Tagging Ohio!

Dayton continues to have suburban assholes tagging the city.

You see it on buildings, trash cans, street signs, street poles, billboards, abandoned properties, on sidewalks, on overpasses, bridges, underpasses, on freeways and noise walls.

It happens in every part of the United States and many other countries.

Some call it art while others call it vandalism.

Many see it as an expression of free speech. Others see it as violation and a degradation of the community.

It is called graffiti or tagging.

Usually taggers would spray paint over properties with a unique calling card and go throughout a city and suburbs lacing the tags.

I have discussed this on this blog. I often have frustrations with seeing it when it comes from white suburban people doing it in rust belt cities such as Dayton, Ohio.

But it's gotten worse in Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo. Whereas Columbus and Cincinnati are growing in population, the remaining cities are declining.

Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, Dayton, Canton and Youngstown are rapidly declining.

Cities are resorting to police state tactics to curb vices, tagging and theft. 

Flock cameras are often used to detect vehicles license plates. It keeps a registery for a jurisdiction to look into to determine whether crimes are being committed.

They are installing cameras in neighborhoods to monitor drug trafficking, street takeovers, prostitution, illegal dumping and homeless encampments. 

They are pushing for traffic cameras to regulate freeway speed, red light running, school bus passing, school speed reductions and toll evasion.

They are putting cameras in parking lots to deter shoplifting, vandalism, panhandlers and extremism. 

It is a part of America that some notice and other ignore.

The Kia Challenge is still an ongoing issue. Yeah, the Kia Challenge which Republicans exploited in their neverending hypocrisy when it comes to law and order.

The Rust Belt is still the same area as it was.

The Rust Belt is a region in the northeastern and midwestern United States that experienced significant industrial decline and job losses in the late 20th century, particularly in manufacturing, steel, and coal industries. 

Dayton is one of the most controversial Rust Belt cities. It is still in relics of segregation. Most big box retailers are not in the city.

Well, the graffiti issue has gotten worse. Former mayor of Dayton, Jeff Mims and police chief Kamran Afzal have threatened to get tough on taggers. 

There are three known taggers who have spread their tags in not only Dayton but the suburbs of Vandalia, Moraine, Harrison Township, Jefferson Township, Butler Township, Trotwood, Riverside and Kettering. 

It has spread into Franklin, Carlisle, Miamisburg, Centerville, Huber Heights and Englewood.

On North Main Street (Ohio State Route 48), five taggers has over 200 properties with their signature tags. One was caught last year and was ordered to repaint the properties he has tagged.

He and two of his allies continue to do it regardless. They don't believe they'll face serious repercussions for their actions.

The other tagger has 50 throughout the community.

Well ICE isn't loved in the DYT.

Tagging has plagued downtown as well and it has frustrated city leaders.

Shenise Sloss-Turner, the new mayor is three months in and her job approval is tanking.

Cargill is closing. 

Dayton Police have shot a man on a bicycle after a scuffle and he died. The cops are trying justify the shooting and the junk food media shows his mugshot on television.

The suspect had mental health issues and had allegedly a firearm. Again, Ohio does not have laws preventing mental ill people from obtaining firearms. In fact, they allow anyone with no major criminal history to obtain firearms.

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Sen. Jon Husted (R-OH) are ineffective. They are fully backing President Donald J. Trump's aggression in Iran. They have backed the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. They vowed to support the Trump administration in mass deportation and eliminations of DEI programs.

Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) represents Dayton, Xenia and Springfield. Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH) represents Columbus along with some the suburbs of these cities that Turner doesn't.

Republicans have a supermajority in Ohio. They control the statehouse, the state supreme court and the governor's seat.

So far, Ohio has gained on 1.2% in population while losing 5% of the general.

That's in part of the illegal gerrymandered congressional district map that went against the voters. The voters rejected an independent committee to redraw the congressional maps.

So if I was a tagger, I would use that energy to make the community better. I would do a mural like the young woman who made one over the old Norfolk Southern tressel which Dayton is trying to convert to a lighted trail.

Norfolk Southern want $8 million for the abandoned six miles of track. 

Anyway, your thoughts on the tagging... is it art or vandalism?