A skeptic’s view of developments

A skeptic’s view of developments

As I read the front page of the April 19 Vindicator, I was informed that “Boardman Township considers new fees on businesses.” Of course, that would only be fair. These businesses need to pay their fair share of future township costs for all the burdens they are going to place on township services. If they decide not to set up shop in Boardman, all the better, Boardman won’t have to fund the additional services that they require.

And the current federal administration, through the auspices of former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, has tested the waters, for a Value Added Tax. I believe their idea is to supplement the 16th amendment with VAT, not replace the income tax. A majority of the senators have stated that VAT is unpalatable. Quite likely the Senate, as well as the House and executive branch, want to continue to use taxation to dictate behavior (corporate and individual) rather than just collect revenue.

And Mahoning County really, really needs the half-percent sales tax renewal. We have already cut all spending down to bare bones. There is no longer any corruption, nepotism, cronyism or any other ism rampant in our local government. Our local leaders and their staffs are all public servants working diligently to benefit the populace. Again, it is only a renewal, and we get to stick a lot of this tax on visitors to our county who shop here.

And please support all of the school tax issues. The boards of education are only putting these issues on the ballots to benefit our children, not the teachers or administrators.

And the Covelli Center will continue to make money for the city of Youngstown. Like all projects, it has turned the proverbial corner. Just don’t scrutinize their reports too closely.

Lastly, we just passed a monumental health care bill that not only will afford less costly health care to all Americans — or at least it will in four years — but will also help reduce our monumental and rapacious deficit, that was so unceremoniously foisted upon us by previous administrations.

In the inestimable words of our former sheriff and congressman, Jim Traficant, “Beam me up.”

JOHN WEBEL, New Middletown