Letters: City should subsidize taxes of low-income instead of giving wealthy breaks
New barriers to voting should come with education
As a military veteran and first-generation Chicano, I’ve witnessed firsthand how marginalized populations turn out in lower numbers on election day because of barriers to voting.
More:How Ohio's new voter ID law compares to other states
The new voter ID law is restrictive, disenfranchising college students, seniors, military personnel and families, people with disabilities, low-income, and non-white voters who are historically excluded from the electoral process.
Approximately 10% of Ohioans do not have an Ohio Driver’s License or state issued identification card. I would like to use my County Veteran ID card as a form of valid ID, however, my veteran ID card no longer qualifies as proper identification to vote. Only IDs issued by the federal or state government qualifies.
Furthermore, I’ve been waiting since mid-February for my Ohio ID from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to arrive due to the highly irregular mail service where I live.
I encourage The Columbus Dispatch to continue educating voters and to call upon Secretary Frank LaRose and boards of elections to run robust voter education programs since voting laws have changed.
Also, this is a call to action for every Ohioan to be part of the electoral process by volunteering to become poll workers or to assist voters through election protection programs with nonpartisan groups like Ohio Voter Rights Coalition, League of Women Voters, Vote Riders, or the NAACP.
Armando Telles, Columbus
More:How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch
Vouchers can help Ohio kids get a decent education
On March 22, Maureen Reedy wrote on dispatch.com: Ohio school voucher program a runaway train that makes us all losers.
The Dayton area where I live is home to some of the best public school districts in Ohio. It is also the home, in spite of all the tax dollars thrown at them, of a couple of the worst public school districts in Ohio.
Two of my grandchildren for a while lived in one of those awful school districts. Their parents paid taxes to support those public schools, but sent their kids to a private school. Then they moved just a few miles to one of Ohio's best school districts and switched their kids to public schools.
Opinion: Ohio school voucher program a runaway train that makes us all losers
I'm all for public schools and for many years mentored Ohio students in them.
Still, if one lives in a district with poor public schools, vouchers that enable school choice to help Ohio kids get a decent education are a good use of our tax dollars.
Vic Presutti, Dayton
Help low-income people
Re "Big bills troubling for condo owners" March 19: When the City of Columbus offers tax abatements for luxury housing, rentals and for-sale, it only benefits the already rich developers, wealthy buyers, and affluent renters.
More:Downtown Columbus property taxes spike for some residents as abatements fade
If the city really wanted to make an impact they would end abatements for the wealthy and instead subsidize the taxes of low-income owners.
Create real wealth by offering tax abatements to low-income renters who wish to buy. By offering tax abatements only to the rich they stifle the ability to build and buy homes in unabated areas.
But offering low-income renters a helping hand when buying will create long term wealth to a far larger constituent in a more meaningful manner.
Ted Sinks, Delaware
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Letters: Vouchers can help Ohio kids get a decent education
