Chilly bites, silly fights, smoother ride
We’re glad to see that pandemic-struggling businesses in Ohio can expect a nice windfall by year’s end from the state Bureau of Workers Compensation, which announced on Wednesday that it will return a $5 billion dividend, spread among all businesses that have paid into the fund. The bureau is flush thanks to relatively low injury rates, a strong stock market and lower-than-expected medical inflation. It’s great to see worker safety paying off.
It’s nice that the city of Columbus is extending for another month the relaxed rules for outdoor dining that it instituted in August to help struggling bars and restaurants whose virus-wary customers don’t want to come inside. One has to wonder how many more tables it will fill, given, you know, November in Ohio. Still, it could have spinoff economic benefit, with home-improvement stores selling out of those big patio heaters even faster each week.
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You can’t sanction me – I sanction YOU!”: This is about where the level of discourse lies now between mainstream Ohio Republicans and renegade Rep. John Becker, who garnered himself some headlines recently by calling for the impeachment, and then later the criminal charging, of Gov. Mike Dewine, whom he calls a terrorist for imposing a mask mandate. We certainly agree with Attorney General Dave Yost that Becker is out of line, but Yost just poured fuel on a dumb fire by calling for a court to sanction Becker for wasting its time. That prompted Becker to call for Yost’s resignation. Did we mention these guys are all Republicans?
OK, Columbus hosts: City Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts reports that bars and restaurants largely are getting the hang of accommodating good times without the crowding that allows the coronavirus to spread; now it’s time for the home entertainers to get serious. Roberts said that, of those in Columbus who have contracted the virus, more than half have attended either a party or a wedding recently. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize: Seeing the end of this virus and resuming public life is even better than watching the Buckeyes with 20 friends in your living room.
Anything that makes public transit easier and more convenient is a plus in our book, so we’re glad to hear about a program that, a year from now, will allow Central Ohio Transit Authority riders to reload value on their fare cards and phones at more than 400 retail locations, up from 42 today. Even better? The smart system will keep track of monthly use so that someone who buys enough $2 rides to exceed the $62 cost of a monthly pass will ride free for the rest of that month. Bonus!
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Salvation Army kettle-ringers have had a rough time of it in recent years: Fewer people shop in person and of those who do, fewer are carrying cash to drop in the kettle. Yet the economic fallout of the pandemic makes the need for holiday assistance greater than ever this year, so please don’t be annoyed when you see the ringers out in mid-november, the earliest starting date ever. Better yet, go to the website at https://bit.ly/3e8iqvu to find out all the ways you can help.