DEAR EDITOR:
Is Dave Betras the Democratic Chairman for Trumbull and Mahoning County? There has been a lot of talk about consolidation so I was wondering if the Democrats had consolidated county chairmen.
I say that because our mayor of Warren was taking marching orders from the Mahoning County chairman when he wrote the Vindy article about the GM bankruptcy and the Delphi salaried retirees. We have a newspaper in Warren, why did he go to Betras and the Vindy?
The mayor represents all citizens residing in Warren, whether they be union or non-union. But, Mayor Franklin decided to pick winners and losers based on who you are.
Mayor Franklin was very short on facts when he criticized Mitt Romney for his comments about letting GM go into a controlled bankruptcy. That is exactly what should have happened. The pain would have been shared equally. But a controlled bankruptcy would have taken too long for the Obama administration.
Contracts are null and void when a company goes into bankruptcy. The playing field becomes more level. There is no government meddling as happened with GM taxpayers and money passed out by Obama was "gratuitous."
The pensions of the salaried retirees were reduced 30 percent to 70 percent. The mayor is losing tax dollars because of those reductions but he is happy to write a letter to criticize the Delphi salaried retirees for Betras, who is not in our county.
When we win our lawsuit, the mayor will be a direct beneficiary of our increase in pensions. But he has no problem doing work at the hand of Betras to declare us losers.
The people who elect the mayor expect him to do the right thing for all citizens in Warren, not just those who voted for him. The Delphi salaried retirees pay taxes to fund the mayor's salary.
Allen Ryan Sr.
Warren