Ocassional Thoughts of an Independent Progressive Atheistic Humanist
I got a huge chuckle out of the recent arguments on Findlay City Council over Bed Tax give aways to a certain non-profit group and not to others who asked. It gives an air of impropriety to the actions of an elected body especially when the people argue for an action that will benefit their friends.
A Bed Tax is collected from users of hotels and motels and is shared by the city of Findlay and Hancock county. Last year it amounted to about $510,000.
I received a flyer in the mail, from a new mega-church opening in my area. Normally I treat these flyers like most junk mail but this one from Cedar Creek Church promises if I come to their opening week services I will become a better lover by hearing a ‘Steamy and Sexy message’ from the Holy Bible. Just reading the flyer made me want to take a shower to get the creepiness off me.
Usually during holidays honoring veterans, I like to honor my Dad who served in Vietnam. However, for this year’s Memorial Day, I want to honor my 3rd great grandfather Jonathan Lydick (1846 – 1914). He was born in Pennsylvania and moved with his family to Northwest Ohio. He enlisted in the Union Army in 1863 at the age of 17 at Lima. He served in the 12th Ohio Cavalry as a part of Company G.
During his time in the service the 12th Ohio had operations against Morgan’s invasion of Kentucky May 31-June 20, 1864. Action at Mt. Sterling, Ky., June 9. Cynthiana June 12. Skirmish at Lebanon, Ky., July 30 (1 company). Burbridge’s Expedition into southwestern Virginia September 20-October 17. McCormack’s Farm September 23. Laurel Mountain September 29. Action at Saltville, Va., October 2. Stoneman’s Raid from Bean’s Station, Tenn., into southwestern Virginia, December 10–29. Bristol December 14. Marion December 17–18. Saltville December 20–21. Stoneman’s Raid into southwestern Virginia and western North Carolina March 21-April 25, 1865. Wilkesborough March 29. Wilkinsville N.C., April 8. Danbury April 9. Statesville and Salem April 11. Salisbury April 12. Dallas and Catawba River April 17. Swannanoah Gap April 20. Howard’s Gap, Blue Ridge Mountains, April 22. Asheville April 25. Duty in middle Tennessee, eastern Tennessee, and North Carolina, until November 1865.
A news story concerning a Ohio state senate primary race for Republicans caught my eye the other day. I didn’t attend the luncheon hosted by the Hancock County (Ohio) GOP, but from the news reports it turned into a bible debate, conservative purity check, and an attack on public education.
The attack on education was kind of ironic because two of the candidates, current State Sen. Cliff Hite and Corey Shankleton, are former teachers. Of course Senator Hite got appointed to the Ohio Senate by promising to sell out his teaching colleagues by voting for SB 5 back in 2011. SB 5 attempted to take away public employee’s rights to collective bargaining. So, I wasn’t surprised at Hite jumping on the bash public education bandwagon.
It seems the now secretive work of economic development to hide giveaways to corporations who may or may not create any jobs in Ohio has arrived in Hancock County. On Tuesday, the county commissioners went into executive session to secretly discuss what they claimed was economic development issues. It seems the Ohio state legislature put in the recent budget law a section that allows county and city governments to close meetings to the public when it will be discussing economic development. How much do you want to bet that soon we will see county taxpayer supported slush funds for corporate giveaway like the state’s JobsOhio.