Where was columnist’s criticism of Mrs. Clinton?

Where was columnist’s criticism of Mrs. Clinton?

Vindicator colum- nist Bertram de Souza was on the front page during the Republican National Convention criticizing Donald Trump. In addition to that, selected articles were and continue to be on the editorial page criticizing Trump.

However, during the Democratic Convention, there was no criticism, and there is plenty to be critical of.

Donald Trump has brought important issues into the open that resonate with the American people.

Clinton will continue the failed economic and foreign policies that will spell disaster to America.

Clinton’s strategy is to demonize the opponent rather than speak to the issues. She and her party have misrepresented the facts, and she is a pro at evading answers to the hard questions.

As far as the emails go, she either intended for them to be read by anyone or she is very incompetent.

The disaster in Benghazi rests with her.

There used to be integrity, honesty, fairness, and sincerity in the news media. What happened to true journalism?

It is very plain that The Vindicator, along with 95 percent of the news media, is part of the Clinton machine for president.

A sad day for America.

Dick LaLumia, Poland

Help Mill Creek realize vision of Volney Rogers

A wise and thought- ful conservationist once quipped that “Natural resource management is easy; it’s human management that is difficult.”

I don’t remember which of our country’s early conservationist leaders made that statement, but it certainly feels as if it applies to the critical juncture that Mill Creek MetroParks finds itself.

Having been a public servant for 25 years, including four years as director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and two years as chief of conservation for regional flood control, conservation and outdoor recreation, I have lived that quote.

When leading an organization that provides conservation and recreation, you often have to manage our natural resources for stakeholders and customers who have very different expectations.

There can be vast differences of opinions between what is right for nature, what is right for taxpayers and what is in line with the vision of Volney Rogers. And all of those can at times be in conflict with stakeholder and customer expectations, employee expectations and the expectations of those with some very important special interests.

In my opinion, Aaron Young is providing the necessary leadership to place Mill Creek Park on a sustainable path. He has created efficiencies to stretch public money so that more can be used on overdue capital improvements that will serve the park’s customers and fulfill Rogers’ vision.

There has been significant turnover at the executive director and board levels. To have personal agendas being delivered through board edicts instead of helping to build consensus and support around a sustainable path jeopardizes the future.

Enough. It’s time to move on. Follow the lead of a capable leader making the difficult decisions he was hired to make, and help him extend the vision and passion of Volney Rogers for many decades.

Sean Logan, Lisbon

Logan also was a former Columbiana County commissioner and state representative.

Protect rights of eligible voters to cast their ballots

The nation recently marked the 51st anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law.

Fifty-one years later, we are still fighting to keep elections free, fair and accessible for all Ohio voters.

In Ohio, Secretary of State Jon Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine tried to make it harder for Ohioans to vote.

“Golden Week” was an additional early voting period in effect during the 2008 and 2012 election cycles before the Ohio Legislature eliminated it in 2014.

Judge Michael Watson, who previously served as chief counsel to Republican Gov. Bob Taft, recently ruled that eliminating “Golden Week” was unconstitutional because it violated the Voting Rights Act by placing a disproportionate burden on African-American voters.

Our country was founded upon the idea that the people get a say in their government. We should not support laws that make it unreasonably more difficult for any community to vote.

Just as we have a right to vote, we have a responsibility to protect the right of all eligible voters to be able to vote without obstacles or intimidation. When we add unnecessary burdens that prevent fellow Ohioans from their right to be heard in the voting booth, we all lose.

Gary Hassay, Boardman

Gardeners at Extension are a treasure to behold

111At their suggestion, my father and I stopped in with a clipping of the bush and its “fruit” to get an understanding of what we had growing and if the apple-like produce was usable. It was absolutely amazing at how quickly the Master Gardeners were able to not only identify our plant and its fruit, but also supply us with a detailed explanation of the qualities the fruit possesses. Then, as an added bonus, we were given several recipes that were reminiscent of what my grandmother used to make.

Although I did not get all of the names of those present, I was most pleased with the patience and clarity with which Peg and Lillian assisted us and answered our questions. The local extension service is truly a treasure in our community. I am grateful for their knowledge and willingness to assist us less learned and skillful gardeners. I am grateful, too, that The Vindicator has this feature page each week.

T. L. Wagner, Youngstown

Think about consequences of wrong voting decisions

I was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, and I moved to Florida 37 years ago. I saw Lester Holt on TV recently, and I would like to respond to that segment of news about Youngstown.

It aches my heart to see that the principles we were founded on are going up in smoke. Our Social Security, Medicare, civil rights bill, affirmative action, Affordable Care Act and many others were all enacted upon by a Democratic Party president.

Do my fellow Democrats forget all that we have gone through and what we will go through if we do not continue on the path that President Obama has paved for us?

In 2007, my husband, brother and friends lost their jobs, two years before this president came on the scene. Do they not remember how serious things were when our president came into office?

I understand that Youngstown was hit hard with the steel mill closings years ago and other issues, but people like Jim Traficant and other Democrats brought comfort if they could and did.

In conclusion, I hope everyone thinks very hard before they vote about the consequences that can happen if we make this wrong decision. Even small business people were offered tax breaks. Please tread carefully when making the decision and know what the Democratic Party stands for: all colors, all nationalities, genders and views.

Barb Williams, St. Cloud, Fla.