Fixing lakes in 15 years shows government’s flaws

Opinion: July 19, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

First of all, what a shame with the closing of the three lakes in Mill Creek Park.

I can only hope that the geese lovers, anti-frackers and everyone else can come together to fix this problem. This will truly show if government can do its job.

We all have this problem because of bad government decisions made years ago. Some 100 years later, the problems are finally being addressed.

But officials say the problems with the lakes will not be fixed until 2030. That is totally unacceptable and again shows how feeble government is.

Ken Seeds, Youngstown

Where is public outrage over charter-school mess?

Kudos to The Vindi- cator’s editorial July 8 on charter schools. It exposed and justly placed blame on our Republican-led legislature for our state’s charter school fiasco.

So many Republican legislators are financially backed by the charter-school industry that they refuse to pass legislation, such as HB 2, needed to regulate charter schools as is done for public schools, ensuring transparency of our tax dollars.

But where is the outrage from the public voters as billions of our tax dollars are siphoned from our public schools and funneled to failing for-profit charter schools? Why are the legislators underfunding public schools, mandating that each district give charter schools a portion of their funds, and having taxpayers pay additional levies to fund our local schools? An even better question is why have taxpayers allowed state government to get away with this?

When a levy is placed on the ballot, the taxpayers often misplace their anger on the school, in dire need of funds, instead of the Republican state legislators for underfunding the schools and additionally removing monies from the school to fund charter schools.

Further, when a charter school fails and closes, it sells off its assets, paid for with public funds and keeps the profit. How are we allowing public funds to be kept by a CEO of a failed charter school? It then reopens under a different name garnering new state funds to repeat the process again. The only recent governor to address the inadequate funding of public schools was Ted Strickland. He reversed the funding formula of 60 percent taxpayer/40 percent state to 40 percent taxpayer/60 percent state. This new formula was once again reversed when Gov. Kasich took office placing the state, once again, in violation of the Supreme Court’s ruling which says Ohio must adequately fund its schools.

Susan Olive, Niles

Susan Olive is a retired public school teacher.

Safety of fracking backed by many credible studies

In her July 12 letter to the editor, Sister Mary Cunningham claims that the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent study evaluating hydraulic fracturing and groundwater was “limited” and “flawed.” That could not be further from the truth.

EPA’s study, which took five years to complete, is the most comprehensive study to be published on hydraulic fracturing. As Thomas Burke, EPA’s deputy assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Research and Development noted, “it is the most complete compilation of scientific data to date.”

In finding that fracking has “not led to widespread, systemic impacts to drinking water resources” the EPA study only confirms what previous studies available online – such as those conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Government Accountability Office, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Groundwater Protection Council – already concluded: Fracking does not pose a credible threat to groundwater.

Therefore, it’s no surprise that state regulators across the country and Obama administration officials have said that fracking is safe, and the risks are manageable. As EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy has said, “There’s nothing inherently dangerous in fracking that sound engineering practices can’t accomplish.”

Jackie Stewart, Canfield

Jackie Stewart is state director of Energy In-depth Ohio.

Canfield faces hard choice on income tax increase

Canfield is in trou- ble. When first reading that this Aug. 4, Canfield will ask residents for a half-percent increase in city income tax, my first thought was here we go again: another government entity that cannot live within its means.

“Taxes” is worse than a four- letter word to me. Canfield recently passed a school levy by fewer than 50 votes; what poor timing to ask for more money. Wanting to know more, I attended my first council meeting since moving to Canfield in late 2006; I learned a great deal about what is about to happen. Ohio’s new budget, while benefiting many Ohioans, will hurt Canfield, which will get less state money. This reduction and other recent changes will cut city revenue by 17 percent. It amounts to about a $1 million cut in a $6 million budget.

An increase in taxes will not increase government revenue; it will simply make Canfield financially whole. Confusing situation I thought.

Well this learning changed my paradigm quickly. The daunting problem faced by Canfield leaders is how to provide the services that Canfield residents have come to expect, with 17 percent less money. The daunting question for Canfield citizens is “do we keep Canfield Canfield?”

Who can run their household with 17 percent less income? Replace that money or reduce spending seems to be the most plausible options. The Canfield income tax rate has been the same since 1972. That is a credit to Canfield leadership.

Canfield has safe schools and safe streets, clean winter roads and a community spirit clearly evident during Fourth of July parades. These are the major reasons we moved to Canfield.

But something will have to change. Reduced spending means reduced services. Keeping Canfield “Canfield” will require hard choices by citizens and community leaders.

Joe LoCicero, Canfield