Thursday, August 20, 2009

Robart moment: Falls Tea party

WELL, THE folks at Cuyahoga Falls City Hall must be in a stage of extreme ecstasy today. A Tea Party event Wednesday evening drew thousands of protestors to damn the federal government and put an end to taxes, government programs, deficit spending and the Obama Administration. Republican Mayor Don Robart, one of the event's leading citizens as well as a government employe himself, told an interviewer that people are fed up with the "massive increase in government" and failed Obama programs like the stimulus package's "lack of effectiveness" and the "health care thing." He hoped the Tea Parties would continue to flourish.

From the reports I read, there was the usual amount of attacks on socialism, and a Hitlerian president, much of it inspired by medieval crackpots like Glenn Beck. But Robart was obviously out to inspire the crowd, without regard to the fact that he was biting the hand that has long fed his island-like political enclave. For starters there has been the flow of federal cash into community projects. And even his proud guest, the Cleveland Orchestra's summer visits to Blossom Music Center, depends on cash from the National Endowment for the Arts, for which it is ever grateful.

When the mayor starts obtusely condemning cash flow from D.C., he is clearly out of his league. He could prove me wrong, of course, and simply reject one more dollar from those...um... socialists in Washington.

FOOTNOTE: While the stimulus program was being declared DOA, two items might have caught somebody's attention when they weren't raising their fists at the Tea Party. Stimulus money created summer jobs for more than 13,000 Ohio young people. Oh, and Bill Seigferth, president of Akron Education Assn., reported that stimulus money opened 73 new teacher jobs in the city. And in the same batch, General Motors said the Cash for Clunkers program has been so successful that it will return more than 1,000 workers to their jobs in Lordstown.

The econmy isn't out of the woods yet, but are Robart and friends so blind not to see a little daylight that will mean a lot to other folks. The answer: Yes.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Robart should return all that socialist money from Washington aimed at housing projects, roads, safety programs, schools, flooding prevention that affected the city recently. He and the city should take up the "Rugged Individualism" that was professed. Give back ALL the money and don't seem like a hypocrite.

Mencken said...

All Robart had to do was to look to his left and look at the publicly financed (and refinanced along with tax abatement) Sheraton Suites Hotel. Apparently the Free Market concept was insufficient to build this privately owned hotel. I'm not sure about the financing of the Riverfront Stage and Pavillion where these folks gathered, but I think it's safe to say it was built with tax dollars.

pago said...

I wonder if the Mayor will be dropping in on Lambert Buick, Falls Chrysler, etc. to push for a repeal of Cash for Clunkers.

fargo said...

The State Road rehab is getting federal dollars for asbestos clean up. As a resident of Stow I am wondering why my tax dollars are being used to clean up Cuyahoga Falls...shouldn't they pull themselves up by their bootstraps and pay for it all themselves?

BTW the General Motors news is good and it is directly related to the "Clunkers" program but it has farther reaching ramifications for everyone who supplies brakes, steel, radios, carpet, tires etc to the industry. Would Robart have us believe that he would not have done anything to stimulate the economy after 8 years of George Bush....he would do well to watch the Frontline piece that aired on PBS this week to better understand how we got in this mess.

Robart seems more interested in bailing out the insurance industry than he is the American worker. What a total disgraceful performance he put on at the tea party...he is by any definition a hypocrite.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious post. In fact, Don Robart has applied for over $132,000,000 in federal stimulus money for various projects. What a loser.

Had Enough said...

Frank LaRose jr, candidate for state senate might be more of a hypocrite than Robart. His dad owns House of LaRose, the beer and wine distributor.

State law requires Miller, Budweiser, etc..... to have to sell their products to a distributor, NOT to the store themselves. MIller cannot sell it's beer to Giant Eagle, Wal Mart, Kroger, the Browns or Indians, etc.... They have to sell it through LaRose, who adds a nice little mark-up to the price to the consumer.

Ohio is one of only three states that uses this grossly outdated and inefficient ureaucracy.

This system does nothing but add cost to the consumer. Whay does it exist? Because the Beer and Wine Association is one of the top donors to political campaigns in the State of Ohio.

So Frank LaRose Jr. hates big government, except for when it lines the pockets of his family!!!

Had Enough said...

Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) - March 18, 1995

TAX PLAN IS PLACED ON HOLD VOTERS LIKELY TO SEE ISSUE ON '96 BALLOT
A proposed city income tax increase, supported by Mayor Don Robart and key councilmen, is a dead political issue in 1995."I'd still like to see it on the ballot in November because I'm very much for it," Robart said. "But my guess is that it won't make it until the so-called `Super Primary' in March 1996.'

Anonymous said...

Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) - November 16, 1994

INCOME TAX `DEAD IN 1995'? CUYAHOGA FALLS MAYOR VOWS TO ASK VOTERS FOR 0.5 PERCENT INCREASE
Mayor Don Robart yesterday vowed to go to the voters again in 1995 for a city income-tax increase, despite a prediction from Council President Kim Hoover that the issue is "dead in 1995.""That's unfortunate," Robart said when he learned of Hoover's comment that the 0.5 percent increase, defeated by 127 votes last Tuesday, had no chance of being placed on the ballot by the council. "We need the money

Mencken said...

I see that Robart rang up the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for $ 250,000 for the Cuyahoga Falls Riverfront Mall Festival Site.

I guess an argument could be made that wildlife is being protected at the Rockin' On the Rivers held there after a couple of overpriced beers provided by none other than Frank Larose Jr.

Had Enough said...

This is what the "tea-party" hypocrite mayor from Cuyahoga Falls does when he needs money:
RAISE TAXES!



Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) - November 16, 1994

INCOME TAX `DEAD IN 1995'? CUYAHOGA FALLS MAYOR VOWS TO ASK VOTERS FOR 0.5 PERCENT INCREASE

Mayor Don Robart yesterday vowed to go to the voters again in 1995 for a city income-tax increase, despite a prediction from Council President Kim Hoover that the issue is "dead in 1995.""That's unfortunate," Robart said when he learned of Hoover's comment that the 0.5 percent increase, defeated by 127 votes last Tuesday, had no chance of being placed on the ballot by the council. "We need the money

Anonymous said...

Before anybody starts praising Robart's financial acumen for running Cuyahoga Falls, did anybody else know Cuyahoga Falls has the highest inside millage of any other community in Summit County? That means the city gets more of the property tax dollars than other communities. Look it up at the Summit County Fiscal Officer's website.

Robart gets more money than Hudson, Bath, Akron, etc...etc.

And don't forget about his little "fee increase" that now every homeowner in Cuyahoga Falls is paying an extra 3 dollars a month on their utility bills.

The natatorium, golf course, water works...They all lose money.


Every single venture is subsidized by the taxpayers of Cuyahoga Falls.

The layoffs and cutbacks and proposed tax increase won't happen until after his election this year.

Anonymous said...

The Cuyahoga Falls safety forces are below strength because of the money overspent at the Natatorium and now State Rd shopping center, (thanks taxpayers)!

There will never be a Trader Joe's, Cabelas, Bass Pro shop, or any other store worth visiting at the state rd plaza.

That location does NOT support that type of development because of location, income, traffic, etc. etc. etc.

Once again MEOW that is why they could not sell the shopping center, and now Cuyahoga Falls is stuck with the shopping center unless they GIVE it away to someone.

AT least when Stow spent their 11 million dollars, they got SOMETHING for it!

For our 11 million we got an empty lot, a Burger King, an Arby's and a gas station.

Way to go Robart!

Anonymous said...

No wonder the Democrats didn't run anyone against Don Robart. Don Robart is the best Democrat that Cuyahoga Falls has. Tax and Spend- Tax and Spend and criticize tax and spenders when people aren't paying attention to their own backyard.

Anonymous said...

Akron Beacon Journal reported the multi millions spent in local, state and federal dollars on the State Road project. And the anchor will be... a grocery store!