Republicans Are the Job Killers

*  "Would you like a little mercury with that?"

Ohio voters need to know that Republican candidate Josh Mandel is willing to risk your child's health and future by letting polluters pour dangerous chemicals into our environment.

Cleveland:

Josh Mandel's recent criticism of the newly implemented rule for airborne mercury reduction by the Obama administration -- that it is "unnecessary and job-killing" -- is counterproductive to the needs of Ohio's future. Mercury and air pollution can cause neurological damage, birth defects and asthma in children and other vulnerable people. This problem is right at our front door, with numerous mercury-emitting plants in the Cleveland area. We can't ignore the debilitating effects of mercury for the hopes of our future health.

On Dec. 21, after decades of industry resistance and delay, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a historic standard to protect the health of Ohio's kids by limiting mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants. Protecting against the debilitating effects of mercury, this standard would save 11,000 lives annually nationwide.....

Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15th) must like mercury too (UAprogressiveaction).  Stivers and Josh Mandel want their corporate buddies to be protected and able to make more profits.  If laws protecting our health and environment were abolished, all of our lives would be in danger, as well as our food production, waterways, and future.  When these Republicans talk about clean air laws killing jobs, they are liars.  Building and maintaining clean air monitors/protections creates more jobs because these items must be built by people, checked by people, and repaired/maintained by people.  Even if it costs a corporation some money to follow the law, so what?  Corporations have a duty to the communities in which they live and maintaining a clean environment is part of that responsibility.

>>>>  The Republicans and their friends in the extreme right are now going against women's health in Ohio.  They are pushing a bill to cut off funds that provide health care to  
"... nearly 100,000 patients..."

Dispatch:

 .....essentially cuts off aid to Planned Parenthood.

...The 32 clinics in Ohio received about $1.7 million in public funding last year and served nearly 100,000 patients, officials said.

Stressing that the organization already cannot use any public money it receives to fund abortions, Planned Parenthood supporters said that more than 90 percent of the services provided by clinics include birth control, screenings for breast cancer and cervical cancer, and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. The loss of funds likely won’t shut them down but could lead to higher fees for patients and longer waits for services.....

The Republican agenda hurts women.

***   Governing has a review of Gov. John Kasich's job performance:

....But like Wisconsin's Scott Walker and Florida's Rick Scott, voters have been at best polarized and at worst unhappy about the rapid pace of change. Kasich's biggest overstep was to push a public-employee collective bargaining law that went even further than the one Walker enacted. Its defeat by the voters in an off-year election cast a pall over the rest of Kasich's first year in office, since he had spent so much political capital on it. In a January 2012 Public Policy Polling survey, Kasich was 20 points underwater: 33 percent approval, 53 percent disapproval.

I hope voters can see how Republicans are more driven by their own ideology and loyalty to their corporate friends than by what is for the common good.

* Is John Kasich scaring away jobs from Ohio?

The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services has these new layoffs from the WARN list:

Current WARN Notices
02/28/2012

Date Rec'd	Company	City (County)	Potential Number Affected	Layoff Date(s)	Phone Number	Union	WARN ID
02/28/2012	WUPW Broadcasting Station	Toledo (Lucas)	63	04/24/2012 to 05/08/2012	(401) 457-9402	N/A	009-11-042
02/27/2012	Diversified Machine Inc.(DMI Edon)	Edon (Williams)	73	04/27/2012	(419) 272-5326	United Electrical	007-11-041
02/27/2012	Mercy St.John's Center	Springfield (Clark)	125	06/01/2012	(937) 342-5940	N/A	007-11-040
02/27/2012	YRC Worldwide Inc.	Richfield (Summit)	5	04/24/2012	(913) 344-3992	N/A	002-11-039

Other than flying around the state on the state owned planes, what is publicity-seeking Gov. John Kasich doing to retain jobs in the state?

Ohio's Gun Laws

* The shootings at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio, has people wondering about the state's gun laws.


WashingtonPost:

...The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence rated Ohio only a 7 out of a possible score of 100 in terms of strong gun laws, saying that people can avoid background checks by buying handguns in private sales.

Last summer, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a “guns-in-bars” bill into law, making it legal to carry concealed firearms into bars, restaurants, shopping malls, nightclubs and sports arenas for the first time. The law is considered one of the broadest gun laws in the country....

.....From Cleveland.com last Sunday:

The legislature is now considering a bill that would go even further by allowing concealed carry in places of worship, on private and public college campuses, daycare centers and some government buildings.....

Can you imagine allowing guns on college campuses?  If the Ohio Republicans get their way on this legislation, they'll be responsible for what happens.  State Rep. Danny R. Bubp (R) sponsored a bill last year to allow concealed carry in bars.  Guns and drunks don't mix.

Updates....

Despite what Republicans and their deep pocketed supporters at the Chamber of Commerce might be saying, it is clear that Ohio Democrat, Sen. Sherrod Brown, stands for a record that has helped people and businesses.  A group of business leaders have endorsed Sen. Sherrod Brown. Plain Dealer Cleveland:

...In a statement released today by Brown's campaign, 18 Ohio-based corporate CEOs, chairmen or presidents called Brown "a champion of Ohio's business community."

"We urge Ohioans across the state not to believe third-party attack ads that say otherwise," their statement says. "Sherrod Brown has consistently demonstrated that Ohio jobs are his top priority and his commitment to strengthening Ohio employers will not waver. When it comes to Ohio's business community, Senator Sherrod Brown is ready and willing to help."

Signatories include Dominic Ozanne, president of Ozanne Construction; Joe Kanfer, president and CEO of GOJO Industries (and Brown's campaign chairman in 2006); Liz Lessner, CEO of Betty's Family of Restaurants; Joseph Ross, president of Challenger Manufacturing Co., and Ron Ratner, president and CEO of Forest City Residential Group....

With Sen. Sherrod Brown's experience in working with people, labor, and businesses, he knows how to work with all kinds of people for the common good.  A champion for workers, Sen. Sherrod Brown worked along with labor leaders in Ohio to strike down Kasich's SB 5.  Sherrod Brown needs our support.

***** Sen. Sherrod Brown's main challenger, Republican Josh Mandel, has been working hard at hardly working. Josh Mandel has received the endorsement of the right wing Santorum supporter, Foster Friess.  In a story at the Huffington Post, we see more on what Josh Mandel represents:

Foster Friess, the billionaire backer of Rick Santorum who notoriously made a joke last week about "gals" putting "Bayer aspirin between their knees" in lieu of using contraception, has donated $5,000 to Josh Mandel, the Republican challenger of Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Mandel supported Ohio's controversial "heartbeat bill," which would ban abortions from the moment the fetal heartbeat can be detected, often before women even learn they're pregnant. The ban would effectively outlaw abortions entirely in Ohio and, if passed, could prompt the Supreme Court to reconsider its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

"Josh Mandel's endorsement of the heartbeat bill in Ohio has proven he's a ringleader in the GOP war on women," said Justin Barasky, Brown's re-election campaign spokesman, "so it's no surprise that he'd be standing shoulder to shoulder with someone who thinks it's funny to make offensive jokes about women's health."

The Republican war on women continues.

 ******

>>>  There has been a third death associated with the school shooting in Chardon, Ohio. The LA Times has the details.

Josh Mandel: Answer Some Questions

***  If you look closely at a video from the most recent meeting of the Ohio Board of Deposits, you'll notice that there is someone missing:  Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.  Mandel did not attend a meeting of the Board of Deposit Meeting on February 23, 2012.  He has missed every single one of them since becoming Ohio Treasurer.  At least he is consistent.  AmericanBridge on YouTube has a video of the meeting and you'll notice Mandel is missing.




Mandel was interviewed by Colleen Marshall of NBC4 in Columbus for The Spectrum.
 His responses to questions leaves a lot to be desired:


   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Josh Mandel says he is "focused" on his job as Ohio Treasurer.  Really?

Josh Mandel's handlers do not allow him to be asked any questions. Why?  They don't want you to know about his right wing agenda which includes---- destroying Social Security and Medicare, destroying health care, and supporting businesses over human beings.  With Sen. Sherrod Brown, we know where he stands on issues, but Mandel won't talk.  When Mandel does talk he sounds like a parrot.  Even Colleen Marshall calls Mandel "fickle" in the third interview.

Josh Mandel does a great job of not answering questions about his lack of attention to his job and why he decided to run for a new office after a few weeks as Treasurer.  Mandel said that his office has a perfect attendance at those board of deposit meetings, but HE isn't there!  He doesn't seem to get that HE IS THE TREASURER and SHOULD BE AT THOSE MEETINGS!!!!!!

You might wonder about some of the ads being run in Ohio that talk about "job creators" not getting a fair break.  Republicans use the term "job creators" as a code for millionaires and billionaires.  Those "job creators" don't need anymore tax breaks because they've had them and they still haven't created any jobs.  Now the "job creators" are just sitting on their money, enjoying their profits, and have not been hiring.  Any talk at all about "job creators" should be dismissed a propaganda to protect millionaires and billionaires.

Since social issues have been raised by the Republican Party, we need to start directing specific questions to Mandel.  Would he vote to end birth control in the country like Santorum?  Does Mandel think that private schools should get public funds? Does Mandel still believe in SB 5 and similar legislation?Why was he against Sen. Brown voting for the auto bailout, even though it created thousands of jobs?

The clock is ticking.  When will Josh Mandel start answering some questions? We're waiting.......

He did it again!!!!

Josh Mandel, Ohio Treasurer and Republican candidate for the Senate, missed his 14th Deposit Board meeting in a row.  Every previous Ohio Treasurer has attended meeting as they served in the office, but Josh "hardly working" Mandel has yet to attend one of these meetings.

Just a few weeks after taking the oath of office as state treasurer in 2011, Mandel decided that he wanted to run for Senate, even though he had promised to serve his full term as treasurer.  How does Josh Mandel spend his time?  Josh Mandel has flown all over the country collecting campaign money, rubbing elbows with lobbyists, and getting to know big contributors.

The Huffington Post has a story about Josh Mandel's work ethic:

Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel hopes to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in this year's election, but state Democrats think Mandel has an odd way of carrying out his current job responsibilities. They point out that he has repeatedly skipped meetings of a board that oversees billions in Ohio government bank deposits.

After Mandel did not attend his 14th straight Board of Deposit meeting Wednesday night, Ohio Democrats were especially harsh in criticizing Mandel's work ethic.

“Josh Mandel's complete and total neglect of his job as Treasurer is a constant reminder of how unfit he is for public office and his obsession with a promotion is evidence of just how little he cares about his obligation to Ohio's taxpayers,” said Justin Barasky, Ohio Democratic Party press secretary and Brown's spokesman, in a statement. “There's not a Treasurer in America more willfully neglecting his responsibilities as a public servant and it's far past time for Josh Mandel to check his out of control political ambition at the door and start putting Ohioans first."

Where was Josh Mandel today instead of the deposit meeting?
Limaohio.com:

The future of health savings accounts will hinge on what happens to health care reform, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel said Thursday to a Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce group.....

Here is the announcement for the event held today that was attended by Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.
Lima Chamber of Commerce:

Connections Thursday, February 23, 2012 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM Price Member Non-Member $20.00 $30.00 Online registration open until 2/23/2012

Event Description

Check out our newest event to join our program line-up!  Connections focuses on bringing together mid-upper level management, business owners and company Presidents/CEOs.  This quarterly program is designed to help build your professional contacts while providing education on specific topics of relevance.  Healthcare A New Trend in Medical Insurance - Understanding Health Savings Plans February 23, 2011 11:30-1pm Shawnee Country Club $20 February's topic will focus on the benefits of Wellness Programs and will feature a panel discussion: For questions or additional information contact Debbie Tierney at 419.222.6045 or dtierney@limachamber.com. *Registration cancellations must be received one week prior.* _______________________ Most people would have thanked the Chamber for the invitation but declined because of job commitments.  Unfortunately, Treasurer Josh Mandel will accept any invitation even if it interferes with his elected office.

Same Old Story

*** More layoffs are coming in Ohio.

ODJFS:

02/21/2012	Kodak	Dayton (Montgomery)	68	04/19/2012	(937) 259-3753	N/A	007-11-037
02/21/2012	YRC Freight	Columbus (Franklin)	121	Between 4/8/2012 & 4/22/2012	(913) 344-3952	IBT	011-11-036

Is Gov. Kasich only focusing on certain types of businesses to keep jobs in Ohio?

**** People are noticing that those that are well connected to Gov. John Kasich are getting high-paying jobs in the state government.

Cleveland.com:

Giving Ohio Turnpike jobs with big salaries to political friends may not be the best way for the Kasich administration to sell the idea of leasing the toll road. On top of that, it just smells to give insiders plum jobs, no matter what the reasons. 

Last week, The Plain Dealer's Tom Breckenridge reported that $5,000-a-year turnpike Commissioner Adam Greenslade, a Sandusky County Republican, had quit his commissionership to land a $93,000-a-year turnpike staff job as a government affairs director. 

And, a former campaign donor to Gov. John Kasich, Dale Perram, a Wadsworth Republican, secured a $103,000-a-year job as turnpike operations chief.....

I guess this is how the fat cats reward their buddies.  It may also give a hint of what direction the "study" on the privatization of the Ohio Turnpike will go. Kasich is stacking the deck.

*** An article in ThisWeek newspaper introduces some of the candidates running in the primary.  Current Republican Rep. Pat Tiberi expressed his views which sound like a memorized mantra.

ThisWeek:

The issues pointed to by Tiberi include “strengthening the economic and job creation.”

“Congress needs to cultivate a stable business environment, where entrepreneurs are free from the uncertainty of today’s abysmal tax and ever-increasing regulatory climate, thereby creating and expanding businesses, hiring more workers and setting a new course for a prosperous nation that puts us on track for long-term economic growth and permanent job creation,” Tiberi said.....

“I believe we need to cut the bureaucratic red tape that over-burdens U.S. businesses, stifling their ability to grow, expand and hire.”

Excuse me!  Tiberi has been in Congress since 2000, I don't recall any job creation for which he was responsible.  Giving more tax breaks to businesses and millionaires has not created jobs.  Cutting safety regulations only endangers the public.  Is this the best Tiberi can do with these same old talking points?

Responsibility

When you have a job, it is expected that you fulfill all your responsibilities for the position.  If you are an elected official, you have responsibilities to your constituents.  However, one person in particular appears to be skipping out, abandoning, and neglecting his duties.

Republican Josh Mandel, elected to office in November 2010 as Ohio Treasurer, continues to miss the same meeting every single time it is scheduled.  Since taking office, Josh Mandel has not attended one meeting of the Board of Deposits.  Through the years, other Treasurers have attended these meetings on a regular basis.  Josh Mandel continues to send his buddy, Seth Metcalf, to represent him at these meetings which oversee the state's money. 

Ohioans want to know how Josh Mandel has the nerve to miss these meetings.

YouTube



To add insult to injury, the Illinois House committee on agriculture took up abortion bills.  Is someone trying to categorize abortions for women and health care for women to pigs, cows, and crops???  Are these people nuts? (see StLouisToday)

>>>  While Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15) keeps running his sappy campaign ad with flags and his family, he has failed to remind his constituents that---

1. he voted for the Paul Ryan budget bill that would hand out vouchers for senior citizens to get health care.  Yes, Steve Stivers wants your Grandma to give up her Medicare (see NY Times) and be given coupons for health insurance.

2. he voted to cut funding for National Public Radio (HR 1076).

3. he voted to repeal EPA regulations that protect the public from contamination from cement manufacturers (HR 2681). Would you like some mercury with your water?

I'll have more as we approach the election. 

The War on Women Continues....

Republican Rep. Joe Walsh said the following about the birth control hearing held by the Republicans in the House of Representatives in which not one woman was part of the witness panel.
YouTube (Walsh's insanity starts at 44 sec.):



There is more on the demonizing of females and this is from Indiana State Rep. Bob Morris and published in the JournalGazette:

This past week I was asked to sign a House Resolution recognizing the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts of America. After talking to some well-informed constituents, I did a small amount of web-based research, and what I found is disturbing. The Girl Scouts of America and their worldwide partner, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), have entered into a close strategic affiliation with Planned Parenthood. You will not find evidence of this on the GSA/WAGGGS website—in fact, the websites of these two organizations explicitly deny funding Planned Parenthood.....

What the **** is this kind of idiocy? He did web research?  Does web research now count as scientific research?

The Huffington Post has part of the response to the representative's statement from the Girl Scouts:

.."Misinformation is passing as fact,” Diane Tipton, president of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital, told the Washington Post in January. “The Girl Scout organization does not take a position on abortion or birth control, and these topics are not part of the Girl Scout program or our materials. We believe these matters are best discussed by girls with their families.”

 In response to these allegations, the Girl Scouts have released a statement of where they stand on sensitive issues here [PDF]. 

 ----------------------

The discussion about birth control, women's health care, and  attacks on the rights of women, continues to be absolutely disgusting.  While the white male Republicans in Congress and in state legislatures are fighting against health care access for women, there are some male medical procedures that are covered by health insurance. Male lawmakers have voted to allow coverage for these procedures.

Raw Story:

...The fact of the matter is that health insurance covers all manner of “things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be,” when it comes to men, and no one has any real complaints about insurance coverage that allows men to continue having sex for non-procreative reasons and despite medical conditions that would otherwise prevent it......

...1. Erectile dysfunction drugs....

....2. Vacuum erection devices.....

....3. Penile implants....

.....4. Vasectomies...

....5. Circumcision....

The Republicans want the above mentioned expensive procedures for men to be covered by health insurance, but they won't cover your birth control pills that cost between $60-$100/per month or health screenings for women.  Why are the male Republicans so against women having access to health care?  Why do they think they have to make decisions for us? 

Those Virginians that support trans-vaginal ultrasound for women wanting an abortion should realize that a forceful intrusion into a woman's body without her permission would by considered rape.  Do you think any smart Virginia doctor will risk being sued?

As a 60 year old woman, I am appalled by the language, tone, and anger that Republican lawmakers have hurled toward women. I thought we were over that but apparently the male dominated Republican Party wants to return to the days when women had no rights.

Let me remind you about another issue----fair pay for women.  A previous post of mine talked about how Steve Stivers (OH-15) said he would have voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act---http://tinyurl.com/73lh7ra.

Losing Local Control

*  It appears that the Kasich administration is taking some power away from local governments.  This power grab might not sit well with community leaders across the state.  The most worrisome part of this is the chance that information will not be revealed to citizens.

Here is an open letter written by Kevin Lowry of the Wayne County Young Democrats and published in the DailyRecord:

...The Kasich administration proposes to strip the power of zoning these wells from local municipalities. The power of zoning, allows a municipality, like Wooster or Orrville, to regulate if and where wells would be allowed within the borders of the city, village or township. Zoning is a police power unique to municipalities and creates defined areas to encourage growth, development and property values within their borders. If the state strips the zoning powers from a municipality an oil or gas company could feasibly come into Wooster and drill a hydraulic fracturing well within a residential district without oversight of local government or community input, essentially tying the hands of the local government. With large plots of vacant land in Wooster and Orrville this could be detrimental to the economic stability and safety of city residents...

The power of self-governance is being taken away from Ohio citizens. With this move by Kasich and company, communities will not have a voice in what happens to the city/village they call home.  In years to come, when our grandchildren ask why our hometowns have large amounts of dirty air, polluted water, and higher numbers of cancer cases, you'll be able to blame a former governor, John Kasich.

*     *     *

>>> Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a candidate for another office, is unable (or unwilling) to debate other candidates for the Senate (see Cleveland.com).  Mandel probably has another fundraising event that is more important than answering questions from reporters and the public.  If you visit Josh Mandel's website, you'll notice the absence of any issues. With Republicans going after Social Security, Medicare, women's health, education funding, rebuilding the infrastructure, increasing taxes on millionaires, etc., Josh Mandel's lack of a firm stance on these and other issues is very troubling.   

Republicans Not Revealing Their Votes

* Republican Rep. Steve Stivers has started running his campaign ads.  In his ads he doesn't mention that he has voted for the Paul Ryan budget bill that would hand out voucher to the elderly for health insurance.  The Stivers ad did not even note that he continues to support bankers and vote against consumer protections.  Stivers suggested that he is interested in creating jobs. That is news to me.  I live in his district and there have been no jobs created by Steve Stivers in Ohio's 15th congressional district. 

*** The planned layoffs of Kodak employees has not yet been posted on the Warn Act page at the Ohio Dept. of Jobs and Family Services.  The only recent hint of layoffs was posted at Gateschilipost.com:

...News10NBC has also learned another 80 employees will be laid off at a plant in Dayton, Ohio.

Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January, and the company is in the process of restructuring.

>>>>  Rick Santorum, Republican presidential candidate is against contraception, abortion, pre-natal screening, and abortion, even in the case of rape or incest.  Do you think he supports insurance paying for male enhancement drugs? 

Republicans just don't appear to support women's rights. Why vote for any of these putzes?

Santorum, Romney, and Gingrich have been campaigning in Ohio, and thankfully I've missed them so far.

Toll Increases Will Follow A Turnpike Lease

* Is the leasing/selling of the Ohio Turnpike already a done deal? Is the Director of the roadway trying to get the public accustomed to the idea that someone else would run it?

Ohio.com:

Ohio Turnpike Commission Executive Director Rick Hodges is urging critics of the idea of leasing the turnpike to slow down.....

....The Ohio Controlling Board last week approved a $2.85 million contract for KPMG Corporate Finance LLC to study the turnpike and the 101 rest stops on the state’s free interstates. The goal, pushed by Gov. John Kasich, is to see whether there’s a way to turn those assets into needed cash.

“Everybody needs to be open-minded,” Hodges said about the process....

Yeah, sure.  Be opened minded that employees of KPMG were campaign contributors to the Kasich campaign.  Be open minded that the Ohio Turnpike made huge profits.

We know that it has been said that the group that bought the Indiana Turnpike overpaid for their lease of that highway and the group is now in deep debt.  It is also a fact that the Indiana roadway has seen a decline in truck traffic because tolls have increased dramatically for trucks and cars. They are staying away in huge numbers.

Just as Kasich overestimated the amount of money he would get for the prisons, he more than likely overestimated what the state would get out of a deal for the turnpike.  There is no magic solution to the state's budget problems, other than creating jobs. If people had jobs, more money would go into the state treasury's coffers.

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

Speaking of the Ohio Treasury----

Repeat candidate, Republican Josh Mandel, is bring in big bucks for his campaign as he travels around the country to special events given in his honor.  Unfortunately, Mandel is neglecting his job as Treasurer as he continues to skip out of meetings.  Mandel is wasting money even in his own campaign.

Dayton Daily News:

....In the “where are they now” files, famed former political consultant Dick Morris – the man who advised former President Bill Clinton in the days after the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke – is now speaking at fundraisers for Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel.

Mandel paid $10,000 to Triangulation Strategies for a speaking fee at an Oct. 12, 2011 event for Mandel, according to research by American Bridge, a Democratic super PAC.

Mandel spokesman Travis Considine confirmed that the campaign paid the fee to Morris, saying Morris spoke at a fundraiser for Mandel in Ohio.

Wow.  Mandel's campaign went for a washed up, Fox News pundit.  How pathetic.  Is Mandel unable to do a pep talk on his own to his campaign followers?

If and when Josh Mandel is the GOP candidate, I think that Sen. Sherrod Brown should debate him as much as possible.  So far, Mandel appears to be short on ideas, except for those being fed to him by his far right supporters.  Have we heard how Josh Mandel feels about women being given access to health care, screenings, and birth control?

Ohio Politics

***  State Sen. Mike Duffey (District 21) has had a lot of negative press recently because of his lack of response to the letters, and contact with his constituents. Several recent letters to the editor of the Suburban News show that people in Worthington have become frustrated with Duffey's lack of interest in the views and concerns of his constituents. With some highly regarded Democrats running in the primary, could Duffey's tenure be one term?  Along with Mike Duffey's support of SB5 and his total support of the Kasich agenda, people are disgusted by his arrogance and lack of interest.

Since Mike Duffey was a loyal supporter of Kasich's agenda, and Kasich helped Duffey campaign, should we assume that Kasich and Duffey are united in their plans for our state?  Will Duffey continue to support Kasich's attacks on public schools?

* Ohio's Treasure, Josh "on the road again" Mandel, continues to get Ohioans worried about his lack of devotion to his current job.  Mandel appears to spend every waking moment he is not at his desk at 30 East Broad Street in downtown Columbus, on the campaign trail begging for money for his next campaign. With multiple trips to Washington DC to hang out with lobbyists, and his trips to a large number of private parties and receptions, questions are being asked about his focus on the state's finances. Josh Mandel was in Cleveland on Thursday night at a get together with another out of touch Republican, Mitt Romney (WTAM).

Speaking of Romney..... 
Mitt Romney made a suggestion that only a wealthy heir could make.
Raw Story:

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney suggested to a group of business people in Michigan on Thursday that entrepreneurs should ask their parents for money instead of using loans from the federal government.

In a speech to the Greater Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce, the former Massachusetts governor blasted the Obama administration for trying to jump start renewable energy with government loans to companies like Solyndra......

......Although the Obama administration did approve funds for Solyndra, the loan process began under President George W. Bush’s administration....

I guess if your parents have boatloads of money like Romney's  you just ask them if they could spare a few hundred thousand to play with in starting up a company. Oh yeah, that is realistic.  Most parents today have difficulty maintaining their own lives.  Romney lives in a bubble.

Where are the female witnesses?

* The Republican war on women continues.  Today Republican Rep. Darrell Issa showed how much he respects women today when he had only male witnesses today talk about birth control.

Katie Halper has a post at TPM about Issa's latest publicity stunt:

House Oversight Committee Chairman, master car thief and generalcriminal Darrell Issa held a hearing today on the Obama administration's new regulation requiring employers and insurers to provide contraception coverage to their employees. Claiming that the the hearing was "not about reproductive rights and contraception but instead about the Administration's actions as they relate to freedom of religion and conscience," Issa barred a progressive woman from testifying, as that would have ruined the all male conservative religious anti-Obama motif he was going for. This led three democrats to walk out of the house (which must have been extra hard, because their panties were all up in a bunch). But I watched the hearing. And here are some thoughts.

1. I guess I should give the GOP props for voting against the Violence Against Women Act, since it would be hypocritical to condemn violence against women, while at the same time advocating ultrasound rape.

2. This is a really beautiful image of small government and big family values.....

Ana Marie Cox has been tweeting at the Issa hearing.  Here is a sample of what she had to say:

Ana Marie Cox @anamariecox

Witnesses at Issa contraception hearing have benefit of not ever being able to get pregnant! post.ly/5PF0v (via bit.ly/wXTOLk)

The Republicans wonder why they can't seem to attract women voters! 

Planned Parenthood has been tweeting about the absurdity of the all male witnesses at the hearing on contraception.  Here is a picture from the hearing provided by Planned Parenthood:

Planned Parenthood @PPact

RT @thinkprogress: A picture of the witness table at the GOP hearing right now on #birthcontrol for women: pic.twitter.com/mogiV3W0 #issacircus

image by @thinkprogress, 5h

 

> The guy with all the money supporting Santorum had this to say about contraception (ABCnews): 

 

....Foster Friess, the 71 year old Wyoming multi-millionaire offered this retort when Mitchell pressed him about whether he agreed with Santorum’s stance on contraception..... 

 

Here’s the full quote:

FRIESS: “I get such a chuckle when these things come out. Here we have millions of our fellow Americans unemployed. We have jihadist camps being set up in central – in Latin America, which Rick has been warning about, and people seem to be so preoccupied with sex. I think it says something about our culture. We maybe need a massive therapy session so we can concentrate on what the real issues are. And this contraceptive thing, my gosh, it’s so — such inexpensive. Back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.”

(FYI: Some women pay as much as $100/month or more for birth control pills.)
 

If you'd like to contact Issa, try this:   

PHONE: (202) 225-5074 FAX: (202) 225-3974  or  HERE.

More Ethics Problems for Josh Mandel????

Josh Mandel, the Ohio Treasurer that spends more time campaigning for his next job than fulfilling the duties of his current job, might be in some hot water.

Cleveland.com:

The Ohio Democratic Party is filing a formal complaint today against Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, telling the Federal Election Commission that soon after Mandel took state office, he used money from his 2010 state race to help launch his U.S. Senate campaign.

It is illegal to use state campaign funds, regulated under Ohio law, for a federal campaign, regulated under federal law. Simply put, if you want to run for Ohio Dog Catcher (a fictional post), you must follow Ohio law, and if you then decide to run for Congress -- or even just want to consider such a run -- you must file paperwork with the FEC, start a federal account and steer clear of mingling the money you raised running for dog catcher. The law keeps candidates from doing an end-run around federal campaign funding restrictions.....

......the Ohio Democratic Party says that a month after taking office on Jan. 10, 2011, the new treasurer used his leftover state campaign funds to start flying to New York, Washington and Park City, Utah. Mandel was apparently lining up donations for his then-impending Senate race, the Democrats say.....

Of course, Mandel, who has taken campaign contributions from a Nazi re-enactor, doesn't seem to understand things called laws and rules. Josh Mandel did the same thing when he filed his personal financial disclosure six months late.

A search at Campaignmoney.com, found 8 individuals from Park City, Utah that contributed to the Josh Mandel campaign on 5/9/2011 and an additional person from the same location that gave a donation on 6/21/2001. Mandel has been spending lots of energy on flying here, there, and everywhere, while spending little time on his elected position.

Sick of the Republicans Yet?

Gov. John Kasich's ties to lobbyists are strong.  You have to wonder if anything Kasich does is determined by what is good for the citizens of Ohio or the lobbyists and the corporations they represent. 

Cleveland.com:

A $5,000-a-year commissioner with the Ohio Turnpike resigned to take a $93,000-a-year job with the toll road. 

Adam Greenslade, a lobbyist and Republican activist from Sandusky County, will start as the turnpike's government-affairs director on Feb. 27. 

Greenslade's move follows the recent hiring of Dale Perram, a registered Republican and a $10,000 contributor to Gov. John Kasich's campaign. The semi-retired executive is the turnpike's new chief of operations with a salary of $103,000.... 

That hiring follows an earlier announcement:

StateImpact:

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is moving forward with a plan to revamp the state’s job training system, a plan that reaches far into Ohio’s K-12 and postsecondary education systems and would affect how billions of dollars in state and federal funds are spent.....

.....Yesterday Kasich signed an executive order creating the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation and an accompanying advisory board. The head of the new office, former lobbyist Richard Frederick, will report directly to the governor, Kasich spokesperson Connie Wehrkamp said.....

Kasich once talked about the "pigs in the trough" which most people viewed as lobbyists.  Kasich, unfortunately, has strong friendships with lobbyists and he appears to be guiding his agenda to keeping his buddies happy.

*** Republican Rick Santorum believes that health insurance should not cover the cost of birth control.  With birth control pills running as high as $100/month, any coverage would be helpful to women.  There is an interesting opinion written by Stephanie Coontz and posted at CNN International that details Rick Santorum's "Stone Age View of Women"-----

....Taken with statements Santorum made in his 2005 book, "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good," his opposition to contraception (as well as to abortion, even in the case of rape) seems part and parcel of a deep hostility toward efforts to empower women and enhance their status. He has shown nothing but contempt for what his book called the "radical" feminist "pitch" that "men and women be given an equal opportunity to make it to the top in the workplace." So perhaps it's not surprising that at the time of publication he did not list his wife as a co-author or contributor, although when asked last week about this and other comments on working mothers, he now says his wife wrote that part of the book.....

.....The Santorums' apparent hostility to women's educational and professional advancement is insulting and out of touch with today's world. But it is also odd in light of their purported interest in the welfare of children. It turns out that the most powerful single influence on a child's educational success is not the mother's marital status but her own level of education and her educational aspirations for her children, according to education researcher W. Norton Grubb.....

.....Every family must make its own, sometimes difficult, decisions about what best fits their particular needs and preferences. We don't need politicians like Rick Santorum -- or, as he now somewhat unchivalrously claims, his wife -- making those decisions more painful by suggesting that women who choose to pursue careers are worse mothers than those who do not.

Rick Santorum must live in a bubble because he is completely out of touch with our lives.


>>>>  Of course, Mitt Romney's claim that he has "severely conservative" views is hilarious.  When I read his repeated use of the words "severely conservative" in his speech, it made me think that perhaps his speech had speech had been written by a 6th grader with a thesaurus.

Speaking of Romney......
The "Puppetmaster" is a great nickname for Grover Norguist.  David Frum's article at the Daily Beast quotes some shocking things from Norquist from CPAC:

All we have to do is replace Obama. ...  We are not auditioning for fearless leader. We don't need a president to tell us in what direction to go. We know what direction to go. We want the Ryan budget. ... We just need a president to sign this stuff. We don't need someone to think it up or design it. The leadership now for the modern conservative movement for the next 20 years will be coming out of the House and the Senate.

The requirement for president?

Pick a Republican with enough working digits to handle a pen to become president of the United States. This is a change for Republicans: the House and Senate doing the work with the president signing bills. His job is to be captain of the team, to sign the legislation that has already been prepared.

This is not a very complimentary assessment of Romney's leadership....

Grover Norquist believes that Romney is a weak, easily manipulated, non-thinker that will do whatever he is told.  That is a great endorsement.  Norquist just revealed a lot about Romney and what he'd do as President.

Mandel Avoiding the Press......

* It appears that Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, Republican candidate for Senate, is playing  games with the public and the press.  Mandel continues to collect huge sums of money from right wingers across the country, but he is doing his best to avoid meeting with the public and the press. 

OhioDems:

Justin Barasky, Press Secretary of the Ohio Democratic Party, released the following statement today in light of reports that Josh Mandel is the only Republican not attending a GOP candidate forum in the Maumee/Toledo area this Thursday:

 

“Add the Toledo area to the growing list of places in Ohio where Josh Mandel’s “too busy” to face the voters and come clean about his numerous anti-middle class positions. It seems Mandel’s worried that his refusal to do his job as Treasurer is something even conservative Republican audiences will disapprove of. Then again, maybe he just has another D.C. fundraiser.”

Heaven forbid if Josh Mandel would actually have to answer a question about his issues and legislative goals.  It seems that the only way to catch Mandel is if you have a campaign contribution for him.

There is a great bit of information that will give you some insight on what type of job Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel is doing for us. 
iwanttobesenator.com:

Josh Mandel has been Ohio's Treasurer for 400 days
and has been running for U.S. Senate for 314 of them ...

Mandel is devoting himself to the next job, not the one he has now.

>>>>> While the corporate cronies get tax incentives from their buddy, Gov. John Kasich, Ohio's school districts are facing some tough decisions because of his budget decisions.

WCPO:

In an effort to save $4.3 million in teacher salaries, Lakota Local Schools released a proposal on Monday to cut junior and senior high school teacher positions.

According to the district, 26 positions would be cut at the junior high schools and 43 positions would be cut in the high schools.....

With Kasich and the GOP in control, corporations benefits, while our children and people suffer.  When there are 45 children in a classroom with one teacher, Kasich will blame teachers for the lower achievement scores.

****  Before you pick up that lipstick, you just might want to read the article in the Washington Post:

Four hundred of the nation’s most popular lipsticks contained trace levels of lead when tested recently by the federal government, confirming similar results of earlier analyses but on a much wider scale and at higher levels than previously detected.

Five L’Oreal and Maybelline lipsticks, owned by L’Oreal USA, ranked among the top 10 most contaminated brands, according to the analysis by the Food and Drug Administration. Two Cover Girl and two NARS lipsticks also landed in top 10 slots, as did one from Stargazer....

Here are the Top Ten listed at TheCheckup column at the WashingtonPost:

Here is a list of the 10 brands and shades that contain the most lead, according the FDA’s study. A full analysis of all 400 varieties is available here.

1. Maybelline’s Color Sensation in Pink Petal. (Lead content: 7.19 ppm)

2. L’Oreal Colour Riche in Volcanic. (Lead content: 7.00 ppm)

3. NARS Semi-Matte in Red Lizard. (Lead content: 4.93 ppm)

4. Cover Girl Queen Collection Vibrant Hues Color in Ruby Remix (Lead content: 4.92 ppm)

5. NARS Semi-Matte in Funny Face. (Lead content: 4.89)....

Check out the rest of the list at the link.

OMG.

Mandel Still Hardly Working for You.....

*  Republican Josh Mandel appears to be spending more time and energy collecting funds for his next campaign than doing the job he was elected to serve.  Flying from here, to Florida, to Colorado, Texas, Vegas, New York, Hawaii, DC, etc., has to take a lot out of anyone. When someone has a job that he/she is supposed to be working 8am-5pm, Monday thru Friday, you start to wonder if everything is getting done, especially since the taxpayers pay his salary.

The Mansfieldnewsjournal reports that Josh Mandel had lunch with some small business owners and then visited the Mansfield newspaper after his lunch meeting.  It is amazing that he has so much time to do these "campaign stops" instead of protecting our money.  Does he just put the state treasury on auto-pilot or is someone else running his office????

Josh Mandel is clearly an empty suit. After a public record request was made, and information was provided, it is apparent that Mandel attended ... at least 50 events related to his Senate campaign (largely fundraising), Josh Mandel found the time to talk with just 8 businesses in Ohio.... (source). How sad.  Yet we're paying him with our hard earned tax money and he doesn't even want his job as Ohio Treasurer.

 *   *   *   *  *  * 

* Gov. John Kasich wants to sell/lease the Ohio Turnpike with hopes of getting a huge amount of money for the state.  However, when examining what has happened in Indiana's scheme to sell/lease their state toll road, you have to wonder if they'll be any interested investors. The Toledo Blade reminded readers that .....Gov. John Kasich revived the idea, initially predicting a 50-year lease could raise as much as $3 billion for Ohio.... 

An article in the Transportationblog says the following about the firm that took control of the Indiana Toll Road:

....Now, Cintra and the Australian firm Macquarie, with whom it partnered to finance the deal, are in danger of default because the team has nearly drained a $150 million reserve fund required as part of its loan agreements, according to a report last month in Debtwire, a publication owned by the Financial Times......

Businessweek:

Eleven million trucks. That’s how many 18-wheelers needed to rumble across northern Indiana in 2010 for the state’s 157-mile toll road to break even. Unfortunately, only about half that many did and the road came up $209 million short......

....Now five years old, the Indiana deal has yet to turn a profit, or break even. Two overseas companies—Cintra Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, a unit of Madrid-based Ferrovial, and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, an investment fund managed by Macquarie Group (MQG) of Sydney, won the right to run the road with a daring $3.8 billion bid—$1 billion more than the next-highest offer.....

.....The private investors haven’t made out so well. Had the road been profitable, they stood to make millions per year over the life of the 75-year project. As it is, they have not been able to get past the debt they incurred winning the bid. They have met their annual debt payments only by borrowing money and may default before loans mature in 2015, according to disclosure documents from Macquarie Atlas Roads, one of the investors. The project’s 2010 prospectus said that revenue from the highway is “expected to remain insufficient to cover debt service obligations over the medium term.” The document cautions that “any default under the loan documents may lead to lender actions which may include foreclosure of the project assets or bankruptcy.” Even Governor Daniels, who had enthusiastically backed the venture, recently said that the foreign investors had overpaid.....

Do you think Kasich will find any suckers investors? Of course, KPMG the consultants hired to look at a possible lease/sale of the Ohio Turnpike, were contributors to the Kasich campaign.

Mandel's Support for Education-- Not So Much

* It is absolutely ridiculous that the male hierarchy of the Catholic Church and the male-dominated Republican Party are so determined to prevent women from having full health care, especially in the area of birth control. If you left it up to both groups, women would still be chained to the oven, pregnant, surrounded by her 6, 7, or 8 children.  What these groups and others fail to recognize is that it is 2012 and we are not going to go back in time.  Women today are in the workplace, with careers, in leadership positions, and we are not willing to have our rights to health care and birth control blocked by small minded men.

I'd bet that many of the Republicans that speak out against the health care mandate have their own health insurance coverage.  These same Republicans have probably used male sexual enhancement medication and their wives have taken birth control pills covered by their group health insurance. The Republicans want to be able to decide what you can and cannot do.  They feel they are the privileged group and they should dictate what you can have.  It just make me sick.

According to info posted about the FEHB (Federal Employees Health Benefits) at Think Progress:

An official at the Office of Personnel Management, which administrates the program, has confirmed to ThinkProgress that all FEHB plans provide coverage for contraception, meaning that every single member of Congress opposing Obama’s rule now has the birth control coverage they’re seeking to deny to others.

****  Ohio's Republican State Treasurer Josh Mandel has spent so much time out on the campaign trail, that it is very difficult to keep track of where he has been.  Josh Mandel, the guy that avoids answering questions, has been on the road meeting and greeting campaign contributors as he runs against Sen. Sherrod Brown.

From just a few weeks after being sworn into office as Ohio Treasurer, Mandel was off and running.  Gestetnerupdates:

....Campaign filings reviewed by The Associated Press show Mandel’s first post-inaugural campaign flight of the year may have come as early as Feb. 7, less than a month after he took office.

Where has Josh Mandel visited in search of campaign funds?

>   Honolulu, Hawaii- Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Hawaii Reporter

>   San Mateo, California- Monday, December 5, 2011
  Bay Area GOP December 2011 Newsletter:
Reception in support of Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel
Monday, December 5, 2011 - 6:30 pm
Parking at the Exploratorium Next Door, 2140 Jefferson Street, San Francisco

>   Pritkin County, Colorado-  December 28, 2011
Sources: Facebook page for Pitkin County Republicans   Pitkin County Republicans

According to the invitation posted at Pitkinpolitics, the fundraiser was at a private home with contribution levels from $1000 to $5000, on Wednesday, December 28, 2011, 4:30pm-6:00pm.

> Willoughby, Ohio- Monday, January 9, 2012 

Josh Mandel was a special guest at a fundraiser for Jason Wuliger, January 9, 2012, 5:30pm-7:00pm.

> Independence, Ohio- Sunday, January 22, 2012

Mandel made a special appearance for Joe (not really a licensed plumber) Wurzelbacher. Wurzelbacher had his event at the 2012 Victory Center, on January 22, 2012, 3-4pm.

Please note: I'm just a woman living in central Ohio. The information I've presented are just a few of the campaign trips that have been made by Mandel.  I don't have access to Josh Mandel's recently released work schedule, but I'd suggest that someone look over his schedule to see how he made it to these events, especially those out of town.  Has he been shirking his duties as Treasurer in order to get out on the campaign trail? 

There are a few comments made by Mandel that can be found about education.

AmericanBridge:

Mandel Voted Against Over $660 Million In K-12 Education Funding. In 2010, Josh Mandel was one of only 18 legislators in both the House and the Senate (out of 129 legislators) to vote against House Bill 462, the capital re-appropriations bill. The bill included $668,512,112 for primary and secondary education. [H.B. 462, 3/16/10]

Mandel Voted Against Over $680 Million In Higher Education Funding. In 2010, Josh Mandel was one of only 18 legislators in both the House and the Senate (out of 129 legislators) to vote against House Bill 462, the capital re-appropriations bill. The bill included $681,859,327 for higher education. [H.B. 462, 3/16/10]

Mandel Claimed “Problem We Have In This Country In Education” Is “Teachers’ Unions Have Such A Stranglehold On Education.” In a speech at a Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes meeting in 2009, Mandel said, “The problem we have in this country in education, among others, is that the teachers’ unions have such a stranglehold on education that it’s very difficult to ensure that those tax dollars that people pay follow their children wherever those children are being educated.” [Speech, COAST General Membership Meeting, Cincinnati, 4/1/09]

At least we have on record Mandel's lack of support for public education, higher education, and teachers.  His lack of initiative for education will be the topic of conversations across the state.

Mandel's Buddies Making Up Facts

* The continuing story of "Where is Josh Mandel, Ohio Treasurer?" continues to be of concern to Ohioans.  Mandel's trips to DC, Hawaii, Vegas, Florida, Houston, Colorado are making people wonder how he is able to travel so much and neglect his work in Ohio.

Now, a new ad in support of Republican Josh Mandel's latest campaign is raising some eyebrows because of the gross inaccuracies.
Here is the response from the Ohio Democratic Party:

Narrator:  “Obamacare will kill jobs.  Sherrod Brown was a deciding vote for Obamacare.  Brown was the architect of the controversial public option.”

Politifact: Claim That Health Care Reform Kills Jobs Is “False.”  In January 2011, Politifact wrote “Poll after poll shows Americans' top concerns are the economy and jobs, which explains why Republicans have labeled the health care law as ‘job-killing.’"  Politifact continued, “The phrase suggests a massive decline in employment, but the data doesn't support that. The Republican evidence is extrapolated from a report that was talking about a reduction in the labor supply rather than the loss of jobs, or based on measures that weren't included in the final health care law. We rate the statement False.”  [Politifact, 01/20/11]

Factcheck.org: Claims That Health Care Reform Will Kill Jobs “Misrepresents The Facts,” Is “Exaggerated And Misleading.”  In January 2011, Factcheck.org wrote the job-killing claim on health care reform  “misrepresents” the facts.  Factcheck.org further noted “But is the health care law really ‘job-killing’ as claimed? We find that to be another case of exaggerated and misleading labeling.” [Factcheck.org, 1/7/11]

AP Fact Check: “Estimate Of Health Care Job Losses Sketchy.”  In January 2011, the Associated Press reported “Republicans pushing to repeal health care overhaul legislation warn that 650,000 jobs will be lost if the law is allowed to stand.  But the widely cited estimate by House GOP leaders is the latest creative use of statistics in the health care debate…”  The Associated Press went on to note “The Republican translation doesn't track, says economist Paul Fronstin of the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute. ‘People voluntarily working less isn't the same as employers cutting jobs,’ he says.  For example, CBO said some people might decide to retire earlier because it would be easier to get health care, instead of waiting until they become eligible for Medicare at age 65.” [Associated Press, 1/24/11]

Columbus Dispatch Ad Watch: No Independent Study Had Demonstrated That Health Care Reform Will Cost Jobs.  In a September 2010 ad watch on the Ohio Attorney General’s race, The Columbus Dispatch reported “No independent study has demonstrated that the health reforms will increase unemployment…”  [Columbus Dispatch, 09/30/10].....

Call your local TV station and tell them this ad is false and inaccurate.  Here are a few telephone numbers to get you started:

Columbus WBNS-TV: (614) 460-3700

Columbus  WSYX-TV: (614) 481-6666

Columbus WCMH-TV: (614) 263-5555

Cleveland WKYC-TV: (614) 344-3333

Dayton Fox 45:  (937) 263-4500

Cincinnati WLWT: (513) 412-5000

You Tube video on Josh Mandel:

**** John Kasich's State of the State speech has been called everything under the sun ==== except good. The Youngstown Vindicator had the best headline on Kasich's speech:

Kasich's Winged Speech Crashes and Burns

How true.