Enough is Enough: The Financial Boiling Point in Our Towns

Editorial Commentary

As I tuned in to the Lorain City Council meeting Monday night, I was pleased to hear that logic and sound judgment had finally seeped into the administration’s ears. First, from the city auditor, then from a retired CPA who submitted a written statement—both delivering a simple but crucial message:

💬 The level of spending cannot continue. You have to cut back.

If you haven’t noticed, most of us are being slowly boiled in a financial pot—taxes, inflation, and exorbitant utility bills turning up the heat a little more each day. We shuffle around, trying to figure out how we’re going to make it, while those in power act as if everything is fine. No one seems to pinpoint the real culprit though, as we all feel the strain of the rising heat that is causing havoc in our finances.

The Boiling Point

I’ve been waiting to hear these words for a long time. Finally, a brave citizen, Jayne Morales, stood up during public participation and said what so many of us have been thinking. She asked the questions that cut straight to the core that we should be asking every elected official that represents us right now:

• What are you going to do to make my life easier?
• How are you going to address our problems without financially maiming the citizens who live here?
• Why is it so bad? The roads, the utilities…
• What are you going to do about it? Most importantly, my money, that keeps going from my hands to city/state/federal coffers.

She spoke for every homeowner, every taxpayer, every resident who has watched their bills rise, their money buy less, and their roads crumble. She made it clear—people are tapped out. The spending never stops, yet the quality of life in our communities isn’t improving. We’re spending more for things to get worse, not better.

📹 Watch Jayne Morales’ powerful statement to the council here:
Jayne Morales at City Council

Their response to her heartfelt questions that demand answers was: Your time is up… Next item on the agenda is…

These are the people who have built our towns, our nation. They raised us. They got up everyday and went to work and paid their taxes. These are supposed to be their golden years. I don’t think it’s so golden to have to decide between food and medicine because: your water bill increased four times over 3 years, and your property assessment went up by 40%, or the $150 a month you used to spend in groceries is now $300.

They’ve had to cut back on everything. Some seniors have to aggressively budget and go to food pantries. Their is simply nothing left to give. Whether it’s $11 a month or significantly more. It’s all been taken. There are no more pieces of the pie to take from.

Hopefully for most, this wasn’t just a powerful speech—it was a wake-up call.

What Needs to Be Done?

The reality is that change won’t happen just because we complain. If we want real solutions, we have to take real action:

✅ Attend city council and board meetings in person or watch them online.
✅ Contact your local officials—let them know what you expect often.
✅ Vote in elections—research candidates and know where they stand.
✅ Organize with like-minded citizens—work together to make sure your voices are heard.

The bills won’t go down on their own just because one hopes they will. A squeaky wheel gets the grease, and if you’re only complaining at home, they’re not hearing it downtown to do much about it.

Be involved. Be heard.

Why This Matters

We have to do this because our leaders haven’t listened to us. Time and time again, across city after city, town after town, people have stepped up to demand answers—only to be ignored.

💰 The taxes keep going up.
💡 The utility bills keep rising.
🚧 The roads are still a mess.

And if the same people who put us in this situation keep getting reelected, nothing will change. They added heat to the flame, they have to go. You vote them out. You don’t give them another chance to betray you.

Because if you don’t step up and take action now, there will be nothing left for us to own or enjoy—just constant financial pressure boiling many of us straight out of our homes and communities.

We have choices: Let the boiling water keep cooking us—or find a way to turn off the heat or tip the pot over. Nobody is going to do it alone. It will take many of us working together for change to happen. Be brave. Be loud. Be squeaky. It’s the most American thing you can do in the face of all this Tyranny.