Beware Of Politicians Bearing Gifts.

Be they Greek or otherwise.

From the Dayton Daily News 1/30/15

“Ohio Gov. John Kasich wants to double the personal exemption for workers making less than $80,000 a year, eliminate income taxes for small businesses with less than $2 million in annual sales, and better tailor job training and social services for individuals.”

What this means in general terms is that a taxpayer in the stated income range would be able to double the current personal exemption of $1,700 to $3,400. All things being equal an earner with an Ohio income of $50,000 would save an estimated $64 per year.

On the road to Iowa and New Hampshire the governor is bragging about cutting taxes and balancing the budget. What he doesn't talk about is the means used to accomplish this fiscal magic. Where did the dollars come from? Let me count the ways. 1. Increased property taxes for residential property owners. 2. Elimination of the senior citizen home owner $300 per year property tax reduction for most seniors born after 1948. 3. Slashing tax revenue sharing with local governments and public schools.

These funding reductions means that small cities like Wilmington have had to cut services that provide safety and quality of life functions. Wilmington is in the sad position of having to operate with a smaller than needed police force. The city parks are operating on a bare bones budget and relying on charity to maintain services. Drive down almost any city street and observe the results of underfunded street maintenance and repair budgets. The streets are in such bad shape that city council is debating whether to ask the voters for a two mill property tax increase or to raise quarter percent income tax a quarter percent. Council has little choice but to find new revenue to replace the lost state share.

Local school districts are operating at a minimal basis and may soon have to ask the voters for a tax increase.

Now, lets look at the $50,000 earner's place in this discussion. The income tax increase would cost him or her $125 per year. If a property tax is the chosen and the earners home was valued at $150,000, the property tax increase would be $105. That amount is 12.5 percent higher than it would have been prior to the governors budget balancing tax increase.

Thanks Gov.

Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com  

Tangled Web Update

From previous post: ..It should be interesting to see how this all plays out in the coming months as Cliff's House deals with the governor's avowed promise to make Ohio's charter schools more accountable for the millions of public education dollars the schools receive.

P. S. This morning (1/29/15) the Columbus Dispatch quoted Speaker Rosenberer. “This is not a witch hunt on charter schools,” said Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville. “ This is something we need to do to make it a little more fair and balanced and make sure there is more transparency and accountability.”

What A Tangled Web We Weave

Our state representative and now house speaker Cliff Rosenberger appears to be involved with at least two Ohio charter school operators. This is an unusual connection because there are no charter schools in Cliff's district.

The first situation involves the troubled Chicago-based Concept Schools, which are related through membership, fundraisers and political giving to the nonprofit Niagara Foundation, which provides trips to Turkey for state, local and federal lawmakers. Rosenberger joined two other House Republicans and two local officials for a trip to Turkey. The trip, focused on economic development, was paid for by the Niagara Foundation, which also has sponsored dinner at the state capital. [Contradiction] All four elected officials and the legislative staffer paid their own airfare and traveled at no expense to the taxpayers. I guess we won't know the truth until Cliff deigns to reveal it.

http://ohiohousegop.blogspot.com/2011/12/state-representatives-lead-economic.html

       Rosenberger’s office did not answer Beacon Journal requests for                        information.

Rosenberger received a $1,850 contribution from the foundation in 2012.

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/ohio-taxpayers-provide-jobs-to-turkish-immigrants-through-charter-schools-1.501940

The other connection involves charted operators Brennan and William Lager who run the nation's single largest for-profit K-12 school contributed $36,467 to Rosenberger.

http://knowyourcharter.com/2015/01/21/policy-vs-politics-will-prevail-looming-ohio-charter-school-reform-fight/

It should be interesting to see how this all plays out in the coming months as Cliff's House deals with the governor's avowed promise to make Ohio's charter schools more accountable for the millions of public education dollars the schools receive.

P. Hunter

Blackstone's Ratio

It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer", William Blackstone.

As a nation it is time to consider how many innocent have people been put to death in our name and reconsider a ban on the death penalty.

From, The Guardian's web site http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/27/innocent-us-prisoners-exonerated-in-2014-highest-levels

More US prisoners were exonerated of crimes that they did not commit in 2014 than in any year since records began in 1989, indicating new resolve on the part of prosecutors and law enforcement to tackle the scourge of wrongful convictions across America.

But [it was] pointed out that the vast majority of jurisdictions, including Los Angeles and most smaller towns and cities, still lag behind, rendering the chances of an innocent prisoner finding relief in most of America much more tenuous.

Posted by Paul Hunter

"Je suis Badawi”

 is a chant worth honoring. Badawi is not some witless pornographer lampooning a community's religion.

Obama was right by declining to march arm and arm with the hypocritical representatives of a nation that sentences a political critic to 10 years in prison and 1,000 public lashings.

Paul Hunter

WATER loss GATE Update.

The Wilmington water department has discovered and repaired a significant water leak from a main on Rombach Ave. near McDonald's. It's not known how many gallons per day was being lost but it was many thousands of gallons. The cost of the repair was around $3,500. It will not be known how the fix will affect the annual lost water total of 130 million per year the the department experienced in 2013 until a month by month comparison can be made.
Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com

Congress Takes Over Foreign Policy

House Speaker John Boehner is setting up his most dramatic foreign policy confrontation with President Barack Obama to date, inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak about Iran before a joint session of Congress on Feb. 11.

In a followup to this report, TongueIncheek News, said that sources inside the Speaker's mini department of State are arraigning a state dinner for the Prime Minister, complete with the Iron Dome string ensemble. :-)  

Majority - Smajority

Before we get all hot and bothered about Obama's apparent disregard of the new GOP majority congress in his state of the union speech please consider:

If the aim was to position the minority party for the 2016 presidential and congressional elections, that was accomplished.

Bear in mind that nationwide, the Democrats, who vote for president polled more votes than did the GOP in 2014's senate races while losing in many individual low population-low turnout states.

The nationwide turnout percentage for the 2014 was the lowest since WW II. Young and minority voters were the predominate no-shows.

Obama's approval rating is on the rise as the economy continues to grow.

In the final analysis states elect congress and the nation elects the President. In the meantime not much will get done in our Capital.

Having made these observations this writer has little concern for national agendas because big money rules and voters have to live with that fact and try to get along as best we can.

Paul Hunter.

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Presentation To City Council

1/15/15

If council or the administration has a plan to find the money to repair the rapidly deteriorating streets of this fair city I have yet to hear of it. We are, according to the street department superintendent, facing a million dollar repair bill in the next year or two and I have no idea of how we are going to pay for it.

I have spent hours of research on this project and presented the results to the city fathers and mothers and the least I could expect is someone telling me that we have a plan and what is what it is.

I realize that this is an election year but in this single party town, that shouldn't be a factor.

In case council and the administration think the public would not trust them on the street repair needs I suggest that we follow the water rate model. The needs of the water department were long running but no one wanted to step up and increase water rates. The solution then was to hire a consultant and under that cover, rates were increased. Do we need to spend a few thousand bucks for a street repair consultant and then say, "it's not us, it's the consultant saying we need to raise revenue"

I and many folks I talk to have a difficult time understanding why council is denying the voters an opportunity to chose a revenue source for street repair and maintenance. Under Ohio law council can't raise local taxes only the voters can do that. Council has missed this election cycle's dead line to offer that option and that too too bad.

I would like to see a council that is proactive and not just reactive to routine legislation placed in their meeting packets.

We talk about development and jobs for the city but what would a prospective job creator's impression be if they had to dodge pot holes as the drove in to town.

My question is not rhetorical I would like to hear about a plan if there is one!

Thanks for letting me vent my frustrations.

[Post script: Council's streets committee chairman McKay plans to schedule a meeting to deal with the problem]

Paul Hunter

Free Speech In A Civilized Society

Re: the publisher of Charlie Hebdo says it is printing a total of 7 million copies of the once-obscure French satirical magazine.

Consider the absolute right of unfettered free speech in relation to empathy and common decency.

Would you join millions of citizens in supporting a foul language laden and pornographic filled anti Christian publication in the name of free speech, no matter the provocation?

Paul Hunter

Municipal Court Judge

Take a moment to consider why you should vote for Brian Shidaker for judge of the municipal Court. Experience in the criminal justice system matters. Brian is one of the good guys
More in later posts
Paul Hunter

The Gun Question Repeated

Bartender accused of Boehner threat

Where and how did this certifiable mentally ill person acquire two lethal weapons?  Maybe at a yard sale, a gun show parking lot or from a straw buyer from Virginia.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/fbi-boehners-bartender-planned-to-poison-him/njnLb/

Hoyt told authorities that “voices in his head” told him that Boehner is the devil, and he needed to expose him, according to the federal court documents.

Hoyt admitted to having a loaded Beretta .380 Automatic handgun, “and he was going to shoot Boehner and take off,” according to court documents. He also keeps another firearm — an SKS, which is a rifle — “in the corner of his bedroom.”

Court records show that Hoyt had previously been treated for a psychotic episode about two years ago where he was “under significant stress.” He was having issues at work and was “jumped” by several people for unknown reasons. At that time, Hoyt was taken to West Chester Hospital where he was prescribed psychotropic medication, which he stopped taking after about six months.

Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com

Tax Matter

Good News:

City of Wilmington home and farm owners will see a 2 (1.9127) mill reduction in property taxes this year. If a resident was willing to dedicate that savings toward a 2 mill street levy please let city hall know.

Call Andrea at 382-5458 of email atacoronte@ci.wilmington.oh.us

Or, your councilperson. (contact information on the city web site) http://www.egovlink.com/wilmington/staff_directory_info.asp?org_group_id=223

Paul Hunter

Stepping Back From The News Of The Day.

And, stepping into the shoes of the other.

I agree with the majority of western observers that the culture clash with Islamists of the Muslim world, with a population 1.6 billion people, will not be won by military means. Wars against ideas seldom if ever are, including our own revolution that England tried to suppress with force of superior arms. Wars of intervention and regime change have been equally futile efforts and create a fertile ground for an extreme group's recruitment.

Starting with the crusades of the eleventh and twelfth century and continuing through the fifteenth and into the twentieth, ending with WW I, the Muslims controlled a wide swath of the world. That control was absorbed by the ascendent western-christian nations. The power shift included such niceties as exploitation of human and natural resources via empire building and colonization, New nations were formed and old nations were ruled by puppet rulers.

This statement was accepted back in the day by western power brokers and resented by those subjects.

“In 1884 the leading exponent of colonialism, Jules Ferry declared; "The higher races have a right over the lower races, they have a duty to civilize the inferior races."

The Oil-Shah of Iran is a classic case in point of western overreach.

From Wikipedia:

“The 1953 Iranian coup d'état, known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup, was the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran Mohammad Mosaddegh on 19 August 1953, orchestrated by the United Kingdom and the United States.

Mossadegh had sought to audit the books of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), a British corporation (now BP) and to change the terms of the company's access to Iranian oil reserves. Upon alleged refusal of the AIOC to cooperate with the Iranian government, the Iranian parliament voted to nationalize the assets of the company and expel their representatives from the country.

According to the CIA's declassified documents and records, some of the most feared mobsters in Tehran were hired by the CIA to stage pro-Shah riots on 19 August. Other CIA-paid men were brought into Tehran in buses and trucks, and took over the streets of the city. Between 300 and 800 people were killed because of the conflict. Mosaddegh was arrested, tried and convicted of treason by the Shah's military court. On 21 December 1953, he was sentenced to three years in jail, then placed under house arrest for the remainder of his life. Other Mosaddegh supporters were imprisoned, and several received the death penalty.”

National memories are long lasting. Fast forward to Iran in 1979 and beyond. Any questions?

Another pressure point, that is a primary Jihadist propaganda and agitation tool, is the state of affairs in the Israeli – Palestinian area. It appears to this poster that Israel is determined to to take over control of the entire west bank. Despite many false starts and a lot of lip service toward Palestinian statehood the goal seems further away as the years roll on and Israel continues to expand settlements in what is considered, by most countries, to be Palestine land.

“In 1980, Israel officially annexed East Jerusalem and considers the whole of Jerusalem to be its capital. The annexation was condemned internationally[12] and declared "null and void" by the United Nations Security Council. The Palestinian National Authority, the United Nations, the international legal and humanitarian bodies and the international community regard East Jerusalem as part of the West Bank, and consequently a part of the Palestinian territories. The Palestinian National Authority never exercised sovereignty over the area. Israeli sovereignty, however, has not been recognized by any country, since the unilateral annexation of territory occupied during war contravenes the Fourth Geneva Convention.”

How does that make Palestinians and their Muslim brothers view the countries that preach rule of law and human rights?

“American military officials were last night trying to explain one of their worst blunders during the nine-month war in Afghanistan after a US plane mistakenly targeted a house full of wedding guests, killing at least 30 of them.”

One could write a book or books on this situation and these three issues are but a tip of the international iceberg.

In my opinion we are an empathetic nation that truly want the best for the all the world's people including all the freedoms that we enjoy in our imperfect democracy. With that thought in mind we might consider using powers of persuasion to discourage what some might call hate speech.

“Hate speech is speech that offends, threatens, or insults groups, based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits. Should hate speech be discouraged? The answer is easy—of course! However, developing such policies runs the risk of limiting an individual’s ability to exercise free speech. When a conflict arises about which is more important—protecting community interests or safeguarding the rights of the individual—a balance must be found that protects the civil rights of all without limiting the civil liberties of the speaker.”

Caveat: The thoughts expressed in this essay do not negate the need for aggressive action to curtail or prevent harmful actions by the enemies of our nation no matter their motivation.

Paul Hunter

Where's The Deficit Rant Now

Remember back in 2009 when the fiscal conservatives were scaring us by saying the budget deficit would ruin the nation. The stimulus and bailouts were just starting to work to right the nation's economy and the Tea Party was born.

The adult professionals were advising us that the end result of pumping money into the system would slowly but surely turn the economy around and the deficit would decline.

After the deficit peaked in 2009 at 9.8% of GDP*, a slow but steady increase in revenues has resulted in a 2014 deficit of 2.8% of GDP. The average deficit for years 1980-2008 was 2.5%

*The monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period, though GDP is usually calculated on an annual basis. It includes all of private and public consumption, government outlays, investments.

Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com

Joe Biden on Iraq.

Was he right or what?

During the 2008 campaign, Biden focused on his plan to achieve political success in the Iraq War through a system of federalization.

Biden said violence in Iraq could be alleviated if the country implements what he calls a federal system, in which Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis would be divided into separate regions to avoid conflict.

Wasted Money, Wasted Time

Too often management, including municipal management, feels the need to pay outside consultants to add credence to the obvious. The assumption that public doesn't trust us but they will trust the “experts” is the driving force, in my opinion.

The recent hiring of a water system consultant at a cost of $5,000 to determine the state of Wilmington's water system and its financial situation is a case in point.

a. Did we need an outside consultant to tell us that we needed to increase revenue to save a failing and poorly maintained system?

The water department chief has been beating that drum before the city council's water committee for the past several years.

b. The consultant made the complex calculation that adding a $10 per month surcharge to each water customers would generate $626,000 new revenue annually.

Any billing department employee could have figured that out with a pencil stub, on the back of an envelope.

c. The experts recommended that a per gallon rate increase not be instituted.

City council did add a per gallon increase.

d. The consultant's report stated, “The amount of non-revenue water has been relatively stable with a four year average of 18.5%.”

The city's own data indicates that the four year average rate is over 26%. The same data shows a non-accounted for water loss (leaks etc.) of 130 million gallons in 2013.

A water loss specialist has volunteered to give a non sales, unbranded presentation to council on the ways and means of determining and repairing loss failures in municipal water systems. The water committee and the administration have failed, so far, to act on this generous offer.

Paul Hunter paulhunter45177@gmail.com