Building permit fees could go up

Marietta Times story

"On Jan. 1, the costs for residential building permits within the city of Marietta will increase as Washington County's building department takes over the city's residential and zoning permitting process."

So, Marietta residents have to pay the city (now county) for a permit to put a new roof on their house? Also, to demo an old outbuilding on their property?

I can understand some fees, especially user fees that only affect those initiating change.

However, this story has no good reasons for these fees to begin with.

""We wanted to set our fees so that they would cover the cost of doing the business, so we used actual costs of preparing the permits, including hours and manpower, to calculate the costs," Presley told the committee members on Monday."

So, why have permits? Is the only reason to pay for the wages of those processing the permits?It goes back to my suspicion that governments create fees to self perpetuate. The reasons for the fees are to pay for the permitting process.

Do we really need the nanny state telling us what kind of nails to use? Whatever happened to freedom and personal responsibility?

Dissolution threat; Village of Chauncey

Officials' infighting puts village at risk, prosecutor warns.

This would be for the best. I would hate to be the poor Township Trustees that would have to deal with these people, however.

Great Blog from Deleware County

Dave Yost from Delaware County does a great job with his blog. He is detailing the Strickland "plumbergate" story.

I've linked to his blog on this blog to the right under "my blog list", in case you lose his address, you can get it from this blog.

The liberal media lap dogs are unbelievable

Blagojevich questioning takes up Obama's time

The liberal media lap dogs are unbelievable. I guess that's redundant.

Here we have a President elect being interviewed by a Federal Prosecutor. Where was that in the news, other than buried in a story on another subject?

If this were a Republican the headline would read, "McCain interviewed in criminal investigation"

Then to deflect questions about the interview with Fitzgerald, we have Obama, using one of his appointees to "investigate" whether he or his team had "inappropriate" contact with Gov. Rod Blagojevich. This investigator declares that "Everybody behaved appropriately". To put it in other words, a quote from the Free Republic: "It's Obama's own internal "investigation." It is wholly void of objectivity. It's akin to Al Capone saying "I heard the feds had some questions about my taxes. I had my staff look into it and everything's okay. Now leave me alone.""

Then, one has to wonder about Obama's judgement in selecting Greg Craig for White House Counsel. He is a THUG from way back.

He had a hand in sending Elian Gonzalez back to communist Cuba (of course in Obama's circle, that makes him a hero)
Defended Clinton when he was impeached
Defended Senator Edward Kennedy during the rape trial of William Kennedy Smith

Then we have the Associated Press giving this ""Everybody behaved appropriately" statement all the credibility they can, (which, some would argue, is not much). Even though Greg Craig has the same amount of credibility as the press in that he is employed by Obama. (Yes, I know "credibility and press" is an oxymoron).

You thought the media was in the tank for Obama before the election? We haven't seen anything yet. Remember Pravda? How about the Russian News agency TASS?

Raising income taxes in Ohio

Thomas Suddes continues to push for higher income taxes for Ohio. Or, as he says, just delay the planned last phase of the income tax cut from the 2005 tax bill. Either way you look at it, his idea would mean higher taxes for Ohioans.

I've got an idea for Mr. Suddes. He can continue to pay the higher rate after the tax reduction is implemented. That way, he can sleep better at night.

He mentions the "21%" income tax cut in the 2005 tax bill. What he does not mention is the sales tax increase. Remember that? That's when we had our sales taxes raised because we were in an "emergency" and it was only "temporary". Then, about a year later, the sales tax hike was cut in half. In other words, after this we were left with a tax increase, though just not as much. (This is when the GOP got in trouble with their base....and I believe this is what cost them the 2006 elections......) We were told that having our sales tax hike reduced 50% was a tax cut!!! I know we've all gotten dumber since the 60s, but anytime we have a tax hike of .5 cents. Then awhile later the sales tax is reduced .25 cents, that is a tax hike of .25 cents from where we started. This was not a tax cut as the GOP tried to sell it.

Then, during this same time period, we increase the sale tax on fuel (incrementally) by 6 cents. This was to help the counties and townships (which should be abolished, townships that is) with their road maintenance.

As a matter of fact, the Tax Foundation has Ohio ranked number 47th (with 1 being good!) tax friendly state for business. This is a 2006 study. The CAT tax was implemented in 2005 and should be accounted for in this.

I'm convince that we are losing businesses (and the jobs that go with them) due to high tax rates. See previous examples here and here.

As far as personal (state and local taxes), Ohio is number 7 (with 1 being the highest). As a side note; in 1977 Ohio was number 45!

Ohio is taxing itself out of existence. It looks like Ohio will lose two more congressional seats. This is determined by state's population vs. other states. We all know folks that have moved to Texas and Alaska looking for and finding work. We all probably know retirees that have moved to Florida to shield their income from Ohio's income tax.

I'd say we need to lower taxes, not raise them. And we need to do it fast before the last one out forgets to turn the lights off.

Senate Bill 380

This is a good change. Not sure why it took a catastrophe like our last election to bring this change about, though....someone should have seen this coming. Strickland needs to ignore the partisan Brunner and sign this bill.

"• Senate Bill 380, which would reduce early voting from 35 days to 20 days before an election and make other election-law changes that Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has said should not be rushed this year. Strickland, a fellow Democrat, has not specifically said he will veto the measure but will "take into consideration the secretary of state's concerns about the bill," said spokesman Keith Dailey.
By reducing early voting, legislative Republicans hope to eliminate "Golden Week," during which Ohioans were able to register and vote on the same day. The bill, which passed the Senate on a party-line vote, also addresses absentee ballot envelopes, voter database mismatches and partisan poll observers."

Top 'Joe the plumber' snoop quits

Still no calls by the media on what Strickland knew and when he knew it. If this were a Republican administration, the questioning would be non-stop until the Governor showed proof he/she was not involved. The standards are different when the dems are in charge, however.

Chuck Norris is missing his own point

While I agree with what Chuck Norris is saying (who knew he could write?), he misses the point. This time of year has always been a time of celebration for pagans around the world. They celebrate the winter solstice. Some of their celebrations have slipped into the Christian's celebration of the birth of the Savior. Worse yet, they/we (Christians) not only seem oblivious to this fact, but get downright nasty when it's pointed out to them. The point is, it's been happening for centuries. This is not a recent phenomenon.


Let's count the ways from the past that we take for granted as being part of "Christmas".

1. "Christmas Tree": Most historians agree that the origins of the "Christmas Tree" was with the Romans at their Saturnalia celebration. This celebration honored their Saturn God and started on Dec 17th. A "Christmas Tree" has noting to do with Christmas.



2. Mistletoe: Passed down from the pagan Druids who think that the plant is "all healing" and brings fertility to animals and is an antidote for all poisons. They considered mistletoe to be sacred. Known as "Druid's Weed". A pagan belief that has nothing to do with the birth of the Messiah.



3. "Bringing in the Yule and burning the Yule log": bringing in the Yule was the practice of a festival by the Scandinavian peoples of sacrificing (sometimes human) to the god Odin. Burning a Yule log cut from a fruit tree is a token of the fertility of the next year in the land. Nothing to do with the birth of the Messiah.



4. Santa Claus is a lot older than we think. He's really an ancient pagan shaman, from either Lapland or Siberia (just one of the places we get this old story from), who climbs in and out of tent smoke holes to return with gifts of prophecy and wonder from the Otherworlds. We tried to "Christianize" him by associating a story about "Saint" Nicholas of Patara to him. But he's way older than that, older even than the birth of Christ. Nothing to do with the birth of the Messiah.

I could go on, but wouldn't want to ruin your "Christmas spirit".

So, Chuck is right in that Atheists want to rid Christmas of Christ. But it looks to me that we (Christians) are doing a pretty good job of that without the atheist's help.

Christmas (Christ's Mass) is a remembrance / celebration of Christ's birth in Bethlehem, to a virgin....with the purpose of providing a sacrifice for the world's sins.

Santa Claus, "Christmas" trees, Yule logs, Reindeer, mistletoe, etc, etc......have nothing to do with the birth of the Messiah, no matter how many good intentions, reasons, explanations we offer for continuing to use these pagan items at Christmas time. One thing to remember, this is the time of the winter solstice and it's good to know which of these items belong in which celebration.

Someone with common sense in Athens?

Sean Jones wrote a recent letter to the editor about the insane requirement that landlords inform renters of certain information. But, more than that, they have to provide the city paper documentation stating that this has been completed. If the landlords do not comply, they are in violation and can be fined.

We suggested a common sense fix for this here a few weeks ago.

Here's Sean's letter to the editor.

"For example, quarter-page advertisements in the local papers once or twice a year would reach the general populace, and surely this would be less expensive than the personnel required to process, record and store thousands of three-page forms every year. Moreover, given that the majority of renters in the city of Athens are university students, would it be possible to work with the university to send an announcement via e-mail?"

Of course we are falling in the trap by giving alternative compliance options of actually giving this dumb resolution credibility. Why does Athens even need such a resolution to begin with?

What's really hurting the auto industry

The UAW union!!!!

This is the Ford / UAW contract!

The GOP members in the US Senate, our Sen Voinovich excluded of course, tried to force changes in the labor contracts. This would have made the 3 auto companies more competitive. The bill failed because the dems want to continue to receive their campaign checks from the UAW. If the union members had to take a pay cut, there would be less money going into the UAW's coffers and less money being funnelled to the dems. They really don't care a hoot about the "workers", THEY JUST WANT THEIR MONEY TO HELP THEM STAY IN OFFICE.

How flexible can a company be with a contract like this? This sounds like something the federal government would come up with.


"In the event the Plant Engineering Department decides it is unable to perform the work in question, the local union will be so advised and if the Union so requests, a meeting will be arranged by the Plant Industrial Relations Manager for the purpose of having advance discussion with the union as to the reasons why plant forces cannot perform the work. 3. In the event such advance discussion with the union results in the Company deciding it cannot perform any of the work or only part and the union concurs in this result, a memorandum concerning the results of the meeting will be prepared by the Company and a copy provided to the union. In addition to the written information outlined above, if part of the project is to be performed by Ford forces, that portion should be so identified in the memorandum. It was also agreed that the parties would urge the adoption of the above procedure in all locations where a mutually acceptable outside contracting clearance procedure does not now exist. In addition, it was agreed that in those locations...."

If your not sure, don't shoot!

There is no excuse for these types of accidents.

A man has 2 legs, a deer 4.
A deer has brown fur, a man does not.
A man walks with his body vertical, a deer horizontal.

No, it doesn't matter that the victim was not wearing orange. The shooter should know what he is shooting at before he ever aims the gun, let alone pull the trigger.

The only thing that probably saved the victim was the fact that the shooter was using a muzzle loader, making it a single shot.

Man mistakes cousin for deer, shoots him with muzzle-loader

"After a 48-year-old Amesville area man let his cousin go deer hunting on his land Monday, the visiting relative accidentally shot him, according to a state wildlife official.
Jack Jago of Wrightstown Road was listed as being in fair condition Wednesday morning at Grant Medical Center in Columbus."
"Reportedly, Jack Jago had allowed his cousin to hunt on his land. The landowner was out walking a property line to make sure that no other unauthorized hunters were on his property, when Addison Jago, thinking he was a deer, shot him, Donnelly said."

A depression? Hardly.

You can tell the economy is not as bad as the media and pandering politicians say. If it were, those protesting new jobs would be shouted down. A new plant creating new jobs with almost no emissions, what else do they want?

If the economy were really that bad, there would be folks there asking for jobs.

Marietta Times story

"Members of the Waterford community expressed their concerns Tuesday over a proposed high-purity silicon processing plant planned by Solsil Inc., a sister company of Globe Metallurgical Inc.
"The amount of pollution being put into the air, how do you know how that will affect the quality of life for the people in this area?" asked Linda See, who lives near the site being considered by the company."

Hitler had "activists" too (Brown Shirts)

I wonder what Obama calls his? When is he going to tell them that since he's elected, he no longer needs them to commit fraud and steal elections?

Link to BBC story


"Mr Obama recorded a radio advertisement for Mr Martin, but did not campaign in the state, despite a request. He did send 100 activists to Georgia to help get out the vote for Mr Martin."