South grad has high hopes for city schools’ new CEO

South grad has high hopes for city schools’ new CEO

Welcome Youngs- town City School District Chief Executive Officer Krish Mohip. We welcome you and your family to Youngstown, Ohio, with open arms.

We are excited about the new horizons and new heights of academic excellence Mr. Mohip will help bring to the YCSD. We understand clearly that in order for him to do so, he will need support and collaboration from administrators, teachers, parents, students, businesses, churches and the community at large. We believe he will gain the support he needs to achieve great success here.

We also know that quality education must be a top priority for our community, and we must all value its importance. It’s up to us to create the Youngstown, Ohio, public school system we want our children and grandchildren to experience and be proud of. The future of the Valley is in our hands. No one else will determine our future but us. And that is the way it should be.

We know that Mr. Mohip comes to this position full of passion and compassion. He has a proven track record and a reputation of making positive, transformational changes. He possesses intellect, strong leadership effectiveness and people skills to successfully move our school system forward. He comes to Youngstown with vision, purpose and resolve.

Restoration won’t be easy, but it is certainly doable.

Jon and Adrienne Howell, Bloomington, Ill.

Jon Howell is a member of the Class of 1980 of Youngstown South High who says he regularly returns to his hometown.

‘Dump trump’ columnist challenged on many angles

Responding to the column titled “Republicans can still dump Trump,” which appeared in The Vindicator on June 17, I would like to note the following. The author, Gary Stein, notes that Mr. Trump is spreading bile and hate.

Our current president called Jeremiah Wright his “friend and mentor.” The Rev, Wright’s sermons were documented to be of a fiery anti-American, anti-white race nature. In the most famous one, he is quoted saying “God Bless America? No, No, No, God Damn America!” Hate and bile, Gary Stein?

Mr. Trump is right about Muslims. The Japanese disallow Muslims on their soil. They have had zero Muslim terrorist attacks. None. France has a sizable Muslim population and has suffered numerous terrorist attacks attributed to Muslim factions. Who is right?

The author also states, “Yep, nothing like making one of our nation’s worst tragedies all about yourself, bozo.” Yet, this is exactly what the radical left does in the same circumstances. Even the likes of Howard Stern has said disarming the sheep will only result in the wolves eating more of them. Think, Gary Stein, think.

I do agree with the statement, “a president should inspire us.” Many of us have been waiting over seven years for said “inspiration.” That’s why we voted for Mr. Trump. That’s why we are unashamed.

Duane Baird, Warren

Republicans continue to block democratic process

I am tired of the Republicans obstructing the democratic process in this country. It was bad enough when 53 out of 55 Republican senators voted against gun reform on June 20.

But Americans from sea to shining sea watched in amazement some two days later, during the Democratic protest in the House, as Speaker Paul Ryan refused to allow a vote on gun-control bills. Who made him king?

His microphone, as one congressman said, belongs to the people and not to him personally. The Republicans proved that they are incapable of negotiating or compromising. They allow the National Rifle Association to call all the shots.

They would just prefer it if the Democrats simply didn’t bother to show up when Congress reconvenes July 5. They refuse to vote for the president’s Supreme Court nominee, they cut funding for treatment of mental health issues, and now they won’t even consider gun reform.

Ryan talks about due process; who gave the 49 people in Orlando any due process? Who gave due process to the little kids at Newtown? Shame on the Republicans. They deserve to watch as their party disassembles.

Linda Cocuzzi Richter, Niles

Let’s raise minimum wage

I recently read an article on how House Speaker Paul Ryan wants to create programs to get rid of poverty. He wants the GOP to embrace this idea.

I’m very skeptical of the plan. Why? Of all his ideas, Mr. Ryan does not include raising the minimum wage. You get out of poverty by making a decent living. That is the only way it happens.

When the GOP has a majority, the federal minimum wage is never raised. It has been at $7.25 for seven years. Let’s take a proposal I came up with. Let’s say 45 cents per hour had been added to the minimum wage every year since 2010. That would be an appropriate 6 percent increase the first year and lower every year after.

This would not have hurt employers, raised inflation or done anything except put spending money into the economy. The current minimum wage this year would now be $10.40 hour. What would that have done for the economy over the years? Given more spending power to people, a much more livable wage, and a lot more money would have gone into Social Security and Medicare.

Why does the GOP never allow a minimum-wage increase? Because corporate America tells them not to. Corporate America is too cheap to give any kind of raise. Also, they would be paying more into Social Security and Medicare. These are two things corporate America wants desperately to get rid of. So they are going to block any attempt to pay more into them.

Believe me, the only way out of poverty is higher wages. Don’t expect any help from the GOP on that one.

Robert W. McKay, Grove City, Pa.