Illegals and Health Insurance: How Does This Make Sense Again?

Today I am going to deviate from some of the more fun issues to something a little more political in the interest of keeping things somewhat fresh around here. While I could go on and on about pastas and sauces, there are other interesting things going on in the world.

Today’s issue is illegal immigrants being afforded healthcare coverage if they want to opt in to the government plan. Apparently, there has been a pushback from a small group of House Democrats (not all, just about 20) to include a provision to cover illegal immigrants if they would like to get coverage.

Let me break this down as simple as I can and maybe if someone in D.C. is reading this it will get through their skulls. I will start off with the first fundamental issue here. Illegal immigrants are not American citizens—period.

What does that mean?

If you are here illegally, that means (try and follow me here Congress) you are breaking the law. While I know that does not mean a whole lot to some in the Republican Party and some in the Democratic Party, it means a lot to the legal citizens of the United States.

Some in this small entourage of Democrats who are pushing to include illegal aliens in the healthcare plan argue that it will keep them out of the emergency rooms, hence bringing down costs.

Well ladies and gentlemen, here is a thought. They really should not be here in the first place, should they? So in theory, it would be illegal to be here and a violation of the law of the United States, but regardless of the fact you are here illegally, we still want to allow you to acquire health insurance through the Federal plan.

How on earth does that possibly make any sense? How is that rational thinking?

Here is an idea. Instead of letting illegal aliens buy insurance, why not simply treat them in the emergency room, and then notify the authorities to deport them? Furthermore, if you knowingly treat someone who is here illegally and do not report them, it should be a 5th degree felony as incentive to do the right thing as an American citizen by getting people to follow the law.

By allowing illegal immigrants to buy into American insurance, we as a country are basically saying even though you are breaking the law, we still want you to have insurance. We will not make an effort to deport you for breaking the law, but we are willing to give you health insurance.

Make no mistake: if you are a legal citizen and you break the law, you are going to jail. If you are here illegally, that does not seem to be the case anymore. You are rewarded if anything. Some will say we do not have the manpower to deal with the problem, and to that I say that is complete and total garbage. If we really wanted to get serious about this problem, we could, but we don’t. When was the last time you heard anything about illegal immigration outside the context of the healthcare debate? It has been awhile, and I try to follow the news daily.

Am I the only one seeing a problem with this?

It is as simple as this: if you are a citizen of the U.S., you should be entitled to the privileges of being a citizen. If you are not a citizen of the U.S., you are a criminal and should not be entitled to the same privileges and benefits as those of the legal American citizen. Good or bad for the economy aside, these people are breaking the law, and somewhere along the line some people forgot that.

-

Alex Mangie

The Mang

Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Youngstown’s Best Spaghetti Sauce: If You Want Controversy, You Found It-Part 2

So this is the moment of truth. I have received a lot of comments and messages about this, so I hope this final list is adequate. We do have some honorable mentions at the bottom to look at as well, and they are pretty good.

Onto the list:

5.) Sunrise Inn: The pizza here is outstanding, and the sauce is just as good. I only discovered this place back in July up in Warren, but it has been here for ages. Good portion size, adequate amount of sauce, all very enjoyable.

4.) Caffe Capri: More of an upscale independent restaurant, it was not always this way. This place has an interesting history, because the family that owns the Capri has been in the restaurant business since 1939. Formerly known as the Isle of Capri in Struthers, the restaurant reopened in Boardman, and then moved again to its present location in Boardman. The sauce and portions are fantastic, but you also get to see some of Youngstown’s “finest”. During my trips there, I have seen convicted felons in both business and politics as well as mobsters. I do not think this is reflective of the clientele of this place, but it is just that even criminals know where to get good food. Good food, awesome bar (very retro looking), Youngstown royalty, Youngstown’s “finest”, and good looking hostesses/waitresses. Yeah, it makes for a good evening.

3.) Scarsella’s: Phenomenal place to get spaghetti. I usually will get the chicken parmesan and the sea shells when I go here, because it is a favorite and is what my grandparents and I both used to get when we went there years ago. Good portions, lots of sauce, but for some reason salads are ala carte. I cannot remember the last time I went there for dinner (except when I get takeout there), but it really one of the best in Mahoning County. Lots of memories at that place.

2.) The Wave: This place is not even in Ohio, but a short drive over to Sharon, PA. I am including this place because it is close in proximity to both Youngstown and Warren regionally. The sauce here is amazing, and the restaurant has been at its current location for a long time. It is an old time place. Kitchen is in the basement, they use a dumb waiter to bring the food upstairs, and it is relatively small and family oriented. The sauce is tossed here. IT IS TOSSED! It is hard to find a restaurant that tosses the sauce in the spaghetti, even in this town. The churches and the ITAM’s in town do that, but I believe the Wave is the only restaurant that does it.

By the way, that is the correct way to make your spaghetti for anyone who is curious. You toss the sauce in the pasta before serving, rather than throwing the white pasta on the plate and putting some sauce on there. Only problem with The Wave is they skimp on the sauce big time, and you have to ask like ten times to get extra sauce here. Sometimes they are good about it, and sometimes they aren’t. Just how it goes though.

And for the best…

1.) The Elmton: It is the small Struthers bar and restaurant that everyone in town knows about. Ironically, it is also the very first place I went after I was born. I came home from the hospital, and we went to the Elmton for pizza. Of all the places you take a newborn, it is a bar in the city of Struthers. No wonder I turned out the way I did. I think I even had a birthday party or two down there now that I am looking back on this, which is really unusual because kids that age typically do not want to have their parties at, well, a smoky bar. One time I think I downed an entire cup of those hot pepper seeds when I was there at one of those parties…

I love the Elmton, and in fact I was there tonight for chicken parmesan. They have the classic red sauce which is the right consistency and they give very generous amounts of it with dinner. Is the sauce tossed? No, but it is not a hassle, because frankly there is so much of it I can easily mix it myself without getting a hodgepodge of dry noodles. It is perhaps a nuisance, but one that is easily fixed.

We are dealing with a sweeter sauce here, which is something I am fine with. Other places have a spicier sauce, but here we have a sweeter variety. Some people are not big fans of a sweet sauce, but I happen to enjoy it. Now, I doubt this sauce is made in house like everything else, but really I do not care so much about that as long as their supplier gets the sauce right. The texture and consistency and thickness of the sauce is typical of what you would find at most restaurants in the Mahoning Valley, with a unique taste. So the fact the sauce is not made in house is fine by me at this point.

Portion sizes are huge, especially for the money. $8 for a huge plate of chicken parmesan and spaghetti is a pretty good deal, since most places you’ll be paying $11-15. Granted this is a small town bar and restaurant, but damn, the food is fantastic.

Honorable mentions: Belleria Pizza, Café 422, Dona Vito's, and Alberini’s. Each of these places has good food and sauce, and like some of you that have commented about doing this as well, I have used Belleria Pizza sauce in my own cooking at home when I want to make a quick pasta meal. I believe it is good, but I cannot say it makes the top 10.

Many of these were tossups and can be interchangeable, but it was hard to drill down a definitive list without stepping on a few toes.

One of these days I will get around to pizza, but it is going to more reminiscent of a March Madness Bracket than a top 10 list, because there are too many independent pizza shops in this town.

Salute,

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Youngstown’s Best Spaghetti Sauce: If You Want Controversy, You Found It-Part 1

As far as I’m concerned, this article is more controversial than anything I have ever written. Sports and politics are a mere nuisance compared to this subject: who has the best spaghetti sauce in Youngstown, OH (and the surrounding areas)? In fact, the only thing perhaps more controversial than this is who has the best pizza, and frankly I am not sure I can stand up to the criticism on that topic. One thing is for certain here: we have more Italian restaurants per capita than any place in the U.S., and I would be willing to bet any money on that right now.

When it comes to sauce, I am a connoisseur of sorts. Most of you know me to be very particular about Italian food and often it is a source for some of my rants and complaints on a regular basis. The only problem with that is everyone else considers themselves to be an expert, and hence I will probably write this and find myself in some sort of fist fight because someone else thinks they know better. Crazier things have happened I suppose.

Part 1: 12-6. I will post the top 5 tomorrow.

Let me start off with the ones that are definitely not going to make the list. Olive Garden automatically is off because frankly, their sauce is lousy. The fact they have thirty different varieties about sums up why—just because there is more choice does not mean it is better. How on earth that restaurant possibly is packed consistently is truly an anomaly, and this writer is often baffled by that.

Carrabba’s is off the list. Now, the sauce here is not nearly as bad as Olive Garden. I have noticed they skimp on the sauce, but actually I have had plenty worse sauces than this. It is passable and I would have no problem going here. Is it even in the top 10? I think not.

Now for the best—and the criticism I am sure. Looking at these places, these are harder to rank than I originally thought.

12.) Blue Wolf: I have frequented the Blue Wolf a number of times in the past, and it is one of my favorite places to go. The sauce here is interesting though. When I get the chicken parmesan, it comes with a side of spaghetti. On the chicken, the sauce is outstanding. On the pasta, the sauce is not that good. It is the damndest thing I have ever seen and this has to be the only place this has happened to me.

11.) MVR: You are probably thinking to yourself, “Damn, is he serious?” Well, I love the MVR. I think it is an awesome place and they have some good food. It has a great environment (except for that one room that is newer with those big tables), bocce, and a cool bar. But in terms of the sauce? Believe it or not, the sauce there is hit or miss. Sometimes it is great, and sometimes it is pretty bad. It tends to be a little thick, and when they are having a bad night, it is usually pretty noticeable.

10.) Angenetta’s: I have not been to Angenetta’s in almost a year, but that is probably because I have been in Columbus. This is one of Canfield’s better restaurants and it is by the high school. The problem is while the sauce is very good, the ambiance is not that good, and it sometimes detracts from the meal itself. This is an unusual statement, because it should be about the sauce. But while it is good, I believe if the setup of the restaurant was better, I’d probably enjoy it a lot more.

10.) Pascarella’s: This is the Poland equivalent of Angenetta’s, except the atmosphere of the place compliments the sauce instead of taking away from it. They tend to skimp a little on the sauce, however, which is a problem. I will rank Pascarella’s and Angenetta’s equally, though I have to give slight favor to Pascarella’s.

8.) The Fireplace: This is a place that has known two locations during its existence—one on the South Side and one at 5 Points. I have gone to the Fireplace a lot over the years except for recently. I have been in the mood for their sauce and I hope to get back over there soon. What can I say? It is a good sauce. When I go here I get the ravioli or the cavatelli usually, because they give a pretty decent amount and the sauce works well. This is not so much the case with the spaghetti in my honest opinion, but maybe I am just mincing things here. Overall it is very good.

7.) Antones: I am sure everyone who lives in Mahoning/Trumbull/Columbiana counties have eaten here at least one time at some point. In fact, it is kind of hard to avoid since there are so many these days (both under the Antone’s name and under other names like Jeremiah Bullfrog’s/ Oscar’s). Consistently the sauce is good here, and actually it is good for carryout if you are on your lunch break and want something decent to eat in a hurry. Hat’s off to Ross and Chad Scianna.

6.) Avalon Gardens: A North Side Italian stronghold. Neighborhood is not the best, but it is worth the trip. Usually known for its Brier Hill pizza, it also has very good pasta (and smelts which are hard to come by on demand these days, but I digress). Have to give them credit, they usually do not skimp on the sauce (that is a major thing with me if you have not realized that yet) and the sauce itself is good on all of the dishes that have sauce on them.

That was the 6-12. I will not reveal the top 5 until tomorrow, but I can give you some hints to where they are at. Boardman, Struthers, Warren, Sharon, and Youngstown.

In the meantime, I will look forward to immense criticism on these picks.

Alex Mangie

The Mang

Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee and Conservative Capo of the Mahoning Valley

The Point When Slasher Sequels Had to Stop

Today on my break at work I was going through a few random things online because I was trying to find a good movie to watch for later. Fact is I am not going out tonight because I am tired as hell, and after having sat through dinner with an aunt of mine the last hour and a half, I am now pretty sure that my ass is not leaving the house tonight. It is just how it is, but I’ll probably go out tomorrow. In the meantime, I am going to chill with a movie.

While I was looking I came across an interesting one: Hellraiser. Now, I realize it is almost Halloween and I will probably do a top 10 list of these movies in October, but it got me thinking about home many damn sequels have come out. There were eight Hellraiser movies. Halloween? Eleven. Nightmare on Elm Street? Eight, but there will be nine when the remake comes out. Friday the 13th? Twelve. What the hell?

Since these franchises are all major offenders of having too many sequels, I will try and determine the point these franchises should have stopped, because I am the Mang and I can do that here. Sorry, had to invoke my sense of self importance, but this is semi-important.

Halloween—Franchise should have ended at Halloween 3 unless different plotlines aside from Michael Myers could be explored. The first and second movies are essentially the same movie split into two different movies, and both are outstanding. The Michael Myers plot could have ended without a problem at the end of movie two. The sequels all are tied into the same basic premise and are not crucial to the success of the originals. Halloween 3 is severely underrated, and is actually a favorite of mine. It was never intended to be about Michael Myers, and because of that was not received well by fans of the original. I thought it was good though.

Friday the 13th—Franchise could have ended at Friday the 14th Part IV. You all know the story, most of you grew up in the 80s. The first involved the mother and the next three movies involved a revenge-filled Jason, with each subsequent movie picking up right from where the last left off. The rest, with the exception of Freddy v. Jason, I could do without. I do want to give some credit for Jason Goes to Hell, because after being taken down by the Feds, he was taken to a morgue in YOUNGSTOWN, OH. That’s right, we get all the murderers here, even the ones that cannot be killed after ten sequels.

Nightmare on Elm Street—This one is interesting because it could go two ways. Nightmare could have stood on its own without all the sequels. I thought the ending was very fitting. However, since Freddy is a villain of the dream world and cannot be killed technically, then every one of these sequels might have been justified, no matter how cheesy. It is a tough call.

Hellraiser—I was never a big fan of the Hellraiser series, although I enjoyed the first one. Honestly, the nature of the Cenobites and Pinhead invite a sequel because the puzzle box and Hell never went away. I would say this franchise could have ended on a decent note in its fourth installment Hellraiser: Bloodline, though I would have been happy to see it end at Hellraiser II.

Children of the Corn—I actually chose this movie to watch tonight because I have not seen it for ages. The original is either loved or hated. Frankly, it has become a cult favorite and is legendary in many respects, no matter how distasteful it may be. The sequels were just kind of silly, and quite honestly the premise behind this movie is a little silly too. This had six sequels, but I have to say they probably should have stopped at the original. Isaac and Malachai were decent antagonists, though they were as annoying as they were funny.

Saw—This franchise should not have even had an original, but that is just my opinion. Personally, I would have stopped this franchise at Saw II, but for some reason huge amounts of gore seems to sell, which is why I guess the following sequels were moderately successful. I was never into the Saw series, though a lot of my friends seem to be into it. I understand the psychological aspects that make up the plot line, but damn.

I realize there are other franchises out there to discuss, but these are some of the major ones I wanted to get to tonight.

When October comes around (and it is not too far off surprisingly), I will try and put together a decent list of Halloween movies. Most likely it will be Mang’s Top 10 because I like to think I have some influence over both the important and mundane. As you can probably already tell, I am a big fan of Halloween generally, so it should make for some interesting reading during October.

For now, enjoy your evening,

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown

The Mang on the Random

It is kind of a stupid week, which is why I have not really written too much the last few days. Mostly I have been working, getting up early, and getting to bed late. Not really exciting, is it? But it is almost the weekend, which probably is going to entail watching the Steelers and the Buckeyes and hopefully doing something else, like my own campaign.

Things are actually going pretty good with it. The literature is getting printed up and the shirts are coming in soon. I plan on hitting the Canfield-Struthers game this coming Friday (which also happens to be homecoming), and I will send out an email/message to anyone who is interested in helping me out with that. Probably do some door to door that weekend too, and our mailings are going to be starting fairly soon. So next week we will be starting into campaign mode. I guess it is that time of year again.

I’ll send out some more information Monday or Tuesday about what is going on that weekend, and of course there will be food and other beverages for those willing to give a hand. Most likely we’ll go out somewhere, which is fine because it would be Friday!

Now, something interesting about the Mang. Seriously, I am struggling for a topic here because this week has been kind of lousy. I could banter on about politics, but I think since it is Thursday, I want to try and keep this light tonight. Okay, I have one.

Every once in awhile I get this thing called sleep paralysis. No, it is not contagious, and no, it is not a routine thing. Actually it happens to everyone at some point, and when it does happen (again, this is pretty infrequent), it usually happens when I am dosing on the couch. You might know what I am talking about.

It is the weirdest feeling in the world, because you are conscious, but you are completely unable to move your body. You are asleep, but you are completely aware of that fact. Usually you might find that when you try to speak, you can’t, and when you try to move, you are unable to. You try to open your eyes, but they will not open. Hence why it is called sleep paralysis. It is a weird ass feeling, and certainly one that can be scary the first time it happens.

Basically this is when your brain wakes up from REM sleep, but the body has not caught up. It is pretty harmless from everything I have read, just it is not really pleasant. I mention this because it happened this afternoon briefly for a few seconds. I think I was dreaming about some kind of dog when it happened now that I think about it. Weird.

Usually this is onset by irregular sleeping patterns or stress, which I guess has been the case for a little while now. I have not been sleeping enough lately, and I am a little stressed right now.

Haha, sorry guys, this is the best I could come up with tonight. I’ll have more interesting stuff in the next few days because I know they are going to beat the hell out of the last boring week.

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Trustee and Conservative Capo of the Mahoning Valley

Different Year, Same Old Ohio State—and What I Want to See in the Big 10 This Coming Year.

Words cannot describe how angry I am today. Seriously, I am pretty fed up with how things went in Columbus last night. I am sick of the Pac-10, the SEC, and the Big 12. Schools like USC have the best teams money can buy, and that probably is not far from the truth.

You did not see a championship team playing on that field last night. Matt Barkley, who is the USC quarterback currently, did not do jack shit against Ohio State last night. Sorry folks, he had a terrible game, and the fact he may have led one single decent drive in the entire 60 minutes of regulation does little to instill confidence that this is a great player.

And yet the TV commentators are putting this kid up for sainthood. Excuse me while I adjust my eye sight, because they played a terrible game from where I was sitting in the stands.

If you can barely beat a Big 10 team in the current state that it is in, then you will not beat an SEC team, because Florida likely will be going again to the BCS Championship this year. And despite whatever grudges I have against Florida, there is nothing more that I would like to see than USC be humiliated in a championship game. Plain and simple, I want them to be embarrassed and humiliated and sent back to Los Angeles where they can stay and rot for all I care. I hope to God they get to the BCS title so they can be knocked on their asses.

Now, a couple things I would like to see in the Big 10 this year. Some are realistic, some are only remotely possible:

A strong, fast, and competitive Michigan team needs to arrive. Rich Rodriguez is bringing his game from West Virginia where they had a very fast and very strong playing style. Regardless of my own personal feelings toward Rodriguez, I know he is a good coach. When he gets his own people onto that team (and we are starting to see that), I hope to see a much more competitive Michigan team, that in turn will make Ohio State and the rest of the Big 10 more competitive.

Penn State needs to move up in the rankings and stay in contention for the national title, even if it means Ohio State having to lose to them in Happy Valley. I love Ohio State with a passion, but I also realize Ohio State is no longer in contention (barring some miracle). The Big 10 needs a national title, and if means OSU has to lose to Penn State so the Big 10 has a shot, then I am okay with that.

Love them or hate them, I want Notre Dame in the Big 10 conference. Notre Dame is a good fit for the conference, and in time I believe they will become national contenders again. Additionally, with 12 teams in the Big 10, you have the possibility for an additional championship game, which means our champion is not going to be cold an extra week like we are now going into a bowl game. Several different proposals are out there on how it can be done, but frankly it would make the Big 10 Conference more competitive in the long run.

Eventually, I think it is going to happen, but it is just a matter of when. Until then, I will keep looking forward to Notre Dame’s decision to join.

Bowl games. It goes without saying we need to win bowl games, and to continue losing these bowl games makes the Big 10 less legitimate. I know it may be hard to do when there are draft prospects on the rosters, but our teams have to give 110% to beat the hell out of those other teams that are down South and out West.

Smashmouth football. We are supposed to be the physical conference, so we need to play hard and hit harder. Take a lesson from Pittsburgh or Baltimore—that is how you knock people around. This is not the pro’s, but it wouldn’t hurt to follow those examples of how we need to hit. Wisconsin has some pretty big guys, as does everyone else in the Big 10, and we are capable at playing at this level. If you are going to tackle someone, you have to make them feel it, and that is what we need to do. Show some dominance for a change.

Finally, if you are at the 40 yard line and have a shot at making a field goal to put you beyond a 7 point margin, you take the field goal, you DO NOT PUNT! Let me repeat myself here, because that is very important. When the game is on the line and you need to get beyond 7 points because you are currently ahead by 5 points, you DO NOT PUNT! TAKE THE FIELD GOAL! Sorry Coach Tressel, but that was far too conservative a move. I respect you a lot and think you are a great coach, but you did not do the greatest job coaching last night.

That is all for now. Please give some feedback if you feel the need.

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown

On Healthcare: For My Trust, I Will Need Specifics Written into the Bill

Last night I ended up watching President Obama’s speech, probably out of genuine interest in what he had to say. Believe it or not, I think it was an outstanding speech. I caution you, I did not say it was outstanding content, because it really was nothing new. When I say outstanding, I mean outstanding in delivery.

Now, Obama said a lot of good things that are very pleasing to the ear. Many beautiful words were spoken promising a smorgasbord of wonderful things that will come out of this healthcare plan.

I do not believe him.

If President Obama wants me to trust him, here is what he can do. Go back to the drawing board, have Congress write up a new bill that everyone can understand, and make it more specific without leaving things to be open ended for interpretation.

If illegal aliens are not going to be covered, I want the language to read “this healthcare bill will not cover individuals who have been determined to be in this country illegally”. It is that simple folks, because under the current HR 3200 bill, it leaves that little piece of information pretty wide open for the interpretation of those reading it.

Unfortunately, you will not see that kind of language in this bill. Why not? Well, you can ask the Congressmen who are putting it together. For many of them, doing so is not politically expedient. I am not entirely sure why, seeing as how the rules seem pretty easy to understand. This is the United States. If you are here illegally in the United States, and are not a citizen or have a proper visa, you shall not be entitled to the benefits of being a citizen. We will treat you in the hospital for an emergency, but the next place you will be going is your home country when you are deported. This should not be entirely hard to understand or comprehend folks. I do not see the big deal in putting this specific piece of language in the bill.

If this bill is not going add one dime to the deficit, I want a bona fide guarantee of that assertion. Just the same, I would like a guarantee that the costs are not going to double every few years like they did for the Medicare program. Oh yes, that is a fact many seem to neglect, because the costs of Medicare have doubled every four years since 1966 and is the reason why Medicare is in bad shape these days.

The costs for this plan are going to be enormous, so should we be expecting a doubling of these enormous costs every few years as well? If you say no Mr. President, I want a guarantee and an escape clause for dissolution of such a healthcare system as soon as we have to start subsidizing it. If you say this healthcare system is going to be self-sufficient, you should have no problem putting that clause in there.

“If at any time in the future this healthcare plan ceases to be self-sufficient and results in having to subsidize this system for its survival, this plan shall be dissolved”.

To be entirely honest, I am not even sure how to write in language speaking to preventing the government health insurance plan from being anti-competitive. There is nothing to stop the government from offering deeply discounted insurance rates and taking a loss to get people into its plan. If I think of a way how to word some language to prevent this, I will let you know.

Simple guarantees are all I am asking to see. You want my trust President Obama? Talk with your friends in Congress and have them rewrite a new version of the bill. Make it so some of these promises you have made are airtight and are not subject to interpretation. And make it so the average American can understand it. No more ambiguous language.

Until I see some bona fide guarantees and some language that is specific to some of these issues, I will continue to be suspicious of the bills coming out of Congress.

Quite simply, if you are going to make these promises, why don’t you put them in writing. If you are not hiding anything, then put some specificity to the claims you are making. Then maybe I will consider the truth in what you say.

Alex Mangie

The Mang

Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Random Points for a Random Day

I just have a few points of randomness tonight. Some are serious and some are not so serious. On a brief campaign note, we will be actively campaigning starting next weekend when it is a little closer to the prime campaign season. I’ll let you know what is going on next week as far as that is concerned.

Something has been weighing on my mind a little bit since the end of school, so I want to discuss it here. There was a young lady who I went to school with this past year at OSU who I was good friends with. She was actually one of the more brilliant minds in my class now that I think about it, but somewhere along the way I may have led her on unintentionally. Not that she wasn’t pretty, but knowing the circumstances I knew it could not work out and I chose not to pursue it. And I stick by that decision here. I probably will not see her again, but if she is reading this (and she might be), I do want to apologize if I led you on. If you want to discuss this further, shoot me a text.

Now, on a semi-related issue, my next random point involves Ohio State generally. OSU is facing USC this weekend at home, and I am looking forward to making the trip down with my friend Gary. Gary and I were down at OSU a couple of years ago for the OSU-Michigan game when it was #1 versus #2, and we had a blast. So even though it looks like it is going to be a rough game based on OSU’s poor performance playing Navy, it will still be a good time. I am not sure who is still in town, but I know some Youngstown people are making the trip down and there should still be a few classmates who are still in town from OSU. Anyway, I’m not sure who all is there, but if you want to get together before or after the game, give me a call or text me or any other numerous ways to contact me. The Mang is not that hard to reach, and yes, I know I am speaking in the 3rd person here.

Going in a different direction, Congressman Jim Traficant is going to be speaking at the T.E.A. Party in Columbiana County at Firestone Park 9/12/09 at 2:30, and is the keynote speaker of the event. For those of you unfamiliar with Jim Traficant, I refer you to my earlier article. He will also be on Greta Van Sustren on FOX News tomorrow night at 10:00ET, and undoubtedly it is going to be a hell of an interview. If you have never seen the Congressman in action, I encourage you to watch to see for yourself.

Steelers are going to be playing the Titans tomorrow night, and I am excited to see how they will do given this is the first official game of the regular season for the Pittsburgh Champions. A friend of mine, Megan, told me the Steelers are on the “Stairway to Seven”, which is an awesome way of putting another season, the great dismay of Browns and Bengals fans. It will be a tough year though. There is a lot of competition out there. Eagles are going to be interesting due to Vick, the Bears have been called to go the Super Bowl from the article in Sports Illustrated, the Cardinals may be contenders again, and of course the Ravens and the Patriots are there too. And last and certainly least in this writer’s opinion is Minnesota and Brett Favre.

There are the random points for the evening. Now, it is time for me to get some sleep because I have work tomorrow. Damn it feels good to be a contributing member of society again!

Salute,

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee
Conservative Capo of Youngstown and Political Thinking

The Mang on the Trustee Race, with Many Grateful Thanks

First of all, I want to thank all of you for offering the encouragement and assistance to my campaign for trustee. Yesterday afternoon I started the “Mangie for Canfield Trustee” group and had a few people join. Tonight I see over 100 people have joined, so I appreciate you all taking an interest. If I had 5 people join I would have been thrilled, trust me. It really does mean a lot to see the support here, even if we do not always see eye to eye on certain things.

This was actually an unusual move on my part to go into a campaign like this. I have often sworn in the past (and some of you can probably attest to this) that I would never under any circumstance run for political office. Well, the way I saw it, there would be no better time than now to jump into this thing. I really believe there is an opportunity to turn this community around, and unfortunately it would be very hard to take an active role in that from the sidelines. The Mahoning Valley can use some fresh blood in the political arena, and if anyone else out there feels the same way, I encourage you to take a hard look at some of the races in your own part of town. This county can definitely use you, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. We need younger thinkers here, all ideology aside.

This is not a partisan race, and nor should it be. This is more about improving and sustaining a township rather than party politics, though inevitably someone will try and bring up my involvement with the Republican Party somewhere down the line. I expect it. However, that should not be an issue for this kind of a race. This is about the people, not the Parties. Fortunately for me I have a decent relationship with some of the Democratic politicians in this town, and hopefully I can use that kind of political capital to help accomplish things if I get elected.

Anyway, this is going to be a good race. I ordered the t-shirts tonight, the literature pieces are almost done and ready to go to press, we have yard signs coming in, and we have put together a strategy of sorts to win this. I will have more information on that as we get closer to kicking this campaign off officially, but I’ll send out a message about that in the next week for anyone interested in helping out.

It goes without saying I will take care of any volunteers that want to help out, because you are my friends of course and without your help I would not stand a chance at this.

Thanks again everyone!

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Trustee, and your Conservative Capo of political viewpoints.

Casino: Gambling In Ohio, With an Awesome Video of Pesci

There was an article on casino gambling in Ohio that appeared in the Business Journal. When I see these things, I usually start to laugh, but at the same time get unusually perturbed. Apparently, a group out there known as the Ohio Roundtable has brought suit against Governor Ted Strickland in regards to his plan to put slot machines in racetracks around Ohio. The Ohio Roundtable is a conservative group that has opposed casino gambling in Ohio since 1990. They also oppose the plan to put casinos in Ohio when it goes to ballot this November.

I see things like this, and all I want to ask these people is, ARE YOU SERIOUS? I usually do not go after conservative groups like this, but today I am taking a major shot at them. On the right, we have groups like these that oppose gambling on moral grounds. On the left, we have groups that oppose gambling on social grounds. That was evident today at the Canfield Fair, because apparently both the Democrats and Republicans had anti-gambling literature.

There is a hodgepodge of conservative and liberal activists out there using faulty logic and coming to the same wrong conclusions, and I am sick and tired of these people running the show.

Well, gambling is morally wrong they say. Yes, based on your own beliefs and opinions my ultra-right wing friends. Here is a reality check: we thought drinking was morally wrong too, and guess what happened to Prohibition. Well, gambling is socially harmful. It is called free choice, and no one has to gamble if they do not want to my far left liberal friends. Spare me your tired and contrived arguments for my own sanity.

Somehow, the facts escape these people that every state around Ohio is making money off the State of Ohio, except the State of Ohio itself. I seriously want to shake these people when I hear them talk about this issue. As this state is going down the toilet (rather, we were already flushed and in the pipes to the sewer by this point now that it has gotten so bad here), these people are still out there beating the morality and social drums.

News flash folks: YOU ARE NOT MICHAEL JACKSON! STOP BEATING IT ALREADY! A friend had to tell his nephew I am not Richard Dreyfus, and I had to tell him that I am not an alarm clock to wake up at 5:00AM. If I can deal with those crazy realities, then surely these people can stop beating their damn drums about morality.

A true conservative would advocate free individual choice. If you want to play $10,000 on a hand of blackjack, you should have every right to do it. Just don't come crying to me when you lose.

The reality is gambling will keep Ohio dollars in Ohio if it does nothing else. It will create jobs for the construction of these locations, it will provide jobs to staff these locations, and if we do a halfway decent job at promoting these locations and making them nice, maybe we will get some out of state business. Who would have thought it possible that we Ohioans can drum up money from outside the state for a change? Imagine in the possibilities.

I happen to agree with Strickland on the idea of gambling, even though it took a terrible Ohio economy and a few years to make him come around. Better late than never I guess. I would still advocate for a Youngstown casino, because I think we are getting screwed on the particular issue. But I am all for Ohio gambling.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Dazed and Confused: Awesome Movie, Just Have to Say...

A couple things before going into tonight’s article.

I am looking forward to going to the Traficant Party at Mr. Anthony’s on Sunday, so if anyone is going, let me know.

Second of all, if anyone is going out to the Canfield Fair, stop in at the Republican booth and see me. I will be there after 6:00 most days, except for Sunday if anyone wants to stop in and hang out for a little bit. It is past the Grandstands and it is kind of hard to miss.

As for tonight’s article, I am going to deviate from the political issues temporarily because I think we can all use a break. Not that there are not important things going on, just it is almost the weekend and, well, everyone is working for the weekend and I wanted to keep things light tonight.

I started back at work a couple of days ago but didn’t have to go in until late. So I hung out at home in the morning and came across the movie “Dazed and Confused” on HBO. For whatever the reason, this is a movie I have only seen bits and pieces of over the years. I never had the opportunity to sit and watch it all the way through, and luckily this time I was able to. It was pretty ironic I came across this movie when I did, because I think my friend Abbie and I were talking about this like a week ago.

As most of America knows, this movie was hilarious, and surprisingly accurate for the times from people I have talked to who went to high school back in the 70s. Friends who went to Girard, Austintown, Boardman, and Struthers who were around during those times had stories similar to the events of this movie, which makes it all the more interesting.

Honestly, I am not sure if there is a movie out there that better embodies the phrase “sex, drugs, and rock and roll”. The 70s were a time where kids could actually be kids, the music was awesome (more on that in a little bit), the clothes were interesting, and it was okay to have fun without having to worry about some of the crazy stuff we see today. Were bad decisions made? Sure, but a ton of bad decisions are made today too. Really it depends on the context, and frankly, I think I would prefer some of the problems in the 70s to the problems we are having now. Not that the 70s did not have its downsides, of course.

My days in Canfield High were tame and boring compared to those days. I mean, I was not the most popular person out there, but we did not really have anything like this that was so apparent. Maybe someone can correct me on this, and I could be completely wrong in my thinking.

No senior kill days, that is for sure. If you throw a pencil in class, you are on your way to suspension and expulsion in some places. Punishments are way too excessive these days, and schools are filled with overreaction and overkill on the smallest things. Some things need to be punished, but damn. But enough about that.

The music in “Dazed and Confused” is by far one of the better collections of 70s hits I’ve seen. In fact, after watching, I seriously went and bought the two CDs that make up the soundtrack for a grand total of $8.95. We are talking Steve Miller Band, Peter Frampton, Rick Derringer, Alice Cooper, KISS, ZZ Top, Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, and a host of others. If you want a good fix of classic rock, I would encourage picking up these CDs. You’d be doing yourself a disservice if you do not pick them up.

A lot of good lines in this movie too, but I will leave you with one of the best:

“That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age.”

With those creepy but hilarious words, have a great night. Enjoy the Youtube video below. And get those damn CDs, trust me on this.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Traficant Conservatism--Welcome Home Jim

Today, a great man is coming home. Most of you know him as Congressman Jim Traficant, but to many he is known simply as a good friend. He is not a Republican, and I highly doubt he is a Democrat anymore. He is an illustrious independent, a variety of politician that has been missing from Washington D.C. since 2001.

I am a Republican, and some of you have contacted me asking why I am such a fan of this man. Some say he is an enemy of Republicans and should be avoided. Others call him a criminal who abused his power. In both cases, I disagree, and I will give you my reasons. Before doing so, I encourage you to watch the two minute video you will find below, in Traficant’s last days on Capitol Hill.




You know why I love Traficant? Because he was right. Folks, Traficant knew in his heart that the government was overextending itself and was gaining significant power over the lives of its citizens. He was against an extremely powerful Federal government, and his victory against the Internal Revenue Service is a testament to the hard work he put in. We saw that when he took on the Attorney General Janet Reno, an appointment made by the President Clinton who was in his own Party. He worked with Republicans and crossed party lines to get things done, and he did not care who he pissed off in the process so long as his constituents benefited.

Where are we today? The government has controlling interests in banks. The government has controlling interests in the auto industry. The government has appointed over 40 czars that are not answerable to anyone but the President himself. The government is trying to impose regulations that will be harmful to everyone with the cap and trade bill. And the government is trying to impose its will by gaining a controlling interest in the healthcare industry.

And no one in this county, be it the 17th or the 6th District, is stepping up in Congress to say enough is enough. That is why I dislike Tim Ryan and Charlie Wilson, because they are going along with a policy that Traficant worked so hard to prevent.

Jim Traficant would never have stood for this, and he would have called the Democratic Party out on the crap it is trying to pull in Washington. My dad thinks that if Traficant had been in Congress the last eight years, we would never have come to this point. I think he is right.

At this point, I want to invoke a political philosophy I have coined, “Traficant Conservatism”. The premise is to be against big and intrusive government, be for local unions, be for tax cuts for the American people, against illegal immigration, stronger border control and increased patrols, pro-life, pro-gun, tough on crime, pro-drilling in ANWR and elsewhere for oil, against Kyoto Protocols, for English as being the official language of the United States, and for tax cuts on capital gains and the elimination of the marriage penalty and death tax.

He also made no bones about his issues with the Chinese and the trade policies harming American business.

Does this sound like conservatism to you, folks? Well, it is. The current representative voted with the liberal Democrats the vast majority amount of the time. Traficant was far from that. Do not let the issues of unions scare you, because believe it or not, I support local unions. I am not a fan of the internationals, but local unions do serve a purpose and people ought to have the right to form them by choice, but not under the proposed card check plan.

Did Traficant have his shortcomings? Yes, but I question how much of that was really because of his personal character rather than being a product of a corrupt Youngstown political system. I have done a lot of research into this, and to make the choice to run during the 80s for office given who was around town would have required balls the size of basketballs and made out of steel. Paul Gains found out the hard way when he rocked the boat, and that was in the mid-90s. The 80s were significantly worse.

I do not condone what Traficant did, because he probably was guilty. He was wrong to do what he did.

However, his convictions and his attitudes and his positions are far more in line with my own thinking politically than anything Congressman Ryan or Wilson have done since 2002. Traficant did things his way and on his own terms, be damned the political powers of his own Party.

I give credit where credit is due, and Traficant did more for the area of Youngstown than anyone in the last 50 years. And he did it while standing up for conservative ideas and at great opposition locally, statewide, and Federally.

If this country can forgive Ted Kennedy for his shortcomings, then certainly we can do the same for this man.

Here's to Congressman Traficant, a man who told it like it was and did it his way. If he chooses not to run in the 17th in 2010, then may he have a happy life. If he does run, I will support him any way I can. Salute.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown