Those who don’t learn from history are bound to repeat it. While making cuts to essential safety services- our local government has time and money to hand out “Economic Development” money to hand-picked corporate entities to “encourage business growth and retention.” This just days after UltraCell, a prior recipient of these types of funds closed up shop and went home.

Here is the press release as reprinted in the Dayton Daily News:

DAYTON — The cities of Dayton, Vandalia, Riverside and Miami Twp. will share $575,000 in Opportunity Reserve Funds from the Montgomery County Economic Development/Government Equity Program to encourage business growth and retention.

The Montgomery County Commission, on Tuesday, Aug. 24, approved two grants for Vandalia totaling $175,000; Dayton got $50,000; Riverside $150,000; and Miami Twp., $200,000. Several of the businesses are looking at multiple locations. If a company locates outside of Montgomery County, it doesn’t get the award.

• The city of Vandalia got awards of $125,000 for Project Crossroads and $50,000 for Projects Unlimited. Project Crossroads is working with property owners to occupy a vacant building at 707 Crossroads Court. The property owner, Construction Managers of Ohio, proposes spending $775,357 to upgrade electric service and install a new transformer to increase electric power to accommodate equipment used by a potential tenant, auto parts manufacturer Inteva Products.

Projects Unlimited, 6300 Sand Lake Road, wants to establish a cable and harnessing division within the company’s aerospace business. The project includes additions to an existing building at a cost of $1.26 million.

• Dayton’s $50,000 award would go to home builder NVR Inc., 2094 Northwest Parkway. The company’s $3.5 million project involves development of a new truss factory in Dayton creating 60 jobs over three years with an annual payroll of $1.74 million.

• Riverside will get $150,000 to assist InfoCision Marketing Corporation. The building InfoCision leases at 101 Woodman Drive is under foreclosure and the company wants to purchase and renovate it at a cost of $3 million. InfoCision will retain a minimum of 250 jobs for the next three years with estimated annual payroll of $4 million.

• The largest award, $200,000, goes to Miami Twp. for VRI, 9111 Springboro Pike, Miamisburg. VRI’s corporate headquarters, call center and customer support center are in West Carrollton, but the company needs to move to a larger facility.

The company expects to increase its 100 employees to nearly 300 within five years. ED/GE funds will go toward design, building and leasehold improvements.

via Cities get money to stimulate business.

The first warning sign post on Esrati.com about UltraCell was on Dec. 12, 2008, look to a post within 2 years of one of these companies falling apart- or not delivering what was promised.

If our politicians would work on consolidating government, thereby reducing the tax overhead required, we would be able to attract a lot more business to the area. Ohio has too many taxing jurisdictions and one of the highest costs of government in the country. Let’s spend our money eliminating duplication of services- starting with unifying our police forces into one department with one well paid chief who is accountable for reducing crime and shortening response times.

There- that wasn’t too hard to re-direct tax dollars to their intended purpose.

It’s bad enough that Ohio has a system of jurisdictions set up in the 1790s that makes so many tax districts and levying organizations that all require overhead- making Ohio an expensive place to live and work. Just look at how many “Mayors” the area known to the world as Dayton  has- and then how many police chiefs and sheriffs, fire chiefs and zoning administrators and councils, and street maintenance…. you get the picture. Taxpayers don’t care who shows up when you call a cop- as long as they do their job. On top of that- we have a playing field that is as unlevel as they come- hence all the “development” (or moving of businesses in the giant shell game) to places without an income tax- Beavercreek, Miami Township (Austin Road) etc. We’re really good at moving our problems around and causing new ones- because we can’t address the old ones.

Now, the titans of talk at the Dayton Development Coalition are suggesting that both the taxpayer and local “member businesses” contribute more money to them so they can hand out “incentives” to retain other businesses. Sure, I go to work everyday to make money to hand over to an overpaid, slick-talking suit so he can take a scrape and hand it over to his new best friend- the company claiming it is leaving.

THIS MAKES ZERO SENSE.

Here’s a bit of  the article from the Dayton Daily News- which moved its print facility out of the county and its offices outside the SID downtown:

The Dayton Development Coalition seeks to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in additional support from member businesses and local governments to try harder to make sure that the biggest local companies stay and expand here.

A memo drafted as a strategy document for leadership of the public-private coalition states that the region’s business leaders believe “there are gaps and inefficiencies” in current retention and expansion efforts aimed at companies already here, and that the coalition has been asked to take an expanded role.

“Specifically, the large anchor companies are not being addressed in the manner needed,” according to a two-page memo prepared for the coalition’s retention and expansion ad-hoc committee.

via Coalition wants new effort aimed at keeping big companies in region.

Of course, this makes perfect sense, since the head of the DDC makes over double what the City Manager for Dayton makes and at least a third more than the County Administrator (both of whom oversee budgets and organizations that dwarf the DDC in size and importance to the community- with some level of accountability to the public). This is how we make sure that crony capitalism or corporate welfare (depending on which term you prefer) continues to screw things up in Dayton. If you need reminding on the kind of track record these kind of “investments” by government work out- look at UltraCell (and boy do I have more coming on that mess).

Of course, the DDC will say that it is better than some poor civil servant slob who may only be able to make $100k a year and has his or her hands tied by stupid laws (that were put in place to prevent this kind of government meddling in business)- and whom government should thank for taking over these positions and saving the taxpayers money by removing the duplication of effort. It all sounds great- until you realize that their is no voter oversight on this organization- nor are they held accountable for their actions. How would you feel if you made widgets, were a paying member of the DDC, a good citizen- and then find out your “dues” are being handed over to your widget competitor across the street?

If any of this sounds like the way the Mafia works to you, it’s because it’s a similar business model based on fear. If we don’t play the game that all these other communities are doing across the country- our businesses will flee for the better deal as NCR did. However, the real secret to attracting and retaining business is to do the opposite- regionalize, simplify taxes and regulation, improve customer service, invest the money in PUBLIC amenities (that’s what public dollars are supposed to be for) and throw these mobsters in the river with some concrete boots. We don’t need to keep subsidizing more government and quasi-government, we need to deliver more bang for our buck to the businesses and taxpayers who are already here- and tell our story to the world.

“How Dayton decided to stick to the knitting- and get out of the “economic development” business- and created the greatest city to do business in….”

The Dayton Business Journal reports today that UltraCell, which has had its hand out since it landed in Vandalia- is closing operations in Ohio.

Politicians make lousy venture capitalists- since the money they are playing with is our tax dollars. And don’t just consider the money that we put into this venture as a waste- the whole bureaucracy in the Ohio Department of Development, the “Economic Development Directors” of the region- and the Dayton Development Coalition- are all a colossal waste of our money and energy.

From the DBJ:

UltraCell Corp., which has received millions of dollars in Ohio funding, has shut down its Dayton-area operations.

The Livermore, Calif.-based company, which makes fuel cell systems, broke the news to suppliers in a letter last week saying operations here would end on Aug. 13.

Local and state officials expected a meteoric rise from UltraCell, but that never translated into local jobs.

In 2006, the company announced plans to open a production facility in the Dayton area and create 360 jobs by 2010. In December of 2009, the company only reported having 13 employees at its Vandalia plant.

Officials from UltraCell could not be reached for comment.

Ohio officials are reviewing state grants and loans to UltraCell to determine what the company will be required to pay back, according to a spokesperson from the Ohio Department of Development. The company has been awarded more than $3.4 million in Third Frontier grants over the years and has collected more than $2 million of those grants so far.

UltraCell may not have to pay all of the Third Frontier money, or other grants and loans, because the state did benefit from its partnership with other organizations, such as the University of Dayton Research Institute, the spokesperson said.

In May, 2009, UltraCell reported raising $3.8 million in venture funding to help expand operations at its facility in Dayton. At the time, UltraCell has raised $30 million total since it was started in 2002, according to the company.

via UltraCell closes Dayton operations – Dayton Business Journal.

Of course, Esrati.com said it was a mistake back in December,  2008- “responsible tax dollar management: end job creation grants”

Now, can we go back and take a look at which idiots pushed our tax dollars into this operation- and hold them accountable? How about eliminating them and decreasing the tax burden for the rest of us? Maybe if we didn’t carry all the overhead of people trying to create jobs, there would be some money left for the businesses still left in Ohio to actually hire people who make something other than bad deals and broken promises.

And if you are looking for a good reason to vote for a new county prosecutor and sheriff in Montgomery County:

A 24-year-old Riverside man with nine license suspensions told police he had downed six beers prior to an early Sunday hit-and-run that killed a woman and her dog in Harrison Twp.

Jimmie Picklesimer was booked into the Montgomery County Jail, though he was released Monday night, Aug. 2.

via Suspect banned from driving ?9 times.

So just like on TV- where we are treated to a non-stop show of people killing people as if it’s common practice, yet- we’re not allowed to see a nipple, in real life in Southwest Ohio- the penalties for killing someone is to let you go home- while having sex- (in a very weird case) is a major crime:

The 31-year-old Franklin woman who authorities said pretended to be a 14-year-old boy to get close to a teen-age girl has been indicted on misdemeanor charges of sexual imposition, attempted sexual imposition and contributing to the unruliness of a minor.

Patricia Dye, also known as Matt Abrams, was indicted on the charges by a Warren County grand jury, according to a list issued by court officials on Monday, Aug. 2.

Dye was arrested in (sic) June 30 ..

The grand jury declined to indict Dye on a felony charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor…

Dye, who is being held on $100,000 bond will be arraigned Tuesday in Warren County Juvenile Court.

via Woman who pretended to be boy indicted on sex charges.

At least the Warren County grand jury didn’t see this confused person worthy of felony charges- but $100,000 bond? Held for over a month? In the first case someone died, in the second case- someone tried to make love- is Justice blind- or just biased by our puritanical values movement?

Mr. Picklesimer has had his license revoked 9 times. He’ll probably get more hate for killing the dog than a woman.

Is it any wonder why Ohio is losing population? Who wants to live in a community where you can get killed with relative impunity?

Inspector Gotcha was involved in the board of election mailing.

Despite the fact that it was a Dem primary- they had to mail every household with the notification, in case people wanted to switch parties.

Of course, graphic design is NOT the BOE’s specialty.

The request- with the party affiliation box click to download full size PDF

So- 938 people got their original absentee request returned- and asked to spend another 44 cents to get a ballot. Here is the breakdown:

• 277 voters requested a Republican party ballot.
• 4 voters requested a Constitution party ballot.
• 4 voters requested a Green party ballot.
• 4 voters requested a Libertarian party ballot.
• 379 voters did not request a specific party ballot.
• 81 voters requested an issues only ballot.
• 189 voters requested a Democratic party ballot that their applications were incomplete to process.

Since the BOE can’t tell us how many of these made it back a second time-  and the total number of absentee’s requested was 5710, we’re looking at a 16% failure rate. And, BTW- when was the last time there was a Socialist party primary in Montgomery County? 1924?

Compound that with not putting up signs at traditional polling places and you have a very sloppy election process.

Of course, the BOE seems to get a hall pass by most for their actions.

• The deadlock on Jon Husted’s residency.
• Technicalities on petition process- complete with forms not being available online.
• And- the lawsuit against them by Ralph Wilcoxon that is still being ignored by the mainstream media.

And while some may think this organization is doing all it can- all one has to do is compare websites of Board of Elections in Ohio to realize there are huge differences from County to County- and the Secretary of States office could do a much better job of moving this whole process forward.

I’d love to have a real interview of both Jon Husted and Maryellen O’Shaughnessy to find what their plans are to bring these offices into the 20th century.

Genuine Buddy 50cc Scooter

And then frustration set in. Local business man Jason Liff started Motoscooto on Wayne Avenue at the height of gas prices- and since then, prices have been dropping steadily- as unemployment has gone up. His selection of quality scooters has improved- adding the Genuine Scooter brand and CFMoto to a line up of LinHai and Fly Scooters.

In a conference call the other day with some other Genuine dealers, he found out that their bread and butter scooter sales is in a scooter he can barely sell- the 50cc variety. And it comes down to State laws- with Ohio having some of the most byzantine of options.

In many states (note, I can find a definitive list for Mopeds, but not for scooters) two wheel vehicles under 50cc’s don’t require anything but a valid driver’s license – and if they have pedals, may not require a license at all if they can’t go over 30 mph.

In Ohio we’ll allow a 14 or 15 year old on the road with a Moped- with a “probationary license”. Yet, we don’t require a motorcycle helmet or the completion of a motorcycle safety course for adults, we require a Motorcycle license to ride anything without pedals. This adds a level of bureaucracy that severely hampers sales of the most energy-efficient scooter- the 50 cc- which all get over 90 mpg. Buyers realize that if they have to get a license- they may as well opt for a 125cc or larger scooter.

It also changes insurance costs- lumping the two types together in one category- motorcycle.

It’s time to make a uniform law across the nation that allows 50cc scooters to be ridden by any adult with a valid driver’s license with a helmet to encourage use of these energy-efficient vehicles.

The quickest and easiest way to reduce the need for foreign oil is to use less of it. Inexpensive, quick, fun, 50cc scooters are a huge step in the right direction. Because California banned the 2 stroke scooter- unless it meets its tougher emission status these small scooters can cut oil consumption and emissions. If we all just took 10% of our trips by scooter- in the summer months- the effects would be … (I’ll leave it up to our math quant reader to calculate the impact).

Other laws should also be changed: free parking of scooters in garages, on sidewalks (as long as they don’t impede pedestrian flow) and permissible use of bike lanes- with cyclists getting preferred rights- can make this a more scooter-friendly nation.

In Europe where gas prices have been in the $7 gallon range for a long time- scooters are everywhere, year round. The Federal government has already standardized driver’s licenses and forced States to comply with drinking ages, and your driver’s license in one state works in others- it’s time to put a nationwide standard for scooter licensing, with incentives for scooter commuters.

Our dependence on foreign oil is an issue of national defense- it’s time we tried the 50 cc solution.

The Dayton Daily News has a story about a group of church leaders planning a prayer vigil in front of the Bill Goodmans Gun and Knife show which is held at Hara Arena. They are calling for “criminal background checks on all firearm transactions”- which is already done- unless you are a private seller meeting a private buyer there. All dealers who have a Federal Firearms License (FFL) are required to do the checks.

Representatives from the churches that make up the Anchored in Peace network…will formally announce their plans to have a Prayer Rally at 1 p.m. on May 2 at the corner of Shiloh Springs Road and Wolf Road, in front of Hara Arena… (they) want(…) to bring attention and raise support for the passage of House Resolution 2324, which is the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2009, … which requires criminal background checks on all firearm transactions occurring at gun shows, was introduced by U.S. Rep. Michael Castle, R-Delaware.

via Criminal background checks at gunshows wanted by group of churches.

However, there are much more important things that we could and should be doing to solve these problems.

• The crime of trying to buy a gun as a convicted felon- isn’t prosecuted currently. A very small number of people get in trouble for this.
• Being caught with a firearm under disability isn’t treated harshly enough either.

But my real gripe is- you can’t fill a SCUBA tank with air in this country without having successfully completing an intensive training course- where the only person you’ll kill is yourself- yet, we still have ZERO requirements for gun safety training before ownership.

The best part of the Carry Concealed Weapons (CCW) license is that it finally addresses the issues of proper firearms training.

A waiver should be granted for any properly discharged veterans, who have had proper firearms training- but, everyone else needs to take a proper safety course.

This hasn’t even been discussed by the legislature.

Yet, you can’t ride an under 50cc scooter in Ohio without a drivers license, you can’t cut hair without a barbers license, you can’t appraise homes without an appraisers licensee… oh, wait…

(I hope to see lots of other stupid licensing laws added in the comments of this post)

In the UK where me Mum is from, they have a word they like to use for layoffs and for downsizing: redundant. It even has specific legal meaning.

In Ohio we’ve never met a jurisdiction, legislator, or representative that didn’t think the world couldn’t live without them or what they do. It’s contributed to government getting bigger- and having the net result of driving costs up- and jobs and people away from the State. It’s why Republicans talk about smaller government all the time (but do squat to make it happen- Ohio continued to hire people under Bob Taft and a Republican Statehouse).

Now- the DDN reports:

Montgomery County has more tax levies on the ballot next week than any other county in the state, Ohio Secretary of State records show.

The county has 17 property tax levies on the May 4 ballot, one more than Cuyahoga County, the largest county in the state. Of those, eight are school levies and the rest are township issues replacing, renewing or adding to existing levies.

Of course, growth in government has been as unchecked as our sprawl, where the amount of developed land has increased at 3x the number of people.

Montgomery County’s 92 taxing districts have 277 levies on the books today, 18 more than a decade ago, according to county Auditor Karl Keith’s office. The total effective millage, or net tax rate, for homeowners and agricultural land owners has grown 25 percent over that time.

Some say the number of levy requests next week — 431 statewide — reflects a fractured system of local government and education, one that’s inefficient, costly and confusing to voters.

“Because there are so many of these jurisdictions, (voters) really don’t know what the priorities are, especially now in this environment — people are a little bit cranky, they’re tightening their belts and they’re wondering if they can afford another tax increase,” said Mark Partridge, an Ohio State University economics professor who studies rural and urban issues.

Partridge advocates a regional approach to government, where there’s greater collaboration and less competition among neighboring communities for jobs and development, tax dollars and services. Such a system could lead to more accountability, too, he said.

“When there’s too much local government, no one’s really accountable; no one knows who to blame when things go wrong or who to credit when things go right,” he said.

Of course the “Think Tanks” can tell us the obvious:

Partridge’s views are shared by researchers from the Brookings Institution and the Greater Ohio Policy Center, two pro-urban think tanks that issued a report in February entitled, Restoring Prosperity: Transforming Ohio’s Communities for the Next Economy.

The report found Ohio has some 3,800 local government units, including 250 cities, 695 villages and 1,308 townships. The state has a total local government payroll 10 percent above the national average and it has the ninth-highest local tax burden in the country, compared with the 34th highest for state taxes.

All of which is “undercutting our ability to be economically competitive,” said Lavea Brachman, Greater Ohio’s co-director.

“We have a preference for local service delivery and that’s understandable, but it’s not sustainable these days,” Brachman said Monday, April 26.

It’s been going on with the School systems as well- but the consultants can’t even get to the obvious- that 88 counties is too many- and that Countywide School systems like North Carolina and Georgia are what is needed at minimum- and since State standards are what is really being governed- there may not be any need for much of the County level administration either – imagine if we dumped responsibility down straight to the Principals of each school? Aren’t they the ones ultimately tracked now for delivery of test scores?

On the school side, Greater Ohio and Brookings say the state needs to cut the number of school districts it has by a third to around 400. “We’re 47th in the nation in terms of spending that goes to instruction and ninth (for spending) that goes to administration,” Brachman said. “That really raises questions about where is this additional funding going, is it contributing to quality in the classroom.”

all above indented material via Montgomery has highest number of tax levies on ballot.

Instead of voting on Constitutional Amendments on what piece of Real Estate a Casino should be on (Issue 2)- why don’t we start mandating for government reductions through consolidation and the elimination of unnecessary services (like “Economic development” which just seems to be an excuse to hire friends of politicians to pay them big bucks- to give our money away to Corporations that then donate to the politicians in an never ending cycle).

A ten year plan to cut numbers of jurisdictions by half and then half again in an additional 10 years would do more for “economic development” in Ohio than anything else. We can’t afford to continue to “buy” jobs from other States- and stay in business:

A lot of pieces, financial and otherwise, came together in the past year to convince law firm WilmerHale to locate its new business services center at Miami Valley Research Park.

Jay Westcott, the firm’s assistant managing partner and a Springfield native, said moving support operations from Boston, New York and Washington, D.C., would allow the company to save money and improve performance by consolidating to a single site.

There was also a list of financial incentives, most significantly a $1.46 million job creation tax credit approved Monday, April 26, by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority.

The Montgomery County Commission approved a $250,000 economic development grant April 20, and the city of Kettering and Miami Valley Research Foundation each pledged $500,000 in support.

via 187 new research, technology jobs coming to area.

Until we’re on a level playing field with all the other states, in not handing tax dollars and tax breaks to companies, the tax burdens on the rest of the State will continue to drive business and people out.

Any local government not discussing merging, reduction in taxes, consolidation and “redundancy” should be getting the message at the ballot box as the overtaxed citizens say enough is enough and start voting levy’s down.

At the State level- we should be implementing new laws to allow regional government, eliminating the “township” status for anything other than pure agricultural land (no more auto plants in cornfields- or the taxes on farmers and food go way up to support the infrastructure of automotive plants for example).

When have you heard a politician talking about this issue with a real, concrete plan? Why not?

No oversight on $46 Million? And, the FBI and the county are going after Raleigh Trammell for his little scrape?  Sounds like JFS director Christy Novell and County Administrator Deborah Feldman should be under investigation and on leave without pay until they understand that this is a major violation of the public trust and their duty.

Montgomery County failed to follow its own rules requiring that staff visit the sites of organizations that received $46 million in public money to provide social services last year, County Administrator Deborah Feldman said Tuesday, March 23.

She said very few of the 236 contracts managed by the county Department of Job and Family Services were fully monitored last year, and officials believe the problem also occurred in 2008.

“I really feel terrible about it,” said Christy Norvell, director of JFS.

via County failed to monitor groups getting millions in public money.

If anyone wonders where anti-government sentiment comes from, it’s when public officials make lame-ass apologies, instead of admitting fault. Of course, they have nothing on the line. No profit and loss statement to be reviewed by the banker, no responsibility to investors to make good on the money entrusted to them, and no risk of losing their job, pension or freedom apparently.

I’m sorry- but, if you fail to handle public money responsibly, you don’t deserve a paycheck or a pension, and may even belong in jail. It’s crooks like you that destroy our system more than the punks who broke into my office. Our political system only works when we can trust that the people in it are doing their job.

Feeling “terrible” about it doesn’t cut the mustard.

It’s one thing for a political campaign to hire a campaign consultant, but it’s another for taxpayer money to be used to pass a tax increase. Think about it- would you pay someone your own money, to make you pay more for something?

If the politicians can’t get a tax increase passed without being able to present a rational argument for the increase, there is no reason to hire in a political hack. Read what’s happening in Xenia from the DDN:

Virgil Vaduva, of June Drive, Xenia, filed a civil lawsuit in Common Pleas Court on Tuesday, March 2, alleging the seven-member council and City Manager Jim Percival acted fraudulently and misappropriated funds as they prepared to place a 0.5 percent income tax increase before voters May 4.

In his lawsuit, Vaduva claims Xenia officials should not have used taxpayer dollars to hire Columbus-based Avakian Consulting to help improve Xenia’s image as part of the city’s tax request or paid $4,000 to Wright State University for a survey that helps support it. He is asking the court to stop officials from placing the issue on the ballot.

“They’re skirting elections law as far as I’m concerned, using public funds to promote a tax increase,” Vaduva said in an interview. He also takes credit for creating the web log stopxeniatax.blogspot.com.

via Xenia sued for misusing taxpayer money by commissioner candidate.

Go take a look at the Avakian site. Notice it says its offices are in Dayton, Columbus and Boston- and that it has 3 employees mentioned. Note also- that until Dayton Public Schools hired Burges and Burges on the no-bid $6K a month contract, Steve Avakian was their consultant (that should tell you something about his mad PR skills). I’ve mentioned Avakian’s “firm” before on this site. This was the first time I could actually find a web site for him.

Now, looking over the Avakian web site- where are the case studies, the white papers, or anything suggesting that this company has anything other than political connections? Want to see what a real marketing company in the area has for a site- here is a link to almost all of them: Agencies that aren’t The Next Wave. Who would you ask to rebrand your city? (And note, it shouldn’t be The Turner Effect- owned by Congressman Turner’s wife – with a site that’s “temporarily down”).

Mr. Vaduva may be a little on the fringe side of politics, but he has it absolutely right- governments shouldn’t be spending tax dollars on political campaigns.

So, Ted Strickland is sending out a survey.

Looking over his questions- it’s pretty clear he’s not a deep thinker.

Which issues are most important to you?:

Creating Jobs

Reforming Education

Making college more affordable

Developing advanced energy

Expanding access to health care

Protecting sportsmen’s rights

Cutting taxes

Honoring our veterans

Balancing budgets

via Ted Strickland | Survey: What matters to you?.

How about just making Ohio a great place to live and work? That means coming in tops in things like average income, access to quality education, affordable health care and feeling good about more than just Buckeye Football.

Government isn’t about doing one thing better than the others- it’s about serving the most people, the best possible living experience.

What’s your plan Ted? What’s your vision? You’ve had 3 years to express it- and all I’ve heard was that gambling is somehow a big part of your solution.

Doesn’t mean I won’t vote for you- but, it’s only because the other guy is a bigger part of the problem.

The more we look at the involvement of the Sheriff in the foreclosure process, the more we wonder. Why do banks get this special collection agency service funded by the State, with a gun and a badge?

A home loan is a contract between two parties: the bank and the home buyer. No different than the loan for a car, or a contract between two parties. Why does the Sheriff enter into this process at all? And why do the taxpayers have to fund any of it? How does he get to hire his friends to do “appraisals” when none of us could hire the same unqualified people?

The whole premise of a Sheriff in an urban county seems to be an obsolete holdover from long ago. Why do we elect a Sheriff- when we don’t elect police chiefs?

Greg and I don’t know all the answers- but we’re sure some of you do. We hope you fill us in- and everyone else in, with your erudite comments below. Here is our video today: The Sheriff of Nothingham

Enjoy.

And, to the woman who called and left a message on my answering machine thanking me for this forum- thank you!

The continuing saga of the “appraisers” hired by the Sheriff, paid by the banks, and handed out as patronage jobs continues.

And now, according to the paper, we know Phil Plummer isn’t crooked, because he won’t hire his sister back- and know for sure that no one can do math in the Sheriff’s office:

Chief Deputy Mike Nolan estimates that the appraisers spend three to five hours on a job, although Plummer said some have said they can do it in 90 minutes to two hours.

Despite the number of work hours that would mean for the appraisers, who typically handled about 1,400 to 1,600 cases year, Plummer said he believes they are doing a thorough, accurate job.

via Sheriff says sister won’t work as an appraiser regardless of ruling.

Do the math- 1,400 cases, 2 hours each (best case), equals 2,800 hours: divide by 8 hours in a working day- and you have these people working 350 days a year! Never mind some take longer- and, one of the appraisers has a full-time job as the Chaminade Julienne Athletic Director.

In those 2 hours, they are supposed to make a site visit, enter the property, compare it to others around it, take pictures, fill out paperwork- for $85. Oh yeah, and we don’t know who authorized that amount:

Also on Wednesday, Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Administrative Judge Barbara P. Gorman, said a court committee will study the minimum fees paid to the appraisers. The court is examining how the appraisers came to be paid $85 per property when the court in 1996 set the amount at $60. The court, clerk of courts and sheriff’s offices are searching records to determine who authorized the higher payments but none have been found.

If you wonder how they appraise all of our homes for tax purposes every six years- and wonder where they come up with the numbers- well, now we’re starting to see how screwed up this whole process has been. There is plenty of blame to go around on this mortgage crisis, and the Sheriff is just the local part of the cluster-duck.

It’s time for the Sheriff to be investigated, not for hiring his buddies, but explaining how he paid people to either work 350 days a year, or not really do appraisals at all.

See my other 2 posts on the subject: Now the numbers really don’t add up.

and “The nepotism doesn’t add up”

Greg Hunter is a big fan of the ponies, and thinks that parimutuel gambling is a much better bet than any casino. He’s also convinced that the economic benefit of horse racing exceeds that of casinos- it’s a big boost to agriculture in his opinion.

He cites an article in the New York Times about the use of stem cells to heal an aging race horse as an indication of the spin-off benefits.

I’m not anti-gambling, but I do consider it a tax on stupid people. Anyone who wants to play cards with me, I’ll be happy to let you win 65% of your wager anytime.

Here is our broadcast for the day:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Your thoughts?

Interesting letter to the editor in the Dayton City Paper about the Dunbar/Fairmont basketball game and some racist little suburban kids. Well written, from a Kettering parent of a Fairmont cheerleader. Thank you Yvette Williams for speaking out.

I’ve got a PDF of it for you to read, since the DCP doesn’t have a proper web site:DCP letter 120909.pg18

I’ve tried to have a discussion about race and our community- with the post about “The White City” but it devolved into a discussion about gay rights in the comments.

Here, Greg and I talk about the race issue- and what YOU can do about it in this community, starting today:

Click here to view the embedded video.

We welcome your thoughts.

Why do bars stop serving alcohol at 2 am? Why can’t you buy liquor in Ohio at 8am on a Sunday? Why do restaurants have to fence in little patios to serve alcohol outside? Why can’t you buy the new Sam Adams specialty beer in Ohio?

Those wild and crazy guys at Boston Beer Co. have done it again, brewing a beer so strong they label it 48 proof, using terminology usually reserved for spirits. Sam Adams Utopias MMII, which goes on sale this month, is in fact 24% alcohol by volume, making it the strongest commercial beer in the world.

via Realbeer.com: Beer Break – Sam Adams Brews Strongest Beer Ever.

And last but not least, why can you enlist in the Army and vote, but not buy a beer?

We’ll leave that last one alone, because Mothers Against Drunk Driving can make a pretty good case for why young drivers shouldn’t be drinking- but, then again, no drivers should be drinking, so what’s the difference?

For years, shift workers and restaurant workers have found “illegal after-hours” establishments to go to after work for a drink. With a 24/7/365 economy, why are we still pretending that one size of hours fits all? We live in a world of 24 hour grocery stores- so why not let business do what makes sense for them.

This wouldn’t mean a change for many bars, because their clientele may still be on a conventional schedule, but for large “party palaces” like Masque, Hammerjax or Vex downtown, why not keep the party going all night?

Not being a huge fan of zoning codes that are applied to manage people, the condition of extended hours may just be that there are usage fees charged back to establishments for police calls to the establishment for problems outside or stemming from patrons, with a set limit of infractions causing a curtailing of hours.

Would this change in policy really hurt a majority of Ohioans? Probably not. What it may help is giving people a way to escape more often from the realities that this global economy is throwing our way, and provide additional economic opportunity for bar owners to keep their parties going all – night – long.

And for the record: I don’t drink alcohol at all.

The Oregon Historic District Society fought the liquor license for Pacchia too, and the license to “What you eat” the little vegetarian restaurant that was to serve vegan and macrobiotic wine, and Thai 9 (update- the neighborhood approved this one- yet cost the owners an extra $40K for the permit) and Wileys and the 5th Street Wine & Deli- the list goes on. Add another obstacle to development that stops the Oregon District from ever reaching its potential.

The City Commission, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, voted 4-1 to object to a liquor permit application for a bed and breakfast in the Oregon Historic District.

Leslie and Jeffery Gonya, owners of Inn Port D’Vino, 22 Brown Street, said they want to share their love of wine with inn patrons. They would like to sell wine from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday in a retail section of their establishment.

“It’s meant to be an enhancement to the bed and breakfast experience,” Leslie Gonya said.

The retail operation also would be open to the general public.

via Liquor permit rejected for Oregon District bed and breakfast.

Nan Whaley was the sole dissenter, showing that “the team” is occasionally capable of breaking ranks. Yet, it’s been a long time since we saw a 3-2 vote. Kudos to Ms. Whaley.

The real problem that should be addressed has nothing to do with the number of liquor vendors, it has to do with the lack of ability to deal with drunks being obnoxious. I hardly believe a B&B is going to contribute to people peeing in yards, slamming car doors or revving motorcycle engines at 2:30 a.m. or getting into fights. If the City of Dayton was able to enforce these other laws effectively, the neighbors, many of whom CHOSE to live in the neighborhood of bars and restaurants, wouldn’t be fighting against this permit.

It’s this kind of short-sightedness that stops full occupancy of the district- and allows marginal businesses to continue to operate without the ability to get fair dollars for their almost “prime” locations. Throw in the stupid rules about parking space requirements and you have the main reason why the Greene has so many new restaurants and the Oregon doesn’t.

Full disclosure: I worked with Pacchia in its first year after it had secured a permit through a loophole, and I worked with “What you eat” on getting the permit that eventually transferred to the “Blue Moon”- which was also a client.

Since when is a labor union a counseling service? And why would we pay a union to do what we already pay public workers (in a union) to do the same thing? (Well actually, apparently union workers need pre-counseling, to help acclimate themselves to the real world) Sounds like a kickback to an organization that helps elect politicians to you? Does to me. Even sounds that way to County Commissioner Debbie Lieberman- and she gets money and backing from the union!

The state is spending $2 million to hire the AFL-CIO’s United Labor Agency to reach out to workers losing their jobs statewide.

A new contract with the union was just signed and the union this month will open an outreach center for workers at the IUE hall at 1675 Woodman Ave.

“The idea is that people will go to a place where they are comfortable, where they know the people,” said Marcia Tolles, director of rapid response for Ohio AFL-CIO. “It’s a place that gets people ready for the services administered by the county.”

The money does not pay for retraining or provide front-line services. Instead, the union trains peer-to-peer counselors to tell workers how to access dislocated worker services, such as training, resume writing, and job hunting. The union also sets up labor management teams to plan for layoffs.

Montgomery County Commissioner Debbie Lieberman last week questioned the expenditure and why the union is opening a separate outreach center, when the county has a full-service Job Center in Dayton and a separate career transition center in Moraine targeting auto workers.

“I don’t know how there’s any money for this,” county Administrator Deborah Feldman said.

That expenditure comes even as the federal Workforce Investment Act, which pays for services to dislocated workers, was cut by about 30 percent this fiscal year, said Heath MacAlpine, assistant director for Montgomery County Job and Family Services. Those cuts cost the county nearly $500,000, reducing this fiscal year’s funding to $1.9 million.

via State spending $2M on labor agency to help jobless.

I just screened in front of AFL-CIO leadership- I’m sure this post will kill any chance of an endorsement. However, in times like these, we can’t afford special treatment for union workers anymore than we can afford bonuses and pensions for the executives that fired them in the first place.

It’s time for a reality check on where our tax dollars are going- and on what people can get paid at companies that accept money from selling stock. While investors shouldn’t have any guarantee of a return- they should also be shielded from outrageous compensation paid for sub-par performance.

As to hiring unions as job counselors- it just sounds like a way to guarantee support in the next election for our Governor.

For lack of $53,000 the State of Ohio has stopped providing trash cans at State Parks. This means, when doing maintenance- like cutting the grass, State employees have to waste more time stopping to pick up the trash that didn’t get taken home by taxpayers. Really bad choice. Here is the article from the Dayton Daily News:

Strapped by historic underfunding, $500 million in backlogged maintenance needs and even more dire budget projections, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has pulled trash cans from day-use areas at 30 of 74 state parks.

By canceling trash service beginning last year, ODNR has racked up $53,000 in savings. The program does not include campgrounds or other areas in parks where overnight accommodations or fee facilities are in place.

via State park visitors asked to help with trash.

I have a better suggestion. As a gift to the residents of all Ohio, why doesn’t the Dayton Area of Commerce stop paying Jon Husted to “oversee its workforce development efforts.” and pay for the trash collection in State parks? That would be a real nice thing to do for the citizens of the State of Ohio- and show how Dayton business has the foresight to see what the State doesn’t. Trashy parks make bad impressions.

Husted already has a full-time job as a State Senator- one that takes so much time, that he doesn’t have the ability to live in his district anymore in violation of the law. Inside sources claim Husted is paid more than $53K a year for this “job.”

We could also look at the contracts that various local governments have with lobbyists, and stop paying private, “politically-connected” people to do what our legislators won’t. But, that would be asking legislators to take out the trash- and we already know they won’t, as demonstrated by the ODNR.

I’ve been scratching my head ever since this Strickland plan to legalize slots at horse tracks got passed- considering it was explicitly voted down. Thankfully- the Warren County Commission still has the good sense to point out this is a handover of a monopoly without a bid:

Warren County commissioners may challenge the governor’s video slot deal.

The commissioners believe the new deal Gov. Ted Strickland struck to get slot machines at the seven race tracks, including Lebanon Raceway, may be unconstitutional because it is essentially a law that benefits just the individuals who own the racetracks.

The commissioners asked their legal counsel to look into possibly filing a lawsuit.

via Racetrack slot deal could face challenge from Warren County.

One has to wonder how the Governor came up with the $65 million license fee too? An arbitrary number pulled from a hat. I’m not sure how much was spent in the last ballot issue over gambling, but, it had to be in the tens of millions. Gambling is big money- and how a racetrack that’s barely hanging in – like Lebanon Raceway, is supposed to come up with the $65 million for a license only makes me wonder.

Why we can’t just put out an RFP for gambling- and sell to the highest bidders? Why shouldn’t the Arcade owners be allowed to put in a casino? Or maybe Trotwood on the site of the former Salem Mall- or Hara Arena? Why racetrack owners? Why are we suddenly talking about Austin Road for a racetrack/casino? Who is on the take?

Warren County Commissioners actually ask why the government is giving a monopoly. Montgomery County Commissioners- try to sneak in a tax hike to fund a private ice arena for their buddy

Maybe this is why Warren County has been growing while Montgomery County has been hurting.