Thursday, May 24, 2007

Good Advice From a Fellow Realtor®: Thoughts to Consider While Your Home is Under Contract But Not Quite Sold

Leigh Brown is a Realtor ® in North Carolina but no matter, good advice is good advice. She blogged about a recent story involving a seller, and has good tips for you if you have a contract on your house but it is not quite closed yet (or as I say, the ink is not totally dry on the contract until the Title transfers lol). Check out what Leigh has to say here. Peace Out - 3C

Slot Machines At Ohio Racetracks Even Though It Was Voted Down?

I was tired after a long day yesterday and heard a blip on the evening news about Governor Strickland signing something about slots at Ohio racetracks. And the news anchor was so matter of fact about the issue; it rolled off his tongue like it was just something that happens every day.

So this morning I had to Google and of course Eye on the Statehouse had the issue covered (I thank Jill at She Writes Like She Talks for this link a while ago).

They are saying these machines are 'slot like' and not slots (!!!). And yes, I was in favor of the Learn and Earn initiative. But voters overwhelmingly voted it down. So why is it now something that Governor Strickland is supporting? You can read Eye on the Statehouse here for more information.

Maybe instead of having all the Board of Election issues and hanging chads, we could save money, eliminate voting and spend that money on schools. Eye on the Statehouse says "if this proposal doesn't work [now they are talking about the money going to sick children], maybe they can craft a proposal benefiting abandoned puppies...."

Let me state again, this mini rant (is it mini?) is not about whether or not I would support slots at racetracks. It's about whether or not our votes count. Peace Out - 3C

Voices and Choices Newsletter

Voices and Choices is truly a unique organization - fluid, in that it is all about us being able to have an impact and well, a voice! They have a newsletter now and I just received my copy in my email this morning.

Manufacturing jobs going unfilled.....I talked about it here. Apparently it is going to be the subject of an Associated Press story with a highlight on Northeast Ohio. Some excerpts are in the newsletter which you can read here. One thing I loved was hearing that an effort is being made to take the newly displaced Ford workers and train them to fill some of these jobs. The catch has been....skill level. While it's true that many manufacturing companies have disappeared, the ones that are unfilled require certain skills. I say get one of Cleveland's junior high (OK, middle school) and high schools more actively involved....a course load that is started in seventh grade that would enable more students 'at the end of the day' to choose a career in manufacturing. The WIRE NET Max Hayes program is fabulous, but we are only talking 25 students at a time. Anyway, that is my thought. What do you think?

Dream It Do It! is a local campaign to solve this problem. They are the ones who are looking to train and place the Ford workers.

If you want your own newsletter, and I hope you do, so you can add your voice to what happens here in Northeast Ohio, go to the Advance Northeast Ohio website. Peace Out - 3C