Carnival of Ohio Politics #142

Given the current economic scenario here in the new country of Bailoutistan, I humbly present this video, which clearly explains the major theoretical underpinnings of Economics for the beginner.

Now, on to the Carnival! Perhaps a shade too many bailout posts this week, but it seems a non-trivial occurence.

Roland Hansen looks at E. Gordon Getty’s Gee’s pay package. Pretty nice gig for a guy toiling away on the taxpayer’s behalf. Good work if you can get it. If congress is going to start regulating excessive pay packages, maybe they should include state funded universities….

Village Green looks at the attempt to mount a recall election against Akron mayor Don Plusquellic. Now, I’m no fan of Mayor-for-Life Plusquellic, but I’m opposed to recall elections generally. That’s why we have regular elections. Don’t like the mayor? Fine. Run for his job. If he’s crummy enough and the voters suffer, he’ll be gone. While Plusquellic has never met a tax he didn’t like, and his boneheaded sewer scheme clearly identifies him as a chump of the finest water, Akron as a whole is administered in a relatively competent fashion. I kept meaning to blog about this myself… Apologize for the extended vent.

Ben Keeler also looks at the Plusquellic recall, with some details on the mechanics. Ben also chimes in on the potential 2010 match up of Voinovich v Fisher. George has been in the Senate a long time, but Lee Fisher has also been appearing on Ohio ballots since Methuselah was a pup. Ben also provides some reflections on his recent panel appearance in Cleveland on media bias.

Jason Rowsey looks at Ohio school funding – a subject that could easily consume multiple carnivals – he also catches the Columbus Dispatch playing the role of Dr. Obvious, and the inevitable Mayor Prepares for Cuts piece. Why is it that the cuts always seem to involve police and firemen, but never the jobs done by councilmen’s relatives?

Daniel from Buckeye RINO suspects that Newt is setting himself up as GOP kingmaker. I have a lot of respect for Newt, given that he a) actually has ideas; and b) exhibited the tactical smarts to make things happen. That said, if Sarah Palin has a reasonably successful term in AK, and does some basic policy work, Newt’s not going to have much chance in 2012.

Seneca County Blog is tired of Republican whining, and not unjustifiably.

Harold Thomas at The Ohio Republic opines on the Detroit bailout. No shortage of blame to pass out here – everybody qualifies, from Congress to management, to the unions. In our new country of Bailoutistan, only the suckers pay their bills.

But who will bail out the bail-outers? Lisa Renee notes that the mayor of Toledo is busy doing the bailout grovel. She also notes Finkbeiner’s attraction to a tax on grocery bags. Just the plastic ones; apparently, paper is cost-free, environmental-wise. And she points to the never ending support for turnpike tolls. Personally, I think that there’s a lot to be said for toll roads, since I only (theoretically) pay for them when I use them. Sort of like gas taxes. Thank goodness they don’t overlap…

An old favorite from my long defunct Carnival of Economics & Social Policy, DWSUWF, adds some economic news and the now ubiquitous Peter Schiff video.

Tim Higgins is still Just Blowing Smoke, this time over the revival of the “fairness” doctrine.

Since no one else has seen fit to rise to the challenge, I add the what seems to be obligatory post on how just about everyone in Ohio government has searched “Joe the Plumber’s” personal records.


On a sad note, Jill Miller Zimon comments on the passing of Ed Hauser, a Cleveland area fixture. It's a fallen world.