Dressing as a woman not punishment

Dressing in drag: It's not just for Halloween anymore.

Coshocton Municipal Court Judge David Hostetler gave two convicted men the choice of wearing dresses down a busy street for an hour or going to jail for 60 days as a consequence for throwing beer bottles at a car

Jason Householder, 23, and John Stockum, 21, chose to dress in drag and walk down Main Street.

Although the sentence might have embarrassed the men for a short time, it was not an appropriate punishment for the crime.

The judge said his motivation for the creative sentence was a derogatory comment made to a woman in the car. His "perfect" solution: Make the perpetrators dress like women.

This punishment does not teach the men anything about respect for women or the consequences of property damage. A better solution would have been to make them serve the community at a shelter for abused women.

Although also penalized with a fine of $250 each, Householder and Stockum were let off easy.

Judge Hostetler has a history of unusual sentences. He ordered vandals who threw eggs to write "I will not throw eggs" 1,000 times. He also often makes people convicted of their second or third speeding violations write essays.

The judge's "creative" sentences are much like those of a frazzled parent or schoolteacher. Not knowing what else to do, they make children sit in a corner or order teen-agers to finish a whole pack of cigarettes if they are caught smoking. While these tactics might work for children, they do not work for adults convicted of crimes.

Trying to come up with ways to keep less serious offenders out of prison is necessary to help the overcrowding problem, but making grown men parade in women's clothing is not the best solution. Community service or a sentence that actually educates the offenders are much better options.

Program inventive solution for raising revenue

People who pay their taxes late should take advantage of Ohio's first tax amnesty program before time runs out.

From now until Jan. 15, delinquent taxpayers can come forward without being penalized. Those who have not been sent a bill yet or contacted about an audit are eligible.

Although applicants will have to pay the full debt and half of the interest, the cost is well worth it to not be apprehended. Paying taxes is an Ohio resident's duty. The amnesty program allows people to come clean without risk of further penalties.

Ohio benefits from offering this incentive. The state will net money it otherwise might not have received for years or would have had to track down to get. After the grace period, the tax commissioner will start a new division of the Department of Taxation to conduct audits and find those who have failed to take advantage of the program.

The amnesty program is good as a one-time solution for generating money in a tight budget.

Those who choose to reenter the system are more likely to become regular taxpayers again, increasing the state's revenue for years to come. Giving people the opportunity to accept responsibility and learn from their mistakes without more negative consequences is a smart move that will raise revenue without having to raise taxes.