Friday, June 18, 2010

Friday--

 *  President Obama was in Columbus today!

Here is part of his speech posted on YouTube:




Thank you, President Obama!




*  While we've all been shocked by Rep. Joe Barton's apology to BP, we must understand that Barton was once an executive with ARCO, which was acquired by BP.  Barton was pressured to later retract his statements because (1) the Republicans hope to recapture the House of Representatives in the fall election, and (2) if  the GOP is in the majority in the House, Joe Barton, Mr. Apology to BP, would then become the Chairman of the House Energy Committee.  Wow.  Can you think of anything scarier than that?  We'd be back to allowing the oil companies to do whatever they want (like under Bush-Cheney).  With Barton's ties to big oil, who knows what he'd allow them to do.

One way to stop Republicans from gaining a majority is to elect Democrats.  As it stands now, Republicans have done nothing to help our country move forward except delay, obstruct, put holds on appointments, and write worthless amendments to bills that slow down the legislative  process.

Here in central Ohio, we have Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15th-Democrat) who has demonstrated her hard work and willingness to help her constituents improve their lives. Kilroy voted for the health care reform law, bills to hold Wall Street accountable, and bills to get people back to work after the recession (which started in 2007 when Bush was President).

On the other side of the aisle, we have Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, and friend to bankers and Wall Street.  Where does Stivers stand on issues?


Here is a sample of how far right Steve Stivers has moved.  In a 912 survey created by a group of Glenn Beck followers, Stivers answered several pages of questions.  This is just one question and one answer provided by Steve Stivers, Republican.

912 survey- answered by Stivers:


 4) Name one or more federal departments or programs that you would introduce legislations to phase out or eliminate.  Explain your position.

This is a hard question, because only four Departments perform Constitutional roles. (State, Defense, Justice & Treasury), so you could eliminate the department of Agriculture, Education, Interior, Housing  and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy and others to return to a constitutionally pure government.

One example I would eliminate is the Department of the Interior - The Department of the Interior is responsible for managing land owned by the federal government (about one-third of the land in the United States).  Their mismanagement has resulted in significant environmental problems for example in the Florida Everglades or the Old Timber in the Pacific Northwest.  The Interior Department should be abolished, and those lands that have recreational or historical value should be sold or given to private conservation groups.  Those groups would do a better job of preserving these cherished lands than has the federal government.  Lands that have commercial value (such as timber and grazing lands) should be sold to the private business concerns that currently lease them from the federal government or to environmentalists who wish to buy them for conservation purposes...





We do not need one more bank lobbyist in Congress.  We do not need someone willing to sell off our nation's preserves and historical landmarks to private enterprises.  We do not need someone who feels more compelled to protect rich bankers and their bonuses instead of Mr. and Mrs. Average.  We don't need right winger, Steve Stivers in Congress.