When former Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15-Democrat) was our member of Congress, she got to work immediately, January 2009, to help improve lives of women, men, and children. Kilroy supported and voted for bills that promoted fair pay (Paycheck Fairness Act), the equal pay for women (the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009), and the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of '09. Forty-six (46) votes were taken in January 2009 in the House of Representatives under the leadership of the Democrats (see Govtrack.us).
Now, with the Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), a former bank lobbyist, has done little for us. According to Gov.track, there have been twenty-five (25) votes taken in the House in January 2011. Under Boehner's leadership, the Republican majority and Stivers have not voted for one bill that will improve the lives of average Americans. The Republican legislation to repeal the health care law will hurt more middle class people. The Republicans don't care about middle class people, retirees, children, the poor, or issues with fair pay and equality. Their concern revolves around lowering taxes for millionaires.
The Dispatch:
...House Democrats unveiled a new website - www.whenarethejobs.com - last week as a way to go after some of the newest members of the House, such as Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Columbus. The site, created by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, pokes fun at House Republicans for beginning their control of the House by trying to repeal health-care reform and restrict abortion rights rather than focusing on initiatives that would create jobs.
"House Republicans like Rep. Steve Stivers said their campaign was about creating jobs, but in the first 30 days, it's clear that everything from social issues to special interests has come first," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.....
With their very limited work calendar, the Republicans do not want to work too hard. No one will accuse them of spending too much time in the halls of Congress because they have entire weeks off in most months, according to a calendar put out by Rep. Eric Cantor (see Politico).
When will the Republicans get to work on their so called "number one" issue: jobs?
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The Governor of Wisconsin is gaining a reputation that is not favorable: 'Dictator'
TheNation:
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s proposal to strip public employees of most collective bargaining rights, cut pay and gut benefits without any negotiation the most radical assault yet by the current crop of Republican governors on the rights of workers has inspired outrage in a historically progressive and pro-labor state....
Mentioned in the article, was a quote from former Sen. Russ Feingold. Feingold had this to say about Gov. Scott Walker's plan to end collective bargaining and worker protections:
....Former US Senator Russ Feingold decried the move, declaring that “Governor Walker’s request to the State Legislature to eliminate nearly all of the collective-bargaining rights for thousands of Wisconsin workers is big government at its worst. No private employer can do what the governor proposes, nor should it. For decades, Wisconsin has protected the rights of workers to collectively bargain with their employer on wages, benefits, workplace rules, and many other aspects of their employment. The governor is wrong to suggest that public workers are responsible for the state’s budget woes, and he is wrong to use that bogus excuse to strip them of rights that millions of other American workers have.”
....A governor who seeks to eliminate labor rights is not acting as a “fiscal conservative.” He is acting as a dictator.
Hmmm. Scott Walker's plans sound very similar to those of Gov. John Kasich. Did Walker and Kasich go to a Republican class on how to destroy working families? Do they support unsafe working conditions? Do they want managers to demand that workers exceed an eight hour work day and then not get paid? Do they want to deny workers benefits and job protections? Are Kasich and Walker pushing to turn Ohio back to the days of overworked, underpaid, workers? It seems so.