Not trying to be snarky but what’s the deal with the $600 million for the Browns

Not trying to be snarky

I am seeking enlightenment regarding how the expenditure of $600 million of public funds to aid in the construction of a new privately owned professional football arena in the vicinity of Cleveland is appropriate in light of the myriad other beneficial uses to which this money might otherwise be applied.

There may be a sound and rational justification for the same which counters my present concerns, to wit: that this payment is a financial windfall made to one who scarcely needs the same; provides economic benefit on a regional, as opposed to a statewide, basis; and, exacerbates the probability that other sports franchise owners will demand like and similar public fund contributions in the future.

Is there not a better use which can be made of these funds, a use that will not incorporate the negative aspects referenced above and which will more directly benefit and support the greater public good?

Letter: $8.5 billion isn’t enough for Jimmy Haslam. He deserves our money too.

In submitting this letter my aim is not to come off as snarky, accusatory or even dim-witted; rather, I truly seek enlightenment as to how this grossly large expenditure may be logically justified in light of other existing public funding needs in and throughout the state of Ohio.Please enlighten me.

Jeff Amick, Worthington

Lawmakers are more interested in games

The Ohio General Assembly has once again failed to seize the opportunity to establish true property tax reform for Ohio communities.

As the governor’s signature and veto ink dries on the recently passed budget, it remains clear leadership is more interested in gimmicks and headlines than in sustainable property tax relief that Ohioans need and deserve.

Our view: DeWine’s property tax vetoes give lawmakers a second chance for real solutions

For seven years, the Franklin County Auditor’s Office has advocated for balanced, meaningful reforms aimed at lowering property taxes for the residents and businesses of Franklin County. Yet, time and again, these efforts have been met with inaction.

Instead of collaboration, we see blame shifting and short-term fixes that do little to address the systemic issues driving property taxes higher across the state.

Opinion: Call Ohio’s budget what it is: A charity for one of our most powerful power couples

Despite the introduction of well-researched, bipartisan proposals aimed at providing targeted relief to help homeowners, Ohio leaders continue to toss aside these solutions in favor of hastily drafted proposals with little vetting and potentially harmful consequences for local communities.

Budgets are about priorities.

If rising property taxes are the issue legislators hear about the most, as they claim, why did so much of this budget focus on unrelated items that leave taxpayers scratching their heads?

Ohioans deserve more than discussions; they deserve results. It is time for the General Assembly to stop kicking the can down the road and start delivering real, responsible tax reform that protects homeowners, sustains communities and puts people — not politics— first.

Michael Stinziano, Franklin County Auditor

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Um, why is Ohio giving the Browns $600 million? | Letters