Fred LeFebvre: The Disappearing Act

As they say in Rome: “A funny thing happened on the way to the forum.”
But I need to rephrase that to: A funny thing happened on my way to the forum over at WSPD. I never arrived.
Huh?
Let me explain.

On August 8, 2007, I made a blog entry here on Roland Hansen Commentary that I had entitled Change Lucas County, Ohio Government!
The following week, on August 14, that entry was featured in the weekly edition of Carnival of Ohio Politics: Carnival Number 78, and was mentioned on August 15 over on Thurber’s Thoughts.
Then, on August 16, WSPD radio talk show personality Fred LeFebvre called my home. I was out at the time, but he did leave a message in which he said amongst other things “I’d be interested in talking to you about it” and he asked me to call him back. My answering machine has a time stamp, consequently I not only still have the message which I saved, but I also have a record of the time the message was left; it was 11:56 a.m.
I returned Fred LeFebvre’s at approximately 2:30 p.m. He did not answer; however, I did get his voice mail. I left a message that I was returning his call as he requested; and, I made a comment that it appeared that we were playing phone tag.
To this day, two weeks after I left that return telephone call message, Fred LeFebvre has not called me back. And now, if ever he does call, I’m not interested in speaking with him. I don’t play the games of the traditional media, especially those games of the dog-and-pony talk shows. I do not need to be in Fred LeFebvre’s limelight or in his shadow. And, I am certainly not at Fred LeFebvre’s beck and call.
I take Mr. LeFebvre’s extemporaneous inquiry and failure to follow through as not being really interested in the subject of an alternative structure of government for Lucas County.
I suspect that most residents of Lucas County are not interested in changing the government structure, either. They’d rather just sit back and beef, bellyache, bitch, gripe, grouse, squawk, holler, crab, kvetch, and complain about our government. And then, the majority of those people wants and expects someone else to deal with it all.

Alberto is Gone. Bush is Mud.

It's about time, way past time in fact, that Alberto Gonzales has hung it up as the United States Attorney General.
Alberto spied on American citizens; he approved the torture of prisoners; he lied through his teeth; and, he fired experienced, competent attorneys just because they were Democrats.
He purposely deceived the United States Congress and the American people. His apparent incompetence is not dissimilar than that of his Boss Hogg, GWBush.
Let him go play his political games elsewhere.
Meanwhile, right to the end, the man responsible for killing of thousands in his personal jihad in Iraq, George W. Bush said that Alberto Gonzales' “good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.”
Bull feathers! Of all things, that lying piece of fecal matter is talking about mud and political reasons. Bush is mud; an eyesore on the American political scene. He lives everyday doing whatever it is that he does, and it is all for political reasons. Let him and his sniveling little bureaucrat buddy, Alberto, go play in the mud and wallow like the pigs they are. Anyone want a mud pie? GWB and AG have plenty of them.
The great thing about our country is that we have elections on a periodic basis. With each passing day, I find solace in knowing we are one day closer to the legitimate end of the current term of office for the yo-yo currently (mis)serving as U.S. President. I wish him well in his retirement years. I wish him in retirement - period. May he live long, but not prosper.

Lindsay Webb: Toledo City Council District 6. Wade Kapszukiewicz: Political Hack.

I read a press release that caught my eye over at Glass City Jungle from Lindsay Webb.
As a resident of the district in which Ms. Webb is a candidate, I have a keen interest in the area. I am speaking of Toledo City Council District 6.
I, myself, sought election to this very same district back in 1999 when a special election was held to fill the seat for the unexpired term created by the resignation of the incumbent, Jenine Perry, who moved on to a different elected position. At the time, I ran for the position without the endorsement of a political party, even though I had been extensively active within my party for over two decades at the time. And also at that time, I knew very well that the chances of winning that election without the support of a political party was nil, none, zip, nada, zilch! None-the-less, I threw my hat in the ring.
The reason I sought the seat at the time was that the political party appointee who had run in the special election desired the position only as a stepping stone to another future position. I know this because that person had previously been elected to a different position on a School Board to which I had been serving in my third elected term. I did not seek re-election to that school board in 1997, partly because of the political maneuvering of that person.
That person is none other than Wade Kapszukiewicz, a Political Hack if ever there was one.
I had met Wade Kapszukiewicz, aka Skippy, before his election to that school board (i.e.the Governing Board of the Lucas County Educational Service Center, aka LCESC, fka Lucas County Board of Education) back in 1995 in a private meeting between Wade Kapszukiewicz, the political party chair and executive director, and me. It was in that meeting that I was told of Wade Kapszukiewicz's true political aspirations. I then got to see Wade Kapszukiewicz's strategies and maneuvers put into action in my less-than-desirable dealings with him on the LCESC Governing Board on which we both served. He had no real interest in serving in that capacity; he only ran for that spot to get his name out. I know that because I was told that in the private meeting before he actually won that election to the school board. Well, whatever, Wade Kapszukiewicz has since moved on to his third elected position and he has his sights set on something more in the future.
Back to the topic at hand. Even though I knew I did not stand a chance back in 1999. I thought it would afford me the opportunity to make my concerns and ideas for the district known through the media. WRONG! I received little to no press coverage and received only one invitation to a candidates forum, which I did attend and of which the media only reported on the "major" candidates.
I still have something that I called "The Hansen Platform" which is a listing of my ideas for Toledo Council District 6, all of which are still very pertinent today. I had sent that to the media back then but it, like me, never received any mass media exposure.
The press release that I mentioned in my opening sentence is of interest and it addresses a very important issue, but there are far, far more issues in this district that need attention.
I will be happy to share "The Hansen Platform" with anyone who is interested. If that is you - or you - or you, get in touch with me and we'll discuss it over coffee in a Toledo City Council District 6 restaurant.

Taxes and Taxing

So many people complain about taxes, but so few people propose specific ways in which to provide public services other than by taxes.
So many people say our taxes are too high adding that the government should make cut-backs, but so few people propose specific public services to be decreased or eliminated.
So many people make comments about taxes, but so few people understand the tax system.
To those people, I say quit taxing my patience. Hey, if you're going to address the topic of taxes, the least you can do is have some kind of knowledge about the subject. Otherwise, I do not want to hear your crying, sobbing, pathetic, ill-informed opinion.
What got me going on this? I'll tell you. The other day I read a comment on a blog that just blew me away! Some rum-dum ignoramus was complaining about Lucas County spending money on a project when the City of Toledo needed more cops and the Toledo Public School System needed more revenue. What a stupid thing to say! DUH!!! County taxes are for use of county programs, services, etc. More cops in the City of Toledo is the responsibility of the City of Toledo and as such are funded from the City coffers. Ditto for the schools; school programs, services, etc are the responsibility of the appropriate school district.
Each of these (county, city, school district) have their own taxing authority. The same goes for the state and national levels of government.
Not only do different levels of government and political sub-divisions (including library districts, park districts, regional water districts, and so forth) have their own taxing authority, but there are different types of taxes. Take a look at this.
That comment about Lucas County, Ohio not using its tax money for more cops in the City of Toledo (just one city of several in the county) or to supplement the budget of the Toledo Public School District (just one school district of several in the county) put me over the top.
And to think I used to get all bothered by people who didn't know the difference between a school operating levy and a school capital improvements levy! Oh, you mean there are people who still don't know about that difference. Sheesh! For goodness sakes! We cannot use money from a capital improvements budget to pay teacher salaries or buy books; and, we cannot use money from an operating levy to build a new school or put on a new roof.
That's enough, this subject really taxes me! I'm outa here.

Ben Konop: In The Public Eye

Ben Konop sure knows how to keep in the public eye. In my 36 years of experience in the Lucas County political arena, I have never come across a County Commissioner, especially one in the position of being the junior Commissioner, whom has had such extensive media exposure in so brief a timeframe.
If you are a resident of Lucas County, Ohio and whether you think this thing about Ben Konop constantly being in the media is good, bad, or if you are indifferent toward it, the fact remains that the Lucas County Board of Commissioners has been the recipient of much positive mass media exposure since Ben Konop took office in January 2007. That aspect, if nothing else, is a very refreshing change.
I see no need to make any further comment other than to suggest you read "I have to admit he stays in the spotlight" from Chili Dog Blog.

U.S. Military Behavior in Iraq

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. If the military forces of other countries treated U.S. prisoners in an inhumane manner, Americans would cry out loud and clear. And, how would our own government react in such a situation?
But, how do Americans act when the tables are turned? Well, let's take a look.
Read this story from the BBC about the court martial of the only US Army officer charged of abusing prisoners at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
When the story of Iraqi prisoner abuse by U.S. military personnel first broke, there was an upsurge in negative public opinion throughout the United States. After awhile, it died down and seemed to be forgotten. That is unforgivable.
If this type of situation involved United States soldiers being abused by the troops of another country, American citizens, along with the politicians and the President, would be clamoring for immediate justice of all involved, including the foreign head of state. Oh, I guess it's all right in the eyes of many Americans for the United States to remove a foreign government CEO, e.g. Saddam Hussein, but apparently that same rule does not operate in reverse according to those folks. And, it's a good thing for all of us that we would not tolerate another country intervening in our country's affairs!!
Well, if we play that kind of game, the least we can do is self-police our own government. In our country, do we not hold the CEO responsible in private industry when there is mismanagement, wrong-doing, and illegal inactivities? Shouldn't that same principle hold true with the United States military? Who is the Commander-in-Chief of all United States Armed Forces? You got it - George W. Bush. It is he who should be held responsible. It is he who should face a court martial. It is he, George W. Bush, who should step down from his position as the Commander-in-Chief and as the President of the United States of America --- in disgrace!

Who and where is John R. Bender?

Where's Waldo? Oh, that's right; I am not looking for Waldo. I am looking for John R. Bender.
John who? John R. Bender. Remember him? You don't? Well, John R. Bender made a big push last year to be elected to the State Board of Education of Ohio from District 2. He won that election last November and took his seat on the State School Board here in Ohio in January 2007. But who has heard anything from this elected official since his election? I certainly haven't. I even sent him an e-mail last November to the address on his campaign committee website to congratulate him on his new position on the State School Board. But, alas, that e-mail bounced back as undeliverable. I don't think John Bender has ever made a visit to any of the school districts in Lucas County since having been elected. Why haven't we heard or read anything from him? What kind of representative is that? Who and where is John R. Bender?
I find it unsettling that Mr. Bender is an elected official who seems to be invisible. I find it unsettling that so many people profess to be interested in education but have absolutely no idea what the State Board of Education of Ohio is all about. I find it unsettling that neither the public nor the mass media seem to care that an elected school board member appears to ignore his constituency.
Just what is John Bender doing for education in the State of Ohio? Where is the public outcry, especially from those people who claim they are interested in our public school districts?
To whom is John R. Bender responsible? Where is the accountability?

Frank Szollosi: Proactive, Reactive, or Detractive

One of the members Of Toledo City Council, Frank Szollosi, has been vocal on a couple issues recently. In addition to his continuous, constant, and consistent public bashing of the Mayor of the City of Toledo, Frank Szollosi has most recently proposed legislation be adapted to prohibit pets in city vehicles and he has again attempted to overthrow the Council President (a Republican) asserting that the Council President should be a Democrat. Other than that, I'm not aware of whatever else he may be doing in his capacity as a Toledo City Councilman. But then again, to date since being elected, his performance as a councilman has been less than stellar in my opinion. I had expected more.
Does this Member of Toledo City Council proact, react, or detract? In my opinion, most of his activities on City Council have been either reactive or detractive. I am awaiting something proactive.
I intend no disrespect. My intentions are simple. It is my intent to play whatever role I can to assure accountability, responsibility, and responsiveness of public officials. Elected officials are accountable to the citizens of their respective jurisdictions. These public officials need to be responsible. They should also be responsive to their constituency.
I would hope that Councilman Szollosi improve in the area of being more proactive in serving the citizens of the City Of Toledo.

Toledo Public Schools In Decline

The new report cards are out. I am not in the least surprised that Toledo Public School District has declined to an "academic watch" status, the equivalent of a grade of D.
The TPS Board of Education as an entity is running on less than half-a-tank and the administration is a pound-shy and a-penny-short. In other words, neither is much good, let alone exemplary. So, what can anyone expect from such a lack-luster institution?
New dynamic blood is needed in the administration and on the Board. I do not question anyone's sincerity or commitment. I do believe they are ready and willing; they just aren't able -- for whatever reason.

Whiny Nonvoters Should Shush Up

That's right. You read that correctly. While the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects everyone's right to free speech (oops, there are Patriot Act exceptions under today's King George), I think the whiny cry-baby people who do not take the time to even vote should just hush up, as in stifle, as in quiet, as in shut up, whenever it comes to our government, our laws, candidates, politicians, elections, and so forth.

Hey, you nonvoting hypocrites freely forfeited your right to vote, so I feel you forfeited your right to speech concerning things for which you could have voted upon.

Whenever these less-than-good-citizens complain, they should be ignored! After all, they ignored the opportunity to let their wishes be known where it counts -- at the ballot box. They are part of the problem, if not the problem itself!

Rather than going on and rambling for myself, let me direct you to the short essay Non Voting Hypocrits by C.B. Stiggins.

Then there is the following:
THE NONVOTERS HAVE IT
OUR BIGGEST `PARTY' - 120 MILLION STRONG - IS INCREASINGLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHO RUNS AMERICA
WHY DON'T MORE AMERICANS VOTE? MARTIN P. WATTENBERG
Read that here.

The League of Women Voters has also looked at the issue of nonvoters. Their findings may be read in the report: Alienation Not a Factor in Nonvoting

About.com: U.S. Gov Info/ Resources has Survey Answers, Why Don't More Americans Vote? from Robert Longley.

Oh all right, I can't take away the nonvoting poor-excuse-for-a-citizen's right to free speech, but I can say this loud and clear: "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT." So if you really want to be heard, say it with your vote at the ballot box.

Who Rules America?

I have a question. In your mind's eye, Who rules America ?
Three places on the internet to explore, all by G. William Domhoff, are:
Who Rules America? Power, Politics, & Social Change
Who Rules America: Wealth, Income, and Power
Who Rules America Now?

There is an interesting posting over at Hooda Thunkit's Therapy Blog entitled "Election2008 - The Political battle of our Lifetime."
I suggest you take a look-see. It's great food for thought, regardless of your political leanings.
(UPDATE NOTE as of August 4, 2012: Unfortunately, Hooda Thunkit's Therapy Blog author, writer, and publisher Dave Zawodny deleted this and all other of his blog entries a couple years ago.)

I, myself, think often in terms of The Iron Triangle and Multinational Corporations.

Change Lucas County, Ohio Government!

I have been following with a great deal of interest the calls to possibly change the form of government in the City of Toledo, Ohio. My interest is more than casual. Years ago, I was intricately involved in the same debate about Strong Mayor vs. City Manager, as well as at-large council vs. district council.
Some day, perhaps, I'll dig out an old cardboard box and finish putting together my scrapbook. Somewhere in that box, wherever it may be, is an article from the Toledo daily newspaper way back then in which I was quoted about the Strong Mayor/City Manager debate, and I think maybe it may have mentioned my role in the whole thing.
Regardless of all that, a change was made about 16 years ago from a Weak Mayor/City Manager/9-member At-large Council to a Strong Mayor/6-member At-large and 6-member District City Council.
But I digress -- I want to take this over into the area of County Government.
Some of the same people who are calling for a change in Toledo City Government have also expressed concerns that all three members of the Board of Lucas County Commissioners are residents of the City of Toledo.
Well, why isn't anyone talking about changing the structure of Lucas County government? The citizens of Lucas County are allowed by Ohio Revised Code to form an alternative form of county government.
We, the citizens of Lucas County, could have more than three commissioners if we so desire. We have that option along with the option of electing the Commissioners at-large, by districts, or a combination of at-large and districts. The total of County Commissioners' salaries remains the same, but the total is prorated amongst the number of commissioners. Another option under an alternative form of county government is that of having either an elective county executive or an appointed county executive.
Hey, don't take my word for it, go this way and read ORC CHAPTER 302: ALTERNATIVE FORM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
Oh heck, while you're at it, you might want to learn more about County Government in Ohio. If that interests you, go over and read ORC TITLE [3] III COUNTIES.
I say the citizens of Lucas County ought to be looking at an alternative form of county government, especially one that would increase the number of County Commissioners and that would assure representation from all geographical segments of Lucas County!

Impeach a Dick!

How about a little something today on impeachment?
In December 1998, the U. S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President William "Bill" Jefferson Clinton by approving two of articles of impeachment. These articles alleged that the Bill Clinton while serving as President of the United States of America had provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony to a grand jury in regards to "sexual indiscretions" with two different women at two different times. One incident with a woman by the name Paula Jones occurred while he was Governor of Arkansas, and the other incident involved a relationship with a woman by the name of Monica Lewinski while Clinton was serving in the Office of President.
The actual impeachment trial began in the United States Senate in January 1999 and in February 1999 The Senate voted not guilty.
Some years later, along comes a President by the name of George W. Bush, who lies to the American people and lies to the United States Congress in order to lead the United States into a military conflict with the country of Iraq. This so-called "war" has now lasted longer than World War II with the loss of thousands of American and Iraqi lives.
Apparently lying about sex is an impeachable offense, but lying to march our country off to war is not an impeachable offense.
Has not George W. Bush as President of the United States committed perjury? Has not George W. Bush as President of the United States attempted to cover up his false and misleading statements to the American public and to Congress? Has not George W. Bush committed a treasonous act by his deceit and betrayal of the trust the U.S. citizens vested in him as President? Has not George W. Bush jeopardized the security of the United States? Is not George W. Bush guilty of the resultant manslaughter and murder of thousands of American and Iraqi lives? Some people say yes to all those questions.
Some people have asserted that George W. Bush should be impeached, tried and convicted, and removed from office as President of the United States. Are they nuts? That's a wrong first move in my opinion.
I say the first move is to impeach a Dick.
If Bush were removed from office, Vice President Dick Cheney would become President. Oh, my gosh!! Can you imagine Cheney as President? We need to impeach and remove Dick Cheney first, and then impeach and remove Bush.
It's probably too late to do that now, but one can dream. Can't one?

Naysayers B Gone

I am so frustrated by all the naysayers.
In my many years of civic, charitable, community, political, and other organizational involvement along with my professional career, I never did care for the people who spent an enormous amount of time and energy to criticize this and criticize that and criticize whatever other persons did do or did not do. That has been in the real world of face-to-face interpersonal relationships.
Nowadays, the frequency of the naysayers' constant crying is even worse given the wide wonderful world of the web with the appearance of legions of anonymous internet message board posters and bloggers. These moronic pseudonym mush-brains do nothing but cause turmoil and stir the pots of animosity.
I wish to make it perfectly clear that I am not making reference to those persons using pseudonyms who express their concerns based on some rationale which they have enumerated, who may complain and give reasons for those complaints, who use factual bases for their disenfranchisement, or who put forth suggestions for improvements and on ways in which those improvements may be effectuated. Those persons have earned credibility. Even if I do not know their true identity, even though I may not always agree with them, they have earned my trust, my confidence, and respect. I only wish they would use their real life every-day names, but I have come to understand why some people choose to use a pseudonym.
I am referencing the cowards who just complain - period. They do nothing more than to tear down the city, the mayor, the 'government', candidates, politicians, public programs, this, that, and everything else. They call others vicious names for whatever masochistic joy that they may receive from doing so. They destroy. They do not build. Then, the jackals have the unmitigated gall to say their criticisms are "positive" contributions. Those subhumans have absolutely no credibility - zero - nada - zip.
Sign me "anonymous" and I am out of here.

Giuliani Illness Insurance Plan

Presidential aspirant Republican Rudy Giuliani says he has “a free market cure” as a solution to the need for better health care coverage in the United States.
The center-piece of Giuliani's plan is tax credits and tax deductions for individuals and their families who purchase private health insurance and health care savings plans. He believes his idea is better than that of employer sponsored health insurance plans.
Of course, the Giuliani proposal presupposes that people have sufficient money that they can afford to buy health care insurance and/or put into health savings plans.
Giuliani has stated "We've got to solve our health care problem with American principles" and he has also stated "You've got to take care of yourself. As more of us do that, the cheaper it will become and the higher in quality it becomes."
Thanks, Rudy; but, no thanks. I've seen what the health insurance industry has done over the years following your logic. The companies have required ridiculously high premiums, co-pays, and deductibles; and, that is in conjunction with an ever-increasing number of uncovered items. Meanwhile, the CEOs and other health insurance company executives and owners have become fat and bloated with profits at astronomical proportions; and, the average citizen goes uninsured or underinsured, impoverished, sick with untreated illnesses, and meeting a premature death.

Welcome

Just a brief note to welcome you here. This is the first day of the rest of the life of the blog known as Roland Hansen Commentary.