There’s been a lot of talk about the price of oil in the news lately and who’s to blame, as the price of gasoline reaches or exceeds $4.00 per gallon. Of course most people wouldn’t give a damn about the price of oil except that it’s led to this price.

But what the heck. We are told that we should be finding alternatives to fossil fuels anyway, in spite of the fact that this has proven rather difficult. Bio-fuels are renewable, but have thus far proven inefficient when the energy required to produce them is subtracted from the energy they produce. Besides, they contribute to both pollution and higher food prices, and are only priced competitively when bolstered by federal subsidies that have increasingly proved both a budget drain and a failure. Solar and wind power, while not having the pollution drawbacks, have yet to demonstrate the efficiencies required to take on a significant percentage of the burden. Hydro-electric power is now largely prohibited, since the dams required affect fish populations. Natural gas, while abundant in this country, has been largely ignored; as has hydrogen fuel cell technology which once seemed so promising (and produces water vapor as its byproduct). Nuclear energy remains a pipe dream in a nation that hasn’t built a new facility in over thirty years, in large part because of the cumbersome federal regulatory process involved.

In fact, all of this has been the subject of endless debate for the thirty years since the oil crisis of the Carter Administration. Regardless of the party in power however, little or nothing has actually been done. We have yet to put together a coherent policy to properly supply this country (let alone the world) with the energy required to support all the people on it at a decent standard of living. Mr Carter and every president since have told us that the problem cannot be solved overnight and that that it would take ten years or more to bring any new domestic oil exploration or energy alternatives online. Of course it takes even longer for such projects to reach completion if they are never begun.

Now, according to a Reuters article, oil production in the Gulf is expected to be down some 15% from levels before the BP oil spill. And while drilling permits in the Gulf are no long held under a moratorium imposed by the current Administration that was held to be illegal by US Courts; permits to resume drilling in the Gulf are still being held in bureaucratic limbo that shows no signs of ending soon. Most other oil exploration in this country is likewise being held at a standstill for a variety of supposed environmental and other concerns

This is something that the current President should be applauding however, as it’s a goal he sought when speaking about his ‘cap and trade’ plan back in 2008. He said in fact, that he wanted the price of gasoline to reach this level or higher, though perhaps at a more gradual pace than has occurred. We are told that it’s for our own benefit and for that of ‘Mother Earth’ as well. Increased prices will teach us to do with less oil, which seems strangely counter-intuitive to the knowledge that cheap energy is the engine that could drive economic growth at a time when it’s stagnant.
Elections season has begun early however, and the straw man has once again made an appearance. The government, instead of directly addressing the issue, will launch an investigation into oil speculators as the cause of the current crisis. I guess it takes some sort of dark cabal to recognize the current level of unrest in the Middle East (where a lot of the world’s oil comes from) will continue or grow, to realize that the US is going to do nothing substantive to solve its own oil needs, and that the alternatives are not yet in place to replace oil with anything else. Evidently it takes evil intent, cheating, or economic prescience to predict that as a consequence oil prices are likely to continue to go up; and that gambling on this trend is a good bet if you’re an investor.

Perhaps the current inquisition will find its ‘Keyser Soze’, but I suspect that whether a criminal mastermind is discovered, the actual purpose of this probe will be fulfilled. The inquiry will allow a number of politicians running for the highest elected office in the land (including the man who holds it) divert the attention of voters once more from the real problem at hand; and as Captain Renault in Casablanca did in 1942, round up a few of these scarecrows brought to fame in the 1995 film of the title, “The Usual Suspects”.

Tim Higgins blogs at Just Blowing Smoke.

In his April 13 speech on deficit reduction, President Obama advocated the classic Progressive idea of higher taxes on the wealthy to pay for higher government spending. For example:

Now, for much of the last century, our nation found a way to afford these investments and priorities with the taxes paid by its citizens. As a country that values fairness, wealthier individuals have traditionally borne a greater share of this burden than the middle class or those less fortunate. Everybody pays, but the wealthier have borne a little more. This is not because we begrudge those who’ve done well – we rightly celebrate their success. Instead, it’s a basic reflection of our belief that those who’ve benefited most from our way of life can afford to give back a little bit more. Moreover, this belief hasn’t hindered the success of those at the top of the income scale. They continue to do better and better with each passing year.

Even beyond the fact that government spending has become so grotesquely bloated that even a total confiscation of all the income and assets of America’s rich cannot pay for it, there is much wrong here.

For example, the tax-paid government expenditures he’s citing cannot be rightly called “investments.” Investments are made voluntarily, but taxes are collected by force of law; and an “investment” made under duress, such as a shakedown or protection racket, is extortion. I disagree with the idea that taxes are themselves a form of extortion, since they are a legitimate government function; but consider the last part of Merriam-Webster’s definition of extortion: “To gain especially by ingenuity or compelling argument.” If that doesn’t describe Obama’s methodology, then I don’t know what does.

Note that phrase, “As a country that values fairness . . .” While fairness is certainly virtuous, it has no place whatsoever in a discussion of how much one group of citizens should be forced to pay in taxes compared to another. Fairness is arbitrary, and is based on the whims of those in power. It is also a trap: What happens when those who decide what is fair for someone else now are later made the victims of someone else’s idea of fairness?

In order to be equitable, law must be based not on fairness, but on justice in accord with the Natural Law of eternal truths and common sense to which the Founders subscribed. It’s worth noting that the Declaration of Independence never addresses fairness, but rather justice. The founders objected not to unfair treatment by King George, but rather to injustice. Indeed: The Pledge of Allegiance does not say, “Liberty and fairness,” but, “liberty and justice for all.”

While the President is right in saying that the wealthy bear a greater share of the tax burden, he is disingenuous in claiming, “Everybody pays, but the wealthier have borne a little more.” Nearly half of American households, mostly middle to lower income, pay no net income tax. (Incidentally, the Obamas brought home a $12,334 refund for last year.) And that “little more,” according to the IRS publication Individual Income Tax Rates and Shares, 2008, viewable here, is twice to thrice the typical middle class rate in terms of total income tax expressed as a percentage of adjusted gross income (AGI) less deficit; and the actual tax rate is much higher than that.

Moreover, speaking of fairness, the wealthy already pay a far higher percentage of actual taxes paid than do lower income taxpayers. From the same document:

The top 1 percent of taxpayers, those with AGI of at least $380,354, accounted for 20.0 percent of AGI for 2008. This represents a decrease in income share of 2.8 percentage points from the previous year, when the cutoff for this group was $410,096. These taxpayers accounted for 38.0 percent of the total income tax reported, a decrease from 40.4 percent in 2007. The top 5 percent of taxpayers accounted for 34.7 percent of AGI and 58.7 percent of total income tax. To be included in the top 5 percent, a taxpayer must have reported AGI of at least $159,619, whereas, in 2007, the cutoff for this group was $160,041 (emphasis added)

So while the tax rate on the wealthy has decreased, they nonetheless bear a disproportionately larger burden of dollars paid. Tax revenues from the wealthy increased following the Bush tax cuts because, as a group, they generated more taxable income, and because, during the Bush boom of 2003-2007, their ranks increased. With more people earning higher enough incomes, tax revenues increase even at lower rates. The net effect of Obamanomics is going to be exactly the opposite in every regard.

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

Student athletes at the University of Toledo will bring their talents to Savage Arena on April 25 for the first “So You Think You Can ROCK-ET” talent show.

The event runs from 7-9:30 p.m. and costs $5 for the general public and $3 for UT students. It is hosted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

“Performances will include singing, dancing and maybe some acting,” said Drew Scales, assistant athletic director for academics. “We don’t want to release too much information. As this is a competition, acts are being kept secret.”

Courtney Ingersoll, a junior guard for the women’s basketball team, is keeping quiet as well.

“I cannot release details on our amazing skit,” Ingersoll said. “All I can say is the event is a good opportunity for the public to see the other talents behind the athlete.”

Graduating seniors will be honored at the start along with a presentation of awards to the athletes.

“We are extremely excited for the talent show and hope that this is the start of a new UT tradition,” said Megan Chambers, president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.

Former football players Lance Moore and Andrew Hawkins will judge the event along with athletic director Mike O’Brien and first lady Ola Jacobs. Each of the 15 sports teams at UT will perform.

After winning the WNIT Championship last month, Ingersoll and her teammates have their eyes set on taking home another trophy.

“I’m excited to see all the other performers, but women’s basketball is approaching this like any other competition,” Ingersoll said. “I hope the other teams bring their ‘A’ game.”

There have been many changes in the barge industry over the last three decades. Just ask one barge captain, Randy Earl Rogers.

Rogers has worked on barges for 31 years. He says that in years past “an old country boy could come out here and get a job. He didn’t even have to learn to read and write.”

Rogers started as a deckhand and worked his way up to captain in 1981. He currently works for Mount Vernon Barge Services, piloting the A.W. Bayer on the Ohio River near Mount Vernon, Ind. He is one of three generations of men in his family making a career on work boats on inland waterways. Both his father-in-law, John Wolfe, and his son, Joshua Rogers, are captains on tug boats.

In about four years, Rogers’ grandson, Rocky Rogers, 14, plans to start his career on the river as a deckhand. Following in his father’s, grandfather’s, and great-grandfather’s footsteps to the wheelhouse of a tug boat.

Recent changes made by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security have drastically increased the requirements that must be met to become a tug boat captain. As of 2009, workers on most boats must obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential from Homeland Security, as well as a Merchant Mariner Credential.

In the days before 2009, Rogers said, “You got your certified deck time, (took) your test, and you got your license. Now you get certified deck time, and take your test, but you only get a steersman’s license.”

A steersman’s license requires 11/2 years of working under the supervision of a licensed pilot to receive a promotion to captain.

A pair of tragedies — the 1989 oil spill from the wrecked Exxon Valdez and a 1993 crash near Mobile, Ala., that killed 47 people — also have changed how the profession trains and selects its workers.

“Since the Valdez went aground we’ve had to take drug tests, and then since that one boat in Alabama knocked out that bridge with that passenger train and killed all those people, (that) has prompted them to make us get radar certified,” Rogers said. “Now they’re coming up with the physical, and you got to be in pretty good shape to pass your Coast Guard physical to renew your license.”

Rogers spends his days with a single deckhand moving barges around the Port of Mount Vernon for loading, unloading, and repairs at the company’s dry dock. The company occasionally sends him on longer trips.

“I’ve been as far as from Cincinnati down to Baton Rouge (La.) for this outfit,” Rogers said. “I mostly stay around here in Evansville or Shawneetown, or go up to Louisville (Ky.) and back.”

Each barge can carry about 1,500 tons. It takes about 15 railroad cars to fill a single barge, or about 50 semi-trucks. When these work boats aren’t pushing tons of material up the river they are quite similar to a fork lift in a warehouse.

The tug boats move quickly from one task to the next, turning 180 degrees. Then, the tug boats rush up to the barges full-throttle, shifting into reverse at the last second so they lightly bump against the barges.

Then, a deckhand — on Rogers’ boat, it’s Zac Spainhoward — steps from the tug boat to the barge to secure the two vessels with steel cables.

Working as a team, Rogers and Spainhoward release the empty barges from the ties to the bank, and with two engines putting out a combined 1,200 horsepower, the tug boat pushes the heavy barges to their destination further up river with little effort.

The duo repeat this process with the skill of experienced veterans 12 hours each day to keep the river’s heavy haulers on the move.

The Associated Press takes a look at the best and worst first-round draft picks for each NFL team:

AFC
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Best: T Jonathan Ogden, UCLA, 1996

Selected with the team’s first-ever pick after the move from Cleveland, Ogden held down the left tackle spot through 2006, was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and was a star on 2000 Super Bowl champions.

Worst: WR Travis Taylor, Florida, 2000

Taken 10th overall, Taylor battled injuries and never became the big-play wideout Ravens envisioned in five seasons in Baltimore.

BUFFALO BILLS
Best: DE Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech, 1985

With some question whether Smith or Ray Childress was worthy of the No. 1 pick, the Bills went with Smith, who became the NFL’s sack leader and cornerstone of a defense on a team that won four straight AFC championships.

Worst: LB Tom Cousineau, Ohio State, 1979

Touted linebacker selected first overall who never played a game for the Bills due to a contract squabble and better offer from the CFL. He played seven NFL seasons elsewhere and was never selected to the Pro Bowl.

CINCINNATI BENGALS
Best: T Anthony Munoz, Southern California, 1980

Chosen third overall, Munoz ended up in the Hall of Fame as one of the top offensive linemen ever. He made 11 Pro Bowls from 1980-92 and helped the Bengals reach both of their Super Bowls as the main protector for QBs Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason.

Worst: RB Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State, 1995

Bengals moved up to take him first overall and gave him a then-record $7.1 million signing bonus. Owner Mike Brown called him the team’s “bell cow.” Tore ACL in his left knee on his third preseason carry in Detroit, ending the season and starting a career cut short by injuries at every turn. Brown also mispronounced his name as “Ji-Kana” at the team’s preseason luncheon that year.

CLEVELAND BROWNS
Best: RB Jim Brown, Syracuse, 1957

Arguably the greatest running back in NFL history, some say he may be best player at any position. Sixth pick overall, Brown rushed for 12,312 yards and 126 touchdowns before retiring at the peak of career to pursue acting. A powerful runner with breakaway speed, Brown was rookie of year, three-time player of the year and nine-time Pro Bowler.

Worst: DE Courtney Brown, Penn State, 2000

Injuries doomed the talented, soft-spoken Brown, the top overall choice. Had surgery on right knee in 2001 and left knee in 2002 and 2004. Missed 33 games in his final four seasons with Cleveland.

DENVER BRONCOS
Best: S Steve Atwater, Arkansas, 1989

No, not John Elway, who actually was selected by Indianapolis and traded to Denver.

Eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion Atwater who was chosen 20th overall. Considered one of the hardest hitters in the NFL and one of the more versatile safeties. He also was a leader on defense on a team that featured Elway on offense.

Worst: DE Jarvis Moss, Florida, 2007

Moss managed just 31/2 sacks in 31/2 seasons before the Broncos released him last year. Moss never succeeded as an end under Mike Shanahan in the 4-3 or at OLB under Josh McDaniels in the 3-4 defense.

HOUSTON TEXANS
Best: WR Andre Johnson, Miami, 2003

Third overall pick, five-time Pro Bowl selection and franchise’s all-time top receiver. Only receiver in NFL history to make at least 60 catches in each of his first eight seasons, led league in receptions in 2006 (103) and set a career high in ’08 with league-best 115. One of two WRs with consecutive 1,500-yard receiving seasons.

Worst: DT Travis Johnson, Florida State, 2005

At 16th overall pick underachieved and was plagued by injuries in four seasons, then Houston traded him to San Diego in 2009. Started 38 games in four seasons and had only two sacks. Drew 15-yard penalty for taunting Dolphins QB Trent Green after Green went low to block him.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Best: QB Peyton Manning, Tennessee, 1998

Manning or Ryan Leaf? Manning told Colts if they didn’t pick him, he’d “kick their butt” for next 15 years. Manning is on pace to break every major career passing record, turned a beleaguered franchise into a perennial Super Bowl contender and won the 2006 NFL title.

Worst: LB Trev Alberts, Nebraska, 1994

Played only three seasons, finishing with four sacks and one interception, after going fifth overall. Memorable flare-up between Colts GM Bill Tobin and ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper came after Kiper faulted Colts for taking Alberts instead of QB Trent Dilfer.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Best: T Tony Boselli, Southern California, 1995

Franchise’s inaugural draft pick made the Pro Bowl in five of first six seasons and was three-time All-Pro selection. Injuries shortened his career to eight years, but he remains an integral part of the small-market city’s campaign to sell tickets.

Worst: DE Derrick Harvey, Florida, 2008

Jacksonville gave up two third-round picks and fourth-rounder to swap first-round selections with Baltimore and draft Harvey eighth overall. Ravens, meanwhile, chose franchise quarterback Joe Flacco at No. 18. Harvey has eight sacks in 47 career games, lackluster production that got him benched last season.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Best: TE Tony Gonzalez, California, 1997

Chiefs traded up with Houston to take Gonzalez, who was coming out as junior. In 12 years with KC, became most productive player at his position and shattered NFL tight end records for receptions, touchdown catches and yards receiving. Made 10 Pro Bowls. Now with Atlanta.

Worst: QB Todd Blackledge, Penn State, 1983

First player drafted by first-year coach John Mackovic, who was hired to replace Marv Levy specifically because of expertise in passing game. Seventh overall selection, Blackledge spent five years in KC, went to Pittsburgh for two years and retired to the broadcast booth with overall passer rating of 60.2.

MIAMI DOLPHINS
Best: QB Dan Marino, Pittsburgh, 1983

Taken with the 27th pick, became a starter as a rookie, led the Dolphins to the Super Bowl in 1984 and retired after the 1999 season as the most prolific passer in NFL history. Marino was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Worst: DE-LB Eric Kumerow, Ohio State, 1988. The 16th pick, choice was panned from the start, and Kumerow was out of the NFL after three seasons.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Best: G John Hannah, Alabama, 1973

Hannah, taken fourth overall, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991 and voted to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team after a 13-year pro career spent entirely with the Patriots. He was chosen for nine Pro Bowls.

Worst: DE Kenneth Sims, Texas, 1982

Plagued by injuries, Sims started all 16 games just once and played in only 74 games over his eight NFL seasons with Patriots. Had just 16 sacks and Patriots released him in 1990 after he reported out of shape.

NEW YORK JETS
Best: RB Freeman McNeil, UCLA, 1981

Third overall pick was a three-time Pro Bowl selection and played his entire 12-year NFL career with the Jets, retiring as their all-time leading rusher. McNeil averaged 4.5 yards a carry and ran for 38 TDs.

Worst: RB Blair Thomas, Penn State, 1990

Second overall pick was plagued by injuries and was ineffective when he did play, rushing for only 2,009 yards and five TDs in four seasons with Jets. Two years and three teams later, Thomas’ career was over.

OAKLAND RAIDERS
Best: G Gene Upshaw, Texas A&M-Kingsville, 1967

Raiders found Upshaw out of NAIA school in the first common draft and he quickly became an anchor on one of top offensive lines. Upshaw became first exclusive guard to make Hall of Fame, winning two of his three Super Bowl appearances, playing in 10 AFL or AFC title games, and seven Pro Bowls during 15-year career.

Worst: QB JaMarcus Russell, LSU, 2007

One of the all-time draft busts, Russell got paid more than $39 million before being cut after three seasons in Oakland. He held out of his first training camp, was out of shape and won only seven of 25 starts. Threw 23 interceptions, lost 15 fumbles, completed 52.1 percent of passes and had a passer rating of 65.2.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Best: QB Terry Bradshaw, Louisiana Tech, 1970

Bradshaw barely edges Joe Greene, the 1969 pick and cornerstone of the Steel Curtain defense. The top overall pick after a decent but not spectacular college career, Bradshaw became the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls, and was the MVP of two of them. He turned the Steelers from a run-oriented team to a balanced attack and entered the Hall of Fame in 1989.

Worst: LB Huey Richardson, Florida, 1991

Expected to be next in a long line of dominant Steelers linebackers, but played in only five games and had no statistics after being chosen 15th. He was traded to Washington the following offseason and was out of the NFL after two years.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Best: RB LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU, 2001

No. 5 overall pick after Chargers traded top pick to Atlanta, which used it on Michael Vick. Tomlinson was 2006 NFL MVP after setting league records with 31 touchdowns, including 28 rushing, and 186 points. Was eighth-leading career rusher when released after 2009 season, now with Jets.

Worst: QB Ryan Leaf, Washington State, 1998

No. 2 overall pick after Indianapolis took Peyton Manning. Leaf won only four of 14 starts during his messy three-year stay. Hurled 33 interceptions — compared to 13 TD passes — and lots of obscenities. Career began melting down after just three games, when he was caught on camera berating a reporter. Later that season, he was suspended four games for cursing at GM Bobby Beathard.

TENNESSEE TITANS
Best: RB Earl Campbell, Texas, 1978

Then the Houston Oilers, team traded three picks and tight end Jimmie Giles to Tampa Bay for right to pick the All-American back. Campbell helped Oilers reach AFC championship game in 1978 and 1979, earning MVP honors in 1979. He was a three-time Offensive Player of the Year.

Worst: DB Adam “Pacman” Jones, West Virginia, 2005

Titans took the cornerback with the sixth pick overall, and he immediately became a starter as Tennessee’s best defender in 2005 and 2006. But off-field troubles led to him being suspended in April 2007 for the season, and the Titans traded him to Dallas in April 2008. He’s had minimal impact since.

NFC
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Best: WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh, 2004.

Although there was some criticism because of then-coach Dennis Green’s close friendship with Fitzgerald’s family, the receiver has gone to four Pro Bowls, becoming youngest player to reach 7,000 yards receiving, has five 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and helped Cardinals to first Super Bowl in 2008 season.

Worst: DT Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin, 2002

Taken 12th overall, Bryant played in 29 games over three seasons before he was released after team learned he would be suspended for a year for substance abuse violations. He had 28 career tackles and 11/2 sacks. After battles with drugs and alcohol, Bryant eventually got into a 12-step recovery program and played for Omaha of the UFL last season.

ATLANTA FALCONS
Best: CB Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1989

No. 5 overall pick and most dynamic player in Falcons history, only Atlanta draft pick to make Pro Football Hall of Fame (2011). Had 24 interceptions and returned three for TDs in five years in Atlanta. Scored seven other TDs with Falcons: three kickoff returns, two punt returns and two receptions. Made two All-Pro teams in those five years.

Worst: DE Aundray Bruce, Auburn, 1988

Top overall choice lasted 11 years in league, but made only 42 starts. Hyped as next Lawrence Taylor, but at best was only serviceable, never impact player. Had no more than six sacks in a season. He was arrested for pointing pellet gun at pizza deliveryman in 1990.

CAROLINA PANTHERS
Best: DE Julius Peppers, North Carolina, 2002

Second overall pick immediately became one of most dominating defensive ends in NFL. Helped Panthers reach their only Super Bowl after 2003 season and amassed franchise-record 81 sacks before a messy exit to Chicago via free agency in 2010.

Worst: WR Rae Carruth, Colorado, 1997

The 27th overall pick had mediocre three seasons until his career abruptly ended with a Thanksgiving arrest in 1999. Was later convicted of conspiracy to commit murder of his pregnant girlfriend. He’s serving at least a 19-year prison sentence.

CHICAGO BEARS
Best: RB Walter Payton, Jackson State, 1975

Drafted fourth overall, Payton retired after 1987 season as NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards. Helped 1985 Bears win the 1985 championship, running for 1,551 yards, and made nine Pro Bowls during his career. League’s man of the year award is named after Payton, who made the Hall of Fame in 1993.

Worst: RB Cedric Benson, Texas, 2005

Although he’s had some success with Cincinnati the past three years, Benson was one of the biggest disappointments for the Bears. The fourth pick, he never lived up to hype that accompanied him from college and was released in June 2008 after his second alcohol-related arrest in a month.

DALLAS COWBOYS
Best: RB Emmitt Smith, Florida, 1990

Smith went from being No. 17 in the draft and the second running back taken that year to being the leading rusher in NFL history. He helped the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles in a four-year span, was the MVP of the 1994 game, and also MVP of the 1993 season. He finished with 18,355 yards rushing and 175 total TDs.

Worst: LB Billy Cannon Jr., Texas A&M, 1984

Son of 1959 Heisman Trophy winner — one of college football’s greatest players — the younger Cannon was the 25th overall pick in 1984, played eight games, got hurt and never played again.

DETROIT LIONS
Best: RB Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 1989

Hall of Fame running back was first player to run for 1,000 yards in each of first 10 seasons and helped Detroit win its only playoff game — in 1992 over Dallas — since its 1957 NFL title. Shockingly retired just before training camp in 1999 with 15,269 yards rushing, within one of his average seasons of surpassing Walter Payton’s record.

Worst: WR Charles Rogers, Michigan State, 2003

After scoring twice in his debut, a broken collarbone ended his rookie season and same injury set him back in the 2004 opener. Detroit cut Rogers entering his fourth season — with just 36 career receptions for 440 yards and four TDs in 15 games — following four-game suspension for violating substance abuse policy.

GREEN BAY PACKERS
Best: RB Paul Hornung, Notre Dame, 1957

Heisman Trophy winner went to Green Bay after it won a lottery for the top pick. Won four championships with the Packers, won scoring title three straight seasons (1959-61), with league-record 176 points in 1960 — which stood until LaDainian Tomlinson broke it in 2006. Career was marred by gambling suspension in 1963, made Hall of Fame in 1986.

Worst: OL Tony Mandarich, Michigan State, 1989

Considered one of best offensive line prospects in history, lasted only three seasons in Green Bay, is considered one of biggest first-round busts ever. Later would admit to using steroids in college and battling drug and alcohol problems in Green Bay. Packers could have had Barry or Deion Sanders.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Best: WR Randy Moss, West Virginia, 1998

Character concerns, which continued to play out during his mostly spectacular 13-year career, led to freakishly talented Moss going 21st. Moss led Vikings to a 15-1 record that season and a painful three points away from Super Bowl. He’s been a dynamic receiver until recently, helping the Patriots go 16-0 in 2007 before a Super Bowl loss.

Worst: DE Dimitrius Underwood, Michigan State, 1999

Buoyed by the success of taking Moss the year before, Vikings reached for physically gifted but unproven player who left school a year early. Underwood didn’t last one day of training camp, dealing with mental illness issues.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Best: T William Roaf, Louisiana Tech, 1993

Was a franchise-high seven-time Pro Bowl player with the Saints, 11 times in his career, including four with KC. Inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2008 and was a 2011 finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame. Started every game his rookie season at RT before moving to LT in second season.

Worst: PK Russell Erxleben, Texas, 1979.

Saints used 11th overall pick on punter, as if in those days they didn’t have many other needs. Lasted five seasons in New Orleans, where his net punting average was never higher than 35.2 for a single season. Was rarely used on field goals.

NEW YORK GIANTS
Best: LB Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina, 1981

Second pick became the prototype for the modern linebacker. Taylor revolutionized the sack with his arm chop that stripped the ball. A 10-time Pro Bowl selection, won two Super Bowls, was NFL MVP in 1986 and three-time Defensive Player of Year (1981, 1982, 1986). Also was Defensive Rookie of Year (1981).

Worst: RB Rocky Thompson, West Texas State, 1971

Chosen 17th overall when some projected him to go in third round. Played two-plus years, 29 games, 68 carries, 217 yards, one TD, with 16 receptions for 85 yards and 65 kick returns for two TDs.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Best: LB-C Chuck Bednarik, Penn, 1949

No. 1 overall pick — from Ivy League school, no less — Bednarik is considered the last of the NFL’s great two-way players. He starred at center and linebacker, was a 10-time All-Pro, eight-time Pro-Bowl pick and helped the Eagles win two of their three NFL titles. Was elected to Hall of Fame in first year of eligibility, 1967.

Worst: T Kevin Allen, Indiana, 1985

Played one season for the Eagles. Tested positive for cocaine after reporting to training camp in 1986, then was charged with sexual assault and spent three years in prison. Never played again in the NFL.

ST. LOUIS RAMS
Best: RB Eric Dickerson, SMU, 1983

Second overall pick rushed for 1,808 yards and 18 TDs his rookie season. In 1984, set an NFL record with 2,105 yards, finished with eight 1,000-yard seasons with the Rams and Colts. Made Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Worst: RB Lawrence Phillips, Nebraska, 1996

Coming off a troubled college career, was a pro bust, totaling 1,453 yards in three seasons with three teams while trying the patience of coach Dick Vermeil and others. Rams released him for insubordination in 1997. Was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2008 after a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Best: WR Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State, 1985

Rice’s No. 80 now hangs from the upper deck at Candlestick Park. Hall of Fame receiver played first 16 of 21 NFL seasons with San Francisco. Known for tireless work ethic even in late stages of career, Rice holds virtually every significant receiving mark, including most career receptions (1,549); yards receiving (22,895); total touchdowns (208); and combined net yards (23,546).

Worst: QB Jim Druckenmiller, Virginia Tech, 1997

Niners picked Druckenmiller as heir apparent to Steve Young. Made one start in two seasons, throwing just 52 passes and posting 29.2 passer rating before being dealt to Miami in 1999. Never appeared in another NFL game.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Best: T Walter Jones, Florida State, 1997

An All-Pro selection four times and made nine Pro Bowls. Jones was called for holding just nine times in 5,703 pass attempts, and allowed only 23 sacks. Was the measuring stick at his position after being sixth overall pick.

Worst: QB Rick Mirer, Notre Dame, 1993

Taken second overall, played four seasons in Seattle and went 20-31 with 41 touchdowns to 56 interceptions. Never became franchise QB while player taken ahead of him by Patriots, Drew Bledsoe, took New England to a Super Bowl.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Best: DE Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma, 1976

Team’s first-ever draft pick and is franchise’s only Hall of Famer. Selmon-led Bucs rebounded from losing first 26 games in team’s history to reach NFC title game in 1979, franchise’s fourth season. Was versatile and dynamic player and team leader.

Worst: DE Eric Curry, Alabama, 1993

Bucs envisioned Curry being becoming the dominant pass rusher they lacked since Selmon’s retirement in 1984. Never played up to expectations. Had 12 sacks in five seasons with the Bucs, then closed his career with a half-sack in two seasons with Jaguars.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Best: QB Sammy Baugh, TCU, 1937

Greatest player in franchise history, No. 6 overall pick, Baugh arrived the same year franchise relocated from Boston and led Redskins to titles in ’37 and ’42, revolutionizing passing game along the way. As three-way player, he led the league in passing, punting and interceptions in 1943 and was part of the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1963.

Worst: T Andre Johnson, Penn State, 1996

Washington traded up to nab the Penn State tackle with the 30th pick, but he was so inept he never even got onto the field. Rode the bench his entire rookie season and was cut at the end of training camp the next year. Later played as a backup in all of four games with Detroit.

Voters in Ohio could get a chance to cast a ballot this fall on two divisive new laws: the federal health insurance overhaul Democrats backed in Washington, and collective bargaining restrictions Republicans backed in Columbus.

Political scientist John Green of the University of Akron’s Bliss Institute says the nation will be watching the political bellwether state if both issues make the Nov. 8 ballot.

The Ohio Liberty Council tea party coalition said April 22 it has collected 300,000 signatures toward its effort to amend Ohio’s constitution. Its proposal would block provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act requiring the choice of certain health care providers.

The constitutional amendment requires a total of 385,245 valid signatures, which must come from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

Also April 22, opponents of new limits placed on 350,000 unionized public workers said high demand has prompted Saturday petition-signing events across the state.

The April 23 signing events held in 9 Ohio cities gathered over 2,000 petitions during the two hour signing events.

The referendum requires a total of 231,149 valid signatures, which must come from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

Both groups have websites and are using social media to promote their efforts.

More information on the health care constitutional amendment can be found at www.theohioproject.com.

More information on the repeal of Senate Bill 5 referendum can be found at weareohio.com.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

The Blanks are preparing to celebrate Easter by christening their newly bought grill.
The old grill was blown away in the June 5 tornado that destroyed their home but reinforced their faith.
“I don’t want to say we are super super religious as much as we are believers. I think we have a pretty strong faith,” Ed Blank said.
Even when the family wants to skip church, they try not to.
“Every day you go to church, you walk out feeling good. On the days you don’t go, you feel like a part of you is missing,” Ed said.
The Easter grilling session will come after a Sunday morning service at Zion Lutheran Church-Latcha.
The holiday — and the church — means a lot to the family. Pastor Sarah Teichmann, her husband, Erik, and members of the congregation have supported the Blanks since the tornado.
The Blanks were supposed to meet the new pastor the morning after the storm, but instead had to pick through rubble.
“The Lutheran synod was instrumental in getting us back on our feet,” Ed said. “A lot of church members to this day ask us if we need anything. The church group has been our blanket of recovery. They have been very, very, very instrumental in helping us cope with what we went through and us not having our neighbors, the Walters, next door anymore.”
Three of the four Walters died in the tornado. This loss has reinforced the Blanks’ desire to be with family on the holidays and whenever possible. Julie Blank invited her sister and brother-in-law among other relatives to Easter dinner.
The Blanks bought the grill from The Andersons, although settled on a version less extravagant than the grill that “is in Kansas now,” Ed said.
He and his friends had always referred to that grill as the “BAG,” the big-ass grill.
“Everybody said, ‘What are you cooking on the BAG today?’”
The newest grill looks like “it has been exercising because it is not quite as big as before,” he said.
The grill lost in the tornado cost nearly $1,000, but this time Ed decided to be more economical. The smaller grill isn’t expected to affect the big Easter celebration, though.
“Now it is the MAG, the medium-ass grill,” Ed said, laughing.

As many Northwest Ohio residents learned last summer, a federal disaster declaration — and the resulting federal funds to help rebuild — is not a guarantee even in the wake of a destructive and fatal string of tornadoes.
The next Ready U session, “Disaster Aid: Myths and Facts,” organized by the Greater Toledo Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, will address common misconceptions about state and federal aid as well as the short-term local resources available immediately following a disaster.
The session will be presented by Nancy Dragani, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA). Dragani, who also serves on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council, has worked with the Ohio EMA since 1994, serving as director since 2005.

The free, hour-long presentation is set for 7 p.m. April 25 at the McMaster Center in the Main Library, 325 N. Michigan St., and will be hosted by 13abc’s Sashem Brey.
The session will first address what criteria must be met for a region to be declared a disaster area and then what state and federal government assistance residents can realistically expect once a declaration is made, Dragani said in a recent phone interview.
“I think people sometimes overestimate what kind of assistance they’ll get if we get a federal declaration,” Dragani said. “It’s not like you have an event and FEMA gives you a check for $2,100, and I think sometimes that catches people off-guard. People make an assumption that the money comes faster, comes easier and they will get a whole lot more than is actually the case.”
The average individual assistance grant is typically between $4,000 and $6,000, Dragani said.
“That’s really not a whole lot of money,” Dragani said. “That might replace a living room suite or dining room suite, but it’s not going to make someone whole. The whole purpose is to get them back on the road to recovery, but it won’t make them whole.”
When FEMA evaluates a region after a disaster, it looks for uninsured damage. In the case of last year’s tornado, about 95 percent of damage was covered by home insurance, so the uninsured portion did not reach the level required for further government aid, Dragani said.
“That’s a very difficult thing for people to understand because intuitively tornadoes cause a tremendous amount of damage and in that case we had fatalities as well,” Dragani said. “People in the Toledo area remember that and think ‘What could be more disastrous?’ but from federal perspective — not discounting at all the trauma to the school, community and individuals that were impacted — it didn’t require the federal assistance to help individuals recover, which is really what FEMA is all about.”
Local resources, including county EMA teams, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other organizations, provide the first-responder, short-term assistance after a disaster, said Matthew Heyrman, project manager for Lucas County EMA.
“There’s an expectation out there that federal resources will be on the ground and there the next day and that’s not the reality,” Heyrman said. “As we say all the time in EMA, disasters are local. We are on our own at least for the first 72 hours. We have to use what we have here. The federal government is going to do as much as they can as fast as they can, but it takes time.”
After local government declares a state of emergency, the state governor can make a declaration and then petition the president to declare a federal disaster, Heyrman said.
“Only then do we get the FEMA funds and things people see on TV,” Heyrman said. “We have great resources here and when the tornado or flood comes, we are going to do our best, but in any situation where a lot of people are affected, the government is going to triage and help the worst areas first. So people can help themselves and their family in a better position by having a kit, being informed and having a plan.”
Dragani said she hopes attendees will take away the importance of insurance.
“None of the [federal] programs will make them whole,” Dragani said. “They need to look at insurance policies to adequately protect themselves before an event because that’s where the most comprehensive recovery protection is going to come from.”
Ready U, a 10-session yearlong series presented by the Red Cross of Greater Toledo and the Lucas County EMA, is designed to educate the public and prepare individuals and families for potential emergencies in Northwest Ohio.
Attendees will receive reusable grocery bags and have a chance to win raffle prizes, including a gift card from The Andersons, said Sheri Meeker, community disaster education specialist for the Red Cross.
Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor for the Ready U program.
For more information, visit the website ready-u.com.

On July 6, 2010, Toledo City Council passed legislation to address a past due bill and promised to create revenue for the City of Toledo. At the April 19 Toledo City Council meeting, questions were raised when the legislation was brought back before Council.
Ordinance 295-10 authorized Toledo to enter into a three-year Agreement with FCR Recycling for the processing of recycling materials and to address the balance owed to FCR at that time of $288,000.
During the July 6 meeting, then-Councilman Michael Ashford urged support of the ordinance as a temporary measure until Toledo and Lucas County were able to establish a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
“We still have almost a $300,000 debt hanging over our head and because it’s a fluctuating market, with this, finally we got to the point where this could be a payout; it could pay for itself within a year,” Ashford said.

Dave Welch, who was at that time director of public services, talked about the MRF but also provided details on the ordinance then before Council.
“The current piece of legislation in front of you will buy us some time,” Welch said. “It will also pay down our debt and also bring in some money into our coffers. It’s a good opportunity.”
The ordinance passed July 6, 2010, as an emergency measure, with Mayor Mike Bell signing it on July 8. According to a May 27, 2010 memo from Welch, “The City would realize a rebate of $20.50 per ton or approximately $30,000 based on 1,500 tons of recyclables in today’s market,” with the FCR contract.
At a Feb. 14 Public Utilities committee meeting, Councilman Mike Craig asked how close we were to making a profit on recyclables. He was told it was profitable at that time, that Toledo generates 20,000 tons a year in recycling. Using the cited rebate amount, that should generate $410,000 in recycling revenue.
On April 19, the ordinance came back to be amended, with it being stated that not only was the original ordinance flawed because it failed to authorize the expenditure of funds, but now the amount owed to FCR was more than $400,000. Additionally, FCR was sold and is now Resource Recovery Systems (RRS).
Councilman D. Michael Collins raised questions concerning Toledo’s decision to end trash collection.
“Do we really want to commit to a company for three more years, for a service that we’re not even going to be providing?” Collins asked.
Director of Public Services Ed Moore said, “We think it would be a good idea to enter into the contract and lock ourselves into the rates that we have right now.”
Deputy Mayor Tom Crothers asked Moore to provide details on the timing issue.
“If we pass this … we’ll be able to pay the lesser amount,” Moore said.
Councilman George Sarantou asked what the current bill was. Moore said it was more than $400,000. He said they negotiated that amount down to about $316,000 then negotiated it lower using recycling rebates since they are now experiencing a positive cash flow from recycling; $30,000 this month, which took the amount owed down to $288,000.
“This deal is on the table today, we’d like to move it forward,” Public Utilities Director Welch said.  “We’ve been holding these folks out negotiating back and forth.”
Welch said RRS was honoring the July contract, but could raise prices if Council did not act that night.
The ordinance was held at first reading at Collins’ request
It’s not clear how much Toledo has earned from recyclables given the variations in information. If Toledo was collecting 20,000 tons a year and was making a profit in February, why wasn’t enough revenue generated to pay RRS from the proceeds as intended in July?
Welch did not respond to an April 20 request for information.
Toledo will be out of the trash collection busiuness, but will still manage recycled material collected by Allied Waste. Allied, as the trash collector for Toledo through Lucas County Solid Waste Management District, would not benefit from the sale of recycling or be responsible for the cost should the recycling market drop.  Toledo would profit or pay.
Something doesn’t smell right.

Toledo Free Press Web Editor Lisa Renee Ward operates the political blog GlassCityJungle.com.

The sequel to 2008′s Game of the Year is just as smart and charming as it’s predecessor.

I really wasn’t going to pre-order Portal 2.

The first game was too perfect. The story of a girl and her “gun”, a homicidal artificial intelligence, and baked goods, Portal took the geek zeitgeist by storm in 2007-08, simply because nobody was expecting it. It was supposed to be the undercard of Valve’s Orange Box compilation, packaged alongside Game-of-the-Millenium Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2. But the unique gameplay and comedy, as silly as it was sinister, propelled Portal to a few awards of it’s own. Even the song at the end, written by the hilarious Jonathan Coulton, was perfect. There’s no way Valve could ever duplicate it all.

If you’re unaware of the original, I’d point you to Jeff McGinnis’s article in last week’s Star. If you don’t have that handy (WHAT?), here’s a quick primer: You’re trapped in the vacant Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Your only tool is a gun that will paint a hole on a wall or ceiling. You place one hole on one side of the room, place the other hole on the other side, and walk through the first hole to emerge through the second. You make your way though chambers that were specifically built to test aptitude with the portal gun with your only “companion”, the electronic voice of GLaDOS. She instructs you on the tricks of using the portals, and doles out generic compliments when you complete them, promising cake at the end. However, the closer you get to learning the true story behind Aperture Science, the more antagonistic GLaDOS becomes, until she’s downright mocking you face-to-robotic-face. Not to spoil it, but you destroy GLaDOS and nearly escape. And, as you no doubt heard from your favorite nerd, the cake was a lie.

Portal hooked me instantly. Anything that can make you think and laugh at the same time automatically gets high marks from me, and it consistently delivered on both fronts.

That brings us to last week’s release of Portal 2. How do you follow up the perfect game? You have to make some changes, or it’ll be derided as being the Same Old Stuff. Change too much, and it’s not even the same franchise. Keep in mind, Portal sold for $20 when they eventually separated it from the Orange Box to sell standalone. This was a full game, and came with a full price ($50 for PC/Mac, $60 for the 360/PS3). Not only did they have to make new stuff, they had to make it last longer. Could the minds at Valve pull it off? My brain told me no, but mere hours before the game was officially released, my heart took over and I pre-ordered. Saved $5 bucks, and received a copy of the original to gift to somebody (You’re welcome, Ryan).

Portal 2 returns you to the laboratories of Aperture. It’s some years into the future: the facility is in disrepair, and vegetation overgrows the once-pristine walls of the Enrichment Center. A different artificial intelligence, this one named Wheatly (and brilliantly voiced by Stephen Marchant), leads you through the vacant hallways in an effort to escape. Of course, you reunite with GLaDOS, who is not to happy about the “blowing-her-up” bit from the first game. Her barbs this time hit a little lower and dig a little deeper. The test chambers have a few new toys in them: lasers, light bridges, and gels that can make you jump higher or run faster. As you’d expect, the portals are the key to using these new pieces to the puzzle.

With the longer playtime, the writers at Valve really get to dig into the meat of what was going on at Aperture Laboratories, and it becomes the foundation for this game’s humor. Long gone are the running gags about cake; instead you are treated to the history of a corporation so incompetent, they developed a portable device that punches holes in time and space, and they somehow went bankrupt. On that backdrop, any gag makes sense, and they made good use of it.

If you blew through the single-player campaign in two nights (I did), don’t fret: there’s a whole separate series of tests in a brand-new co-op mode. You and a friend play a pair of robots armed with portal guns, with puzzles built specifically with multiplayer in mind. And while you may be the unofficial children of GLaDOS, don’t think you’re exempt from her verbal abuse.

I will say that Portal 2 does suffer a little because of it’s length. The second act tends to drag a little, with a couple of puzzles that aren’t very intuitive. Sometimes, I felt like I had the right solution, but wasn’t getting the right result. Other times, the key to the puzzle was hidden a little too well. Keep YouTube handy; if you get stuck, there are plenty of walkthroughs online already.

That being said, If Portal was an A+, it’s sequel is a solid A. By the time I hit the third act, I had lost track of the times I had to stop playing because I was laughing so hard. The test chambers got harder, but I no longer saw the rooms. I saw lasers, buttons, doors… and I saw how my little quantum-physics disruptor could tie it all together. I was thinking with portals again. And it was just as amazing the second time around.

Guest review by Matt Culbreath