Let me explain.
On Wednesday, May 19, I received a call at home from Mr. Austria’s Washington office asking me to participate in a telephone town hall meeting. I accepted the invitation.
I turned on my speakerphone, and for an hour I listened to Mr. Austria accept and respond to call after call after call from Xenia, Fairborn, Jamestown and Beavercreek. He received at least three calls from each of those towns.
And during that hour I listened to a litany of standard Republican talking points from Mr. Austria and his supporters calling in:
The new health care bill is nothing more than a government takeover of America’s medical system; President Obama is a closet socialist; the current administration is entirely responsible for our nation’s multi-trillion dollar debt; Republicans believe in individual choices while Democrats want to control people’s lives; Democrats want to increase taxes while Republicans want to cut taxes.
Unfortunately, I was never asked to voice my opinion. The reason? I believe it’s because I live in Yellow Springs.
And Mr. Austria is fully aware of the prevailing political and ideological attitudes in my town.
Mr. Austria was simply too afraid to allow me to voice my opinions because he suspected — and rightly so — that my views would be significantly different than his.
He didn’t want to hear them, and he certainly didn’t want his listeners to hear them.
Jeff Simons
Yellow Springs
North Hampton not immune to statutes
It is rather amazing that North Hampton Police Chief Jarrod Campbell and (now former) Councilman Keith Baldwin told your reporter that the village can enforce its own speed limits under the “home rule provision,” and Baldwin wanted written authority of the state to override their speed ordinances.
If they read Article XVIII Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution (the so-called home rule provision) they would see that it clearly states that “Municipalities shall have authority... to adopt and enforce within their limits such local police ... regulations as are not in conflict with general laws.”
Also, Revised Code Section 4511.06 states: “No local authority shall enact or enforce any rule in conflict with such sections,” (including R.C. 4511.21 — speed.)
Also, village authorities could face prosecution, as Revised Code Section 4511.99 (A) states a penalty of minor misdemeanor. What more do they need?
Charles A. Balzer
New Carlisle
Mr. Balzer is a former village solicitor for the village of North Hampton.