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Don’t be fooled by Trump’s tax numbers

Letters to the Editor

DEAR EDITOR: When will taxpayers realize that getting a refund is only getting back the money that they overpaid to the IRS? President Donald Trump is just using the refund as a cover-up for the tax changes benefitting the highest earners. Sixty-two percent of the tax advantages will go to those earning between $65,388 and $261,591, and 14% of the benefits will go to the top 5% of earners. Only 6% of the benefits go to the bottom 40% of earners. DONNA NASSER Sharon, Pa.

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Letters to the Editor

How does lifting sanctions NOW on Russian oil help Ukraine and the USA? Only Russia and Putin benefit! When will Trump admit he lost the 2020 election and it was not stolen by election fraud? Ohio keno advertised they paid out $8 million last week; how much did they take in — 10 or 20 million? Why don’t they tell us? — Poland Don’t you all feel safe now? — A draft dodger and reality TV show performer are leading us into a war! — Youngstown Remember when George Bush during the Gulf War said, “I don’t want American mothers praying for their sons at war while seeing ...

Spring into season of road work zones with extreme caution

Editorials

Fasten your seat belts — literally and figuratively — as the start of spring this weekend and the coming of Easter usher in exciting periods of renewal and improvement on personal, spiritual and even practical fronts. Nowhere will that renewal be more visible than on the streets and highways of the Mahoning Valley as the spring and summer work-zone construction season rolls into full swing. But with so much-anticipated renewal to many of our congested and potholed thoroughfares also comes the increased potential for life-threatening danger. Even without the added hazards of large ...

Orchids & onions

Editorials

ORCHID: To William and Linda Roemer for donating a masterpiece painting by famed 20th century German-American artist Josef Albers to the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown. The Roemers donated the 1957 oil-on-Masonite work titled “Homage to the Square: Now” in memory of William’s parents, James and Helen Roemer. James Roemer, many will recall, was a leading industrialist in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys as president of the former Sharon Steel Corp. The colorful abstract work is a splendid addition to the Butler’s permanent collection. Through their gift, the ...

Valley air base is asset for region, nation

Guest columnists

Ohioans know that our state has a long history of stepping up to help those in need. The Youngstown Air Reserve Station and the 910th Airlift Wing stationed there carry that legacy with pride, helping deliver aid and assistance to communities across the country. Whether it was Hurricane Katrina or the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, YARS stepped up to support relief efforts for those who needed them most. While people outside the Mahoning Valley may know YARS for its relief efforts, the people in the area know how important it is to the surrounding communities. This station provides ...

Trump’s stupidest Cabinet member is hard call but has clear winner

Editorials

At a press briefing on Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth complained about a CNN report that the Trump administration had underestimated Iran’s ability to disrupt global oil traffic by closing the Strait of Hormuz. “Patently ridiculous,” Hegseth told reporters, adding — even as the strait’s blockage was proving to be Iran’s most powerful leverage in the war — we “don’t need to worry about it.” He also denied that the U.S. bombed the school where some 175 children were killed. Hegseth added that, as to CNN, “the sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the ...