A False Christian Cop out.

Thanks to: https://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/29/1374145/-I-am-a-Christian-business-owner-in-Indiana?detail=emailclassic

I am a Christian resutrant owner in Indiana

Not really but if I were, the sign on my door might read:

"Dear Valued Patrons.

Due to my sincerely held religious beliefs, and in light of the [Religious Freedom Restoration Act] RFRA, recently signed by our Dear Leader Pence, I will no longer be doing business with the following persons; nor permitting them in my establishment:

1. Divorcees. Matthew 19:9: “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another, commits adultery.”

2. ….....Anyone who has ever read their horoscope or called a psychic hotline. Leviticus 20:6: "As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people."

3.  Anyone with a tattoo.   Leviticus 19:28 "You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the Lord."

4.  Anyone born illegitimately.  Also, anyone who, back to ten generations, is descended from someone born illegitimately.  If you can not PROVE, using appropriate church sources, that ten generations of your family were born in wedlock, I will have to err on the side of caution and not serve you. Deuteronomy 23:2 "No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD."

5.  Anyone who makes a practice of praying aloud, or in public.  Matthew 6:5-6  "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."

6.  Any woman with braided hair or gold jewelry.  Just to be on the safe side, NO jewelry at all.  1 Timothy 2:9 "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments."

7.  Any man who has ever, by accident or not, had his genitals damaged.  (Current interpretation of this scripture is under debate, so just to be safe, if you've had a vesectomy, or testicular cancer, I can't serve you.  I apologize for the inconvenience but I am worried for my soul.)  Deuteronomy 23:1 "A man whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off may never join the assembly of the Lord."

8.  Please don't bring your kids in if they have a bowl cut.  Leviticus 19:27 reads "You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard."

For those of you complaining that some of these scriptures are from the Old Testament, and that Jesus came to redeem us from these laws, I refer you to Matthew 5:17-19, where Our Savior himself says:  "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven"

Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.  It's nothing personal, "love the sinner but hate the sin," and all, but I simply can't serve anyone who would blatantly disregard God's sacred law in such a fashion.  

Of course this would never happen.  People don't not serve gays because they find it against God's Law.  They do it, by and large, because "the gays are icky."  Jesus had dinner with prostitutes and tax collectors.  Get over yourselves.

Posted by Paul Hunter

Apparent conflicting data.

Apparent conflicting data.

Wilmington's median or most common occurring household income (MHI) had fallen by 17%, from $34,880 in 2000 to $29,688 in 2013. Interesting to note the increasing degree of poverty in the city compared to the statewide $48,081 MHI.

The per capita or, average per person income, (PCI) rose by 9% from $17,346 in 2000 to $19,110 in 2013.

To me this data mimics the nation's widening income gap. The DHL departure and the recession did not take all of the wealth from the city it just changed hands.

Data source: http://www.city-data.com/city/Wilmington-Ohio.html

Paul Hunter

There Ain't No Free Lunch

At least for Wilmington residents

Using the Wilmington median household income for 2013 of $30,000 as taxable income, the state income tax rate cuts reduced those households state income tax by $118 per year from 2010 rates.

The old axiom that there ain't no free lunch applies. In order to pay for the tax cuts the state had to decrease revenue sharing with cities and increase property taxes. These actions were added to another significant city revenue reduction action, the elimination of the estate tax.

The result of all this burden shifting from the state to the cities is, due to the reluctance of local government to ask their residents to make up for the lost tax revenue, a reduction in services and a deterioration of municipal infrastructure. Take a look at the local streets as verification. It would take a two mill property tax costing home owners around $70 per year to even begin to make up for the loss of state funds affecting streets.

Here's whats facing Wilminton in the near term:

Using ODOT’s  estimate of $500,000 total, including $250,000 city matching,

cost for the 1.25 mile Truesdell project next summer we can assume a cost per mile of at least $400,000 per mile.  Using that base data we should be able to obtain a rough estimate for other pending city only projects.

a. 1/2 of David’s Drive’s 3 miles = 1.5 X 400,000 = $600,000

b.  2 miles of Airborne Rd.s 3.25 miles = $800,000

c. 1 mile of of E. Locust not on ODOT’s schedule $400,000

d. 1/2 mile of S. South (from north end of new bridge to Truesdell) prior to ODOT’s 2018 scheduled repair $400,000

e. Other streets and alleys  not surveyed by this poster.

f. As much as $250,000 match for this year’s Truesdell project

g. As much as $645,000 for the 2018 S.South-Lorish-N. Lincoln (SR 134 N) ODOT project

I would request that before the naysayers protest, they do their own inspection drive around town.

Paul Hunter

Wake Up Ohio Senator Peterson and Rep. Rosenberger

Wake up Bob and Cliff your anti alternate energy buddies at ALEC have been deserted by a big power producer.

From The Guardian

American Electric Power (AEP), one of the largest electricity utilities in the US, is to ditch its membership of the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), a right wing organization that has consistently opposed the deployment of renewable energy and action on climate change.

PaulHunter

Note to anonymous commentors

I will not open messages or respond to unknown commentors.
Paul Hunter

Remember When

Remember when American political consumers had a sense of humor?

ARCHIE BUNKER FOR PRESIDENT

PAT PAULSON FOR PRESIDENT

Look it up.

More Than A Mistake

Addressing City Council recently the Mayor claimed that it was a mistake to violate Ohio law when leasing public property.

When dealing with with the citizens of Wilmington’s public property, the laws apply. The law does not allow a mayor or any other single individual to sell, buy or rent such property without the consent of those citizens through their elected representatives on city council.

In the case of the Runway Logistics/Sewell lease of a former Randal building on Nelson Avenue, the contracting was done behind the backs of council. The city’s law director was not given a signed copy to review. At least some some, if not all, council members had no idea that a deal had been made until they were made aware by a private citizen. We have learned from the Total Baking Solution (TBS) fiasco that not all rental agreements have merit.

Miscalculating the revenue from a lease would be a mistake; keeping the lease secret from council, the people and the press is a violation. The Ohio Revised Code (ORC) When dealing with with the citizens of Wilmington’s public property, the laws apply. The law does not allow a mayor or any other single individual to sell, buy or rent such property without the consent of those citizens through their elected representatives on city council.

In the case of the Runway Logistics/Sewell lease of a former Randal building on Nelson Avenue, the contracting was done behind the backs of council. The city’s law director was not given a signed copy to review. At least some some, if not all, council members had no idea that a deal had been made until they were made aware by a private citizen. We have learned from the Total Baking Solution (TBS) fiasco that not all rental agreements have merit.

Miscalculating the revenue from a lease would be a mistake; keeping the lease secret from council, the people and the press is a violation. The Ohio Revised Code (ORC) requires that the leasing of public property must be authorized by an ordinance approved by a two-thirds vote of city council.

At Thursday’s council meeting, Mr. Dixon, an employee of the county and a commercial property owner attempted, at the behest of the mayor, to defend the the illegal action. He compared the deal to a private transaction between himself and a lessee of his property that wanted the agreement to remain silent. There is no comparison, as anyone can see. One wonders if Dixon would approve of a third party renting one of his properties without his knowledge.

The value of the rental agreement is not at issue; the method of achieving the agreement is the issue — a serious issue.

Paul Hunter

Donald, Build Up This Wall

Rumor has it that produce farmers in California and southwestern states want Trump to build a wall along the border to prevent their low paid laborers from crossing the border into Mexico.

From the Wall St. Journal

Mexican Immigration to U.S. Reverses

More Mexicans are leaving the U.S. to return home than arriving, ending the largest wave of immigration in modern American history.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/mexican-immigration-to-u-s-reverses-1447954334

Paul Hunter

Leaders or Panderers?

A definition of moral leadership: Such individuals are always characterized by a deep sense of ethics, are driven by core ideals (such as justice) and are motivated by the pursuit of a higher purpose.

A definition of pandering: Is the act of expressing one's views in accordance with the likes of a group to which one is attempting to appeal for political purposes.

Apply the above definitions to the below politicians:

Gov. John Kasich doesn’t want Ohio or the United States to accept any more Syrian refugees.

The Ohio House, led by speaker Cliff Rosenberger, passed a resolution telling the president to stop letting displaced Syrians into the country.

Paul Hunter

Whose Boots Should Be On The Ground?

The hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees entering Europe have a vested interest in reestablishing peace and stability in their homeland.

For a few billion dollars the democratic nations in the west, those very nations that are being overrun by asylum seekers, could fund, arm and train a truly elite Syrian army of ten or twenty thousand young and willing people.

This corps would have the advantage of being vetted and trained outside the combat area and as an added incentive their families would be taken care of in host nations where they now reside.

Sometimes the solutions that are the hardest to find are the simplest and most practical.

Paul Hunter

City Property, Free Use Of

The troublesome contract that the Mayor, without council's authority, signed on 10/1/15 and backdated to 7/1/15 allows the renter to use of the property for three months without charge.
Based on the agreed rental charge the lessee saves $27,500. Such a deal.
Paul Hunter

Homicides in the U.S.

From a study by Richard Johnson, Ph.D.

Criminal Justice Program

University of Toledo

Of the 56,259 homicides from 2009-2012, 755 were the result of negligent accident homicides (i.e., child playing with a gun)

For me this is the most horrifying statistic.and an argument for criminal action against  gun makers and sellers that ignore modern technology that prevents such actions. Those gun owners themselves should be charged with manslaughter 1 at a minimum regardless of what the NRA's Wayne Laphew might argue.

Paul Hunter

Ohio Voters Prefer A Foreign Cartel Monopoly

From Reuters 

U.S. border officials seize record 15 tons of pot at California border

LOS ANGELES

U.S. customs officers at a California border crossing seized more than 15 tons of marijuana hidden inside a tractor-trailer shipment designated as a cargo of mattresses, the biggest narcotics bust ever at that port of entry, officials said on Friday.

Plastic-wrapped packages of marijuana, with a street value estimated at nearly $19 million, were found stacked floor to ceiling inside a trailer at the Otay Mesa cargo port in San Diego on Thursday, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.

There's only one word for the number of pounds of marijuana There's only one word for the number of pounds of marijuana seized by the U.S. Border Patrol and at U.S. ports of entry: high.

It's no secret that pot is the most widely used illegal drug in the United States, with 48 percent of Americans in a recent Pew Research Center survey saying they've tried the drug. So it didn’t come as much of a surprise when The Center for Investigative Reporting found that cannabis was the most-seized drug along the U.S.-Mexico border – more than meth, heroin and cocainecombined.
The total collected from 2005 to 2011? More than 17 million pounds.
Poated by Paul Hunter

Wednesday Morning Sour Grapes?

To paraphrase ole Ross Perot, that giant sighing of relief you hear is coming from the murdering Mexican drug cartel bosses. They have several more years of almost unfettered markets for their weed sales in Ohio. Again their unintended enforcers will spend millions on helicopter and aircraft overflights seeking out a few hundred plants that overworked local law enforcement will have to confiscate and courts will have to adjudicate about.

In the meantime, as we normally law abiding citizens sip our martinis, we must wonder why the lesson of the failed prohibition has been forgotten. Even Eliot Ness must have realized that turning ordinary citizens into criminals was a failed policy.

If the state had ten supermarket chains would we call it a monopoly?

Headline: Ohio cities starved for cash to fix streets and bridges. Hmm.

Paul Hunter

Eat Your Words Trump

In a ceremony in English and Spanish, a new U.S. warship was christened Saturday in honor of a Marine from San Diego who was killed in Iraq.

The Navy guided-missile destroyer Rafael Peralta was christened at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.

Peralta was killed Nov. 15, 2004, during the second battle of Fallouja and is credited with saving the lives of several Marines during house-to-house fighting. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross, although Marines insist he should have received the Medal of Honor.

Peralta, an immigrant from Mexico, enlisted in the Marine Corps on the day he received his green card. He was 25 when he was killed leading Marines into a house to clear out heavily armed and barricaded insurgents.

Sgt. Peralta was killed 11 years ago in Iraq when he threw himself onto a grenade to protect his fellow soldiers

http://www.npr.org/2015/10/31/453393934/a-naval-ship-christening-in-the-name-of-a-fallen-war-hero

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-destroyer-christened-20151031-story.html

Posted by Paul Hunter

A Second Look At Issue 2

State Issue 2, which aims to block monopoly interests from carving out a niche in the Ohio Constitution.

A constitutional lawyer says the Issue 2 “cure” could be worse than the “disease” if Ohioans approve the measure in Tuesday’s election.

Maurice Thompson, executive director of the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, a conservative, nonprofit legal center, said Issue 2 would hamper future citizen-driven ballot initiatives, including those seeking tax reforms.

The issue would not prevent the General Assembly from initiating monopoly ballot issues and would give the Ohio Ballot Board too much authority to decide what is and is not a monopoly in reviewing their placement on the ballot, Thompson said.

The messaging behind State Issue 2 appears to be built upon the mistruths that it prevents monopolies and would stop the proposed marijuana monopoly if enacted — neither is accurate. This is simply an attack on Ohioans’ initiative rights,”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/10/30/conservative-lawyer-sees-ill-effects-from-anti-monopoly-issue-2.html

Posted by Paul Hunter

What's Going On with City Property “Update”

A lease agreement was signed by Mayor Riley on October 20, 2015 but was backdated to be effective July 1, 2015 to rent a building now owned by the city of Wilmington's sewer department..

The building, a part of the property once owned by the Textron Company, was formerly leased by Total Baking Solutions for $1 a year, in a failed effort to create jobs.

The new lessee (renter) is Runway Logistics a company connected to the Sewell Motor Express Company.

The area to be rented consists of 55,000 square ft. of floor space and various other attached buildings and an option to rent another 43,000 square ft. The term of the agreement is for three years.

Rent payment is $2 per square ft. annually. The same rate will be paid when and if the additional option is taken.

My understanding is that because the purchase of the former Textron property was paid for by the waste water (sewer) enterprise fund all payments from the agreement will be made to that fund. A windfall for a fund that is debt free and with a significant and growing carry over (surplus).

Paul Hunter 

Beware Of Flat Tax Hucksters

Presidential candidate Ben Carson announced his tax plan recently. It's labeled the tithing tax system by some.

Under the no loophole 10% flat tax plan, my federal income tax taxes on a moderate retirement income would increase by $1,300 per year.

Supporters of the voodoo system claim that, not only would we would all see a tax cut, but that federal revenue would actually increase. This in spite of the fact that there is no empirical data or historical record supporting such an outcome.

If the claim is to at least maintain current federal revenue it is apparent that if folks with a moderate income have to pay more, some one else will have to pay less. Duh!

The last presidential candidate that offered a flat tax system was Steve Forbes who's 2000 campaign floundered and failed.

Beyond a doubt the federal tax system is in dire need of an overhaul but using fiscal magic tricks is not a viable option.

Paul Hunter budhunter@frontier.com

Muslim Cleric and Ohio Tax Dollars

The “Gulen Movement” controls more schools in Ohio (19) by population than in any other state

Who is Fethullah Gulen and

what is the Gulen Movement?

http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/who-is-fethullah-gulen-and-what-is-the-gulen-movement.html

In rural Pennsylvania, a Turkish-born Muslim imam lives in self-imposed exile.

The imam, Fethullah Gülen, came to the United States in 1999 due to cited health problems and has stayed in the United States after gaining his visa

Page created June 9, 2010;  last updated Mar 4, 2012
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools

Fethullah Gulen is the most powerful religious leader in Turkey today, even though he lives in Pennsylvania.

Since the 1970s, Gulen and his followers have slowly built up a network of educational institutions, non-governmental organizations and businesses that started in Turkey, spread to Central Asia, and now is entrenched in every continent but Antarctica.  This network is called the Gulen Movement. It is extremely secretive, and many of its members (the "Gulenists") and organizations will not even openly admit their affiliation. Publicly, the Gulen Movement advertises itself as a grassroots volunteer civil society movement that is interested only in humanitarian and educational works. Its members like to stress that it is loosely organized with no central coordination. Outside observers have noted, however, that it is in fact hierarchical and authoritarian, and has political, religious and economic goals.

Gulen Charter Schools in the United States

http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/list-of-us-schools.html
Management organization: Concept Schools http://www.conceptschools.org Operates 19 schools in Ohio

Chicago-based Concept Schools, are related through membership, fundraisers and political giving to the nonprofit Niagara Foundation, which provides trips to Turkey for state, local and federal lawmakers.

“Among those touring Turkey has been State Rep. Cliff Rosenberger, a Clarksville Republican on the powerful finance and appropriations committee and considered to be a leading candidate for House speaker next year. He was joined on the trip by at least four other state legislators and local government leaders from his area in southwest Ohio

1. Horizon Science Academy Cincinnati http://www.horizoncincy.org/
2. Horizon Science Academy Cleveland http://www.hsas.org/
3. Horizon Science Academy Cleveland Middle School http://www.hsacms.org/
4. Horizon Science Academy Cleveland Elementary School http://es.horizoncleveland.org/
5. Horizon Science Academy Columbus High School http://www.horizoncolumbus.org/
6. Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School http://www.horizoncolumbus.org/ms/
7. Horizon Science Academy Columbus Elementary School http://es.horizoncolumbus.org/
8. Horizon Science Academy Dayton Elementary School http://es.horizondayton.org
9. Horizon Science Academy Dayton http://www.horizondayton.org/
10. Horizon Science Academy Dayton Downtown http://dt.horizontoledo.org
11. Horizon Science Academy Denison Middle School http://www.horizondenison.org/
12. Horizon Science Academy Denison Elementary School www.denisonelementary.org/
13. Horizon Science Academy Lorain http://www.horizonlorain.org/
14. Horizon Science Academy Springfield http://www.horizonspringfield.org/
15. Horizon Science Academy Toledo http://www.horizontoledo.org/
16. Horizon Science Academy Toledo Downtown http://dt.horizontoledo.org
17. Horizon Science Academy Youngstown http://www.horizonyoungstown.org/
18. Noble Academy-Columbus http://www.noblecolumbus.org/
19. Noble Academy-Cleveland http://www.noblecleveland.org/

The End For Faulty Septic Systems

It is now time for our country cousins to join those of us that pay monthly fees to build and operate central treatment systems that ensures that our waste water meets standards set by the OEPA before running into our fresh water streams and lakes. Clinton County residents that use home septic systems will join Cleremont, Warren, and Greene counties in having their systems inspected periodically as required by new state laws. The former three counties have had inspection rules in place for several years. The Clinton County health department is working on plans to implement the new rules and to find a way to pay for the inspections.

The new rules are welcome to all the residents of Wilmington and folks in Union and Vernon township that use Wilmington's treated water. The source of that raw water comes from the Caesar's Creek reservoir and the more sewage contamination in that source the more chlorine is required for the treatment process.

Paul Hunter

What's Going On With City Property?

A couple of months ago I was advised by a neighbor of the city owned former Textron property on Nelson Ave. that a local trucking company was parking a lot of truck there. I noted that city council had not passed a resolution approving an agreement. I asked the Mayor's office if Sewell's trucking had a contract agreement to rent the property. I was informed at that time that an agreement was in the works and that I would receive a copy of the agreement after it was signed. After waiting more than a month I again asked the public records official if a contract actually existed she replied that it had. At the same time the Law Director advised that, if there was a signed agreement, he had not seen it. The major concern is that without an agreement the city could be liable for any accident involving the tenant occurring on the property.

I feel fairly confidant that a city councilman's hire by Sewell at about the same time is not a factor in this mystery.

Paul Hunter

A Vote For Global Warming

One result of the Ohio Legislature's stance on alternate energy affects Clinton County and the East Clinton Schools. A proposed wind farm in northeast Clinton County would have produced a major revenue stream for those entities. A lease has been signed and a project had been planed for a multi-megawatt wind farm. Investors backed away when the state changed the law thus discouraging such investment. Representative Cliff Rosenberger and Senator Bob Peterson voted against alternate energy expansion and, in effect, for coal and conventional power company interests. Even though Rosenberger's district includes no coal producing counties and in the ten counties in Peterson's district only one is a minor coal producer. There no conventional power plants in Rosenberger's district and only one significant plant in Peterson's district. Whom are they representing, their constituents, or outside interests?

Ohio has fallen in energy efficiency compared with other states, according to an annual report from a group that supports clean-energy policies.

The state ranks 27th in the country, down two spots from 2014 and down nine spots from 2013 in a scorecard published by the nonprofit American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

“The point drops were due to stagnation on the part of Ohio,” said Annie Gilleo, the group’s state policy manager. “If one state is standing still, other states are going pass it.”

The big change in Ohio was attributed to legislation last year that placed a two-year freeze on standards for energy efficiency and renewable energy. The standards apply to electricity utilities. Some of those utilities pushed for the freeze, saying the costs of compliance were greater than the benefits.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2015/10/24/ohio-falls-in-energy-

efficiency-ranks.html

http://aceee.org/sites/default/files/pdf/state-sheet/2015/ohio.pdf

Fixing Streets Cost Money

10/19/15

To editor;

Reference the News Journal's Wilmington council at large candidate interview 10/17/15.

In the run up to last May's primary election several people running for city council seats made the easiest promise a council person can make. “if elected I will not increase taxes”. This infers that council has a choice in the matter of increasing city property or income taxes. In reality council has no choice. Only we voters the can make that decision.

In the referenced interview for the at-large election Councilperson Milburn was quoted as saying “I think that it's possible to have the best of both worlds”. In spite of the fact that she has no official choice in the matter she said, I'm not for a tax increase...(and) I don't think we need to cut any of our city services” How a voodoo budget would accomplish this feat she left to our imagination. With no funds for repairing rapidly deteriorating streets, a budget cut to the bone and as much as $1 million required in state matching dollars to repair just a few miles of the worst streets on the horizon, prospects are dim.

Councilman McKay and candidate Swindler agree that the voters be given a choice to vote on a street repair tax levy. Candidate Eichelberger indicated that she would need to do more research on the street funding issue.

After much research on the matter I offer my own ideas for increasing revenue for street repairs.

A five year two mill dedicated (can only be used for streets) property tax can be put on the ballot for next spring's primary election.

The $500 thousand annual revenue from the levy could be used to secure a $2 million or more bond or note to finance a one time citywide repair-repaving project that would get us back on a normal maintenance schedule wherein normal budgeting could pay the maintenance bill. After the five years the levy will expire no matter what council does.

The purpose of the one time mass repair is to get more bang for the buck. The bigger the project the cheaper the cost per mile. A a half mile this year and a half mile next year is a very inefficient method.

A two mill levy would cost the average Wilmington home owner less than $6 per month. A senior home owner would pay $4 per month.

Some are suggesting a quarter percent, non-dedicated income tax levy that would generate over $1 million per year and cost a family with a $60 thousand income, $13 per month.

Paul Hunter 

Ohio Voter Decision

 No matter our opinion for or against the marijuana amendment (issue 3 on the ballot) I submit that a real threat to Ohio's voters rights is issue 2 which is intended to place the legislature's preferences above the voter's right to choose.

When a single political party controls all of the State government the voters are at the mercy of the legislature whether or not the voters approve of the actions of that body. The amendment process is the only option to undo one party rule excesses. The most recent example was the passage of legislation limiting the rights of labor organizations. (Senate Bill 5) The passage of a constitutional amendment repealing the law is proof the the people disagreed with the Ohio government position.

That is just one example, it could be just as possible that in the future a one part government of different party would pass legislation giving Unions super powers over industry and against the interest of the people. The only recourse to correct the law would be a constitutional amendment. It's a precious right not to be squandered over the political agenda of the few in government. The current legislature is saying, in effect, that the people don't have the ability to correctly choose the right path on issue 2.

I believe that this is one issue where true Libertarians, Conservatives and Liberals can agree to vote no on.

Paul Hunter  

Pay Attention Ohio Legislature

You should reverse course on your short term and backward approach toward the alternative energy movement. Coal is a fading commodity and that political money will soon fade as well. You are on the wrong side of the energy future.

From the NY Times

“Nine major companies are expected on Wednesday to join a global coalition of firms intent on converting to renewable energy. The new members include Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Starbucks,Walmart and Goldman Sachs.”

Posted by Paul Hunter

Need I Say More?

[Ohio's] “Unionized workers earned about 32 percent more than non-union workers, $20.17 an hour compared to $15.27, according to Policy Matters’ research, but the number of unionized workers is a fraction of what it once was.” Dayton Daily News 9/23/15

Some of our own legislators want to go even further and continue their Union busting crusade by creating a Right to Freeload law, AKA Right to Work law for Ohio.

Posted by Paul Hunter

Work to Consume, “TaTa”

Another canary in the coal mine of the “work to consume” economic model.

Where's the labor value, excess or otherwise, in this product?

The value goes to the owner of the printer or other automation systems.

Doctor creating 3D printed stethoscope for $2.50 for underserved, war-torn areas

Dr. Tarek Loubani says that his 3D printed stethoscope can be made for $2.50 and works as well as higher-end counterparts. This is great news for areas that are  The idea for this came after his experiences in Gaza City's main hospital back in 2012.

Posted by Paul Hunter

Ask Your Dentist

Politics vs. public health.

A few Ohio cities are exempt from mandatory fluoridation due to 1970 referenda

Is it time to revisit Wilmington's 1970 vote against fluoride? The city is one of only 22 cities out of hundreds of Ohio cities without fluoridation.

After all, the silly 1960s propaganda that fluoridation was a communist plot has been rendered moot by the fall of the Soviet Union.

Note: The Supreme Court of Ohio rejected plaintiff’s arguments, holding that the prevention of dental caries was a proper public health matter for the city to regulate, and that the introduction of fluoride into the municipal drinking water did not violate plaintiff’s constitutionally protected rights.

Ohio Department of Health

https://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/ohs/oral/oralprev/fluoridation.aspx

1. Community Water Fluoridation

The ODH has called community water fluoridation“the single most important step a community can take to improve the dental health of its residents.” More than 70 years of research and community experience have shown that fluoridation works.

The following information provides answers to frequently asked questions about community water fluoridation. A one-page fact sheet is also available.

What is community water fluoridation? Fluoride is naturally present in all water. Community water fluoridation is the adjustment of the natural fluoride level in public water systems to an optimal level to prevent tooth decay. In Ohio, most water systems that serve more than 5,000 persons are currently required by law to adjust the fluoride level.

What is the status of community water fluoridation in Ohio? About 91 percent, or 10.5 million Ohioans, are served by public water supplies. Of those, 92 percent are served by systems with adequate fluoride levels. Nationally, Ohio ranks 11^th in the percentage of persons on public water systems receiving fluoridated water. However, about 822,000 Ohioans on public water systems do not receive fluoridated water.

How does the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) promote community water fluoridation? ODH provides information on the safety, benefits and cost of fluoridation and gives technical assistance to communities considering water fluoridation. ODH also recognizes community water systems that have fluoridated for more than 50 years by presenting the National Fluoridation 50 Year Awards. Please see the list of the 2015 recipients, which includes a list of past recipients as well.

Compiled by Paul Hunter

A Thought For This Labor Day

The headline reads “Ohio job gains colored by stagnant wages”. Please remember that labor has value. A lot more value than the Wall St. money shifters can generate. Without labor there is no wealth for them to play with. Without labor there is no economy. Case closed.

Paul Hunter

Kasich, “Vote For Me”

Why? Because, with the help of the legislature, including Cliff Rosenberger and Bob Peterson, I balanced the state budget.

How did he do that? For the answer, ask the Commissioners, Trustees and Mayors of Ohio's local governments. i.e.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP [Clinton County] — Officials in Jefferson Township are thinking of ways to raise revenue for the general fund after recent cuts of state aid for local governments.

“We’ve been working on this since January trying to figure out which route to go,” said Trustee Bob Stroud. “They cut out money, so we’ve got to make up for it somewhere. I don’t know where it’s going to be.”

“We used to get an estate tax, and we don’t get it no more,” said Dale Cochran, also a trustee.

“The state is keeping (tax revenue that used to go to local government assistance) and balancing their budget, and it’s making it look bad on all the local governments,” Cochran also said.............

http://wnewsj.com/news/3208/jefferson-township-weighs-levies

Paul Hunter

Speaker Rosenberger Helped

Thanks in part by Cliff Rosenberger's legislative inaction concerning charters the scandal widens.

Charter school scandal may damage Gov. John Kasich’s presidential bid.

Cincinnati Enquirer: “…on Thursday night, after more than six weeks of waiting, The Enquirer received records that may clarify who was involved in the charter-school misconduct … What we know now: David Hansen, Ohio’s school-choice director, resigned in July … Hansen admitted he intentionally had scrubbed data … to make the charter-school sponsors look better overall. Hansen is the husband of Beth Hansen, who served as Kasich’s chief of staff until he launched his presidential campaign, which she now manages.”

Paul Hunter

Obey The Law Or Resign.

Re: Kentucky clerk, citing God, defies courts on gay marriage

What should a government official do when their personal religious beliefs are in conflict with the duties and responsibilities of the office held? In a Nation where the separation of religion is a basic tenet the options are clear. Obey the law or resign the position.

Paul Hunter

From Rich To Richer

Anybody can do it if Donald can. Hard work and free enterprise made Trump what he is today. What that is, is is open to interpretation. It's certainly not an Horatio Alger tale.

Excerpted from: The Self-Made Myth: The Truth About How Government Helps Individuals and Businesses Succeed. http://www.alternet.org/story/156234/exposing_how_donald_trump_really_made_his_fortune%3A_inheritance_from_dad_and_the_government's_protection_mostly_did_the_trick

Trump was born in New York City in 1946, the son of real estate tycoon Fred Trump. Fred Trump’s business success not only provided Donald Trump with a posh youth of private schools and economic security but eventually blessed him with an inheritance worth an estimated $40 million to $200 million.

He understands and relates to the working men and women of this great country so get off food dstamps and get to work.

Paul Hunter budhunter@frontier.com

Forgetting History

Over the years many of my Republican friends have expressed wonder that the party of Lincoln, the creator of the Emancipation Proclamation, has failed to maintain its place in the political heart of the black electorate. After all the deep south Democrats were rightly viewed as the party of racial oppression via jim crow laws. What happened?

A case study of the causation:

Under pressure from the post war civil rights movement Democrat President Harry Truman, following the lead of President Roosevelt, began to raise civil rights issues as a national issue. This of course raised the political ire of the southern democrats and resulted in the formation of the Dixiecrat (southern “states rights”democrat) party.

The then Democrat Governor of South Carolina, Strom Thurmond, was chosen to represent the new segregationist party in the 1948 Presidential election.

This quote from a Thurmond campaign speech best typifies the attitude of the dixiecrat party and the beginning of the end of the democratic control of southern politics. “I wanna tell you, ladies and gentlemen, that there's not enough troops in the army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the Nigra race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes, and into our churches.”

Later Thurmond was elected to a Senate seat as a Democrat but as a result of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and he along with other southern democrats switched parties.

Paul Hunter  budhunter@frontier.com

Stock Market Gambling

Is trading on the stock markets a zero sum game? The answer is no, it's a negative sum game.

Why is this so?

A zero sum game is like a friendly poker night where each of seven players brings $100 to gamble with. When the game ends with some winners and some losers the most that can be taken out the door is the original $700. There is nothing added to the original sum. No new group wealth is created.

If on the other hand the seven gamblers go to a commercial poker game where the “house” takes a small portion of each pot (game), less than the original $700 sum goes out the door. Substitute stock broker for the “house” in this simple scenario and hopefully the point s made.

Paul Hunter budhunter@frontier.com

Water, Water Everywhere and Nowhere

In 2014 it was determined by this observer that the city was losing an unaccounted for 130 million gallons (MG) of treated water per year.

The city water department blamed the loss on leaking old pipes, inaccurate meters and other miscellaneous causes.

The department's consultant, Aqua-line Leak Detection Services* was paid an estimated $12,000 to do a treated water leak analysis in March-April of 2015.

In their final report dated 4/9/15 Aqua-Line made the following assertions:

a. “Once leaks are repaired, the city will be saving approximately $475 per day in water production costs alone.” based on costs of $1.50 per thousand gallons. “Savings will most likely be higher, as our water loss estimates are somewhat conservative .”

b. Leakage summary includes “discovered and repaired” supply side leaks totaling an estimated 210, 000 gallons per day (GPD). Or, 6.3 MG per month.

c. Discovered but not yet repaired leaks (as of 4/9/15) totaling 52,000 GPD or 1.565 MG per month bringing the total discovered loss of 7.865 MG per month.

The repaired leaks alone should have reduced the water loss by 75 MG per year which represents a major portion of the previous years unexplained loss.

By comparing the same months of pre-repair in 2014 with post repair months of 2015 we should be able to notice the results.

April 2014 loss 47MG; 2015 loss 48MG

May 2014 loss 49 MG; 2015 loss 48MG

June 2014 loss 49MG; 2015 loss 48MG

It appears from this small sample that instead of the expected savings of 7.9MG per month (assuming all repairs have been made) the city is saving 1 MG per month. At 1.50 per thousand gallons production cost the net cost of the loss is an estimated $123,000 per year.

The water department responded to questions concerning the discrepancies in the report by the Mayor and Council's water committee chairman by repeating the same answers from the year before and added the comment that the consultant may have had overestimated the size of leaks.

*not accredited by the Better Business Bureau

Paul Hunter

budhunter@frontier.com