I'm probably sounding like a broken record...
We attended "Cats" at the new Performing Arts Center at Kent State-Tuscarawas and came away overwhelmed.
To see Broadway-quality theater minutes from home, with the car parked only steps away for free, well, this was a treat.
I am fascinated by the logistics involved with moving a show like "Cats" from venue to venue. Perhaps most theater-goers didn't notice that there were four tractor-trailer rigs parked behind the center. It takes that kind of firepower to haul the sets and equipment from city to city
If you're curious where the "Cats" troupe has been and where it's going, check out the show's 2010-2011 itinerary here.
And don't forget to get tickets to an upcoming show at the PAC. Go to something. Anything.
* * *
I feel the need to finally acknowledge the work of Robyn Martins, whom I coaxed into doing some writing for The Times-Reporter a few years ago and who now is as much a face to the newspaper as anyone.
Robyn also is an accomplished musician and is a member of the Tuscarawas Philharmonic. She recently offered some thoughts on the Philharmonic's performance last Saturday night at the new PAC. You can access her blog here and I encourage readers of this blog to bookmark "Just Sayin'."
One benefit is the multi-talented Robyn occasionally offers her recipes. You're probably not going to find recipes on this blog.
* * *
I'm looking forward to watching LeBron James' return to Cleveland on Thursday. I pray that Cavaliers fans won't do something really stupid, although I do hope that LeBron really feels the heat. So to speak.
* * *
Here are this week's must reads:
Greater Cleveland getting older, smaller, poorer, Brent Larkin, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland, don't turn LeBron into sympathetic victim, Gregg Doyel, CBSSports.com National Columnist
King James wants Spoelstra to bow to him, Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
And one from the Sports Illustrated vault (courtesy of my son, Chris, who doesn't want anyone to forget):
Higher Education, Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated (March 2001)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
They don't pay me enough
If this is Sunday, it must be time for Dick.
Farrell, that is.
Many of you have told me how much you miss reading my Sunday commentaries in the paper and for that I am humbled. I truly am.
But readership of this blog is about what it was a month ago. That means that those of you who are reading this blog are not telling your friends about it. Otherwise, I'd have ... I don't know ... 500 readers by now. Maybe 1,000. Maybe a million.
Instead, I'm averaging a little less than 200 page views per blog entry. Ahem. That is humbling, too.
For the record, dear readers, I DON'T GET PAID FOR THIS.
I tried to participate in the Google Ads program initially but they -- Google People -- got angry at me for some reason and won't let me play. And, no, I wasn't clicking on the Google Ads. That's a huge no-no with Google. Blog owners are not supposed to click on the Google Ads that appear on the site. That skews the results of the actual click-throughs. (Don't ask.)
Anyway, I woke up one day and Google had sent me an e-mail, telling me the gig was over. Heck, I never thought I was going to get any kind of a hefty payday with Google Ads. It's a lot like credit card reward programs that really pay off only if you're buying Gulfstream IV jets.
Did I tell you that I DON'T GET PAID FOR THIS?
I need your help. Tell your friends where they can find Dick. The easiest thing to do is to Google "dick farrell blog." (Remember the correct spelling of "Farrell." There's an "a" in there -- not an "e.")
OK, enough of that -- onto this week's offerings...
* * *
My wife and I were among the few hundred who attended the dedication Friday night of the Performing Arts Center at Kent State-Tuscarawas. Among those offering remarks were KSU President Lester Lefton, U.S. Rep. Zack Space and other elected officials and their representatives.
Dr. Gregg Andrews, dean of the campus, took on the project earlier this decade with the full support of the Board of Trustees of which I am a member. The board knew that if anyone could get this project done, it was Andrews. And he did it with the help of his very capable staff and with generous contributions from members of our community. The Performing Arts Center is a testament to the goodness of Tuscarawas County.
For Andrews, the construction project was anything but a walk in the park (especially when the flytower superstructure collapsed in March 2009) and there remains finishing work before the building is officially accepted. But it's safe to say that the mission has been accomplished.
This is a jewel among jewels, folks, and rivals any theater you've seen anywhere, including the glitzy ones in Las Vegas.
Opening weekend is coming up and a public open house is set for early December.
You can access the PAC's home page here and from there you can purchase tickets to any of the shows. There's not a bad seat in the house. Trust me.
* * *
Dover Mayor Richard Homrighausen was among those offering remarks at the PAC dedication and slipped me an envelope containing an invitation to last week's two bridge dedications in his city. The envelope also contained two pieces of ribbon, marking the ceremonies (see photo below).
Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with his thoughtfulness and now feel badly that I missed those events.
And clearly, Homrighausen is watching taxpayer dollars, or at least pennies. He saved 44 cents by hand-delivering the invitation to me, albeit a week late.
* * *
What in the name of God are the congressional Democrats thinking about?
Nancy Pelosi again?
Are they nuts?
I could expound on this issue, but what's the use? It's almost like they didn't pay attention to what happened on Nov. 2. I'm really tired of giving Democrats advice. Maybe after the holidays...
* * *
To be fair and balanced...
I wholeheartedly agree with Barbara Bush.
Sarah Palin ought to stay in Alaska.
* * *
In a recent post, I asked former U.S. Rep. Bob Ney to weigh in on the history of the new Dover interchange. He's communicated with this blogger before so I thought maybe he could shed some light on how the interchange came about.
Since then, I've found out that Ney is in India, studying and meditating with Dalai Lama devotees.
Actually I know that because former Copley Washington Bureau Chief George Condon wrote a story about Ney for the National Journal.
The Copley bureau serviced The Times-Reporter during the years of Copley Press ownership (read: Good Old Days). Condon is a journalist's journalist and has interviewed seven sitting presidents.
Ney, Condon reports, has lost weight, quit drinking and is in the process of reinventing himself. You can read the story here.
I'd like to add that, because Ney is studying with the Dalai Lama, well, he's got that going for him, too.
I couldn't resist.
* * *
This week's LeBron/Miami Heat link: Stories of LeBron and sportswriter intertwined, tangled
* * *
Have you heard about the 8-year-old Jets fan who was tackled by a drunken Cleveland Browns fan in the Muny parking lot last week?
You'll have background if you read this story on Bleacher Report.
I have questions.
-- If the incident happened as the kid's mother says, why wouldn't the family take up the Jets on their offer of an all-expense trip to a Jets home game? For an 8-year-old, wouldn't that be something to remember forever?
-- Why didn't the kid's father write the letter to the editor rather than the mother, who wasn't there? Could it be that the kid's father didn't want the mother to write the letter? From personal experience, I know that sometimes one parent will overreact when his/her child has been wronged (for whatever reason). It's human nature.
-- Callers to talk shows seem to confirm an incident, but don't agree that the kid was "tackled." How about this: Drunk has trouble walking. Drunk falls on kid. Kid falls down.
Sometimes, just because something has gone viral in the media, it doesn't mean that it's true.
I know.
Farrell, that is.
Many of you have told me how much you miss reading my Sunday commentaries in the paper and for that I am humbled. I truly am.
But readership of this blog is about what it was a month ago. That means that those of you who are reading this blog are not telling your friends about it. Otherwise, I'd have ... I don't know ... 500 readers by now. Maybe 1,000. Maybe a million.
Instead, I'm averaging a little less than 200 page views per blog entry. Ahem. That is humbling, too.
For the record, dear readers, I DON'T GET PAID FOR THIS.
I tried to participate in the Google Ads program initially but they -- Google People -- got angry at me for some reason and won't let me play. And, no, I wasn't clicking on the Google Ads. That's a huge no-no with Google. Blog owners are not supposed to click on the Google Ads that appear on the site. That skews the results of the actual click-throughs. (Don't ask.)
Anyway, I woke up one day and Google had sent me an e-mail, telling me the gig was over. Heck, I never thought I was going to get any kind of a hefty payday with Google Ads. It's a lot like credit card reward programs that really pay off only if you're buying Gulfstream IV jets.
Did I tell you that I DON'T GET PAID FOR THIS?
I need your help. Tell your friends where they can find Dick. The easiest thing to do is to Google "dick farrell blog." (Remember the correct spelling of "Farrell." There's an "a" in there -- not an "e.")
OK, enough of that -- onto this week's offerings...
* * *
My wife and I were among the few hundred who attended the dedication Friday night of the Performing Arts Center at Kent State-Tuscarawas. Among those offering remarks were KSU President Lester Lefton, U.S. Rep. Zack Space and other elected officials and their representatives.
Dr. Gregg Andrews, dean of the campus, took on the project earlier this decade with the full support of the Board of Trustees of which I am a member. The board knew that if anyone could get this project done, it was Andrews. And he did it with the help of his very capable staff and with generous contributions from members of our community. The Performing Arts Center is a testament to the goodness of Tuscarawas County.
Photo by Greg Spitzer
The campus' new Steinway piano graces the stage of the Peforming Arts Center.
This is a jewel among jewels, folks, and rivals any theater you've seen anywhere, including the glitzy ones in Las Vegas.
Opening weekend is coming up and a public open house is set for early December.
You can access the PAC's home page here and from there you can purchase tickets to any of the shows. There's not a bad seat in the house. Trust me.
* * *
Dover Mayor Richard Homrighausen was among those offering remarks at the PAC dedication and slipped me an envelope containing an invitation to last week's two bridge dedications in his city. The envelope also contained two pieces of ribbon, marking the ceremonies (see photo below).
And clearly, Homrighausen is watching taxpayer dollars, or at least pennies. He saved 44 cents by hand-delivering the invitation to me, albeit a week late.
* * *
What in the name of God are the congressional Democrats thinking about?
Nancy Pelosi again?
Are they nuts?
I could expound on this issue, but what's the use? It's almost like they didn't pay attention to what happened on Nov. 2. I'm really tired of giving Democrats advice. Maybe after the holidays...
* * *
To be fair and balanced...
I wholeheartedly agree with Barbara Bush.
Sarah Palin ought to stay in Alaska.
* * *
In a recent post, I asked former U.S. Rep. Bob Ney to weigh in on the history of the new Dover interchange. He's communicated with this blogger before so I thought maybe he could shed some light on how the interchange came about.
Since then, I've found out that Ney is in India, studying and meditating with Dalai Lama devotees.
Actually I know that because former Copley Washington Bureau Chief George Condon wrote a story about Ney for the National Journal.
The Copley bureau serviced The Times-Reporter during the years of Copley Press ownership (read: Good Old Days). Condon is a journalist's journalist and has interviewed seven sitting presidents.
Ney, Condon reports, has lost weight, quit drinking and is in the process of reinventing himself. You can read the story here.
I'd like to add that, because Ney is studying with the Dalai Lama, well, he's got that going for him, too.
I couldn't resist.
* * *
This week's LeBron/Miami Heat link: Stories of LeBron and sportswriter intertwined, tangled
* * *
Have you heard about the 8-year-old Jets fan who was tackled by a drunken Cleveland Browns fan in the Muny parking lot last week?
You'll have background if you read this story on Bleacher Report.
I have questions.
-- If the incident happened as the kid's mother says, why wouldn't the family take up the Jets on their offer of an all-expense trip to a Jets home game? For an 8-year-old, wouldn't that be something to remember forever?
-- Why didn't the kid's father write the letter to the editor rather than the mother, who wasn't there? Could it be that the kid's father didn't want the mother to write the letter? From personal experience, I know that sometimes one parent will overreact when his/her child has been wronged (for whatever reason). It's human nature.
-- Callers to talk shows seem to confirm an incident, but don't agree that the kid was "tackled." How about this: Drunk has trouble walking. Drunk falls on kid. Kid falls down.
Sometimes, just because something has gone viral in the media, it doesn't mean that it's true.
I know.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
World has gotten way too complicated -- QE2?
In my first quarter of my first year in college, Economics 162 almost did me in. It was a required course of nearly every freshman -- a flunk-out course, if you will. And, boy, was it boring.
I'd like to say I could draw from that class in explaining to you QE2 which stands for "Son of Quantitative Easing" or something like that. But I can't.
In effect and as I understand it, Treasury Secretary Ben Bernanke said a couple of weeks ago he would print $600 billion and throw it at the economy in an effort to keep it all moving. Oh, it's not that simple, I know, and Bernanke never actually said he was firing up the printing press.
But I think that's what it means. You know, the bottom line.
Suffice it to say, that none of world's top tier economies -- known collectively as the G20 -- favor the U.S. QE2 move because it will fuel inflation, weaken the dollar and because it just might cause a global economic crisis. They're cool with whatever ideas they had to solve the world recession but are now taking aim at the U.S. for being, well, the U.S.
After reading pieces by a few economists, QE2 is the reason we're paying higher prices for gasoline and other commodities lately and why the stock market has ticked up over the last couple of weeks, although the market faltered somewhat in the latter part of last week. And QE2 could cause inflation, but maybe not. Depends who you listen to.
Until someone tells me otherwise, I'm not going to lose any sleep over QE2 even though the pundits at CNBC are all atwitter.
* * *
Congratulations to the Dover Tornadoes on their victory over Sheridan on Saturday. The Newark Advocate has a decent "gamer" on its website if you're looking for a story of some length on the game. You can access it here.
* * *
I exited I-77 via the new Dover interchange on Saturday and was quite pleased with the experience -- at least until I got stopped by the traffic lights on Schneider's Crossing Rd. By the time I got to N. Wooster Ave., it became unclear whether I actually saved time over if I had chosen the Strasburg or Dover-Sugarcreek exits. Entering the freeway from the new interchange was convenient.
By the way, I'd like to invite former U.S. Rep. Bob Ney to set the record straight on how the interchange came to be. There's been a lot of misinformation out there, including the infamous sign that touts the federal economic stimulus program.
* * *
My favorite LeBron/Miami Heat stories last week:
Can't Stand Heat? Avoid Miami -- Wall Street Journal
Heat folding under weight of season -- Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
Miami’s Big Three Stumble Along -- Lynn Zinser, New York Times
* * *
Amanda Wolfe, who cut her journalistic teeth as an intern for The Times-Reporter a few years ago, wrote a poignant story for this month's Ladies' Home Journal on her mother's battle with ovarian cancer.
Amanda is now a senior editor with the magazine and resides in New York City. Her mother, Janice Wolfe of Dover, died earlier this year and was well known throughout Tuscarawas County for her work as a physical therapist.
Janice used to call me regularly at The T-R to keep me updated on Amanda's career. My heart goes out to Amanda and her sister, Audrey, on the loss of their mother, who obviously loved them very much.
I'd like to say I could draw from that class in explaining to you QE2 which stands for "Son of Quantitative Easing" or something like that. But I can't.
In effect and as I understand it, Treasury Secretary Ben Bernanke said a couple of weeks ago he would print $600 billion and throw it at the economy in an effort to keep it all moving. Oh, it's not that simple, I know, and Bernanke never actually said he was firing up the printing press.
But I think that's what it means. You know, the bottom line.
Suffice it to say, that none of world's top tier economies -- known collectively as the G20 -- favor the U.S. QE2 move because it will fuel inflation, weaken the dollar and because it just might cause a global economic crisis. They're cool with whatever ideas they had to solve the world recession but are now taking aim at the U.S. for being, well, the U.S.
After reading pieces by a few economists, QE2 is the reason we're paying higher prices for gasoline and other commodities lately and why the stock market has ticked up over the last couple of weeks, although the market faltered somewhat in the latter part of last week. And QE2 could cause inflation, but maybe not. Depends who you listen to.
Until someone tells me otherwise, I'm not going to lose any sleep over QE2 even though the pundits at CNBC are all atwitter.
* * *
Congratulations to the Dover Tornadoes on their victory over Sheridan on Saturday. The Newark Advocate has a decent "gamer" on its website if you're looking for a story of some length on the game. You can access it here.
* * *
I exited I-77 via the new Dover interchange on Saturday and was quite pleased with the experience -- at least until I got stopped by the traffic lights on Schneider's Crossing Rd. By the time I got to N. Wooster Ave., it became unclear whether I actually saved time over if I had chosen the Strasburg or Dover-Sugarcreek exits. Entering the freeway from the new interchange was convenient.
By the way, I'd like to invite former U.S. Rep. Bob Ney to set the record straight on how the interchange came to be. There's been a lot of misinformation out there, including the infamous sign that touts the federal economic stimulus program.
* * *
My favorite LeBron/Miami Heat stories last week:
Can't Stand Heat? Avoid Miami -- Wall Street Journal
Heat folding under weight of season -- Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
Miami’s Big Three Stumble Along -- Lynn Zinser, New York Times
* * *
Amanda Wolfe, who cut her journalistic teeth as an intern for The Times-Reporter a few years ago, wrote a poignant story for this month's Ladies' Home Journal on her mother's battle with ovarian cancer.
Amanda is now a senior editor with the magazine and resides in New York City. Her mother, Janice Wolfe of Dover, died earlier this year and was well known throughout Tuscarawas County for her work as a physical therapist.
Janice used to call me regularly at The T-R to keep me updated on Amanda's career. My heart goes out to Amanda and her sister, Audrey, on the loss of their mother, who obviously loved them very much.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Some pundits are right on the money
In the aftermath of the election, I believe by now that at least 16,784 pundits have weighed in with their take on the results. I haven't been able to read all their pieces, but I have consumed more than a couple.
I'm awarding the gold to star to Alan D. Mutter, who regularly writes about the state of the newspaper business. I have followed his blog for sometime.
Mutter singles out the press for failure to focus on the primary issue that seemed to be lost on the Obama administration -- the economy.
"In the thrall of the brainy and self-assured Obama," Mutter writes, "the press largely failed to ask the hard-edged questions that could have sharpened the president’s understanding of the terrifyingly deteriorating economy; sharpened his agenda by emphasizing jobs, jobs and more jobs, and sharpened his elbows for combat with the tough political customers whose singular – and brilliantly fulfilled – agenda was to make the president look like he was out of touch with the growing pain on Main Street.
"Instead, it was largely business as usual for the media, as journalists busied themselves immediately after the 2008 election with such inside-baseball matters as picking the winners and losers in the new Obama power structure. Once the president took office, the myopic press stuck to covering the inside-the-Beltway story of the day – health care, Afghanistan, Supreme Court picks – instead of zeroing in on the things that really mattered to all but the very wealthiest Americans."
* * *
In the wake of John Kasich's election as Ohio governor, it appears that school districts will be faced with cuts in the neighborhood of 10 to 12 percent, starting in the second half of 2011. And Kasich has promised that he won't be raising taxes anytime soon to make up for the projected $8 billion budget deficit.
He could, however, get cute with some of the fees Ohioans pay for various services. How about a $200 fishing license?
Just saying.
Anyway, Kasich has put lobbyists on notice that they had better get on the bus or, if they don't, get run over by it. I think Kasich wants people to know that he means business. To his credit, he is trying to save a couple of thousand American Greetings Corp. jobs in Cleveland.
American Greetings has threatened to take the work elsewhere because of the tax burden in the Cleveland suburb of Brooklyn and presumably in Ohio.
I will happily applaud him if he is able to keep the jobs here.
* * *
In an earlier post, I said that as editor of The Times-Reporter, our endorsements of candidates or issues were not made on the basis of their probability of election or passage. In other words, we were not attempting to gauge the popularity of a particular candidate or issue.
We endorsed based on the merits of the candidates and the worth of the issues.
I stand by that statement.
There is evidence out there today -- and I mean Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010 -- that some editors endorse or don't endorse based on projected election outcomes. I find that sad.
* * *
Greg Bedard, writing for the Boston Globe and its online site, boston.com, wrote this following the Browns' thumping of the New England Patriots (You can skip to No. 3):
THREE THINGS TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT
Uhhhh…hmmmm…uhhhh
1. The Patriots are still (sort of) tied for best record in NFL: They’re tied with the New York Jets at 6-2 in the AFC East, but the Jets won the first matchup between the two teams. Rematch is set for Dec. 6. Patriots are also tied for the best record win the NFL with the Ravens, Falcons, and possibly the Steelers, Colts and Chiefs (depending on their late or Monday night games).
2. Woodhead and Hernandez: We’ll have more on this in the next section, but they were the Patriots’ offense. Aaron Hernandez was targeted a team-high nine times and led with five catches, 48 yards and two touchdowns. Danny Woodhead had 54 yards on nine carries, and 38 yards on two receptions.
3. They left Cleveland. Always a positive.
Was that necessary? Why the cheap shot, Greg?
Why would you be so mean to an entire city and region of good, hardworking people who can't seem to catch a break lately, what with the recession, LeBron's talent long gone to South Beach and another lousy winter in the offing?
Well, the Browns kicked your Patriots' butt all over Cleveland Browns Stadium today, didn't they Greg?
So, we got that going for us.
I'm awarding the gold to star to Alan D. Mutter, who regularly writes about the state of the newspaper business. I have followed his blog for sometime.
Mutter singles out the press for failure to focus on the primary issue that seemed to be lost on the Obama administration -- the economy.
"In the thrall of the brainy and self-assured Obama," Mutter writes, "the press largely failed to ask the hard-edged questions that could have sharpened the president’s understanding of the terrifyingly deteriorating economy; sharpened his agenda by emphasizing jobs, jobs and more jobs, and sharpened his elbows for combat with the tough political customers whose singular – and brilliantly fulfilled – agenda was to make the president look like he was out of touch with the growing pain on Main Street.
"Instead, it was largely business as usual for the media, as journalists busied themselves immediately after the 2008 election with such inside-baseball matters as picking the winners and losers in the new Obama power structure. Once the president took office, the myopic press stuck to covering the inside-the-Beltway story of the day – health care, Afghanistan, Supreme Court picks – instead of zeroing in on the things that really mattered to all but the very wealthiest Americans."
* * *
In the wake of John Kasich's election as Ohio governor, it appears that school districts will be faced with cuts in the neighborhood of 10 to 12 percent, starting in the second half of 2011. And Kasich has promised that he won't be raising taxes anytime soon to make up for the projected $8 billion budget deficit.
He could, however, get cute with some of the fees Ohioans pay for various services. How about a $200 fishing license?
Just saying.
Anyway, Kasich has put lobbyists on notice that they had better get on the bus or, if they don't, get run over by it. I think Kasich wants people to know that he means business. To his credit, he is trying to save a couple of thousand American Greetings Corp. jobs in Cleveland.
American Greetings has threatened to take the work elsewhere because of the tax burden in the Cleveland suburb of Brooklyn and presumably in Ohio.
I will happily applaud him if he is able to keep the jobs here.
* * *
In an earlier post, I said that as editor of The Times-Reporter, our endorsements of candidates or issues were not made on the basis of their probability of election or passage. In other words, we were not attempting to gauge the popularity of a particular candidate or issue.
We endorsed based on the merits of the candidates and the worth of the issues.
I stand by that statement.
There is evidence out there today -- and I mean Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010 -- that some editors endorse or don't endorse based on projected election outcomes. I find that sad.
* * *
Greg Bedard, writing for the Boston Globe and its online site, boston.com, wrote this following the Browns' thumping of the New England Patriots (You can skip to No. 3):
THREE THINGS TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT
Uhhhh…hmmmm…uhhhh
1. The Patriots are still (sort of) tied for best record in NFL: They’re tied with the New York Jets at 6-2 in the AFC East, but the Jets won the first matchup between the two teams. Rematch is set for Dec. 6. Patriots are also tied for the best record win the NFL with the Ravens, Falcons, and possibly the Steelers, Colts and Chiefs (depending on their late or Monday night games).
2. Woodhead and Hernandez: We’ll have more on this in the next section, but they were the Patriots’ offense. Aaron Hernandez was targeted a team-high nine times and led with five catches, 48 yards and two touchdowns. Danny Woodhead had 54 yards on nine carries, and 38 yards on two receptions.
3. They left Cleveland. Always a positive.
Was that necessary? Why the cheap shot, Greg?
Why would you be so mean to an entire city and region of good, hardworking people who can't seem to catch a break lately, what with the recession, LeBron's talent long gone to South Beach and another lousy winter in the offing?
Well, the Browns kicked your Patriots' butt all over Cleveland Browns Stadium today, didn't they Greg?
So, we got that going for us.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
It's Obama's fault
It's 10 p.m. on Election Night and it looks like the Democrats are taking a beating in Ohio, including Reps. Zack Space in the 18th House District and John Boccieri in the 16th.
As President Obama reflects on the election tonight, he perhaps should prepare an apology to his fellow Democrats tomorrow for the huge losses in offices on every level in every state. Cap and trade? Health care insurance overhaul? Reckless stimulus spending?
It was all about fixing the economy, Mr. President. It wasn't about overhauling every aspect of our lives, which apparently you wanted to do. Good Lord, I wanted you to succeed. And you blew it in two short years.
Space is going down to defeat (understatement) in his home county of Tuscarawas, which should be enough for challenger Bob Gibbs to claim the seat. Boccieri is being defeated by Jim Renacci in the mostly Stark County district.
Space and Bocierri are two good men who wanted to do right by their consitutents and by their country. But they got caught up in the machine that meets and greets rookie congressmen upon their arrival in Washington. And then they were lobbied hard by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and even the president himself. Space's pushback on the health care issue didn't help him either. His "no" vote announcement came too late and voters smelled conspiracy. There wasn't one.
It was just too late. And he had already cast a "yes" vote on cap and trade -- a terrible, terrible idea, the people claimed. And no one countered.
And no one forgot.
* * *
10:16 p.m.
By my count, Ohio likely will have five Democrats in the the U.S. House of Representatives and 13 Republicans.
Wow.
* * *
11:30 p.m.
OK, let's assume at this point, it's a Republican sweep in Ohio's statewide offices. Let's assume the Republicans control the U.S. House and that the current administration has been repudiated.
What's the message to Republicans?
I suspect they will believe that the American people want smaller government -- much smaller government. And that will mean massive job cuts in government. School districts will be among those feeling the brunt because the majority of people have no personal stake in the schools and won't fund them with property taxes. So, we'll have more school districts in financial trouble sooner rather than later. I'll bet on that.
We will take some steps backward here.
With future stimulus money in question, infrastructure construction probably will taper off and we will have to hope the private sector will add jobs with assurances from the Republicans that no new costs (taxes) will be imposed. Those question marks have to be removed if the private sector is going to add jobs.
Free trade? Fair trade? Who knows the answer to that? We have to be able to trade with China and India going forward. Too many consumers to ignore. But they continue to dump cheap products and services on us, costing American jobs. A dilemma for sure.
As for the health care legislation, look for the GOP to attempt to repeal some, if not all, of the aspects of the legislation that cost so many Democrats their offices. But allowing pre-exisiting conditions -- like genetic defects -- to affect an American's ability to be insured seems un-American to me.
Look for initiatives for "green" energy to more or less dry up in the short term. We'll be committed to fossil fuels in the near future.
Maybe this is the right way to go. Goodness, I hope so. We're in for further tough times here in America as we try to figure it out. As for President Obama, well, I think he will still shoulder blame in 2012. I don't expect him to win a second term as it stands now, but, of course, it depends on whether the Republicans can find another Ronald Reagan.
And for John Kasich? Chill, big guy. Don't let that temper affect your ability to lead. You worry me.
Good luck to all the winners. They'll need it.
Now, about the stock market...
As President Obama reflects on the election tonight, he perhaps should prepare an apology to his fellow Democrats tomorrow for the huge losses in offices on every level in every state. Cap and trade? Health care insurance overhaul? Reckless stimulus spending?
It was all about fixing the economy, Mr. President. It wasn't about overhauling every aspect of our lives, which apparently you wanted to do. Good Lord, I wanted you to succeed. And you blew it in two short years.
Space is going down to defeat (understatement) in his home county of Tuscarawas, which should be enough for challenger Bob Gibbs to claim the seat. Boccieri is being defeated by Jim Renacci in the mostly Stark County district.
Space and Bocierri are two good men who wanted to do right by their consitutents and by their country. But they got caught up in the machine that meets and greets rookie congressmen upon their arrival in Washington. And then they were lobbied hard by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and even the president himself. Space's pushback on the health care issue didn't help him either. His "no" vote announcement came too late and voters smelled conspiracy. There wasn't one.
It was just too late. And he had already cast a "yes" vote on cap and trade -- a terrible, terrible idea, the people claimed. And no one countered.
And no one forgot.
* * *
10:16 p.m.
By my count, Ohio likely will have five Democrats in the the U.S. House of Representatives and 13 Republicans.
Wow.
* * *
11:30 p.m.
OK, let's assume at this point, it's a Republican sweep in Ohio's statewide offices. Let's assume the Republicans control the U.S. House and that the current administration has been repudiated.
What's the message to Republicans?
I suspect they will believe that the American people want smaller government -- much smaller government. And that will mean massive job cuts in government. School districts will be among those feeling the brunt because the majority of people have no personal stake in the schools and won't fund them with property taxes. So, we'll have more school districts in financial trouble sooner rather than later. I'll bet on that.
We will take some steps backward here.
With future stimulus money in question, infrastructure construction probably will taper off and we will have to hope the private sector will add jobs with assurances from the Republicans that no new costs (taxes) will be imposed. Those question marks have to be removed if the private sector is going to add jobs.
Free trade? Fair trade? Who knows the answer to that? We have to be able to trade with China and India going forward. Too many consumers to ignore. But they continue to dump cheap products and services on us, costing American jobs. A dilemma for sure.
As for the health care legislation, look for the GOP to attempt to repeal some, if not all, of the aspects of the legislation that cost so many Democrats their offices. But allowing pre-exisiting conditions -- like genetic defects -- to affect an American's ability to be insured seems un-American to me.
Look for initiatives for "green" energy to more or less dry up in the short term. We'll be committed to fossil fuels in the near future.
Maybe this is the right way to go. Goodness, I hope so. We're in for further tough times here in America as we try to figure it out. As for President Obama, well, I think he will still shoulder blame in 2012. I don't expect him to win a second term as it stands now, but, of course, it depends on whether the Republicans can find another Ronald Reagan.
And for John Kasich? Chill, big guy. Don't let that temper affect your ability to lead. You worry me.
Good luck to all the winners. They'll need it.
Now, about the stock market...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Rambling, mumbling, wondering
I've heard it from the critics of the current party in power over and over:
"Quit wasting our money!"
Sounds like the consumer reporter on Channel 5, who intones at the end of every segment, "Don't waste your money!"
Like fingernails on a blackboard.
In fact, it seems this country has whipped itself into a frenzy over the government spending OUR money to save us all -- get this -- from another Great Depression. Maybe, the correct tack would have been to let the financial institutions go belly up, let General Motors and Chrysler work out their own fates (die), and let those without jobs stand in soup kitchen lines.
We could have just pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps -- the American way.
Maybe.
With the Republicans poised to retake power on Tuesday in at least one of the and probably both houses of Congress, it's a pretty good bet that we'll see that kind of strategy in place in the near future.
I hope it works, because I can’t imagine what would have happened had all of the above been the reality.
Economists (I don't know what political party they belong to) say the Troubled Asset Relief Program of 2008 -- TARP -- actually worked and ultimately won't be nearly as costly as the initial price tag of $700 billion. Is $50 billion more palatable? Maybe not for some folks but then $50 billion is a lot of money to wrap your arms around especially when your private sector employer cut the match for your 401(k).
(By the way, George Bush was president in 2008.)
But back to the election.
The Republicans say they are not about compromise or working toward solutions with their more liberal Democrat colleagues in Congress. They will work, they say, to see to it that President Barack Obama is a one-termer. Compromise be damned.
Obama certainly isn't without blame here. Though he promised conciliation and compromise, we got a mostly liberal agenda that was pushed through in parts by one or both houses of Congress by the party in power. Compromise be damned.
Meanwhile, the next phase of the Great Recession is about on us. It's the government and health care phase. Both institutions -- if that's the right term -- are being crippled by falling tax bases and if you think Ohio's going to be a fun place to live in over the next few years, well, wait and see.
If the federal government turns off the stimulus spigot, it means Ohio will face the impending $8 billion deficit all by itself. And that means massive cuts in services, including our public schools and state universities. Meanwhile, hospitals are going broke providing services to people who can't afford to pay or don't have some kind of private insurance. And doctors? Well, they don't to want to service Medicare patients because the program's payments don't cover the cost.
It's a lot more complicated than that, but you get the point. Things aren't going to improve immediately just because we throw this set of bums out. In fact, it might get a lot worse before it gets better.
Just don't be surprised.
* * *
If Zack Space wins in Tuesday's election, he might want to take Constitution Party candidate Lindsey Dean Sutton out to dinner. Sutton promises to play spoiler in the election by siphoning votes from Republican challenger Bob Gibbs.
In other words, Space could win a plurality of votes on Tuesday, which would give him a third term in office. If that happens and the House turns to Republican control, Space then can have a little fun. (I think it's safe to say he is not having fun now.)
He can concentrate on constituent services, criticizing Republicans and, of course, attend a few hundred chicken dinners.
* * *
A certain former mayor of a certain city near Dover in Tuscarawas County seems to think that the editorial board of a certain local newspaper endorses candidates based on whether the street thinks certain candidates will win. That way the paper looks really good and powerful if the endorsed (popular) candidate wins.
Hogwash.
I can't speak for the current regime, but that certainly wasn't the case under my watch. If I thought long and hard, I'm sure I could produce a sizeable list of losers endorsed during my 19-year stint. We endorsed after considerable thought, back-and-forths with editors and reporters, feedback from constituents and colleagues of the candidates, and after direct conversations with many candidates.
If we endorsed a candidate, it's because we thought he/she deserved it. Or we thought the alternative was unacceptable. In some cases, we thought both candidates were acceptable and said so. And both candidates subsequently vilified us for being non-decisive.
There is an exception in the process. Presidential (and sometimes U.S. Senate) endorsements usually were dictated by the paper's ownership.
* * *
I am fascinated by at least two people who have nothing to do with politics.
One is Bill Simmons, ESPN.com's "Sports Guy." I think Simmons is a fabulous writer and I have to thank my son, Chris, for hooking me up with Simmons' body of work, which includes some hilarious pieces on his trip to Las Vegas with buddies.
The other person is LeBron James, the world's most misguided narcissist who is a favorite subject in Simmons' columns. Simmons offered his view of James' debut with the Miami Heat last week. Here's the
link.
* * *
Addendum: Scout asked in the comment section whether newspapers should endorse candidates. I'll answer that with a question: Should newspapers champion any causes in a community?
I think a good newspaper ought to lead in any number of ways.
It ought to make sure its community is creating an atmosphere of progress and prosperity. It should campaign for decent health care, housing, jobs and infrastructure. It should applaud the arts and support its schools. And it should attempt to uncover wrongdoing on any number of levels.
Should a newspaper examine candidates for political office and then offer its view on the races? On the issues? Yes, it should, in my opinion anyway.
That's not to say other publications, such as the Bargain Hunter, play a role. Certainly they do. But they don't lead.
Can a newspaper be unbiased in its news columns and still lead on its editorial page? Good ones do.
Just sayin'.
"Quit wasting our money!"
Sounds like the consumer reporter on Channel 5, who intones at the end of every segment, "Don't waste your money!"
Like fingernails on a blackboard.
In fact, it seems this country has whipped itself into a frenzy over the government spending OUR money to save us all -- get this -- from another Great Depression. Maybe, the correct tack would have been to let the financial institutions go belly up, let General Motors and Chrysler work out their own fates (die), and let those without jobs stand in soup kitchen lines.
We could have just pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps -- the American way.
Maybe.
With the Republicans poised to retake power on Tuesday in at least one of the and probably both houses of Congress, it's a pretty good bet that we'll see that kind of strategy in place in the near future.
I hope it works, because I can’t imagine what would have happened had all of the above been the reality.
Economists (I don't know what political party they belong to) say the Troubled Asset Relief Program of 2008 -- TARP -- actually worked and ultimately won't be nearly as costly as the initial price tag of $700 billion. Is $50 billion more palatable? Maybe not for some folks but then $50 billion is a lot of money to wrap your arms around especially when your private sector employer cut the match for your 401(k).
(By the way, George Bush was president in 2008.)
But back to the election.
The Republicans say they are not about compromise or working toward solutions with their more liberal Democrat colleagues in Congress. They will work, they say, to see to it that President Barack Obama is a one-termer. Compromise be damned.
Obama certainly isn't without blame here. Though he promised conciliation and compromise, we got a mostly liberal agenda that was pushed through in parts by one or both houses of Congress by the party in power. Compromise be damned.
Meanwhile, the next phase of the Great Recession is about on us. It's the government and health care phase. Both institutions -- if that's the right term -- are being crippled by falling tax bases and if you think Ohio's going to be a fun place to live in over the next few years, well, wait and see.
If the federal government turns off the stimulus spigot, it means Ohio will face the impending $8 billion deficit all by itself. And that means massive cuts in services, including our public schools and state universities. Meanwhile, hospitals are going broke providing services to people who can't afford to pay or don't have some kind of private insurance. And doctors? Well, they don't to want to service Medicare patients because the program's payments don't cover the cost.
It's a lot more complicated than that, but you get the point. Things aren't going to improve immediately just because we throw this set of bums out. In fact, it might get a lot worse before it gets better.
Just don't be surprised.
* * *
If Zack Space wins in Tuesday's election, he might want to take Constitution Party candidate Lindsey Dean Sutton out to dinner. Sutton promises to play spoiler in the election by siphoning votes from Republican challenger Bob Gibbs.
In other words, Space could win a plurality of votes on Tuesday, which would give him a third term in office. If that happens and the House turns to Republican control, Space then can have a little fun. (I think it's safe to say he is not having fun now.)
He can concentrate on constituent services, criticizing Republicans and, of course, attend a few hundred chicken dinners.
* * *
A certain former mayor of a certain city near Dover in Tuscarawas County seems to think that the editorial board of a certain local newspaper endorses candidates based on whether the street thinks certain candidates will win. That way the paper looks really good and powerful if the endorsed (popular) candidate wins.
Hogwash.
I can't speak for the current regime, but that certainly wasn't the case under my watch. If I thought long and hard, I'm sure I could produce a sizeable list of losers endorsed during my 19-year stint. We endorsed after considerable thought, back-and-forths with editors and reporters, feedback from constituents and colleagues of the candidates, and after direct conversations with many candidates.
If we endorsed a candidate, it's because we thought he/she deserved it. Or we thought the alternative was unacceptable. In some cases, we thought both candidates were acceptable and said so. And both candidates subsequently vilified us for being non-decisive.
There is an exception in the process. Presidential (and sometimes U.S. Senate) endorsements usually were dictated by the paper's ownership.
* * *
I am fascinated by at least two people who have nothing to do with politics.
One is Bill Simmons, ESPN.com's "Sports Guy." I think Simmons is a fabulous writer and I have to thank my son, Chris, for hooking me up with Simmons' body of work, which includes some hilarious pieces on his trip to Las Vegas with buddies.
The other person is LeBron James, the world's most misguided narcissist who is a favorite subject in Simmons' columns. Simmons offered his view of James' debut with the Miami Heat last week. Here's the
link.
* * *
Addendum: Scout asked in the comment section whether newspapers should endorse candidates. I'll answer that with a question: Should newspapers champion any causes in a community?
I think a good newspaper ought to lead in any number of ways.
It ought to make sure its community is creating an atmosphere of progress and prosperity. It should campaign for decent health care, housing, jobs and infrastructure. It should applaud the arts and support its schools. And it should attempt to uncover wrongdoing on any number of levels.
Should a newspaper examine candidates for political office and then offer its view on the races? On the issues? Yes, it should, in my opinion anyway.
That's not to say other publications, such as the Bargain Hunter, play a role. Certainly they do. But they don't lead.
Can a newspaper be unbiased in its news columns and still lead on its editorial page? Good ones do.
Just sayin'.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sometimes you just have to do what's right
One of the toughest tasks I had as editor of The Times-Reporter was signing off on election endorsements.
Endorsements are something I think a newspaper should do for its readers because a good newspaper has a better handle on candidates and issues than the average Joe because if it's doing its job, it is asking questions that the average Joe doesn't get to ask. It sees the big picture, or should. And it ought to let the readers in on the deal.
Under my watch, the local newspaper was a strong supporter of local school levies even in hard times. I always believed, and I guess I owe a lot to my father for my thinking, that as a community's schools go, so goes the community.
For the most part, my father and mother believed in Catholic schools for their children. The younger children in the family, yes, including me, finished their high school educations in the public schools, but only after more than 10 years under the guidance of the sisters of St. Joseph or the brothers of Holy Cross.
But my father, never a man of great means, never voted against a public school levy despite the fact that he forked over tuition so his children could attend Catholic schools.
In our area, in this general election, four school districts -- Claymont, Newcomerstown, Conotton Valley and East Holmes -- are asking for approval of additional levies. Because we are in the Great Recession -- I don't think it's over either -- it would be easy to tell voters to just say no.
And that would be wrong. At least in my mind.
Three of those districts -- Claymont, Newcomerstown and Conotton Valley -- are among the poorest districts in our area. Their effective tax rates tell part of the story, but not all of it:
Claymont -- 26.27
Newcomerstown -- 31.10
Conotton Valley -- 30.16
For comparison sake, here are the effective tax rates for Dover and New Philadelphia:
Dover -- 36.09
New Philadelphia -- 28.98
Dover long has had the reputation of having the best school system in Tuscarawas County and this is no knock on New Philadelphia because perception may or may not be reality. But there's a reason why Realtors tout Dover Schools in their advertising.
Look at the effective tax rate. It means that you will pay more in taxes in Dover than you would on the same home of the same value in New Philadelphia. It's also an indication that homes in Dover have a higher value than elsewhere and that its citizens value public education.
(When you compare the effective tax rates in and around Tuscarawas County, they're all a bargain. Move to a Cleveland or Columbus suburb and your taxes will effectively double or triple.)
Now, the knock on school levies is that they place an unfair burden on property owners and that the state needs to fix the way it funds education. I agree. But this assessment has been going on since the '70s. And when someone tells you the state needs to fix education funding and you believe it will happen in the near future, and therefore vote against your school levy, you run the risk of wrecking what you have.
Think long term here. Let's take Newcomerstown, for example. It's a poor school district. The state kicks in more per capita to educate Newcomerstown kids than it does Dover kids because of that. But it needs local help to maintain its mission. And frankly, what would happen to Newcomerstown if its school system went into the big dumper? Would you want to live there?
I know. I read the comments posted underneath stories on newspaper web sites. Some people can't figure out why they have to fund the schools when they have no kids. Others say the state needs to totally fund the schools and spare property owners. And still others blame public schools' staffing -- too many administrators, they say. Too many guidance counselors.
"They ought to run school districts like a business," is a common refrain..
Well, it's not a business. It's a school system that is charged with the responsibility of educating children in the very complicated 21st century. Good Lord, we don't know what jobs will be around in 10 years but somehow we have to prepare the children to be ready for them.
Think that's easy?
Add to the equation that a significant portion of the population probably ought not to be parents and they send their children to school every day with the scars of emotional abuse and/or neglect.
So, now we want to tell our school districts -- our poorest school districts -- to do more with less because, we'll, we're in a recession. OK, easy way out.
I'm just saying if ever there were a time to support the schools, this is it. And yes, let's hope the state figures out a better way to fund public education. But don't forget, it can never do it without your money. You're naive if you think otherwise.
For goodness sakes, support your schools.
Endorsements are something I think a newspaper should do for its readers because a good newspaper has a better handle on candidates and issues than the average Joe because if it's doing its job, it is asking questions that the average Joe doesn't get to ask. It sees the big picture, or should. And it ought to let the readers in on the deal.
Under my watch, the local newspaper was a strong supporter of local school levies even in hard times. I always believed, and I guess I owe a lot to my father for my thinking, that as a community's schools go, so goes the community.
For the most part, my father and mother believed in Catholic schools for their children. The younger children in the family, yes, including me, finished their high school educations in the public schools, but only after more than 10 years under the guidance of the sisters of St. Joseph or the brothers of Holy Cross.
But my father, never a man of great means, never voted against a public school levy despite the fact that he forked over tuition so his children could attend Catholic schools.
In our area, in this general election, four school districts -- Claymont, Newcomerstown, Conotton Valley and East Holmes -- are asking for approval of additional levies. Because we are in the Great Recession -- I don't think it's over either -- it would be easy to tell voters to just say no.
And that would be wrong. At least in my mind.
Three of those districts -- Claymont, Newcomerstown and Conotton Valley -- are among the poorest districts in our area. Their effective tax rates tell part of the story, but not all of it:
Claymont -- 26.27
Newcomerstown -- 31.10
Conotton Valley -- 30.16
For comparison sake, here are the effective tax rates for Dover and New Philadelphia:
Dover -- 36.09
New Philadelphia -- 28.98
Dover long has had the reputation of having the best school system in Tuscarawas County and this is no knock on New Philadelphia because perception may or may not be reality. But there's a reason why Realtors tout Dover Schools in their advertising.
Look at the effective tax rate. It means that you will pay more in taxes in Dover than you would on the same home of the same value in New Philadelphia. It's also an indication that homes in Dover have a higher value than elsewhere and that its citizens value public education.
(When you compare the effective tax rates in and around Tuscarawas County, they're all a bargain. Move to a Cleveland or Columbus suburb and your taxes will effectively double or triple.)
Now, the knock on school levies is that they place an unfair burden on property owners and that the state needs to fix the way it funds education. I agree. But this assessment has been going on since the '70s. And when someone tells you the state needs to fix education funding and you believe it will happen in the near future, and therefore vote against your school levy, you run the risk of wrecking what you have.
Think long term here. Let's take Newcomerstown, for example. It's a poor school district. The state kicks in more per capita to educate Newcomerstown kids than it does Dover kids because of that. But it needs local help to maintain its mission. And frankly, what would happen to Newcomerstown if its school system went into the big dumper? Would you want to live there?
I know. I read the comments posted underneath stories on newspaper web sites. Some people can't figure out why they have to fund the schools when they have no kids. Others say the state needs to totally fund the schools and spare property owners. And still others blame public schools' staffing -- too many administrators, they say. Too many guidance counselors.
"They ought to run school districts like a business," is a common refrain..
Well, it's not a business. It's a school system that is charged with the responsibility of educating children in the very complicated 21st century. Good Lord, we don't know what jobs will be around in 10 years but somehow we have to prepare the children to be ready for them.
Think that's easy?
Add to the equation that a significant portion of the population probably ought not to be parents and they send their children to school every day with the scars of emotional abuse and/or neglect.
So, now we want to tell our school districts -- our poorest school districts -- to do more with less because, we'll, we're in a recession. OK, easy way out.
I'm just saying if ever there were a time to support the schools, this is it. And yes, let's hope the state figures out a better way to fund public education. But don't forget, it can never do it without your money. You're naive if you think otherwise.
For goodness sakes, support your schools.
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