Citizens task force needed to probe our potholed roads

Citizens task force needed to probe our potholed roads

It is time for a citizens task force to investigate potholes. Taxpayers should have full authority to review the tax dollars that are used for paving and road maintenance in the Mahoning Valley. They should be given access to information on the responsible jurisdiction, bid specifications, bid results, materials used, quality control, warranty, and life expectancy of the roadway.

How many times do we get to pay for the same work?

The expense to citizens for flat tires, damaged rims, tows, alignments plus the risk of a serious accident are real costs for drivers.

We ride on Western Reserve Road between Hitchcock and Tippecanoe roads daily and are very careful about the potholes.

Recently, one son had two flats at the same time with the car needing towed; the second son had one flat and his car was towed.

Kathy Miller, Boardman

Without reforms, expanded Medicaid is broken system

Medicaid is a program meant for Ohio’s most vulnerable. Unfortunately, Medicaid is a broken system, and we must fix what exists before giving it more funding.

Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion is not only an expensive program, it also perpetuates the problem so many Ohioans already have. My friends and neighbors accepting government assistance already have enough trouble accessing quality care, and this Medicaid expansion isn’t helping anything.

Recently Forbes called Medicaid a humanitarian catastrophe, and I must agree. Although there may be good intentions behind the program, reauthorization of expansion isn’t actually helping those who really need it most. Instead of just putting more money into the system, why don’t our legislators work at reforming a broken system?

Trying to obtain affordable care is something that so many Ohioians deal with, but we still have yet to find a realistic solution to these problems. Medicaid expansion has not helped so far, and it won’t in the future. That is why I am writing today. Legislators need to listen to their constituents. Don’t reauthorize expansion of Medicaid; it’s a broken program.

Suellen Blasdell, Canfield