Vindy.com - Bertram de Souza

My Vindy.com

User Logged in.

Edit Account Manage Subscriptions Logout

Vindy login

Digital Edition ¤

Read Digital Edition

Marketplace

vindywheels.com

News

Opinion

Sports News

Records

Entertainment

Community News

Shopping

Mobile & RSS

Vindy.com

Bertram de Souza

What will be area's top story in 2008?

If you go for the obvious, the top story for 2008 in the Mahoning Valley, as with the rest of the state and nation, will be the presidential election. But, don't look for it to get your pulses racing. Why?

Because it should be clear by now that when Ohio holds its primary election in March, the Democratic and Republican nominees for president will likely be known. After the January caucuses in Iowa and primaries in New Hampshire, South Carolina and other states, there'll be "Super Duper Tuesday" on Feb. 5 in which more than 20 states, including California, will go to the polls, followed by several others. Come March, the general election table could be set.

That means the politically active Mahoning Valley, which has traditionally played a leading role in the Democratic nomination sweepstakes, won't get the kind of attention it has received in the past from the Democratic contenders.

In the general election, the Valley will not be a battleground, given its political leanings — but Ohio and a couple of other states will decide the outcome of the presidential election.

... Read full story

Previous Columns

Hypocrisy in Ohio extends to Christmas
the first time in its 34-year history, according to long-time lottery agents. This, in a state that has allowed its...
Are mayor, council paying attention?
a world in which pay raises are a rarity and layoffs and concessions have become the rule rather than the exception....
School funding proposal should prompt discussion
albeit Republicans — in the General Assembly. Schuring is calling for a constitutional amendment that would...
Another black eye for the Valley
and nothing happened. Mob bosses in New York City are still chuckling about it. There's also the judge who hit up...
Beware Ohio's moral arbiters
just in time for the 2008 presidential election. What better way to get Christian conservative voters riled up —...
Election shows true winners, losers
this time because of what he accomplished in Tuesday's election. A week ago, it was suggested that O'Brien had staked...
Issues risky for elected officials
to reflect the fact that it would be on the books permanently if approved. In 2004, voters rejected the half-percent...
Time for a special audit of the arena
"the arena" — in downtown Youngstown warrants an objective, professional evaluation to determine if the money was...
A tax to finance arena is looming
read that taxpayers — and not private developers. They are not profitable endeavors. Even with the $26.8 million...
Sharks will soon feel at home in the region
O.K., they were said to be swimming with the fishes — after being on the losing end of a Mafia battle. Thus, it...
Selection of Franken as judge is revealing
much to the chagrin of old-time Democrats — but she is not exactly an insider when it comes to the state Democratic...
Caught in the eye of a religious storm
despite the opinions of many who reacted angrily to my column of Sept. 9. The flood of letters to the editor, e-mails...
In death, as in life, Philomena intrigues
On Wednesday, as a sidebar to the front page story on the death of former Mahoning County Prosecutor-turned criminal...
Payouts in cash make 'fruit' slots illegal
or a free library card — the Tic-Tac-Fruit machines would be gathering dust in some warehouse? That's why the...
Dearth of female applicants troubling
remember the title of the movie? — many of them can't govern honestly.) Why, then, do they dominate politics in...
Is Antonini a political liability for Dems?
she succeeded David Ditzler, who took over from Michael Morley, a political novice who defeated Hanni in 1998 —...
How did they get any work done?
most of which were critical of the seemingly unholy alliances. One in particular offered an important political...
Reach out and touch Cafaro Co. officials
and certainly interesting — when the depositions of these so-called public servants are publicized.
Where have the mobsters gone?
it was called The Youngstown Vindicator then — tossed out red meat to its readers with a special report on the...
Traficant must ask Bush for jail break
and so far, he has refused to do what is necessary. The person is Traficant, the disgraced 17th District Democratic...
Will Judge Maloney have the last word?
$20,000 as pegged by the probate court. " ... the record reflects no possible rational reason for the judge to have...
If you're going to swear, do it right
as a public official — Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann is a rookie. Shouting the expletive to a newspaper reporter...
Obama's whirlwind visit was a misstep
as was evident Wednesday when Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois since 2005, came to the Mahoning Valley. This...
GOP criticism of Ryan is a joke
he ultimately landed in federal prison — was of his own doing. Ryan replaced Traficant in the House and over the...
Political hatred runs deep locally
110 for Palermo to 99 for Belinky — suggests that qualifications were not the reason for the outcome. And that...
Extreme measures called for in Y'town
given an ongoing dispute between two groups at Rayen and Chaney high schools. Patterson, a North Side resident, was...
Strickland has chance to set high standard
unless she works 24/7 between now and July 1 to clean the slate. As the newspaper series showed, at the end of 2006,...
Ohio is headed for hell! So, play 6-6-6
given that Satan is celebrating the Buckeye State's crossing over to the dark side. Sunday lottery is the ultimate...
Traficanti, Ludt stand up to the Cafaros
what else — politics. Hanni may have slowed down in his practice as a criminal lawyer, and may bear the scars from...
Alli's firing does not end AG's problems
Stirfry" on the web. Given that there are some readers of The Vindicator who have not yet joined the web surfer...
Paid TV programs warrant skepticism
If you're watching television this morning, and for some inexplicable reason you skipped the paid programming that...
Strickland leaving his imprint on the Valley
the district includes Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County — scored a decisive victory over...
Dann faces key test as attorney general
It was bound to happen sooner or later. But this soon? Just three-and-a-half months after being sworn in as Ohio's...
Y'town no longer scares the suburbs
as the current water fight between Youngstown on one side and Austintown and Boardman townships on the other clearly...
Readers' criticism finally hit home
General Accounting Principles — in the column was intentional. It fit perfectly with the slam directed at...
What a difference a public job makes
dare it be said? — a girl (OK, a woman) in his bid for the chairmanship of the Mahoning County Democratic Party....
What's it all about, Altie?
a whopping 31 percent increase. In 2006, he made $62,340; in 2008, his salary would have been $76,710 — with all...
Mahoning Dems vote to dummy down
this becomes clear when their résumés are compared with those of their predecessors. Elections...
Should Ohio privatize lottery?
if for no other reason than there is a new governor in office who has publicly talked about the fiscal challenges facing...
How will gambling hypocrites respond?
the lottery, horse-racing and bingo are now permitted — and that prompted several columns in this space about the...
What makes YSU unique?
the president, trustees, faculty and staff, officeholders, business and labor leaders and community activists — to...
Judges, prosecutor duke it out in public
there's an earthier way of putting it, but not in a family newspaper — and this writer is thrilled. One of the...
Extreme measures needed in Y'town
About a month after Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams took office in January 2006, this space was dedicated to the issue of...
Valley's shameful have no shame
literally. In 1997, he was sentenced for theft in office and served 10 days in a halfway house for using a fake receipt...
Pa. sends mixed signals on gambling
" ... the mere appearance of impropriety reflects negatively upon the industry and the Commonwealth and is grounds for...
Reardon touted for Commerce director
Atty. William Wei-mer, who works for Youngstown businessman Bruce Zol-dan, had this reaction to last week's column...
Dann risks alienating friends in the press
the press. How? Just look at his appointments of individuals to key positions whose roles can be best described in one...
Let 2007 be the year to plunder and pillage
in retrospect, naive — New Year's resolutions. The preamble stated, in part: " ... let us resolve not to be...
Christmas greetings from those near, dear
for my company. We had a great year. I know that some of you think we're snake oil salesmen because we promised a $1.15...
Pastors should keep out of politics
saving souls. He noted that the high crime rate, the deteriorating neighborhoods and corrupt government officials all...
Strickland could use help from the Valley
jobs for themselves or for their friends or relatives. To be sure, the political victors have a right to the spoils. But...
Y'town streets must be made safe
and deter — crimes. Detractors say it's another step towards creating an Orwellian city.' "Would the thugs who...
Cafaro, Wilson are here to stay
and lost. Yet, Democrats in the Ohio Senate decided last week that she is imminently qualified to replace Marc Dann of...
Valley residents lash out at Cafaro
when they're compared to those of the other two candidates under consideration, state Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood and...
Cafaro's candidacy prompts questions
and ask some questions. Cafaro was granted immunity from prosecution to testify in an important public-corruption case...
Where does local political power lie?
for governor and for the 6th Congressional District. With Ted Strickland on his way to a landslide victory in the...
Ohio not ready for a black governor
because the Democratic nominee, Strickland, had never run statewide. Indeed, Strickland had represented a rural...
Lottery, horses, bingo are next
as opposed to the forces of evil — have been unleashed this year and they will continue their campaign to cleanse...
Stench emanates from GOP campaign
as J. Kenneth Blackwell, the Republican nominee for Ohio governor, and the national Republican Party demonstrated last...
GOP risks backlash if it targets Strickland
unless you have something more than the dung that was flung at Strickland in the past. Given that the Republican nominee...
Poll results on slots good news for Valley
less than half hour's drive from Youngstown. Indeed, the Valley would receive more benefit from a casino in Lawrence...
Noe trial will cast shadow over GOP
against Noe. "I resent the implication that my name is on the [witness] list as a character witness," she told...
Bob Ney defines political chutzpah
the other recent ones being the convictions of the Mahoning Valley's own James A. Traficant Jr. and Randy "Duke"...
Springer sidesteps slam by Blackwell
but popular — shows on television, Jerry Springer is often dismissed by his detractors as being as mentally...
Strickland, Springer dissed by Blackwell
at least with regard to the strained personal ties. However, in an attempt to ease tensions somewhat, this writer posed...
First debate will set the stage
having the candidates snipe at each other always raises the possibility of one or both saying something that becomes a...
Trumbull officials correct in rejecting pay hike demands
or was it diplomatic? — when he described as "too rich" a fact-finder's report that upholds a demand by sheriff's...
Y'town should profile criminals
but the acts of terrorism described above occurred in Youngstown. If using the "T" word insults your sensibilities,...
With friends in high places ...
Trumbull County Commissioner Paul Heltzel's contention that the Cafaro family is able to "dominate and dictate to...
Hastert downplays past ties to Traficant
facilitated by Hastert. Indeed, Traficant let it be known that without the speaker's direct involvement, the money would...
Y'town ought to target misfits
of course, he steered clear of the bus depot — had the potential of becoming a vibrant entertainment and cultural...
Gambling: Hypocrisy bears no party label
horse racing, the Ohio lottery and bingo — he reacted with a pained look on his face, but stopped short of saying...
YSU gets a reality check from Gov. Taft
it actually was a large facsimile — for $750,000 made out to the city of Youngstown for the proposed Youngstown...
Pa. SUPCO should ask mob boss to explain
he is serving a relatively short sentence in federal prison for his murderous crimes against society — mobster...
Is it criticism or fair comment?
he pleaded guilty to three charges of extortion, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison but served 13 months...
Valley residents must have their say
given the importance of this election to the Mahoning Valley." Positive reaction The initial reaction from...
Williams taking a risk in waiting
Democrat Ted Strickland of Lisbon, a congressman who represents the 6th District, or Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell,...
McKelvey weighs in on street swarming
Offenses Against Public Peace — and then look at § 2917.11, Disorderly conduct, you'll find the following: "(A...
'Is it all out war yet? I'm sick of it!'
not this writer — was the victim of a swarming recently on Fifth Avenue on the city's North Side and that...
Swarmed! What would you do?
and dangerous. What occurred last week on Fifth Avenue on the city's North Side wasn't some innocent, spontaneous prank....
Talk can be cheap, or it can be expensive
as evidenced by his being quoted in a story that appears in the latest edition of Forbes magazine. Prison industry The...
Hold the applause until you read the fine print
Tom Noe, a major Republican Party campaign contributor and fundraiser, is no longer denying that he illegally funneled...
GOP's ploy fails; Dems have the advantage
but while not dead, he is being propped up by his colleagues on the board of commissioners and by George Tablack,...
Will race be a factor in GOP gov's tilt?
the latest attack ads from the two candidates, Attorney General Jim Petro and Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell,...
The Ryan 'miracle' should be rare event
as evidenced by the large number of inexperienced,unqualified candidates seeking office this year. Of course, Ryan can...
Dann, Montgomery deserve to square off in AG contest
If you believe, as we do, that "coingate" is one of the defining issues in this year's statewide election, then the race...
Lawsuit threat was plain dumb
not on behalf of his candidate for the Democratic nomination for attorney general, but in defense of Capri Cafaro of the...
Local Dem leaders will be put to the test
even though Fuda has the largest campaign war chest and has been running for the office for 18 months. Indeed, his...
Is Ohio rolling dice on gambling?
Stirfry) and attracted several responses that indicate growing concern over the Valley's being left out of the...
Region's crooks have no shame
because expulsion from the community has never been part of the sentences handed down to all the public officials,...
U.N. must deal resolutely with Sudan's government
but failed to turn those words into action. With the killings, rapes, the burning and looting of villages and the...
A show of support like no other
for most thinking Mahoning Valley residents — would be an unequivocal no. After all, a politician behind bars...
Mahoning County can wait a bit for an administrator
without additional pay. Traficanti also was president of the board of commissioners. Caruso returned to his job as...
Local Dem hopefuls stumble on the trail
Stirfry," that can be found on www.Vindy.com, The Vindicator's Internet website: "Mahoning County Treasurer John...
Why is McKelvey running again?
for and against him. But just as with the first debate in February, which dealt with the issue of the traffic cameras in...
Bush's response to Dubai ports deal not reassuring
not only because the UAE has a questionable past when it comes to terrorism, but because Dubai Ports World would be...
The Debate: Traficant in absentia
without being asked to by Youngstown city officials — and proposed the construction of a complex made up a sports...
It takes courage to speak the truth
the kind that recently appeared in an editorial in Canada's leading national newspaper. The editorial was prompted by...
Will Sweet survive the upheaval at YSU?
President David Sweet vs. Philosophy and Religious Studies Chairman Thomas Shipka, a veteran professor. At issue is the...
Innovation forum illustrates advantages of collaboration
On the day that Congressman Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, was hosting dozens of representatives of universities and...
Cha-ching! Ms. Cafaro running again
she challenged five-term Republican Congressman Stephen LaTourette in the 14th District; and two, voters are suspicious...
'Jim will always be a great man ...'
a day after the "Traficant inspires local artiste" column in this space. The column dealt with the congressman-turned-fe...
Traficant inspires local artiste
the sketch was signed "Edd Hoffman '05" — brought a sigh from her. Then, as the jailhouse paintings by the former...
Make this the year of the taxpayer
in many cases unjustifiably exorbitant — we pay: U We resolve to fight waste in government at all levels and demand...
Here comes Santa, or whatever
ugly ties, funky socks, impractical scarves and ill-fitting gloves — under the tree. It seems that Santa — or...
Williams' ties to the church on full display
among them Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti. On his way back to his seat, Traficanti could be seen wiping...
Sweet gets lump of coal from trustees
early parliamentary elections have been called for January — Sweet gets to keep his $200,000-plus a year job. So,...
Boardman's bid for police accreditation is instructive
they began work Saturday and will complete their assignment Dec. 7 — Boardman government officials took a hard look...
Time to dust off the old lie box
Mahoning County Commissioner John McNally IV. "[McNally] knows that everything we do, everybody's involved in it."...
Defense of corrupt official is pathetic
Just how serious a crime must someone in the public sector commit before Henry J. "Hank" Angelo, the former mayor of...
Funding for airbase comes at an opportune time for Valley
As the editorial above establishes, these are trying times for the Mahoning Valley, which is why a concerted effort is...
Teacher who raped a student gets a break from prosecutor
an adult having sex with a minor is a rapist — to be demeaned by some slick lawyer. Debra LaFave was a predator who...
And the big losers on Nov. 8 were ...
and it wasn't the person that the congressman endorsed. Indeed, it wasn't the candidate that the local and state...
Costello's loss in Boardman sends a message to Mancini
It's no secret that Boardman Township trustees Elaine Mancini and Thomas Costello have joined forces more often than not...
Onward Christian soldiers — hallelujah
divinely inspired? — over one of the city's Democratic political heavyweights (suspenders and all), Robert F....
Y'town voters, beware the fakers
as they did last week when more 100 of them announced their support for Williams — having Hagan in the mayor's...
Mayor's contest offers laughs
at least from the thinking crowd. This is especially true of the two perceived frontrunners, state Sen. Robert F. Hagan,...
Valley will have lead role in '06 election
On Oct. 5, Howard Dean, national Democratic Party chairman, appeared on the Chris Matthews television news show and put...
Don't be fooled by McKelvey's posturing
there are only two-and-a-half months left in his term — and is doing all he can to grab the attention of the...
Has Habat overstayed welcome at YSU?
that will only happen if the "right individuals," as opposed to cheerleaders, are on the panel — members will be...
Hagan has found a way to run and hide
a sharp contrast to "Richard The Lionheart." But that isn't necessarily a bad thing because if he wins the election and...
Morley Democrats have come full circle
They've come full circle, those self-styled paragons of political virtue, those self-appointed potentates of good...
Has the probe in Trumbull fizzled?
even though there was widespread speculation as to who would be on the list. Vigluicci's refusal to explain the absence...
Dann lets Petro get under his skin
not mobsters. Unfortunately, because it perpetuates the misperception that organized crime has a stranglehold on this...
Don't feel sorry for YSU's faculty
any student with a high school diploma is accepted — urban university that emphasizes undergraduate education. It...
YSU strike inspired by Sweet, trustees
and the impending walkout by the faculty — were sown on Nov. 23, 2004. That's the day the board of trustees...
Don't cry for Lenny or Ernie
if he behaves himself. In his bankruptcy filing — under Chapter 13 reorganization an individual gets three to five...
Y'town could use straight talk
and a black one at that. But such an assumption would be wrong. Yes, Cosby has been pretty harsh in his assessment of...
What is Y'town getting for $$$?
The Ultimate Reality Show." Elimination competition The idea would be to round up all the thugs who have turned the...
Shootout with police warrants response
several years ago, Youngstown led the nation in per capita killings — and that crime overall is down, the July 1...
Region could hit the jackpot
as the catch-word for the region — and Ohio made it clear that not only Carmen Shick, president and CEO of Bedford...
Ohio misses the boat on gambling
but on the Kentucky side — elected officials in the Mahoning Valley know well what he's talking about. The dollar...
You gotta know when to fold 'em
Of all the reaction to the Feb. 16 column in this space advocating casino gambling in Ohio, a letter and a telephone...
It's time for Ohio to roll the dice
The state of Ohio's position on gambling can best be described as schizophrenic. On the one hand, Ohioans insist they...
What's in store for YSU in new state plan?
independently governed and funded by state dollars. It is possible that the two-year colleges already in existence in...
BERTRAM de SOUZA Zap-itty doo dah, zap-itty Ta ... ser?
established by none other than the president of the Youngstown Police Association. Indeed, members of city council's...

Vindy.com

Bertram de Souza

- Sponsored Links -