City Wire

JUL2010

By Erin Norris and David S. Lewis

Clean Air Act Holds Strong in Recent Case

In a 53-47 vote, the Senate shot down a Republican-backed resolution that challenged the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency in imposing restrictions without congressional approval. Citing Ohio's reliance on coal-fired power plants, Senator George Voinovich supported the resolution, expressing concern over the economic effect further restrictions could have on the state. Senator Sherrod Brown opposed the bill, but acknowledged the possible financial stress new laws could pose. He instead suggested a one-year waiting period for new EPA laws.

Editor's Take: Voinovich and other Republicans would be happy to take the teeth out of any EPA action, but it might be a little . . . well, soon. Too soon! Hey, we are more aware than ever what happens when powerful companies are not watched and regulated closely . . . tar balls. If the EPA has to suck up to Congress every time they need a power company to not destroy a mountain, we might as well just pave the whole damned state. And Brown's suggestion is great - let them have a year to f**k things up every time the EPA realizes they are doing something stupid.

$4 Million Expansion of Sex-Slavery Relief Proposed

In a recent meeting, Attorney General Richard Cordray and the Ohio Trafficking in Persons Study Commission announced that $4 million was required in order to support an expansion in sex-trafficking relief. The number includes the salaries and benefits - around $77,000 per year - of caseworkers, as well as the cost of institutions that provide care and rehabilitation for victims. Private institutions, as well as the general public, could potentially cover the cost.

Editor's Take: It doesn't take much time on Google to see what a problem this is in Ohio, and the last year has seen much coverage of human trafficking in local media. The warriors fighting this are tireless and working from all levels of society; we have to support them in any way we can. Again, kudos to Cordray for taking this horrible bull by its horns.

Bill Introduced to Privatize State Prisons

In an alleged attempt to cut costs and alleviate the deficit, state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would hand Ohio's prisons over to the corporate realm. Prison workers are expressing concern that this would be a threat to unions, and may result in the loss of jobs. If passed, the bill would also restrict the state's authority on how prisons are operated.

Editor's Take: If prisons become moneymaking ventures, what incentive could they possibly have to try and effectively rehabilitate prisoners? Any business needs regular customers; I can nearly see them teaching breaking-and-entering seminars. With a world-high percentage of the population locked up in prison in America, we need to feel secure that corrections facilities are trying to get prisoners out, and to keep them out . . . which would go against the basic notion of a commercial prison. We need our country to be run by responsible elected officials, and we need to keep our prisons under careful regulation; if anything, we need more regulation, not less. The very notion of a Halliburton-style prison gives me night terrors.

Columbus Police to Proceed with Redistricting Plans

Despite police unions' protest against the city's plans to alter precinct boundaries and patrol districts, plans were ultimately upheld. Claiming that it was a contract violation, The Fraternal Order of Police filed suit and appealed to a judge to stop the plans. The redistricting is expected to take effect on July 11th.

Editor's Take: The FOP alleges that the public and officers were left out of the redistricting, and that it will disrupt relationships built by officers with the communities they have served. The public has every right to cry out when the police fail or overstep their boundaries, but whoever heard of the public dictating strategy? How many officers are qualified to determine where they are most needed? Perhaps we should let officers do their jobs, and city government do its job. Likewise, the police union can keep its eye on wages and benefits, but should stay out of city safety strategy.

Originally Published: July 1, 2010

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Comments

The editors takes half right, half wrong. It is not the city governments forte and rather the Chief of Police who would know how best to strategically draw boundry lines, but ever since Jackson left, they effectively created a 2 year puppet chief of the mayor by putting her or him on probation for the 1st year, and threaten not to reappoint after the second year.

So, what we have is a redistricting plan that is clear and emphatically NOT strategic in any form, and instead is how Coleman wants to take credit for implementing a money saving police department that he THINKS will work, but know this: It ies absolutely NOT good for the public in it’s current blue print, and is NOT what the current Chief would agree with.

And had he not been puppet desperately clinging to the at-all-costs avoidance of the myriad of psychological issues, not to mention the financial loss, of being told to step down because he failed at running the department, he would have implemented the MUCH more sensible redistricting plan the FOP and rank and file DID think was a god plan.

It was.nornthat the city didn’t need redistricting, it was that the puppet chief was implementing a nonsensical plan that stretched officers very thin, more than they already are, causing more time between runs, less attention to quality of life runs (juvenile complaints, loud music complaints, etc) and with all that, took the good days off that officers patiently worked for years, sometimes over a decade for, where their family lives were centered around such days off. Most officers were okay with changing their golden days off for a sensible plan, but certainly NOT for this one that is blatantly obvious that it is horrible for the public.

Jeff Stevens | 2010-07-06 - 03:33:49 AM (CDT)

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614 Magazine - Columbus, Ohio