Run, Run The Invaders Are Coming

Response to Tim Inwood's op ed piece:  http://www.wnewsj.com/news/opinion_columns/150627576/Needlessly-provoking-a-constitutional-crisis

I'm glad to see that Tim has become a strict law and order person, a change of spots, if you will. In the past he has defended his “good friend” Ollie North, a confessed felon operating out side of the law during the Reagan era Iranscam affair. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North. In comparison, undocumented workers living in the U.S. are, at best a civil misdemeanor.

Most loyal and patriotic members of the Democratic party that I know resent Tim's characterization of them as “a group of folks whose vision is not only wrong, but in recent years, has done grave harm to our republic”.

Like most extreme political movements Tim's version is slowly heading for the dust bin of history

Tim is, of course entitled to his opinion but when he uses his office, “chairman of the Clinton County Republican Party”. as a soap box he is representing his group.

Paul Hunter

Who Loves You?

What's more important, politics and profits or people's right to breathe clean air? Look at a picture of Beijing, China at noon.

Paul Hunter

Smog rules bring praise, criticism

Proposal too lenient or expensive depending on point of view.

 Columbus Dispatch

The Obama administration proposed lowering allowable levels of smog Wednesday, prompting cheers from environmental and health advocates and bringing criticism from Republican politicians and the energy sector, who said the tighter restrictions are unaffordable.

The proposal, announced by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, would cut allowable levels of ozone, or smog pollution in the air by 6.7 to 13 percent. States would have to meet the new thresholds between 2020 and 2037, depending on the current level of smog in each state.

“The science tells us that ozone presents a real threat to our health,” McCarthy said. “It can cause us to miss work or school, use medicine more often, and send us to the hospital or lead to premature death.”................   

Give The people What they Want John

Boehner stated in his response [to the Prsident's immigration plans], “This is exactly what the American people said they didn’t want. I have been very clear that the President’s promise of unilateral action on executive amnesty is the wrong way to govern.”

Really, you want to do what the people want?

How about starting with this want?

Nine in 10 Americans support expanding background checks on gun purchases in a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, an extraordinary level of agreement on a political issue and a finding that's been duplicated in nearly every major public poll.

Or this one.

A large majority of Americans want Congress to substantially increase the minimum wage as part of an effort to reduce the nation’s expanding economic inequality, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

As a growing share of the country’s income flows to the very wealthiest, the poll found that 57 percent of Americans say lawmakers should pursue policies aimed at balancing an economic system they think is out of whack. Nearly two in three say federal policy is tilted toward helping the rich over Americans who are less well-off, according to the survey.

Try this one on for size John.

http://www.pollingreport.com/energy.htm

"Do you favor or oppose setting stricter emission limits on power plants in order to address climate change?"
		Favor	Oppose	Unsure/ Refused
		%	%	%
	11/6-9/14	64	31	5
	9/4-8/13	65	30	5

Better Than Cruz And Company

But not by much.

Seen sniffing around the White House

Kasich’s immigration views ‘evolved’

BOCA RATON, Fla. — A little more than four years ago, John Kasich told The Dispatch, “One thing that I don’t want to reward is illegal immigration.” But now, as his fellow Republican governors loudly voice many of the same sentiments, Kasich is urging them to ratchet down the rhetoric and try to work with President Barack Obama to solve one of the nation’s longstanding vexing problems.

Posted by Paul Hunter

Quack, Quack, Limp , Limp

Columbus Dispatch

Ohio House bill to weaken ‘puppy mill’ provisions

Provisions buried in catch-all agriculture legislation being considered by the General Assembly would weaken Ohio’s “puppy mill” law that took effect only 11 months ago, animal-advocacy groups say.

Huffington Post

Republican lawmakers in Ohio on Thursday advanced a bill that would ban abortion as soon as the fetal heartbeat can be detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

H.B. 248, the so-called "Heartbeat bill," advanced out of the House Health and Aging Committee by a party-line vote of 11 to 6. If it passes the Republican-controlled House and Senate, doctors who perform abortions after the imposed limit would face a fifth-degree felony. Opponents warn the bill would ban abortions before some women even realize they're pregnant.

Dispatch

Ohio House approves execution-drug secrecy bill

The Ohio House approved bills yesterday to keep secret the source of drugs used in executions and reduce state testing time for students.

COLUMBUS — 

Responding to complaints about testing overload, Ohio lawmakers moved Thursday to limit the number of hours K-12 students can sit for end-of-year state exams to four hours a year per subject with a total maximum of 16 hours.

Compiled by Paul Hunter

Wonder and Guess No More!

Do you have that sinking feeling that your vote is taken for granted? Do you sense that our district's state legislators, Cliff Rosenberger and Bob Peterson listen to a different voice than yours and mine on legislative matters?

What is ALEC and do our reps belong to it?

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a nonprofit organization of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives that drafts and shares model state-level legislation for distribution among the United States. According to its website, ALEC "works to advance the fundamental principles of free-market enterprise, limited government, and federalism at the state level through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America's state legislators, members of the private sector and the general public

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council

In August The Nation’s Lisa Graves explained that “of all the Kochs’ investments in right-wing organizations, ALEC provides some of the best returns: it gives the Kochs a way to make their brand of free-market fundamentalism legally binding.

http://ourfuture.org/fact_sheet/koch-brothers-exposed-why-we-must-act-and-how

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.

1. Ohio Legislators with ALEC Ties Include

   1. Ohio House of Representatives

Rep. Cliff Rosenberger (R-91), ALEC Communications and Technology Task Force Member

Ohio Senate

Sen. Bob Peterson (R-17), ALEC Member

Opinion of Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com

Does The “Greater Good” Ethic Apply?

Should farmers be allowed to run their businesses without government interference?

Lawmakers may prohibit manure on frozen fields to combat algae

Lawmakers looking for ways to deal with toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie and elsewhere started moving legislation yesterday that seeks to stop farms in northwestern Ohio from spreading manure on frozen fields.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/11/18/aim-no-manure-on-frozen-fields.html

Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com

Hate To Say We Told You So.

From Wilmington City Council meeting minutes for1/3/13

Paul Hunter – 200 Randolph Street – gave a presentation regarding the TBS contract

with the city for their facility on Nelson Avenue, in the waste water treatment’s

building. He explained that the company pays a $1 rental for the building and the Sewer

Department contributed over a half million dollars to purchase it. He said the expectation

in the five-year lease was the company would employ 100 workers and the income tax

receipts would make up for the free use of the building. He said that he estimates that

they only have around 20 employees and are almost two years into the contract, which is

much lower than expected. He said that number of employees [20] would generate about

$900,000 in annual wages or around $9000 in income tax to the city, which is far short

of the $550,000 that the sewer department has spent on that property. He added that TBS

can, at the end of the 5-year period, exercise an option to purchase the building for

$1 million or simply walk away and find another distressed city to set up shop on a 5-year

plan. Mr. Hunter added that the city is also paying more in property tax than it is

collecting from TBS and said that Brenda Woods was working on that. He said it was his

opinion that the city should be talking to the company and attempting to modify the

agreement or seek some legal form assurance that TBS is committed to purchasing the

property and/or increasing employment to the 100-jobs level that they promised.

Meeting Minutes 2/7/13

Councilman Wells said he checked over at TBS and did not think there was anything

going on at the business. Mayor Riley said that they workers had just returned a week or

two ago from Texas as they were doing on-site installation. He said there is traffic in and

out of there every day. He added that a lot of their business is not new ovens but in

refurbishing other units. He said that he goes out and sees the owner of Total Baking

Solutions every month or so. Paul Hunter said that if they were working off-site, then the

city might not be getting income tax for that work. He said that we should be checking in

with them to see how their progress is going to justify the $1/year rental of the building.

Mayor Riley said that he is staying in contact with the owners. He added that the bakery

business is undergoing many changes right now but they were hoping it would stabilize

soon

Posted by Paul Hunter

Electric Aggregation Letters

Wilmington electric utility consumers that are in the city's aggregation program are receiving letters from our current power provider DPL Reserve Energy (DPLER). As of January 1, 2015, American Electric Power (AEP) will replace DPLER.
The letter indicates that consumers need to act to select another provider. Not mentioned in the letter however, is that to remain in the aggregation program no action is required and the consumer will be automatically enrolled in the new AEP 39 month contract.
A letter from AEP is forthcoming that gives the consumer the ability to “opt out” of the new contract and find their own individual provider. This letter can also be ignored if you want to remain in the aggregation program.
The savings from the new contract will be less than under the current plan. But AEP was the low bidder at 6.45 cents per kilowatt hour (KWH). Savings will still be significant at the new rates. DP&L “standard” rates are currently around 9 cents per KWH. As an example, at these rates a 1,000 KWH monthly bill the “standard” non-aggregated consumer would pay $90 plus delivery and the aggregated AEP customer $64.50 plus delivery.
Aggregated county consumers will face the same options on April 1, 2015.
Note: DP&L will continue to provide the grid and bill for electric power.
Contact the Mayors office for more details at 382-5458 and pass the word.

Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com

TBS, Such A Deal! (update)

TBS, Such A Deal! 

After this troubled company of ill repute received a nearly four year rent free use of a facility that cost the city over $500,000 they decided to move on to Alaska. The promise of a hundred jobs and proposed million dollar purchase of the building on Nelson is written on the wind. Observers opine that only 5 to 20 employees ever worked at the site. The company was often in arrears on its maintenance and utility charges but they are now current.

History:

On August 1, 2011 the City of Wilmington, the owner of the property formerly known as the Ledex plant on Nelson Ave, signed a lease and purchase agreement with Total Baking Solutions (TBS) most recently of Roundup, Montana.

Relevant information follows:

The Deal:

Wilmington News Journal

3/17/2011 11:15:00 PM City proposes lease-purchase with TBS

A proposed lease-and-purchase agreement between the city of Wilmington and Total Baking Solutions regarding a former Textron facility calls for $1 a year rent during a lease term expiring on New Year’s Eve 2016, and a $1 million purchase price afterward. Total Baking Solutions (TBS) of Roundup, Mont., officially announced on Feb. 28 it would establish manufacturing operations in Wilmington at a former Textron plant on South Nelson Avenue. TBS is a manufacturer of industrial-size ovens. The premises to be leased are all 113,000 square feet of building 2 of the former Textron facilities which the city owns. If TBS wishes, it can accelerate the purchase option but a purchase cannot be made prior to the end of the remediation period for the brownfield site, said Wilmington Mayor David Raizk. While discussing the proposed agreement at Thursday’s city council meeting, Raizk revealed that TBS was offered a plant for free in Michigan. “We were able to work this deal because our location was a little better and a couple other things that were good,” the mayor said after the council session. “There are tons of industrial space all over this country that’s empty,” added Raizk. The agreement says it is TBS’ responsibility to pay the facility costs for insurance and utilities. The bill for utilities during the winter is about $20,000 per month, according to Raizk. The oven company will be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the premises. Wilmington City Councilman Rob Jaehnig said TBS already is engaged in roof repair, wall repair and adding offices. A jobs creation incentive was built into the proposed agreement, where the purchase price would be decreased for jobs creation. The agreement says the principal owed by the company will be reduced by $250,000 if, during the five years preceding the maturity date of the note, TBS has employed on average no fewer than 100 people at the Wilmington location on a full-time basis. The note will mature five years after the closing date. If TBS exercises the purchase option, it will buy the property within 30 days following the New Year’s Eve 2016 expiration of the lease term. During public comment, former city councilman Scott Kirchner asked questions focusing on whether the city had written precautions within the agreement in the event TBS goes out of business. Stressing he hopes like everyone else that TBS succeeds, Kirchner asked whether the city has required TBS to take out bonding insurance that would make the city whole on the actual value of the property during the lease term if TBS were to close. Raizk said TBS cannot bond what it does not own, and that the city cannot sell the building until the end of the remediation period, including a time of monitoring and testing after the actual cleanup. History: Year in Review Sunbaked Biscuits replaced Alamogordo Daily News By Michael Becker, Managing Editor Posted:   01/01/2008 12:00:00 AM MST http://www.alamogordonews.com/ci_7853007?source=most_viewed One of the most contentious stories of 2007 was the implosion of local cookie maker Sunbaked Biscuits. The company went belly up early in the year and disappeared amidst a flurry of lawsuits…………. By mid-January of 2007, Sunbaked closed its factory and informed its creditors it was seeking a buyer. However, the company at first said production had halted due to a damaged conveyor belt. The lawsuits quickly followed…………Sunbaked and its owners, Dave and Chris Roberts, aren't out of the woods yet. Three lawsuits against Sunbaked in District Court, brought by Delta Systems, Plastic Packaging Technologies and Consolidated Electrical Distributors, are still wending their way through the legal system. Allegation: By a Michael Morris Jun 21, 2011 http://www.topix.com/forum/city/alamogordo-nm/T5DNB5CEOAIU12RS4 Tularosa, NM  Some of you may remember the Roberts Family of Roundup, Montana that scammed over $2 million from the taxpayers of Alamogordo  [New Mexico] in the Sunbaked Biscuts scheme. The Roberts are at it again in Wilmington, OH changing little more than on their website. Here the local paper [Wilmington News Journal] explains the rock solid deal to get a former industrial building owned by the city in a jobs deal to bake cookies. http://wnewsj.com/main.asp... Total Baking Solutions, LLC (TBS) Phone: (937) 383-3750Fax: (937) 383-3401474 S Nelson Avenue, Wilmington, OH 45177info@totalbakingsolutions.comhttp://www.totalbakingsolutions.com Principal: Mr. Dave Roberts, Owner Notes: Prior to the 8/1/11 signing date of the City/TBS contract the administration was advised by a disgruntled family member of the company owner’s family that alleged that all was not on the up and up with the Company and that they had a bad track record. He cited the history of the principals at other locations including New Mexico (see above). Some of you may remember the Roberts Family of Roundup, Montana that scammed over $2 million from the taxpayers of Alamogordo  [New Mexico] in the Sunbaked Biscuts scheme. The Roberts are at it again in Wilmington, OH changing little more than on their website. Here the local paper [Wilmington News Journal] explains the rock solid deal to get a former industrial building owned by the city in a jobs deal to bake cookies. http://wnewsj.com/main.asp...  As of 6/1/13 the best estimates of observers of the TBS facility is that fewer than 20 employees are working there. If the estimate accurate TBS would have to average 160 employees over the next three years in order to qualify for the $250,000 purchase credit. If, as it appears likely, there will be no purchase the sewer fund that paid around $600,000 for the city’s portion of the original property purchase will receive a grand total of $5.00 for the effort. Comments from a presentation to Council at the 1/3/13 meeting: Paul Hunter – 200 Randolph Street – gave a presentation regarding the TBS contract with the city for their facility on Nelson Avenue, in the wastewater building. He explained that the company pays a $1 per year rental for the building that the sewer department contributed over a half million dollars to purchase. He said the expectation in the five-year lease was the company would employ 100 workers and the income tax receipts would make up for the free use of the building. He said that he estimates that they only have around 20 employees and are almost two years into the contract, which is much lower than expected. He said that number of employees would generate about $900,000 in annual wages or around $9000 in income tax to the city, which is far short of the $550,000 that the sewer department has spent on that property. He added that TBS can, at the end of the 5-year period, exercise an option to purchase the building for $1 million or simply walk away and find another distressed city to set up shop on a 5-year plan. He said it was his opinion that the city should be talking to the company and attempting to modify the agreement or seek some legal form assurance that TBS is committed to purchasing the property and/or increasing employment to the 100-jobs level that they promised. Paul Hunter contact paulhunter45177@gmail.com

We Won't See Any Difference

Well shucks, now Cliff will continue to have little time to serve his home district. Unless of course, ALEC re directs him

Rosenberger gets GOP nod for speaker

Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, received the support of his party for the position in a vote held Wednesday.

Did I Miss This Item In The Local Paper?

Did I Miss This Item In The Local Paper?

It made the Columbus Dispatch

Was letter forged to smear candidate for Ohio House speaker?

A situation involving the two men vying to become the next Ohio House speaker has led to a criminal investigation that could produce one or more felony charges against a legislative aide. In late February, Barb Cole, a Republican who challenged Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, in the May primary, received a letter of congratulations on her decision to run that appeared to come from Rep. Jim Butler, R-Oakwood. Butler is Rosenberger’s chief rival to become the next speaker of the Ohio House.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/07/03/was-letter-forged-to-smear-candidate-for-ohio-house-speaker.html

Paul Hunter

Electric Aggregation Renewal (update)

The final price per kilowatt hour for AEP's 39 month contract for the county, Midland and Port William and the 36 month city of Wilmington aggregation contract is 6.45 cents. The resolution was passed by the commissioners this morning. 11/10/14

Shocking Water Loss

Presentation to city council 11/6/14

In 2013, 131.32 million gallons of treated water was unaccounted for.

I may be accused of beating a dead horse but in my opinion the importance of this matter requires further study and action.

I note that the administration is now taking an added interest in this water loss problem.

After several days of searching the public record and talking with utility billing and water department personnel I collected the following historical data for 2013 that is included in the handout.

To review the numbers:

From the water department: 557 million gallons of treated water was delivered to the distribution system.

From utility billing office – 396.8 MG of treated water was sold.

The difference between water delivered and water sold was 160.7 MG.

Data on the back of the handout shows that in 2013 the unsold total of 29% was the highest amount over the past twelve years. I am unable to validate the RCAP consultant's conclusion, quote: “the amount of non-revenue water has been relatively stable with a four year average of 18.5%”

Non-revenue distribution is only part of my audit story. There are some known or metered outputs that must be added to the equation.

Authorized non-revenue distribution:

The water department used 27.1 MG*

From the utility billing department:

Waste water, city building & other city accounts use 2.37 MG of metered but not charged treated water.

This leave a balance of 131.32 MG

The balance of the treated water is non metered and, as indicated, only guesswork can provide an explanation for the loss

Some of this loss can be attributed to legitimate uses including fire hydrant flush, fire suppression, sprinkler tests etc: Some erroneous meter functions can be expected but 10% or around 500 meters are checked each year and 100 meters are replaced.

All non metered-not accounted for treated water equals 23.5% of all treated water in 2013. Again, quoting RCAP, “Water loss under 15% is considered acceptable

Quoting an EPA web site,”Average water loss in systems is 16% of which 75% is recoverable.”

Some leakage is to be expected but In my uneducated opinion a 24% loss rate is more than just excessive it's shocking!

The loss represents thousands of dollars per year in wasted treatment costs.

When the automatic flushing fire hydrant conversion is completed, more non-revenue water will be expended adding to the current problem.

This information is valid and action should be taken as outlined in the included internet link.

I am not aware of any attempts to contract for a professional, municipal leak detection service but it might be money well spent. There are many of them out there. Are their any questions?

City Water Rate Comparison

According to the City of Oakwood's survey of 67 southwest Ohio communitie's water and sewer costs:

http://www.fairfield-city.org/2014%20Oakwood.pdf

Wilmington, as a result of the recent rate increase, has moved from being the 10^th highest to the the 3^rd highest in water rates.

Our combined sewer-water rate position has moved from 16th to 4^th highest.

A partial explanation of the water cost is the fact that the city is contractually obligated to pay the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) over $380,000 per year for raw water even though only a small portion is actually pumped from Caesar’s Creek reservoir to the water treatment plant.

The millions of gallons of system leakage per year does not help matters.

Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com

Cliff and His Gang Are 's Still At It.

From the DDN

Common Core repeal bill could go to House floor

A bill that would repeal Ohio’s Common Core school standards was approved by the House Rules and Reference Committee on Wednesday, but questions remain about whether the bill has enough support in the full House and Senate to become law.

Posted by Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail

How and When Will it end

How And When Will It End?

How long will it be before the top heavy wealth distribution becomes untenable? When the majority of lower middle and working class households in the U.S. become impoverished? We need only look to history to find examples.

. - See more at: http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/russian-society/#sthash.CE6Fe83y.dpuf

Pre-revolution Russia:

Upper classes: Royalty, nobility, higher clergy: 12.5 per cent. Middle classes: Merchants, bureaucrats, professionals: 1.5 per cent. Working classes: Factory workers, artisans, soldiers, sailors: 4 per cent. Peasants: Landed and landless farmers: 82 per cent.

Pre-revolution France:

"The rent was to high, and the price on bread was above people's economic ability to pay".

Is the recent fast food worker strike the baby steps of an impending social upheaval in this country or will the market system adapt to save itself? Oligarchs are not known for their ability to sacrifice short term gain for long term stability.

This Forbes article is revealing.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dalearcher/2013/09/04/could-americas-wealth-gap-lead-to-a-revolt/

“That leaves the bottom 80 percent with a meager 7 percent of the wealth, or, to look at it another way, the wealthiest 40 Americans have the same combined wealth of the nation’s poorest –more than 150 million people, which is almost half the population. So, no matter how you slice it, when it comes to income and wealth in America, the rich get most of the pie and the rest get the crumbs.

Posted by Paul Hunter