Darke County Issues… Wind Farms, Part 2, By Al Bliss
Questions for Darke County... WIND FARMS???? And next...
SCHOOLS???? The ability of the Ohio State Government to fund a
multimillion dollar project at the same time that the State is
experiencing an eight billion dollar shortfall in the biannual budget
should be taken into consideration. The Federal Funds require currently
borrowing at least forty one cents for every dollar used. Should Darke
County ignore these two facts? Based on the what has occurred
elsewhere... read
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Darke County Issues…
Wind Farms, Part 1, By Al Bliss
Questions for Darke County... WIND FARMS???? And next...
SCHOOLS???? To clearly establish the basis for this document, it is
essential to assess the accuracy of a series of fundamental objectives
as they apply to each citizen of Darke County. Darke County should
function within the mandates of our National and State Constitutions -
Darke County should be relatively self sufficient - Darke County should
avoid incurring debt - Darke County should set an example for the rest
of Ohio... read
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One Homeless Veteran
Is One Too Many, By U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Generations of Ohio veterans have returned home, settled down, started
a family, and made our state a better place to live. A grateful nation
should never overlook the sacrifices veterans make to protect our
country – nor should we ignore their struggles. Despite this fact, some
Washington politicians are threatening to slash funding that keeps
financially-at-risk veterans in their homes... read
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Family Events... Are you living
with Attila the Teen? By Marybeth Hicks
Usually, when I tell people that three of my four children are teens, I
get sympathetic smiles, along with the odd, “Bless your heart,” or
“Hang in there – it will be over soon.” The truth? I don’t want it to
be over! I’m having a blast navigating the teen years with my children.
In fact, I think too many parents set themselves up for an unpleasant
experience with teenagers, and sure enough, they get it... read
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Reflecting on Public
Forums, Guest Column from State Representative Jim Buchy
Recently, I held three public forums, one in each county of the
district. I was pleased by the willingness of nearly 450
constituents to discuss the issue of Senate Bill 5 and other bills,
both for and against. Throughout this process I have been open
with my support for this measure and will continue to explain what has
led me to this position. The bill is currently in the amendment
phase in the... read
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I am a Caregiver,
By Beverly Hughes, Senior Scribe
I started by spending a summer week with mom just after dad died, so
she wouldn’t be alone. Soon she went back to her friend’s
luncheons and evening card games. Good! I thought.
That’s that! When I visited unexpectedly one evening, she was
dressed in dad’s pajamas, curled up in his Lazy Boy, sobbing
hysterically. Oh, great! I thought. What now? She
assured me that was a... read
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Family Events... A little bit
spoiled can be a big problem, By Marybeth Hicks
A couple of weeks ago, this headline caught my eye: Apple iPhone games
for children rack up shocking bills. Turns out the free games for
children available on iTunes contain in-app purchase opportunities –
enhancements that make the games “more fun.” Which means young players
of Tap Zoo could spend $99 on a bucket of coins to buy animals and
build a safari. (You read that right – ninety-nine... read
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LWV Observe Election
Audit, By Jan Boyer
The Board of Elections had two visitors when the Board audited the
November election ballots. League of Women Voters
representatives, Becky Reier and Jan Boyer, used their observation
privilege to sit in on the state required ballot audit. The Board of
Election officials and the audit technicians welcomed the observers and
helped them understand the process and each step... read
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Where do you rate?
By Chris Mortensen, Principal, Greenville High School
I read an interesting article about Florida considering that schools
begin evaluating parents on their involvement with their
children. This was being proposed as a bill by Florida State
Representative Kelli Stargel. Testing results, Annual Yearly
Progress, discipline numbers, graduation rate, attendance rates,
transient nature of the student population and programs offered by the
school... read
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Fighting Prescription
Drug Abuse,By U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
“I live in a small rural town with a big city problem.” Brittany, a
nursing student from Delaware County, reached out to me about the
growing prescription drug abuse problem. She is not alone. It is an
issue that touches Ohioans in all 88 counties. Right now, people can go
from doctor to doctor to obtain prescriptions for powerful pain killers
and get far more than they need for their own legitimate use. Some... read
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Saving Tax Dollars
with Performance Audits, By Representative Richard Adams,
District 79
Every Ohioan can agree that making state government more cost-effective
is a worthwhile objective. No one wants to see their taxes squandered
on inefficient government services. I have witnessed many occasions
where tax dollars were wasted simply due to disorganization, money that
could have been invested in our schools or other services. It is my
hope that during this General Assembly... read
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Is it Time for
McGuffey to Return to the Public Classroom?
By Steve Gruber, Ph.D., Chair, Education Department, Cedarville
University
During much of the 19th and early 20th centuries the textbooks of
William H. McGuffey provided young students with their introduction to
the joy of reading. McGuffey discovered that he could improve reading
skills in his students by making reading more fun. The McGuffey
Readers... read
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Funding Sources,
Bureaucrats and Lobbyists, By Bob Rhoades
Gov. Kasich’s recent attack on labor unions has focused on the actual
act of negotiations and arbitration. One of the things that no
one has focused on is state funding in general. There are many forms of
funding for the various state agencies. Many state processes and
agencies are funded simply by the state income taxes that people and
companies pay. Gasoline taxes pay for road improvements... read
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The Local Unions:
Perspective from the Inside, By Bob Rhoades
Unions have been around in the employee ranks of the City of Greenville
for quite a while. Firefighters originally belonged to the
International Association of Firefighters Local in Piqua. Then
around 1952 they formed their own Local, IAFF Local 1101. During
that period of time, there was no collective bargaining or negotiations
so it mostly existed for the access... read
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Trip to Columbus... Local TEA
shows support for SB5 - By Al Bliss
February 17, 2011 - The Sidney Liberty Group has two very active people
that are making things happen -- the corresponding secretary, H.R.
Pence and president, Dr. Joe Lisanti. They initiated a rush effort to
have people from all adjacent counties join them in a chartered bus to
try to directly counteract some of the well organized union pressure
(while being paid) on Senators in opposition... read
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Governors vs the Unions, Unions
aren’t the only villains, By Bob Rhoades
It was all over the news this week, teachers and public employees
protesting in Ohio and Wisconsin. Every once in a while this
thing raises its ugly head. This time it’s right after a new
governor has taken office. As the State of Ohio goes, new
governors have to mess with stuff for about six months and then after
they’ve got new furniture and hired a bunch of people who don’t know...
read
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We’ve come a long
way, baby, By Bethany J. Royer, Mother of the Munchkins
Being a pedestrian in Ohio during the winter is a precarious venture in
a car-driven society. What normally takes me less than an hour to walk
took 90 some minutes Monday as I ice-skated my way through the park.
The melt over the weekend and subsequent cold temps overnight left most
sidewalks slick. Not that I’m really complaining, it made for quite a
workout, and I’m sure it gave... read
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What Greenville needs
to do to pass a levy, By Stephen Gruber, Ph.D.
Hello Bob, I know that you have been a supporter of Greenville City
Schools and their efforts to build new facilities. With this in mind I
have decided to share some thoughts with you regarding the next levy
campaign. Positive in nature
No blame and shame voters if they have not voted in favor of the levy
in the past or use guilt tactics such as “you benefited from the system
now you need... read
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