http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ This is the blog of the Dayton Daily News editorial page. Regular contributors include the journalists who work on the two-page section labeled "Opinions" in the paper. But the blog is also a forum for readers. We comment on subjects that are being written about in the newspaper, but other subjects are fair game, too. Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton. Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues. Scott Elliott is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He writes about education, city and suburban issues, politics, business, workforce and consumer issues. Quick news updates by e-mail Start your workday informed by signing up for our e-mail local news headlines and breaking news alerts. Sign up en-us edletter@coxohio.com 2009-07-02T16:45:19-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/07/02/editorial_states_should_count.html Summer may be down time for students and teachers, but it is the busy season for education data. Right now, Ohio’s school districts are double-checking reports from the state about test scores and attendance and graduation rates, in preparation for... 13670003@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Education 2009-07-02T16:45:19-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/07/02/check_out_this_mountain_biking.html Check out this video from mountain biking at MetroParks’ Mountain Biking Area.... 13668703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Kevin Riley 2009-07-02T16:06:09-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/07/01/kevin_riley_go_mountain_biking.html When you tell someone around here you’re going mountain biking, they assume you’re going out of town. When you tell them, no, you’re going mountain biking in Dayton, you get a funny look. But it can be done here —... 13650703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Columns 2009-07-01T16:46:45-04:00 kriley@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/30/how_about_this_ncr_for_sale_ad.html Lorraine Russell won this Mike Peters cartoon We have a winner! Earlier this month, we asked readers to write the “for sale” ad for NCR’s corporate headquarters. Two dozen of you took us up. We liked Lorraine Russell’s submission best.... 13632003@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ City of Dayton 2009-06-30T17:59:12-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/30/martin_gottlieb_righterthanrig.html If you were to judge by the headlines in Butler and Warren counties in this no-big-elections year, you might get the sense the real action in politics these days is on the political right. The hard right. The righter-than-right right.... 13631703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Miami Valley Politics 2009-06-30T17:53:17-04:00 mgottlieb@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/30/editorial_strickland_republica.html If an important principle were behind the bitter stalemate between Gov. Ted Strickland and Senate Republicans, maybe they could be forgiven for their inability to pass a budget. But the disagreement about whether to allow electronic slot machines at Ohio’s... 13631803@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Editorials 2009-06-30T17:46:32-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/29/editorial_why_those_sex_scanda.html The nation is enjoying some sex scandals. Every place you turn, another politician is in trouble for doing something he ultimately describes as letting down his family, his staff, his supporters and his state. The late-night talk show hosts rejoice.... 13612903@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Ohio politics 2009-06-29T18:03:45-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/29/editorial_dayton_shows_it_can.html For all the challenges facing Dayton schools and their students — and they are many — there is one good news story: Far more kids are graduating than did so just a few years ago. Dayton is now at an... 13580203@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Editorials 2009-06-29T16:29:37-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/29/guest_column_where_city_employ.html Paul Woodie, a former assistant city manager in Dayton, is a lifelong Dayton resident. Much of the debate about requiring city employees to live in Dayton has centered on urban myths. Myth No. 1: Everyone has a constitutional right to... 13607903@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Guest Columns 2009-06-29T14:46:50-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/28/editorial_employees_to_pay_tax.html Georgia is paying about $50,000 per job to entice NCR Corp. to move its world headquarters to that state. That’s not out of the norm for incentive packages — or shakedowns, as critics would call them.... 13581703@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ City of Dayton 2009-06-28T00:00:01-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/26/ellen_belcher_strickland_is_sc.html If Gov. Ted Strickland is re-elected next year, it will be because his supporters have nowhere else to go. They can’t very well cast a protest vote for John Kasich. But his backers are disappointed, and they have a right... 13581203@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Columns 2009-06-26T17:25:42-04:00 ebelcher@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/26/editorial_state_workers_not_oh.html Gov. Ted Strickland cannot be faulted for using one-time money to make the next two-year state budget come together. Taking almost $6 billion in federal stimulus money — a stunning amount by any measure — and looking under every rock... 13574103@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Editorials 2009-06-26T12:05:57-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/25/editorial_targeting_vulnerable.html It’s a moment of truth for Ohio’s government. The Legislature and Gov. Ted Strickland are supposed to agree on a two-year budget before Wednesday. The world won’t come to an end if they don’t; they can work out something temporary.... 13562803@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Ohio government 2009-06-25T17:13:19-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/25/martin_gottlieb_map_drawing_re.html It looks like local Democrats could get a break if the state adopts a nonpartisan approach to the drawing of congressional districts. By definition, of course, a reformed system would have to treat the parties equally statewide. Any break the... 13562603@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Miami Valley Politics 2009-06-25T17:04:51-04:00 mgottlieb@daytondailynews.com http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/entries/2009/06/25/editorial_contest_shows_real_h.html How would Ohio’s legislative districts be drawn if politicians didn’t control the process? Answer: Much better. In every important way. No trade-offs. That’s the only possible conclusion you can draw from an exercise just finished by advocates of reform, with... 13553803@http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/opinion/ Elections 2009-06-25T11:57:45-04:00 edletter@coxohio.com