There’s a revolution afoot

There’s a revolution afoot

EDITOR:

An old song’s lyrics suggest, what a difference a day makes. The complete reversal of fortunes of the Democrat Party in one day due to the revolution that occurred in Massachusetts with the election of the Republican, Scott Brown, to the U.S. Senate is akin to the French peasants rolling the guillotine into the palace courtyard of Louis XVI to make short order of all the French nobility.

For months, the imperial Democrat aristocracy in Congress and their narcissistic king in the White House ignored the wishes of us average Americans — peasants in their eyes — and they did whatever they wished. They disparaged us as “tea-baggers,” laughed at our attempts to be heard, and made deals behind closed doors designed to enrich themselves and bankrupt us. And when they were done taking our money, they set out to destroy the only thing we had left — our health.

But then that fateful day arrived in Massachusetts when the peasants marched into the public square, guillotine in tow, and the once great Democrat nobility headed for the exits. Nancy Pelosi, our own Marie-Antoinette, changed her tune and began promising more moderation and an abandonment of her assault on the American health-care system. Even our dunce king is now backtracking and trying to make nicey-nice with the peasantry.

Can Obama, Reid, Pelosi and the other Democrat elitists adhere to their new centrist pledges? It’s doubtful. They are too filled with arrogance and a sense of privilege that they can’t help but revert to their old ways. But we won’t have to deal with them long. The November elections are right around the corner and the guillotine stands at the ready. Chomp. Chomp.

JOSEPH K. WALTENBAUGH

New Castle

A reversal of fortunes

EDITOR:

I can’t believe that the Democratic Party is managing itself so poorly that it might turn the U.S. government over to the control of the very group that led us into this depression. That’s right, let’s call it what it is, a depression.

It was caused by the governmental policies of the Republican Party and yet the Democratic Party can’t even get it’s act together enough to beat the Republicans. It was the Republican Reagan that started the destruction of America when he first let U.S. companies move overseas. Then he cut the taxes on the super rich so that the backbone of the U.S. economy, the middle class, would be left in the poor house, if any house at all. That also led to putting the U.S. government deeply into debt.

It was Republicans Reagan and Bush who deregulated the banking and financial industries. First the savings and loans were emptied by the greedy investors and then the banks. Republican Bush’s lack of regulation also led to millions of Americans getting crooked home mortgages that eventually led to their foreclosures. It was the Republican Bush that led us into two stupid wars that have further put the U.S. government into huge debt. Yet the Democratic Party is screwing up so badly that the Republican Party that has nearly destroyed American might regain power. Unbelievable.

DON ROWINSKY

Youngstown

Why not let everyone play?

EDITOR:

After reading last Sunday’s letter from Chris DeRose, CEO, Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, my question is: When can I sign up to join your pension plan? As a taxpayer, if my tax money is good enough to pay double-dipping school superintendents, teachers, firemen and policemen, when can I sign up for your plan? Think of all the additional yes votes for tax levies that would come your way. You would have virtually zero opposition if you just let the taxpayer join (by contributing his own tax dollars) to the OPERS. I would gladly relinquish my stake in Social Security for membership in a plan that does not pay out money to every illegal immigrant that crosses the border.

With all due respect, I do not begrudge anyone a pension promise that was in place when they accepted a job. The general public is largely dissatisfied with a government that cannot look past their own self-serving interests when it comes making decisions that affect fiscal policy. As times change, so too should the benefits that public employees are granted. It used to be that 75 percent of the private sector was covered by a pension plan. That number has decreased to less than 25 percent. If I have to pay for my own retirement thru my 401K, I can hardly afford to pay for public pensions with my tax dollars, no matter what your averages say.

This is a bottom-up economy. As long as Washington continues to let China and India take American jobs, the noose around the neck of the private employee grows ever-tighter. If Gov. Strickland and every governor spent more time pounding on Washington’s front door demanding business friendly policies, rather than always nodding for their respective party-line, we would all be in a better position. While I wait for change, where do I sign up for OPERS ?

MICHAEL SUSKO

Girard

Bring back outdoor skating

EDITOR:

Time is right to reopen the Mill Creek Park Ice Rink

It’s now eight years since the Mill Creek Park ice-skating rink closed. For at least 15 years before its demise it was known that the refrigeration system was outdated and needed a major overhaul, yet proper planning was never put in place to correct the problem. When Mill Creek Park was made into a municipal park, I thought problems such as this would be corrected. Where are park tax dollars going?

While I blame past Mill Creek Park commissioners for this debacle, there is possible hope for the future. Starting this year the number of park commissioners has gone from three to five with four of the five commissioners new to the board. A new executive director is coming on board later this year. After meeting with the acting executive director in December, it is my hope that the park commissioners and executive director go in a new direction and examine the feasibility of re-opening the ice rink.

I understand that Youngstown has serious issues and in the end an ice-skating rink is not as important as other issues the city is facing. But this is not just about a closed ice rink, it’s about community pride. It’s about saving the area’s last outdoor public ice rink. Where is the community outrage that this gem of a rink has been closed for so long? I’m hoping that city leaders and the 4th ward get involved and work with park commissioners to re-open the rink.

Mill Creek Park needs a plan and most likely a major fund raising effort to upgrade the rink will need to be launched. Grants and state/federal aide plus good-old fashioned philanthropy would help in the effort. Nothing beats skating outdoors like nature intended it to be. If you have a solid product it will sell itself.

The next scheduled board meeting is Feb. 8 at 6pm at the MetroParks Farm. I hope people show up to voice their displeasure with the rink being closed. The park commissioners need to hear our voices.

NICHOLAS DuBOS

Pittsburgh