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Knowing where we stand

I begin this piece by noting that the Bureau of the Fiscal Service has, in my humble opinion, been the best place to work in the MOV and these remarks in no way reflect on Bureau management, executives, or the broader Department of the Treasury. This administration, however, has sent degrading messages to federal employees via official government channels and the head of the so-called department of government efficiency, Elon Musk, has referred to federal employees on his social media platform as “the parasite class.” We cannot remain silent. Federal employees have not spent the ...

What will the community lose if the Marietta Area Recycling Center closes?

What will Washington County and the surrounding areas of this community be losing if the Marietta Area Recycling Center (MARC) closes? Those of us that recycle at MARC understand that another place to recycle will need to be found. This could be through a trash service such as Rumpke, Kimble, or another provider. But what about those that live in a part of the county where recycling options are not part of the trash service. The SouthEasten Ohio Joint Solid Waste Management District provides recycling trailers at various locations throught the county at scheduled times. IF you get there ...

What are you waiting for?

Preacher Mark Brouwer tells about hearing a motivational speaker begin his presentation with some audience participation: “Raise your hand if you would like to make a real difference with your life. How many of you would like to have such a significant life that, when you’re gone, you’ll leave this world a better place?” Nearly everyone in the audience raised their hands. “Now, raise your hand if you have a plan for how you’re going to do that.” There was nervous laughter, but in a room filled with hundreds of people, only two hands went up. The Apostle Paul knew what he ...

Presidential railcar rolled through area in 1945

Moving a president around the country has never been an easy task. Current presidents utilize a wide variety of transportation modes to get out of Washington and visit the different areas of the country. There is of course Air Force One. The Boeing 747s (there are actually two identical jets) can swiftly take the president any place in the world. There is also Marine 1, which picks up wherever the jumbo jet lands by taking him by helicopter to his destination. The Beast, a heavily modified version of a Cadillac provides ground level transportation behind armor and bullet proof glass. ...

MOV Climate Corner: Pulling the plug

Since the purchase of the White House by the unelected Elon Musk, who contributed $288 million to back Republicans including Donald Trump and others, there has been a flurry of activities from the Oval Office, most motivated by revenge. These include unjustified firings, unqualified appointees, pardons of violent criminals and several executive orders. There is no legal basis for many of these actions. The oligarchs are in power and their policies are focusing on tax breaks for the rich, tariffs passed on to consumers and fewer services for the needy. There also is an unhealthy interest ...

Why manufacturing will come

When Lynnda and I went to Japan a few years ago, I knew where Tokyo and Mount Fuji were. I didn’t know where the Japanese major manufacturing centers were. Before we went to Germany last year, I knew the location of major cities. I didn’t know the Dusseldorf/Cologne area is a major manufacturing and petrochemical region or the state of NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia) where Dusseldorf and Cologne are located is also a major mining region. The USA is much larger than either of those countries. What we learned at Shale Crescent USA from working with businesspeople from all over the world ...