5 'amazing' things
In a recent podcast, Vice President JD Vance asked voters to ... "give us another couple of years to work on the amazing things that we've been doing ..." Because I was unsure which amazing things he was referring
to, I wrote a few down:
- 1. The amazing war with Iran, which has killed more than a dozen American military personnel and thousands of Iranians, paralyzed shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, resulted in skyrocketing price increases for fuel and other petroleum products, destabilized the Middle East, depleted munitions stockpiles, destroyed infrastructure and equipment at U.S. military bases, and further incentivized Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
- The amazing assault on the integrity of the American voting process by falsely alleging voter fraud, rigged elections and misuse of mail-in ballots, and threatening to place government agents at polling places to intimidate voters.
- The amazing brutality of masked and minimally trained ICE agents who have killed U.S. citizens and deported productive, tax-paying immigrants, often to countries to which they have no connection.
- The amazing waste of taxpayer dollars on vanity projects like the White House ballroom, the Great Triumphal Arch, the Kennedy Center renovations, the National Garden of American Heroes, and the relining of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
- The amazing monetization of the United States presidency, by which President Trump increased his personal wealth by $1.8 billion during the first year of his second term.
Well, I guess they'll do better because they can't possibly do any worse, can they?
Neal Snyder, Columbus
We are being burned by the 'flip and run'
Franklin County municipalities are chasing a dangerous illusion by granting aggressive 15-to-30-year TIF and CRA tax incentives to wealthy apartment developers.
Officials assume these property tax breaks expire, revealing a massive revenue windfall for local schools and infrastructure. In reality, they are cementing long-term financial strain.
Commercial real estate is valued on net operating income. When an abatement ends, overhead skyrockets and profits drop. Consequently, the county auditor's appraised value plunges right along with it.
Furthermore, apartment complexes endure heavy wear and tear over decades. Shrewd developers use a "flip and run" playbook: They maximize abated profits, skip long-term maintenance and sell aging assets right before incentives expire.
Instead of generating developer-funded revenue, these bad deals force local school boards and municipalities to peddle endless new school levies and city income tax increases to everyday residents.
When incentives end, there is no windfall. Our communities are left with depreciated properties demanding lower assessments, while suburban homeowners are left holding the bag to fund public services. Central Ohio leaders must stop trading away long-term financial stability for short-term developer wins.
Jeffrey Thoburn, Columbus
Ramaswamy's bad for our health
Re "Ohio doctors group backs Ramaswamy over Acton," Sept. 17: This is one physician who does not support the Ohio State Medical Association’s endorsement of Vivek Ramaswamy.
I will not endorse a man who invested in and promoted an Alzheimer’s drug that he knew was not effective. I will not endorse a man who aligns with those who seek to degrade our nation’s vaccination program, which has caused the resurgence of measles, resulting in the death of children.
I will not endorse a man whose campaign posts malicious and false attack ads against his opponent, funded by out-of-state billionaires.
I will not endorse a man who has stated that Medicare and Medicaid are mistakes.
On the other hand, I do support Dr. Amy Acton, who has years of public health experience.
She, along with Gov. Mike DeWine, expertly guided Ohioans through the COVID-19 pandemic, making decisions based on the best available information at the time. I do support Acton, who will do her best to improve the lives of all Ohioans.
Dr. James Klein, Columbus
Ramaswamy would undo people's will
Vivek Ramaswamy promises to roll Ohio property taxes back to pre-COVID levels.
It sounds appealing, but I have a basic question: What happens when local voters themselves have approved those higher taxes?
Ramaswamy needs only look at Upper Arlington, where he lives. In 2022, voters approved a $6.9-million school operating levy. This November, Upper Arlington voters will again decide whether to approve an operating levy and bond issue for their schools.
If residents vote to tax themselves to support the schools and facilities they want, should the governor in Columbus override that decision?
And practically speaking, how would a rollback work?
Would voter-approved operating levies be reduced? If so, who replaces the lost school revenue? What happens to bond levies supporting legally binding debt? Ramaswamy's own plan says existing debt obligations will be honored.
There is a big difference between property-tax increases resulting from rising valuations and increases voters voluntarily approve at the ballot box. Property-tax relief deserves serious discussion. But Ohio also has a strong tradition of local control.
Before promising to restore pre-COVID property taxes, Ramaswamy should explain exactly how he would separate valuation-driven increases from voter-approved operating levies and bonded debt.
Ohio voters made these decisions. Would-be Governor Ramaswamy should think very carefully before undoing them.
Matthew Markey, Hilliard
AI fearmongering out of control
I am sick and tired of following the extensive media coverage of AI and data centers.
The coverage is intensified by politicians trying hard to use the issue to improve their chances in the coming election. Public negative reaction toward AI and data centers is driven by mistakes committed by various levels of government that tried to lure data centers to the wrong locations by providing tax breaks and inappropriate incentives. To get out of this molasses, we need to accept and generally agree on the following facts and principles:
- AI is here to stay. Slowing progress in AI development will give the bad guys the edge. We can’t afford to fall behind.
- The world faced similar situations that transformed our lives, and we managed to adapt and improve. The Industrial Revolution is one example.
- We need to stop fearmongers from manipulating public opinion and scaring people, as they always do. Remember Y2K.
- We need reasonable guardrails on the development and use of AI.
- Existing rules should be applied to locating and operating data centers without exemptions. Existing zoning, where it exists, and environmental standards should be adequate to protect citizens.
- We should not break rules or provide public financial support to AI companies and data centers. They should be able to survive on their own.
Reasonable people should be supportive of these principles. We can’t afford to lose. The bad guys are racing forward.
George A. Elmaraghy, Columbus
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: JD Vance said Republicans have done 'amazing things.' I've found 5 of them | Letters
