Recent editorials of statewide and national interest from Ohio newspapers:
Ohio Gov. DeWine shows he’s up to COVID-19 challenge
Akron Beacon Journal
March 14
Just as with power, a crisis doesn’t change a person’s character so much as reveal it.
What we’ve learned in the last 10 days about Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine by his bold and proactive measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic should reassure all of us that he is up to the job. While the federal government dithered and botched its response, allowing the coronavirus to get a foothold in the U.S. and then spread uncontrollably, DeWine has admirably made the choices, some of them deeply unpopular, to slow the virus and protect Ohioans’ health.
Consider the aggressive actions taken by DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton to address what both wisely recognized as a rapidly emerging and unprecedented public health threat:
‒ Prohibited spectators at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus (March 5).
‒ Called a state of emergency, allowing state agencies to better coordinate their responses, after the first three confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state (March 9).
‒ Called on colleges to move all classes online or teach them remotely (March 10).
‒ Rightly focused on the particularly vulnerable elder population, they limited and then banned visitors to nursing homes and assisted living facilities (March 12). That after having already moved polling places out of nursing homes (March 9).
‒ Limited public gatherings to no more than 100 people (March 12).
‒ Ordered all schools in the state to close for three weeks, making Ohio the first state to take that prudent step (March 12).
The measures, DeWine said, are to help Ohio avoid “the potential of becoming Italy,” where more than 17,600 cases of COVID-19 and 1,200 deaths have been reported - all since the first case was confirmed on Feb. 20. Now, 60 million people in the country are in lockdown.
Here, the goal is not to contain the virus - which is no longer possible, a consequence of the federal government’s appalling failure to provide an adequate number of test kits - but to “flatten the curve,” mitigate its spread to prevent hospitals and medical professionals from being overwhelmed by a sudden spike in cases, as happened in Italy.
In a marked and refreshing contrast with the Trump administration, DeWine sought out top experts in the medical and epidemiological fields, listened to what they said on twice-daily conference calls and, most crucially, actually implemented their recommendations.
“Mistakes that I have made throughout my career have generally been because I didn’t have enough facts, I didn’t dig deep enough,” DeWine told The Columbus Dispatch. “So, I made up my mind I was going to have the best information, the best data available.”
Of course, we caution that none of the governor’s actions so far guarantees success, not when the number of COVID-19 cases continues to double approximately every six days and up to an estimated 100,000 Ohioans - 1% of the state’s population - are already infected.
And much work will remain to assist the many almost certain to face severe financial hardships that figure to last long after the final COVID-19 diagnosis. The relief package backed by President Trump and approved late Friday by the U.S. House will help, but we urge DeWine to strongly consider the proposal put forth by state Rep. Tavia Galonski, D-Akron, and others to use his executive authority to create a temporary paid leave program for Ohio’s workers.
Surely, after all he’s done to this point to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor will not stop until the job is complete.
Online: https://bit.ly/33kGuEP
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Time changes main threat to elections
The Canton Repository
March 15
When Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose visited our Editorial Board last month - on the day early voting began, coincidentally - he said his main, ongoing concern in protecting the integrity of our elections, and seeing them transpire without any issues, was countering external, cyber-related threats.
He didn’t know then what we all know now.
When voters go to the polls Tuesday - and we strongly encourage turnout - cyber security might still be on the minds of some (and LaRose), but everyone recognizes that the coronavirus has supplanted that issue as the overwhelming reason someone might be leery of leaving home to cast a ballot.
LaRose, in conjunction with local elections board officials, has implemented several safety measures to mitigate risks to voters and poll workers at election sites in Stark County and around the state.
Who knew the lowly Q-Tip could be one of our best allies in the fight to prevent the spread of the disease? Tens of thousands of the swabs will be available for voters to use as a disposable stylus on the touchscreen voting devices.
Travis Secrest, an administrative assistant for the Stark County Board of Elections, said elections officials here also ordered an additional 240 bottles of Purell hand sanitizer from an office supply company to go with the 120-plus bottles purchased from local stores.
The state will reimburse Stark County (up to $13,700) for the costs of the supplies purchased as health safeguards.
As an additional precaution, four polling locations - nursing homes or large senior residences - have been relocated.
The coronavirus is changing most, if not all, of our actions and behaviors right now. But unless you are exhibiting some sign of illness, particularly a cough or fever, we do encourage all registered voters to get out Tuesday - if they haven’t already taken advantage of our state’s generous four-week early voting period.
All elections are worth participating in, and not doing so makes the virus not only an enemy of our health, but also an enemy of our freedom.
Few contested party primaries will appear on local ballots, but with a countywide issue and several school issues, voters could determine the futures of kids and adults for years to come.
We remain adamant voters should approve Issue 20, the 1-mill renewal levy for Stark Parks. It’s not a new tax and is necessary to maintain operations.
Over the past few weeks, we have gained a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, the frustration some landowners feel in the way Stark Parks conducts business and informs them about current and future plans.
Rejecting Issue 20, however, would drop a bomb on the district, causing damage that would last for years, perhaps forever in regard to keep some areas open. We can’t condone a “no” vote, nor some of the tactics of the anti-levy groups.
We endorse Issue 20, and call for the sides to quickly come together after the election for real dialogue moving forward.
Our board also has endorsed four school issues on the primary ballot: Issue 15 in Perry (bond for construction), Issue 16 in North Canton (bond), Issue 18 in Louisville (operations levy) and Issue 19 in Canton (operations).
Administrators from all four districts made strong cases for “yes” votes.
Online: https://bit.ly/38UDKPt
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Chances of fighting coronavirus improve without politics
The Columbus Dispatch
March 15
The advent of the novel coronavirus in the United States is putting our society to an unprecedented test.
As if three years of political warfare and an exhausting presidential primary weren’t enough, Americans now face a pandemic health threat that is serious but unknowable, topped off with a deep shock to the economy.
It will reveal a lot about our character - national and individual - and so far the results are decidedly mixed.
Americans’ first instincts as cases of COVID-19 moved beyond China into Europe seemed to be to make it another barometer of one’s position on President Donald Trump: If you’re a detractor, Trump’s response to this serious matter is a national disgrace, sure to tank the economy. (#Trumpcrash was trending on Twitter early last week.)
If you’re a supporter, the new virus is just another flu and Democrats are cynically exploiting it to make Trump look bad.
It would be far better if Americans would take off the political filter here and recognize that no one actually knows how many people are going to get sick and possibly die; that we all should listen and learn from doctors and public-health professionals, rather than Twitter and talk show hosts.
To be sure, the Trump administration’s response has been erratic. It’s not just a matter of whether travel restrictions were enacted soon enough or broadly enough - experts can disagree on that. It’s the steady stream of misinformation from the president and his political appointees that reminds us just how irresponsible this administration can be.
To proclaim, as the very first cases were surfacing in the U.S., “We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine” was simply foolish and a reminder of Trump’s seeming inability to understand that he can’t make something true just by saying it.
He has contradicted those who do have accurate information, saying inaccurately that the country has the capacity to test anyone who wants to be tested and that a vaccine will be ready in a few months.
Closer to home, Gov. Mike DeWine inspires confidence with regular science-based updates and clear direction on measures to try to keep us safe.
Cancellation of schools, bans on large public gatherings and news of celebrities testing positive for the virus this past week made the seriousness of the situation much more real.
But what Trump most worries about - that virus fears and a falling stock market will hurt his reelection chances - has been transparently obvious.
Still, his abrupt Wednesday announcement that he will ban most travel from Europe sent the market into another steep dive.
Calling the administration on this malfeasance is legitimate, but a chorus of criticism and blame isn’t helpful.
Fortunately, some Republicans in Congress are showing a willingness to work with Democrats on strategies for limiting the damage, both to public health and to the economy. To torpedo that opportunity by inflaming partisan conflict would be another form of irresponsibility.
The Democrat-controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate already agreed to an $8 billion emergency spending package to address the spreading virus. One of its best elements may be $300 million set aside to ensure that when a vaccine becomes available all Americans will be able to receive it, whether or not they can pay.
As Americans frantically buy stores out of hand sanitizer in an effort to ward off a potentially deadly virus, it’s hard to imagine a better argument for at least some form of national health care. In light of this experience, the wisdom of making vaccines and infectious disease care available to all who might need it seems obvious.
Trump, ever focused on the stock market, has proposed drastic and expensive stimulus measures such as eliminating federal payroll taxes - which fund Medicare and Social Security - through the end of this year, costing the treasury close to $1 trillion.
He also is interested in “emergency aid” to oil and gas companies hurt by the slump in travel and the drop in oil prices. We hope Congress will consider the hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue and the record profit growth enjoyed by the oil and gas industry in 2019 and make that the nonstarter it should be.
Much more hopeful is a report that Trump is willing to consider reimbursing employers or workers for sick leave made necessary by the virus. Sick leave is another policy priority that should be obvious now.
People who don’t have paid sick leave and can’t afford to go without pay are much less likely to stay home when they might be sick. And the people most likely to have no health insurance or paid sick leave are those in low-paid service jobs - cooking and serving food, running cash registers - most likely to have broad contact with the public.
More than anything, the stock market - and Americans’ nerves - would be calmed by evidence that our government understands the coronavirus challenge, is taking it seriously and is capable of responding to it effectively. One of the Dow’s up days came on Tuesday, regaining close to 5%, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to negotiate possible policies.
Ordinary Americans can do our part by focusing on how to neither give nor receive COVID-19. From Trump and Congress on down, if we can all give partisanship a rest, everyone will be better off.
Online: https://bit.ly/2Qljqk5
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End the foot-dragging, Cleveland. Sign onto Cuyahoga County’s path-breaking crime data initiative
Cleveland Plain Dealer
March 15
Several years ago, Cuyahoga County launched an important crime-data project aimed at overcoming communications disconnects among the county’s dozens of municipal police departments. The project was groundbreaking: The inability of local police departments to share information quickly, or to all have access to license-plate photos from crime scenes and pursuits, was impeding crime-solving and preventing easy dissemination of important data.
Nor was it easy to do – which is why a similar 2011 effort failed. Aligning systems in 58 municipalities posed a significant technical challenge, in that different police departments stored crime-report data on different software, so quickly sharing this information in real time would not work without aligning those systems.
Yet the county persevered and solved those challenges, spending $2.2 million so far, more than half of that from a large federal grant. Cuyahoga County continues to underwrite the Data Warehouse’s full operating cost, supported by a $5 fee on traffic violations paid by motorists, including Cleveland motorists.
The system formally began last year. Today, every single municipality in Cuyahoga County has either joined or committed to join the system. Except one.
Except the city of Cleveland.
Cleveland is not averse to using the data others are sharing through the Data Warehouse system, according to a story by cleveland.com reporter Adam Ferrise; it just hasn’t been willing - so far - to join and share its own crime reports.
Why is unclear. Cleveland officials haven’t explained their opposition.
But this resistance is unacceptable and counterproductive to citizen safety. It also runs directly counter to the transparency about its crime data that Cleveland promised as part of the 2015 Cleveland police consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
True, the Data Warehouse system shares crime data granularly, not just as summary data. But that is what makes it so effective.
Cleveland says it’s still weighing its options. A February email from Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams, sent through a spokeswoman to Ferrise, said “The Division is currently evaluating all aspects of the program to ensure conditions of participation are understood and that this best fits the needs of the City of Cleveland and the Division of Police.”
Calls to a Cleveland spokeswoman Friday afternoon were not returned by deadline for this editorial. A county spokeswoman said Friday that Cleveland had not yet indicated it planned to join the system.
That is wrong, and needs to change.
Cleveland is by far the biggest municipality in Cuyahoga County and scene of much of its crime. For the Data Warehouse project to be effective, Cleveland needs to share its own data and not just help itself to the crime reports other municipalities are providing.
We can think of no good reasons for the city of Cleveland to resist doing so, apart from a possible desire to shield its crime data — but that data is already being released, in aggregate, as part of Cleveland’s obligations under the consent decree.
End the foot-dragging, Cleveland. Join the system.
Online: https://bit.ly/2QmtmJV
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Courting a cleaner lake
March 15
Toledo Blade
The U.S. and Ohio environmental protection agencies need to stop resisting their clear responsibility regarding Lake Erie: Enforce the Clean Water Act.
The two agencies must set goals for reducing phosphorus runoff into the lake and the federal EPA needs to insist that the state adopt regulations that will ensure they are met.
A lawsuit filed against the federal agency by the Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center and Lucas County commissioners seeks a reasonable standard: adoption of a Total Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, standard strict enough to get Ohio to a 40 percent reduction in phosphorus runoff by 2025, compared to 2008 levels.
The plaintiffs also ask, in a bid for summary judgment filed recently, that the court retain jurisdiction to “assure implementation and enforcement of the compliance schedule.” That, too, is reasonable.
Federal and state regulators have had their chance to clean up Lake Erie without strict court oversight, and they have failed.
Voluntary measures pursued by the administration of former Gov. John Kasich did not get the job done. The Kasich administration had data showing Lake Erie qualified as impaired under the Clean Water Act as far back as 2010 - four years before Toledo’s water crisis. Toxic algae blooms fouled the water for 500,000 Toledo water customers for three days in the summer of 2014.
The Ohio EPA has determined that nutrient runoff from farms is the cause of nearly 90 percent of the lake’s toxic algae.
Ohio has argued in court that preserving and protecting Ohio’s water quality “is and always has been a priority for the State of Ohio” and that Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio program, unveiled in November, is a “comprehensive, data-driven water quality plan to reduce harmful algal blooms, improve wastewater infrastructure, and prevent lead contamination.”
The state points to $172 million appropriated by the Ohio General Assembly to help improve water quality programs statewide over the next two years, of which $43 million will go toward new and expanded wetlands near Lake Erie this year, plus millions “to help farmers reduce phosphorus runoff from commercial fertilizer and manure to prevent harmful algal blooms.”
U.S. District Judge James Carr is hearing two cases regarding the state’s so far failed efforts to clean up Lake Erie, and, fortunately, he seems inclined to hold regulators accountable. After a four-hour hearing in September, he expressed frustration with a state program aimed at getting farmers to voluntarily cut phosphorus.
“We don’t know what Ohio is going to do come 2025 (if those targets aren’t met),” the judge said. “My point is I don’t know. The record doesn’t show me.”
Last month, the Ohio EPA said it plans to set a TMDL “pollution diet” to track down specific sources of pollution, and hold polluters accountable for the amount of toxic algae-feeding phosphorus, nitrogen, and other fertilizers farmers send into Lake Erie’s western basin.
The agency has pledged to “develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Western Basin (of Lake Erie) over the next two to three years.”
That effort should be both rigorous and court-supervised. Federal and state regulators have proven that their patience with polluters far exceeds their commitment to a clean Lake Erie. Judge Carr should insist a role in helping to protect the lake, from both pollution and lax regulation.
Online: https://bit.ly/2xJ5w4I
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