* The Republicans have no agenda, no plan to get Americans back to work, and no idea what to do other than give more tax cuts to the wealthy. In order to find a wedge issue, the Republicans are now suddenly anti-birth control. The issue isn't really about birth control --- it is about the civil rights of women. John Boehner and his Tea Party righties are doing their part to deny women their rights to health care while hiding behind the wishes of the male-dominated hierarchy of the Catholic Church. While the bishops are demanding exceptions for churches and church affiliated hospitals, what they are really doing is asking for a way out of providing insurance for employees, follow labor laws, and be excused from providing benefits to their employees.
As a woman, I am offended by the vicious attacks by Republicans on women's rights. American women are not chattel. We have rights and equality. With the assistance of the Democrats, we also have the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. When the vote was taken in the House of Representatives on January 9, 2009, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Pat Tiberi, and a total of 171 members voted against the bill (see NY Times).
Recent comments from Rick Santorum include his wish to ban all birth control. If Santorum doesn't like birth control, he shouldn't use it, but he should not tell me what I can do.
Sen. Marco Rubio has come up with a bill that will allow any employer that wants to not provide birth control coverage, according to a post at TPMDC. How disgusting! Is Viagra still covered by health insurance?
The Republican Party has become like the Taliban. They are pushing their anti-civil rights, anti-women's rights, anti-workers rights, anti-gay agenda on the rest of the country. It is no wonder that the Republican Party has become a political organization of small-minded bigots who want nothing more than protect the rich and privileged.
Contact John Boehner's office and your own representative and let them know that American women do not like the Republican attacks on women. Boehner can be reached at http://boehner.house.gov/Contact/
>>>>> Is John Kasich's latest education plan his way of getting back at teachers in an SB 5 sort of way? People are a little suspicious. You can read more at Dayton Daily News.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Kasich Disapproval Numbers
* The word is out! Gov. John Kasich's state of the state speech has been called "The Craziest Political Speech of the Year" by the Business Insider.
Business Insider:
Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich has a 53 percent disapproval rating among the state's voters, a Public Policy Polling survey released Wednesday indicated.
With Boehner trying to get the birth control benefit cut from health insurance coverage, Boehner's approval rating can go lower. It might be good for Boehner to wake up and smell the coffee and keep his hands off our birth control freedoms and health insurance coverage. Women will unite against this Republican tactic to turn back time and deny us our rights.
Contact Boehner at ----> (202) 225-6205 or (202) 225-0600
or fill out the form at the Speaker's page (http://www.speaker.gov/Contact/).
Oh, and by the way.....Rick Santorum wants to ban all birth control if he is elected President. OMG!
Business Insider:
....According to the Huffington Post, which tipped us off to the madness, Kasich doesn't like to give prepared remarks, and prefers instead to go off-the-cuff. What resulted was 100-minutes of rambling that included:
- A reference to his "hot wife"
- Imitating someone with Parkinson's disease
- Warning two recipients of the the Governor's Courage Awards not to sell their medals on eBay.
- Calling Californians "a bunch of wackadoodles."
- Referring to ethnic communities as "the ethnics," and to God as a "lobbyist" for the "mentally ill, the disabled, the poor."
- Giving a "shout-out" to virtually every person in the room — and multiple shout-outs to Ohio State President Gordon Gee
- Telling the people of Ohio that he wanted to "touch them."
- Mentioning Galileo, Soviet gulags, John Adams and "Navy SEAL" — all in one breath.
- Crying....
Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich has a 53 percent disapproval rating among the state's voters, a Public Policy Polling survey released Wednesday indicated.
Thirty-three percent of Ohio voters said they approved of the job Kasich has done leading their state, results released by the Raleigh, N.C., polling agency showed.
U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, fared worse than Kasich, PPP said, with only 28 percent of voters saying they approved of his job performance and 54 percent saying they disapproved.....
With Boehner trying to get the birth control benefit cut from health insurance coverage, Boehner's approval rating can go lower. It might be good for Boehner to wake up and smell the coffee and keep his hands off our birth control freedoms and health insurance coverage. Women will unite against this Republican tactic to turn back time and deny us our rights.
Contact Boehner at ----> (202) 225-6205 or (202) 225-0600
or fill out the form at the Speaker's page (http://www.speaker.gov/Contact/).
Oh, and by the way.....Rick Santorum wants to ban all birth control if he is elected President. OMG!
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
So Sad...
When cities and counties had their funding cut by Gov. John Kasich, it was inevitable that it would come to this:
NBC4i:
This is sad on many levels. First, you might not want to have a heart attack in Lancaster, Ohio. Secondly, firefighters have to go to work during their off duty time to get money so that they can save jobs with the proper equipment. They apparently don't have a spare $2200 to cover the cost of the AED.
How is it that Ohio cannot provide the Lancaster Fire Department money for an AED? Gov. John Kasich is flying all over the state in state owned planes and giving boatloads of money to corporations that still end up cutting jobs (American Greetings).
Don't be surprised if next week some police department in the state has to have a bake sale to buy bullets.
NBC4i:
Lancaster firefighters team up with Buffalo Wild Wings for a fund-raiser to make money to replace a defibrillator on an engine truck.
Chief Dave Ward said the firefighters will act as "celebrity waiters" at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Lancaster between 5 and 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday nights for Blazin' for a Cause.
Ward said Lancaster fire will get 10 percent of all sales, helping the department replace a broken automated external defibrillator (AED)......
This is sad on many levels. First, you might not want to have a heart attack in Lancaster, Ohio. Secondly, firefighters have to go to work during their off duty time to get money so that they can save jobs with the proper equipment. They apparently don't have a spare $2200 to cover the cost of the AED.
How is it that Ohio cannot provide the Lancaster Fire Department money for an AED? Gov. John Kasich is flying all over the state in state owned planes and giving boatloads of money to corporations that still end up cutting jobs (American Greetings).
Don't be surprised if next week some police department in the state has to have a bake sale to buy bullets.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
The Facts
On MSNBC this evening, Rachel Maddow just pointed out something very important, she said that, "Under a Democratic President, your birth control pills would be covered by your health insurance. And if you don't have health insurance, you can go to a clinic and get subsidized birth control there."
Rachel Maddow then said that if a Republican wins the Presidency, Planned Parenthood and Title X will be gone, and women will need to put out their own money of between $600-1200/year.
She brings up some interesting points. With what we've seen on how Komen cut Planned Parenthood, we know that the Republicans/conservatives/tea partiers want to deny birth control, and women's health care being delivered by Planned Parenthood. (For many women, Planned Parenthood is their only option for health care.) Komen, of course, reversed their decision, and today, the alleged instigator of the entire Planned Parenthood de-funding, Karen Handel, resigned.
Tonight, Rachel went on and discussed how some TV pundits say that Obama will lose the Catholic vote over the birth control controversy. However, if you look at statistics, it appears that Catholic women are using birth control, and support its use.
PennLive:
With Republican candidates for President, the House, and the Senate, coming out squarely against access to birth control and health care, women should turn away from them. The patronizing, self-righteous, male-dominated, mostly white, wealthy Republicans just don't get it. Let me assure you of one thing---- women do not want to go back to the old days before the pill, voting rights, civil rights, educational opportunities, etc.
Wait! One more thing........
Rachel Maddow has won the John Steinbeck Award, according to Daily Kos:
....Rachel Maddow has won the John Steinbeck Award. It is:
Wow!
You should thank your lucky stars that you were not forced to listen to Gov. John Kasich's State of the State speech. I missed it, but the reviews are not good.
Cincinnati.com:
Really.
The Obama campaign office on the northside of Columbus could use some volunteers for the late afternoon and early evening. Look for the huge blue Obama sign in the Beechcroft Center (on the southwest corner of 161 and Beechcroft). Stop in and see how you can help.
Rachel Maddow then said that if a Republican wins the Presidency, Planned Parenthood and Title X will be gone, and women will need to put out their own money of between $600-1200/year.
She brings up some interesting points. With what we've seen on how Komen cut Planned Parenthood, we know that the Republicans/conservatives/tea partiers want to deny birth control, and women's health care being delivered by Planned Parenthood. (For many women, Planned Parenthood is their only option for health care.) Komen, of course, reversed their decision, and today, the alleged instigator of the entire Planned Parenthood de-funding, Karen Handel, resigned.
Tonight, Rachel went on and discussed how some TV pundits say that Obama will lose the Catholic vote over the birth control controversy. However, if you look at statistics, it appears that Catholic women are using birth control, and support its use.
PennLive:
...Birth control usage is nearly universal among American women with 99 percent of all sexually experienced women — and 98 percent of sexually experienced Catholic women — using birth control at some point in their lives....
With Republican candidates for President, the House, and the Senate, coming out squarely against access to birth control and health care, women should turn away from them. The patronizing, self-righteous, male-dominated, mostly white, wealthy Republicans just don't get it. Let me assure you of one thing---- women do not want to go back to the old days before the pill, voting rights, civil rights, educational opportunities, etc.
Wait! One more thing........
Rachel Maddow has won the John Steinbeck Award, according to Daily Kos:
....Rachel Maddow has won the John Steinbeck Award. It is:
given to writers or artists "whose work captures the spirit of Steinbeck's empathy, commitment to democratic values, and belief in the dignity of people." Saying his father "would have adored" Maddow, Steinbeck's son Thomas cited his sense of trust in her, the feeling she projects that "I’m part of an alliance."
http://www.commondreams.org/
Wow!
----------------------------
You should thank your lucky stars that you were not forced to listen to Gov. John Kasich's State of the State speech. I missed it, but the reviews are not good.
Cincinnati.com:
Non-bluetongue cows going to Turkey. A dream about Jerry Seinfeld in the back seat of a car. Californians are “a bunch of wackadoodles.”
John Kasich’s second State of the State speech Tuesday was rambling and at times bizzare. Among his head-jerking references, Kasich told the first three winners of a newly-created state courage award not to sell the medals on eBay; pointed out his “hot wife;” and imitated someone with Parkinson’s disease when he talked about “deep brain massage.”
...Judith Trent, a professor of communications at the University of Cincinnati, watched the speech - as she has watched previous speeches - and said this one “was not his best effort.”
She said he seemed uncertain, and a little confused....
Really.
*******
The Obama campaign office on the northside of Columbus could use some volunteers for the late afternoon and early evening. Look for the huge blue Obama sign in the Beechcroft Center (on the southwest corner of 161 and Beechcroft). Stop in and see how you can help.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Kasich Tells Residents They Are On Their Own
* Has Gov. John Kasich has given up on bringing jobs into Ohio?
CoshoctonTribune:
Is Kasich telling us that his JobsOhio is a failure? If it is all up to the residents to solve their unemployment problems, why did Kasich give millions of tax dollars to Bob Evans, Diebold, American Greetings, etc., etc.?
Here is a great slogan for the 2014 Kasich re-election campaign----
* Ohio Republicans and conservatives are trying to get practically absent Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel elected to the U.S. Senate. Mandel, rarely found in Ohio, has become a jet setter with his fundraising parties from one end of the country to another. Many voters are realizing that Mandel's legislative experience is fluff.
As I've written before, Mandel's legislative experience is weak. Republican Josh Mandel was the primary sponsor of only 4 bills while he served in the Ohio House of Representatives. In the 128th General Assembly, Mandel and Jay Goyal sponsored HB 123 (there are no recorded votes on HB 123) and HB 171 (HB 171 never came up for a vote). Both HB 123 and HB 171 were assigned to a committee, but nothing else happened to his legislation.
Mandel's activity in the 127th session, wasn't noteworthy either. Mandel only sponsored 2 bills, HB 151 (there was no vote on HB 151) and HB 644 (there was never a vote taken on HB 644). HB 151 and HB 644 never came before the entire Ohio House for a vote. On the other hand, according to Govtrack, Sen. Sherrod Brown has sponsored 32 bills in the U.S. Senate just in the 112th Congress (2011-2012).
CoshoctonTribune:
Gov. John Kasich today told Coshocton residents it's up to them to bring new jobs into the community.
The government throwing money at high unemployment is not the best solution, Kasich said during an event at the Medbery Marketplace in Roscoe Village. He said local business owners will have to step up to tackle the problem, encouraging anyone with ideas to bring them to his office.
Coshocton's unemployment rate was 10 percent in December, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Muskingum County's was 10.7 percent.....
Coshocton's unemployment rate was 10 percent in December, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Muskingum County's was 10.7 percent.....
Is Kasich telling us that his JobsOhio is a failure? If it is all up to the residents to solve their unemployment problems, why did Kasich give millions of tax dollars to Bob Evans, Diebold, American Greetings, etc., etc.?
Here is a great slogan for the 2014 Kasich re-election campaign----
"I'm Out of Ideas- You're On Your Own"
If you only listened to Gov. Kasich and watched Fox News, you might not know the truth. Despite the fact that Kasich continues to pat himself on the back, the layoffs are still happening in the state. More layoffs, not yet noted at the ODJFS warn notice page, will be occurring at Eastman Kodak in the Miami Valley Research Park, according to the Dayton Daily News.
* Ohio Republicans and conservatives are trying to get practically absent Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel elected to the U.S. Senate. Mandel, rarely found in Ohio, has become a jet setter with his fundraising parties from one end of the country to another. Many voters are realizing that Mandel's legislative experience is fluff.
As I've written before, Mandel's legislative experience is weak. Republican Josh Mandel was the primary sponsor of only 4 bills while he served in the Ohio House of Representatives. In the 128th General Assembly, Mandel and Jay Goyal sponsored HB 123 (there are no recorded votes on HB 123) and HB 171 (HB 171 never came up for a vote). Both HB 123 and HB 171 were assigned to a committee, but nothing else happened to his legislation.
Mandel's activity in the 127th session, wasn't noteworthy either. Mandel only sponsored 2 bills, HB 151 (there was no vote on HB 151) and HB 644 (there was never a vote taken on HB 644). HB 151 and HB 644 never came before the entire Ohio House for a vote. On the other hand, according to Govtrack, Sen. Sherrod Brown has sponsored 32 bills in the U.S. Senate just in the 112th Congress (2011-2012).
Oh, no.
* Republican Presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, is coming to Ohio.
WKSU:
This sounds like a person to avoid.
* The Standells may have liked "Dirty Water" in the 1960's, but Ohioans don't care for it today. If you find streams in Ohio a little more polluted, you can thank Gov. John Kasich.
CantonRep.:
Proposed rules meant to better protect Ohio’s streams are being tabled after facing opposition from business and homebuilder groups that said the changes would hinder their work.
Once again we see that the needs of the people for a clean, healthy environment are not as important as the desires of Kasich's business cronies.
Athensnews:
I'm sure we'll hear more about these issues in the coming months and years as Gov. Kasich continues to support his business allies over the health and safety of Ohioans.
AthensNews:
Republicans and bankers love Steve Stivers. It is time for his retirement from the House of Representatives. Democrats must regain control of the House of Representatives in order to get some real work done. Republicans have proven to be a good example of a "do nothing" congress.
WKSU:
The Republican presidential race will soon be heading to Ohio.
Newt Gingrich is launching a two-day bus tour in Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday hoping to grab headlines as early voters make up their minds.....
______
CantonRep.:
Proposed rules meant to better protect Ohio’s streams are being tabled after facing opposition from business and homebuilder groups that said the changes would hinder their work.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has decided to withdraw the years-old proposal so it can be reviewed under Republican Gov. John Kasich’s initiative to eliminate excessive rules that block job creation.
The Columbus Dispatch reports the regulations included a system to rank thousands of small “headwater” streams based on ecological value....
Once again we see that the needs of the people for a clean, healthy environment are not as important as the desires of Kasich's business cronies.
*
**** It seems that some people in Ohio are very concerned about the health dangers associated with fracking and they are seeking information about those problems. A recent meeting held at Ohio University helped hundreds of residents gain some insight into possible health threats that often follow fracking.Athensnews:
....Calvin Tillman, former mayor of a town that has been through the process, said his town of Dish, Texas – which has seen fracking conducted nearby by multiple big companies – has suffered massive impacts, including noise, odors and unhealthy chemical contamination.
Tillman, who said his north Texas town has become "kind of Grand Central Station" for a number of facilities involved in drilling for, drying and odorizing natural gas, appeared in the controversial documentary film "Gasland," which has played a major part in stirring up opposition to fracking.
He told a packed house in OU's Morton Hall that he decided to move from Dish, after his children began to suffer nosebleeds that he believes were linked to pollution by chemicals such as benzene.....
******
>>>>>> Pat Lang, Democrat, has received the endorsement of former Gov. Ted Strickland. AthensNews:
Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has endorsed Athens Law Director Pat Lang in his bid for U.S. Congress, the campaign announced last week.
Lang is running for Ohio's 15th U.S. House District, a newly drawn district that now includes most of Athens County, including the cities of Athens and Nelsonville.
Current 15th District U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, will face a primary challenge from two other Republicans, Charles Chope and Ralph A. Applegate, both perennial candidates for Congress.....
Republicans and bankers love Steve Stivers. It is time for his retirement from the House of Representatives. Democrats must regain control of the House of Representatives in order to get some real work done. Republicans have proven to be a good example of a "do nothing" congress.
Friday, February 03, 2012
More Layoffs In Ohio
With news that the unemployment rate went down nationally, you have to wonder why Ohio is not seeing the same movement. It must be because of the leadership of Gov. John Kasich. Here are some new layoffs from the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services Warn Notice page:
What is Kasich doing wrong? Even American Greetings which sought and received money from the state, announced that it is laying off 30 people (see Plunderbund for details). Hmmmm. What did they do with that $90+ million they received????
____ The NY Daily News:
| Date Rec'd | Company | City (County) | Number Affected | Layoff Date(s) | Phone Number | Union | WARN ID |
| 02/02/2012 | Thirty-One Gifts | Columbus (Franklin), Johnstown (Licking) | 183 | 02/01/2012 | (614) 414-4739 | N/A | 000-11-033 |
| 02/02/2012 | Schneider Logistics Inc. (SLI) | West Chester (Butler) | 10 | 03/31/2012 | (734) 216-8996 | N/A | 012-11-032 |
| 02/02/2012 | Liz Claiborne Distribution Center | West Chester (Butler) | 365 | 01/27/2012 through 09/01/2012 | (201) 295-7164 | CMRJB, Workers United | 012-11-03 |
What is Kasich doing wrong? Even American Greetings which sought and received money from the state, announced that it is laying off 30 people (see Plunderbund for details). Hmmmm. What did they do with that $90+ million they received????
____ The NY Daily News:
The Dow Jones industrial average has closed at its highest level since before the 2008 financial crisis.
The Dow jumped 157 points Friday to close at 12,862. That's the highest since May 2008. The Nasdaq composite index closed at its highest level since December 2000.
Before the market opened, the Labor Department said companies hired 243,000 employees in January. That's the strongest job growth in nine months. The increase in hiring pushed the unemployment rate down to 8.3 percent.....
Moronic Right Wingers
Today I need to vent!
1. If you are a poor woman, need a pap smear, have found a lump in your breast, or have some other medical problem, you may have lost the help and assistance that you've had in the past. Due to a campaign from conservatives and anti-abortion groups, the Komen Foundation has severed ties with Planned Parenthood. Personally, I'm disgusted at Komen for caving into the demands of the right. (The next area for a fight might be right wingers demanding an end to birth control pills (see HuffPost), and allowing states to stop the sale of them.) Republican Mitt Romney has said he'd leave it to the states to decide whether to ban their sale.
2. No one is pro-abortion. No one cheers when a woman decides to have an abortion. Everyone is pro-life because we like living. However, as a woman myself and a human being, I cannot determine what is acceptable for someone else. It is not fitting that I should decide what happens to your body, what medicines you should take, and what medical treatment you should receive. It is not my business--- or anyone else's. This is a free country and you have the right to decide what clothes to wear, what you will say, what you drive, how you'll vote, and your own reproductive rights.
3. Rick Santorum is a major jerk (that is the cleanest thing I can think of at the moment). Santorum cares more about drug companies surviving on the free market than he does about someone else's child surviving. Raw Story has the encounter a mother had with Santorum over the cost of her son's medicine:
Let me remind you that Santorum and his wife have a very sick child who often receives medical care. Apparently, they can afford the medical treatment and medicines she requires.
4. There is a lawmaker from Alabama that says that it is in the Bible that teachers should work for low pay. I didn't catch his chapter and verse.
Raw Story:
I suppose that McGill believes in the axiom, "Do as I say, not as I do."
5. Gov. John Kasich's plan to take his State of the State speech outside of the Statehouse and to Steubenville, has many people bailing out, according to the HeraldStaronline, including Ohio Sec. of State Jon Husted, Atty. Gen. Mike DeWine, and Ohio Supreme Court Justices.
6. The super secret meetings continue in the Ohio Department of Transportation on how to lease the Turnpike. The Cantonrep is reporting that many people still remain opposed to the leasing of the Ohio Turnpike. The hired consultants? KPMG, and -------------
Ohio Secretary of State campaign contribution website reports that The Kasich-Taylor committee received $4,040 in campaign contributions from individuals that work for KPMG...
7. Anyone that seeks, desires, and then receives the endorsement from Donald Trump, should be disqualified from holding any and all public offices. That is my opinion, and I'm sticking with it.
I feel better.............
1. If you are a poor woman, need a pap smear, have found a lump in your breast, or have some other medical problem, you may have lost the help and assistance that you've had in the past. Due to a campaign from conservatives and anti-abortion groups, the Komen Foundation has severed ties with Planned Parenthood. Personally, I'm disgusted at Komen for caving into the demands of the right. (The next area for a fight might be right wingers demanding an end to birth control pills (see HuffPost), and allowing states to stop the sale of them.) Republican Mitt Romney has said he'd leave it to the states to decide whether to ban their sale.
___
___
....The mother replied that she could not afford her son’s medication, Abilify, which can cost as much as $1 million a year without health insurance.
“Look, I want your son and everybody to have the opportunity to stay alive on much-needed drugs,” Santorum insisted. “But the bottom line is, we have to give companies the incentive to make those drugs. And if they don’t have the incentive to make those drugs, your son won’t be alive and lots of other people in this country won’t be alive.”
“He’s alive today because drug companies provide care,” the candidate continued. “And if they didn’t think they could make money providing that drug, that drug wouldn’t be here. I sympathize with these compassionate cases. … I want your son to stay alive on much-needed drugs. Fact is, we need companies to have incentives to make drugs. If they don’t have incentives, they won’t make those drugs. We either believe in markets or we don’t.”
___
Raw Story:
.....Speaking at a prayer breakfast recently, Alabama state Senator Shadrack McGill praised giving pay raises to politicians, saying that it helps to prevent bribery. Then he shifted gears and went in the opposite direction with regards to teachers, arguing against a bill that would increase their salaries....
.....McGill voted in favor of a 67 percent pay raise for lawmakers in 2007.
Alabama ranks 31st in the nation in average teacher salaries, although the state did see an 11 percent increase in teacher pay from 2007-2009. The state’s Republicans have adopted so-called “right to work” laws that forbid public employees from collectively bargaining for better wages and benefits.
I suppose that McGill believes in the axiom, "Do as I say, not as I do."
___
___
Ohio Secretary of State campaign contribution website reports that The Kasich-Taylor committee received $4,040 in campaign contributions from individuals that work for KPMG...
___
I feel better.............
****************************
Rumors are floating that the right wing governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell, is the leading contender for a Romney ticket. McDonnell, as you may recall, announced a "Confederate History Month" in his state. You remember the Confederate states fought to keep slavery. I don't know why anyone would celebrate slavery and oppression.
*****
Where in the world is Ohio's Treasurer Josh Mandel if he is not in his office and not attending Ohio Board of Deposit meetings about our money????? Even Politico has noticed that Mandel is shirking his duties.
Plunderbund has devoted a page to some of the locations you'll find Josh Mandel since he spends so little time in Ohio: Plunderbund Facebook
______
Lawrence O'Donnell, on MSNBC, mentioned that Mitt Romney was in a position of authority when African-Americans were forbidden to be leaders in his Mormon church. Was Mitt also opposed to their inclusion?
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Shame on the Komen Foundation
*** Women across the country continue to voice their opposition to the recent move by the Susan G. Komen Foundation to cut its association with Planned Parenthood.
NYTimes:
In an article in the NYTimes (5/9/07) it was revealed that Ann Romney, wife of Mitt Romney, had given, in 1994, $150 to Planned Parenthood.
I think it is outrageous that the Komen foundation has cut funds to Planned Parenthood. Women have gone to Planned Parenthood for yearly exams, breast cancer screenings, and medical care, especially when they could not afford to go to a private practice physician. We cannot allow the right wing Republicans and their ilk to stick their nose into women's health care and push their own agenda.
Those of us that are old enough to remember, do not want to go back to the old days when women went without treatment and died. We've come too far to go back to the days of aprons, getting permission from our husbands, and being denied medical care because we could not afford it. Stand up. Fight back. Support Planned Parenthood for yourself, your daughters, and some women you don't know.
When Komen and Planned Parenthood worked together, women benefited. Now, many women will have no options for their personal medical care. Shame on the Komen Foundation.
NYTimes:
The nation’s leading breast cancer advocacy organization confronted the growing furor Thursday to its decision to largely end its decades-long partnership with Planned Parenthood, with rising dissension in its own ranks and a roiling anger on the Internet showing the power of social media to harness protest....
....The deluge of criticism Komen faced on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr came two weeks after online protests led Congress to suspend an effort to pass anti-piracy legislation that some in the Internet community saw as a threat to online freedoms. It demonstrated again how social media can change the national conversation with head-snapping speed.
The furious debate is also a sign of the intense polarization of the nation’s politics in a presidential campaign season during which Planned Parenthood, led by Cecile Richards, has become a lightning rod for attacks from Republican presidential candidates...
In an article posted at LifeNews (10/10/11), Romney said the following:
“I support the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortions,” Romney said, “As president, I’ll end federal funding for abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood. I’ll protect a health care worker’s right to follow their conscience in their work.”
“I will nominate judges who know the difference between personal opinion and law. It is long past time for the Supreme Court to return the issue of abortion back to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade,” he added.
Romney also pressed a pro-life theme on an international level, which is a concern for pro-life Americans especially because of the monumental abuse of human rights in China via the one-child policy and the forced abortions and sterilizations that are a component of it......
In an article in the NYTimes (5/9/07) it was revealed that Ann Romney, wife of Mitt Romney, had given, in 1994, $150 to Planned Parenthood.
I think it is outrageous that the Komen foundation has cut funds to Planned Parenthood. Women have gone to Planned Parenthood for yearly exams, breast cancer screenings, and medical care, especially when they could not afford to go to a private practice physician. We cannot allow the right wing Republicans and their ilk to stick their nose into women's health care and push their own agenda.
Those of us that are old enough to remember, do not want to go back to the old days when women went without treatment and died. We've come too far to go back to the days of aprons, getting permission from our husbands, and being denied medical care because we could not afford it. Stand up. Fight back. Support Planned Parenthood for yourself, your daughters, and some women you don't know.
When Komen and Planned Parenthood worked together, women benefited. Now, many women will have no options for their personal medical care. Shame on the Komen Foundation.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Do you care about the poor?
* Can you imagine this tweet coming true?
via web
Frightening! Romney, a Bain Capital guy, and John Kasich, a former vice president at Lehman Brothers, would make a team guaranteed to make themselves masters and the rest of us the peasants. Although Ohioans might relish the chance to get Kasich out of the state, we just don't want him in any leadership role for our country.
>>> Gov. Kasich was in Cincinnati today for a meeting. Did he fly there? He could be there in two hours by car. Does he fly to every meeting that is outside of a thirty mile radius of the Statehouse? What a waste of tax money! No wonder the state has no money for road repairs!!!
*** There is another congressional candidate for Ohio's 15th district.
CirclevilleHerald:
You have to ask yourself why so many candidates are running against Steve Stivers? Are they unhappy that Stivers, the former bank lobbyist, is still protecting the 1%?
After what he said on CNN this morning, people are already designing the new Mitt Romney bumperstickers:
Original video from CNN: (posted at InternationalBusinessTimes)
In case you are interested, Mitt Romney's tax plan would reward the rich, according to an article in the LA Times, and analysis by the Tax Policy Center.
@DBDPhD David Dodenhoff
What about a Romney-Kasich ticket?
Frightening! Romney, a Bain Capital guy, and John Kasich, a former vice president at Lehman Brothers, would make a team guaranteed to make themselves masters and the rest of us the peasants. Although Ohioans might relish the chance to get Kasich out of the state, we just don't want him in any leadership role for our country.
>>> Gov. Kasich was in Cincinnati today for a meeting. Did he fly there? He could be there in two hours by car. Does he fly to every meeting that is outside of a thirty mile radius of the Statehouse? What a waste of tax money! No wonder the state has no money for road repairs!!!
*** There is another congressional candidate for Ohio's 15th district.
CirclevilleHerald:
The self-proclaimed dairy evangelist Warren Taylor is collecting signatures to file as an independent in the Ohio 15th District in the U.S. House of Representatives - not U.S. Senate as he originally planned.
In December, Taylor announced he was going to run against U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, but said after speaking with area constituents they expressed support for Brown’s re-election. After doing more research into possible federal offices, Taylor said he decided the 15th District would be the best fit for him....
...The 15th District is currently represented by Republican Steve Stivers of Columbus, who has been in office for one year. He will be challenged by Charles Chope of Upper Arlington in the primary. Athens City Law Director Patrick Lang will take on major airline pilot and farmer Scott Wharton of Amanda in the Democratic primary....
You have to ask yourself why so many candidates are running against Steve Stivers? Are they unhappy that Stivers, the former bank lobbyist, is still protecting the 1%?
******
After what he said on CNN this morning, people are already designing the new Mitt Romney bumperstickers:
"I don't care about the poor."
Original video from CNN: (posted at InternationalBusinessTimes)
In case you are interested, Mitt Romney's tax plan would reward the rich, according to an article in the LA Times, and analysis by the Tax Policy Center.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Why won't Kasich tell the taxpayers???
* There is a great new campaign tee shirt available at the Barack Obama campaign store which details all the Obama accomplishments (h/t DailyKos).
* The Kasich administration still hasn't stopped the layoffs. The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services has listed the latest Warn Notice: Kmart Store, in Springfield (Clark County), Number Affected: 52.
* Gov. Kasich's office won't release the number of people that work for him to the Dispatch. Innovation Ohio:
Shouldn't that kind of information be made public? Is the governor's office suddenly a private entity?
*** Republican Rep. Steve Stivers appeared on the Gordon Liddy radio program, according to the Dispatch.
Dispatch:
Stivers has some nerve. The Republicans in the House of Representatives have done nothing to improve our lives or create jobs. Now Stivers is blaming President Obama?????
I wonder what Stivers would have to say about this chart: JobChart
In an appearance on CNN, Mitt Romney said that he is "...not concerned about the poor..." What a guy!
Raw Story:
What safety net? The Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness has these statistics:
...On any given night, approximately 750,000 men, women, and children are homeless in the US.
* 56% are living in shelters and transitional housing, while 44% are unsheltered.
* 59% are single adults and 41% are persons living in families.
* 98,452 are homeless families
* 23% are chronically homeless according to HUD’s definition. (Cunningham, Mary and Meghan Henry. 2007. Homelessness Counts. Washington, DC: National Alliance to End Homelessness.)
Over the course of a year, between 2.5 and 3.5 million people will live either on the streets or in an emergency shelter. (Homelessness in the United States of America. Prepared by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.)...
Romney is a heartless putz. I guess if a person has hundreds of millions of dollars stashed in foreign banks, several homes, and a trust fund worth one hundred million dollars for his kids, the last thing he'd think about are the poor, the homeless, the hungry,..... Romney has to worry about his foreign investments.
* The Kasich administration still hasn't stopped the layoffs. The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services has listed the latest Warn Notice: Kmart Store, in Springfield (Clark County), Number Affected: 52.
* Gov. Kasich's office won't release the number of people that work for him to the Dispatch. Innovation Ohio:
...Apparently, the Governor is digging in his heels and refuses to be transparent. All the Dispatch is asking is for a list of how many people work for the Governor, regardless of which agency is paying them. And the Governor’s office refuses to say.
Innovation Ohio’s been down this road before and we figured it out. As of April 28, 2011, salaries for the Kasich team, including all staff reporting to the Governor but paid by another agency, were 12% bigger than they were saying publicly in budget testimony, and 8% bigger than their predecessor’s payroll...
Shouldn't that kind of information be made public? Is the governor's office suddenly a private entity?
-------------------------
*** Republican Rep. Steve Stivers appeared on the Gordon Liddy radio program, according to the Dispatch.
Dispatch:
...Stivers complained that President Barack Obama is trying to win re-election by blaming Congress for not passing his initiatives. “His policies aren’t working so obviously he’s moving to try to shift blame to somebody else,’’ Stivers said. Pointing out that the Democrats control the Senate, Stivers said that it’s frustrating to be in Washington because "frankly the president wants us to fail right now.’’
Stivers has some nerve. The Republicans in the House of Representatives have done nothing to improve our lives or create jobs. Now Stivers is blaming President Obama?????
I wonder what Stivers would have to say about this chart: JobChart
In an appearance on CNN, Mitt Romney said that he is "...not concerned about the poor..." What a guy!
Raw Story:
“I’m in this race because I care about America,” he said. “I’m not concerned about the very poor, we have a safety net there, if we need to repair, I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90-95 percent of Americans who are struggling, and I’ll continue to take that message across the country.”
...“The challenge right now — we will hear from the Democrat party the plight of the poor. And there’s no question it’s not good being poor. And we have a safety net to help those that are very poor, but my campaign is focused is on middle-income Americans.”
...Romney’s claim that he is focusing on middle class Americans also is highly questionable. His tax plan favors the very rich like himself, as well as his proposal to cut spending for programs that benefit middle to poor families and individuals.
Romney embraced Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)’s plan that would turn Medicare into a coupon program.
...On any given night, approximately 750,000 men, women, and children are homeless in the US.
* 56% are living in shelters and transitional housing, while 44% are unsheltered.
* 59% are single adults and 41% are persons living in families.
* 98,452 are homeless families
* 23% are chronically homeless according to HUD’s definition. (Cunningham, Mary and Meghan Henry. 2007. Homelessness Counts. Washington, DC: National Alliance to End Homelessness.)
Romney is a heartless putz. I guess if a person has hundreds of millions of dollars stashed in foreign banks, several homes, and a trust fund worth one hundred million dollars for his kids, the last thing he'd think about are the poor, the homeless, the hungry,..... Romney has to worry about his foreign investments.
Trouble Ahead
>>>> And so it starts......
Dispatch:
Wasn't all that money invested in coins and beanie babies kept a secret during the Taft administration? Wasn't that how we had "Coingate" and hundreds of millions of dollars lost in investments? The Kasich administration and its enablers are gambling with our tax money. We have the right to know how they are spending it.
I just hope that everyone remembers this decision by Kasich & Co. when the stuff hits the fan.
* Trouble? Big bully, Bill O'Reilly, has issued a threat to the Muppets.
RawStory:
Isn't just like O'Reilly and his Fox "News" people to attack puppets.
Dispatch:
The Kasich administration’s decision to keep secret how it will determine whether Ohioans are getting a good deal from the $100 million a year that JobsOhio will spend on economic development did not stop the state Controlling Board today from approving the contracts to formally get the privatized entity going.....
...Hottinger and his fellow legislators on the bipartisan spending-oversight board questioned the heads of the state Development and Commerce departments for nearly an hour today about JobsOhio. When members of the panel asked what kind of results are expected, the answers were not clear.....
....Sen. Tom Sawyer, D-Akron, questioned how taxpayers are supposed to know if they are getting a good deal if JobsOhio will not disclose the criteria it is using to determine a positive return on investment. The Kasich administration is keeping the formula private, arguing that it is a trade secret....
Wasn't all that money invested in coins and beanie babies kept a secret during the Taft administration? Wasn't that how we had "Coingate" and hundreds of millions of dollars lost in investments? The Kasich administration and its enablers are gambling with our tax money. We have the right to know how they are spending it.
I just hope that everyone remembers this decision by Kasich & Co. when the stuff hits the fan.
* Trouble? Big bully, Bill O'Reilly, has issued a threat to the Muppets.
RawStory:
....O’Reilly was not very pleased that Miss Piggy hit back against the network’s recent criticism of their movie, saying, ”It’s almost as laughable as accusing Fox News of being, uh, you know, being news.”
“Though we still like The Muppets, they better watch it,” O’Reilly said.
Monday, January 30, 2012
$600,000?
**** The continuing story of charter schools ripping off tax payers continues in Ohio....
Dispatch:
I hope that there are further investigations. It would be good if the taxpayers were repaid.
* Chairman of the Republican National Party, Rience Priebus compared President Obama with the captain of the cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Italy. This was completely inappropriate.
* Congressman Alan West, a Republican, made a weird comment about Democrats and President Obama.
HuffingtonPost:
West, as I mentioned is a Republican. Really. Personally, I hope that Mr. West loses his next election because somehow he forgot he represents all his constituents, not just the members of his own party. By the way, as a Democrat, I'm not leaving.
* Catholic bishops came out strongly against the new health care law which says that all employers must pay for women's birth control. A letter to parishioners that was written by bishops was read in churches across the country. Needless to say, people were shocked at the tone of the letter. It is fair to say that many Catholic women use birth control pills and having it covered by their employers would be a real plus. The problem with the Catholic hierarchy is that it is composed of men. Do the bishops think it is okay that health insurance pays for male enhancement drugs?????
>>>> Republican Mitt Romney's solution to immigration problems is something called "self-deportation." That is Romney's answer to the Dream Act. Somehow Romney and his "self-deportation" plan sound incredibly stupid.
*** Crazy Gov. Chris Christie's idea that Civil Rights should have been put to a referendum. Christie is an idiot. Christie thinks that we should be able to vote which groups of people should have civil rights???? Maybe New Jersey voters could have a referendum on weight restrictions for their governor? Huffington Post has the story and comments from many people about Christie's idea.
>>> Rachel Maddow just said that the Republican "chickens for checkups" candidate, Sue Lowden of Nevada (see 2010 story from HuffPost ).
Dispatch:
A charter-school treasurer who has been ordered to repay more than $600,000 in public money has lost his job at one local charter, and another plans to fire him on Tuesday.
Carl W. Shye Jr. of New Albany still was employed at two Columbus charter schools, FCI Academy and Patriot Preparatory Academy, last week when the state auditor announced the latest findings against Shye for misspending taxpayer money. That case took the total Shye owes to $617,260, according to records kept by the auditor's office.
Garey L. Lewis, superintendent of FCI Academy, said today that Shye’s job was terminated on Friday. He said it wasn’t related to the auditor’s findings. The Near East Side school just wanted a full-time treasurer who will be based at the school, Lewis said....
Carl W. Shye Jr. of New Albany still was employed at two Columbus charter schools, FCI Academy and Patriot Preparatory Academy, last week when the state auditor announced the latest findings against Shye for misspending taxpayer money. That case took the total Shye owes to $617,260, according to records kept by the auditor's office.
Garey L. Lewis, superintendent of FCI Academy, said today that Shye’s job was terminated on Friday. He said it wasn’t related to the auditor’s findings. The Near East Side school just wanted a full-time treasurer who will be based at the school, Lewis said....
I hope that there are further investigations. It would be good if the taxpayers were repaid.
* Chairman of the Republican National Party, Rience Priebus compared President Obama with the captain of the cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Italy. This was completely inappropriate.
* Congressman Alan West, a Republican, made a weird comment about Democrats and President Obama.
HuffingtonPost:
...Speaking to a Lincoln Day Dinner in West Palm Beach for the Palm Beach County GOP, Rep. Allen West (R-Fla) fired off a humdinger of a line that within minutes drew recriminations from Democrats on Twitter.
"We need to let President Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, (audience boos) and my dear friend the chairman of the Democrat National Committee, we need to let them know that Florida ain't on the table," West said. "Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else. You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America."
West, as I mentioned is a Republican. Really. Personally, I hope that Mr. West loses his next election because somehow he forgot he represents all his constituents, not just the members of his own party. By the way, as a Democrat, I'm not leaving.
* Catholic bishops came out strongly against the new health care law which says that all employers must pay for women's birth control. A letter to parishioners that was written by bishops was read in churches across the country. Needless to say, people were shocked at the tone of the letter. It is fair to say that many Catholic women use birth control pills and having it covered by their employers would be a real plus. The problem with the Catholic hierarchy is that it is composed of men. Do the bishops think it is okay that health insurance pays for male enhancement drugs?????
>>>> Republican Mitt Romney's solution to immigration problems is something called "self-deportation." That is Romney's answer to the Dream Act. Somehow Romney and his "self-deportation" plan sound incredibly stupid.
*** Crazy Gov. Chris Christie's idea that Civil Rights should have been put to a referendum. Christie is an idiot. Christie thinks that we should be able to vote which groups of people should have civil rights???? Maybe New Jersey voters could have a referendum on weight restrictions for their governor? Huffington Post has the story and comments from many people about Christie's idea.
>>> Rachel Maddow just said that the Republican "chickens for checkups" candidate, Sue Lowden of Nevada (see 2010 story from HuffPost ).
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Mandel Will Speak?
* Will he really say anything?
OhioDailyBlog has news about Josh Mandel and his planned visit to the Akron Press Club:
Wouldn't you love to be there and see if he actually answers any questions about his own agenda?What question would you like to ask Josh Mandel???
* It is too bad that once again Ohio Republicans are playing games with road construction. People in various parts of the state of Ohio have seen their desperately needed road construction pushed aside because of claims of budget problems by the Kasich administration. In an article in the Plain Dealer, officials in Cleveland are shocked that their project is going to be delayed for more than a decade:
If you think that politics are not involved, you are very naive. Kasich's ODOT saying that only "....projects that are ready for bid get the money first..." is a bunch of baloney. Why are Republican represented parts of the state getting their road/bridge construction approved?
Ohio's Republicans have often played political games with bids and road/bridge construction. How do you think that the Austin-Pike interchange got built when it wasn't even on the original list for funding? Which politician pushed, demanded, and screamed until the Austin-Pike interchange project was moved to the front of the line? The former state senator that got his pet project, Austin-Pike, moved to a top priority and got the funding was Jon Husted. Even today, one of Jon Husted's largest contributors, Oberer, owns property being developed along the corridor. How do you think that happened?
Cleveland's elected officials need to get on the phone, and talk to every reporter, media outlet, and anyone that will listen about this kind of political payback that is being used by the Kasich administration. (When the teachers did not not support Kasich in the 2010 election, do you recall how he went after them, demanded a full page ad of apology, and then targeted them in SB5?)
If you need more information about the state of our infrastructure, check out the Transportation for America website and plug in the address of the bridges/roads in Ohio that need repairs. You can get the complete background on the traffic, year built, last inspection, and problems associated with each bridge or road in need of repairs.
OhioDailyBlog has news about Josh Mandel and his planned visit to the Akron Press Club:
....Mandel has caved:
He'll be speaking to the group on March 1....
.....The event takes place at 11:45 a.m. at the Martin University Center on the University of Akron campus. It's $15 for members, $20 for non-members, which includes lunch. RSVP by Tuesday February 28. To make reservations, go here:
Wouldn't you love to be there and see if he actually answers any questions about his own agenda?What question would you like to ask Josh Mandel???
**********************************
* It is too bad that once again Ohio Republicans are playing games with road construction. People in various parts of the state of Ohio have seen their desperately needed road construction pushed aside because of claims of budget problems by the Kasich administration. In an article in the Plain Dealer, officials in Cleveland are shocked that their project is going to be delayed for more than a decade:
A dozen projects, including a highway upgrade in downtown Dayton and the widening of Pearl Road in Strongsville, will see money for construction years before the second Inner Belt Bridge is funded.....
....Officials at the Ohio Department of Transportation insist they're not giving Cleveland the shaft.
They're just following policy: Major road and bridge projects that are ready for bid get the money first...
If you think that politics are not involved, you are very naive. Kasich's ODOT saying that only "....projects that are ready for bid get the money first..." is a bunch of baloney. Why are Republican represented parts of the state getting their road/bridge construction approved?
Ohio's Republicans have often played political games with bids and road/bridge construction. How do you think that the Austin-Pike interchange got built when it wasn't even on the original list for funding? Which politician pushed, demanded, and screamed until the Austin-Pike interchange project was moved to the front of the line? The former state senator that got his pet project, Austin-Pike, moved to a top priority and got the funding was Jon Husted. Even today, one of Jon Husted's largest contributors, Oberer, owns property being developed along the corridor. How do you think that happened?
Cleveland's elected officials need to get on the phone, and talk to every reporter, media outlet, and anyone that will listen about this kind of political payback that is being used by the Kasich administration. (When the teachers did not not support Kasich in the 2010 election, do you recall how he went after them, demanded a full page ad of apology, and then targeted them in SB5?)
If you need more information about the state of our infrastructure, check out the Transportation for America website and plug in the address of the bridges/roads in Ohio that need repairs. You can get the complete background on the traffic, year built, last inspection, and problems associated with each bridge or road in need of repairs.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Kasich & Co. and Your Money
* The Kasich administration loves to spend your money. Since winning the election for governor by the slimmest of margins, Gov. John Kasich and his staff have been living high off your money. In the last year, we've heard about -----
1. a still undisclosed amount of money spent to beef up security at the Kasich private estate in Westerville (see NewsHerald).
2. the overuse of state owned planes by Gov. Kasich and staff (DaytonDailyNews).
3. the higher than normal salaries of the governor's staff (Plunderbund).
4. the $23,000 charges for cell phones for the Kasich staff in one year (see Plunderbund).
5. how hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent on the governor's official mansion that is currently vacant (see Sandusky Register).
Yet Kasich and his Republican Party love to make cuts to schools, the elderly, and the poor. This is what you get when people voted for a former vice president at Lehman Brothers.
Dispatch:
Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
1. a still undisclosed amount of money spent to beef up security at the Kasich private estate in Westerville (see NewsHerald).
2. the overuse of state owned planes by Gov. Kasich and staff (DaytonDailyNews).
3. the higher than normal salaries of the governor's staff (Plunderbund).
4. the $23,000 charges for cell phones for the Kasich staff in one year (see Plunderbund).
5. how hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent on the governor's official mansion that is currently vacant (see Sandusky Register).
Yet Kasich and his Republican Party love to make cuts to schools, the elderly, and the poor. This is what you get when people voted for a former vice president at Lehman Brothers.
*****
*There are some people that say we don't need regulations from the EPA. Would those people like to see dead birds and fish everywhere? Do anti-regulation people like polluted drinking water?Dispatch:
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. has agreed to plead guilty to charges in federal court and pay $4.5 m illion in fines in two incidents that date to 2008.
That year, the company recalled packages of wild birdseed coated with pesticides that were toxic to birds....
....Also in 2008, Federal EPA officials discovered that Scotts was selling lawn and garden products with falsified pesticide registrations. Court documents list a Scotts lawn service fertilizer, a garden “weed preventer and plant food” and another product called Southern Max Fire Ant Killer....
Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Republican Disasters
>>>> We've heard this many times in the past---
Dispatch:
Remember these???????
DailyHerald (12/30/11):
Dispatch (7/23/08):
Vindicator (11/18/07):
Cincinnati (8/5/08):
Ohio Republicans continue to support charter schools even though most of the charters seem unable to properly educate our students. The owners of these charter schools seem to be the only ones profiting (along with those Republicans that accept big checks from charter school owners).
* Still oblivious. Gov. John Kasich is unable to understand why people are still upset about his plan to move the State of the State speech out of the Statehouse and down to a school in Steubenville, Ohio. The costs, and the inconvenience for taxpayers are just not something Kasich understands.
>>>>> More layoffs in Ohio----From the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services we have this WARN Notice:
* City and county leaders are still furious with the Ohio Department of Transportation's plan to delay road construction in the state for ten years or more. The delays will continue to create slowdowns and bottlenecks for years to come.
*** Did you catch Gov. Mitch Daniels giving the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union speech? Did you know that Mitch Daniels worked on the budget for the administration of President George W. Bush? Now Daniels is trying to blame our economic problems on Obama??? Mitch Daniels helped to guide the country into economic disaster with George W. Bush. What in the world was Mitch Daniels talking about? He sounded bizarre.
>>>> I guess when you have a lot of money sometimes you forget where you've put it!
ABC News is reporting that Mitt Romney forget to include his Swiss bank account info in his recent financial disclosures.
Dispatch:
A charter-school treasurer from New Albany owes the state more than $600,000 because he illegally spent tax dollars at a Columbus school and two others in Ohio, the auditor of state says.
Carl Shye was the school treasurer for several charter schools statewide, including the now-defunct Montessori Renaissance Experience. An audit of that school’s finances found that Shye collected more than $112,000 in tax dollars meant for students even though the school had already closed....
....The school was closed in 2009 because of financial difficulties. If not for those problems, Montessori Renaissance Experience would have been forced to close because of poor academic performance.
This is the fourth time in six months that the auditor’s office has demanded Shye repay tax money.....
Remember these???????
DailyHerald (12/30/11):
A suburban company seeking to run a taxpayer-funded charter school at Great Lakes Naval Station drew scrutiny from Ohio officials for questionable spending of public money at similar ventures there......
Dispatch (7/23/08):
The defunct charter schools that operated in a Downtown shopping mall owe the state $3.3 million plus interest, a judge has ruled.
It is the largest repayment sought from a closed charter-school operation.
The two Harte Crossroads schools abruptly shut in March 2007, leaving students scrambling to find new schools, teachers without jobs and spotty paperwork about where the money went......
Vindicator (11/18/07):
Ohio charter school operators were given $2.55 million in state and federal planning grants to start 33 schools that were never opened.....
Cincinnati (8/5/08):
A charter school once called "an abject academic failure" by Ohio's attorney general owes the state $2.6 million, according to an audit released today.
Harmony Community School in Roselawn didn't provide necessary documents to show that it met state curriculum requirements, state Auditor Mary Taylor said. The school also didn't have records proving that all teachers were properly licensed.....
Ohio Republicans continue to support charter schools even though most of the charters seem unable to properly educate our students. The owners of these charter schools seem to be the only ones profiting (along with those Republicans that accept big checks from charter school owners).
-----
* Still oblivious. Gov. John Kasich is unable to understand why people are still upset about his plan to move the State of the State speech out of the Statehouse and down to a school in Steubenville, Ohio. The costs, and the inconvenience for taxpayers are just not something Kasich understands.
>>>>> More layoffs in Ohio----From the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services we have this WARN Notice:
Date Rec'd: 1/26/2012...Company: Fortis Plastics, LLC.....City (County): Wilmington (Clinton)...Number Affected: 119....
* City and county leaders are still furious with the Ohio Department of Transportation's plan to delay road construction in the state for ten years or more. The delays will continue to create slowdowns and bottlenecks for years to come.
*** Did you catch Gov. Mitch Daniels giving the Republican response to President Obama's State of the Union speech? Did you know that Mitch Daniels worked on the budget for the administration of President George W. Bush? Now Daniels is trying to blame our economic problems on Obama??? Mitch Daniels helped to guide the country into economic disaster with George W. Bush. What in the world was Mitch Daniels talking about? He sounded bizarre.
>>>> I guess when you have a lot of money sometimes you forget where you've put it!
ABC News is reporting that Mitt Romney forget to include his Swiss bank account info in his recent financial disclosures.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Where in the world is Josh Mandel?
Imagine that you've been elected to a public office. People would assume that you are carrying out your duties, following events, attending meetings, verifying work, and fulfilling all of you responsibilities. That is what most people would expect of an elected official. Unfortunately, that does not appear to be happening with Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.
CantonRep (Associated Press):
Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel hasn’t attended a single monthly meeting of the powerful but mundane state board that decides which banks will hold billions in state deposits, records show.
Is anyone else troubled by Josh Mandel's seemingly lack of interest in his job as Ohio Treasurer? Where has Mandel been?
-Mandel was in Washington DC doing some fundraising in Washington, DC (see YouTube).
-Mandel was the guest of honor at a fundraiser thrown by the Maverick PAC in Houston (see Flickr pic from 12/6/11).
-Mandel visited Hawaii on June 1, 2011 to meet with friends of Republican Linda Lingle and others (see Hawaii Reporter).
Mandel has spent a lot of time flying to various fundraisers instead of staying in Columbus, working, and attending those Board of Deposit meetings. I'm just saying.
CantonRep (Associated Press):
Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel hasn’t attended a single monthly meeting of the powerful but mundane state board that decides which banks will hold billions in state deposits, records show.
It’s common to send a designee to most meetings, but the total absence of Mandel, a first-term Republican, makes him unique among modern-era treasurers.
Meeting minutes, news clippings and interviews by The Associated Press show that every state treasurer since at least the early 1980s has some record of attending the Board of Deposit meetings in person. The treasurer serves as chairman.....
Is anyone else troubled by Josh Mandel's seemingly lack of interest in his job as Ohio Treasurer? Where has Mandel been?
-Mandel was in Washington DC doing some fundraising in Washington, DC (see YouTube).
-Mandel was the guest of honor at a fundraiser thrown by the Maverick PAC in Houston (see Flickr pic from 12/6/11).
-Mandel visited Hawaii on June 1, 2011 to meet with friends of Republican Linda Lingle and others (see Hawaii Reporter).
Mandel has spent a lot of time flying to various fundraisers instead of staying in Columbus, working, and attending those Board of Deposit meetings. I'm just saying.
Are Republicans sick of themselves????
* Now even Republicans are complaining about their party's lack of initiative and their light legislative schedule. Could the John Boehner's Speakership be in trouble?
Politico:
Of course, in all fairness, passing bills with titles that include words like "job killer" and pushing bill, after bill, after bill, to end women's reproductive freedom is wasteful. It is time to dump the Republicans at their nearest country club. Republicans are sick of their leadership and themselves, and we're sick of them too. As they continue to worship at the altar of Ayn Rand, and the Koch Brothers, they've sold their souls to the god of money.
* The fallout continues over Gov. Kasich's decision to deliver his State of the State speech out of the Statehouse (see Vindy). Kasich's grand plan to move legislators, staff, security, and equipment to another part of the state will cost extra money. I guess it must be okay for Kasich to waste tax money on this expedition and his state plane rides. However, we should keep in mind that school children, the elderly, and residents of cities/counties are seeing their services disappear because funding is going to support Kasich lavish transportation modes.
Politico:
....Staring nervously at a high unemployment rate, with the November elections around the corner, GOP lawmakers are concerned that what their leadership is revealing for this year’s work is simply not enough.
In short, they’re yearning for more than Speaker John Boehner’s signature infrastructure and energy production bill, and they worry they’re going to go home to campaign with a light legislative résumé.
“We need to get more done,” said Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), when asked if what has been laid out is enough......
Of course, in all fairness, passing bills with titles that include words like "job killer" and pushing bill, after bill, after bill, to end women's reproductive freedom is wasteful. It is time to dump the Republicans at their nearest country club. Republicans are sick of their leadership and themselves, and we're sick of them too. As they continue to worship at the altar of Ayn Rand, and the Koch Brothers, they've sold their souls to the god of money.
* The fallout continues over Gov. Kasich's decision to deliver his State of the State speech out of the Statehouse (see Vindy). Kasich's grand plan to move legislators, staff, security, and equipment to another part of the state will cost extra money. I guess it must be okay for Kasich to waste tax money on this expedition and his state plane rides. However, we should keep in mind that school children, the elderly, and residents of cities/counties are seeing their services disappear because funding is going to support Kasich lavish transportation modes.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Arrogance?
* Is John Boehner issuing a dare to American voters? Has Boehner become so arrogant that he thinks that there is no way that Republicans will lose control of the House of Representatives? Boehner and his "do-nothing" Republican House of Representatives have refused to back the President's job bills, but now Boehner thinks he in his leadership role to stay.
Politico:
Do you think it is arrogance? Do you want to Boehner, Eric Cantor, and the Republicans to do nothing but help the wealthy and corporations for the next decade?????
>>>> In my opinion, Gov. John Kasich is trying to "...rob Peter to pay Paul..." in his latest scheme to fund his JobsOhio. Kasich wants to use state money from liquor sales to fund his corporate giveaways to corporations.
BusinessFirst:
Ohioans are still waiting for the jobs from Kasich's JobsOhio.
PlainDealer:
I thought Mike DeWine could figure this out on his own. Why is he asking for the public's help? It might be that there are enough caseworkers and staff to oversee the huge numbers of children in the foster care system. DeWine should talk to Gov. Kasich about more funding.
10TV:
Isn't this an area where DeWine complained about in the 2010 campaign? Isn't Mike DeWine in charge of the crime lab? Is this another area where Kasich's budget cuts have hurt law enforcement or is Mike DeWine just a poor administrator?
Politico:
Republicans will hold the House next year and for the next decade, House speaker John Boehner told POLITICO in an exclusive interview.
Boehner dismissed Democratic claims that House control is up for grabs and argued that the once-in-a-decade redistricting process has made the GOP’s hold on the majority
ironclad......
......“I think it will be nearly impossible” for Democrats to win back the House in November, Boehner said....
Do you think it is arrogance? Do you want to Boehner, Eric Cantor, and the Republicans to do nothing but help the wealthy and corporations for the next decade?????
>>>> In my opinion, Gov. John Kasich is trying to "...rob Peter to pay Paul..." in his latest scheme to fund his JobsOhio. Kasich wants to use state money from liquor sales to fund his corporate giveaways to corporations.
BusinessFirst:
Gov. John Kasich wants to use $100 million a year in state revenue from liquor sales during the next quarter century to help pay for the state's privatized development arm to attract and keep businesses in Ohio, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.....
.....JobsOhio will pay the state $1.4 billion up front for the franchise, the newspaper reports. About $750 million will pay off the state's existing bonds backed by liquor revenue, $150 million will fund Clean Ohio projects and $500 million will be stashed in the state general fund, the newspaper reports.
Ohioans are still waiting for the jobs from Kasich's JobsOhio.
----------------------
* Ohio's Attorney General Mike DeWine has a few problems on his hands in the foster care system and the crime labs.PlainDealer:
Too many Ohio children are languishing in foster care, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said Monday....
.....DeWine called for a comprehensive review of foster care last month, after the beating death of a 2–year-old boy in Cincinnati. Police say DeMarcus Jackson was killed by his father shortly after a Hamilton County magistrate returned the toddler to parents with whom he had lived with only briefly......
I thought Mike DeWine could figure this out on his own. Why is he asking for the public's help? It might be that there are enough caseworkers and staff to oversee the huge numbers of children in the foster care system. DeWine should talk to Gov. Kasich about more funding.
10TV:
Ohio lawmakers made bath salts illegal last year, but some investigators said on Monday that they continue to find the drugs on store shelves.
According to scientists at the state’s crime lab, bath salt cases are up 10 percent.....
According to scientists at the state’s crime lab, bath salt cases are up 10 percent.....
Isn't this an area where DeWine complained about in the 2010 campaign? Isn't Mike DeWine in charge of the crime lab? Is this another area where Kasich's budget cuts have hurt law enforcement or is Mike DeWine just a poor administrator?
Monday, January 23, 2012
You Didn't Get An Invitation???
Guess what? Neither did I.
Dispatch:
Only special lobbyists were invited. How nice. Although Kasich might deny and special treatment for his lobbyist buddies, we can figure it out. No matter what Kasich says or does, he is definitely one of the 1% and the corporate owners. He never supported real people---only corporations, lobbyists, rich contributors, and CEO's.
Wouldn't you love to see an invitation list for that event? Me too!
Ohio is losing big, big, money under Kasich's budget. If you're interested in finding out how much localities are losing, check out InnovationOhio's funding map link. As InnovationOhio states on their website:
....see the amount of cuts in state funding that each county’s local government and school districts will experience in fiscal year 2013, compared to fiscal year 2011, prior to the state budget’s enactment.
Where did all that money go?
>>>> An editorial in the Toledo Blade gives fair warning about any attempts by Gov. Kasich to make Ohio voters any more upset. The editorial compares Kasich to other right wing, anti-worker governors like Wisconsin Gov. Walker, now facing a recall.
ToledoBlade:
Although Ohio voters cannot recall Kasich, there are other ways to make him less powerful--- vote for Democrats for the Ohio House and Ohio Senate. If Democrats were in control of the Ohio General Assembly, Kasich's right wing agenda would get nipped in the bud.
***** One of Kasich's BFFs, Rex Elsass, is profiled in the Dispatch. Elsass is another one of those friends/consultants that helped bring Kasich to the governor's office. (Note: If you follow the link, beware of the ugly Christmas sweater.)
>>>> Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, the Republican so bored with his new job as Treasurer that he started thinking about running for U.S. Senator only weeks after being sworn into office, has released his work schedule. Here is what was found by an analysis of Mandel's records and financial disclosures by the Ohio Democratic Party:
If Mandel is soooooooo disinterested with his job as Ohio Treasurer, he should resign and go work for his wife's family. Mandel's lack of real legislative experience and leadership in his previous post in the Ohio General Assembly makes him a lightweight in the political spectrum. It might be all fun and games with his travel experiences, fundraising parties, and meeting like-minded right wingers and rich CEO's, but he has a job as Ohio Treasurer that he seems to be neglecting.
Dispatch:
Gov. John Kasich headlined an Ohio Theatre event last week funded by lobbyists with deep ties to his administration, raising questions about his oft-stated commitment not to favor special interests.
The Tuesday evening “One Year Later” celebration was sponsored in part by lobbyists Douglas J. Preisse, Robert F. Klaffky and Matt Borges, all of whom were ground-floor advisers to Kasich’s 2010 campaign or inaugural committee. The private party was attended by members of Kasich’s executive staff, cabinet members, many state lawmakers and some clients of the three sponsoring lobbyists, among others.
Kasich, who recapped the accomplishments of his first year in remarks to the audience, said Friday that the event did not undermine his promise to Ohioans that no lobbyists would receive preferential treatment. As a candidate and governor, Kasich has railed against special interests with their “snouts in the trough.”
Only special lobbyists were invited. How nice. Although Kasich might deny and special treatment for his lobbyist buddies, we can figure it out. No matter what Kasich says or does, he is definitely one of the 1% and the corporate owners. He never supported real people---only corporations, lobbyists, rich contributors, and CEO's.
Wouldn't you love to see an invitation list for that event? Me too!
_____
Ohio is losing big, big, money under Kasich's budget. If you're interested in finding out how much localities are losing, check out InnovationOhio's funding map link. As InnovationOhio states on their website:
....see the amount of cuts in state funding that each county’s local government and school districts will experience in fiscal year 2013, compared to fiscal year 2011, prior to the state budget’s enactment.
Where did all that money go?
>>>> An editorial in the Toledo Blade gives fair warning about any attempts by Gov. Kasich to make Ohio voters any more upset. The editorial compares Kasich to other right wing, anti-worker governors like Wisconsin Gov. Walker, now facing a recall.
ToledoBlade:
....Gov. John Kasich similarly annoyed many Ohio voters when he balanced the state budget on the backs of local governments and schools, sold profitable state assets, and tried to curtail the collective-bargaining power of public-employee unions. But neither the Ohio Constitution nor state law allows statewide elected officials to be recalled, so he doesn't have to worry about facing a challenge like Mr. Walker's.
Still, Mr. Kasich should pay attention to Wisconsin. Ohio voters are angry about government spending too. But polls suggest they are not convinced that the solution is to throw schools, workers' rights, children, and poor and elderly Ohioans under the bus.
After Issue 2 lost last November, Mr. Kasich said he had heard voters' voices. But if voters decide he remains tone deaf, they can reiterate their message at the next gubernatorial election.
Although Ohio voters cannot recall Kasich, there are other ways to make him less powerful--- vote for Democrats for the Ohio House and Ohio Senate. If Democrats were in control of the Ohio General Assembly, Kasich's right wing agenda would get nipped in the bud.
***** One of Kasich's BFFs, Rex Elsass, is profiled in the Dispatch. Elsass is another one of those friends/consultants that helped bring Kasich to the governor's office. (Note: If you follow the link, beware of the ugly Christmas sweater.)
>>>> Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, the Republican so bored with his new job as Treasurer that he started thinking about running for U.S. Senator only weeks after being sworn into office, has released his work schedule. Here is what was found by an analysis of Mandel's records and financial disclosures by the Ohio Democratic Party:
.....Despite at least 50 events related to his Senate campaign (largely fundraising), Josh Mandel found the time to talk with just 8 businesses in Ohio. This echoes an Associated Press report from last week that shows his “weekly calendars as state treasurer are almost devoid of appointments outside of staff meetings and speaking engagements. And he’s yet to hold a single news conference to discuss the work he’s doing for Ohioans.”
In fact, “Treasurer”Josh Mandel has been to Washington D.C. alone at least as many times as he’s met with Ohio businesses according to his schedule.
Equally troubling is the omission from Mandel’s schedule of 10 out-of-state trips he took just one month after being sworn into his four year term as Treasurer. While Mandel’s camp laughably claimed the trips were mostly for“official business,” Mandel’s trips were largely to locations that raised huge sums of money for his U.S. Senate campaign, despite being funded by his state campaign. FEC law clearly states that a federal candidate’s campaign may not accept assets of any kind from another committee established by the same candidate....
If Mandel is soooooooo disinterested with his job as Ohio Treasurer, he should resign and go work for his wife's family. Mandel's lack of real legislative experience and leadership in his previous post in the Ohio General Assembly makes him a lightweight in the political spectrum. It might be all fun and games with his travel experiences, fundraising parties, and meeting like-minded right wingers and rich CEO's, but he has a job as Ohio Treasurer that he seems to be neglecting.
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