The Aftermath

After waiting until the end of the week, it is time to weigh in on the idiocy of Toledoians. Apparently, according to Toledo's own dog training aide:

Voters saw through the overblown charges against the mayor, which were all the more regrettable because they were racially tinged and largely fomented by someone who lives 750 miles from here.

Silly me, I didn't realize that all of the sudden the Rev. Rose's ideas were "racially tinged." As I remember, the Blade and city leaders have looked on his ideas as the truth from above. At least, unitl he spoke out on their pet projects.

To the editors of the Blade, I'm going to seek to enlighten you - something you won't receive from TPS. Using the ballot box to "express your displeasure" is the way our founding fathers set up this country. I'm sure that the newspaper would rather the taxes, mandates, and city life be mandated by their selected few - without public input or protest. After all:

Well-funded schools and a reasonable array of city services are vital to the quality of life in this urban environment and, perhaps more importantly, to the ongoing quest to lure new businesses and families to the city.

Here's the big secret - it's not well funded schools that attract businesses and individuals to the city, it's the quality of the schools. And, as I'm sure you'll all be surprised to learn, there is no positive corrolation between funding and excellence - if there was, how do private schools (with far less funding per student) continue to stand heads and shoulders above public schools? But wait, there's more - the "reasonable array" of city seriveces don't include $10k showers for the mayor, bike paths near the mayor's house, a city funded vacant shopping center, or

No, a business looks for a location with low taxes, a minimal array of fees (let's talk trash), and minimal governmental red tape. Toledo has just the opposite - a mayor and city council that meddles in what businesses should locate to the city, and then regulates their every move. Fees in every area from building erection to trash removal have been rising faster than inflation, and the tax structure in this city makes it unprofitable to run a business here. I expect more business to leave this area, along with many of those who make the city run - what's left of the middle class.

I listen to people complain about the health of others. This city is sick, from years of feasting on the tax dollars and passing it out the other end to the residents. What this city needs is an enforced diet, and the citizens of the city just voted to take another trip to the all-you-can-eat buffet. Someone call a plumber, the turd that you'll get back is going to be mammoth.

Right Wing Toledo

Friday Quote 2-15-08

It takes a great deal of character strength to apologize quickly out of one's heart rather than out of pity. A person must possess himself and have a deep sense of security in fundamental principles and values in order to genuinely apologize.

- Stephen Covey, Author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Mayor Earns Left-Wing Chops

Well, King Carlton put his foot where his mouth was once again. I understand that his attempts to make Toledo more metropolitian through bike paths, planting flowers, and "resident artists" (aka grafitti). However, did His Dishoner have to take Toledo down Berkley's path? Soldiers and Irish stay off the grass, indeed!

There's so much wrong with this story, it's difficult to find out where to begin. For the mayor to claim he was uninformed is simply BS. The city put out a press release last Tuesday, the Marines received a permit - there was plenty of opportunity for the Fink to stick his nose into the pot, and smell what was cooking. Instead, he waited until the last minute to assert his authority, and order the soldiers out. (I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that there is no "Mayor" box in the chain of command.)

Then, when the soldiers actually in charge attempted to meet with the Mayor, they were instead stopped by the Minister of Propoganda, with details that the Exaulted One was currently in a meeting, and would be unable to see them. Sure, and my tax check for the city is in the mail - how far would that fly. You deny a permit at the last minute, cost an orginization over $10,000 in travel and time costs, and then don't have the stones to meet with them? My first thought was, "be a man," then I realized that it was Carty I was thinking about - swine aren't human.

The next time the city experiences a race riot, natural disaster, or faces a terrorist attack (more likely with a Democrat in the White House), I hope that when Carty shouts for help, the armed forces are in a meeting.

Well, I suppose it's all over but the crying. I'm going to state it for the record here: I will NOT vote for John McCain for President. It dosn't matter who is also on the ticket: Condi Rice, Fred Thompson, even if the Gipper rose from the grave to run alongside the charter member of the "Gang of 14", I won't be voting for him.

No, I'm not throwing away my vote - that's what the mantra from the McCain gulag will be. Number me with Ann Coulter, I'd rather see 4 (or less) years of Hillary than watch the party I've tried to nuture itself fall into the mud, never to see the light of day again. In fact, should the original RINO win, I expect that the Republican party wouldn't survive intact to the mid-term elections.

I'd take the time to tell you my predictions for the future, but things like double digit inflation and unemployment, an 80% marginal tax rate, and nationalized and rationed health care aren't fun to mention. Just a warning: to those in the insurance industry - start your job retraining now.

If anyone is willing to start an Ohio chapter of the Conservative Party - drop me a line.

Monday Quote, 2-4-08

Just because I like it:

There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.

- Robert A. Heinlein, Author.

Friday Quote 2-1-08

Ninety eight percent of the adults in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It's the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.

- Lily Tomlin, Actress

The Perfect Storm Hits Ohio

Well, the liberal whining concerning the defaults on low-income housing loans. Of course, the fault lies completely with the banks and lending institutions.

For county treasurer Jim Rokakis, the greed of the banks is to blame for this man-made disaster.
"All you needed was a pulse to buy a house. Some loans were written with no money down, no proof of buyer's incomes. They did not even check what people were saying. Most of those folks were jobless," he said in an interview.
"Shaker Heights was the perfect storm: poor folks, unemployed and a desire to get a piece of the American Dream."

I understand that the first thing the banks did was to look for the unemployed and poor and hold a gun to their head to get a loan for a house they couldn't possibly afford. Well, there was a gun held to someones' head, but it wasn't the poor and unemployed. Sherman, set the Wayback Machine to 1990. The New York Times headline reads: Banks Are Prodded to Offer Better Service in Poor Areas. It makes for an interesting read, but to the rub: lending institutions were forced to offer unprofitable loans, and the only way to offer lower rates on high risk loans was through the use of adjustable rate mortgages. Otherwise, the banks were threatened with action under the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act (thank you Jimmy Carter).

And, does anyone remember the complaints about a lack of investment in central cities following the Rodney King riots? South-central LA was "underserved' - check out this report by the Poverty and Race Research Council.

So, when the left gets their way, high risk people are put in houses and turn around and lose them when circumstances change - they complain that it was the mean banks. You know, just like how the Savings & Loan bailouts had *absolutely* nothing to do with a change in tax laws leading to a downturn in the housing market.

Anyone want to guess how long it is until Toledo jumps on the bandwagon? After all, King Carlton has tried to sue gunmakers, why not 5/3rd Bank? Then they can rename the stadium "Fink Park"

Friday Quote 1-25-08

The First Amendment also means the Government can't enforce a lack of religion upon me, nor can it prevent my expressing my faith in a public forum.

- Right Wing Toledo

What's Yours is Mine

Todays Blade includes a letter to the editor by one Adele Ferderman. She claims that private beachfront property should be public land, accessable to all, because public funds were used in lake cleanup.

Beaches along public waters should be open to the public whose tax money has developed, cleaned, and improved these waters. Property owners of waterfront property should not be the sole enjoyers of the benefits for which this public tax money was spent.

Ms. Federman, those property owners pay taxes on the property you wish access to, not "the public." In fact, their property taxes are based on property values, which are (surprise) higher than equivilent landlocked properties. The property ends at the water's edge (and owners are not taxed on property under water), so, if you wish to trapse along in the water, you're more than welcome to. However, step one foot upon dry land and you're tresspassing.

What's so disturbing is not that Ms. Federman wants to run along your beach without your permission, doing as she pleases; but rather that the contention that any public dollars spent on a project immediately renders it public property. Does this mean I'm entitled to a new Jeep - after all they're constructed on land provided by "public tax money."

Here's a thought: public dollars were spent on the clean-up of Lake Erie to benefit the public at large. And you do benefit, Ms. Federman, every time you turn on your water tap.