Youngstown voters spoke; the board should listen

Youngstown voters spoke; the board should listen

EDITOR:

I am writing this letter to protest a comment made by the Youngstown Board of Education president in last Wednesday’s Vindicator article that discussed the outcome of the failed 9.5 mill school levy.

The voters have spoken for the third time in as many elections by rejecting additional levies for the school system. Can’t these people realize that taxpayers cannot afford any more increases in our property taxes. With home foreclosures at record highs, utility costs skyrocketing and fuel we need to get to work becoming as precious as gold, people cannot afford more taxes. Doesn’t the school board know the definition of no?

The taxpayers are fed up with the board and Dr. Webb not implementing the recommendations made by the State Oversight Committee. We are fed up with the excuses Dr Webb makes about why cuts were not made years ago when revenue began to decline.

I am especially frustrated with the fact that the board continues to pursue additional tax levies even though the Ohio Supreme Court, on two separate occasions, has found the current system of property taxes being used to fund schools unconstitutional. Maybe the board should direct its efforts toward the state Legislature and Gov. Strickland to revamp the method of funding schools in Ohio rather than repeatedly trying for a levy that the people don’t want.

MIKE SDREGAS

Coitsville

Tired of those bumpy rides

EDITOR:

The day after the election, I am sitting here talking to myself, wondering how over 29,000 people could give our Mahoning County engineer all these complimentary votes. The first thing he will say is we had a bad winter. I have been hearing this excuse even when we had a good winter.

I think for all the taxes we pay for roads his departent needs investigated for how our money is spent and who he gives our road contracts to. It seems we are getting low cost work for big buck jobs. Go to Pennsylvania; their roads aren’t half as bad as ours.

I am a handicap school bus driver. I would like to strap our engineer in a wheelchair and ride my bus for one week. I’m sure his accountability for roads would change after he got his brains rattled on our terrible and shameful roads.

ANDY PAPPAGALLO Sr.

Mineral Ridge

Right on the Mark

EDITOR:

When reading of the commotion at a recent Brookfield school board meeting, I was reminded of a quote I once heard that was attributed to Mark Twain. “First the Lord made idiots. That was for practice. Then he made school boards.”

JOHN ZEDAKER

Poland