Kasich vs. Women (Again!)

It will come as no surprise that Gov. John Kasich of Ohio doesn't care that much about the women of this state. Kasich and his party have worked hard to take away women's reproductive rights, restricted the amount of women in leadership roles within his administration, and refused to address income equality.  We can't forget Kasich's disdain for the teaching profession which is dominated by women.  Now Kasich's aim is to do even more harm to women.

DailyKos:

After spending much of his 2014 re-election campaign running tv ads showing his support of breast cancer screening for uninsured women, Gov. John Kasich has completely eliminated Ohio's Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCP Medicaid) from his FY 2016-2017 budget.  The program provides emergency, temporary Medicaid coverage to uninsured women earning up to 200% of FPL who were diagnosed through the state's free screening program. His proposal doesn't just leave it out of the budget, it eliminates the program completely. Forever.

It seems that, while Kasich plans to fund free mammograms and pap tests for uninsured women up to 200% FPL, if they're diagnosed and not eligible for the Medicaid Expansion (which only covers those earning up to 139% FPL) they'll have to buy private health insurance.  In short, he only cares if you get diagnosed, he doesn't care if you need treatment. And if you're lucky enough to earn so little to qualify for the Medicaid Expansion, he's going to charge you a monthly premium to get it....

It is no wonder that Kasich and the Republican Party have found it difficult to win the votes of women. Mitch McConnell's tactics that are holding up the confirmation of the first African-American woman as Attorney General do not help the Republicans (see DailyNews).

The Republican war on women continues. When we women hold the majority, we'll treat the male-dominated Republicans with the same respect they gave us.

New Hampshire?

If you live in New Hampshire, Ohio Gov. John Kasich will be arriving soon. Kasich claims lots and lots of successes, but don't believe him for a second!

Plunderbund names a few ways Kasich has made life more difficult for Ohio women:

...In his latest budget, the biggest in Ohio history, Gov. Kasich wants to eliminate key Medicaid optional programs for women above 138 percent of the federal poverty level that include a program to provide family planning coverage, a breast and cervical cancer program, and a program that covers pregnant women. In June of 2013, Gov. Kasich signed a state budget that included multiple attacks on family planning and abortion providers. A strong voice for women’s health rights, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio notes that the governor and his compliant GOP-led legislature are forcing clinics to close, “leaving millions of Ohioans without access to safe, legal abortion services in their community.” The so-called “Heartbeat” bill, HB 69, pending in committee, would prohibit an abortion when there is a fetal heartbeat. Gov. Kasich has been protected by legislative leaders who kept this bill, and a right-to-work bill, from reaching his desk. Demonstrating exactly how vulnerable he is on this topic, Gov. Kasich refuses to say more than he’s “pro-life.” It’s hard to imagine, as he caters to his core base of voters, that he would veto this bill or others like it given the bills he has signed, one of which never had a minute in committee before it was injected at the 11th hour into a budget he signed into law....

....when John Kasich wants to tell Ohio’s story, he really means that he wants to hide the harms he’s already signed into law that won’t be reversed anytime soon. Recent national polls show Kasich trending near zero in the percent of Americans who know who he is enough to weigh-in on his as yet unannounced campaign to live in the White House.

Maybe one reporter should ask Gov. Kasich what he would say to a women CEO who would consider locating in Ohio, but who doesn’t want to move her, her daughters, her female employees and their daughters to a state where they are denied by law access to rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution? Maybe the governor doesn’t think there’s a connection between bad social policy and good economic policy outcomes. But that would again underscore why he and other GOP officials who share all his beliefs would be a big step backward for America were they and a like-minded Congress come to power.

 Here are a few other tidbits about Kasich's damage to Ohio:

>  Women have been hit hard during the Kasich years. Kasich & the GOP have done their best to block women's reproductive rights and equal pay for women.

>  Under Kasich, Ohio's public schools have faced massive budget cuts, while failing charter schools have received more money. Because of the cuts to public schools, school districts have had to turn to school levies to raise money to keep schools open.

>  Cities, and counties have seen their money from the state cute severely which has resulted in cuts to police officers and firefighter divisions.

>  Kasich refused to save 1,000 high-paying jobs at Ormet. He acted like he just didn't care about the people and their community.

>  Ohio has expanded fracking under Kasich.  The dangers to our environment, water, and increases in earthquakes have been noticed by everyone.

>  Kasich is working to reduce income tax for the wealthy while he has raised the sales tax on goods and services. In Ohio, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

>  Ohio has gained some jobs, but bringing more Walmarts to the state should not be viewed as success. 

>  Over 100,000 men, women, children, and veterans were cut from the food program in the state. Food pantries remain overwhelmed.

New Hampshire is a much smaller state than Ohio. I just hope that Kasich's ego can fit inside 'The Granite State.'

Boehner

Why did John Boehner invite Ohio Gov. John Kasich to attend the speech by Benjamin Netanyahu?

The answer is simple! With so many Democrats not expected to be in their seats, Boehner needs to fill up every seat. Republican governors, and special invited guests from previous Republican administrations will fill every seat so that Boehner is not embarrassed.

Boehner is in a lot of hot water since he appears unable to get his Republican Congress to vote for his bills. With so many fractures in the House Republican caucus, it is safe to say that Boehner and his bunch are completely inept. Even the Republican-loving Columbus Dispatch is aware of Boehner's failures.