SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS By: Lesa Best March 10, 2014 In the time I’ve been going to council/committee meetings I’ve experienced a gamut of emotions and conclusions because when it comes to political parties, I’m an equal opportunity abuser. The Republicans lack empathy for anyone under a certain income bracket and the Democrats are spineless and union oriented to the point of irrationality. This has not changed because they have not changed. When the R’s were the majority I, along with anyone else could ask questions freely and without unreasonable restrictions. Now Jeremy Blake and Bill Cost have ended that. People say that gun control is the prerequisite to tyranny, I say it’s limiting speech and the prohibition of a direct dialogue between the citizen and the public official. Whenever Blake cites the idea that I (or anyone else presumably) asking a member of the administration either city or county defies “order”, it smacks of a philosophy more at home at the Berchtesgaden. Not even the R’s did that. I may have gotten into squabbles with Marmie, I may have not gotten a satisfactory answer to a question but I was NEVER stopped from asking. I was ordered to list my questions and sit down, but I don’t know if the answers would prompt more questions do I? No, apparently it’s the party whose website says the following: “We work to support Democratic candidates and office holders who: Uphold high ethical standards in government Promote human equality, dignity and worth Affirm everyone’s right to equal justice under the law Advocate for the common good Ensure fiscal responsibility, fairness and accountability Are inclusive, accessible and open to divergent points of view Support the principles of the Democratic Party As local Democrats, we also encourage everyone to be involved in the issues that affect our community and beyond. Civic participation is the essence of democracy. When citizens run for office, serve on local boards and exercise their citizenship rights, they help their communities thrive and grow.” lickingcountydemocraticparty/ This of course is all bullshit when you’re elected to office. I was told I could ask anything after the meeting, which is off the record. Who are Blake and Cost protecting and why? In other happenings…. There’s a huge car auction coming up to include hundreds of bicycles for under $5. The Licking County Health Department made their biannual report. I’ve always liked Dr. Eble (ok, he isn’t a medical doctor but the title is correct when it comes to education). I do wish they would try a bit harder, they, like most agencies around here do what’s required for grants and the state and little more. Eble talked about the new software which speeds communication and ends paperwork when it comes to inspections of restaurants, I was interested because it seemed like a great idea for property maintenance. I also asked (through an interpreter on council) about the concept of satellite offices that were more accessible to citizens, maybe a small one downtown since Price Road is a bit out of the way. Ebel acknowledged the lack of adequate transportation for those who need their services and listed a few clinics that they help out once a month. Since STD’s are a big issue I also asked about offering birth control. Again, the health department offers condoms (and we know how popular those are) and most disturbingly, he said that other agencies offer that service and they “didn’t want to compete with them.” The notion that birth control is a competition? ICK. Lastly the proposition that Newark join the rest of the civilized world when it comes to dog ownership and the radical idea of a leash law. Just as Chief Sarver was the wrong person to ask about software and servers, his opinion was just as misplaced when asked about dog behavior. To be continued.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 06:41:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015