Editorials

President Barack Obama and most Democrats in Congress say they are committed to preserving Social Security for future generations. But one part of Obama’s current proposal to increase jobs could jeopardize Social Security’s long-term viability.

Obama has suggested cutting employees’ Social Security taxes to 3.1 percent through 2012. Under one of his previous stimulus programs, the rate was already cut from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent this year Social Security taxes are paid only on the first $106,200 of income.

We commend county officials, members of an ordinance-draft committee and Perry Countians with a deep concern for animals for their work crafting a set of animal-control regulations. As we’ve reported repeatedly, and as late as Thursday, work on the ordinance continues.

We believe the ordinance, once tweaked, will serve the interests of animals, their caretakers and the taxpaying public.

There are several reasons why many states have had trouble balancing their budgets in recent years. The most obvious is the worst recession in decades and its lingering aftereffects, but another is the decline in sales-tax revenue due to people buying more items online.

It has been estimated that such purchases have cost all states collectively upward of $15 billion a year in lost revenues. That could change soon, though.

It’s never easy to “let someone go,” one of the euphemisms for ending someone’s employment, but we think the Cannelton School Board could have better handled the layoff of five noncertified employees.

We report on that board’s activities regularly, so we know they are good people who have been working under difficult conditions for some time.