Around Ohio

I can’t believe the gambling issue actually passed!  What really shocks me is that old “liberal” Columbus failed it while conservative Cincinnati and Toledo passed it.  I wonder if their proximity to states with gambling has an effect?  They are used to driving across the border so it’s no big deal to them?  Dunno, but I wonder.

We’re so moral, until we squander our manufacturing base and there ain’t much left.  Then it’s gambling after all!

Oh well.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

Lies are the biggest turn off for me. And that’s all I hear in this anti gambling campaign.

So I had to laugh when I was Mary Withrow saying it was all paid for by out-of-state casinos that don’t want to lose money they currently get from Ohioans traveling to them.

Well, so casinos are bad for Ohio? 38 states have them, including all of them that border Ohio. And with the exception of Michigan, all of them are doing better economically (and Michigan is largely because of Detroit). Not too bad for them.

And what is this cash doesn’t count stuff? The proposal says Ohio casinos pay taxes on gross receipts, nothing about cash. And my favorite is when they say the issue “won’t create 34,000 jobs at any one time.” Well yeah, the proposal is predicted to create 34,000 jobs over time, not at one time. Lies, lies, lies.

I can’t wait for the election to be over.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

So I look at this Web site, and I see how Issue 2 is going to create an oversight board to make sure food grown in Ohio is safe and animals are treated humanely.

Then I look at the Humane Society site, and I see they are opposed to Issue 2 because it is just a smokescreen created by agribusiness to make it look like something is being done to improve animal treatment.

So which is it? What’s a Buckeye to do?

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

In order to balance the state budget in light of the postponement of gambling, Governor Strickland has proposed cancelling the last cut in the state income tax to balance the budget.

Let’s hear it for Captain Obvious!

Hip-hip, DUH!  Hip-hip, DUH!  Hip-hip, DUH!

About time!  What is the point in giving taxpayers a piddly tax cut when the state is going broke, local governments are putting levies on the ballot, license fees are being increased, etc.?

Ooh, that big tax cut saves me about 50 bucks a year.  What will I ever do?  Meanwhile Ohio sinks toward rock bottom.

Why couldn’t Strickland have proposed this idea a year or two ago?  If he only had a brain….

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

At least according to this article:

Strickland Approval Rating Up

Up? Why? What has he done, let alone done right? If 48 percent of Ohioans approve, then 48 percent of Ohioans are morons.

Glad to be in the 52 percent majority.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

I overheard someone say this recently, and I thought, well, why not?

The state of Ohio already runs a numbers racket known as the lottery. Instead of bringing in out-of-state casino operators, or sharing revenue with horse tracks, why not have the state build and operate its’ own casinos?

And then I thought, heck, why build casinos at all?

Ohio state parks have lodges, why not just add a little space for it there? After all, Vegas lets children in as long as they don’t gamble. It would be a lot cheaper, and the state could reap all the profits.

But it won’t happen. Because the state wants the money, but not the responsibility. It’s like cigarettes, they should be illegal but, oh, that’s right, our government loves the revenue they provide.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

Former Youngstown representative James Traficant says he wants to keep a low profile following his September 2 prison release. Democrat Traficant is ending a seven-year federal prison stay for accepting bribes and other corruption charges.

But those planning a “Jim Traficant Appreciation Dinner” four days later in the Youngstown area say even if he doesn’t show, they hope the event will build his morale.

Gotta love Youngstown! Known for lots of Mafia activity, the city would be the one to celebrate the release of a politician convicted of corruption in office.

If Traficant runs again, he might just win! Who knows?

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

Looks like Ohio will see another casino proposal on the November ballot. Issue 3 language can be seen here:

Issue 3 Ballot Language

Your Buckeye predicts it will fail, partly because gambling issues have failed before and partly because people will be confused in that our illustrious Governor Strickland has already paved the way for gambling at horse race tracks.  My experience is that when people are confused they vote no.

This proposal is entirely unrelated to Strickland’s thing. Boy, gambling, gambling, gambling. It’s a shame we can’t try to build an economy on, say, manufacturing or green energy or investing in Ohio’s future or similarly frivolous things.

I will vote for it. Ohio needs SOMETHING.  This may take some money currently being gambled away in Wheeling and Rising Sun and bring it back to the Buckeye state.

We will also get to vote on Issue 1, compensating Iraq and Afghanistan vets, and my favorite, Issue 2 that will make life better for chickens.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

When I first read claims from right-wingers that Obama’s health care plan includes a “death panel” that would end the lives of terminally-ill patients, I thought “yeah, right.”

After I saw protesters right here in Ohio claiming such things at local health care reform meetings, I had to investigate the issue.

What Obama’s proposal says is that terminally ill patients would be counseled about their rights and options as they move into critical care or a nursing home or similar facility.  Death panel?  Hardly.

Come on folks.  This is America, we champion the underdog.  We spend billions on various safety nets and health care programs.  Has Medicare ever killed anyone off?  Hardly.

You can’t even EXECUTE A CONVICTED KILLER in this country without them sitting on death row for 10-20 years.  Don’t you think relatives and friends would sue if some “death panel” convicted their mother or other loved one?  Get real.

And shame on Sarah Palin for saying such a thing.  Purely for political gain.  To incite the masses and take away from the REAL questions about health care reform is a travesty when millions of Americans have no health insurance.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

The Columbus Dispatch reports our governor has been making numerous trips to New York for party fundraisers:

At this rate, you are bound to see Gov. Ted Strickland in 30-second TV spots next year far more than you’ll see his Republican rival, John Kasich.

Kasich, who declared his candidacy June 1, raised $526,511, winding up with $451,293 on hand. Those totals pale next to the $2.5 million that Strickland has taken in this year, with more than $4 million banked for his campaign.

So he doesn’t want to spend our money on, say, tourism promotion to bring money to the state, but he’ll spend it on raising money for his reelection. Oh, that’s right, he doesn’t care about jobs in Ohio EXCEPT HIS OWN.

Whose interests are being promoted here, anyway?

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia.

So how should a Governor lead a state?

As I have stated earlier, Governor James Rhodes had ideas and championed Ohio.  Granted, a few ideas like his bridge to Canada were a little screwy, but at least he had ideas.

What ideas has Strickland had?

Elected on his “Turn Around Ohio” plan, we don’t see much progress there. Oh, that’s right, Ohio is turning around–around the drain!

Then there was the “faith based initiative,” whatever that is.  Oh, that’s right, the head of that was recently indicted on charges of running a prostitution ring!  Oh Lord, I’m coming!  I’m coming!

Now he’s talking about making the school day and year longer…all while cutting education funding!  Whaaaa????

Listen closely and you can hear the flip-flop!

A true leader has a plan, a vision, and ideas to move the plan and the vision toward reality.  Strickland has none of those.

What could he do to lead Ohio?  A look at some ideas next.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia

Governor Strickland’s latest stunt to pull Ohio out of the dumper may take a while.  Reports are that Pennsylvania had to endure legal challenges and lawsuits that delayed the implementation of video lottery terminals (VLT’s) in that state for years.

So that state of Ohio budget hole may be leaking for some time to come.

Hmm….maybe this could have been avoided if Strickland would have thought of this a few years ago? But that would have involved some forward thinking on his part. When you flip-flop you don’t have much time to think ahead.

So we’ll probably have to endure legal challenges for a couple of years before we can bring in a few bucks on VLTs. If there’s any money or people left in Ohio at that point.

As someone commented on another Web site, the “Do Nothing” Governor has done nothing again.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia

I picked up the Sunday Columbus Dispatch and laughed as it said a new poll shows Ohioans are losing confidence in Strickland’s ability to lead the state.

Really?!?!  And in a related story, the sun came up today.  Just talk to anyone and you can reach the same conclusion.

Like the retired man I spoke with at a July 4th parade.  He said “what has Strickland done in three years except cut?”  Exactly.  What has he done?

A leader of any organization, the state of Ohio or otherwise, has to do much more than balance the books.  James Rhodes, for example, had lots of ideas and was a real champion for the state of Ohio.  Granted a few of his ideas, like building a bridge to Canada across Lake Erie, were a little screwy.  But at least he had ideas.  Strickland has nothing.

Whenever we have any kind of crisis in Ohio, Strickland’s response is to say “I encourage all Ohioans to look in on their neighbors and help each other.” Well, I guess so, as it looks like he isn’t going to help! Reminds me of that old joke about Jimmy Carter saying “you’re on your own, good night.” And Strickland kind of reminds me of Carter.

So his ability to lead is definitely in question.  So what is the answer?  I’m going to explore some ideas here in the near future.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia

I was watching the Price is Right recently, and saw a game called “Flip-Flop.’ It’s where you flip one number, or flop the other one, to get the right price and win.

I thought, hey, this where Strickland gets his ideas!

He’s thinking, wow, I can FLIP!, vehemently oppose gambling then

FLOP! come out in favor and hold up the budget process!

I can FLIP! freeze state university tuition to help Ohio families then

FLOP! cut state university funding!

I can FLIP! cut the hell out of public library funding and then

FLOP! issue a statement about how I support public libraries!

I can FLIP! ignore the Supreme Court’s ruling that public school funding is unconstitutional and then

FLOP! push for some weak school plan that costs more without a way to pay for it!

FLIP-FLOP!

Will Strickland flip next, or will he flop? Your guess is as good as his.

Unfortunately, when he flip-flops, we always lose.

Your Buckeye, John Kazalia