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Editorials

Are credit cards becoming a necessity?

For some Ohioans, use of credit cards is a carefully planned luxury — perhaps used to ensure the accumulation of lots of airline or hotel points — for purchases that can be paid off within a month or two. But for those Buckeye State residents between the ages of 18 and 34, a recent analysis of Federal Reserve data shows the use of credit cards feels like a necessity — and one that is causing them to rack up higher-than-average levels of debt. Along with those high levels of debt come high levels of delinquency, according to a report on the data by the Ohio Capital Journal. ...

The difficult decision of getting behind the wheel

Every once in a while, politicians will float the question of whether drivers should have to retake their tests as a requirement for license renewal after a certain age. With age comes the possibility of reduced vision, perhaps hearing loss, reduced reflexes and other changes we all laugh about as a fact of life until someone mentions them in the context of affecting a person’s ability to drive safely. Then pride kicks in. Well, pride and a little stubbornness as most of us bristle at the idea of the government telling us it’s possible we are less able to do something we’ve ...

Understand what you’re voting for

Early voting has begun in Ohio, and the most important thing a voter can do before filling out a ballot is to become educated on the candidates and issues that will be decided. No, this isn’t a matter of being certain you understand which letter comes after a person’s name to determine whether they are an “us” or a “them.” In fact, that is the least important thing to consider while voting. Rather, this is a matter of learning enough about a candidate to determine whether that person will be a responsible, accountable and faithful representative of their constituents, and ...

Proper cooperation

It’s not always easy to watch how the sausage is made when we observe the workings of local government bodies, but one issue has focused Marietta City Council’s attention in a way that shows us what’s possible. Regarding work on the council’s effort to address concerns over injection wells, Councilwoman Erin O’Neill is right: “The past couple of weeks have been a lesson in how local government is supposed to work for the citizens,” she said. “My actions here tonight reflect nothing other than my desire to speak out for my constituents who don’t otherwise have a voice ...

It’s going to take a lot to be the ‘Silicon Heartland’

Data centers have generated plenty of buzz in Ohio, as some economic development officials have touted them as an integral part of our state’s economic future. That may be true, but the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has some words of caution as it releases a new report through its research foundation on the economic impact of those centers. SRC EvalMetrics LLC prepared the report, which took a look at Ohio’s spot in the upper echelon of North American data center markets, but also noted a few challenges. For 2024, the data center industry here “supported more than 95,000 jobs across ...

Voters will remember

If watching Congress has not been enough to make you wonder whether elected officials worry about doing any real work, or remember who they serve, Ohio lawmakers seem eager to answer with “No, not really.” They missed their first deadline for congressional redistricting, on Sept. 30, according to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal. Despite Buckeye State voters demanding action when they passed a constitutional amendment back in 2018, members of the General Assembly appear to have decided they’d rather not bother to work together to pass a bipartisan map in the allotted time. ...