Your Take: Government Corruption

Normally, I'd post this recap a solid week after I put the question to the readers. But somehow, discussion political corruption and Christmas didn't mix well in my mind (think coffee and stirfry, bleck). So here it is.

A week and a half ago, I asked you fine readers just how corrupt you thought politicians are. Here's what I heard back.

Nicole, in Iowa left a comment:

"OK, so my two cents, since I actually am from IL. I've talked to people from all over the nation about the Blago case, and there are two mentalities. Anyone who isn't from IL says, zomg, this is horrible, I can believe someone would do this.

Everyone that I know from IL? Oh, hey, the sky is still blue, and pig shit still stinks.

Honestly, the amount of corruption depends on the politician, and the location. IL(Chicago specifically) has a long history of all sorts of political fraud. It's why this story doesn't shock me one bit. Take this case to backwater Montana though, and I think that the people living there wouldn't know what hit them."

Dr. Joe, in Oxford OH also commented:

"After taking a full semester course on the interrelations between business, law, and ethics, there is one overarching lesson I have learned--We all have a little larceny in our hearts. No matter how well we mean in our actions or intentions, everyone is at some point tempted to commit an act that is unethical or unjust. While many of us choose to resist this temptation most of the time, it is natural that at some point, the bough will break, and we will put a thumb on the scale or artfully bend a rule to our or a friend's advantage.

The decision to do this or not depends greatly on the environment around the situation, and the consequences surrounding the action. If a meter maid taking a bribe stands to lose his/her job to help a stranger, it probably won't happen. But in Illinois politics, where corruption is common, and you have to play the game to get ahead, it's certainly a lot more probable that the ethical core is slightly altered to fit the new arena. The great challenge is to tackle a poor environment, and work to change it. Not an easy task. "

Teresa in Boston clicked the comment link (edits mine for clarity):

"I know this might not be the most positive of the feedback but each case is so different it really depends on the players involved for me to [decide to] get angry at a guy walking free from his 472347238 DUI, [or to get upset when an official takes] a $20 or $50 bill slipped to someone to let something they caught doing pass/slide.

I see "higher ups" getting caught for horrid crimes (ENRON) but it is way after the permenant damage is done I often ask myself who the fuck is policing these people??? Now...I am not a fan of any shape or form of a big brother but some sort of watchful eye is needed. Human is to weakness as money is to greed and when people come into power they shall seek [more] until they are full. (Usually a person in power just wants more power so this is just a cycle really.)

Corruption is pretty rampant today (in the largest and smallest sense)."

Veronica from Chicago chimed in on the comment page:

"I tend to wonder whether this kind of politics always existed and is just coming to light right now, or whether it has just gotten worse in the more recent future ..."

And Jameel in Cincinnati left a comment on my Facebook import of this post (I trimmed out portions for brevity...definitly go read the full version on Facebook):

"I've recently, due to extenuating circumstances, come under the unfortunate direct demographic of both Michael Savage and Sean Hannity. Sean Hannity, because he's such a genius and a great American, has said repeatedly on national radio, to everyone insane enough to listen, that he doesn't know any comparable example in American history of politics and business and government being as corrupt as they are today.

Does the Gilded Age not ring any bells? Everyone in the country that had any authority was corrupt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. [...] I think corruption today is exactly as bad as it was over 100 years ago. The government is not rampant with corruption and dishonorable behavior. You're not getting anything but a court date if you try to slip a meter maid $20, or walking free from repeat offenses.

However, unfortunately, I do have first hand experience with the legal system, [...] but the legal system isn't corrupt so much as it is bull crap. The legal system in regards to non-felonious and civil matters serves no purpose but to perpetuate a cycle of non-tax income for local governments. [...] If you are a repeat offender on misdemeanors like DUI, the law technically puts you in jail for however long. In the time I've spent in court, though, I've seen repeat DUI offenders, repeat non-licensed offenders, people without insurance, who have well established histories of the same offense, get off with nothing more than a veritable slap on the wrist, zero jail time, and minimal fees.

Btw lol at American Gangster reference, twas a good movie."

And that's all she wrote, folks. Thanks for your thoughts and thank you even more for taking the time to share them on my blog! Tune in next week for another chance to throw your two pennies at me.

Merry Christmas!

And by saying that, I'm not telling you to be a Christian. To be totally honest, I don't really identify myself as such. I've yet to find a religion that rings all of my bells, so I'd choose "unaffiliated" in my box.

That being said, I do hope you have/had a Merry Christmas, regardless of whether or not you celebrated a certain baby's birth. Growing up, the only really religious signs of the holiday was the old nativity scene my mother has...and really, let's be honest: those things are more dolls than anything else. Fun to play with and position.

Christmas was about going to see family we probably hadn't seen since (maybe) my sister and I's October birthdays. It was about presents. And the excitement of those presents. It was about eggnog, and cookies, and one year it was ALL about making chocolate candies. It was about a couple of days of the family just hanging out together.

So if it really offends you that I'm wishing that on you...well hell, I'm sorry. I'm not sure why, but I am.

And if it offends someone else that I'm not mention midnight mass, or praying to the Son, or however one is supposed to render proper respects, please remember that's your bag, not mine.

Ohio Legislature Lame Duck Session

I've gotten so busy trying to figure out how to get the interactive portion of this blog up and functioning, I've sort of forgotten about the local spin this blog is supposed to have. Let's fix that, shall we?

A few interesting things have come out of the Ohio Legislature's lame duck session this month. Normally, you'd hear "lame duck" applied to outgoing President Bush. It also applies in this case because, in theory at least, many of the people at the Statehouse will be leaving office after this month, making it a group of "lame ducks."

Three of these bills got the kebosh from Governor Strickland--a tax credit for film making, paying bonuses to recent war vets from the rainy day fund, and eliminating the "golden week" for voter registration/voting (where you can show up at a designated spot to register, and then vote at the same time).

Another bill sort of tries to address human trafficking, by making it a first degree felony to force people into prostitution. However, this is merely an ammendment to another bill, one that would force abortion clinics to display "No one can force you to have an abortion" signs. (Satire warning) I would hate to see the Ohio legislature do anything that didn't somehow advance a productive, conservative agenda.

A more useful bill is one that will allow Cuyahoga County to buy up some of the multitude of foreclosures they have and use them in a land bank to help neighborhoods recover. Good to see someone taking action on that, since the empty houses in Cleveland are now legendary.

And now there's one less legal way to get your buzz--or hallucinations--on. The Ohio legislature did in fact add salvia to the list of controlled substances, right along side heroine and marijuana.

Other interesting noise out of the Statehouse is all about the budget cuts: another 5.75% across the board, except for education, veterans aid, and prisons. This is starting to scare me. The governor is talking about federal aid and a lack of fat left in the budget. The Columbus Dispatch did a story not long ago about what some of these cuts could look like, and it's not a pretty picture.

It's not just state agencies that would feel the hurt, it's all the poor communities that rely on state grants and other funds to operate. What happens when counties can't pay their deputies, road crews, crime labs, prisons, and health departments because the money from Columbus has dried up?

Unless some of that half a trillion dollars I keep hearing about from the Obama transition team trickles down to states in the form of Medicaid, education, or public works help...we could start looking like a third world nation here in the "Heart of it All."

Corruption in Politics

So, as you're prolly aware by now, the Governor of Illinois was alledgedly planning on selling the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama. The guy apparantly had legal bills, and who knows what other money troubles that made him consider selling out the democratic process. It's a pretty classic scenario...you get in over your head, and then decide the only way to get back out of the pit is to take a few roads you'd never otherwise consider.

At least, one would hope selling a Senate seat isn't on the first page of options for a state Governor.

However, you have to remember this is America. We have a long and colorful history of corrupt politicians. It's human nature...when you think you can make some extra cash, you do so. Especially when it's significant money and you don't think you can get caught. There are exceptions...but they really are exceptions. For every judge who gets bought off by Vito Corleone, there's a Russel Crowe who actually turns in the $1,000,000 in drug money he finds in the trunk of a car.

But at the same time...what do you think?? How rampant (or not) do you think corruption is today? Do you think that you can get a parking fine dropped by slipping the meter maid a $20? Did you ever watch some guy walk free from his fifth DUI? Watched a Congressman vote for the most irrational bill with weak backup?

E-mail me, leave a comment, give me a call or text...whatever. Let me know how corrupt you think our society really is, and I'll post the replies next Thursday. Till then...adios!

Mary Jo Kilroy Finally Wins Seat

So I'm a lil late to the game, but the 15th Ohio Congressional District has a Representative. Mary Jo Kilroy managed to win, by a margin of 2,311 votes. That's not much at all, when you consider the number of votes cast: 304,000.

It was enough to beat the automatic recount law, however. In a local, country, or district election the margin needs to be 1/2%. In any statewide race, the margin drops to 1/4%. I didn't know that! Thanks to the Moritz College of Law over at OSU for having such a clear post on the issue.

Stivers, in a truly classy move, conceded gracefully and without much comment. I'm quite pleased, because I see this as further indication of a new shift in politics. It seems like the partisan lines are blurring more and more. The electorate is coming together more, making it harder to get a clear winner. The voters in this past election are less interested in voting with their party, it seems. The concern is more about who will go to Washington and take care of their consituent.

Now THERE is a novel concept, hm?

I like liberal Republicans. I also like conservative Democrats. Because they aren't radicals...they're a lot closer to what I believe in. Hopefully this trend continues, eh?

Your Take: Ballot Initiatives

As promised, here's the recap from our favorite ballot issue poll! Thanks for everyone taking time to write out a response to last week's question.

Joe in Oxford, Ohio writes:

"I think I'm going to select Proposition 8 out in California. Although I'm baffled, surprised, and a little angry that marriage is now more specifically defined in yet another state, I think that at least it was a valid attempt. Plus, I think that referendum may have very far-reaching consequences. After all, if it can't pass in California, it starts to look like the issue as a whole will face an even more uphill battle in the future. However, the vote showed that not all preconceptions are true--obviously San Francisco is not representative of the entire state of California, fortunately or unfortunately."

Casey in Cincinnati, Ohio told me:

"I would have to say may favorite issue on the ballot was [Ohio] Issue 5, because it took me by surprise. I had no idea Payday loan places were able to charge 391%!! That is insane, and doesn't help our economy that already has people 10 feet under."

And finally Sarah from Columbus, Ohio sent in this note:

"The ballot initiative which stuck out in my mind was Ohio's Issue 6, involving the in-state casino. Ohioans have been voting 'No' on this issue for years and years. I knew as soon as I heard about it, before hearing any details, the issue would be shot down because Ohioans simply don't want a casino in their state.

The only way it would come close to passing is if there were a lot of strings attached and more than the usual share of casino revenue would be going back to the state. I personally voted for it because I see more benefits than drawbacks. More jobs, money staying in state. Crime wouldn't be much of a factor - look at the surrounding state's casinos for evidence of this.

The state confirmed my suspicions on November 4th, however, when they voted it down. I'm looking forward to next year when we get the chance to debate the issue further. Maybe the lawmakers will actually come up with something that sparkles this time."

Two things stuck out in my mind with this replies:

1. People learned things from the ballot initiative campaigns, as Casey points out about the 391% annual interest rate the pay day lenders were getting.
2. None of this is done, as both Joe and Sarah wrote. Democracy is never really finished unless it's killed by a military coup...so I take their comments as a good sign.

There you have it! Two state issues and an eye on the national scene. Two monetary issues and one social concern. I'm not a statistician, so I'm not sure what this tell us about the concerns of the voters (not that three is an acceptable sample of the Ohio population...), but it does make for interesting water cooler talk. I mean, anything but actually working, right?

My Take: Obama's Centrist Moves

As Obama stopped campaigning, and started getting down to the business of running the country (I mean, someone has to...) it's become somewhat obvious he's not quite the socialist, nationalizing commie he's been made out to be by the right wing.

Likewise, he's not quite the champion of the progressive movement who will bring peace and happiness to all, as the left wing has promised.

To me, that's a damned good thing. My rule of thumb is when the extreme ends of the spectrum are BOTH mad at you, you're smack dab where you want to be.

I've been watching the nominations and the leaks of nominations. I've listened to the news conferences, and the analysis of those conferences. And all this seems to be adding up to is the man is making some calculated steps in the direction of sound governance.

I know, it's been such a foreign concept for the last decade. While it's a little annoying ("What do you mean, he's not promising to shut down Gitmo by February???") it's also the sign of a mature mind. You can't argue very well against the desire to have something in place before knocking down the old regime.

Really, I think all we can expect from Obama right now is to set up a solid, well rounded team...and to tackle this pesky economic crisis. Really, that's all we should have on our minds right now, because unless our house is in order...we can't even think about landscaping the lawn.

I can wait for Gitmo to be closed. I can wait for education reform. I can wait for taxes to be made sensible again. I can wait for healthcare and social security to be worked out. Because you need the little things, before the bigger things. Obama seems to understand that very clearly, and is setting up people who think the same way.

And really, that's how a moderate works. That's how someone who thinks about the issues operates. So all in all, I feel quite good.

And that's more than enough rambling for this Tuesday. You folks have fun.

Ballot Initiatives

You're probably familiar with the concept of a ballot initiative, even if you don't realize it.

It's when a voter (or a group of voters) take their beef straight to the people. Like with the recent pay day lending issue...the pay day lenders decided they didn't want the legislature having the final say, and petitioned to put it on the ballot.

Why do these matter to you?

A) Because it's one of the few cases where you get to have a direct voice in the government.
B) These are laws that directly effect you.

There are a lot of people who will be upset when they can't just go take out a check express loan whenever they feel like it, and unfortunately I don't think many of those people voted on the issue. They lost their voice on their cash advance loans because they didn't vote.

It's also nice to think that my opinion counts, and I'm not relying on the judgement of some person who is going to vote the party line. (The judgement of the electorate is another question altogether).

So how do you get an initiative on the ballot?

Regulations differ from state to state as to how to get an initiative on the ballot. In fact, one of the ballot initiatives on my ballot this year was about new regulations for ballot initiatives (irony!).

Typically, you need to get enough signatures (number varies) on a petition to prove there's a need for this issue. Then you have to have them in by a certain date, to allow for verification of said signatures. Because not just any clown can be a signer...they have to be registered voters, and at least in Ohio, registered in the county your peitition is designated for.

That's why those people have like 90 clipboards, a petition for each county, just in case. Oh, and there's steps about the petition itself, to make sure it isn't TOO misleading...just go to the Secretary of State's webpage about ballot access to get the full story.

Anyhow, here's where the interactive part comes in. I'd like to hear from you about your favorite ballot initiative this year. Whether it's one you actually liked, or hated. Whether it was your own state, somewhere in the nation, or a city ordinance. I don't care, I just want to hear about a ballot initiative that struck your fancy.

E-mail me or comment on this post...I'll run a recap post with all your thoughts next week (appropriateness pending, of course).

Hope to hear from you!

Election

You all know how the election worked out. You're either still feeling that gooey relief or simmering anger, either about McCain/Obama or Wulsin/Schmidt or any of the dozens of other races.

I won't bore you with a recap at this late date, since we all know the Franklin County Board of Elections can give you the low-down if you really still need it.

I do want to mention something about my personal voting experience, however. The fact I was forced to vote by provisional ballot this year.

When I moved, I registered to vote well ahead of the deadline (in order to avoid this nonsense, can you believe that?). My lil card came back, and it read the correct address. I thought, "Sweet!" and didn't give this another thought.

Until I showed up to vote, and the rather hostile lady informed me that my APARTMENT number on the rolls differed from the piece of mail I brought in.

***Side note, I used my change of address confirmation from the BMV because my license shows a place I lived two addresses ago. I THOUGHT that would make it simple***

They had apartment 3D listed. I actually live at 2D. A typo when someone was compiling the voter rolls, I'd put a lot of money on it. I was rather pissed off, I'll admit it (although, that may have more to do with having been up since 8pm the previous evening). I mean, I was a guy who did everything the right way and I still felt like my vote didn't count.

Did it? Another confession...I don't know. My candidates all passed with healthy margins, so I didn't feel a duty to double check on the BOE. The poll workers gave me an explanatory sheet with information about provisional voting, reassurances that my vote would be counted (if I was actually a voter), and a hot line I could call to see if they counted my vote.

I skipped it tho. I didn't have the energy to make them figure it out...and I'm a middle class white guy. Can you imagine how easy it would be to keep a poor minority voter from getting their say heard?

That's the problem with this set up...a typo can disenfranchise a person. What the crap?

...back at it again?

So in the process of getting a second job, it took quite a while to get the hang of time management. It took even longer to realize that sometimes, it's not enough to manage your time...sometimes, you have to manage your schedule.

Add those realizations to the sheer task of trying to report on the election...even in a casual way...I became beyond overwhelmed, and shut down.

So if anyone is still reading this, my apologies. I've got a few ideas for a more interactive blog, and hope you'll come along for the ride as I try to keep up on world events as well as national, state, and local politics!

Thanks for the patience, kids.

I also want to apologize to the annonymous commentor who kept trying to share information, but had their comments get caught in my moderation filter/double shift timewarp. I've since changed the settings so that all comments will get through the first time you try and post.

...though that doesn't mean I won't delete them after the fact if you get out of hand ;-)

Pay Day Lenders, Unemployment

The pay day lenders have turned in their petition, and now they wait for the reply. They are trying to get the heavy restrictions recently placed on them by the Ohio Legislature put onto the ballot. The theory is enough of their customers will be so outraged at the new limitations the bill will be overturned.

A good theory, and democracy in action. But is it a wise move?

That's where the unemployment comes in. Ohio has more people unemployed than at any other point in the last 16 years. A lot of these people, I'm willing to bet, are either taking out cash advance loans or already have. My question is, how are they going to be able to pay these back while their jobs keep vanishing?

The main issue behind wanting to regulate the industry is the fees. If you do the math, the annual interest rates are absurdly high. The Federal Trade Commission gives this example, with a number of 391%. (And I thought Mastercard was bad...). The Ohio Legislature figures that's more or less loansharking, and needs to be stopped by capping the rate at 28%.

But...I've known people who did these. And they aren't going to make their car payments, or pay for medication, or buy milk for the kids any other way. It's an evil, but maybe it's the lesser of two evils? Or is the problem the fact people don't get just one loan; they get a series of loans, in order to pay off their first one (or to cover bills left unpaid because they made good on the first loan).

Maybe if the loans aren't as readily available (because most of the payday lenders have shut down, as the industry claims will happen) we'll be forced to address the fact that millions upon millions of Americans aren't able to pay their bills each month.

Power Outages and Such

So the plan was the take Monday and finish up the posts for the week...but thanks to the windstorms and subsequent power outages, that did not happen.

My apologies for the week of silence...I hope not one was put out very much.

In other news, I've picked up a second job. I went into greater detail on my coffee blog, "In Search of the Right Blend" over here, but suffice it to say a couple-nights-a-week job has started to spiral into a 1/2 to 3/4 time gig. This means much less time to dedicate to blogging.

I'm scaling back operations to posting only twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Otherwise, there shouldn't be any changes (except for maybe improved quality with fewer posts to put out each week...I'll let you judge that).

Thanks for the eyeballs, folks, and I hope you don't find the time wasted!

Water Rights Ammendment

Remember when I said I had no idea what Ohio Issue 3 was all about, about water rights?

Well, I found out. Apparantly, it's not clearly spelled out that Ohioans have reasonable access rights to ground water on their property, as well as lakes and running water. Issue 3 is about changing that, and creating water rights for property owners.

This apparantly stemmed out of the Great Lakes Basin Compact. Evidently there were concerns that Ohio was sorta screwing it's own property holders by making agreements with other states before our own state was settled.

Makes sense to me.

Candidates in My District: Congress

Thanks to the recent Ohio court decision on the Libertarian Party, we now have three candidates on the ballot for Congress. I can't remember seeing three candidates for anything but a judge...and I feel good about seeing it now. Choices, options, dialogue. That's what democracy is all about...the more hats in the ring, the better (up to a point, I suppose...but that point is so far down the road I'm not thinking about it yet).

I hope this new level of choice isn't a flash in the pan.

Anyhow, the three people who want to go to Washington to represent us in the 12th Ohio district are:

• David Robinson (D)
• Pat Tiberi (R)
• Steven R. Linnabary (L)

Congress is an important job, since taxes originate from it. It's also where a lot of the actual business of government happens...if you look in the Constitution and read between the lines a little bit, the Senate is more of a vetting process to put the breaks on a boistorous lower house (and BOY have we seen that in the past two years!).

Pat Tiberi is the incumbant this year, has been since 2001. We'll use these years in office to evaluate him, via the voting record listing over at Project Vote Smart. I was actually quite surprized to see there wasn't much in the voting record I disagreed with. Yes, he leans right...but he IS a Republican, and that's to be expected. Three things that jumped out at me as being good: He's been consistently against oil exploration in the US; for alternative energy incentives (as long as they don't come with a stick against big business); and voted against this most recent farm bill. A three things I didn't like so much? A series of pro-life votes; against foreign aid to fight AIDS, malaria, and TB; has voted against every measure so far to alleviate home owner angst.

David Robinson is the Democratic challenger. He's a well-educated man from the Columbus area, with a seminary MA and a PhD in theology and philosophy. His most recent claim to fame, and the reason he got interested in politics, is his work with the Climate Project with Al Gore. I find it facinating a man with a seminary degree represents the Democratic Party...it's not the typical MO for the day and age. No prior government experience, just a passion to get involved and help bring a breath of fresh air to Congress.

I'd love to tell you more about the Libertarian candidate, Steve Linnabary. However, I can't seem to find anything about him. He's a Columbus area native who went to college in Lexington, KY. The website from his Clerk of Courts run (I'm not sure when that was) is up, and is far more functioning than the site for his current Congressional run (which I had to find in a roundabout fashion). I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea of someone representing me who can't get any of his links to work. I appreciate the "I'm not a part of this madness" sentiment, but this doesn't excuse one from the basics of campaigning...namely making it easy for the voters to access information about you.

As for my personal choice? I'm not sure yet. I was pleasantly surprized by Tiberi's voting record...even though he's been along for the entire Bush ride. One could argue the fact he survived the GOP slaughter of '06 means something as well. Though...if I'm serious about change...Robinson certainly represents that. I'll need to deliberate longer.

Issues This Fall (List)

Just as important as the candidates we'll be electing this year are the issues we'll be deciding by ballot. Things like the gay marriage ban--that abortion of human rights--are decided by a ballot issue during a general election.

How does an issue get on the ballet? It's technical, and I'll look into it for another post soon. But there's two main reasons you'll have an issue on the ballot: A) The state legislature decides it doesn't have the authority (or it lacks the political cojones) to decide on an issue and they send it to the voters, or B) the voters decide they want to force the legislature down a particular path, and get their issue on the ballot.

In short, it's our democracy at the base level: By the people, for the people. Forever and ever, amen. So do us all a favor and pay attention to these issues...they DO affect your life.

We have some interesting issues up for decision this year. Here's an overview for my area, and you can see the full list here.

Ohio Issues:

• Issue 1: To provide for earlier filing deadlines for statewide ballot issues. An ammendment to the state Constitution to make people file their paperwork earlier when they want to file a state wide ballot issue. Yes = the Constitution is changed, No = No change.


• Issue 2: To authorize the State to issue bonds to continue the Clean Ohio program for environmental revitalization and conservation. Another Constitutional ammendment that will let the state raise money to continue the Clean Ohio program. Yes = Allow Bonds, No = No Bonds.


• Issue 3: To amend the Constitution to protect rights in ground water, lakes, and other watercourses. I'll be honest with you, I'm not sure what this is all about, exactly...but with how dry other parts of the country are getting, I'm not surprized to see a water issue. Look for a post on this once I read up on it.

Westerville Issues:

• Issue 54: Proposed Municipal Income Tax Ordinance. General Municipal operations and services, street maintenance, capital improvements and related costs. A tax of 3/4 (.75) of 1% of earnings and income subject to the municipal income tax, effective January 1, 2009.


• Issue 55A: Particular location -- Weekday Sales (10am to Midnight). Vino Meza LLC dba MEZA, 48 N State Street Westerville, OH 43081


• Issue 55B: Particular location -- Sunday Sales (1pm to midnight). Same location.


• Issue 56B: Particular location -- Sunday Sales (1pm to midnight). Enken Inc dba Sunbury Rd Duchess 900 S Sunbury Rd Westerville, OH 43081.

There's also a buncha bonds and liquor options for Columbus. City charter changes for various suburbs, like Whitehall's charter has quite a bit of rewriting up for vote. Go check it out...it's kinda neat to see what town is doing what.

This isn't the final list, because I don't see the pay day loan issue on there yet. September 30th is the magic date, according to the BOE. After that date we should have access to full sample ballots.

Candidates This Fall

As you may know, I'm a big fan of Smart Voter.org. It's the League of Women Voters who organize volunteers in several states to contact Boards of Election and compile sample ballots and candidate info in simple, easy to read formats. Go check it out.

It's still early in the season for the full, official sample ballots. Those should be ready after 9/30/08 Issues are still being fought about in court, petitions still being signed, etc etc. But most of the national and state contests are listed, and here's the ones for the 12th Congressional/3rd State Senate/20th State Rep district in Ohio.

If you want the full Franklin County, Ohio list of national and state contests, go here.

Congress:

• Pat Tiberi (R)
• David Robinson (D)

State Representative:

• Nancy Garland (D)
• Jim McGregor (R)

Ohio Supreme Court:

6 Year Term Starting 1/1/09

• Joseph D. Russo (D)
• Maureen O'Connor (R)

6 Year Term Starting 1/2/09

• Evelyn L. Stratton (R)
• Peter M. Sikora (D)

Ohio Court of Appeals:

6 Year Term Starting 2/9/09

• David Goodman (R)
• John A. Connor (D)

6 Year Term Starting 7/1/09

• Richard D. Brown (D)
• Lisa L. Sadler (R)

Note, there are no US or State Senators being elected in this district in 2008. Gotta love those longer terms.

I couldn't find a damn thing about Richard D. Brown or Lisa L. Sadler, except Lisa L Sadler's entry in the Yellow Book. I also want to point out the majority of hits on John Connor were about his suspension and various misconducts...but you can look at the search results here.

Check it out, kids. Have fun.

Joe Biden, Sarah Palin

Last week, both the Democratic and Republican candidates picked their running mates. This is important, on both a government and election level.

We ARE talking about a member of the cabinet, after all. A part of government. I mean, look at Dick Cheney's ill-fated level of involvement with Bush's first term. That turned out to be a very important choice, one I wish we'd looked at more closely in 2000.

The VP can also be shown to "balance a ticket," as both McCain and Obama have done. Obama chose the veteran Joe Biden, with the numerous years of Washington experience that Obama lacks. McCain chose Sarah Palin, a first term Governor from Alaska, who brings youth and a sense of progressive inclusion.

I honestly think the election aspect of a Vice President is overhyped. It's important...but really, I don't think it'll sway the election. McCain and Obama are offering two distinct roads, and this is a moment in history where we find out what America really thinks. That will not be influenced by "youth" or "experience" in their choice for VP.

On a side note, the Libertarian Party is on the Ohio ballot now, whic is an interesting twist. The Green Party is now suing for the same ballot access based on the court decision last month that let the Libertarians in...let's see what happens.

Voting Strategy This Fall

My voting strategy, without specific endorsements (because A: I haven't researched and B: What's my endorsement matter, anyhew?) boils down to Change.

I'm not happy with anyone in Congress, with a handful of the usual exceptions (Ted Kennedy's kept his eye on the ball, for instance. Russ Feingold. John Conyers. Patrick Leahy.) I'd like to name some Republicans on that parenthetical list, but...I'm having trouble thinking of any. Which is sad, because I know there are some. They just don't get the attention.

I'm truly disgusted with Harry Reid. As the Senate Majority Leader, he's been directly responsible for some of the worst legislative compromises of the 110th Congress. He's allowed the Republican party to make a mockery of the process, to stonewall process...and he's done it without so much as a whimper.

GOP: "We are SOOOO gonna filibuster that bill if you try and vote it."

Reid: "Fine, fine...we'll do it the way you want."

I'm paraphrasing and exaggerating...but not by much, sadly.

The long and short? If there's an encumbant, I'm half-tempted to just vote for the opponent out of principle, regardless of party lines.

...I won't do that, however. There are too many issues I worry about--mostly the creep of conservative Christian values into government--to let some guy in to write laws because "They're New." That's not responsible citizenship.

But...it will factor. I'll be giving the candidates a harder look this year, and not necessarily stopping at party affiliation or a single issue. I want people who will govern in Washington, and keep politics to a minimum.

A Note on My Linking Program

When I link to a person, such a candidate for elected office, I try to include two links. One for the first name, one for the last. My goal is to have the last name be something official, such as their Senate homepage. Their first name, either their campaign website or a wikipedia entry.

That's not a hard and fast rule, however...since, y'know, sometimes they don't have either. My goal in general is to give you a link that will provide an overview of information, or a starting point for more reading. While I may find a news story I want to link to...I won't use their name to link to it, especially in a list setting.

In cases where I can't find anything in particular...I'll link you to the Google search. Kind of a cop out, but hey...I'm only one man with plenty of other obligations.

Say Hello to the New Russia...

...same as the Soviet Union.

For the past couple years, as we've grown more and more involved in our war in Iraq, Russia has been getting more and more frisky with it's neighbors. Between the gas crisis with Ukraine to blocking sanctions again Iran to the current incursions into Georgia, the practice of intimidating neighbors is back in vogue in Moscow.

Of course, we're not doing anything to help the situation. From our incredibly weakened state (both militarily and morally) we keep insisting on telling Russia how to behave, which is only going to serve to make Moscow dig it's heels in harder.

Add to that, our missile defense treaty with Poland and the Czech Republic. I love how we approached it in a spirit of compromise and diplomacy...but didn't budge an inch, just kept telling Russia how ridiculous they were being.

So are we settling into a new Cold War? That's what it seems like from where I'm sitting...

As if we don't have enough problems.

Perez Musharraf

So rather than be impeached (and prolly destroy the country in civil war right after, given what we've seen out of him) Pervez Musharraf has resigned. Much like Nixon, no?

You've probably already heard the stats. Took over in a coup in 1999. Has been head of state (and head of the army) since. You could call him a military dictator, but one who has flirted quite a bit with democracy, much in the fashion of English monarchs ("You're doing what I like, so I'll let you keep doing what I like. But the minute you change to what I don't like...").

Any guy who will simply dissolve the supreme court in order to avoid hearing, "Yep, you broke the law, Pervez" probably doesn't need to be running a democracy. That's really the only judgement I have on this situation. He's gone; and it's a good thing.

Now what to do with him?

I'm gonna be Gerald Ford crazy here, and say pardon him. It's time to move on and fry bigger fish. And you can argue the fact that without Musharraf, for better and worse things would not be what they are today in Pakistan. They're a strong nation, nuclear armed, a player in the world game, poised to launch a full blown democracy.

Would this have happened without 9 years of military rule? Probably. But now that he's paved the way for a new President (and era) in Pakistan with his resignation, I say we start with a fresh slate and leave him alone to finish off his life, reliving the glory years.

But really, what does my opinion matter? I'm an American. That's Pakistan. I rightly have no say in the process...something we should remember a little more often since some of us have pissed away the moral highground.

Moving, Part 2

We're still moving. So it's not a real post...another fluffy one.

I was at a birthday party today for a 4 year old boy in the family (another reason why there aren't any as many good posts this week). There was a Veggie Tales albums playing for ambiance.

I kept hearing all the little tips of pithy advice, such as "Do the right thing so God knows you love him" and "You can never never be separated from God's love." It was alternately soothing and irritating.

I don't know how I feel about religious teaching that young. I see both sides of the issue. Whattya think?

Moving, Part 1

By the time this posts, I'll already be moved and mostly settled in. But it still means no real post. Why?

Because of the fact I write my posts up on Saturday. And I was busy unpacking/resting, instead of my usual routine.

I do want to post a thought though...what makes us gravitate towards the neighborhoods we do? What makes you, when driving through a different part of town, think to yourself "What a nice place to live!"

I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I think what's nice about this particular place we moved to is the fact drugs aren't openly sold in the parking lots. That says a lot, about many things, right there.

Monica Goodling Says It All With Her Actions

I'm a little behind the times...but this is important stuff.

The situation in the Justice Dept under Ashcroft and Gonzales...pretty much tells me everything I need in order to be disgusted with the Administration and how it's perverted our country's laws and systems.

Here's the Wikipedia entry on Monica Goodling, a conservative Christian woman who faithfully served the Republican Party and George W. Bush for several years. The part of her job we have come to worry about the most is the personnel management she did for the Justice Department.

The first time her name hit public consciousness was during the US Attorney firing scandal. I could go on for hours on that issue, but suffice it to say Ms Goodling was a key player in many of those dismissals, and in the aftermath of trying to control the public reaction. In fact, she refused to testify without immunity when Congress tried to simply get an explanation from the Justice Dept.

With good cause, apparantly. A report on Monica Goodling's hiring practices released on July 28th by the Justice Dept confirmed she had violated federal law by making decisions based on the political affialiations of applicants wives and rumors of lesbianism, among others. It's good have priorities straight.

So yes. Apparantly, ones ability to actually uphold the law took a very back seat to supporting the Republican Party in general and the President in specific. Way to keep the rule of law paramount and the premier, way to uphold the Constitution.

Though really...do we expect that out of Bush anymore?

Other Blogs

One of the big things I don't do enough is read other news/political blogs.

It's a hard thing to do! It's not that I don't like to...but it really is hard to work it in. It's not like webcomics, that I can punch into my Bloglines and glance at each day and then move on. Most of the stuff in a news or politics oriented blog is worth more thought and consideration than that, and I feel like I'm doing it halfway if I can't give that.

That being said, I DO have a few I look at regularly, and here they are:



http://www.ctbob.blogspot.com/ Connecticut Bob does a fabulous job of being a more or less bona fide journalist. But he's all blogger, as this post about Edwards shows. With a focus on Connecticut politics, he does an excellent job keeping up with the national showcase while being all over the local scene.



http://harazquack.blogspot.com/ This fellow I found more or less by accident a few years ago, and I haven't stopped reading yet. More of an international focus, this blog is full of satire and sarcasm...but serves (for me anyway) a startling call for awareness, especially by the way he doesn't mince words or pull punches.

A related site to the Harazquack Times is the Evil Leaders League, an offshoot of a feature the author started on the original blog. Basically, it's a satirical competition between the "evil leaders" of the world, based on how tyrannical they are. Using news (real and imagined) on each of them from the week, the author ranks their relative evilness. Dark, twisted, pointed...but funny.



http://www.dailykos.com/ I've actually just discovered this one. The first post was a video of George Bush not looking very Presidential at the opening ceremonies...I was sold. Not wanting to be that shallow, I kept reading...and found myself intrigued by almost every post. So I went and subscribed.



So here's to a new effort to cross link and what not...for that's really the power of the blogosphere, getting all sorts of opinions and perspectives on the world and events we live in.

Right Vs Responsible

I had an epiphany the other day. It wasn't so much a sudden blinding flash of the obvious but the sheet finally falling away from the obvious. Something I wasn't aware of all at once, but something I've been gradually becoming aware of.

It's the simple fact that following the rules doesn't necessarily make one responsible.

A classic real world example of this is calling in "sick" to work. (Note the quotes...I'm all in favor of not working when sick, but simply taking the day off should be a far rarer occurance.) While the rules will probably allow you to not show up, leave early, come late, for many many shifts and get away with it...that doesn't make it ok.

Just because the rules state, "It's ok to be late/absent/leave after an hour with appropriate notice," it doesn't stop your coworkers from getting the shaft. They counted on your coverage they can't replace now. You may be ok in the eyes of the law, so to speak, but you fail at being a responsible person.

On the flip side, sometimes breaking the rules is the responsible option. For instance...you're not supposed to work in another department right now because of the way labor hours are allocated. But they're completely swamped, and the big order isn't going to get out in time without extra help.

The rules in this case would condemn a person from lending a much appreciated hand on a project that ultimately makes money for the company. Following the rules would mean sitting by and watching things go to hell, and last time I checked that's not a responsible action.

How does the apply to news and politics? Well lets think...maybe because the Bush Administration (and multitudes of others in Washington on both sides of the aisle) has alternately taken one or the other approach on their so-called war on terror.

• When the rules clearly wouldn't allow the Administration to do what they wanted with detainees, they set up the prison camp outside jurisdiction of law.


• They tried to rewrite the rules on tribunals in order to make things seem kosher, because if the rules say it's ok then it's ok, right? Ditto on the DOJ memo's authorizing torture.


• The Administration was careful to make sure they followed all the rules to authorize the carnage in Iraq, even though the basis was a net of lies and the aim questionable.

And it goes on and on.

Basically, it takes some good judgement to know when to follow and when to break the rules. It's a sign of growth, of maturity, of wisdom. Time and again, the Bush Administration has failed to make the right call. Now...the nation, and the world, is in one of the worst situations ever for peace and stability.

So now we'll see if the American voter has noticed. We'll see if they've learned. We get to watch in November as they decide the fate of Congressmen and Senators who failed in their duties to oversee the President and provide a check and balance. We get to see if they've learned to cut through the political foam that comes from a candidate's mouth and determine their real character.

We get to find out if we the people will again be represented in Washington. If responsibility will again take precedence over being "right."

John Edwards and His Affair

So, I heard something vague this week on NPR about John Edwards having a love child in an extramarital affair. I just now got around to looking into it, and it's not quite as sleazey as I thought it was.



Here's the scoop from NPR, here and here; two stories because they each have a fresh perspective.



I'm not sure what I feel on this issue. Since Clinton, I've had to grapple with the fact that it IS possible to lead an exceptional professional life, even if your own house isn't quite in order.



(I mean that quite literally in my own case...if you looked at my work space, and then my desk at home, you'd assume someone had ransacked my apartment because they can't belong to the same person.)



Temptation is just that...it's there, it sucks, and even the best of us succumb to it. The fact his wife and family stayed with him and supported another Presidential run (one that, in retrospect, I'm sort of glad he lost) says a lot to me.



Of course, I do not think highly of the fact he lied about the affair for a year, and only came clean after photos emerged. I give him credit for coming clean as he did...but timing is everything, and he loused that part up pretty well.



The point? I don't hate the guy and I'm not overly disgusted. But I'm glad he failed in his bid, because I do not think this country would weather a McCain presidency very well. The fact John Edwards had this skeleton in his closet, and had to lie about it during primary season, and STILL kept running for the nomination makes him completely irresponsible.



Now how about we let this drop, and not drag out the pain for the family too long? I mean since this is the 2nd time they'd have to open this wound?

Olympics!

The Olympics open today! 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, China!

Say what you will about China. Say what you will about the games. But this is pretty much a big deal, boys and girls.

Freedom-loving people don't need to think about whether or not they'd want to live in China (can I get a HELL-no?). They've done some pretty nasty stuff recently. In Tibet ("Beat the protestors until they get happy!"). In the alleys of Beijing ("Destroy all the housing and move the residents elsewhere so we can build the pole-vault"). And they've simply been criminally negligent in maintaining rural infrastructure ("It's just a school full of children. We have too many of those anyway, so if it falls down no biggie").

But...I think you can argue they've come a ways from the reign of Mao. I heard recently on NPR that the Olympics is often a stepping stone towards becoming a functioning democracy (except in cases like Hitler's Berlin...but say no more), instead of a reward for achieving it. The fact they're having to deal with the public saying, "Wait, you're assholes...why shouldn't we boycott the Olympics?" has shifted the perspective for China.

It's made them aware of the international spotlight...and I don't think you can just ignore the effects of that sort of scrutiny, even after it stops. So go watch the shotput, and don't feel guilty about it. It's all part of the bigger picture.

110th Congress? Useless

I know that's a strong statement. But...it's pretty true. I mean, how many major issues are there facing this country today?

There's an energy crisis. An environmental crisis. We have several major diplomatic crises. Two wars we're losing. A credit crisis. A housing crisis. An economy driving itself off the cliff. And others of greater or lesser stature, such as how college is getting increasingly out of reach for the average American kid.

What has Congress done in the past year? Let us consult Google.

(Several Days Later...)

I've been stuck on this for the past few days because I WANT to dig through the list of bills. But even tho a tiny portion of Congressional bills became useful laws (a large portion were things like renaming post offices) there's still thousands of them.

I don't have that kinda time. I encourage you to peruse...just fifteen minutes spent checking out the written record of what Congress does is very enlightening...but I can't do a comprehensive search.

So here's a list the Washington Post has put together on key votes. It covers the meat and potatoes of what was accomplished, and the added bonus of seeing how various reps and senators voted.

Time to put my perfectionism back in the box for another day...

Hope?

I've had a series of conversations in the past few weeks about the Presidential election. The usual, "Oh, yeah, well, who you gonna vote for?"

I decided a while back that my vote is probably going towards Obama. He's more of a course correction than McCain. And...could there be something else to it? I mean, that whole campaign slogan of Obama's?

The whole...hope theme?

Typically, when I'm discussing the election, I try to keep it cynical. I don't want to appear swept up in crazy passion, or making an emotional decision. "They're ALL politicians," is a refrain of mine.

But I should admit it. Obama does give me hope. Hope that he won't be just another politician. That things might actually start to improve. Energy is contagious, whether it be negative or positive. That guy is dumping a whole lot of positive energy on things, and I can't help but like it.

I like how he doesn't side step many issues. How he acknowledges obstacles and challenges. And then goes on to say, "We can handle that." Almost like it's all just a secondary concern. Like he's keeping his eye on the prize, not ignoring the badness but not focusing on it either.

I like that.

Batman: The Dark Knight

I realize I'm behind the times here...but I just saw "The Dark Knight" last weekend. Since I work about a week ahead, that means we're looking at a lag time. Apologies if that bends things out of shape for you.

This blog isn't about movies, so I won't bore you with a review. Heath Ledger...it's a shame. One of the best Jokers I've seen. That's all I have to say in reaction to the movie itself, aside from "GO SEE IT" if you haven't.

This one was a little darker, and I think it raised some interesting issues. The way human nature's darkest elements is brought out by the Joker's terrorist actions...seems to be a good metaphor for today's issues.

Terrorists elements we hunt for around the world are the Joker. They have managed to scare the country enough that our better natures have been abandoned in the name of "Staying Safe." We, as a society, have reverted to torture and crime in the name of protection and order.

Batman did that too. He became some just shy of a monster. Batman broke the Mob don's legs by throwing him out a window to get information. He beat the living daylights out of a helpless prisoner. He rigged the city's cell phone system into an incredible spy tool.

And he won in the end, keeping Gotham safe.

And then he blew up the giant spy machine. THAT is the pivitol difference between Batman and the protectors employed by the federal government.

Governments do not destroy their weapons when danger passes, no matter how awful, unethical, immoral, or just plain wrong they are. That's because the danger never passes for the government. A government needs to stay in power, and when they find a tool that helps keep them in power they will make sure they have a reason to use it.

Even if it means manufacturing a new danger. And then another. And another.

Because George W. Bush is not Batman. A very simple, almost too-basic thought. One that the House of Representatives and the Senate should have remembered before passing the new FISA bill, with the abortion of justice "Immunity" clause intact.

You'd like to think those men and women are smart enough to remember that Batman, with all his morals and rules and strength to follow them, is fiction. They may have acknowledged that fact, but they put their hopes on George W. Bush anyway, hoping for some Batman honor from the Administration.

And I hope it will cost them their jobs in another four months. Every last one of them who felt issuing blanket immunity for crimes against civil rights BEFORE the investigation was an acceptable course of action. Because they let the Joker win that time, just like every other time since 9/11.

Jury Duty

I was summoned by the Franklin County court for jury duty, receiving the letter just before leaving on vacation. The date was set for August 1st (I thought it was odd they'd be picking jurors on a Friday...but what do I know?), but just yesterday I received a letter saying to disregard the notice. The case I was chosen for was resolved out of court.

I'm actually a little disappointed about missing out on this. I mean, it's a day out of work for one thing. It's a new experience for me. And it'd be a chance to do something I've read about in a few books. Through in a little bit of that civic duty nonsense...and you've got me being disappointed at missing out on jury duty.

That's not usually the case, from what I've gathered. A lot of people seem to dread jury duty, doing everything they can to get out of it. It doesn't seem to be easy to get out of the initial summons (it's like the draft...if you can get out of it easily, the system would break down). However, depending on how you answer the survey and the questions during voire dire, it can be easy to get oneself dismissed by the attorney from one or the other side.

That's all I have for today...it didn't happen, so I lack any more first hand insight into the issue!

Back in the Saddle Again?

One of the things that annoys me lately, in a totally irrational way, is the way Time magazine is doing Presidential Election coverage.

Picture it: A normal TIME cover. The art. The titles of key articles. All normal, well and good. But then, two of the articles will definitely be a point/counter point written by McCain and Obama.

Part of me goes, "Wonderful. We need to know what they're thinking on issues like the war in Afghanistan."

Another part goes, "Why the hell do they get to babble about this? I read TIME for expert insight."

Yet a third part: "It's just campaign rhetoric in print. They aren't saying anything they'll actually act on. Which means they're wasting paper that could be printing useful insight."

So while I like to see the candidates' positions getting put out there to a demographic that is at least semi-informed on the topic, I'm worried about their stances being confused with news and informed analysis.

Or am I just feeling ornery?

...And Now for Some News...

No Drugs for Depression

Senate Blocks Energy Bill (The best part? The Dems added the ammendment about off shore drilling that the GOP wanted, and they STILL filibustered)

Slacking...

ok, so I did it again. I got lazy once I had a couple weeks worth of posts lined up and in queue. So when I took a trip out of town, getting back crazy-late the Sunday after my last post published...I had nothing.

So my apologies if you've been sitting around, waiting for content. I'll get the hang of this, I promise.

For now, a quick preview of what's going to happen in the next couple weeks: A mass transit focus!

Details to come on Friday. Suffice to say, I was impressed by the mass transit I used in Chicago...and kinda annoyed to remember there's nothing nearly so good here in Columbus.

Or is there?

That's what I'll find out.

Democratic Nomination

I applaud Hillary Clinton for sticking it out this far. It takes quite a bit of guts to hang in there when everyone is telling you to get out. I do respect her ability to stick to her guns and keep pressing forward.

But...it's over. Very over.

She's done well enough to drag this out. Each time she needed a victory to survive, she's gotten it. I'm not sure how, since the more I've learned about Clinton the less I've wanted her to get the nod.

I'm still behind Obama. I think his unwavering poise (contrasted with Clinton's "You always give me the first question!" whining in the debates), his ability to talk tough truths (telling a teacher's union they'll have to accept merit pay, for instance), and the way he hasn't really run from anything (denouncing Wright as a wild and crazy man with misguided views, admitting his campaign has been too negative).

I hope Hillary has plans to bow out before the convention, mayhaps at the end of this month. I really don't want to see a divided party as the end result of this insane year of primaries, because that's precisely what John McCain wants.

What's wrong with John McCain? Not a whole lot...except he's absolutely not enough of a course correction after Bush. Eight years ago, McCain would have been fine I believe. Right now, we need to pull a 180 degree turn and McCain is not up to that task. Sorry bud.

Gas Prices

So I'm driving last week to buy Mother's Day cards (I bought a crazy amount of them, but that's another story for another time and blog) and I pass the Speedway on the corner. I'm stopped at a light, and I see something that reminds me to shut off my car till the light cycles around.

$3.79. Four dollar gasoline had hit Columbus.

I got pissed more than anything. I got really, really angry. I immediately assumed the prices went up to support the gas tax holiday certain politicians are trumpeting. The way I see it, if Congress actually DOES pass this hare brained nonsense, the gas stations and oil companies will simply keep the prices the same, and pocket the extra $14 cents a gallon that would have gone to support our roads and bridges. CT Bob puts it well, talking about crazy pills.

Paranoid? No, I don't think so.

So it got me thinking...about how I really, really, really need to start driving less. To hell with oil...everyone from that creepy guy who clerks the gas station to Hugo Chavez to the oil exec making huge bonuses are people I really don't care to support.

1. Walk -- That's a no brainer, right? Just the other week, Sarah and I walked to Max and Erma's for a drink. It was nice, since I was totally buzzed and walking took that pesky DUI thing out of the picture. Not easy in all areas...but it's the easiest and cheapest way to screw the oil companies.
2. Bike -- Most of us have a bicycle floating around, right? I don't...but that's a long story. I used to ride my bike a lot, it was the best way for a 12 year old to expand his horizons. It still will get you further and faster than walking...and doesn't use a drop of gasoline.
3. Mass Transit -- Is sort of a joke here in Columbus, and Cincinnati. From what I've heard Cleveland has it better...but I don't know for sure. But if you're lucky enough to be on a bus route, why not use it? Budget some extra time when you go to the mall or to a sporting event.
4. Standard Gas Economy Tips -- Uncle Sam provides us with some tips on how to improve our gas mileage here. Go check it out...some it it (like tire pressure) is so easy you really need a kick in the butt if you can't find time and motivation.
5. Buy a More Efficient Car -- I've told myself for a long time now, that my next car will run on something like electricity or maybe even leftover fryer shortening. It won't be a straight gasoline engine. I won't be counting on ethanol (that disaster of mamoth proportions). I'm hoping to drive my current car long enough to have plenty of options.
6. Write Elected Officials -- And find out what exactly they're so afraid of when it comes to weaning ourselves off the oil teat. I'd love to see someone seriously propose taxing the hell out of oil profits and funnelling the money into alternative energy. Brazil is on track to be gas-free by the end of the year(!) with their sugar cane alcohol fuel. Germany has managed to become the leader in solar energy thanks to their tough legislation on the matter.

It's really that last point that's going to have the biggest impact. The fact our country's leadership has chosen to engage in wars of aggression instead of being productive with our tax dollars and legislative energy is truly disgraceful. History will treat everyone in government since 2000 harshly, I'm trusting.

But don't whine...make changes in your lifestyle. Consumer economics, my friends. Democracy. They're two of the most powerful sources we have in this country, and we can't afford to not use them.

Papa John's...Oh You Silly People

So Papa John's decided to go above and beyond on Thursday by offering $ 0.23 pizzas as part of an apology to LeBron James. Apparantly, a franchise of the yummy pizza chain printed t-shirts calling James a "crybaby," and a public apology plus the pizza promo was the plan. The crazy-cheap pizza's were available (for a while) all over North East Ohio, from Columbus to Youngstown.

The problem with this situation is the pizza execs didn't think this through. When I worked for Wendy's, we held a customer appreciation weekend in the aftermath of that damn finger issue. This event included giving away free kid's size Frosties.

The difference between Wendy's and Papa John's? The Frosty giveaway was planned several weeks in advance. Our suppliers were able to bulk up on Frosty mix (though not enough) and we were able to order it in as part of normal shipments (again, though not enough). We were also able to sit down as a management team at each restaurant and plan how to do this, even experiment a little. This kept chaos and confusion to a minimum.

Papa John's threw all this together in about a week, from what I've read. They also kept adding markets. This made it impossible for stores to adequately prepare. The end result? Well...I know Sarah and I tried to get in on this, but their phones were all busy. When Sarah drove to the store, she found a line down the street.

I didn't realize how bad it was until I got a copy of the Columbus Dispatch on Friday. The fact is, pizza takes about 10 minutes to cook. That's after you get the order and prep the dough. Then you've got another couple minutes to cut and box it. You can only cook so many pizza's at any given time...the demand for this was insane. Even if they HAD planned this out further along, the result would have been very similar.

But really, I'm not disappointed in Papa John's that much. Go big, or go home. It was a seriously big hairy audacious goal, and I applaud that. I'm more disappointed in the people who were near to rioting over

!!!PIZZA!!!

Cops had to be called in to several stores. Cops had to provide extra patrols to make sure no one came back and vandalized the stores. I mean...c'mon people. Life is full of disappointment. Let's not act like animals, or peasants. Pizza is never a good reason for disorderly conduct, no matter what the price.

For shame.

Keywords!

So I'm curious what search terms are bringing people to my humble site...this leads me to Statcounter.com, where I log in and click on "Keyword Analysis." Here's a rare weekend post for you to enjoy!

***

Number of Entries
Percent of Total
Search Term

7
10.77%
how to become a registered voter

4
6.15%
ohio governor mailing address

3
4.62%
voter id confirmation

3
4.62%
how candidates are chosen by party

3
4.62%
mailing address governor ohio

3
4.62%
voter registration confirmation

2
3.08%
governor strickland; mailing address

2
3.08%
wvxu

2
3.08%
2007 mcd election result

2
3.08%
check for voter registration confirmation

1
1.54%
contact governor of ohio phone number

1
1.54%
www.marriemont.com

1
1.54%
iran clip 3x

1
1.54%
how to become a voter

1
1.54%
results of voting in cincinnati school levy '08

1
1.54%
iran 3x

1
1.54%
harazquack times

1
1.54%
how do the candidates get chosen

1
1.54%
ohio legislators and earmarks

1
1.54%
where do i got to become a registered voter

1
1.54%
becoming a registered voter

1
1.54%
postcards across america by levy tedd

1
1.54%
types of earmarks

1
1.54%
richard bernat election result

1
1.54%
mailing address governor strickland's

1
1.54%
address/ted strickland

1
1.54%
migration out of hamilton county

1
1.54%
how do the candidates get chosen'

1
1.54%
mcd 2007 result

1
1.54%
become an ohio registered voter

1
1.54%
live on in infamy

1
1.54%
earmark us wikipedia

1
1.54%
candidates are chosen by counties

1
1.54%
governor strickland mailing address?

1
1.54%
world news 3-16-08

1
1.54%
how are candidates chosen

1
1.54%
my ideal county

1
1.54%
julie stautberg ohio

1
1.54%
how candidates are chosen

1
1.54%
mcd election results 2007

1
1.54%
international news 3/16/08

1
1.54%
how i'll check my name in voter registration

1
1.54%
checking my voter registration

1
1.54%
myworld news

65 Keywords
100.00%

***

What does it mean? I'm not sure, except that people are curious how to become a registered voter in Ohio (or confirming said fact) and are somehow getting to my blog before anything else.

I'm also seeing a trend over the last couple weeks of people wanting to mail Strickland a letter or two...curious. Maybe it's time to brush up on the state news, see what he's done to irritate people lately.

And did any of these lead you to my blog? Did I help? Have you kept coming back? Or am I typing this to no one? In any event, drop a comment!

Cinco de Mayo was Monday!

So I'm a lil behind the 8-ball...but so what?

On my Myspace blog Monday I asked if anyone knew what Cinco de Mayo is all about. Before you say it, NO it's NOT the Mexican Independence Day. Sorry.

It's actually celebrating the Battle of Puebla, which happened on (you guessed it) May 5th, 1862. While we were slaughtering ourselves up and down the Eastern Seaboard, the French were trying to make the Mexican government pay its loan interest.

The battle itself was kinda a mistake. The Mexicans thought the French walking wounded were attackers in violation of a withdrawal agreement...the French thought the complaints about the walking wounded were a ploy to start fighting...and all hell broke loose.

4500 or so Mexican troops with 18 artillery rifles ended up smashing the occupation force of 6300 French troops and THEIR 18 guns. Not too shabby. Think about that the next time you start whining about bi-lingual signs.

Segue into an opinion piece. About how "immigration reform" is the new racism. It's not politically correct to say "I hate those damn Mexicans," but is IS ok to say "I hate those damn illegal immigrants." How our only hope is to bring immigrants in, embrace them, get them in the system.

But really, there's no convincing anyone on this issue. The key of a persuasive piece is to be able to actually persuade...and people are too passionately caught up in this. No one is thinking anymore.

So all I have to say is fix the system. I think having this many people want IN our country is a great thing, it's a strength. No one is running from our country yet. We're still the best place in the world to live. How about we harness that and put it to work instead of bitching about having to "Push 1 for English?"

And for all of you genuinely concerned with the illegals? Fix the system. Then you can deport them, and they won't have any reason to hop the fence. You have to fix the system and develop a way for immigrants to come in, work, pay taxes, and follow the law. Until we have that, there's still going to be 100 people trying to hop the fence for every 1 we can deport.

Fix the system. Embrace the heritage of immigration. Each of us came from somewhere else. Each of us trace back to illegal immigration. Just ask a Native American what they think of our pesky influx willing and able workers.

Gay Marriage Bans = Jim Crow

Let me tell you about a visit I made to the King Center in Atlanta several years ago. I remember being in a gallery of information on the civil rights movement (as you might expect, since we are talking about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr here) and stopping to read a list of Jim Crow laws complied from across the South.

(If you're not familiar with the term Jim Crow, then we need to have a chat with your local school superintendent. For right now though, I've found the Dictionary.com and Wikipedia entries on the subject. Long story short: Jim Crow laws were enacted post-reconstruction to help institutionalize segregation of black and white Americans. )

I remember reading this list, and at first there was nothing in there I hadn't seen before. The famous bus seating laws, separate water fountains, separate schools, poll taxes, literacy tests, obstacles to ownership, and so on. Then I hit a new one of the list: it was illegal for a white man to marry/date/have sexual relations with a black woman, or for a white woman to do any of the same with a black man.

That brought the Jim Crow laws home for me. Until that point, it was hard to identify with the laws and their victims in more than a theoretical way (I was a white kid raised in a small Massachusetts town...I had no reference point). But once I realized that 50 years ago I could go to jail because I was seen kissing a black girl? It dawned on me just how instrusive, how demeaning, how out-and-out wrong the codes were.

It opened my eyes. I realized in a flash no matter what you may think, discrimination against one group really is discrimination against us all. Pretty deep stuff for a 16 year old kid.

What's this got to do with gay marriage bans? Simple: banning gay marriage, and the hundreds of other ways gays are discriminated against, are the same sort of mindless, habitual discrimination as Jim Crow laws were. It's one group of people telling another group "You're not good enough to do what we do." It's just as wrong as making blacks drink from different water fountains, and just as ludicrous.

I was out of the state when the vote on the Ohio constitutional ammendment happened. I was disgusted to learn it passed; I thought the voters in Ohio were more advanced. The ammendment is a human rights violation that demeans us all. Like most human rights violations, I expect this one to work its way through the court system and become a piece of history in due time. Not soon enough, but it will happen. There's simply no rational reason for ever creating second class citizens.

But that doesn't change the fact we're still currently living in a Jim Crow-esque society. We're still creating and enforcing second class citizenship. It's sad how many people don't even realize it.

Let's Talk Economics

I've never written a "content blog." My previous blog was about my life, so it was easy to write.

This one is more of a challenge, because I'm trying to be useful and entertaining on a subject perceived as dull. That's a tough call in this age of societal ADD. I had been posting links to news stories because I felt not enough people were up to date on events, and thought if they just saw the headline they'd go get informed.

Did that actually inform people? No...I don't think so. People have to want to click on a link, and the ones who want to already can do, from My Yahoo and iGoogle pages. That portion of my blog really wasn't accomplishing anything new or interesting, which runs contrary to my mission statement.

It also takes a lot of time to find those news stories and link to them. That's time I could be researching a topic to write a really great post about. And now that Blogger has come out with the option to schedule posts ahead of time (thank you BLOGGER!), I think the most efficient option is to write posts ahead of time. It's all about freeing up time and keeping options open.

So for now, we'll dispense with the news links...unless there are objections?

***

I was tipped to a story by my mother that I want to bring to everyone's attention. It ties in directly to politics, because the price of commodities (think oil, corn, wheat, gasoline) is a big political issue right now (think about the nonsense about suspending the gas tax--like that will actually solve anything).

MSN Money posted an article from Jim Jubak about the insane prices of oil (and other things) that actually defy the rules of supply and demand. This is due to the fact that consumers are so scared they won't be able to get what they need--gasoline is a perfect example--they are willing to pay any price as long as it keeps coming.

It doesn't matter that our oil reserves have actually gone up since last month. It doesn't matter that world usage is still 100,000 barrels LESS than what's being produced every day. The price of oil keeps going up because people are so afraid of not being able to get oil they're not thinking straight.

I'm oversimplyfing by a long shot, but that's why I linked you to Jubak's article on scarcity markets. It was a very frustrating thing to read, because it made me realize (again) just how inflated oil and food prices are right now.

Read the article, it's good food for thought. That's all I have today...this post is long enough.

My World News Returning Soon

So...I fail at this whole regular post thing. It's a process.

Life is far less crazy now, and things should be resuming shortly.

Earmarks and the Pork Barrel

My girlfriend recently asked me what earmarks were, in relation to pork barrelling. I was a little surprized that she didn't know. And I figured, "If someone as smart as her doesn't know, then...how many others don't?

What Is the Pork Barrel?

Wikipedia gets a lil smart with us, saying that it's a barrel you keep pork in. Luckily for those clowns, they go on to say it's more often a political metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for projects specifically designed to benefit a constituency or campaign contributor.


I like the Wikipedia article...it does a good job explaining it, and detailing it, and putting the term into context (really, not all appropriations are pork. Money spent on the I-35 bridge in the Twin Cities would have been money well spent, but that damned bridge in Alaska is totally pork).

Basically, it's when the Congressman from Columbus makes sure money in a Federal transportation bill gets funnelled to the Columbus Dept of Public Works, so they can replace all their signs. He does this so when election time comes around, he can say "Look, I got you money for new highway signs! I'm not useless!"

(I'm not implying that the Congressman from Columbus is useless, or that he does these things, or that he's even a man, necessarily. I know my end of Columbus has a Congressman, and he's been pretty responsible--if amazingly conservative).

What is an earmark?

Wikipedia is a lil complicated on this one, starting with the public finance definition. Long story short? It's when money is singled out for a project, or a specific exemption is made from a tax or fee. Earmarking is how pork happens, for the most part.

There's two types of earmarks: the hard type that's written into the legislation, and the soft type included in the reports of Congressional committees. Soft ones aren't binding, but in that "one hand washes the other" sort of way, they're acted on as if they were. Hard ones become law.

That's the basic pork barrel process! Not all earmarks are pork, and neither are all appropriations (remember, I-35 bridge needed money to be replaced or renovated = good earmark, useless $230 million bridge to replace a functioning ferry = pork).

The biggest issue is that earmarks are generally not handled out in the open. They don't get debated or defended...they just get passed. Anything you can't discuss on the floor of Congress probably doesn't need to have my money spent on it, is my opinion on pork.

...And Now for Some News...

Two-Prong Fed Move: Rate Cut & Bear Stearns Sale, from NPR

Terminator Has a Heart: California Lifers Getting Paroled, from NPR

Kosovo Violence Forces UN Out, from BBC

China Issues Deadline, Holds Protestors in Tibet, from BBC

Southside of Columbus to Get new Medicla Center, from WCBE

Cincinnati Snow-Removal Budget in the Red, from WVXU (All I gotta say is, Duh)