Middletown Forum http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/ This is an XML content feed of; Middletown Forum : Last 10 Posts Thu, 17 May 2012 08:44:54 +0000 Thu, 17 May 2012 07:29:07 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 9.50 30 www.middletownusa.com/forum/RSS_topic_feed.asp Middletown Forum http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/http://middletownusa.com/images/blog-logo.jpg http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/ Middletown News, Info and Happenings : Senior Center Levy http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4565&PID=32985#32985 Author: acclaro
Subject: Senior Center Levy
Posted: 17 May 2012 at 7:29am

Middletown is simply destroying the property value of everyone in Middletown, with their nonsensical and chronic support of tax levies. No one wants to move to Middletown because it is nothing but a tax nightmare---the only proposed solution for "revenue generation." No benefits, no services, just taxes, taxes, and more taxes.

This is an outrageous claim from the Senior Citizens Group. They hired a top architect to build the Center and bought 11 acres. I have spoken to many, many senior citizens, and Middletown has a lot of them, and many were very turned off by the personnel initially running the center. They should have modeled how many members would join and how much business they would do. This is absolutely patently unfair. Did Davey's get a bail out from the city or tax payer to stay in business.

Living in Middletown is a constant hassle, always a crisis. Because of the Sr. Citizens poor leadership and inability to properly write a business plan, they come to the voters, to pay for their mistakes. Many architects I spoke with, stated they should have kept the original building, turned it into apartments, perhaps one or two floors, instead of putting $3 Mm in destroying John XXIII and starting over.

If council votes for this, when they would not allow a TIF for the post office, and the Sr Citizens leadership own errors in forecasting how they would make a return to pay their lavish building, all that is occurring is less and less residents will be attracted to the city. Throw in the school levies, now this, the idiotic public safety levey, and the continued problems Middletown has, it simply makes owning property in a city offering nothing, a most unpleasant city to reside.

Why did the Sr. Citizens Center wait 7 years to sell 5.5 acres that they have done nothing with? They have seen their property values go down, about a 1/3 of what it was when they built, and they cannot refinance. Residents, do yourselves a favor. Spend 200.00 for an appraisal of your house. You'll see in 4 years, you've lost about 40% of value. Yet, you are expected to bail out the Sr. Citizens mistakes.

Maybe its time for the city to lend money at 0%, they seem to have a lot to go around. If JL is reading posts anymore, ask them Mr. L. why they had their numbers wrong, why they bought 11 acres and could not even afford to put in a walking or exercise trail. Are they going to do that now? And how many mebers do they have now, 300---and expect 10,000 votes to come their way.

The city is always on fire. The AK strike, the roads, the infrastructure, public safety, school system, it just doesn't end. Throw in 2008 market crash, and the city is in such a deep tailspin, while the Beast thrives, those around it, are getting nothing but the shaft. If you are a "lifer", you don't care, you take one from the team. If you came in 25 years ago or less, and just want out, you are trapped. What a swell fate within the walls of Middletown. 



    
]]> Thu, 17 May 2012 07:29:07 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4565&PID=32985#32985 Middletown News, Info and Happenings : Senior Center Levy http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4565&PID=32984#32984 Author: VietVet
Subject: Senior Center Levy
Posted: 17 May 2012 at 6:49am

The Journal....

Middletown — Middletown Area Senior Citizens wants the city to place a levy on the Nov. 6 ballot on its behalf because its director said the senior center may have to close its doors without additional funding.

The nonprofit senior organization made the request to City Council Tuesday, a day after it and three Butler County nonprofit senior agencies withdrew a request to place a countywide tax levy on the November ballot to support five senior centers.

enior center requests levy

City Council members said they want more information before they ask taxpayers for more money.

A levy, however, is apparently the only option to help save the financially struggling nonprofit senior organization, she said

SOME QUESTIONS....

WHEN THE NEW CENTER WAS BUILT ON CENTRAL AVE. AND THE FINANCING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CENTER WAS APPROVED, HOW DID THEY ARRIVE AT THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CENTER COULD MAKE THE PAYMENTS ON A CONTINUAL BASIS THROUGHOUT THE LOAN TIME PERIOD? WHO ASSURED THE LENDERS THAT THE MONEY WOULD BE THERE EVERY MONTH IF THE CENTER RELIED ON DONATIONS, LEVY APPROVALS AND FLUCTUATING INCOME TO PAY THE BILLS?

WE BENEFIT FROM THE MIDDLETOWN SENIORS THROUGH THEIR TRANSPORTATION SERVICE. BECAUSE WE USE THE CENTER'S SERVICES, I WOULD BE INCLINED TO VOTE FOR THIS. I CAN ALSO SEE WHY VOTERS, WHO DO NOT BENEFIT FROM THEIR SERVICES, WOULD VOTE NO.

IF I WERE COUNCIL, BEFORE APPROVING THE PLACEMENT OF THIS LEVY ON THE BALLOT, I WOULD WANT TO OPEN THEIR BOOKS, REVIEW THEIR BUDGET, FIND OUT WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING , CHECK THE SALARIES OF THOSE EMPLOYED THERE, REVIEW WHAT SERVICES THEY OFFER, HOW MUCH THEY'RE SPENDING ON THE DINING OPERATION/TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM, AND REVIEW THEIR ATTEMPTS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. HAVE THEY CUT ENOUGH? HAVE THEY STREAMLINED THE OPERATION ENOUGH? HAVE THEY ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT EFFICIENT?]]> Thu, 17 May 2012 06:49:14 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4565&PID=32984#32984 Other School Issues : Bullying http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4564&PID=32983#32983 Author: VietVet
Subject: Bullying
Posted: 17 May 2012 at 6:32am

Today's Journal....

Middletown mother claims son is being bullied

MIDDLETOWN — The mother of an 8-year-old Rosa Parks Elementary student believes her son is being bullied and the Middletown City School District has been slow to address the issue.

Patricia McWhorter said her first-grader has been hospitalized multiple times after being bullied on the school bus. She believes it has been a different student each time.

Since September, she said her son has suffered deep bruises on his arms, a pulled neck muscle, and when he got home from school after the first incident in September, he had six consecutive seizures and was hospitalized for three days.

McWhorter alleges the school district had been slow to respond and at times unresponsive to her concern

ONGOING CONCERN WITH THE SCHOOLS HERE. BEEN HAPPENING AS FAR AS I KNOW SINCE THE 80'S. MY SON WAS BULLIED AT VAIL YEARS AGO. HARRASSED BY THE SAME KID AFTER SCHOOL. WE REQUESTED A CHANGE IN SCHOOLS AND SEEMED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. SHE IS CORRECT IN SAYING THAT, AT TIMES, THEY ARE SLOW TO RESPOND.]]> Thu, 17 May 2012 06:32:52 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4564&PID=32983#32983 Economic Development : Cincinnati State III http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4381&PID=32982#32982 Author: Richard Saunders
Subject: Cincinnati State III
Posted: 17 May 2012 at 6:32am

"Between four to 10 people attended the sessions, and while the numbers are lower than desired it’s not reflective on the interest in Cincinnati State Middletown, she said."
 
"Between four to 10 people" but they couldn't track this massive number any closer over 9 and a half hours?
 
These "numbers are lower than desired," but they are "not reflective on the interest in Cincinnati State Middletown?"
 
Hardly anyone shows up, but that is not reflective of the interest?  I'd bet that if only "four to ten" people showed up during a nine hour period at a protest against the current city administration, the Journal would find it "relective on the interest" against same.
 
Do Mulligan, Mort, and Gilleland censor these Journal articles prior to publication?
]]> Thu, 17 May 2012 06:32:24 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4381&PID=32982#32982 Economic Development : Cincinnati State III http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4381&PID=32981#32981 Author: 409
Subject: Cincinnati State III
Posted: 16 May 2012 at 9:32pm

From MJ:

Cincinnati State holding sessions for prospective students

By Michael D. Pitman, Staff Writer 8:44 PM Wednesday, May 16, 2012

MIDDLETOWN — Heather Jestice wants to enroll in Cincinnati State Middletown this fall to correct a regret.

The 34-year Middletown mother of five — three sons and two stepsons — dropped out at Sinclair Community College in Dayton in 1999 after investing five years of her life at the school.

“This is at the top of my regret list, and I’m trying to fix it,” said Jestice, who plans to study medical coding so she can work from home. “This is the first time I’ve been able to do anything about (going back to school) with the kids and working.”

Jestice attended Wednesday morning’s “Get There” session, which are held twice a day — at 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. — every first and third Wednesday of the month in City Council Chambers at the city building, One Donham Plaza. They are designed to provide information to prospective Cincinnati State students for the Middletown campus, said Gretchen Kolp, the college’s admissions representative leading the information sessions.

Between four to 10 people attended the sessions, and while the numbers are lower than desired it’s not reflective on the interest in Cincinnati State Middletown, she said.

“We just want to be sure we’re providing the information to the citizens of Middletown and the region,” said Kolp, a 2002 Middletown graduate.

The college plans to open this fall with more than 200 students enrolled, and Kolp said they are on pace to reach that goal.

The school will begin holding information sessions on Saturday, the first three are set for 9 a.m. on June 16, July 21 and Aug. 18.

Derris Payne, 29, recently moved to Trenton, but that increased his commute to Sinclair Community College’s Courseview Campus in Mason to an hour. He’s spent the last 18 months at the school studying computer information systems, and he wants to continue that field of study at Cincinnati State Middletown.

“As high as gas is, it’s killing me,” said Payne, who’s commute to downtown Middletown will be about 12 minutes.

The deadline to apply for the fall semester is July 1, though applications for the fall will be accepted after the deadline. Kolp said the July 1 deadline is to ensure the financial aid application is processed in time for the beginning of the fall semester on Aug. 29.

Anyone interested in becoming a student at Cincinnati State Middletown are invited to attend the sessions. For more information, call (513) 705-1604.

]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 21:32:34 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4381&PID=32981#32981 Community Revitalization : Adkins vs. landlords http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4556&PID=32980#32980 Author: Middletown29
Subject: Adkins vs. landlords
Posted: 16 May 2012 at 8:55pm

TonyB
The issue is inspection of rental property. The way you implement an inspection program is to require they be registered. The registration fee is used to cover part of the inspection cost.]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 20:55:43 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4556&PID=32980#32980 Community Revitalization : Adkins vs. landlords http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4556&PID=32979#32979 Author: Vivian Moon
Subject: Adkins vs. landlords
Posted: 16 May 2012 at 4:25pm

Gentlemen

This has NOTHING to do with any HUD program or Section 8…and by the way Mr Adkins has NOT reduced the Section 8 vouchers program.

This is about charging to inspect each and every piece of rental property in Middletown no matter how large or small. This is about the City and Mr Adkins wanting control and power over privatey owned property. The City already has laws on the books to deal with any rental property problems.

Take a look around the City at all the property that the City now owns and tell me why they won’t clean up their own property before making demands on the citizens. Tell me again how well they used the millions of dollars in NSP and CDBG funds. I can tell you where it wasn’t used….It wasn’t used in the high poverty high crime areas.

This is all about money and power…..This is about feeding the BEAST called City Hall.]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 16:25:22 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4556&PID=32979#32979 Community Revitalization : Adkins vs. landlords http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4556&PID=32978#32978 Author: Bocephus
Subject: Adkins vs. landlords
Posted: 16 May 2012 at 2:29pm

Originally posted by Rhodes

Apparently some on here do not know how to estimate $25 per unit. It does add up to a lot of money.

These properties are already zoned, there is no need to register them again. The city caused the influx of poverty in the city. It's not the responsibility of a landlord to control the behavior of a tenant.

It doesn't matter how cheap they buy a property. If properties are selling cheap in your neighborhood, then buy some yourself until the market turns around.
 
If I could sell the house I own I would just move out like most other people seem to have done.You all are right,the city caused a huge influx of poverty but greedy (not all) landlords are just happy with buying houses for nothing and renting them out to the 1st drug addict or drunkard with a section 8 just to grow their bank accounts.
 
So if I could afford to buy the properties that are cheap in my neighborhood I probably would instead move to another town.
]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 14:29:55 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4556&PID=32978#32978 City Council : Property registration proposal http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4562&PID=32977#32977 Author: Observer
Subject: Property registration proposal
Posted: 16 May 2012 at 2:22pm

Like I said initially.  I have no inside information and I'm not disputing whether Mr. Adkins has reduced the number of section 8 to date.   What I am saying is that he has said he/ admin. have expressed a strong desire to reduce the number over several years and I'm merely saying this maybe one way to do so.  Yes the city did get us into this problem but I don't think any of the current council members were part of the group that allowed this explosion to happen in the early 2000's.  ]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 14:22:00 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4562&PID=32977#32977 Other School Issues : Substitute Teachers http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4559&PID=32976#32976 Author: acclaro
Subject: Substitute Teachers
Posted: 16 May 2012 at 1:15pm

I used to work at PWC with a team of 7, that would go in large F100's for 3 months, take apart every bolt and process, and we'd walk away on average of $875 Mm in cost savings. We'd start high, and then go low, including the elimination of redundant Wall Street Journal subscriptions. So good, in fact, we were written up in Chainsaw Al Dunlap's book, Chainsaw, who finally crashed and burned at Sunbeam as CEO.

But, you can't expect non paid, board volunteers Vet, to be bullish on micro-economic expenses. It doesn't work effectively, and there is a component of morale boosting and supporting the teachers and administrators they must also balance.

I do not believe Mr. Fiora was slighting you nor avoiding your issue. His message was they are cutting redwoods now, ergo, higher contribution of paid medical, holding pay rates, and in time, will get down to surplus rubber bands and how many erasers should be in storage. Heck, they haven't even gotten down to the iPads and fuel allowance for those driving to and from school yet. Patience is a virtue.   .     .



 ]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 13:15:20 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4559&PID=32976#32976