Increase while you can - limit the damage later

City counsel is considering a proposal to increase the fine for speeding and red light violations caught by traffic cameras within the city. Personal, political, and constitutional arguments aside, why would the city counsel be considering such a move at this time while a case is currently before the Ohio Supreme Court on the constitutionality of such tickets, and legislation has been proposed at the state level banning all such measures. Additionally, several cases from Toledo are currently being litigated on this issue, including, as the recent Blade article stated, one seeking class action status.


Why not wait. If the violations are ruled to be unconstitutional, or the legislation passes banning them, what benefit will the city have gained by this most recent move. The counsel may in fact have created a larger job for the law department in attempting to collect from the private company after the fact and defending the potential flood of lawsuits.



The facts about this enforcement method are sketchy at best. They have not been shown to reduce accidents. When a driver is approaching an intersection with a camera, it is unlikely they have the time or aforethought to consider the camera when making the decision to go through or aggressively apply their brakes. IF they do consider the camera, they are likely to stop more abruptly (or try to, often on wet/icy roads), potentially causing more accidents when the drivers behind them don't anticipate the quick stop. On a national level the cameras have been shown to be ineffective, and increase accidents.



I trust the science; the technology, delay in photo activation, and video replay systems in place are accurate. BUT, I don't agree with taking enforcement discretion out of the equation, removing the due process rights of: confrontation, presentation of evidence, and fair trial/hearing out of traffic enforcement for financial gain. But I digress.



My initial point is, once again the city is considering a counterproductive, potentially inefficient and costly move toward increased government control, the big brother state, and waisting its time and resources on measures that may be deemed illegal soon by our Supreme Court and Legislature.



Take a breath Carty, Chief Navarre and Counsel................lets see where the chips fall before we ante up more citizens freedom for the almighty dollar to a private Arizona company.



I guess I will add my pending red light ticket to the class action.



The A-Hole.

Sad Appreciation

Today on my way into work I pulled behind a shiny new TPD patrol cruiser.

My first thought was, "cool a new police car, they deserve it, and as a city we deserve it." I was all warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Then it hit me. HOW SAD is it that I am so used to seeing crappy, broken down, dirty, embarrassing patrol cars, that this clean new one was a shock and surprise.

Toledo and NW Ohio have allot to offer (and I don't want to be known as one of the people who down Toledo as a city) but the Mayor's policies, budget decisions, politics and the Democrat's long standing control over the area make it harder and harder each day.

Vote early, vote often.............no new taxes ----- and limit the old ones too.

The A-Hole.

Counter Productive?? A union does Toledo another disservice

A corporate giant buys HCR Manor care. Manor care appears to be a well run company providing quality service. (Notice before the buyout there were no cries of mistreated residents or poor health care at their facilities.) The corporate giant at this point may not have any reason to move the headquarters, fire personnel, or make any large scale changes, all of which would cost substantial amounts of money.

BUT.

A union - seeing a chance to make some headlines - decides to protest the corporate buyout, knowing full well that they will have ZERO IMPACT in the decision to sell. In standard union form they attack the income of the director, make false allegations about the quality of the service provided (health care will decline), and attempt to influence people through fear -- "The 700 jobs will be lost to elsewhere!!!"

SO.

The corporate giant, who previously did not have a reason to make changes, sees this political stunt as in indication of the headaches it may face if it maintains the headquarters of its newly acquired corporation in Toledo, Ohio. Measuring the cost of change against the cost and heartache of the status quo, do you think the union has DECREASED the likelihood of Toledo losing these 700 jobs or INCREASED that chance?

Do you think other large employers who may consider NW Ohio as a potential investment location are encouraged to do so when faced with this union protest, or more likely to choose another city for investment?

We won't even talk about the other businesses in that building being adversely effected by the locked doors. Ficocia's apparently was "closed for repairs," or the expenditure of YOUR TAX DOLLARS on the increased police presence at this sham of a political stunt.

The A-Hole.

SCHIP - Rhetoric - Another Ohio Dem. on YouTube

Apparently Robin Weirauch is on Youtube attacking Bush and conservatives who support his veto of the SCHIP program expansion.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxq3OuN7WXA




With Ohio already expanding its child health insurance welfare program to include families living 200% over the federal poverty line it is no surprise that another Ohio democrat wants to increase Uncle Sam's control of our pocketbooks, wallets, and soon our medical charts, treatment and care.

All the while demonizing cold hearted conservatives who believe in small government, and the idea that the government should not TAKE from me, to GIVE to someone else, regardless of purpose and especially if that person or their family is making $60,000+ a year.

Democrat political definitions: a failure to expand a program = a cut.

Failure to support taking your money (remember kids the Govt. HAS NO MONEY OF ITS OWN) and giving it to someone the Govt. FEELS is deserving = a cold hearted, uncaring, desire to see innocent children suffer.


The A-Hole.

Thank you Stranahan

I want to send a thank you to the Stranahan family, foundation, et al.

The Stranahan Foundation is the reason conservative speakers and guests come to the University of Toledo College of Law. The foundation set up a fund to finance such speeches and events at the law school because Mr. Stranahan knew he could not ensure his money would be used to support conservative ideas if he just gave it to the law school administration. Of this I know what I speak.

Last night I took my family to the Stranahan theater for the first time. We saw Cirque De Sole...........WOW. GREAT venue, great show. I assume it is called the Stranahan because of funding and philanthropy from the family/foundation. I hope I am right. Another shining star in the Toledo/Lucas County area.

I see the Stranahan name in the museum as well, and I think at the Zoo.

Toledo has a lot to offer. It looks like the Stranahan's had much to do with that.

Thanks.

The A-Hole.

GPA vs. Guts

On Glass City Jungle a post stated that Lucas County and Toledo Muni prosecutors are EXCLUSIVELY the bottom of their law school glasses. Here is my response.



TPDBlue - Your speaking out of your ass, and just like you are offended by generalizations about COPS, you should know better.


“The Prosecutors in Lucas County Common Pleas Court and Toledo Municipal Court are exclusively bottom of their Law School class graduates.” First, not true. Secondly;


Law school class rank has little to do with a lawyer’s ability to interpret, apply, and argue the law, especially criminal law. Why do top class graduates get recruited by large firms, because civil, transactional, and contract law all REQUIRE massive research and writing hours. Those “top of the class” newbie lawyers won’t see a courtroom, interview a witness, or speak to a judge (let alone try a case) for YEARS.


The criminal law does not GENERALLY, have a large research component, but forces a new lawyer to do the groundwork, and actually apply the law on his or her feet. Give me a logical, common sense, dedicated, practical lawyer with some life experience and street sense over a law school valedictorian any day.


The A-Hole.

The Diaper Babies

This is my RESPONSE to a post on Glass City Jungle related to Toledo courts and prosecutors.

Where to start:

I don’t know Judge Goulding, and I was practicing in another city when he first took the municipal bench.

A quick history of myself to set the context of my comments.

Occupation - Asshole Lawyer-
Resume’ - US Army officer, Cop, diaper wearing Toledo public defendner intern - Asshole lawyer.

Initially ALL FELONIES are heard in Muni court #3.Deals are made on 95% of those charges - BY COUNTY PROSECUTORS. Deals are made by county prosecutors, with the input of the arresting officers and investigating detectives, opposed by SEASONED VETERAN LAWYERS (with the help of diaper wearing interns.)

The diaper babies have years of experience, see thousands of cases, and know both sides when they make a recommendation, which is approved by the defending lawyer and the prosecutor. Chad, there are no “paying” cases.

Carty HAS cut/gutted the CITY prosecutors office; however, he has no bearing on the county prosecutors who are working the felonies heard in municipal court #3.

MOST, of the city prosecutors are neither brain dead or sloppy. Their dockets are overloaded, they have minimal resources, NO JAIL SPACE (which is regulated by federal limits and each JUDGE’S bed space allocation), and they ARE effected by the political machinations and ramblings of Carty and others.

Are many of the prosecutors inexperienced? Yes. But, that is a problem of Federal, State, and local priorities, wages, and APPRECIATION. A well intentioned, hard working, dedicated, civic minded attorney cannot afford to take a prosecution job, or remain for an extended time, unless they are young, single, and willing to pass up on better opportunities as their careers move forward.

Sure, it would be “nice” if these dedicated professionals had the altruistic inclination to remain in the prosecutor’s office for decades becoming masters of their craft and providing citizens with the “Law and Order” version of a local prosecutor. That is simply unrealistic.
Unless the prosecutor is the secondary bread winner for their family, he or she would be doing THEIR FAMILY a disservice by remaining underpaid, overworked, and underappreciated for YEARS, while passing on better jobs.

To the citizens who helped get our fine example of the public arrested. GOOD JOB. Keep it up. Public Safety IS a COMMUNITY ISSUE, which is supported by law enforcement. Replace your outside lights, walk in groups in the neighborhood at night (with cell phones), KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR and their kids. Report, report, report, report, and document. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Show your documentation to city counsel, the mayors office, and county officials. Elect public safety minded candidates.

FIGHT gun control at all levels. An armed citizenry is a safe citizenry; unarmed we are servants to tyranny and victims of the criminal. Notice, I DID NOT SAY ARM YOURSELF. I said fight gun control. There is a difference!

The decision to be a gun owner and the responsibility that comes with that decision is not something every citizen should or can make appropriately. BUT, in an unarmed society the criminals know that LAW ABIDING citizens do not have that choice.

The A-Hole.