Austintown residents under siege on two fronts

Austintown residents under siege on two fronts

EDITOR:

As a resident of Austintown. I find myself with two guns in my back. First, we have the mayor of Youngstown trying to rob us with the JEDD proposal, instead of looking at ways to down size, and face the fact that the city population has dropped from the old days of the steel mills, and make adjustments. So, to continue to fill his over inflated pockets, he wants to steal my wallet.

Second, we have the Austintown School Board holding us up with yet another levy. They tried the open enrollment approach first, and found that there was a lot of opposition to that. So they put the gun in the other hand, and are trying the levy ammo. Maybe the board members should look at more ways to cut the budget, and show that they are at least trying to live within their means. Take for instance, the buses arriving at the school with 10 students, in a 50-passenger bus. How is this cost effective?

The truth is, folks, the property owners of Austintown are taxed out. We have had to make adjustments in many aspects of our lives, by cutting back on some of our own budgets to make ends meet. It’s about time that the city of Youngstown, and the Austintown school board do the same.

JOHN CROSS

Austintown

Campaign provides chance to promote racial equality

EDITOR:

Recently there has been a great amount of news coverage in terms of the comments made by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of the church Barack Obama did belong to for many years in Chicago. Looking back over the history of our nation relative to the African-American community (black race) I am ashamed that slavery, segregation, and myriad of discriminatory practices have been imposed on black America over time. This holocaust should never be forgotten.

In Philadelphia recently Obama gave a brilliant speech regarding race relations. In this speech there was a clear message that, yes, the black community had experienced discrimination and prejudice in a very horrible way; but this reminder of the past and all the transgressions should not hinder change. We must not stifle change.

I look upon the electoral mandate that the American people have given to Obama as a powerful indication that we have moved away from discrimination, prejudice, and racial inequality. Considering the millions of people who have voted for Barack in the primaries, a majority being white, to say by their vote that they are willing to accept a black man as their President, this black man possibly ascending to the most powerful political position on the face of the earth, is without a doubt very reassuring and says to me we have taken a step forward and moved beyond the past. This indeed is a moment in history that is unprecedented.

I regret that Rev. Wright has opened the wounds of the past instead of acknowledging the ray of hope as indicative of the consensus of the American electorate. I pray that all close supporters of Obama and especially African-American leaders will speak up in terms of what seems so very apparent and allow us all to heal by coming together as Americans exemplifying unity. Let us not fall back into the abyss of hatred. May we all have hope that we have ascended, in terms of our very inner selves to the recognition of the equality of all races.

EMORY BEAL

Hermitage, Pa.