By John Q. Hosedrinker 
The US Army Corps of Engineers altered the outflow of Caesar Creek Lake to accommodate a boating excursion for Vice President Vance’s security detail. This action was taken at the request of the US Secret Service, according to a statement from the USACE, who cited support for “safe navigation.” Data from the US Geological Survey shows a sudden increase in the river level and corresponding drop in lake elevation during the early August days when Vance was vacationing on the Little Miami River. While the USACE maintains the operation met necessary criteria, the move raises questions about potentially exploiting public resources for personal recreation and whether it was appropriate for the Vice President. Ethical experts have criticized the move as hypocritical.
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JD Vance’s team had water level of Ohio river raised for family’s boating trip, and the implications are frankly, pretty wild. It’s like something out of a comic book – a real-life supervillain move. Raising a river for your personal enjoyment? It really does highlight the blatant entitlement that seems to be running rampant in certain circles these days.
The whole thing feels incredibly tone-deaf, particularly when you consider the everyday realities of the people Vance supposedly represents. The idea of a public servant, the Vice President, having the power and the audacity to manipulate a natural resource for a private outing is, at best, a huge misstep, and at worst, a clear example of power gone unchecked. If the river wasn’t safe for the Vice President’s security detail, shouldn’t it have been unsafe for everyone? Or, if safety was the issue, why not raise the water level for everyone to enjoy?
Then there’s the question of priorities. While Vance and his family are out kayaking, many are struggling with the everyday grind. There’s the perception that he’s constantly on vacation, from Disneyland trips to jaunts across the pond, while the people he serves face challenges in their daily lives. Where’s the connection? Where’s the understanding?
And it’s not just the vacation itself. It’s the alleged reasons behind the water level manipulation. We’re talking about creating “ideal kayaking conditions” for a private outing. While this might seem like a minor issue to some, it raises a much larger question of what is right and what is wrong, and who are these rules for? It underscores a disconnect between the actions of those in power and the lived experiences of ordinary citizens.
There’s also the potential for this to be a symptom of a much deeper issue. It’s hard to ignore the echoes of privilege, the blatant disregard for the rules that apply to everyone else, and the lack of accountability that seems to come with the territory. It feels like a textbook case of “do as I say, not as I do,” and this administration is apparently very good at it.
The optics of the whole situation are disastrous. If a Democrat had done something similar, the outrage would be deafening. Instead, we have a collective shrug, a few sarcastic remarks, and then the issue seems to disappear into the news cycle.
And let’s be clear, this isn’t just about one kayaking trip. It’s about the accumulation of these kinds of actions, and the message they send. It’s about a political class that appears to be increasingly detached from the concerns of the people they’re supposed to represent. It reinforces the idea that there are two sets of rules – one for the elite, and another for everyone else.
There’s a sense of betrayal here, especially for the voters who supported Vance and his party. They were promised something different, something that prioritized the working class. Instead, they seem to be getting a taste of the very same kind of elitism they were told to oppose.
We must ask ourselves, is this what we want in a political system? A place where power is used to benefit a select few while the rest of us are left to navigate the consequences? Where the rules are bent or broken to suit the needs of those in charge?
It’s disheartening to see the erosion of democratic principles, the casual use of power for personal gain, and the lack of accountability. It’s essential to hold those in power accountable, to demand transparency, and to ensure that the rules apply equally to everyone.
Ultimately, JD Vance’s team raising the water level of the Ohio River for a boating trip may seem like a small incident on the surface. But when considered within the context of larger issues, it becomes a symbol of the problems plaguing our political landscape.