Uncle Sam made a visit to Portsmouth, Ohio the other day and what he saw made him feel ill. He was so upset he couldn't give us his familiar "I want you!" He was so distraught at what he saw in our local community he had to sit down in a chair.
Uncle Sam asked why Scioto County and Portsmouth are failing economically? He stated he provided us with have four lane highways, the railroad, and the Ohio River yet the area can't attract any type of national business to come to the area to employee the residents in this region. All Uncle Sam kept saying was, why?
My response to Uncle Sam was simple. Look at the people the voters elected or the people that have been appointed to elected office and checkout their backgrounds. There is the problem!
Former Mayor Greg Bauer bankrupt his personal business. Bauer climbed in bed with a well known gangster from New Jersey named Rocco Castollano. Rocco was going to be the savior of the city until he got nailed with a DUI by an honest highway patrolwoman. Then he got angry and went back down the river to sulk.
My response to Uncle Sam was simple. Look at the people the voters elected or the people that have been appointed to elected office and checkout their backgrounds. There is the problem!
Former Mayor Greg Bauer bankrupt his personal business. Bauer climbed in bed with a well known gangster from New Jersey named Rocco Castollano. Rocco was going to be the savior of the city until he got nailed with a DUI by an honest highway patrolwoman. Then he got angry and went back down the river to sulk.
The current Mayor of Portsmouth, Jim Kalb, was arrested for marijuana and has approximately 15 traffic citations after the age of 18. His rise to the highest elected office in Portsmouth comes at the peak of his personal career, making it to a department manager/cashier at our local Krogers!
The sitting Portsmouth City Council President bankrupt his personal business. With this excellent background in business he was the perfect man to put in charge of the city budget. Look what he gave us! A delapidated department building that sits vacant, all for the low price of $2,000,000 tax dollars. Now that's a deal!
The Portsmouth Sixth Ward Councilman and one of the Scioto County Commissioners are both accused of having children out of wed lock. Both men sit silent without denying the allegations and both of these men claim that God is on their side and are outraged that their families have to read such things about them on the internet.
Let me not forget Portsmouth Second Ward City Councilman and local preacher in our discussion. While he seems to like the companionship of local blonde haired ladies, he really hasn't held any labor intensive job. He claims to be a God fearing man yet he sits at City Council Meetings passing illegal ordiances at the behest of his gangster friends and allies.
The Chief of Police of Portsmouth says he is fighting the drug problem in Portsmouth yet his own son was arrested and convicted of being a drug abuser. While the citizens of Portsmouth pay for 44 cops, the same number we had when the town had over 30,000 citizens, the crime rate in the city has skyrocketed under the current Chief's administration. The Chief takes pain killers for his back (a statement direct from the Chief) and I've always wondered why he drives while taking such narcotics?
The Scioto County Sheriff is a convicted criminal. He is actually in office illegally due to the fact that one of his same political party judges illegally sealed up his criminal records through the use of the expungement process to make the Sheriff legal to run for office. The Sheriff allowed his deputy to have sex with a female inmate, and then allowed a special female deputy to wreck his private car without having a drivers license. The Sheriff also works deals out with judges to cover up crimes for his officers, remember Hughie??? Hughie Blair was being chased for criminal charges by former Scioto County Judge Walter Lytten until the Sheriff gave a deputy badge to Lytten's special drug bailiff, Mark Darby! Now, that's what we need for a law enforcement leader isn't it.
The Scioto County Sheriff is a convicted criminal. He is actually in office illegally due to the fact that one of his same political party judges illegally sealed up his criminal records through the use of the expungement process to make the Sheriff legal to run for office. The Sheriff allowed his deputy to have sex with a female inmate, and then allowed a special female deputy to wreck his private car without having a drivers license. The Sheriff also works deals out with judges to cover up crimes for his officers, remember Hughie??? Hughie Blair was being chased for criminal charges by former Scioto County Judge Walter Lytten until the Sheriff gave a deputy badge to Lytten's special drug bailiff, Mark Darby! Now, that's what we need for a law enforcement leader isn't it.
A couple years ago, on two different occasions, we delivered documentation and audio recordings of felony criminal activity of Ohio Highway Patrol Post 23 Commander Robert Woodford. Commander Woodford hid a car being driven by his girlfriend behind the OHP office building on Rt. 23 to prevent the woman's husband from getting access to it. The car was reported stolen yet Woodford kept the car hid on a public parking lot and dared the husband of his girlfriend to try to get the car. Woodford is very well known for having sexual affairs with married women in the area! Just ask the man who Woodford helped hide the stolen car! Woodford also admitted under oath and on audio tape to fixing tickets for his friends in the local area. A female OHP officer testified against Woodford that she was forced to give him all copies of tickets for his friend that had been cited for speeding. Woodford destroyed the ticket and it never went to court. With our documented proof Sheriff Donini did the right thing! He hired Woodford as a Captain for the Scioto County Sheriff Office! What else could he do? Woodford met the highest qualification to be a law enforcement officer in this area; his willingness to commit felonies! Remember, Donini is a convicted criminal, so who better to serve him than fellow cons!!!!
A Muncipal Court Judge loves his alcohol. He loves it so much that Portsmouth City Cops provide cab service for him when he gets drunk at local bars. But that pales when compared to some of our other judges who were heavy drug users in their early adult life.
Then we have a City Auditor that pays bills without having documentation to back up why he is paying the bills. A Sentinel reporter has repeatedly asked for actual gasoline payment backup which is not kept in the auditors office. The auditor can not tell you why he pays a bill other than to say the department head said pay it. That's why he sent a check for a couple million to a local attorney to pay a contract debt which didn't involve the attorney. Now that's good accounting, right?? I don't think so! But then again, they say he is pretty good with video games there in his office!
Now with these type of individuals running the City of Portsmouth and Scioto County why do you think the area is in economic depression??? Could it be that these individuals might not be qualified to do their jobs???
Uncle Sam picked up his hat and said as he walked out the door, "You get what you vote in! So, Don't blame Uncle Sam!"
Uncle Sam picked up his hat and said as he walked out the door, "You get what you vote in! So, Don't blame Uncle Sam!"
John Welton (DD)
