Ohio
Gibberish vs. facts. Ohio senator would rather fight media than work for Ohioans.
Only ‘working’ around will of the people
“Ohio lawmakers work hard for $71K salaries they make,” March 28: State Sen. Steve Huffman attempted to answer facts with gibberish.
In his guest column, Huffman never disputes Thomas Suddes’ factual statement that 2023 was the least productive year for the Ohio General Assembly since the Eisenhower Administration.
He calls Suddes not “fair and fact based.” It is of note that Suddes not only used facts, but also praised the Assembly for writing a balanced budget and also mentioned that some people are members of the “less is better” group regarding political legislation.
Huffman mentions that legislators “are hardworking, have jobs outside the legislature and care very much about the state of Ohio, and the hardworking Ohioans living in their districts.”
More: Why paying Ohio lawmakers $140,000 plus a college football coach’s bonus could fix them
Senators didn’t pass legislation and more productive ones also hold outside jobs?
As for caring, why promote legislation in House Bill 68 so bigoted that even very conservative Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed it? Why deny any care (not surgery, which was never a factor) to suicide-prone LGBTQ youth?
I do not speak for Suddes, though I do enjoy his work, but my guess is that he is saying that it is not simply that the GOP legislators in Ohio do little, it is that they also waste time on negative legislation.
Instead, Ohio legislators could be solving gerrymandering, repealing the FirstEnergy tax money giveaway, fixing school funding to comply with the DeRolph ruling 27 years ago, or passing common-sense gun safety legislation that the vast majority of Ohioans want.
After that, it would indeed be time for the Legislature to rest, and time also for them to stop thinking about doing the one thing they do like to work on — working around the will of the people regarding the constitutional amendment re-affirming Roe v. Wade in Ohio.
Greg Ward, Dublin
Our pockets are being picked
“Ohio lawmakers work hard for $71K salaries they make,” March 28: Senator Steve Huffman’s petulant attempt to bring down “the media” and journalist Thomas Suddes only served to illustrate Suddes’ point: Ohioans get precious little—“a lot of mouth”—to address their most serious concerns. It’s admirable that the General Assembly names parts of highways for fallen soldiers and designates various days on the calendar for awareness of specific medical conditions.Nevertheless, Huffman’s boasting about GOP “tax cuts” ignores that state tax cuts routinely roll downhill to residents of Ohio’s cities and townships. And his pride in giving center stage to culture war issues to interfere in parental rights regarding their transgender children is embarrassingly misplaced.
Thomas Suddes: Ohio lawmakers make at least $71,099 each. What do taxpayers get?
If Huffman and his Republican minions want to show how hard they’re working, they should immediately repeal House Bill 6, which continues to pick Ohioans’ pockets despite the GOP bribery scandal.
And then they might start really earning their salaries and obey multiple Ohio Supreme Court directives to develop a way to fund schools through some other method than property taxes that are driving senior citizens out of their homes.But since the GOP hasn’t lifted a finger to do so for 25 years, we can hardly expect them to get to work on that. It takes so little effort to whine about “the media” reporting facts.Steve Abbott, Columbus
What do you think? How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch
World Central Kitchen tragedy wasn’t Biden’s fault
Re “He who controls the bullets,” March 5: In her letter to the editor, Susan McNally blames the Biden administration for the “bullets” in Gaza.
I, too, am a supporter of World Central Kitchen, but if they go into a war zone, where hostages are still being held and munitions are stacked in hospitals, they run a risk of their workers being in danger.
‘You are losing me, Joe.’ Biden controls the bullets. Must stop war.
President Joe Biden had nothing to do with this terrible accident. The Israel Defense Forces freely admitted that they made a mistake. But it’s a war zone, and WCK knows it.
Jose Andres, the founder of WCK, is wrong to say that the IDF targeted his workers.
And McNally is wrong to simplistically place blame on Biden.
Cindy Leland, Columbus
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Ohio Goes to the Movies, the statewide film festival launching in February, is coming into focus. Organizers have released the initial schedule for the nearly yearlong event. Part of the state’s America 250 celebration, it will bring more than 280 screenings to all 88 counties. Each film is tied to the Buckeye State in some way, and all screenings are free.
“Ohio has played a significant role in the history of American film and continues to attract talent, productions and storytelling that resonate around the world,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement. “Ohio Goes to the Movies ensures that residents in every community can participate in the America 250 celebration and rediscover the films that connect us.”
From classic movies starring or made by Ohioans to Hollywood blockbusters shot in downtown Cleveland, the lineup highlights the depth of the state’s influence on the film industry. The festival is also meant to encourage movie fans to explore the state by attending screenings all over Ohio.
Here’s a list of events planned for Northeast Ohio’s seven-county region.
CUYAHOGA COUNTY
“Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Feb. 12. Phoenix Theatres Great Northern Mall.
“Major League.” March 1. Cinemark Strongsville at SouthPark Mall.
“Draft Day.” March 1. Cinemark Valley View.
“Welcome to Collinwood.” March 12. Cleveland History Center.
“Major League.” April 5. Capitol Theatre.
“Cool Hand Luke.” April 12. Cedar Lee Theatre.
“Draft Day.” April 23. Atlas Cinemas at Shaker Square.
“Toy Story 2.” June 24. Chagrin Documentary Film Festival HQ.
“The Scarlet Letter.” July 11. Cleveland Silent Film Festival at Cleveland Public Library.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” July 11. Great Lakes Science Center.
“More Than a Game.” Sept. 11. AMC Ridge Park Square.
“Superman.” Sept. 18. AMC Westwood Town Center.
“Passing Through.” Sept. 19. Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque.
“Kill the Irishman.” Oct. 6. Atlas Cinemas Lakeshore.
GEAUGA COUNTY
“A Christmas Story.” June 11. Mayfield Road Drive-In Theatre.
LAKE COUNTY
“White Boy Rick.” March 11. Regal Willoughby Commons.
“Superman.” April 8. Atlas Cinemas Great Lakes Stadium.
“Air Force One.” July 7. Atlas Cinemas Diamond Center.
LORAIN COUNTY
“The Princess Bride.” April 22. Apollo Theatre.
“The Hunger Games.” Sept. 18. Regal Cobblestone Square.
MEDINA COUNTY
“Major League.” March 7. Hickory Ridge Cinema.
“Draft Day.” Sept. 12. Regal Medina.
PORTAGE COUNTY
“Unstoppable.” Feb. 22. Atlas Cinemas Barrington.
“Dog Man.” March 8. The Kent Stage.
“The Philadelphia Story.” March 19. Kent State University Museum.
“A Christmas Story.” June 10. Midway Twin Drive-In Theatre.
SUMMIT COUNTY
“The Big Short.” Feb. 21. Regal Hudson.
“The Avengers.” April 12. Akron Civic Theatre.
“Howard the Duck.” May 21. The Nightlight Cinema.
“Down by Law.” June 13. Akron–Summit County Public Library Main.
For a complete guide, go to ohiogoestothemovies.org.
POMEROY, Ohio (WCHS) — A fire destroyed one home and damaged two others Wednesday evening, but then rekindled early Thursday morning and destroyed another home, police said.
The fire was first reported just after 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday night in the 300 block of Wetzgall Street in Pomeroy, according to a press release from the Pomeroy Police Department.
According to police, the fire spread to the two homes on either side of the original home on fire. Firefighters contained the fire and saved the two surrounding homes, but the home that first caught fire was deemed a total loss.
Then, just after 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, the fire rekindled and spread to one of the other homes, resulting in a total loss of that home as well, police said.
Pomeroy police said both homes were occupied at the time of the fires, but all occupants of each home were able to exit their homes safely. Police also said that there were no reported injuries, though both families lost everything they owned due to the total losses of the homes.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, and the incident is still under active investigation by the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, according to police.
What we know about student loans and the Education Department
Will Education Department restructuring affect your student loans? Here’s what we know know.
Student loan borrowers under the Biden-era student loan repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE), may soon have to select a new repayment plan after the U.S. Department of Education agreed to a measure to permanently end the program.
A proposed joint settlement agreement announced Tuesday between the DOE and the State of Missouri seeks to end what officials call the “illegal” SAVE program, impacting more than seven million SAVE borrowers who would have to enroll in another program. The settlement must be approved by the court before it can be implemented.
Ohio borrowers carry some of the nation’s highest student loan debt. Here’s how the proposed change could affect them.
What is the SAVE plan?
Originally known as REPAYE, the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan was created to deliver the lowest monthly payments among income-driven repayment programs. Under the Biden administration, it became the most affordable option for borrowers.
According to USA TODAY, the SAVE plan was part of Biden’s push to deliver nearly $200 billion in student loan relief to more than 5 million Americans. It wiped out $5.5 billion in debt for nearly half a million borrowers and cut many monthly payments down to $0.
But officials in President Donald Trump’s administration claim the Biden plan was illegal.
Why does the Department of Education want to end the SAVE plan?
The DOE says the SAVE plan aimed to provide mass forgiveness without congressional approval, costing taxpayers $342 billion over 10 years. In a press release, the Department said the administration promised unrealistically low payments and quick forgiveness without legal authority.
“The Trump administration is righting this wrong and bringing an end to this deceptive scheme,” Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a release. “Thanks to the State of Missouri and other states fighting against this egregious federal overreach, American taxpayers can now rest assured they will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for illegal and irresponsible student loan policies.”
If the agreement is approved by the court, no new borrowers will be able to enroll in the SAVE plan. The agency says it will deny any pending applications and move all SAVE borrowers back into other repayment plans.
Borrowers currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan would have a limited time to select a new repayment plan and begin repaying their student loans.
The DOE adds that it is working on the loan repayment provisions of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, which created a new Income-Driven Repayment plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), that will be available to borrowers by July 1, 2026.
How many people in Ohio have student loan debt?
Numbers from the Education Data Initiative show that there are about 1.7 million student loan borrowers in Ohio, carrying over $60 billion in debt. The average student loan debt is approximately $35,072.
Ohio also ranks No. 10 among the states with the most student debt, according to personal finance site WalletHub.
How much money does Ohio get from the Department of Education?
The DOE budget for Ohio for fiscal year 2025 is estimated to be more than $5.65 billion, The Columbus Dispatch previously reported.
President Trump announced his intentions to eliminate the Department of Education earlier this year, meaning that Ohio could lose more than $5 billion in annual funding.
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