( 0 Votes )
In August of 2008, I felt ecstatic when John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate. She was a conservative, an outsider, and a candidate that brought enthusiasm to a pretty dull ticket. Within a few days, the liberal media absolutely destroyed Palin and her family. It was a despicable display of the blatant bias of the mainstream media in this country. Despite the media doing everything to tear her apart, I still liked Palin and still do to this day. However, Sarah Palin is not the answer in 2012 for the Republican Party.
Due to the pitiful 'journalism' that surrounds Sarah Palin, any opportunity for her to have a realistic shot at the White House in 2012 are a long-shot. A little less than three years out until Election Day 2012, Palin is getting destroyed by Obama by 15-20% in nearly every poll conducted in the past few months. When asked if Americans have a favorable/unfavorable opinion of Palin, her favorables are in the upper 30s, while her unfavorables are in the mid 50s. Despite those numbers being bad, nothing beats her lowly numbers on whether or not Palin is qualified to serve as President. From the polls I have read, only 30% or so believe she is qualified, while around 70% believe she is not qualified.
To my conservative friends, do not make the mistake of nominating Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee in 2012 because it will mean four more years of Barack Obama. Although I agree with Palin on the policies, she stands absolutely shot of winning the White House because she will never be able to attract the swing voters in the middle, where her poll numbers are just ugly.
Before I hear it from my fellow conservatives, please realize that I like Sarah Palin, I have enjoyed her book so far, and I believe she is a great advocate for the conservative ideology. However, she can do a whole lot more good for conservative candidates and the Republican Party if she goes out there and campaigns for our candidates, where she can attract huge crowds and help raise campaigns funds to help us knock off Democrats in 2010 and 2012. She may be bright and charismatic, but from the conservatives that I personally know she comes across as naive and a bit simple-minded on the most important issues facing this country.
For all those reasons, I believe the Republican Party should do their due diligence and not nominate Sarah Palin in 2012. If we truly want to defeat Barack Obama in 2012, pick a candidate that can actually put up a fight and win.
What say you?
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February 21, 2010
Posted in
National
In August of 2008, I felt ecstatic when John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate. She was a conservative, an outsider, and a candidate that brought enthusiasm to a pretty dull ticket. Within a few days, the liberal media absolutely destroyed Palin and her family. It was a despicable display of the blatant bias of the mainstream media in this country. Despite the media doing everything to tear her apart, I still liked Palin and still do to this day. However, Sarah Palin is not the answer in 2012 for the Republican Party.
Due to the pitiful 'journalism' that surrounds Sarah Palin, any opportunity for her to have a realistic shot at the White House in 2012 are a long-shot. A little less than three years out until Election Day 2012, Palin is getting destroyed by Obama by 15-20% in nearly every poll conducted in the past few months. When asked if Americans have a favorable/unfavorable opinion of Palin, her favorables are in the upper 30s, while her unfavorables are in the mid 50s. Despite those numbers being bad, nothing beats her lowly numbers on whether or not Palin is qualified to serve as President. From the polls I have read, only 30% or so believe she is qualified, while around 70% believe she is not qualified. To my conservative friends, do not make the mistake of nominating Sarah Palin as the Republican nominee in 2012 because it will mean four more years of Barack Obama. Although I agree with Palin on the policies, she stands absolutely shot of winning the White House because she will never be able to attract the swing voters in the middle, where her poll numbers are just ugly.
Before I hear it from my fellow conservatives, please realize that I like Sarah Palin, I have enjoyed her book so far, and I believe she is a great advocate for the conservative ideology. However, she can do a whole lot more good for conservative candidates and the Republican Party if she goes out there and campaigns for our candidates, where she can attract huge crowds and help raise campaigns funds to help us knock off Democrats in 2010 and 2012. She may be bright and charismatic, but from the conservatives that I personally know she comes across as naive and a bit simple-minded on the most important issues facing this country.
For all those reasons, I believe the Republican Party should do their due diligence and not nominate Sarah Palin in 2012. If we truly want to defeat Barack Obama in 2012, pick a candidate that can actually put up a fight and win.
What say you?
Write comment (5 Comments)
( 6 Votes )
How can anybody in their right mind believe the nonsense that Congressmen Ryan is spewing? He is speaking like a true politician in an election year. Like I said in my column on Tuesday, I am happy to see V&M Star expanding here, but it is only 350 jobs, which is a good start, but nothing excessive. I am not sure if Congressmen Ryan realizes this, but 350 jobs does not designate a turnaround; if anything it is a bandage that is stopping the bleeding. As a commenter on Vindy.com said, "To get back to the 40's, 50's, and 60's, we would need a deal like V&M every week for a few years."
If you want to be a cheerleader Congressmen Ryan, go right ahead; but since you took office there hasn't been much to cheer about. In January of 2003 when you took office, the unemployment rate was at 8.2% in Mahoning County. The current unemployment rate stands at 12.8% in Mahoning County; a 51% increase (percentage wise) since you took office. With that being said, how can we believe your comments that we are going to get back to the economy of the '40s, '50s, and '60s when this area is in a deeper hole now than when you found it in 2003?
In closing, I have to say something that needs to be said: The manufacturing industry is not going to make a roaring comeback in the Mahoning Valley simply because V&M Star is expanding their operations here. If Tim Ryan or anyone else out there believes that manufacturing is going to make a big return to get this Valley back to where it was sixty years ago, they are delusional. That is not a solution, it is an unattainable dream and it is unacceptable for our politicians to think it is a realistic proposition. For starters, if we can push the natural gas drilling I proposed in my previous article, then I think that this area would have a good stepping stone to bigger and better things. However, even that alone will not get this economy back to where it was in our heyday sixty or so years ago.
What say you?
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February 17, 2010
Posted in
Local
How can anybody in their right mind believe the nonsense that Congressmen Ryan is spewing? He is speaking like a true politician in an election year. Like I said in my column on Tuesday, I am happy to see V&M Star expanding here, but it is only 350 jobs, which is a good start, but nothing excessive. I am not sure if Congressmen Ryan realizes this, but 350 jobs does not designate a turnaround; if anything it is a bandage that is stopping the bleeding. As a commenter on Vindy.com said, "To get back to the 40's, 50's, and 60's, we would need a deal like V&M every week for a few years."If you want to be a cheerleader Congressmen Ryan, go right ahead; but since you took office there hasn't been much to cheer about. In January of 2003 when you took office, the unemployment rate was at 8.2% in Mahoning County. The current unemployment rate stands at 12.8% in Mahoning County; a 51% increase (percentage wise) since you took office. With that being said, how can we believe your comments that we are going to get back to the economy of the '40s, '50s, and '60s when this area is in a deeper hole now than when you found it in 2003?
In closing, I have to say something that needs to be said: The manufacturing industry is not going to make a roaring comeback in the Mahoning Valley simply because V&M Star is expanding their operations here. If Tim Ryan or anyone else out there believes that manufacturing is going to make a big return to get this Valley back to where it was sixty years ago, they are delusional. That is not a solution, it is an unattainable dream and it is unacceptable for our politicians to think it is a realistic proposition. For starters, if we can push the natural gas drilling I proposed in my previous article, then I think that this area would have a good stepping stone to bigger and better things. However, even that alone will not get this economy back to where it was in our heyday sixty or so years ago.
What say you?
( 1 Vote )
After reading a number of articles on the V&M expansion on the web, what struck me was a paragraph printed in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The PD wrote, "Vallourec said it chose Youngtown, in part, because its in the middle of one of the largest shale formations in the world, called the Marcellus basin, and puts the company in close proximity to its potential customers. The deposit of brittle sedimentary rock, which contains a huge source of untapped natural gas, follows the path of the Appalachian mountains across New York, western Pennylvania, eastern Ohio, down to Maryland and West Virginia."
Are our politicians or local leaders listening to V&M's reasoning behind choosing Youngstown? I ask that question because I am wondering if this project could spearhead a local effort to make Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley a regional leader in natural gas/alternative fuel development? Think for a second; could the shale beneath us in the Marcellus basin lead to thousands of high-paying jobs for our area? I may be 20 years old, but I am not naive, this is an opportunity we cannot let slip away.
Murry Gerber, the CEO of EQT Corporation, a Pittsburgh based energy company, says that "new technologies have recently made it economically feasible to recover natural gas from the Marcellus formation; a resource that has the potential to stimulate the biggest economic boom since coal and oil availability sparked the Pennsylvania industrial revolution." If the CEO of a leading energy company in the region says recovering natural gas from the Marcellus basin is economically feasible, then what are we waiting on?
Once again, I am happy to see the V&M Star expansion move forward, but as I eluded to above, our politicians cannot pat themselves on the back all the way through Election Day, they need to get right back to work getting more jobs for the Mahoning Valley. If any of the politicians are out there listening, consider listening to the advice of this 20 year old; get talking with regional energy companies about developing the natural gas beneath us, because that could really turn the tide around in the Mahoning Valley.
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February 16, 2010
Posted in
Local
After reading a number of articles on the V&M expansion on the web, what struck me was a paragraph printed in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The PD wrote, "Vallourec said it chose Youngtown, in part, because its in the middle of one of the largest shale formations in the world, called the Marcellus basin, and puts the company in close proximity to its potential customers. The deposit of brittle sedimentary rock, which contains a huge source of untapped natural gas, follows the path of the Appalachian mountains across New York, western Pennylvania, eastern Ohio, down to Maryland and West Virginia."
Are our politicians or local leaders listening to V&M's reasoning behind choosing Youngstown? I ask that question because I am wondering if this project could spearhead a local effort to make Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley a regional leader in natural gas/alternative fuel development? Think for a second; could the shale beneath us in the Marcellus basin lead to thousands of high-paying jobs for our area? I may be 20 years old, but I am not naive, this is an opportunity we cannot let slip away.
Murry Gerber, the CEO of EQT Corporation, a Pittsburgh based energy company, says that "new technologies have recently made it economically feasible to recover natural gas from the Marcellus formation; a resource that has the potential to stimulate the biggest economic boom since coal and oil availability sparked the Pennsylvania industrial revolution." If the CEO of a leading energy company in the region says recovering natural gas from the Marcellus basin is economically feasible, then what are we waiting on?
Once again, I am happy to see the V&M Star expansion move forward, but as I eluded to above, our politicians cannot pat themselves on the back all the way through Election Day, they need to get right back to work getting more jobs for the Mahoning Valley. If any of the politicians are out there listening, consider listening to the advice of this 20 year old; get talking with regional energy companies about developing the natural gas beneath us, because that could really turn the tide around in the Mahoning Valley.
( 0 Votes )
Here are a few factors the School Board needs to realize:
a) People are sick of tax increases.
b) People will not pass a levy that increases taxes during a recession.
c) Taxpayers are not naive. They realize this is the exact same levy as the one that failed in November 2009.
We have already seen in Youngstown that new school buildings do not translate into better test scores. For a state that is trying to cut spending in every area possible, I find it laughable they would subsidize half the construction costs for this project, if it were to pass.
This May, Vote No on this school levy. It is one thing if you try to pass it when our economy is strong, but I find it irresponsible on the part of the Austintown School Board to ask for a tax increase during a deep recession.
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February 14, 2010
Posted in
Local
Here are a few factors the School Board needs to realize:
a) People are sick of tax increases.
b) People will not pass a levy that increases taxes during a recession.
c) Taxpayers are not naive. They realize this is the exact same levy as the one that failed in November 2009.
We have already seen in Youngstown that new school buildings do not translate into better test scores. For a state that is trying to cut spending in every area possible, I find it laughable they would subsidize half the construction costs for this project, if it were to pass.
This May, Vote No on this school levy. It is one thing if you try to pass it when our economy is strong, but I find it irresponsible on the part of the Austintown School Board to ask for a tax increase during a deep recession.
( 1 Vote )
Although Youngstown State is a commuter school, on-campus student housing and capacity has steadily gone up this past decade and will continue to do so in the coming years. The Flats at Wick, a four building housing complex, is currently being constructed one building at a time near Ursuline High School between Elm Street and Bryson Street. When completed, it will house 450 YSU students.
With the increase in enrollment and on-campus housing, further business development around Youngstown State seems like a no brainer. It should be the goal of YSU and the City of Youngstown to partner up to create a 'true' gateway connection between the University and Downtown. While the future site of the Williamson College of Business Administration between W. Rayen Avenue and W. Wood Street is a start, more needs to be done.
We need to see new restaurants, stores, and other businesses begin to line W. Rayen Avenue and W. Wood Street so there is no disparity between YSU and Downtown, as it will be one. By connecting the two most vibrant areas at the heart of the city, prospective students, travelers, business people, and sports fans coming to Youngstown State will feel welcomed in a safe, secure, and attractive environment. If the City and the University can make this happen, I truly believe business growth will flourish in this sector of town as we begin to reinvent ourselves and to bring the Mahoning Valley back from the brink.
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February 10, 2010
Posted in
Local
Although Youngstown State is a commuter school, on-campus student housing and capacity has steadily gone up this past decade and will continue to do so in the coming years. The Flats at Wick, a four building housing complex, is currently being constructed one building at a time near Ursuline High School between Elm Street and Bryson Street. When completed, it will house 450 YSU students.
With the increase in enrollment and on-campus housing, further business development around Youngstown State seems like a no brainer. It should be the goal of YSU and the City of Youngstown to partner up to create a 'true' gateway connection between the University and Downtown. While the future site of the Williamson College of Business Administration between W. Rayen Avenue and W. Wood Street is a start, more needs to be done.
We need to see new restaurants, stores, and other businesses begin to line W. Rayen Avenue and W. Wood Street so there is no disparity between YSU and Downtown, as it will be one. By connecting the two most vibrant areas at the heart of the city, prospective students, travelers, business people, and sports fans coming to Youngstown State will feel welcomed in a safe, secure, and attractive environment. If the City and the University can make this happen, I truly believe business growth will flourish in this sector of town as we begin to reinvent ourselves and to bring the Mahoning Valley back from the brink.
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( 0 Votes )
I hope everyone stays safe out there in the next 48 hours.
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February 09, 2010
Posted in
Local
I hope everyone stays safe out there in the next 48 hours.
