Is It Just Me, or are parks and nature preserves among the best things that ever happened to this country?
My real interest in these public properties came rather late in life -- in fact, shortly after I officially retired from my newspaper editor's job. It was right about then that my husband, Jack, started getting serious about photography, and in particular, taking pictures of lighthouses. But what about me? I thought. Of course, I could (and would) take lighthouse photos myself on our travels, but then we'd end up with dozens of photos of the same subjects. And what's the point to that?
Right about then, I happened to pick up a brochure describing the wonders of Ohio's state parks -- and inspiration hit. My goal, I told Jack, was to get photographs in all of them.
In all honesty, it isn't likely to happen ever, for two important reasons: First, I added Ohio's wonderful state nature preserves to the list, more than doubling the number of places to see. Second, the bulk of our travels take us outside the Buckeye State, so now we make it a practice to visit as many state and national parks as we can no matter where we are. As I write this, in fact, it's the eve of our four-day trip to West Virginia, where we'll stay at the lodge in Hawk's Nest State Park and branch out to see Babcock State Park and its much-photographed mill.
I'm fortunate in that respect to live where I do; within an hour or so, I can be in one of at least eight state parks and one national park in Ohio and Pennsylvania. And arguably the most impressive park -- Mill Creek Park in Youngstown, Ohio, is almost in our backyard.
For those who don't know, the Mill Creek Metropolitan Park District, with approximately 2,600 acres, 20 miles of drives and 15 miles of hiking trails, is one of the largest municipally owned parks in the country. Established in 1891, the park property is part of four Mahoning County, Ohio, watersheds: Mill Creek, Yellow Creek, Meander, and Yankee Creek. Major attractions include lakes and wetlands, a par-3 championship golf course, many picnic and recreation areas, the historic Lanterman's Mill, the Ford Nature Education Center, Fellows Riverside Gardens and the D.D. and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center. Nearby MetroParks Farm and Yellow Creek Park offer additional educational opportunities. With so much going on there, it's a rare week that my husband and I don't spend at least a little time there.
Over the last few months, I've been saddened by news that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to shut down 48 state parks. Closer to home comes news of budget cutbacks in the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation (reportedly, the division's 2008 budget is 48% less than in 2000). Admittedly, it's unlikely that I'll ever get to California, but lots of other people enjoy the parks there; obviously, I'm concerned about Buckeye State parks.
It's always tough to make do on less, but right now seems a particularly bad time to be tightening the pursestrings. As the cost of gasoline skyrockets, it seems logical to me that more people will turn to community, state and national parks closer to their homes for summer outings. That prospect made me happy till I read a newspaper column by a local outdoor writer, who agreed with my belief but pointed out some serious downsides. More people, he wrote, will mean even more wear and tear on our parks -- and little money to keep everything in good working order. It won't take long, he pointed out, before people decide they don't want to stay in a campground that has no overnight security, or where the trash barrels haven't been emptied for weeks on end and the grass is 6 feet high.
He's absolutely right. I'm not sure which is more distressing -- that our parks stand to fall into disrepair or that visitors stop coming -- but I know the outlook isn't good from my vantage point. As I said at the outset, these natural resources are one of the greatest assets our country has. It is absolutely essential that we protect our public lands from ruin so future generations can enjoy them as much as we have.
Or Is It Just Me?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Sleazy Politicians: Give Me a Break
Is It Just Me, or are politicians becoming more sleazy by the day?
Now I grant you I've never been a big fan of poliltics. I look forward to campaign season only because I know I'll have plenty of time to read books since I turn off the TV to avoid their annoying ads. I hate that they're exempt from telemarketing laws and free to bombard me with pre-recorded messages several times a day, most of which do little except bash their competitors (for the record, I firmly believe there should be a law prohibiting all candidates from even mentioning the name of any other political officeholder, or candidate for such an office, during their own campaigns. This would, I believe, force them to talk about what they personally believe and plan to do -- the only things I'm interested in hearing from them anyway).
Perhaps it's because of where I live -- northeastern Ohio -- that I feel the pain so much. Over the past several years, any time my husband and I go on vacation and happen to mention where we're from, it's a sure bet at least one person will look aghast and say, "Isn't that where that U.S. Congressman who got sent to jail is from?"
Just when we thought we might enjoy a summer free of such references, along comes our state attorney general, who hails from our neck of the woods and has, in the relatively short time he's been in office, managed to follow in the footsteps of former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer -- apparently both in temperament and in actions. The only real difference, so far at least, is that "our" AG is stubbornly maintaining he did nothing really wrong, despite mounting evidence of what has been, at the very least, unethical behavior while in office.
No, I'm not talking about his admitted extramarital fling-ding. That, I believe, is a personal matter that has little, if any, impact on how well he can do the job (although it does fly in the face of his campaign theme that was based on returning honor, integrity and honesty to the AG's office). And, the fact that it reportedly involved a subordinate employee -- with all the implications that brings with it -- puts an entirely different spin on
Rather, it's the behavior that's led to the dubious distinction of having the local newspaper apologize for endorsing him prior to the election, saying the editorial board should have known that he was "completely unqualified ...to run such a large and important state office." The board "had an inkling," the editorial said, that all would not be well once he assumed office.
So did I. In part, my opinion was based on being on the receiving end of an e-mail asking for contributions -- a message that was at the very least questionable ethically because it was sent to state employees and also because it arrived totally unsolicited (this from someone who had pledged to crack down on spammers). When I complained, the response was that the errant messages had been sent by a mistake that had since been corrected.
Ah, I thought -- but who approved the sending of those messages to that list of recipients? How did his campaign staff get the list of e-mail addresses in the first place? Perhaps he didn't personally authorize any of this. Call me crazy, but I believe the buck stops at the top. If he doesn't know what his campaign workers are doing -- or knows what they're doing and can't put a stop to it -- why would I think it wouldn't be more of the same once he's in office?
Unfortunately, my suspicion has come to fruition, as hand-picked employee after hand-picked employee has been fired for an assortment of reasons that reportedly range from inaccuracies on a resume to sexual harassment. As I write this, the entire Democratic contingent in Columbus -- including the governor -- has asked for his resignation. His response? So far, in true Spitzer-like fashion, he's insisted that he's staying put.
What will happen next I don't know; what I do know that he's become this year's poster boy for sleazy politicians. By the time you read this, I hope in my heart of hearts that he's had the decency to clean out his desk and get out of Dodge. Too bad the place he'll end up is the same place I'd like to be proud to call home.
Update: On May 14, Ohio's attorney general announced his resignation from the office he held for 17 months.
Or Is It Just Me?
Now I grant you I've never been a big fan of poliltics. I look forward to campaign season only because I know I'll have plenty of time to read books since I turn off the TV to avoid their annoying ads. I hate that they're exempt from telemarketing laws and free to bombard me with pre-recorded messages several times a day, most of which do little except bash their competitors (for the record, I firmly believe there should be a law prohibiting all candidates from even mentioning the name of any other political officeholder, or candidate for such an office, during their own campaigns. This would, I believe, force them to talk about what they personally believe and plan to do -- the only things I'm interested in hearing from them anyway).
Perhaps it's because of where I live -- northeastern Ohio -- that I feel the pain so much. Over the past several years, any time my husband and I go on vacation and happen to mention where we're from, it's a sure bet at least one person will look aghast and say, "Isn't that where that U.S. Congressman who got sent to jail is from?"
Just when we thought we might enjoy a summer free of such references, along comes our state attorney general, who hails from our neck of the woods and has, in the relatively short time he's been in office, managed to follow in the footsteps of former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer -- apparently both in temperament and in actions. The only real difference, so far at least, is that "our" AG is stubbornly maintaining he did nothing really wrong, despite mounting evidence of what has been, at the very least, unethical behavior while in office.
No, I'm not talking about his admitted extramarital fling-ding. That, I believe, is a personal matter that has little, if any, impact on how well he can do the job (although it does fly in the face of his campaign theme that was based on returning honor, integrity and honesty to the AG's office). And, the fact that it reportedly involved a subordinate employee -- with all the implications that brings with it -- puts an entirely different spin on
Rather, it's the behavior that's led to the dubious distinction of having the local newspaper apologize for endorsing him prior to the election, saying the editorial board should have known that he was "completely unqualified ...to run such a large and important state office." The board "had an inkling," the editorial said, that all would not be well once he assumed office.
So did I. In part, my opinion was based on being on the receiving end of an e-mail asking for contributions -- a message that was at the very least questionable ethically because it was sent to state employees and also because it arrived totally unsolicited (this from someone who had pledged to crack down on spammers). When I complained, the response was that the errant messages had been sent by a mistake that had since been corrected.
Ah, I thought -- but who approved the sending of those messages to that list of recipients? How did his campaign staff get the list of e-mail addresses in the first place? Perhaps he didn't personally authorize any of this. Call me crazy, but I believe the buck stops at the top. If he doesn't know what his campaign workers are doing -- or knows what they're doing and can't put a stop to it -- why would I think it wouldn't be more of the same once he's in office?
Unfortunately, my suspicion has come to fruition, as hand-picked employee after hand-picked employee has been fired for an assortment of reasons that reportedly range from inaccuracies on a resume to sexual harassment. As I write this, the entire Democratic contingent in Columbus -- including the governor -- has asked for his resignation. His response? So far, in true Spitzer-like fashion, he's insisted that he's staying put.
What will happen next I don't know; what I do know that he's become this year's poster boy for sleazy politicians. By the time you read this, I hope in my heart of hearts that he's had the decency to clean out his desk and get out of Dodge. Too bad the place he'll end up is the same place I'd like to be proud to call home.
Update: On May 14, Ohio's attorney general announced his resignation from the office he held for 17 months.
Or Is It Just Me?
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