The City That Stole Christmas

Yes, that's right my darlings, a city that stole Christmas right here is Middletown, Ohio! For the year of 2006, I have seen Middletown grow as beaureaucratic at such a pace equal to the federal governement that I'm rethinking my stay here. What Middletown city council has failed to do is simple; listen. For goodness sake, children listen why can't grown up government officials do likewise? When any form of government fails to listen to it's constituents, government policies tend to work like a boomerang. Unfortunately, the boomerang effect knocks constituents in the head. Just when recovering from this politcal headache, constituents are powerless to stop laws being thrown out by fiat. What alarms me the most is the tactic of holding necessary programs hostage right down to simple Christmas decorations until voters give the beauracracy what it demands. Then what good is my vote? Middletown city government, like the federal government, forms under the guise of "democracy" while denying this very priviledge to it's citizens. You, as well as I, should be gravely concerned.

For you, the outsider, I need to tell you about Middletown. Middletown is a city of approxiamately 55,000 people. Like it's sister city, Hamilton (Butler County seat), Middletown used to be a thriving industial city thus many residents had good paying jobs. This city used to be so busy that railroad crossings or busy shoppers always created traffic conjestion. Today, however, like most industrial cities, Middletown is repleat with brownfields as the computer age has replaced the industrial age. The remains of the manufacturing sector have accepted tax breaks and moved to other countries. AK Steel is the only giant industry still in the region. Unfortunately, AK locked out it's hourly workers March 1, 2006 while AK's CEO, shy of earning an annual salary of one million dollars a year states "we must remain competative". While he is not suffering, there have been more foreclosures and divorces in the city of Middletown this year than anywhere else in the state. Small businesses have been moderately to severely hurt financially by this lockout. All the while, Middletown city leaders have been keen about this.

It has come to the national forefront that Ohio is the third highest taxed state in the country. Young people are leaving at a record pace in hopes of finding a lower tax bracket in another state. Roughly, thirty eight percent of a person's pay check is taken in taxes. This is just twelve percent less than citizens of Norway. Then one has to consider astronomical healthcare costs no matter where one lives in this country. Working or not, healthcare is an economic time bomb for any employee/patient. Medical professionals are not alien to this reality and this could be the source rising unprofessional attitudes among them.

Before November's elections I ran into a gentleman that told me in the past five years there have been five passed tax levies and he can not afford any more taxes. His observation, though thoughtfully stated, got me thinking. Not being from Middletown, I am suprised at the carelessness of voters when it comes to levies as they fail to consider backlashes. I have lost count of how many new schools have opened this year in Middletown yet kids are graduating from these multi-million dollar schools and can't answer simple questions from a televised gameshow. Even worse, in our multi-million dollar schools kids are smart when it comes to teen pregnacy, drug dealing, attacking a teacher, vandalizing school property, carrying weapons or timing when they will drop out of school completely. When residents had to pay up on their property taxes, this is when the outrage began--property taxes soared. Moreover, Butler County residents felt the brunt of taxes when it came to the new jail yet crime continues to soar. The last I checked there are twenty-seven sexual offenders living within a one mile radius of my address. Scary stuff!!! This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that responsibilty does not create ignorant graduates and pedophiles. Taxes and new buildings not only are ineffective to these problems but are becoming a financial strain to those who choose responsiblity as a means of a quiet simple life.

This past summer Middletown council meetings began to take the form of kids fighting over candy. Meetings were about slinging insults and accusations among council members. As council meetings progressed into the summer, this behavior was directed from council members toward concerned citizens. Then when the shoving among the little darlings got rough, a mayor was removed and several council members resigned. The real joke is that there is no clause in the city's charter that explains how to fill these vacancies. This conduct seriously damaged council's incompetence to accomplish anything for the future of Middletown. You better bet that voters took an inept council to the polls with them. The result was voters' denial of city tax increases.

Then at the federal level the Bush White House is pouring two billion dollars a day fighting a war in a country whose citizens have made it loud and clear for decades their sentiments about Americans. This Iraqi war is being fought under the guise of democracy while the US government slowly strips democracy from it's own citizens. In effort to fund this war, our government is slowly cutting programs needed by it's own citizens. I've always been a hawk at heart but my Mother told me to never to ignore your own house by worrying about the house down the street.

Oil? Notice how oil prices went down before elections? Yet, all year investigations revealed that US oil companies profited billions while average citizens went to pawn shops more than ever in hopes of finding a way to pay for a tank of gas to get to work. Corporate scandal is out of control and ordinary people are powerless to respond. Oh but if the average citizen encountered sudden hardship, the bank would be at their doorstep (I mean figuretively speaking. It is illegal for banks and collectors to appear at your door except when reposessing an automobile).

The United States government has not only become corrupt but losing much of it's power it claims to wield. Just who holds the most authority in this country? It used to be the US citizens of several hundred years ago. Today there are five and only five powerful people in this country--the majority vote in the United States Supreme Court. These five people have legislated more rights away from American citizens than any other government entity.

I'll admit that my conservative attitudes have been drastically altered as big government spills into the local arena and ostentatiously at that. Middletown council has retaliated by taking away traffic lights, city Christmas tree (though a tradition not a necessity), leaf pick up, ignoring deteriorating streets (ungraveled roads down home in the hollers are now better compared to some of the city's streets up here). City Manager, Bill Becker announced this week he is going to resign in the wake of Middletown's tax woes. Wow! This will save the city over $100,000, plus pension and medical insurance annually. Maybe the city can fix Santa Barbara Street. That poor street looks like a mine field. NOT! The city has begun to look for a new city manager. For now, Middletown has unleased an aggressive tax campaign after the voters said no to further taxes.

Their aggresive tax campaign became the last straw was when I attended a church business meeting last night. Our Pastor and church staff are faithful in accounting for every dime of our tithes. However, Pastor pointed out something on the chuch budget-a new $3600 tax. He explained that he contacted to city for an explanation. The city stated that this new tax is for "rain run-off". Since when does anyone pay a tax for rain run-off? Will we be taxed for today's snow? Tomorrow's fog? This Spring's thunderstorms? High winds? Flooding? Even more, why is a church paying any tax at all when it is legally tax exempt? Pastor stated the church should not be paying any tax at all due to a church's tax exempt status but for every new brick that goes into the new Middletown Regional Hospital, taxes are being slapped on everyone in that area like you would slap an unruly kid.

Scalawag Lyndon B. Johnson initiated tax exemption to churches as long as churches not advocate politcal candidates. Churches have complied with this federal mandate since it's inception in the 1950's but why are watchdog groups stealthly infiltrating churches today? Pastors are forbidden to stand in the pulpit and tell their congregation for whom to vote but he can tell you to go vote. He can also go to the back of that church and say anything he wishes. During the last presidential election watchdog groups went beyond worry because they saw the voters still had a choice-the choice to vote and a blessing from churches to excercise this priviledge. They admitted this helped Bush to get re-elected. Watchdog groups have vowed to return to church for the next presidential election and they will not be there sing praises. These groups were all over this area when Bush ran for office a second time. Too bad watch dog groups do not have enough sense to realize that my birthright as an American citizen does not cease when I attend church services. Duh!

Thus far, federal government is not trickling down in Middletown. Rather it is storm trooping it's way here in the guise of democracy that is affecting our pocket books and religious freedoms. Voters still contend voting is a freedom that should be excercised but what does one do with so little choices that necessary services are held hostage right before the citizens if they fail to vote "yes". Our city leaders have turned a deaf ear to what happens around us that inspire us to say "no" to more taxes. When many citizens are sent off to an expensive war, workers are locked out from their employment, jobs are lost because they are going overseas, medical care is no longer affordable, gas is strain to buy, previous levies are draining homeowners, new jails fail to reduce crime, religious freedoms are being monitored if not threatened, voters do not do their homework, the time is now to say no more. Elected officials have gained the worst reputation than anytime in our nation's history.

As I sit here sharing my thoughts, I look at what is around my computer. There is this laptop, electricity, heat, hot chocolate with marshmellows, the mug for the hot chocolate and marshmellows, salsa snack crackers, paid transportation and insurance invoices to go get all of these goodies, the clean clothes I'm wearing, the Tide and Downey to clean these clothes, Christmas cards, note pad, ink pen, journal, cat stapler, cat box, cat tin with staples, King James Bible, photo gear galore, phone, books, clock, burning candle, new box of checks, cane, handicap placard, cat photo album, cell phone, address book and other junk. All of this came with taxes. I guess the day Mother passed me through her birth canal and a social security number was mandated on me I am nobody without taxes. I just think it is a shame that my being born is only another tax id as a US citizen and nothing more.

Moo and Teddy Bear are the only two untaxed posessions I have and they are darlings! Thank goodness they have been spared from the Tax police AND the Thawt police. Who knows, someone is probably out there right now drumming up a cat police force for the little darlings.

Enough is enough! We have spoken now it is time for Middletown and all levels of governement to listen! Middletonians' wallets are starting to resemble a piece of bubble gum when it is stretched; eventually it is going to snap! If the best this city cane come up with as far as holding our Chirstmas traditions hostage and taxing people when it rains, then you can have it and become a destined ghost town. Don't worry, I'm confindent that centuries down the road some archeological team will find you. I can only hope to bloom where the Lord plants me.

Until the next dive bomb my darlings, meow