In The Arena, Untabbed*: 12/15/10

1. Voters in Beachwood, Pepper Pike's neighbor to the west, approved an increase in their income tax rate, from 1.5% to 2.0%, in November's election.   Residents who work outside Beachwood receive a complete credit on the income tax they pay to those locales. Edited in: Residents who work and live in Beachwood will see their income tax increase to .5%.  That means that the income tax increase will only be paid by people who work in Beachwood, but do not live in Beachwood, as well as those who live and work in Beachwood, but not those who live in Beachwood but work outside Beachwood.

2. In Arizona, "Tea Party Activists In Arizona Protest Changes In Trash Collection, New Recycling Program."  Russell, Ohio is facing a similar lawsuit. The argument?

[Russell resident David] Golden’s complaint claims the bidding process was unfair and will harm residents by depriving them of the “right to contract with whomever” they choose for trash hauling services.

3. An Ohio State Senator, Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), has been trying to get our state legislators to cut their salaries since the beginning of 2010, in recognition of the hard times Ohioans are having, even though the savings is only in the hundreds of thousands. Many of his colleagues? Not interested.  Their base pay remains approximately $60,600.

4. I don't think anyone actually thinks I'm kidding, because I'm not. But here's more information about running for and winning elected office in the 21st Century: How Calgary's Mayor Used Social Media to Get Elected.  I'm going to have to start charging for advice on how to run and win office soon, especially if this City Council thing doesn't work out.
*The designation, "Untabbed," comes from the fact that I often leave open so many tabs in my browsers that I render my computer useless (I get the beachball and then it crashes). No guarantees on how this use of a catch-all post will go.