Once again, Rob Portman is ahead of the legislative curve. The current U.S. senator and former Second District congressman from eastern Hamilton County campaign strongly on job retention and creation in last year's race against Lee Fisher. A big part of that campaign was an incentive for employers which called for a one-year payroll tax holiday on all income below $50,000.

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”

I was fortunate to serve with Ben on the SSCC board since his appointment by Gov. Ted Strickland in 2008/ In addition to his friendship, the board appreciated Ben’s straightforward approach and wonderful sense of humor. He will be missed more than words can say.

Our thought-process behind the coverage has been this: Be accurate, be fair, be informative to the general public and be beholden to no one. Simply put, we have no entangling alliances with any public official, candidate for public office, or political party. Period. We intend to keep it that way, too.

While I’ll miss Ed’s old-fashioned, fire-and-brimstone radio sermons, the sinner in me might just rest a bit easier this coming Sunday. (Mr. Bousman, please, don’t tell St. Peter.) Besides, you and the Good Lord have bigger issues to solve for the rest of us. Godspeed, Ed Bousman & Family.

OK. You can't say I didn't warn you. Do not, I repeat DO NOT go to this website: http://www.usdebtclock.org/# I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO IT!

Thank you to the Southern State family for setting up this scholarship in Bill’s name. This is only a hunch, but I’m wagering that all future scholarships will find their way to students truly deserving and truly in need of a little assistance. Bill wouldn’t have it any other way.

Consider this: If there were not an Independent candidate in the November general election (fortunately, there is), a scant 4 percent (295/6666) of the city’s population would have elected the next mayor. Or, if you prefer, a mere 9 percent of possible voters (460 total votes cast, divided by 4,709 potential voters) would have determined the city’s next mayor. The candidates worked too hard for such a dismal representation of potential voters.

Haley Barbour was professional enough to see this and stepped aside this week. Sarah Palin should follow his lead. Ditto Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and the any other of the same old cast of characters. Sadly, this probably includes former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, as well as Ron and Rand Paul. OK. Mr. Wise Guy, you might inquire: Who’s left? So glad you asked!

Ramona Collins deserves credit for enhancing my Baseball Spirits in this still early spring, by sharing a family scrapbook from the summer of 1956. The book includes one of – if not the first – Little League teams in Hillsboro. I quickly recognized several names in the photo caption of then-youngsters like Garry Boone, David Pence, Eddie Robbins, Perry Harewood, Johnny Tener and many others. In addition to the cool (vintage?) photographs, the Collins family scrapbook also included a number of old newspaper clippings. One, in particular, caught my eye. From a July 17, 1956 headline, we read: “Three Redlegs to be visitors Wednesday for All-Star Game.”

CBS News correspondent Charles Kuralt once said: “Most Americans, it turns out, are not running for office, not running from the police, and not alienated from their society. Their lives are well filled, their nature is generous, and they are at peace with their neighbors.” Who knew?

This political propaganda really didn’t bother me. It was sent on behalf of the Ohio Democratic Party, and that’s just the type of rhetoric I’ve come to expect from both major political parties. They’re much more focused on trite sound bites than actually solving the problems. Neither party has a corner on the trite – or tripe! – market. What does bother me, however, and what ought to bother a lot of taxpayers, is when a public, taxpayer-funded resource is used for similar political partisanship.

Send your thoughts on candidates Daniels, Hastings and Mikkelsen to me at: roryeryan@gmail.com or just stop me on West Main Street around 5 a.m. most mornings. I’ll be the guy with the broom.

Consumers are supposed to install the mercury filled compact fluorescent lamp in place of the standard bulbs. Now, I'll admit to having been called a dim bulb a time or two. But hasn't the EPA warned us of the hazards of mercury? What, pray tell, are we supposed to do if we break a couple of these CFLs? Call in the Haz-Mat unit? Are the meth-lab Haz-Matters licensed in mercury removal, too?

Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt said this week the city is still open to negotiations with the townships – in spite of the notice to cancel services. While that is an apparent contradiction, it’s also a reflection on the difficult economic climate that affects all of us.