State Rep. Rex Damschroder, State Sen. Dave Burke and Gov. John Kasich have gone absolutely flaccid on crime. They have signed off on legislation, House Bill 86, that allows property crimes to rise from a ceiling of $500 all the way up to a new ceiling of $1,000 per occurrence before they become felonies. The list includes theft, receiving stolen property, unauthorized use of property, passing bad checks, Medicaid fraud, Medicaid eligibility fraud, illegal use of WIC benefits, insurance fraud, falsification, corrupt activity and many more. The above politicians are only for private enterprise in the sense that a pickpocket is enterprising. However, a pickpocket does not respect private property rights. Apparently, our representative, senator and governor are against protecting private property and the public trust from thievery.
If this is not enough, in a time when our homes and small businesses are increasingly burgled by young drug addicts, the above politicos signed Senate Bill 337, which turns a fourth-degree misdemeanor for drug paraphernalia for pot into a minor misdemeanor. This is less serious than a speeding ticket, because it cannot increase in penalty for multiple offenses. In addition to the thievery this drug habit produces, it is also the favorite tactic of pushers to lace pot with cocaine and narcotics to create strawberry girls and drug mules who violate all of the mentioned laws to support their addictions.
This attack on our private property rights is a continuing assault on law enforcement by these politicians. Apparently, they never noticed the second stanza of "America the Beautiful," which ends with "Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty and law." The law is the fence around the playground that protects us so we can play and frolic in safety without fear from the harsh world of violence and theft outside the perimeter. Our playground just got smaller. I would not be a true Republican if I did not go to battle against the betrayal of our private property rights.
Very truly yours,
Richard H. Palau, Tiffin
