Middletown Forum : Tuesday's Council Meeting

Tuesday's Council Meeting : VietVet wrote:The Journal is...

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:45:19 +0000

Author: middletownscouter
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 19 2011 at 10:45am

VietVet wrote:

The Journal is losing readership subscriptions so fast, they are desperately trying to sell them in the entryway to Krogers. Feel sorry for the person sitting at the table. He/she has no product to offer anymore. Cox Publishing has ruined a once-proud, homegrown newspaper. Now, just AP filler stories, stories from out of town, and city leader propaganda sent to them with a "you must print these lies" message, all presented with poor grammar, spelling and a definite lack of investigative journalism included.

The Journal is a rag. It is losing readership faster than this site is gaining that readership. MUSA has taken the place of the Journal as to town interest and truth. As time goes by, the people are migrating here to receive their dosage of truth. The Journal has made it's choice to cower down to city leaders. They have chosen unwisely. Now, they are paying the price in sales. JMO

For years the Journal has called and asked if I wanted to subscribe. For years I've given them the same answer. We only want the Sunday paper, and we go out and buy it every Sunday. If they had Sunday only delivery we would sign up. They continue to try and push their "weekend" package but they can't understand that we don't want the paper on Friday or Saturday - just Sunday's. I don't really care that it would be cheaper to get home delivery of the weekend package than it would be to buy the Sunday paper at a store, we're talking about a buck and a half a week. I don't want to waste the paper and create more garbage that we don't need. They fail to understand this, so they fail to get me as a subscriber.

Tuesday's Council Meeting : The Journal is losing readership...

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 07:23:54 +0000

Author: VietVet
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 18 2011 at 7:23am

The Journal is losing readership subscriptions so fast, they are desperately trying to sell them in the entryway to Krogers. Feel sorry for the person sitting at the table. He/she has no product to offer anymore. Cox Publishing has ruined a once-proud, homegrown newspaper. Now, just AP filler stories, stories from out of town, and city leader propaganda sent to them with a "you must print these lies" message, all presented with poor grammar, spelling and a definite lack of investigative journalism included.

The Journal is a rag. It is losing readership faster than this site is gaining that readership. MUSA has taken the place of the Journal as to town interest and truth. As time goes by, the people are migrating here to receive their dosage of truth. The Journal has made it's choice to cower down to city leaders. They have chosen unwisely. Now, they are paying the price in sales. JMO

Tuesday's Council Meeting : â€œâ€¢ Positive newspaperâ€ Soâ€¦these...

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:25:54 +0000

Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 17 2011 at 6:25pm

“• Positive newspaper”

So…these people want to control the news media in our fair city. Perhaps that is why all of The Journal’s discussion forums were eliminated.

Is the goal of true journalists supposed to be “good news only”??? Or is it supposed to be the TRUTH, clear and unvarnished, no matter how painful it might be???

Does it further good citizenship to HIDE any unsavory facts, any actions that might reflect poorly upon local government, any misdeeds by public officials--or to expose such information so that they can be corrected, reformed and made better???

Is it the purpose of a city’s “newspaper of record” to abet government misdeeds and to DECEIVE the public--or to INFORM the public and to hold government accountable to The People??? Is a “newspaper’s” purpose “news”--or PROPAGANDA???

Does City Hall want it to be “The Middletown Journal”--or does Cox now publish “The Middletown Pravda” ???

Please, do not take my word for it!!! Just read the minutes of the “Master Plan Steering Committee” and then judge where Mr. Kohler and his cronies stand on these questions!!!

The question is, what should be done about it???

Tuesday's Council Meeting : Then the historic gang turned...

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 07:41:49 +0000

Author: Vivian Moon
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 17 2011 at 7:41am

Then the historic gang turned their attention to: 1300-06 Central Avenue, the HISTORIC “Buck’s Sports Bar”!!!

Simply stated, the good folks at Buck’s wanted to replace the old, drafty, second-floor windows.

Bear in mind that this is also a building that has “been remodeled several times” since its construction in 1910 (later than the PAC building).

But HORRORS, “The proposed replacement windows have no divided lights.”!!! (For those of you who are architecturally challenged: “Divided lights” means that instead of a single pane, a sash is divided into more than one pane of glass. A “sash“ is the frame into which the pane--or panes--of glass or set.)

“Ms. Tong said that the reason for that is the additional cost of dividers for the 21 windows in on the two street elevations. Ms. Romero feels that the absence of dividers would change the look of the building significantly.” Mr. Robinette did NOT state whether or not he “feels that it is important to have a variety of styles in a downtown area” in THIS case!!!

“Even though the original windows have unequal sashes, the Commissioners would be happy to see replacements with equal sashes and the divided (true divided or not) light sash on top.”

“Mr. Sherron made a motion to approve the window replacements on the condition that the upper sashes have real or faux divided lights.”

Hmm…Isn’t “faux” just a fancy word for “FAKE”??? I thought I read somewhere that: “The guidelines do not encourage creating fake old buildings.”

I guess that the “guidelines” DO encourage the harassment of legal businesses that this gang of elites find objectionable. There certainly DOES seem to be a double standard!!!

I’ve got lots of questions about this “Historic Commission”.
The downtown core ( Buck’s Bar) is NOT part of any known Historic District.

How and why can historic laws apply to this building and not to the PAC building? Historic Law clearly states that you must research and find the original design. When you are working on a historic building you are required to submit an old photo of the building showing the original exterior or other buildings of similar design. Do we know that the windows that are currently in this building are original?
It is evident to me that none of the above was required on the PAC building and yet we are going to require it of Bucks Bar??? Also this bar has also been remodeled several times during my lifetime. Several other building on Central Ave have been remodeled in the last few years and the have removed the windows so how did this pass?

Now let’s talk about the Historic Districts. As you will notice in the workbook we have several requests for new garage doors and shutters in the Highlands Historic District. If you remember my original objection with the Highland District was the fact that it included so many “in fill homes” (newer homes). However Mr. Kohler stated that it would not affect them….REALLY?

Please remember when this came before City Council last year several on this blog objected to the power of this commission over EVERY HOME and EVERY BUSINESS in Middletown…(Landen Law applies here)

This Historic Commission should only have powers over buildings in a historic district or a building that has been declared historic.

And then we have the little Gothic Vault at the Middletown Cemetery, owned by the City, that has been declared historic and yet they are not required to repair or restore it?

Yep…Again we have Historic Law and then we have Middletown Landen Law.

Tuesday's Council Meeting : And that finally brings us to...

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 07:46:05 +0000

Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 16 2011 at 7:46am

And that finally brings us to Legislative Item 4, our HUD Annual Action Plan.

Council may as well take this and pitch it into Lake Middletown for all the good it is going to do.

It is nothing more than a WASTE of our federal tax money, it has accomplished nothing to date, and as I have pointed out above, it will do nothing but pay the salaries of our local bureaucrats for another year while they accomplish nothing for another 12 months.

It is a con and a sham, and a waste of the people’s money while real needs go unmet!

I’ll not dignify it with further condemnation!!!

Tuesday's Council Meeting : Next, RESOLUTION NO. R2011-01...

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 07:29:24 +0000

Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 16 2011 at 7:29am

Next, RESOLUTION NO. R2011-01 returns for a “second” reading in its “doctored” form!!!　

Don’t ANY of our council members actually READ this stuff???

They still haven’t bothered to explain why $1,274,685.00 of APPROPRIATED FUNDS are being transferred FROM account 546.990.54502 TO account 546.990.54502--the VERY SAME ACCOUNT NUMBER!!!

These funds were ALREADY APPROPRIATED in 2010, they are already in THAT account!!!

Am I the only one that finds this STRANGE???
Shouldn't SOMEONE on Council be asking WHY????

Tuesday's Council Meeting : Next, here we are, back on the...

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 07:11:53 +0000

Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 16 2011 at 7:11am

Next, here we are, back on the “sign” crap again. Please notice that no obsolete signs on any of Kohler’s precious “sacred cow” properties are pictured. I wonder why that is???

The main things that are “obsolete” and need to be “abandoned” by this town are Kohler, Landen, and their ilk.

You can fault AJ Smith for a lot of things (and I’ll stand with you) but everyone must admit, he is correct about one thing:

IT IS TIME FOR MARTY KOHLER TO GO!!!

Kohler is inept, plays favorites when he should be impartial, and is a pox upon the future of this city!!!

Tuesday's Council Meeting : Next, regarding the paving equipment: Perhaps...

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 07:01:15 +0000

Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 16 2011 at 7:01am

Next, regarding the paving equipment:

Perhaps the City Manager has a short memory???

Perhaps someone should remind her how much more “bang” the city got for its paving “buck” when it subcontracts out paving repairs--not just in quantity, but also in quality!!!

North Breiel Boulevard and other pothole permeated areas of the city in the spring of 2009 should serve as a good example.

Of course our City Manager was brand new then, and much less under the influence of the local “illuminati“.

Tuesday's Council Meeting : Mike_Presta wrote:From the...

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:45:51 +0000

Author: VietVet
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 15 2011 at 11:45pm

Mike_Presta wrote:

From the minutes of the:

MASTER PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE

December 16, 2010, 6:00 pm

Middletown City Building, 4th floor Engineering Conference

Members Present: Doug Bean, David Binder, Dave Myers, Saundra Pearce, Mike Sanders, Mike Scorti.

Staff Present: Marty Kohler, Planning Director

The topic for the meeting was to review Chapter 6 of the 2005 Master Plan dealing with Quality of Life issues. The meeting open with a discussion of factors that make a community a great place to live. Items mentioned in random order were:

• Clean and well maintained

• Community service groups

• Farmers market

• Sense of community

• Town square/center

• Sense of culture - uniqueness

• Individual uniqueness

• Quaint feeling

• Small town feel (20,000 pop.)

• Activities and events

• Downtown anchor

• Downtown center for government and civic services

• Downtown retail

• Feeling of being safe

• Positive newspaper

I leave you to draw your own conclusions!!!

Good Lord! All are clueless,,,,how 'bout......

Decent paying jobs

Decent infrastructure and streets

Competent government officials making progressive decisions for the benefit of the citizens

Eliminating minority special interest projects for city money expenditures (art center crap) and spending city money on projects that will benefit the majority.

Business friendly aka staying out of the way of business and helping with tax incentives for new business and encouraging advertising/marketing

Fast response fire and police service

Working with the schools to improve performance

Correcting the low income/Section 8 problems by reducing to the proper amount

Filling the overabundance of vacant stores in all areas of town

All the crap that was suggested above doesn't address the real problems and reflects a "rose-colored glasses" mentality. These people must be of the artzy group mentality because they sure as hell aren't connected with the real world. "Quaint feeling?" "uniqueness?" What wine bottle have these people been sucking on? Fru fru suggestions IMO. Why does the commercial from Gieco come to mind with the DI counseling the wimp on the couch and throwing the tissues at him?

Tuesday's Council Meeting : I can't go any farther!!!...

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:40:00 +0000

Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 3596
Posted: Jan 15 2011 at 10:40pm

I can't go any farther!!! I have to take a break.

Perhaps I'll go to Applebee's. Hopefully, I will NOT run into any of the scoundrels from City Hall there!!!