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Letters to the Editor

The good fight

Dear Editor: The news is certainly grim these days. Just look at some of the stories making the headlines, and not much seems to being done about it. CLIMATE CHANGE: The earth is on fire, all time heat and storm records being set everywhere. The carbon industry and their cheerleaders are demanding more and more coal, gas and oil be mined and burned causing more heat than the earth can tolerate to sustain life. RACISM: Bigots are run amuck trying to turn America back to the Jim Crow era. The gunning down of people of color by police is too often--it is modern day lynching. Except ...

The Impact of Judge Fregiato

Dear Editor, As the iconic, the honorable Judge Frank A Fregiato, Esquire has, as of June 30, 2023 officially retired from his position as Belmont County Common Pleas Court Judge, a position he has admirably held since 2013, has, unquestionably left his positive indelible mark on the area’s legal/judiciary community. I would like to respectfully recollect his long-time illustrious career. Judge Fregiato has been a life-long resident of Belmont County, spending his formative years growing up in Bridgeport and Martins Ferry, respectively. Graduating as a member of the National Honor ...

Belmont County Republicans urge support for Issue 1

Dear Editor, The Ohio Constitution is the most important document that supports the rights of all Ohioans. The Belmont County Republican Party stands for the rights of all Ohioans and therefore supports the preservation of our state’s constitution. On Tuesday, August 8th, a proposed constitutional amendment, Issue 1, is on the ballot. Simply put, Issue 1 states that any amendment to the Ohio Constitution must receive at least 60% of the vote to be approved. Under the current system, it only requires 50.01% of the vote. This puts our constitution at risk and makes it ...

Pros and cons of Issue 1

Dear Editor, Issue 1 is very important. If issue 1 passes, it makes it harder to change the Ohio state constitution by increasing the 100-year-old requirements from 50% plus 1 to 60% of the vote. First, understand the constitution’s function: it protects us the people from unscrupulous politicians, out-of-state special interests, and lunatics that want to have schools make your kid’s decisions like sex change mutilation and hormonal treatment or abortions without parental notification. Billionaires can buy enough signatures to put anything on the ballot. They buy politicians all ...

Protect majority rule

Dear Editor, I am concerned that the real reason for Issue 1 in Ohio is being clouded by our legislatures and various religious and business entities. The issue that will be put before Ohio voters is whether the process to amend the Ohio Constitution should be altered to make it more difficult to make changes. Currently, the 50% plus 1 or majority rule is in place. If Issue 1 is passed this would be replaced with a 60% super majority vote. This does away with the majority rule and would enact a minority rule over the majority. It is not about abortions or gun control or any other ...

Activists are citizens, too

Dear Editor, Activists are just citizens who care about Ohio’s Parks Recently, Energy in Depth, a pro-fossil fuel publication published a piece about the Ohio citizens who are trying to stop the leasing and fracking of Ohio’s public lands (Save Ohio Parks). The EID author specifically targeted a June meeting of the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Commission where Dr. Ted Auch, Youngstown Battalion Chief Silverio Caggiano and I, presented fact-based evidence as to why fracking on or near Ohio’s parks would be disastrous for the parks, park visitors, and local residents. Throughout the EID ...