No Way!

According to an article in the New York Times, Republicans in the House and the Senate are very interested in the economic recovery plan that the future President Obama wants passed in Congress:

...In a coordinated effort, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leaders of the two chambers, called on Democrats to hold hearings on the emerging legislation and not schedule any votes on the bill until it had had at least a week of public review....

Do you honestly think that McConnell and Boehner want to just have a little look? I don't trust Boehner and McConnell at all. They want to see what Obama has planned so that they can start working on their filibusters. Boehner and McConnell are partly responsible for the economic mess we're in at this time. They rubber stamped everything and anything that Bush and Cheney wanted. McConnell and Boehner should just go sit and wait. They'll find out soon enough.

You win some.....

>>> In summing up the year, the Akron Beacon Journal listed the top news stories for Ohio. Included in those top stories was the win by Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy for the U.S. House for Ohio's 15th district. The Beacon Journal noted that the seat had previously been held by the GOP for 42 years. That makes Kilroy's win even sweeter!

>>> There is nothing that can stop Ella Mae Johnson from going to the inauguration on January 20th---- even though she will be 105 years old. She plans on attending the inauguration in Washington DC with the assistance of a nurse. Read the entire article in the Dispatch.

>>> Central Ohio has lost liberal talk radio. WVKO 1580 AM suddenly became an entirely Catholic radio station. This is the second time that we've lost liberal talk radio here in Columbus. Liberal radio fans will miss Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz. :( I think many of us are hoping that another station in the area will be able to carry our favorite radio hosts.

A Few Weeks To Go.....

In just a few short weeks, we will have a new President in the White House. After all the disasters of the last eight years, it will be nice to have someone bring a fresh approach to solving these problems. It seems as though an eternity has passed since election day and yet we still have weeks to go until the inauguration.

Newly elected Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy will be sworn in as a member of Congress representing Ohio's 15th district on January 6th. I know that many people in the 15th district will be cheering her on, even if it is from Ohio.

The year ahead will be tough. President-elect Obama will have many things left on his desk by the previous administration. He will need our support and our prayers.

Blue, Bluer, Bluest

With the recent congressional win for Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15th), and some other vacancies in local government, a few local people are looking to fill those openings left behind. The Columbus Dispatch tries to suggest a few names to fill some newly vacated seats:

....Councilman Kevin L. Boyce's appointment as state treasurer means he'll resign his council seat before taking on his new job Jan. 6. Councilwoman Maryellen O'Shaughnessy will leave before Jan. 3 to become Franklin County clerk of courts....
....Outgoing state Sen. Steve Stivers, who narrowly lost a congressional race to Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy this fall, had been rumored as a possible GOP council challenger, but he said he won't run.
"I'd like to run for something I can win," Stivers said. "The city of Columbus is turning awfully blue."
Democrats hold a registration advantage in the city of more than 3 1/2 -1 over Republicans.....

With Columbus becoming more Democratic, so is Franklin County. Will the bluing of central Ohio spread into Union, Madison, and Licking Counties? Only time will tell.

Cold Weather Hits Central Ohio

* Happy Hanukkah! Last night the first candle of the menorah was lit and latkes were enjoyed by all!

* The Columbus Dispatch has the story of a woman who tried working with her mortgage lender, Wells Fargo, after the death of her husband. Despite her repeated requests for assistance to refinance, her lender made it difficult. The woman and her late husband were also victims of a 'bait and switch' by the original loan officer. Now, the woman is losing her home.

* The Lady Buckeyes beat Michigan yesterday, 70-50. The Buckeyes just keep pounding those Michigan teams.

* It has been very, very cold here in central Ohio. Even with just a dusting of snow, the wind chill is making it difficult to be outside.

Making Lists

* According to ens-newswire.com Representative-elect Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) has been contacted by Environment Ohio ".....to enact a green economic recovery plan that makes critical investments in clean energy and green infrastructure to help rebuild the American economy and protect our environment....."

* Nursing homes in Ohio are reacting to the recent ratings of nursing homes across the country.
Dispatch:
About half the nursing homes in Franklin County are "much below average," according to ratings released by the federal government yesterday.

Twenty-five of the county's 51 nursing homes received one star, the lowest rating in a five-star system that the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services added to its Nursing Home Compare Web site. Six local nursing homes received five stars.....

Although nursing home operators may have problems with the rating system, family members of those in facilities should study the list and follow up on those areas of concern. To find and compare the nursing homes, visit Medicare Nursing Home Compare.

* With Christmas next week, I'm waiting for some inspiration on gift-giving for those remaining on my list. I'm ready to just give everyone gift cards.

Inauguration Tickets?

Those people who requested tickets for the inauguration will be receiving them soon.
Dispatch:
Ohio members of Congress, besieged with far more requests from constituents wanting to attend President-elect Obama’s swearing in ceremony than numbers of tickets allotted to individual lawmakers, are starting to dole out the prized ducats - or at least decide how.....
....Rep.-elect Mary Jo Kilroy, D-Columbus, is collecting today the list of requests made to the office of outgoing Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Upper Arlington.....
...Kilroy, who will be sworn into her office Jan. 6, about two weeks before the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration, plans to have a public lottery for some of the tickets, but also wants to provide some tickets to Obama campaign volunteers and activists, said Randy Borntrager, who will be Kilroy’s congressional chief of staff.....

It sounds very exciting! I don't remember any previous inaugurations with this much interest. By the way, if you have not already submitted a request for inauguration tickets, you might be out of luck.

*** The Montgomery County Board of Elections will finally look into Jon Husted's residency. If he has a home in the Kettering area, but lives 100% of the time with his family in Upper Arlington, how can he represent the district near Kettering? For further information, check Ohio.com.

Racism in Arcanum-Butler High School?

It appears that a biracial student at Arcanum-Butler High School has been assaulted and harassed by other students.
Dayton Daily News:

The Dillon family awoke Wednesday, Dec. 17, to find a racial epithet scrawled in large red letters across the outside of their home.

The vandalism is the latest in a series of incidents stemming from a confrontation between Andre Dillon, 14, and some upperclassmen Dec. 1 at Arcanum-Butler High School, said Dillon's father, Matt Dillon....

.....The family also says a group of high school boys later stood in their yard and made threatening statements. Racist statements were also written in black marker on the family's car....

According to the article, the FBI is still investigating. Still investigating? Why are they dragging their feet?

What does this kind of racist behavior say about the students and administration at Arcanum-Butler High School? Do they condone racist attacks?

Mary Jo Heads to DC

>>> Yesterday was Mary Jo Kilroy's last meeting as a Franklin County Commissioner (Dispatch). Kilroy, a Democrat, will be going to Congress to represent Ohio's 15th congressional district.

>>> Central Ohio is covered with ice this morning. With school closings and delays, it has already been a hectic morning for everyone. Hopefully, the roads will improve in the coming hours.

>>> Britney Spears is going to perform in Columbus, according to the Dispatch:

Britney Spears will bring her "The Circus" concert tour to Value City Arena April 30.

Tickets, from $39.50 to $125 (in addition to $250 and $500 special packages) go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Schottenstein Center box office and Ticketmaster outlets.....

I want to go on record now---- I will not be attending the concert.

>>> Those Tasers are being used in schools by police/resource officers that patrol schools. 10TV has a story about how Tasers were used in South-Western City School to break up a fight. I've broken up many fights during my years as a teacher in middle schools. I've never seen Tasers used. It is my personal opinion that Tasers do not belong in schools.

Names in the News

* More women have become encouraged to participate in government.
Democratandchronicle.com:
Although women failed to win the presidency or vice presidency this year, there will be a record number of female lawmakers serving in the 111th Congress and state legislatures across the country.....
....In the 435-member U.S. House, 75 women were elected, an increase of four from the current Congress. The fourth seat was just announced last week when Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy of Ohio was declared winner of what was the longest congressional race of the 2008 political season.....

It looks like Mary Jo Kilroy has played an important role in public opinion. She has shown her toughness and her 'never surrender' attitude.

* It is official!!!
Columbus Dispatch:

Electors in Ohio unanimously cast their ballots Monday for Barack Obama for president and his Democratic running mate Joe Biden for vice president.

The 20 votes came at the end of an hour-long ceremony in the Senate chamber at the Ohio Statehouse, the traditional locale of the state's electoral proceedings.....

* Daily Kos is reporting about a huge bribery case involving Siemens:

Yesterday, Siemens admitted to pulling off one of the largest bribery schemes in world business history.

Siemens, the German engineering giant, agreed Monday to pay a record total of $1.6 billion to American and European authorities to settle charges that it routinely used bribes and slush funds to secure huge public works contracts around the world.

The company also pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington to charges that it violated a 1977 law banning the use of corrupt practices in foreign business dealings....

Siemens, as you may or may not know, is one of those companies that used Jewish slave labor during World War II in Nazi Germany. In 2002, according to a BBC News story, Siemens was trying to trademark the name "Zyklon" for one of its products. After much protest, Siemens dropped the name request. The protests were due to the fact that "Zyklon B" was the gas used to kill millions of people in the Nazi death camps. I'd like to suggest to Siemens that they take a good hard look at their business practices and learn to be more sensitive about what their company does.

Buckeye Stuff

* Are you looking for that special Buckeye gear for yourself or family member? You must visit the idcvillage.org to order an Ohio State scarf. To order an Ohio State Block O Scarf, visit the order page here.

* James Laurinaitis has won the 2008 Lott Trophy!!!!
Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis last night was named winner of the 2008 Lott Trophy, given to college football's impact player of the year....
....The award emphasizes integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity in a college defender.....

If you've seen Laurinaitis play, you've seen witnessed that "tenacity" on the field. Congratulations!!!!

Roll Up Your Sleeves

* With Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy headed to Congress as the Representative for Ohio's 15th congressional district, some people, like the right-leaning Columbus Dispatch, are trying to declare her win as a fluke. In today's Columbus Dispatch, an article tries to examine the reason she won. Frankly, I don't care how she won. I'm glad she did and that is all that matters. Go, Mary Jo!

* It appears that the Republicans are going to try to fight against President-elect Obama's nomination of Eric Holder as Attorney General, according to Law.com. With our country in such a mess, it is sad to see the Republicans planning their strategies on how to bring the new administration to an abrupt halt. We cannot allow this to happen. As Americans, it is our responsibility to encourage our elected officials to work for us and for our country. If and when the Republicans start their gridlock moves, we must all respond with phone calls, e-mails, to discourage this behavior. Our country needs help now and we cannot afford gridlock and the politics of distraction. We must all roll up our sleeves and get our country moving again.

Strickland

* Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has been hard at work for the state. Strickland has been touring the state on a "listening" campaign to hear ideas from Ohioans on how to reform school funding. The Toledo Blade has a news story about Strickland's recent stop in the Toledo area:

....Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is attempting to reform education funding in the state and inch closer to that better place. He enlisted the help of the Toledo area yesterday with a "Conversation on Education" at WGTE-TV, which was broadcast live on Channel 30. The governor explained the funding process for the state's public schools, which repeatedly has been ruled unconstitutional, and then posed questions to the approximately 100-member studio audience and those watching at home about how to fix it.....

Hopefully, Strickland will be able to get something done on this important issue.

* Gov. Strickland has been already seeking the help of President-elect Barack Obama, according to 13abc.com:

Wall Street's having troubles and so is Main Street, particularly in Ohio. Over the next 2-years, Ohio faces a $7-billion budget deficit and that means layoffs and cuts in services.

13abc's Bill Horman talked with Governor Ted Strickland about the budget problems facing the state. He's proposing a 10-percent across the board budget cut for state agencies, but that still leaves a $4-billion deficit. So the governor says he'll turn to the federal government for help....

Gov. Strickland is not sitting back waiting for something to happen. He is tackling the tough issues and looking for help from the President-elect.

Good and Bad News

> Finally, there is some good news about a company that cares about employees.
The Columbus Dispatch:

A company reopening the former Archway cookie plant stunned displaced employees by presenting them with $1,500 Visa gift cards.

Lance, Inc., based in Charlotte, N.C., will begin operations next week at the former Archway plant with a staff of 50 to 70 workers. Nearly 300 employees lost their jobs when Archway filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October.....

....Lance, which makes and distributes cookies, sandwich crackers and other snacks, expected to finish hiring workers by today. It has promised to hire workers at the same rates they were making at Archway -- an average of $14.93 per hour.

It might be a good idea to show Lance, Inc. and Archway that we approve of the way they operate------ go buy some Lance crackers and Archway cookies today!

> It turns out that Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) had pretty much "checked out" of being our member of Congress. According to the Washington Post, since January 4, 2007, Pryce had one of the worst attendance records in Congress: Deborah Pryce has missed 398 votes (21.3%) during the current Congress.....

New Poll Shows Positives for Dems in Ohio

A new Quinnipiac Poll has some real positives for Democrats in Ohio. For Republicans---- the future doesn't look so good.

Dispatch:

...As the governor nears the midpoint of his first term, 45 percent of Ohioans say he deserves another four years, 34 percent say he doesn't and 20 percent don't know. When paired against an unnamed Republican candidate, Strickland leads by 20 points.

The Democratic governor's 54-percent approval rating is his worst of the year in the Connecticut university's survey, but not by much; it was 55 percent in June, 56 percent in February. His 2008 high was 61 percent in August....

Two potential Republican challengers to Strickland do not have good prospects as gubernatorial candidates.

....The "haven't heard enough" response for a pair of former congressman is higher: for John R. Kasich of Westerville it's 73 percent, for Rob Portman of Cincinnati it's 80 percent. Of those who have heard enough, Kasich gets a favorable/unfavorable score of 18/8; for Portman it's 12/7....

Other candidates evaluated include Republican Sen. George Voinovich who is up for election in 2010. Voinovich approval rating is only 39% among Republicans. That makes him look very vulnerable to a Democratic challenger.

The entire poll can be viewed at http://www.quinnipiac.edu/images/polling/oh/oh12102008.doc .

I'm sure that there will be a lot of potential candidates viewing the poll.

Is it Friday?

> The Ohio State Buckeyes are going back to the Fiesta Bowl. Go Buckeyes!

> Oh, no. It is just 15 days until Christmas and I have not purchased one gift. I'm thinking that everyone will get a pretty card and some cash.

> Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, newly elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Ohio's 15th district, had a celebration for her recent victory. Hurray, Mary Jo!

> Last night Republican Mike Huckabee was on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I had to stop watching it. Every single time I see him I am reminded of his story about how he cooked squirrels in his pop corn popper while in college.

Moving On

With her win in Ohio's 15th congressional district, Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy is getting ready to set up her office and staff as the news member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Dayton Daily News: Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy will have about one month less than the rest of her congressional colleagues to hire a staff, find housing and prepare for the 111th Congress.

And she's perfectly fine with that.....

...With the win, Ohio Democrats will hold 10 congressional seats to eight for Republicans, the first Democratic majority since 1994....

Kilroy will have a lot before her but she will have plenty of help and support from other Democrats and her constituents. Kilroy knows that she represents the people of her district, not the banks, insurance companies, or oil conglomerates. We wish her the best in her new job representing those of us in the 15th.

>>> The Cleveland Plain Dealer has some updates on people, places, and things----
Whatever Happened To finds that a Cuyahoga Valley winery is prospering; that Tom Noe, the disgraced Republican fund-raiser, is back in Ohio serving time in a state cell; and that the Brookpark Road RTA station will be rebuilt in 2010.....

Kilroy Has Won!!!!!

Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy has won her bid for Ohio's 15th congressional district!!!

NBC4i:
Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy wins Sunday with unofficial results over Republican Steve Stivers after all of the ballots were counted in the race for the 15^th Congressional District....

Dispatch:

Now it's official: Mary Jo Kilroy will be going to Washington as the first Democrat to represent any part of Franklin County in Congress in a generation.

Final vote tallies released this evening by the Franklin County Board of Elections show that Kilroy defeated Republican state Sen. Steve Stivers by 2,311 votes, outside of the 0.5 percent margin to trigger a recount.....

.....She ended up with 45.91 percent of the vote compared to 45.15 percent for Stivers.....

I am sure that Mary Jo Kilroy and her legions of devoted supporters are very happy this evening. Congratulations Mary Jo!!!!

1,000 Provisional Ballots Out

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting the following:

About 1,000 disputed ballots that could decide the outcome of a hotly contested central Ohio congressional race won't be counted, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled today.

The state's highest court ordered the Franklin County Board of Elections to throw out about 1,000 provisional ballots cast in the Nov. 4 election that contained flaws such as a lack of a signature and identifying information.....

.....Vote counts have been completed in Madison and Union counties, which lie entirely within the 15th District. The district covers a little more than 40 percent of Franklin County, where 37,298 provisional, late absentee, military and overseas ballots have not been counted.....

The Republican-controlled Ohio Supreme Court sided with the Republican candidates and his supporters. No surprises. Now we look forward to the counting of those 37,298 other ballots. Let us hope Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy can pull out a win!!!!

Listen up!!!

> Republican Speaker of the Ohio House, Jon Husted, is supposedly working to dig up dirt on this past Ohio election so that he can besmirch the work of Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat. Husted is ambitious and, rumor has it, wants to run for Ohio Secretary of State. You know, of course, Republicans love being Ohio Secretary of State so they can control which votes they throw out during every election (just like Kenneth Blackwell). In case Husted hasn't noticed, the election in Ohio was good. The only problems arose when the Ohio GOP filed frivolous lawsuits to try to dismantle same day registration-voting and the Stivers provisional ballot suits.
By the way, has anyone determined where Husted really lives? Does he reside in that empty house in his "district" or with his family in Upper Arlington? Don't you think that some reporters should do some investigative reports about his residency?

> If you watched the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC, you saw the story this evening about how Karen Hughes, Karl Rove, and other Bush loyalists were trying to improve Bush's legacy. As Maddow said, apparently these legacy re-writers haven't heard of "The Google." It is truly idiotic that these people think they can change how Bush's terms will be recorded in history. There are several words that come to mind when I think of the legacy of George W. Bush, and here are a few of them------ failure, recession, unnecessary war, illegal wiretaps, torture, etc. I'm sure you too can think of other words to describe the Bush administration.

> I'd like to send out a special message to the Ohio Supreme Court (just in case they actually read this, which I doubt): Pleeeeeeeeeeease settle the provisional voting issues for the election for Ohio's 15th district. There are 27,000 other votes, besides these 1,000 provisionals, that must be counted for Franklin County.

> The Ohio Republicans are holding up the bonus for military veterans. Is this their way of showing us that they support the troops? People need this money.

> More car dealerships have closed in Ohio. I did see on TV that some car dealership was selling two pick up trucks for the price of one. Even though the dealership took a loss, at least they got some trucks sold.

> Have you heard that Jeb Bush is considering running for Senate after Mel Martinez retires? Aren't we experiencing Bush fatigue? Enough with the Bush family! I want to know if we have to continue to see Billy Bush on TV after "W" leaves office.

Tuesday's Notes

President-elect Barack Obama was in Philadelphia meeting with governors, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer:

President-elect Barack Obama opened an unprecedented meeting with 48 governors inside Congress Hall this morning with a promise to to give them a role in creating a multi-billion dollar economic stimulus package that he wants to sign as his first order of business after inauguration next month.

"The partnership we begin here cannot – and will not – end here," Obama said, in brief remarks. "I will not simply ask you to help implement our economic recovery plan. I am asking you to draft and shape that plan. If we listen to our governors, we will not only be doing what is right for our states, we'll be doing what is right for our country."

....Facing huge budget deficits, the nation's governors are seeking extensions of unemployment, Medicaid and food stamps benefits as well as federal money for ready-to-go infrastructure projects in order to help them weather the recession and stimulate the economy.....

Oh, by the way, some panel has just announced that our country is in a recession and has been since December 2007. Apparently, the panel must have been hibernating for the last year!

NBC4i:
The decision over whom will become the 15^th Congressional District Representative is in the hands of the Ohio Supreme Court, NBC 4 reported.

The court will decide the legal battle over disputed provisional ballots .

The Franklin County Board of Elections will not begin counting the tens of thousands of provisional ballots until the court rules on the case....

Counting

>Unfortunately, the vote count for the election for Ohio's 15th congressional district is still not complete. Although the votes have been counted in two rural counties that are part of the district, 27,000 provisional ballots still remain uncounted in the Democratic-leaning Franklin County. Holding it all up has been the lawsuit brought by the Republican candidate, Steve Stivers. Hopefully, the counting will favor Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy.