B.J. Alan does not merit tax break in Beaver Twp.

B.J. Alan does not merit tax break in Beaver Twp.

EDITOR:

We read with interest a letter in the June 9 Vindicator from Mr. Weimer, a vice president of the B.J. Alan Co. He told how supporting hockey in our area is a money-losing proposition for Herb Washington and Bruce Zoldan. We wondered how two astute businessmen could finance such operations that, Mr. Weimer states, “provide wholesome family entertainment and contribute to the quality of life in the community.”

We have a theory how Bruce Zoldan can do it. He proposes building a sprawling $18 million fireworks warehouse in a Beaver Township residential neighborhood. Then he asks the Mahoning County commissioners for a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) tax abatement. The problem is that a CRA zone must be in existence before a business can even apply for tax relief for building in a CRA zone. The reason for the tax abatement the B.J. Alan Co. states in its very premature application is the specific building requirements needed for its product, fireworks, costing them $5 million more than if they sold a non-hazardous product. Mr. Zoldan can then take the estimated $1.5 to $2 million of tax money from our police, fire and top-rated schools and pour it back into his hobby, so we can go to his Ice Zone and watch a hockey game.

Mr. Zoldan asks the commissioners and the Regional Chamber of Commerce, (the Beaver Township trustees and school board have made their opposition to the tax abatement clearly known), to create this CRA just for the B.J. Alan Co., even though no other business in Beaver Township has tax abatements and Beaver Township is the only township in the county with positive growth (2 percent). A CRA is for economic stimulus in a blighted area, such as the brownfields in Campbell, where there is a CRA. The East Calla Road neighborhood is not blighted and Beaver Township is growing all by itself without the help of a CRA. When did it become the place of a business to dictate to government officials where to put a CRA?

It seems very backward to us, and very questionable if county commissioners overrule the township officials and the school board regarding such a request. Hopefully the Ohio State Department of Development will view this the way we do, as wrong and potentially corrupt.

JULIE LYNCH

North Lima NANCY BENSINGER, PAMELA SIMMONS

Poland

Only one road to heaven

EDITOR:

The article “70 percent of Americans in survey say many religions lead to eternal life” shows how America has left the truth and believes anything and everything. To say that so-called Christians believe this shows that most people who go to “church” (this action is never mentioned in the Bible that they say they believe) aren’t Christians at all but are deceived by the devil.

Jesus said that everyone must be born-again and that if you don’t believe in Him you will die in your sins.

There are no denominations in the Bible and all of these are just made by man. Jesus said that many are called but few are chosen and that most follow the broad path to destruction and few follow the way that leads to eternal life.

America needs to wake up and read the Bible and find out what Jesus really said about conversion to Him and eternal life.

LEO FEHER

Youngstown