Vote for Joe

I did an update article on a homeless shelter called City Mission in nearby Findlay, Ohio. (I did the initial article some three years ago.) The title of that article that came out last week: Homeless for the Holidays. The shelter has a capacity for 109 people — singles, families, etc. What’s more, people can stay up to nine months, or sometimes even more. And the facility offers a creative amalgam of addiction recovery options, mental health counseling, education, job training… It’s actually a pretty comprehensive safety net — and the facility takes no federal/state funds. It’s Christian based and relies on donations from local churches, from individuals, and so on. Note: Our administration would use this program as a model that could be replicated in every county in the country. Instead of “three hots and a cot,” as it is colloquially referred to, it’s these types of comprehensive programs that go a long way in helping those who want it, really get back on their feet. For a look at other models we’ve researched across the country to help people get out of poverty in general, see…

I interviewed a local college law professor for a newspaper article that, in part, dealt with the recent Amy Coney Barrett Confirmation Hearings. She teaches Research & Writing classes, Legal Problem Solving & Analysis classes, and so on. She said she was not only ultra-impressed with Ms. Coney Barrett’s knowledge of legal cases across a broad spectrum, but she was just as impressed at her “poise” in dealing with the barrage of questioning. What’s more, when this local law professor was asked about the Democrats threat to “…pack the court,” she said that would be fraught with problems. The most obvious being that each time partisan power shifted on a federal level, the party in power would then be tempted to “…pack the court” some more. This, of course, could get quickly out of hand.

A predominant mainstream presidential candidate debate topic this time revolved around family separation issues at our southern border. I did several Southern Border Research Tours, and know the desperation of many people trying to cross over to our country. And our administration would stop the Family Separation Policy immediately. Here’s the rub for Democrats on one level. While they have their hackles up about this issue, the Obama administration deported more immigrants than Trump, by far, and the Obama administration initially built the cages to put immigrants in at the detention centers, and so on. But, and here’s the ultimate irony for Democrats: They’re now against family separation at the border, yet they’re all for ‘separating’ living babies, by the millions, from their mothers’ wombs — permanently. The ultimate in “family separation.’ What’s more, they are all for ‘separating’ baby’s limbs, one-by-one, in the most gruesome way possible, during a normal abortion procedure. I mean, the dichotomy with this whole thing would be laughable — if it wasn’t so tragic. For a look at our take on immigration issues, and on life issues…

While Trump and Biden barnstorm the swing state, I headed to downtown Tiffin, Ohio, as part of my Buckeye Backroads Campaign travels. It was Saturday morning, and I passed out campaign cards in front of this bustling coffee shop. (*Who needs the million dollar ads, huh.) It’s my ‘bailiwick’ (pun intended) to do these corner whistle-stop stumpings. And I’ve done them in hundreds and hundreds of towns over the years. Also… Notice the mask. Full transparency: I’m not a Cincinnati fan (Cleveland, actually), but there are a lot of Cincinnati fans in these parts. Now if I could just remember to wear the mask right side up! I need a staff.

I just wrote a newspaper column on the heels of a tremendously violent helmet-to-helmet hit on Texas Cowboy QB Andy Dalton Sunday. While he got a severe concussion from it, it could have snapped his neck. I note in the column that in 1978, New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley had his neck broken on a play, and he was paralyzed for the rest of his life. What’s more, virtually every year at a pro/college/high school level, players are killed, paralyzed, physically maimed in other ways, and mentally afflicted with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), (CTE) results from the repeated hits to the head that football players take.  In fact, according to a recent CNN.com article, 99% of deceased NFL players’ brains that were donated to scientific research, had signs of CTE. (This is a neurodegenerative brain disease that leads to memory loss, confusion, impaired judgement…) In some circles, we tacitly bemoan the extreme violence on the one hand, while with the other hand, we’re buying tickets, turning on the TV to football, buying the football team clothes… that all keeps it going. Note: While I’m a huge Cleveland Browns fan (and given their play most of the past 20 years, that’s been hard, LOL), the sport needs to change. In Philadelphia, for instance, they play what’s called “rough-touch” football (shown, for instance, in the movie Invincible). Whether it’s this, or other ways to tone football down some notches violence-wise, we owe it to the players now, and our kids coming up in the next generation, to do this differently. Note 2: I, personally, love football and played quarterback in high school. What’s more, given how the Browns have been playing overall, I’m surprised they haven’t called me. For a look at someone (me) who, with a little work, could be a franchise quarterback for some team, see…