Think law nullification is a quaint old timey southern strategy that was used to defend slavery in the 1860’s and segregation in the 1960’s? An Ohio Sheriff actually wrote a letter to President Obama not only implying the President is an enemy of the people but that the Sheriff would refuse to enforce any law which he personally didn’t agree. That’s right, he thinks the oath he took to uphold the laws and constitution of Ohio and the United States allows him to nullify laws he personally objects to.
In a letter dated February 1st, Hancock County Ohio Sheriff Michael Heldman decided to tell off the President of the United States:
New And Fresh: Famous Findlayians Page
I wanted to do something to celebrate the bicentennial of my hometown Findlay, Ohio. I decided to totally redo my Famous Findlayian web page. I gutted it and rebuilt it with fresh css, a splash of color, replacing some images with better ones, a new masthead image, and a couple of new additions to the list. Check it out.
Here is an example of a new person added to my cyber hall-of-fame:
Famous Findlayian page updated
Good news. I have updated my “Famous Findlayian” web page. I include more people of note with sections on Medal of Honor recipients and Congress critters.
New to the page includes Clyde “Diz” Kirkendall a softball pitcher, Bernie Little owner of the former Unlimited Hydroplane boat “Miss Budweiser”, and Marie Dressler who won a best actress Oscar in 1931.
I also updated some the pictures and information for people who were on the list already.
Snow Emergencies – An Update
While checking out the stats on who has been visiting my blog and what they have been reading I noticed I had over 700 hits yesterday and other 500 today. It is the most visits I have had on this blog EVER. The most popular article is one I wrote in 2005 about Snow Emergencies here in Ohio.(check out A Level 3 snow emergency, doesn’t necessarily mean employees must stay home)
The reason that article is popular is because yesterday Ohio was hit with its largest snow storm since 2004 when we got hit with snow, ice, and then more snow. The article was about Hancock county leaders and business owners having a conference to complain about employees using a called Level 3 Snow Emergency to ditch work. The government leaders told the business owners that while a Level 3 means not to drive on the roads – they wouldn’t interfere with businesses that forced workers to drive in it to make it to work.
The employees think that an absence caused by complying with an order not to be on the roads should not count against them at work for missing time. Business leaders are worried about losing money if they have to close down because they don’t have enough staff to work. Hancock government leaders sided with the businesses and said even though the order was to stay off the road, law enforcement wouldn’t arrest people who did. They would only act if the driver caused an accident or impeded emergency workers from doing their jobs. The penalty would be no worse than a ticket depending on the seriousness of the action.
Today, a reader sent me a note that said:
I have more questions about these “Level 3 Snow emergencies”. They’re on the radio now saying that anyone on the roads will be arrested. They’re saying that any business that refuses to close will be issued a citation.
How can they do that? When were the police given such broad powers to ignore our right to work and earn a living? What law exists that gives the police such huge powers to prohibit legal commerce? How can this possibly be constitutional. Just because they have a gun doesn’t mean they’re god!
The answer is that police have powers to protect order and the health and safety of citizens. If you being on the roads during a severe snow storm interferes with any of those duties then they can arrest you if that is what is called for by your actions.
If they have to take the time to pull you out of a ditch then that is personnel and time you take away from someone who might really need help somewhere else.
Or if you are on a road that provides the only access to area and you have an accident that blocks that road. You might prevent another person from getting prompt medical care because you just had to earn a living.
The general rule about such powers is asking if the power is reasonable given the circumstances. I think for a Level 3 snow emergency – arresting offenders is a reasonable police power.
Welcome readers of HCPU
I decided to merge the topic of Hancock County Politics Unfiltered, a blog I started 3 years ago, to comment on issues and events happening in my hometown of Findlay and Hancock County, into Doug’s Views as of today.
I don’t live there any more and I found it extremely hard to create posts on a regular basis. In fact the last post before today was about the Super Bowl back in February.
Posts related to Findlay or Hancock county will be found under those categories and tags. Past posts won’t be merged into this blog as of now. I need to find an easy way to do that. Until then you can find them on the old blog at