In the last few weeks, the Medina County Board of Commissioners, which has three Republicans and no Democrats, has announced that it is considering laying off county workers, raised sewer rates for Medina County residents using the county-run sewer system, and still wants to build a new courthouse. All four judges in the present county courthouse, who presumably would benefit by building this new courthouse, signed a letter urging the Commissioners to delay the construction because of the bad economy. Yet, the County Commissioners persist in going ahead with the construction.
Now, to be fair, one of the County Commissioners, Pat Geissman, has come out against building the new courthouse, at least at this time. She had a very good column in the Medina County Gazette spelling out her position. Interestingly, the other two Republican Commissioners, Steve Hambley and Sharon Ray, personally paid for an ad that told Gazette readers that they supported the new courthouse construction, but, unlike Geissman's column, didn't really give any reasons for their position other than to make statements with no analysis of why the statements were factually accurate.
Complicating the situation for the Commissioners is that a Republican Judge, John Lohn, has ordered the Board to fund his court at a certain level. If Lohn is successful in this effort, it could lead to other county officials seeking court orders to fund mandated services. All in all, it is a very interesting time in Medina County.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
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1 comments:
I am not surprised the Republican Commissioners want to proceed with the new courthouse despite the better judgment of waiting until the economy is better. They have no doubt promised to friends in the architectural and construction sectors that they will be rewarded handsomely by this project. That is the ingrained Republican mentality: get into office for rewarding your friends with tax money. Best examples: Bush and Cheney and the billions in unbid contracts for their war. Taft and Republicans in 100's millions to their friends for unregulated, and in some cases non-existent, charter schools. Why shouldn't the local Republicans follow suit. It is the Republican way - govern for yourself and your friends. It is the Republican platform, ideology, and mentality, i.e., take the advantage - only weaklings (according to Rush Limbaugh) would think of the common good.
This case is no different than when they tried to shut down the County Home. Does anyone think they care about citizens and the community of Medina County? Not in the least do they care. They wanted to steer business to their friends in the nursing home sector who had some empty rooms. Don't forget their mantra that private industry can do everything better than government. It has been shown over and over again that that is nothing more than taking tax money and giving it (sometimes with no strings attached at all) to friends who put you in office.
We got rid of these people nationally. When well we do it locally?
Charlie Pfeiffer
Medina, Ohio
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