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April 4, 2011
Have you heard of "The RobinHood Tax"?
It's a tax Banks would pay on every "deal" that would go directly into a fund to help socially responsible endeavors.
I don't think we would EVER want this money placed into "the general fund" of the USA or Ohio but it could be a partial solution to offset cuts in social services that have already happened or cuts that are being considered by government fiscal managers.
Our schools for example, could have a steady stream of income that would adjust with the economy and banking deals. This would keep them from asking every other week for a raise and allow the moneys "unconstitutionally" collected via property taxes to be used for other areas of the local budgets. We would really need to watch where it would be used as many see tax dollars as their personal play pit.
(BTW, voting has begun on the Garfield Heights May election...Issue 4 (renewal) $2.85 Million, Issue 3 (NEW) $3.9 Million both for 5 years. That's $6.75 Million a year! There are 4,000 students in Garfield Heights schools so that is $1,687.50 per student.)
Here is a video made for Great Britain that discusses "The RobinHood Tax" concept.
(FYI one Great Britain Pound = $1.62 USA )
March 3, 2011
Maybe the tides are turning,
No, that's not a comment on the flooding recently experienced through-out northeast ohio, but a possible change in the economics in the country. While I am most definitely NOT a fan of Sherrod Browns views on Coal burning and polution regulation reform I certainly hope he is correct with his business incubator projection claims published on the Politfacts website.
The claim is that for each business that enters a business incubator project an investment of $10,000.00 equates to the creation of 70 jobs. Having worked with some folks that help start up businesses and having spoke to folkes here in north east ohio that run business incubators I haven't seen that direct a corrolation but I will agree they do generate jobs at least a few each initially. The details don't flesh out enough to verify the statistics related to that number being 3 or 4 that i suspect is accurate, to the 70 average claimed, but they are NEW JOBS and that is the important issue.
We need to find ways to help business incubators and start-up businesses get going.
I say this because we have seen nothing but larger businessses downsizing and outsourcing more in the last few years and projections show more of that to come for the next few years.
I am not being gloomy there is a change coming in the manner in which we do business in the United States and this is where the adjustments happen.
On another but related issue -
The banking and wall street abuses of the financial system, has had a terrible effect upon the USA economy and will continue to be felt for years to come. Yes, folkes that over-extending themselves and jumped on the housing manipulation train have hurt us pretty badly too. Some believe the impacts of this recent economic crisis goes so deep into the way the USA allows business to be done that we can't recover just continue to slide down as those in power grab all they can. Whether or not you believe the claims by some "out-there" folk who say there is evidence of large airline stock sell-off prior to 9/11 and again sell-offs by the very stock market firms prior to september 2008 stock crisis announcemeents where they used hedge money betting housing was going to crash, I say whether you believe that or not, there is certainly evidence that the Federal Reserve bank and affilliated "people in the know" were and are responsible for our current situation. Recently there is new information that the federal government is aware how bad things truly are and doesn't want to admit it publiclly, especially when the buddies of the banks are in high positions in treasury and the Federal reserve bank.
It's a stacked deck. Congress and the Senate want to cut the deficit- and we certainly need to do that!
But they want to cut social services when the biggest outlay of federal dollars are the Iraq and Afganhistan wars.
A recent book by Allison Stanger One Nation Under Contract: The Outsourcing of American Power and the Future of Foreign Policy , talks about the mis-use of federal funds for efforts that can not even be substantiated as having to do with these wars. Payments to Poland, United Kingdom and Korea that pentagon auditors can't say why they were made.
Pentagon acknowledges sending Billions of dollars on Pallets to Iraq to private contractors that they again cannot verify why these were paid. (2007 report)(read Federal report) Page 9 Conclusions states quite clearly, "$8.9 Billion of the $9.1 Billion the DoD was given cannot be accounted for"
Raise your voices, we can't afford this type of spending for Contractor based wars and we need to fund Job creation and American product development not outsourcing.
I now am jumping off my soap box, for today.
February 14, 2011
John Hortons' Road Rant annual traffic camera review is out.
I admit I missed this when it was published and only recently saw it.
February 6 2011 Traffic cameras in cleveland Ohio had a police officer ticket issue rate lower than ever before a rate of 32%.
This is lower than last years rate of 36% published in John Hortons' Feb 2010 article.
Why aren't you all demanding these things get shut down?
If a business in Ohio performed at such a poor rate the Attorney General would shut the business down.
Why should we citizens tolerate the use of devices the police say are wrong 2/3 of the time ? We shouldn't! Shut them down NOW!
On a side note, The Mayor of Garfield heights has been talking to Block Watch groups about trying to make some changes to the Charter to allow these unreliable devices to be used in Garfield Heights in "school zones".
This is in conflict with the Charter Amendment that the voters added "Limiting" the use of these in Garfield Heights to a Police Officer present and issuing the ticket on-site.
This mirrors the State Law change that the Ohio House Passed and Governor Taft vetoed in his last days at the alleged bequest of the Cleveland Mayor and other cities officials that pleaded they needed the income from the cameras.
So one man in the state decided against what our elected representatives in the state house found to be reasonable and lawful and enforced what was financial by using his veto powers.
the following is excerpted from a Feb 8 2007 WKYC report:
Before he left office at the beginning of the year, then-Gov. Bob Taft vetoed a bill that would have banned cities from using the cameras to ticket drivers who speed unless a police officer was present to witness the infraction.
Local officials said requiring an officer's presence would have been too cost-prohibitive. They also argued that a provision giving the state authority to define the type of intersections where red-light cameras can be used would be so restrictive that it wouldn't be worth installing the technology.
Taft said he vetoed the bill because cities have the best knowledge of their streets, including the locations of their most dangerous intersections.
This is the reason many are confused by the use of a Charter Amendment to "Limt" the camera use. I will clarify, there are very few ways to ensure that people get to have a vote on these types of issues.
ALL Charter changes are required to be placed for a vote by the people and ensure NO INDIVIDUAL(be they mayor or governor) Nor Small Group of individuals (be the city council) make changes to issues that affect the welfare of the Population as a whole.
Let's not let that happen any small group or individual sneak a change through in Garfield Heights.
The people spoke when they voted in November and added the Amendment to our city charter- we don't want cameras!
Maybe if we keep saying it they will unclog their ears and listen- say it outloud with me....
WE DON"T WANT CAMERAS-THEY ARE UNRELIABLE-AND WE VOTED THEM OUT!!!
The State legislature is again in the process of putting a similar bill before it to a vote again and believe the current Governor won't be inclined as Taft was to go against the will of the people.
I suggest you start writing to the Governor and your state representatives to let them know how you feel about Traffic Cameras use in Ohio.
LET'S BAN THE CAMS OHIO. Limit use to by our trained police force. - well that's how I feel.
February 9, 2011 (POST Election)
A definite statement was made in the voting yesterday by the residents of Garfield Heights.
The voters surprised me as many did not even know of the very poorly publicized "Special Election" in February. Every one I spoke with was surprised that an election could take place in February at all especially one for a issue decided just over 3 months earlier in November.
Well the votes are in and 1,138 voted for the school levy, 2,899 voted against the levy. That's a 2.55:1 ratio against this levy that won't die , nor get revised.
I think we need to dump the school board that doesn't have vision and reason and the treasurer that represents an almost free election process that is far from free.
Let's look at what was asked for and how the people have voted in the last few years and how much it has cost US (taxpayerss and the schools) to fail this levy. I think you will conclude like me a change is needed in leadership and strategy at the school board.
I believe in disclosing a bias, I definitely have one. I have to revise some comments that were in my January 5 2011 posting. I contacted the Board of Elections and got REAL numbers for election costs and what the school board was "charged", more explaination follows alter in this post.
I believe the schools need money, I don't like the current way they are funded - not many people do. I think there is waste at their end- they don't. But more than all of these, I find it uacceptable that ANY agency be they government or school board can continue to waste tax dollars on elections that have already been decided and more-over continue to waste the monetary resources they claim to need to do this as well as county tax dollars. I will explain how this all works shortly.
First the levy history.
February 8, 2011
November 2, 2010
November 2009
November 2008
August 2008
I found this funny watch it.
January 5, 2011
Well, the new year is upon us and things that should be illegal are not, and the voice of reason doesn't enter the heads of the folkes running things.
So what am I talking about?
My goal today was only to let the folkes here in Garfield know about the upcoming special election by the Garfield Heights School Board on February 2011.
They are trying again to pass a rediculous TAX on Garfield home and property owners.
Let me give you numbers on this. I currently "donate" $855/year to the schools for the zero children I have. The new tax would add another $890/year to that or I would be paying $1745 a year that would go ONLY to the schools. Sorry they aren't worth that to me. I would have to make $2900. before taxes just to pay the schools. Just over 50% of my property tax money goes to pay the schools that means I have to make another $2,900 to pay the rest of my property taxes or I have to make $4,300 to pay my property tax bill because the property taxes come out of my after tax money.
I wish this was all that's been going on.
The new Cuyahoga County Council has been doing some bad things, meetings behind closed doors in violation of the transparent and sunshine laws promises. Folkes on the Council have ticked off the some of the group members charged with teaching the new council "Ethics in government".
Apparently, some unnamed official told the group that "the council didn't need to be taught about the 'swearing in/oath of office' because 'it doesn't have to do with ETHICS'". Some of the group may have decided to no-longer be part of what they consider a sham because of statements and attitudes such as these.
A note to the new County Treasurer and Executive. While it may not be illegal for a school board to place things on the ballot every chance they get, I as a taxpayer want the Treasurer to check into whether these school boards have been paying the bills for these elections. August 2008 the garfield Heights school board held a secret special election and months later the school board treasurer was boosting that the election cost $80,000 and the school board was only billed and paid for $5,000. and "they aren't paying the rest if the treasurer doesn't send them a bill."
Is this common practice? Heck, i don't blame the school boards for placing these special elections every few months if the cost to them is so low and never collected. Unfortunately for the taxpayers we pay for the special election and when they finally sneak it through due to uninformed or appathetic voters - we pay rediculous taxes too.
Please get out and vote against the school board tax in garfield and please contact Executive Fitzgerald and DEMAND they look into whether school boards have been paying for these special elections. It is YOUR tax dollars being wasted!
November 18, 2010
Bigger issues:
The bank foreclosure fraud scandal has gotten bigger, much bigger.
As mentioned in the ABC news posted a youtube broadcast video of a report they recently ran.
But the issue has grown further to where racketering charges have been filed against BANK OF AMERICA and probably more charges against others are to come.
The issue stems from a process known as "Robo-Signers". These are morgage processing company employees whose job was to "sign the forms". the law requires them to review the documents for accuracy and then sign if the information is known to be correct.
A recent court hearings in florida some of these robo-signers have testified that they signed 3,000 to 5,000 foreclosure documents daily.
Some have testified that they have signed as Vice Presidents of the organization, whose authority to sign as a VP was just for the purposes of signing documents.
they have also testified as signing and swearing to being employed at and for other companies and banks located in various state that the signer may not have even ever visited let alone worked as the signature attests to.
Many State attorney generals are filing cases against these banks and mortgage processing company for illegally processing documents and thereby illegally putting people out of their homes via foreclosure when the corporation did not comply with the law and the legal processes to foreclose.
It has been said that if these banks and mortgage processing companies had followed the laws the housing foreclosure crisis would not have risen to the current level as the mortgage holders would have been more motivated to work with the home owners and help find a way to keep them in their homes thereby avoiding foreclosure.
This is a cascade effect the housing prices and values plummetted because the vast amout of foreclosed housing stock that flooded the market and caused homeowners to go "upside-down" in their financial condition related to the home valuation. This caused the debt to credit ratios of most americans to dramatically shift lowering their credit availablity and banks intern raised loan interest rates and credit card revolving account interest rates higher while lowering the limits on the credit card accounts.
Homeowners and borrower quickly found themselve in a financial crunch and leasure spending decreased causing a crunch in the consumer goods markets and businesses. Which in turn caused consumers to drastically change from investing to playing catch up with bills and some because of the upside-down valuation on their homes elected to "walk-away" from the homes further driving the values of the rest of the housing stock down.
We need to hold the banks and mortgage processors responsible for these practices and not prosecute the person who signed thousands of documents daily but every manager above them to the CEO of that corporation. Each of those individuals knowing violated the laws and thereby chose to take americans homes from them illegally and cause the rest of americans to suffer in this financial crisis.
November 16, 2010
I surrender,
I can't live in this negativity anymore.
All you folkes in Garfield that feel it is appropriate to spread vicious rumours, lies and defamatory comments about me - no problem. I have fought bad policies, you all think it's a personal fight and attack the person not the ideas. That is the sign of weakness in your arguements, you can't logically challenge and discuss the issues so you attack the person.
Sorry, would you have stoned the little boy who said "the Emperor has no clothes"?
Apparently. some of you think that appropriate action as stooping to these attack tactics against a 75 year old woman that isn't involved at all...THAT'S DEPLORABLE. And the city should be standing up to protect her not attack her. How low can you folks go?
So I give in you've beaten me down, take the city to the toilet with bad policies and insult residents, threaten them and general treat the public that doesn't agree with you as villains.
Leave the woman alone, leave me alone- take your troubled failing city and flush it.
November 15, 2010
For all you folks that are spreading rumours about Frank Wagner, Ron Finnerty, and Paul Long starting a recall petition of Mayor Collova......
READ THIS CAREFULLY......Citizens for a Greater Garfield as a group and as individuals ARE NOT INTERESTED IN A RECALL.
The city would be no better off with the next person in line as Mayor. So if someone approaches you saying WE are involved in a recall petition or recall effort you tell them they are full of it.
Even if that person is the one claiming he is being recalled.
IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH FOR YOU ALL?
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