Know the Facts

*  Republican Josh Mandel can't decide if it is a good idea to bring 4,000 new jobs to Ohio.  I guess we'll find out what he thinks after someone tells him where Piketon is located.  Could it be that Mandel has been soooooooo busy making speeches about right wing ideology, supporting Paul Ryan's plan to destroy Social Security, and flying out of state to raise money for his campaign, that he has failed to notice Ohio's unemployment rate????

Republican Josh Mandel, who still hasn't filed his required financial disclosure with the U.S. Senate (over 128 days late!), is making up stuff----again. (Those of us that remember the lies and smears his campaign made against his Democratic opponent in the last election are not surprised.)

PolitiFact has rated Josh Mandel's latest statement about Sen. Sherrod Brown as FALSE.

----------------------------

* Here is something you may not know:

Speaker Batchelder is, according to ProgressOhio,

The Ohio Legislature's Largest 'Double Dipper'

....Speaker Batchelder has collected over $500,000 in pension payments from Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS) all while collecting hundreds of thousands in legislative salary during the last five years.

For this year Batchelder is set to collect a legislative salary of $94,437, made up of the base $60,584 salary for House members and $33,853 bonus for serving as Speaker of the House.

His legislative salaries for 2007- 2011 are listed below:

2100 - $94,437
2010 - $86,164
2009 - $85,025
2008 - $60,981
2007 - $66,271
Total    $392,878...

Even though the Republicans railed against 'double dippers' this year, it looks like their own leader is the biggest  'double dipper' in the state.

* * * *

*  The Ohio Republicans and their corporate sponsors of SB 5 have found a few teachers that are for SB 5 ????? I'm underwhelmed.  The pro-SB 5 people have located possibly up to a dozen teachers in Ohio that-

 (1) like John Kasich,
 (2) like Republicans and their right wing agenda that continues to destroy rights instead of bringing jobs to Ohio,
 (3) are willing to give up collective bargaining rights concerning working conditions, class sizes, and pay raises,
 (4) are willing to teach up to 50 students in a classroom,
 (5) want favoritism instead of experience and education to guide which teachers stay in the classroom,
 (6) are for the consolidation of school districts and the demise of local control,
 (7) support the Koch brothers and others that want to destroy public schools.

As I said, I'm underwhelmed.  Most teachers in Ohio are tired of the payback, and bullying  being orchestrated by Kasich and the Republicans.  Do you remember the comments made by John Kasich immediately after the election?

WDTN:

....Kasich also answered questions about education, saying he needed to have a serious conversation with educators about unfunded mandates. Kasich is strongly against Governor Ted Strickland's evidence based model of education, saying there are no funds to enforce it.

"We are going to get dollars into the classroom, and push shared services, and make sure there's no excuse for multiple school districts not being able to share administrators. There's too many things going on out there that are not business like," said Kasich.

Kasich also had a direct message for the teacher's union, who blasted him during the campaign for his stance on the merit pay and holding teachers accountable.

"I am waiting for the teachers union to take out full page ads in all of the newspapers apologizing for what they had to say about me during this campaign," said Kasich.....

Kasich was unable to handle the truth and has since gone on a campaign of revenge.  Those  teachers that previously voted for Kasich and the Republicans have turned their backs on the governor and his party.  Oh. If you are still waiting for that apology ad Kasich demanded, you better not hold your breath. 

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Vote NO on Issue 3.

Could we stand to lose 51,000 more jobs in Ohio????

>>>  Jay McDonald, President of the Fraternal Order of Police in Ohio, provided some important reasons why Ohioans need to vote no on Issue 2.

American Independent:

....The inability to bargain in any meaningful way could affect public safety in Ohio in a myriad of ways, McDonald said.

“It prohibits police officers and firefighters from talking to their employers about staffing,” he said. “It’ll be politicians that are making the decision on how many people are on a fire truck or how many police officers are working through a shift as opposed to the experts that know the needs of their community.”

According to McDonald, if Senate Bill 5 is not repealed, about 51,000 public employees across the state could lose their jobs. He estimates that about two-thirds of those will be public safety employees.....

Are Kasich and the Republicans hoping to have 51,000 more people in Ohio unemployed?  What about our public safety, emergency response, and staffing in our schools?  What will happen to our communities when so many safety employees and teachers get fired?

Vote NO on Issue 2.

____

* Once again we see why we need regulations! 
CBS News :

Health officials say as many as 16 people have died from possible listeria illnesses traced to Colorado cantaloupes, the deadliest food outbreak in more than a decade.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that 72 illnesses, including 13 deaths, are linked to the tainted fruit. State and local officials say they are investigating three additional deaths that may be connected....

Of course, Rick Perry doesn't believe in regulations and suggested a "moratorium on all regulations" in a speech this summer.

YouTube


(h/t Treehugger)

*     *     *

* If you are a constituent of Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15th), please be assured that he is only worried about you if you own municipal bonds.  Stivers just can't be bothered by the real working people in central Ohio.

InvestmentNews:
Tax breaks for investments in municipal bonds will not be touched by the special congressional committee charged with putting together a deficit reduction package by Thanksgiving, according to a House Republican freshman......

...Mr. Stivers, however, doesn't expect his Republican colleagues to go along with the muni bond tax changes. There are six Republicans and six Democrats on the so-called supercommittee.

“It changes the rules in the middle of the game for a lot of [muni bond investors]; it's a tax increase,” Mr. Stivers said in a speech to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association's Municipal Bond Summit on Tuesday.... 

I hope that the people in Ohio's 15th district will wake up and realize that Stivers doesn't give a damn about the fact that foreclosures are up, unemployment is up, and new jobs are not being created. He is clearly working for the banks, investments firms, and financial big shots that have been bankrolling his campaign.  Stivers has not introduced one bill to create jobs, instead every single one of his sponsored bills helps his buddies on Wall Street. 

NO!

* If you've ever had a family member in the hospital, you know about the importance of  nursing care and response time.  With SB 5, John Kasich and the Republicans want to take away the ability for nurses to negotiate their own staffing levels. How would you feel if your loved one was in the hospital and was having difficulty breathing, but there were not enough nurses to respond to this emergency?  People who are on the job know what it takes to properly staff a floor/unit.  Do you want Kasich and the Republicans or some other bureaucrat to decide that 1 or 2 nurses can staff a cardiac unit?  Do you want some pencil-pusher that knows nothing about patient care to decide how many nurses can cover 25 patients who are in serious condition?  SB 5 is a threat to our own health care and the medical care we demand for our family members.  We cannot allow SB 5 to remain as law.

YouTube

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Just to clear up a few things: 

(1) Fire fighters, police officers, teachers, state workers, and nurses must pay health insurance premiums, just like you, as they work and when they retire.  They do not get free health care.

(2)  Teachers should be able to negotiate their staffing levels.  Do you think that children can learn if there are 30, 40, or 50 students in a classroom?  With SB 5, teachers would no longer have a voice as to how many students are in their classes.  Do you think you could teach a class of 30 eighth graders per class period, with six classes per day (180 students/day)?  Are you tough enough?  If SB 5 stays, school boards will be pushed by the state to save money, fire experienced teachers, and load up the classrooms with more and more students.  Students do not perform well academically in crowded classrooms.  Teachers are experienced and educated enough to know what works in a classroom.  Kasich and the Republicans are just out to destroy teachers unions (Star Beacon) and public schools.


(3)  If your house is on fire, how many fire fighters should respond to save your family and your home?  Do you know?  Are 3 fire fighters enough?  5?  7?  Unless you are a trained, experienced fire fighter, you don't know what is an appropriate response team to a fire.  However, Kasich and the Republicans want to take collective bargaining away from fire fighters, even though fire fighters know exactly how many they need to bring to a fire.  Kasich and the Republicans want someone else to decide how to run a fire department, staffing numbers, equipment maintenance, what type of safety equipment is needed, etc.  When you need help, your local fire fighters are there to assist you.  They'll run into a burning building without hesitation, and respond with emergency squads for heart attacks?  Don't you want them to have the right to ask for certain protections on the job?


(4) Crime is another issue that could rise if Kasich and his GOPers have their way.  Once again, Kasich and the Republicans believe that professionally trained police officers should not be able to decide on their staff levels per shift, safety equipment, and hours worked.  If a mayor or city council decides that 5 police officers are enough to cover a city during a shift because it is too expensive to have more, would that make you feel safe?   Police officers know what is needed to work a shift, what types of equipment to bring to a crime, and how to conduct a case.  These are the types of things that collective bargaining irons out in negotiations. The police protect us, help us, and maintain the peace.  Shouldn't they have a say in their working conditions? We all remember Kasich's disrespectful comments about a police officer (see YouTube) that were hurtful, irresponsible, and rude. Kasich has to follow the laws just like the rest of us.


Kasich and the Republicans are lying when they say that public employees took away the economic growth in this state.  If my memory serves me correctly, John Kasich and his greedy Lehman Brothers caused the economic collapse of Wall Street and the financial recession we are still experiencing.  We cannot forget that he helped the public employees retirement systems of this state lose over $400 million in assets. 

Kasich and the Republicans have ulterior motives. While Kasich is giving away tax cuts, tax incentives, and your money by the millions to companies like Diebold and Bob Evans, he has other plans to give more tax cuts to others, and destroy the middle class of this state.  Kasich has already made cuts to vital programs, nursing home care, and education, while he gave millions away to corporations and overpaid his staff. Even the Republicans were able to find extra money to give pay increases to their staffs and hefty back pay checks.  If Kasich wins on SB 5, he'll give tax cuts to the rich, as he has promised (Dispatch), and tax cuts to banks (ProgressOhio). 

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Ohio's Congressional Districts

* In the meantime, the crazy, gerrymandered, redistricting map created by Ohio's Republicans is available for  a closer look at Cleveland.com.  You can zoom in and see exactly which district you will be in, unless it is challenged in court.  It does bring some clarification.

*  Here is some bad news for people who like to hear both sides of issues.  The Dispatch has bought some local newspapers/magazines.

Dispatch:

...The newly acquired publications, which will become part of Dispatch Media Group, include:

•   Columbus Monthly, an award-winning city magazine for 35 years
•   Suburban News Publications, a group of 22 community newspapers serving Central Ohio
•   Columbus C.E.O., a monthly business magazine
•   A dozen specialty magazine publications, including Columbus Bride, CityGuide, Restaurant Guide and the Official Columbus Visitors Guide
•   The Other Paper, a news and entertainment weekly

In addition, a handful of supporting niche local news and information websites, including columbusmonthly.com, columbusbride.com and columbuslocalnews.com, will become part of Dispatch Printing’s digital family... 

This is sad.  The Other Paper was the only paper in town that criticized Kasich.  Now we'll never hear any opposing views. :(  The Dispatch, their management, and writers are clearly still in love with Kasich.

Kasich Still Unpopular

*  The Toledo Blade has the latest Quinnipiac Poll:

The latest Quinnipiac Poll revealed a 13-point gap between support and opposition for Senate Bill 5, down from a 24-point gap in late July. Fifty-one percent of registered voters questioned said they’d vote to kill the law while 38 percent said they want to keep it.....

...Just 40 percent of registered voters give the Republican governor a thumbs-up, while 49 percent turn thumbs down.....

...By a margin of 56 percent to 32 percent, voters reject the idea of leasing the toll road across northern Ohio to a private entity....

Imagine that you've worked for 25 years as a fire fighter, police officer, teacher, nurse, or a public employee.  Under SB 5, and John Kasich, when staff cuts are made, those of you with many years of experience could be fired before the newbie.  Kasich, the Republicans, and SB 5 would do away with seniority in pay increases and in job protection.  If you've done a great job over the years, have glowing evaluations from supervisors and colleagues, a department head/superintendent could still fire you, under SB 5.

Vote NO on Issue 2.

 

* Did you see this in the Toledo Blade:

State Treasurer Josh Mandel's campaign said Friday it expects to file sometime in October a federal personal financial disclosure form that was due May 15.

...Mandel campaign spokesman Joe Aquilino said there are certain spousal assets that are required to be listed on the federal report that were never required on the state report.

"Our staff is working with the Senate compliance staff to determine which of those spousal assets must be filed and in what format," Mr. Aquilino said. "Our staff has been working with their staff since the spring, and they've been very cooperative and helpful as we work to compile a full and accurate report......"

The article indicates that Mandel never asked for an extension for filing his report.  What a bunch of hooey!  Are members of the Mandel campaign unable to read and comprehend the paperwork for a candidate for U.S. Senate????  Are you telling me they are ill-equipped to fill out a nine page form?  If you'd like to see the form that Josh Mandel has yet to file, follow this link:  http://tinyurl.com/68d4jnu

Mandel very famously released the wages of the public employees in the state of Ohio (except for his few buddies), but he has refused to show his own finances, as required.  This  shows his arrogance and his own disdain for public employees. 

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Contributors Getting Jobs????

*  Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of Ohioans are against the selling/leasing of the Ohio Turnpike, Republican Gov. John Kasich is moving forward.

According to the Dispatch, Kasich has a list of finalists from which he'll pick a consultant to look at the options concerning the Ohio Turnpike:

A short list of consultants hoping to advise the Kasich administration on leasing the 241-mile Ohio Turnpike includes four investment banks and a firm specializing in government finance.....

Finalists for the consulting contract are Citigroup Global Markets, headquartered in New York; Baltimore-based KPMG Corporate Finance; Macquarie Capital, an arm of the Australia-based investment bank; Morgan Stanley, based in New York; and Philadelphia-based Public Financial Management.

Absent from the short list was Moelis & Co., which had expressed interest in doing the work. Moelis is being paid more than $15 million for helping the state collect more money from its burgeoning gambling market.....

If Moelis is getting $15 million for help with the new casinos, the Turnpike consultation contract could bring a similar payday for the group that wins.  Which of these 5 finalist consultants  had employees that were contributors to the Kasich-Taylor campaign?  I'm so glad you asked!

* Ohio Secretary of State campaign contribution website reports:
The Kasich-Taylor committee received $4,040 in campaign contributions from individuals that work for KPMG...

* Ohio Secretary of State campaign contribution website:
The Kasich-Taylor committee received  $4,700 in campaign contributions from individuals that work for Macquarie...

* Ohio Secretary of State campaign contribution website:
The Kasich-Taylor committee received $15,650 in campaign contributions from individuals that work for Morgan Stanley....

* Ohio Secretary of State campaign contribution website:
The Kasich-Taylor committee received $1,000  from the Citigroup Inc. PAC-federal/state...

It did not take me very long to find this information.  I'm sure that there are even more ties to these groups and people within the Kasich administration.  All those years that Kasich spent on Wall Street have enabled him to reach out and assist his buddies at finding work in our state.  If you know of more, let people know.  While Kasich & Co. go after firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses, and state workers, those with ties to the Kasich administration are making big money on "consulting" fees and other arrangements.  Kasich wants to stop collective bargaining because he says the state cannot afford it, but he is willing to hand out millions of dollars to his Wall Street buddies for "consulting." Working as a "consultant" has some positive results, especially if contributed to the Kasich-Taylor campaign.

****  There is a great post over at Plunderbund which details how the pro-Republican, pro-SB 5 people hired some consultants from Virginia, including Barry Bennett, former staff member for Jean Schmidt.  Barry Bennett is teamed up with Mary Cheney (her father is Dick Cheney) in their attacks against Ohio's middle class workers.

Vote NO on Issue 2.

The Real Constituents

* Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15th) wants to know what you think of President Obama's jobs plan.  However, Stivers won't let you vote on this poll unless you provide your email for his email list (to probably be used for fundraising).

Stivers has an interesting list of legislation that he has sponsored.  See if any of them actually apply to helping you.

Thomas:  
1. H.R.1539 : Asset-Backed Market Stabilization Act of 2011
2. H.R.2214 : Debt Elimination By Tax-Deductible Contribution Act of 2011
3. H.R.2439 : Removing GSEs Charters During Receivership Act of 2011
4. H.R.2779 : To exempt inter-affiliate swaps from certain regulatory requirements put in place by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Did you notice that not one of these bills creates a job?  All of these bills sponsored by Stivers are for the benefit of his backers---- bankers, financial institutions, Wall Street traders, etc. Those of you that voted for Stivers thinking he would help get you a job must have forgotten that Stivers was a former bank lobbyist.  It appears that Stivers continues to work on legislation that protects his former bank employers and Wall Street buddies.

Those of us in Ohio's 15th congressional district shouldn't wait for Stivers to do something that will spur job growth.  Having lived in Ohio's 15th congressional district for several decades, I can truthfully say that the district is not populated with bankers, stock traders, and CEO's.  As Stivers continues to push for legislation that helps his big money supporters, real people are losing the future.

In case you are interested, Stivers has received quite a bit of campaign contributions from outside of the district.

OpenSecrets- Contributions by Geography:

Contributions by Geography

Representative Steve Stivers

Top Metro Areas

COLUMBUS	$2,070,653
WASHINGTON, DC-MD-VA-WV	$122,049
CINCINNATI, OH-KY-IN	$54,500
CLEVELAND-LORAIN-ELYRIA	$52,299
DALLAS	$30,850
NEW YORK	$27,350
WEST PALM BEACH-BOCA RATON	$15,375
JACKSONVILLE	$15,200
CHICAGO	$14,550
LIMA	$14,000

I hope those people in Chicago, DC, Cleveland, Dallas, and West Palm Beach-Boca Raton are happy with Stivers since he seems to be working for them instead of us.  Stivers isn't representing the wants and needs of people in central Ohio, unless of course you just happen to be a banker.

* VOTE NO on Issue 2. *
*********************** 
------------------------

I cannot believe I missed the following important information. 

 Marketwatch: 

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in free legal services from lawyers hired by an interest group that appreciated her legislative assistance. The ethically challenged congresswoman also failed to report the free legal services as gifts in her disclosure forms. It's no wonder that Rep. Schmidt has been named by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) as one of the Most Corrupt Members of Congress. Click here to read CREW's full report on Rep. Schmidt.....

....Rep. Schmidt has long had close ties to Turkish American groups, despite having few voters of Turkish descent in her district. Her 2008 election opponent, David Krikorian, accused her of accepting $30,000 in "blind money" from such groups. After she beat Mr. Krikorian, two lawyers with ties to the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund (TALDF) represented Rep. Schmidt, filing a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission against Mr. Krikorian. In June 2010, Rep. Schmidt sued Mr. Krikorian for defamation, using the same lawyers, all without paying a dime. 

The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) has paid $498,587 in Rep. Schmidt's legal fees. The congresswoman claims she never knew TCA was paying, and that she intended to pay. There is conflicting information about what she and her staff knew about the payment, with one lawyer testifying that TALDF's legal services were essentially gifts. It was not until July 2010 that Rep. Schmidt even sought to set up a legal defense fund. Even the notoriously lax House Ethics Committee concluded in August 2011 that she had received an impermissible gift of services, but improbably found the congresswoman's violation accidental.....

Oh, my.

More political news......

*    Elizabeth Warren, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate for Massachusetts, is speaking some common sense about the debt, tax cuts, and how we got in this mess.

YouTube





Elizabeth Warren is the woman that the Senate Republicans feared.  Now she is running for Senate against Scott Brown, Republican Tea Party favorite. Visit her website at http://elizabethwarren.com/ to find out more about her campaign.

I really like her comments about how our tax dollars created the roads and support system that allowed businesses to grow and make profits.  Ohioans paid for the prisons in our state and the Ohio Turnpike.  Now Gov. Kasich wants to sell them off to some private businesses.  Shouldn't the people of Ohio that paid for these buildings, roads, and assets have some voice in this?

____

*  The good people over at DailyKos have some interesting insight into Ohio's elections and candidates:

• OH-Sen: Republican state Treasurer Josh Mandel must be the first married guy to ever run for Senate, because he's claiming that figuring out his wife's assets is the reason why he's 128 days late (and counting) in filing his required financial disclosure forms. More likely he's trying to figure out how to elide his spouse's considerable wealth — Ilana Shafran Mandel is a member of the prominent Ratner real estate developer clan, which has donated over $1 million to campaigns over the last decade....

 and......

OH-03, OH-06, OH-07, OH-16:

.....in OH-06, ex-Rep. Charlie Wilson looks like he's getting close to a bid. Wilson, a victim of last year's red storm, said last week that he was considering a rematch against GOPer Bill Johnson, but now he tells Shira that he's "right on the verge" of putting together a campaign staff. He may be trying to get ahead of fellow ex-Rep. John Boccieri, who also expressed an interest in the 6th CD but is also weighing a repeat battle with Jim Renacci, the guy who defeated him, in the new 16th, or a run against another freshman Republican, Bob Gibbs in the new 7th.

But this is also complicated by the fact that yet another Democrat defeated in 2010, Zack Space, is also thinking about a comeback. Gibbs is the guy who defeated Space, so that matchup would seem to be a natural fit, but according to Dem chair Chris Redfern, Space, like Boccieri, is looking at the 6th and 16th districts, too. Wilson vs. Johnson, Boccieri vs. Renacci, and Space vs. Gibbs would certainly seem to make the most sense, since those would all be rematches. But wait! There's still yet a further complication, which is that Rep. Betty Sutton, who would get de-districted by this map, is thinking about runs against either Gibbs or Renacci. So there isn't room for all four Democrats to take on a Republican, unless Space goes after Steve Stivers, who inherited a chunk of Space's old 18th CD. Got all that?

The Republicans and their Tea Party wing are just not interested in getting people back to work.  We need some action on jobs, not the ideological b.s. that has been coming from the Republicans and their T.P.ers (tea partiers).  It is time to bring back a Democratic majority in the House and the Senate in order to get this country moving.  As long as the GOP and their T.P.ers keep  (a) catering to their far right extremist base, (b) collecting contributions from the Koch Brothers & banks, (c) keep buying expensive wine (see Politico) instead of buying into full employment, nothing will be accomplished.

*******

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Stand up for the people in your community who have provided you with safety, security, education, and vital services.

Qualified? You decide!

In their efforts to control everything, Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio Republicans have made a dangerous mistake in the most recent appointment of Matt Schuler as the Executive Director of the Casino Control Commission for Ohio.  Why should Ohioans be concerned? 

Dispatch:

After a months-long search for someone with regulatory experience to ride herd on Ohio’s four casinos, a state panel yesterday chose someone with none.

Matt Schuler, chief of staff for the Republican president of the Ohio Senate, was appointed executive director of the Casino Control Commission. Commission members recruited the 44-year-old Gahanna resident after having trouble enticing regulators from other states to take a similar job in Ohio.....

.....Although Schuler lacks experience in the gambling arena, he currently oversees 125 Senate employees and worked closely with lawmakers to craft casino regulations “from the very beginning,” commission Chairwoman Jo Ann Davidson said....

Schuler's lack of work experience and lack of a law background will be a welcome mat for those planning to take advantage of the gaming industry in Ohio.  In the end, Kasich settled for a right wing puppet, instead of a qualified candidate.  The people of Ohio will lose because political connections were more important than qualifications.

How does Schuler's experience in overseeing Republican staffers compare with other directors in nearby states?

Here is information on New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement Director, David L. Rebuck (NJ.gov):

....Rebuck has served as an attorney for 23 years as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of New Jersey and specializes in policy guidance and regulatory reform.  He was assigned to the Governor’s Office as a Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Christie in February 2010 and assisted in the Governor’s initiative to reinvigorate Atlantic City and participated in overseeing regulatory reform efforts as a member of Governor Christie’s Red Tape Review Group.....

....Rebuck earned a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College in 1974. He earned a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Vermont in 1978, and earned his law degree from Delaware Law School of Widener University in 1986. Rebuck was Associate Dean of Student Life at Ursinus College from 1978 through 1986, and was Assistant to the President of Radford University from 1986 through 1988.

He is a member of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bar.... 

Rebuck has an impressive background.

  Pennsylvania has a stellar leader in Kevin F. O'Toole.  O'Toole is the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board with a biography that also highlights his work experience. 
PGCB:

Kevin F. O’Toole has served as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board since June, 2009, bringing 28 years of experience to the agency’s top position....

.....Prior to joining the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, Kevin was the Executive Director of the Oneida Indian Nation Gaming Commission beginning in July 1997 and was later appointed as a Commissioner in February 2007. The Oneida Indian Nation Gaming Commission provides regulatory oversight of gaming activity at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York. Previously, Kevin was a Deputy Attorney General with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement from 1981 to 1997.

Kevin is a 1972 graduate of the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania and received his law degree in 1981 from Rutgers University.....

The Kasich administration and the Republicans are clearly setting up Schuler and the gambling commission for failure.  This reminds me of a similar situation a few years ago when the Republicans in power allowed a coin dealer to invest state money from the Bureau of Workers Compensation in coins, Beanie Babies, paintings, and other worthless trinkets.  Hundreds of millions of dollars of state money was lost.

Kasich, the Ohio GOP, and their supporters are clearly taking advantage of the people of the state.

Don't forget------

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Protect Consumers? Not in Ohio!

Republican Speaker of the Ohio House Bill Batchelder and the rest of the Republicans have been working hard to put business, corporations, and CEO's in control of everything.  Forget about consumers' rights and protections.  The Ohio Republicans want their fat cat contributors to pillage the environment, look the other way when toxins get dumped , and make millions of dollars so they can contribute more to the GOP. 


In May 2011, someone put a gag order on the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, which reads, according to the Dispatch:

"The counsel shall not advocate or otherwise promote any position contrary to the development of competitive markets in this state, including any position contrary to natural gas retail auctions, merchant function exit or the policies of this state relating to competitive natural gas markets."

The Republicans are definitely not on your side.  If people are getting sick, poisoned, ripped off, overcharged, etc., it is fully approved by the Ohio Republican Party.  The Ohio GOP cannot allow human beings and their health issues to stand in the way of business.

Of course, I wasn't surprised by this information from the DaytonDailyNews:

The leader of the state agency that advocates for residential customers of Ohio utilities said Wednesday she is resigning, saying she can no longer do the job after Gov. John Kasich and the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly cut millions of dollars from the agency’s budget.

Janine Migden-Ostrander said she will step down on Oct. 15 after seven years as the Ohio consumers’ counsel. Bruce J. Weston, the deputy consumers’ counsel, is to be her interim replacement until a permanent successor is hired.....

“I am leaving because the current environment makes it impossible for me to serve the only way I know how — as an advocate focused on achieving results for the public,” Migden-Ostrander said.....

I wonder which pro-utility, anti-consumer, business connected pal of Kasich's will get the nod?

Public Safety

Here is just a brief reminder why it is important to give extra room and slow down to provide  extra safety for emergency and police vehicles that are pulled over to the side of the road.  It is the law.

YouTube

Vote NO on Issue 2.

____

Speaking of public safety, it looks like Republican candidate for President, Michele Bachmann, is against it.

Seattle Times: 

A week after the Agriculture Department announced wider testing for potentially deadly E. coli in meat, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann said Tuesday that regulations were overburdening food producers.....

.....The Agriculture Department said expanding testing of E. coli in meat from one strain to seven would hasten recalls of tainted products and help officials identify more foodborne illnesses. However, the meat industry opposed the move as too expensive without enough benefit. The USDA expects the additional testing to begin in March.

Bachmann's backing of the food industry view that regulations are a problem follows high-profile recalls of peanuts, eggs and other tainted food products. The most recent multistate alert focused on cantaloupes amid a listeria outbreak blamed for at least four deaths in New Mexico. Officials said this week that tainted cantaloupes had sickened at least 35 people in 10 states.....

Who needs regulations when you can get some E.coli, some arsenic, and other weird stuff in your food? Bachmann and the other anti-regulations Republicans just sound plain stupid.  Are they willing to gamble with tainted and unsafe food at their dinner tables?

Kasich....

*  In a poll revealed recently, it appears that Gov. John Kasich has lost the vote of Independents. Ohio State Professor Paul Beck analyzes the poll results.

ONN-TV: 
....A new Columbus Dispatch poll finds central Ohio voters would prefer former governor Ted Strickland to Gov. John Kasich by 14 points, 49 to 35 percent.

What's most ominous for Kasich is that Independents want a do-over election, reported ONN's Jim Heath.

"The fact that Independents are swinging away from Kasich by a margin of 3 to 1 should be very troubling," said Beck.... .


I also wonder how many members of the groups have been targeted by Kasich have changed their opinions of the Republican governor.  Those firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses, and state workers who've previously voted Republicans won't vote that way again after this SB 5 legislation.

****  OMG!  Finally, after over 120 of being late in reporting his financial disclosure, Republican Josh Mandel's campaign explains why his required report is late.  According to the Dispatch, Mandel's wife holdings, and wealth had to be assessed and summarized. However, Mandel is still 120 days in telling us that information.  What other data is he keeping from us?


>>>  Plunderbund has an incredible post about the letter written by Dr. Shreffler, the Southeast Local Schools Superintendent, and Kasich's claim that "....we are at war with these people...." in referring to public employees.

Kasich said what?????

*DaytonDailyNews:

In a letter to 240 district employees, Southeast Local Schools Superintendent Mike Shreffler criticized Gov. John Kasich for saying public employees get free pensions and free health care coverage.

Shreffler said he attended a private meeting with Kasich and House Speaker William Batchelder, R-Medina, on Sept. 1 at a factory in northeast Ohio with about 200 mostly Republican supporters.....

“What he claims to have happened didn’t happen. It’s not true,” Nichols said. The governor often says that in some instances, some public employees do not pay toward their retirement or health care, Nichols said....

"The governor often says....?"  Sounds to me like Kasich is just throwing around a lot of baloney in these "closed doors meetings" with business people. 

As a former public employee, I can tell you that I paid a substantial amount of my paychecks into my state retirement fund and towards my health care.  If Kasich says that some public employees aren't paying anything, we'd all like to find out which jobs are exempt. 

Back on Campus?

* Welcome back, OSU students. If you've just moved in at Ohio State, be sure to check out the OSUdems.com and their links to Facebook.  To check out what is happen politically in the state, be sure to bookmark Plunderbund.  While you've been out of Columbus, Ohioans have been engaged in a huge battle against the Gov. Kasich/GOP law which is anti-firefighter, anti-teacher, anti-police officer, anti-nurse, and anti-public worker.

Election laws have changed, now that the Republicans are in charge.  Check with OSUdems and they'll tell you how to get registered to vote.

*  The redistricting map created by Ohio's Republicans has brought a lot of controversy.  DaytonDailyNews:

The new congressional map approved last week by Ohio House Republicans not only pits GOP congressmen Mike Turner and Steve Austria against each other in the new 10th District, but it also splits Montgomery County’s black community between that district and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner’s 8th.

The new map cuts down into north and west Dayton, putting 41 percent of the county’s black voting age population — which votes heavily Democratic — into the district Boehner, a Republican from West Chester Twp. in Butler County, has dominated for years.

If approved by the Ohio Senate, Boehner’s new district will include Miami, Darke, Preble, Butler and part of Mercer counties — all rural or suburban and heavily Republican....

Isn't it just like Ohio's GOP to try to dilute, oppress, and mismanage minority voters? The map also tries to guarantee the long terms of office for Stivers and Tiberi by putting more Republicans into their districts.  Will Stivers and Tiberi need to go further to the right to appease their constituents?

*  Another week has passed, and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Josh Mandel, has still not released his required personal financial disclosure to the U.S. Senate. What is the problem?  What is he hiding?  Sooner or later he will need to release it, so why is he refusing to do it?Is there something he doesn't want us to know?

School Funding

 Gov. John Kasich plans to tackle school funding.
Cleveland.com:

....As Kasich nears the launch of his plan to rewrite Ohio's funding formula next month, key changes could include a new emphasis on "flexible" funding, a reworked formula for figuring out what local schools must raise and possible incentives that push for regional collaboration among districts, according to a top advisor.... 

....Brian Williams, an Akron-area board member, pushed Team Kasich to add a tax option to the mix that would allow a "portable" property tax levy option that would raise money for all students in a district, whether they attend traditional public schools, public charter schools or private schools....

....Deb Tully, director of professional development for the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said Williams' pitch at the state board meeting is the first time she's heard this idea floated in Ohio. She questioned whether voters would be turned off by public funds from a levy flowing to private school students.....

Here we go again.  Kasich and his personally picked members of the state school board are going to come up with some "new ideas" for school funding.  Really?  The Kasich ideas will be nothing more than to take more money from public schools, which educate 96% of all students in Ohio, and give the money to charter and private schools.  Would you vote for a school levy that gives more money to line the pockets of the owners of failing charter schools?  Do you want to fund some private school?  When people send their child to a private or charter school they are exercising their choice, and I don't want to pay for their choice.


Data-first.org answers the question....How much does our school district receive from federal, state, and local sources?  The NCES breaks down how much money each state receives for public education in this 2008 data:  Ohio receives about 7% of the funding from the federal government.

 -----------

We cannot allow Kasich, the Ohio GOP, and their corporate sponsors to win in November.  It will only embolden them and allow them to take more rights away from the next group.  True American values are those that honor the working people who contribute to our daily lives.  Support your firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses, and public employees who've given their lives to improve, serve, and protect your community.  

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Vote NO on Issue 3.

Kasich is Still Failing

Gov. John Kasich has not been doing a good job.  All you have to do is take a brief look at a chart put out by Innovation Ohio:

unemployment_rate_chart

September 16, 2011 By terra

(h/t Plunderbund)

That blue line represents Ohio's ever increasing unemployment rate.  While Kasich continues to appear on Fox News and lie about his successes in Ohio, more and more people are losing jobs.  Apparently his JobsOhio program is not working.  His attacks on public workers only turned more people against him.  Kasich, the Ohio GOP, and their corporate fat cats have made Ohio's job market miserable and Ohioans disgusted with his pro-corporate administration.

Meanwhile, Republican John Boehner and his "Do Nothing" House of Representatives are doing even less.  Yesterday, there was a committee hearing on how importing snakes could increase employment.  The Republicans wanted your vote, and some people voted for them.  Now we are left with a bunch of Republican country club members prancing around while they sip champagne with bankers, the Koch Brothers, and other wealthy contributors.  Shame on the whole bunch of them.

Americans want and need jobs now. 

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Magic?

*  Those of us that live in Ohio have learned a lot about Gov. John Kasich and his values.  If he expresses an opinion about someone/something, a majority of Ohioans usually think the opposite.

Bloomberg:

With Texas Governor Rick Perry stumbling on the campaign trail and in his first two debates, some prominent Republicans are again voicing hopes that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will enter the presidential contest. At a meeting with Bloomberg View editors this week, Ohio Governor John Kasich said he'd like to see Christie in the race. "He has a certain magic about him," Kasich said......

I would never, ever use the word "magic" to describe Republican Chris Christie.  There is another five letter word that I'd use -------  bully.  Both Christie and Kasich are bullies and they've demonstrated that by picking on middle class workers like firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses, and public employees.

____

****  If you missed the Ed Show on MSNBC-TV last night, you can catch part of it here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44544391#44544391

We should thank Ed for highlighting the struggle of middle class workers in Ohio.

---------------

*   *  The Brent Spence Bridge that links Ohio and Kentucky has been getting a lot of attention since President Obama held it up as an example of infrastructure repair work that could create jobs.  While John Boehner and the Republicans sit on their hands and do nothing, the bridge's problems only get worse.

YouTube

The Ed Show in Columbus

Ed Schultz of MSNBC-TV's the Ed Show was in Columbus, Ohio, this evening.  His program had an audience of firefighters, police officers, teachers, and others who have been the targets of the Kasich/OhioGOP/Koch Brothers anti-middle class legislation.

The program had many well known Ohioans in attendance:  State Sen. Nina Turner, Chris Redfern, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, Mayor Michael Coleman, Ohio Federation of Teachers President Sue Taylor, and many of our bravest public workers.


As Ed Schultz said, "Kasich, you've got a lot to learn about the working folks of America."

Here are some Ed Show links:  http://ed.msnbc.msn.com/   TWITTER: @edshow  FACEBOOK: The Ed Show

Vote NO on Issue 2.

More Reasons to Vote NO on Issue 2---

* The IndependentCollegian has information about an anti-SB 5 rally on the campus of the University of Toledo.  Besides voicing opposition to SB 5, the speakers also talked about how HB 194, another Ohio GOP/Kasich plan, limits your rights to vote.

Here is an excerpt from the IndependentCollegian:

....teachers in local schools are fighting for their positions and are "likely to be outsourced should [Issue 2] pass."

 

Other groups of public union workers will be negatively affected by the bill, Sherry said, including firefighters.

"These people are heroes, but under Issue 2, Kasich positions them as the public enemy," Sherry said. "One of the worst things about Issue 2 is it endangers the safety of firefighters. They cannot argue for minimum staffing levels on fire engines when they're going to fight fires. That puts their lives in danger; our heroes."

Read the entire article and then go motivate friends and families to Vote NO on Issue 2.  


By the way, if you don't think that outsourcing teaching would not happen, you haven't seen what is going on in England where the teaching of math has been outsourced to India.  Check out the following articles:  TES.co.uk, BBC, HuffPost, Times-standard, etc.

. . . . . .

*  Michelle Bachmann's recent crazy statement about the HPV vaccine has physicians, scientists, and normal people shaking their heads.  Bachmann is not a doctor, a scientist, or even normal.  Most women would want to protect their daughters from cancer, except for Bachmann.  Why should Bachmann or any other person decide what is best for my daughter's future? 

-----

* Gov. Kasich is featured in the new anti-SB 5 ad.

Cincinnati.com: 

We Are Ohio, the group seeking to repeal Senate Bill 5, has its second ad up on the air – and this one features pictures of Gov. John Kasich.

“The more Ohioans learn about Issue 2, the more they understand it didn’t have to be this way,” says Melissa Fazekas, spokeswoman for We Are Ohio. “Politicians didn’t have to attack Ohio workers like firefighters, police officers, teachers and nurses, they could have chosen a different path. At the same time they were asking hardworking Ohioans to make ‘shared sacrifices’ they were literally giving out huge pay raises and bonuses to their staff members. Their hypocrisy is appalling. Once again these politicians are playing by one set of rules, while expecting the rest of us to play by another.”

* Vote NO on Issue 2. *

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

*  The redistricting map announced by the Ohio Republicans is making a lot of people wonder if the GOP is looking for some sort of federal lawsuit.  The redistricting map marginalizes various groups of people.  I'm still holding to my idea that the map was drawn up by a toddler.

>>>>  OMG!  OMG!  Can you believe it?????  Republican candidate Josh Mandel is over 120 days late in his personal financial disclosure statement for candidates running for the U.S. Senate.  

Ohiodems:

Unbelievably, Ohio’s ethically-challenged Treasurer Josh Mandel found time for a media blitz last week where he dodged questions about his shady campaign cash, but STILL refuses to file his Personal Financial Disclosure Report (PFD). Today is September 14^th, a full 120 days past the PFD due date and Josh Mandel is the only major candidate for Senate not to file. Josh Mandel’s continued refusal to file his PFD a full four months past the due date suggests that our absentee Treasurer is hiding something......

....Personal Financial Disclosure Reports for candidates are due within 30 days of becoming a candidate or by May 15^th, whichever date is later.  Mandel filed his campaign committee on April 6th, 2011 with the FEC, and as a result his PFD report was due May 15th, 2011.

“Now 120 days past due, Josh Mandel’s continued refusal to file his Personal Financial Disclosure report has moved well past arrogance and incompetence, and into the realm of the ridiculous,” said Ohio Democratic Party Press Secretary Justin Barasky. “Mandel’s demonstrated from the beginning that believes the rules don’t apply to him, but at this point one has to wonder what exactly Josh Mandel is hiding.”

What is the deal?  But wait, there is more on Mandel, and it has to do with something he said that has been ruled FALSE.

Politifact:
......"Well, the majority last quarter of Sherrod Brown's campaign contributions came from outside of the state of Ohio," he said. "The majority of ours, came from inside of the state of Ohio."

That provoked a new question: Really?

....On the Truth-O-Meter, Mandel’s statement is simply False.

Tsk. Tsk.  Tsk. 

Republicans Employing Actors

We Are Ohio has a new ad up and it is a good one.

WeAreOhio's Loophole ad




Do you know how many real police officers support the Republicans/Koch Brothers/SB 5 legislation?  Zero.  I know you are not surprised consider what John Kasich said about the police.

YouTube


Since Gov. John Kasich has not endeared himself to the police officers in the state, the Republicans supporting SB 5 could not find one police officer to represent himself/herself in an ad.  Those for SB 5 had to hire an actor.

If you recall, last year the Kasich for governor campaign hired a fake construction worker for an ad.
DaytonDailyNews (10/7/2010):

.....The Kasich campaign hired actor to star in the 30-second commercial that blames Gov. Ted Strickland for Ohio losing 400,000 jobs since the Democrat took office....

.....The Ohio Democratic Party and United Steelworkers are saying that the Kasich camp had to pay an actor to criticize Strickland because they couldn’t find a real worker to do so. Using a paid actor - who they identified as Chip Redden - is disingenuous and deceptive, they charge....

The Ohio Republicans were forced to hire an actor again.  An actor played a police officer. 

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Getting People Back to Work

*  President Obama met a very enthusiastic crowd yesterday here in Columbus, Ohio.
10TV.com has a slideshow of the President's visit.

Even though the Republicans say that no jobs were created from the stimulus bill, they are wrong.  CNN went looking for the facts and found out the truth:

...The Facts: A more accurate jobs count may come from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which estimates the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the stimulus bill, "increased the number of people employed by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million" in the second quarter of 2010 alone. The budget office also states that well over half a million jobs were funded in each of the other three quarters of 2010. 

With word that Republicans are against President Obama's jobs plan, we've got to keep the pressure on our elected officials to pass the bill.  Ohio's poverty rate, according to Census Bureau and published in the Dispatch, is 15.3%.  If the Republicans continue to stand in the way of creating jobs, things will only get worse.
 
If we are able to get this bill passed, it will definitely help get Americans in a better financial situation.

The White House has a "Fact Sheet" that shows how Ohio and other states would benefit from President Obama's jobs bill:

...OHIO SNAPSHOT

• Under the American Jobs Act Ohio could receive up to $985,500,000in funding for K-12 schools to support as many as 12,800jobs. Included in this amount are direct funds for four of Ohio’s largest school districts.
  • The Cleveland Municipal School District could receive up to $129.6 million in funds
  • The Columbus  City School District could receive up to $111.6 million in funds
  • The Cincinnati City School District could receive up to $61.1 million in funds
  • The Toledo City School District could receive up to $54.3 million in funds
• In addition Ohio could receive $148,300,000in funding in the next fiscal year for its community colleges.....

and....

American Jobs Act - Rebuilding and Modernizing America's Schools
		Amount of Funds Each State is Eligible for to Invest in K-12 School Infrastructure		Number of Jobs these K-12 School Infrastructure Funds have the Potential to Support		Amount of Funds State is Eligible for to invest in facilities modernization needs at community colleges
Alabama		$ 390.3M		5100		$ 67.5M
Alaska		$ 62.0M		800		$ 2.5M
Arizona		$ 544.4M		7100		$ 116.6M
Arkansas		$ 270.7M		3500		$ 42.4M
California		$ 2812.6M		36600		$ 1131.1M
Colorado		$ 265.1M		3400		$ 57.5M
Connecticut		$ 185.0M		2400		$ 38.0M
Delaware		$ 73.3M		1000		$ 11.6M
D.C.		$ 84.7M		1100		$ 2.5M
Florida		$ 1280.3M		16600		$ 288.4M
Georgia		$ 909.5M		11800		$ 140.6M
Hawaii		$ 82.2M		1100		$ 18.9M
Idaho		$ 93.6M		1200		$ 11.2M
Illinois		$ 1111.6M		14500		$ 212.7M
Indiana		$ 443.4M		5800		$ 79.8M
Iowa		$ 132.6M		1700		$ 56.7M
Kansas		$ 191.4M		2500		$ 45.3M
Kentucky		$ 390.9M		5100		$ 54.7M
Louisiana		$ 516.8M		6700		$ 40.7M
Maine		$ 90.7M		1200		$ 12.8M
Maryland		$ 315.8M		4100		$ 93.9M
Massachusetts		$ 378.6M		4900		$ 68.8M
Michigan		$ 926.3M		12000		$ 157.7M
Minnesota		$ 274.5M		3600		$ 87.8M
Mississippi		$ 335.2M		4400		$ 63.1M
Missouri		$ 422.2M		5500		$ 69.1M
Montana		$ 77.1M		1000		$ 5.7M
Nebraska		$ 106.7M		1400		$ 21.4M
Nevada		$ 168.4M		2200		$ 39.1M
New Hampshire		$ 70.1M		900		$ 8.7M
New Jersey		$ 518.6M		6700		$ 123.8M
New Mexico		$ 196.8M		2600		$ 49.2M
New York		$ 2020.0M		26300		$ 235.3M
North Carolina		$ 675.7M		8800		$ 163.1M
North Dakota		$ 58.9M		800		$ 6.5M
Ohio		$ 985.5M		12800		$ 148.3M
Oklahoma		$ 267.4M		3500		$ 57.5M
Oregon		$ 253.2M		3300		$ 71.2M
Pennsylvania		$ 944.0M		12300		$ 113.2M
Puerto Rico		$  899.6M		6700		$7.9M
Rhode Island		$ 85.6M		1100		$ 12.7M
South Carolina		$ 381.4M		5000		$ 70.8M
South Dakota		$ 75.6M		1000		$ 4.7M
Tennessee		$ 474.7M		6200		$ 61.8M
Texas		$ 2332.1M		30300		$ 458.4M
Utah		$ 138.7M		1800		$ 37.1M
Vermont		$ 57.5M		700		$ 5.3M
Virginia		$ 425.3M		5500		$ 110.1M
Washington		$ 365.1M		4700		$ 83.9M
West Virginia		$ 161.2M		2100		$ 15.4M
Wisconsin		$ 368.7M		4800		$ 79.9M
Wyoming		$ 56.3M		700		$ 11.7M
Other Territories*		$125M		N/A		$12.5M

*Disaggregated data for U.S. Territories is forthcoming 

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Vote NO on Issue 2.