Putting it all in perspective
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
It's funny how an afternoon at the hospital emergency room can put things into their proper perspective.
I'd just returned from the ER at Highland District Hospital Monday afternoon when a gentleman stopped by the office to complain about free papers in his yard. Really?
While I tried to appreciate his major personal catastrophic and significant inconvenience upon finding a few papers in his yard (which took all of 10 seconds to remove), on the grand scale of things today, his little personal predicament didn't even register on my Richter scale.
After watching my father and best friend at the time die of cancer 23 years ago this May, very few things hit the really serious notes on my own radar. Having children and family members with serious medical issues are about the only things that really worry me.
But it never ceases to amaze what some people will allow themselves to get all worked up about. Go figure.
* * *
Along the same lines of incredulity, a friend of mine sent the following e-mail this week:
"I can't believe Obama flew to Dayton to watch a college basketball game at the taxpayers' expense and nothing is said about it. Most people in Ohio can't afford to put gas in their cars and he spends thousands of dollars so he can watch a ballgame. It sure would have been better for the taxpayers if he would have watched it on ESPN."
It certainly would have been cheaper.
When I heard this morning that Obama's NCAA tournament brackets were among the most accurate submitted in an online pool, an old saying occurred to me.
Back before Brown Publishing went bankrupt, the company used to hold an annual golf outing. I played in it exactly one time at the Snow Hill Country Club. Every time I hit a bad shot – which was often – the company president told me I was working too hard. (The implication being that I wasn't screwing around playing golf on company time.)
The same thought process ought to apply to Obama and his NCAA brackets. If he knows so much about college basketball, there are only two reasonable explanations: Either he's not working very hard or someone else filled out his bracket.
Years ago, former Indiana Hoosier and Boston Celtic point guard Quinn Buckner was on network television and asked then-President Bill Clinton if he had "filled out his brackets."
Clinton looked like he had no clue what Buckner was talking about.
I remember thinking that was a good thing.
We do not need presidents who can pick Kentucky or North Carolina in a basketball pool. We need presidents who can look and act presidential, with more than a passing knowledge of world economies and international affairs. (And presidents who don't send iPods to European royalty. That's beyond tacky.)
On the bright side, at least Obama is good at something. But I wonder how many of Ohio's four Sweet Sixteen teams he picked? That's what I thought.
* * *
Your local newspaper picked up on an interesting – but not at all surprising – story this week from the Center for Public Integrity and its recent nationwide survey on government transparency and accountability.
Ohio received a D grade from the center when it comes to transparency, accountability and anti-corruption efforts in government.
The center gave eight state governments an “F” grade: Georgia, Maine, Michigan, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.
Not one state received an A grade.
Ohio scored a 66 and ranked 34th of the 50 states.
In a comprehensive story by Caitlin Ginley at www.iwatchnews.org, the center reports, "The tales are sadly familiar to even the most casual observer of state politics.
"Open records laws with hundreds of exemptions. Crucial budgeting decisions made behind closed doors by a handful of power brokers. 'Citizen' lawmakers voting on bills that would benefit them directly. Scores of legislators turning into lobbyists seemingly overnight. Disclosure laws without much disclosure. Ethics panels that haven’t met in years.
"State officials make lofty promises when it comes to ethics in government. They tout the transparency of legislative processes, accessibility of records, and the openness of public meetings. But these efforts often fall short of providing any real transparency or legitimate hope of rooting out corruption."
Just last week, Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost reported that only 60 percent of Ohio cities responded promptly to a recent request for public records. Yost reported the results in recognition of Sunshine Week.
“Those reporters made their requests as members of the public, in order to test the system,” Yost said. “Within the reasonable time, we were only 10 points better than 2004, and we asked as the Auditor of State. If my office gets only 60 percent, what is the response rate for a lone citizen?”
Hey, Dave, here's your answer: Lousy.
As recently as Monday afternoon (March 19), The Highland County Press made two public records requests from two separate public offices and we were stonewalled both times.
Eventually, we did get a few answers to the information that belongs to all of us.
But why stonewall? We were not asking for international defense secrets or the number to the red phone in Moscow. (Hint: It is NOT 840-9490.)
The Center for Public Integrity did commend Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, however.
"In an attempt to shed the state of its scandalous political history, (Gov. Jindal) enacted sweeping ethics reform legislation as one of his first acts in office back in 2008. Among the new laws: financial disclosure requirements for nearly every public official and caps on how much lobbyists can spend on meals and drinks."
Sounds reasonable to this taxpayer. How about you? Anyone got the nerve to weigh in?
That's what I thought.
In this test of government transparency, as goes the nation, so goes Ohio and so goes Highland County.
To be sure, there are exceptions to the rule. There are honest, ethical public officials who are not acting solely for personal gain. But there are the "other ones," too.
After all, these are our records. Sometimes you just have to know where to look and to have the good sense to make a few backup copies of what you've found. Just in case.
Rory Ryan is the publisher of Highland County's only locally owned and operated newspaper.[[In-content Ad]]
I'd just returned from the ER at Highland District Hospital Monday afternoon when a gentleman stopped by the office to complain about free papers in his yard. Really?
While I tried to appreciate his major personal catastrophic and significant inconvenience upon finding a few papers in his yard (which took all of 10 seconds to remove), on the grand scale of things today, his little personal predicament didn't even register on my Richter scale.
After watching my father and best friend at the time die of cancer 23 years ago this May, very few things hit the really serious notes on my own radar. Having children and family members with serious medical issues are about the only things that really worry me.
But it never ceases to amaze what some people will allow themselves to get all worked up about. Go figure.
* * *
Along the same lines of incredulity, a friend of mine sent the following e-mail this week:
"I can't believe Obama flew to Dayton to watch a college basketball game at the taxpayers' expense and nothing is said about it. Most people in Ohio can't afford to put gas in their cars and he spends thousands of dollars so he can watch a ballgame. It sure would have been better for the taxpayers if he would have watched it on ESPN."
It certainly would have been cheaper.
When I heard this morning that Obama's NCAA tournament brackets were among the most accurate submitted in an online pool, an old saying occurred to me.
Back before Brown Publishing went bankrupt, the company used to hold an annual golf outing. I played in it exactly one time at the Snow Hill Country Club. Every time I hit a bad shot – which was often – the company president told me I was working too hard. (The implication being that I wasn't screwing around playing golf on company time.)
The same thought process ought to apply to Obama and his NCAA brackets. If he knows so much about college basketball, there are only two reasonable explanations: Either he's not working very hard or someone else filled out his bracket.
Years ago, former Indiana Hoosier and Boston Celtic point guard Quinn Buckner was on network television and asked then-President Bill Clinton if he had "filled out his brackets."
Clinton looked like he had no clue what Buckner was talking about.
I remember thinking that was a good thing.
We do not need presidents who can pick Kentucky or North Carolina in a basketball pool. We need presidents who can look and act presidential, with more than a passing knowledge of world economies and international affairs. (And presidents who don't send iPods to European royalty. That's beyond tacky.)
On the bright side, at least Obama is good at something. But I wonder how many of Ohio's four Sweet Sixteen teams he picked? That's what I thought.
* * *
Your local newspaper picked up on an interesting – but not at all surprising – story this week from the Center for Public Integrity and its recent nationwide survey on government transparency and accountability.
Ohio received a D grade from the center when it comes to transparency, accountability and anti-corruption efforts in government.
The center gave eight state governments an “F” grade: Georgia, Maine, Michigan, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.
Not one state received an A grade.
Ohio scored a 66 and ranked 34th of the 50 states.
In a comprehensive story by Caitlin Ginley at www.iwatchnews.org, the center reports, "The tales are sadly familiar to even the most casual observer of state politics.
"Open records laws with hundreds of exemptions. Crucial budgeting decisions made behind closed doors by a handful of power brokers. 'Citizen' lawmakers voting on bills that would benefit them directly. Scores of legislators turning into lobbyists seemingly overnight. Disclosure laws without much disclosure. Ethics panels that haven’t met in years.
"State officials make lofty promises when it comes to ethics in government. They tout the transparency of legislative processes, accessibility of records, and the openness of public meetings. But these efforts often fall short of providing any real transparency or legitimate hope of rooting out corruption."
Just last week, Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost reported that only 60 percent of Ohio cities responded promptly to a recent request for public records. Yost reported the results in recognition of Sunshine Week.
“Those reporters made their requests as members of the public, in order to test the system,” Yost said. “Within the reasonable time, we were only 10 points better than 2004, and we asked as the Auditor of State. If my office gets only 60 percent, what is the response rate for a lone citizen?”
Hey, Dave, here's your answer: Lousy.
As recently as Monday afternoon (March 19), The Highland County Press made two public records requests from two separate public offices and we were stonewalled both times.
Eventually, we did get a few answers to the information that belongs to all of us.
But why stonewall? We were not asking for international defense secrets or the number to the red phone in Moscow. (Hint: It is NOT 840-9490.)
The Center for Public Integrity did commend Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, however.
"In an attempt to shed the state of its scandalous political history, (Gov. Jindal) enacted sweeping ethics reform legislation as one of his first acts in office back in 2008. Among the new laws: financial disclosure requirements for nearly every public official and caps on how much lobbyists can spend on meals and drinks."
Sounds reasonable to this taxpayer. How about you? Anyone got the nerve to weigh in?
That's what I thought.
In this test of government transparency, as goes the nation, so goes Ohio and so goes Highland County.
To be sure, there are exceptions to the rule. There are honest, ethical public officials who are not acting solely for personal gain. But there are the "other ones," too.
After all, these are our records. Sometimes you just have to know where to look and to have the good sense to make a few backup copies of what you've found. Just in case.
Rory Ryan is the publisher of Highland County's only locally owned and operated newspaper.[[In-content Ad]]