Challenging Status Quo

Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop has tossed his hat into the ring for the office of Mayor of the City of Toledo. Citing the fact that all of the other candidates seem to represent the status quo and a continuation of good old boy politics in the city, he says that he has a record of aggressively challenging such thinking. Let's take a look at that record.

1. By running, Mr. Konop is going back on a campaign pledge that he made (and signed) while running for the Commissioner's office, that he would serve out the full term for the office if he was elected.
2. In 2007, Mr. Konop felt that the County would best be served by providing $250,000 of the county's money to subsidize a program to allow people to purchase local art from at $500 to $2,500 at a 1% interest rate.
3. Mr. Konop has consistently fought against funding the Lucas County Improvement Corporation, while providing no alternative for helping to create and grow businesses in the county.
4. Mr. Konop opposed spending previously appropriated money for new windows on its office building (a maintenance and energy saving measure well within the purview of the Commissioners) instead favoring spending the money on the unemployed.
5. Mr. Konop proposed (and was later trumped by fellow Commissioner Pete Gerken) legislation for a "living wage" for all projects having to do with the county. His original $8.38 per hour wage was later raised to $11.67, in spite of the opinion issued by the county prosecutor's office that the Commissioners had dubious right at best to issue such legislation.
6. Mr. Konop, a law professor and lawyer here in Ohio (and therefore an officer of the court) joined a group calling itself the "Toledo Foreclosure Defense League" as they called for the Lucas County sheriff to refuse to execute legal courts orders of foreclosure.
7. Mr. Konop claims to have executive experience from his two years of service as a County Commissioner, while having no prior experience in the private sector in managing budgets or handling personnel.

So in my humble opinion, we have yet another career politician attempting to move up the political food chain. A politician who has no experience in the private sector, who chooses style over substance and "feel good legislation" over fulfilling the responsibilities of office, and an officer of the court who violates that trust by usurping the very power of the law that he is sworn to serve. 

Which part of the political status quo Mr. Konop, is it exactly that you are challenging? But heck, if you don't think that I know what I'm talking about, perhaps the opinion of a former Lucas County Commissioner Maggie Thurber would carry some weight with you. 

Fulfilling The Promises - A Better Take

While I was scribbling away on my own posting for the weekend, Maggie Thurber was assembling the notes from a visit that she had on WSPD by phone yesterday afternoon with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC). The interview ended up providing some interesting information about how things in government work these days, and Maggie's insights and conclusions about the information shared are well worth reading. 

Fulfilling The Promises

A few stories in the news this weekend in the Toledo Blade caught my intention because of the common thread. Let me share them with you. The first was our Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, telling us that the answer to the current financial mess is more Federal regulations and regulators. He tells us that more rules and people to enforce them are required in the hedge fund industry (you know, where John Edwards made all of his cash). 

Now it seems to me that we were originally told that the problem was Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with AIG as the puppeteer. We were told that they were responsible for the imminent collapse of the banking industry, and that they were under what can obviously be called in retrospect failed Congressional oversight. But I guess that all investment is the same and all of it needs more government regulation and protection, so perhaps we should set aside all that we have been previously told and simply give the man what he wants. 

The next story is about Congress attempting to put the tobacco industry under the Food and Drug Administration as a regulatory body. While some of the claims made in this editorial are suspect. What is not in question is the desire to expand the government's level of bureaucracy and role in regulatory function. The FDA, already claiming to be understaffed for its current tasks, would be asked to assume control of marketing, product review, and labeling of a huge industry. There is little doubt that in order to do so their size, regulatory power, and budget would have to see dramatic expansion. 

The third was about the labor department failures under the Bush Administration to properly process claims or to protect workers. Even assuming that the Blade is correct in its assertions (which I do not dispute, as they came from a GAO investigation), I find it most likely that the government bureaucracy is simply functioning as it always done, at the lowest level that keeps its workers in their jobs and out of jail. Hearings are going to be held however, with the undoubted result that more regulations, bureaucrats, and money will be needed to solve this problem. 

The common thread here of course, is the expansion of the size and control of bureaucracy. In spite of the "government gone wild" spending habits we are seeing from the new Administration, the only answer anyone seems to be coming up with is more spending. In spite of the continued nibbling away of personal choice and freedom in this country, the only answer appears to be more government regulation and restriction. 

Two promises seem to have been kept in all of this however. The first is that of Rahm Emmanuel, the president's chief of staff, who is fulfilling his promise by not letting "a serious crisis go to waste". The second is that made by President Obama to create new jobs. That both are doing so by creating an even more expensive, massive, and intrusive bureaucracy and that all of jobs are government jobs should perhaps not be held against them.

TFP Column: Fixing Public Education

I may not know much about "Fixing Public Education", but as this week's effort in the TFP shows, neither apparently does the government.  Never has so much been spent in such wasted effort with so little result.  But heck, don't take my word for it.  Take a look at the numbers and judge for yourself.

While your at it, take a little time to find out what else is going on in Toledo by reading what is fast becoming the true paper of record in the Glass City, the Toledo Free Press.

The Need For Change

My father held three jobs as an adult. The first of which was as a Marine, serving in the Pacific in WWII. I start with this position as his first adult job because he was still a teenager when he accepted the post. Like many, he was in the blurred line of “able to qualify” under the age limitations for enlistment of the time. It is during this time trial, destruction, and death that he came of age as a man. Returning home at war's end, he took a position in the commercial printing industry, working in Chicago and rising through the ranks in a career of some 28 years, which was abruptly concluded with the final edition of Life magazine in the 70's. This did not end his career path however. He accepted a position in the equipment manufacturing end of the industry, where again he worked for over 20 years, before finally accepting (grudgingly I might add) that it was time to retire at the age of 70. 
 
The world has changed in the ensuing years however. Even while attempting to follow my father into that industry, the career stability that he enjoyed seems to have been beyond me and many others. The three different employers that I have had since the turning of the millennium (all while working ostensibly for the same company I might add) seem to be the rule rather than the exception these days, regardless of the industry involved. Ownership changes, Cutbacks, and layoffs seem to be the rule of the day recently; and for those us who are either necessary enough to our employers, or in my case, simply lucky enough to be getting a steady paycheck carry feelings of both fear and gratitude on a bi-weekly basis. 

Let’s be honest about this concept of changing employment though. Many of those whose futures are secured are never the less looking for the better position, the fatter paycheck, or change in employment simply for change sake of a change of scenery. For the sake of change as well, it often seems that we look to trade up our cars (though not so much lately) our homes, and sometimes even our marriages. 

We seem never content in our constant march forward on this road to change, with the big screen TV giving way to the flat screen, and the flat screen to the flat panel unit. Laptop computers and cell phones are now often replaced every two years, rather than simply replacing the batteries in them. Many children live with three and four pairs of grandparents and more uncles, aunts, and cousins than you can shake a stick at; the result of parents with multiple spouses. 

And what has all of this change gotten us? Are we happier or more fulfilled as a result? Are our lives less stressful because of the non-stop change that we seem to experience? Has the almost constant change made us more satisfied with our lot in life? 

In most cases, I expect that the answer would be no. The new technologies are exciting, but tend to make our lives more complicated, more hectic, and more stressful. Replacing cars, computers and cell phones stimulates the economy, but can leave a rather large hole in our checkbook. The ending of relationships in a mindless search for the next best thing can prove costly both financially and in human terms. 

With the distance of time and perspective, I have to say that I envy my father the stability that his career provided him in life. I can’t help but wonder if it helped to provide some of the piece of mind that he always seem to possess in life. I can’t help but wonder if this stability of career, that of his marriage, and that of his family reinforced each other to assist him in dealing with his experiences during the war. I wonder likewise whether all of these things contributed to the quality of his life. I wonder if perhaps we haven’t lost something we will never be able to recover with the constant rush towards change. 

 

Nonsense, But No Politics

I sometimes think that I spend far too much time concerned with serious subjects and especially with politics on this blog these days. I have to tell you that it was anything but my intention to do so when creating this outlet for the nonsense that rattles around in my head. Instead, I was seeking a way to ease the internal pressure from a warped perspective and a borderline case of ADD that has plagued me most of my life in such a way that I neither annoyed nor alienated the members of my family. So I thought, just to break the mindless tedium of my everyday existence, that I would take this weekend's effort to stay away from politics or anything of a serious nature and simply comment of a few of life's interesting, intriguing, and confusing aspects.

• Is it just me, or is every bar and restaurant in the world now carrying too many different kinds of vodka? I don't want to pick on anybody here, but most places carry more varieties of vodka than they do wine (red and white combined). I find this especially amusing and disconcerting when the producers of this particular form of distilled beverage have said that their ultimate goal is to produce a product without taste. If that's the case, why do we need so many flavors of the stuff?

• Does wearing a bluetooth headset still make you cool? I'm as big a techno-geek as anyone out there, but I wonder if this one has finally run the course from impressive to obnoxious. I understand it of course if you are driving and using the headset to attempt to keep both hands on the wheel (yeah right, like that's going to happen), but just walking the halls of the office or the streets of the city mindlessly jabbering away on these wireless wonders seems a bit over the top to me. Quite frankly, I think that a lot of these non-stop conversationalists are faking the whole thing simply to try and look impressive (and failing).

• Speaking of high tech, how many online groups must I join to maintain contact with family and friends? MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Google Talk ... when does it end? I have to tell you that I am spending so much time updating the information on my personal pages on these sites that I have no time left to actually keep in touch with the people that I joined the damn things for. And for those of you out there who want to send me another IQ test challenge, don't. Even without the test, I can tell you that my IQ normally falls within 3 numbers of my shoe size, and I have really small feet.

• If global warming has occurred, then why am I still freezing my butt off in the middle of March? The lows overnight this week were still below freezing and the highs are still not making it into the 50's. At the rate that things are going, we'll be digging the Easter eggs out of the snow this year. This question is not a political one by the way, I just want to know when I can put my ice scraper away for the winter and sit out on my patio and smoke a cigar without getting frostbite.

• Why is Nancy Pelosi trying to pass legislation to make it easier for newspapers to merge and thereby to survive? Aren't newspapers those evil corporate entities that kill thousands of trees (perhaps millions) in order to create a product which will most probably end up filling our nation's landfills? Don't get me wrong here, I need to have this group of organizations survive as an industry, but how does the Speaker square this new legislation with her strong environmental concerns? (OK, I let a little politics slip in ... sorry.)

OK, your turn. If there is anything that you want me to add to the list, please let me know. If there are any questions that you think that I might be able to offer insight on from my exalted perch (You know, like the quote: Even on the most exalted throne in the world, we are only sitting on our own bottom. - Michel de Montaigne), please feel free to ask. After all, I will be working on that Facebook update on the computer all weekend anyway.

Happy BIrthday Michael

Fast on the heels of the recent birthday of my youngest grandchild comes the birthday of yet another. In this case, it is in celebration of the birth of Michael. 

Though a recent addition to the clan through my step-son Joe, he is never the less the oldest child of his own family and the oldest of my grandchildren, a responsibility that he takes very seriously. Wise beyond his 14 years (and far too wise for this humble writer), he is a credit to himself and the upbringing of his parents. 

As is far too often the case over the years, I will be unable to attend the celebration being held for the young squire this year, but my thoughts will be with him and the rest of his family as he takes one step closer to a manhood which holds such promise (and the birthday card is on the way). Happy Birthday Michael, and I hope to see you soon.

TFP Column: All The News Fit to Find

I have been somewhat remiss in letting folks know when I have a new column in the Toledo Free Press, but the effort this week may actually be worth reading. In "All the news fit to find" I talk a little bit about news and newspapers, something I ought to know a little bit about after 30+ years of hanging around the business. It's funny that we can all be critics of a thing while little recognizing what the repercussions its loss might bring.

But hey, if my fertilizer was all that was in the paper this week it would hardly be worth reading. Michael Miller (editor-in-chief, no less) once more shares some insight and wisdom with us in the care and rearing of children. (Where were you when I was attempting to raise rug rats Michael?) Publisher Tom Pounds shares some interesting insights on the local requests for funding from the federal stimulus package. Lisa Renee once more takes us behind the curtain to show us some of the more interesting aspects of the online world in Blog It. There are also a couple of very interesting pieces on the local Republican Party by Joseph Pellman and on Toledo's version of water negotiations as related by the Mayor of Rossford, William Verbosky Jr.

So if you aren't lucky enough to be one of those who gets home delivery, and can't manage to find the print edition in one of the local outlets, please feel free to use this link make your way over to the online edition.

(You will also find a link to the archive of my columns over on the left.)

Budget Suggestions

The Mayor of Toledo has recently challenged the members of City Council to come up with a plan to balance the 2009 city budget, since they didn't like the way that he was going to do it. Now while it does seem a bit childish on the face of it I believe that the Mayor, who has held little but fairly good paying government jobs most of his life, has presented those of us out here with a voice an opportunity to help. Perhaps we can show the Mayor how budgets out here real world households are handled, and as a consequence, how to handle the larger issues. 

Keep the house maintained. 
It's easy to say that you will let go some of the repairs that need to be done when times are tough, but this is in fact when it's most important. Small repairs not handled today can turn into big repairs tomorrow. That includes patching the driveway, keeping the drains clear, and home safety (You know, like roads, sewers, and police and fire protection.)  

Don't add the deck or the workroom onto the house this year. 
It would be nice to add some extra space on for relaxation or hobbies, but you don't have the cash to do it. Wait until the money is there again, then wait again to make sure that you really need it in the first place (You know, NO MORE BIKE PATHS!)  

Let the maid service and the digital cable TV go. 
It was great to have a maid service come in once every couple of weeks to clean, and to have 150 channels on cable, but you can do with less until times are better again. In the meantime, learn to get by on less. (You know, cut down on staff and give up some of the frills. I'm not talking about for just for the city workers, but for all. How big a staff does a Mayor need? How many boards does a city need? Lead by example and cut staff.)  

Sell the boat, the jet ski, and the motorcycle. 
It was a lot of fun and maybe even useful to have hobbies, but you can't afford them now. Get rid of them and their related expenses. (You know like getting rid of departments that do little more than make people feel good about themselves. The same holds true for the businesses that you own competing in the private sector. Go back to doing the basics as mandated by the City Charter and budget to cover those costs, and those costs only.) 

Sell the vacation home, you can't afford to take one anyway. 
I know the real estate market sucks, but making payments on multiple homes is only the way to bankruptcy. You may have to take a bath, but that's better than going under. (You know, sell off the Erie St Market, the Docks, Portside, The Commodore Perry, the Steam Plant, and every other piece of real estate the city owns. You never did very good at real estate speculation and the costs of maintaining these properties is only more of a drag on the budget. Get back what you can, but get out now.)  

Stop Gambling. 
It was a bad habit when you took it up, and now you simply don't have the disposable income. It's over as of now. (You know, stop entering contests. Few people knew, fewer cared, and the there's no money for flowers and signs to spare. Give someone else a chance to earn a few meaningless titles.)  

See, it may not be that hard after all. I'm sure that if the Mayor and Council can get behind the simple logic of the way that they probably run their own homes that they can find a solution to the problems of the city. I am likewise sure that if they can't, we will find a solution to the problems that these elected officials have become. 

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit

For those of you unfamiliar with the Gaelic, the translation of the title of this post is of course "Happy St. Patrick's Day to You". And on this day when many of you will be 'wearin' the green', contributing to the Irish economy through the consumption of one of Ireland's greatest exports ... Guinness (if not partaking of a wee dram of Irish whiskey, which in fact Irish monks invented), and celebrating the day of this Irish saint .... my thanks.  

St. Patrick is actually quite curious as a Patron saints, or even Irish saints go. Curious because he was in fact British (not a favorite nationality on the Emerald Isle), and only came to Ireland in chains the first time as a captured slave (often held to be the favorite way for the Irish to treat their eastern neighbors). He escaped that captivity however after six years, and returned to his home in Britain, eventually becoming a deacon, priest, and later a bishop. He returned to Ireland as a missionary, working mostly in the north and the west of the island. 

While little is known of most of the places that he actually worked, and though the diocesan model of the Catholic church that he worked for did not come about as a result of his labors; he was nevertheless named the Patron Saint of Ireland by the eighth century. As for the myths surround him, though credited with using the shamrock to describe the Holy Trinity in converting the heathen Celts of the Emerald Isle, such stories did not surface until centuries after his death, and are likely fabrication. Likewise, while St. Patrick is credited with chasing the snakes from Ireland, the truth of the matter is that this would have been a rather simple task, since there never were snakes in Ireland. Regardless of the truth of the situation and the fact that he was never formally canonized by the Catholic Church, we celebrate him on March 17th, believed to be the day of his death in 493.  

While all of this is reason enough for honoring the day, I will be once again be likewise celebrating the birthday of my youngest granddaughter. Margaret Ruth Tipatina Demaria turns three today, and has received a crystal angelfish from the city of Waterford from her old grandad to commemorate the occasion. 

With luck, she will get to see the parade in New York City today, as well as have a bit of left over cake from the party that was had this last weekend. Whereas I will have to content myself with a quiet pint or two at a local pub, followed perhaps by a wee bit of the creature, a call to the birthday girl, and a cigar upon my return to the Higgins Manor of Toledo.  

I hope each of you gets a chance for some kind of celebration on this day when all are gloriously Irish. I hope each of you, as you raise a glass to the Irish in general and St Patrick in particular, will likewise raise a glass at some point in your evening to that young flower of Irish heritage, Maggie Moo Demaria on the day of her birth. I hope each of you will enjoy the blessing of St. Patrick for the coming year. In honor of that sentiment, I offer you my true Irish toast:  

"May you be in heaven for two hours before the devil knows you're dead. "

 Slainte'