Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Kasich's World: Hand-Picked Experts Get Secret Bonuses

* TheMiddleClass.org, has given Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15th) a 96% on her voting issues supporting and protecting the middle class.

In contrast, TheMiddleClass.org has given Republican leader John Boehner (OH-8th) an "F" for 6 years.  I guess Boehner doesn't meet too many middle class men and women on those private golf courses.


*  Republican congressional candidate, Steve Stivers, a former "top" bank lobbyist, has refused to sign a pledge not to privatize Social Security.  Why did he refuse?  Is he waiting for those bank PACs, lobbyists, and the stock brokers who've contributing to his campaign to give him orders to tell him what to do?  If elected, would Stivers cave to pressure from the banking industry and the right wing of the Republican Party?

* Did you know that Stivers voted against scholarships for students with disabilities?


* Did you know that some of those ads supporting Rob Portman are being paid for by Karl "turd blossom" Rove's group? I'm surprised that they don't mention Portman's votes supporting NAFTA.


*  An expert on body language could have a field day watching John Kasich. On August 17th, Kasich presented his plan to fire all 400 people that work at the Ohio Department of Development, and replace the department with a hand-picked board of "experts" of his choosing. Before he begins to speak, watch Kasich as he appears more interested in what he will say, and he ignores Mary Taylor, as she speaks. His movements and absorption into his own papers and computer are very distracting. (Video at OhioCapital YouTube page.)

I watched the videos and I'm left with a few questions.  Kasich said that those serving with his hand-picked board of "experts" would not have to disclose their bonuses. Wouldn't these people be using public funds?  Wouldn't the public have the right to know how much they're being paid and the amount of bonuses?

John Kasich must have forgotten that he is no longer working at Lehman Brothers, where backroom deals were made all the time.  Kasich is no longer at Lehman.  He is vying for a public office where the public has the right to know.

**** Update: 
The more I think about Kasich's proposal about privatizing the Ohio Department of Development, the more I question his grasp of state laws.  Has Kasich ever heard of the Ohio SunShine Laws?   Backroom deals might have worked at Lehman Brothers on Wall Street, but I don't think it should/could work in the state government. Besides, Kasich's "deals" cost four of the Ohio public employees pension funds the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars.  This new "deal" by Kasich sounds like a losing situation for Ohio citizens, but a winner for Kasich' cronies who'd get secret bonuses.