Taxes piss me off as much as the next person. At least income tax...taxing money before I can use it is just offensive to me. It sucks my income. Tax my property, my transactions...but let me USE my whole earnings, please.
And it does grate on me to think people are living off my tax dollars, when they could just go out and work.
But...I actually employed those people. The types who worked at a breakneck pace all day long serving ungrateful people, just to get $352.80 every two weeks. Do the math...that's $705.60 each month.
I pay about $400 for rent on my apartment, on the edge of the sketchy part of town. That'd leave $305 for car payments, gas, food, utilities, etc...
Try raising two or three kids on that.
And yeah, I know..."If you can't afford kids, DON'T HAVE THEM." I know. And it sounds great on paper.
But what about the family that got started when Mom and Dad were making $18/hr at the sock factory? Did they become bad people when the factory moved to Honduras, and the only open job was a closer at Wendy's for $7/hr?
Black and white arguments scare the hell out of me, and all the arguments against Welfare and other assistance are black and white.
I was reading this post and comment thread from the archives of Scalzi.com on what it means to be poor...and it reminded me that no matter how hard you try to prevent the lowest common factor from cheating a system, all you really do is screw the honest people. Cheaters will always find a way.
So...I support Welfare, within limits. I think some key policies can be used to protect our investments in those down on their luck, who deserve a chance to get over their troubles and without being screwed for life.
...And Now for Some News...
"No Country for Old Men" Wins Four Oscars, from NPR (it WAS a good flick)
Ruling to Shut Down Leak Website Called Censorship, from NPR
Russia Pledges Support to Serbia, from BBC (I Paraphrase Billy Joel: Haven't they Heard we Won the Cold War?)
Pakistan's Top Army Medic Killed in Bombing, from BBC
Bringing Back Streetcars Discussed in Cincinnati, from WVXU
Only Two Key Issues Being Worked in Columbus, from WVXU
Showing posts with label WVXU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WVXU. Show all posts
Monday
Electronic Voting
So Cuyahoga County has an idea where it will have everyone fill out a ballot card, collect them at all precincts, then send them into a central location for scanning and counting. That's all a result of the issues they've had in the past w/ the on-site machines being FUBARed.
The ACLU is against this idea basically because it doesn't allow voters a chance to correct their ballots if they mess up. They suggest scanning them immediately at the voting site. That's how I've voted in the past...fill out the paper ballot w/ ink, then feed it into the scanning machine. That provides the paper trail AND the ease of electronic votes.
I think the ACLU has a good point. I'd hate to find out (or not, rather would be the case) that I'd messed up my ink job and lost my vote. Revolutions have started over things like that. The best solution is probably for Cuyahoga to get on the ball like the rest of the state, give up their touch screens, and scan the ballots at the voting stations.
Some people just don't like the idea at all...they don't trust the machines, the software, any of it. They think the old punch cards work better. Personally, I think the electronic ones DO pose a slightly higher risk for fraud (look at "Man of the Year") but then again, paper ballots let George Bush steal the election.
It's like anything else electronic, in my opinion. People assume the worst, that never happens.
...And Now for Some News...
Wisconsin Next Battle Ground for Hillary and Barack, from NPR
911 turned 40 Sunday, from NPR
Pakistan Parliamentary Elections Today, from BBC
EU to Meet in Response to Kosovo Independence, from BBC
Ohio a Do-or-Die State for Clinton, from Ohio NPR via WCBE
Cincinnati Fire Dept Accredited to Train Paramedics In-House, from WVXU
The ACLU is against this idea basically because it doesn't allow voters a chance to correct their ballots if they mess up. They suggest scanning them immediately at the voting site. That's how I've voted in the past...fill out the paper ballot w/ ink, then feed it into the scanning machine. That provides the paper trail AND the ease of electronic votes.
I think the ACLU has a good point. I'd hate to find out (or not, rather would be the case) that I'd messed up my ink job and lost my vote. Revolutions have started over things like that. The best solution is probably for Cuyahoga to get on the ball like the rest of the state, give up their touch screens, and scan the ballots at the voting stations.
Some people just don't like the idea at all...they don't trust the machines, the software, any of it. They think the old punch cards work better. Personally, I think the electronic ones DO pose a slightly higher risk for fraud (look at "Man of the Year") but then again, paper ballots let George Bush steal the election.
It's like anything else electronic, in my opinion. People assume the worst, that never happens.
...And Now for Some News...
Wisconsin Next Battle Ground for Hillary and Barack, from NPR
911 turned 40 Sunday, from NPR
Pakistan Parliamentary Elections Today, from BBC
EU to Meet in Response to Kosovo Independence, from BBC
Ohio a Do-or-Die State for Clinton, from Ohio NPR via WCBE
Cincinnati Fire Dept Accredited to Train Paramedics In-House, from WVXU
My Ideal Candidate
Now that we're in the same year as the election, I'm taking a harder look at who could be President. I've made my picks for each party. But really, I feel like they're just compromise positions.
That's partly because they're career politicians. Someone who makes government a living doesn't really know me and my life. I'd be happier with a business man or a doctor or a lawyer or even a machinist taking time out of his life to serve.
It's also partly because they're all chosen by the same old republican system. No, this is not a conspiracy theory...that's Hilary's thing. I mean "as in a republic."
The way the nomination process works thru party delegates allows the party machines (and thus) big money to have a bigger say in things than any number of votes. Let's look at the debates, how only "viable" candidates are allowed to participate (Where was Mike Gravel??). Let's look at a thousand other ways candidates not ahead in the polls get zero media coverage.
My ideal candidate would be elected by me. Or my neighbor. From start to finish. I don't want that candidate to be nominated by Iowa. I don't want them financed by the local party machine. I don't want them chosen by professional political junkies for me.
My candidate would elected, not pre-approved.
...and Now for Some News...
Cuban Migration Spikes, from NPR
Archivist Arrested for Stealing Documents, from NPR (Yet another reminder to NOT DO ILLEGAL STUFF ONLINE).
Columbians Protest the Farc, from BBC
High Heels Equal Better Sex Life?, from BBC
Sherrod Brown Working to Secure Federal Dollars for Utility Upgrades, from WCBE
Parts of Old St. George Church to Come Down, from WVXU
That's partly because they're career politicians. Someone who makes government a living doesn't really know me and my life. I'd be happier with a business man or a doctor or a lawyer or even a machinist taking time out of his life to serve.
It's also partly because they're all chosen by the same old republican system. No, this is not a conspiracy theory...that's Hilary's thing. I mean "as in a republic."
The way the nomination process works thru party delegates allows the party machines (and thus) big money to have a bigger say in things than any number of votes. Let's look at the debates, how only "viable" candidates are allowed to participate (Where was Mike Gravel??). Let's look at a thousand other ways candidates not ahead in the polls get zero media coverage.
My ideal candidate would be elected by me. Or my neighbor. From start to finish. I don't want that candidate to be nominated by Iowa. I don't want them financed by the local party machine. I don't want them chosen by professional political junkies for me.
My candidate would elected, not pre-approved.
...and Now for Some News...
Cuban Migration Spikes, from NPR
Archivist Arrested for Stealing Documents, from NPR (Yet another reminder to NOT DO ILLEGAL STUFF ONLINE).
Columbians Protest the Farc, from BBC
High Heels Equal Better Sex Life?, from BBC
Sherrod Brown Working to Secure Federal Dollars for Utility Upgrades, from WCBE
Parts of Old St. George Church to Come Down, from WVXU
Wednesday
Columbus Government
Since I've moved, it's time to get acquainted with a new set of government officials. Let's start with the Mayor of Columbus and the City Council.
The city's website is pretty simple: http://www.columbus.gov/. I love it when it's that simple. The main page here has all kinds of links that are just pretty spiffy. The central features have some interesting news bites...hrm. Have to look into that.
The Mayor's Page has a lot of the same information as the main city page, but also has contact info for the Mayor.
The City Council has a main page, that branches off into all sorts of information about the council and it's individual members.
City Attorney has his own page.
As does the City Auditor.
Clerk of Courts has her own webspace.
And a list of Judges.
I think that covers it all. Now to update my sidebar links...
...and Now for Some News....
McCain, Clinton Win in Florida, from NPR
Army Balks at VA Help for Soldiers, from NPR
Afghan MPs Back Death for Blasphemy, from BBC
EU Leaders Call for Transparency, from BBC
Organizations Worried Over State Budget Troubles, from WVXU
The city's website is pretty simple: http://www.columbus.gov/. I love it when it's that simple. The main page here has all kinds of links that are just pretty spiffy. The central features have some interesting news bites...hrm. Have to look into that.
The Mayor's Page has a lot of the same information as the main city page, but also has contact info for the Mayor.
The City Council has a main page, that branches off into all sorts of information about the council and it's individual members.
City Attorney has his own page.
As does the City Auditor.
Clerk of Courts has her own webspace.
And a list of Judges.
I think that covers it all. Now to update my sidebar links...
...and Now for Some News....
McCain, Clinton Win in Florida, from NPR
Army Balks at VA Help for Soldiers, from NPR
Afghan MPs Back Death for Blasphemy, from BBC
EU Leaders Call for Transparency, from BBC
Organizations Worried Over State Budget Troubles, from WVXU
Monday
Separation of Church and State
Mike Huckabee has some good points. The weight loss thing is impressive. I've heard his tax plan is actually on the level. Anyone who can be an executive of a state has to be a capable, functioning human being, and I respect that.
But.
This little blurb on his website says it all. "My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them."
Huckabee says a lot of things on that page that are hard to disagree with. He throws in a line about being a steward of the earth. He talks about how the 1st Amendment says religion shouldn't be preferred or prohibited. But the fact he talks about religion and politics mixing at all fills me with a dull dread.
I am not comfortable with a Christian President, just as I wouldn't be comfortable with an Islamic President. Nor would I be comfortable with an Atheist President. Historically speaking, heads of state who make state decisions based on the Bible have really made a mess of things. We are a secular nation of secular laws (mostly. Why can't I buy beer on Sunday morning?). I don't want anyone's faith being allowed to change that.
Jimmy Carter is an incredibly religious Southern Baptist. I didn't know that for years. I admired him as a President and for his work post-Presidency without ever having religion enter into it. Did his faith factor into decisions made as President? Of course! Did he take instructions from the Bible and other Christian teachings? I don't think so.
The fact Huckabee is so popular among heavily Christian voters is a mark against him in my book. Those were the same people who voted Bush into office. The fact he is running on a platform that implies faith-based governance offends me.
Separation of Church and State. It's the concept that makes us not Iran.
...And Now For Some News...
Bush's Final State of the Union Address Tonight, from NPR.
Mormon Leader Dies at Age 97, from NPR.
New Unrest in western Kenya, from BBC.
Egypt Tries New Tactics to Seal Gaza Border, from BBC.
AC Units Not Safe From Scrap Thieves, from WCBE.
Busy Week for Ohio Legislaters, from WVXU.
But.
This little blurb on his website says it all. "My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them."
Huckabee says a lot of things on that page that are hard to disagree with. He throws in a line about being a steward of the earth. He talks about how the 1st Amendment says religion shouldn't be preferred or prohibited. But the fact he talks about religion and politics mixing at all fills me with a dull dread.
I am not comfortable with a Christian President, just as I wouldn't be comfortable with an Islamic President. Nor would I be comfortable with an Atheist President. Historically speaking, heads of state who make state decisions based on the Bible have really made a mess of things. We are a secular nation of secular laws (mostly. Why can't I buy beer on Sunday morning?). I don't want anyone's faith being allowed to change that.
Jimmy Carter is an incredibly religious Southern Baptist. I didn't know that for years. I admired him as a President and for his work post-Presidency without ever having religion enter into it. Did his faith factor into decisions made as President? Of course! Did he take instructions from the Bible and other Christian teachings? I don't think so.
The fact Huckabee is so popular among heavily Christian voters is a mark against him in my book. Those were the same people who voted Bush into office. The fact he is running on a platform that implies faith-based governance offends me.
Separation of Church and State. It's the concept that makes us not Iran.
...And Now For Some News...
Bush's Final State of the Union Address Tonight, from NPR.
Mormon Leader Dies at Age 97, from NPR.
New Unrest in western Kenya, from BBC.
Egypt Tries New Tactics to Seal Gaza Border, from BBC.
AC Units Not Safe From Scrap Thieves, from WCBE.
Busy Week for Ohio Legislaters, from WVXU.
Thursday
Thursday, Thursday, Thursday...
...are busy days, all three.
My paying job is being awfully needy the next four business days or so...gearing up for a vacation and trying to beat end of year deadlines. So...no thoughtful post today, and some reduced headlines!
Now for Some News...
Mitchell Report on baseball doping to be released 2pm today. Judging from what I heard on the radio, no one is expecting this to hurt the game any...at least not financially.
New EU treaty is signed, designed to radically alter how the EU operates. It looks like the treaty is going to make it more like a nation state instead of a loose conglomeration...creating a Union president, a ruling council, and eliminating veto power in many cases...could get interesting.
Liberty Township starts an interchange project that will connect it to I-75. As if there's not enough development going on out there anyway (I used to live in West Chester), the locally funded project aims to open up huge tracts of land for commericial development by extending Cox Road to the highway in the 1st phase, widening Hamilton-Mason Road in the 2nd, and adding an interchange at Hamilton-Mason Rd in the final phase.
Now I'm just grumpy. I kinda liked how there wasn't much of anything out there...pretty soon I AM going to have to live in Montana.
My paying job is being awfully needy the next four business days or so...gearing up for a vacation and trying to beat end of year deadlines. So...no thoughtful post today, and some reduced headlines!
Now for Some News...
Mitchell Report on baseball doping to be released 2pm today. Judging from what I heard on the radio, no one is expecting this to hurt the game any...at least not financially.
New EU treaty is signed, designed to radically alter how the EU operates. It looks like the treaty is going to make it more like a nation state instead of a loose conglomeration...creating a Union president, a ruling council, and eliminating veto power in many cases...could get interesting.
Liberty Township starts an interchange project that will connect it to I-75. As if there's not enough development going on out there anyway (I used to live in West Chester), the locally funded project aims to open up huge tracts of land for commericial development by extending Cox Road to the highway in the 1st phase, widening Hamilton-Mason Road in the 2nd, and adding an interchange at Hamilton-Mason Rd in the final phase.
Now I'm just grumpy. I kinda liked how there wasn't much of anything out there...pretty soon I AM going to have to live in Montana.
Tuesday
So It's Tuesday
I've spent the last couple mornings listening to Morning Edition from NPR. Driving home from Sarah's on Monday was pretty nice, I got to fill up on the usual NPR plus the news from two ends of the state. Then this morning, I got up at 6am with the sole purpose of listening to the radio and waking up slowly...which kinda backfired, but hey. It's all good.
The issue tho, is it's almost depressing to get to hear all that news. Not in the usual, "Oh the world's going to hell" sort of way, but in the "Man, I wish I had time to lookup the Cincinnati budget" or "I wish I had the time to go to the County Comissioner's meeting and see if they say anything else about the zoo levy." I wish I had the time to just...spend, doing this blog, for one thing. As it is, I've had to cut back drastically because once I start blogging in the morning, it's VERY difficult to stop...and that's just bad for business.
So I'll be trying to figure out how best to work around this time management crisis. Stay tuned, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.
Now for Some News...
The CIA interrogation tape scandal is just gearing up. NPR had a chat with a former Senate Intelligence Comittee Chairman Bob Graham. It was a little chilling to hear how difficult oversight can actually be when it comes to things like this, and how much like a rogue operation the CIA can still be.
The gunman in Colorado was an interesting story, considering I lived in Colorado Springs for a while and think I know where the New Life church is. It's a sad story, with the guy apparantly wanting revenge...but he seemed more than a little unsettled upstairs. I think the only lucky thing about this is only 4 people were killed. While it had appeared the security guard killed the criminal, it turns out he had killed himself.
Algeria had a couple of bombings...no one claiming responsibility, no apparant cause. The MO is apparantly consistent with the local branch of al-Qaeda, and the explosions took place near the Supreme Court and UN offices, respectively. 13 UN workers missing, 62 counted dead so far on the whole.
Cincinnati Schools approved 2 levies that could be placed on the March ballot. They had to approve them now to keep their options open, and so could still decide to put both or none on the ballot. One is an operating levy worth nearly $8 million, and the other a permanent improvement levy worth $3 million. The district needs money, badly, and after the last levy was shot down so thoroughly...I worry. If the citizens aren't willing to pay for education, where is the future going to come from?
Police Chief Streicher and the City Manager say they will follow the council's directive to spend $1.5 million on overtime for extra, high visibility police patrols. Streicher maintains he was able to provide the patrols last year without using overtime, and complained about not being able to stay flexible enough to react to trends.
The public hearing on the City's budget for the upcoming year took place Monday night. 80 citizens spoke their mind on a variety of issues, from desiring the city to keep funding humanitarian projects to asking the city to help fund sheriff patrols in OTR. Another large issue was the proposal to eliminate the building and inspections department, splitting up its duties among other departments. Council is expected to finalize a budget by December 19th.
The issue tho, is it's almost depressing to get to hear all that news. Not in the usual, "Oh the world's going to hell" sort of way, but in the "Man, I wish I had time to lookup the Cincinnati budget" or "I wish I had the time to go to the County Comissioner's meeting and see if they say anything else about the zoo levy." I wish I had the time to just...spend, doing this blog, for one thing. As it is, I've had to cut back drastically because once I start blogging in the morning, it's VERY difficult to stop...and that's just bad for business.
So I'll be trying to figure out how best to work around this time management crisis. Stay tuned, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.
Now for Some News...
The CIA interrogation tape scandal is just gearing up. NPR had a chat with a former Senate Intelligence Comittee Chairman Bob Graham. It was a little chilling to hear how difficult oversight can actually be when it comes to things like this, and how much like a rogue operation the CIA can still be.
The gunman in Colorado was an interesting story, considering I lived in Colorado Springs for a while and think I know where the New Life church is. It's a sad story, with the guy apparantly wanting revenge...but he seemed more than a little unsettled upstairs. I think the only lucky thing about this is only 4 people were killed. While it had appeared the security guard killed the criminal, it turns out he had killed himself.
Algeria had a couple of bombings...no one claiming responsibility, no apparant cause. The MO is apparantly consistent with the local branch of al-Qaeda, and the explosions took place near the Supreme Court and UN offices, respectively. 13 UN workers missing, 62 counted dead so far on the whole.
Cincinnati Schools approved 2 levies that could be placed on the March ballot. They had to approve them now to keep their options open, and so could still decide to put both or none on the ballot. One is an operating levy worth nearly $8 million, and the other a permanent improvement levy worth $3 million. The district needs money, badly, and after the last levy was shot down so thoroughly...I worry. If the citizens aren't willing to pay for education, where is the future going to come from?
Police Chief Streicher and the City Manager say they will follow the council's directive to spend $1.5 million on overtime for extra, high visibility police patrols. Streicher maintains he was able to provide the patrols last year without using overtime, and complained about not being able to stay flexible enough to react to trends.
The public hearing on the City's budget for the upcoming year took place Monday night. 80 citizens spoke their mind on a variety of issues, from desiring the city to keep funding humanitarian projects to asking the city to help fund sheriff patrols in OTR. Another large issue was the proposal to eliminate the building and inspections department, splitting up its duties among other departments. Council is expected to finalize a budget by December 19th.
Friday
The Day That Will Live on in Infamy...
Um...no. Actually, no. Good political line...but...not so much. Sorry Frank.
I just ran a little experiment, shooting a text message to everyone I knew wishing them a "happy day that will live on in infamy." The more intelligent among my friends and family assumed I had just finished my classes for the quarter. Ah well. Hopefully we can accelerate this process with 9/11...but wait, I'm not allowed to say that, since it's a fresh wound.
2333 killed and 1139 wounded and all those beautiful battleships destroyed is a deep enough wound for me to keep Pearl Harbor in mind every year. Maybe it's the Navy man I was in a past life...
Now for Some News...
It fits that the CIA would make tapes of questionable interrogation tactics, destroy those tapes, and then the public find out about it. It's a little bizarre to me, the whole thing...but another sign of one seriously dysfunctional executive branch. I do not envy the next President.
Developers want to put a huge casino resort in Wilmington, OH. The veritable middle of nowhere, and I'm torn on whether or not it'd be a good thing to have something between Columbus and Cincinnati. Either way, the state government is not making it easy for the developers to get approval from the voters.
Say what you want about nuclear power, but a large chunk of the medical field is in a panic about one of the Canadian reactors being shut down. It stops the flow of radioactive isotopes that are needed for a variety of tests and treatments, possibly dealing a catastrophic blow to the health industry.
I just ran a little experiment, shooting a text message to everyone I knew wishing them a "happy day that will live on in infamy." The more intelligent among my friends and family assumed I had just finished my classes for the quarter. Ah well. Hopefully we can accelerate this process with 9/11...but wait, I'm not allowed to say that, since it's a fresh wound.
2333 killed and 1139 wounded and all those beautiful battleships destroyed is a deep enough wound for me to keep Pearl Harbor in mind every year. Maybe it's the Navy man I was in a past life...
Now for Some News...
It fits that the CIA would make tapes of questionable interrogation tactics, destroy those tapes, and then the public find out about it. It's a little bizarre to me, the whole thing...but another sign of one seriously dysfunctional executive branch. I do not envy the next President.
Developers want to put a huge casino resort in Wilmington, OH. The veritable middle of nowhere, and I'm torn on whether or not it'd be a good thing to have something between Columbus and Cincinnati. Either way, the state government is not making it easy for the developers to get approval from the voters.
Say what you want about nuclear power, but a large chunk of the medical field is in a panic about one of the Canadian reactors being shut down. It stops the flow of radioactive isotopes that are needed for a variety of tests and treatments, possibly dealing a catastrophic blow to the health industry.
Tuesday
Tuesday Stuff!
I'm thankful today for the fact my sisters made it out this week...so just a quick one today.
Now for Some News...
New Stem Cell Research Could End Ethical Worries, from NPR
Rare National Buzz Help Obama Decide to Run, from NPR
Teachers and Civil Servants Join Transport Strikers, from BBC
Pulitzer Winning Photographer Accused of Terror, from BBC
U.C. Won't Get to Host Presidential Debate, from WVXU
County Workers May Not Get Raises, from WVXU
Now for Some News...
New Stem Cell Research Could End Ethical Worries, from NPR
Rare National Buzz Help Obama Decide to Run, from NPR
Teachers and Civil Servants Join Transport Strikers, from BBC
Pulitzer Winning Photographer Accused of Terror, from BBC
U.C. Won't Get to Host Presidential Debate, from WVXU
County Workers May Not Get Raises, from WVXU
Monday
Get to Know Your Elected Folks!
Or mine, anyway.
And a side note for anyone who may have been looking for post action this weekend...I don't do that. I've spent just about all my working life to date working weekends, and...I don't anymore. Sorry.
So this week, we're gonna track down and add to the sidebar my elected officials. Because...I'm curious, for one. And it'll make it easier to find and decide on news. Since we've already found the United States Senators from Ohio, now we'll find my Congressman.
And a side note for anyone who may have been looking for post action this weekend...I don't do that. I've spent just about all my working life to date working weekends, and...I don't anymore. Sorry.
So this week, we're gonna track down and add to the sidebar my elected officials. Because...I'm curious, for one. And it'll make it easier to find and decide on news. Since we've already found the United States Senators from Ohio, now we'll find my Congressman.
- Go to http://www.house.gov/. That's the House of Representatives home page. It's got cool stuf, which we'll check out later.
- This one is so easy. Look at the upper left hand corner...there's a place that advises you to find your rep by punching in your zip code.
- In my case, this brings me to a page where Jean Schmidt (did not get my vote in '06) is shown, as well as the Ohio 2nd District. Jean's name is linked...let's click it!
- Now we see her official webpage, with all kindsa neat goodies on it. Including possibly the most important, her contact info. This is important because we'll be discussing how to inform your elected reps when their views are either (a) appropriately reflecting your own or (b) decidedly offensive.
So to my neat lil side bar of knowledge, I'll add a neat lil section for Jean Schmidt.
Tune in tomorrow, when we tackle possibly the most obvious of all, the White House!
Now Some News...
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