bad and Halloween is good? How can any politician claim a concern for our children yet threaten to discontinue funding to a school system that doesn’t stop its students from celebrating Christmas?

The Bible tells us there will come a time when good will be considered evil and evil, good. Sad to say, I think that time has arrived.

God have mercy on us all. And merry Christmas.

MARILYN A. ROYAL

Youngstown