May

29

Social Service Agencies Feel Deceived

Posted on May 29, 2009 at 10:44 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | 2 Comments 


Social service agencies who contract with the city of Columbus to provide needed services to those in great need feel they were misled. Originally city council approved a budget that cut their funding by 8%. However, recently the city gave them a big surprise.

The funding period runs from Feb. 1 to Jan. 31. So the city already was late in paying the 51 agencies that were to share roughly $3.5 million when Development Director Boyce Safford III sent a letter this week saying the reduction would be deeper.

In fact that reduction amounted to a cut of 44% in funding, not 8%.

Agencies were told to expect 8 percent less than in 2008 and had been operating accordingly, said Gregory Tuck, executive director of the Columbus Literacy Council…

…”We’ve been running our programs in good faith since February based on a phone call that each agency got,” Tuck said. “There was not a word about this. It came completely out of the blue…”

Sandy Turner, executive director of VOICEcorps, a reading and broadcast service for the visually impaired, said she can’t believe the city provided no warning to agencies that already are overwhelmed with surging demand and dwindling budgets.

“We’ve always operated in good faith that the money would come as approved. And it always has - for 30 years,” Turner said. “In essence, we’ve all become lenders to the city.”

Even city council did not know about the drastic cuts.

Councilwoman Charleta Tavares said the administration did not seek City Council’s input on the change.

“I think it needed to be discussed,” she said. “Do you wholesale eliminate general funding to your partners who serve the poor, the elderly and the children? That’s a policy decision.”

The cities reply has been less than comforting.

Safford said he saw little choice. “If I had it, I would give it to them.”

Mr. Safford, you did have a choice. You could have let these agencies know ahead of time that these cuts were coming. Their budgets were already written and money has been spent on the assumption that the cuts would be at 8%. I suspect that many of these agencies will now run out of money before the end of the year. This decision was not made on May 28th. It has been a topic of discussion with in the administration for a while. The least you could have done is give these agencies a heads up. Now the citizens of Columbus who are helped by these agencies are going to suffer. As a liberal I have supported this administration in the past and will continue to do so in the future. But you folks screwed this one up royally.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch

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May

29

Blue Jackets Want County to Buy Nationwide Arena

Posted on May 29, 2009 at 9:20 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local, Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Owners of the Columbus Blue Jackets say they have lost $ 80 million dollars over the last seven years. Part of the problem is they do not generate enough revenue from the arena since it is privately owned. Therefore, they have asked Franklin County to purchase the Arena by adding sin taxes to cigarettes and alcohol. The plan would require a change in Ohio law that would have to be approved by the general assembly.

The plan before state lawmakers would give the Franklin County commissioners the power to add 28 cents to 12-pack of beer, 6.35 cents to a bottle of wine, 60 cents to a fifth of liquor and 4.5 cents to a pack of cigarettes…

…The plan would require a change to state law that would allow the Franklin County commissioners to either levy new taxes without a vote or put the question on the November ballot, said Blue Jackets President Mike Priest.

The Franklin County Commissioner’s response seems to indicate they would favor a vote.

… Commissioners Paula Brooks and Marilyn Brown said today that they would have a hard time supporting any tax that did not go before voters.

Naturally, those in the alcoholic beverage industry are against it.

The plan has drawn fire from Anheuser-Busch, which doesn’t like the proposed tax hike on beer. Company President Dave Peacock met separately yesterday with Gov. Ted Strickland, the Senate president and House speaker to express opposition.

It also faces opposition from the Ohio Wholesale Beer & Wine Association, which has beaten back alcohol-tax increases before.

The question is if the proposal or one like it does not pass, does this mean the Blue Jackets are leaving town.

The reason we’re being proactive and working and talking is to find a solution so that we don’t have to go down that road or have those types of discussions. The whole purpose of this is to avoid that. Other teams have been through this and have found solutions.

I believe the fiscal woes of the Blue Jackets are real. The Blue Jackets have been an asset to the county, the city, and to downtown. I hope all parties involved do what it takes to keep the CBJ here.

Source: The Columbus Dispatch
            On thin ice
            Arena-tax plan might not go before voters

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May

27

Social Work Dean Wants You to “Rub His Nuts”

Posted on May 27, 2009 at 9:52 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | 4 Comments 


I fondly remember my years at The Ohio State University College of Social Work. But right now two men are making the place a laughingstock.

Professor Rudolph Alexander sued Dean William Meezan and Ohio State because he felt he was being discriminated against. Now Alexander has filed two more complaints with the university. One, that at a student orientation Meezan wore a t-shirt that read “Rub my Nuts.” I assume he was talking about buckeye nuts. Two, that during a faculty committee meeting Meezan suggested a preference for hiring certain minorities. Some felt this was discriminatory. For his part Meezan said Alexander called him a “gay leprechaun” and told one of his classes that Meezan has AIDS.



Meezan was not at OSU when I was there, so I don’t have a sense of what he is like. The university did agree his actions were inappropriate and I believe they were as well. Alexander was my undergraduate faculty adviser. He appeared to go out of his way to intimidate me and I was provided no sound advice what so ever. I have no proof, but I remember thinking on the way out of his office that maybe he doesn’t like middle aged white guys.

Regardless, social work is a helping profession designed to be inclusive. This is an embarrassing episode for the college. Maybe now is the time for both of them to consider leaving their posts so that other dedicated professionals can continue teaching students and performing important research without this obvious distraction. Those that we help or will help deserve better than this.

Source: The Lantern

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May

22

Palin Against Saving Energy

Posted on May 22, 2009 at 5:04 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under National | Print This Post | Email This Post | 2 Comments 


Alaska Governor Sarah Palin turned down 28.6 million dollars in stimulus money.

“Alaskans and our communities have a long history of independence and opposing many mandates from Washington, D.C, ” she proclaimed.

Mother Jones

This after the state has already accepted $930 million from Washington D.C. Way to be independent. Shockingly, you are not going to believe what the money was to be used for.

It turns out that this money would have gone to energy efficiency—weatherizing homes against the bitter cold, that kind of thing.

Mother Jones

I hear it gets cold in Alaska. You would think weatherizing homes there would be a good thing. Wait a minute. Could it be that the less advantaged who do not have the money to weatherize their homes are the same people who tend to vote for democrats. That can’t be it! Can it?

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May

21

Woman Gets 3 OVI’s in 6 Days on Pain Medication

Posted on May 21, 2009 at 7:40 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Tammy Webb of Milford Center, Ohio has been charged with driving under the influence three times in six days. In addition, her lawyer appears uninformed when it comes to addiction. He keeps making sure that he uses the word prescription when discussing the charges.

Javier Armengau, a Columbus lawyer representing Webb, said his client suffered “negative and unintended” consequences from taking prescribed medications.

The Columbus Dispatch

Just because someone is prescribed something does not mean they are taking it in the prescribed manner. Moreover, in order to be charged with an OVI in Ohio, you have to be over a certain cut off level. If you are above that level you are not taking your medications as prescribed and you are high.

Tammy Webb
Or, you are doctor shopping and getting prescription’s from several physicians. If I read the article correctly, it sounds like she was on three pain killers, probably opiates, and an anti-anxiety medication, most likely a benzodiazepine. These are highly addictive drugs. Most doctor’s won’t even prescribe one opiate and a benzodiazepine together.

Many people are surprised to find out that prescription medications are the second most abused drug behind alcohol.

More from her lawyer.

… Armengau said he is balking at prosecutors’ demands for a hefty fine and the forfeiture of Webb’s car. “That’s a bit steep,” he said, for taking prescription drugs.

The Columbus Dispatch

Ohio law allows for the forfeiture of ones vehicle for three OVI’s in six years. Your client had three in six days. Cut the best deal you can and then do the obvious. Get her some help.

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May

20

County Auditor Stepping Down

Posted on May 20, 2009 at 9:32 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Today Franklin County Auditor Joe Testa said he is leaving office on July 31 after 17 years of service. Testa, a republican, was an excellent auditor. That’s probably why he kept getting elected in a county that votes largely for democrats. All three current county commissioners are democrats.

One reason I believe is his early embrace of technology to make records available online.

The auditor’s main job is valuing real property. Under Testa, Franklin County was largely ahead of the curve in opening up county property records to more easy inspection with a searchable Web site in 1998.

The Columbus Dispatch

Recently, when buying a condo I was amazed at the information I could obtain. I hope the republicans choose someone as forward thinking as Testa.

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May

19

GOP Lawmakers Differ on Slot Machines at Horse Racing Tracks

Posted on May 19, 2009 at 10:47 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under State | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Today, those who approve of slot machines at horse racing tracks were at the statehouse in support of a proposal that would permit slot machines at Ohio’s remaining venues. Two state lawmakers appear to differ on who should be the deciding factor.

As lawmakers appeared to soften their position on gambling, hundreds of horse enthusiasts rallied at the Statehouse this morning for a plan that would allow slot machines at the state’s seven racetracks.

The Columbus Dispatch

But the Dispatch only quotes two lawmaker’s. Both Republican’s. One is a powerful house leader who does not soften at all, the other is a first term representative with little clout.

The first is Bill Harris.

… a longtime gambling opponent, Senate President Bill M. Harris, today signaled flexibility on the issue.

Harris, R-Ashland, said today that while he doesn’t want a gambling proposal placed into the state budget, he is more receptive to giving Ohioans the opportunity to approve a plan.

The Columbus Dispatch

After four tries at the ballot box, slot machine proponents are trying to bypass the electorate and go straight to the general assembly. All Harris is saying is he wants to put it back on the voters who have defeated such proposals four times. Does that sound like softening.

The more fervent legislator is Terry Blair.

“This is not about gambling,” said state Rep. Terry Blair, R-Washington Township. “You can read the newspaper about gambling. Every shallow-minded newspaper person thinks this is about gambling. It’s about 16,000 jobs.”

The Columbus Dispatch

I agree it’s not about gambling, it’s about money. As I’ve said before, in today’s society horse racing is boring. Unless it’s the Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, or The Belmont, very few people care. The people who want to bring gambling to our state are not gamblers, they are businessmen who want to make a profit. Do you really think that after slot machines are in place for a few years they are not going to phase back the operations of a loss leader like horse racing? There go your 16,000 jobs Representative Blair. But now we have in place something Ohioans have rejected four times… slot machines.

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May

19

Who Knew OSU’s Men’s Tennis Team Was This Good?

Posted on May 19, 2009 at 9:21 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Sports | Print This Post | Email This Post | 2 Comments 


When discussing the minor sports at Ohio State I knew they had a excellent women’s synchronized swimming program. They have 24 national championships. But, that’s all. I did not know how good our men’s tennis team is.

The third-seeded Buckeyes (36-1) advanced to their first national championship final against eighth-seeded Southern Cal (24-5) at 3 p.m. today. The match will be televised live on ESPNU.

The Columbus Dispatch

They actually have been good for a while. Unfortunately, they lost in the national final.

Ohio State was in the final for the first time, after reaching the quarterfinals the last three seasons…

… Southern California won its 17th NCAA men’s tennis tournament with a 4-1 victory over No. 3-seeded Ohio State on Tuesday.

AP

Congratulations tennis Buckeyes on your first and not last trip to the national championship.

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May

15

Seven Agencies Lose United Way Funding

Posted on May 15, 2009 at 10:03 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | 4 Comments 


Today seven central Ohio agencies were told they will no longer be eligible for United Way funds. I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that this is a death knell for some of these programs.

Prevention Council
Community for New Direction
Epilepsy Foundation
Heritage Day Health Centers
VOICEcorps Reading Service
The Alzheimer’s Association of Central Ohio
New Directions Career Center

Source: United Way of Central Ohio

I know donations to the United Way are down. I know we’re in a recession/depression. I also know that the United Way board agonized over these decisions. Still, it disappoints me that when times are difficult it is the most vulnerable who make the largest sacrifice.

I urge you to visit these agencies and see if there is something you can do to help.

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May

13

City Budget, Bad News, Good News

Posted on May 13, 2009 at 10:16 pm by Madrigal Maniac Under Local | Print This Post | Email This Post | Leave a Comment 


Mayor Coleman has asked Columbus City Council to use money from the rainy day fund to plug a hole in the city’s budget.

Mayor Michael B. Coleman asked City Council members yesterday to shift $11.5 million from the city’s diminishing rainy-day fund to cover a drop in early-year tax collections…

…The rainy-day draw-down will leave the city with just $4.8 million in reserve should the economy deteriorate its finances further. Columbus had more than $78.5 million in cash stockpiled as recently as 2004.

The Columbus Dispatch

That’s the bad news. Here’s the good news.

That means the entire $16 million shortfall announced last month by City Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian will be fixed with no further layoffs and no more cuts in city services.

The Columbus Dispatch

And now for some what the hell is going to happen news.

Although officials avoided layoffs and service cuts now, Coleman spokesman Dan Williamson said they’re not off the table should revenue continue to fall.

The Columbus Dispatch

What is not clear is how this will effect Coleman’s request for a tax hike. Now that the budget is temporarily balanced are citizen’s more likely to vote for an increase or less? Coleman plays his cards pretty close to the vest. Is this a precursor to him asking that the tax hike be taken off the ballot?

Many questions about the state of the city’s economy are yet to be answered.

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