Political Quotes

“Madam President, at the end of June, we received news that sickened so many of us. The Youngstown Vindicator, one of Ohio's greatest local newspapers, is closing after 150 years in business. It is devastating news for a community that is already reeling from General Motors' abandonment of Lordstown--and ``abandonment'' is the right word. General Motors made the decision to shut down production, losing 4,500 jobs in Lordstown, OH. They moved some of their production to Mexico. They took part of their tax cuts and their profits and used that money to buy stock options for their top executives. The Vindicator was reporting the story about GM's abandonment of Lordstown before the national media came to town. When GM laid off one shift of workers back in late 2016, after the Presidential election, then a second shift several months later, the Vindicator was there covering what those job losses meant to this community. We know the end of the Vindicator's coverage is another huge blow to Mahoning Valley. Our hearts break for the dedicated journalists and support staff losing their jobs. This was a family-owned paper for 132 years. This will not just be a loss for those who worked there. When local newspapers close, everyone suffers. Local reporters know their communities better than anyone. David Skolnick, Mark Sweetwood, and the entire Vindicator team have held local officials accountable.…”