Tag: Ohio

I’m a Hard No on Issue 2 in Ohio: Legalizing marijuana is a horrible idea and an attack on American exeptionalism

I can’t think of a single good thing that could come from the legalization of marijuana in Ohio, which is what Issue 2 is all about in 2023.  Low-life losers who want to desecrate a red state with a significant liberal policy desire have been eager to exploit the lower threshold to change the Ohio Constitution to accommodate the legalization of pot.  When Issue 1 failed to pass earlier in 2023, which would have raised the 50+1 margin for amending the Ohio Constitution, the pot advocates grew eager to put the issue on a ballot as soon as it became apparent that the threshold would remain low.  Out-of-state money and influence have lost their advocacy on a federal stage, so suddenly, states that could easily change their Constitutions and are vulnerable to these kinds of policy attacks, which essentially bypass all legislative controls and give the law-making ability to radical lunatics, are seeing this legislative assault.  And already in some states where marijuana has already been legalized medically and recreationally, the degradation of their culture is obvious and Ohio has been a target for them because of its conservative nature.  Polling is undoubtedly in their favor as we now have a culture of people taught in public education to turn to every mind-numbing device that pharmaceuticals can market for relief.  Pot is one of the worst drugs that has ever been known because of its effects on the human mind.  You know you have a society that has gone to pot by the way they drive and giggle at dumb jokes.  In short, pot lowers the expectation level of any performance standard in society, which is the point of America’s enemies wanting to poison our culture.  And ultimately, why Issue 2 in Ohio is on the ballot.  It’s about desecration of something good, and turning to pot legalization is just the tip of the iceberg.  There is nothing good that can come of it. 

Oh, I’ve heard the ridiculous John Boehner talking points, the former Speaker of the House who stepped out of that office and into becoming a lobbyist for marijuana.  He and I have many mutual friends in the Butler County Republican Party, and his fall from grace has been embarrassing.  And how he was ever considered one of the most influential people in the world and a beacon of conservative value shows how flimsy that opinion is among most politicians.  So this isn’t just a Democrat thing, but it’s a RINO thing as well.  These people will talk about the benefits to business that marijuana legalization would bring to a state, the increased revenue that throws more money at politicians that don’t spend what they are given with much care at all.  And to talk about pot as a “pro-business” state platform is complete foolishness.  I get it; a lot of people have used pot recreationally and think they have to justify its destructive effects for the rest of their lives.  I see the impact everywhere in slow people, slow drivers, slow drive-thru workers, and slow-minded employees who have their minds turned off due to the detrimental effects of pot consumption on the human brain.  And pot advocates want more of that?  Of course, all capitalist-hating slugs of humanity want to slow down the threat of competition with poison, which is all pot is.  A malicious ingredient that is intended to destroy minds, not benefit them.  The pot lobby has hidden behind advocacy such as “you can make a rope with cannabis,” and that it’s a whole new industry that could bring revenue to the state as if those things justified legalization.  But what we know about marijuana far outweighs any conjured-up benefit of the plant itself as a cultivated new market share. 

Passage of the legalization initiative is looking in favor of this destructive drug; it’s trending about the same as what defeated Issue 1 earlier in the year and is supporting the new Issue 1, the death cult of abortion, for November of 2023, at around 56-57%.  There are a lot of people who like to kill babies and do drugs, and they are winning the culture war.  But it doesn’t help when Republicans join in the mess, which is undoubtedly the case with pot legalization in Ohio.  Full disclosure: I have never consumed marijuana.  That has been by choice; I’ve watched what it does to people.  I have lost many friends and family over my opinions on pot, and I’m perfectly fine with pushing people out of my life forever for their use of marijuana.  I am a strict no on marijuana consumption on any basis, even on the medical front.  The value of a human mind to me outweighs any physical virtue of numbing pain and pot without question, exacerbates depression in people, propels suicidal thoughts, and stimulates the tendency toward schizophrenia.  There are a lot of people who have tried pot and used it recreationally who will declare that it never impacted them in such a way.  But there is a percentage of people who do, and the effects are devastating.  But I am against all forms of intoxication.  If I had it my way, people wouldn’t be able to drink and get drunk.  I’m against it all, especially pot.  There is nothing good in destroying a mind, and that is what the consumption of marijuana does to people.  When foolish people without much knowledge of history say to me, “But the Indians used it, and they loved nature and were a peaceful people,” I reply, “That’s why the Indians were so easy to beat and destroy.  Because they smoked too many peace pipes and consumed marijuana.”  This is why the enemies of America want drugs legalized so that they can destroy the intellect of what makes America exceptional to begin with.

Nobody is doing to the business community anything beneficial with the legalization of pot.  Nothing makes more of a human resource nightmare than the sudden belief that a bunch of workers can go outside on break and smoke dope because they believe it’s legal in Ohio to do so, and return to the job site stoned and impaired.  Even though alcohol is legal, people can’t show up for work drunk or drink in an intoxicated state on the job.  But the pot sticks around even longer.  I travel a lot, and in states such as Colorado, where pot has been legalized, the degradation of the state economy is evident at just a casual glance.  A state that values impaired thinking over productive output is asking for trouble, and that is precisely what legalizing marijuana gives you.  It will hurt Ohio much more than it will help put more money into the pockets of politicians to waste on dumb projects at the expense of intellect.  More vape shops to promote a degraded state of social value will push away more business than it brings in through the newly created pot business.  The ultimate consumer is numbing their mind and body in ways that make them less than they could be, and that is never a good policy.  It’s not like I didn’t have options to try pot.  I decided a long time ago, based on extensive experience, that I could tell stories about for days and days without pause, my history with pot and my decision never to consume it and to push people who did out of my life, sometimes very violently, that I would never consume marijuana.  I’m a very hard no on Issue 2.  I consider legalization an attack by hostile forces on the American dream, and regardless of what a loser percentage votes in favor of, I will never be a supporter and will always speak against it.  So far, it’s not too late, but I’m prepared for that next stage with increased vigor.  I’m not just “vote no” on marijuana legalization and have strong opinions about its social use.  This attack only inspires me to be a much more vocal critic of it.  And if the odds against that opposition is a trillion to one, that’s fine with me.  A trillion brain-dead, pot-smoke-infested fools is no match for an unrestrained intellect.

Rich Hoffman

Issue 1 in Ohio, the Cult of Death: The evil that was happening in the land of Canaan is behind the modern Democrat intention to change the Constitution to include abortion

Ironically, all the same characters who support the Palestinian attacks against Israel support Issue 1 in Ohio. I, of course, am a hard no on Issue 1, which is an attempt to put a radical abortion agenda into the Ohio Constitution up to the 9th month. It’s an outrageous death cult that we are dealing with here that is precisely the same as when Yahweh granted the land of Canaan to the Hebrew people because the Palestinians in the area, the “indigenous people” were sacrificing their firstborn children to the gods of Baal, Moloch, and Ishtar and God had enough of it. So, the state of Israel was created to silence a vast evil that had been taking place. And no less than that is the scope of the problems with Issue 1. When the previous Issue 1 that failed in August of 2023, we knew this attack by the various death cults outside the state was coming. They had targeted Ohio because it had a low threshold to bypass the various conservative governments in the House, the Senate, and as governor and could change laws with a simple 50+1 majority. So as soon as Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court and kicked back to the states, some conservatives saw the vulnerability. But it was too little too late. A vote was taken to attempt to raise the threshold for constitutional adjustments to something more reasonable, like 60%. But the out-of-state money poured in, and the push for this death cult activated all the losers, the murderers, the slack-jawed drug users, the trans crowd, the gays, the two or three real Joe Biden supporters, the lowlifes, the criminals, and the Israel haters into voting in August in what was supposed to be a surprise election. But Issue 1 was defeated with around 57%, so now this cult of the death abortion issue is on the November ballot as the new Issue 1. And I would like to see it fail.

But on this one, I’m taking the long view.  I can see that the vile Democrats think they have this one in the bag with early polling, along the same lines as what Issue 1 failed on in August.  Around 57% support this cult of death for various reasons, the same reasons that Israel was constantly challenged by the temptations to worship Baal with human sacrifice.  When people wonder how the ancient Canaanites could have killed their firstborn children screaming for their lives just to appease a god, all they have to do is look at the supporters of Issue 1 in Ohio for their answer.  The same could be said of them.  What the abortion activists want to do to the Ohio Constitution and the money from out of state that set the table for it is nothing short of human sacrifice.  This proposal is so radical that even contentious arguments about the 20-week ban, the Heartbeat Law, and even parental notification will be thrown out the window without any legislative input, and the evil menaces out there have drool dripping from their mouths at the prospect of turning such a red state as Ohio is into a victim of blue state politics with a simple majority vote.  In an off-year election where a president isn’t on the ballot, Democrats think they will see a surge in support over Issue 1 and the pot smoking Issue 2, another subject for discussion.  I see teacher unions puffing out their chests already through extremely liberal school board members who they think will get elected because they supported this cult of death.  So unless something drastic happens with turnout on election day in November, it looks like a long fight is ahead of us on this one. 

It is hard for good people to grasp just how evil Issue 1 is, or abortion rights in general, are.  But then again, this isn’t a modern problem; it’s a death cult that has always been with the human race.  It was the reason that Israel was created in the first place, to stand against that death cult.   Over time, it has been hard for people to stand with Israel and the various death cults of the world and stand up for progress and human decency.  Many conservative voters will sit at home on election night; at least, the supporters of Issue 1 expect that to be the case.  They think they will sneak this one under the fence, just as Jezebelle had corrupted her husband and the nation into Baal worship and the eventual destruction of the Jewish people.  We have that same evil menace manifesting behind out-of-state abortion groups seeking revenge over the federal Supreme Court position by targeting states like Ohio for this vicious attack.  And it is an attack; there is no soft way to put it.  There are plenty of losers in Ohio at the various Democrat strongholds to get this Issue 1 passed, especially in the college portions of the state where Democrat politics have seeded themselves into an otherwise very conservative state.  But it would take an outrageously high turnout of conservatives to stop Issue 1, which is hopeful but unrealistic.  As a result, millions of lives will be lost, which makes those functioning from evil in the world very happy. 

But it’s not too late yet.  I would recommend everyone go out and vote.  Don’t take this one lying down.   History shows us that we will have to confront evil like this many times in our lives and throughout time.  And this is undoubtedly one of them.  Encourage your friends and family to get out and vote against Issue 1.  Vote against this Cult of Death that Democrats want to bring to our sacred state of Ohio. But be prepared for the day after the election; the liberal media is already poised to throw gas on the fire and show Ohio as a victory and a ripe target for radical politics.  What is being attacked is the core of Ohio values, and to turn it into a complicit blue state for the vile intentions of actual evil that have their fingerprints all over Issue 1.  So we cannot lose our composure.  There are many ways to fight corruption, and we certainly will have to.  But before we resort to those methods, we can solve the problem with an election, which would be best.  Fighting these death cults is a mandate of existence that will occur with intense voracity regardless of what is written on a page and called law.  Ethics can and will be defended irrespective of any legislative endeavor.  I would recommend that we all be much more vocal about these cults of death and not let them hide in the background of our society and to shame them into oblivion.  But first, show up and make your voice known on Issue 1.  Give it your best effort at defeating it at the ballot box.  Then, depending on the obvious outcome, but nothing is sure until it is, we’ll go from there to defend life from the grips of death that come from all Democrat policies and their desires of doom for the human race.

Rich Hoffman

Senator George Lang and SB 132: Ohio is open for business, and the marketplace will reflect value

I have been getting a lot of questions about Senator George Lang’s support of a bill moving around in Columbus, SB 132, which involves all the gender neutrality talk that is so prevalent in politics these days, and why I still support him because of it. While I have strong ideas about social responsibility and behavior, I have known George Lang for a long time and know his mind and family. And I know his politics. I reached out to talk to George about this controversial bill and understand where he’s at on it, which I can sympathize with. Because when you deal with a lot of people and are functioning from a broad base, you go into it knowing that there are lots of people from lots of different backgrounds and beliefs that you are going to work with, and you must be secure enough in your integrity not to become corrupted by the exchange. And to understand George Lang, and this is kind of a running joke in Columbus in a good way, George is all about business first. His second concern is business first. His third concern is business first, etc. I certainly understand that George Lang is primarily concerned about bringing more business opportunities to Ohio. Having an excellent economy allows us to have deeper conversations about political discourse. And to attract businesses, you must address all their concerns, which presently are formulated by BlackRock and many other progressive influences. And when you are dealing with businesspeople, you are dealing with Chamber of Commerce types.

Chamber of Commerce people are different than other people, and when you are working to bring business into Ohio, you will deal with them.  Most members of the Chamber are not the kind of people writing philosophy books; they have room in their lives for how they make a living and maybe two other things: raising their families and a hobby, like golf.  They do not have the time, mental capacity, or even a remote desire to deal with political philosophy.  They want employees, they want to be in legal compliance, and they are interested in checking all their BlackRock boxes.  That is George Lang’s interest in SB 132, to stay consistent with his Business First Caucus and address the concerns of the Chamber types.  The SB 132 Ohio Fairness Act aims to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes under Ohio’s anti-discrimination laws, which employers are concerned about.  If Ohio has restrictions along these lines, investing the money it takes to bring business into Ohio is not attractive since people who run companies come from all kinds of political backgrounds. 

This move has been met with mixed reactions from both sides of the political spectrum. Supporters argue that this is a necessary step towards equality and fairness for all Ohioans, while opponents claim that it infringes religious freedom and could lead to legal battles.  The Ohio Fairness Act would provide legal protections for these individuals in areas such as employment, housing, and public accommodations.

The bill has also been endorsed by several prominent organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Human Rights Campaign. These organizations argue that protecting LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination is a matter of fundamental human rights and dignity.

On the other hand, opponents of the bill have raised concerns about the potential impact on religious organizations and small businesses. They argue that these groups could be forced to violate their beliefs or face legal action.

However, the Ohio Fairness Act includes provisions that protect religious organizations and small businesses from being forced to violate their beliefs. The bill also has exemptions for religious schools and organizations, allowing them to continue operating according to their ideas.

I think the marketplace will determine the value of a product or service, such as Chick-fil-A, which maintains Christian values in its business model, such as not being open on Sunday.  People value those types of positions, and they tend to support businesses that reflect their values.  But it is up to the company to figure out its way; it is the government’s job, in this case, to remove the barriers so that the discussion can occur.  I’m certainly the type who would want the government to regulate sexually oriented businesses and businesses that embrace drug abuse.  I’d even support bans on alcohol because I see very little good that comes from a culture that seeks intoxication.  But some people like that, so I respect what people want to do within reason, so long as they don’t drag me into it.  Which is the balancing act on SB 132.  George is certainly a conservative, but as a legislator, he tells the world that Ohio is open for business.  And we may not like the kind of businesses wanting to come to Ohio.  Yet, we are opening the door to investment and the variety of projects people want to invest in while trusting that the marketplace will sort out the good from the bad.  I don’t want government to get into the business of deciding morality.  I like the government to remove barriers, even if walls might be desirable to my philosophy. 

Which is essentially what SB 132 does.  It will be the marketplace that determines the kind of culture we have.  If a potential business has employees or plans to hire employees from all sorts of diverse backgrounds, then that concern must be addressed at the point of investment, which is George’s interest in this bill.  Suppose a company is concerned about its ESG score, which those of us who are politically astute find objectionable and know that those ESG scores will not be in the future of American politics. In that case, most Chamber of Commerce people have already accepted that they will be a forever concern.  And if Ohio is not accommodating, they won’t get the opportunity to give a business ground to sink roots into.  And that’s the trick: how much compromise is appropriate in politics, a little, a lot?  And how do you not get lost in settlement to where you are just another political hack?  The George Lang I know stays out of those debates, even though people are concerned that he is losing his way, by staying focused on business first in Ohio and letting the morality of the marketplace determine success and failure, which I agree with.  We are free to debate the matter which will ultimately influence market share.  And to my eyes, and knowing enough about George to know his conservative feelings on these things in ways many people haven’t had the opportunity to, I can say that he hasn’t lost his way.  I would have much harder lines, but I also have the freedom to express my opinion more than he does, who needs to reach a broad base as a representative.  President Trump would have similar thoughts as George’s as a businessman.  You never want to create artificial limits for productive endeavors.  The philosophy and ethics will be worked out every time by the morality of the marketplace, which is where this discussion resides. 

Rich Hoffman

Meet Russ Loges for Lakota School Board: A great guy to help with some looming challenges

I liked Russ Loges the first time he ran for the Lakota school board.  I came to know of him during the last election as my focus was on the Republican-endorsed candidates in the previous election.  Russ wanted to remain independent as he was getting involved in the school board business then.  However, without any name recognition and much support outside of his efforts, he had an excellent showing, gaining several thousand votes with a noticeably conservative position.  I have since met Russ at a few events here and there, and each time, I found that I liked him quite a lot.  He’s a very likable person who has an excellent temperament.  And now that we are in September with the November election coming up quickly, one that will have a lot of Democrats voting because abortion and marijuana will be on the ballot, so there will be unusually high voter engagement during an off-year election, it’s time to get endorsements.  And Russ has already received an approval from some Central Committees around Butler County.  One of the two that are specific to Lakota schools.  So, he came to a meet the candidate night with the Liberty Township Central Committee to present himself with some questions and answers, which are shown here for those interested.  I’ve been to quite a lot of these over the years, and this one was unique.  I liked Russ Loges before the event, but after, I found my opinion of him had inflated quite a lot.  He answered many tough questions very well and cared a lot about what’s going on in Lakota and the specific challenges that are on the horizon.  Russ Loges is precisely the kind of person that the community would benefit from putting on the school board during the upcoming election, and he will win the support of many more Republicans for a party endorsement due to his excellent conservative positions. 

Yet what Russ Loges is not is a person trapped in ideology.  He’s a very even, measured person getting into the school board business from parental concerns.  We have seen over the years that, typically, the best school board candidates who become board members are passionate parents who want to make things better for everyone.  It’s a generally thankless job that doesn’t pay back any real fiscal compensation, but to play in that game, you must raise a substantial amount of money to become impactful in an election, especially in the Lakota school district, which has around 100,000 people within it.  When Russ ran before, he did it as a concerned parent who wanted to help.  This time, he has a broader approach that makes him well-positioned for much more support.  And given the crowd reaction at the Liberty Township Central Committee event, many more will become very eager to support his run for the Lakota school board.  Based on his answers, Russ is more than prepared for some of the complex challenges that are coming quickly on the horizon, and to deal with those challenges, Lakota will need people who care which was clearly expressed during the questions asked by Matt King during the event.  Russ has kids in the district and a wife who is a teacher.  Currently, he is a nurse and his bedside manner is instantly noticeable.  He’s personable, cares, and wants to help his community, so all those traits were very encouraging and made it easy for everyone who met him to get excited about it. 

On those times that I had met him, I wasn’t sure if he was the real deal.  So often, when it comes to political events and the people filling specific seats, you get images of people but not much knowledge of the person.  When I learned Russ Loges was a nurse, I instantly thought of a smart car driving, COVID mask-wearing big government type.  But I was able to meet Russ outside this event, getting out of a big truck, and he’s a good fit for the conservative base of Butler County, Ohio.  He’s outdoors-oriented and robustly presents himself.  He reminded me of many of my friends in the fast draw community, even down to the jokes.  Good, sincere people who love the American flag and the many who revere it with the pledge of allegiance.  He’s certainly not a political radical but more of an even-balanced family man who is proud of his country and wants to help it improve.  He’s a big guy with a warm personality who comes across as sincere without many pretenses.  As he shook my hand, he seemed ready to go fishing, or hunting more than anything.  He has a very natural leadership ability that is instantly noticeable.  So, it wasn’t a surprise to learn that he has already sat down with the Lakota superintendent to talk about improving test scores for the students and building a successful team that can tackle some of the challenges looming.  You could tell that he wasn’t just a nurse as an occupation, but that he was a leader as well.  He is used to managing other people because he has a balanced approach to communication that has been well-tested by experience. 

There are a lot of challenges on the horizon for Lakota and it will take outstanding leadership to meet them.  There is a teacher’s contract coming up that could be very contentious.  There is a facilities plan also emerging that will require a small fortune.  There are indications that the current school board is planning to seek a tax increase even as property value rate assessments will increase sharply due to state challenges.  So passing a levy will be even more challenging, especially in an environment where school choice will increasingly become the reality of tomorrow, regarding education.  It would be easy to sit on the sidelines and turn away from some of these community problems, especially for those who have grown kids.  But Russ and his wife plan to be in Lakota for a while.  He mentioned that he wanted Lakota to be good for his grandkids, so he’s planning to keep deep roots in the community, so this isn’t a fly-by-night endeavor for him.  He wants to help, and after meeting him, I am sure he is just the kind of person we need to work on some of these very difficult problems that are on the horizon, storm clouds coming in fast that will be painful.  Yet, those problems are manageable with the right kind of people to deal with them, and Russ Loges was very encouraging.  He could have easily won if more people had known him during the last race.  More people will know him this time so he should be able to get votes in the required numbers just by letting people get to know him.  I will certainly be voting for him, and I’ll be excited to do it.  Things don’t always go how you want them to in politics, but sometimes you get to meet good people, and if not for this school board race, I wouldn’t know Russ Loges any other way.  And after meeting him, I’m happy I did. 

Rich Hoffman

The West Chester Tea Party Does Not Endorse Lynda O’Conner for the Lakota School Board: And neither do I

For clarity, the West Chester Tea Party has not, and will not endorse Lynda O’Conner for the Lakota School Board.  There has been some rattling around from several people that they would, but they have told me personally that those rumors were untrue and they do not support her.  And neither do I.  We all have long friendships with Lynda and other candidates who these days call themselves Republicans but have drifted way to the political left.  But friendships or past relationships don’t make a good candidate.  Whether or not they represent our values to earn a vote is the issue at hand.  Too often, endorsements are given out because of friendships, not actual performance.  Lynda O’Conner has been the school board president for a while now, and she has attended Tea Party meetings in West Chester for over a decade and has formed relationships with many of us over the years.  However, based on her performance and what she did to Darbi Boddy as she begged us all to give her a conservative school board, the moment she had it, she essentially turned into the progressive governor that Ohio had, John Kasich, and betrayed us openly, even recklessly.  I tend to move on when I experience people like that.  I’ll give them a chance once, and once they show who they are, I don’t get too kinked up about it.  It’s always worth a try to give someone a chance.  Then, once they show who they are, you make decisions and move on.  Knowing she has betrayed many people in the Liberty movement within the Lakota school district and is running again, she is seeking endorsements for the upcoming election.  I had some reason to believe the rumors that the West Chester Tea Party might endorse Lynda, but quickly, they set the record straight and wanted to make sure they screamed from the mountaintops that they would not support Lynda O’Connor for the Lakota School Board and based on what they have learned about her, they never would. 

I wouldn’t usually talk about something that happened that was confidential, but looking back on it as I have, those privileges are meant within the context of friendly trust.  Yet after what happened with the previous Lakota school superintendent and the behavior against free speech that Lynda led against the incoming school board member Darbi Boddy, it’s clear what was going on, and I’m still insulted that she thought so little of me to try it.  I mean, she should have known better.  I spent hours and hours with Lynda O’Conner on the phone, meeting her in person, trying to help her.  But from her side, all she was doing was consensus-building in the classic sense against someone she had targeted as a political rival in the community.  And that didn’t become clear until the days after a specific meeting in the basement of some of our mutual Tea Party friends in May of 2022.  I should know what she was up to because I have covered these modern versions of The Delphi Technique for years.  It’s one of the most corrosive tools used in all public schools.  After a contentious school board meeting where I spoke in favor of Darbi Boddy, it was clear Lynda was trying to run her off the school board over minor issues.  Lynda had recruited Darbi to give her a majority on the board, along with Isaac Adi, and I did what I could to smooth out the edges and give credibility from the freedom movement side of things.  If I were on board with the effort, it would help the conservative base. 

I didn’t see a need to be overly cautious with this relationship with Lynda.  She had just spent the previous decade trying to win my trust, so I figured getting a functional, conservative school board in charge of Lakota schools was worth a shot.  Even that day I met with her and several other people, it became pretty clear what she was doing; I still wanted to give the effort a chance at working.  But she was looking for compliance out of Darbi Boddy to some liberal view of authority that was shocking to many of us, especially the West Chester Tea Party.  We all found ourselves in the basement of one of the leading members, with Isaac Adi and some school board mentor of his from Monroe schools pushing a sheet of paper in front of me, asking me what I wanted out of Lakota schools, which made me angry because of the amateur effort.  It was an apparent consensus-building exercise, much like the Lakota community conversations had been trying to win over opposition to school policy for a while.  And Lynda sat across from me with a smile, thinking all this was acceptable.  She had surrounded me with people I had trusted, especially in the Tea Party, and she felt that the peer pressure might win me over and away from the continued support of Darbi Boddy.  After all the years and everything I had written over all the time we had known each other, she thought I was that stupid. 

The meeting didn’t go well.  My wife and I left that day, never to speak to any of them personally again, because, within a few months, we had all the drama over the school superintendent.  Everything got worse after much further erosion in the community led by Lynda’s tampering with everyone’s political sentiments and wanting to pull everyone to the left, and lawsuits became a significant issue.  I had to explain to the attorney for the superintendent that if he had just apologized to Darbi Boddy for his role in trying to do what Lynda wanted, which was to remove her from the school board after many of us had spent the previous year trying to get her elected, then a lot of the trouble he found himself in wouldn’t have been such an issue.  But now that people knew and learned how much Lynda knew about it all along, those were self-inflicted problems that ultimately cost a lot of money in the district.  Through it all, I hadn’t talked to any of them in that basement meeting, so when I heard that the West Chester Tea Party was thinking of endorsing Lynda, it wouldn’t have surprised me after all the other people who had fallen off the wagon over the last year.  But if there is anything good that did happen, as a result, they did let me know that they felt the same way about Lynda as I did and that they would not support her or any of the other candidates who have gone over to the dark side of politics.  That’s certainly the case with Ann Becker, who is running for another term as trustee in West Chester.  She used to be president of the Tea Party for both West Chester and Cincinnati, but she has moved well away from those good old days now, more toward the political left.  Watching that kind of thing is painful, but it always happens.  And when it does, you always must wonder what people believe.  But happily, it is good to see that the West Chester Tea Party has not waivered, as others have, and they will not be endorsing Lynda O’Conner for the Lakota School Board.  And neither will I.

Rich Hoffman

Vote No on Recreational Marijuana in Ohio on November 7th: The world needs more shepherds, not more dope smoking sheep

There are few things I hate in the world as much as pot, so now that recreational marijuana will be on the ballot for the November 7th election, 2023, I will be an emphatic NO.  I’m against marijuana use in every way possible, especially recreationally.  I don’t care if you can make a rope out of it or clothes.  Marijuana is a horrendous drug.  I have about a third of my family members who either have used it or are using it.  Some for medical reasons because they have chronic pain, and my answer to them is all the same.  My relationship ends with them once they use it, which has been the case no matter who they were.  There are many things I can overlook, personal failures that I can sympathize with.  But the purposeful destruction of a mind is not one of them.  I have always been in the camp of capital punishment for drug dealers, even if small quantities might end up in the hands of kids.  But even further than that, I also feel that way about users.  Marijuana is a poison intended to decrease how a brain works and is detrimental to the human race.  I don’t care how natural it is. I’ve heard all the excuses about it making people “mellow.”  That the Indians used it and that its nature’s way of chilling out the world.  No thanks.  It didn’t help the Indians very much, and for what it did to them, bad people today want to do to the United States, which is the ultimate goal behind the mass destruction of America by its enemies.  The drug culture was a purposeful poison introduced to our country because nobody wanted to fight us on the battlefield after World War II.  So they plotted to ruin the minds of the youth, and the results are what we see today, several generations of people compromised by the drug.

I’ve never been a “libertarian,” a do-what-you-want-at-all-cost kind of guy.  I’ve always been a slave-destroying Republican promoting capitalist economies and an intellectual society smart enough to vote.  This live-and-let-live crap is for the birds.  If I smell marijuana, I get furious, even if it’s in my backyard.  I have gone to war, which is well chronicled in many courtrooms, police reports, and mayor’s offices over the last thirty years, and my thoughts on pot have never wavered.  I suppose my hatred of marijuana started in school as I watched kids in the back of the bus pass joints around.  It made them look stupid, and they were glad of it.  Then I saw a few Cheech and Chong movies which they seemed to want to copy, and I didn’t think they were funny in the slightest.  My earliest thoughts on pot are that it was a weapon given to American culture to poison it, and my observations have proven this to be the case over time.   I’m not unrealistic about marijuana; trying to find people who feel the same way I do about it is about as realistic as looking for a virgin in a whorehouse.  Just about everyone has at least tried it once or used it at a time in their lives.  Depending on what’s going on with people, they may come and go in their use of it.  The result is that most people don’t have strong opinions against it because they can’t afford to.  Well, I can.  I’ve never used it.  I have been in many bloody fights over it and was successful.  And I’m not changing my opinion about it now.  Once I find out that someone uses pot, they are dead to me, no matter who they are.

Marijuana is a poison meant to rob people of their intellect, and I would go as far as to say that it has no redeeming value.  Humans are supposed to be thinking creatures with dominion over nature.  Not a bunch of slack-jawed hippies stoned at a music festival.  Recreational marijuana use is an appalling concept.  If it doesn’t pass this time, it likely will in the future because many people out there are too weak to stand up to its temptations.  But there is nothing good about intoxication, not even with alcohol or prescription drugs.   And as I told a family member a few weeks ago, you don’t take marijuana under any circumstances; I don’t care how much pain you are in.  You fight through the pain and preserve your intellect.  I don’t care if marijuana is in a vaping condition or a little pill; you never take it.  It is a weapon of war against human civilization and was always meant to be that way.  I have lost many friends over my opinions about marijuana and am glad to have lost them.  I had some really close friends with whom I had gone through a lot when I was younger.  I went out to a movie, and when I returned to my apartment, I smelled pot in my bedroom, where I had a little parakeet bird.  While I was gone, they had tried to get the little bird stoned.  I moved out and never spoke to any of them ever again.  That is just one example.  Many similar situations go back to my essential hatred as a kid in watching how stupid people behaved when they used it and how it was a celebration of a lack of intellect.

I don’t care if Shakesphere smoked dope or Albert Einstein.  It doesn’t matter who it is; if they smoke dope and advocate for marijuana in any way, medicinally, recreationally, or historically, they are dead to me.  I have been let down by just about everyone in my life at some point over pot, and I’ve heard it often; maybe the problem is me.  Do you want to be the only one with such strong opinions?  Well, the answer is yes.  I would rather have nobody in my life and keep a strong intellect completely marijuana free than accept such a device to have a few worthless friends and family members.  Marijuana is the weapon of choice of people who want to control us, and they understand that using the drug lowers society’s IQ in general.  It slows down people and their thinking and makes them dumber.  And for me, that is the worst attribute any community could embrace.  So, I am a very emphatic no on recreational marijuana in Ohio.  I’m okay with that if I’m the only one who votes against it.  I will never accept pot in my culture and will work against it constantly.  Legalizing drugs, especially marijuana, is a race to the bottom by dumb people who want to hide their timidity in the collectivism of mass culture.  The more stoned people, the less guilty they feel for being diabolical losers.  That’s why they say, “Don’t judge.”  Well, I say, judge and judge often.  And don’t be a loser.  And the recreational use of marijuana is a choice to be dumb and to turn off your mind when the goal of existence is to think and create.  Marijuana is the opposite of those things, and once a state accepts it as a part of its culture, everything goes downhill. That is certainly the case for states that have already legalized it.  You can tell the moment you cross over their borders.  It would be terrible for Ohio, especially when companies have to deal with brain-dead employees who miss work too much and feel that they don’t have to pass a drug test to maintain employment.  Marijuana causes nothing but problems and should never be legalized in any way, shape, or form.  Anyone who advocates for marijuana consumption as a country, a state, or a personal right is attempting to destroy the consumer. The world needs more shepherds, not more sheep. And marijuana is for the sheep, those who would be herded to the slaughterhouse, which is just what the enemy wants.

Rich Hoffman

Another Rally for Issue 1 in Ohio: The first one was so successful we are doing it again

The West Chester Tea Party rally was held to protect the Ohio Constitution, with a particular focus on Issue 1. This was a critical event, and many people turned out to voice their concerns and show their support. The rally was a chance for people to come together and stand up for what they believe in, and it was a powerful demonstration of the power of people in action.

Regardless of where people stood on the issue, there was no denying the passion and dedication of those who attended the rally. They came from all walks of life, united in their desire to protect the Ohio Constitution and ensure that their voices were heard with the message: that the people of Ohio would not stand idly by while their rights were threatened.

If you missed the first rally at the corner of Cox Rd and Tylersville Rd, it was quite a spectacle.  As the rally continued, it became clear that this was not just a local issue but a national one as the eyes of many are watching what steps we are taking in Ohio to protect our Constitution from radical Democrats who want to take over the world by destroying the laws of our civilization. People from all over the country were watching and listening, and many were inspired to act in their communities. The West Chester Tea Party rally was a powerful reminder that people can make a difference when they come together.  So they are doing it again, on August 5th, from noon to – 1:30 PM. 

In the end, the rally brought attention to the issue and helped to mobilize a movement that would continue to fight for the rights of Ohioans for years to come. It was a testament to the power of conservative politics and the importance of standing up for what you believe in. The West Chester Tea Party rally will always be remembered for how people came together to protect their Constitution and way of life.

Rich Hoffman

Show up and Help Teach People About Issue 1 in Ohio: Vote Yes on August 8th 2023

This would be a great place to be on Saturday, the 29th of July, 2023. Help people learn about this important issue and inspire them to Vote Yes on August 8th, 2023. On Aug. 8, voters can decide on a measure that proposes significant changes to the constitutional amendment process. If passed, the measure would require a 60% majority to approve a new constitutional amendment instead of the current 50% plus one. Additionally, citizens who want to place an amendment on the ballot would need to collect signatures from at least 5% of voters from the last gubernatorial election in all 88 counties, which is an increase from the current requirement of 44 counties. The measure would also eliminate the 10-day cure period that allows citizens to replace any signatures that are deemed faulty by the secretary of state’s office. It will be interesting to see whether voters will support these changes or not.

There’s an election on August 8th, 2023, in Ohio. It’s not too far away, so it’s important to start thinking about what you can do to get involved. Many people aren’t aware of the election, so it’s up to us to spread the word and encourage others to participate. Whether it’s volunteering to help with campaigns, making sure your friends and family are registered to vote, or simply educating yourself on the issues and candidates, every little bit helps. So let’s make a difference and help others learn about this important event!

Rich Hoffman

It’s Christmas at Lakota: Not letting Darbi Boddy play in all the raindeer games

I love Christmas, and it’s great to see some of those Holiday festivities so lavishly displayed at Lakota schools in the middle of summer 2023. In a vote 4-1, the Lakota school board voted in favor of creating a Community Diversity Council to replace the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee that had been recently disbanded. The new council will include 30 community members with diverse backgrounds so that there can be more productive conversations about topics featuring race, religion, and sexual identity, according to the advocates. From the current school board, Lynda O’Connor and Kelly Casper were chosen to represent the board. Darbi Boddy asked to be on the board, but that was denied by all the board members, including the two supposedly conservative members. All the other reindeers at Lakota wanted to laugh and play, but they wouldn’t let Darbi Boddy play in any of the reindeer games. It was Christmas at Lakota schools; the only thing missing was the prospect of snow because it was so warm outside. And that was the lead to the story on creating the Diversity Council because it purposely excluded a controversial board member. Darbi represents a large portion of the Lakota school district population who do not want their tax money funding excessively radical Democrat policies, and that is what the “trans talk” has all been about, discussions on gender identity and rights to bathrooms, which the other school board members have been advocating for. The same policies that have angered people regarding Bud Light beer, Target, and Rainbow flags flown at the White House are precisely the intention of this new progressive consensus-building mechanism. And Darbi Boddy wasn’t even allowed to participate, as she was deliberately excluded from the conversation because the board did not want to hear from her about anything. They would prefer to imagine that Darbi is unique and that her viewpoints are radical, which isn’t the case. 

The previous groups on Diversity Equity & Inclusion last met on May 5th and spiraled out of control, according to reports which was a bridge too far for Eglin Card, who had been on the committee and was so frustrated with Darbi’s statements that he took a superintendent job at Princeton schools. People who supported Darbi had no problem with her position; she represented a large portion of the Lakota community when she meant to separate the radical politics of the teacher union position and eliminate the temptation to groom children in the classrooms. Darbi’s position on the matter was to more appropriately represent the conservative nature of the Lakota school system itself, where the Democrats, many of them hiding their liberalism behind masks of conservative utterances, just so they can get elected in a heavily populated Republican community, intended to push a leftist agenda onto the community through the vulnerability of their children. That is the position of most of the public schools in the country, and it’s the goal of all governments to impose such beliefs on people with great audacity. When Darbi was elected to the board last year, it was to bring more conservative values to the school board. Her critics say it’s not her place to bring politics to the board, yet, most of their actions center on Democrat politics that are expected to be expressed unchallenged. And they have spent most of their time trying to run Darbi off the school board, and they hope there will never be another one like her. Yet, we are in an election year, and some school board challengers are forming to give Darbi more support on the board since the other two supposed conservatives have essentially been voting like radical Democrats. The Lakota school board clearly would be helped if it had more members like Darbi Boddy. 

But that’s not the opinion of the radicals, like Eglin Card, who had some harsh comments about Darbi on his way to Princeton schools. He told the media about the situation, “We used to be a model district, and now people are calling me from all over the state and the region laughing at us. That the public perception of the district has taken a nose-dive because of Boddy’s politically charged antics that put the district in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.” Because he thinks like that, I’m happy to see Eglin go. I have watched Princeton schools in the Tri-County area that I talk about so much over the years go from one of the premier communities in Cincinnati to being a joke. Because of out-of-control Democrat politics that moved into that area many years ago, the money and value picked up and moved away, leaving behind all the liberal radicals nobody wants to live around. It has nothing to do with race but with shared values. People with values don’t want their kids learning about gay rights in schools, which is a radical political platform. It has nothing to do with reading, writing, and arithmetic. I consider Lakota to have greater value if everyone like Eglin, who wants to bring Democrat concepts to a conservative community, did leave. He can take all the rest of the radical leftists who Lakota schools employ with him. Our community will be far better off without them than with them. 

Darbi’s resistance to Democrat policies is intended for the long-term preservation of the kind of community that Lakota is. And ultimately, that’s what protects real estate value. Blue state politics destroys that value, which is in all public schools attached to government. And challenging those Democrat objectives is what keeps communities from becoming like Princeton. I remember when Chester Road, which runs through the Princeton school’s complex, was one of the hottest commercial zones in all of Cincinnati. Over the years, most of the businesses have left because bad politics drove them out. And now the area is a fraction of its former self. Most of the people left are those who couldn’t afford to leave. That’s not prosperity; that’s precisely what Lakota is fighting because a lot of those people from Princeton moved north into Lakota and Mason. And secretly, because they are afraid to say it in public, but they vote with their feet. They don’t want Lakota, Mason, Lebanon, and those other school districts outside of the I-275 loop to allow Democrats to ruin their communities, behind the mask of children, which is precisely Eglin’s intention. It’s good that the people he talks to are upset at Darbi’s position. They assume that liberal politics is the value of public schools. But, the property owners expect protection, and out of all the board members currently, only Darbi Boddy gives it to them. And when the rubber hits the road on this issue, Santa Clause turned to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer to guide his quest through a foggy night sky. And while the other reindeers were making fun of Rudolph, it took his unique gifts to light the way for success. And that is what Darbi is for Lakota, a positive light in a vast darkness of liberalism that is dangerous to children, destructive to communities, and corrosive to our national character. And we should all be so lucky that Darbi Boddy is there to lead Lakota schools through the fog of horrendous Democrat politics that wants to destroy our children and to run off all by herself radical progressive lunatics to other districts that are hell-bent on their own destruction.

Rich Hoffman

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Why Would Julie Shaffer Launch her Re-election Campaign in a Wine Bar: Bad Decisions, bad behavior, and bad politics hiding behind kids

You would think that a person running for re-election to the school board of Lakota would launch her campaign somewhere smart, like a library or even at the local Barnes and Noble bookstore. But no, Julie Shaffer is running for her fourth term, and from all that vast experience, she picked a wine bar to launch her campaign, which was mentioned in a Journal News puff piece by her long-time associate in the media, Michael Clark. I have a long history with these people, so the irony could never be more obvious. Considering what everyone knows about Julie Shaffer, you’d think she would have known better. There was a National School Board Conference a few years ago where she and others got a lot crazy, and she ended up disgracing herself in many ways. I learned about it from people who were with her and tried to help her clean up after the event. But it goes much further than that. All the local politicians know about it and confirmed it in the aftermath. So, I was never much of a fan of Julie Shaffer, but I treated her fairly in the beginning until she showed herself to be quite a left-winged radical with vicious political intentions that, of course, like they all do, hide it behind the smiling faces of kids. However, the more I learned about her over the years, the more she showed herself to be one of the big problems at Lakota as she intends to bring progressive mindsets to the students. She was one of the first to support genderless bathrooms at Lakota before the alphabet sexual deviancies were announced on the news every day as they are now. 

Let’s just be polite about it: Julie’s condition at that National School Board Conference with other Lakota representatives was not pleasant. It involved severe intoxication and various states of undress, according to witnesses who were there and tried to help her. But there’s more, which came out during the latest drama with the former Lakota superintendent who apparently let people know that he had video of it all on his phone, and people were enjoying it. And knowing what everyone now knows about him; apparently, even he was embarrassed by the behavior of the Lakota leadership at that conference. I personally didn’t see the video; I had no desire to, even though it was an option from those close to the superintendent. We’re not talking about a “Girls Gone Wild” video in the sense that everyone was young and beautiful. These are middle-aged, beat-up potato sacks getting way too crazy when they should have been representing the Lakota district as proper education representatives. So just drinking too much would have been too much. Anything after that, which was a lot, was simply unforgivable. The whole video issue came up as many who had heard this story were wondering why Julie was so willing to give a free pass to what we learned about the former school superintendent. The belief was that she couldn’t afford to cast any opinions about his behavior because she had done equally disreputable acts. With all that in mind, it was baffling that she would launch her campaign at a wine bar to remind everyone of this embarrassing event. She’s a seasoned politician now, so she should have known better. But obviously not. 

This raises the real issue; deviant behavior is often more than what you see on the surface. Over the years, Julie has been one of the biggest cheerleaders for progressive changes while hiding the effort behind a non-partisan school board. School boards are very partisan, often filled with radical democrats with big government ideas about everything and an eye toward spending to match it. And we see how she arrives at these thoughts when you learn about her personal lifestyle. Like many progressive big government people, Julie is attracted to an extensive social safety net because she has problems controlling herself. If you want to be taken seriously as a leader of anything, you just never conduct yourself like she was caught doing at a National School Board Conference. When she says in that Michael Clark “puff piece” that “I believe that this is a fight for the heart and soul of a district that has been a destination district for many years but is being harmed by extremism, politics, and divisiveness.” She’s running in a very conservative district with people who care about things like drunkenness, overt sexual displays of disgrace, and lousy judgment. And like a lot of Democrats, she has been hiding her political tendencies behind the unspoken rules of bipartisanship. These public schools are not for the kids, as people like her claim; it’s for the adults to have free babysitting and to act like a bunch of teenagers when left alone in a hotel lobby while traveling out of town. In that article, she said that “this election will be a decision by our community about what they want Lakota to represent in the future.” 

And that’s why her behavior at school board conferences matters to the rest of us, although we may not want to disgust ourselves with the details. While Julie has worked to attack conservative voices in passive-aggressive ways for years, it’s evident that she has been fighting for the disgrace of children, not the preservation of them. And it shows up in her private actions. Then, like a lot of people who are so inclined to Democrat politics, they seek to hide their bad behavior behind big government mechanisms, which then shield them from reality. And there is a cost to all those big government ideas which Democrats use like a mask to hide what bad people they really are when they think nobody is looking. So, of course, they hate people who judge them for what they are. I wouldn’t call it “right-winged politics” as much as I would call it common sense. Anybody who wants to be a leader of anything should know that even at the late hours of the night when the alcohol with friends is flowing freely, it’s best not to participate and to lead by a higher example. I know many people who travel a lot, and they don’t end up in the compromised state that Julie was, where she had to be put back together by fellow school board members after disgrace had already chronicled the event for posterity. What’s even more stunning than all is that she would bring attention to it even during her campaign announcement. Talk about being tone-deaf. This will be a tough campaign for her, but she can only blame herself. She is offering herself as a leader of Lakota schools and is attempting to say that anybody who judges her behavior is a “right-winged radical.” But to the rest of the world, it’s just the rantings of people who can’t control themselves when they leave home. And the same can be said about her budget decisions as a school board member, where the same rationalization comes into play. And the track record is not a good one at all.

Rich Hoffman

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