New type of Ohio Criminals

Smoking in Ohio
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006

I am sitting in the bar smoking my cigar which I purchased online to avoid sales taxes. I am being asked by the smoking police for I.D. because I am sitting in an unauthorized smoking area.
"Damn, I left my wallet and I.D. at home!" "Really", I plead!"
Assume the Position" I am told.Oh crap I thougt as I realized I had stuffed the bottle of Sudafed in my pocket before leaving. Surely they will find it.
"My damn hayfever was acting up and I needed relief". "Really," I plead!"
Do you have a reciept for that cigar?".
"Yes I do. But it's a stored file on my computer. You see, I bought this from some vendor online." "Really," I plead!"

Unit 69 to Headquarters...We have a real hot one we are bringing in.This guy is a major threat to our health, cannot prove who he is, a drug addict, a tax evader, and quite possibly a terrorist."

I wonder if they allow smoking in prision?

Toledo Zoo Polar Bear population doubles

The Toledo Zoo's Polar Bears deliver three cubs. From the Zoo's Press release...

Toledo, OH—They say great things happen in threes, and The Toledo Zoo can attest to that as they celebrate the birth of three polar bear cubs! 11-year-old Nan gave birth to a cub on November 22, followed closely by 8-year-old Crystal, who gave birth to two cubs on November 25. Both mothers are nursing their cubs and demonstrating good maternal behaviors, and Zoo officials have good reason to be cautiously optimistic about the future well-being of the cubs.

Crystals Cubs...........................Nans Cub

Thanksgiving Day

Boy how thing have changed since I was a kid. No longer can I cherish that smell of the Turkey cooking in the oven or the sweet aroma of Pumpkin pie cooling on the stove. Football games are a hit/miss sequence hoping to catch a play or two in-between being interupted with conversation about politics or stepping outside to have a smoke. Missing is the tradition of dining room table all set with linen table cover and using the good china. Now it more like a buffet on the counter, grab a plate and find a seat where you may.
Now don't get me wrong. I still enjoyed a feast of all your tradditional Thanksgiving staples like Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Cranberries,and sweets galore. I am very thankfull and apprecitive of all the effort and hospitality of hosting this annual event by my Brother and Sister-in-law. A lot of energy and hard work were expended in the preperation of this feast; but still, I miss the "Good Old Days"
I am reminded of this poem:

The Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving
(Edgar Albert Guest, 1881-1959)

It may be I am getting old and like too much to dwell
Upon the days of bygone years, the days I loved so well;
But thinking of them now I wish somehow that I could know
A simple old Thanksgiving Day, like those of long ago,
When all the family gathered round a table richly spread,
With little Jamie at the foot and grandpa at the head,
The youngest of us all to greet the oldest with a smile,
With mother running in and out and laughing all the while.

It may be I'm old-fashioned, but it seems to me to-day
We're too much bent on having fun to take the time to pray;
Each little family grows up with fashions of its own;
It lives within a world itself and wants to be alone.
It has its special pleasures, its circle, too, of friends;
There are no get-together days; each one his journey wends,
Pursuing what he likes the best in his particular way,
Letting the others do the same upon Thanksgiving Day.

I like the olden way the best, when relatives were glad
To meet the way they used to do when I was but a lad;
The old home was a rendezvous for all our kith and kin,
And whether living far or near they all came trooping in
With shouts of "Hello, daddy!" as they fairly stormed the place
And made a rush for mother, who would stop to wipe her face
Upon her gingham apron before she kissed them all,
Hugging them proudly to her breast, the grownups and the small.

Then laughter rang throughout the home, and, Oh, the jokes they told;
From Boston, Frank brought new ones, but father sprang the old;
All afternoon we chatted, telling what we hoped to do,
The struggles we were making and the hardships we'd gone through;
We gathered round the fireside. How fast the hours would fly--
It seemed before we'd settled down 'twas time to say good-bye.
Those were the glad Thanksgivings, the old-time families knew
When relatives could still be friends and every heart was true.

'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin dead

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Steve Irwin, the enthusiastic "Crocodile Hunter" who enthralled audiences around the world with his wildlife adventures, died Monday after being stung by a stingray while shooting a TV program off Australia's north coast.

Read full article at CNN

A few malicious union members at The Blade

Apparently, things are heating up in The Blade's newsroom as the union feels the pressure.

On Friday, August 25th Blade worker Paul Hem, a systems analyst, posted a notice informing other employees in the newsroom and prepress area that Blade employees had a choice whether or not to be unionized. Minutes later, his notices were ripped down by a union member. Mr. Hem claims that while he did not personally observe the activity, people who requested anonymity informed him of the details of the offense. Mr. Hem also claims that he knows who the person(s) was(were), but hopes that they will "come to their senses" and allow employees a choice as to whether or not they wish to be represented by a union.

Let's see what heppens next.

Unseen Visitor

I recently returned from a trip to Gatlinburg and the Great Smokey Mountains. I was on vacation while the Great Flood of 2006 occured in Toledo. Imagine my suprise when I returned to find that I had to extend my vacation to clean up a wet basement! Anyhow...that's another story being throughly debated on all the other blogs.
While in the Smokey's I never seen a Black bear even though I went hiking one night with flashlight in hand hoping to run across one. Just to prove their existence, an unseen visitor left this souvenier on the bumper of my van which I discovered as I was packing up to leave.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!

Events in my life required that I take a reprieve from blogging for the past few month. Boy...I missed alot! So many things have transpired since my last post that it has taken the better part of a week just to catch up on all the postings on Toledo Talk and the other local blogs including Lisa Renee's, History Mike's and Progressive Toledo.

I promise I have much to say and will be back to posting regularly. But right now I am steaming in the heat and plan on going swimmimg. So please check back for my next post.

President Bush says the English language is an important part of the American identity.

"I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English,"

While I never claim to be an expert on the English language, I found it quite amusing that President Bush was lecturing people on learning how to speak it. Highlighted by his quote above, maybe he should adhere to his own advice and enroll in a remedial English course. Below are five examples of his mispronunciations of the English language. How many more can you come up with?

5 Mispronunciations by President Bush
President Bush's pronunciation................Correct Pronunciation
1. a-MERR-ca..............................................a-MER-i-ca (America)
2. NEW-cue-ler...........................................NEW-clee-er (nuclear)
3. JU-ler-ee.................................................JU-wel-ree (jewelry)
4. Anzar.....................................................Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar
5. Ne-VAH-duh...........................................Ne-VAE-duh) (Nevada)

FLASH!!! Toledo Blade loses Pulitzer due to inside job.

According to the story a person INSIDE the newsroom sent a letter to the Pulitzer committee!

The letter claimed that Blade editors "covered up" details of Noe's coingate over a year before they published! Bill Frogameni would be proud! Or was he involved? Perhaps the outside security firm that The Blade hired will find that he was!

Way to go union! Shoot yourselves in the foot!

What a coincidence that labor negotiations are going badly at the same time!

Unions will kill themselves off by destroying their own employers.

Idiots!

Slick and Slack on Podcasting

I know a few Bloggers who are experimenting into the frey of Podcasting. With that in mind I offer this light hearted look at podcasting through the eyes of Michael Swaine at Dr. Dobb's Journal

Slick: Welcome to Yet Another Program — or YAP, as we like to call it, from Slick, that’s me, the charming one, and my grumpy partner, Slack–
Slack: that would be me
Slick: Well at least you admit it. Our topic for today is Apple’s sweet move to support podcasting in a major way in iTunes.
Slack: And I just want to say thanks, Apple. Thanks for once again empowering The Rest Of Us. Or as I prefer to put it, for arming nutcases.
Slick: Wow. Not pulling any punches, eh Slack?
Slack: Thank about it: There are probably a million L. Ron Hubbards out there –
Slick: Now that’s a sobering thought…
Slack: And each one has a 500-page Dianetics inside him
Slick: And what a great place to keep it
Slack: Slick, the only thing keeping those manifestos inside those egotists is the effort of typing. And now Apple has removed that barrier.
Slick: Well it’s not just Apple. Apple didn’t invent podcasting. Although I have to say, the iTMS implementation is now the game to beat.
Slack: Slick, I’m old enough to remember the early days of the Desktop Publishing Revolution.
Slick: For our younger readers, that would be the mid-1980s, right after the invention of paper.
Slack: Right, when term papers started looking like magazine ads and business letters started looking like ransom notes.
Slick: Let me cut to the chase, because I think I get where you ‘re going with this. You fear the unleashing of a million podcasters, all with the egos of Matt Drudge but lacking his typing skills.
Slack: Like I used to fear cooties…
Slick; Fear not, querulous one. I have a different take on the phenomenon. Podcasting is just radio. Get it? It’s Radio Done Right.
Slack: I don’t listen to radio.
Slick: What do you mean you don’t listen to radio?
Slack: I can’t help it. It’s a poor medium for transmitting information.
Slick: But what about music, entertainment, humor?
Slack: Oh, that’s good. Radio is good for those things. Just not news or opinion.
Slick: And didn’t you tell me you wake up to the BBC?
Slack: Yes, but…
Slick: There you go. Talk radio.
Slack: But only because I can’t understand what they’re saying at 5:00 am with those british accents. I just hear soothing noises, like geese in the fog. It’s pleasant to wake up to.
Slick: The idea of waking up at 5:00 am is making my head hurt.
Slack: Here is what I think sound is good for: music and entertainment and alarms. But text is a much better medium for news and opinions. It’s efficient, you can search it and index it and edit it…
Slick: You’re not listening in the right spirit. The people who listen to talk radio are basically using it as an alarm. Whole radio programs that are built on that premise, that everything the host thinks is the information equivalent of a burglar alarm. That’s why the jocks shout. It’s like Paul Revere: the British are coming. Only today, it’s the treasonous liberals are coming, or the fascist wingnuts.
Slack: Yes, and I hate that. I think America should turn down the volume.
Slick: Let me give you another analogy. Podcasting is like TiVo for audio. Radio when you want it. You use TiVo, right?
Slack: No, I don’t like TV enough to worry about what I missed. Besides, that’s why God created reruns.
Slick: Well if you’re so down on podcasting, then I guess you wouldn’t be interested in this. But you know, what’s slipped below the radar on this announcement is that Apple has become a content provider.
Slack: You’re heading somewhere with this, I just know it.
Slick: Well Apple’s 3000 podcast feeds have an interesting slant. Lots of NPR and ABC News, and nothing remotely like Rush Limbaugh.
Slack: ABC News? Are you serious? Cripes. With a liberal bias like that, they’re going to have the FCC at the door.
Slick: Hannity and O’Reilly on their case.
Slack: Black Helicopters over One Infinite Loop.
Slick: And on top of that, the Beatles will probably sue them again.
Slack: Oh Apple, what have you done?

How much does Toledo love its zoo?

Following is a letter I wrote to the Toledo FreePress in response to the above linked article:

I will absolutely vote for both levies. It appears the Zoo is on the right track to correcting the misfortunes be felled last year and it would be unfortunate if the citizens of this community let one of our treasured icons follow a path to failure.

I believe the zoo has made real progress towards correcting many of the issues brought about by last years controversies and to continue to hold those same issues against the zoo because of personal grudges or misinformation would be a real shame. For a group like Citizen's for a Responsible Toledo Zoo to question the Zoo's sincerity and advancements in correcting these issues by way of their February 11 press release shows to which extent they will go to complete their attempted coup d'état of Zoo operations. For Debra Reichard Klein, the sister of Dr. Tim Reichard, who was fired in February as the zoo's chief veterinarian to be named as the spokesman of Citizens for a Responsible Zoo only goes to solidify my suspicions that this groups actions are more of a personal nature than actually looking out for the welfare of the citizens of Lucas County.

The citizens of Lucas County should look beyond the fact these levies will support the Zoo and also realize that they are an "investment" in their own community. A rate of return that generates $6.50 in LOCAL economic activity for each dollar that is received in levy funds is reason enough to vote YES.

For anyone to suggest that they should seek Corporate Sponsors for support (in belief that this does not happen already) are purely basing their theory on lack of-or misinformation to the facts. The ZOO is always soliciting Corporate Sponsors in addition to any levy request as evidence by their programs such as Pumpkin Path, Music Under The Stars and Lights Before Christmas to name a few.

The idea that COSI be incorporated into the ZOO is an idea with no merit. Where exactly could COSI be located at the Zoo? In the Museum of Science? I guess the Zoo (err....COSI) could build a new museum on land the Zoo owns on the River Side of Broadway, but the cost of acquisition and the cost of construction would not be financially feasible. If thinking that the Zoo could incorporate COSI into their institution, why would they want to do that? Why diminish the reputation of a long held locally established icon like the ZOO by bringing in a quasi franchised institution like the COSI? I equate that to attaching a McDonalds Drive-thru window to the side of Tony Packos.

"I Love My ZOO" and as with anything I love I am very protective of it. That is why I have and always will continue to Support the Zoo in their efforts in keeping it a 1st rate institution; not only locally but nationally recognized as well

Toledo Speaks Out Profiles

In response to Lisa Renee's challange at Glass City Jungle, TSO has finally got the Toledo Profiles page up and running. This new page will showcase business, organization or person who makes the city what it is. I will focus on small businesses and regular people. Those whom you may never have heard of but who play a vital role in establishing the Toledo Culture for what it is today.

My first installment profiles the two restaraunts owned by local restraunteers Mustafa and Candi Ilgin. The Glendale Garden Cafe and Reynold Garden Cafe are establshments which I frequent often and were a natural fit to kick off this new feature of Toledo Speaks Out.

I look forward to offering you new profiles every week or so. If any one has suggestions of who you would like to see profiled, please feel free to send me an email with "Toledo Profiles" in the subject line.

Thanks,
KK

Konop paying students to aid campaign effort

As a visiting professor at the University of Toledo's law school, I wonder if there may be some conflict of interest by Mr. Konop in recruiting college students from the University of Toledo's College Democrats?

Are these College Democrats being recruited enrolled in law courses that Mr. Konop is teaching at the university? Are there non-democrat students (or even democrat students who do not support Ben Konop) enrolled in his courses as well? If so, is impartial and objective grading occurring or are students who may take a different view point then that of Mr. Konop receiving a lesser grade?

Before everyone goes off on me, I am not suggesting that Mr. Konop is intentionally or with malice skewing grades, merely pointing out that there may be a perception of conflict of interest. For instance, any college professor who is able to persuade a student to support his ideas may percieve that support as a demostration (to a degree) that they understand his beliefs and therefore have learned from his professes. There may then be a subconscious inclination on the part of the professor to grade these students based on those understandings . Conversely, a student who fails to jump on the professors bandwagon may reflect in the mind of the professor a misunderstanding or non-comprehension of his teachings and therefore results in a lesser grade, warranted or not.

I can imagine a "C" student thinking that he can bump his grade to a "B" just by showing support for their teacher in a political campaign and get $8.00 an hour to boot. Party Money!

It is not my intention in this posting to question Mr. Konops qualifications for a seat on the LCC. I have read some of his positions and even agree with some of them to an extent. Nor am I questioning the rights of a candidate to pay canvassers for campaign expenses they may accumulate; I am questioning the pool of recruits any College Professor who is running for public office may pull from. In this case I do not think it appropraite to solicite canvassers from a student body which may be enrolled in one of his classes.

Feds probe union led by councilman

Another scandal of corruption appears to be surfacing in Toledo politics. This time involving Toledo City Councilman and LCC candidate Phil Copeland. According to the Blade article, the Fed's are looking into allegations that Local 500 has allocated monies to their members including Phil Copeland for use in entertainment venues such as Strip Clubs and rafting trips. Also under investigation are large distributions of cash to Mr. Copeland for what he refers to as "deferred salary".

Before I jump to conclusions and determine that Mr. Copeland is guilty until proven innocent, some of his statements appear to be conflicting and smell of misdeeds and underhandedness of Union funds which he controlled as Secretary-Treasurer of the union.

It is mentioned that he "did not take member-approved raises when "work was down" from November, 2002, to July, 2004". This gives the appearance that he declined raises to salary due to a work shortage which was effecting Union revenues generated by dues owed by their members. I wonder if Mr. Copeland was up for re-election to Local 500 in 2002 and whether he fully disclosed to the members that his refusal of a raise was merely a deferral, not an out-right rejection of salary increase.

Laborers’ International Union of North America Local No. 500 stated his annual salary of 2004 at $113,675, a 69 percent increase from 2000. It would be interesting to discover what his declared salaries for 2002 thru 2004 were and whether his W-2 statements from the Union for 2002-2004 reflected no increase for those three years? Anything else would suggest that he misled his union constituents in declaring that he was rejecting a salary increase. Also, did he declare the "large payment" referred to as a salary deferment to his 2005 taxes or file an amended tax return for 2002-2004?

Then comes the question of his settlement of a $62,000 in unpaid state and federal tax bills linked to a failed business venture. I wonder if any Union monies were used for either the settlement or invested in the failed venture.

A lot of questions need to be answered and I guess we will have to wait until the investigation is completed before any conclusions can be made. However, with suspicion in the air, one has to wonder if this is the type of fiscal responsibility Mr. Copeland would bring to the Lucas County commissioners. I hope we have a clearer picture of incident before we take to the voting booth on May 2nd.

TAGGED by LISA...I'm IT. Geeeeez.

Lisa Renee over at liberalcommonsense has tagged me in the game of BloggerTag. So without further ado, here are my responses...

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18 and find line 4.
A dedicated server is one that functions only as a server and not as a workstation or client
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can, what do you find?
AIR
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Jimmy Kimmel Live
4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
12:10 p.m.
5. Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?
12:20 p.m.
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
Birds and a Train whistle
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
This morning to retrieve the newspaper. I don't know why
8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
Toldeo Talk
9. What are you wearing?
Jeans and a thermal t-shirt
10. Did you dream last night?
Ummmm... Let me think. If I did it wasn't all that good since I can't remember.
11. When did you last laugh?
Last night watching Jimmy Kimmel Live
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Nothing. I am a minamalist.
13. Seen anything weird lately?
UGLY KIDS billboard
14. What do you think of this quiz?
Easier than my Algerbra quiz in HS.
15. What is the last film you saw?
War of the World on DVD. I don't get out much.
16. If you turned into a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A ticket to ride on Starship One. I would love to travel to space
17. Tell me something about you that I don't know.
I almost got married once
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt and politics, what would you do?
Eliminate the need to work.
19. Do you like to Dance?
Depends on how much I drink
20. George Bush.
Extrodinarily.... ( fill in the blank)
21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
Iwanna...as in I wanna this and I wanna that
22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what would you call him?
Getme...as in Get me this and Get me that
23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Is Canada considered abroad?
24. What would you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
"Please have your I.D. ready and be prepared to pass through the Metal Detector"
25. 4 people who must also do this theme in their journal.
History Mike, Hooda, Subcomandate Bob, Lloyd

Rat-squirrel back after 11-million-year absence

I know this story has nothing to do with Toledo but I found it interesting just the same. So I thought I would share it with you.

After an 11 million year absence, the Laotian Rat-Squirrel has reappeared. The nocturnal rodent living deep within the Laotian Forrest was previously thought to be extinct and identified only through fossilzed records in China and other Asian nations. Biologist discovered the rodent last spring and thinking they had discovered a new species of mammal nicknamed the creature the Laotian Rock Rat.

Upon seeing reports of the rodent, Mary Dawson of the Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Natural History immediately recognized it from fossilized records and broke the news that it was not a new species at all but one that was 11 million years old. The animal is neither a Rat nor a Squirrel but a species called Diatomyidae.


Now if Mary can identify the Rat-Monkey from the infamous movie Dead Alive!
Wipikedia reports :

The Sumatran Rat-Monkey is a hideous fictional creature created by director Peter Jackson for his 1992 horror film/ comedy film, Braindead (also known as Dead-Alive). As seen in the film, the animal is found only on Skull Island, a fictional island first conceived of in the 1933 film, King Kong.

The Sumatran Rat Monkey, (least according to a zoo custodian in the film) is the offspring of small tree monkeys and giant plague rats that scurried off passing ocean liners, swam to shore, and began raping the monkeys.

The hideous offspring(s) of these unions is only shown once.

It is a nearly hairless creature with vacant, wide eyes. It appears to resemble a rat far more than a monkey. It is a carnivore and bites at nearly anything it can fit within its mouth.

Burning Down the House....

As I write this, another major fire has broken out in the city. This time the victim is the Miracle Manor Apartment complex on Laskey at Jaminson Drive in West Toledo. Just yesterday (3/8/06) we suffered two residential fires in the city which destroyed at least 3 properties. One in the 1500 block of Airline and another in the 300 block of Bronson.

On Sunday (3/5/06) a 2 alarm blaze destroyed a Westgate office complex which housed several doctor and lawyer offices. In addition the area has seen a rash of devastating fires since the first of the year including...

• March 3rd, $20,000 fire destroys North Toledo Duplex
• March 2nd, Oregon house fire kills elderly couple
• February 28th, Fire wrecks a Whiteford Township home
• February 21st, Two alarm FIRE DAMAGES VACANT APARTMENT BUILDING
• February 13th, Arson blaze destroys trailer at new Start High
• February 10th, Blaze at Temperance petting zoo claims lives of dozens of animals
• February 7th, Fast-moving fire strikes condo complex
• February 2nd, Investigators unable to pinpoint cause of devastating store blaze
• January 28th, Home listed as total loss after blaze in Clay Twp.
• January 25th, 2 Genesee Street homes consumed; 1 is damaged
• January 22nd, Cause uncertain for $2 million fire in South Toledo

While all these fires may seem independent and coincidental from each other, one has to start to wonder if something more sinister might be at work. Does Toledo have a "Firebug" on the loose or maybe terrorist are using the area as a training ground. It is interesting to note that several structures involved in the major fires including one last year in Downtown Toledo had to be demolished before Fire Investigators could make a certain determination on the cause.

Katie Holmes Dad to Tom Cruise: Marry My Daughter Before the Baby

Fact or Rumor...
It has been reported by Us that Katie Holmes dad insisted that Tom Criuse marry Katie before the baby is born and that Catholicism be part of the ceremony. Way to go Dad! No word from Tom.

George W. Bush as a 3 Term President?

In a Letter to the Editors of the March 5th, 2006 edition of the Toledo Blade, a Maumee resident poised the question...

Third term of office for George W. Bush?

It has been suggested that President George W. Bush run for a
third term on the premise that his first term does not count in asmuch as he was appointed by the Supreme Court, not elected.

In my view, there is a basis for this in the Constitution. If a vice president succeeds to the presidency because of the death of the president, the term of office thereby filled by the vice president does not count as his or her allotted two terms.

Since this would require an interpretation of the Constitution by the Supreme Court, recently enhanced by two new appointees, the idea has some validity.

While this may be wishful thinking on the writers part, I believe his premise for the question is somewhat askew. The writer states...

"his first term does not count in asmuch as he was appointed by the Supreme Court"

The Supreme Court did not appoint the President to the Office. According to Wikipedia On December 9, the United States Supreme Court unanimously granted Bush's emergency plea for a stay of the Florida Supreme Court recount ruling, stopping the incomplete recount. On December 12, the United States Supreme Court handed down its ruling in favor of Bush by a 5-4 vote, effectively ending the legal review of the vote count with Bush in the lead. Seven of the nine justices cited differing vote-counting standards from county to county and the lack of a single judicial officer to oversee the recount, both of which, they ruled, violated the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. The crucial 5 to 4 decision held that insufficient time remained to implement a unified standard and therefore all recounts must stop.

In a nutshell...The Supreme Court only stopped the recount and let the election results stand. Not appoint G.W. Bush to the presidency.

I believe his interpretation of the constitution is also somewhat askew. The Twenty Second amendment reads:

Section 1
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

Now lets assume for a moment and by some stretch of the imagination that the writer is correct in his belief that the President was appointed. He believes that...

"If a vice president succeeds to the presidency because of the death of the president, the term of office thereby filled by the vice president does not count as his or her allotted two terms. "

Section One of the amendment clearly states

"no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once."

Therefore, the fact that President Bush served for a full 4 years in his first term would prevent him from running for a third term. His re-election in 2004 would be counted as his allotted one term of being elected to the office.

Tax Abatements Spawn Development

After the arguments by residents which challenged the city's right to seize their homes for the benefit of a private company ( Jeep manufacturer Daimler Chrysler AG ) were rejected by the the U.S. Supreme Court last summer, a new case was heard last week involving tax incentives to the tune of $300 million.

The case involves claims that Toledo residents should not pay for expenses of a private firms wanting to expand or move into the area. Their case cited a ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati that granting of tax incentives was unconstituional because it hinderd interstate commerce due to the fact that the incentives were only available to businesses that wanted to invest in Ohio.

I don't understand the reasoning in that decision. Was the court saying that Ohio should also offer incentives to companies which wish to expand outside the borders of Ohio? Justice David Souter who was skeptical about taxpayers' claims that Ohio's investment tax credit discriminates against Ohio companies that do business outside the state, stated if a company decides not to take advantage of the credit and expands elsewhere, "That's not discrimination. That's a free choice."

Recently the city offered tax incentives for the Westgate Development ($2.5 million), GM Powertrain ($34.3 million), and most recently Pro Bass Shops which included tax incentives as part of a $30 million package to build a new store in the Marina district.

I believe that tax incentives have become a neccessary and instrumental tool in luring business to locate in our cities and state. That being said, we have to be careful that these practices do not become a vicious competitive cycle that yield minimal economic benefit and leave taxpayers footing the bill.

It is my opinion that tax incentivs should not be painted with a broad brush giving the business which seek them a carte blanc to avoid all tax assesments. Rather they should be structured in such a fashion that excludes tax abatement for such services as Schools and other levys which suppport the community and which the taxpayers have voted and agreed upon. This could include "direct contributions" ( equal to the amounts which would have been generated by taxes ) by the company seeking tax abatements to those institutions supported by the levies. This would still allow those business to realize a substantial savings in taxes without jepordizing the revenues to be realized by those instituions dependent on the approved levies.

If the Toledo residents' argument is upheld, not only will it hurt economic development throughout the nation, but it will put U.S. manufacturing in an even tougher position against foreign competitors.

I hope the Supreme Court justices agree and don't buy into what is a pretty flimsy argument.

ref: Battle Creek Enquirer