Random Thoughts on a Sunday morning

* President Obama has said he wants reforms for credit card contracts. He wants protections that "forbid abusive fees and penalties" and said that plain language should be used. "No more fine print, no more confusing terms and conditions. We want clarity and transparency from here on out."

Can he please start first with the IRS and apply these conditions to them - and then to Congress?????

* The Blade editorial board has slammed the Ohio Supreme Court for upholding the confidentiality of attorney-client privilege and exemptions of such correspondence from Ohio's public records law. This was a ridiculous position for The Blade to have taken and they deserved their ruling. While their motives have nothing to do with the Court's decision, the only reason they wanted the report released was so that they could continue to attack Jim Hartung. It's not enough that the man is no longer the president of the Port Authority - they just want to bury him.

Their penchant for vendettas is part of what has cost them any semblance of credibility. Sadly, it doesn't seem to stop them.

* Can you say "CONTRADICTION"?

This past week, Lucas County Commissioner Ben Konop asked the Warren County Commissioners to send him the stimulus funds they don't need and want to return. Warren County responded politely, telling Konop that such a decision would defeat the purpose of returning funds in the first place. (Read the correspondence here.)

Konop's statement upon receiving the response was, in part:

"...I will not get into a right-wing-radio-fueled, Rush Limbaugh-esque debate about taxes. Now is not the time for political posturing. Our job losses are real. Our home foreclosures are real. Our challenges are real. Despite Mr. Kilburn's objections and rejection, I will continue to fight for every dollar out there to provide the services our taxpayers deserve. Also, I will not apologize for, nor will I stop, pursuing every angle to put our citizens back to work. ..."

But just two days later, Konop, contradicts himself:

In a prepared response, Democratic opponent Ben Konop said he saw "a troubling pattern" - a reliance on taxpayer dollars "that don't exist."

So when you're slamming a campaign opponent, you oppose using tax dollars that don't exist, but when Warren County Commissioners tell you that the stimulus funds you want to take from them are tax dollars that don't exist, you don't want to discuss the issue? Unbelievable!

Konop also said:

"Now is not the time for pie-in-the-sky proposals," Mr. Konop said.

You mean, like having trash collectors serve as crime fighters? Or subsidizing loans so people can buy art? Or participating in fake food stamp challenges? Or using tax dollars to pay for a college education for everyone in Lucas County? etc., etc., etc., ...

Will anyone else call him on this?

* When it comes to Toledo's budget, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who isn't aware of the massive deficit. Revenue predictions for income tax collections are a major part of the problem, as they are significantly below previous years.

But here's a critical question that no one is asking: Since it is now the end of April, what have the ACTUAL collections been for the first quarter? Are they consistent with projections? Are they higher - or lower? Where do we stand for the first quarter of the year???

Before council acts to raise taxes to address what is projected to be a decline in revenue, can we first get some FACTS about what the revenue actually is? Maybe then they can make informed decisions - for a change.