Trending
GOP, independent voters
should back Kristen Rock
DEAR EDITOR:
As a Republican and a conservative voter since I started working and paying taxes, I typically look for political ideology that aligns with mine. However, when it comes to the future of our county, effective government, fiscal prudence and strong character should take priority over political labels. In local government, we need leaders who are focused on results rather than partisan rhetoric. That is why I am considering Kristen Rock, a Democrat for Trumbull County commissioner
I partnered and worked with Kristen Rock on a community project to try and save Logan Swim and Tennis Club, struggling then due to dropping memberships and long overdue maintenance. Kristen helped lead efforts to restructure membership rates, recruit new members and organize volunteers to tackle badly needed improvements. Members pitched in to repair plumbing, clean and paint the pool and address other maintenance needs. She helped bring together a new board of trustees, made up of people with different skills but a common purpose, pitching in their unique talents to save the club and prevent another eyesore from dotting Trumbull County.
Kristen and I recently spoke regarding her vision for our community. I can state with confidence that she embodies the core values we need in office including:
● Fiscal responsibility: She understands that the government must live within its means. I believe her to be committed to ensuring transparency and eliminating wasteful spending.
● Economic vision: Our county needs to attract outside economic opportunities and high-quality jobs. Kristen is articulate, well-credentialed and has the demeanor and business acumen required to represent our county to outside businesses and investors.
● Strong family values: She has a strong foundation in faith, and is a person of integrity who is firmly rooted in family values. She understands the challenges local families face and I believe is dedicated to making our county a safe, thriving place to raise the next generation.
We need a leader who can bridge divides, listen to all constituents and put the economic and cultural well-being of Trumbull County first. Kristen Rock is that leader.
I suggest to my fellow conservatives and all independent voters to look beyond the letter next to the name on the ballot this November and meet Kristen at her events or as she's walking and knocking on your door. She's worth consideration as a new county commissioner.
ERIC DelCOLLE
Liberty
Be informed on all the races,
issues on ballot when voting
DEAR EDITOR:
We all know there's an election for governor and U.S senator in just a couple of days. But have you ever gone into a voting booth, looked at your ballot and thought, I didn't know we were voting for all these?
Besides governor and senator, you may be aware from ads and yard signs that we're also electing a county commissioner and a common pleas court judge. But we are also voting for (all in Ohio) attorney general, auditor, treasurer, secretary of state and two Ohio Supreme Court justices.
In addition to your representative to Congress, we are voting for our state representative. And county auditor. (Three other judges are running unopposed.) And of course state Issue 3.
Don't be one of those people who is surprised by all that's on the ballot. Prepare yourself to vote by learning about ALL the candidates. Go to voteohio.gov and you can download a sample ballot and see exactly what you will have in front of you on Election Day. Think how much easier it is for you to get information today than for voters 200 years ago. Take advantage of it. Please vote informed.
ROBERT LOWE
Girard
State rep candidate Fronk
places people over politics
DEAR EDITOR:
People over politics -- it may sound impossible, but it isn't. Meet my dear friend, Heather Fronk, candidate for state representative in Ohio's 58th District. Some people turn their struggles into a mission to help others. Heather is one of those remarkable people.
I first met Heather at our church, where she serves on the Praise and Worship Team. She radiates the light of Christ and is moved to tears whenever she encounters someone who is struggling or in need. She has turned compassion into meaningful action.
If you haven't visited Heather's nonprofit, Clothed in Strength, you are missing a true blessing. Located on Main Street in Poland, this remarkable home provides a safe haven for single mothers and their children. Families receive clothing, toys, household items, diapers, books, and much more. God's light shines through the compassion and care that make this ministry so special.
Heather's God-given gifts, combined with years of dedication and experience, have helped make her vision a reality. As founder and CEO of Clothed in Strength, she also brings 15 years of experience in banking and service. Her community involvement includes Rotary International, Junior Achievement, the Salvation Army, United Way, Second Harvest Food Bank and other organizations dedicated to strengthening Northeast Ohio families. Her commitment to empowering women and supporting working families reflects her belief that people deserve opportunities to build secure, financially successful lives.
Imagine the difference Heather could make for our district as state representative. She has demonstrated what it means to listen, care and take meaningful action. Her experience serving families, empowering women, and strengthening our community reflects the kind of leadership we need--leadership rooted in compassion, integrity, and a genuine commitment to people. Heather has shown that service is more than words; it means stepping forward and making a difference.
If you live in Ohio's 58th District, I encourage you to vote for Heather Fronk on Nov. 3. For those outside her district, I hope this letter has introduced you to a remarkable woman who reminds us that putting people over politics is not only possible -- it is worth striving for.
CAROL CRAVEN
Boardman
President Trump is all about
distracting us from damage
DEAR EDITOR:
I will admit that President Donald Trump is good at one thing. And, it is not golf. He has got "distraction" down to a science. He needs these tricks as he has few legitimate answers when it comes to how badly he is failing Americans.
Many are having a difficult time keeping up with the cost of almost everything. We are in a war initiated by both he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that we shouldn't be in, costing billions, with American military lives lost.
Trump is now going to accept tons of diesel fuel from Russia. With this relationship between Trump and Putin, Ukraine is being tossed under the bus. Please remember that Ukraine is our ally, Russia is not, never was. Attacking Ukraine President Zelenskyy shows Trump's lack of character as Zelenskyy's efforts to protect his country are heroic; Trump's efforts to thwart them are just sad.
Trump is spending millions on NEEDLESS extravagances and self aggrandizement, selling off our national parks, federal lands, and assuming entitlement to any building or institution in Washington, D.C., or elsewhere that catches his eye.
We don't know how much ICE has cost in both equipment, and sadly, lives. The loss of several American lives and deaths of immigrants occurring in these prisons remain a sad chapter for America. His lawsuits are legendary; his ability to circumvent the Rule of Law and the Constitution is well known, and the shame of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling for him more times than not.
To have these degrading ads by Ramaswamy cheered by Trump and Vice President JD Vance is despicable. This crudeness has deeply infected this administration. Admittedly politics has never been all that nice, even very dirty, but this administration has taken it to a new low. Many millions, maybe billions, have been spent on political ads -- money better spent elsewhere.
Remember, billions work their way to trillions, sometimes quite easily, and trillions could make or break our country's bottom line. Trump is taking us there. Please vote responsibly and really think about your choice. It could make or break us.
JEANNE McDERMOTT
Liberty
Remembering the age-old
KISS principle has merit
DEAR EDITOR:
The KISS principle stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid."
Trump and his party enablers' fight is not outside of the United States, it is domestic, within America.
The Republican agenda is "downsizing government."
My simple illustration on how they see it:
Let's say America is a village, led by a chief executive and a legislative council. Trump is the mayor, Vance is the village administrator and the senators are the village council. The village solicitor represents the Supreme Court.
At a village meeting they vote a resolution to remove all stop signs, to remove all red lights and also to remove any speed limit within the enclave. The villagers, with their lack of insight, are now happy; they can now drive how they please. Within a short period of time, there are car accidents all over town.
The village administration is in some way connected to everything with the automobile industry. The mayor owns collision shops, the administrator owns the towing companies, council has all the parts stores, and the village solicitor sits on the Supreme Court.
Village residents can't go from point A to point B without spending a lot of money.
If that's not bad enough, the rest of Trump's family owns all the gas stations and insurance companies.
This Republican Party built a company store.
You can see how downsizing government took away all the laws and guardrails to create a monopoly.
PAUL R. LAWSON
McDonald
Is it already far too late
for America to recover?
DEAR EDITOR:
My mom was wrong about one thing: This country is not "going to hell in a hand basket." It has gone to hell in a hand basket. It's hard to believe that boys/men compete against girls/women in "female" sports. It's a political issue. When I was a kid, playing with girls meant something else.
Something else that's been eating at me is when someone kills a pregnant woman (sorry, a birthing person), they get two counts of murder; but, if she aborts while pregnant, it's OK. What's next? Aborting when they start to walk and talk? I was never against abortion in the first trimester. My wife and I had this discussion when we first got together. She didn't want to have another baby at that stage of her life. I agreed.
I've already hit two of the raw nerves on the left, so why not three?
If there wasn't a legally carrying citizen with a hand gun in Oregon, more kids and teachers would have died. The far left wants to "defund" the police, ICE and Homeland Security, close prisons and open borders. It makes sense if your goal is dismantling the country. (Check a history book.) That's why they want to disarm law-abiding citizens.
I'm on a roll, why not a fourth raw nerve?
They are crying about the Epstein files again. The only pictures I've seen were "Slick Willie" and Bill Gates on the island. I, for one, would rather see the JFK Files. How did the brain trust called the Warren Commission come up with the idea that the kill shot came from the high right rear, when his head jerked violently to the left rear and the back of his head came off? I'm not a ballistics expert, but I have a basic understanding of the laws of physics.
In closing, I'm not trying to rattle anyone's cage; I'm calling balls and strikes, as I see them. People talking in front of cameras need to remember the things are on!
TIM VAN DYKE
Struthers
Why vote for Democrats
and all their lame ideas?
DEAR EDITOR:
I grew up in Youngstown in a blue-collar, 100% Democrat family. When I was a young adult Youngstown elected an incredibly incompetent mayor. I asked my father why Democrats elected him for mayor, and he said "it is his turn." Things haven't changed too much for the Democrats.
Amy Acton's real estate tax plan is to raise the household income to get the homestead exemption for seniors from $40,000 to $50,000. Whoopee. Ramaswamy's plan is to cut seniors' real estate taxes 50%. Yet the two are tied in the polls?
Every politician in the country that closed schools and businesses were Democrats during the pandemic. Do you remember the American Federation of Teachers union president Randi Weingarten screaming that the teachers would not go into a classroom until the whole country was vaccinated? A vaccination that is responsible for people suffering long-term effects today.
Democrat-led areas closed schools for 18 months. Test scores in those districts are dismal today. The two largest school unions gave 98.9% of $400 million to Democrats. The legacy media also gave 94% of donations to Democrats. The legacy media would not give Trump credit for anything, ever.
Trump cut almost 800,000 federal employees after former President Joe Biden added 4 million federal employees to boost job numbers. Federal judges appointed by Democrats stopped him from firing more.
Trump shut down USAID that had become a multi billion-dollar slush fund for Democrats. ACT blue was also shut down after funneling $19 billion in foreign donations, including terrorist groups, to Democrats. The Democrats had to borrow $15 million to pay expenses at the Democratic National Committee.
Former President Barack Obama deported 3 million illegals, and bombed seven countries. Not a negative word from the media. He sent planes carrying $1.7 billion in cash on pallets to Iran. Iran signed an agreement to not have nuclear weapons. They immediately started to buy material for nuclear weapons, and stocked up the arsenals of the Houthis and Hezbollah.
Biden released $200 million of Iranian money that Trump froze. With that money, they accelerated the nuclear bomb production that was within weeks of being completed when Trump bombed them. These people don't care about anything but Allah and destruction of America and Israel.
Obama and Biden accounted for 12 years as president overseeing a $7.4 trillion dollar budget. Neither of them ever had a real job, owned a business or made payroll. A CEO of a million-dollar company is educated and has years of budget experience. But we elected two buffoons to manage $7.4 trillion of our money. No wonder Biden had 21% inflation. Unfortunately for us, grocery stores that previously operated on a 1% profit are not going to roll back prices that spiked under Biden no matter who the current president is. Trump understands the economy and is trying to turn it around with tariffs and by creating-high paying jobs.
Are you going to hire new buffoons to replace previous Democrats who are beholden to the Democrat Socialists of America and to Hassan Piker? Or are you going to let the Republicans finish what they started?
STEVE DUNN
Canfield