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Letters To The Editor

Vance, Trump need to do more for EP residents

To the editor: The East Palestine train derailment and chemical disaster of February 2023 presents a critical opportunity for leadership, particularly for Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump. With their newfound or reinstated political influence, they can either fulfill their promises to Ohio and Pennsylvania or let the community continue to suffer. This crisis is about more than just cleanup; it’s about human reparation and ensuring the people exposed to dangerous chemicals receive the help they deserve. Our community has been living with uncertainty since that ...

A thanks to the dedicated public defenders

To the editor: A thank you to the attorneys who serve Columbiana County as public defenders. They are professionals who help to keep our local courts running smoothly. Without experienced and competent defense lawyers, our justice system suffers. Cases may be delayed and court dockets can become backlogged arguably resulting in a waste of scarce public resources. Public defenders not only contribute to efficiency, they aid in remedying situations leading to court involvement. Defense attorneys often are the ones who facilitate counseling or substance abuse treatment for ...

An advocate for term limits

To the editor: A term is a period of time in which limits have been set, especially with elected officials. A term of service for a U.S. Senator is six years, whereas a term for a U.S. Representative is two years. Farming in colonial days was the leading occupation, and therefore limits were not set on the number of terms you could serve, since you could not afford to leave your major source of income unattended.                                                                                                          ...

Passage of bill would impact peer-to-peer services

To the editor: Peer-to-peer services have grown in popularity in recent years. For consumers and many small businesses, cash has been replaced by the refrain of “I’ll Zelle/Venmo/CashApp you the money.” With platforms like Zelle, transfers can be done without fees, and funds are immediately available. For small businesses, the convenience and cost can’t be beat. Unfortunately, in Washington, DC, some senators have introduced legislation that would make these services a lot less convenient and, in some cases, more expensive. These Senators want to place burdensome new ...

A gerrymandered law is not a solution

To the editor: This is in reference to your editorial (Nov. 8), “Ohio must renew attempts for fair constitutional maps.” A gerrymandered law can not fix a gerrymander problem. Perhaps it is better to have a computer draft a dozen maps, which are within legal parameters, and then have the selection commmitte choose one map for our representative districts. However, any such law must preserve judicial review for the programmers, for the program (or AI) and for the selection committee. Choosing our representatives is too important to leave them to the weathervane of ...

Ohio energy keeping us warm

To the editor: As temperatures drop and winter sets in, we are all heading over to that thermostat. But many people have no idea the role Ohio’s natural resources play in keeping not only our homes but also homes across the nation warm and bright. Nearly half of U.S. households rely on natural gas as their primary heating source, and Ohio is no exception. Our state is a key producer of these vital resources, helping to meet the increased energy demands coming in the colder months. From heating homes to powering the electric grid during extreme weather, natural gas ensures that we ...