Regulations Help Workers

* Why do Republicans always talk about getting rid of regulations?  Do they want to permit companies to dump whatever toxic chemical they want into our drinking water?  Do Republicans even care about the safety of their workers?


There are precautions that every company should take to protect their employees and the public.  Regulations exist to protect all of us.  A website at OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Adminstration) has a list of companies that have had safety problems for every state, including Ohio.  Here is a sampling from OSHA on Ohio for 2011:

2011 - 10/25/2011 - US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Campbell Road Sawmill after worker killed while felling trees at Archbold, Ohio, job site

 

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=20916

 

2011 - 05/24/2011 - US Department of Labor's OSHA cites WPM Construction Services for exposing workers to cave-in and traffic hazards at Toledo, Ohio, job site

 

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=19890

 

2011 - 10/27/2011 - US Department of Labor's OSHA cites Canton Drop Forge in Ohio for safety violations after worker dies in machinery accident

 

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=20943

 

 

Secret Meetings????

***  Sh-h-h-h-h-h-h....
The Kasich administration doesn't want you to know too much about what they're doing in the state.  The entire exotic animal disaster in Zanesville could have been averted, but Kasich allowed former Gov. Strickland's executive order to expire.  Now the meetings with ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) to set up regulations will be behind closed doors. Even the right-leaning Dispatch is upset with the secrecy.

Dispatch:

...In the wake of the escape and deaths of dozens of exotic animals near Zanesville, the public and press are understandably interested in the workings of a "task force" appointed by state officials to recommend how to best keep both creatures and Ohioans from harm.

But, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources says the meetings of the group are closed because it is not a public body and therefore not subject to open-meetings laws.....

....a ruling by the 10th District Court of Appeals in Columbus states that while an advisory committee was established without formal action, the Open Meetings Act is not intended to allow a public body to informally establish committees that are not subject to the law....

If this involves public safety, citizens need to know what is going on with these meetings. I'd like to see people representing citizens and the animals.  From what I've heard, some of these meetings involve just those people who own exotic animals.  What is up with that?  I'm hoping that someone, maybe even PETA, the ASPCA, or some group will get these meetings opened to the public.  I hope that law enforcement is also heavily involved.


* We saw a great movie that really ties in with all the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations -----Margin Call.  The movie is set in the year 2008 and shows methods that some people in financial institutions will employ to get rid of toxic, worthless investments.  (Does this sound familiar?)  It is a finely crafted movie that leaves you wondering what you would have done if you were a trader told to sell off junk to anyone, even your mother.  The greed and disdain that is displayed by the CEO will make you mad. Catch it while you can!

"under seige"

Since I am not a fan of George Will, I'm not a regular reader of his column. However, a little blurb in a recent column made me sit up and scream.

George Will's column that appeared in the Tennessean, listed reasons that he thought that Romney would not be a good candidate for the Republicans.  Will noted that Romney flip-flopped on his for-against-for Issue 2 in Ohio. Frankly, I don't care about Romney's chances in the political arena.  Below is the paragraph that I want to bring to your attention.

Tennessean:

....Last week in Ohio, Romney straddled the issue of the ballot initiative by which liberals and unions hope to repeal the law Republican Gov. John Kasich got enacted to limit public employees' collective bargaining rights. Kasich, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, is under siege. Romney was asked, at a Republican phone bank rallying support for Kasich's measure, to oppose repeal of it, and to endorse another measure exempting Ohioans from Obamacare's insurance mandate (a cousin of Romneycare's Massachusetts mandate). He refused.....

Here is the offensive sentence from the article in the Tennessean:

.......Kasich, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, is under siege.....

Really?  George Will thinks that Kasich....is under siege. Give me a break!  Gov. John Kasich has made a point of disrespecting, denigrating, and dismissing the education, accomplishments, and work of Ohio's public school teachers.  Kasich has made teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, and public employees the scapegoats for Ohio's economic disaster.  Of course, Kasich doesn't mention that former Gov. Bob Taft set up the state for this mess because of Taft's massive tax cuts. Kasich fails to mention that as a Vice President at Lehman Brothers that he and his Wall Street buddies created this mess.

The middle class is under siege in Ohio with John Kasich as governor.  George Will might be trying to create some sympathy for his buddy, but those of us that live in Ohio know that Kasich is an arrogant, anti-middle class, and pro-corporate Wall Streeter. 

____________

The Ohio Republicans and their SB 5/Issue 2 also hurts our veterans.  Plunderbund discovered this way back in March:

....So, just to be clear, Ohio’s Republican state Senators just sent a bill over to the House that screws Ohio’s veterans who want to be teachers out of a well-deserved 20% salary increase based on their military service.....

Why do Ohio's Republicans hate veterans too?

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Vote No on Issues 1, 2, and 3.

Nothing Happening

*  Since the Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives, very little has been accomplished.  Sure, the Republicans have tried to end Social Security and Medicare with Paul Ryan's budget.  They've titled bills as "job killers" and tried to abolish regulations.  Certain legislation that was put into place to prevent another Wall Street meltdown have been championed by the Republicans, and even Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (Ohio's 15th).  They've passed several bills to stop abortions, even though the bills are similar to other bills that were passed.  In the end, nothing has gotten done.  Boehner, Cantor, Paul Ryan, Gohmert, Stivers, and the rest of the GOPers have not created one job.

Next year will be a national election and the Republicans have put out their "work" calendar for 2012. Kos at DailyKos has posted the planned work days in the Republican controlled House of Representatives.:

Not Thinking Ahead?

Mitt Romney's big mistake in Ohio the other day clearly demonstrates his flip-flop on issues time and time again. Romney's flip-flop on Issue 2, as explained at The Hill, has made right wingers get upset.  If Romney wants to support Gov. Kasich's anti-middle class Issue 2 that takes away rights from Ohio's public workers, that is fine.  Ohio's firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses, and public workers are making lists and checking them twice.  They will remember Republicans, their push for Issue 2, and their lies during the campaign.


In the meantime..... Vote NO on Issue 2.

*  After the exotic animal disaster in Zanesville, and Gov. Kasich's meaningless executive order, it will come as no surprise that the widow of the man that released all those animals is headed to the Columbus Zoo to retrieve them.

ZanesvilleTimesRecorder:

Marian Thompson, the widow of Terry Thompson, will reclaim six exotic animals housed at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium at 2 p.m. today, according to zoo officials.

The animals were the only ones to survive last week's tragedy at the Thompson farm near Zanesville.....

....The zoo has no legal rights to the animals and removed them from the farm with the permission of Marian Thompson....

People are wondering how Mrs. Thompson can get the exotic animals back.  Here is the answer from an article published on October 22nd, in the Dispatch:

An executive order on Ohio’s dangerous wild-animals problem that Gov. John Kasich signed yesterday relies exclusively on existing agencies and authority — including arrest powers available to county humane societies since 1953.

Unlike an order signed by his predecessor, Gov. Ted Strickland, which Kasich allowed to expire, the new order does not ban ownership or sale of wild animals, or require registration. Kasich said that would require changes in state law to be proposed later this year....

.....Tim Harrison of Outreach for Animals, a Dayton organization that does wild-animal rescues, called Kasich’s order “absolutely toothless. This is like putting a Band-Aid on a bleeding artery."

Are we in store for another exotic animal tragedy because Kasich signed a weak executive order?  After such a horrible event, Kasich's lack of initiative to protect the public and animal life is disgusting.  Kasich's answer about the possibility that Issue 2 will go down to defeat could also explain his lack of foresight in the exotic animal issues.

Columbus Dispatch:

...When asked if he has “a back-up plan,” Kasich replied: “I never think ahead.”

We can conclude that Kasich did not think ahead as to what could happen if the widow wanted the surviving animals back in her possession.

Mandel=DeMint=Club for Growth?????

* Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Josh Mandel, who was just a candidate last year for Ohio Treasurer, will be in Washington, DC for a fundraiser this evening. Mandel has been able to raise money while sidestepping any inquiries on his views on issues. If we look at the types of groups and individuals that support him, Mandel comes off as being very right wing and pro-rich.

The Plain Dealer reported some recent endorsements for Mandel:

When South Carolina U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint announced his support for Josh Mandel in next year's Ohio U.S. Senate race, you might have assumed fine, another day, another endorsement......

.....A Plain Dealer review of the donations -- made through DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund with instructions that they be forwarded to Mandel's Senate campaign -- shows that DeMint's endorsement was worth $123,069 to Mandel by Sept. 30, the last day of the most recent quarter......

......The Club for Growth, a group that promotes conservative economic and political principles, endorsed Mandel on June 28. That served as a signal for 484 people who support the club's PAC to write checks to help Mandel.  The total of these Club for Growth-to-Mandel earmarked donations: $124,282......

The Republican-leaning Columbus Dispatch had this opinion piece on Mandel:

....That is the way Mandel has been campaigning for next year’s U.S. Senate race. He can raise gobs of money. He campaigns with energy. But ask for a comment on a particular bill before Congress and all you get is another attack on Sherrod Brown....

What can we gather from all this?  Can we can make some assumptions about Josh Mandel since he is unwilling and unable to discuss his views?

Does Josh Mandel support Sen. Jim DeMint's amendment to stop people from even discussing abortion on the internet?  (see ThinkProgress)  Should we assume that Mandel doesn't want people to exercise their right to free speech on the internet?  Does DeMint's endorsement of Mandel mean that Mandel supports this (ThinkProgress):

....Now Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), one of the most die-hard anti-choice lawmakers, has jumped on the bandwagon by sneaking a radical anti-abortion amendment onto a completely unrelated piece of legislation. DeMint’s amendment would ban women and their doctors from discussing abortion over the Internet:

Anti-choice Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) just filed an anti-choice amendment to a bill related to agriculture, transportation, housing, and other programs. The DeMint amendment could bar discussion of abortion over the Internet and through videoconferencing, even if a woman’s health is at risk and if this kind of communication with her doctor is her best option to receive care.
Under this amendment, women would need a separate, segregated Internet just for talking about abortion care with their doctors....

Does Mandel believe the same way? Oh, I forgot.  He won't answer questions.

What about the fact that the Club for Growth has contributed to Josh Mandel's campaign?  Does that mean that Mandel supports the same agenda as the Club for Growth, as stated at their website:
Fiscally Conservative Spending
Federal Death Tax Repeal
Expanding Trade Freedom
Reform Social Security with Personal Retirement Accounts
Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform
Regulatory Reform and Deregulation
Education Choice

Can we assume, since Mandel won't answer any questions, that he supports the Club for Growth philosophy and wants to eliminate Social Security, eliminate public schools and give money to failing charter schools, have free trade and outsource American jobs, allow businesses to behave as they please so that can pollute the environment, get rid of regulations so that poison and fecal matter would be allowed in our food, cut worker safety protections, etc.? 

Mandel has to man up and answer some questions or we'll make up his answers.

Speed Up Foreclosures?????

***  Here is a dumb idea from Mitt Romney---throw more people out on the street by speeding up foreclosures. CSMonitor:

....In an interview published Tuesday ahead of presidential debate, Romney told Las Vegas Review Journal's editorial board that solving the foreclosure crisis would require letting banks proceed against homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages. New investors could then rent out the homes until markets adjusted.

"As to what to do for the housing industry specifically and are there things that you can do to encourage housing: One is, don't try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom," Romney said....

Romney doesn't need to worry about being thrown out of his home because he owns so many of them.

Romney's suggestion to speed up foreclosures is similar to one proposed by Steve Stivers in 2008 when he was a state senator.

Ohiovotes2011:

....State Senator Steve Stivers is set to unveil proposed legislation that would speed up the foreclosure process by allowing cities to go after property owners even if they don't owe the city money, NBC 4 reported....

Romney and Stivers must want more families living in cars and under bridges. Shame on them.

President Obama Makes Important Announcement

CBS News:

President Obama announced Friday that the United States will withdraw nearly all troops from Iraq by the end of the year, effectively bringing the long and polarizing war in Iraq to an end.

"After nearly 9 years, America's war in Iraq will be over," said Mr. Obama.

He said the last American troops will depart the country by January 1 "with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the American people stand united in our support for our troops." 

Thank goodness.  Hopefully, we'll be bringing out military out of Afghanistan too.

Kasich's Response Pathetic

After 49 exotic animals had to be killed because Republican Gov. John Kasich allowed an executive order by former Gov. Ted Strickland to expire, this is how Kasich responded to questions:

WLWT:

"What had been proposed was frankly, not very workable," Kasich said. "You don't want to just put something out and not have the infrastructure or have all the complications that are connected to this. As a result of that, we formed a working group. Obviously going to move faster now. And at the end of the day, there will be legislation."

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is heading up the effort to mold the law. They said they expect to have something within 30 days.

So what is allowed right now? In Ohio, it's about as easy as it gets to own a tiger, a bear or even a lion as a cat or dog.....

Kasich is wrong in so many ways.  Something is better than nothing.  Instead of at least renewing what Strickland had started, Kasich let it go. As Kasich and his Republican cohorts repeat the mantra that regulations are bad, we are seeing the results of his careless attitude.  He could have used Strickland's proposal as a starting point to bring tighter restrictions, however, he chose to abolish the order entirely.  Just as he has done away with education improvements, voting expansion, help for the poor, Kasich has tossed away any evidence of progress made by the Strickland administration. 

Even as the public, animal rights advocates, and Jack Hanna have demanded change, Kasich decides to create a "working group."  Then he says, "...at the end of the day, there will be legislation...."  Today, Democratic State Rep. Debbie Phillips started some legislation to ban the ownership of exotic animals in the state (see DaytonDailyNews).  It is a start.

Big News

Check out Google Trends and you'll find that lots of people are following the escape of the wild animals in Zanesville, Ohio.
Jungle Jack Hanna, in a news conference earlier today:
YouTube and WDTNTV:



This is just another example of the incompetence of Gov. John Kasich.  Why did he allow the executive order that banned the private ownership of exotic animals to expire?

****  With many Ohioans voting by absentee ballot this year, just one word for those voting on election day:  Vote.


>>>>>>  Public Policy Polling has the results of their latest poll in Ohio.  Here is a little hint from PPP:

There has been basically no change in how Ohioans feel about their governor since PPP last polled the state in August.  John Kasich is still the least popular governor in the country, with only 37% approving and 54% disapproving of his job performance..... 

Aren't you proud to have the least popular governor in the country? In case you are interested, the PPP poll indicates that 60% of women disapprove of Kasich.  Women do not like bullies.

If you live in Ohio, remember to Vote No on Issue 2.

Vote No on Issues 1, 2, 3.

Wall Street's Collapse

* Some members of the Ohio delegation are whining about money being taken away from the state that was going to be used to study privatizing the Ohio Turnpike (see InsuranceNews).
If they Ohio Turnpike is making a big profit, why is there a need to privatize it?

* If you want to see how we lost money on Wall Street, you've got to see Margin Call, which opens in theaters on Friday.  The movie, starring Kevin Spacey, explains what went on inside a financial firm during the Wall Street collapse. Hmmmmm.  Do you think Ohio voters, especially those that lost money in their retirement funds will want to see this?  For more info, see Margincallmovie.com.

Herman Cain?

*  Herman Cain appeared on Meet the Press today.  Here is what he said regarding abortion-
OpposingViews.com:

“I do not agree with abortion under any circumstance,” he insisted.

“Exceptions for rape and incest?” Gregory asked.

“Not for rape and incest,” Cain replied. “Because if you look at rape and incest, the percentage of those instances is so miniscule that there are other options.”

Is Herman Cain saying that there are a "miniscule" number of rapes or a "miniscule" number of pregnancies that are the result of rapes?  By saying it this way, Herman Cain attempts to diminish the pain and suffering of the victims.  According to the U.S. Census crime statistics on forcible rapes, in 2009, there were over 81,000 forcible rapes.  That number represents those that were reported.

On his views on Social Security, Herman Cain wants to follow the model used in Chile by a dictator.  Businessweek:

Herman Cain, the former pizza executive surging in polls for the Republican presidential nomination, wants to replace Social Security with what he called the “Chilean model” of private pension funds. Full adoption of that model may push the U.S. deeper into deficit than Greece......

.....The U.S. budget shortfall would rise above Greece’s 10.5 percent of GDP if all of the current payroll tax was diverted into private saving funds, according to Bloomberg data....

Cain doesn't seem to have a complete picture of what all these programs entail.  Besides, the claim that he would run the country as a business or that a person with business experience knows something that others do not, is a big crock of baloney.  Here in Ohio, we have John Kasich, a former vice president for Lehman Brothers, and the state is still bleeding jobs.


Speaking of Ohio-----  Vote NO on Issue 2.

Stay Informed

* There is a great post over at WeAreOhio that states---

ISSUE 2 is UNSAFE, UNFAIR, and HURTS Ohio's Middle Class Families

UNSAFE

• Issue 2 puts all our families’ safety at risk. It makes it harder for emergency responders, police and firefighters to negotiate for critical safety equipment and training that protects us all.
   
• Issue 2 will make our nursing shortage worse.  It makes it illegal for nurses, hospital and clinic workers to demand reasonable and safe staffing levels—so nurses will juggle more patients while their salaries and benefits are cut.

  UNFAIR

• The same Columbus politicians who claim “we all must sacrifice” left themselves a gaping loophole in the law, making a special exception for politicians and upper management....
   
  If you really want to talk about class warfare, the Ohio Republicans started it in Ohio.  By protecting the rich and taking worker protections away from the middle class, Kasich & Co. (the Republicans) are doing all they can to protect themselves and their friends. 

****  We're known by the friends that we keep.  Josh Mandel, Republican candidate for Senate, will be endorsed by the Family Research Council, according to a story in the conservative PlainDealer.

The Family Research Council is an extremely conservative group that has made some very controversial statements. For example, Sojourners had this earlier in the year:

In response to Sojourners’ radio ads about the budget debates, the Family Research Council’s political action committee has launched radio ads in Kentucky and Ohio arguing that deficit reduction should cut programs that serve poor and vulnerable people. The ads assert that it is the private individual, not government, who has a responsibility to the poor.....

.......This also sets up the Family Research Council in opposition to major evangelical anti-poverty groups like World Vision and the Salvation Army. While just a few years ago, “compassionate conservatives” were at the forefront of increasing effective aid to address pandemic diseases and extreme poverty, the Family Research Council has been calling for cuts to USAID’s anti-poverty work, which would hurt groups like World Vision and the Salvation Army......

Doesn't that make you feel sick all over knowing that the FRC wanted to make cuts to programs that helped the poor? 

****  Josh Mandel's personal financial disclosure report is now 5 months late.
 

Ask Orrin about Raser

According to viewers of Fox News (every family has a couple), there was some energy company called Solyndra had some financial problems and Republicans are blaming President Obama.  Last time I checked, President Obama tried to move the country forward after the Wall Street collapse, bank bailouts, and recession of the Bush administration.  He tried to get the country back to work.  Unfortunately, the Republicans have been sitting on their fat a**es repeating a mantra of "more tax cuts, more tax cuts, more tax cuts...."  In my book, President Obama tried to get things moving, but the Republicans have created discourse, shown a lack of effort, and have actually spoken out in favor of failure.

One topic you won't hear about on Fox News is the Raser Technologies project that was championed by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch.

USA Today:

....In April, the company that Hatch touted as on the cutting edge filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection — never coming close to producing the 10 megawatts that were projected at the Hatch Plant.....

Nice going, Orrin.

New Republican Jobs Plan: Same Old, Same Old

Republicans have unveiled their new "jobs plan" to counter the one introduced by President Obama.  The plan can be found here, but I can already tell you that the word/words
-   "tax" appears 20 times.
-   "regulations" appears 4 times.
-   "capital gains" shows up 2 times.
-  "clean air act" 1 time.
-  "balanced budget amendment" 1 time.
-  "corporate" 2 times.
-  "fiscal" 4 times.
-  "federal lands" 2 times.
etc., etc., etc.

I'm sure that you get the picture.  The GOP jobs plan is the same b.s. they offered in the past.

 

Ohio's Teachers

WeareOhio has released a new ad opposing Issue 2:



Did you see all the restrictions that SB 5 has against teachers?  Let me refresh the information for you.......

ISSUE 2 Restricts rights to collective bargaining for:
SMALLER CLASS SIZES
Source: Senate Bill 5; p 230, Section 4117.08 (C)
and p 232, Section 4117.081 (A)(B)



ISSUE 2 Restricts rights to collective bargaining for:
UP-TO-DATE TEXT BOOKS
Source: Senate Bill 5; p 230, Section 4117.08 (C)
and p 232, Section 4117.081 (A)(B)


ISSUE 2 Restricts rights to collective bargaining for:
SCHOOL SAFETY ISSUES
Source: Senate Bill 5; p 230, Section 4117.08 (C)
and p 232, Section 4117.081 (A)(B)


ISSUE 2
MORE STANDARDIZED TESTING
Source: Senate Bill 5; p 154-157, Section 3317.13 (B) (C) 
and less time for classroom learning.

Issue 2 gives politicians the right to completely gut the budget for public education in Ohio. This destruction of public education is a goal of some powerful Republicans. If Issue 2 stands, you can expect crowded classrooms, tens of thousands of teachers fired, old and out of date books and equipment in schools, an increase of violence due to a lack of safety officers, and tests, tests, tests, and more tests.

Stop this unnecessary and unfair law.

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Boehner Disappointing

Do you think that the nation is finally realizing that the Republicans plan to do absolutely nothing until after the election in 2012?  John Boehner has really been a disappointment to all those who thought he'd provide some real leadership.


Daily Kos/SEIU State of the Nation Poll has some good numbers for President Obama:

Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos & SEIU. 10/6-9 . Registered voters. MoE ±3.1% (Obama trendlines 9/2-25, all others 9/15-18):

Why destroy something making a profit?

* Even though Ohioans are against it, Gov. John Kasich continues to move forward on the issue of selling/leasing the Ohio Turnpike.

PressPublications:

Gov. John Kasich’s plan to privatize and lease the Ohio Turnpike has met with considerable opposition from across the state. But Kasich is prepared to make a Request for Proposals (RFP) and pursue the plan, according to State Rep. Matt Szollosi (49th District)....

....Szollosi, as have other opponents of the plan, have cited Indiana, which leased its turnpike in 2006, as an example of what could happen in Ohio.

“Indiana privatized its turnpike. The maintenance of that asset has deteriorated, the tolls have almost doubled in four or five short years, and I believe at this point the toll workers are making just over minimum wage,” said Szollosi. “I’ve heard that the rest stops have deteriorated in quality and cleanliness. When you privatize, profit becomes the motive. Anyone who has traveled along the Ohio turnpike can see that this asset is in excellent condition. The workers do an exceptional job maintaining this precious asset. The rest stops are clean. The people, particularly in the northern part of the state who primarily use the asset on a daily or weekly basis, should not have to see the rates increase or potentially doubled nor should they have to experience a deterioration in the quality of the asset. It’s too important for us - the corridor along the northern part of the state - for economic and industrial development purposes to turn the turnpike over to outside or potentially foreign interests. We shouldn’t hand over this asset paid by the taxpayers for corporate profit.”

If the Turnpike continues to make a profit, why sell it?  Kasich's plan just doesn't make any sense, especially considering the Indiana example.

* Plunderbund has a great posting about Dr. Robert Sommers.

Stop the Republican Power Grab

Hey, Ohio voters!  Remember this----   

Vote NO on Issues 1, 2, and 3.

Do you ever get the idea that the Kasich administration is creating two classes in Ohio----  the rich corporate people and the rest of us?  With FOK (Friends of Kasich) getting preferential treatment in tax incentives and grants for their companies, the rest of us are seeing our hard earned tax money being given away by Kasich to his corporate friends. The Dayton Daily News revealed that Kasich has given away more than $240 million to corporations since January.  Where did he find all that $240 million?  Those cuts in education probably provided the bulk of the money.

Ohioans really do not need to worry because Gov. Kasich continues to take care of his pals, and staff.

InnovationOhio:

• Gov. Kasich, while repeatedly calling for cuts in the pay and benefits of state and local government workers, pays his own senior staff an average salary of over $110,000.  And he has repeatedly fudged the numbers on what he pays all workers in his office.  In April, he told the General Assembly that the Governor’s Office payroll was just over $4.8 million.  But as of May 7, the actual figure was just over $5.4 million —12% more than what the Governor claimed;
• Gov. Kasich’s 27 Cabinet members earn an average base pay of more than $131, 000 and at least 22 of them each receive an additional $6,600 per year in “car allowances.”   At least 7 Cabinet members are also ‘double dippers” who receive state pensions in addition to their government salaries.....

.....Though fiercely critical of “double dipping” by other public workers, 12 House and Senate members who support SB 5 are themselves double-dippers (one is a triple-dipper), and collect legislative salaries in addition to state pensions.   Perhaps the biggest single double-dipper in Ohio is House Speaker Bill Batchelder, who receives over $100,000 in a PERS pension, on top of his $94,500 annual legislative salary.....

Clearly, the Ohio Republicans are hypocrites.  While they've cut education, those Republicans seem to be prospering with extra perks and benefits from the governor, and the legislators have refused to take pay cuts.

If SB 5 stands, local school boards will not be able to discuss class size with teachers. Does that mean that someone else like the governor or some political appointee will set class sizes across the state? This is all part of the right wing agenda to destroy public schools and teachers.  Don't stand for it!

Vote NO on Issue 1.

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Vote NO on Issue 3.

If you need another way to remember, try this---- 

NO. NO. NO on Issues  1 ,2, 3.

"Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain..."

Did they think we wouldn't notice?  Yes, the Ohio Republicans, Gov. John Kasich, and their corporate sponsors, were hoping that you wouldn't or couldn't find out about their people in some of their ads. 

There is the fake cop in the Republican, pro-sb5 mailer (see Plunderbund).

WeAreOhio recognized Kyle Farmer, the teacher in the ad that supports SB 5, as the Chairman of the Fairfield County GOP.  HA!

YouTube



Kyle Farmer's Twitter page was discovered:

Kyle Farmer

@kylefarmer Baltimore, Ohio

http://www.fairfieldgop.com

Kyle Farmer's picture, representing the Fairfield Co. GOP, was seen in the LancasterEagleGazette.

 

Kyle Farmer's Facebook page was noticed, with his connections to the Buckeye Lake Yacht Club (?), a Republican page on Facebook (OhioVictory), etc.

Plunderbund reported, on July 6, 2010, that Kyle Farmer was at a protest during a speech given by Gov. Ted Strickland.:

[UPDATE:]  It gets even worse…. one of the other five protestors was the Ohio Republican Party’s “tracker” of the Strickland campaign.
According to an eyewitness to the protest, another was Kyle Farmer, the Executive Director of the Fairfield County Republican Party. 

According to Twitter, some from the “Hinch Group” was there with him.  The Hinch Group is a political consultancy company which lists…. John Kasich’s campaign as a client.
 

What can we learn from this?  Kasich, and the Ohio GOP will do anything to hurt the middle class of Ohio, especially those people who are the backbone and support of this state--the teachers, the police officers, the fire fighters, the nurses, and state workers.

Let Kasich and the Republicans know that you've had enough with the tax breaks for corporations, and this attempted power grab.

VOTE NO on ISSUE 2.

* * *

Forum Explains More About Failures of SB 5

The LancasterEagleGazette has a video of a forum that took place at Ohio University-Lancaster.  We Are Ohio's representative, Dale Butland, does a phenomenal job of providing how SB 5 will hurt us all.  Note: The SB 5 discussion starts at the 1:30 mark.

Vote NO on Issue 2.

Watch live streaming video from lancastereaglegazette at livestream.com

As Dale said, 94% of the public employees already pay 10% toward their pensions. If Kasich would have closed loopholes, we would not be in this mess.  If SB 5 remains standing, as many as 51,000 people could lose their jobs.

The Dangers of Fracking

It is good to see that there are some people in Ohio willing to stand up and say that they might not jump on the fracking bandwagon.  Officials in the city of Athens and Athens County have voiced opposition to fracking in the area.  Besides being concerned about destroying and polluting the water, the officials have also raised concerns about losing the beauty of the area.


Athensnews:

Bids for oil-and-gas leases on more than 3,000 acres of Wayne National Forest land will start at $2 an acre, according to an official of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. 

The "public notice" of the pending auction – set for Dec. 7 – consisted only of posting an announcement in the "public room" of the BLM's website, according to Larry R. Denny, acting deputy state director of resources for the agency. The BLM also provided the U.S. Surface Management Agency a copy of the auction notice, Denny said.....

...Athens City Council has also drafted a letter to the BLM, opposing the planned auction.

"Athens City, Ohio is a statutory city that relies upon a riparian aquifer as the sole source for its municipal water system," the letter says. "That aquifer is downstream from the parcels. We are concerned that the leasing, drilling and operation of the potential wells in the Utica shale will have a deleterious effect on our sole source municipal water supply. It must be noted that we have a meager water supply in general in unglaciated Ohio, and our water source is inextricably bound to the health of the Hocking River. We are also concerned that the leasing and drilling of these parcels could negatively impact human health, wildlife, habitat and recreational enjoyment… Given the experiences of our adjacent state, Pennsylvania, in the exploitation of the Marcellus Shale, we request that the Forest Service's determination be reconsidered for the parcels upstream from our municipal water supply… We request the withdrawal of the lease sale until the proper environmental analysis is conducted and our water supply is protected."

There seems to be some very smart people in Athens, Ohio.  Even though the Ohio Republicans and Gov. John Kasich will say that nothing bad will happen because of fracking, we just need to look to Pennsylvania for evidence of what could happen.

YouTube

Rest In Peace, Steve Jobs

 I offer my sympathies to the Jobs family and the people at Apple Computer.  Steve Jobs transformed our lives, and we thank him for his work, dedication, and vision.

No Jobs

We were all looking at President Obama's job creation bill with great enthusiasm.  With goals like fixing roads, bridges, schools, and putting people back to work, the legislation seemed like the antidote for the high unemployment in the country.  However, Republican Rep. Eric Cantor stopped the jobs bill from even going for a vote.

NewsroomAmerica:

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Tuesday that President Obama's jobs bill was "dead," adding that the president's "all or nothing approach" was unacceptable.

When asked during a press briefing by a reporter if the American Jobs Act was dead, Cantor replied, "yes," then said, "It seems as if the president is in full campaign mode. The president continues to say ‘pass my bill in its entirety.’ As I’ve said from the outset, this all-or-nothing approach is just not acceptable."

Do you know what I find unacceptable?  It is absolutely unacceptable that Cantor, Boehner, and the rest of the Republicans refuse to even discuss a plan to get people back to work.  The Republicans in the U.S. of Representatives have done absolutely N-O-T-H-I-N-G to help Americans get back to work.  NOTHING!!!!!!!   They have not written or passed one bill to create jobs.  Not one!!!

But wait!!!!!  Here is the real kicker---Cantor demanded just a few days earlier that  FEMA provide help now for his state after the latest weather disasters and earthquake..

HuffingtonPost: (9/27/11)

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have been busy convincing Congress to quickly fill its emergency aid coffers, as the agency finds its funds drained by the natural disasters that have hit the country in recent months. The insistence, led by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), that Congress should cut spending elsewhere to offset disaster relief funding, led to a partisan standoff and nearly shut down the government. 

On Friday, however, FEMA officials found themselves busy answering to Cantor for another reason: He had requested a conference call to get updates on the disbursement of aid requested by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) for his district, which was affected by the Aug. 23 East Coast earthquake....

.....Cantor also called Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, "asking for additional information and a better sense of timing," according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch....

If I worked for FEMA or Homeland Security, I would have told Cantor to..........!  I guess I would have gotten fired immediately. 

It just isn't right that Cantor demands special attention for his state when he refuses a few days later to help the rest of the country find jobs and feed their families.  The entire Republican Party and their concerns for themselves and their rich contributors is wrong.  This is a country of 308,000,000 people. We all matter. Cantor and the Republicans should care about all of us, not just the rich, and not just the people of their own state.

Those people in Virginia's 7th congressional district need to elect someone with a heart to speak for them in the House of Representatives.

Kasich Has the Highest Disapproval Rating

 PublicPolicyPolling has announced what Ohioans already knew:

...Scott no longer holds the dubious distinction as the most unpopular Governor PPP has polled on in 2011- Ohio's John Kasich edges him out for that with a 53% disapproval rating....

Kasich must be sooooooooo proud.

While we fight against SB 5, a bill that ends collective bargaining and binding arbitration for public employees, Kasich continues to push the law which would cause people to lose their rights on the job.

At a rally in Youngstown, State Rep. Bob Hagan and State Sen. Joe Schiavoni provided those in attendance with encouragement to go out and work against SB 5. 
The Jambar:

....Hagan offered a memorable quip for voters to overcome the tricky language of Issue 2:

"Remember, do you want to re-elect Kasich? No. Vote ‘no' on Issue 2."

***  Vote NO on Issue 2.  ***

You need to hear this....

*  Here is something that might surprise you.
HuffingtonPost:

Toby Keith says gay marriage doesn't bother him and trying to stop it wastes time and money.

The country superstar tells "CMT Insider" airing Saturday on CMT that he doesn't see the reason behind getting into people's personal lives. He says refusing a marriage license to people because they are gay won't stop them from living together, so it accomplishes nothing.

Keith also weighed in on the military's now-repealed "don't ask, don't tell" policy that banned gays serving openly in uniform. He says that anyone with the training and passion should have the right to defend the country, adding: "Somebody's sexual preference is, like, who cares?"

 

Thank you, Toby Keith!

The Republicans have always tried to claim Toby Keith, but I think he is a lot more liberal than they thought.  I can just see some right wingers ready to start destroying their Toby Keith memorabilia.