Flashback & A REQUEST - 3 years ago (Cane and Coal) and a request for your cane & coal award suggestions for Christmas 2006

From John Curry:
Help, I need your suggestions.

Paul Kostyu awarded cane or coal to politicians and organizational leaders back in the year 2003. I would like to compose a CORE Members Cane and Coal recipients suggestions for Christmas 2006. Please help this list grow by sending me your suggestions for people who should receive cane or coal for their actions in this past year. Please name the recipient, whether they should receive cane or coal, and WHY. I will publish a master list when we get closer to Christmas. John
curryjo@watchtv.net

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Here's a short list of who has been naughty and nice
Canton Repository, December 19, 2003
By Paul Kostyu

COLUMBUS -- It’s a well-kept Christmas secret that journalists help Santa Claus. Really, I’m not making this up.

Sure, kids write to the jolly elf to tell him what they want and whether they have been naughty or nice. And he pretty much takes them at their word. But who keeps an eye on the adults?

Claus has subscriptions to every newspaper. A staff of elves, many of whom got rotated out of the toy department, peruse headlines and stories about the good and bad. The Internet has made this much easier, but Claus doesn’t believe in downsizing.

In fact, he may be the only employer who is adding jobs. Instead of taking a trade mission to Japan and Taiwan next year, Gov. Bob Taft might want to consider a North Pole jaunt to get some of those Claus jobs in Ohio.

Claus pays particular attention to journalists in state capitals because he needs an honest assessment of what politicians and lobbyists are up to. He’s worried Ohio lawmakers will require him to put a goofy-looking red, white and blue Ohio Bicentennial license plate on his sleigh.

Thus, he has come to depend on this annual column about who deserves candy canes and lumps of high-sulfur Ohio coal. He also knows he might as well pack plenty of coal.

Cane: Taft for threatening to veto concealed-weapon legislation so that more access can be granted to permit holders’ records. Anyone who defends the right of access to information deserves a whole bag of candy canes.

Coal: Taft for signing a bioterrorism bill that restricts access to information. Make that a big bag of coal.

Cane: Rep. Scott Oelslager, R-Plain Township, for taking a deliberate and reasoned approach to tort reform, despite pressure and criticism from Taft, fellow Republicans and lobbyists.

Coal: Akron-based FirstEnergy for starting the massive blackout that affected most of Ohio, the Northeastern United States and a good chunk of Canada.

Coal: Taft for staying well-lit in a part of Canada that had lights, while Ohioans suffered in the dark.

Cane: Sen. Robert Hagan, D-Youngstown, for his persistence in getting Ohio’s Best Rx, a broad prescription drug plan, enacted.

Cane: Taft and Rep. John Hagan, R-Marlboro Township, for seeing the wisdom in offering Best Rx as a drug plan better than the Golden Buckeye Card plan, which took forever to get going.

Coal: Former Consumers’ Counsel Robert Tongren for ordering an expensive report at taxpayer expense, then ignoring it before destroying the public record, all the while going along with a plan to allow additional costs on consumers’ bills.

Coal: The State Teachers Retirement System and the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund for their extravagant spending. A $100 million building and not a single chimney for Santa to make his delivery.

Coal: Former STRS Executive Director Herb Dyer for instilling a culture of entitlement and arrogance.

Cane: Interim STRS Executive Director Damon Asbury for making changes in that culture, cutting expenses and helping to restore confidence in the system.

Cane: Chillicothe Superintendent Dennis Leone and others for bringing the excesses at STRS to light and remaining vigilant about what’s happening at the fund.

Coal: The rabid critics of STRS who ignore the reasons the STRS headquarters and its expensive artwork are not going to be sold and the day care center shouldn’t be closed. Get over it and move on; there are other issues to focus on.

Cane: Lawmakers who saw a need for pension fund reform and acted quickly.

Coal: Lawmakers who screwed up pension fund reform by trying to give the state treasurer superpowers over appointments, and for requiring a Buy Ohio provision.

Cane: Rep. John Boccieri, D-New Middletown, for honoring his commitment to his country when his Air Force unit was called up to serve in Iraq.

Cane: Sen. Kirk Schuring, R-Jackson Township, for trying to move up the date when a prescription drug repository could begin operating in an effort to save money and help the needy.

Coal: Rep. Mary Cirelli, D-Canton, for voting against the new start date and then trying to explain that vote by saying she thought the Legislature was in session for another week, which makes no sense at all. Go figure.

Claus actually gets a longer list than this. He said it’s OK to share the rest next week.

You can reach Copley Columbus Bureau Chief Paul E. Kostyu at (614) 222-8901 or e-mail:
paul.kostyu@cantonrep.com