$3 million?????

*  A story about Gov. Kasich made it to Countdown with Keith Olbermann:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/41183727#41183727

*  Ohio is experiencing a budget crisis, but.... 
Dispatch:

The state's law-enforcement agency will ask lawmakers for an extra $3 million to pay for additional security, including measures to protect Gov. John Kasich and his family....

...The Ohio Department of Public Safety is asking the Controlling Board -- a panel of lawmakers that approves spending requests -- to green-light an additional $2.9 million for staffing and $100,000 for equipment from the fund that pays for security for dignitaries including the governor.

The fund currently is allowed up to $6.4 million, but only has $1.4 million in the bank, according to the Department of Public Safety. Its revenue comes from fines on tickets issued by state troopers...

When Kasich refused to live in the Governor's Mansion, the Department of Public Safety  was forced to provide security for the family at their private home and the Governor's Mansion.

I think that the public is owed the details on why the request for staff and equipment is so tremendously high. 

___________________

The Huffington Post has a great article about Republicans and Gov. John Kasich:


...Kasich has proved himself neither better or worse than the rest of the GOP. 

In naming the 20 full-time agency directors who so far constitute his cabinet, all of Kasich's selections have been white. (Four have been female.) Responding to criticisms for these selections, Kasich has argued -- reasonably enough -- that he has a right to appoint whomever he feels will be the most helpful to these important executive posts...

....it strains credulity to believe that not one of the 20 most qualified individuals to assist the governor in his cabinet is a person of color. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, non-white citizens (including Hispanics) make up approximately 17 percent of the state. The last Ohio governor whose entire senior Cabinet did not feature a single non-white secretary was Michael DiSalle, a Democrat, who last served in 1962....

The Republicans and Kasich seem unwilling and unable to bring anyone other than whites into their party.

New Developments?

* Ohio.com is reporting on Kasich's plans for the Ohio Department of Development:

...Kasich wants to replace the Ohio Department of Development with a 9-member, nonprofit board of business leaders appointed by the governor. Kasich would serve as its chair.

He said Thursday the JobsOhio board would have four public meetings a year, but could have closed-doors talks about its negotiations with businesses. He says the members won't be compensated.....

You just have to wonder what those "business leaders" would look like.  Would there be more whites? Would the appointees be people who are contributors to the Republican Party and GOP candidates?

If public funds are used, all meetings must be open to the public.  Someone needs to remind Gov. Kasich that he is no longer working for Lehman Brothers where secret deals were made behind closed doors.  We all know how well that went.

* Students at the University of Cincinnati are upset about Ohio Gov. John Kasich's plans for education in the state.

NewsRecord:
...Our newly elected governor has proposed shortening the school year and putting more students in each classroom so we can cut down on teachers' salaries, completely disregarding how this will play into the efficiency of our school system....

....Why should we be swayed by Gov. Kasich's calls for education cuts as a means of "fiscal responsibility" when, just last Friday, he announced huge pay raises for his cabinet positions, some by nearly $50,000?


If we are left in a society where education is only offered to those wealthy enough to afford it, not only will the middle- and working-class Ohioans suffer, this state will suffer, and our democracy will suffer....

Even as a member of Congress, John Kasich wanted to cut cut college grants and support for education. Here is a little history for the younger people who don't know much about Kasich....

* From the Dayton Daily News, Sunday, February 19, 1995 (retrieved from Newsbank):

Eight Antioch College students were arrested in Columbus after being sprayed with pepper gas Saturday at a protest against Republican-proposed cuts in student financial aid. About 75 Antioch students, members of a campus group called Student Aid Action, took part in what began as an informational protest outside the offices of U.S. Rep. John Kasich , said student Karali Pitzele, who was answering the SAA hotline at the school. Kasich , R-Columbus, is chairman of the House Budget Committee.... 

 ....students are trying to educate the public about proposed cuts in the
Republican-backed Contract With America.
 

According to articles in the Dispatch (Saturday, April 3, 1999-retrieved from Newsbank) and
the Dayton Daily News (Tuesday, April 6, 1999-Newsbank), the city of Columbus had to pay 

to settle a lawsuit with the arrested students because they were sprayed with mace and arrested 

during a peaceful protest.  It took four years for the case to make it to the settlement table.

John Kasich has never been a friend to students or public education.  Here is another piece of 

evidence- - -

NY Times:  (2/15/95)

....Students must repay the principal when they graduate, but the Federal Government now spends about $9 billion a year subsidizing the Federal Family Education Loan program, including some Stafford loans, Supplemental Loans for Students and Parent Loans for UndergraduateStudents). The Government pays the interest while borrowers are still in college. 

 

But Representative John R. Kasich, Republican of Ohio, the chairman of the House Budget
Committee, has proposed ending the subsidy by adding the interest to the loan balance. 

(President) Clinton said yesterday that removing the interest subsidy would amount to "the biggest cut in student financial aid in the history of the United States."

According to the article, Kasich also wanted to cut other grants, loans, student aid, and work
study programs.  If not for President Clinton stopping it, Kasich's proposal would have doubled or tripled student college debt.

Now what?

Now that the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the health care reform law, what is next on their agenda or was this the only thing they planned to do? Isn't it amazing that these Republicans want to take away your access to health care, but they willingly accepted the health care offered to them as a member of Congress.

Even though the health care reform law would save federal money, increase jobs, and provide assistance for those who needed most, the greedy, insurance PAC-loving Republican elected officials will go out of their way to follow the orders of the big executives at insurance companies.  When the Republicans follow the orders from insurance companies, campaign contributions get funneled to Republicans who support the wants and desires of those insurance executives. 

Who voted to repeal health care?  According to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, every Republican supported the repeal including Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), a former bank lobbyist. Stivers received $97,700 in campaign contributions from insurance PACs and those employed by insurance companies (see Open Secrets).

* * * * * * *

*  The Detroit News detailed the financial problems that Detroit Public Schools are facing and the proposals to increase class size:

Detroit Public Schools would close nearly half of its schools in the next two years, and increase high school class sizes to 62 by the following year, under a deficit-reduction plan filed with the state....

....Starting this fall, the district plans to boost class sizes in grades 4-12 and at all grade levels by fiscal 2012, which begins July 1, to save $16.8 million. The plan would hike class sizes for: 

 

Grades K-3 from 17-25 students to 29 in 2012-13 and 31 in 2013-14. Grades 4-5 from 30 students to 37 in 2012-13 and 39 in 2013-14.
Grades 6-8 from 35 students to 45 in 2012-13 and 47 in 2013-14.
Grades 9-12 from 35 students to 60 in 2012-13 and 62 in 2013-14....

Can you imagine trying to teach, individualize, and monitor classes of those sizes? 

I guess we'd better be careful.  With the lack of respect that Gov. Kasich has displayed toward teachers and the Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly willing to go along with his proposed cuts to education, the Ohio Republicans might think that this Detroit proposal sounds like a good idea to them.  Then again, they've never had the experience of teaching real children in a real public school. Most of them couldn't do it but they are quite willing to make decisions that will hurt Ohio's children.

Only Whites Welcomed?

The "white" streak continues in the appointments made by Republican Gov. John Kasich.  The Dispatch reports that Kasich made five appointments to the State Board of Education. A picture on the Dispatch website reveals that all five appointees are white.  Of course, Kasich will once again say that these are the "best qualified people" in the state.  Really?

Dispatch:

Kasich's appointments include a lawyer who served in the U.S. Department of Education during the George W. Bush administration, a former board member, a former schools superintendent and two local school-board members.

They are:
• C. Todd Jones of New Albany, who formerly served in the federal education agency and is now president and general counsel for the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio.
• Tess Elshoff of New Knoxville, who until recently served on the New Knoxville Local Board of Education.
• Joseph L. Farmer of Baltimore, a member of the Liberty Union-Thurston Local Board of Education since 1992 and a Columbus-based manager for Delta Airlines.
• Thomas W. Gunlock of Centerville, who was appointed to the board in 2006 by then-Gov. Bob Taft, but later lost election to keep the seat.
• Dennis Shelton of Delaware, a consultant to Springfield City Schools who earlier was superintendent of Triad Local Schools and Caldwell Exempted Village Schools.
Joining them will be three new members elected in November: Kathleen McGervey of Avon, Jeffrey Mims of Dayton and Debe Terhar of Cincinnati.
All eight were sworn into office yesterday by state Supreme Court Justice Yvette McGee Brown.....

 Who are these people?  Here is a sampling----

- C. Todd Jones worked in the Bush administration.

- Tess Elshoff has been active member of the Republican Party of Auglaize County and served as that county's central Republican chairperson, according to the Evening Leader.


- Thomas Gunlock is part of the RG Properties company.  The Gunlock family are major, major contributors to the Ohio Republican Party and candidates (see Ohio Secretary of State campaign finance).

Seems as though their two main qualifications for these jobs were their allegiance to the Ohio Republican Party and being a member of the white race.  If 15% of Ohio's population is non-white, why hasn't Kasich reflected that in his appointments.

Truth

****  Even though Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), a former bank lobbyist, hasn't created one job in his district, he has learned how to collect money from the movers and shakers in DC. 

Politico:

.....Since Election Day, first-term members of Congress have held more than 40 events on K Street, Capitol Hill and around town to schmooze and raise money from lobbyists, political action committees and other representatives of Washington interest groups eager to establish relationships with the new class....

.....The result: In just the first three weeks after Election Day — traditionally a slow time in the fundraising world — PACs contributed more than $444,000 to dozens of the 96 incoming members of Congress, according to Federal Election Commission filings analyzed by POLITICO.....

.....The Ohio Five — a joint fundraising committee established to benefit the Buckeye State’s newly elected Republicans, Reps. Steve Chabot, Bob Gibbs, Bill Johnson, Jim Renacci and Steve Stivers — held an event in Washington at the prompting of the state’s veteran House members, all of whom helped to headline the event..... 

We may have missed this fundraiser for Steve Stivers (information provided by Sunlight Foundation's Party Time): 

Nov. 18th, 2010 (7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)

View Invitation

• For: Sen. Steve Stivers (R, OH)
• When: Nov. 18th, 2010 (7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.)
• Where: Capitol Hill Club - 300 First Street SE
• Type of Event: Reception
• Contribution Information: $5,000 PAC Gold Level; $2,500 PAC Silver Level; $1,000 Individual Silver Level; $1,000 PAC Bronze Level; $500 Individual Bronze Level
• Make Checks Payable To: Stivers for Congress.....

 
 
Then again, we can't forget that Stivers has another fundraiser next week, according to the Sunlight Foundation's Party Time: 

View Invitation

• For: Tuesday Group PAC
Jan. 25th, 2011
• Where: Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar - 223 Pennsylvania Ave SE
• Type of Event: Reception
• Other Lawmakers Mentioned: Rep. Judy Biggert (R, IL-13) Rep. Aaron Schock (R, IL-8) Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R, OH-12) Rep. Ed Whitfield (R, KY-1) Sen. Steve Stivers (R, OH)........Rep. Michael Turner (R, OH-3)....Steven LaTourette (R, OH-14)......
• Contribution Information: $5,000 PAC Sponsor; $2,500 Individual Sponsor; $2,500 PAC Host; $1,000 Individual Host; $1,500 PAC; $500 Individual....
• Distribution Paid for by: The Tuesday Group PAC

 

According to Open Secrets, the Tuesday Group PAC contributes only to Republicans.  Besides some individual contributors, Open Secrets provides the names of other PAC donors, including PACs for bankers, pharmaceuticals, insurance companies, etc.  


Stivers and those banking PACs are just too, too cozy and I fear for us consumers.

*  John Boehner and the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have called the new health care reform law a "job-killer."  However, they are wrong.  The Republicans are also altering the facts and doing some creating editing.

In the article by McClatchy, Republicans use old data as their supporting evidence:

-- The report says that a study by the National Federation of Independent Business, "the nation's largest small business association, found that an employer mandate alone could lead to the elimination of 1.6 million jobs between 2009 and 2014, with 66 percent of those coming from small businesses."

But that study was released on Jan. 28, 2009, well before the law was written. It studied a model, not the law that was enacted eventually, and it was based on a different set of assumptions....

Even using some editing by Republicans changes the meaning of a sentence, according to McClatchy:

...The GOP report says: "Economic theory suggests the penalty should ultimately be passed through (as) lower wages (to an employee)," quoting a Congressional Research Service report....

But the Republicans leave out the rest of the information ----

....the CRS version goes on to say that the penalty for not offering coverage "would not be a burden on small business owners."

The Republicans just can't handle the truth so they edit it out of their report. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

As we pause to honor Dr. King.....

As we pause to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s work for peace and diversity, let us remember that his work continues today.

Unfortunately, in Ohio, Gov. John Kasich, the newly elected Republican that won by only 2% points, is very confused.  Gov. Kasich signed a proclamation stating that March 17, 2011 will be Dr. King Day.  Don't believe me?  Check out this image from Plunderbund and the Governor's office:

Kasich declares MARCH 17th, Martin Luther King, Jr. day in Ohio

by ModernEsquire on January 17, 2011 · View Comments

From the Governor’s Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Day proclamation:





Don't they proofread in the Governor's office or are they just too good to review and revise their work?

>>>>>  People who knew him in Cleveland Heights, remember him well.  Rep. Darrell Issa's background is discussed in detail in the NewYorker.  It is definitely worth a read.

"....Kasich is upset..."

* It seems that someone doesn't like criticism.
Ken Hanson, a Republican candidate for Delaware County Prosecutor, is getting some heat from other Republicans who don't like what he said about John Kasich. What did Ken Hanson write?

DelawareGazette:

....He wrote the phrase “Fast forward to late October, when the race is in a statistical dead heat, and all of a sudden Kasich is finding religion like a nervous whore in church on Sunday,” to criticize what he sees as Kasich’s record on gun issues. The phrase was part of an Oct. 28 blog post Hanson wrote for the Buckeye Firearms Association, where Hanson holds an official position.

....The post in question referred to Kasich’s campaign for governor. In it, Hanson accuses Kasich of avoiding discussion on his views on Second Amendment issues until the race was nearly over.

Hanson said Republican State Representative Andrew Brenner called him Thursday to say that Kasich is upset with the post....

Once again we see that Kasich just can't handle the criticism.

Hurting Students

My many years in education have taught me that when you lose something, it is very difficult to get it back.  When schools cut music, physical education, teachers, art, nurses, counselors, or other classes/programs, it is nearly impossible to restore those cuts.  In the end, students suffer because they are denied a well-rounded education.

The Republicans who control the governor's office and the Ohio House and Senate, have big plans for education.  In an article in today's Dispatch, we can see that the Republican agenda for destroying public education has just started.  The Republicans have voiced their opposition to smaller class sizes, which had been promoted by former Gov. Ted Strickland.  Do the Ohio Republicans dislike Strickland's proposals because he was a Democrat, and they want to wipe out any evidence of his reforms? Are the Republicans and Kasich so anti-public schools and their teachers, that they want to dismantle schools to boost up the charter schools? (Boosting charter schools helps make the Republican's big contributor and charter school mogul, David Brennan, a wealthier man.)  Are these bill being pushed by the Republicans their way of removing control of the public schools from community control?  

If you are a parent, a teacher, or a student, you should start worrying now.  Public education is an important part of our democracy. Education provides opportunities for children from every economic background to succeed and reach their goals.  Cuts to public education are dangerous and hurtful.  Why are Republicans against smaller class sizes?  Are these Republican elected officials thinking about the students in public schools or the campaign cash they'll get from their campaign contributors who favor Republican candidates and just happen to own charter schools? (According to the Ohio Secretary of State's website for campaign finance, Randy Gardner has received $7500 from the Ohio charter school king David Brennan, and his wife.)

Dispatch:

....The bill's sponsor, Rep. Randy Gardner, R-Bowling Green, said he hopes the legislation to undo much of former Gov. Ted Strickland's evidence-based model will "send a strong message from Columbus that there is mandate relief and cost savings on the way as (district officials) plan for the next school year."

Gardner's measure also would wipe out a plan to fund smaller class sizes throughout Ohio schools.....

Keep an eye on the workings of the Kasich administration and the Republican controlled legislators who are trying to dismantle improvements that have been made to Ohio's public schools.

***  Gov. John Kasich is in hot water over his recent comments.  He and his representative have been un-invited to the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration in Cleveland.
NECN:


....The civil rights group said it would refuse a proclamation from the governor and told his minority representative, Lynn Stevens, not to attend its Martin Luther King Jr. Gala in Cleveland on Friday.....

In an article the previous day, Kasich told The Plain Dealer he wants to put together "the best possible team" and doesn't focus on such "metrics" as race or age. The newspaper reports the 20 Cabinet appointees Kasich has made so far are white.

"I want the best possible team I can get, and hopefully we will be in a position that we are fully diverse as we go forward," Kasich said. "But I can't say I need to find somebody to fit this metric, not when I am trying to get a state that is in deep trouble out of trouble."
New Ohio Gov. John Kasich's comments to a newspaper about the lack of racial diversity in his Cabinet are not sitting well with the Cleveland chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference....

By having only whites as managers and administrators, Kasich will not get the perspectives of other ethnic groups on problems and solutions that are confronting the state.  The horrible parts about this lack of diversity are Kasich's complete ignorance and proof that he just doesn't care.

Stivers

There he goes again!  Republican Rep. Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, is already proposing legislation that will help businesses, and not people. Stivers, who has always been a champion for banks, business, predatory lenders, and polluters, is cosponsoring a bill that, according to GOVTRACK, seeks "....to repeal the expansion of information reporting requirements for payments of $600 or more to corporations, and for other purposes...."  Gee.  Why would Stivers not want to require corporations to provide information to the government?????  Hmmmmm.

Even more white people........

Bizjournal listed some of Kasich's new picks for his administration.  Included in the list was Greg Moody. 
Bizjournals:
• Greg Moody as director of the newly created Governor’s Office of Health Transformation. Moody worked with Kasich during his time as a U.S. congressman and was a Health and Human Services staffer for Gov. Bob Taft. He most recently worked as a private-sector consultant. In the new agency, Kasich’s office said Moody will “lead the effort to modernize the state’s fragmented Medicaid program and implement cost-containment strategies.”

Back in November, an article posted at the OSLHA (Ohio Speech Language Hearing Association) speculated about which people would get positions within the Kasich administration.  Included in that post was the name of Greg Moody.

OSLHA:
....many are speculating that Greg Moody, former ODJFS direction and current consultant for Health Management Associates, will be named ODJFS or Medicaid Director in the Kasich Administration.  Recently, Mr. Moody commented that there are three basic options for controlling Medicaid spending:  1) fifteen states recently eliminated certain benefits in the program; 2) twenty-three states froze or cut provider rates; and 3) nine states have expanded Medicaid managed care....

When Kasich said he would "modernize" Medicaid, he gave no real explanation.

If most of these appointees are from the Taft and/or the Voinovich administration, how can Kasich claim his "new day" approach when these people are the same old white people we've seen in past Republican administrations.

Nota bene!

>>>>>>>>>  Seems as though lots of people are examining the job-killing move by Republican Gov. John Kasich to cancel the rail project in Ohio. By refusing the federal money, Kasich has reduced the chances for an immediate economic recovery.

Infrastructurist:

......As for Ohio, time has already spoken to new governor John Kasich — and it said that people don’t like him as much as they once did. Kasich’s approval rating plunged 7 points 
before he even took office, and part of the dissatisfaction seems to be all the jobs he cost the state by killing the bullet train.  A $15 million US Railcar Co. facility that would have employed up to 200 Ohioans is kaput, and massive development plans around proposed rail stations in Cleveland, Dayton, and Columbus — as well as the jobs that would have come with them — are also no more.

At least a few people have found work since Kasich took office, however. He has decided not to live in the well-guarded governor’s mansion, which means the state taxpayers he canceled the rail to protect will now pay around-the-clock salaries for additional security guards at his own residence. (They’ll also keep paying for the mansion security, which for some reason will continue.)

Not sure that’s the kind of job-creation Ohioans thought they were getting during the election — but hey, it’s a start.

Rail project:  gone.
Federal money: gone.
Increase in construction jobs: gone.
Rapid economic development along rail line: gone.
Manufacturing jobs: gone.

The only economic development that is occurring is happening to the Kasich cronies who are receiving outrageous salaries, while some within the state government are having their salaries reduced to poverty levels (see Plunderbund and ProgressOhio.)



****  I didn't see Rep. John Boehner at the memorial last night.  Apparently, Boehner had to attend a fundraiser for Republicans and said he couldn't cancel it.  Really?  He couldn't cancel it?  Once again we see that some people need to examine their priorities.

*  The OhioDailyBlog has some news about Rep. Marcia Fudge and her recently co-sponsored legislation:
...For instance, congressional Republicans are referring to their repeal bill as repealing the "job-killing health care bill." The title is a lie. The attempt to repeal the health-care bill s a partisan act of breathtaking cruelty and destructiveness, a we-want-it-all tantrum that's not satisfied with the fact that the bill is a watered-down over-compromise that gave opponents 90 percent and supporters of reform 10 percent — and the opponents want to snatch away that meager 10 percent.....


....CONGRESSWOMAN FUDGE CO-SPONSORS AMENDMENTS TO HALT "JOB-KILLING" REPEAL OF HEALTH CARE REFORM
WASHINGTON, DC-- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH11) today co-sponsored four- amendments which are designed to protect from repeal key provisions of the Patient Bill of Rights and tax cuts for middle class families and seniors in the Affordable Care Act. In its current form, the bill known as H.R. 2 would repeal the Affordable Care Act of 2010 in its entirety. Congresswoman Fudge opposes efforts by House Republicans to eliminate access to coverage for 32 million Americans while increasing the Nation's deficit.....

Thank you, Rep. Fudge for reporting the truth.  With the new Affordable Care Act of 2010, hospitals, businesses, and insurance firms will need to hire additional staff to manage the new requirements. That in itself will increase employment.

*  Did you know that Honda employs over 40,000 people in Ohio?  Has Kasich met with them yet since he became governor?

Told You So......

*  I told you this would happen.

TheLantern:
Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee stopped into The Lantern newsroom Wednesday evening to discuss a number of issues that fuel the university, ranging from a likely tuition increase next year to his quick trip to the Sugar Bowl.....


"There's a high probability we will increase tuition next year."

Gee said he believes higher education will see a reduction in government funding under Gov. John Kasich....

I wonder what other surprises Kasich has for us.


*  Did you know that Walmart is costing Ohio taxpayers money? 
Plaindealer:

In addition to its reputation for low prices, Walmart is recognized by some as a company that puts profits ahead of its workers’ well-being. State Rep. Robert Hagan, a Youngstown Democrat, capitalized on that distinction last month when he publicly chastised the megastore for all the public assistance its workers in Ohio receive.....

.....Ohio taxpayers spent more than $67 million "for the year" on food stamps and Medicaid for Walmart workers, Hagan said.

Hagan made clear he does not wish to reduce public assistance to those who need it. But he questioned why so many workers at Walmart — which boasted $405 billion in sales last year — live in poverty and need Medicaid and food stamps....

If Walmart would provide their workers a decent wage, Ohio taxpayers would not have to supplement their income.

*** Politico has some info Kasich's fundraising campaign:

Online fundraising is now a critical component to any campaign and a consultant for John Kasich's gubernatorial run in Ohio dug up an intriguing data point after mining through the fundraising numbers:  The gifts of donors who gave through a mobile device were almost twice as large as those who contributed through a computer.

According to online consultant Emotive, the average gift of mobile visitors' was $339 while desktop visitors' was $172....

....In a 17-page post-election analysis provided to POLITICO, Emotive also found that text messaging was not effective, dubbing it "expensive and redundant."

This report will definitely be analyzed by other candidates.

> > > Plunderbund demonstrates that in order to give big money to his pals, Kasich is cutting the salaries of other people in his office:

....Not surprisingly, the people who had their salaries cut to help pay for the new Cabinet Secretary were not Jai Chabria or Beth Hansen or any of Kasich’s pals. They were the people at the bottom of the pay scale.

So while Jai Chabria continues to make $145K for a made up position of Special Assistant, Cassandra Cartier, an administrative assistant, had her salary cut from $35K to $30K a year. Ann Brubaker, the receptionist, had her salary cut from $33K to $32K per year.

And Maggie Toal, an administrative assistant whose name showed up on our original list making $35K/year has had her salary cut down to $23K! That’s a THIRTY-FIVE PERCENT PAY CUT in one week. Jai would never have noticed the missing $12K but this woman just lost over a third of her already meager salary....

Can you imagine having your salary go from $35,000/yr to $23,000/yr. so that some Kasich crony can get more money?  People have homes, cars, child care costs, but that doesn't matter because Kasich's buddy needs $145,000/yr.

Privatization = Power Grab??????

Gov. John Kasich's desire to privatize most state departments, agencies, and services might not be a good idea on many levels, according to a report in Bizjournals:


....The Public-Private Power Grab report from Good Jobs First said transferring state business recruitment functions to private agencies, as Michigan has done, is not the panacea its proponents claim. Instead, the report said the track record of states that have privatized their economic development functions are filled with examples of misuse of taxpayer funds, excessive executive bonuses, political interference, questionable subsidy awards and conflicts of interest.

“Rather than making economic development activities more effective, privatization is often little more than a power grab by governors and politically connected business interests,” Philip Mattera, research director of Good Jobs First, said in release.....

.....Kasich made privatizing the Ohio Department of Development a cornerstone of his successful gubernatorial campaign last year. Critical of the department’s efforts to attract and retain jobs in Ohio, he wants to replace it with a private-sector board of directors, comprised of industry experts and current or former executives, and a staff focused solely on bringing new businesses to Ohio and strengthening ones already here......

What if Kasich decides to sell off state buildings and then lease them back from companies?

 

What if Kasich decides that all the maintenance in the state owned buildings would be done by private companies, who would pay workers at the state minimum wage?  

 

What if Kasich decides that all state retirement systems must be managed by a certain private company instead of the current retirement boards?  

 

Would these contracts go to Republican campaign contributors?

 

Have we heard yet how much was raised and spent on the inaugural festivities?  How much was actually donated to charity???  When will we get that information?

Ohio Republicans Anxious for Higher Office?

*** Update>>>>>> 
This morning on the TV news, Governor Kasich said he wanted us all "....to be a family...."  (See Dispatch for text article.)
After his attacks on public school teachers, unionized state workers, unionized first responders (firefighters, police, and EMS), are we to believe that he wants us ".....to be a family....."???????  Is his plan for us to be a family, but exclude those teachers, state workers, first responders, and those who've been stripped of protection under former Gov. Strickland's anti-discrimination order?

---->>>>> The Republican controlled Ohio House of Representatives has been working hard to help get Kasich's agenda moving.  When Strickland was governor, these same people could barely work more that two days/week.  Today, a list of 18 bills are listed on the website for the Ohio House.
--H.B. 11 seems to be trying to stop the implementation of the new federal health care law- - -
A BILL

To enact section 3901.711 of the Revised Code to prohibit state departments and agencies from implementing or enforcing a provision of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act without meeting certain conditions.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1.  That section 3901.711 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3901.711.  (A) A department or agency of this state shall not implement or enforce a provision of the federal "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (2010) unless both of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) The department or agency submits a report to the general assembly containing the information described in division (B) of this section.

(2) The Revised Code specifically authorizes the department or agency to implement or enforce the provision or, if such authorization does not exist, the general assembly enacts such authorization.

(B) The report submitted by a department or agency under division (A)(1) of this section shall include all of the following:

(1) The section of the federal "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (2010) that requires the department or agency to implement or enforce the provision;

(2) The waivers or options, if any, that are available to the state under the provision;

(3) The steps that the department or agency would be required to take to implement or enforce the provision;

(4) The individuals in the state who would be impacted if the department or agency implemented or enforced, or did not implement or enforce, the provision;

(5) The cost to the state or to the citizens of the state of implementing or enforcing the provision;

(6) The consequences to the state if the department or agency does not implement or enforce the provision.

Another bill, H.B. 7, has to do with abortion.  Why do these Republicans want to take control of a woman's uterus?  Don't women have the right to control their own bodies or is that a right that only applies to white Republican men?

There are names for these Republican members who will do anything to prevent health care for people.  Not everyone is as rich as they are.  These Republican just don't care about average, hardworking Ohioans.  They just want to satisfy their campaign contributors from insurance companies and right wing PACs.

***  Don't fall off your chair when you read this next news from Real Clear Politics:

Before being sworn in as Ohio's new treasurer Monday, Republican Josh Mandel traveled to Washington last week to celebrate Sen. Rob Portman's swearing in and Ohio Republican John Boehner's ascension to the speakership of the House.

A handful of sources with backgrounds in Buckeye State Republican politics said Mandel was actively working the circuit of influential Ohioans who were in the Beltway for Boehner's and Portman's events. Now, he's getting talked up as a potential challenger to Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2012....

....In addition to Mandel and Taylor, there's also Secretary of State Jon Husted, 43, who also was sworn into his new post after serving a decade in the state legislature. His tenure included a stint as speaker of the Ohio House.

They've just been sworn into office yesterday, and yet, the greedy, power hungry, ambitious Ohio Republicans are anxious to control everything. They haven't proven that they're competent at their new position, but the GOPers want to run for office again.


* By doing nothing, Gov. John Kasich has let some protections expire.

Gaypeopleschronicle.com:
LGBT state employees are no longer protected from discrimination by sexual orientation or gender identity.


Governor John Kasich, who took office on January 10, allowed his predecessor’s executive order barring such discrimination to expire....

....an order signed four years ago by former governor Ted Strickland prohibited such discrimination against all 60,000 state employees in hiring, layoff, termination, transfer, promotion, demotion, rate of compensation and eligibility for training programs....
 
 Is this just the beginning of Kasich's plan to turn back the clock?

Kasich commands, ".....we are going to do it by working together. ..."

John Kasich, Ohio Governor, issued a letter to all state employees on his first day in office, according to Fox19:

...We are going to help Ohio get back on track and we are going to do it by working together. As I said in my inaugural speech, which is attached, I believe very strongly that our only shot at success is to combine our gifts and to work together as a team....

The unfortunate thing is that as people were receiving this letter from Gov. Kasich, state employees were being fired on Monday and Tuesday all over the state, in every office, in every department, and in every county.

 _____

Coshoctontribune has this information about Kasich "new day" plans:

Gov.-elect John Kasich promised Ohio a "new day" and even named the group organizing this weekend's inauguration celebration the Kasich-Taylor New Day Committee Inc.


Yet, 13 of the his first 15 cabinet nominees are hardly new to the "public trough," as Kasich often likes to dub it.

They are holdovers or rehires from the administrations of Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, and ex-Republican Govs. George Voinovich and Bob Taft....

I guess Kasich's definition of "new" is different than those definitions found in prominent, scholarly dictionaries.

Here we go.....

John Kasich, Governor of Ohio, has signed an executive order which will actually increase the size of the state government.

WSAZ:
Ohio Gov. John Kasich has ordered a review of Ohio's regulations to find out what economic effect they have on small businesses.

Kasich signed his first executive order Monday to create what he called a "Common Sense Initiative" office. Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor will lead the effort....

.....Kasich also appointed Taylor to be director of the Ohio Department of Insurance. She's a certified public accountant who previously served as the state auditor.....

I wonder if Kasich will duplicate the same business initiatives that Gov. Strickland had already instituted.

>>>  People were wondering if the office of Gov. Kasich actually had a human being answering the telephone today.  The constituent services telephone helpline is  (614) 644-4357, as posted at Plunderbund.  

****  Some Ohioans greeted the inauguration of John Kasich in the form of protests.  ProgressOhio:

Hundreds of Ohioans braved the cold Saturday to protest John Kasich's attacks on unions, workers' rights, the environment, and public schools.

Ohio faces an $8 billion biannual budget deficit. Using the budget crisis as a pretext, Kasich and his fellow Republicans have broadcast their intention to cut wages and benefits for public workers, privatize state functions, and cut public education. In addition, they are expected to propose financial aid cuts and tuition increases.....

Given Kasich's disdain for union workers, teachers, unionized state employees, and unionized first responders, protests might become quite popular. 

Monday...........

* U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has been promoting the use of Mansfield Air National Guard Base to bring jobs and opportunities to the area.

Mansfield News Journal:
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) sent a letter this week to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates expressing concern over what he believes is underutilization of the Mansfield Air National Guard Base.
 
A Mansfield native, Brown was a proponent of efforts to bring to Richland County the C-27Js now housed at the base. In October, he led a letter of the Ohio Congressional delegation to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force urging placement of the C-27J formal training unit in Mansfield. The FTU was recommended to be placed elsewhere.....

New programs and the increased usage of the Mansfield Base could do wonders to bring in new jobs to the area.  I wonder how Kasich will try to stop job growth in Mansfield.

****  Ohio's new Attorney General, Mike DeWine, is preparing to waste Ohio's time and money on trying to fight against the new health care reform law, according to the Dispatch.  Doesn't that say a lot about the partisanship of Mike DeWine?

**  Plunderbund understands the reasons for Kasich's  new push for permits and plans to end delays at the Ohio EPA. Ohio Citizen Action will keep an eye on these anti-environmental moves at the Ohio EPA.

*  If you know anyone who has worked with Kasich in the past, there are certain words that they use to describe Kasich:  "arrogant"  "jerk" "prick"
Unfortunately, those are the cleanest words I've heard to describe him.

*  From a number of sources, we get some good news- - -  Sarah Palin's TLC program will not be renewed.  Thank goodness!  Shooting defenseless animals for pleasure is not something that most Americans consider a fun activity.  The Palin family will lose a rumored $1 million/episode paycheck.  

Arizona

*  I've been following the tragedy in Arizona.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Congresswoman Giffords, Judge Roll, and all the victims. 

Don't Believe Boehner- Health Reform is Working

Do you want to know a secret?

Despite what John Boehner and the Republicans are saying, health care reform is showing signs of success. According to the LA Times the tax credit for companies and the added employee security makes the Obama health care law attractive to businesses, employees, and even insurance companies.

LATimes:

....And Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, the largest insurer in the Kansas City, Mo., area, is reporting a 58% jump in the number of small businesses buying insurance since April, the first full month after the legislation was signed into law.....


....After learning about the tax credit from a local activist, studio owner Jamal Lee got a health plan for his four employees for the first time. He said it's already making a difference.

"You get more done when people are happy," said Lee, who opened the studio five years ago. "And it feels good to look at my employees and know that I'm helping to provide something that they really need."

Boehner and his cronies can make up their own fiction but they cannot dispute the fact that health care reform IS WORKING.

>>>  More on Medicaid and Kasich's planned cuts from the Dispatch:

...In a letter yesterday to the president and congressional leaders, the GOP leaders urged them to abolish a stipulation in the health-care law that cuts federal aid to states that drop people from Medicaid, the state-federal health-care program for the poor.

"The effect of the federal requirements is unconscionable," Kasich and the others wrote. The rules "force governors to cut other critical programs, such as education, in order to fund a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to Medicaid."

...The federal government provides matching funds covering about 60 percent of Medicaid costs, and states pick up the rest. So, for every dollar Ohio cuts in Medicaid spending, it will lose an additional $2 in federal aid....

Can you even imagine how devastating that would be to have funds cut for the poor and the elderly?  It is obvious that Kasich has no concerns for these people.

I'm still shocked at the rumor that Kasich plans to cut Hospice Services for those on Medicaid (see my previous post).

Kasich's Planned Medicaid Cuts?

There are some rumors surrounding possible cuts in Medicaid when Governor-elect John Kasich, Republican and a former Vice President at Lehman Brothers, takes office.

Rumor has it that he will propose cutting the following services for Ohioans on Medicaid: 

1. Podiatry Care

2. Dental Services

3. Hospice Services.  

Think about that for a moment.  Losing any of these services would be difficult, but when a person is suffering and dealing with a life-ending disease, and on Medicaid, they would be denied Hospice Services.  Hospice Services! When and if these cuts are proposed, I fully expect a loud "NO!" from Ohioans. 

A recent report by a Sheri Chaney Jones, an expert on how to cut waste (and an obvious Republican), suggested some areas where cuts could be made.

Examiner:
....One report on saving Medicaid funds in Ohio - which are used to pay the high costs of nursing home treatment - comes in a proposal that could see near-term savings of $800-$900 million dollars in unnecessary annual Medicaid spending.

This estimate, developed by Sheri Chaney Jones, the former Performance Measures Manager for the Ohio Department of Aging, says the cost savings could be recovered immediately by expanding the availability of home and community-based Medicaid waiver programs to Medicaid eligible individuals.

“Home and community-based services allow seniors to stay in their own homes or home-like settings with excellent quality care at one third the cost of nursing facility care,” says Jones in a report at PR.com.....


Here are a few questions to ponder:

Will the elderly, severely ill, and handicapped currently on Medicaid, be thrown out of nursing homes and put on the streets by Kasich? 

Will those working families struggling to make ends meet, be forced to quit jobs and manage the care of their elderly parent who suffers from an incurable disease because the Hospice program for their parent on Medicaid has been cut?


Will this all be done so that Kasich can eventually eliminate the state income tax?

Who is this Sheri Chaney Jones?  Her resume seems quite long (see it here).  However, the thing that grabbed my attention was her Facebook page which listed the following under LIKES ................  John R. Kasich, with a link to his Facebook page (see below):

Sheri Chaney Jones is on Facebook.

Sign up for Facebook to connect with Sheri Chaney Jones.

It's free and anyone can join. Already a Member? Login to contact Sheri Chaney Jones.

Sheri Chaney Jones

www.measurementresourcesco.com

Sheri Chaney Jones likes:

Small Business Saturday John R. Kasich ....................... How convenient!

Why does everything relate to Lehman Brothers?

* Even though Gov.-elect John Kasich has hired one guy for a salary of $1, it does not make up for the fact that most of the rest of his staff salaries are higher than those paid to Strickland's staff.

Here is what we know about the person that has accepted the $1 job as interim state development director:

Daily Reporter:

Ohio Gov.-elect John Kasich (KAY'-sik) has chosen a prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist to launch his new private economic development effort.


Kasich announced Friday that Mark Kvamme (vam), a partner at Sequoia Capital in Menlo Park, Calif., will serve as interim state development director. Kasich says Kvamme will help start the non-profit JobsOhio project.

Kvamme is a board member of the LinkedIn social networking site. He and Kasich are longtime friends.....

>   And then we have this from Plunderbund:

......Mark Kvamme was a “Senior Internet Strategist” for the Kasich for President ‘00 campaign.  Mark and his wife were major donors to Kasich’s PAC, New Century, which allowed Kasich to keep his former congressional staff on his payroll until he ran for public office again.  Kvamme and his wife donated $25,000 to New Century, and another $2,000 to Kasich presidential campaign (which provided $500k of New Century’s initial money.)

Kvamme and his wife donated $44,790 to the Kasich-Taylor campaign in 2009-2010.

No politician in the country appears to have gotten more money from Kvamme and his wife than Kasich and his related PACs.....


Oh. Is that how you get a job in the Kasich administration?

From the Whitefish Pilot, we can note that Kvamme was a partner with Richard Fuld: (Fuld was CEO of Lehman Brothers)

....Mark Kvamme, a part-time Whitefish resident for the past decade, is another principal in Great Northern Ventures. He and Fuld are also partners in The Homestead At Whitefish, a 1,400-acre luxury home project off Farm To Market Road, north of Whitefish. When built out, there will be 40-45 twenty-acre lots and more than 300 acres of open space and common areas, including Little Bootjack Lake.

Kvamme made his fortune as a partner in Bay Area-based Sequoia Capital, which financed Google, Yahoo and more recently YouTube. Fuld's problems on Wall Street "are not an issue," he told the Pilot last week, He also said Block 46 was "put on hold" last summer, long before the financial crisis reached a head on Wall Street.....

How many people who have had ties with Lehman Brothers or former employees of Lehman will be employed in the Kasich administration??????

Losing Friends and Supporters

A new PPP poll has some cold hard facts for Governor-elect John Kasich:

...Some of the newly elected Governors- Rick Scott in Florida in particular but also John Kasich in Ohio and Scott Walker in Wisconsin- are not particularly popular though...

....Walker and Kasich both have worse numbers than they did in our polls right before the election. Walker's favorability is a 41/49 spread and Kasich's is 36/40. One key reason for the disparity? We're now polling all registered voters in the states, not just 2010 likely voters as we were the last three months before the election.....

.....Only 12% of Democrats in Ohio have a favorable opinion of Kasich compared to 65% with an unfavorable one....

I'm surprised that 12% of Dems have that high of a favorable view of Kasich.


>>> Awesome Tweet posted on Flipcritic.


Michele Bachmann has classified information at her disposal?????????  OMG!

****  Some people want to know why Andy Teater, a Republican and a manager in the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), resigned so abruptly??????? 

OMG! The Abridged Tea Party/Republican U.S. Constitution???

The hypocrisy of the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives is absolutely astounding!!!!  The Republicans said they would read the U.S. Constitution on the floor of the House.  However, the TPR (Tea Party/ Republicans) only read those parts of the Constitution they liked.  What a bunch of horse crap!  Does this mean that the parts of the Constitution not read by the TPR (Tea Party/Republicans) can be possibly repealed by the Republicans? 

For details of the text that was skipped, visit the Washington Post.

****  The Congressional Budget Office has issued a warning on the dangers of health care repeal. 

Reuters:

....In a preliminary estimate of legislation the House is set to begin debating on Friday, the CBO said that repealing the Democrats' signature healthcare law would increase federal budget deficits by roughly $145 billion by the end of the decade, a slight revision of its earlier $143 billion.

That figure would rise to $230 billion by 2021, the CBO said.

The CBO also said repeal would result in 32 million fewer people having health insurance.....

How many Republicans refused the medical insurance provided to the members of Congress?  1? 2? 3?  What a bunch of hypocrites!

Why?

Why are Republicans wasted time reading the U.S. Constitution aloud in the House of Representatives?  Where are the jobs, Mr. Boehner?

TPMDC has some insight on the GOP's planned theatrics:


Now this is a laugh. As Vanity Fair reports, the House GOP leadership's symbolic gesture of reading the Constitution on the House floor today -- in an effort to please their Tea Party base who decry virtually all of the Obama administration's policies as both a monumental waste of money and, more importantly, an affront to our founding document -- could also itself cost a lot of money.

The magazine asked an expert on government waste, and he said in part:

The amount I get is nearly $1.1 million. $1,071,872.87, to be exact, though of course this is more back-of-the-envelope than exact. When one chamber of Congress is in session but not working, we the people still have to pay for members' salaries and expenses, and for their police protection, and for keeping their lights and phones and coffee machines on. Even Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Mike Pence (R-IN) combined don't blow enough hot air to heat the Capitol in January...

The Republicans are still wasting time and money on an activity that will not get Americans back to work.

>>>>  Why would Michele Bachmann think Americans believe anything she says?  Crazy Republican Michele Bachmann was on the Today Show this morning.  Bachmann doesn't understand that she cannot make up her own facts.  I half expected that her nose would start growing because of the lies, fabrications, and just plain b.s. that was pouring out of her mouth. 

(And......  Meredith Viera addressed the rumor that Bachmann is considering a presidential run. Heaven help us!!!!!)

>>>>  David Letterman said it best last night, "Why does John Boehner need such a big gavel?"  Why?

>>>>> Why would Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), a former top bank lobbyist, already be in the news?
Inmytrends:

....Tea party-backed freshmen are also racheting back their campaign promises to slash and burn government agencies to reduce spending. In a tea party questionnaire, freshman Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) proposed privatizing the entire Interior Department and claimed only four departments were constitutional. But when asked about his position on his first day of Congress, Stivers immediately backpedaled. “What I said in that questionnaire is that we need to take a look at everything. That’s what we need to do, is to look at everything and see what works,” he said. When asked for specifics, he responded: “We’ve got to look everywhere—we’ve got committees of jurisdiction to look at this.”

Stivers, who ran on the platform of repealing the health insurance law, has not indicated if he refused to take the health insurance plan offered to members of Congress.

>>>> Why would Gov.-elect John "Lehman Brothers" Kasich change his mind and now allow media at his swearing-in ceremony?  Is it that Kasich is so thin-skinned that he cannot handle being criticized?  The press, bloggers, and other citizens may have found his Achilles' heel.  Kasich has surrounded himself with so many "Yes men" that he cannot handle any type of objection to what he says or does. 

*  Why are tickets still available for the Kasich inauguration events?  Is this an example of a lack of interest by the public?

Where are the jobs, Mr. Boehner?

The Republicans are in control of the House of Representatives. Crybaby Boehner is now the Speaker of the House and the lobbyists will be writing the legislation.  I'm already sick of them!!!!!!!  Sick of them!!!!

*  Here in Ohio, even though I didn't vote for him, Republican John "Lehman Brothers" Kasich, will become Governor. One of the top blogs in the state of Ohio, Plunderbund, has listed some of the mistakes of Governor-elect Kasich and presents them in a YouTube video:



Is this a preview of the Kasich administration?


*  Today, Steve Stivers, a Republican and former top bank lobbyist, is now a member of the House of Representatives.  (I'm not a fan.)

(updated)

"....unprecedented..."

Are you kidding me?

This just in.....
WFMJ:


.....Republican Gov.-elect John Kasich (KAY-sik) has closed the 12:01 a.m. event to the news media, an act unprecedented in modern state history. He cites security concerns for his family at his personal residence, where he is to be sworn in by Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor. A ceremonial inauguration is scheduled in downtown Columbus later that day.

The decision is escalating criticism of the former congressman and Wall Street banker over positions he's taken on access to public information, events and documents since his election Nov. 2.

Former Ohio Gov. John Gilligan, a Democrat, said openness between a governor and the press is imperative to the public.


I'm sure this is just the beginning of more "no access" events in the Kasich administration.

There you have it!

*  Mr. Big Shot Businessman, and former Lehman Brothers Vice President, John Kasich, has been very slow in filling his cabinet, according to Plunderbund.  Could it be that no one wants to work for him?


* Think Progress has more on Kasich's decision to kill the passenger rail project:
....Touting his plan to help the private-sector “quickly help create jobs,” Kasich insisted he would help “improve the atmosphere in our state for real business development” by meeting “the needs of businesses to overcome” governmental “snafus.” But Kasich undermined his rhetoric by killing Ohio’s high-speed rail project. In doing so, he derailed many businesses’ economic development plans and effectively killed the private-sector jobs he promised to create, leaving one businessman to call his decision “unbelievable,” “mind-boggling,” and “naive”: 

Locally, certain not to happen is construction of a $15 million

facility planned for Columbus by US Railcar Co. The plant 

would have employed up to 200 when fully staffed, said 

Mike Pracht, president and chief executive officer of the 

Columbus-based railroad-car manufacturer....

...But Kasich is “unrelenting” in his mission to overtly rebuke his campaign promises. While acknowledging that the train would create private-sector jobs, Kasich’s spokesman Rob Nichols scoffed Kasich wasn’t going to build a train that “will cost taxpayers.” A curious excuse given the fact that Kasich is perfectly willing to spend taxpayer money to “pay for security improvements” at his own private residence. Because Kasich is choosing to be “the first Ohio governor in a generation” to live in his private residence rather than in the already secured governor’s mansion, Ohioans will now pay for “around-the clock security at the Kasich home” as well as at the official residence....

Kasich still thinks he is operating in the secret deals of Lehman Brothers and Wall Street.

>>>> Here is an interesting tweet from http://twitter.com/BIGUNIVERSITY:

If Kasich sells State owned assets to cover his lies of reducing our taxes ... let's find out which one of his cronies receives finder fees.  
3 minutes ago via HootSuite
 
That will be something to investigate.

****  Rep. Darrell Issa needs to be careful what he says. The Washington Post takes issue with something that Issa said recently:

REP. DARRELL ISSA (R-Calif.), incoming chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, says he misspoke when he called President Obama "one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times." Rather, Mr. Issa now says, Mr. Obama has merely presided over "one of the most corrupt administrations." That is hardly more restrained or more responsible. It is in fact patently false. 

Mr. Issa's evidence for his assertion is - well, it would be an exaggeration to call it scant. "When you hand out $1 trillion in TARP just before this president came in, most of it unspent, $1 trillion nearly in stimulus that this president asked for, plus this huge expansion in health care and government, it has a corrupting effect," he said on CNN's "State of the Union." 

There can be disagreement over the wisdom of the Troubled Assets Relief Program, the fund proposed by President George W. Bush in 2008 to bail out financial institutions and, eventually, car companies during the financial crisis. But under Mr. Obama's leadership, TARP has ended up costing the taxpayer far less than originally anticipated; last fall the Congressional Budget Office estimated its eventual total cost at $66 billion. Similarly, it's fair to argue that the stimulus was misguided or ineffective. But evidence of corruption in its administration is negligible, impressively so given the enormous sums involved.... 

Really?  Corrupt?  Issa is wrong.  What about Issa's background?

Examiner: 
....Issa was arrested in February 1980 for felony auto theft by San Jose police. According to the New York Times, Issa, 57, "was charged with two long-ago auto thefts before eventually making a fortune selling car alarms.”

Prior to his auto theft arrest, Issa was arrested and convicted of possession of an unregistered handgun in 1972.

Issa may get support from another republican who knows his way around crime. Newly elected Florida Governor, Rick Scott, “admitted to 14 counts of Medicare fraud and paid the federal government more than $600 million dollars in fines for his fraudulent billing practices.”

What a guy!

> Then we have this from Talkingpointsmemo:


...The Examiner scoured military records and concluded that Issa's service on the squad "was marred by a bad conduct rating, a demotion and allegations that he had stolen a fellow soldier's car." It cited his 1998 campaign biography saying he served in the Army nine years, even though records showed he served just over five years. He was enlisted from 1970-1972 and was in a college Army ROTC program from 1972 through 1976, the Examiner reported. It also noted that an Issa press release said he was "detailed to the Army security team" which traveled with Nixon, and quoted from a 1990 San Diego Union story that said Issa "was on a bomb disposal unit for President Nixon and got to see the 1971 World Series because Nixon wanted to go and the stadiums had to be secured."
Here's the key part:

The records show that Issa's service on what he terms an "Army security team" amounted to less than six months on a bomb-disposal squad in 1971. That's scant experience to qualify him for presidential security duty, former GI bomb experts say.

Issa couldn't have guarded Nixon at the World Series because the president didn't attend, according to the Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda....

For further details, check out the link above.

Not Happy

Everyone I've talked with is already disgusted with Gov.-elect John Kasich and he hasn't even taken office yet!  Why are people upset with Kasich?  I'm so glad you asked!

(1) Kasich has targeted public school teachers because he thinks they are too powerful.  It might be that he thinks that public school teachers should be paid the same dismally low wages that the teachers are paid at his daughters' school.

(2) Kasich hates public employees, but he was able to get their pensions to invest in the worthless crap of Lehman Brothers.

(3) Kasich is already refusing to release public information to taxpayers regarding how much of our tax money went to pay for extra security at his private home.  How long will it be before a citizen, group, or newspaper will sue to get that information?  Someone needs to tell Kasich what transparency means.

(4) Those of us who live in central Ohio are getting queasy about the way that the right wing Columbus Dispatch has fallen in love with all things Kasich.  The message that the Dispatch is conveying is that he is their god, and does no wrong.

(5) Before even taking office and looking at the financial books, Kasich's  appointee to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Steve Buehrer, has pondered the idea to reduce benefits for injured workers. Right now, companies in the state pay for Worker Comp insurance to the state.  Since Kasich and Buehrer want to save businesses money, cutting benefits would be their way to do it. (See PR-USA.net)

This is by no means a complete list, but it shows you that with Kasich's slim victory in the election, not everyone is a member of his fan club.

* Plunderbund is reporting that tickets are still available for the Kasich inauguration.   Looks like no one wants to go to his free event in a facility that holds just over 2,000 people.  Don't worry.  His people will bring in their sheeple even if they have to pay them to fill the seats.