CAUGHT MY EYE … Congratulations to the Wauseon FFA for its recent award – Top 10 In The State – FFA. Often only student athletes receive acknowledgement from the media, here is another shout out to those outside the athletic realm. We had a story on their achievements in last week’s edition of “The Wauseon Reporter”.
CROSSED MY MIND … I’m tough on our country’s leadership, I have been so under three different Presidents now. Simply put, I feel a large percentage of our leadership from all sides of the aisle are completely out of touch from the general working class American family. Some readers have already submitted remarks about my past “thoughts” concerning leadership issues, sorry, here is another one.
Let me get this straight? White House tours are still closed to the public tax payers to save “Secret Service” payroll monies (a sign that the government is ‘tightening its belt’). Yet a private party costing how much was held this last week in the White House? A musical celebration and party for our country’s leadership and provided my millionaires who I am sure required plenty of “protection” in addition to extra Secret Service payroll time?
The tax payers of this country cannot tour one of the most amazing buildings in our countries history, yet our leadership can party in private chambers.
Nice, why not eat a T-Bone in front of the homeless? Sorry, I find our economic conditions still horrific as the working class is not getting further ahead than generations before them. It is not time to wine and dine in front of us! According to several articles I read on the subject, guess who is picking up the bill? You guessed it.
Why not cancel the event, take these funds and provide a warm meal for Washington D.C.’s homeless? Why not give a $5 McDonald’s card to every “out of work” Maryland worker who is trying to find a job. Mr. President, you were elected on the promise to work for the poor and middle class, maybe you can act like it?
The same goes for Republicans that shout from the rooftops about balancing the budget, yet they cannot pay for their own maxed out credit card bills. Come on America, am I just upset because it is tax time for my small business, which takes an amazing toll on us or could this be chalked up to lack of “common sense”?
We need leadership in touch with reality and unfortunately those running from this perspective never make it due to lack of campaign funds. I think the average Republican and Democrat in this country have a lot more in common with each other than most (not all) of our leadership does with its citizens.
I am not saying our leadership shouldn’t have luxuries. I think the office of the President should be honored. These folks worked hard to get to where they are in their professional careers, spending their lives preparing themselves for their leadership positions. But I always have felt, and communicated, don’t tell me anything, show me. “I love you” means nothing if you treat me like crap all day long. “I’m for those struggling” on the campaign trail means nothing if you do not make needed cuts in your circle. “Give to the needy” means little from you when your taxes are revealed and you gave less than the average Christian gives to their church yet you make 100+ times what the average American family makes. Actions folks, actions.
Next subject, I already have blood pressure issues and I feel this is going to end up poorly for me.
CAUGHT MY EYE … A 19.5 degrees between monthly average temperatures in March 2012 (warm) versus 2013 (cold).
CAUGHT MY EYE … Thank you to the Ohio Newspaper Association and a lot of “common sense” folks to work hard on preventing the governor’s idea of placing sales tax on print advertisement. What may sound good when looking at a spreadsheet, can easily kill dozens if not hundreds of 100+ year Ohio newspapers that are struggling like everyone else in this economy.
From our association’s president Dennis R. Hetzel, “The sales tax expansion to services, which would have included a tax on advertising, has been dropped from the budget bill making its way through the House Finance Committee. That’s good news. And the efforts of many ONA (Ohio Newspaper Association) members have helped make this possible.”
The bad news?
Again from Mr. Hetzel, “While we have a fairly high confidence level that an advertising tax will not be in the final budget, Finance Committee Chair Ron Amstutz, R-Wooster, made it clear yesterday that legislators will continue to work on tax reform ideas. I will not be surprised if some type of expanded sales tax on services is in whatever goes to Gov. Kasich in June. The effort would be to focus only on taxation at the “end user” basis. That would seem to exclude advertising and other pyramiding effects of taxing all services. However, as always, it’ll be about the details.”
“Republican governors around the country have embraced the idea that a long-term goal for funding state government is to sharply reduce or eliminate income taxes and replace them with expanded taxes on “consumption” – as in sales taxes on goods and services. This is not the last we will see of this concept.”
I have preached this message locally, at the state level and watching Federal elections, you cannot tax the job creators. Just because 90%+ or whatever percentage of the country receives a paycheck from these job creators and they do not experience and think about the effect this has on employers, doesn’t mean it is a good idea. Instead do what is needed to help them create jobs (less rules, regulations and for crying out loud taxes!).
CROSSED MY MIND … Mr. Rex Stump – “The Village & Wauseon Reporter” should discontinue your weekly column on the church page (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). I’m tired of being convicted by your common sense and Biblical messages. I had an email set for delivery to a client who has slapped me upside the head, been rude to my staff and myself and my wrath was ready to respond – aka, crazy psycho client go find a river and jump in it.
Mr. Stump, I the read your column before sending the newspaper pages to the press last week and felt that “conviction” that tends to be how the Lord speaks to me. Now I had to delete my nasty response and act like a Christian, avoiding reacting from the flesh (even saying a short prayer for the party treating us poorly).
I should delete your column Rex, and oh ya, thank you and keep up the good work!
CAUGHT MY EYE… The City of Wauseon will also be having its second annual fireworks display this year. The show will be held on July 4 with a fundraiser being held June 1 to help secure funds. The fundraiser will be much the same as last year and will include chicken and pork chop dinners as well as a live band. The fundraiser will begin at 4:30 pm with the band beginning to play around 6:30 or 7:00 that evening. Dinners are available until they run out but the band will be playing as late as midnight.
CROSSED MY MIND … As always, if you have a local news suggestion, please drop an email my way, we want to hear from you! I may be reached at either publisher@thevillagereporter.com or publisher@wauseonreporter.com.[/emember_protected]
