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Red Cross ramps up collection efforts as summer arrives

Editorials

There’s a lot to be cheerful about, as the end of the school year, warmer weather and the arrival of the travel/vacation season have most people in more chipper moods. But for some, summertime coincides with the “100 deadliest days,” the period from approximately Memorial Day to Labor Day during which there is a dramatic increase in serious incidents such as car accidents, ATV crashes, sports-related injuries and other summertime activities. Sharon Kesselring, executive director of the American Red Cross of the Ohio Valley called it “trauma season.” Meanwhile, Kesselring ...

Medicaid reform needs a scalpel, not a sledgehammer

Editorials

Ohio’s Medicaid system needs reform. Taxpayers deserve accountability and providers should be held to high standards. Fraud, waste, and abuse should be identified and eliminated wherever they exist. But if Ohio is serious about reducing Medicaid spending over the long term, policymakers must be careful not to confuse costs with investments. Many of the services currently under scrutiny are not driving future expenditures, they are preventing them. Home- and community-based services help older adults and individuals with significant disabilities remain in their homes instead of ...

Transparency in JobsOhio can only help

Editorials

King Bureaucracy and its robe of red tape aren’t exactly the model for how to get things done effectively and efficiently. But state government agencies are bound to operate transparently enough that Ohioans can SEE what they would like to improve. JobsOhio brags on its own website that it operates in the shadows, using public money. “We’re private, which means less red tape,” the agency tells prospective development partners. “We ensure your confidentiality and safeguard you from unexpected setbacks.” Given such a message, combined with JobsOhio’s mixed-at-best ...

Anti-Nazi Democrats can’t wait to vote for the Nazi-tattoo guy

Editorials

One of the biggest mistakes we’ve made as a society is to fool ourselves into believing that politicians are good people. Now, are some politicians virtuous, hardworking and honest representatives of their constituents? Absolutely. Are some politicians motivated by a good-faith belief in public service? Absolutely. Are some politicians examples of strong moral character? Absolutely. But the idea that all politicians are virtuous, hardworking, honest, motivated by a good-faith belief in public service and examples of strong moral character? That’s just plain silly. This reminds me ...

Be wary when sitting around an open fire

Editorials

Late spring into summer is the perfect time for sitting around the fire pit in the evening, or burning off the last of the debris from cleaning up your property for the year. And burn laws do change at the beginning of June. “Starting on June 1, you can burn any time of the day. You are still required to stay with it the entire time. You’re required to have the minimum 10 foot safety strip around it. That’s what I would encourage the public is that if they do decide to burn during the summer months, especially July and August it gets very dry and we can have summer fires,” said ...

‘No Kings’ is why Trump’s face should never be on a $250 bill

Editorials

President Donald Trump’s latest scheme is to print his mug on a proposed $250 bill. The idea is eye roll- inducing, for sure. There are so many other pressing issues for the nation; it’s tempting to stay out of this dog fight. On the surface, Trump’s continued insistence to place his image and name on every entity he desires can seem trivial compared to the weighty global and domestic quandaries also on his plate. Trump’s efforts around the $250 bill are grounded in vanity. But July 4, and the nation’s 250th celebrations are nearing. Central to honoring our nation is ...