Ohio 2nd Blog

Clermont County’s commuter citizens need to STOP and figure out if the county is still what attracted them here in the first place. I feel that Clermont’s suburban sprawl is not attractive. It is the result of the county’s inability to plan for growth and control growth.

We can blame our elected officials. But we continue to vote them into office. We vote them in because they tell us they will work for us and the good of the community. We take them at their word. As voters, we have to take responsibility. How many Clermont County citizens can name the 3 commissioners? Do you know their philosophies and what their goals are for the County? Your vote for these people say that you trust them to make the best decisions for the good of the community. Do you feel they consider you and your neighbors in their decisions? How can you find out all sides of an issue that they are considering? At this time, you cannot. The local media reports the story in support of those in office. You only get one side of the story because Clermont County is controlled by that one side.

With our commuter life-style, it is difficult to get involved in our community. But it is OUR community and if we ignore it, we have no say in the changes that take place. Clermont County has issues that need to be addressed. The current elected officials are avoiding those issues and they are avoiding the working citizens. They refuse to address our needs. They seem to only address the needs of the developers. For example, there is a new Wal-Mart in Amelia. I feel it is a result of the poor management of our county and the lack of citizen involvement. Wal-Mart takes advantage of vulnerable communities where there is low employment and a fair amount of poverty. Wal-Mart causes small retail, where you get personal service and quality products made in the U.S.A, to close their doors. This is not boosting a sustainable economy in our community. It is fueling the problem.

There are two web sites that have surfaced in Clermont County. These are Non-Partisan web sites. These sites are a way for you to learn about the other side of issues in Clermont County. They are a means for you to voice your concerns and opinions and your questions. They are a way for you to empower yourself to take our county back from the one party dictates and the massive, unplanned development that is destroying the reason we moved to Clermont County.

GET ACTIVE AND GET INVOLVED. Don’t let our voices be silenced anymore!

GROW SMART CLERMONT

SPRAWL CENTRAL: CLERMONT COUNTY

I just got back from the Ideas on the March party that the Warren County Democratic Party held. Somewhere between 65-70 people attended (great turn out). It was a celebration of the success the Democrats had in the 2006 elections in Warren County as well as a little fundraiser. The volunteers worked so hard and it paid off in Ohio and Warren County. We saw some old friends from Hamilton and Cleremont Counties too.

Vic Wulsin, Rick Smith (and I), the 2006 candidates, and Gabby Downey, a candidate in the 2nd primary, had great time talking to all the volunteers who helped us increase the Democratic percentages across the board. Personally, it was great to see everyone again and have some time just to talk socially. They are truly a terrific group of people. There were some potential Democratic candidates for the 2007 elections in attendance but I’ll let them announce their candidacies themselves. There were a lot of new faces too which is very encouraging. This is the continuing trend in SW Ohio – the Democrats are attracting people and growing the county parties.

The Areys from Cleremont Democratic Party County came. Democrats can always count on Russ to help out and he auctioned off a few items for a nice chunk of change. It’s great entertainment to listen to Russ get people to bid. Russ can sell absolutely nothing for quite a bit of money. Seriously, it beautiful to behold and I’m just glad he’s on our side.

It was a lot of fun (which was the goal), raised some funds to help get Democratic elected, watched the OSU basketball game and visited with a lot of friends and probably ate too much. All in all, a pretty good night.

Everyone is invited to the Warren County Democratic Party’s Ideas on the March Party. Join us Saturday, March 31, 5-9 pm, at the Idea House, Villages at Riversbend, South Lebanon. Great food, cash bar, entertainment and great company (and yes, there are TVs to watch basketball), suggested donation $25/person.

After the whirlwind of the 2004 elections, the special election in the 2nd and then the 2006 elections, we deserve to celebrate our success. Rumor has it that a lot of the 2006 candidates will be there too. The Idea House is a 5000 sq. ft. model home beautifully decorated in a lovely setting. I71 to south Rt. 48. Turn left at the light at Dwire Rd. across from Riversbend Golf course and at the sales office for the Villages at Riversbend. Immediate left on Lebanon Rd. and then a right on Zoar Rd. and follow signs to the Idea House. 2006 Campaign signs will be out to guide the way (old signs can be recycled and put to good use- at least we picked up our signs). For more information go to this link for more information.

http://www.warrencountydems.org/flyerfullpage.pdf

We just request that you RSVP to the WCDP by phone or email. Heaven forbid we don’t have enough food or drink. I hope to see everyone there and please bring a few friends. You don’t have to live in Warren County to party with Warren County Democrats.

As some of you know, I lived in Argentina for a year and a half, 1972-73. It was one of those life changing experiences. My father was transferred to Argentina in the middle of my sophomore year in high school. I attended the American high school, Associaciones Escuelas Lincoln (ok, I just like saying it), in suburban Buenos Aires.

In February of 1972, Argentina was ruled by a military junta headed by an army general. There were still bullet holes in the Casa Rosada (the presidential office building) from the coup that overthrew Juan Peron. While there were laws on the books, they were not enforced or selectively enforced. Bribery was the usual way to get a government service. I spoke about my experience in Argentina when I was campaigning because it gave me a temendous appreciation for the rule of law and the stability of the American government.

Inflation was raging in Argentina but the economy wasn’t that great in the States either. Goods were incredibly cheap by American standards. In the beginning of my stay, it seemed quiet and stable.

Things started to change when the military junta decided to hold elections in Argentina and in neighboring Chile, Pinochet overthrew the elected president, Allende. The news media reported that the CIA was involved in the coup. Pinochet rounded up Allende supporters and other perceived enemies and those not caught fled to Argentina and other South American countries. Leftist groups in Argentina started kidnapping American businessmen (women were not executives way back then) and demanding ransoms in the millions. Some American companies had a no ransom policy and some did not. I went to school with the kidnapped victims’ children. We had guards and guard dogs at the school. We had guards at home and guards drove my father to work. People followed him to work and we weren’t sure who they were.

The junta prohibited Juan Peron from returning to Argentina and running for president. Then they started killing American businessmen instead of asking for ransom. One of my father’s colleagues in the northwestern part of the country was ambushed on the way to work. They riddled the two cars carrying him and his guards with machine guns. Of course, everyone was killed. Elections were held, the 26 parties ran candidates and the Peronista candidate won. Three months later he resigned so they could run an election and allow Juan Peron to return and run. We were told to stay indoors the day Juan Peron returned to Argentina. I watched his return on television.

My parents sent me back to the States for my senior year. It turned out to be a good decision because my father escaped a kidnap attempt and my parents, along with all other Ford employees who were American, were taken out of Argentina quickly by charter plane later that Fall of 1973. Ford decided to stop paying ever increasing ransoms and risk their executives lives. Ford tried to cut their losses but like other American companies, had tremendous investments in Argentina.

I came home to the Watergate hearings televised every day. I was so relieved and thankful to be in a country in which government functioned, constitutional rights and the laws were enforced. U.S. citizens were not afraid of their government. The illegal actvities of the Nixon Administration were being investigated by Congress. I am posting this because of the unintended consequences of the CIA-helped Pinochet coup. Pinochet and his cronies killed thousands of people. Thousands of people were tortured. Thousands of family members grieved. People just disappeared. Citizens had no recourse. The same thing happened in Argentina a few years later. Incredible suffering for thousands of people. And yet, Pinochet and the military leaders in Argentina were never brought to justice. Supposedly, the CIA was acting in our country’s best interest. But that’s not how it worked. American companies lost millions on their investments in South America because of the anti-American sentiment and hostile actions during the 70′s.

I think it is vitally important that world leaders be brought to justice when they commit atrocities. Dictators commit atrocities because they believe they will not be punished. History teaches them this. We have to enforce the rule of law to finally stop the killing, torture, abuse and the suffering and grieving. I firmly believe this applies to all government officials. No one should be above the law. In the end, it’s all we have to protect us.

Yellow Dog Sammy does a great job of setting the record straight on the recent Subodh Chandra before the courts.

For fans of my verbal sparring with David Sirota you can see it in my response to his post on Barack Obama.

UPDATE: Check out VirginiaDem’s response post. LOL

Just because Paul Hackett has retired from politics doesn’t mean that he’s retired from community service. His latest effort is to organize volunteers to help a family that’s hit on some hard luck. On August 5th Paul will be working with Vic Wulsin on a house in Seaman, Ohio.

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Truly a new breed of leadership.

Part of the Ad Council’s slate of candididates. (via Atari Democrat)