Don't blame laid-back Ted for DHL job loss

I got one of those slick campaign door hangers the other day, this one beating up Ted Strickland for “higher taxes,” “more spending” and “hundreds of thousands of jobs lost.”

Strickland, of course, was Ohio’s governor during the Great Recession and now is opposing Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman in his bid for a second term.

Among the jobs lost that Strickland is being blamed for are the 8,000 ones in Wilmington, Ohio, that belonged to DHL, the German company that purchased Airborne Express in 2003 and which then in 2009 basically said, “Never mind.”

DHL abandoned the airfield at Wilmington and left the domestic (U.S.) shipping business, turning over the market to UPS and FedEx. Yes, it moved some jobs to Kentucky in an effort to retool its business strategy – international logistics.

Was it Strickland’s fault?

I think that’s a stretch, although laid-back Ted just doesn’t seem to overwhelm one with his personality and probably would have trouble coaxing a cat to drink milk. Could he have done something to save some of those 400,000 jobs? Maybe, but I’ve always thought politicians get too much credit when jobs are created and too much blame when they leave.

Certainly a governor’s job should be to encourage a business friendly environment and I think John Kasich has done a good job with that. But make no mistake if Kasich were governor in 2009, he couldn’t have saved those DHL jobs in Wilmington. No way. No how.

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The rumor is that Dover City Council, with the possible exception of members Bob Mueller and Don Maurer, is poised to endorse the proposal on the Nov. 8 ballot to build a new Dover High School.

Feel the earth move?

Mueller has said he can’t afford it and Maurer has been reluctant to offer an opinion on the issue, but the others, including Mayor Richard Homrighausen, apparently are on board.

Especially on board is Councilman Justin Perkowski, who offered his support of the project in a letter to the editor on Sunday. Perkowski, a 2002 graduate of DHS, is one of the young whippersnappers on Council, and might have been reluctant to offer an opinion on his own. I'm glad he did. It shows leadership.

So, why didn’t Council announce its endorsement decision at its last regular meeting on Sept. 19? Got me. Must be some kind of strategy.

Meanwhile, kudos to Dover Township trustees -- John Miceli, John Fondriest and Andrew Yosick -- who readily endorsed the issue at their most recent meeting. I think they understand the importance of a modern high school as it relates to the quality of life in our community.

One more thing.

Mueller’s statement that he couldn’t afford the school’s tax issue got me thinking. Did he vote for the city’s safety issue last November? Isn’t it logical that if he can’t afford the school issue that he probably couldn’t afford the city’s issue either?

Which begs the other question: What’s he doing with the $7,000 he is paid every year for serving on council?

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One of the benefits of writing this commentary for digital consumption is that I can link to stories or clips that might further explain a particular issue.

For example, if you need proof that there are a lot of dumb Americans out there, check out this clip from the Comedy Central.

It was filmed in Canton at a Donald Trump rally and the responses to the interviewer’s questions are absolutely telling. I especially like the guy who’s criticizing President Barack Obama for not being in the office on 9/11.

It brings to mind what I tell young people when they question the need to learn something that seems to be totally irrelevant to them:

“So, my child, when you’re an adult, people won’t think you’re stupid.”

The Trump supporters’ clip also explains why the loyalists can overlook the fact that their candidate mocks handicapped people and women and won’t release his tax returns.

Until the next time…