Why Clay Mathile [1] never stepped in the way Elon Musk has to save us from government stumbling and inefficiency is a question we’ll never get an answer to, but, maybe it’s because Mathile never had any government contracts like Musk has. The problem with “government efficiency” is that government inefficiency creates a whole lot of well paying government jobs. You know- the ones that come with all those extra holidays they get off- and that come with not only health care, but a great retirement plan? The reality is, we as Americans, are pretty good bosses- because we give our employees better working conditions and compensation than we have for ourselves. Think about that.
But, when it comes to Dayton Ohio, we’ve got a government that doesn’t think twice about either efficiency or employment, except when it’s to do “economic development.” Our local leaders are all about giving our hard earned tax dollars to developers, architects, construction and demolition companies, and to billionaires who want to build electric flying cars- they just aren’t interested in running an efficient operation that makes sense for us. And, I’m not even talking about the inefficiencies caused by having epic duplication of services split between our 30 banana republics in Montgomery County [2]– and I don’t know how many quasi-governmental slush funds.
Let’s talk about demolition. It’s often said that we can’t keep up with the number of houses that need to be demolished in Dayton. So, I ask, why don’t we have our own demolition department? Why are we outsourcing something that we seem to need every single day? Is it because demolition companies pay kickbacks to local elected officials or our local government employees? (Or that somehow only Black people got paid according to the FBI and DOJ [3]). Something just doesn’t seem right about how we have all the money in the world to tear down other peoples mistakes- and no money to stabilize the properties before they get that bad- and we, the taxpayers, have to pay tear them down.
If you look at what neighborhoods have had the highest increase in value in the last 30 years in Dayton – they are all historic districts, where, it’s really hard to tear a house down. Hello? Earth to citizens of Dayton? Are you paying attention?
This self-destructive death loop of tearing down so many houses that it’s not even worth keeping the streets open in some parts of West Dayton is why any thinking person would have to come to the conclusion that there’s obviously other forces at work here. Here’s a little fact for you, the top point at Woodland Cemetery [4] used to be the highest spot in Dayton- now, it’s the dump. We’ve literally buried so much of our city in the last 30 years that it’s higher than the cemetery where we’ve been burying bodies for the last 150+ years.
And we keep electing the same people who don’t have answers to this.
So, besides starting our own demolition department and hiring people to well paying jobs tearing down other peoples mistakes, what else could we do to help save our city some money- or actually cause some real growth? Wait, I think I laid that out long ago when I first ran for Mayor back in 1993. And here’s a video of me presenting the Esrati plan 11 years ago [5].
But, wouldn’t it make sense to start forcing the people who own these future building blocks for a higher dump- to stabilize, secure and market their dumpy properties, so we don’t have to carry the costs? Hire lawyers, paralegals, to start going after every single slumlord in town- LLC or no, your property isn’t taken care of- we take it away long before it’s got to be torn down. No other city let’s things get this bad, but, then again, no other city is run by people as corrupt as ours.
It’s time to replace Jeff Mims as Mayor, and help Shenise Turner Sloss and Darryl Fairchild beat whomever the party supports to run against them.
It’s also time to shake up this epically bad school board. [6] Next year it’s time for Karen Wick, Joe Lacey, Chrisondra Goodwine and Jocelyn Rhynard to run. These are the folks who hired, or continued to keep Dr. Libby Lolli and have allowed Dr. David Lawrence to run amok with his little coven of a cabinet. No hard questions, no real review of recommendations (more on that coming), and zero accountability to the public. Wick is supposedly going to run for City Commission, but the others may or may not run again.
We need some new choices who can do what the party candidates from the back room can’t- enunciate a real plan and vision for our city. It only takes a quick look at how Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland have all made major progress on building back their cities- and all we have is a giant mountain of a dump to show for the last 30+ years.
Are you interested in running? Send me a note [7].
Time for a change in Dayton, song by David Esrati
This is a job for Gary (one-term mayor of D8N) Lietzell!
How Long has Dayton & Montgomery County been run mostly by democrats ?
@Tim- the city and the county- dems
the burbs- mix- leaning R
If they purged for efficiency, Dayton’s elected officials and staff would be gone. Probably wouldn’t notice.
And why would Clay care? He didn’t live in Dayton.
I seem to remember you were a huge supporter of Dr. David Lawrence. What happened? He wasn’t properly humbled in your presence?
@Billy – Lawrence let his ego get the best of him. He’s also hired a coven of women to worship him- and his college roommate.
Not a good look.
Serious question, David: is David Lawrence a Communist? I’ve heard from one or two DPS teachers (social studies) that Lawrence agrees with almost all Communist ideologies, and he will argue to support those ideas! Have you ever seen this? Obviously, he can do whatever he wants, but that is kind of “out there.” It’s weird.
@Joe Schmoe- good question. David’s father was a Social Democrat party leader- and Lawrence tried to run for Congress in OH-1 (Cincinnati about 20 years ago) but didn’t turn in enough signatures.
Yes, he likes his Karl Marx- but, he runs his operation more like Donald Trump- with his inner circle under his control- and then he finds ways to put money in the pockets of his friends (Charlton and Charlton $50K no bid contract for a touchy feeley survey) and there may be more coming.
Ding! Dong! The drunk witch is officially gone! What a glorious day!
David: You sing the praises of Lawrence, your good buddy, and he’s just as bad as everyone else. Yet! You want even more government in our lives!
Are you starting to see how that is not a good thing?
Trump is not guilty of shit Dave….. Learn…….. let your TDS go……..
Framed by the Deep State you have not figured it out yet ?
Trumps a Good Guy… and Not Hitler….
Trump ain’t Communist but your boy Lawrence Family seems to be !
The reason Dayton & the County are crappy is because it is democrat run….PERIOD !
Great idea about Dayton’s own demo gang.
David Lawrence wasn’t able to steer contracts to Esrati. It’s trumpy as hell, but that’s why Esrati has a right wing following.
It seems to me that the same group of complainers arrive and trot out their flaccid and tiresome complaints with minimal viable solutions.
Tearing down government is easy. Lots of clingers on flock to the public teat if there is something in it for them like government contracts, vanity public office holding, or rank corruptible power. If voters keep putting ineffective people back in office (Felon Trump, Boy Vance, reject nominees, and the ensuing trickle down corruption from them), then Americans will just keep getting taken to the woodshed.
Building an efficient system is hard work. Very few good citizens come forward to do the heavy lifting. It’s common knowledge Republicans tear down and Democrats build back (better – yep, true).
Mother Earth, Lady Liberty, and Uncle Sam are going to go through some things. BOHICA. Remember how it feels. Then, ask yourself what you are going to do about it. Embrace the suck? Slap on some hillbilly armor? If you don’t like it, gather the team, make a plan, secure buy in, and execute. Otherwise, shut up and color.
Well, look here who showed up with a new avatar pic – Hoodie Patrol!
I seriously doubt the good people at 91.3 WYSO are the ones writing the drivel coming from Hoodie’s posts. Miami Valley Public Media, Inc. owns WYSO 91.3FM, which is the local NPR station for the greater Miami Valley. In any event, even though Hoodie Patrol appears to be able to do so because the WYSO service mark has been dead for quite some time (per the US Patent & Trademark Office), it’s not a good look for the 91.3 WYSO logo to be used by Hoodie Patrol merely because he/she/they have a personal ax to grind.
What do you get when you visit WYSO.com – dead air space. What’s up with that, Hoodie?
Here’s the leadership at nonprofit WYSO.org and the 2024 Dayton Chamber leadership class graduates. Would anyone here be ghostwriting Hoodie’s troll rants?
https://www.wyso.org/governance
https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/leadership-dayton-class-of-2024-members-named-by-dayton-area-chamber-of-commerce/DIUFXPJNSRHYXHXQJRXXBXHTWA/
I wonder if Hoodie Patrol isn’t just a disenchanted Miami Valley resident who wants to hate on David for writing about inept DPS board/staff members, the hoodie spending debacle, the shameful sexual harassment policy debate, DDN & WYSO news spats, or something else stuck in Hoodie’s craw. In any event, I bet all of those DPS students have graduated by now with their hoodies and diplomas intact, don’t you think?
https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/hoodies-for-students-spending-policy-issue-lead-to-dayton-schools-tension/WMYM3LLK7ZAHFNCIPJSCKKKU44/
What say you, Hoodie Patrol? Are you troubled about DPS hoodies, WYSO, DPS sexual harrassment issues, or something else? Do tell so we can try to get you some relief. Spit it out.