Letters to the Editor

Sound off!

The bad news is for at least the remainder of this year 47 will continue to tax Americans with his tariffs, probably start a war, drug prices will increase, he will embarrass America on the international stage, try to rig the midterms, make money off Americans, and violate the law on a weekly basis. The good news is the judicial system is still holding for the most part, more Epstein facts will come out, no-kings rallies will continue, more non-MAGA Republicans will see how 47 is hurting them

-- Campbell

The city of Canfield just gave a 10-year 100% tax abatement for the new construction part of a Dairy Queen. The vote happened after the site preparation started. The owners, CANFIELDDQE LLC, bought the property almost five years ago. As a franchise, the DQ wasn't going to move outside the approved designated franchise area, was it? Sure seems like the DQ was going to be built with or without the abatement. So why give the abatement?

-- Austintown

Given his condescending (..."I guess I have to invite the girls, too...") invitation to the U.S. Women's Hockey team to visit the White House, the women should invite him to a skating lesson and promise to include body checking. Won't he be surprised? I wonder what sound 300 pounds of waste, fraud and abuse makes slumping off the boards.

-- Canfield

The Sound Off writer is ecstatic over the $1,200 increase to his income tax refund due to the Big Beautiful Bill. Fact is that this type of economic gain, upholding legal and democratic norms and regard for the Constitution, could all occur simultaneously. It would seem that this writer believes that one positive action excuses the multitude of negative ones.

-- Poland

Jesse Jackson, one of the most important and influential men to walk this earth, was denied having a flag flowing in D.C. upon his death. This is a slap against the entire Black population for him to be denied this honor. Few were more important in helping the advancement of their rights.

-- Liberty

The commissioners of Mill Creek Park have the responsibilities of planning, finances and managing our park. This is done with your tax dollars, which include expenses for the so-called wildlife management programs. Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on deer culling, gassing of Canada geese, trapping and disposal of raccoons and removal of nuisance animals. Doesn't this go against the premise of a park where animals are intended to live? Should five people have the authority to decide which animals live and die? Attend board meetings, ask questions, be informed!

-- Poland

It's the second weekend now that Judge Napolitano's column hasn't appeared in the Vindicator. I hope that's not because he's an outspoken critic of the grossly anti, unconstitutional and murderous criminal behavior of the current administration, to say the least, and an avid critic of less obvious past administrations, Republican and Democratic, over the years, for the same reason. I hope we haven't just witnessed a form of censorship by Vindicator management. Bring him back! He needs to be heard.

-- Boardman

Trump says "...I can charge more..." "I can destroy countries..." These comments in response to "...the foolish decision of SCOTUS..." Time for Congress to grow a spine and impeach the madman.

-- Canfield

The 7th District Court of Appeals could do without attorney David Comstock for judge who commented to The Vindicator back on May 9, 1998 (Page A3): "The use of deadly force in and of itself is not unconstitutional." A closer look at the statement made by Comstock's client will reveal that deadly force was misapplied, thereby making it unconstitutional. Again, a vote in favor of David Comstock for 7th District Court of Appeals would support an increase of deadly force by Comstock's interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

-- Poland

Letters to the Editor

Sound off!

Trump had Tom Homan announce that Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota was coming to an end. Unfortunately, he had to include that it was a great success and Minnesota will be a safer community. We all know Minnesota never was unsafe until ICE arrived and caused all the chaos, including the killings of two innocent US citizens. The reality is Metro Surge was a total failure thanks to the people of Minnesota standing up for their rights. We all must be concerned.

-- Poland

Why is Trump trying to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Michigan and Canada. Billions of dollars of manufacturing and agriculture goods cross this route every day benefiting our economy. Could it be the desire to create more chaos and distractions, to show he is fighting with Canada or possibly that a billionaire donor who owns the competitive Ambassador Bridge asked to not allow the new bridge to open? Perhaps it is all three. We must all support the bride opening.

-- Poland

My wife and I recently had our income taxes done. Because of President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill we received $1,200 more in our refund. Each week in SoundOff people write how much they hate President Trump and all of his policies. Since everyone, including the Democrats who write in, will be receiving bigger refunds, are they going to send the extra refund back since it's because of President Trump's policy? If they don't, they're hypocrites. The Democrats should put their money where their mouth is!

-- Hubbard

Not only is someone washing checks mailed with USPS. I have mailed letters/cards with gift cards and they are not making their destination! There is at least one thief in the USPS. I agree ... this is another reason not to use snail mail.

-- Youngstown

Did you see the pathetic testimony of Pam Bondi at the Epstein hearings last week? I know MAGA didn't because the only channel they watch, Fox Propaganda, chose not to show it because she was doing so badly. You see, Fox chooses what they want MAGA to see, kind of like North Korea and Russia. Rather than answer questions about the Epstein cover up, she had a prepared binder of insults for each congressional member, which she constantly interjected into their questioning.

-- Youngstown

Donny just told the troops at Fort Bragg, "We have the greatest military in the world." Isn't it ironic that a draft-dodging coward would be such a hypocrite? I wonder how he cheats so much at golf that he suffers from "bone spurs."

-- Youngstown

The SAVE act is a solution looking for a problem. Show me the list of people who have voted illegally and what jail they are in? A recent study found 15 possible cases out of almost 16 million votes. While changes in the SAVE Act would prevent about a million people from voting. This is Jim Crow 2.0 being applied to poor, elderly, nursing home, female, minority or college students to make it harder for them to vote because they vote for Democrats.

-- Campbell

The headline read: "ICE plans to add 92,600 detention beds at a cost of $38.3 billion." That's only a portion of what the immigration crackdown has cost. Wouldn't it make more sense to spend this money on an amnesty program (like the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986) that recognizes the positive net fiscal impact these immigrants would have on this country? After all, VP Vance said, "I want more babies in the United States of America."

-- Poland

The only thing bad about the Bad Bunny halftime show was the dancers on the power poles dressed as linemen failed to throw rolls of paper towels at an effigy of Trump. I think they owed the Orange Menace that much for having disgraced the Village People each time DJT shakes his little fists in a no-talent version of their YMCA performances.

-- Canfield

Outside Trump's window was snow, so he unilaterally and without evidence (per usual) declared global warming ended despite nearly 50 years of careful research results to the contrary. Maybe he'll get another award and bigger "pay-to-play" contribution from oil, gas and coal. We can stop killing birds with wind turbines. Instead, let's slaughter them with more glass-walled Trump buildings to fly into while they're blinded by smog. Punxsutawney Phil is a superior prognosticator and doesn't live for praise or cash.

-- Canfield

I might, possibly, be prepared to soften my anti-Democrat stance after watching/listening to the San Francisco mayor's recent comments to media before the Super Bowl and after reading the Feb. 10 Froma Harrop article titled "Midterms are Dems to lose." If both the mayor's warning to troublemakers that pro-police law enforcement would be swift and the content of Harrop's article that Democrats are now more moderate and on their best behavior (minus the anti-ICE boneheads in Minneapolis), then I might acquiesce and give my old party a political pass.

-- Hubbard

Because the Dems are desperate -- trying to distance themselves from the wacko fringe element of their party -- would it be safe to assume that the libs have finally come to their senses and turned the corner enough to say "In Dems We Trust"?

-- Hubbard

Tonight on the news I heard a public official say the state gave them power to reduce our taxes that they really wish they didn't have. So embarrassing actually to admit. That thinking is why we are where we are at with property taxes, with officials moving to specific levies so they need not make decisions. We the people NEED LEADERS not chickens.

-- Girard

JD Vance says having children will help people/women find a purpose in life. What?? Criticizing parents and single women alike for their choices to have or not have children? We do not need this man now or in the White House in 2028. The hypocrite who blasted Trump in 2016 and is now sucking up to him, who said the murder victims in Minnesota are 'deranged leftists' and deserved what they got. How can anyone be so reprehensible?

-- Liberty

Letters to the Editor

Sound off!

I almost laughed out loud at the cartoon depicting the Clintons as being "above the law." Such irony, considering the POTUS ignores laws, civil rights, the Constitution, felony convictions and court orders and has a masked, unidentified, personal police force to cull and terrorize Americans. I guess I missed the point, right?

-- Youngstown

There was a SoundOff submission in the Dec. 13 Vindicator criticizing drivers who drive slow when the weather was snowy, telling people to stay home if they are afraid to drive. They always tell you to slow down when the roads are bad. It was probably a guy that wrote it. LOL!

-- Canfield

Virtually everyone I know tells me they are under constant stress over the direction our country is taking. The main reason for this angst is the old guy in the White House (soon to be renamed the Trump House). Being of voting age in the 1960s, just like all Youngstowners, I automatically registered as a Democrat. While never re-registering I mostly voted independently and about 80% Republican. I will never again vote for any Republican for any office unless the draft-dodging phony is out of the way.

-- Youngstown

This is from a column Esther Hamilton wrote for The Vindicator in June 1976, just prior to the bicentennial. It rings true today. We are very close to losing our independence ... "back again to bondage."

-- Canfield

YSU President Bill Johnson deserves at least an "attaboy" for his leadership team which is driving up student enrollment, expanding meaningful course offerings and programs, opening a new campus in Steubenville, all the while positively engaging the community around the university. Maybe The Vindicator can give him a break, and throw him a bone in the future for his obvious success since his hotly criticized appointment as YSU president.

-- Poland

Trump will never be tried, fined or convicted for anything he has done. If impeached again, the Republicans will bail him out again. Trump will resign before his term is up. Vance will then pardon him for everything or anything he has done. It's that simple. Money and power! And the beat goes on.

-- Campbell

We are Americans, which means all cultures and immigrants. The government is a bad joke. From the White House on down to Republican Congress and politicians,they are corrupt. They don't belong in our country. We believe in the Constitution, freedom, democracy to help all humanity with empathy. All Republicans need voted out. We need free and fair elections as we always had. FIGHT for the good of our AMERICAN! Also, Bad Bunny was fantastic and a great American!

-- Austintown

Not comfortable mailing payment checks after reading about "check washing." I can't believe the culprit hasn't been caught with all the security cameras in place …or maybe USPS doesn't have any! Youngstown mail gets processed in Cleveland, so that's where it's happening at the post office. And they wonder why their business is failing.

-- Boardman

DJT is a bigot. It's the 100th anniversary of the celebration of Black History Month and he posted a disparaging image of Michelle and Barack Obama. He repeatedly lied that Barack is not American despite proof to the contrary. He halted USAID to Africa knowing thousands would die. His rental company was found guilty of discrimination against blacks. He lied that Haitians in Ohio were eating cats. If you don't believe me, then just ask the Proud Boys if he is.

-- Campbell

We have illegals raping and killing young women and illegal truck drivers who can not read or understand English killing other Americans. Where is the outrage and protests against illegals? I am sure the protesters against ICE are being paid and why are they not being asked to remove their masks?

-- Canfield

Trump was unhappy that an Olympian dared express his sadness at "...what is happening..." in America though he didn't mention its continuing ruination by Trump. Dear Leader was already upset about the booing his VP got at the opening ceremonies even though NBC purposely dropped them from its U.S. soundtrack. Alas, they aired in neighboring Canada, whose Prime Minister may use them as background to his next great speech. Long live the First Amendment.

-- Canfield

Why does the president of the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber, an unelected bureaucrat, want data centers in Lordstown, knowing they will raise utility bills and could harm the quality of life for nearby residents? What is the catch? The chamber's president lives far enough away to not be affected by either the noise or the higher utility bills. I agree with Lordstown residents to ban these centers for now, and we need to know more about these people trying to bring business here besides the fact that he has never had an egg.

-- Boardman

Administration responses to homicides in Minneapolis and on the high seas; racist characterizations of the Obamas; Trump jet pilot; Epstein files; etc, allow voters to perceive the only thing lower than a White House tweet is whale feces. Unless they consider the character of their originator. That would need to bubble up some to rise to whale droppings.

-- Canfield

Trump declares false emergencies, repeats his disproven lies, extorts personal praise by withholding authorized funding of public projects, denies election outcomes, proposes anti-constitutional electoral procedures with no evidence for doing so, endangers national security by dissing allies. The GOP Congress marches in lockstep to support him. Vote GOP and push us over the edge into dictatorial darkness. Regret awaits your turn to be thrown on your face and cuffed by his Yahoos. Too late.

-- Canfield

A sick, racist video of the Obamas and ripping down the KENNEDY Center displays Trump's extreme jealousy of these revered presidents. His lack of class is on display once again.

--Liberty

Instead of funding ICE, the ballroom, redo of the KENNEDY CENTER, arc de Trump, Lincoln marble bathroom redo, stadium on the White House grounds, jet flights of golf, and all sorts of crap, why can't they use the money and get the price of Eliquis down. Millions of people are prescribed it and cannot afford it!! Pharmaceutical CEOs should be ashamed of themselves for all the money they are raking in for the extreme cost of this medicine.

--Liberty

Tom Homan made much of ICE's plans to be more efficient at arresting illegal immigrants misses an opportunity. He could just demand mandatory IRS reporting procedures of big businesses that must include the Social Security numbers of all employees. No number, no citizenship. Alas, that's too much imposition on oligarch wannabies, who are pals of Trump, and profit by low cost labor. More money for law and courts; less for masked thugs is also a good idea.

-- Canfield

Letters to the Editor

Sound off!

Dear Mr. Trump, Wouldn't it be better to go back to the original name of the Kennedy Center? Maybe then all the artists would be glad to perform. Then you wouldn't have to shut down the center and spend all that money on gold decorations. They will just be torn down after you leave.

-- Canfield

Barack Obama deported 3 million illegal immigrants during his presidency. He gave Tom Homan a medal for doing it. Where was the outrage and riots then? It's such hypocrisy from the radical Democrats for acting like they are now.

-- Hubbard

After reading the editorial on unclaimed funds, I followed your advice and told my daughter to follow up on the website for the unclaimed funds in her name. Your editorial concluded with..."If you've got a minute to spare, it's worth your time." Seriously, I think her time is worth more than 32 cents. I think Ohio should not waste the time and energy that they expend keeping track of unclaimed funds under $1 or $5 or even $10.

-- Canfield

Another citizen killed in Minneapolis by the incompetent goons. Kristi Noem immediately announces he was "brandishing a gun" with the intent to kill as many agents as possible. Anyone who saw the videos can see he had a cellphone in one hand and went to the aid of a woman who was pushed to the ground by these goons. He and the woman were pepper sprayed and wrestled to the ground. In the scuffle, his legally carried weapon was taken from him, and he was then shot.

-- Youngstown

Trump wants the 90,000-square-foot ballroom built, a 100,000-person stadium built next to the White House, a 250-foot tall "arc de Trump" built opposite the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. He has a framed photo of himself with Putin -- one of the worst dictators in history who has killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds of children from Ukraine and has hundreds held in appalling conditions in underground prisons -- on a wall in the White House. Republicans, stop Trump from this mania.

-- Liberty

If I could vote for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to be president of the U.S., I would in a minute. He is articulate, intelligent and calm in his speeches, and he is not giving in to Trump's threats.

-- Liberty

In March of 2024 Gov. DeWine launched the Ohio Collaborative Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (OCLEAP), the state-funded initiative designed to standardize and professionalize law enforcement agencies. It focuses on increasing transparency, trust and accountability through compliance with close to three dozen best-practice standards, covering areas like use of force and hiring. Should ICE and CBP come to Ohio, will Gov. DeWine insist that these federal agencies comply with these standards? They can easily be reviewed online under the program's name.

-- Poland

What happened to America? Most of us don't condone killing innocent people, don't condone billionaires getting tax breaks while the average American is struggling to pay for food and housing, don't condone middle-aged men using underage girls for sex/entertainment, don't take revenge on those who disagree with us, don't celebrate co-workers who are unqualified for their jobs. So why are we tolerating this throughout our government? We have to use the ballot box to show who we really are.

-- Youngstown

Saturday, District Judge Fred Biery signed an order "with a judicial finger in the constitutional dike", denouncing Trump's "ill-conceived ... incompetently implemented ... deportation quotas ... traumatizing children," citing Trump's "ignorance of ... the Declaration of Independence" and Jefferson's warnings against "a would-be authoritarian king over our ... nation." His civics lesson on the Fourth Amendment noted "administrative warrants " [from] the executive branch ... to itself [don't] pass probable cause muster ... [It's] ... the fox guarding the henhouse … the Constitution requires an independent judicial officer." That "trumps" Trump.

-- Boardman

I wish you folks would stop whining about President Trump. You probably watch nothing but mainstream media.

-- Canfield

Send ICE to Haiti. The violence against its citizens is out of control. They will be able to unleash all their aggressions against actual criminals, instead of killing the innocent in the U.S.

-- Liberty

Do the Minneapolis protesters understand that when they go to a hotel and scream and yell, they are disturbing people who have nothing to do with ICE? These are not "peaceful protesters" -- they are violent extremists. Destroying property is not legal protesting.

-- Hubbard

Articles recently saying murders and crimes significantly reduced in 2025 from the past five years or so. Several reasons are suggested but I haven't seen this one. In 2019 only 15 or so states had constitutional carry and many with severe restrictions on permits. Today 29 states allow carry and permits are MUST issue mostly now. " An Armed society is a Polite society," Heinlein, a famous author once said.

-- Girard

I wonder if there will ever come a day when Kristi Noem realizes what she has done -- lied about the killings of innocent people, dragged their names through the mud and further pained their grieving families, defended armed militia sent for revenge on those who disagree with the president, and did the bidding of a man who wants total obedience from his subjects. If that ever happens, I wouldn't want to be her. How could anyone live with that?

-- Youngstown

In Mahoning County, only 14.6% of documented animal cruelty cases result in prosecution. This is not a reflection of indifference, but of structural barriers that prevent cases from reaching court. Other Ohio counties have improved outcomes without changing the law -- by improving evidence standards, coordinating investigators and prosecutors and recognizing cruelty as a public safety issue. Animals cannot testify. The justice system must speak for them -- and doing so protects people too.

-- Youngstown

With terrible cold and snow, schools have been closed. What I don't understand is why administrators say that they're contemplating whether to leave schools closed or open 2 hours late just because they need food pantries open for children during school and after school to take home. Food provided at schools is a tertiary benefit for students, which has been supplemented to anyone and everyone so that no one feels left out. A to-go is also an extremely big benefit. If this cannot be done for a few snow days, then it is what it is.

-- Austintown

Why is the post office delivering mail so late? We used to almost always have the mail delivered by 1 p.m. Now 80% of the time we have it delivered after 6 p.m. The late delivery affects my brother and sister-in-law with even later delivery times. In the snow and ice, it makes it treacherous to go out in the dark to get your mail and to deliver it. Wouldn't it be better to have mail every other day? How are they saving money on this?

-- Poland

Star Parker lied at least six times in her recent article. Alex Pretti didn't provoke his killing. He was killed trying to protect a protester. Progressives protested before the officer's conviction for killing George Floyd, not afterward. And it was also about Brionna Taylor, Ferguson, New York, Tamir Rice and other killings not to create DEI. Iihan Omar's progressive views don't make her anti-American any more than anti-woke views make MAGA anti-American.

-- Campbell

You hear about the gold. A king filled his room. As full as it could hold. To the top of the wall with every known shape of the stuff. To buy himself off his doom. But it wasn't ransom enough. His captives accepted it all. But didn't let go of the king. And his subjects wrung all they could. Out of the temple and palace and store. But when there was no more to bring. His captives convicted the king.

-- Boardman

"Trump wants to 'nationalize the voting,' seeking to grab states' power." -- Mariana Alfaro, The Washington Post. Gee, Surprise, surprise ...

-- Boardman