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The views
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this page are soley those of the author and do not
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News Online
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State Senator Bill Beagle... Investing
in Ohio’s Agriculture Assets
With an annual contribution of more than $100 billion to our state’s
economy, agriculture-related industries have proven to be critical
cornerstones of Ohio’s most recent successes. Largely composed of
family-owned farms and small businesses, agribusiness has long been a
vital asset to the State of Ohio. As our economic comeback
continues, it is more important than ever before that we provide job
creators with... read
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Commissioner’s Corner... Tough
month but we’re moving forward
Last month this column was started with the words that as the column
was written, it was a balmy 45 degrees for February. This
month,
as this is written, we are looking at 3 days in the 80’s in
March! This has been our kind of weather! We in the
Commissioner’s Office are hoping we do not pay for this in
April!
We are fortunate to have had a mild winter, as that helps... read
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For
you the voter to
decide, That’s My Opinion By Bob Robinson
“I really got angry with you when you asked Diane if she was going to
resign.” The gentleman’s reference, of course, was to Commissioner
Diane Delaplane and the announcement a couple of weeks ago that the
Office had agreed to a settlement with Whistleblower Melody Lucas that
will eventually cost the County well over $60,000. According to an
email from the Office it was due to Delaplane and an unnamed... read
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State Representative Jim Buchy: Mid-Biennium
Budget Review
Promising More Government Accountability and Efficiency - The
Mid-Biennium Budget Review is a current topic of discussion in the Ohio
General Assembly. Last year we passed Governor Kasich’s jobs budget,
which provided a road map for state spending in 2011 and
2012. In
an unprecedented move, Governor Kasich directed the state agencies to
assess their spending and adjust their budgets accordingly. This
process... read
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On
legalizing pot,
By Jim Surber
March 26, 2012 - As an inexperienced writer, I frequently find it
difficult to produce a
topic. The inspiration usually comes with an event or headline that
provokes
thought. Examples could be: “NASA Chief says space exploration is a
waste of
money,” or “Grover Norquist backs new tax for deficit reduction.” My
interest
was recently peaked with the headline, “Rev. Pat Robertson advocates
decriminalizing marijuana.” His exact words were... read
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David
& Goliath
(or Rabid Dog), By Melody Lucas
Regarding the Settlement involving Melody Lucas vs Darke County...
David heard Goliath shouting his daily defiance and he saw the great
fear stirred within the men of Israel. Everyone was afraid of Goliath.
He seemed invincible. Not even King Saul, the tallest man in Israel,
had stepped out to fight. They knew the sides of the valley were very
steep and whoever made the first move would have a strong
disadvantage... read
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As
we all sit here
watching the County Administration implode before our eyes
By Bob Rhoades - As we all sit here watching the County Administration
implode before our very eyes, one has to wonder how it got to this
point. Did the commissioners bring these attitudes and
practices
with them? Did they learn this type of behavior after getting
into office? What about the people who have left office,
where
did this all start? Is it just a comedy of errors that
festered
till it popped? The... read
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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown... Easing
the Pain at the Pump for Ohioans
With the average price per gallon of gas in Ohio topping off at $3.85,
small business owners and families are eager for economic relief.
Daniel Jarvis, who owns his own independent trucking company in Ohio,
recently joined me at a gas station in Northeast Ohio because he’s
siphoning off more and more money to afford record-high prices at the
gas station. Ohioans like Daniel deserve relief from high gas... read
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Ohio Senator Keith Faber... Recovery
and Growth Starts with Our Local Communities
With March nearing its end, the effects of Ohio’s economic rebound
continue to resonate throughout our state. Just a week ago,
we
received welcomed news when the bond-rating agency Moody’s upgraded our
state’s credit outlook from “negative” to “stable” in a move that was
very similar to the boost we received in July from Standard &
Poor’s. Most impressively, however, is the fact that Ohio has
solidified its... read
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Delaplane:
“No, I
will not be resigning” Opinion by Bob Robinson
My congratulations to Tina Chalmers and her staff for the interview the
Advocate published recently with Melody Lucas. When I questioned why
there was no attempt to get feedback from the Commissioners in what was
a fairly hefty condemnation of the Board, specifically Mike Rhoades and
retired Commissioner Terry Haworth, Tina’s response was simple. “We
heard their side. We wanted to give her a chance... read
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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown... Smart
Grid Technology In Darke County
New resources will help build and improve the electric grid in Darke
County. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown announced that Darke Rural Electric
Cooperative, Inc. will receive a loan from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to install and enhance 69 miles of
distribution line and make additional smart grid improvements, which
improves connectivity between electric power generation plants and... read
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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown... Serving
Ohioans
Some of the most important work that I do has nothing to do with votes
cast on the Senate floor. As your senator, my most important job is
serving you and helping constituents cut through red tape when dealing
with the federal government. That means helping seniors access the
Social Security benefits they have paid into, assisting veterans and
their families in obtaining military records and medals that they
earned... read
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Congressman
Boehner
Statement on February Unemployment Report
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester)
released the following statement today regarding the Department of
Labor’s unemployment report for February 2012: “Today’s report provides
some encouragement for millions of families and small businesses who
continue to struggle in this economy, but unemployment remains far too
high. It is a testament to the hard work and... read
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Ohio’s
$1.6 Billion
Highway Budget Shortfall: Where do We Go from Here?
By Jerry Wray, Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation -
Ohio’s highways are essential to keeping and creating new
jobs.
Our state’s economy—especially our agriculture and manufacturing
businesses, and the logistics operations that support them—depend on
the ability to quickly and efficiently ship raw materials and finished
goods throughout Ohio, the country and the world, and our state’s
transportation... read
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State Representative Richard Adams... Celebrating “Ohio Agriculture
Week”
Most of the time when we think about agriculture, we probably picture
big machinery moving through the fields and livestock grazing in the
meadows stretched across vast farmland. But if we were to take a step
back and look at agriculture from a broader context, we could recognize
and appreciate the important role that agriculture plays in all sectors
of the economy. Our economy does not operate in a vacuum, with
various... read
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Darke County Commissioner Mike Stegall... Response: Owning up to a wrong or
two,
By Mike Stegall
Mr. Robinson, sorry it has taken me a while to respond to you, but we
have had a lot of stuff going on in the commissioner’s office the last
week or so, and I am just now catching up with you. In response to your
and Bob Rhoades question on the MARCS system, yes we did discuss it.
The main problem with the system at this time is conversion costs to
the taxpayer. The MARCS system is a very good system but it is... read
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Greenville’s Renewal Levy… Confusion
acknowledged, but don’t take it out on the District
By Bob Robinson - We’ve had a ton of traffic about Greenville’s Renewal
Levy in the last 72 hours. People are concerned (read “angry”) over
what they perceive as misleading information because the millage has
increased. Common sense and logic tell us that should be a replacement.
In my humble opinion, little or nothing having to do with government
policies or regulations is logical or uses common sense. Be that as... read
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Pictures
aren’t
always Worth a Thousand Words!
By Carla G. Surber, Treasurer of Greenville City Schools - One thing
that I like about Darke County and Greenville is when something doesn’t
make sense to others, it often doesn’t make sense to me. I generally
understand why people think and feel the way they do in this community.
This was very true this last week when the levy committee sent out
cards with pictures addressing the school tax renewal currently on the
ballot. Call after call was transferred... read
more
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