Week in Review: Proliferating Programs
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Week in Review
County Commissioners, Tuesday, January 9
Will the County Pay for the Best?
Judge Sara Lisznya addressed the Board, describing her search for someone to lead the Community Corrections Program using grant money. She described two candidates, one with many years of experience and thus would demand a higher pay than prescribed by the County’s new wage scale, and the other with much less experience and would require significant training. The Judge asked for the Commissioners to make an exception to their previously approved wage scale to hire the former.
Brad Benzing voiced concern that if an exception were made for this position, then individuals from numerous departments would come to the Board with requests for an exception, upsetting the planned budget. Moreover, Benzing argued that it would be unfair to those current employees that were asked to move to step 1 this past year. He motioned that Lisznya be authorized to offer the position at a grade 9, step 1 so that she could make an offer.
Leininger inquired about the use of Opioid Committee money to help pay this potential employee. The judge argued that the work of this new employee would directly help the County’s problems with opioids and methamphetamine.
Benzing’s motion was passed 3-2.
Miscellaneous
In public comment, Kelley Mapes raised concerns about the ownership of the Lifeways building and land. Stay tuned for more updates on this ongoing issue for the County.
Wiley concluded the meeting by saying that he does not like it when people pay attention to the actions of public officials, and also by noting how good of a job he and his colleagues do: “collectively and individually we are almost constantly under attack with accusations and falsities. . . And we are professional, we sit here and take the abuse. Many times there is no proof. . . Many times, since we are on YouTube, these comments linger forever. It is very disturbing when we’re accused of fraud, cheating and whatever else. We do, I think, an outstanding job.”
Drugs, Jail Overcrowding, & “Programs”
The Hillsdale County jail is over capacity, and it still has nearly 800 warrants for arrest unserved. In response to this open neglect of the law, County Commissioner Brad Benzing recently told the HDN’s befuddled Corey Murray that it is not the jail that needs expansion, but the size of the impotent Hillsdale County bureaucracy.
“We have established programs such as our drug treatment court and the newly added domestic violence treatment court and are in the first steps of creating a community corrections program,” Benzing said. “The hope is that these programs will reduce the number of inmates that we need to house.”1
Remarkably, in the wake of the County botching the courthouse annex situation, and needing to find a new venue for the numerous courts, the “solution” to jail overcrowding has invariably been adding new “court” systems for every unique category of criminal while those special courts direct lawbreakers to the various “services” the nonprofit sector of Hillsdale is so eager to provide. And yet, as the County Commissioners complain ad nauseam about “limited resources,” they proceed to hand out favors to fake charities, such as LifeWays. Our elected officials—in the city and county alike—prefer programs to laws.
Still, some are willing to recognize the situation for what it is. County Prosecutor Neal Brady has suggested that the influx of meth, fentanyl, and heroine—from Mexico via the border states, then Jackson to Hillsdale—has played no small part in the spike in crime that has caused jail overcrowding. Judges have remarked that over 90% of their felony cases are directly or indirectly related to meth use.2 Rumors abound of known drug houses within city limits that go unaddressed by a City Council deeply concerned about the dangers of Trip Hazards and piles of leaves.
Upcoming Events
City Council, Tuesday, January 16
Public Hearing: Ordinance Amendment for Parades & Special Events (70)
The public will be heard regarding the latest ordinance amendment proposal, the purpose of which is:
To amend Chapter 30 of the Hillsdale City Code to add a new Article V Governing the use of the streets, sidewalks and other public places within the City of Hillsdale for parades and other special events.
The new Article governing parades would intend to
provide the local community an opportunity to hold private events on public property by regulating the use of public parking lots, streets, rights-ofway, and parks in order that they may be. . . enjoyed by the general public and not be usurped by commercial or special interest groups to the exclusion of the public. . .
It would also privilege our town’s benevolent non-profit organizations. Parades, of course, require the use of city services, yet the proposal contains no mention of fees.
Airport Hangar Renovation (108)
Lo and Behold, the airport, which “has become very attractive to larger aircraft,” is back for more cash—$55,000—from the City Council (just months after the supposed end of funding major projects), this time to provide space for the more easily-chilled tourists to park their planes indoors. “This is a win/win for the City of Hillsdale, the Airport and our customers,” so they say.
Board Appointments
A certain P. Swan is on the docket to be reappointed to the Election Commission. Rest assured that this Champion of Democracy will fortify our elections by spying on various innocent people and photographing their children if she has to.
External Links
“Democracy should return to the Hillsdale County Republican Party now that a judge has leveled thousands of dollars in fines . . . If the financial penalties don’t work to end this stand-off, then the judge should send some folks to jail to make his point.” Detroit News editorial. See also Corey Murray’s useful timeline of relevant events.
“It is not a mainstream sport in the US, but it’s in the blood of the American midwest, and a few other pockets, such as Pennsylvania.” A Guardian journalist took in an outdoor wrestling match in Iowa City.
“There’s always been this rift, the college elites and us townies. But it’s never been as bad as it’s been in the past couple years, and the college Ph.D. students seem to want to take over the town.” A warning from Hillsdale’s own Miss Swan in the pages of the New York Times. We are pleased she finally got the recognition she deserves after all that huffing and puffing last year, even if the Times was sure to mention that the townies voted for Mr. Paladino.
“Honoring truth as a professor isn’t lucrative, though our prosperous society keeps academics out of penury. Nor is questioning popular belief the avenue to popularity. . . . Still, thanks to good-hearted Americans, you won’t have to suffer the fate of Socrates. They will honor you as a professor even though they wouldn’t vote for you as dogcatcher.” Harvey Mansfield.
“If the Harvard Corporation is smart, it will try to hire Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn to be Harvard’s next president, and give him the mandate to do what it takes to turn Harvard into the Hillsdale of the Northeast.” A letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal.
“Over the last six months, an obscure housing policy idea has emerged as one of the most talked about proposals to revive Detroit, Michigan — an idea that could potentially spur development on the city’s vast amount of vacant property as well as lower the city’s punishingly high taxes on homeowners. . . . Meet the land-value tax, a form of taxation rarely tried in the United States despite being popularized globally by an American political economist in the 19th century.” Vox.
“I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better. . . . this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.” Neither Lloyd Austin nor the Pentagon informed the White House that the Secretary of Defense was undergoing a medical procedure requiring several days in intensive care until three days after he was hospitalized.
“The National Park Service proposes to rehabilitate Welcome Park to provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors. . . . The park is located on the site of William Penn’s home . . . The Penn statue and Slate Roof house model will be removed and not reinstalled.” National Park Service press release.
“In the language of a systems theorist, by decreasing the competency of the actors within the system, formerly stable systems have begun to experience normal accidents at a rate that is faster than the system can adapt. The prognosis is harsh but clear: either selection for competence will return or America will experience devolution to more primitive forms of civilization and loss of geopolitical power.” Elon Musk wants to you read this article.
“During his interview today, Dr. Fauci claimed that the policies and mandates he promoted may unfortunately increase vaccine hesitancy for years to come. He testified that the lab leak hypothesis — which was often suppressed — was, in fact, not a conspiracy theory. Further, the social distancing recommendations forced on Americans ‘sort of just appeared’ and were likely not based on scientific data.” Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio).
We hope Benzing will soon “tender” his resignation from the County Commission, just as he did from the Homeless Task Force, if he truly holds this view.
“[First Judicial Circuit Judge Sara] Lisznyai, in a recent Community Corrections Advisory Board meeting, announced that 93-percent of all felony cases that come before her have an underlying substance abuse issue involving methamphetamine.” From Murray’s report, linked above.
I think if someone dug into lifeways effectiveness the community would be shocked how much money is throw down that hole. I lived a family event would curl tour hair.... Life ways was a problem, not solution.
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