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.