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Youngstown’s response to snowstorm pathetic

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Youngstown’s response to snowstorm pathetic

As a taxpay- er, I’m tired of the low quality of basic services in Youngstown, including snow plowing. Ohio winters are a known phenomenon; some simple planning and consideration could ensure passable roads so that people could get to work and elsewhere as needed.

The start of last weekend’s snowstorm was Saturday. It took two days before a snow plow came down my street in Youngstown, and my street is just off a main artery, South Avenue. On Monday morning, I didn’t make it more than half a block from my driveway before my car, already lame from last season’s potholes, got stuck in the snow. AAA wouldn’t come to tow it because it has a policy of not sending trucks to unplowed streets. And so it sat there until later Monday evening when the plows finally showed up.

If Youngstown doesn’t get serious about the quality of basic services it provides taxpayers, then soon it won’t have any taxpayers left. The same pitiful winter response occurred last year at the start of Tito Brown’s tenure and clearly nothing has been learned since then. I have a humble suggestion – how about Mayor Brown take that vehicle he bought with water funds (at a price of roughly $30K) and slap a snowplow on the front of it. Then maybe this city might be able to get some real use out of its elected officials.

Dario Hunter, Youngstown

Many deserve thanks for snowstorm action

A big thank you to the Youngstown Road Department, safety forces, health-care employees and media. Yes, we did get hit with a lot of snow, but for the most part, the main roads were good.

And, if you did not have to be out, the media did tell you to stay home.

To the health-care workers who made it in, thank you for your dedication. I am sure you made a difference in someone’s life by just being present.

We tend to complain about roads not being done to our liking, our taxes not getting used properly, and on and on it goes. But always remember the person driving the plow truck, ambulance, police car, fire truck, or news car is trying to keep us safe or get information to us. I am sure they would rather be at home with their loved one, but they are doing the job they were hired to do.

So I give a big thank you to all who braved the wintry conditions to make our work day and travel safer.

Christine Silvestri, Youngstown