This is going to test even further the steadfast and unquestioned support by Mr. Azinger the Elder and Mr. Rapp for DuPont over the past few months since the C8 issue began to surface in Vienna. I would ask how much longer can they be so positive that the water is really okay? Of course on the surface, Mr. Rapp has been strangely quiet other than accepting the new guidelines and Mr. Azinger the Elder totally missing in action.
To support one's friends/ business acquaintances is well and good until it becomes against the best interest of the Community one has been elected to represent. Fence starting to get slippery boys?
And on the announcement that SuddenLink is moving sales jobs to Texas away from P'burg. It was noted when the Luxembourgese Company bought into SuddenLink that it was known for its lean, mean approach to staffing and interest more in the bottom line than the number of Customers it had. Is this the first of several salvos as the P'burg Shop gets shut down? Time will as in all things out the Truth.
At the last City Council meeting before Ms. Smith kicked of the unofficial but still starting 2016 Election Cycle, Mr. Rapp was talking about all the people coming to the Senior Center for the Activities that are put on for the Seniors. Now I am all in to get our single seniors out of their homes and into an activity that allows them to mingle with other people. This is very important to their wellbeing and the quality of life for them.
Some comments that bothered me were when Ms. Kerns noted she did the classes for free. I thought she is doing it on work hours that the City is open and she is getting paid her salary or so it seems I would think? So how is doing this for free? Please, don't tell me she went to the Norm Harris School of "it won't cost the Taxpayers anything; the City will pay for it"? This higher up folks working for the City seem to have a terrible disconnect with reality. Nothing a Government Entity does is "free". Now if they were to do something on their non work day hours; then that could easily be "free" and very commendable.
And she went on about all the people coming to the point where there is not enough room for them and some are turned away. So for sure need more room. Now there two points here?
1.) Where are these good folks actually coming from? I know we get folks from all over the County and I believe even Marietta? Are we allowing them from outside Vienna to have access and denying our own?
If we have room for 98 people as was quoted for a recent cruise trip on the River, do we as I would think give preference to our own first? If one Viennese is being left on the side lines, I would then question if we are following the reason for the Senior Center and our elderly? It would seem that once we have accommodated all of our own who wish to do an activity and have extra capacity; open it then to anyone from anywhere. Seems certainly fair to me? It these folks who live and pay taxes here are denied use of a City Paid or sponsored event in favor of others from other places, then we are not doing something right.
I know from listening that the City/Staff know where many of these folks live and come here from. It is not a stretch to remember the old adage "Charity begins at home". Let us reword that to be "Residents first and then all others". Each and everyone of our cherished elders are valuable to our World with their life experience and deserve respect/ recognition for that; but there need be guidelines to insure we put our folks where they deserve as a reward for living here for how ever many decades?
2.) After thinking on Mr. Rapp's words that the new addition cost an estimated (my number) $250- 300K. It will be more than Belpre's some time back at $100K. And rest assured it will have every bell and whistle known to man. Then he says, we have a promised donation of $65K and expect more. Well that would be nice too. But what damned him was the "we expect to have it done by September". What says I? This is the end of July almost. A 30' or 40" x 50' in 60 to 70 days? Seems a real rush to get it done? And then, the light went on. This "donation" is I suspect a campaign "donation in kind" for Mr. Rapps' Re-election. Don't be alarmed, it will be couched in all the right words to be what they say.
The donor is at the moment being kept quiet. Why if it is such a heartfelt effort for our cherished older folks need it be kept a secret now? Could it be because the donor is the owner of a company who also lives in Vienna and rabid to help keep the status quo? I am very suspicious having reviewed what has come out to date. Time will as usual out the Truth. Should any donor try to stay anonymous, be assured I am likely more right than wrong and it is probably a back door campaign contribution?
Follow the dots and they will soon look like the "yellow brick road" and the Wizard behind the curtain.
As you probably all know now Mr. Cruz chose to NOT openly endorse Mr. Trump at the RNC on last Wednesday night. Made it very clear he will be running come 2020. Maybe as a Libertarian or even an Independent but not likely a Republican. It the Repub's lose this Election, there will probably no Republican Party anymore to challenge on the National level. It will be like the Repub's did here for 80 years. Be backbenchers and unable to muster a challenge to anything. It is being said, we are already divided along White versus the rest. Be they Blacks, Asians, or by Culture, Latinos. Throw in the far left no matter who or what and it appears a dismal picture of things to come? I am not very smart and will be the first to admit it, but I cannot understand why we cannot include the "Rest" in the Republican Party? Many of them are as smart, hardworking and family oriented as you can find. Yet, we seem constantly and systematically to run them off. True, it is the message put out on how the Party has nothing to offer to them. They will be in with a bunch of racists and so forth. Come on, I know you folks out there who are Repub's are not all racists. Some of the far left are racist too, but hide it well.
It is said by 2050, the Whites in the U.S. will be in the minority. What is confusing is that the Latinos will add so many to the population along with the others. Problem is that the Latinos are by and large WHITE themselves. Everyone keeps trying to make Hispanics a race- it is a CULTURE, not a race.
It is beginning to appear that not only is Mr. Cruz working to defeat Mr. Trump; but Mr. Kasich is not going to try to help him in Ohio. To destroy someone because of personal issues on such an important issue as the saving of our Country is unbelievable? If the Repubs lose Texas and Ohio, y'all better start practicing your "yes ma'am".
The way things are sizing up, everyone who wants change in our Government at whatever level needs to not only vote themselves, but get anyone else who is saying to Hell with it, to vote too. This is the year we take back our Country and Community or will be doomed for decades. 'nuff said'.
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).