{"id":6762,"date":"2023-11-06T09:26:38","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T14:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/?p=6762"},"modified":"2023-11-06T09:26:42","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T14:26:42","slug":"the-dahlman-ballot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/index.php\/2023\/11\/06\/the-dahlman-ballot\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dahlman Ballot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dogs (of course)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yesterday I highlighted the important races here in Ohio \u2013 and a few of the one\u2019s that are important, but only to our local communities.  After all of that, I really didn\u2019t \u201cendorse\u201d candidates or issues \u2013 I just stated the \u201cfacts\u201d as I saw them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jenn and I intended to vote early last week.  But, as often happens in our lives, we got wrapped up in tracking a lost dog (not ours).  The bad news is a newly adopted two-year old Malinois made a break from his new family\u2019s car as they pulled up in the home driveway for the first time.  He was \u201cout\u201d for over a week, wandering the streets and woods of the North Linden neighborhood of Columbus.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news was the new adopter went to work, covering the neighborhood with signs.  Jenn was able to \u201cmap\u201d where the dog was from all the calls and days spent driving the streets of North Linden. She ultimately, got a humane trap on the ground.  Friday night, two hours after the trap went down, the dog went in, and we were able to return him.  His new family is finally able to start bonding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we are voting tomorrow, like the good old days, on Election Day.  Jenn and I discuss how we are going to vote, and actually worked through a sample ballot.  We don\u2019t agree on every candidate, but we reason through every choice.  I can\u2019t say how she\u2019ll cast her votes, only mine.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

State Issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I will vote for Ohio\u2019 Issue One, the women\u2019s health choices-abortion Amendment to the State Constitution.  A while ago, I wrote an essay explaining my view, and if you\u2019re interested, here\u2019s the link \u2013 Yes on Issue One<\/a>.  In the final analysis for me, abortion is a moral and even religious issue.  I don\u2019t believe we have the right to tell others what their morals or religion should be.  Issue One would leave choice to the individual, and I agree with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, I will vote for Ohio\u2019s Issue Two, legalizing recreational marijuana.  To be honest, marijuana was never my \u201cthing\u201d, even back in the seventies in college.  The old joke in my dorm was that on Friday\u2019s the first floor floated to the fifth of our four story building.  But beer was my \u201cdrug of choice\u201d at the time, and the university supplied it for free (\u266b \u201cOh Denison, My Denison\u201d \u266b) .  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s just not logical:  I can buy enough alcohol to drown an elephant, but marijuana is still technically illegal.  I\u2019ve been around enough marijuana use to know, that it\u2019s not that different.  And I\u2019m also well aware that today it\u2019s use is socially \u201cacceptable\u201d.  Just like it made no sense for my little town, Pataskala, to be \u201cdry\u201d until the 1990\u2019s, so it doesn\u2019t make sense today that we still try to make using or possessing \u201cweed\u201d a criminal offense.  So let\u2019s get it over with, and gain the benefit of more tax revenue for our communities and state.  I probably won\u2019t join in, but smoke up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

School Board<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The next issue is the two seats on the local school board, Southwest Licking, where I spent my entire educational career.  Five candidates are listed, but Alexander Smiley (a good one) had to drop out of the race.  The two incumbents, Deb Moore and Kandee Engle, have been on the Board for a while, and while we\u2019ve had our differences, continue to do a good job.  They pass my primary test:  as my old Principal Pete Nix used to say, they try to, \u201cDo what\u2019s right for kids\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know one candidate, Michael Miller, a newcomer to the fray.  Reading about him and his endorsement from the teacher\u2019s union, I am tempted to cast one of my votes for him.  But, as often is the case in the Southwest Licking, there is one candidate who if elected would dramatically change the Board of Education for the worse.  Cory Ford personally seems like a nice guy, but he espouses a whole lot of radical-right philosophy, focusing on all of the \u201cacronyms\u201d:  CRT, SEL, DEI (that\u2019s Critical Race Theory, Social Emotional Learning and Diversity Equity and Inclusion).  Ford is against them all, and sees an \u201cacronym\u201d in every classroom and lesson plan.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been in the classrooms (still substitute on occasion), and that\u2019s not what\u2019s going on.  I don\u2019t want a four year witch hunt in the Southwest Licking, and I don\u2019t want Kandee and Michael to split the vote so that Ford might have a chance.  So I\u2019ll vote for Deb and Kandee, and hope they remain sensitive to the very real struggles of today\u2019s teachers in the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

City Stuff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So there\u2019s two weird city of Pataskala issues, where they would automatically \u201caggregate\u201d our electric and gas services.  Here in Ohio, you can\u2019t choose who delivers your gas and electricity, but you can choose who provides the actual gas or electricity that\u2019s delivered.   Essentially, this \u201cresolution\u201d would allow Pataskala the choice of our utility servicers unless we affirmatively \u201copt out\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like the Ohio choice plan, and every six months spend a couple of hours trying to get the best deal for our power.  It\u2019s worked so far, and I don\u2019t really need the city to intervene.  So I\u2019ll vote against all of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally there\u2019s four applications for a liquor license in our precinct.  I\u2019m all in favor of new places to eat and drink close to home, so I\u2019ll be voting for those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are my choices.  Even in this off-off year there\u2019s a lot to talk about, and big decisions to make.  Regardless of where you stand, remember:  vote.  It\u2019s your chance to make a difference.  Besides, if you don\u2019t vote, as far as I\u2019m concerned, you give up the right to complain!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dogs (of course) Yesterday I highlighted the important races here in Ohio \u2013 and a few of the one\u2019s that are important, but only to our local communities.  After all of that, I really didn\u2019t \u201cendorse\u201d candidates or issues \u2013 I just stated the \u201cfacts\u201d as I saw them.   Jenn and I intended to vote early … Continue reading “The Dahlman Ballot”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Dahlman Ballot : Our America - 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