Beef up review panel to scrutinize tax breaks

Thank you for the excellent Friday editorial on the explosion of tax breaks in Ohio: “Lawmakers should take on excessive tax breaks, for real this time.” By 2021, state tax breaks will cost an estimated $9.8 billion, up by 18%, adjusted for inflation, over the past decade. Many of these tax breaks benefit special interests, including distributors of pharmaceuticals (some are being sued by the state for their role in the opioid epidemic) and major retailers like Walmart and Macy’s.

In addition to state tax breaks, local governments provide tax abatements that cost local communities millions of dollars.

Limiting tax breaks would free up revenues for public services that benefit all Ohioans, like ensuring good schools in all communities, clean water, safe parks and public transportation to get all Ohioans where they need to go.

State Rep. Bill Roemer, R-richfield, the new chair of the Tax Expenditure Review Committee, could bring transparency and accountability to this uncontrolled spending, but it will take additional legislative action. Scrutiny of complex tax expenditures takes deep expertise, but the TERC is unfunded and unstaffed. It should be funded at the same level as other legislative oversight committees, like the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee.

In addition, the General Assembly should pass House Bill 255, sponsored by Rep. James Hoops, R-napoleon, which would add oversight of local tax abatement programs to the duties of the TERC.

Wendy Patton, senior project director, Policy Matters Ohio, Columbus

City made costly choice with ‘hump’ over ‘bump’

All drivers know what a speed bump is. They are intended to slow down traffic. The city calls them traffic calming strips on their signs.

I was driving on Alpine Avenue in the Northland area last week and a sign caught my eye and I had to do a double take. The street sign read “Speed Hump.” That is correct: speed hump.

I first thought it was a mistake. I then saw the speed hump signs on Minerva and

Kilbourne avenues. It did not matter whether the bump was 2 feet wide or 12 feet wide — the signs read speed hump.

Then I noticed that all 20 signs on Tamarack Boulevard were recently changed to “speed hump” signs. I would estimate that a new sign has to cost at least $100 and city workers have to be paid to replace these signs.

I would love for someone at city hall to justify this change and the tremendous waste of taxpayer dollars. Mike Riley, Columbus

Impeachment trial could use some witnesses

Trial attorneys have a saying: Never ask a question unless you already know the answer.

In her Dec. 20 letter “President’s impeachment is just a partisan farce,” Suzanne Hughes asked, “Why were no witnesses with firsthand knowledge brought to testify before the committees?” The simple answer is the president wouldn’t allow it. He exerted executive privilege over everyone even loosely connected to the administration, ordering them to defy congressional subpoenas.

Perhaps we will be allowed to hear from these witnesses when the process moves to the Senate.

Her last question was “What faith do (Democrats) have in their slew of candidates that they believe the only way to win is to impeach the incumbent?”

My question is why does the president have so little faith in himself and his supporters that he felt he needed help from a foreign government to be reelected?

The disturbing thing is he actually believes he did nothing wrong.

And last, a question to Rep. Bill Johnson, R-marietta, who asked us to pause to remember the 63 million voters whom Democrats wanted to silence: What about the 65 million who did not vote for this president? Do their voices not deserve to be heard?

Linda Elick, Upper Arlington

There’s little we can do to reduce carbon dioxide

Dr. Steve Rissing has it wrong when he claims actions taken by individuals to reduce CO2 will "make a difference" in fighting climate change (Dispatch Biology column, Sunday). They may make us feel better and convince us that we are doing our part, but even if every Dispatch reader followed Rissing's suggestions, the impact on climate change would be virtually nil.

If you wish to buy an electric vehicle, fine, but as International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol states, "If you think you can save the climate with electric cars, you're completely wrong."

Switching to a vegetarian diet isn't easy. Studies show that most who try don't stick with it. Even if successful and you make the switch from steak to soybeans, remember that they and other mass-produced grains, fruits and vegetables need fertilizer and fungicide that can cause environmental problems of their own.

Environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg points out that to really make a difference on carbon dioxide emissions, what's needed is a massive international research and development effort aimed at making alternative energy sources cheap enough and widely available so they can compete with fossil fuels. He calls this the real way to fight climate change.

Bruce Cuthbertson, Dublin

Hearings showed animosity on the part of Republicans

I respond to the Friday letter “Impeachment is byproduct of wayward Democrats” from Bobby Jones, who said the Democratic Party "is a party full of anger, hatred and animus." In fact, if Jones had a chance to watch the recent televised House Intelligence Committee meetings, it was the Republicans on the committee who clearly appeared full of "anger and hate," treating intelligent, concerned, long-time members of our government — even decorated members of our military — with contempt, anger and dismissive remarks.

Led by Rep. Devin Nunes, a number of other Republicans railed at the men and women appearing before the committee as if they were the people under investigation. The

worst of these, I am embarrassed to say, was Ohio's Jim Jordan, who used his time to yell and spew insults at the Democrats and the impeachment process, as well as the witnesses.

At times it appeared as if he was about to jump from his seat over the heads of other committee members and put the witnesses into a stranglehold. The Republicans seem to have really lost it.

I would imagine that three years of trying to reconcile everything Donald Trump says and does with what an honest, forthright man of principle, ethics and moral fiber would say and do has caused great mental and emotional confusion in his followers, including Republicans in the House and Senate.

It must be difficult trying to unlearn what you know to be true. For example, 2+2 is now whatever Donald Trump says it is.

Dominique, Vasseur, Columbus

Republican Party must value more than money

In his Dec. 18 letter “Give Trump credit for recordbreaking 3 years,” William Babbitt stated: “Tax rates have been cut across the board, yet tax receipts are at record levels.” My question is if this is so, how have we found ourselves a trillion dollars more in debt for the past three years?

His letter also implied that money is the most important thing in this country. If that is the case, what has happened to the values our country used to embrace: integrity, honesty, respect, compassion, truth, loyalty, brotherhood, kindness, empathy and even love?

If these values are no longer important to the Republican Party, then this Republican has lost touch with her party.

Susan Hall, Marion