43
Judges avoid a bloody budget battle
Palin’s targets: The political action committee of Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice
Palin’s targets: The political action committee of Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, is targeting three area Democratic members of Congress who voted for the health-care bill.
The three Democrats are among 20 nationwide in congressional districts that John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, and Palin won in 2008.
Palin doesn’t spell out what she or her PAC will do to replace the Democrats, but it probably would include endorsements for and financial contributions to their challengers.
Those making the list include: U.S. Reps. Charlie Wilson of St. Clairsville, D-6th; Kathy Dahlkemper of Erie, Pa., D-3rd; and John Boccieri of Alliance, D-16th. Wilson is seeking his third two-year term in Congress this year while the other two are running for their second terms.
Of the three, only Boccieri changed his vote on the health-care bill from no in November to yes on Sunday.
It could have been a nasty showdown.
Youngstown Municipal Court’s judges wanted a $500,000 increase in the court’s budget for security.
The judges — Elizabeth A. Kobly, Robert A. Douglas Jr., and Robert P. Milich — have had a long-standing contentious relationship [to be kind] with the city administration.
The relationship between the judges and city council is virtually non-existent.
The judges weren’t going to get the $500,000 increase, and their reaction could have led to another issue for the Ohio Supreme Court.
For about 13 years, the judges have complained about the lack of space and security at the court, located on the second floor of City Hall, as well as many other issues including poor ventilation and no public bathrooms.
The administration has improved security at the court.
But apparently it isn’t very successful.
Judge Kobly said a stranger walked into her private office last week, getting past security guards.
This is a somewhat regular problem at the court, the judge said.
The judges filed a complaint May 13, 2009, with the Ohio Supreme Court to force the city to provide the court with “suitable accommodations.”
The judges want a new court facility, estimated to cost about $8 million.
The administration says the city is broke; facing a projected $2.5 million deficit in its general fund, which council must adopt by Wednesday.
While city administrators say they understand the need for court facility improvements there’s no money to pay for that.
The judges disagree about a lack of money for new facilities, and complain about being ignored by the executive and legislative branches.
On top of that, Mayor Jay Williams wants to eliminate one of the three municipal court judicial positions saying only two are needed based on the number of cases.
So it appeared that a Wednesday budget hearing for the courts was going to turn ugly.
If the administration and council won’t pay for a new court, the judges expected the least they could do is provide $500,000 for improved security at the present location.
Kobly, speaking for the court, complained to council’s finance committee that no one from the legislative body approached the judges about the city’s financial problems. The judge said she only knows about it from articles published in The Vindicator.
The judges knew the administration wanted the $500,000 security increase out of the budget thus reducing the general fund deficit to about $2 million.
So it came as a surprise when Judge Kobly said the court would drop the request because the city can’t afford it.
“We’re trying to do our part” to reduce the city’s expenses, she said. “We’ll try to make do with what we have and hope nothing bad happens.”
It won’t get the judges a new court, but perhaps their gesture will improve the relationship among the city’s branches of government.