Ohio is receiving a $12.4 million federal performance bonus for boosting the number of poor children covered by health insurance.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has enrolled an additional 14,523 children since April in Medicaid, the joint state-federal health care plan for the poor.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the bonuses for Ohio and 14 other states Monday that met goals for increasing coverage of children under Medicaid.

Ben Johnson, a state human services spokesman, said a key accomplishment for Ohio was speeding up benefits for people who were presumed eligible but who hadn’t completed all the paperwork yet.

About 1.2 million Ohio children are enrolled in Medicaid, with another 100,000 or so who are potentially eligible but not signed up.

Owens Community College Athletic Director Michael Rickard died unexpectedly Dec. 27.

Rickard was an 1982 Owens graduate and member of the school’s alumni association board. He was a 1984 University of Toledo graduate with a bachelor’s degree in education and recreation/sports management, he was named “Athletic Director of the Year” for 1995-96 and 1999-2000 by the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC). Rickard was associated with the Owens athletic teams since the 1979-80 season, serving as a scorekeeper, statistician and assistant coach at times. From 1999-2001, he served as the Commissioner of the OCCAC, according to the Owens Community College website.

The college sent out an e-mail to the campus members notifying them of Rickard’s death.

Owens Director of Public and Media Relations, Brad Meyer, said via e-mail, that visitation will be held at Walter Funeral Home, located at 4653 Glendale Avenue in Toledo from the hours of 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Thursday, December 30th.

Funeral services for Rickard will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, located at 4560 Glendale Avenue in Toledo at 11:00 am on Friday, December 31st.

AAA of Northwest Ohio warns drivers that auto maintenance is the key to avoiding breakdowns and costly repair bills especially during the winter season.
Disregarding maintenance of a vehicle can result in costly repairs but also can put drivers, passengers and others on the road in danger, according to AAA.
“Preventive maintenance is the best way to avoid having your vehicle break down on the road,” said Eric Johnson, director of automotive services for AAA of Northwest Ohio. “Taking care of your vehicle can not only prevent a breakdown but also cost far less than a major repair that might be needed if regular maintenance is not followed.”

Eric Johnson observes as Thomas Zander checks the antifreeze solution in a car at AAA Car Care Center.

The best way to catch problems before they happen is to have vehicles serviced regularly based on the manufacturers’ recommended maintenance schedule, Johnson said.
“Some motorists have cut back on maintenance or delayed needed repairs due to tight budgets in this tough economy, especially if the vehicle is drivable. With proper budgeting and regular maintenance, it can save drivers money, time and potential problems,” Johnson said.
Now that winter has arrived, there are key components for winter car care that are susceptible to failure or wear when the temperature drops. AAA recommends checking antifreeze protection and flushing the cooling system if needed, checking for worn hoses and belts and examining brakes, tires, the battery and electrical system.
Antifreeze is usually the first item people think of when it comes to winter maintenance. AAA recommends a 50-50 solution of engine coolant and water to provide the necessary antifreeze capability.
The coolant solution will only work if it stays in the system so the hoses and clamps that carry the mixture must be in good working order. Visually inspect cooling system hoses for leaks, cracks or loose clamps. Feel the hoses to check for any that may be brittle or excessively soft and spongy.
Motorists should have the cooling system flushed and filled with new coolant as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer, usually every two to five years.
The efficiency of the battery decreases in colder temperatures. Have the battery’s condition tested, especially if it is more than three years old. AAA’s Mobile Battery Service will test auto batteries for its members at no charge.
Wiper blades should completely clear the windshield with each swipe. If there are streaks or missed spots, AAA advises that it’s time to replace them. Winter wiper blades can help prevent ice and snow buildup that can inhibit good contact between the rubber blades and glass.
Traction is the key to safe winter driving and having the right type of tires on vehicles is essential, according to AAA. Using snow tires on all four wheels will provide the best traction in heavy winter weather. All-season tires will work well in light to moderate conditions, provided they have adequate tread depth of no less than 3/32-inch.
Brake problems that may have developed in good weather could become worse when traction is reduced in winter driving. Brakes that are likely to grab or pull on a dry road are likely to lock on ice or snow-covered pavement.
Most manufacturers recommend that the brake system be flushed and filled with new fluid every two to three years to avoid water in the system that causes rust, leaks and brake failure.
“Properly preparing your vehicle for winter is essential for safe driving and will decrease the chances of your vehicle leaving you stranded in the cold,” Johnson said.
AAA of Northwest Ohio operates three auto maintenance and repair facilities in Toledo that meet high professional standards with ASE certified technicians. Those Car Care Centers are located on Airport Highway, West Central Avenue, and North Towne Square Drive.
Some maintenance and repairs are best done by certified auto technicians, but there are several basic items motorists can check themselves, such as checking the oil, other fluid levels, windshield wiper blades and washer fluid, air pressure in tires, air filter and battery cable connections, according to AAA.
Many do-it-yourselfers can usually check those items themselves, while other drivers may want to rely on professional service technicians for their maintenance needs available.
Many of the service technicians working in auto dealerships and service shops in this area are trained in the Automotive Service Management program at Owens Community College. About 200 students per semester are enrolled in the program which has a 100 percent placement rate, according to Tracy Campbell, chairman of the program at Owens.
AAA Car Care Centers have hired numerous graduates of the program from Owens, said Johnson, who serves on the advisory board for it there.
AAA provides an Approved Auto Repair Search locator on its website for access to information on 8,000 approved repair facilities across North America. It includes four auto body and repair shops in Toledo, in addition to its Car Care Centers.
AAA provides travel, insurance, financial and auto services to 51 million members in North America. For more information, visit www.AAA.com.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2011 will be yet another Year of the Rabbit. On the surface, this may seem particularly fitting, since the elections of 2010 attempted in every way possible to make voters afraid of something. The Democrats looked to create apprehension that a return to any part of a Republican controlled legislature would be a return to failed policies of the past and doom the future. Republicans in turn attempted to panic voters into believing that keeping Democrats in charge would continue their blundering approach and likewise place the future of the country in hazard. So it would be of little surprise if all of us wanted to act like rabbits and crawl back into our holes in fear when looking at the coming year.

Both parties seemed so intent on demonizing their opponents and making us afraid of what they would do if they gained authority, that they appeared to pay little attention as much of that control was wrested from their grasp. While all of the typical election year rhetoric and infighting was going on, the largely overlooked truth was that bureaucrats had begun to quietly assume the real power that most of us thought we had either kept for ourselves, or ceded in limited amount to elected officials.

While failing to get “death panels” passed as part of the recent health care reform, new Medicare regulations taking effect January 1st will seek to provide most of the same options for end-of-life care that so many citizens and legislators rejected. The Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA have now assumed control of the number of fund-raising school bake sales that can take place and what kinds of goods can be sold at them. The Department of Health & Human Services just announced that health insurance companies attempting to raise rates more than 10% must have permission from the government. The FCC, ignoring threats from Senators and rulings from the courts, assumed the beginnings of control of the Internet under self-imposed net neutrality rules. The Environmental Protection Agency decided on its own to regulate oil refinery and power plant emissions of CO2 in an attempt to reduce the effects of global warming. The Department of Homeland Security will be able to help them in this effort, as they plan to form a committee to identify and assess the impact that global climate change could have on their mission.

The results of the 2010 elections are now in, and mean that Republicans will be in control of the House and the Democrats will retain control of the Senate in 2011. But perhaps the real power shift in government for the coming year may be from elected to unelected government employees. Of course, Congress can attempt to stifle such efforts. Not only can they pass specific legislation to limit the functions of these bureaucracies; but with their budget and oversight powers, they can in theory control the funding and operation of these departments. Unfortunately for all of us, they have shown little predilection to do so in the past, regardless of the party in power; and it is unlikely that the new crop of legislators will change this in 2011.

So while it may in fact be the year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese, the only ones likely to be acting like cute little bunnies are legislators too fearful to upset the status quo of government agencies that were there long before they were, and will be here long after they have gone. For the rest of us, 2011 is more likely to be the first of many years of the Bureaucrat. For the foreseeable future we are likely to be forced to live in fear of what those we did not choose and cannot ignore will have on our day-to-day lives.

A tweet by Crystal Bowersox started internet discussion that the “American Idol” star was going to appear at The Village Idiot in Maumee.

“So happy to be in Ohio hanging with family…. can you say party at the villageidiot in maumee tonight?@frankiemaybass is playing with Ben!” is the message that Bowersox posted on the social networking site, Twitter, at about 5 p.m. on Dec. 27.

Michelle Reed initially thought Bowersox would arrive around 8 p.m.

At 8:30 p.m. The Village Idiot was half full of regular customers, with a few hopeful Bowersox fans.

There was no sign of Bowersox and one of the performers that she had referenced in her Twitter, Ben Barefoot, said he was not aware of Bowersox appearing that night.

Shortly after 11:30 p.m. Bowersox arrived. Reed was streaming live video from The Village Idiot.

FOX Toledo had a video photographer on the scene, Bowersox stated she did not want to talk with the media.

Reed described Bowersox as being “mobbed” by those who were at The Village Idiot. Then Reed said she was asked to stop the live stream and to not record Bowersox’s appearance.

Bowersox reportedly took the stage once the live stream and cameras were turned off and performed “Mason” with her husband, Brian Walker, who accompanied her to The Village Idiot. She then later played “Holy Toledo.”

After the holiday rush, many families may find themselves wondering where they will find space for all the new toys in their households.
The Town Center at Levis Commons in Perrysburg is offering a solution with its second annual “Play It Forward” used toy drive.
The Town Center will collect gently used plastic toys for local families in need Jan. 7 and 8. Donations can be dropped off in front of the movie theater at Levis Commons from noon to 6 p.m.
Donated toys should be plastic, in working order, clean and have fresh batteries if possible.
“When functioning and useable toys are thrown out, they become waste in a landfill, take up a lot of space and do not biodegrade,” said Casey Pogan, marketing director at The Town Center at Levis Commons, in a news release. “Adding to this is the fact that many children in our area go without toys, which are instrumental in creativity and imagination development.”
The toys will be distributed in mid-January to the Aurora House and Mom’s House, both local charities serving women and children in Northwest Ohio. The Aurora House is a transitional housing shelter for homeless women and children, specifically women who were dealing with addictions. Mom’s House works to empower single parents through education and child care.
Pogan said the idea for the drive was born as she and a co-worker talked about their young children.
“Preparing for Christmas last year, we needed to clear out some old stuff to make room for new and it was just an idea that transpired from our own families,” Pogan said.
In its first year, the drive collected three cargo vans full of toys for the Toledo Day Nursery. People donated everything from large swings and walkers to tiny miscellaneous items, Pogan said.
“It was amazing. We carried box after box into the basement storeroom, but took two or three right into the children’s toy room and let them open the boxes,” Pogan said. “It was such a good feeling, tingle-worthy, to see the kids grab a toy and take ownership of it.”
Plastic toys are preferred versus soft toys, like stuffed animals, because plastic toys are more harmful in landfills and because they spawn creativity and imagination, Pogan said.
Cousino Harris Disaster Kleenup will clean and sanitize the toys.
“That is a huge thing, so if people are feeling hesitant about donating because something has been sitting in the attic, they don’t need to because it’s going to be cleaned and sanitized,” Pogan said.
Toledo Free Press and the website ToledosNightOut.com are the media sponsors for the event.
Contact The Town Center at Levis Commons at (419) 931-8888.

The just concluded two-year session of the Ohio Legislature, the first politically divided general assembly in 14 years, set a modern record for legislative inaction.

Only 58 bills became law during the 128th General Assembly, compared to an average of 247 bills during the previous 20 years. House lawmakers met only 52 times and Senate lawmakers only 58 times, compared to an average of about 83 times every session in previous years, the Columbus Dispatch reported Sunday.

Sen. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican, said it was the least productive two-year session he’s seen in his decade in Columbus.

One explanation may be the state’s first experience with divided chambers since term limits took effect 10 years ago and reduced lawmakers’ political experience.

Since the session opened in 2009, it was not uncommon to hear complaints that Republican leaders refused to engage in major policy discussions and that Democratic leaders didn’t understand how to negotiate.

When Democrats took control of the House for the first time in 2009, Speaker Armond Budish of Beachwood in suburban Cleveland and Rep. Matthew Szollosi, the No. 2 Democrat, had a combined legislative experience of four years.

Senate Republicans had far more experience, with one exception: they weren’t used to dealing with a House controlled by Democrats.

Term limits, which hold lawmakers to eight years in office, make it tough for lawmakers to get to know each other, said Szollosi of Oregon in northwest Ohio.

“Without any real foundation of relationships, there is very little trust, and it’s reflected in the rather poor relationship you saw between the Senate and the House this term,” he said.

Sen. Kevin Coughlin, a Cuyahoga Falls Republican, said Senate leadership told members that it was hard to communicate with House Democrats. But Coughlin said Republicans could also have done more.

“I would have preferred to be more proactive in defining a clear Senate/Republican agenda,” he said. “I think you do have to put out a program. We did not. We were reactionary.”

Toledo Mayor Mike Bell sent sent letters to the City’s collective bargaining units informing them it has again become necessary to enter mid-contract negotiations in order to ensure the 2011 operating budget remains in balance, according to a Dec. 27 media release.

The Mayor’s office said the city’s labor unions are currently scheduled to receive wage increases in 2011 ranging from two percent up to six and one-half percent based on contracts that were passed by Toledo City Council in 2009 and expire in 2011. The pay raises were figured into the Bell administration’s initial budget proposal as submitted to City Council on November 15, 2010.

Council’s recent decision to delay the proposed Ottawa Hills fire merger, is being stated will increase General Fund expenditures by $420,000. Council’s decision to also delay passage of the proposed utility rate increases will add to the deficit said the Mayor’s office.

The Bell administration has also proposed the elimination of the collection of solid waste services which is still before Council A deadline of February 2011 has been placed on that proposal. The media release from the Mayor’s office stated that Council appears to be resistant to the proposal. The City claims this would save $2.8 million in the General Fund if implemented by September 2011.

In total the necessary General Fund savings amount to approximately $3.2 million, which is roughly the cost of the scheduled pay increases for General Fund employees.

“I don’t see how we as a city can justify pay increases on the backs of our constituents when we are not willing to make the policy changes that will save this community money and create greater efficiency in the long run,” Mayor Bell said in the release. “It is an unacceptable option when others in city government are unwilling to change the way we do business.”

The administration has requested a response from each union no later than noon on Monday, January 3, 2011.

What happens when someone upon whom the President depends for critical information publicly demonstrates that he is critically uninformed?

On December 20, police officers and agents of the British security service MI5 arrested a dozen young men in London, Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent, England, and Cardiff, Wales. The men are suspected of plotting major terror attacks on targets within the United Kingdom, and are believed to be British nationals with links to Pakistan and Bangladesh. The news media ran story after story about the arrests that day.

That evening, ABC’s Diane Sawyer interviewed Secretary for Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, and Chief Counterterrorism Adviser John Brennan in a round-table format about this incident, citing its coincidence to the failed Underwear Bomber and Times Square attacks last December.

When asked about the relevance of the U. K. arrests to threats against the United States, Secretary Napolitano replied, “As far as I know, we have not yet found any connection between those arrests and any threats to the United States.”

So far, so good. But Ms. Sawyer then asked Director Clapper, whose job includes giving the President daily updates on intelligence assessments, about the arrests: “First of all, London. How serious is it? Any implication that it was coming here?”

Director Clapper responded with nearly six seconds of obviously bewildered silence. All that was missing was the Jeopardy music in the background as sheer befuddlement played across his face. When he finally spoke, his quizzical single-word response, “London?” made it clear that he hadn’t the slightest idea what she was talking about. Ms. Sawyer and Adviser Brennan had to tell him, on-air, about the incident.

When Ms. Sawyer came back to him and expressed her surprise that he had not heard of the arrests, he did man up and admit his ignorance. Adviser Brennan then came to his defense, saying that while Ms. Sawyer had referenced London in the question, she had not specifically cited the arrests. Director Clapper’s office later issued a statement dismissing the question as ambiguous and saying that the Director’s knowledge of the terror threats in Europe is “profound and multidimensional.”

In which of these dimensions was Director Clapper’s mind operating during the interview? The context was clearly the news of the day, datelined London, of the arrest of multiple terror threats in Europe. Why on earth would he have not immediately referenced this? Former President Bush’s critics in the press seemed to think he had to learn about current events from the news media; here we have an adviser to his successor actually learning about current events from an anchorwoman!

The fun didn’t stop there. In another exchange, Adviser Brennan said, to Ms. Sawyer’s incredulity, that last December’s attacks failed because we had prevented terror suspects from training appropriately and had “degraded their capabilities,” while dismissing the luck that was obviously in play at Detroit.

Since Adviser Brennan is into context, let’s provide some. He’s the fellow who decided that the War on Terror is not to be called the war on terror, and that the world’s prime terror suspects, young male radical Islamic jihadists, are not to be identified or profiled as young male radical Islamic jihadists. And after the Underwear Bomber’s failure, Secretary Napolitano famously claimed that “the system worked” – the system that allowed a known terror suspect to board an airliner and nearly blow it out of the sky. The only system that did work was that of passenger vigilance. (In fairness, she later explained that what had worked was the post-attempt notification of airports, security personnel and airlines.)

The Party of Know asks: Why is Director Clapper still employed following an implied gross failure of his duty? After all, how can you provide a timely assessment of things you know nothing about? This embarrassing incident indicates absent-mindedness at best and sheer incompetence at worst. Neither suits the demands of a position upon which the President must depend for accurate, prompt and critical information.

More broadly, what are the implications when the people tasked with protecting us from terrorism are demonstrably more concerned with political correctness and personal ideology than with correctly identifying terrorists for who and what they are, and taking action based on that identification?

Thomas Berry, for the Children of Liberty,www.meetup.com/The-children-of-liberty.

Recently, President Obama made a tax deal with the Republicans to extend the Bush income tax rates for two years. Along with the extension of the tax cuts, the issue of the federal estate tax was also addressed. As most people know, the federal estate tax in 2009 was 45 percent of anything exceeding $3.5 million. In 2010, this tax was repealed and families like the famous Steinbrenners will save more than $500 million dollars in taxes since father George happened to die in 2010. The estate tax was supposed to come back to a tax rate of 55 percent on anything exceeding $1 million.
The deal Obama made with the Republican lawmakers lowers the tax rate to 35 percent on anything exceeding $5 million for an individual and $10 million for a married couple. The law change also unifies the estate and gift tax exemptions allowing generous people to give away a lot more money without paying tax.  What this means is that less than 1 percent of the population will end up paying any federal estate tax.
As the robot on the old television show “Lost in Space” used to say, “Danger, Will Robinson!” What The Retirement Guys see as a danger here is falling into a false sense of security. As an estate planning attorney, I (Mark) saw it back in the ’80s and ’90s when the federal estate tax exemption was first $600,000, then $750,000, then $1 million, then $2 million and finally $3.5 million. At these exemption levels many folks out there thought they did not need to do any estate planning. If they were focusing only on estate taxes, perhaps they were correct. Now with the exemption amounts $5 million to $10 million, many people may think the same thing.
Unfortunately, there are more issues to estate planning than just estate taxes.  Here are a few of them:
1.  Plan of Distribution — everyone should think through what they want to happen with their assets when they die.  Who do you want to get your house, money and the grandfather clock?
2.  Appointments — who do you want to appoint to administer your estate to make sure everything gets where it is supposed to go?
3.  Probate Avoidance — if you have assets that will go through probate, you may want to consider how much it will cost and how long it will take.  A living trust may be the ticket to saving substantial attorney fees and to help speed up the process.
4.  What If You Don’t Die? — every good estate plan includes health care directives and powers of attorney to name an agent to handle matters if you become too sick to do so.
5.  The tax ticking time bomb (Income Taxes) — So many people forget about doing any estate planning for their retirement accounts like IRAs. 401(k)s, 403(b)s, etc. These accounts many times have never been taxed and if you don’t deal with it now, somebody will.  There are laws in place now that allow for creating income tax-free dollars so that your family can inherit an amount that is equal to that which is now in your account rather than something like 40 percent less when Uncle Sam takes a big bite.
6. Who Will Be the Guardians of Your Children? — if you have minor children, you should think this through. Who will provide them the care they need and has views on life similar to yours that will provide a nurturing environment?
7. Beneficiary Designations — many do not know that their will or trust does not decide where accounts like IRA’s and annuities go when they die.  The beneficiary designation does.  If you made these designations a long time ago, they may not be up-to-date.
The moral of the story: it is a good time for an estate planning checkup.

For more information about The Retirement Guys, tune in every Saturday at
1 p.m. on 1370 WSPD or visit www.retirementguysradio.com. Securities and Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. NEXT Financial Group, Inc nor its representatives provide tax advice.