Warren's Woes

As a former resident of Warren who also believed the rationale that a vote for the half percent income tax for the safety services would ensure departments near full strentgh, this news of layoffs and deficits is depressing but not surprising.

How the clty's leaders could not have realzied that one-time spikes in tax collections because employees at GM and Delphi were taking buyouts were just that -- one time -- is baffling.

The lack of long range planning and forcasting is disturbing, especially since even though I moved, I'm still paying this tax because I work in Warren.

I give credit to the administration to come up with some sort of move to trim the deficit -- but they also get low marks for not realizing this was coming up.

And it could get worse. If GM tanks, it will be a catastrophe far greater than Black Monday. When the mills failed, there was still GM and Delphi at their peak.

If GM and Delphi go, then there is nothing to fall back on. The exodus from Warren will contintue. Instead of the signs reading ``Capital of the Historic Western Reserve,' they'll say, ``Last One Out Please Turn Out The Lights.'