Archive for the ‘Editorials And Opinion’ Category

Licking County recently gained a new emergency air helicopter company in Saint Louisville, Ohio called Air Evac Lifeteam. We’re lucky to have these fine people serving our community. They have saved lives and are an important part of the area’s health services. I’ve seen references where they’re being used very, very frequently.

Heritage Days 2011 Air Evac Lifeteam (Photo credit: Macomb Paynes)

It caught my eye that so many stories in the news state the use of emergency air transport, but then it will state, “transported with non-life threating injuries.”. What’s that about? You would think that a life threatening injury is the only reason air transport would be required. I worry that they’re calling for air transport when it’s not really required to pay for this multi-million dollar operation. I don’t know enough to know that this is the case, but I don’t think it’s out of the realm of reasonable suspicion to question this. One reason that reports may appear this way is that air service is also called when there may be a loss of limb, but not a loss of life.

When emergency air transport is called, costs vary in the $10,000 – $20,000 range. It depends on your insurance as to how much of this is paid. Some are under the assumption that their coverage pays for 100% of this, but are shocked to find out that insurance only pays what it considers to be customary, usually about $3,000. The patient is responsible for the rest of the bill.

Since I suspect that the service is being used at times when it may not be required, I want insurance to cover it. As a motorcycle rider, I know that just about any accident could cause an injury where air service is requested. It’s not like a patient has a choice in the matter either. Theoretically you could refuse air service, but what are the chances of you getting your way. If they’re called, you’re paying. There’s also a very good chance that you really will need them.

So what can you do to cover the chances of getting a bill that could put you into bankruptcy? There is a membership that costs $50/year. Seems like a great idea. Problem is, the membership only covers the cost of that particular service is used. If you buy the Air Evac Lifeteam membership and another service from Columbus is called, the bill is not covered. Check the FAQ for Air Evac. It answers most of the questions I have.

Newark, Ohio has found another program to fund it’s operations with state funds. This transfer of state taxpayer funds goes to clean up a local property on South 21st street. Here’s the story, ironically published at Business First.

A recent article in The Columbus Dispatch points to Jonathan Davey, CEO of Safe Harbor Wealth, Inc, as being involved in a Federal lawsuit for running a Ponzi scheme with investor’s money. From the accusations, he and others are accused of diverting funds intended for investment abroad and spending that money on paying off other members of the scheme, buying real estate, and spending the money on themselves. 

Dispatch writer Josh Jordan points out that Jonathan Davey ran for a position on the Newark City School’s board in 2003. According to their article, he ran by promoting better financial accounting for Newark City schools. 

Scammers are everywhere and at all levels of society. We can see from this that the wolves are at the door when they see an organization like Newark, City Schools wasting money in the ways that they do. I bet Davey did see the fraud and abuse, but I bet he wasn’t there to solve the problem. More than likely, he wanted to use his expertise to funnel these unchecked funds to his benefit. I cannot help but wonder how many are already doing this or have plans to in the future. 

Point of this is that many are not financial wizards and if you look at the Newark City Schools finances, the truth of how the money is spent is buried in there somewhere, but it’s not easy to find. Find the most detailed report there and only in new construction will you find exactly what vendors were paid and there’s nothing telling what they were paid for. The lack of public accountability is indeed open for attack anyone pulling a scam. The only safeguard available is that the school district polices itself very well and take into full consideration that there are many looking at them as a cash cow. 

Here are some other links related to the Ponzi scheme with Jonathan Davey:

• Keith Simmons – charged in a Ponzi scheme involving CapitolONE Bank
• Bryan Coats – assets frozen in the same investigation. 
• Deanna R. Salazar – California Board Of Insurance explains her involvement in the Ponzi scheme. 

I’m sure you’re wondering the same thing as me. How did this group join up? What linked them together? 

I’ve been reading quite a bit about a pipeline coming through Licking County to support planned drilling in the Marcellus Shale gas drilling projects to our east. All that I’ve seen so far is excitement coming from our local government. It seems that after a steady decline in the local economy, they’ve found something they can put their name on and lay claim to. That excitement is going to blind them to the potential hazards that this project could bring.

I’m not going to write to much on the Marcellus Shale projects. I can’t. I don’t have enough knowledge about the gas and oil industry to defend every detail that I write about. I do know that if you want to see the end results, all you have to do is look to Pennsylvania. Fracking(a complicated process of getting gas out of a well that’s gone dry) has devastated the lives of many and ruined rural land there. Fracking involves pumping millions of gallons of water and hydraulic chemicals into the well to force cracks in it and get surrounding gas to fill the empty well. Along with putting toxic chemicals in the ground, the process also releases chemicals already in the ground out into the environment. The result is hazardous to the health of the population in the area.

I’m not much of a tree hugger. I believe that many potentially harmful practices can have the risk greatly reduced simply by using proper practices. Proper practices usually cost more money, so the only common sense protection is for the law to enforce laws concerning private property. That’s usually not done because the gas industry pays off our legal system and politicians. There’s a lot to the methods used to skirt the law in Pennsylvania. The laws have already exempted the gas industry from oversight. For example, nobody is allowed to question what’s in the fracking fluid. The law protects them from disclosing it’s contents.

Ohioans should be studying what’s happened in Pennsylvania. Marcellus Protest is a good place to start. Use a search engine to look for terms like “Pennsylvania Fracking” too. Some of what you find is horrifying. Wells blowing up in backyards, tap water that you can set on fire, significant rises in cancer and rare diseases, and more. This is not the harmless natural gas industry that we’ve been led to believe for so many years.

There’s big, big money involved. Here’s a Licking County Port Authority CEO finding himself excited at the thought of Licking County, Ohio getting in on the gas boom. I’ve read a lot of his posts and he NEVER mentions any of the hazards experienced in Pennsylvania. No mention of the need to change Ohio law to protect citizens from an industry that most no nothing about. Just as ignorant are the landowners entering into contracts to lease their land to the drilling companies. I don’t use the term “ignorant” in a derogatory way here. I too an ignorant, but how are our politicians and citizens going to enter into agreements with a complicated industry that they don’t know anything about. Who is educated in the gas industry that will look out for the public?

All of us should keep a very close eye on our local government when it comes to their decisions on this pipeline. We all need the work, we could all use the revenue, but remember who we’re letting make these important decisions. Remember the state and local government allowing Longaberger to do as it pleased with the roads? What fruit has that brought us? We don’t need to discount the gas industry as an evil, but we do need local government to give priority to protecting the property and land of it’s citizens over the easy money from allowing the gas companies to operate at their convenience.

Related articles

• Fracking our Marcellus Shale (latimermville.wordpress.com)
• Buffalo to Natural Gas Industry: Frack You (indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com)
• Lessons learned from fracking (bbc.co.uk)
• What Killed Dunkard Creek? Residents in Pennsylvania and West Virginia Say Fracking | Common Dreams (spiritandanimal.wordpress.com)

The Madison Township Volunteer Fire Department put together a video showing the training and work that they do along with some information about volunteering.

Here’s a link to their Facebook page.

Was the Lincoln Middle School demolition wasteful or necessary for progress.

I recently noticed an article about the demolition of Lincoln Middle School in Newark, Ohio and it brought back recent memories of every other elementary school demolished in Newark. The school that I remember well is North Elementary on Deo Drive. For years before it’s demolition, voters were asked for funds for new windows, heating/cooling system, a new parking lot and more. After so many very expensive improvements, the school was demolished. It was a total waste and the land remains vacant years later.

The article in the local paper stated that the school was being demolished with no sales to the public because that would be labor intensive. The article never touched on the feelings of many that the demolition was just a waste in general. See all of those windows on the front of the school? They’re not that old. There were many contractors that enjoyed many projects maintaining this building recently. It’s frequently the same old story of recent major renovations, only to be thrown into a scrap pile.

The school board’s defense is that they must maintain the schools for the children and that all spending to do so is justified. They never know if they’ll get the money for new schools, so they must make sure that parking lots are perfect, state of the art heating/cooling systems are installed, and that the old structures get the utmost attention. They need these expenditures to use as justification for the new schools. “Look at how much these old buildings are costing us!”, is the claim right after the updates.

Joe Taxpayer first sees these high expenditures to maintain the old buildings. Then, he sees the massive campaigns in the news and the signs. Quite often, the “do it for the children” signs are in contractor’s yards, public employee yards, and in the politicians yards. Basically everyone that profits from the system is all for any new levy that comes about. After a levy is passed, the old schools are razed, then another levy comes out demanding more money to operate the new schools. Oddly, when requesting a levy for new schools, they always forget to include enough money to actually operate them.

To ad insult to injury, the old schools are frequently torn down. The school district always has an excuse. “If sold, they could become an eyesore as a commercial property.”, “The buildings are just unsafe and need to be torn down.”, etc. They gloss over the fact that they’ve ruined a viable commercial property and any of the profits that could have resulted in it’s sale.

My question is, where in Newark, Ohio has an old school that did survive turn into a nuisance? The few that I know about have remained nice properties used as churches and office buildings. These businesses have improved their neighborhoods. With this in mind, I have to wonder if the officials simply don’t want the embarrassment when the buildings prove to have value when the schools claim the buildings are dangerous.

If you buy the school district’s claims, keep voting for new schools. I don’t agree and I’m looking for ways to make them more accountable. Question the school district’s claims boldly! Many of us work and/or live in buildings in much worse condition than Lincoln, yet they’re telling us that it the building is worthless? That would mean that many other buildings that pay large amounts of taxes to support new schools are even more worthless!

Here’s a short video about the effects of rising power costs on the residents of Newark, Ohio. It’s an odd one. Panning video shots of the city with upbeat music in the background while you listen to an interview about the dire situation the city is in. 

Newark City councilman and Park National Vice President and Trust Officer, John Uible, explains that many Newark residents are on fixed incomes, Social Security, or working at jobs where they know their income will not be rising. He goes on to explain that Newark isn’t making anything any more, so all future jobs rely on the hospitals, government employment, financial institutions, or insurance firms. Depressing. This comes from a person that intimately knows where the money’s at in Licking County. 

Considering that Park National is one of the small banks that has been doing it’s job without the help of stimulus funds, I’m sure there is more that they would like to say about the situation, but can’t. All that Park National can do now is hope that there is enough government revenue grabbed by local businesses to support the community. If the hospital gets enough from government health services funding, enough mandates are placed on the citizens to force them to buy enough insurance, and enough government contracts support the local vendors, we’re golden. 

Mr. Uible’s advice, is that we need to tell the leaders in Washington that people can only pay so much and that the costs need to be held at a reasonable level. No kidding!! I have a feeling that they already know that, but I’m sure that they could care less. Only a crazed, conspiratorial, whack-job would think that the leaders are pushing this to put more money in the pockets of non-producing friends and cripple the ability for hard working industrial towns to earn a living without relying on the graces of those in Washington right? 

Enjoy the educational video. 

Newark, Ohio planning to build a similar solar grid.

I found an interesting link about Newark, Ohio’s plan for a solar energy project at http://clean.ohio.gov/BrownfieldRevitalization/. The planned site is a brownfield site at 1357 East Main Street.

As I’ve pointed out before, Newark, Ohio is the city of grants and nearly ever project is tied to a grant. A position was made for Kimberly Burton, Newark’s Economic & Community Development Director(person who can put the correct language into a grant request), who’s name appears on every grant written. She’s a master of grabbing Federal money for projects that should be local matters. Democrat and Republican businesses alike adore her work. After the money is acquired from the Federal or state level, all that they have to do is compete(at least in a political sense of the word) for who gets the easy money. So before I start to discuss this solar project, you know where I stand on the use of grants. They are simply money that taxpayers have paid to state or federal governments for state and federal matters that are then redistributed to local municipalities. This bypasses the voters authority over use of the money and the results are projects that never would have happened under the scrutiny of the local voters.

The solar project looks great if you ignore the details. It’s a plan to use 24-40 acres that the EPA has deemed unusable for development due to contamination and place a solar power setup there. The power generated will be used for the city’s power needs and any surplus will be sold to a power company for profit. It sounds great until you consider it costs about 30 cents per kilowatt to produce solar power as compared to 4 cents for coal.

The articles I’ve read all have quotes that include nothing but buzz phrases about the benefits of the project. “It’s going to create jobs.”, is a frequent one. It will too! There is an incredible amount of technical expertise required to do the maintenance. How many jobs? Is the project going to create the profits need to pay the workers? Nobody’s answering that or referring to documentation that provides answers.

There will be private investors in the project, many of who are remaining anonymous at this time. It’s refreshing to hear that they’ve found someone that will have a little skin in the game and that it’s not all grant money. Keep a watchful eye on this project. There are many “green” projects that turn out to be nothing more than scams to funnel federal money into the hands of  ”investors”. It’s an easy scheme to do.

1. Create a “green” project that will confiscate money from the taxpayers under the guise of improving the environment.
2. Get a group of investors that can share in the perceived risk.
3. Build with select contractors, some of whom may be investors in the scam. The grant money is spent and gone forever at this stage.
4. Before the project fails, investors in the know have sold their interest to others. Some of these investors have already gained their investment back when the profits from the build were paid. Unwitting investors don’t get out in time and it’s a loss for them.

One may want to consider why private companies are not investing heavily in similar projects. In this volatile market, why aren’t private companies investing in a solar farm that would cut their energy costs? If these systems were truly profitable, private entities would direct funds away from risky markets and invest in a solar energy solution that would immediately start providing returns with very little risk. Companies creating the solar grids would not rely on government grants for anything as there would be a high demand for their product. Keep an eye on this project. The city cannot afford costly mistakes. I can find no discussions of what the city is risking if this turns out to be a failure. Who pays if a hail storm takes the project out? Who pays if the power generated is not enough to cover the costs to create it? Who is going to manage the system and are the competent or just a well networked person? There are many unanswered questions.

Some related Documents -

• Request For Consultants For Brownfield Redevelopment In Newark, Ohio.
• BusinessFirst Article about Newark, Ohio’s solar project.

Related articles

• Solar Power Safety Training for Firefighters Coming to Wisconsin (prweb.com)
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy (wiki.answers.com)
• Uncle Sam Backs “Winning” Mega-Solar Projects (blogs.forbes.com)
• Video: How Solar Farm Development Stalled for More Than a Decade (theatlantic.com)
• “Asking whether large solar power plants are appropriate in the Mojave desert is like wondering…” (shortformblog.tumblr.com)

Library books a thing of the past.

The Licking County Library in Newark, Ohio is now expecting a 5% decrease in funding from the State Of Ohio. That’s not good news, but considering the rumored 15% – 30% cuts, it’s better than expected. I think that there is much to learn from these cuts. The state is nearly broke, but yet libraries only received a 5% cut. There are many who will say that any cut at all is unacceptable and others who cannot understand why they were not cut more. It’s true, some operating costs are increasing, but libraries should be taking advantage of every technological advancement to lower their costs and prove their worth to the community.

How does a library prove their worth? In order to do this, it’s the public’s responsibility to remain informed. The library’s website informs well and they shouldn’t have to add additional costs from advertising. There are a few printing companies that enjoy their business and would like to persuade them to believe otherwise though. The vendors for the library need to realize that times are changing too.

The library’s role is changing to more of a center of education rather than just a place where knowledge is stored. The knowledge is now stored on computer networks all over the world. There’s less need for this. People need equipment to access it and instruction for the best uses of it. The Licking County Library has done a relatively good job, but they need to realize that the role of the library is changing.

I recently tried their e-book system. It was a confusing mess. The library’s name was not listed as a choice and the right answer happened to be a consortium they’re affiliated with. Once I finally found a book that I was interested in, there was a possible 2 month wait to read it! In today’s world, that’s not going to work. I found the book at Amazon for $10 and forgot about the troublesome library system.

I think that the library is going to play a larger role as a meeting place. There will always be books and periodicals, but not in the capacity that there once was. For example, I would never go to the library for a book on computer software. Once it reaches the library’s shelf, it’s out of date and worthless. The computer books they do buy are a waste of taxpayer dollars. There are other subjects that change just as fast. However, I would go to the library for a computer class or to listen to a speaker from the computer industry.

There will always be a need for a quiet place to study and the library can enhance this. Printers, copy machines, and other things that people may not have access too are great additions. There are many resources for job seekers that have proved to be a God send for those that desperately need them. It’s all about serving the community with a facility and staff that is trying to earn their keep.

I know, it’s sad to see the old ideal of what I library should be go, but I’d say that changing to stay relevant is much more important. Perhaps those wishing for a traditional library could form their own private library that emulates the days gone by.  For now, I think it would be wise for the library to either prove to the public that they need additional funding for the services they provide and prepare for continued cuts if they cannot maintain relevancy.

Related articles

• State budget is a sad story for small libraries (dispatch.com)
• Support Your Local Library! (socyberty.com)

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Newark, Ohio’s unemployment rate has been steadily increasing for the past 3 years that I have payed close attention. There are no accurate numbers, so I’ll just use the faulty stats that the government provides. Although not an exact science, I stand by the notion that Newark’s unemployment has at least doubled since the start of the depression.

In October, the Licking County, Ohio unemployment rate is 9%. I found an old blog showing the September 2008 Licking County, Ohio unemployment rate at 6.6% . The unemployment figures were at 4.5% when this depression began. You can argue these figures all you want, but it’s undeniable that it’s steadily increasing and creeping into job sectors that seemed dependable. There have been a few blips showing a decline, then sharp rises to show an overall increase.

In my estimation, the situation is much worse than the stats give a picture of. How many do you know that used to earn a wage high enough to support a family in your standard 3 bedroom house that do not now? How many could buy a decent and safe car, but cannot now? I can remember times when I didn’t know anybody that was even looking for work, but now everyone knows a few people looking.

While all of this has been going on, I’ve seen blog posts trying to spin Newark, Ohio’s unemployment problems as improving. What a disservice! I guess there are people who think that trying to believe false indicators as evidence that things are improving as being optimistic. I see this the same as a ship Captain ignoring a sinking ship and not lowing the life boats simply out of worrying what people will think. Many of those claiming that things are actually improving are government employees, a sector that earns on average nearly double what the private sector earns. They haven’t been feeling the heat, but they’re about to.

On the local newspaper articles and blogs, a common theme is that the unemployed are lazy and it’s their fault. That’s a handy way to brush off the problem. The real estimates of unemployment are near 20%, so 1 in 5 are to lazy to work? I’ve seen figures showing that 28% of American households have at least one member searching for full time employment. I don’t believe that 28% of people searching for work are lazy. The problem is that unemployment pays about $425/month or so to a family of 4. It’s enough to pay the mortage and utilities, maybe some food, and it allows you time to search for work. Nobody is going to give that up for a lower salary that will not allow time to search for a true solution to their problem. Employers even complain about this! They either cannot or will not pay more than unemployment, yet they cry foul on the system. They find it ridiculous that a person will not support a business that will not pay a living wage until they have to.  There is also the overlooked fact that not even sub-living wage jobs are easy to find, regardless of the optimist theory that jobs are just waiting for folks take.

The leading reference that people are using is the online ads. What they don’t realize is that online ads are extremely cheap. Companies are placing ads, but they’re looking for a VERY select applicant. Not only that, but the ads allow them to remain anonymous. In the past, ad costs required a little more thought before they were posted and the company could easily be identified with the phone number or address required for the ad. Companies had to worry that they would get a reputation for high turnover and they would look ignorant for expecting an applicant to have such a unique set of skills. With online ads, they can post all that they want. The ads are meaningless as an indicator for the number of jobs available.

The rest of us understand the true situation which is simple. People cannot find work and the government handouts are going to run out. We’re also giving the handouts with borrowed money that we have no way of knowing how we’ll pay back. With numbers so high, we need a solution. The government unemployment agencies that we pay dearly for and depend on for help in placing the unemployed has failed us. The private sector is just bargain shopping in efforts to keep their failing businesses afloat. Unemployment benefits are temporary fixes to a system that is coming apart at the seams. What can be done?

I think the first step for all of us in the Newark, Ohio area to do is to accept the situation for what it is. It’s not getting better soon and the number of unemployed has at least doubled in just a few years. Everything we’re currently doing is wrong and the numbers are there to prove it. Business leaders are lacking creativity in real solutions. Look at what they concentrate on; grants on top of grants that bind us to ridiculous stipulations, trips to China to see if they can fill the sub-living wage jobs, concentration on downtown renovations that limit the types of businesses, etc. I’ve never heard them say that they want to create jobs that can support families, just jobs in general. The unemployed are desperate and giving in to the pressures of the situation. They’re looking in the same places for the jobs that do not exist. They’re turning to the same government for help that were instrumental in creating their current despair. Our educational system is trying to prey on the unemployed with outdated programs that will create nothing but more debt for them. I don’t want to think about where all of this is going to lead us. After seeing about 3 years of the same ineffective actions by all, I’ve got a good idea.

The only ideas I have stem from the idea that the heart of the matter is simple. People need to create goods or perform services that other people want and it needs to be done at a profit. The scales are tilted in favor or foreign slave or near slave labor and that this simple fact is very difficult to overcome. The simplest of services require high startup costs for licenses and taxes. If you can get past those costs, there are more costs to stay legal with mountains of regulations on everything. Those who already have the access to foreign labor and have the payola to get past the regulations want no part of having these needless restrictions removed and open competition – YET! Government and union employees are not very interested in having their good fortunes compromised – YET!

January will bring with it the after Christmas retail slump. Recently commodities have taken sharp price increases and the effect of this will be felt in January as well. I believe this will be a tipping point for Newark, Ohio. Will the same methods continue or will desperation bring about some real solutions?

Related articles

• US unemployment surges to 9.8 percent (business.inquirer.net)
• The 10 States That Could Be Hit Hardest By A Lapse In Unemployment Benefits (huffingtonpost.com)