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Residents have to be vigilant to avoid getting scammed

Editorials

Decent people are assaulted regularly by scammers attempting to gain their personal information, their money, and usually, both. A new round of scam attempts has taken things up a notch by including the state seal of West Virginia in its attempt. Law abiding citizens are used to being able to believe that if something comes with that kind of official imagery, they should pay attention. And because they ARE the kinds of people who want to do the right thing, they are more likely to fall for attempts by those who would prey on their sense of responsibility by using state seals, bank logos ...

Yost joins effort seeking more transparency in Rx transactions

Editorials

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has joined an important effort by 45 state attorneys general to push the federal government to seek more transparency in prescription-drug transactions through pharmacy benefit managers, and to ensure federal efforts do not pre-empt state transparency laws. It’s a significant effort because PBMs — the companies that are supposed to represent insurers in drug transactions — have always favored the federal rules and regulations over state laws. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, the three largest PBMs control approximately 80% of ...

Ohio’s economy needs to be diversified and expanded

Editorials

February job loss numbers tell a complex tale in Ohio, as despite the loss of 5,400 jobs, the unemployment rate actually went down. According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, that is because 2,000 Buckeye State residents simply left the workforce. On top of that, Molly Bryden, a Policy Matters Ohio researcher, said the state’s economy is also more vulnerable to economic turbulence because of federal policy decisions; and is STILL dealing with the changes in the employment landscape wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuts to federal and state government services (and, ...

Ohio deserves energy reliability

Letters to the Editor

Ohio’s energy grid is under unprecedented strain, threatening the very foundation of our state’s economic stability. Energy is the lifeblood of Ohio’s manufacturing sector and heavily supports the state’s labor force. Resolving our energy crisis is a matter of economic security, and the recently announced acquisition of AES Ohio is a significant step. As a former Wellsville City Councilman, I have witnessed firsthand the energy challenges Ohio’s families and businesses face from rising costs and service inconsistencies. The outdated infrastructure of the grid poses a risk of ...

Donald Trump’s sockpuppets

Letters to the Editor

I watch Republican candidate ads on TV; they tout Donald’s endorsement as if it were an answer to everything. My question is simple: why? Are they capable of standing on their own merits, or are they compelled to function as Donald’s sock puppets? Do they require him to babysit them or handhold them because they can’t govern with independence? And if they’re courting voters chiefly through his approval, what does that reveal about their judgment—or about their willingness to break with him when the moment truly calls for distance? What unsettles me is not merely branding; ...

Nursing home residents at homeless shelters shows housing shortage

Editorials

Public officials well aware of Ohio’s problems with a shortage of accessible, affordable housing might not be aware of a growing problem related to that challenge. Nursing homes are sending patients to homeless shelters at a growing rate. A Signal Ohio report earlier this month looked at nursing homes transferring “older, poorer and medically fragile” patients to homeless shelters. In fact, seven nursing home facilities in Ohio have been faulted in the past few years for efforts to dump patients into homeless shelters. Eastland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Columbus ...