Welcome to the 171 st edition of the Carnival of Ohio Politics! Unfortunately, I've allowed myself to become trapped into the cursed numerology surrounding these carnivals, and the need for a number related theme. Beyond observing that 171 is a palindrome, and that Wiki tells me that in the 2000 census Belmore Ohio had 171 residents, there's not a lot of stuff related to 171. Well, there probably is, but on this topic I'm facing the kind of writer's block that the Bad Hemingway Contest people would call “The White Bull that is a Monitor with No Words on It”.
Had I given this a bit more advance thought, I'd have stipulated that all entries must contain a palindrome in the title. Would have cut down the editorial work substantially.
Next time up, I'm goin' off the reservation – probably something like an “As Seen on TV” edition. Don't say you weren't warned.
But now on to this week's jambalaya of Ohio bloggy goodness.
The Machiavellian from The Virtuous Republic is searching for one of those federal stimulus jobs in Ohio, and that's exactly what he found. Maybe Diogenes could do better, but I doubt it.
Daniel at Buckeye RINO wants to c lean up county government, and not just in Cuyahoga county by shifting the election cycle to odd years. It's probably better than my idea to clean up Cuyahoga county via tactical nukes, since there's an uncanny resemblance between many politicians and cockroaches.
On the larger issue of corruption, Daniel has a major point. When we're talking about how to restart growth, we often focus on taxes, regulations, education, incentives, etc., and rarely take into account the negative effect of having local government run by a bunch of self serving shakedown artists. Honest business people don't get along well with dishonest politicians.
In Strickland, Redfern, Dimora, Kasich, and Coughlin (Oh My!) Daniel takes on Strickland's “I was against gambling before I was for gambling” shedding of principle, Redfern's related flogging of Dimora, Kasich's silence, and Coughlin's response. Confused? Welcome to Ohio Politics. Read the whole thing, as they say.
John Michael Spinelli is On Assignment, noting that Cleveland has a neighborhood in the “ Top 25” for violent crime, while Cincinnati has a neighborhood sporting the national championship. Not a title you want to bring home. He also notes that since Strickland has embraced gambling, why not create casinos on trains? (Well, technically only slots on trains, but since other states have casinos on “riverboats” that really can't go anywhere, why not a train? At least you would eventually get from Cleveland to Cincinnati.). He also makes some comparisons about our views on nuclear power (now that there's a proposal to actually build a new plant) with the French, much to the advantage of the French.
Tom Blumer of BizzyBlog starts out with one of his “positivity” pieces on Joe Nuxhall. And in these contentious days, who doesn't need some positivity? Unfortunately, it's all downhill with the inevitable descent into Kasich v Strickland (agreed that Kasich doesn't get the credit he should for balancing the Federal budget even noting that this wasn't entirely his own doing, but to imply the whole fiscal crisis is a Strickland problem is a bit of a stretch. I'll certainly sign up for the validity of describing Strickland as 'dithering', or perhaps given the slots issue, 'blithering'. And then there's the directionless Lee Fisher.
Conservative Culture notes that the ATF wants to know the serial numbers of NRA member's guns. Because, you know, the NRA is busy running guns to Mexico. Keep in mind that the unofficial ATF slogan is “You know us, we're the Waco people”. In a continuing vein, CC notes that free speech on some Ohio campuses is now optional at the whim of local security. Apparently, evangelicals are the new Irish.
Neocon Panic Attacks notes that the costs of nuclear power are more than most people suppose, and risky as well. But at least the things are capable of producing power on a large scale, unlike, say, wind or solar.
The Ohio Republic provides an update on Stowers v OH Dept of Agriculture, where the Dept. sent a swat team out to raid the Stower's – wait for it – food co-op. Seems to be a pretty extreme measure for someone likely selling illicit gluten free flour. Ohio Republic also notes that people aren't as keen on holding the d ollar as a reserve currency anymore, because the international community is loosing faith in the ability of the Administration to turn the economy around.
Tim Higgins of Just Blowing Smoke provides a fractured fairy tail update on Little Ben Riding Hood, as well as noting that whenever we have a Democratic President, we've had a health care crisis that had to be solved RIGHT NOW!, but some how, some way, we've survived.
Ben of the Keeler Political Report also notes the proposal to build a new nuclear plant in southern Ohio, but doubts that it will ever get built. So do I; most of the Green movement seems to be dedicated to stopping all energy production however they can. He also notes Gov. Strickand's flop on slot machines.
Glass City Jungle's Lisa Renee notes that the proposed Ohio budget hits the libraries pretty hard, but it's a lot more than libraries facing cuts. Just wait till the pension funds for state employees can't be ignored anymore.
Finally, my own submissions from The Boring Made Dull: Related to Daniel's posts on Cuyahoga County corruption, Ted “Poor Tax” Strickland, and on to a new topic, the failed recall effort to oust Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic.
That's it for Carnival #171; a day late, and dollar short. Thanks to all who submitted pieces.
