A Tale Of Two Cities

The City of Middletown has a very dangerous, subversive and corrupt organization at its helm named Middletown Moving Forward (MMF). Without a doubt this organization through the years has moved Middletown backwards.

MMF has a Board of ten (10) members and a host of volunteers. Six (6) of the Board members are business people and four (4) are city employees.

Since its beginning, its work has been to advance the self - interests of its members and the money trail demonstrates that significantly. The projects it has brought to the city all bear the interests of its board members. Other projects are the results of the efforts of city council, the administration and various attempts of economic development groups.

The four city employees on the Board are the City Law Director, the City Manager, the Mayor and a council member. They are in a precarious position. They often find themselves on both sides of a contract. The constant question of their participation is when are they representing the city and the taxpayers? In every project they create the appearance of impropriety and conflicts of interest.

They use their Corporation to illegally interfere with elections, fund the election of their candidates, change City Charter resolutions to their liking, remove the number of council seats and to reduce the ward system to give themselves more control of power and city money. They are not registered as a Political Action Committee. They have created a strong monarchy that represents only their special interests and does not advance the city as their Charter and the law requires.

MMF stands in the way of regaining businesses and jobs at the expense of the taxpayers. Even allowing for the effects of the recession the purposes and goals of MMF are antithetical to the taxpayers dilemma to see new businesses and jobs and bringing families out of poverty and putting them to work. Because of MMF’s agenda and their anti-taxpayer posture in the city of Middletown there is not any hope for relief in sight.

Taxpayers have refused to deal with MMF for a variety of reasons. Many are ignorant of the status of MMF and refuse to learn about them. Many are apathetic and don’t care what MMF does. They are apathetic to their own destruction. Others are so busy with their own lives and are so involved trying to make it through these hard time that they won’t take the time to deal with removing MMF. Whatever the reason, if the taxpayers don’t rise up and remove MMF circumstances have little chance of changing in the taxpayer’s favor.

Solution: Taxpayers can easily solve the problem by electing new people who are not the puppets of MMF and that will seek to remove MMF from the city. Taxpayers can do that easily by not voting for any incumbents nor voting for those who are known candidates of MMF. That is the simple method.

If you want local government that is open, transparent, accountable, will bring businesses, jobs and people, and where your voice is heard….. VOTE FOR PAUL NAGY FOR MAYOR.

Chapter Two

The Elite’s – City Council and The City Administration / The Taxpayers

The Middletown City Council is made up of seven members until 2014 when there will be only five members. At that time the wards will be eliminated. The reduction of council members and the elimination of the ward system allows for greater control of money and power. As a matter of fact, the city is run by about 400 bureaucrats and a few (30 –50) elite from MMF. The population of Middletown is said to be 48,200.

Do you feel that you have fair representation at City Council? Most do not. Generally speaking, most council members serve at the order of MMF. Currently, there are two possible exceptions. Yet, they seem to talk in behalf of the taxpayers but vote in behalf of the MMF agenda. Council constantly majors in minors and never does anything of real significance in solving the city’s problems and the taxpayer pays the penalty. The feeling of disappointment and distrust throughout the city for many years with city council is only exceeded by the distrust of the city administration.

The City Administration complicates and causes controversy in every area that the City Council sets policy. The City Administration is viewed as incompetent, dishonest, untrustworthy and business unfriendly. Thus, the city finds itself in its current condition of one of the 10 fastest dying cities in America. That is absolutely shameful and indefensible especially in the light of our location and what is going on in the immediate surrounding cities.

The City Manager, City Law Director, City Planner, Financial Director and the Housing Administrator are all viewed as klutzes and unsuitable for their roles. Yet, through every controversy they are never held responsible and accountable which is another weakness on Council’s part. The taxpayers wonder, Why? Is it because the Administration has too much undesirable information on Council. There are many taxpayers that think so.

In the eyes of the taxpayers, the decisions of Council and the Administration have had devastating results. Thus, many have moved from the city and those that are left are disgusted and contemplating their moves. Homes and properties have been devaluated as much by the bad decisions of Council and the Administration as by the recession. There is no serious proactive, aggressive movement by Council and the Administration to restore property values, bring businesses and jobs back and to change the city’s image, direction and atmosphere. The 5 year plan, 20 year plan and the hope of bringing Cincinnati State College to Middletown will not have significant Effect in the future anymore then they have had in the past or the present. They are 20^th century programs that are outdated. They are based on the false assumption that they fit our current times. Taxpayers want new vision, goals, ideas and plans for today’s problems and solutions.

Solution: First, the taxpayers must vote for new candidates that have new vision, goals and ideas to bring our city into the 21^st century. Taxpayers can do that easily by not voting for any incumbents nor voting for those who are known candidates of MMF. Secondly, taxpayers must move the new candidates to "clean house" and remove all department heads that currently impede our progress. This one action alone will send the strongest, fastest message to the world that Middletown now means business and we are on a new path to economic recovery. Thirdly, taxpayers must reject the notion that is propagated by the Council and the Administration that "It took us years to get in this mess and it will take us years to get out". That is an excuse to cover up lack of action. Let the taxpayer beware. Taxpayers must not make the same mistake but must take action NOW. Do it in this election.

If you want local government that is open, transparent, accountable, will bring businesses, jobs and people, and where your voice is heard….. VOTE FOR PAUL NAGY FOR MAYOR.

Chapter Three

Downtown Revitalization / City Revitalization

City Council and the Administration, through the years have spent an inordinate amount of taxpayer’s money (in the tens of millions of dollars) on downtown revitalization. It includes the costs of a botched job on the lake scheme, the installation of and removal of a roof on the mall, and many other costly projects. They have spent taxpayers money for at least four study groups. They have spent taxpayer’s money for purchase of multiple large and small properties, large demolition projects, and custom lights on the street where the Mayor and the City Planner live. Add to all of this the costs of Council and the Administrations time involved and many huge consultants fees. Very few small businesses have been able to survive downtown. Other businesses have moved out in large quantities. The results have been less than meager at best. The overall results have been negligible at best. The waste is inexcusable.

Now, City Council has labored for two years to get Cincinnati State College to come downtown. They are promoting this as a marvelous victory for downtown revitalization. The fact is that it has been done in a very amateur manner and shows their lack of business acumen. They still do not have a contract and all of the money to purchase two of five buildings was taxpayer’s money. Only two of the buildings are requested by Cincinnati State. The chances of the college’s success is extremely long term and still highly speculative. The impact is also very speculative. The manner in which this project has come about is typical of the bureaucratic attempts at business. They have not had a business approach and should get out of the real estate business totally and leave it to professionals.

What makes downtown so special that the businesses and efforts get special attention while most parts of the city have been ignored? How come other businesses don’t get the money and the attention? Why don’t the businesses on Breiel Boulevard and Roosevelt get the same attention, time and investment?

Solution: Taxpayers need to stop Council and the Administration from their amateur speculations by protesting, attending Council meetings and speaking out, emailing and writing letters. The taxpayers then must vote for new candidates that have new vision, goals and ideas to bring our city into the 21^st century. Taxpayers can do that easily by not voting for any incumbents nor voting for those who are known candidates of MMF.

If you want local government that is open, transparent, accountable, will bring businesses, jobs and people, and where your voice is heard….. VOTE FOR PAUL NAGY FOR MAYOR.

Chapter Four

Taxes / "Let Them Eat bread"

When it came to the place that the people could no longer afford to eat enriched pastries and had to survive on plain bread the response of the Queen was said to be, "Let them eat bread". The staple food of the French peasantry and the working class was bread, absorbing 50 per cent of their income, as opposed to 5 per cent on fuel; the whole topic of bread was therefore the result of deep national interest and survival. The attitude was that the powers that be had no intention of lowering taxes and making things better. Well, this is an ongoing dilemma with all societies until the people revolt and make things right. Not much has changed. Today, we see society revolting on every level all around the world.

Here in Middletown we are taxed more than the communities that surround us and we have much less to show for our taxes than they do. Not only are we higher taxed but the taxes do not go where they are promised. Yet, our bureaucracy continues to grow with their exorbitant salaries. They also continue to place tax levies on the agenda because they don’t know of any other way to raise revenues. Because they are so incompetent at bringing in businesses and jobs they attempt to raise taxes in other ways without taxpayer representation or by raising fees for services.

Our Mayor campaigns on his great financial ability. In three and a half years has our financial condition gotten any better? Where is the evidence of such? Our financial institutions have brought our country to near ruin since 2008. Taxpayers have not been able to rely on Council’s knowledge nor their integrity. Our Council and Administration keep telling us there is no money to do this or that for the people’s benefit. Our city manager, Madame Deficit, has told us over the last two years that we don’t have any money for this and that. She has said there will be future deficits. First, it was $4 million, then $3 million, then $2 million, then $1.3 million. Council assures us with the constant cry, "We have looked at the figures and the money just isn’t there". "We can’t move money from one account to another". Then Madame Deficit retorts, "We found some money tucked away in another account".

It is on this roller coaster that they then manipulate to get levies on the ballot. Their only answer to financial problems is tax levies.

Taxpayers

The hullabaloo that we go through about the budget is a sad joke. It is never adequate and never followed. We don’t ever get the true accounts of where and to whom the revenue and expenses have gone. Try it someday and watch the run around you get. In the meantime watch your property continue to devalue. Our roads don’t get paved and we reduce our police force, fire department and rescue squads during increased crime periods and an increase of the elderly and the poor. What does the future hold? Is the arrival of Cincinnati State going to solve all of these problems? The question is superfluous. So is the answer.

Solution: Let’s take a cue from Warren Buffet, "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all

sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election. The 26^th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to

the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land...all because of public pressure." Let’s make a law based on this premise that the City Administration has to abide by. If they don’t we fire them and get staff that will do what is needed.

Second, Let’s reform our entire financial system and provide only the basics of public safety, infrastructure and economic development. We then add back services as our economy grows and as we can afford them. We have enough money to do that without any tax levies. Watch your property values increase again.

Third, In order to do this taxpayers must vote for new candidates that have new vision, goals and ideas to bring our city into the 21^st century. Taxpayers can do that easily by not voting for any incumbents nor voting for those who are known candidates of MMF.

If you want local government that is open, transparent, accountable, will bring businesses, jobs and people, and where your voice is heard….. VOTE FOR PAUL NAGY FOR MAYOR.

Chapter Five

The Road(s) of Bureaucracy / The Road(s) Less Traveled

The streets in Middletown are in a serious state of deterioration. They have been neglected for many years. The bureaucracy has seen no reason for putting any significant money in the upkeep of our roads since 1986. At that time Commissioner Sonny Hill proposed a percentage of the auto and tax fund be designated to the care of our roads. It amounted to about $870,000 a year. That was done for about a year and a half and then it was revoked. If that simple plan had been continued we wouldn’t have the problem now. This year the only money applied for street repair has come from Federal and State grants. It has not done much for solving the problem. Council brags about the pot hole patching as though it is taking care of our road problems. Our city engineer has said it would take upward of $150 million dollars to completely fix our roads and we just don’t have it. That’s a big exaggeration to instill fear. There is no plan to repair our roads except to do it on a hit or miss basis.

Thus far council seems to show more interest in and spend more time with art centers, downtown revitalization, street lights, parks, golf courses, airports and Section 8 than repairing our roads in any significant manner. Meanwhile summers and winters come and go and continue to take their toll on our roads and streets to such a degree we can’t keep pace.

The Road(s) Less Traveled

It is important to get our roads fixed as soon as possible because of all of the consequences of their continued deterioration. Without good roads our properties devaluate, Our automobiles are afflicted, we lose and cannot attract businesses, the costs keep mounting, Fire and Police officers have a more difficult times getting to where they are needed. Taxpayers complaints and objections have been ignored for years. Our neglected roads are a definite negative to our city image.

If you want local government that is open, transparent, accountable, will bring businesses, jobs and people, and where your voice is heard….. VOTE FOR PAUL NAGY FOR MAYOR.

Chapter Six

The Hierarchy’s Section Eight Program / The Taxpayers Section Eight Program

One of the biggest boondoggles the city is engaged in is our Section 8 Program. The city has positioned itself with HUD to willingly accept an inordinate amount of Section Eight vouchers. According to one of our Council members we now have over seventeen hundred vouchers. Remember, each one of these applicants also includes their family members that live with them. None of the surrounding communities have anywhere near this amount of vouchers with the possible exception of Hamilton. Word has gotten out that it is easy to get Section 8 vouchers in Middletown and so a lot of people have moved in from other areas to take advantage of the opportunity.

Why would they do this? They accept this huge amount of vouchers because it brings into the city between nine and twelve million dollars of income. That is a large sum. This money is divided between the city, landlords, and a little to tenants. Council and the Administration like the money.

Council says they are trying to reduce the number of vouchers but that it took a long time to get this many and it will take a long time to get them reduced. They have stated that HUD is reluctant to change the program. The Administration tells us they are working hard to reduce the number of vouchers by attrition and other methods but it still will take a long time.

The Taxpayers Section Eight Program

Current Council and Administration place the blame on previous Councils and Administration. Who cares about the blame? What is needed is a plan to correct the situation. Council and the Administration have once again fumbled the ball. They have wasted a lot of time and money on two different housing organizations to manage the program. Both have been unprofessional and very costly. The program doesn’t need to be managed, the program needs to be ended.

Middletown has been more than generous in taking care of our needy. We must continue to be but not with the Section Eight Program. We must get rid of the Section Eight Program right away.

How do we do this? The Administration and Council say it can’t be done. Well, that is not true.

Solution: Establish a positive, proactive and aggressive plan to permanently remove Section Eight.

1. Tell HUD we refuse to accept any of their vouchers. Just say NO!
2. Give those who are not from Middletown 1 year to move elsewhere.
3. Give those who are able to work 1 year to get a job and get off of Section Eight.
4. If HUD gives us a problem get our State Representatives and Senators to Lobby HUD in our behalf pointing out the great damage it has done to our city or go to court.
5. Put in a new, competent program with Federal and State funding that will allow US to take care of our disabled, elderly and needy that live in Middletown.
6. Let the market provide tenants for the landlords.

In order to do this taxpayers must vote for new candidates that have new vision, goals and ideas to bring our city into the 21^st century. Taxpayers can do that easily by not voting for any incumbents nor voting for those who are known candidates of MMF.

If you want local government that is open, transparent, accountable, will bring businesses, jobs and people, and where your voice is heard….. VOTE FOR PAUL NAGY FOR MAYOR.

Chapter Seven

Bureaucratic Safety/ Public Safety

It is the primary purpose of city government to make our citizens safe and secure, to reduce crime and to penalize those who break the law. The highest evidence of civilization is our court system, like it or not. When these goals are met businesses are attracted, jobs increase, the economy is strengthened and the city becomes vibrant.

The city of Middletown has sought through the years to provide adequate public safety departments for our population and geographic size. Currently we are told that we have a population of about 48,200 and our city is about 25 square miles. It is a big and important responsibility to provide police, fire, court and medic protection for this amount of people who live in our land mass. It is not always easy.

As society has advanced and we have lived through some "good times" the costs of public safety have gone up significantly. In addition to good salaries, we have large benefit and pension programs. Added to this we have unions that fight in behalf of our personnel to maintain and increase those salaries, benefits and pensions. The costs have gotten exceedingly high. Yet, it must never be forgotten that our police and fire personnel are putting their lives at risk in our behalf.

It is always tempting in times of economic strain to reduce funding and personnel to these departments. So, public safety is viewed as a negotiable service. It is negotiated based on the degree

of negotiability. The city has the law and the funding on its side and the unions have the very- well trained professionals on their side. So public safety is not a constant but at the same time is a public necessity paid for by the taxpayers in the middle who are not always rightly represented by their elected and appointed representatives. Public safety is a dilemma of the most serious magnitude.

Taxpayers have their heads in a vice between Bureaucracy and public safety personnel and their unions. Both sides exert an extreme amount of pressure. Due to the circumstances taxpayers are constantly having to deal with the threat of Public Safety tax levies. The bureaucracy and the unions lose sight of the fact that the pockets of the taxpayers are only so deep and somewhere reason must prevail. The problem is compounded by the fact that there are many other levies and taxes demanded from other sources. It is to the point that the taxpayer in Ohio is paying about 67 different Federal, State, County and Municipal taxes, not including the costs of increased services that are not classified as taxes. Additionally, there are new tax levies being proposed at every election. The question to the taxpayer is, How do we afford it? The answers don’t come easy and our current economic status shows us that the nation is economically in over its head and no one wants to be reasonable.

Solution: 1. Lets keep things in perspective. Remember, our military men and women all around the world are putting their lives at risk in a more poignant way daily and they wrongly are not paid near as much.

2. In the final analysis, public safety is not an option. It is a must.
3. Reason must prevail. We must all sit on the same side of the table when we endeavor to provide this necessary service. We have got to quit having Council and Administration against our public safety departments.
4. We must be willing to pay for professionally trained personnel such as we have.
5. Our public safety personnel must always be adequate in number to do the job for the city population and size.
6. Public safety personnel and unions must be reasonable and look at what is right for our city with its limitations.

If you want local government that is open, transparent, accountable, will bring businesses, jobs and people, and where your voice is heard….. VOTE FOR PAUL NAGY FOR MAYOR.

Chapter Eight

The View From The Castle /The View From The Street

The image of Middletown if very important. During this election campaign four candidates referred to the cities image in the voters guide and in ads. During the Candidates Forums the Mayor and other Council candidates told us of their view of the City. They painted a rosy picture.

In the east end district there is Atrium hospital, The VA hospital, the Neyer development, Greentree Health Science Academy and Renaissance Village. The entrance into Middletown off of I-75 is being done to make the city more inviting upon exciting the freeway.

Downtown, is the highly exploited arrival of the Pendleton Art Center, and the possible arrival of a Cincinnati State College campus in two downtown buildings. The city has purchased and demolished many downtown buildings. Some streets are being paved.

We also have AK Steel and Suncoke. These are two large industrial businesses. The new addition of Suncoke required a huge investment of $360 million dollars.

These are all touted to have large economic impact. It looks really good for the city from City Council and the Administration’s viewpoint. These are accomplishments not to be ignored and certainly a step in the right direction.

From the taxpayers view the city doesn’t look so good. The city has the deserved reputation for being hard to do business with and business unfriendly. Consequently, established businesses have been leaving our city in great numbers. AK Steel has moved its executives to West Chester. Clark, Schaffer and Hackett have moved their long standing business out of town. Robinson Realtors with some of their investors have gone elsewhere. Several restaurants have closed in the downtown in the last year. Taxpayer money has gone to certain special downtown interests while others go without throughout the city. Elections are bought and set-up without any accountability. Street paving is virtually ignored until the taxpayers shout about it and then token work is done to pacify them. Section Eight housing is poorly handled and it has allowed increase in crime and fraud, negative effect on our school ratings and additional decrease in property values throughout the city. It has raised the cost of public services beyond our capacity. Council and the Administration conduct much of the city business out of view and are extremely secretive. The city is viewed as terribly negative. Development and new businesses are continuously going in communities all around us but not coming to Middletown. No businesses, less jobs, less revenue. So Council cries, "The money is just not there". What money there is, is spent in ways that do not benefit or revitalize the city.

The image from the taxpayers view is very, very negative and many strong, upstanding citizens are leaving and more would leave if they could get the price of their devalued properties at sale.

If you want local government that is open, transparent, accountable, will bring businesses, jobs and people, and where your voice is heard….. VOTE FOR PAUL NAGY FOR MAYOR.

Chapter Nine

The Guillotine / The Ballot Box

In today’s civilized society it is illegal to cut off the heads of corrupt city leaders and politicians. Due to illegal use of the laws with all of its loopholes and extremely high litigation costs its generally unlikely that the citizens can get its corrupt politicians into court. Its almost impossible to get lawyers to take such cases because they are afraid of intimidation and vindication. The Attorney General’s office and the Secretary of State won’t investigate because taxpayers can’t get their hands on necessary documents to make the case. They then ignore the taxpayers and the corruption goes on and on. If you don’t believe that just look at what has happened to the taxpayers since the bust of 2008. The corrupt politicians have bankrupted our country and still remain in office. Few go to jail and the financial institutions and their executives walk away with millions and millions of taxpayer dollars.

However, it is not all hopeless. There is still one avenue that is open to the taxpayer if he/she is not afraid or intimidated. The way to get rid of corrupt city leaders and politicians is through the ballot box. It will work if citizens will give up their apathy and hopelessness and realize they have the power in their hands to make things right.

Chapter Ten

Conclusion

Government handouts / Self –sustenance

Citizens must realize that those who need government assistance are the disabled, the elderly and those who can’t find ways to support themselves. When the government gives assistance to those who can work and support themselves we must realize that all they are doing is buying votes. Thus, the corruption. Don’t be a party to it and help others not to take the easy way out because it is we the taxpayers who always end up paying the penalty. If it wasn’t for the taxpayer, the government would have no money to buy votes. Stop the government cash flow and you will have more efficient government. The exception, of course is, in those things that we cannot provide for the good of all individually such as infrastructure and public safety.

Self –Sustenance

This country was built on those independent pioneers who wanted a better life and were willing to work for it. Our children and all of us need to be taught the value and integrity of work. We all need to have instilled within us that we need to be as independent as we can be and as self-sustaining as possible. What we need to learn to be self-sufficient must be studied until we become the experts in that field.

Our city, country and the world is obviously at a turning point. What will you do to turn it all in the right direction. Start by voting right.

Do yourself a favor and read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay on self- reliance. Try to commit as much of it as you can to memory and practice. Add the teachings of the Bible to it and you have a great foundation for being self-reliant and you will gain that pioneer, enterprising and entrepreneurial spirit that made our country the greatest in the world.

We can help our current business owners to grow and provide jobs. We can go out and find new business. California is losing most of its hi-tech businesses to other states. Middletown needs to get in line. Canada is looking to expand in Ohio. We need to get in line. Many of you received great knowledge in various fields working for AK Steel before you were laid-off. You need to take that knowledge, join with some of your co-workers and start employee owned companies. There is help out there for that. Middletown needs to use its real estate brokers and agent to market the sites that we have for new businesses. We need to pay them a fee or a commission. It will open up more doors than our economic development office can just because of the great increase in people knocking on doors in our behalf. Further, it has been unequivocally proven that our bureaucrats know nothing about real estate.

God bless you and God bless Middletown.