At the April 24, 2019 board meeting of the Lake County Ohio Port & Economic Development Authority, Board Chairman Art Lindrose introduced the newly hired Geauga County counsel for the Lake County Port Authority, Brandon Dynes of Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan.

During the Chairman’s Report, Board Chairman Art Lindrose made the following comment, as referenced in the minutes of that meeting 2019-04_24 Minutes – LCOPEDA:

“Chairman’s report – Mr. Lindrose commented that he is really glad that we have hired an attorney that has tentacles everywhere in Lake County.”

We told you in our article entitled, Lake County Port Authority’s New Legal Counsel…Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan has offices in Geauga and Cuyahoga counties…not Lake County. Yet he has tentacles EVERYWHERE in Lake County. Now what the heck do you suppose Mr. Lindrose meant by that statement?

Everyone knows what tentacles are in the animal kingdom, i.e. any of various elongate flexible usually tactile or prehensile processes borne by invertebrate animals chiefly on the head or about the mouth. No, that can’t be it. We are quite certain that Mr. Dynes is not a member of the invertebrate species. However, when reviewing all the definitions at the Webster’s link above for tentacles and the use of the word in various sentences, Mr. Lindrose’s statement does conjure up visions of Red Skull (super villain and nemesis of The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and humanity in general) and Hydra (the evil organization with “tentacles” everywhere and it’s mission of world domination). But that is fiction, and we’ve digressed…

Later on in the meeting, the Board discusses rules for public comments at their board meetings. Clearly our attempts to get to the bottom of their ‘Better Flop’ disaster has them a bit rattled. As you read the highlighted portion of the Minutes, take note of what is being said and by whom. Take note of what the attorney states the law is relative to allowing public comments. Take note of what this unelected Board thinks of the public, the people…YOU…the Lake County citizens that fund their very existence.

By the way, we can’t help but notice the similarities between the efforts of the Port Authority Board to restrict free speech and the recent efforts of the Board of Commissioners to do the same thing with their now-infamous Resolution No. 10, which has been POSTPONED indefinitely. Incidentally, we wonder why the Commissioners merely “postponed” the resolution indefinitely when they could have just disposed of that First-Amendment-killing resolution…words mean something. Roberts Rules of Order is fairly clear on the matter.

Did you know that these government boards do not have to allow public comment in their board meetings at all? Did you know that when a member of the public asks a question of these government boards that they do not even have to respond? It’s right there in the Minutes of the April board meeting.

So we have a right to listen, but not to be heard…can you believe that? We are forced to fund these government entities with ever-increasing taxes, but we do not have the right to be heard or have the questions asked of our employees answered? If we stop funding them by refusing to pay taxes what happens then? Does this sound like freedom to you? There is a HUGE contradiction that exists wouldn’t you say? Contradictions cannot exist…it’s time to wake up and smell the tyranny!

The good news is that Mr. Dynes recommended that the Port Authority Board do a little slummin’ and throw the peasants a bone by allowing public comment from the “irredeemable basket of deplorables” that fund them. It appears that they are still working out the kinks in the rules though.

Now don’t you just feel all warm and fuzzy that the ivory tower crowd in Lake County is doing you a favor by allowing public comment at their public meetings? Oh and in case you are wondering, Mr. Dynes’ statement is absolutely correct. The Ohio Open Meetings Act gives anyone the right to attend these public meetings, but does not give us the right to comment.

Wow. So, how in blazes can a state statute be contradictory to the Constitution? Once you start putting restrictions and rules on free speech, you no longer have free speech. These are public bodies (government) funded completely by public money (the taxpayers), and the free speech of the citizens at said public meetings can be completely denied?

So exactly how is it that the employer (the taxpayer) is banned from being able to address the employee (the government) which is funded BY WE THE PEOPLE? The only thing missing here is FOR THE PEOPLE!

Still think these people work for you?

Categories: Lake, Uncategorized

Tags: FT