Gov-elect John Kasich is already showing us what kind of governor he'll be when he takes office in January.
Springfield News-Sun:
Gov.-elect John Kasich urged farmers to self-regulate and police one another when it comes to protecting the environment, including Grand Lake St. Marys.
“I am not big on imposing rules and regulations on 100 people when we need to take one person out and put him in the stockade and throw some fruit and vegetables at him,” Kasich told members of the Ohio Farm Bureau on Friday....
.....Over the last two summers, the 12,700-acre man-made lake suffered from algae outbreaks that led to Ohio Environmental Protection Agency advisories to avoid contact with the water. The algae blooms are caused by run off of manure and fertilizers from watershed lands feeding the lake — mostly farms....
Kasich is suggesting that farmers "self-regulate" themselves? Isn't that what the bankers did on Wall Street before the financial collapse? Isn't that what meat packers did before there were meat inspectors? Should I suggest that my doctor "self-regulate" himself/herself? What other areas and professions does Kasich suggest should "self-regulate" their businesses and dealings?
Regulations are not fun, but they serve a purpose. Regulations protect the public and the environment. Does Kasich think that the safety warnings about Grand Lake St. Mary's were unnecessary? Really? When will he be taking his family there for swimming and boating?
* People are talking about the appointments that Kasich has made over the last few weeks. So far, all of the appointees are white men. Some people think that is fine, but there are many of us who feel that white men do not represent Ohioans. Since the Census Bureau notes that 51.2% of the Ohio population is female, I'm waiting for Kasich to have a diverse, more representative group assisting him in the management of the Ohio government. Is Kasich unfamiliar with highly educated, successful, business-savvy non-whites that could be part of his administration? We are all watching.