Why not this year?

This year was “the year” to run for City Commission. An open seat, and the weakest commissioner on the ballot in Matt Joseph. Other than a special election, it doesn’t get any easier to run.

We had a whole bunch of people say they were going to run, but I wasn’t one of them.

At the beginning of the year, my then 87-year-old father was facing very dangerous surgery. I was going to have a hernia repair, and my parents were no longer going to drive. I had enough on my plate- but, I was also considering taking some 23-year-old advice and running for school board. (Abner Orick suggested I should run for school board before I ran for Mayor- you know- the Joey D. Williams route to an anointed lifetime seat). But, I can see the writing on the wall- in the next two years the State of Ohio is going to come into Dayton and throw our schools under the bus and wrest control from the local board- and frankly, there won’t be much we can do. I’ve given my advice on how to fix Dayton Public on this blog- and got very little support or discussion about totally revamping the calendar- and changing the way we do school- and without a team to run, with a seven member board, it was going to be an exercise in futility.

Some of you have noticed, I’m not posting as frequently. It’s not because there isn’t just as much to write about, but it’s about what I’ve decided to do to make change happen. I’ve been working on a book- about how to transform politics in the United States via a system to lessen the impact of unlimited money and to improve voter literacy. It’s also a handbook on how things really work or don’t work in our system. The goal is to release it during next year’s presidential primary free-for-all. It’s already at about 15,000 words- and the target is over 85,000. I’m enjoying myself writing it- and the few people whom I’ve shared it with have liked it.

I’ve also refocused my “community service” back into my neighborhood- working with Kate Ervin and her amazing Dayton Time Bank, doing a neighborhood soccer program, and still hanging green basketball nets for anyone who calls 985-1312 and asks for one in the City of Dayton.

I plan on running again for Dayton City Commission in 2 years, but a lot will depend on my parents’ health.

There are some major articles I want to write for this blog- that I have a good start on. Like the real truth about the competence of our economic development efforts, the puppetmasters behind the curtain, regionalism, and exposing a major force in this community as an organization that should be charged with racketeering and federal contract fraud, but- all in due time.

I’m also interested in working more with veterans, and veterans’ issues- now that my beloved VOB108 has been turned into a grant-chasing organization instead of a viable business networking group/voice for veterans.

There is also the Bernie Sanders campaign, which deserves all of our support, as the first candidate who isn’t working for corporate interests. I plan on working hard to get Bernie, the best politician money CAN’T buy, elected in 2016.

Thank you to so many of you who have read, commented and even written wonderful poetry on this blog over the last 10+ years. I view this site as much yours as mine. You’ve contributed at least 10x the words that make this site work.

Those of you whom I’ve met through this site- I am forever grateful for making your acquaintance. Those of you who’ve hired my firm or bought printing from my firm- that you discovered via this blog- an even greater thank you. And, to the mysterious “Ice Bandit”- if you ever decide to put up a site with more of your poems like this one, or this one, or even this one (you’ll have to scroll to the comments) – I’ll be your biggest fan. Your poetry in my comments section is the best reward I could ever ask for. I’d love to buy you lunch sometime- at CJ Chan’s of course.

 

 

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