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Kasich offers helping hand
On the side
What’s in a name?: During two recent visits to the Mahoning Valley, Gov. John Kasich has incorrectly called V&M Star “VM Steel.”
The governor is hardly the first person to get the name of one of the area’s major companies wrong. The company was called V&M Star Steel for months by nearly every media organization in the Valley, including The Vindicator. That was corrected months ago by a company spokesman. That same spokesman has called here, and I’m sure elsewhere, when “Steel” is added to V&M Star’s official name.
We can let Kasich slide on the wrong name. After all, he’s probably had many people mispronounce his last name. Even though he ran a high-profile campaign and has served as governor for the past month, I talk to plenty of people who mispronounce Kasich’s last name.
While there’s an “h” at the end of his last name, it’s silent. When pronouncing the governor’s last name, remember that it rhymes with “basic.”
Radio guest: I will be a guest on Louie Free’s radio show today around noon on 1330 WGFT-AM in Youngstown.
Gov. John Kasich should be commended for his concern and willingness to work with Youngstown State University and city officials to find ways to reduce crimes in the wake of shootings near the campus.
The Sunday shooting at an off-campus house left one man dead and another 11 injured.
After a private 75-minute discussion between state, city and YSU officials, Kasich and Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams outlined plans that they say will reduce crime at a Monday press conference.
While the two are trying to stop violence, the plans they announced have either been done before, are in the process of being implemented or have nothing to do with Sunday’s incident.
I asked them for a further explanation.
The governor and the mayor said the plans won’t stop violent crimes from occurring, but should help.
Kasich said he “can’t explain” how some people can shoot into a crowd with a “total disregard for life.”
Williams told me: “Another 100 police officers couldn’t have stopped” the shootings.
Here are the policies they discussed:
An increased presence of the Ohio State Highway Patrol as well as other law-enforcement agencies in Youngstown.
This happens with some regularity after terrible crimes in the city and during a few summers, including the past one, over the years with mixed results.
The program gets guns as well as some violent criminals off the streets.
But to people with no regard for human life, increased enforcement means very little. In the first few days of a well-publicized law-enforcement saturation patrol this past summer, at least three people in the city were shot.
Create a land bank that would allow the city to obtain ownership of vacant parcels used sometimes for illegal activity.
This was a strange one as Mahoning County officials are well on their way to establishing a land bank.
Also, the shootings were at an occupied house.
Have the Ohio Department of Public Safety and state Division of Liquor Control go after businesses that sell alcohol to those who are not of legal age.
There were a number of underage teens at this party — the shootings occurred about 3:40 a.m. Sunday — and at least one had a fake ID.
Kasich and Williams questioned why any teen would be at a house party past 3 a.m.
That’s a legitimate question that the parents of these kids should be required to answer.
But Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said only one beer can was found at the house.
Crack down on drug abuse, particularly the illegal use of prescription medication.
There was no evidence of that being an issue in this shooting.
Also, this is not a Youngstown-specific program. Attorney General Mike DeWine recently announced his office is focusing on this specific issue because of concerns raised statewide.
While the intentions of Kasich and Williams are honorable, it’s highly unlikely that these policies would have stopped Sunday’s shocking crime or the next one.