Climate Change Deniers?

Central Ohio is the home of the Ohio State University and many faculty members live in the metropolitan area. Some of those professors would be shocked to learn that climate change deniers are representing them in Congress.

Plunderbund has detailed how both Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15) and Rep. Pat Tiberi (OH-12th) have worked to put their backward, anti-science thinking into their legislation and votes.

Ninety-seven percent of scientists believe in climate change. The people of central Ohio have 2 members of the House of Representatives who've aligned themselves with the quacks that make up the 3% who deny climate change.

Read the entire posting at Plunderbund and you'll never look at Stivers and Tiberi the same way again.

Ohio Notes....

Do not miss the HBO special,  The Normal Heart.  The movie, which is based on a play, is about the AIDS crisis as it started to unfold in the United States.  Those of us who lived through those days, lost family members, and watched the lack of support from the government, cannot forget. Warning:  The themes are not appropriate for youngsters.

>>> It appears that another manufacturing plant is closing in Ohio. According to a warn notice posted at the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services,  90 people will lose jobs when the plant closes. Both salaried and union members will be out of work as of the end of June 2014. Gov. Kasich seems uninterested in saving these jobs. Does the fact that these are union jobs make him turn his back on this company and the employees? I'm just asking.

> What is going on with the $1.6 billion owes to the U.S. government? Why is Gov. Kasich refusing to explain why our utility costs may increase? Where is the transparency? Why does Republican Josh Mandel continue to be in the news over some letter he submitted to help one of his campaign contributors?  If you are looking for answers, check out this article at Cleveland.com.

Job News?

If you talk to employed people in Ohio, you'll find that many of them are underemployed. The jobs that have come to Ohio under Gov. Kasich do not appear to be providing jobs for college grads. The only jobs that seem to be plentiful are those at Walmart and fast food restaurants. Many highly qualified people continue to be out of work.

In the latest news on the Ohio job front, a large number of people were furloughed at a large manufacturing plant.

WOSU:

A Central Ohio glassware manufacturer has stopped production. Anchor-Hocking in Lancaster abruptly halted operations with little notice to the company’s 1,100 workers.

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services spokesman Ben Johnson says it’s uncertain how long the lay-offs will last....

....On its website, Anchor-Hocking’s parent firm, Every Ware Global says the shutdown of Lancaster’s glassware factory is expected to last three or four weeks. But the length of the lay-offs depends on what the company calls “numerous business factors.” Some workers are being furloughed without pay.....

A warn notice has not been posted at ODJFS. There have been other layoffs announced at the state website. 

> With Kasich's cuts to local governments, it appears that a community will lose safety services---

ThisWeek:

The Norwich Township trustees on May 20 decided to notify Brown Township they will terminate the townships' contract for EMS and fire-protection services next year if Brown trustees cannot find a funding solution.

“It is with regret that I move we adopt a resolution informing Brown Township that if the levy does not pass in November, Norwich will cease to provide EMS and fire, May 15, 2015,” Norwich Trustee Larry Earman said.

“This puts (Brown Township) on notice. We’re frustrated but serious (about suspending services) if they can’t pass a levy."


Kasich would rather cut money to towns, schools, fire and police services in order to give tax cuts to the rich. Lives are at risk, but some people just don't care.

Shouldn't DeWine Know the Laws?

It is no secret that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has been flying all over the country to appear in state courts to fight against the Affordable Care Act. DeWine goes to other states to argue his opposition to the birth control mandate. Unfortunately, real issues in Ohio are being ignored because DeWine has spent a lot of time out of Ohio (and also holding nearly weekly press conferences).  People are demanding answers from Mike DeWine.

Sandusky Register:

...The Register has reported about lawsuits and complaints from numerous families against Sandusky County officials and has discussed those issues with Attorney General DeWine in detail in late March, asking direct questions the families have raised.

DeWine said he would look at the concerns further and review the Ohio Revised Code to determine what action the attorney general's office was authorized to consider. 

DeWine has not followed up or offered further comment....

Why does Mike DeWine need to review the Ohio Revised Code if he is the Attorney General? Doesn't he know state laws?

The Good, and the Bad

The Good Stuff---

Let me offer a Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms, Grandmothers, and Great Grandmothers!

>>>
Here is the bad stuff-----

1.  Franklin County residents have been warned by the Koch Brothers and their organization, Americans for Prosperity.

10TV:

A conservative anti-tax group funded by the Koch brothers is warning Columbus Zoo officials not to seek any tax increase in their next levy attempt or again face well financed opposition.

"We will oppose any tax increase of any kind," said Eli Miller, Ohio director of Americans For Prosperity.  "Don't ask for a tax increase at any level.  We are a community based organization here in Ohio and if you're going to raise taxes you're going to hear from us."


It doesn't matter what the people of central Ohio want ----the overlords (aka the Koch Brothers) have spoken!  The lesson here is that the Koch Brothers want things to go their way and they will spend any amount of money to oppose what the community wants.

2.  Despite the baloney being pushed by Gov. John Kasich and the Republican Governors, Ohio continues to lose jobs. The update of warn notices shows layoffs continue, while Kasich is far behind in replacing all of the jobs lost in the recession.  Why didn't Kasich save these jobs: https://jfs.ohio.gov/warn/current.stm????  Why does he continue to give away our money to his CEO buddies when there are plenty of jobs here to save? Why didn't he work to save the 1,000 jobs at Ormet? Did he not like the fact that the jobs at Ormet were union jobs?

The RGA ad promoting Kasich has been fact checked and apparently ad is wrong: LINK.



3.   Did you know that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has failed to recover over $30 million from failed charter schools? That is an awful lot of money to not collect! NBC's channel 4 did an investigation on this scandal.  If you owed the state $30 million, would DeWine go after you? Are these political donors that DeWine doesn't want to offend?

Here are a few points from the NBC4i investigation:

• Every student in the public school loses 6.5 percent of their state revenue to money going to charter schools
• The state spends about 7200 dollars a pupil in charter schools
• Once you remove charter schools and vouchers, the state spends about 3500 dollars per pupil in public schools
•  Students in Columbus Schools lose almost 25 percent of their state revenue to charter school students
•  The average student in a charter schools loses a full marking period in math and about a third of a marking period in reading compared with their public school
•  According to a recent Stanford Study (2013). Since 2009 Ohio is 1 of 4 states whose charter schools have actually lowered its performance.

According to Mike Collins, of the Ohio Board of Education

• In 1998, $10 million was spent on the initial experiment of charter schools  
• Only about 10 percent of charter schools can be identified as successful
• $1.4 billion has been spent since 2005 through school year 2012-2013 on charter schools that have never gotten any higher grade than an F or a D...

This is absolutely disgusting! Our children in public schools are being cheated and it appears that Mike DeWine has failed to do his job!

Was Ohio heroin epidemic caused by budget cuts?

Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Attorney General Mike DeWine, both Republicans, have been on a crusade to tell parents and teachers to talk up drug prevention with youngsters. Kasich calls his program 'Start Talking' and has funded the program through a federal fund.

Gov. Kasich has made significant cuts to health, and addiction programs. Democratic candidate for governor Ed FitzGerald notes on his website:


... Heroin Overdose Deaths Increased 59.6% Under Kasich’s Leadership: “Overdose deaths related to heroin increased 59.6 percent between 2011 and 2012 — the largest increase of any drug, according to Ohio Department of Health numbers.” [Mansfield News Journal, 4/18/2014].....

....Funding for Social Workers, Mental Health Programs, and Other Human Services Slashed over 50 percent Across the State on Average: “Deep cuts have been made to all local governments and to special districts. Health and human service levies were hit especially hard, losing 54 percent of state aid, on average.” [Policy Matters Ohio, 9/13/2012]

Kasich Eliminated Separate Departments Of Mental-Health And Substance-Abuse, and Combined Into One Agency: “Two state departments serving Ohioans with mental-health and substance-abuse problems will be merged into a single, more-efficient agency with ‘less bureaucratic clutter,’ the Kasich administration announced yesterday. The Ohio Department of Mental Health and the Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services will be combined effective July 1, 2013, pending legislative approval.” [The Columbus Dispatch, 5/5/12]....

 

When drug counselors, nurses, doctors, and social workers lost their jobs, it was only a matter of time before drug abuse would increase. People who abuse drugs need help, but Kasich eliminated or decreased the amount of intervention that is available to those that are addicted.

Cuts to local governments resulted in less police and emergency personnel available to prevent crime and assist the overdosed individual.

Kasich cuts have hurt our communities, our schools, and our people. It is time to support Ed FitzGerald for Governor.