The First Casualty

The first one to go is a deputy. He's not exactly gone. Just demoted from deputy to transport officer. He can still arrest people. He just can't answer the phone.

On July 19th, when Mark Sullivan's wife called the sheriff's office to complain about her husband's abuse, she included this part about his having marijuana. The officer she was speaking to, Randy Secoy, told her “...to put it all in a grocery bag and bring it to the sheriff's office.” When she asked about the ones still growing, he told her to “just grab a hold of them or call the office and have somebody come out.

Isn't that what she was doing? Calling the sheriff to report a crime and this is how they handle it? A crime of this nature involving any other person, would be classified a major event from the Big, Bad, Drug Task force, aka Athens County Sheriff's Department. Had this been anyone else calling, it would have been plastered all over the sheriff's facebook page touting about how big of a bust they made and we have them behind bars and you're safe from the boogeyman now.

But that's not what happened. An Athens County Commissioner, Mark Sullivan, was the one who was being accused of committing a crime. His wife was reporting it and it didn't warrant even a house call by the deputy. Maybe he was busy updating his facebook page. Or maybe it was because the involved parties included an Athens County Commissioner and his wife. What she got in response was the proverbial take two aspirin and call me in the morning. In other words, - I really don't want to deal with this. Could you call back when someone else is on duty so they can deal with it?

It took three weeks for this particular incident to make it to the public and that's only because someone called the local media anonymously. The Athens Messenger got the run-around when they requested the reports and then what they did get was redacted. A request was made to the state attorney general's office for a special prosecutor but not until after The Messenger made it a headline.

Now a couple of more weeks have passed and the first casualty has been named. Why it has taken Sheriff Kelly so long to conduct an internal investigation and take action is beyond me. I can't imagine it would have taken me much longer than the amount of time it took for me to listen to the taped call WHILE Deputy Secoy was sitting in front of me the next morning. It's not like the sheriff didn't have access to the 911 tapes. Listening to the recorded call should have been enough to at least put Deputy Secoy on leave if not outright fired. Maybe I'm just impatient and the wheels of justice turn to slow for my taste.

So now Deputy, ahem, Transport Officer Secoy has been demoted and there's this last chance agreement. Last chance for what? He'll be on probation until next August and if he does something stupid, he could be fired. What could you possibly do transporting prisoners? Oh, I suppose you could possibly taser one unnecessarily or do we only threaten 10-year old students with that? Yes. Yes we do. But that incident got him 3 days suspension and some class time in conflict resolution and a class on how to balance his personal and professional life, as reported in The Athens Messenger. Now I'm wondering if they have those classes in conjunction with the Domestic Violence Intervention Program that Mark Sullivan was supposed to attend. Is there a pattern starting to develop?

Sheriff Kelly as quoted in The Messenger:

“Randy Secoy is a good person. Randy Secoy has made mistakes and we've corrected those. We've sent Randy to training and counseling. If that proper training doesn't work, then I have to move forward and that's what we've done with Secoy.”

Okay. But Sheriff. You said that the last reprimand had no bearing on your decision to demote Secoy over this incident. If that's true, then those classes can't be included as 'time served'.

But I'm thinking there may be a bit more to this story that has yet to be revealed.

How much is the sheriff trying to cover his own butt now because he didn't deal with all this the next morning? You know Mark was all the talk around the water cooler for at least the next two or three shifts.

Who was the supervisor on duty that night if it wasn't Secoy? And if it was Secoy, why didn't he cover his own rear and handle the call like they would any other one? They get plenty of practice around here handling drug calls. It should have been relatively standard.

Why would responding to a complaint by the wife of an elected county official be any different than anyone else? I can think of a few reasons.

So, Secoy is demoted and on probation and Sullivan is still a county commissioner.

And one more question, for now:

If someone breaks into my house and I shoot them dead and call the sheriff's department to report the break-in, do you suppose they'll tell me to put 'em in a bag and bring 'em in?

Grade Card Time

The school district report cards are out, for what they're worth.

I'll admit right up front that I have no idea the purpose of these reports. In looking at the reports for the five districts in Athens County, as well as "The Guide to Ohio's Accountability System", all I can garner is that these report cards are pretty much based on how well the kids in a given district can take those stupid proficiency tests. And if you don't yet realize that the teachers now have to 'teach to the test', you likely haven't been paying attention.

I like most teachers and they have a tough job at times. I don't know how well I'd put up with some kids and their parents. I suppose I would eventually learn how to be more tactful if I had to but some parents just need to hear the truth straight out about how their little Johnny is a royal pain in the rear in class. But what would be worse for me is having to deal with teaching so the kids could pass this goofy, color in the circle with a number 2 pencil, stress-inducing test that was developed by over-educated morons.

Are the high school graduates of today any smarter then previous generations because they know how to pass this test? My grandparents, who didn't go beyond the eighth grade, could do figures in their heads. I generally need to use paper and pencil. My kids, however, wouldn't understand the need to have either of those skills because you have a calculator on your phone, for cryin' out loud. But at least they can make change, unlike the college grad with the liberal arts degree who gives you a blank stare if the power blinks out at a most inoportune time. Would you like fries with that?

I would think teachers would be a bit ticked off with all this testing. After spending four or five years getting a degree to presumably learn how to teach, develop lesson plans, and evaluate the needs of students, they toss them in a classroom full of kids who aren't prepared because they're too busy texting their friends on their cell phones. Then they're told exactly what material must be covered because we have to get these kids to pass this test so we can get 'No Child Left Behind' money from the feds and so some administrators can have bragging rights. A teacher's job isn't so much teaching as it is creating little robots who have to learn to stay in the lines when they're coloring in the little bubbles. On top of that, they have to go back to college to get the next level degree so we can be sure they still know how to color within the lines themselves.

There are plenty of issues within our education system and these tests are only a part of the problem. I don't have a problem with testing kids to measure their progress as they make their way from grade to grade. Bean counters like to count beans, afterall. What I have a problem with is putting so much emphasis on them that they become the focus rather than a tool to measure. Couldn't we just look at the overall scores and determine where the strengths and weaknesses lie within a district and deal with it? Must so much emphasis be placed on testing that school districts learn how to circumvent the system in order to increase their own scoring?

It's been reported that more and more college freshmen are not ready for collge level classes and have to take remedial classes. We are either forcing kids into college who aren't college material or these tests are giving the kids the idea that once they pass the test to graduate, they're good to go and plenty smart enough. How can our schools be rated excellent yet the colleges are saying you aren't sending us even average students?

Kids are no longer being taught how to learn. They aren't taught how to problem solve. They're taught to identify the mostly likely correct answer on a multiple choice test and color. Which is why the kid behind the fast food counter can't make change without the aid of the cash register computer. “It wasn't on the test.”

Ohio House Bill 191

House Bill 191:

To amend sections 2151.011, 3306.01, 3313.48, 3313.533, 3313.62, 3314.03, 3317.01, 3321.05, and 3326.11; to enact new section 3313.481 and section 3313.621; and to repeal sections 3313.481 and 3313.482 of the Revised Code to establish a minimum school year for school districts, STEM schools, and chartered nonpublic schools based on hours, rather than days, of instruction and to prohibit public schools from being open for instruction prior to Labor Day or after Memorial Day except in specified circumstances.

The Ohio state legislature is wanting to change a few things about the school schedules. If there is one thing that legislators at the state and federal level can do, it's complicate things.

When I was a kid, we didn't start school until the Tuesday following Labor Day. We were never out before the first week of June. One year it was June 30th. There was no such thing as calamity days. If we missed a day because of snow, a day was added at the end of the school year. We had the standard holidays off including the first day of buck season. Teacher in-service days, or whatever they're calling them now, were nonexistent.

As it stands, schools are credited as having been in session for a day if the day is not shortened by more than two hours. They are wanting to change this to be figured on an hourly basis rather than a daily basis. I sort of like this idea. So rather than schools having to be in session for 182 days, they have to meet an hourly requirement of 1,050 hours for grades 7 through 12, and 960 hours for grade school. I think this gives the local school districts more latitude with scheduling. If they had time to make up, they could opt to lengthen the school day for a certain number of day, for example. A school district might choose a longer school day for four days/week rather than shorter days five days/week. A lot of options could open up with this part of the proposed bill.

On the other hand, they are also wanting to limit the school year to between Labor Day and Memorial Day. I have no idea what they are thinking on this part. This takes options away from the schools. I could sort of understand if they used one or the other. If you start before Labor Day, you must be out before Memorial Day but if you start after Labor Day, you can finish the school year after Memorial Day. Something to that effect. But why even bother with that? Let the schools set their individual schedules according to their needs. What's wrong with starting in mid-August, having three weeks off for Christmas break and ending the first week of June? But then I'd like to see year round school schedules become more of the norm.

Wouldn't it be easier if the state just said: You have to provide 1,050 hours of instruction time for the students. You have between July 1 and June 30 to work it out as your district sees fit. One part of this bill seems to counteract the other part of this bill. In one section, the state says you can have more flexibility with scheduling your school year, and another section takes it back away. Sheeeeeesh.

This bill hasn't really gone anywhere yet. It's still in committee. But I did send an email to Rep. Andrew Thompson, 93rd. Even though Mr. Thompson is not my representative, his name is on the bill. I've also met Mr. Thompson and have seen him several times at various events where he has addressed the public and answered questions or otherwise made himself available to his constituents. One of the good guys from my perspective. Anyway, he did email me back and said he'd take my points back to the sponsors of the bill. For the record, I believe he will do what he says.

The bottom line is, the local school districts should be able to set their own schedule based on the needs of their students. Any legislation at the state level should be only to assist local school districts rather than restrict them and otherwise make educating our kids more difficult.

What Pot? Oh, That's Just Basil

Some days I can do nothing more than shake my head at the happenings in the Athens County Commissioners Office. Well, not there exactly but at one commissioner in particular. Two days after a guilty plea for a reduced charge from a domestic violence incident, Mark Sullivan's wife called the sheriff's office again. She requested and received a protection order.

But it's what wasn't reported on that becomes interesting. When Marks' wife called that day, she also told them there were marijuana plants and seeds at the residence. No arrests were made at that time despite finding 39 plants.

Why? Had that been anyone else, the sheriff's department would have made a 'Big Bust' and it would have been plastered all over facebook like this:

Sheriff Pat Kelly
Glenn Fraley II Bowman Rd, Coolville was arrested last night after the NET executed a search warrant on his residence and seized a grow operation. Bowman was taken to SEORJ for possession with juvenile present.
July 27 at 10:43am

Not only did that not happen but nothing else happened either. It was kept quiet and hush hush until someone anonymously called The Athens Messenger three weeks later.

So, The Messenger reporter made a public records request and whatdoyaknow, they got a bit of the good ole boy run around. First, they contacted the sheriff's office. But Pat Kelly must think of Mark as a better friend than Keller Blackburn because he sent them to the prosecutor's office for the records. But Keller volleyed them back to the sheriff's office. When The Messenger finally got a copy of the report, it was redacted and the narrative part was completely omitted. What's up with that? Of course the claim is being made it's an open investigation. Whatever.

But wait! The Messenger kicked it up a notch. I'm actually quite impressed with them today. Not only did they put the almost month old news on the front page above the fold with a picture and looong article, the editor, went after Mark on the editorial page asking him to step down. Yes, that's right. The historically left-leaning local media is asking for the resignation of a D. They have been inching their way to the right over the last couple of years so maybe there is hope for them yet.

Coincidentally, our ambitious prosecutor and Nelsonville native, Keller Blackburn, requested a special prosecutor be appointed by the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Wow! How timely. It only took three weeks!

So, let's review. county commissioner pleads guilty to a reduced domestic violence charge, then his wife calls the sheriff two days later to report a similar incident and adds the pot plants and seeds in there for icing. She also adds that his kids have seen him transporting the pot for really thick icing. His friends, the sheriff and prosecutor, try to sweep it under the rug and ignore it. But there's always someone looking to ruin the party and calls the media. Bummer.

Now, both the commissioner and his wife are denying everything. They both say the dope isn't Mark's. It's the neighbor's. The stuff drying up there in the attic? Oh that's just basil.

Again, I, as a taxpayer, ask that this commissioner step down. The editor of The Messenger is asking as well. Maybe some others will also ask. Mark's personal life is a mess and at the very least he needs to get it back in order. The kids are involved and they need to be protected. Is someone looking out for them? The county commissioner's webpage includes as part of their responsibility:

Protecting children. Stabilizing families. Making welfare reform work.

County Commissioners now have the lead responsibility for delivering the bulk of human service that adults and children receive from government, and doing so with limited funding from Columbus and Washington D.C. In particular, this means making welfare reform work.

Counties now must meet state-set benchmarks for moving unemployed residents into jobs. Welfare reform also means subsidizing child care and health care for recipients, even after they find jobs. All of this comes in addition to counties� ongoing responsibility for overseeing and funding alcohol, drug abuse and mental health services, enforcing child support orders, protecting abused and neglected children, and administering food stamps.

Can a person hold a position responsible for the above, be personally violating the above, and still be effective?

To those on Capital Hill Who Don't Have a Clue About Money Management

Speaker Boehner et. al.:

A couple of things I wish someone would say to those of you on capital hill:

Stop with the bipartisan comments. I don't care if it's bipartisan, tripartisan, nonpartisan, or whatever. In my circles there's bye-partisan (for those of you who refuse to get it), and try-partisan (those 22 who are trying to convince you where you are WRONG!)

And I'm really tired of you all saying that if the debt limit isn't raised, there will be some sort of financial Armageddon.

When was the last time you paid your personal bills? I mean where you sat down and wrote out checks or at least filled in the blanks on your banks' website? I don't mean to insinuate that you don't pay your bills, just that someone else does it for you - an accountant or someone? Did you even know about those bills? I know some of you have a little trouble with paying your taxes that you insist on raising for those of us who DO pay our taxes and maybe some of you have trouble having your personal bills paid. Whatever. The problem here is you're buying things we don't approve. The "we" being the taxpayers supplying the cash flow.

Because most of you seem to be so financially retarded, let me explain how this stuff works. YOU - the federal government - have managed to buy way too many big screen tvs, superbowl tickets, beer, yachts, ballgowns, hosted too many expensive receptions, etc.... (dept of education, fannie, freddie, dept of ag, grants to study really stupid things, on and on and on) with those plastic cards you carry in your wallets. You had friends to impress (ignorant voters who expect to get some financial gain in exchange for them voting for you). Now, you're trying to continue to use your plastic but the credit just isn't there any more. You've maxed out on your credit cards. You still have friends to impress though. If you stop using your credit cards and start paying more than the minimum, you will eventually get those bills paid off but it does take a bit of discipline which you are sorely lacking. Those friends you feel you need to impress are not friends.

But alas, you are trying to convince the credit card company that you need your credit limit raised or you won't pay your bill. Do you know what happens in real life if you try that? They laugh at you and get a bit nasty sometimes and tell you too bad, pay your credit card bill. In real life, they may even lower your limit, which is really what is warranted in your case.

The debt ceiling (credit card limit) does not need to be raised in order for you to pay your obligations. You just pay them. You also need to cut spending in other areas and quit buying all those unnecessary things you think you want.

Most of us get beyond this during our 20's when we discover all those things we thought we needed yesterday, we really don't need after all and in some cases don't even want. Not you though.

So, raising the debt ceiling DOES NOT mean you will default on your obligations. Our tax dollars come to you every month like clockwork. Why? because we, the working taxpayers, have no choice. It is taken out of our paychecks automatically. Defaulting on your bills is a conscious effort. You make the choice to not pay them. It has nothing to do with running out of credit. Running out of credit means you have spent beyond what the creditor thinks you can pay back. I really don't care what Moody's thinks. So what if they lower our credit rating for now. It's gonna happen anyway. If you pay the bills and cut spending, you'll prove them wrong and the credit rating goes back up. Whoop de do.

Standing up there stomping your foot acting like a two-year old isn't going to get you anywhere. Take back to the store those things that still have tags on them (quit funding those stupid programs), have a yard sale (quit funding more stupid programs), and listen to those who know how to really tighten a belt. Yes, it's gonna hurt like hell but in the long run, it's the right thing to do.