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 .

The Reality

What has Ohio gotten from Gov. John Kasich? It all depends on your income level and who you are.

• Business leaders and CEO's might say that they like him, especially those that have received millions of dollars in tax cuts, grants, and other favorable treatment.

• People in the middle class would complain because of the lack of growth in the state, and the increasing tax burden caused by cuts to schools and communities.

• The poor might not be as vocal because they don't have the strength to speak up because of cuts to programs which have assisted them in the past.

• Women would tell you of the restrictions that Kasich, and the Republican-controlled legislature have placed on women's reproductive health. Republicans are more interested in controlling what is happening in a woman's uterus than creating equal economic opportunity for women.

• The unemployed have seen no new jobs in Ohio and little chance that any new industries are coming here. Kasich has still not created full employment in the state. Many of those jobs lost because of the failures of Lehman Brothers and other firms, are not coming back to Ohio.


There are those outside of Ohio that actually think that Kasich has had some success in Ohio. Obviously, those people don't know the truth.

Here is something said by someone that has seen the reality of Kasich's policies.

HuffingtonPost:

...Athens County Job & Family Services Director Jack Frech, whose agency serves one of Ohio's poorest counties, said Kasich has done more damage than good for the poor.

"The truth is we've thrown 100,000 people, including 60,000 children, off cash assistance, and those people have nothing and they are hungry and many of them are homeless," Frech said. "That's the reality of his policies. I think it's great that the governor's talking about poor people, but his compassion that he expresses does not reflect the reality of his policies."

That is Kasich's legacy in Ohio--- starving children.

Ohio?

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

> There is news out of Virginia-----

DailyKos:

Late Thursday night, a federal judge struck down Virginia's gay marriage ban as unconstitutional, in an eloquent rebuke to inequality:

Our Constitution declares that "all men" are created equal. Surely this means all of us. While ever-vigilant for the wisdom that can come from the voices of our voting public, our courts have never long tolerated the perpetuation of laws rooted in unlawful prejudice. One of the judiciary's noblest endeavors is to scrutinize laws that emerge from such roots. [...] Our nation's uneven but dogged journey toward truer and more meaningful freedoms for our citizens has brought us continually to a deeper understanding of the first three words in our Constitution: we the people. "We the People" have become abroader, more diverse family than once imagined. Justice has often been forged from fires of indignities and prejudices suffered. Our triumphs that celebrate the freedom of choice are hallowed. We have arrived upon another moment in history when We the People becomes more inclusive, and our freedom more perfect.

How long before the same sex marriage ban is knocked down in Ohio?  Some couples have waited long enough.  Shouldn't everyone be equal under the law?


> Speaking of equality----- Why are the Ohio Republicans moving voting locations out of neighborhood that have minorities? Republicans want to make it more difficult for people to vote!


>  Democratic candidate for Ohio Governor, Ed FitzGerald, had a few things to say yesterday about the auto industry in Ohio. The Toledo Blade  notes that Ed FitzGerald said, "Not only did John Kasich fail to support the auto rescue, he and other supporters of S.B. 5 worked to weaken unions across the state and make it even more difficult for hardworking Ohioans to negotiate for good-paying jobs..."

> Women across Ohio have been shocked to learn about the latest attack on their health and safety.

ThinkProgress:

Thanks to harsh new abortion restrictions in place in Ohio, doctors are warning that they can’t provide the best care for their patients — and sometimes, women are being forced to carry nonviable fetuses to term against the recommendations of medical professionals....

Why do Republicans continue to interfere with our rights to privacy and medical attention?

Ed FitzGerald, the leading Democratic candidate to run against Republican Gov. John Kasich this November, told supporters Thursday at the United Auto Workers headquarters in Maumee that if elected, he would veto any right-to-work bill that gets passed.
Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2014/02/14/FitzGerald-vows-to-fight-for-unions-if-elected.html#4qy84odSmeYjhhLS.99

Ed FitzGerald, the leading Democratic candidate to run against Republican Gov. John Kasich this November, told supporters Thursday at the United Auto Workers headquarters in Maumee that if elected, he would veto any right-to-work bill that gets passed.
Mr. FitzGerald also touched on the auto bailout, which he said Mr. Kasich opposed. It is another hot-button issue of Ohio labor unions.
“Not only did John Kasich fail to support the auto rescue, he and other supporters of S.B. 5 worked to weaken unions across the state and make it even more difficult for hardworking Ohioans to negotiate for good-paying jobs,” Mr. FitzGerald said.

Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Politics/2014/02/14/FitzGerald-vows-to-fight-for-unions-if-elected.html#4qy84odSmeYjhhLS.99

Portman in Trouble???

It appears that U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (OH-R) is having some negative feedback from his constituents.

Daily Kos reports on the latest poll:

Republican Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Mark Kirk of Illinois are drawing significant disapproval from voters over their refusal to extend emergency unemployment aid. According to new polling done for Americans United for Change by Public Policy Polling, a strong majority of voters want to see unemployment insurance extended for those jobless for six months or more:

More than 60% of voters in both states favor reinstating unemployment benefits. In Illinois 63% support it to only 31% who are opposed, and in Ohio 62% support it to just 35% in opposition. Reinstating benefits predictably has near total support from Democrats- 89% in Ohio and 83% in Illinois. But it also has a substantial amount of support across party lines- 44% of Republicans in Illinois and 41% in Ohio support it, a lot more bipartisan backing than we see for most issues these days.

... 51 percent of Ohio voters said they were less likely to vote for Portman because of his vote...

Whoa! If you'd like to let Sen. Portman hear your views on his lack of concern for out of work Ohioans, you can contact his office here by phone or email.


* Gov. John Kasich's remarks about "deregulating schools" may throw a wrench into his re-election campaign. Parents, students, educators, and tax payers are concerned that more tax money will be taken from traditional public schools to give to charter schools. State Impact has a review of Kasich's recent comments.

Citizens should be demanding that charter schools open their financials so that we can see how they are spending their money. School districts in Ohio report the salaries of superintendents, principals, and teachers, but we have no information on the salaries of those employed at charters. How is it possible that a charter school runs out of money, cannot meet the payroll, and must close only a few months after opening? Is the state just giving these charters money and then just leave them alone?

How much do charters get from the state? Check out this website with the names of charters and amounts of money they will receive.

If you want to see how some friends of Kasich's are making money off of our students, read the Plunderbund story about how our tax dollars are flowing into a private school.

"Staffing Nightmare"

It appears that Gov. John Kasich's 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee is already creating problems. With budget cuts made by the governor to schools, less staff, and inadequate direction from the state, the program is doomed for failure with teachers ultimately being blamed for any potential problems.

The ToledoBlade describes the problems that districts will face because of the lack of financial support from the Kasich administration. Besides the lack of money, Kasich & Co. just don't understand the fundamentals of education. Period.

>  Several news outlets are noting the campaign contributions of one union to the re-election of John Kasich. It is only one union and we'll see if other union members remember SB5.


PolicyMic has this about how Kasich's support comes from ALEC--

...The governor and at least two top Ohio state officials share alumnus status with the developer of that agenda – ALEC.

Kasich pushed for privatized education – K-12 through  college – accomplished through cuts to education spending, signed legislation allowing fracking, and slashed funding for the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel (OCC) which has interfered with Duke Energy’s attempts to pass along storm damage repairs to their customers.

_________________________________________

Does this mean that Ohio Republicans legislators are unable to write their own legislation so ALEC provides 'fill-in-the-blank" model bills to promote the far right agenda? Disgusting!

Gov. John Kasich’s administration offers a “guarantee” that all Ohio students will read at grade level by the third grade, as measured by standardized tests, or they will be held back. That policy, unaccompanied by adequate funding, is causing problems for public schools in the Toledo area and across the state.
Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Editorials/2014/02/10/Reading-and-budget-math.html#Z3lvPeaLKwpWJeJd.99

Gov. John Kasich’s administration offers a “guarantee” that all Ohio students will read at grade level by the third grade, as measured by standardized tests, or they will be held back. That policy, unaccompanied by adequate funding, is causing problems for public schools in the Toledo area and across the state.
Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Editorials/2014/02/10/Reading-and-budget-math.html#Z3lvPeaLKwpWJeJd.99

Gov. John Kasich’s administration offers a “guarantee” that all Ohio students will read at grade level by the third grade, as measured by standardized tests, or they will be held back. That policy, unaccompanied by adequate funding, is causing problems for public schools in the Toledo area and across the state.
Read more at http://www.toledoblade.com/Editorials/2014/02/10/Reading-and-budget-math.html#Z3lvPeaLKwpWJeJd.99

The Cuts

> The universities and colleges in Ohio are feeling the results of cuts made by Gov. John Kasich's budget. According to an article at Ohio.com, the University of Akron is looking at cutting 55 degree programs.

> After getting over 10 inches of snow on Tuesday evening here in central Ohio, we are currently expecting another significant amount of snow in the next few days.

> Ohio Tea Party Republicans are saying that they won't support/vote for John Kasich in November's election. The tea party groups have voiced displeasure at some of Kasich actions. Will the tea party members simply vote for Libertarian Charles Earl or will they simply stay home?

If you truly believe....

* If you truly believe in equality, the right of workers to organize, job safety, women's reproductive rights, public schools, the right to a clean and safe environment, decent wages for workers, voters rights, then you must support Democrat Ed FitzGerald for Governor.

We can never forget how our current governor spoke about our police (see video here), his lack of respect for teachers and public education (see StateImpact), his views about saving the American auto industry (see WashingtonMonthly), how cuts to local governments have hurt our safety (see NewsLeader), how restrictions on women's reproductive medical access have hurt women in Ohio (MotherJones), and the possibility of "Right-to-Work" (for less) legislation coming before the governor.

It is time to get online and support Ed FitzGerald.

...........

* There were some arrests made at a protest at an injection well location in Ohio.

AthensNews:

A peaceful protest at an eastern Athens County fracking waste disposal site ended with eight arrests Saturday after protesters blocked the driveway into the site. At least two trucks apparently carrying what the protesters called "toxic frack waste" had to be diverted around the blockade.

An operational waste injection well is located at the site (located on West Belpre Pike Road, Coolville), and a second waste site recently received a permit from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Area fracking opponents have tried, thus far unsuccessfully, to appeal the permit.

Although the eight protesters were charged with trespassing by the Athens County Sheriff's Office, onlookers described the arrests as "calm and dignified."....


The current Republican administration in Ohio is making it very convenient for the state to become a dumping ground of toxic chemicals. Regulations are important in order to safeguard our water and environment, but unfortunately.......

Dispatch:

....Top donors on Kasich’s latest filing include the Ohio Coal political action committee, which was among the 27 to contribute the maximum $12,155.52....

...Kasich totaled $184,000 in contributions tied to the energy industry: $7,500 from Chesapeake Energy, by far the state’s biggest driller in the Utica shale region; $7,000 from coal company Murray Energy’s corporate PAC, $5,000 from company founder Bob Murray, and $43,000 from the coal industry overall; and $47,200 from Marathon Oil employees. Corporate PACS gave Kasich nearly $250,000....

Of course, we cannot forget what happened to the person once responsible for protecting Ohio waterways!

Publiccampaignactionfund:


Submitted by Adam Smith on Wed, 09/18/2013 - 17:35
 
This morning, Talking Points Memo published an interview with George Elmaraghy, a former watchdog at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency who blames the coal industry’s influence with Gov. John Kasich (R-Ohio) for being forced out of his job over including strong federal pollution limits in permits to Ohio coal companies.

As TPM’s Dylan Scott writes, “His story -- which the Ohio EPA and Kasich's office declined to comment on -- suggests an administration beholden to the coal industry and willing to push out employees who weren't going to capitulate to its demands.”

Who needs clean water? Who needs regulations?