BUTLER COUNTY: Carpenter Shenanigans Rebuffed

I take no small measure of delight in this Journal piece outlining the hiring of an office manager.

As usual, one commissioner tried to bring in a crony...but in a rare moment of clarity, Don Dixon decided not to back Cindy Carpenter's plan.

Carpenter really wants to find Jeff Wyrick a job. She has failed again.

Let's go to the tape...

Commissioners Don Dixon and T.C. Rogers voted for Cooper’s employment, while commission President Cindy Carpenter voted no.

Among the five finalists who interviewed with the commission, was Jeff Wyrick, according to county Administrator Charles Young. Wyrick served a deputy clerk for Carpenter when she was county clerk if courts.

Rogers said he knew going into the interviews that Wyrick was Carpenter’s choice for the position, but said Cooper impressed him because she is currently running a large office and has the educational background for the job.

That leaves us with Dixon and here is what he had to say...

Dixon agreed. He said Cooper has a number of skill sets to bring to the job, including consensus building and dealing with personality issues in the office.

“She is energetic and optimistic. It will be a fresh set of eyes,” Dixon said.

The fact that she is from outside the county is also a plus, he said.

“She doesn’t know anybody from Butler County, she has never worked in Butler County and to my knowledge she is not related to anybody in Butler County,” Dixon said.

Someone on Facebook translated that last statement as "Let me call my family...We can get someone real soon to take that high paying, rich benefit county job, and keep the gravy train flowing."

SIDEBAR QUESTION: Has Dixon managed to get all of his cronies jobs???

Anyway...

The best part of the whole story was this:

Carpenter could not be reached for comment.

Of course she wasn't available, she was too busy scheming her revenge.....

Somewhere, Chuck Furmon is smiling because he doesn't have to deal with any of this crap anymore...

BUTLER COUNTY: Commissioners Go to Back Room for Deal

If there is a need for even more evidence that the Butler County Commission is corrupt and out of control, I can't think of a better exhibit than this. Once again, we find that Cindy Carpenter and Don Dixon are incapable of doing the right thing even when the result of any vote is a forgone conclusion.

Citizens don't ask much of their government, but transparency and a willingness to do the community's business the right way is certainly chief among them. These two clowns are not acting in the county's best interests. They do whatever they want and they don't care about what you, the little people who pay taxes in this area, think about anything.

Members of the Butler County Republican Party, you folks should be outraged and yelling from the rooftops about how absurd these two buffoons are making the party look. This is NOT what represents the best of what our party should be offering and it is on YOU, the Butler County GOP, that we have these pathetic people representing us. Do a better job next time and maybe we won't have to be the laughing stock of the state. Seriously, only Cuyahoga County's shenanigans out do the nonsense we have to tolerate here. And that is a real shame...

Butler County Republicans are serious people, but allowing these tools to be our standard bearers make us out to be idiots. Don't be their sycophants, speak out. And speak LOUDLY...

Commissioner Carpenter Strikes Again

Cindy Carpenter is a real piece of work. As far as I know, we're still in a financial crisis in this county and she's worried about employees snacking while working. Oh, don't think I didn't notice that Don Dixon missed yet another meeting...seems like that guy has about as many vacations as Michelle Obama...at least we aren't paying for his...at least, we better not be paying for them. Looks to me like the only guy focused on the county's business is Chuck Furmon...you know, the one that just got thrown out of office for whatever reason... Somebody ought to ask the Stuttering Tea Party Savior of Butler County what he thinks of all of this nonsense...

Mike Fox Speaks on Facebook (DUCT TAPE WARNING)

Sent over from someone who is NOT Mike Fox:

Today, my life is much different and I’m not sure where that leaves me, but I know how it feels. For those of you wondering how all this feels I can tell you in one word---lousy.

I feel like I have died, that my life is over, but yet I’m still alive. I look back and think about how I built my entire existence around serving people. Now is seems that it must have been a waste of a life. I’m struggling with this and don’t know what to do about it.

I know that these feelings are not rational nor are they sensible but I still feel that way. I’m not sure what to do. I still have absolute belief---belief in our God and his promises---I still have faith, and hope, but those threads that hold me together are thin.

I know that God promises to his believers and those who walk in his path that everything works together for good.

I have tried to find the good and it is so difficult to see right now. I know that time and patience are important and so I’ll continue to pray for God’s guidance and soothing comfort. Right now I do not feel it.

I pray that someway I will find that connection with God and my inner self, and once again feel the force of the God of peace and love, and comfort.

I don’t want my “story” to end here. I continue to want to minister to those who hurt like I do at the moment, those who face overwhelming challenges, like I have; those who have lost hope and live on nothingness, a pit of darkness I fear more than anything.

I feel I must have somehow got out of God’s favor and his purpose. I know I am not the person the government portrayed me as being. I should not be a poster boy for what’s wrong in government, but rather what’s needed in government---someone who takes the time to listen, learn, and work hard to do what’s right, fight for what’s right even when it hurts, and always take special interest in those who are down trodden.

I fell like all that is gone and more than anything I’m reaching out to you for your prayers. I thought if I gave you a sense of how I feel that you could lift me up in prayer with more precision and direction.

Simply put, I need to restore and strengthen my connection to God and figure out who I am. The pieces of who I am or was have been thrown hither and yond.
What does one do when you look back on your life and figure out that you got it all wrong?

I need God’s wisdom and insight to make it through this difficult ordeal. I am so worried about so many things, but first among them is my mother. I will be completely crushed, unbelievably crushed, if she passes while I am in jail. She is 83 and has suffered much pain and stress.

She has been under so much stress dealing with my brother and me. It breaks my heart to know that I have added to her pain. Please give her special attention in prayer and pray that she remains in good health throughout my prison term so that I may return to her and be with her in her last days.

I am taking time to sort through all the pieces and try to make sense of it. As to the judge’s decision, it wasn’t a surprise---she already had her comments written before Monday’s hearing even began. She told the probation department she had changed her opinion (In a September conference she indicated that she was leaning toward home incarceration) in late October or early November.

So…I knew it was coming, but even so it hurt when judgment was pronounced. I particularly hurt when at Monday’s hearing I had to watch a soon to be former County Commissioner, someone who had done the least to help Butler County and its citizens during his tenure in office, gleefully help put a person who did the most good for the county and its people in jail. That hurt.

Despite all the difficulties I now face I am so fortunate to have so many friends and people who know of and appreciate the good things that I have done. To you, I say thank you for your words of support and appreciation. I am blessed in so many ways and realize that compared to others my troubles are trivial.

I now am tasked to figure out what the next chapter in my life will be. I pray to God that this will not be the defining moment. I am going to work hard to make all of this work out for good and I am so grateful for those whose prayers and words of support are there to push me forward. I have not, nor will I ever betray the trust and faith you placed in me throughout my career.

Thank you all.

What a &^%^$%*( tool. Not one word of remorse. And that this jack@$$ has the nerve to disrespect Chuck Furmon in his parting shot on his way to Pound You in the @$$ Federal Prison is just the epitome of hypocrisy and hubris.

Mike, Chuck Furmon did what you claimed to be about. Furmon has integrity. He looked out for the public good. You, jack@$$, are the one who lied, cheated, and stole from the good people of Butler County and how dare you insult the one man who actually did something about YOUR crimes.

Bottom line, Mike: If you don't want to do the time, DON'T DO THE %^*$&^(% CRIME! Enjoy your time in prison, Mike...and maybe you'll learn a little humility while you are in there.

BUTLER COUNTY: Fox Gets 48 Month in PRISON PRISON (21-Dancing Snoopy Salute)

This is a day that many of us in Butler County who demand accountability from elected officials have been waiting for for a long, long time.

Mike Fox gets sentenced to 48 months in prison prison and not home confinement.

God Bless Chuck Furmon. He had the courage to speak out against the culture of corruption. Too bad the voters of Butler County chose not to remember that integrity is something to be rewarded.

UPDATE: Hamilton Journal piece.

UPDATE 2: Enquirer

UPDATE 3: Fox19

UPDATE 4: WVXU

Primary Analysis

Kind of a mixed bag, really...

The Good

Dennis Kucinich can now return to his home planet a loser

In Butler County, Mary Swain crushed Cindy Carpenter: The Next Generation by a score of 60 - 40

Over in Brown County, Doug Green wins for State Rep. Nick Owens ran a great campaign, is a young guy, and will be back.

73rd OHD: Jarrod Martin is done. Would have preferred Eric Spicer for the win, but Rick Perales will have to do

The Bad

Multiple opponents wasn't enough to keep Chuck Furmon as Commissioner in Butler County

Peggy Lehner defeated her primary opponent for State Senate.

The Ugly

USA Brad defeats Jean Schmidt in OH-02. Let's hope he gets to take on David Krikorian in the general. COAST won't know who to endorse......

Mitt Romney. Looks like I'll be voting AGAINST Obama, but not FOR the Republican...again. *()&$%$)&*^&%^#@

BUTLER COUNTY: Furmon Deserves Butler County GOP Support for Re-Election

Seeing this reminded me that I needed to jump back in here after my extended holiday weekend to reiterate that The Butler County Republican Party really owes Chuck Furmon a debt. If not for Furmon's action in calling law enforcement attention to the Dynus scandal, the scandal-plagued corruption and filth from that era would not only still be surviving, but thriving.

While I may not agree with every decision the commissioner has made over the years, I have come to know him as a thoughtful and considerate man who has the best interests of the county at heart. He has always acted with the highest levels of integrity and decency. These are qualities that are to be supported and encouraged when found in politicians because they are as rare as any precious metal.

I fully support and endorse Chuck Furmon for re-election and it is my sincerest wish that the BCGOP would do the same.

UPDATE: This just came in to the mailbox from a reader. I wanted to pass it along because this is just another reminder of the kind of guy Chuck Furmon really is:

Saw your recent posting about Commissioner Furmon and I must say I agree 100% with what you said. Having had the opportunity to work with Commissioner Furmon for 20 plus years, I to had disagreements and differing opinions from time to time with him but he was always willing to talk, LISTEN and discuss my concerns. What I found was a man who really had the best interest of Butler County in mind. Most importantly I found a man who appreciated all of the county employees and the hard work they do. I hope the Executive Committe has the wisdom to see what you and I see when they make their endorsement.

BUTLER COUNTY: Furmon Cleared

Very glad to hear that justice has finally been rendered on the annoying matter of Commissioner Furmon's former son-in-law. This is the part of the story from the Fairfield Echo that matters:

Commission President Charles Furmon was cleared of any wrongdoing involving pay increases of his former son-in-law while a county employee, the ethics commission found.

Seriously, Ethics Board, that case was brought up in April of 2008...what took so long? One might draw the conclusion that the Board was trying to make matters worse for Butler County Republicans or something...

In other news, Jolivette was "guilty" and has to repay the county for hiring his son.

Combs (Jones) vs Furmon

Updating a previous item on WMD...

It appears, at least according to this Dayton Daily Democrat News piece from Pitman that if both Furmon and Dixon go for re-election, then Combs will square off against Furmon.

Previously Combs was quoted as saying:

My focus will be to bring Butler County back to where it was when I left; the top county in the state with all elected office holders working together.

...which makes the choice of Furmon's seat kind of strange seeing as he is the only still-serving member of Commission from when Combs last served there.
So what is this really about?

Sheriff "Spotlight" Jones.

Say what?

Combs and Jones have been inseparable.  Whenever Jones needs a legislator to legitimize his issues, Combs is the go-to guy.

Butler County does NOT need a third Jones stooge on the Butler County Commission.  He already has Dixon and Carpenter.  Jones really ought to have the stones to run himself, but he's too afraid to risk giving up all the fiefdoms he already has under his control.

Every time I think the Butler County Republican Party is on the verge of resolving their severe case of the stupids, something like this comes up.  Republicans still have a LOT of work to do to defeat the evil cabal operating in the shadows...

Combs vs. Dixon or Furmon?

So if Combs is going to run for County Commissioner again, who is his target?  According to the Journal piece on the decision, Furmon has already drawn an opponent by the name of T.C. Rogers of West Chester.  The logical choice would be Dixon.

And THAT is going to be fun to watch.

Dixon has talked a good game; but so far, all I have seen as far as action is concerned is a lot of finger pointing and behind-the-scenes political horseplay with Cindy Carpenter. 

BUTLER COUNTY: Shadow Government Update

Michael Pitman has two pieces on the Butler County Shadow Commission that are worth takinga look at...

Here are a few things from the first...

“Dialogue is good, and I decided that it should take place in the open,” he said. “Quite frankly, leaving Commissioner Furmon out of the dialogue may have been wrong.”

-- Commissioner Don Dixon

No, Commissioner, you got caught.  Now we are supposed to believe that you think county business ought to take place out in the open?  Sorry, no sale.  If you actually believed that, you wouldn't have masterminded these talks in the first place.

Carpenter defended the idea of discussing alternatives, saying, “We need creative, innovative administrators.”


-- Commissioner Cindy Carpenter

Yes, but more than that, we need to have full faith in our government restored.  I have no objection to creativity or innovation, but I strenuously object to backroom deals and "good old boy" politics even if the old boy happens to be a woman.

Furmon said he knew nothing of the behind-the-scenes discussions until the day before they were supposed to take place. He said he was “amazed and disappointed.”

County staff “have really worked hard and under adverse circumstances,” Furmon said. “It just seems like a strange way to do business.”

--Commissioner Chuck Furmon

More on Furmon's reactions when we get to the second piece, but I want to reiterate that I don't necessarily oppose the idea that changes need to be made.  I agree with Furmon that the Dixon-Carpneter Shadow Government does seem like a strange way to do business.  Unfortunately, this is the sort of ehtics in government that this county has been sufering from for quite some time.

Now, on to the second article...

The two could legally meet without violating Ohio’s Sunshine Law, because Carpenter had not yet been sworn in as a county commissioner.

I have no problem with them meeting.  I have a problem with them making decisions and interviewing candidates all without the knowledge of their colleague who is -- supposedly -- in the same party as these two.

For me, this comes down to the fact that we do not have a unified front in dealing with the economic mess we find ourselves in because there are too many factions protecting their little fiefdoms at the expense of doing what is right.

So, yeah, legally they could meet...but I think the county would have been better served by doing the right thing.

Dixon put some of the blame for the current state of the county on himself, saying commissioners’ “leadership needs to be a little more pronounced.”

“I think particularly with me. I need to give more direct direction,” Dixon said. “I’m going to work on my style, help them work on their style.”

Oh, boy, where do I start...

A successful commission works as a team.  There is no 'i' in team.  That is a cliche for a reason.  Don't get me wrong, I don't expect commissioners to not have any differences at all, but I don't think it is too much for these people to show each other respect.  More than anything, Dixon could use a healthy does of humility and recognize that he is a part of a team that includes not just the other two commissioners, but the entire administration.

Carpenter defended the decision to discuss alternatives, saying she still believes practices need to change.

“One of the things that we have said in the past few months is we need to fundamentally change the way we do business,” she said.

I would agree with you Cindy, but there is a right way of doing things and you have demonstrated that you are not capable of seeing it.

My biggest fear about Carpenter has been her many connections to former Commissioner Mike Fox.  This move comes right out of the Mike Fox play book.  Is that really what we need in this county?  A replay of Mike Fox politics? I don't think so...

Furmon, who was oblivious to the conversations between Dixon and Carpenter, said Tuesday he wants to work past the closed-door meetings of his two colleagues. It was a much less aggressive stance than he took in an interview with The Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday, in which he referred to his colleagues’ actions as “the epitome of arrogance.”

Furmon said the county administration has “bent over backwards” to present a 2011 budget. While he’s not happy with the back-room discussions, Furmon said wants to move on.
“I’m hoping to get past this and continue working together and do what’s right for the county,” Furmon told Cox Media Group Ohio.

Take note, Butler County Republicans, who the good guy is in all of this.  In every battle brought Furmon's way, he has taken the high road.  He serves this county with dignity and a moral code that is centered on doing what is right for the county.

But his reaction on Sunday in the Enquirer was right on target: It was the epitome of arrogance.  And while Furmon may wish to move on, I think it does the party and the citizenry as a whole a disservice if we don't remember this treachery down the road.

I have said it before and I will say it again: We can do better.  We have to do better.

BUTLER COUNTY: Scheming Commissioners and Scheme They ALMOST Got Away With

As any regular reader will tell you, I'm all about making some changes here in Butler County.  But if you have spent any time here at all, you would also know that I believe in transparency in government.  What Commissioners Don Dixon and Cindy Carpenter plotted to do behind closed doors is a travesty and it won't be forgotten.

According to the Enquirer story, Dixon and Carpenter planned to replace a significant number of personnel in county administration with cronies of their own without the knowledge of fellow Commissioner Chuck Furmon.  I expect this sort of chicanery from Dixon, but had been holding out hope that Carpenter might be different.  I guess the Jeff Wyrick Incident should have been a clue...

So what happened to this grand plan?  Apparently, according to the Enquirer story at least, Dixon grew a conscience or something.

What I really don't understand is how these two supposedly intelligent people think that they could do this sort of thing and not have the story get out.  How many people did they interview?  How many staffers were involved?  These two can't even run a simple coup without getting caught.  I am not impressed by the level of competence on display by our villains in this caper.

There is a right way to do business in government and so far Butler County hasn't seen it...at least, not for a long, long time.

BUTLER COUNTY: MetroParks NOT "Cheated" by Budget

So, Butler County Commissioners unanimously adopted a budget.  That's great.  And while the cuts in that budget are likely to hurt in the short term, it was the only reasonable and responsible thing to do.  I congratulate Chuck Furmon, Don Dixon, and Cindy Carpenter on doing the right thing and not kicking the can further down the road.

That said, I also have to take issue with this piece which quotes "resident" Lisa Wall saying that the commissioners "cheated" MetroParks.  MetroParks problem is the sole responsibility of their board of directors who apparently have been living under a rock in one of their closed parks and didn't realize that this county and this state is in a bit of fiscal bind.  By assuming that county funding would remain during a recession was foolish and lacking appropriate stewardship which is not the commissions fault at all.

If I read this right...

The county annually pays the parks district, which is not under county control, a stipend from the property transfer fees that would have been $400,200.

...the county is under absolutely no obligation to provide funding to MetroParks at all.  This is the sort of wacky thinking that leads to $4300 expenditures for 10 days worth of forms in the Clerk of Courts office.  Government, at all levels, has to tighten their belts and get back to the basics of providing essential services which are required and that is it.

We aren't out of this mess yet...

Butler County: Sheriff Spotlight STILL Doesn't Get It

Check out this piece over at the Cincinnati Enquirer about Sheriff Rick "Spotlight" Jones once again running to the media to cry about money.

This time, Sheriff Spotlight wants over $2,000 to attend a conference in Florida.

Butler County Tea Partiers ought to take notice of fights like these and start asking the guy some serious questions...

Hey, Sheriff, I'll start taking you seriously when you finally start taking the financial situation we are in seriously...

I'd actually like to see Commissioner Chuck Furmon go even further with cutting these sorts of things from the budget.

ERRATA: That conference is in California, not Florida...

UPDATE: Why is Spotlight holding a fundraiser with less than a week to go until E-Day when he isn't on the ballot?  Because Spotlight is all about Spotlight.

A Tale of Two Butler County Commissioners

The Enquirer has a pretty interesting article on Republican Leader, my Congressman and a Great American -- John Boehner -- in which there are two quotes from a couple of our Butler County Commissioners that I simply have to highlight.

The first comes from Commissioner Chuck Furmon who has me contemplating an addition to my usual tag for Boehner:

"He's our voice of reason in Washington," said Butler County commissioner Chuck Furmon. "He's the Right Knight of Congress. I totally support John Boehner and what he stands for, and I appreciate the job he's done since he's been in office."

That is seriously high praise!  Right Knight of Congress...I like that...a lot.


The second comes from Commissioner Greg Jolivette and deals with the dreaded and evil practice of earmarking:

Butler County commissioner Greg Jolivette said that while he supports Boehner's fierce opposition to earmarks, he still wishes the congressman would see to it that his home county gets its share once the money is available.

"We need to get our fair share of that," Jolivette said. "I don't like my federal dollars going to a project in Timbuktu when I know we have very important projects in the Eighth District that need attention."

Uh, Greg, earmarking is bad, m-kay?  All that pork is raising the national debt and making it that more difficult for America to get its act together.  I applaud Speaker Boehner for taking this righteous stand and for absorbing the heat from folks who think federal dollars grow on trees.

Bravo Commissioner Furmon!

Intrepid Reporter Josh has an interesting story he just put up that shows at least one Butler County Commissioner gets that when times are tough, it's time to do cut his pay.

Butler County commissioners have enacted pay freezes, pay cuts, furloughs, layoffs and more to slash their personnel costs and address a multi-million dollar budget shortfall.

But what about their own salaries? What are they sacrificing?

Commissioner Charles Furmon already cut his own pay, allotting 10 percent of each paycheck back to the county for several weeks now. He did this with no fanfare.

“I just felt that it was fair,” he said, referring to sacrifices made by staff during these “unprecedented times.”

Notice that the other two guys (Jolivette and Dixon) say they would cut their pay, but only Furmon is actually doing it...

Bravo Commissioner Furmon!

Butler County Update

Intrepid Reporter Josh and Friends sure have been busy covering Butler County. Here are just a few of the stories that I wanted to shed some light on...

Burer’s Garage: Lindsey Hilty reports that Butler County Auditor and All-Around Good Guy -- Roger Reynolds -- has cleared up some confusion caused by Fairfield Board of Education member Arnold Engel. Using COAST tactics, Arnold managed to stick his foot in his mouth and fired off baseless charges that Robert Burer wasn't paying his taxes...or something. Turns out, Burer has paid all of his taxes and the family land is properly designated. What got Engel's panties in a twist? Engel wants Burer's business to bid for a bus maintenance contract that his company has held with the Fairfield School district for 70 years.

Furmon's Neighbor: I'm really not sure why this news at all, but Richard Wilson reports that Commission Chuck Furmon's neighbor had a fender bender. There is a stolen newspaper involved...somehow...but that really isn't explained in any kind of detail even though that is how Furmon's name appears in what shouldn't have been a story anyway. Slow news day???

Jones' Jails: Sheriff "Spotlight" Jones closed some jails yesterday. Ordinarily this also would not be news...except that the most dangerous place in Butler County is between the Sheriff and a news crew... Jones chose not to notify county commissioners ahead of time and instead made a cryptic announcement on Twitter. Intrepid Reporter Josh has the details on all of that...

Jones vs. Jolivette: Intrepid Reporter Josh has a very interesting item that also involves Spotlight Jones. Apparently, Jones has "trust issues" with Butler County Commissioner Greg Jolivette:

“I don’t have much trust for him,” Jones said of Jolivette.

We can debate whether or not Jones should have notified county commissioners prior to the jail closing...I'm pretty neutral on that actually. But it inexcusable to debrief only the commissioners you like. I'd like to hear more specifics on what exactly it is that Jollivette is said to have done that warrants the Sheriff having "trust issues" with a fellow elected official.

Butler County Update

Competence matters.

It's part of the WMD Mantra on politics...

On September 14th of this year, we needed competence in the Emergency Management Agency in Butler County when what was left of Hurricane Ike tore through the area.

We didn't get competence.

Intrepid reporter Josh has an article and a blog post on the subject. In the article, we learn that Commissioners Dixon and Jolivette have called for a "change in management" at the EMA.

But it is this bit -- from the head of the Butler County Chiefs of Police Association -- that will leave a mark:

"Leadership, coordination, communication, direction, resources, as well as anything else that one might have come to expect out of the (EMA) in the aftermath of the windstorm were all absent," said the letter, signed by Association President Richard St. John, Fairfield Twp. police chief.

All of that is absolutely true.

EMA is trying to say that nobody asked for help and that's why they did nothing but that doesn't work for me because clearly this community was having problems and nobody should have to ask for help from the agency that is supposed to manage emergencies.

Before we move on, let me say that as much as I like Sheriff Jones, he's the last guy who ought to be put in charge of EMA.

In the blog post, we learn that the director of the EMA just got a raise. We are now rewarding incompetence in Butler County. Good move!

But let me take a moment to refute some idiocy displayed by commenter "Joe" who says:

Of course Chuck Furmon made the motion to give Turner a pay raise. It is called a political pay back for Turner hiring Furmon’s son in law and bumping his salary from 18,000. a year, to over $80,000.

Dude. You are an idiot.

Chuck Furmon doesn't have a son-in-law. He has a an EX-son-in-law. And that wasn't a recent development. Think about that for a few minutes before you go spouting more ignorance and beclown yourself some more...

Even dumber are the assertions made by commenter "Jess" who writes:

I have a good friend who works for the County and they told me the “county grapevine” has it that just a few days ago all three County Commissioners (including Furmon) sent County Administrator Tim Williams to Turner and asked for his resignation. Question is why did Furmon make a 180 degree turnaround from this position to “what a great assest” (Turner) is to the County and made a motion to give him a raise? Could it be that ole Kentucky Boy threatened Furmon that he would tell what he knows about his son in law and all those raises could it?

Uhh...no, jess. Thanks for playing. Feel free to wade around in the shallow end of the gene pool but I have to warn you that there isn't a lifeguard on duty...

This stuff is stupid.

And that's why competence matters. If we had competent people working for us, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Giving an incompetent bureaucrat a raise is a horrible move and it is one that we will regret...

Butler County Update

Intrepid reporter Josh has a story in the Oxford Press about a deal that has been struck between the county and the state regarding property taxes and a reappraisal of some parcels in the county that would take in to account the 2008 property values.

Commissioner Don Dixon has been a key player in getting this deal done. Now Commissioner Furmon, Treasurer Nancy Nix, and Auditor Roger Reynolds have some more work to do as they are, collectively, the Board of Revision (BCBoR). The BCBoR needs to evaluate each parcel of land in the reappraisal. Dixon says: "We're just five months behind where we ought to be." Sounds like overtime is in order...

A Furmon Endorsement

I can't quite tell if this endorsement is from all of the local Cox Newspapers, or just the Middletown Journal, but our good friend Chuck Furmon has picked up a major endorsement in his bid for re-election:

We continue to admire his obvious dedication to the community's welfare, as well as his integrity and 12 years of commission experience. Chuck Furmon has earned our endorsement for another term on the Butler County Commission.

Well said! And I couldn't agree more...