To the editor:

Since the re-election of President Donald Trump, approximately nine months ago, manufacturing has been making a comeback. It seems that surrounding states and local representatives are working to get companies to come in these areas that have lost jobs, such as steel and coal and have been successful.

We had this and it was taken away, and our representatives are uninterested in pursuing these jobs and getting them back. I wrote a letter to the editor dated Nov. 21, 2000, concerning the impact of the local mills and the tax base. I think it is worth reading again.

“For the past two years there has been the Stand Up for Steel campaign. The Ohio Valley residents were informed almost daily by the local newspapers, radio station reports and television newscasts. A majority of these residents came to the conclusion that these news media outlets knew nothing about what they were reporting on. We saw this, by the votes cast in the valley for Al Gore in the recent election.

I read an article in the paper about Gore. He had campaigned in Homestead, Pa., a former steel town (Bethlehem Steel.) The article stated that the population was 4,200. The tax base had dropped three-fifths after the mill shut down in 1985.

That made me think about the local mills. So, I went to the Jefferson County Courthouse and found out some facts: The approximate total property tax paid in Jefferson County is $43 million, the approximate property tax paid by Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. is $32 million.

This is on property in Steubenville, Mingo Junction and Yorkville. The Martins Ferry plant is in Belmont County. I called to see about what was paid, they are the second highest taxpayer for Belmont County. I did make it to Brooke County Courthouse. Wheeling-Pitt has the Follansbee and Beech Bottom plants. The approximate property tax paid is $1.4 million (this included person property.) Brooke County’s approximate tax is $16.4 million.

Weirton Steel has a plant in Jefferson County (which was empty,) and some property in Brooke County, but the majority is in Hancock County. I spoke to Gregg Warren, communication director, and he said that he had to update his figures, but he believed it was around $18 million.

In a worst-case scenario, this is what the Ohio Valley residents can look forward to.”

Well, it happened.

Merica Petrella

Steubenville