According to Buckeye State Blog, allowing parents to take their children (and tax dollars) and go to private, charter, religious, or suburban schools is the equivalent of busing them. Bill Todd advocates those options in a new radio ad (mp3). It’s a bit slimy to use the busing term, since that issue concerned mandatory busing, and what Todd (and others) are for is parental choice- precisely the opposite. By and large, Democrats oppose giving parents that choice, because the party puts teachers ahead of poor children. I know that sounds like over the top hyperbole but at the bottom line it has to be true. But there are also elements of limiting choice and maintaining the collective and dependence on the state.

It’s also fairly ridiculous that modernesquire tweaks Bill Todd for mentioning that Mayor Mike Coleman’s kids go to Catholic school, and then he questions whether Todd’s kids went to Columbus schools. But modern, only one of these two people wants to force poor kids to go to public schools.

Also at Right Angle Blog.

(Previous post: Charter school enrollment rising.)

Here’s a look at the “new” electronic parking meters at columbusING. Jon notes that the device appears to be “rescued from a 70’s interpretation of the future.” It does look a little Star Trek- The Motion Pictureish. I had a post on them a while back.

Brendan at spacetropic has a post up about a Cinci Enquirer article about a transportation study put out by a 501(c)3 a year ago. Cincinnatians spend on average 20% of their income on transportation, which puts them at #6. Cleveland is #2 at 20.5%. I looked at the study (pdf) which lists the top 28 cities by that measure and Columbus isn’t on it. Houston is #1, which should come as no surprise to people familiar with that city.

To possibly make it easier to find your way around on public transportation, Google is starting to index transit maps and schedules to allow mass transit directions at the Google Labs Transit project. No Columbus info yet and it looks like it’ll be a while. Here’s a sample map for Portland:

View Larger Map

COTA does have a trip planner, but it’s not as cool or as fast as Google’s. It needs more ajaxiness.

Walker and Eric have a new blog focusing on Columbus transportation at X-ing Columbus.

From NBC4i, Teresa Smoak, a Columbus public school teacher, has died of bacterial meningitis.

The health department is working with the school district to locate any of the people at risk to make sure they receive treatment. Officials said that antibiotics have been provided to students and faculty who were in close contact with Smoak.

Anyone who believes they know someone who has contracted the disease is asked to call their physician or Columbus Public Health at 614-645-1474.

The infection is spread by contact, but not casual contact. Here’s some info on bacterial meningitis, from this site:

* Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection of the fluid in the spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain.
* Bacterial meningitis is most commonly caused by one of three types of bacteria: Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria.
* The bacteria are spread by direct close contact with the discharges from the nose or throat of an infected person.
* Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics.
* Prevention depends on use of vaccines, rapid diagnosis, and prompt treatment of close personal contacts.

The Dispatch blog reports:

Enrollment in Ohio’s eight largest urban school districts is slumping as more students head to charter schools.

A KidsOhio.org report illustrates the trend. In Dayton, 27 percent of public school students attend privately operated, tax-funded, tuition-free schools, up from 20 percent in 2003.

In Columbus, 13 percent of students attend charter schools; four years ago it was 4 percent.

The biggest increases are in Cleveland and Toledo where 18 percent of public school students in each district attend charter schools. Both were at 7 percent in 2003.

These numbers are increasing in Ohio even as many charter schools have poor to failing scores- on average, worse than public schools. But the averages don’t necessarily mean anything to individual parents. If your children are eligible for a decent or even just fair charter school while they’re zoned for a pretty bad public school, the statewide averages for public and charter schools aren’t really a concern. Your choice is only between two specific schools. And you should have that choice (and more).

(Previous post: Ohio needs credible alternative for public schools.)

In the Dispatch, via Columbus RetroMetro:

Major Woody’s Bar is a major pain, say some Brewery District residents who want to see it go away.

They say they’re tired of the fights and noise, and their quality of life is being eroded.

“All I want is some peace and quiet for our residents,” said Jeannette Tannert, property manager for Liberty Place apartments, which opened earlier this year across a large parking lot from Major Woody’s.

It’s a common scene across the country, as residents in rejuvenated urban neighborhoods such as Cleveland’s Warehouse District and Seattle’s Pioneer Square have voiced concerns about activities around popular clubs and bars.

It’s kind of funny. Peace and quiet in an area known for its clubs and nightspots. Go ahead, turn the Brewery District into a quiet bedroom community. I’m sure that will attract the YPs. That and a Starbuck’s. Columbus, Ohio: the city that goes to sleep at around 9pm. 11 on weekends and holidays.

The city is aware of the concerns, said Barb Seckler, deputy public safety director. She said police, the city attorney’s office and state liquor agents are talking with residents and the bar’s owner.

Assistant City Attorney Tannisha Bell, who attended the meeting, said she will investigate residents’ complaints.

“You have people living Downtown and they pay (for) nice apartments and they’re getting the noise and some of the fights that result from having a bar (nearby),” she said.

The state can always take away the liquor license.

The Dispatch reports on a scandal that probably won’t be seen as one by many:

The district’s data-processing chief, Steve Tankovich, agreed to the deal. He would leave the district in return for a taxpayer-funded buyout worth $167,300….

That two-year deadline came and went in 2006 and Tankovich stayed in his $121,000-a-year job.

Then, on July 31 of this year, he retired, allowing him to begin collecting the buyout — which will be paid over five years — and his State Teachers Retirement System pension, equal to almost 100 percent of his final year’s salary.

Then the district immediately rehired him as a $112,000-a-year data analyst.

So the school district paid this employee $167,000 for essentially nothing. Great deal for him- not so good for students and taxpayers.

The Columbus schools district says that Tankovich was rehired because it turns out that he’s indispensable. That’s another problem. Any organization that has an indispensable employee is not doing a good job as an organization. It violates the ten-ton truck rule.

Mayor Mike Coleman adviser Ahmad Al-Akhras has invited Islamist speaker (and alleged 1993 WTC bombing unindicted co-conspirator) Siraj Wahhaj to speak at the “Annual Fundraising Dinner” for the Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio in Columbus on September 9th.

Wahhaj has called for the imposition of Sharia law in the United States. Sharia’s treatment of women, gays, and religious inferiors makes CPD Officer Susan Purtee’s views seem tame in comparison.

Al-Akhras sits on the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and Columbus’s Streetcar Working Group (pdf), and is the National Vice Chairman of the front group CAIR.

Gov. Ted Strickland is doing his “energy, jobs and progress” announcement right now (12:30pm). If you’re so inclined, you can watch it live here (click Stream IV). It’s Real Player only.

UPDATE: I threw the full prepared text of the speech into the OhioWiki: “Energy, Jobs and Progress for Ohio” speech.

Here’s a pdf of Mayor Mike Coleman’s request for a review of CPD officer Susan Purtee’s behavior. It’s at 10TV News’s site.

Meanwhile, Purtee has been given desk duty:

On Tuesday, the department confirmed that Purtee was reassigned to a non-enforcement position until an Internal Affairs administrative investigation is completed.

There’s video at that link, where Maureen Kocot, who originally broke the story, interviews the mayor, who says:

“I was appalled. I was offended, both as an African American, but also as a mayor.”

Ann Fisher has a good column in the Dispatch:

Columbus Police Officer Susan L. Purtee can be as racist, bigoted and hateful as she wants. No law against that.

But would you want to watch her back while she’s patrolling neighborhoods? Would you want her watching yours?

And has the YouTube broadcast of videotapes depicting her views inflamed stereotypes and, therefore, harmed the ability of the police force to do its job?

This debacle, by the way, will not do anything to help the force’s flagging minority-recruitment program.

That last bit is a good point (my post on that here.)

The ADL has called for an investigation.

And the story has gone somewhat global- rather unfortunately for Columbus and Ohio- as the Guardian picks up the AP article.

(Previous post: The Columbus cop and the Jews.)

UPDATE: Jill Miller Zimon has a roundup here as well.

Columbus’s local TV news doesn’t cover much state politics:

Although Columbus, Ohio is the state capital and where most of the state government resides, there does not appear to be any governing in Columbus. There are murders, rapes, and robberies a plenty; sports and weather and that’s it. Additionally, the local news readers cannot be expected to work five minutes every half hour. They replay the local “news” over and over.

One recent trend I’ve noticed is for the TV newsers to report on the weather once every 15 seconds (that’s an approximation).

From NBC4i:

A local police officer was put under investigation Monday after videos of her making anti-Semitic remarks were found online.

Authorities said Susan Purtee, a 14-year veteran Columbus police officer, and her sister were heard on YouTube.com blaming the Jewish population for problems in the United States, NBC 4’s Lauren Diedrich reported.

Here’s The Jews Part II, where the sisters compare Ashkenazi and “Shepardic” Jews. (Hint: the Ashkenazi’s purpose is to dominate the world. Or was it the Shepardic? I can’t tell.)

It’s a good thing the sisters weren’t complaining about Muslims in their videos. YouTube would have removed them. Anti-Semitism is just fine though.

Fraternal Order of Police President Jim Gilbert said Columbus police might not become involved since Purtee did not identify herself as a police officer.

Columbus Division of Police representatives said their legal department would review the tapes to determine if an investigation should begin.

UPDATE: The Dispatch has a little more on this:

Disparaging remarks about blacks, Cubans and Jews are found on amateur online videos co-produced by an off-duty Columbus police officer.

The videos were created and distributed on the Internet by Officer Susan L. Purtee, 60, and her sister, Barbara Gordon-Bell, 52, who call themselves “The Patriot Dames” and the “Subie Sisters.”

I didn’t watch enough of the videos to hear about blacks and Cubans. I’ll have to remain unenlightened on those topics.