Kasich vs. the Truth

Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich is running on his job creation record. We need to separate his rhetoric from the facts. As the Examiner noted, that "...The number of unemployed workers in Ohio in March was still 353,000..."

Examiner:


...Information specific to Ohio, supplied by the widely recognized and respected workforce data collection group Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. located in Moscow, Idaho, many of the jobs Kasich is touting as a GOP comeback governor don't pay a living wage for Ohio, which amounts to about $20-hour....

...Ohio, the nation's seventh most populace state, only regained 600 of the 2,300 jobs it lost in February, and lost 3,500 lost jobs in manufacturing. Trade, transportation and utilities also lost 4,900 jobs and local government jobs decreased by another 3,500, according to information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And while Gov. Kasich hopes Ohioans believe the recovery started on his watch, his own budget director, in his last Monthly Budget Report, notes that Ohio started its recovery under former Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland in 2009, almost two years before Gov. Kasich's first budget became official. Nearly 80,000 jobs returned to Ohio under Strickland before Kasich's policies—and especially his pet project JobsOhio became official more than year after he became chief executive—were in place, with the help of a very friendly GOP-led legislature.

Look around Ohio and you'll see closed and empty businesses, an increase in homeless families and individuals, and workers struggling to put food on the table. I would not define this situation as success for Kasich or Ohioans. In a state where Walmart is the largest employer, Kasich's job creation has been a failure.

* A lot of people are already getting sick of Kasich's re-election ad with his homey approach. In our house, we turn it off as soon as it starts.

Where do you stand?

Ohio has already started to see and hear political ads on TV and radio. Which candidate for governor will the middle class support--- Democrat Ed Fitzgerald or Republican John Kasich? Everyone has an opinion about how Ohio is doing in creating jobs. Right now, there are plenty of people that remained under-employed and unemployed.

Here is a comment from a former elected official.
Cleveland:

“John has done a good job,” said Hobson. “He’s engaged the Springfield community here and paid attention to its needs. The only blemish on his record is that Senate Bill 5.”

I strongly disagree with Mr. Hobson.

> Ohio's public school children have been abandoned by Gov. Kasich so that he and the GOP can prop up the poorly performing charter schools. Those charter school owners contribute a massive amount of campaign money to Kasich and the GOP. Schools have lost programs, teachers, and support staff because of Kasich's budget cuts. Yet Kasich and his GOP gang push forth an unfunded mandate, Third Grade Reading Guarantee, hoping that teachers and students fail.

> Women in Ohio have found that Gov. Kasich and the Ohio Republicans are a little too intrusive into the biological functions of a woman's body. They've restricted women's programs and cut funding for women's health facilities.

> Ohio's autoworkers have been instrumental in bringing back the state's economy. Kasich did not support the program to save the American auto industry, but he continues to show up for every photo op at auto factories.

> Gov. Kasich and JobsOhio are giving away millions of our dollars to companies that bring jobs to the state. Unfortunately, the jobs that have been created are small in number and low paying. The workings of JobsOhio have been called secret, even though it is our tax dollars that are being used.

> Ohio's safety forces have been disrespected by Gov. Kasich. With his comments about the police officer that gave him a traffic ticket, and his continuing disregard for the work environment of police and firefighters, Ohioans have been shocked by the governor's demeaning rhetoric.

> Counties, cities, and towns have had to layoff safety forces, cut maintenance, and restrict services because of the massive budget cuts signed into law by Gov. Kasich. Citizens are very unhappy with how their communities have been hurt.

> People are disgusted at how Ohio is now experiencing earthquakes and polluted areas caused by fracking. This Republican administration has allowed corporations to dictate how, when, and where our environment, and water will be used.

> The only people making money in Ohio appear to be those that are politically connected. The rich are getting rich, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is left struggling.

I could go on, and on, and on.......

It is time to end the economic disaster that the Kasich administration has created in the state. We need Ed Fitzgerald and Democrats to run the state.

Play It Smart!

Voters have to start thinking about smart choices.

There are minority voters that support Republicans even though the GOP tries to stop people from voting. The Republicans have cut back voting rolls, poll hours, registration requirements, and even access to bathrooms at poll stations (Miami, Florida). The Republican Party fights for economic issues that help rich, white, men. If you are not a rich, white, male, there is no reason to support a Republican. The GOP just doesn't care about you (unless of course you are a mega campaign donor to their campaign).

Republicans have continued to push for bans on women's access to health care and birth control. The Republicans, especially the males, have no idea about the medical needs of women. Unfortunately, their ignorance about a woman's biology and medical needs has not stopped them. They want to make decisions about a woman's uterus, ovaries, menstrual cycle, and pregnancy. That is insulting to every woman.

Recent tax cuts pushed by Republicans, especially here in Ohio, benefit only the wealthy.  Funding has been cut for schools, hospitals, road maintenance, prisons, the elderly, and the poor. Those massive potholes on the roads are reminders of what tax cuts have created---danger.

If you are looking for fairness and pay equality, you cannot count on Republicans to assist you. Republicans dislike unions, work safety, pay equity, working women, and raising the minimum wage. Why? Republicans believe that workers should be able to be fired whenever a business owner wants, that safety on the job is too expensive, and having a minimum wage is unfair to them. They dislike regulations that protect human beings and provide dignity for people.

Republicans say that they care about you, but in reality they don't give a damn about you.

In Ohio, we have a chance to throw out John Kasich and the Republicans in the next election. Kasich has demonstrated that he dislikes unions, fairness, women's rights, public schools, police, teachers, the LGBT community, etc., etc.  We need to vote for people that work for us, not against us.

Money Talks

A writer from Circleville, Ohio, explains the influence of money in politics.

CirclevilleToday:



Where was our Governor John Kasich last week? Was he looking out for your family? Not likely, since he has already shifted the burden of taxes from the wealthiest citizens and corporations among us onto your family. Kasich’s higher sales tax means the poorer you are, the higher proportion of your already over-stretched income is taken in taxes. Was Kasich out traveling the byways of Pickaway County to support schools? Not likely, seeing as he cut state help to local school districts, thus abandoning poorer students .

Where was John? He and Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker were in Las Vegas, sucking up to Sheldon Adelson, the multi-gazillionaire casino owner and bestower of over $93 million to Republican candidates in 2012. So, when push comes to shove, when Ohio budgets and priorities are being decided in smoke-filled rooms (well, they used to be smoke-filled until we started listening to medical scientists instead of the tobacco lobbyists) - anyway, will Kasich be thinking of Ohio school kids, struggling Ohio families, or will he be thinking of Sugar Daddy Adelson? Money talks, thus Adelson gets heard. You and I get shown the door - the rear door servant’s entrance, that is.....

...“Democrats work to help people who need help, that other party, they work for people who don’t need help. That’s all there is to it,” observed President Harry Truman. Republicans believe folks with more money deserve to be heard more than you.....



Face it. We don't matter to this governor or the Republican party. Just before the election, Gov. Kasich decides to boost funding for communities, roads, and programs, as though he was throwing manna to citizens to win re-election.

You might want to bookmark or print out that opinion piece above so that you are prepared to explain campaign finance to your uninformed brother-in-law. When will all working class people get it that the Republicans don't give a damn about regular human beings?

> The layoffs in Ohio continue: http://jfs.ohio.gov/warn/current.stm

> If you have a chance to view the Paycheck to Paycheck special on the Oprah Winfrey Network, it will open your eyes to the world of working women.  HBO has a documentary on the plight of women workers. Huffington Post has a few articles about the documentary.

Ohio

* When Gov. John Kasich visited Sheldon Adelson's shindig for Republicans in Las Vegas, Kasich thanked Adelson over, and over, and over again. Once again we see Kasich's schmoozing going over the top.

Forbes has an article about Adelson and his wealth. Will Adelson be able to buy the next election now that the Supreme Court has opened the door?

Don't miss the PlainDealer's editorial cartoon featuring Kasich: HERE.

* What is Ohio doing to mentally ill boys? MotherJones has some of the shocking details:

An Ohio juvenile correctional facility placed a child, who was on suicide watch and psychiatric medication, in solitary confinement for 1,964 hours between April and September of last year, according to the Department of Justice. Referred to as "K.R." in court documents, the boy's longest uninterrupted stretch of solitary confinement lasted about 19 days. And his experience isn't unique: Four juvenile correctional facilities in Ohio imposed almost 60,000 hours of solitary confinement on 229 boys with mental-health needs in the second half of 2013, according to the government agency.

These details, and other harrowing accounts, are included in a March 12 lawsuit filed by the the Justice Department against the state of Ohio, Republican Gov. John Kasich, and others, on the basis that the state's excessive use of solitary confinement among children with mental-health issues is unconstitutional. The lawsuit names four state juvenile correctional facilities that are engaging in confinement practices that "will cause irreparable harm to these youth," according to the agency. "The way in which Ohio uses seclusion to punish youth with mental health needs victimizes one of the most vulnerable groups in our society," Jocelyn Samuels, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said in a March statement....


Why is the state refusing to provide mental health treatment for these young people? Warehousing them does not solve their problems.

>>>  Is John Boehner a little concerned about his re-election? 
Politico:

Speaker John Boehner is running his first television advertisement in four years.

The ad is on the air in the Cincinnati and Dayton television markets until April 16, according to sources who track advertising.

Boehner (R-Ohio), a 24-year veteran of Congress, has three opponents in the May 6 primary election, but is widely expected to sail to victory....

Boehner hardly goes to his district since he spends so much time golfing at fundraisers and attending events with GOP candidates. Some in his district will at least be able to be reminded of what he looks like with the ads.

Don't forget!

Today is the 3rd anniversary of Gov. John Kasich signing SB5. Remind your friends of this sad event in Ohio history. We will remember in November that Kasich and the GOP tried to obliterate the rights of workers in Ohio.  If he is re-elected, he will most likely try again.

How well is Ohio's economy doing under Kasich? If you look at the layoffs posted at ODJFS and the state's ranking on job creation, you'll notice that Ohio is NOT doing well at all.

The list from ODJFS shows just the layoffs from the beginning of 2014: 

Date Received	Company	City/County	Potential Number Affected	Layoff Date(s)	Phone Number	Union	Notice ID
03/24/2014	RMC-USA	Jefferson/Ashtabula	unknown	05/31/2014	unknown	N/A	019-13-061
03/21/2014	Giant Eagle	Rossford/Wood	93	05/24/2014	(216) 591-2729	N/A	007-13-063
03/21/2014	Giant Eagle	Toledo/Lucas	86	05/24/2014	(216) 591-2729	N/A	009-13-062
03/19/2014	USEC, Inc.	Piketon/Pike	unknown	05/19/2014	(740) 897-2923	N/A	001-13-060
03/18/2014	CenturyLink	Mansfield/Richland	83	03/06/2014	(318) 683-2019	N/A	010-13-059
03/17/2014	Beulah Park Gaming Ventures, Inc.	Grove City/Franklin	46	05/01/2014	(407) 831-1600	Seafarers Entertainment and Allied Trade Unions (SEATU)	011-13-058
03/11/2014	PACS industries, Inc.	Mt. Vernon/Knox	90	03/07/2014	(516) 465-7110	N/A	007-13-057
03/06/2014	Consolidated Transport Systems, Inc.	Vanlue/Hancock	20	03/31/2014	(800) 348-8532	N/A	007-13-056
03/05/2014	Sid Tool Co.	Cleveland/Cuyahoga	97	05/02/2014	(516) 812-1035	N/A	003-13-055
03/04/2014	Emerson Network Power	Delaware/Delaware	63	06/30/2014	(740) 833-8598	N/A	007-13-054
03/03/2014	Gannett Publishing Services	Newark/Licking	74	05/23/2014	(740) 349-1171	GCC/IBT	007-13-053
03/03/2014	MACtac	Stow/Summit	113	05/03/2014	(330) 689-3902	Teamsters Local #348	002-13-052
02/28/2014	Dots	Glenwillow/Cuyahoga	96	02/28/2014	(440) 349-7022	N/A	003-13-051
02/26/2014	Bechtel Power Generation	Oak Harbor/Ottawa	155	04/01/2014	(301) 639-7087	N/A	007-13-050
02/10/2014	HDA, Inc/N-Store Merchandising	Various/Various	115	02/03/2014	(314) 770-2228	N/A	099-13-049
02/10/2014	Millard Refigerated Services	Streetsboro/Portage	65	04/07/2014	(402) 896-4709	N/A	019-13-048
02/03/2014	Verizon	Youngstown/Mahoning	160	03/31/2014	(330) 965-8118	N/A	017-13-047
01/29/2014	Lockheed Martin Corp.	Akron/Summit	506	06/26/2014	(407) 306-2629	United Auto Workers, Local 856	002-13-046
01/22/2014	Diversified Machine	Edon/Williams	82	03/31/2014	(419) 272-5326	United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America	007-13-045
01/21/2014	Catholic Charities Corporation	Parma/Cuyahoga	119	03/16/2014	(216) 334-2909	SEIU 1199	003-14-044
01/20/2014	CP Redi, LLC	Columbus/Franklin	80	03/28/2014	(614) 255-0250	N/A	011-13-043
01/17/2014	TeleTech	Amherst/Lorain	192	03/17/2014	(303) 397-8228	N/A	004-13-042
01/16/2014	Schenker, Inc	Circleville/Pickaway	142	02/09/2014	(757) 473-2956	N/A	020-13-041

Innovation Ohio has this:

Ohio lost jobs in February, lags the nation in job creation

March 21, 2014 By Terra Goodnight Leave a Comment

Today, February employment data was released that shows the state’s unemployment rate reaching 6.5 percent, its first dip below the national rate since July. The decline suggests job-seekers are leaving the job market, because the number of Ohioans with jobs actually declined.

In February, the number of Ohioans with jobs decreased by 4,600, with large declines reported in construction and local government. Job numbers for January were also revised downward. As a result, Ohio continues to lag the national rate of employment gains since Governor Kasich took office — just 4.3% compared to 5.3% for the US as a whole.





At the invitation of mega-GOP campaign contributor, Sheldon Adelson, Gov. John Kasich spoke at a big meeting in Las Vegas a few days ago. Those who've heard Kasich's speeches in the past remarked that he delivered his regular stump speech. One audience member called Kasich's speech a "nothingburger." You know what a "notingburger" is---- it is Kosher corned beef on white bread with mayo. Yuck!

>>> John Boehner and the Republicans have caused the economy to lose billions of dollars! How? Politicususa has the details.

Start Worrying

We shouldn't have a greeter at a discount store doing your brain surgery, and we shouldn't have Republicans "reforming" anything. Republicans, especially those of the Tea Party variation seem to have no respect for teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, skilled professionals, and regular working people. Republicans, however, think that they can write laws that detail how these professions should operate and how they should be performing.

Ohio's Republicans, under the demands of Gov. John Kasich, created the 'Third Grade Reading Guarantee' for Ohio's public schools (the charter schools are exempt). This will be the first year that third graders will need to pass the exam in order to move onto the 4th grade.  Here is what these youngsters are up against----

Cincinnati:

....For the first time, third-graders who don't pass this school year's test will not be able to advance to fourth grade.

That could be the fate of 1,000 students or more in Southwest Ohio, raising the specter of students taking third-grade reading and fourth-grade math or science, snarling schedules and teaching routines.

Another issue: Students get three cracks at the test, the first one last fall, the second one April 21 to May 16 and the third starting July 7. But results of the July tests might not be back before school starts, so students could actually show up in August for fourth grade – only to be told they're actually still in third grade....

If your child doesn't pass the third grade reading test, please do not complain to your schools. Call the governor and the ignorant Ohio Republicans for setting up your child for failure. Not only did Kasich and the Republicans institute the testing, but they've cut money, programs, and teachers from schools so that their fat cat campaign contributors that own charters can get more money (and fund it back to them). The Republicans want to do away with public schools and the reading tests and funding cuts are their way to reach their goal of charter schools.

If you are a professional educator, you know what psychologists, research, and science have indicated what happens to a child that is retained. Obviously, Kasich and the GOP don't know anything about it.

> Gov. John Kasich is headed to Las Vegas to meet with the kingmaker of Republican politics, Sheldon Adelson.  In the Republican Party big shots and major contributors pick the candidates. The Nation has the details.

* Why are so many Republican men trying to stop women from taking birth control? Paul Ryan wanted to outlaw it, and many Republicans do not want women to take it. Do they want women to be continuously pregnant? Are they trying to eliminate women from the workforce? Do they understand that some women use birth control for medical reasons? Does this mean that Republican women do not use birth control? The next time a male Republican candidate speaks out against birth control, someone needs to ask him if his wife has ever used it or if he uses birth control.

President Obama

Republicans--- Read it and weep!
From Twitter:

 

 

This is why the Republicans are trying to suppress your right to vote in Ohio and other states.

Start asking questions

* Did you know that Republican Rep. Steve Stivers voted to end unemployment benefits for the longterm unemployed? Why is Stivers more interested in protecting bankers than his constituents? Someone needs to ask Stivers how many jobs he has brought back to his district since his election to Congress.

----------

* If you need an example of how Ohio's economy has hurt small businesses, you only need to look at some of the businesses that close. Working class Ohioans are finding it difficult to make ends meet, and they certainly don't have money to buy extras.  Here are just two examples:

WKBN notes the closing of a company that started operating in 1974.

Akron Beacon Journal reports the shuttering of Thinker Toys in Akron.

Kasich says he has created jobs, but many of us do not see them. Where are the jobs?

The Right to Know

Why is Gov. John Kasich against Tesla Motors coming to Ohio? Does it have to do with the campaign contributions he received????  Plunderbund has answers.

Gov. Kasich is proposing more tax cuts, but there are details that you should know. Your income might not qualify you.  Kasich plans to get more tax cuts for the wealthy. See the Toledo Blade for details.

>>> Gov. Chris Christie had another explosive 'town hall' meeting. Apparently, free speech is allowed  across the U.S.A. unless you are at a forum with Chris Christie.

A Loophole?

Gov. John Kasich is a big advocate for the expansion of charter school. Unfortunately, charter schools take money from traditional public school, don't always accept students with special needs, and are often corporately owned. Charters are exempt from many rules and regulations.

WCBE has noted that the 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee that has been promoted by Kasich exempts students in charter schools.

WCBE:

...The third grade reading guarantee was a controversial issue for which Republican Gov. John Kasich fought adamantly. Now some groups are pointing out a so-called flaw in the system.

Dale Butland is a spokesperson for the liberal think tank Innovation Ohio. He says a student going to a public school and a student going to a private school with a publicly funded voucher are treated differently. If students with the vouchers fail the reading test, they get to move on to fourth grade.

Butland: “Well it’s ridiculous. When you have voucher kids – that is to say kids that get state money, taxpayer funded money – which they then take to a private school – those kids ought to be subject to the same reading guarantee that public kids are.”

John Charlton, spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Education, agrees with Butland....

Once again we see how unfairly children are being treated by the Republicans. Not only has the governor cut millions of dollars from funding for education, he also is allowing failing charter students to continue on to the next grade.

I'm positive that parents across the state will be very upset by this loophole for 3rd grade charter school students.

The Republican Way

*Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor, Ed FitzGerald, explained how Kasich's tax cuts hurt people.

WFMJ reported that FitzGerald said that "...If your priority is to continue to lower taxes for the wealthiest people in the state, while raising sales taxes on everyone else and also paying for that by cutting funds to education and local government then you're going to have what you've had for the last few years, local people stuck with the bill."

"...local people stuck with the bill..." Kasich will blame teachers and public schools for going to voters and asking for levies, when the fault lies with Kasich and his cuts to education. Believe it. This is just Kasich, the Republicans, and the Koch Brothers planning to dismantle public schools in favor of more corporate owned (and poorly performing!) charter schools.

If you didn't see the post on what ALEC has planned for Ohio's schools, visit Plunderbund for the details.

----------

> People across the country are starting to notice the voter suppression bills signed into law by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican. Why are Kasich and the Republicans so interested in blocking your vote? Why have they cut down early voting and created more requirements for people to vote? The answer is easy---- Kasich and the GOP want to prevent Democrats from voting, especially women, minorities, the elderly, and young people, all who traditionally vote for Democrats. Don't be surprised if the next election has fewer voting machines in Democratic districts, and "poll watchers" trying to strong arm you from voting. It is the Republican way.

>> Meanwhile, over at ODJFS, the layoffs continue in Ohio: http://jfs.ohio.gov/warn/current.stm

**  There is a great opinion piece in the Cincinnati Enquirer explaining how tax cuts don't work. Here is an excerpt from Cincinnati.com:

...I’d be surprised if you can find a middle-class Ohioan who knows they got one state income tax cut in the last decade, let alone six. But almost any Cincinnatian can tell you about the pools that don’t get filled in the summer or how college keeps getting more expensive. 

Unfortunately, more than just not working, tax cuts cost us all. Adding up the changes since 2005, Ohio is losing over $3 billion every year, yet we’re 48th in the country in job growth for the same period. Much of that money has gone to the wealthiest Ohioans and big corporations, while the basic building blocks that are the foundation of strong communities have been neglected....

Taxes are being cut for the wealthy while the middle class deals with the results of less money for our communities. You can blame it all on the Republicans.

I haven't even started to rant about how the Republicans are taking away the rights of women!!!!!!!! My blood pressure is rising so I'll save that for another day.

Something is Wrong!

In case you missed it, Ohio continues to lose jobs. The latest update from ODJFS shows the following announced layoffs:

Date Rec'd Company  City/County Potential Number Affected  Layoff Date(s) Phone Number Union Notice ID 03/03/2014 Gannett Publishing Services Newark/Licking 74 05/23/2014 (740) 349-1171 GCC/IBT 007-13-053 03/03/2014 MACtac Stow/Summit 113 05/03/2014 (330) 689-3902 Teamsters Local #348 002-13-052 02/28/2014 Dots Glenwillow/Cuyahoga 96 02/28/2014 (440) 349-7022 N/A 003-13-051 02/26/2014 Bechtel Power Generation Oak Harbor/Ottawa 155 04/01/2014 (301) 639-7087 N/A 007-13-050 02/10/2014 HDA, Inc/N-Store Merchandising Various/Various 115 02/03/2014 (314) 770-2228 N/A 099-13-049 02/10/2014 Millard Refigerated Services Streetsboro/Portage 65 04/07/2014 (402) 896-4709 N/A 019-13-048 02/03/2014 Verizon Youngstown/Mahoning 160 03/31/2014 (330) 965-8118 N/A 017-13-047 01/29/2014 Lockheed Martin Corp. Akron/Summit 506 06/26/2014 (407) 306-2629 United Auto Workers, Local 856 002-13-046 01/22/2014 Diversified Machine Edon/Williams 82 03/31/2014 (419) 272-5326 United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America 007-13-045 01/21/2014 Catholic Charities Corporation Parma/Cuyahoga 119 03/16/2014 (216) 334-2909 SEIU 1199 003-14-044 01/20/2014 CP Redi, LLC Columbus/Franklin 80 03/28/2014 (614) 255-0250 N/A 011-13-043 01/17/2014 TeleTech Amherst/Lorain 192 03/17/2014 (303) 397-8228  N/A 004-13-042 01/16/2014 Schenker, Inc Circleville/Pickaway 142 02/09/2014 (757) 473-2956 N/A 020-13-041

This list is just from the beginning of 2014.

How can Gov. Kasich claim some economic "miracle" when so many people are losing jobs?

Plans for Ohio Schools Exposed!

Plunderbund exposes Gov. Kasich, the right wing, and the Koch Brothers, and the plans they have for Ohio's schools:

The following letter was sent by Rich DeColibus, former president of the Cleveland Teachers Union, to Lena Pogrebinsky, a current candidate for CTU President.  It it originally appeared on Kathie Bracy’s Blog and we kindly thank her for giving us permission to reprint it here at Plunderbund.

February 25, 2014
Dear Ms. Pogrebinsky,
I obtained the 14-page summary of the Cleveland Plan and read it through.  A few things seem to stand out.  For example, it reads like it was written by the Koch brothers.  An early quote says, “Public education has been shackled by so much – by legal restrictions, bureaucracy, work rules, traditions and the influence of our shared experience growing up in an America not yet attuned to the intensity of global competition.”  While I’m not sure which “legal restrictions” with reference to public education are so awful, my understanding is they prevented bad things from happening and insisted good things do happen, like operating within a balanced budget, mandating so many school days per year, and the like.  Why this is all considered evil I do not understand....


What the Plan really signifies is a state-wide attack on all teacher unions and associations, using the Cleveland Plan as the perfect school-reform model.  The fact the Plan will do very little, if anything, to improve student performance will not be allowed to impede the sacred task of rendering all teacher unions in the state de minimus.  And, it gets better.  In January of 2015, there’s going to be a concerted push by conservative Republicans to enact right to work legislation in the state; the proof of this is in the repeated denials that, “Right to work is not on our agenda.”  It isn’t, that’s true, but only because they’re not past the November elections yet.  See, it’s not just teacher unions they dislike; they are intent on attacking all unions in the state.  And, yes, they won’t make the Senate Bill 5/Issue 2 mistake again; the legislation will be crafted in such a way that a citizen petition and election referendum on it will not be possible.  The goal is to become the new Mississippi; Cleveland just gets to be first in the new world order.....



If you think that Kasich and the Kochs gave up with the failure of SB5, you are mistaken.

It continues....

The weather people are predicting more snow this weekend for Ohio!!!!!!!!!!!!! Enough!

> This past week, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed voting restrictions that will make it difficult for some people to vote.  People across the state are disgusted with the obstruction that Kasich and the Republicans have created. Obviously they don't want some people to vote--- Democrats.

*** U.S. Steel has announced layoffs in Lorain, Ohio (Newsnet 5). This is another indicator of the poor economy in Ohio. Gov. Kasich cannot even retain jobs in the state.

Due to Kasich's budget cuts to local governments, many cities/counties have been forced to layoff safety forces. South Euclid, Ohio, has announced layoffs at the Fire Department, and lays the blame at the feet of the state (Cleveland.com).

Where are the jobs?

Ohio Gov. John Kasich delivered his state of the state speech this week.  Unfortunately, his speech had nothing to do with reality. More than 400,000 Ohioans are still out of work, and layoffs continue.

JFS:

Date Rec'd	Company	City/County	Potential Number Affected	Layoff Date(s)	Phone Number	Union	Notice ID
02/26/2014	Bechtel Power Generation	Oak Harbor/Ottawa	155	04/01/2014	(301) 639-7087	N/A	007-13-050
02/10/2014	HDA, Inc/N-Store Merchandising	Various/Various	115	02/03/2014	(314) 770-2228	N/A	099-13-049
02/10/2014	Millard Refigerated Services	Streetsboro/Portage	65	04/07/2014	(402) 896-4709	N/A	019-13-048
02/03/2014	Verizon	Youngstown/Mahoning	160	03/31/2014	(330) 965-8118	N/A	017-13-047

Even though February is a short month, there were still a significant amount of people losing jobs.

>>>>   Gov. Kasich and the Republicans have passed laws that make it more difficult for people to vote. Registration and voting days have been cut because the Republicans can't win a free and fair election.

The only way to stop this voter suppression is to get the U.S. Justice Department involved in suing Ohio to stop these restrictive voting measures.

Ponder This!

Times are changing in Ohio, but the GOP is still stuck in the 1700's.

WKSU:

...Quinnipiac poll: Ohio’s support for gay marriage at 50% for first time
Support for gay marriage in Ohio has reached the 50 percent mark for the first time. A new survey from Quinnipiac University released today shows exactly half of Ohioans back same-sex marriage, compared to 44 percent who oppose it. In the last poll in December, 47 percent opposed gay marriage while 45 percent support it. The same poll shows 87 percent of Ohio voters support the use of medical marijuana and 47 percent of Ohioans say alcohol is as dangerous as marijuana.....

>> Why did Ohio Gov. John Kasich refuse to help keep the Ormet plant open? Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, Ed FitzGerald, continues to discuss why Kasich did nothing to save the 1,000 jobs at Ormet. See WTRF for more.

> Voters in Ohio are perplexed over why Kasich and the Republicans are trying to disenfranchise thousands of voters in the state with the new voter suppression laws recently signed into law. It is time for Ohio voters to check their registrations to make certain they haven't been removed from the voting rolls.

Enough!

It is clear that the road to progress for Ohioans is being blocked by Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio Republicans.

1. JobsOhio has been a failure, except for the wealthy corporate CEO's getting tax credits and grants.  The jobs created have not replaced the jobs we lost during the recession. Many of the "new" jobs have been temporary, minimum wage, and small in number. Kasich couldn't even save the 1,000 jobs at Ormet, and was against saving the American auto industry.

2. Our public schools are getting less money so that poorly administered charter schools can get more funding. Charter schools are exempted from many requirements that public schools must meet. As a result, charters fail to adequately meet the needs of the school children enrolled in their schools. More and more charter schools have failed, with money gone, teachers unpaid, and parents and children left in the cold.

3. Because the Kasich administration is providing less money to Ohio's school districts, Ohio's homeowners are facing more and more school levies to raise money for schools.  Programs and teachers have been cut from many districts.

4. Communities have seen cuts to fire and police protection. The Kasich budgets have radically reduced money to cities, villages, and counties. We've lost many of our first responders because of the loss of funding.

5. Kasich and his administration had plans to frack in our state parks. Recent news has shown a conspiracy to convince the public that fracking was good for the environment. Seriously.

6. Working men and women across the state have seen less opportunities for themselves and their families.

7. With the increase of influence on Republican elected officials by the Koch Borthers, Americans for Prosperity, Tea Partiers, and other righties, the Ohio GOP has given up listening to the people of this state.

8.  The increase in sales tax by Kasich has placed an unfair burden on the middle class in the state. We are paying more for our goods, but getting less services.

9. There is evidence of racism in the latest voter suppression laws passed by the GOP and signed into law by Kasich. 

Cleveland:

A top adviser to Ohio Gov. John Kasich has come under fire for a statement critics say was racist and aimed at suppressing the vote of African-Americans. 

The comments from Doug Preisse, the Franklin County Republican chairman, were yet another salvo in the ongoing battle between Ohio Democrats and Republicans over early voting hours. Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted last week issued a directive that excludes weekend voting, which Democrats say was politically motivated. 

Preisse told the Columbus Dispatch in a story published Sunday: "I guess I really actually feel we shouldn't contort the voting process to accommodate the urban -- read African-American -- voter turnout machine." 

It is time for the U.S. Justice Department to get involved in Ohio's voter suppression.

10. Women have been denied the right to gynecological and obstetric medical care because of restrictions passed by the Republicans and signed into law by Kasich. Doctors remain confused about what is law and what is not. Meanwhile, women are not getting cancer screenings, and being denied emergency care.

11. School children, the elderly, and the poor are being denied food because of cuts made by Kasich to food stamps. Food pantries are being overwhelmed by the requests for food.

12. SB5..... !!!!!! and the attacks on union workers, teachers, nurses, police officers, fire fighters, state workers, and the people that make your community work.


  I could go on and on, but there isn't enough time in the day. We have to vote out Kasich and the GOP to save our state. We must move forward to make our state better for everyone, not just the rich.

Enough!  Ohio needs to vote for Ed FitzGerald for Governor.  Do whatever you can to work for his election.

Latest Poll

Quinnipiac has released a poll on the Ohio Governor's race:

1. If the election for Governor were being held today, and the candidates were Ed FitzGerald the Democrat and John Kasich the Republican, for whom would you vote?

                                                               AGE IN YRS..............
                     Tot    Rep    Dem    Ind    Men    Wom    18-29  30-49  50-64  65+
 
FitzGerald           38%     6%    74%    31%    33%    42%    30%    38%    44%    36%
Kasich               43     82     11     43     49     37     35     45     40     48
SMONE ELSE(VOL)       1      -      1      2      1      1      -      2      2      1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL)      2      1      1      3      2      2      4      2      2      1
DK/NA                16     11     14     21     14     18     31     13     13     14
 

You can see the entire poll here--->  PDF format

Kasich is having a difficult time winning over women voters.

Frack the Parks???!!!!

It appears that the Kasich administration had plans to carry out fracking in the state parks.....

WKSU:

Kasich staff knew of ODNR 'enemies' list, according to spokesman
New records show top advisers to Republican Gov. John Kasich knew the Ohio Department of Natural Resources planned to target environmental groups and two state lawmakers while promoting drilling in state parks and forests in 2012.

The governor's spokesman acknowledged today that top advisers met with department officials about the plan. That list includes Kasich's chief policy adviser, chief of staff and then-environmental czar Craig Butler, who now leads the Ohio EPA.....

....A memo outlining the department's strategy for pushing hydraulic fracturing in parks labeled the "eco-left" as adversaries. Halliburton and other energy companies the department regulated were labeled as allies....

There is more on the plan from Plunderbund:

....ODNR discusses plans to begin drilling in two state parks and the Sunfish Creek State Forest in Monroe County. In order to counter opposition from “’eco-left’ pressure groups,” the document calls for the administration to coordinate with a group of like-minded allies, including the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Halliburton, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and JobsOhio.

Astonishingly, the document repeatedly claims that the tax revenues generated from oil and gas leases would actually be good for the environment. Using language that would shock even George Orwell, the report says that the program “will bring much needed improvements to our parks, including…more environmental protections.” If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you....

.....While the document displays a startling collusion between the fossil fuel industry and the agency that’s supposed to regulate it, one should expect little more from the Kasich administration and its allies in the Statehouse. The Ohio GOP has devolved into little more than a mouthpiece for the industry at this point.....


It is disheartening to know that Gov. Kasich and the oil and gas industry were prepared to destroy our state parks by fracking. They were also ready to use propaganda to push their plans down our throats. What other secrets does the Kasich administration have?

Anyone that supports the idea of parks, preserving our land and animals, and providing ourselves and families with safe drinking water, has to see that we cannot afford another four years of Kasich and the Ohio GOP.

**** The layoffs in Ohio continue. The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services has the list of current layoffs in the state --- http://jfs.ohio.gov/warn/current.stm .