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« Opinion
Don’t let incompetence affect sales tax support
We don’t know the extent of voter disgust over the incompetence of the Mahoning County Board of Elections in dealing with the sales tax issue that will be on Tuesday’s general election ballot, but we aren’t willing to take any chances. Thus today, we not only reiterate our support for the renewal of the half-percent sales tax, but urge voters not to be thrown off by the word “additional” that is to be found in the text of Issue 4.
This is not a new tax. The difference between what is being voted on Tuesday and what was approved five years ago is the period of time the tax would be in effect. Passage will mean the 0.5 percent will be permanent — just like the other 0.5 percent that voters made permanent last year.
We understand residents’ reluctance to give government carte blanche when it comes to the spending of tax dollars, but they still have a trump card if officeholders turn out to be less than responsible keepers of the public purse: They can “throw the bums out.” On the other hand, there is a strong argument to be made for bringing stability to government finances. A permanent tax gives the county commissioners, who control the treasury, the ability to develop long-range plans, particularly with regard to capital projects.
Thus, when you go to the polls Tuesday, we urge you to not only ignore the recent controversy surrounding the wording of the sales tax issue, but to think in terms of giving our elected officials the tools they need to intelligently chart the county’s course.
Suspensions
As for the board of elections, the decision to suspend clerk Danielle O’Neill for five days without pay for failing to perform her ballot-related duties, and to suspend Director Thomas McCabe for three days without pay for failing to adequately supervise a member of his staff is an acknowledgement of the system’s failure.
The four members of the board of elections, Democrats Michael Morley and Robert Wasko and Republicans Clarence Smith and Mark Munroe, acted expeditiously when the controversy broke, but a top-to-bottom review of the practices and procedures of the office is warranted.
Given that it was county commissioners David Ludt, Anthony Traficanti and John V. McNally IV who passed a resolution instructing the board of elections to place the sales tax issue on the ballot, we have to wonder if there is adequate communication between them and the county prosecutor’s office, which drew up the resolution.
Finally, there is the question of whether the word renewal should have or could have been used in the caption or text of county Issue 4.
But while such matters are important, the bottom line with regard to the renewal of the half-percent sales tax is this: Without the $14 million it generates, Mahoning County government — including the sheriff’s department, prosecutor, courts and 911 center — would be crippled.
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Comments
The Vindy wrote: "Finally, there is the question of whether the word renewal should have or could have been used in the caption or text of county Issue 4."
Here is an example:
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/el...
I don't want to have to "vote the bums out" if they are not good stewards of the finances. We'll just get a new set of bums. Politicians are like used car salesman.
I will vote against this continuing tax. If it had been five years, I would have voted for it.
Fromthe archives:
http://www.vindy.com/news/2007/may/09/ta...
Why no controversy last time?
http://www.vindy.com/news/2007/apr/29/ma...
i agree with vindi. we need the tax revenue to pay for the services. let's get off the sales tax rollercoaster and make the tax permanent. support your county and vote yes for the sales tax.
.....spend and tax
why aren't they worried about the impact of what they're doing? Why do they think America is so strong it can take endless abuse?
They came of age during the great abundance, circa 1980-2008, and they don't have the habit of worry. They talk about their "concerns"-they're big on that word. But they're not really concerned. They think America is the goose that lays the golden egg. Why not? She laid it in their laps. She laid it in grandpa's lap.
They don't feel anxious, because they never had anything to be anxious about. They grew up in an America surrounded by phrases-"strongest nation in the world", "highest standard of living"-and they are not bright enough, or serious enough, to imagine that they can damage that, hurt it, even fatally.
We are governed at all levels by America's luckiest children, sons and daughters of the abundance, and they call themselves optimists but they're not optimists-they're unimaginative. They don't have faith, they've just never been foreclosed on. They are stupid and they are callous, and they don't mind it when people become disheartened. They don't even notice.
Peggy Noonan
We're Governed by Callous Children
Oct.30, 2009
Voting NO. This is a permanent tax and the Democrooked commissioners via the elction board tried to sneak this one past us. Vote NO and tell them we don't like what they did or how they did it.
NO on the permanent tax. Get ready commissioners to cut the budgets especially all those friends and family who do nothing but collect a paycheck from the county. The vast majority in Mahoning County agree with me.
When will people learn that (1) politicians don't have the answers and (2) throwing money at a problem won't fix it?
I'm with northsideperson. If it had been for just 5 years I would have voted for it two. I did vote for the last one not realizing the tax would be permanent. I won't be fooled again!
I love the title of this article. That's all we have in this valley are incompetant politicians which is why we're in the mess we're in. But we're supposed to keep ponying up to the till and give them more money.
I am voting against every tax levy on the ballot, renewal or not. I am sick to death of the gov't taking more and more-both money and freedoms. Next year I'm going to help clean house in the state and federal gov't!