Hunger Games won a few things and I did like that movie but . . . . the best? Hunger Games . . Lincoln . . . .can't decide which is better. Tough one there. Of course MY favorite category is ON-SCREEN CHEMISTRY!! Which was of course won by the three Hunger Games dudes and dudette.
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CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO OUTLAW THE USE OF LOL
In a stunning vote last night the City Council of Columbus Wisconsin became the first community to outlaw the use of "LOL".
When asked the reason for this vote it was learned that in super secret stealth encrypted emails that were dug up by unnamed enemy's of Mr. Kraemer the former City Administrator between he and the CEO of WalMart*1 (I believe his name is Wally Walmart - please fact check this) who was looking to buy land next to ShopKo, the former Admin said "well, if you think that is a good deal I got 2000 more acres LOL".
The CEO thought Kramer was being serious as he understood LOL as being "Land of Lincoln", Springfield ILL and promptly purchased an additional 2000 acres. We all know that LOL is intertube slang for when something is not at all funny but the user wishes it were.
Subsequently Kramer resigned his position immediately and has not been heard from since.
Meanwhile the Police Department has been spending hundreds of hours a day issuing 25 demerit points on all blogs and Facebook posts. Letters will be in the mail soon.
"This is a crime and is a gateway acronym to much harder acronyms" someone was heard probably saying.
Tabled for the next CC meeting were YOLO and 224 more acronyms (which is an acronym in itself) as the City Attorney needs to be involved and the use of demerit points of improper use of an acronym are discussed.
*1 NOTE - WalMart was actually intending to buy Columbus but the deal fell through when looking at the conditions of the streets.
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In in more important news - Arrested Development IS coming back. In May as a brand new NETFLIX show. Fourteen brand new episodes are being filmed with the original characters.
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| This is where cheese curds come from |
What an angry little town we have.
I visited 6 stores downtown and got an ear full of complaints, some valid and some not so valid. I think that some people say "I know it cost a lot to repair streets but they need to have it done" but do they how much? It's about 1.2 million dollars a mile you know.
This is going to sound really weird but seriously - it's on topic, I'll probably lose the election because of this (I hope not). But I'm a numbers lover. I keep track of every thing (not to the point of being "weird".
I have simulated thousands of hours on SIM City (In SimCity, the player is given the task of founding and developing a city, while maintaining the happiness of the citizens and keeping a stable budget.) keeping track of every penny and where it goes and if it does any good. SIM City is a amazingly sophisticated city growth simulation where I am basically God running a city making my little SIMS happy and sad going through economic cycles and so forth. A guns and butter thinking "game", I'm not a thumb jockey.
Does it mimic REAL life problems with real people? no - but it's more the most people have as a background.
ANYWAY - The roads of Columbus.
The problem with Columbus roads is NOT Columbus! Columbus and all towns have their hands tied when it comes to infrastructure because of STATE Government.
You see when infrastructure fails in most other States around the country a town can raise taxes by lets say 0.5% for a short time for a quick smack of cash to rebuild infrastructure. People don't like it but the roads get fixed. In SIM City the roads need repair the SIMS complain and start to move out of town and ask for a new government. The gov raise taxes for a short time to get a shot of cash to fix the roads and infrastructure the SIMS start to complain again (they are actually never ever happy) but on something different. Things get fixed, taxes go down, roads are smooth, business returns and the city moves along.
The problem is our current State Government will not let city's raises taxes for any reason. It's their pledge. NEVER RAISE TAXES! So all money that is used for fixing things HAS to come from property taxes which are going to public safety and other services. It's not that the City is ignoring infrastructure, it's just that their hands are tied. Do we crush the Fire Department and Police Department so we have smooth roads? No, in order to MAINTAIN what we have property taxes need to be bumped up!
It totally blows - I know. So we have an economic downturn with less sales, less sales tax, the city worth has dropped because property worth has dropped and people wonder why their property tax has risen.
This is a very very basic explanation but is part of the big picture.
I just pray that Godzilla does not trample though the center of town because we are all screwed.
OK OK - while I'm writing this I'm listening to the August 4th CC meeting and some guy is talking about the Waste Water process and showing slides and talking about replacing the Vertical Line-Shaft with a Dry Pit Submersible Type and then going on and on about greasing the shafts and I feel uncomfortable all of a sudden - I gotta fast forward a bit.
I'm a hands on guy and and need to be shown - NO WAIT!!! let me rephrase that.
Drop it drop it - just move on.
ANYWAY - Since I decided to run for City Council my goal is to watch every Council meeting in the last year. You can not run for a seat if you are not remotely up to speed on what is happening. BTW - Aug 4th got pretty intense near the end.
The one thing I do not want this blog to become is another "Truth In Columbus Politics" (TICP) who's sole purpose was to elect Bob Link to be Mayor no matter how many facts they had to make up. They never outwardly said that was their goal but it was pretty obvious when once he was elected the Truthinness site disappeared. Was it just a coincidence? hmmmmmmm!
ANYWAY - I suspect I have made enough enemas (don't correct me, I know you want too) and that some people are making phone calls and asking what we can do about this Rod Melotte guy with that dang blog! Oddly a friend of mine said I love "poking the bear". Sometimes poking the bear is the only way to get to the truth. And sometimes just asking is easier but not as much fun.
But all kidding aside - there is not enough poking the bear around here.
WELL - I guess I got the Police Departments attention as they came after this blog on their Facebook page saying I was getting the facts wrong. WOW - that's a first!! They opted to instead of actually commenting on the blog and correcting me by posting the blog on their Facebook page.
Hey - my blog is like a canary, people come up to me and complain about city stuff and I put it out there. If something is not true, please correct me. I WANT to be corrected. Just the fact that people ARE complaining is a problem with communication and should be looked at. THERE is a REAL problem - Communication!!! Don't get me started.
The issue the Chief had was that I said . . .well . . . here is what was posted on Facebook.
"This commentary was recently posted online... CORRECTION- the police department is not requiring this and did not approach the city council about this. The fire department drafted an ordinance and I did support the use of these Knox Boxes for safety reasons. The author of this blog should have gotten his info. right.."
The blog was the "Lock Box - right! Talk to my hand! " on January 4th. And CORRECTION - I never said the Police Department was "requiring this". Does two Corrections cancel each other out?
Here was my problem - the part about REQUIRING all businesses and apartments to have a knox box. If I lived in an apartment I would certainly want one and would stress the apartment complex to have one. I'm still trying to find the actual date when this was all discussed.
OH - My reply was on Facebook
Rod Melotte And so it begins! I feel honored that someone has taken the time to read my blog. As for the misinformation - I apologize but it seems to have worked as we now have the correct information out there. Most of you know that my blog is a tongue and cheek commentary on living in Small Town America and has over 500,000 hits. I've also written about how the Columbus City Council voted to install a new Glass Dome Over the city. http://publicenemiescolumbus.blogspot.com/2009/03/columbus-to-get-new-glass-dome-over.html Yes - I am running for City Council and will be more careful with my commentary/jokes as I believe it is a very VERY important function to be taken seriously. But I'm not going to change my thoughts or my blog. IT'S A BLOG for gosh sakes!!
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You know - this whole election thing - I can't lose. If I win maybe I can bring some new energy to the Council , maybe a view of things not from somebody that has lived here were 40 years with lifetime friends everywhere and opinions from the past. If I lose - I can take the gloves off and say what I REALLY want to say. Yea - the election has sort of crippled me!
One last tiny little thing and then I'll move off my soapbox.
It has come to my attention that 1/3 of the Columbus budget goes to the Columbus Police Department (fact check this please). I'm not against this, seems weird but I'm on the outside looking in and do not know the facts on this one and I have nothing to compare this too. Is this normal? This is not an issue for me, just a big question mark.
But what does concern me is that one of the functions of the City Council (I believe) is to oversee the Police Department - well . . . . . how can it be fair if 50% of the Council are Auxiliary Police (please fact check me on this one also please).
Is this not a huge conflict of interest?
One last side note - I might disagree with many things? The Mayor and I do not see eye to eye on a number of things but that does NOT mean we can't work together for a common goal. Politics should not be oil and water. More like Milk and Chocolate where you can mix together for something better the the original. But would you rather have six YES people or wish to hear other sides to problems and make a decision based on looking at all sides before voting.
ONE last thing that is bothering me. People come up to me and say - I HATE so and so and I HATE that person.
NO - you HATE his job or the job he or she is doing - You don't hate the person.
Rod - Out
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