Zack Space is listening to me

Who is it, exactly, that Zack Space isn’t listening to? The question is germane to Newark because Zack is scheduled to appear at The Works at 10 a.m. today and someone called an acquaintance and asked her to show up and yell at Zack: “You’re not listening to us.”

I really dislike people who cling blindly to either party’s line - in this case the GOP’s - and make their “intellectual” points by yelling inanities. If this demonstration went as planned, it was just another ruffian shout-down at a U.S. Congressman who came to Newark to honor veterans.

The Democrats, particularly before the Obama presidency, were no less ignorant and annoying. In fact, I give them more credit than Fox “News” for instigating piggish behavior, though Fox has improved upon it to the point where I strictly avoid exposure to it. I avoid exposure to those of both parties who preach from behind political-party blinders.

For the record, Zack Space is listening to me and to people like me. Anyone who yells otherwise at him from the street is ignorant and boorish.

Casinos - The fine print

If you want to know what Ohioans really approved when they voted 11/09 to allow big gamblers to move into our state, read the analysis of Thomas Suddes in a Columbus Dispatch column at this link.

Lesson learned - Election Reflection #3

The lesson to be learned from the overthrow of the Heath regime is that it is indeed possible to rein in government. That is a lesson worth remembering, worth repeating, worth applying.

We are by habit and training cowed by the political thickness of government bureaucracies. Consequently, we sigh, grow more angry and frustrated - and give up, go along. That’s how we are contained by the system; it makes us simply give up.

Most of the time.

Except when along comes a leader like Ronnie Kidd who demonstrates how wrong it is to simply give up.

I suspect he was motivated by anger at the injustice of what was happening in the city where he lived. But he was smart enough to harness that anger in a constructive way, to summon self-control and strike at the problem with facts.

Astoundingly, Ronnie wielded these facts against the power of the entire community establishment, including the Advocate. The facts won, the knowledge of the injustices won.

Not that Ronnie worked alone. He would likely be the first to credit those few very dedicated and brave individuals who joined the battle, and also the businesses who offered quiet, behind-the-scenes support. But this is another lesson to be remembered: Once a leader steps forward, if that leader is believable and dedicated and has a righteous goal, others will join.

What Ronnie and his small band of Freedom Fighters won can also be won in Newark, in Licking County government, in the Statehouse, in the U.S. Capitol and White House.

That is the lesson Ronnie Kidd has taught us.

Dismantling of the Zoo - Election Reflection #2

A political scientist likely would find a great case study in how and by whom Heath voters were recently motivated. How did the great Waugh Zoo muster its support for the shakedown of motorists? And how was it shot out of the saddle by a few Freedom Fighters?

I don’t have the answers, particularly as regards the endorsement of the Waugh Zoo by the Chamber of Commerce when anyone with any sense knows Heath businesses were getting hurt by the lowered traffic flow and money spent on traffic tickets. All the Chamber had to do was to ask the right people instead of hiding behind a half-baked member “survey” to find out what was happening in Heath.

Several business owners, it turns out, were donating dollars and moral support to the Freedom Fighters, but precious few had the courage to openly buck the Good Ol’ Boys.

The business shake-out won’t be finalized until next year. After Christmas we’ll know the effect of removing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Heath economy and sending it to Waugh & Co. If it’s as bad as I think, there may be a lot of retail space for rent along Ohio 79.

The Chamber and it’s flock of sheep (including the Advocate) chose to ignore all this - and that, I think, is a tribute to Mayor Waugh.

Mr. Waugh is a man I never heard of before he teamed with the Redflex Aussies. So how did he merit such a noisy, if not wide, backing? Well, follow the money ...

Every single employee of the City of Heath stood to take a cut of the pie. Every vendor and every potential vendor for Heath stood to get fatter. Every person who dines at or uses or admires the Davis-Shai House could look forward to getting more public money poured into their little country club; all these individuals plus their relatives and friends, living in and out of Heath. Then there’s the most obvious of beneficiaries: Redflex employees.

Quite a web, just interested in the profits. Throw in political cronies interested in maintaining power, allow all these folks to comment anonymously from behind user names, without even identifying their personal associations, relationships, or profit motives, and you have created an unbridled, loud-mouthed, unreasonable cheering section for “traffic safety.”

In view of all that, isn’t it rather amazing that one pissed-off individual could muster a little group of Freedom Fighters that dismantled the Waugh Zoo?

Yes it is. More on that later.

I am uncomfortable in Heath - Election Reflection #1

For the first time since June or July, I shopped at Giant Eagle today because there is a deal on turkeys.

It was like a homecoming except there was no joy. Giant Eagle is just like it was, but so is Meijers and the north-end Walmart where Rosalie and I are now accustomed to shopping.

Heath’s comfort level has bottomed out.

The bloodied Ohio 79 - with its strip malls and billboards - stands as a monument to the city where people will scam people for money.

Heath is where representatives of the people have stolen election signs and have ordered election advertising towed from an empty parking lot, costing the owner $135 because he was using the First Amendment.

Heath is where councilmen have laughed at people who bring their concerns before council. Heath is not resident-friendly, not visitor-friendly, not even business-friendly.

Heath is Good-Ol’-Boy-Club-friendly. Heath is where Club members cluster and cling and write nasty newspaper comments to those with whom they disagree. It’s where the power structure has no notion of fairness, nor a willingness to listen to non-Club members.

It shouldn’t have taken a revolt of peasants to make corrections. It should have taken only a small measure of decency from little Good Ol’ Boys who fancied themselves as bigger than any possible consequences.

The cameras and some Club members are out because peasants won the election. But because peasants scarcely outnumber the Good Ol’ Boys, I am uncomfortable in Heath.

Salute to Wildcat spirit

Those who’ve earned admiration are people who voluntarily enter a place where they know they’ll come out with a beat-up body and a bruised ego - who know that, but who enter anyway.

At the top of the list of those who’ve done it recently and regularly are the Newark High School Wildcat footballers.

To march week after dreary week into the teeth of a new and nearly certain defeat is the mark of heroism, more so than those who go with hope.

These Wildcat footballers deserve our respect and our thanks as much, maybe more, than the sure shots of better years.

These guys demonstrated class and self-discipline and hard work and the willingness to take a thumping in the name of Newark High School. They are heros, really.

I hope the community will now rally on their behalf; build a bonfire; cheer for the Wildcat spirit - because this is where next football season begins.

Word from the street: Fact or rumor?

Mayor Diebold’s recent proposal to give raises to the civil service commission does not pass the smell test. Is it a coincidence that Diebold and Company have a crucial civil service appeal hearing under way (Ketter), while he is pimping for a raise for the civil service commission?

What are the ethics concerning this? (And why isn’t the Advocate asking?) Since the mayor gets to appoint the entire commission, how could a city employee have any chance if they have to appeal to a commission appointed by the people who fired the employee?

Greg Ketter is being railroaded by Diebold and Carr for blowing the whistle on others as a part of his response to a reckless write-up. His career is being ruined for telling the truth. Meanwhile, the city is spending heavy bucks for an attorney to help with the last nail in Ketter’s career coffin.

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The City is risking another lawsuit by laying off Tom Wolfe and then writing new property maintenance job descriptions to avoid bringing him back. Tom has already filed an appeal and if he can afford the legal expense has a good chance of winning in court.

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The city’s general fund deficit is far worse than the mayor and Lehman will admit. The revenue estimate may be off by $1 million or more.

The Advocate’s kiss of death

“Don't just listen to those who want to break the law.”

With that editorial advice to Heath voters, the Advocate editorialist demonstrated her juvenile mentality and inherent Good-Ol’-Boy bias. No longer can anyone doubt that the Chamber of Commerce rules over the local newspaper: The foolish editorial of 10/25/09 urging voters to support the Heath Good Ol’ Boys and their red-light cameras proves it.

Throughout the months’-long controversy regarding the legality and the fairness of a foreign corporation issuing traffic tickets to local motorists - and doing so without oversight, and behind a cloud of allegations about entrapment, increased danger caused by the cameras, and cost to Heath businesses - the Advocate steadfastly failed to investigate.

Meanwhile, the information and facts dug out by Ronnie Kidd and a group of freedom fighters has been distributed in the Advocate’s print edition, blogs, comments, and on a well-publicized web site banthecameras.com

The Advocate’s response? Don't just listen to those who want to break the law; vote to keep the cameras.

What the editorialist can’t get through her head is that everyone - EVERYONE - knows why the Advocate supports the Heath Good Ol’ Boys. It’s because the Advocate wants to be in the Club, likely a considerable advantage in ad sales, probably juicy personal props as well.

But selling the Advocate’s editorial soul is exactly what she’s doing - and the Advocate’s kiss-of-death-by-endorsement grows stronger as years under Gannett ownership wear on.

DUI in a La-Z-Boy

Our local folk hero who was arrested for DUI on a bar stool has been one-upped (more than once) by a driver of a La-Z-Boy in Minneapolis. http://www.imdb.com/news/ni1112026/

NCS board election: Bringing truth to the rumors

From behind the scenes of local politics comes an interesting hint from a Blue-Ribbon observer: Molly Ingold is being groomed by local Republicans for a run at the mayor’s seat when it comes up for vote in two years.

If this is the case, the immediate GOP strategy might be to give her experience at city-wide campaigning in a difficult race and, if she wins, keep her in public view for the next two years.

Such might be the real reason why Molly decided to run for a two-year seat on the NCS board of education, rather than to try for one of the open four-year seats.

It might be. Or not. She previously explained her decision like this: “I began to think about the transition from one superintendent to the next and realized it was important to have some consistency and experience on the Board. I decided it was important for me to continue...”

To provide transition from the King Richards’ regime to the Ute superintendency seems self-defeating if voters are aligned more against Richards than not, as am I. The sooner we get out from under the Richards’ mentality at NCS the better. If Molly is offering more of the same old same old as a returning board member, and if voters perceive it as such, I think she’s going to follow Keith out to pasture.

If establishmentarians (represented in local elections by the GOP) are backing her, she’ll have a bunch of money and a bunch of ads.

I see it as a showdown between those business-oriented establishmentarians and the blue-collar, earthy, church-centered, property-owning, and elderly voters who will be attracted to Tim Carr.

I’ve mentioned here before that Tim is talking the kind of talk that older people have been waiting to hear from the city school board. He is holding out the hope that property owners and pensioners could see (some of?) their NCS property-tax burden shifted elsewhere.

All the above speculation aside, it isn’t fair to simply speculate. What is fair is to ask Molly what her long-term political aspirations are. And if that’s fair, it’s also fair to ask Tim. So I did.

My questions to both:

There has been speculation that one or both of you might be considering a run for Newark City Mayor when that election occurs in two years.

Since you are both running for the two-year-seat vacancy on the school board, I wonder if this speculation has merit.

In the interest of having all cards on the table before the coming election, I am asking you to tell Newark voters:

1) - Are you considering running for mayor, or for any other non-school-board office in two years?

2) - Has either local political party approached you and/or encouraged you about this option?

Molly said:

“1.) While it is my understanding there are rumors out there I am running for mayor in two years, I have not at all considered this as part of the reason I am running for a two-year term on the school board. As for the future, I am not always sure what tomorrow will bring so I try not to get too far ahead of myself.

“2.) Neither political party has approached me or encouraged me to consider any political position.”

Tim said:

“I'll answer the questions in reverse realizing that what I don't say is as important as what I do say. I want to be very clear. Nobody from any party has talked with or contacted me in any way about any political aspirations. In fact, nobody at all has talked with me about such things.

“Second question: I absolutely love my job as Pastor and can not see myself trading it for any political office. If I still feel like I can be a resource for the people and an effective advocate for the children I would consider running for school board again in two years. I consider my spiritual calling to take precedent over all others and see my political aspirations no higher the the school board.

“Thanks for your continued interest in the campaign, and for bringing truth to the rumors.”

It’s difficult to talk a deer to death

After talking about the need to solve Newark’s deer infestation for many months, city council seems ready to take decisive action. They are going to pass the buck(s).

Council’s service committee agreed to let full council vote on it. What they’re going to decide is whether or not to let the mayor develop a plan to solve this matter.

Assuming council votes affirmatively, further action will depend on the mayor’s willingness and ability to get a plan for deer eradication that will please everybody. In other words, nothing’s going to happen, but council can now blame the mayor. Spot on for Newark governors.

On 9/14/09 I wrote Kill the deer humanely, explaining that there is a way to kill deer without the suffering caused by bow hunting. If you don’t think bow hunting causes suffering, take a look at this video in which a veterinarian tells specifically how a deer suffers once hit by an arrow.

Nobody in their right mind wants to cause these animals that kind of death. And if the mayor and council think anybody but bow hunters are going to get their jollies watching such a slaughter, I got news for them.

The Advocate editorialized for bow hunting on 9/13/09, and Councilman Doug Marmie has declared he’ll see to it that firearms are outlawed in the city’s war on deer.

But here’s what I wrote before: “gunning deer is way less cruel and a lot safer if done by professionals ...” Then I gave contact information for a company in Pennsylvania that specializes in deer-herd control, along with links explaining that professional sharpshooters are trained, careful, and knowledgeable; the kind of ammo used, and a bit about how the low-powered bullets are contained for everyone’s safety. Read it here.

Yesterday, I called Natural Resource Consultants, Inc. of Fort Hill PA and talked with Bryon Shissler. He told me that the company works in harmony with state officials and laws; that the company is available to come here and explain its services to the community; that it assesses deer-herd conditions (including habitat in and around the city); that it recommends what has to be done to control them; and that it defines goals and ensures they are met. He said that various types of consumers are willing to pay for the processing of meat.

I am convinced that the people of this area would prefer to see a bit of their tax money used to eradicate these critters by trained, professional and expert deer-herd managers.

The alternative is to wait for the mayor to solve the deer problem that’s been a problem ever since before he took office. It’s possible that his solution will be (since it’s so difficult to talk a deer to death) to wait for all the deer to die of old age.

School Board candidacy explained

I recently wrote an essay about Tim Carr as a candidate for the Newark City Schools board of education. Folks who commented about it raised the question about why Molly Ingold chose to run for Tim’s seat, rather than for one of the vacant seats.

I asked the two candidates that question. Here’s what Molly told me:

“Bruce: I would be glad to address your question.

“Coming into 2009 I had planned on completing my term this December. At that time I believed the current superintendent was planning on retiring in 2010. We (at least I) received a surprise when Mr. Richards decided to retire in 2009. I began to think about the transition from one superintendent to the next and realized it was important to have some consistency and experience on the Board. I decided it was important for me to continue, but wanted to do so for a shorter period of time than 4 more years. Having already served 6 years, 2 more years would complete 8 years - 2 terms, so to speak.

“The night I took out my petitions, I called Tim to personally notify him of my decision so he would hear it from me and not anyone else. At that point he did not have any petition signatures and I thought he might choose to look at a 4 year term having only 9 months under his belt. He obviously decided to stick with the 2 year term as well.

“So I don't look at it as either Molly choosing to run against Tim or Tim choosing to run against Molly, but rather two individuals who made what they thought was the right decision. (Having talked with Tim about this, I know that both of us prayed about the decision before taking action.)

“Thanks for asking. I hope this helps answer your question. Feel free to share this with the other folks you spoke about..........Molly”

And here’s what Tim said:

“Molly told me she only wanted to serve two more years. All of our conversations previously were that she didn't want to run again. She did know my intentions to run for the two year term and to her credit, she called me several weeks later to say she was running against me. I am not aware of any other reasons.

“Sincerely, Tim Carr”

Trash solution: Use laws on the books

Yesterday, the Advocate - again - editorialized in favor of a city contract with a trash hauler to solve the piggish behavior of certain residents who soil their yards and sidewalks with trash.

The last time the Advocate did that, I suggested that newspapers be licensed, since Gannett is so willing to take away freedom of individuals and give it to the Magic Nanny. Such a license might require Gannett to move its printing operation out of Newark as a means to save wear on the city’s streets. Read it here.

Trash-talking is an on-going pastime in Newark Ohio and its disciples are preparing another dopey offensive on free enterprise. Trash is a favorite avenue by which local meddlers attempt more regulation on private affairs, as I said in the most recent essay, 3/9/09, at this link.

Meanwhile, citizens have consistently sent the message to council- and busybodies like the “Trash Talkers” - and the Advocate - to butt out of the trash collection business.

The solution for the pigs among us is simple. The city must enforce its own laws against fouling yards, sidewalks, and streets. The laws are on the books.

Unless something’s changed since I checked it in March, 2009, all the city needs is to enforce 660.04 (Noxious odors; filthy accumulations ...); and 660.05 (Duty to keep sidewalks in repair and clean); but especially at 1860.03 (a), (1), (2), (6) and 1860.04 (a), (1). They prohibit people from creating and maintaining improper and unsanitary and bothersome trash.

Talk all the intrusive and ill-conceived and bothersome “solutions” to trash you can think of, but to clean it up, the administration, the police, and the courts need only to enforce current laws.

Tim Carr could lead the way

If you’re an older person or if you expect to become one, pay attention to the campaign promise of Tim Carr, candidate for Newark City School Board.

In the Advocate voters guide he lists as his top priority, if elected, to explore “ways to restructure funding for Newark City Schools that will help our senior citizens and property owners.”

He was a bit more specific when interviewed by the Dispatch/ThisWeek.

“He ... said the district needs to think about the renewal of the income tax levy now and start to think about restructuring it, to ensure no retirement benefits are taxed and seniors don't have to pay for it.”

As a prelude to that statement, Tim said “the school district needs to continue to be fiscally responsible, even with the spring passage of an additional 7.5 mills for five years to meet emergency requirements. Estimates show the money could keep the district from deficit spending for the next three to four years, but Carr asked if the district could be creative and make it last longer.”

Further, he mentions that during his short tenure on the school board he has felt “like an advocate for the kids and the people."

These statements reflect the right attitudes and ambitions. I hope he gets elected because students, parents, and taxpayers need a school board that works better and smarter. Tim could lead the way.

Mr. President, I am proud of you

Today the Advocate published in its print edition yet another Obama put-down regarding his Nobel Peace Prize.

The editor who decided to display it on Page One apparently had not read yesterday’s Advocate editorial denouncing “vapid partisan claptrap.”

Also yesterday the New York Times published an editorial describing President Obama’s many challenges for world peace (challenges he inherited from former presidents and Congress, by the way).

That editorial summarized the significance of the Nobel honor like this: “Americans elected Mr. Obama because they wanted him to restore American values and leadership — and because they believed he could. The Nobel Prize, and the broad endorsement that followed, shows how many people around the world want the same thing.”

But President Obama said it best in an e-mail to his supporters: “... Throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

“That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

“This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.”

Congratulations, Mr. President. I am proud of you.