Thumbs down to silencing citizens

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2/5/10
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12:10 PM Friday, November 13, 2009

Here are this week’s “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” selections:

Thumbs down to Hamilton City Council for refusing to listen to comments on Nov. 11 from more than a dozen residents who wanted to complain about the June sewage backups in their homes. Council declared the issue “closed” — in apparent anticipation of a lawsuit from angry residents who say their insurance companies won’t take responsibility either for thousands of dollars worth of damage to homes. City officials have contended the event was a “500-year storm” that city sewers were never designed to handle. We can understand that city officials have nothing else to offer the aggrieved residents, but we believe council members have an obligation to listen to the concerns of constituents and taxpayers.

Thumbs down to Garfield Middle School for giving an in-school suspension to eighth-grader Dustin Reader, because his new haircut includes shaved stripes and a “B” — in honor of his favorite football team, the Cincinnati Bengals. He was suspended Monday for violating the school’s code of conduct that includes “extreme” haircuts as violations. As readers were able to see in our Nov. 12 photograph of Dustin, the haircut would hardly be noticed on the street in this day and age. In this instance, we think the school’s reaction was the only “extreme” issue here. Let Dustin back in class.

Thumbs up to the Fairfield Community Foundation, which marked its 10th anniversary of service with a special dinner Nov. 10, hosted by Nick Clooney. The foundation started in 1999 when former City Council member Howard Dirksen organized the first meeting. The foundation has now awarded more than $700,000 in grants and scholarships in that decade. Our neighborhoods are significantly better places to live because of fine organizations like the Fairfield Community Foundation. Here’s to many more anniversaries.

Thumbs up to Dr. Thad Rauch of Hamilton, whose Rauch Chiropractic office recently donated about 500 pounds of food and $500 to the Lighthouse Food Pantry, gifts that will help feed dozens of local families. The funds and food were collected from patients in exchange for a free doctor’s visit, Rauch said. Bravo.

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Thomas D. Porter
Jail House Lawyer

Ignore the facts, and toss around irrelevant, inflammatory language. Well done!!!!

There was nothing non-specific about this act of defiance and insubordination. It's just a grab for attention. It worked. Now, it's time to grow up.

Another Product of Hamilton
10:07 AM, 11/26/2009

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Once again, the rules need to be specific as to what constitutes violations. If "razor cuts" of any kind are not permitted, then that needs to be spelled out, not subject to the individual speculative descrimination on the part of the Garfield School Administration at a time of their choosing. The two courses he will not need to take in Social Studies are descrimination & segragation as he is experiencing these two behaviors "first hand" being administered by Garfield School Administration.

Thomas D. Porter
2:16 PM, 11/23/2009

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mamabear - I like the J-N too. It's always entertaining and fun to play spot the typos, poor grammar & incorrect information in the articles that appear daily here on the website.

It does make me a little sad that "professional" journalists take so little pride in their work though. I think I would be ashamed to accept a paycheck if I couldn't write an article better than most that appear here.

Cox editors are stupid
6:37 PM, 11/15/2009

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But it makes no difference what you, I or even B-HO thinks. What matters is what the school administrators think. They have to deal with him everyday.

Dustin's parents are doing him a grave disservice by permitting and even encouraging him to continue breaking the rules. They need to teach him that rules/laws are to be followed even if you don't agree with them. If you don't agree with a rule/law, work to change it, but while it is in effect you must follow it.

Cox editors are stupid
6:34 PM, 11/15/2009

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mamabear - I agree, the haircut in and of itself was not that bad. The problem is this is the FOURTH time he has had a "non-traditional" haircut. He & his parents were warned previously not to do it again. The design is not at issue. The fact that he REPEATEDLY BROKE THE RULE is.

As far as the "majority" I think if you took the time to read the comments at the end of the article about Dustin it is a pretty even split between those for & against the punishment.

cont...

Cox editors are stupid
6:31 PM, 11/15/2009

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