Usher may still be a young man at the age of 32, but he has hinted in recent interviews (including one earlier this year in The New York Times) that his days as a touring live performer may be over by the time he hits his 40s.
But as he stressed in an early November phone interview, he has no intention of disappearing from the concert stage — much less his career as one of the major figures in R&B music.
“I’ll be able to still do that, perform live, until I’m 50,” Usher said, a statement that is sure to reassure his fans. “My point is, I would also choose to do other things, and other aspects of business that I’d like to be in, things I’d like to venture in. You know, as I introduce talent, as I develop talent, I would never want to feel as though that’s my only option.

Usher

“So at 50, you know, I hope that all the business that I’ve built allows me to, you know, go and hit the stage at my discretion,” he said. “I want to be able to have the ability to do that, but I also want to be mindful of all the other things that I’ve done.”
The man born Usher Raymond IV is well on his way to achieving that kind of lucrative multifaceted career. Six full-length albums into his career, he is among the most popular R&B artists going, and widely considered one of music’s more magnetic live performers. He will play the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit on Dec. 2.
He has his own line of fragrances. Usher also has his own label, US Records, and is active in developing the careers of several young artists, most notably the hugely popular teen pop sensation Justin Bieber, who’s signed to US Records.
For Usher, who himself was mentored earlier in his career by the late superstar Michael Jackson, it’s been a mostly steady rise since he arrived on the national scene with his 1994 self-titled release, when he was just 16.
The two most recent Usher CDs have presented starkly different sides of the singer.
The spring 2008 CD, “Here I Stand,” came after Usher had married Tameka Foster and had a son, Usher Raymond V. It presented a more mature Usher, who was cherishing romantic stability and the joys of family life.
The couple went on to have a second son, Naviyd Ely, in December 2008, but only six months later Usher filed for divorce saying the couple had been living separately for the previous year.
“Raymond v Raymond” (released in March) and its companion EP, “Versus” (released in August), found Usher taking a step back to the single man persona of his earlier CDs, with many of the songs centered on being free and unattached and the various benefits that come with that.
“Here I Stand” was a successful CD (1.5 million copies sold in the U.S. alone), but didn’t even approach the sales of 2004’s “Confessions.” Some have speculated that Usher thought some of his fan base wasn’t as keen on the committed family man of that 2008 album and prefer the more footloose and fancy free Usher of earlier albums, and now the two latest releases. Usher, though, would only say he considers both “Here I Stand” and “Raymond v Raymond/Versus” to be personal and honest statements.
“I think that every album that I make is intended to give you a different facet of my personality and also speak to what I feel, where I am, and what my interpretation of art is at that time,” he said. “For every album, there is a different experience, you know, one not being greater than the other, but it all being intertwined as an incredible story in time. When I stop, I hope to be able to look back at all of my albums put together and feel as though I’m looking at an autobiographical musical experience.”
With his OMG Tour, Usher isn’t merely out to entertain his fans, he’s shooting to make an indelible impact that will elevate him to the level of a concert icon.
“The overarching impression that I’d like to leave is that, you know, this guy is really stepping it up to a level where, you know, people can hopefully compare him to people like Michael Jackson, and great entertainers of the past,” Usher said.
“I’ve put the time into creating an incredible show, but also I give it all,” he said. “I leave it on the stage. I give you the energy. I basically tear myself apart emotionally, energetically, you know, connecting with you and making sure that you enjoy this moment and leave saying ‘OMG, Oh My God.’”
The visual presentation promises to be a spectacle, as Usher described his stage show as state-of-the-art and said he will perform his back catalog hits as well as a cross section of material from “Raymond v Raymond/Versus.”
“The look of the tour, it’s a little futuristic, but enough to capture your attention and leave you saying ‘OMG.’ That’s the whole point,” he said.
And yes, there will be plenty of another Usher concert trademark — his dancing.
“Oh, man, dancing is definitely a part of the tour,” Usher said. “You can’t have me without that ingredient. I wanted to stick to some of the choreography that you’ve seen in the videos. And for the songs that never had a video, you know, introduce a new style, a new energy.
“Whenever there are segues, I’ll also use music to transition us from one thing to the next,” he said. “I wanted to make you feel as though you were watching a movie, watching a live movie experience. I’m like a superhero in this show and I do all of my own stunts.”

According to the Lucas County Board of Elections, provisional ballots have helped Carol Contrada beat George Sarantou in the Lucas County Commissioners race.

Contrada received 191 more votes than Sarantou, said Linda Howe director of the BOE. Contrada had 69,765 votes and Sarantou had 69,574 votes.

The BOE will recount ballots starting next week Nov. 29 and should be finished by Dec. 2, Howe said.

The Springfield School District levy will also face a recount, Howe said.

Contrada and Sarantou could not be reached for comment at this time.

Despite their claims, the Republicans’ ban on earmarks won’t stop lawmakers from steering taxpayers’ dollars to pet projects. And it will have little if any effect on Washington’s far graver problem — the gigantic budget deficit.

Saying Election Day victories gave them a mandate to curb spending, Republicans formally agreed last week to a two-year prohibition of earmarks, legislative provisions that funnel money to lawmakers’ favorite projects. President Barack Obama has said he, too, wants to restrict earmarks, though he defended some as helping communities.

“I am proud that House and Senate Republicans have united to end the earmark favor factory,” said Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a leader in the drive to stop the practice.

While the ban will make it harder for lawmakers to bring pork-barrel spending back home, it is far from airtight.

Savvy members of Congress have options like “phone-marking,” picking up the telephone and pressuring agency officials to spend money on specific projects. Lawmakers are sure to exploit uncertainty over exactly how the ban will be applied, such as whether it will bar money for projects already in the works. And Democrats, who will still run the Senate next year, have not agreed to the restrictions. Neither have some Republicans.

“There’s no way you can stamp out every effort” by lawmakers to bring home the bacon, said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., another leading earmark foe. “But you can marginalize it.”

Even completely eliminating earmarks would hardly ensure that spending decisions will be objective and divorced from politics. Presidents and agency officials control where many federal dollars go and have always used that power to reward allies. And formulas that automatically disburse other funds to states are themselves products of past political compromises, with their own sets of winners and losers.

“It makes those who ranted and raved against earmarks feel good,” Robert Reischauer, the Urban Institute president and former chief of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, said of the GOP ban. “But it is largely cosmetic.”

Spending for earmarks peaked in 2006, when lawmakers diverted $29 billion to hometown projects, according to Citizens Against Government Waste. The numbers have dipped to about $16 billion last year for 9,000 earmarks, thanks to public pressure and the infamy of influence-seekers like the convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

That $16 billion is undeniably real money, but it amounts to just half of 1 percent of the $3.5 trillion federal budget. Lawmakers carve most earmarks from within agency budgets, so eliminating them would not save money but simply mean it would be spent on something else.

Even if the ban somehow did save $16 billion, it would fail to make a noticeable dent in the federal deficit, which hit a near record $1.3 trillion last year and threatens to remain huge. The shortfalls are being chiefly driven by growing, automatically paid benefit programs like Medicare, a problem that lawmakers have yet to seriously tackle.

Bob Livingston, a lobbyist and former GOP congressman from Louisiana who doled out many earmarks as chairman of one of Congress’ spending committees, said he believes the ban will reduce earmarks but have no real budgetary impact.

“It’s a symbol, and my friends and former colleagues have chosen to bow to a symbol,” he said.

Critics of earmarks say they generally go to senior lawmakers, divert funds from worthier projects and are doled out by leaders in exchange for votes on other bills that drive up spending even further. They are a favorite target of conservatives such as tea party supporters, and the GOP’s effort to eliminate them is a way to please those voters and signal that the party will rein in a bloated government.

“This earmark ban shows the American people we are listening and we are dead serious about ending business as usual in Washington,” Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, in line to be House speaker next year, said Thursday.

Yet earmarks remain popular with many lawmakers who consider it part of their jobs to win money for deserving projects back home _ and view the projects as a way to please voters.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was just re-elected over a tea party rival in a campaign where she championed earmarks. She opposes the ban and said Tuesday she “will always fight hard to ensure that Alaska receives its fair share.” Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, a member of the GOP leadership, said he will back the moratorium but would seek money for his state for emergencies like floods — perhaps opening the door for other lawmakers who might seek earmarks by claiming their states were facing their own problems.

Conservative Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., said she supports the ban, but recently told the Star Tribune in Minneapolis that she doesn’t consider home-district transportation projects earmarks because, “there’s a big difference between funding a tea pot museum and a bridge over a vital waterway.”

James Walsh, a former GOP congressman from upstate New York and now a lobbyist, says two earmarks he won for his district became important in Iraq for electronically jamming hidden bombs and locating the source of incoming fire.

“This is how legislatures work,” Walsh said of the trade-offs sometimes involved. “You have to give something to get something.”

Lawmakers trying to circumvent the earmark ban can also:

Hold hearings or stage a high-profile visit to the facility they are trying to fund — a clear signal to bureaucrats that they consider the money a demand, not a request;

Insert vaguely worded provisions into bills that don’t name the destination of the money, but describe criteria that can result in funds heading only to a specific project;

Lobby the administration to include the funds in the budget it sends Congress each year, enhancing the chance that a government agency will use its discretion to provide the money.

Report by Alan Fram of the Associated Press

Harry Potter is on the way to his biggest magic act yet.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” conjured up $61.2 million domestically in its first day, scoring the best opening weekend for the series about the young wizard.

Nov. 19′s haul helped “Deathly Hallows” shoot past the franchise’s previous high, a $102.7 million opening weekend for “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” in 2005. “Dealthy Hallows” is reported to have had $125.1 million in U.S. and Canadian opening weekend ticket sales.

“Deathly Hallows” is No. 5 on the box-office charts for biggest opening day, behind “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” at $72.7 million, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” at $68.5 million, “The Dark Knight” at $67.2 million and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” at $62 million.

It set a record for its own franchise, coming in ahead of the $58.2 million opening day of last year’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price.”

The franchise has taken in $5.5 billion worldwide in theatrical revenue since the first film debuted in 2001.

The latest film is based on the first part of J.K. Rowling’s seventh and final “Harry Potter” novel. The finale, “Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” is due out in July.

The Nov. 17 edition of Toledo Free Press Star focused on the release of “Deathly Hallows.” A limited number of print copies are still available at stand locations, the digital version can be viewed at this link.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

Editor’s note: Toledo Free Press will follow the Blank family of Millbury for the next year as they rebuild their lives after a June 5 tornado destroyed their Main Street home.

When the Blanks sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, they know exactly why they will be giving thanks.
“I am thankful to be alive and just to be surrounded by family and friends and I am fortunate to have survived the tornado and to live in such a good community,” Julie Blank said.
“And she’s thankful for a great husband,” Ed Blank chimed in.
The Blanks usually host Thanksgiving dinner, but this year they will be going to their nephew’s house.
“With them rebuilding this year, they don’t really have the room, so my wife and I offered and we are glad to have them here,” Dr. Kyle Williamson said.
Kyle remembers finding out about his aunt and uncle’s house.
“I am the type of person who is outside watching the sky. I am a physician who said if medicine didn’t work out, I wanted to be a storm chaser,” Kyle said.
But on June 5, he and his family sought safety in their basement and then went to bed after the storm had passed. It wasn’t until the next morning that he checked his phone and learned that Julie and her family had lost their house. When he found out a toddler on his aunt and uncle’s street had died, it made him think about losing his own young sons.
“I went upstairs, cried and hugged my wife,” Kyle said.
Julie said when they have the room to host Thanksgiving, “it is a pretty big crowd.” Between them, they have three grown boys who come, depending on plans with other relatives. Julie also invites her sister and brother-in-law for dinner, as well as Kyle and his family. Ed and Julie also have a teenage son, Casey.
“It is going to be different not being in the house, but I am looking forward to going somewhere because I have never been anywhere,” Julie said.
Ed doesn’t get out of making the turkey and stuffing, though.
“Ed usually does it and will do it this year,” Julie said.
The Blanks are still determining if Ed will make it the night before and cart it over to Kyle’s place in Perrysburg or if the cooking will be done that morning.
Ed said he is thankful for family, friends and the overwhelming support provided in the days that followed the tornado.
“It is a guilty pleasure to see how many people survived the tornado while never forgetting those who did not,” he said.
“I am thankful to live in and be a part of a wonderful community,” Ed said. “I will never forget those first responders who were on the scene in just minutes and for many days after June 5. The memories and pictures will be etched in my mind forever of those who were at the sites of all of the victims offering a helping hand.”
Kyle is thankful he can host the Blanks.
“We are just providing the place for all of us to get together and give thanks,” he said.

After going through his own weight loss, Nathan Vandenbroek is helping others exercise  and lose weight through his personal training business A Dramatic Change.
“I got into personal training because of my own weight loss,” Vandenbroek said.
The Toledo native weighed 315 pounds at his heaviest and has dropped more than 150 pounds. His personal training specialty, based on his own history, is fat loss, Vandenbroek said.
Vandenbroek sees his role as a personal trainer as helping clients to develop exercise habits.
“I’m a starting point,” he said. “I teach them enough to go on their own.”
On average, 12 in-home one-hour sessions is all Vandenbroek needs to help a client develop a routine, he said. Twelve sessions provide Vandenbroek enough time to implement exercise habits and teach individuals how to branch out and exercise on their own, he said.

Nathan Vandenbroek founded A Dramatic Change after he lost more than half his body weight.

“There’s no sense in individuals paying for months and months and years of personal training when it’s a very easy thing someone can do on their own,” Vandenbroek said.
Sometimes clients choose to add more sessions or continue sessions for a longer period of time, Vandenbroek said.
Vandenbroek has one client he sees once a month, as more of a routine checkup, he said.
Each client, prior to training, gets a free consultation and assessment. Vandenbroek will go through personal goals and his goals for a client and discuss what changes need to be made, he said.  Following the discussion Vandenbroek will lay out, step by step, how he will help a client meet his or her goals.
“I come in and I give them the workouts and I show them how to do them. Then, I give them my manual of what to do, whether it’s diet and exercise. This is where we’re at.
“This is where you want to be and these are the steps we need to take to get there,” Vandenbroek said.
In addition to exercise instruction, Vandenbroek provides nutritional guidance and refers clients to dietitians when need be.
Vandenbroek also keeps a client on target and motivated to reach his or her goal.
“There is no quick fix to anything, no matter what some gimmick says,” Vandenbroek said. “It takes time and energy. You must stay driven to yourself, motivated and focused.”
In addition to one-on-one training, A Dramatic Change can also set up and assist with corporate wellness programs.
“An insurance broker will go in and say ‘Here’s A to Z, you do this and call me when you’re done.’ … I go in and find out what insurance provider they have and what list of things they need to accomplish,” Vandenbroek said. “Then, I’ll run the weekly weigh-ins, exercise classes and take care of this checklist.”
Vandenbroek has been a certified personal trainer for more than three years and previously worked as a strength therapist and doing rehab for a chiropractor.
Through his experience in the chiropractor’s office, he knows how to correctly work out without injury, Vandenbroek said.
Vandenbroek opened A Dramatic Change in March 2009.
For more information, visit www.adramaticchange.com.

Since the election, political pundits in all forms of media have been searching to discover the reason why Republicans gained some 60 seats in the House. Those listed are as varied as the political agendas of the partisans spouting them.

On the right, we are told this was a complete repudiation of agenda of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi, strange since it’s the same agenda that swept the President and Democrats into office two years ago. We are also told that it’s a repudiation of health care reform; and while there has certainly been some anger over this bit of odious legislation, the architects of it (Senator Reid and Representative Pelosi) were both returned to office, while many who voted while closing their eyes and holding their noses were turned out. We are told instead that this was a return to the conservative values that made this country great, but looking dispassionately at the results, it cannot go unnoticed that conservative Tea Party candidates in Nevada, Delaware, and probably Alaska, were defeated in favor of those who could be considered more moderate at the least.

On the left, we are told that this was a lack of communication on their part, and that somehow in the hundreds of speeches by the President since he took office and the thousands of those by political candidates leading up to the election, that we simply didn’t get it. We are also told that it was big corporations and special interests buying the elections for the Republicans, and not the spending equaled or exceeded by unions and similar groups for Democrats. And of course we are told that it is a fault of talk radio and the Fox News Channel, which seems equally strange when you count the number of networks lined up on the other side (though perhaps such numbers mean little if few are watching them).

I believe however that this week we may have seen why people rejected those currently in office and sought to replace them, as we saw how those currently in office respect the trust that has been placed in them by voters. For this week saw the ethics trial of Representative Charles Bernard Rangel. Serving since 1971 in NY’s 15th district, Mr. Rangel was convicted by the House Ethics Panel of multiple acts of corruption including using a rent-stabilized apartment (he in fact had four of them) created for use by low income families for campaign activities. The former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee that writes tax laws was also cited for failure to pay taxes on rental property that he owns in the Dominican Republic. (Perhaps it’s easier to own rental property in the islands if you get cheap rent at home). In a bit of improper political arm twisting, Rep. Rangel apparently also used Congressional letterhead in raising money for a center to be built in his name, in his district.

Rep. Rangel did participate much in his trial, stating that his lawyers had abandoned him. Curious, since it has now been uncovered that perhaps Rangel used over $2 million in PAC and campaign money improperly to pay defense firms; and since he left the hearing accompanied by noted defense attorney Abbe Lowell. These additional discrepancies and potential violations were not included and seemed to have escape the House panel’s notice however.

Tax violations and misappropriations of campaign funds often result serious punishment, including jail time, as do misuse of rent-controlled properties; so you might expect some serious consequences for Rep. Rangel; especially in a Congress recently repudiated, and with an 11% approval rating. You would be wrong however. The House Ethics panel in fact recommended censure, which basically involves a letter of reprimand and being told that he is a ‘bad boy’ while standing in the well of Congress. Of course none of even this meaningless punishment has yet been approved by a vote of the entire House, though such a slap on the wrist should see passage. As for contrition, Rep. Rangel protests that there was no corruption and that he gained nothing from these acts (which I suppose has something to do with the definitions of corruption and gained).

So perhaps if we want to see what the election results were about, we might point to Rep. Rangel as a shining example of the real ‘change’ sought in the recent election. We might take note that voters with little faith in the morality of their representatives have done little more than attempt to ‘throw the bums out’. If Congress cannot manage to keep its own House clean, voters can at least exercise their option to do so every two years.

Ohio’s unemployment rate has fallen below 10 percent for the first time in more than a year and a half.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) said Nov. 19 the state’s jobless rate ticked down to 9.9 percent in October, from an even 10 percent in September.

ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin said in a statement that unemployment declined for the seventh straight month with help from hiring in services, manufacturing and construction.

Gov. Ted Strickland, who was voted out of office at the Nov. 2 election, credited his administration’s policies and investment in high-tech industries for the improvement.

“Ohio had the fifth fastest-growing economy over the past 12 months, according to the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia,” Strickland said. “Our forward-looking policies are putting Ohioans back to work.”

The department reported the last time Ohio’s unemployment rate was under 10 percent was in March 2009.

The state’s nonfarm payroll employment rose by 8,400 last month. The number of unemployed workers dropped to 588,000, from 591,000 in September. Officials say the number has gone down by 50,000 in the past 12 months.

ODJFS also reported employment at service-providing industries as 4,219,400, were up 7,200 from September. The largest increase occurred in government (+4,300). Other industries adding jobs included professional and business services (+2,700), leisure and hospitality (+2,600), and educational and health services (+2,100). Declines took place in financial activities (-3,000), other services (-600), trade, transportation, and utilities (-500), and information (-400). Goods-producing industries increased 1,200 to 803,500 as construction and manufacturing added 600 jobs each. Mining and logging remained at the September level.

Unemployment numbers for counties, cities and metropolitan areas are set to be released on Nov. 23. Lucas County’s unemployment rate in September was 10.7 percent, Toledo’s was 11.4 percent.

October’s unemployment rate for the U.S. was 9.6 percent.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

Anyone within earshot of a local suburban teacher has likely heard about The Blade’s Nov. 14 article, “Teacher salaries defy trends of hard times.” The article pinpoints some of the highest-paid educators in Rossford, Springfield, Sylvania and Oregon while quickly underscoring current budget shortfalls being faced in most districts. Although an accompanying table states that the starting salaries in each of the four districts hovers around $35,000, the body of the article focuses on those educators earning $80,000 and above.
The lack of a more comprehensive overview of what it takes on a daily, yearly and career-spanning basis to forge a path from $35,000 to $95,000 was a disappointment to many local teachers. Although the article points out that the higher-paid educators are earning more “because they have multiple degrees and decades of experience,” teachers rightfully fear that highlighting only the top-tier earners will paint an uneven picture of the true scope of teaching salaries.
Even lending a defending voice to the article by adding that “Union leadership says teachers deserve their pay because they are educated professionals with difficult and important jobs,” was likely of little consolation to the employees of 11 local suburban school districts who discovered that The Blade had also embedded a searchable database of their personal incomes in the article’s online version.
Yes, as taxpayers, parents, and/or nosy bystanders we now have easy and tempting access to not only the salaries of our children’s teachers, but also to the salaries of dozens of friends, neighbors, various acquaintances and even complete strangers. Being public information, I suppose we, the public, somehow had access to such numbers all along. However, The Blade putting a leash on the elephant out back and luring it inside to the middle of our living room makes it hard to ignore and leaves everyone feeling a bit uncomfortable. It only serves to add fuel to an already intensifying fire and, although legal, feels disrespectful and almost dirty.
Yet, as a representative of at least a portion of the general public, I have to admit that even the first-year teaching salaries outlined in The Blade’s “By the Numbers” table are higher than I had assumed after years and years of hearing about the meagerness of teacher pay, especially when benefits are taken into account.
Between the recent school reform movement, which continues to push its way to the forefront of America’s collective mind, and my own increased personal interest in education as my children begin their academic journeys, I had actually already navigated the 2010 Community Update from Sylvania Schools that arrived in my mail this fall. I was no doubt surprised to learn that our district’s average teacher salary is $61,980.90, approximately the same amount as the median household income in Sylvania, considered an affluent community, and certainly much higher than state and national income averages.
I was also taken aback to read that my school system actually spends more money on education per pupil (e.g., my son) than our family spends on housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical and dental for any one member in the course of a year.
It is difficult to reconcile well-paid teachers and high per-student expenses against the backdrop of the failing American education system. Yet, almost all of the school systems mentioned in The Blade article are not failing systems. In fact, of the 10 Ohio school districts mentioned, five are rated “Excellent” by the Ohio Department of Education and three are rated “Excellent with Distinction.”
While state designations are not necessarily indicative of an ability to academically compete on a global scale, they certainly indicate diligent and highly-effective teachers and administrators deserving of excellent pay, benefits and respect.
The main reason my family made the move to suburban life was the accomplishment and professionalism of our school system. The knowledge that our district offers teachers an opportunity for upward mobility and above-average income is not a negative, but rather an assurance that our district will be able to attract and retain outstanding teachers and continue to provide the level of educational success we signed up for.
Despite the extra stress on our own household income, I will continue to support the idea of good pay for good service with my votes. Convincing other voters during this time of widespread economic hardship may not be easy, however.
As Ohio continues to economically recover from a recent 11 percent unemployment rate high, the public will no doubt look to our teachers for some sort of concession before finally voting through recently failed levies.
I believe acknowledging that during the past few decades Ohio teachers have, indeed, gained a strong foothold in making a decent living as educators and expressing gratitude for such would go a long way with voters. When my mother left Ohio teaching in 1975 after seven years to stay home with her children, she was making $7,500 per year, or around $30,000 in 2010 dollars.
Today’s Ohio teachers generally begin their careers at a salary level higher than the one my mom worked seven years to attain. The public deserves some credit for helping Ohio become one of the better states to teach in, with the potential for above-average pay and benefits, while teachers in other states really do continue to struggle to afford to live on a teacher’s salary.
While many of us wholeheartedly agree that teachers are “educated professionals with difficult and important jobs,” we all must recognize that there are many educated professionals and other everyday workers with equally difficult and important jobs who do not currently have the potential to earn the above-average pay and benefits Ohio teachers are now able to garner over the course of their careers.
Open appreciation for a public who has repeatedly scraped together an extra $10, $20 or $30 per month over the past few decades to pay teachers well and improve facilities will help to encourage continued support among voters struggling to keep their own heads above water.
Likewise, the public can demonstrate their own appreciation for school systems that time and again perform their duties at an exceptional level by continuing to financially support them.
Teaching is one of the few jobs that does involve consistent and heartfelt public “thank yous,” which, in addition to holiday gifts and appreciation luncheons, sometimes come in the form of “yes” checked on a ballot.

Shannon and her husband Michael are raising three children in Sylvania. E-mail her at letters@toledofreepress.com.

Football season is in full swing, and nowhere else can one find a better demonstration of fierce competition, the glory of victory or the agony of defeat. All too often, though, we forget that these customs so often left to burly beer drinkers and couch potatoes truly express facets of everyday life.

There is a telling quote from the ancient Roman poet Ovid which translates roughly into “a horse never runs so fast as when he has other forces to catch up and outpace.”

While sports clearly illustrate the purity of rivalry and reward for the bold, we sometimes need reminding that the concept of competition is not confined to the playing field. It is an ever-present facet of life and a driving force behind progress, and should be appreciated as such.

Whether a long-standing champion boxer with no skilled challengers left to ward off or a powerful and reclusive Wall Street CEO with a cast of yes-men, examples abound of laziness and ineptitude that are bread from a lack of competition.

This is particularly relevant as the federal government prepares to sell stock of General Motors back to the public. Many will recall that GM rival Ford declined a government bailout after the crash of 2008. Instead, Ford did what any competitor would do: hunker down, cut costs, narrow product lines, shrink payrolls, close facilities, and make every dollar count.

Now, though GM has done some downsizing, Ford is much more financially sound while its larger rival has failed to patch all the holes in its balance sheet and has lost market share. One can only hope that GM’s sale to private investors will increase pressure to shape up and fight to regain prominence.

The business world is froth with examples of fierce competition and bitter rivalry. One frequently studied in business school is that of Jack Welch and his tenure as General Electric CEO. Welch used a method known as 20-70-10. Each year he ranked his managers; the top 20% were groomed for upper management, the middle 70% were kept in their current roles and motivated, though not considered “rising stars.” Those managers in the bottom 10% were fired.

Competition can, unfortunately, also be restrained, especially by government intervention. When the government attempts to guide production or the allocation of resources, progress slows. As was the case with the birth of the cell phones and computers, and the auto industry before them, industries grow the fastest when they are in their infancy – BEFORE the government gets involved to regulate.

For more perspective on the government’s role in the economy and its impact, readers may enjoy F.A. Hayek’s “The Road to Serfdom.” Written in the early 1940s by an economist living in England, the book is an interesting study in socialist and totalitarian governments (an important issue during World War II) of what was then termed “economic planning.”

The fact is that, as is the case with the private sector, competition also serves to drive sound (and popular) policymaking and efficient government. Partisan politics force parties to compete for supporters and use their times in power for the benefit of constituents, while those entrenched in power become inefficient and detached.

Such is the case with the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as illustrated by recent headlines. The TSA, with no apparent competitor to challenge its existence, much less its expansion, has no limitations when it comes to restricting personal rights or invading their privacy. It has no need to ensure contentment among travelers it shepherds.

Meanwhile there are towns like Sandy Springs, Georgia, whose services and agencies hardly extend beyond police and firefighting. Run by a city manager, Sandy Springs takes advantage of competition by outsourcing nearly all of its services to private companies.

With companies competing for contracts to provide such services, the citizens of Sandy Springs apparently feel that their needs are met with the minimum necessary cost; much more efficiently than could be done with an expanded payroll. It seems Sandy Springs residents posed themselves the question: What can the government do better than the private sector? Their list was rather short.

Competition, though enjoyable on a Sunday afternoon, is a pervasive aspect of life, particularly among western cultures. History has shown it to be the lifeblood of innovation and the driving force behind progress. We can only pray that our leaders learn that sooner or later – preferably sooner than later.

Dock David Treece is a discretionary money manager with Treece Investment Advisory Corp (www.TreeceInvestments.com) and a stockbroker licensed with FINRA. He works for Treece Financial Services Corp and also serves as editor of the financial news site Green Faucet (www.GreenFaucet.com) and as a business commentator for the Toledo Free Press (www.ToledoFreePress.com). The above information is the express opinion of Dock David Treece and should not be construed as investment advice or used without outside verification.