Happy New Year's resolutions
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
No newspaper columnist worth the ink in his veins or on his fingertips enjoys writing the obligatory New Year’s resolutions column.
That doesn’t matter.
It is as much an obligation of the profession as a gavel is to a judge or as the scales of justice are to an attorney (or defendant).
Simply put, there are anticipated expectations of journeymen newspaper columnists to put these annual resolutions on paper (or online). And it’s pretty much been that way since Gutenberg and moveable type.
In the past two decades, I’ve penned more New Year’s resolutions columns than I can recall. The one thing I do remember is this: For each and every resolution I’ve ever made, I’ve broken all of them and 10 others I thought about making.
When I was 9 or 10 years old, my dad and I were sitting around the bar in the old Eagles Aerie 1161 Lodge. (No kidding, I had bar privileges before I was “legal,” as long as they weren’t too crowded.)
One of our brothers had told his wife this particular December that he was “giving up beer” for his New Year’s resolution. Knowing the good gentleman to be a true connoisseur of the lager, my dad asked the nice lady behind the bar: “Is (so and so) really going to stop drinking beer?”
The nice lady behind the bar just laughed and said, “No, he makes that same resolution every year – and breaks it before the Rose Bowl kickoff.” (He was – and is – a Buckeyes fan.)
Given my own propensity to renege on resolutions quicker than a politician breaks his campaign promises, I no longer succumb to the temptation of putting such matters in print. Instead, I’ve found that it is much easier to call on others to abide by certain resolutions.
Specifically, I’d like to call on the following politicians to keep a few resolutions of my own choosing.
Here’s to a Happy New Year…if,
• All those entrusted and empowered to oversee local, state and federal government budgets resolve to “bring ’em in on time and under budget.” That’s our money y’all are playing with.
• Hillsboro City Council and the city administration resolve to demonstrate real leadership and refuse to give in to the various departmental union demands. You were elected to represent the citizens and taxpayers. Act like it, for goodness’ sakes. And listen to your auditor.
• The new Highland County Commission resolves to work as cohesively and effectively as the last one. This may prove to be tougher than Chinese algebra if for no other reason than the new commission will be comprised of three commissioners with a combined experience on the board of two years (the two incumbents, not up for re-election, share those two years).
The county’s outgoing commissioner with a full, four-year term in office, Gary Heaton, ought to have his number on speed dial this year. We’d be fortunate if he did. The new year could prove to be an interesting transition for county government. Time will tell.
• I’d like for new state Rep. Cliff Rosenberger to resolve to spend as much time as reasonably possible with John Carey. No, not John Kerry. But former 17th District Senator and new 87th House District Rep. John Carey.
As I have written before, John Carey is an Ohio statesman. Rep. Rosenberger would be wise to learn from his knowledge and experience, not only in the General Assembly, but in life.
I cannot imagine a better tutor and role model in Columbus for a young, newcomer like Rosenberger than John Carey. If you haven’t already done so, Cliff, invite Mr. Carey to the Old ‘Y’ Restaurant for one of their famous fish sandwiches and talk policy. You might invite Dave Daniels and Tom Niehaus, too.
• With that said, I’d like for John Carey to resolve to avoid petty, partisan politics and publicly change his recent vote against a Southern State Community College Board of Trustees member. If what Sen. Carey told me is true, the vote was cast on poor information. John, you’re better than that. Draft an amendment for a new vote (or whatever the process is) and let Judith Craig serve her term. As the governor’s new inspector general, Randy Meyer, said this week: “It doesn’t matter if you have an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ after your name.”
• I’d like for each and every member of Congress, beginning with southern Ohio stalwarts like Mike Turner, Jean Schmidt and Rob Portman, to resolve to demand a Constitutional authority reference for each and every new legislation brought before Congress. And if the legislation has no legal basis in our great Constitution, the members of Congress ought to be required to explain their respective votes – in writing – to every citizen in the nation.
• I’d like for President Obama to resolve to play less golf and less basketball and spend more time on fixing a few of the problems he promised o fix two years ago. He was a great campaigner. But he’s been a lousy president. He’s got two years to improve that record.
My guess is that his record will be all-too-similar to Jimmy Carter’s. That was a sad commentary in 1980, and it’s an equally sad commentary 30 years later.
Obama the Campaigner promised a “sunshine” period of a five-day review on any bills brought to his desk. Obama the President has repeatedly broken this promise by signing legislation that none of us have had a chance to review. These are our laws, and it’s still our money y’all are playing with.
• For those who haven’t done so, I’d like for all public bodies entrusted with public monies to put into place a contingency plan for reducing spending.
Given the recent estimates of Ohio’s $10 billion budget deficit, local and county governments, as well as schools and colleges, would be wise to anticipate a few revenue reductions this year.
Moreover, any discussions regarding additional tax levies or tuition increases would be ill-advised, to put it mildly, at this time.
Many of you have weathered the ongoing recession relatively unscathed, if you’ve noticed it at all. That’s not true for what’s left of Highland County’s private-sector workforce.
While there’s been no slashing of public jobs, there has been a serious reduction in private-sector jobs – and wages, for those not included in the county’s 14-percent unemployment rate that’s been at or near the top statewide for the past three years.
So, the next time one of us asks about your contingency plan, should state funding be reduced, please humor us with some semblance of an idea. Responding that “we can just raise tuition or taxes” is not an acceptable plan. Taxpayers have done their share – and more.
Aside from these few resolutions – none of which I expect to be kept – I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy new year.
Thanks for reading The Highland County Press; and many, many thanks to all of you who’ve taken the time to call, e-mail, stop by, place an ad or two or purchase a subscription (or three, as one of our good friends did on Tuesday, Dec. 28). Your support is appreciated more than we can say.
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]
That doesn’t matter.
It is as much an obligation of the profession as a gavel is to a judge or as the scales of justice are to an attorney (or defendant).
Simply put, there are anticipated expectations of journeymen newspaper columnists to put these annual resolutions on paper (or online). And it’s pretty much been that way since Gutenberg and moveable type.
In the past two decades, I’ve penned more New Year’s resolutions columns than I can recall. The one thing I do remember is this: For each and every resolution I’ve ever made, I’ve broken all of them and 10 others I thought about making.
When I was 9 or 10 years old, my dad and I were sitting around the bar in the old Eagles Aerie 1161 Lodge. (No kidding, I had bar privileges before I was “legal,” as long as they weren’t too crowded.)
One of our brothers had told his wife this particular December that he was “giving up beer” for his New Year’s resolution. Knowing the good gentleman to be a true connoisseur of the lager, my dad asked the nice lady behind the bar: “Is (so and so) really going to stop drinking beer?”
The nice lady behind the bar just laughed and said, “No, he makes that same resolution every year – and breaks it before the Rose Bowl kickoff.” (He was – and is – a Buckeyes fan.)
Given my own propensity to renege on resolutions quicker than a politician breaks his campaign promises, I no longer succumb to the temptation of putting such matters in print. Instead, I’ve found that it is much easier to call on others to abide by certain resolutions.
Specifically, I’d like to call on the following politicians to keep a few resolutions of my own choosing.
Here’s to a Happy New Year…if,
• All those entrusted and empowered to oversee local, state and federal government budgets resolve to “bring ’em in on time and under budget.” That’s our money y’all are playing with.
• Hillsboro City Council and the city administration resolve to demonstrate real leadership and refuse to give in to the various departmental union demands. You were elected to represent the citizens and taxpayers. Act like it, for goodness’ sakes. And listen to your auditor.
• The new Highland County Commission resolves to work as cohesively and effectively as the last one. This may prove to be tougher than Chinese algebra if for no other reason than the new commission will be comprised of three commissioners with a combined experience on the board of two years (the two incumbents, not up for re-election, share those two years).
The county’s outgoing commissioner with a full, four-year term in office, Gary Heaton, ought to have his number on speed dial this year. We’d be fortunate if he did. The new year could prove to be an interesting transition for county government. Time will tell.
• I’d like for new state Rep. Cliff Rosenberger to resolve to spend as much time as reasonably possible with John Carey. No, not John Kerry. But former 17th District Senator and new 87th House District Rep. John Carey.
As I have written before, John Carey is an Ohio statesman. Rep. Rosenberger would be wise to learn from his knowledge and experience, not only in the General Assembly, but in life.
I cannot imagine a better tutor and role model in Columbus for a young, newcomer like Rosenberger than John Carey. If you haven’t already done so, Cliff, invite Mr. Carey to the Old ‘Y’ Restaurant for one of their famous fish sandwiches and talk policy. You might invite Dave Daniels and Tom Niehaus, too.
• With that said, I’d like for John Carey to resolve to avoid petty, partisan politics and publicly change his recent vote against a Southern State Community College Board of Trustees member. If what Sen. Carey told me is true, the vote was cast on poor information. John, you’re better than that. Draft an amendment for a new vote (or whatever the process is) and let Judith Craig serve her term. As the governor’s new inspector general, Randy Meyer, said this week: “It doesn’t matter if you have an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ after your name.”
• I’d like for each and every member of Congress, beginning with southern Ohio stalwarts like Mike Turner, Jean Schmidt and Rob Portman, to resolve to demand a Constitutional authority reference for each and every new legislation brought before Congress. And if the legislation has no legal basis in our great Constitution, the members of Congress ought to be required to explain their respective votes – in writing – to every citizen in the nation.
• I’d like for President Obama to resolve to play less golf and less basketball and spend more time on fixing a few of the problems he promised o fix two years ago. He was a great campaigner. But he’s been a lousy president. He’s got two years to improve that record.
My guess is that his record will be all-too-similar to Jimmy Carter’s. That was a sad commentary in 1980, and it’s an equally sad commentary 30 years later.
Obama the Campaigner promised a “sunshine” period of a five-day review on any bills brought to his desk. Obama the President has repeatedly broken this promise by signing legislation that none of us have had a chance to review. These are our laws, and it’s still our money y’all are playing with.
• For those who haven’t done so, I’d like for all public bodies entrusted with public monies to put into place a contingency plan for reducing spending.
Given the recent estimates of Ohio’s $10 billion budget deficit, local and county governments, as well as schools and colleges, would be wise to anticipate a few revenue reductions this year.
Moreover, any discussions regarding additional tax levies or tuition increases would be ill-advised, to put it mildly, at this time.
Many of you have weathered the ongoing recession relatively unscathed, if you’ve noticed it at all. That’s not true for what’s left of Highland County’s private-sector workforce.
While there’s been no slashing of public jobs, there has been a serious reduction in private-sector jobs – and wages, for those not included in the county’s 14-percent unemployment rate that’s been at or near the top statewide for the past three years.
So, the next time one of us asks about your contingency plan, should state funding be reduced, please humor us with some semblance of an idea. Responding that “we can just raise tuition or taxes” is not an acceptable plan. Taxpayers have done their share – and more.
Aside from these few resolutions – none of which I expect to be kept – I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy new year.
Thanks for reading The Highland County Press; and many, many thanks to all of you who’ve taken the time to call, e-mail, stop by, place an ad or two or purchase a subscription (or three, as one of our good friends did on Tuesday, Dec. 28). Your support is appreciated more than we can say.
Happy New Year, Everyone!
Rory Ryan is publisher and editor of The Highland County Press.[[In-content Ad]]