The Best Doesn’t Come Cheap

by

Mike Scinto

Talk Show Host and Award-Winning Newspaper Columnist

as it appeared in Times Community Newspapers and the K-O Times

I don’t know about you, but when I step onboard that Boeing 747 to fly to Florida for a much-deserved week in the sun with my family, I want the best pilot they can afford to be in the cockpit. For that matter, I want the best entire crew money can buy!

If I’m ready to have IV medications started before going into surgery, I need to know the person with the scalpel has the motivation to be there doing the surgery.  I at least want to believe whoever that surgeon is, they are the best in the country; the best money can buy!

I’m sure most of you are not unlike me in those beliefs. That’s why it’s puzzling to me that Barack Obama, the Occupy movement and liberals in general are so resentful of successful folks in America who are paid commensurate with their abilities.

A professional baseball team wants the best manager it can find to handle its multi-million dollar roster. The same is true for the head coach on a professional basketball or football team. They don’t come cheap.

While all the aforementioned professionals are guided to a great extent by a passion and dedication to the activity involved, the location where those activities are carried out, I assure you, is guided in large part by the great American capitalist dollar!

This movement in America to penalize those with ambition, skill and wealth so those with none of those can have more is beyond me. That road to fortune in this great land is paved with the stories of individuals who did lack those three attributes in the beginning. But with hard work, dedication and searching within themselves they scratched and clawed their way into a comfortable lifestyle.

Let’s face it, that philosophy isn’t going to get a politician far these days. The lazy, government-dependent masses who want something for nothing are growing in number.  There was a time, and not so long ago, when pride wouldn’t allow a healthy, creative and proud American to take a dime they didn’t earn. They’d rather starve than to feel they didn’t provide for themselves or their loved ones. And that motivation alone made them morph an excuse into a job; and into a sense of pride, regardless of the bottom line on the paycheck.

And those individuals, rather than criticizing, hating and viewing their employers through the eyes of that green-eyed envious monster, learned from those who achieved and thanked them for the opportunity.

Does that mean there are no rich and powerful folks who abuse that strength? Of course there are. But left alone, the free market tends to take care of those sharks far better than any government committee, or bug-infested hippie mob camped in a park could.

           Get government out of it, turn true free-marketeering loose again on America and feel the magic………again! 

Losing Sight of the Ultimate Goal in 2012

by
Mike Scinto
Talk Show Host and Award-Winning Newspaper Columnist
as it appeared in Times Community Newspapers and the K-O Times
      

  I hope the Democratic National Committee and the Obama re-election team plans to thank the GOP this year. We’re saving them quite a bit of money. When it comes time to run ads for the general election the DNC won’t have to spend a dime. The tacky ads and televised comments run by Mitt Romney’s opponents will do the job of keeping Obama in the White House just fine!


I’m no novice at observing, commenting on or covering presidential races. And I am not naïve. I know the back and forth attacks are commonplace. But these are not normal times. If you look at the elections since 2000, it shows a country, for all intents and purposes, evenly divided. Every vote counts literally. The economic, strategic and social issues we face are world-changing and if we take a wrong turn now (and we’re well on the way in that direction under Obama) it could mean the end to the freedoms and independence we have enjoyed for most of our lives as a nation.

The attack should be against the socialist in office now, not each other. I understand the desires to be elected. Most only get one shot at it. But do you sacrifice all the conservative values and ideology that made this country great, and to which most Republican candidates ascribe to achieve that personal goal? Or do you take one for the team and unite behind a single GOP candidate to unseat the current American king?

I believe, as Newt Gingrich “claimed”, that a solid attack on Obama, without nasty stones thrown at GOP challengers, could be just as effective if not more so.

To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. This campaign is what I normally expect from Liberals. It will be costly in the end. Four more years of Barack Hussein Obama will surely send America into a tailspin from which it might not be able to recover. We might end up like the European nations economically and some third world dictatorship militarily.

               My hope is that it’s not too late and that bruised egos can be set aside. Republicans need to unite behind Romney. It’s fairly obvious he will be the party nominee. He wouldn’t be my choice but any of the candidates would be light years ahead of who is in there now. The old saying about losing the battle but winning the war certainly applies here. And if we don’t accept that now, it may be too late tomorrow to turn this country around and get it back on track. That would translate to losing the war. And that, my friends, would be too bad for all of us!

Mike Scinto and The Ohio Newspaper Association's Osman C. Hooper Award

 

What an honor, and Blessing, to receive this prestigious award for doing something I enjoy so much! 

The judge's comments for the columns entered for me by my Editor Bill Duffield were: "These columns range from nostalgia to the voice of a community, but they have one key thing in common: They take a stand and intelligently (and personably) defend it. A joy to read."

For those who are not aware, the Kettering-Oakwood Times was the home of the late Erma Bombeck, one of the most humorous, emotional and gifted writers of recent times and it is an honor to be published in the same paper!

You Really CAN’T Get There From Here

By

Mike Scinto

 Columnist

Appearing in Kettering-Oakwood Times-Times Community Newspapers

          I’ve sat in amazement and watched video accounts of climbers pushing forward to the peak of Mt. Everest; losing limbs, suffering frostbite and even losing their lives. I’ve viewed accounts of brave souls who traversed the rain forests, by river and through insect-plagued jungle trails, to get medical supplies to remote tribes around the globe. And as a 16 year old I remember heading back to my hometown of Memphis, to travel with family members on their annual jaunt to Cheyenne Frontier Days in Wyoming. While I loved my traveling partners, and the rodeo was awesome, the trip was somewhat less tolerable. Arkansas, at the peak of summer heat, is almost unbearable. We traveled in a Ford Fairlane with NO air conditioning across Arkansas and Oklahoma. Because of allergies, my Aunt couldn’t have wind blowing on her. While never measured, I’d bet the temperature in the car had to eclipse 120 degrees.

          While all of those journeys were painful and treacherous, none held a candle to the trip I took last week. I had to drive from my home in God’s country, a little bit south to the office of my newspaper to pick up a package. The trip took me through the heart of Kettering, Ohio; no path for the faint of spirit these days!

          This once gorgeous suburb of Dayton has become a maze of orange barrels and hard hats. At least three main thoroughfares are traps of barrels, ropes, machinery and dirt (mud). Since my visits are few and far between now, I planned to also stop at my favorite bakery, a restaurant where a good friend is the manager and a grocery store second to none. Needless to say, after traveling hours and hours to get a few blocks, those additional stops were scrapped. I’m not sure how the businesses even keep their doors open.

           It was all I could do to pick up my package and escape with my sanity! Combine the construction with drivers who quite obviously cut classes on Driver’s Education days and it was a nightmare. These hooligans behind the wheel cutting in and out of lanes, deciding to turn at the last second and sitting through multiple traffic lights to turn left, not realizing they could have proceeded into the intersection then turned when oncoming traffic moved through.

           None of the planners from Kettering asked me but if I were in charge we would take a section of one main roadway and intersection, concentrate crews there, repair it and move to the next section. Instead they strung out crews from Wilmington to Dorothy Lane and on to Woodman. Those are the only ones I SAW. There may be more. And of course they tied up all those intersections too. There is no “alternative route”. In fact there are multiple driveways into my paper and it was a game of bumper cars trying to get in and out.

           I can only imagine what would go through the mind of a business man planning to relocate who’d heard such great things about the area and surveying it in his car with potential investors. Or what about the family relocating to the area and wanting to buy a home in a nice, quiet suburban community?

           It’s too late to “re-plan” it now but maybe next time they’ll realize there are better ways of doing things. By the way the Headline for this column was not my idea but fit perfectly. I hesitate to attribute it to the person who “donated” it to me since they spend a great deal of time in Kettering and might end up with a crew working in front of THEIR work or home for the next year or two as retribution. I sure hope none of the other 48 contiguous states are in need of orange barrels; they’re all in use in Kettering!

The Golden Rule is Alive and Well

By

Mike Scinto

Appearing in Kettering-Oakwood Times-Times Community Newspapers

     All too often good deeds go unnoticed and unappreciated. I intend to make sure that doesn’t happen for a couple who exemplify how we all should live. They’re from Tipp City and their names are Tony and Sue Sutton.

     They will quickly tell you they are Christians, retired and appear to be enjoying life. What did they do that set them apart from other folks and drove me to write about them in this column? They found my wallet and returned it to me with every dollar bill, credit card and piece of paper intact (at least the same shape in which they found them).

     One morning this past week, following a night of only a couple of hours of sleep, I was dozing off in the late morning. The door bell rang, or at least I awoke thinking I heard the door bell. I looked out and a gentleman was standing in the doorway. He asked if I was Mike Scinto. There was no gun drawn, he wasn’t wearing an “Obama or Bust” t-shirt nor was he accompanied by Dog The Bounty Hunter so I responded in the affirmative.

     He then reached his hand toward me and asked if I wanted my wallet. Still wiping sleep from my eyes I wondered when I gave this man, who I had never seen before, my wallet. I took the billfold that looked like it had been run over by a car with some of the cards broken and cracked. It looked that way because it had been run over; apparently all night long, with the contents strewn over a major thoroughfare next to Tony’s (the man at the door) home.

     It was a good test of this (rather costly) wallet that I had to beg my wife to allow me to buy just months earlier. After it was cleaned up it looked as good as new. Every card (but one) was in there, as was a sizable amount of cash. That was unusual for me because I am on the plastic standard now and rarely carry cash.

     It seems Sue, Tony’s better half, was gardening in the early morning and saw the wallet and contents in the road. She and Tony proceeded to search for as much of what was originally in the wallet as they could find. They did a great job!

     After gathering it all together Tony saw our address on the driver’s license and brought it back. I followed him home and Tony, Sue and I tried to reconstruct my travels the night before and I realized I had, in fact, driven down that road a couple of times. I have a bad habit of laying things on the bed cover of my pickup truck and forgetting they are there. I assume that’s what happened the previous night.

     There were a couple of ironies in the event. First, just prior to Tony coming to our front door I had been in a discussion with Dayton residents on Facebook about how different things are in the suburbs. You have to lock and guard your possessions in the city and in our community things are just the opposite. This proved my point. I hate to say it, and I could be wrong, but I wouldn’t wager much that this would happen on a street in the Gem City.

     The second irony was that, as I mentioned, there was one card that the Suttons didn’t find. Sue had told me this event was God-driven and as I approached their home to thank them again, a light colored object caught my eye on the road. It was the missing card. So I had everything back, in working order and my wife wouldn’t have to kill me for being so careless.

     Just as we are bombarded by headlines of shootings, armed robberies and muggings, two wonderful people reminded me that if guided by Faith and conscience, we really can treat others as we would hope to be treated. So Tony and Sue, thanks for being the kind of people who really do answer the question WWJD; What Would Jesus Do?

The bin Laden Reign of Terror is Over!

By Mike Scinto

Columnist

Appearing in the Kettering-Oakwood Times-Times Community Newspapers

 

            My first reaction to the bulletin that interrupted programming Sunday evening was “Thank God, the world is rid of this monster”. My second thought was hoping he struggled before he finally died because of the pain he caused so many. My third reaction was I wish they would have captured him, brought him to America, released him in an arena with the families and survivors of the 9/11 horrors and just let them have him.            

          Then I watched the crowds in Times Square, and other cities, cheering, laughing and singing. Something clicked inside me. While I shared the sentiment, and given the opportunity would have joined them, I felt a little funny. Was I sorry bin Laden was dead? No I wasn’t. I think what bothered me was the fact that our celebration made us look almost uncivilized.

            Don’t get me wrong. Put me in Pakistan with a weapon and I’d have put two into him without hesitation. Is that the right way to feel? 

            I am a follower of Christ; or at least I sure strive for that. So why am I not apologetic for despising this killer and being glad he’s dead? I have to say, at least speaking for myself, it’s a bit hypocritical. Would the Savior I say I follow be dancing and singing in the streets?  Man, I sure never thought I would feel this way! 

            Before I get the emails and Facebook comments ripping me to shreds, please understand I am not judging anybody’s feelings; I already said I share them. I’m not trying to shove the Bible down your throat. I am ONLY speaking of my own inner conflicts.

            I suppose my main reason for putting this down in words is the cathartic feeling it gives me. And just in case there may be others wrestling with the same thoughts to know you’re not alone. There’s no doubt the world is a better, safer place without bin Laden. But are we better as a result of our manner of dealing with it?

Now That's What I Call News!

By Mike Scinto

Columnist

Appearing in the Kettering-Oakwood Times-Times Community Newspapers

They’re rolling out the big guns for this one. Network news anchors, top reporters and videographers, analysts, politicians and psychologists by the dozens, hour after hour, are showing up on our TV in an almost seamless display.

Have they found a cure for cancer, reached a peace agreement in the Middle East or have the millions of unemployed in our country been hired back to do real jobs in America? Oh no, the huge story isn’t even on our shores. Nope, the big news is William and Kate’s royal wedding!

I don’t know if it’s possible for any of you to care less about this than me. I just don’t get it; or maybe I do. We have become a shallow nation that believes the snake oil salesmen (after all, we elected one to the Presidency) telling us what’s important and what isn’t.

I speak at functions regularly and have found, out of the hundreds of folks I have seen in recent weeks where I brought this up, maybe ten people (male or female) who claimed to have any interest at all in this.

I have had good friends in TV media, national and local (brainwashed as they were), who have seen me on Facebook telling me to lighten up. “We need some diversion from the economy, war and the 2012 election” they lament. And I absolutely agree with them. But is THIS the best diversion we could cook up? I always assumed a diversion was something that briefly took you away from a harsh reality. But this is nearly the entire 6:30 newscast, replacing ANY valid news!

I can understand a two or three minute story, even daily, this week leading up to the “big day”. But the anchors reporting from London; a bit much I suspect.

No, I’ll sit this one out. Maybe I’m out of touch but I don’t think so. I even saw one story, on a cable network that agrees with me I suspect, where Brits, who didn’t care and hoped to escape the crowds back home, decided to vacation in America; only to find it was the only news really being covered on our shores.

I’d be a little more heated but, somewhere amidst the array of reports from London I did see, on one of the Big Three networks, that Lindsay Lohan was arrested for the 4^th time and released on bail. At least they haven’t lost ALL journalistic credibility!