Post Archives

Dayton Public Schools is weeks away from the first bell, and high school students still don’t know how they’re getting to school. While DPS blames the state, the real issue is a failure of leadership and imagination. In this post, I break down the busing crisis—and offer real, creative solutions, from smarter routing to a citywide ebike program that could transform how students get to school. If the folks in charge can’t do the math, maybe it’s time to grade them accordingly.

Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley is now back on the hook for all 12 felony charges after walking away from an illegal plea deal, granted under seal by Judge Jonathan Hein. An evidentiary hearing is set for August 12 to determine whether any part will be closed to the public, but the law is clear: attorney-client privilege doesn’t apply to government lawyers shielding public corruption. Jury trial dates are set, Hein’s seat is aging out, and the Second District may soon rule on whether Foley stays in office. Full update here.

David Esrati files a 30-page brief in State ex rel. Esrati v. Foley, exposing how Montgomery County’s Clerk of Courts escaped disqualification through an illegal, sealed plea deal. The case highlights failures by Judge Jonathan Hein, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, and a broken justice system that shields corrupt officials. Esrati calls for transparency, fast-track prosecution of indicted public officials, and reform of Ohio’s outdated quo warranto process.

After the destruction of Good Samaritan Hospital, Dayton faces a crisis not just of care, but of control. Rather than fund a public hospital run by a dysfunctional city government, a smarter solution would break the Premier-Kettering duopoly, empower small businesses, and offer sliding-scale health care to all Daytonians. Other cities have done it. So can we.

The State of Ohio may appeal Judge Wall’s decision to grant Kevin Wright a new trial—despite a 4-day evidentiary hearing that exposed prosecutorial failures, faulty evidence, and an incompetent defense. As Wright prepares for a bond hearing, taxpayers should be asking why Ohio continues to pay attorneys who can’t defend a verdict—or a system that failed for four years.