Thursday, January 29, 2009

Unemployment Rates for Ohio Congressional Republicans

By now you know that Ohio's members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted against President Obama's stimulus plan. President Obama's plan includes building and repairing highways, bridges, schools, and other public works. It is a plan that would put a lot of people back to work.

Take a look at the Ohio Republicans and the unemployment rates in their districts.
Sources: Ohio Labor Market Information
http://lmi.state.oh.us/laus/ColorRateMap.pdf

Note: I've included the December 2008 unemployment rate for each of the counties that are represented by Ohio Republicans that voted against the stimulus package.

John Boehner (OH-8th) represents all or part of the following Ohio counties:
Mercer (5.8), Darke (8.0), Miami (8.0), Preble (8.4), Butler (8.4)

Steven LaTourette (OH-14th) represents all or part of the following Ohio counties:
Trumbull (9.8), Portage (7.8), Summit (7.4), Cuyahoga (7.1), Lake (6.6), Ashtabula (10.3),
Geauga (6.2)

Jean Schmidt (OH-2nd) represents all or part of the following Ohio counties:
Warren (6.2), Hamilton (6.2), Clermont (6.9), Brown (9.2), Adams (11.7), Pike (13.0), Scioto (9.6)

Steve Austria (OH-7th) represents all or part of the following Ohio counties:
Clark (7.6), Greene (7.1), Fayette (6.9), Pickaway (8.0), Ross (9.4), Fairfield (6.3), Perry (10.3), Franklin (6.1)

Mike Turner (OH-3rd) represents all or part of the following Ohio counties:
Clinton (7.6), Highland (8.9), Warren (6.2), Montgomery (8.4)

Jim Jordan (OH-4th) represents all or part of the following Ohio counties:
Allen (9.0), Auglaize (6.8), Champaign (7.8), Hancock (7.7), Hardin (7.9), Logan (7.2), Marion (9.8), Morrow (9.2), Richland (9.9), Shelby (8.1), Wyandot (10.4)

Robert Latta (OH-5th) represents all or part of the following Ohio counties:
Williams (11.2), Defiance (9.6), Paulding (9.4), Van Wert (9.9), Mercer (5.8), Fulton (10.3),
Henry (10.2), Putnam (7.7), Wood (8.3), Sandusky (9.8), Seneca (9.2), Wyandot (10.4),
Crawford (11.5), Huron (13.5), Ashland (10.4)

Pat Tiberi (OH-12th) represents all or part of the following Ohio counties:
Delaware (5.1), Franklin (6.1), Licking (7.1)

These Ohio GOPers don't seem to care about their unemployed constituents. The Republicans almost seem proud of their rejection of the stimulation package. However, their shenanigans won't put food on the table, heat homes, or pay the rent/mortgage.
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

No Surprise

From the NY Times:
H.R. 1: Making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.

*Voting for passage:
John Boccieri D-OH-16
Steve Driehaus D-OH-1
Marcia Fudge D-OH-11
Marcy Kaptur D-OH-9
Mary Jo Kilroy D-OH-15
Dennis Kucinich D-OH-10
Timothy Ryan D-OH-17
Zack Space D-OH-18
Charles Wilson D-OH-6

>>>Voting against passage:
Steve Austria R-
OH-7
John Boehner R-
OH-8
Jim Jordan R-OH-4
Steven LaTourette R-OH-14
Robert Latta R-OH-5
Jean Schmidt R-OH-2
Patrick Tiberi R-OH-12
Michael Turner R-OH-3

Once again the Ohio Republicans would rather sit by and do nothing while our state continues to lose businesses and jobs. The Republicans continue to push their silly tax cuts for their wealthy friends. On the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC tonight, she quoted a Moody Investor Service study. Here is what was found:
...Each dollar spent on food stamps results in $1.73 in returned economic activity.
Each dollar spent on infrastructure results in $1.54 in returned economic activity.
Each dollar spent on tax cuts results in $1.03 in returned economic activity.
Each dollar spent on corporate tax cuts results in $0.30 in returned economic activity....
(Thirty cents!)

Despite the fact that the Republicans call themselves fiscal conservatives, their numbers just don't add up. Face it. The Republicans keep repeating the same mantra, even though it doesn't work.

If you'd like to contact the Ohio Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to speak about your disapproval of their vote against the stimulus package, here are their contact numbers in Washington, DC:

Steve Austria (202) 225-4324 ......... Steve LaTourette (202) 225-5731
John Boehner (202) 225-6205 .......... Robert Latta (202) 225-6405
Jim Jordan (202) 225-2676 .......... Jean Schmidt (202) 225-3164

Pat Tiberi (202) 225-5355 ............... Michael Turner (202) 225-5355
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Snow, Ice, and Snow

* Central Ohio is currently experiencing a horrible winter storm. We've already had several inches of snow, and we are getting ice on top of the snow. More snow is expected later today. The Ohio State University is closed as well as every school district.

* The Marion Star is reporting that President Obama's proposed stimulus package contains money for fixing schools and providing money for education.

* CNN:
An Ohio man who was suspended as the drum major of a band for giving President Obama a nod during last week's inaugural parade is calling it quits.
John Coleman resigned from the Cleveland Firefighters Memorial Pipes & Drums a week after the parade in Washington. Publicity about his suspension had gotten to be too much, he told CNN affiliate WEWS....
...Coleman was seen during the nationally televised January 20 parade nodding toward the new president while marching with the band. A few steps later, he appeared to wave briefly...

Perhaps I don't understand the rules of marching, but I thought he was saluting the President.

* Don't you think it is funny that Rush Limbaugh is against birth control? Aren't you glad that his wives and lovers used birth control? Limbaugh represents old school politics, just like the rest of the old white guy political party of the Republicans.
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Obstacles

President Barack Obama has been in office one week, and yet some Republican "experts" say that he has done nothing. However, just a few of his executive orders involving clean air and lifting the gag order in reproductive matters signals real change.

Republicans are speaking against President Obama's stimulus package. The GOP would rather let the entire country go down the toilet while they pontificate about their same old tax cuts and other such garbage. The Republicans haven't had a fresh idea in decades.

Even during the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt worked to turn things around. However, the Republicans voted against Roosevelt's programs and legislation time and time again. What would have happened if the Republicans would have had their way with Roosevelt's recovery plan?

[Note: Badger Blues has an excellent blog entry about how the Republicans blocked Roosevelt's Social Security plans. Here are some excerpts from Badger Blues:

...It (Social Security) was passed against solid Republican opposition. 99% of the Republicans in the House tried to kill the Social Security Act....

....In 1939, the Democrats proposed extending Social Security benefits to dependents and survivors of retired workers. Three-quarters of the Republican Congressional delegation voted against the bill...

...In 1950, the Democrats voted to extend Social Security benefits to the disabled, but 89% of the Republican delegation voted against the proposal. The Republicans still controlled the legislature, and the proposal was defeated.....

(Social Security for the disabled was finally passed in 1956 when Democrats controlled Congress.)]

In this time of economic turmoil in our country, we have to take bold steps to move toward massive re-employment. We cannot allow ourselves to get stopped by the Republicans and their inability to think and innovate. If they won't support President Obama's stimulus package and plans to get people back to work, then let the GOP and their followers sit by and twiddle their thumbs while the rest of us accomplish something.
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Monday, January 26, 2009

Progress

*** All eyes will be on Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland when he gives his yearly address on the state. The Toledo Blade:
...The Democratic governor is expected to use his third state-of-the-state address to propose what he characterizes as “transformational’’ reforms to Ohio’s education system, again seeking to inspire Ohioans to think ahead despite the state’s worsening economic woes....
.....The governor has said he would not consider his administration to be a success if it did not deal with a school funding system that the Ohio Supreme Court repeatedly ruled is overly dependent on local property taxes, unconstitutionally placing students in poorer districts at a competitive disadvantage....

Whatever Strickland proposes should be studied because it is time for change in Ohio, especially in the area of funding education. We can no longer allow the right wingers to stop progress in our schools.

* Many Ohioans are hoping that our elected officials in Washington, DC will help get our county back to work. Democrats have signed on to support President Obama's stimulus package. Unfortunately, not all of Ohio's members of Congress have decided to support President Obama. One of the biggest obstacles is right winger, Rep. John Boehner. Boehner continues to thwart any progress that President Obama makes.

Ohioans need to let Boehner know that his lack of support is being noticed by the people. According to a website called themiddleclass.org, Boehner has F's for his voting record. How can we make any progress if Boehner and his ilk in Congress continue to stop progress?

Let Boehner know you want his support for Obama's legislation:
Ohio 8th District--- Call Toll Free - 1-800-582-1001
. . Butler Co. Ohio . (513) 779-5400 . . . (513) 779-5315 fax
. . Miami Co. Ohio . (937) 339-1524 . . . (937) 339-1878 fax
. . Washington, DC . (202) 225-6205 . . . (202) 225-0704 fax
. . House Republican Leadership Office . (202) 225-4000 . . . (202) 225-5117 fax
House Republican Leader e-mail - http://republicanleader.house.gov/Contact/

Speak up for progress.
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