Just like Martha Stewart, Traficant went to jail unjustly

I was sadly disappointed by former Congressman Jim Traficant. Perhaps with proper guidance and counseling from friends, he could have avoided some of his problems except that Traficant was always his own man.

Traficant was constantly working to benefit this area, and he didn’t hesitate to cross Democratic Party lines to vote with the Republicans, if by doing so it would help our area. It was his vote in Congress — the deciding vote he cast for Republican Dennis Hastert for speaker of the House — that resulted in a grant of $25 million for Youngstown.

During President Clinton’s savings and loan bank scandal and fiasco, I remember Hillary Clinton made $100,000 from illegal or questionable stock market manipulation. She didn’t go to jail like Martha Stewart and James Traficant. Martha Stewart had bad stock-market advice. Martha Stewart went to jail for nothing. Traficant went to jail for nothing. Martha Stewart and James Traficant were both wrongly convicted and unjustly punished.

Traficant was on his feet every day in Congress speaking astutely and eloquently and having his say, trying to help the Youngstown area. With the possible exception of Congressman Mike Kirwan, James Traficant was the best congressman we ever had.

Traficant was a strike negotiator and mediator par excellence, without equal. Check his record for strike settlements. It was largely through his help that the Superior Beverage strike was settled. Traficant was always at the bargaining table. If anyone could have settled the RMI or RTI problem in Niles, Traficant would have had the best shot.

I was beginning to think and to hope that Traficant would be the first person with potential and capability of filling the shoes and walking the path of the former governor of Ohio and congressman — the great Frank Lausche of Ohio.

GEORGE VALENT

Vienna