Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Do we really need another lobbyist in Washington, DC?

*** People are talking about Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy's ad about the thousands of lobbyists in Washington, DC. People give Kilroy's ad a thumbs up!  However, her opponent, "top lobbyist" Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, has been pulling in that big campaign money from lobbyists, financial groups, and anti-environmental groups, which includes electric/oil/gas/utilities producers. 

Keep them coming, Mary Jo!!!!

***  I hope you've read ProgressOhio's post today.  Here are a few highlights.
ProgressOhio:

...What is the Kasich education plan? Kasich's web site, stump speech and debate performance all repeat the same tired mantra: Ohio ranks 46th on money for the classroom and 9th among school "bureaucracy." But that's old data. Kasich's statistics on classroom vs. administrative spending come from a report based on 2006 data, before Strickland was governor, not current spending patterns. The stats ignore the new school funding formula, as well as deep administrative cuts at the Ohio Department of Education....

What?  You mean Mr. Smarty Pants, AKA John Kasich, used old statistics!!!!!!  OMG.  It makes you wonder if he is using a abacus to figure out Ohio's budget cuts.


...Apparently Kasich feels we must eliminate or consolidate some of Ohio's school districts to cut administrative costs. But Ohioans like home-rule government and they cherish local control of schools even more. Kasich will find many in Ohio communities proud of their schools and suspicious of reformers who want to bus their kids to high school two hours a day to cut costs. Besides, wasn't this about revitalizing Ohio communities, not stealing their identity?

Would Kasich cut school budgets to save money for Ohio? Many believe he will simply re-channel that money to charter schools. They don't perform as well as nearby traditional public schools, but they yield tens of thousands in Republican political contributions. In exchange, Republicans have safeguarded charter and voucher programs that receive $700-$800 million in state aid a year.....


I'm so, so, so sick of hearing Kasich make all his big claims.  We heard last night from President Bill Clinton that Kasich should only get 10% credit for the budget fix in the 1990's, and if anyone should know, it would be Clinton.  He knows exactly what everyone did on the budget.  I think Kasich's massive ego has turned his minor role into something  massive.