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Oliver is the change Mahoning County needs

Editorials

One way or another, change is coming to the Mahoning County Board of Commissioners. The only question is the variety of that change. Outgoing Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti wants her replacement to be fellow Democrat and two-term District 58 state Rep. Lauren McNally. She is battling Republican business owner and former Canfield City Council President Christine Oliver in what is expected to be a close race. If money talks, McNally should win. The former Youngstown City Council member spent almost four times what Oliver spent during the pregeneral election period. McNally ...

Retain Rulli in 6th District

Editorials

U.S. Rep. Mike Rulli, R-Salem, is running for a third term in Ohio’s 6th District. Rulli’s two-plus years in Congress have been peppered with criticisms from opponents. Among them are his clear loyalty to President Donald Trump and his administration and apparent unwillingness to participate in town hall events in his district. Then there are the stock trades. In an Aug. 12, 2026, story, The Vindicator’s David Skolnick reported that Rulli failed to timely disclose 22 stock trades, including some dating back to late 2024, a violation of a federal law designed to prevent insider ...

I'm tired of eating rotten sandwiches

Guest columnists

We keep being told we must debase ourselves further every election cycle. We must embrace the groypers, who are white nationalists, racists and antisemites. We must embrace the racial grievance mongers and the Christian nationalists who never talk about Christ but always talk about politics. We must be okay with crooks, frauds, charlatans and those who would attack the victim of molestation. We need a big tent, just not one big enough for basic decency. We must hold our noses, close our eyes and pull the lever. If we do not, it is the end of America. I have heard that every two years ...

New houses shouldn't be built on the workers' backs

Guest columnists

Arguments over immigration can be smart or misguided, but they are always complicated. Let's start with an annoying one. Donald Trump's ramp-up of immigration arrests has hit the construction industry, much of whose labor force is undocumented. Employers of such workers are blaming the raids for the rising cost of housing, a hot topic at the moment. But then you hear of a builder in Jacksonville, Florida, complaining that because of the supposed labor shortage, framers who used to be paid $20 an hour may now cost $40 an hour or more. A framer cuts the wood and erects the skeleton of ...

The illogical 2026 elections

Editorials

If politics were logical, Republicans should be leading in the polls and looking forward to maintaining, even expanding, their congressional majorities. Putting aside President Trump’s annoying personality, his vulgar language and his narcissistic behavior — as difficult as that might be for many people — Republicans should be asking voters these questions: Do you remember why you voted out the Democrats two years ago because of their economic and crazy policies like transgender athletes in women’s sports? If you do, why would you return them to the majority in Congress which ...

Lawmakers in Ohio have an education mess to clean up

Editorials

Lawmakers who never bothered to complete the phase-in of Ohio’s Fair School Funding Plan or update data that could have helped more equitably fund the state’s public schools are now also operating with the knowledge that their beloved EdChoice voucher program has been deemed unconstitutional by an appellate court. (Interim state Attorney General Andy Wilson already has said he plans to appeal that ruling to the 6-1 Republican majority Ohio Supreme Court.) If their consciences weren’t already being prodded by the knowledge that they abandoned fair school funding, and that an ...