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Getting Extremely Local

In case you thought WoM was Lorain’s local blog, here’s a Neighborhood Watch blog that gets extremely local. Pole and 18-21st Street, to be exact.

h/T Ladalang

Posted 15 May 2008 † Roman § Lorain § Safety § the 'sphere ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged:

I got to be a tourist in my own back yard!

Yesterday I had the unique and wonderful opportunity to “be a tourist in my own back yard” with the Lorain County Visitors Bureau in celebration of National Tourism Week.

I’m planning to write a post on each place we visited after I get the opportunity to do some follow-up interviews, but I figured I’d kick things off with this post — an overview of the day.

Nearly 70 Lorain Countians participated in the tour, which kicked off at 8:30 at the Lorain County Visitors Bureau on Ohio 58 in Amherst.

Our first stop was the old Ford plant. We checked out the west side of the plant, which is pretty much what the plant looked like when Ford left. We then visited the east side of the plant, which has five tenants so far. We checked out the new home of Trademark Global, a maker of skilled slot machines who came from Avon.

Inside Lorain's old Ford plant

Our next stop was Brad Friedel’s Premier Soccer Academies. We talked with COO Craig Umland and Michelle Griffiths, a Lorain native and Lorain High grad who is national marketing director and student development director.

Soccer cleats

We stopped for lunch at the Rose Cafe at Lakeview Park, where Park Manager Bryan Goldthorpe filled us in on improvements to the park since the Lorain County Metro Parks took over operations.

Lakeview Park

After lunch we visited Amherst Sandstone Village and toured the Harris-Dute House, St. George Chapel and the Jenne art gallery.

Amherst Sandstone Village

Shawn Grieves, chef and owner of Jefferson 150 in Amherst, gave us a dessert demonstration and then made yummy desserts for everyone and let us tour his adorable restaurant.

Jefferson 150 desserts

We then heard about IRG’s plans for the former Cleveland Quarries site and drove by the quarries.

A rep for IRG explains the plan for the Quarries

We ended the day with a wine tasting at Single Tree Winery in Amherst, before heading back to the Visitors Bureau.

Wine Tasting at Single Tree Winery in South Amherst

I’ll be posting photos to my Flickr page as I sort through them. Watch for my future posts on the various sites we visited. And check out the Lorain County Visitors Bureau Web site for more information about tourism in Lorain County.

Posted 15 May 2008 † Rona § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (5) °

WELFARE FOR MILLIONAIRES

Democrats routinely howl about “tax cuts for the rich.”  But now they enthusiastically enact welfare for millionaires in the form of a farm bill that will pay subsidies to farmers with annual incomes of up to $750,000 or more:

A bigger scam is the new income limit to qualify for subsidies. Mr. Bush sought a $200,000 annual income cap, but Congress can’t bring itself to go below $750,000. Even that is a farce, because it doesn’t include loan programs and disaster payments, and it allows spouses to qualify for payments too. The White House and liberal reformers calculate that farm owners with clever accountants can have incomes of up to $2.5 million and still get a taxpayer handout.

The majority of these subsidies go to farmers reporting average annual income of $200,000 and a net worth of $2,000,000.

Tax cuts merely allow people to keep what they earn.

These farm subsidies actively take money out of tax payer pockets and shovel it to multi-millionaires. 

Current crop prices obviously do not warrant massive tax payer subsidies:

Since the last farm bill was enacted in 2002, the five crops that receive the lion’s share of farm subsidies have also enjoyed massive price hikes: cotton (105 percent price hike), soybeans (164 percent), corn (169 percent), wheat (256 percent), and rice (281 percent). For consumers, these price hikes have caused financial pain domestically and near-riots abroad. For farmers, it’s a sunnier story: Total net farm income has leaped 56 percent in just two years, and helped bring the average farm household’s income to a record $89,434, and its net worth to $838,875.

* * *

[F]arm subsidies will continue costing taxpayers at least $25 billion annually. And for what purpose? Subsidies don’t solve farmer poverty because they go to large, profitable agribusinesses. They don’t preserve family farms because agribusinesses use their large subsidies to buy them out. They are no longer designed to stabilize crop prices. Nor do they promote cheap food, as ethanol policies are raising prices steeply. These programs lack any coherent rationale.

Instead, they cost billions in taxes and higher supermarket prices. They harm the environment by encouraging over-planting. By undermining America’s trade negotiations, subsidies raise consumer prices and restrict U.S. exports. Cotton subsidies undercut impoverished African farmers desperately trying to make a living. They contribute to obesity and rising health care costs by subsidizing corn and soy (from which sugars and fats are derived) rather than healthier fruits and vegetables.

Amazingly, you don’t even have to plant anything to rake in the tax payer cash:

Oh, and you still don’t even have to farm to cash in. Hundreds of millions of dollars will go to landowners based on their “historical planting average” even if they haven’t planted a seed in years.

Lorain’s Congressperson Betty Sutton voted for this inexcusable boondoggle.

Many Republicans also voted for this, but President Bush promises a veto.

The next time you go to the grocery store and get sticker shock from the price of corn flakes remember that you are paying for them twice:  First at the store cash register and again when you pay your taxes.

Posted 15 May 2008 † Bruce Batista § Economy § National Politics § Politics ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: , , , ,

Chronicling The Chronicle

Patti Ewald provides an excellent, behind-the-scenes look at the night shift.

Tom Skoch should start a blog - it would at least change the first organic link to his Google search results.

Posted 14 May 2008 † Roman § Lorain § Media § the 'sphere ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: ,

That College Degree…

overrated?

AUDIO UPDATE from NPR

Posted 14 May 2008 † scott bakalar § Economy § Education ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: ,

The City of Lorain Investment Plan - A Destroyer of Dreams and Progress?

In one fell swoop, Tony Krasienko became a one-term mayor.

Tony’s strategy - declare Lorain open for business, then immediately ask Lorain’s citizens for more money and increase the size of local government.

Don’t worry about showing progress with the administration that is already in place. Don’t worry about the fact that old people with fixed incomes are more likely to vote than other citizens and that they don’t like having their taxes raised.

Oi.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

Bigger Local Government

It calls for an additional $591,000 annually in salaries and benefits for additional staff in the building, engineering and parks departments.

How about proving you can efficiently utilize your current staff before asking for more staff? How about resolving the Desvari mess first?

Almost $3.2 million would be spent for a new planning and zoning code, a new combined service utility complex, new fire equipment and a new east side station, additional vehicles for the building and engineering departments and new laptop computers and training for the building department.

How about limiting or eliminating more city vehicles first? We have close to 200 city vehicles. Do we really need that many? Show us you are willing cut costs before you create more costs.

Taxes and Fees

Increasing the license plate tax to $20 would help to improve the city’s roads, which were riddled with mammoth potholes this winter and often the subject of complaints. The extra $15 would generate an additional $765,000 per year — money that could only be used for streets. The current $5 license plate fee generates about $255,100 each year.

This seems reasonable, but I am unconvinced that Lorain citizens will see a noticeable improvement in Lorain’s roads because of this fee. 30 lane miles of crack sealing? How is crack sealing defined and what percent of Lorain’s roads would be sealed?

How about instead of hiring a draftsman @ $81,000 (they’re now called Computer Aided Designers by the way), hire 2 grant writers to mine existing federal and state grant money.

There is federal money out there for road improvement. Just ask Jack Murtha.

U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Johnstown) has announced that the House of Representatives and the Senate last week passed legislation that includes funding for important road improvements and other transit projects, as well as community initiatives, in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties.

Better yet, have Betty Sutton ask Jack Murtha.

The point of sale fee:

The plan also creates a point of sale housing inspection requirement with a $250 fee, to ensure that houses are brought up to code before a sale can be made final.

Good, but how much more bureaucracy will be needed to administer this fee?

“It’s a total plan,” Krasienko said. “This is the foundation for Lorain. It has accountability to it. It doesn’t overreach, and it doesn’t over promise.”

I don’t believe it. To be clear, I am not against additional taxes and fees. I am against additional taxes and fees going into the black hole of a dysfunctional city government never to show a return on investment.

Show us it is real. Show us you will do your part Mayor Krasienko. Then maybe, just maybe we’ll be able to show real progress and live our dreams.

Here’s the plan.

Posted 13 May 2008 † Roman § City Council § Lorain § Lorain Politics § Opinion § commentary ‡ Comments (10) ° Tagged: , ,

JUST PICK ONE, DAMMIT!

This is from my all-time favorite Democrat (and room-mate and Best Man), J. Anthony, who says:

“Regardless if you are an R or a D, somethings are just bi-partisan damn funny.”

WPvideo 1.10

Posted 12 May 2008 † Bruce Batista § Humor § National Politics § Politics ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: , ,

Lorain MILFs wanted to Stimulate City Revenue

Mom’s of Lorain - yesterday was your day.
Hope you enjoyed every minute of it. But today, it’s back to work – time to start planning and doing what it is that you love to do…and do best.

What wasn’t covered in yesterday’s Morning Journal article on Mayor Krasienko’s revenue enhancement plan for our City is heavily dependent on your special talents.

Yes, there are the license plate fees, the additional City income tax and the point of sale inspections for Lorain Housing – but what wasn’t written about was the formation of a special group of Civic-minded Women:

Mother’s Increasing Lorain’s Finances – or MILF, for short.

M & M's !It will be the sole responsibility of Lorain’s MILFs to hold City Wide Monthly bake sales:

You know - rice krispie squares, brownies, kolatchy, cookies with M&M’s baked in, Honey Buns, poppy seed Roll, petuli, Hershey Kiss cookies, baklava – let your imagination run wild and be your guide.

All proceeds from this City Wide MILF Bake Sale (to be held once a month, once up and running) will go to help meet Lorain’s general operating expenses, keep our fair City afloat and help pay back money borrowed from the Utilities Department’s coffers.

The theme of the inaugural MILF bake sale will be “MASTERBAKERS for BUCKS ” .

Help our City start Recoverin’ with some Lovin’ from your Oven!

Any and all Moms* wishing to become involved and jump on board with the MILF Project should phone the City of Lorain’s special project coordinator through the City Hall switchboard.

nice mouthful!

*Don’t worry Dad’s – you’re not left out the Master Plan either.
Sometime in June the revenue enhancement plan will call for monthly City Wide Garage Sales (Dad’s Against Monetary Negligence!) – so start cleaning!

Remember, three piles: KEEP - DONATE - SELL!

Posted 12 May 2008 † scott bakalar § commentary § essay B. ‡ Comments (11) ° Tagged: , , , , ,

Happy Mother’s Day

“For the hand that rocks the cradle - Is the hand that rules the world” - William Ross Wallace

Hope all the Moms out there are enjoying themselves today.

All the best to each of you!

Posted 11 May 2008 † Roman § Announcements ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged:

It’s a great day to be outside!

And speaking of riding your bike (or walking or running), I just got back from the grand opening of the latest addition to the Lorain County Metro Parks system, the Black River Steel Mill Trail!

I’ve been eagerly awaiting its opening (and trying to catch glimpses any way I can), so today was much anticipated, and I was there the second it opened. I believe I was actually the first official person to run the trail.

I saw more familiar faces than I can remember, but among them, photographer friend Holly, fellow runners Joy and Jean, and the man responsible for bringing me to Lorain, Morning Journal Editor Tom Skoch.

Unfortunately, although I love doing both I haven’t quite figured out how to run AND take pictures, and I was in a bit of a time crunch so I couldn’t go back, but I promise I’ll post some pictures from the new trail in the coming week.

In the meantime, get away from your computer and go explore the new trail for yourself!

Posted 10 May 2008 † Rona § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: