The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services has just released the unemployment numbers for April for the state. According to ODJFS, the unemployment rate in Ohio was 5.5% up from 5.0% in March. Color map of county unemployment rates. There were 55 Ohio counties with unemployment rates at/above 5.5%. Things are so good economically here in Ohio, college graduates are getting jobs as waiters/waitresses and sales clerks. Thank you, Republicans! If this is a Republican economic success story, I'd hate to see what the GOP definition of failure looks like.
The Republicans have given us war, corruption scandals, loss of jobs, loss of workers' rights, lies about WMD's, a VA security scandal, voter suppression, voting irregularities, a Medicare prescription drug plan that benefits drug companies, lobbyist scandals, business scandals, torture of prisoners, loss of civil liberties, spying on American citizens, government expansion, a failure to respond to a natural disaster, the destruction of a once good gov't agency-FEMA, an unfunded federal mandate in the No Child Left Behind Act, leaking the identity of a CIA agent, interference in the life and death decisions of families (like Terri Schiavo), forcing abstinence only programs on schools, lack of oversight in government contracts, failure to monitor the activity of North Korea's nuclear growth, etc., etc., etc. The only people who benefit from the Republicans in charge are businesses, oil companies, and Halliburton.
Hey, I bet we can't wait until Republican Kenneth Blackwell ruins the next election! Blackwell, as current Sec. of State of Ohio, gets to count the votes in the next election. Did I mention he is running for governor of Ohio? Did I mention he is against birth control? Did I mention he is controlled by the religious right?
Last night A&E had the story about Ohio's Marines of Lima Company. If you missed the program, it will be shown again at a later date. These Marines, from what I've heard, will not be sent back to Iraq. From, what I've heard, the Marine Corps believes that the Marines of Lima Company are just a little too emotional and a little too angry to re-visit Iraq. I honor their service and their sacrifice. However, I believe it is time to bring all our Marines and other service members home to see their wives, babies, children, and mothers and fathers.
FYI: Even though getting oil out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would take as long as 10 years, the House of Representatives, including Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) voted to support the drilling in the preserve. Even though the amount of oil pulled out would be like a drop in the bucket for what our country currently uses, Pryce voted to drill. Even though a majority of Americans are against drilling in ANWR, Pryce voted to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Even though it won't provide help for consumers now, Pryce voted to drill in the Alaskan preserve. Even though the name given to the legislation, American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act, sounds good, we all know that Pryce and her Republican counterparts will do nothing to help us now or in the future. Why? The Republicans are in government to enrich themselves and their friends.