Tag Archives: Ohio

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Republicans have crossed a line and there’s no turning back.


Six Wisconsin Republicans are set to face recall elections this July for their attacks on unions and middle class families.

Karl Rove, the Koch brothers and other big money corporate interests are going to pour money into the state to make sure that their friends stay in office so they can keep fighting their war on working families.

That’s why we’re building a people-powered campaign to stop them — putting staff on the ground to organize volunteers, canvass door-to-door, make phone calls, and run radio and TV ads featuring real Wisconsinites.

We’re putting together a campaign fueled by volunteers because people-power is the only thing that can beat big corporate money — it’s the only thing that ever has. But we can’t afford to wait until the summer to start building our campaign. We need to plan our campaign right now so we can hit the ground running from day one. We can’t do it without you.

http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/754?akid=811.1480546.R08hKI&t=1

The Republican war on working families is happening across the country, not just Wisconsin. Right-wing Republicans have introduced copycat legislation that would smash unions and middle class families in Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey and many, many more.

We’re organizing volunteers everywhere. Wisconsin isn’t just the biggest fight, it’s also just the beginning. We can send a clear message to Republicans not just in Wisconsin, but in every state considering this radical anti-working family legislation — attack the middle class and lose your seat.

http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/754?akid=811.1480546.R08hKI&t=1

Republicans have crossed a line and there’s no turning back. Please contribute today and let’s win this fight together.

-Jim

Jim Dean, Chair

Democracy for America

~ Culture & History, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

We Are One: Attend a Local Event


Are you worried, frustrated, and angry about the continuing attacks on workers’ rights, women’s rights, economic security and opportunity for all? Are you looking for another way to demonstrate your concern — in addition to making phone calls and sending emails? On April 4, you can join with people in your community in events to send a strong message: We Are One.

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, where he had gone to stand with sanitation workers demanding their dream: the right to bargain collectively for a voice at work and a better life for themselves and their children. Now those rights are under attack in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and dozens of other states, and women’s interests are at stake.

Can you join us on April 4 by participating in an event on your community? You can find events near you on this interactive map.  http://action.nwlc.org/site/R?i=uMLiBmcwTSFoVeogJPQeMg..

Attacks on public employees’ rights to collectively bargain directly threaten working women and the vital public services they provide. Most people who work for state and local governments are women: nurses, teachers and others serving our communities. And collective bargaining helps ensure that these women have decent wages, benefits, and working conditions. For more information on why the right to collectively bargain is a women’s rights issue, check out our fact sheet.

Please join us in solidarity on April 4: We Are One.

Sincerely,

Emily J. Martin

Vice President and General Counsel

National Women’s Law Center

~ my 2cents ...

tempest Tuesday &some News


 I will admit the last couple of days actually felt like spring but only because my nose told me. The NW high 50’s only last a couple of hours a day so ok it’s Spring but it’s still 40’s and high 30’s most of the morning and comes back right around dinner time. That is still a cold day to me but the sunshine definitely is nice.

Good news, VP Biden speaks on the Importance of investing in Education at 10amET if you have a little time tune into President Obama’s and President Funes Press Conference which will start at 4:55pmET and Wednesday, there will be an Open for Questions: Start Up America: Reducing Barriers. These events can be viewed on whitehouse.gov/live …I say stay informed, keep your heart open to other opinions from other places for information aside from cable News and mainstream News especially if  you can hear the news from President Obama and or V.P. Biden -from the source the deciders … so to speak. If you miss the events just go to whitehouse.gov and find the schedule.

In response to an article i posted “Help protect the right to choose” …written by MoveOn.org

3/22 My final response to the question …So, when do you believe life begins? 3/22

I believe it probably is when a heartbeat can be heard, which is about at 9weeks depending on the woman. I do not know what you want from me but even with the facts about when life begins does not change my mind about abortion. I believe women should not lose the right to choose be treated as intelligent enough to decide and contrary to popular thought doctors actually do counsel and discuss options but those choices options have been taken away by the Republican Tea Party under the platform of family values when in reality it is family enforcement. It makes no sense to think this is anyone’s business except for the woman and her doctor, it baffles my mind to think a member of congress, a stranger thinks my uterus should be controlled by them because of their own personal beliefs, religion, values. I do believe that the Senate will respect a woman’s right to choose though Republicans feel women should be seen and not heard i guess with the cutting slashing and burning of safe, clean and truly great facilities that help girls, young women and older women on a daily basis for all kinds of things not just abortion. The fact is that places like Planned Parenthood also talk to young men about their responsibilities too regarding contraceptive etc. trying to keep a strong hold on information, procedures and personal choice can only be detrimental to the progress in the realm of women’s health –

3/18 I received a comment. I definitely like getting comments and appreciate comments with a different opinion it makes you decide why you feel the way you do ,stand up, speak out and this current war being waged on us women will take all of us because the alternative is not an option.

3/18 Choosing to kill a baby is not a right. http://www.abortiontruth.com/pictures.html

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3/18 My response …

…I can only say that we can debate at what point a fetus becomes a baby and at what point a fetus becomes anything after conception. Then we have to ask at what point is conception and if you believe a baby or life begins at conception, then we have nothing to discuss because i do not believe that at conception whenever that is, creates a baby. I believe an egg becomes a fetus then after the first tri-mister, a baby is developed. Even with all this rhetoric i do not believe you or anyone else has the right to tell me what to do with my body-and if you do feel comfortable telling me what to do with my body; what could be bigger Government then that? The fact is and just so you know desperate women have used instruments, back alley doctors, drugs to abort and suicide when it becomes too much. It is my wish that legal, safe and credible places remain available for all women because no one should have to feel so stressed out about a personal choice and no woman chooses abortion because it is fun believe me.

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3/21 An additional comment/question …

When do you believe life begins? Let us start with your measuring stick for life.

FYI: The word fetus (plural fetuses) is from the Latin fetus, meaning offspring, bringing forth, hatching of young. It has Indo-European roots related to sucking or suckling, from the Aryan prefix bheu-, meaning “To come into being”.

I prefer to speak English and just call the developing life form in women, I don’t speak Latin in my daily use of language.

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3/21 And my response

Again, do you believe in less government? If so, my uterus should be outside your control, especially if i pay for the abortion it is my personal business –you really should mind your own business right. It is my opinion that the Hyde amendment is enough for everyone to accept and has been for years. The question for you is why you feel it is your right to dictate to a woman as it relates to woman’s health or contraceptive choices. It is this kind of attitude by folks with that family values platform that most if not all Republicans subscribe to in the House of Representatives that wanted to defund Planned Parenthood. First, it makes no sense to take social services away from those who are in need then say if you become pregnant, you might have to go full-term. In my opinion, life without places like  Planned Parenthood,would mean more young women suffering unwanted pregnancies, diseases, and or worse. I do not think you get it, you are using words Latin words instead of emotions, and that is because you have no idea what it takes to decide and or go through. While you may think abortion services are used improperly, the point is women are smart enough to decide on their own; having a choice to make a personal decision that is definitely not the same for all women is the point. I do not think most women have abortions for fun but it is far more than the clinical crap you are spewing. The fact is women girls desperate enough to use coat hangers drugs or fake doctors is a reality-having unwanted births is not the answer and a woman’s body does not belong to you or the government. I think the current laws rules and attitudes are so disgusting …just read your comment you act like the decider the guy/gal who thinks women should be pregnant & barefoot -pure BS- i don’t understand this logic. The clinical and or professorial attitude you seem to have shows just how little you know about the topic and or experience and giving up my personal control to you or my government is definitely a definition of big Government.

Other News …

**US jets crash but the 2crew members are OK

**As bombs fall the criticism of Gaddafi increases

**CBS wants Charle Sheen back

**DWTS premiered on Monday night and my pick is Kristy -been a fan of hers for awhile very impress by wax on wax off guy and whoever that chelsea person … no idea

**FOX has bit off more than they can choose with their criticism of CNN reporter Nic Robertson-given we never never see a Fox reporter on site reporting

**AL is holding a meeting on Libya …   http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-03/22/c_13792552.htm

**Bahraini foreign minister meets Egyptian leaders, Arab League chief

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1627885.php/Bahraini-foreign-minister-meets-Egyptian-leaders-Arab-League-chief

**Seawater damage worse than first believed

**Former Israeli Prez sentenced to 7yrs in prison

**Yemen leader/gen discusses transition of power

**Stocks waver as investors take a pause

CSPAN …

Coalition Airstrikes In Libya Expand To Tripoli

http://c-span.com/Events/Coalition-Airstrikes-In-Libya-Expand-To-Tripoli/10737420395/

Canada and UK Roll-out Budget Plans

Canadian parliament hears from Finance Minister

http://c-span.com/Events/Canada-and-UK-Roll-out-Budget-Plans/10737420394/

Nuclear Regulators to Enhance U.S. Safety Protocols

Japanese continue stabilizing plants

http://c-span.com/Events/Nuclear-Regulators-to-Enhance-US-Safety-Protocols/10737420398/

As President Obama’s health care overhaul law, the Affordable Care Act, approaches its one year anniversary, the Cato Institute held a conference today examining the current and future impact of the law.  http://c-span.com/Events/Scholars-Debate-quotThe-New-Health-Care-Law-What-a-Difference-a-Year-Makesquot/10737420376/

President Obama gave a speech on U.S.-Latin America relations in Chile while traveling through Latin America. He was in Chile for talks with President Sebastian Pinera and an official dinner at La Moneda Palace.

http://c-span.com/Events/Pres-Obama-Remarks-on-Latin-America/10737420392/

Egyptian voters went the polls recently and approved constitutional changes that set the country on a path for parliamentary and presidential elections later in the year. One of the leading political movements in Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies here in Washington hosted a panel discussion looking at the role of that group in the future of Egypt, and what the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt might mean for international politics. Speakers include a former Middle East specialist with the CIA, and a former Treasury Department counterterrorism analyst.

http://c-span.com/Events/Discussion-on-the-Muslim-Brotherhood/10737420405/

~ Recent Post

AFSCME

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Featured Action

A Day To Stand In Solidarity – April 4 Nationwide Actions

On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. He had gone there to stand with AFSCME sanitation workers demanding their dream: The right to bargain collectively for a voice at work and a better life. Join us to make April 4, 2011 a day to stand in solidarity with working people in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and dozens of other states where right-wing corporate politicians are trying to take away the rights Dr. King gave his life for. It’s a day to say, “We are one.” Check out our We Are One video and go to http://www.we-r-1.org for more details.

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Standing Up For Public Service

Public service workers from coast to coast are facing attacks against their jobs, their salaries, their pensions and their basic rights as workers. View our Standing Up For Public Service website to find out how AFSCME members are fighting back.

Wisconsin: photos, videos, and recent news

Ohio: photos, videos, and recent news

Indiana: photos and news

Michigan, Florida, New York and across the nation: photos, videos, events, our blog, and news clips

Greenline, the AFSCME Blog

Iowa House Leadership Afraid to Talk to Citizens

In a show of solidarity with Iowa working families, former Speaker Pat Murphy (D-Dubuque) blasted Iowa’s Republican House Leadership Friday after they shut down the Capitol switchboard.

In Ohio, State of the Worker Address

Workers across Ohio delivered the State of the Worker Address, a rebuttal to Gov. John Kasich’s first State of the State Address.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire’s 100-Year Anniversary Reminds Us Why Unions Are Necessary

AFSCME reflects on another historic moment in labor history, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City.

Thousands Turn Out For “We Are Indiana” Rally Supporting Unions

Legislation that could roll back private-sector union rights and limit collective bargaining rights for teachers sparked a massive rally at the state Capitol in Indianapolis.

Origins of the So-Called Pension Crisis

Noted economist Dean Baker has written what could be best described as the definitive explanation of the state of public-sector pension plans.

AFSCME Across the Nation

AFSCME Activists Nationwide Support Wisconsin Public Service Workers

OH: Workers Protest Plan to End Collective Bargaining

NY: In this New Video, AFSCME Members Speak Out for a “Better New York for All”

WI: AFSCME Members Lobby Lawmakers to Preserve Rights

AFSCME News

McEntee: Governor Walker Is “Tearing Wisconsin Apart”

Statement of AFSCME President McEntee in response to Gov. Walker’s anti-union rights bill that was rammed through the state senate.

AFSCME Calls on Speaker Boehner to Stop Using Violent Metaphors and Demonizing Public Employees

Citing a recent interview given by House Speaker John Boehner, AFSCME Pres. McEntee called on the Speaker to stop using violent metaphors and demonizing public employees.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Ohio’s Assault On Workers’ Rights

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In the largest political protest the state Capitol has seen in 15 years, thousands of demonstrators descended on the Ohio statehouse yesterday to protest Gov. John Kasich‘s (R) bill taking away workers’ collective bargaining rights. The demonstrators, estimated at 8,500 strong, are speaking out against a bill that would “dramatically curtail bargaining powers of government workers, as the state becomes the latest flash point in the fight over union rights.” While much of the focus in recent weeks has been on Wisconsin, Ohio Republicans are taking a page from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) playbook to use the state’s budget woes as a pretext to cripple public sector unions with their own legislation, Senate Bill 5. Ohio’s bill would actually “go further than the one in Wisconsin by also affecting police officers and firefighters,” but unlike in the standoff in Wisconsin, Democrats in Ohio “don’t have the numbers to walk out and delay a vote.” The Ohio Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee approved the changes today , which come in the form of a 99-page amendment to the bill. The committee’s chairman, state Sen. Kevin Bacon (R) worried he would not have enough votes to bring the measure to the Senate floor after Republican Sen. Bill Seitz (R), a committee member, said he would oppose it. Seitz even wrote an op-ed to the Cincinnati Enquirer warning the bill “overreach[es].” In a stunning move this morning, the Republican leadership yanked Seitz off the Labor committee, replacing him with a supporter of S.B 5 ahead of the vote.

READ THE BILL : The bill and its amendment would enact “sweeping changes” to the state’s existing collective-bargaining law, allowing only “wages, hours, and terms and conditions” to be subject to collective bargaining, while health care benefits, pensions, and other issues would not. As many labor supporters have noted, however, management could simply unilaterally dock workers’ benefits packages to compensate for any pay increases gained through collective bargaining. More disturbingly, the bill would ban strikes. The penalty for illegal striking would be termination, the docking of twice the workers’ daily pay rate, or even 30 days in jail. It would also end binding arbitration as the method for resolving police and fire contract impasses, replacing it “with a completely unworkable, unfair system.” “Such an arrangement, said Jim Gilbert, head of the union representing most police officers in Franklin County, would almost certainly lead to a preordained outcome [of] which the employer approves.” On top of all this, S.B.5 and its 99-page amendment would limit paid vacation and sick leave. Kasich has said the bill is necessary to solve the state’s fiscal issues, and has even claimed it will help bring jobs to Ohio. But as Ohio Progressive blog Plunderbund noted, “Senate Bill 5 isn’t about creating jobs in Ohio” and Kasich knows it. Showing a stunning lack of faith in his bill’s ability to deliver jobs, Kasich recently told Newsweek that unemployment may remain high through the next election. “We have a long way to run. If the jobs come in ’13, then God bless them,” Kasich said.

THE OPPOSITION : As in Wisconsin, public employee unions started opposition to the bill, but it quickly spread to other labor groups, then to concerned citizens and groups who have not directly affected by the legislation, but also don’t want to see their state become a unfair place for workers. “Firefighters, teachers, nurses, labor unions and others” arrived early yesterday morning for the biggest turnout yet in a week of protests, and are expected to be back in front of the statehouse today. Without collective bargaining, state employees would be at the mercy of all-powerful employer with little recourse. Columbus firefighter Lt. David Blair told the Columbus Dispatch that for him, the issue is more than money. “For me, it’s about safety. Our fire gear is subject to negotiation. If they take away the tools to do our job, people will perish,” he said. And it’s not just labor unions and their allies. The Catholic bishops of Ohio weighed in against the bill, saying they “encourage leaders in government, labor, and business to pursue changes that promote the common good without the elimination of collective bargaining. We urge continued good faith in ongoing negotiations.” And Seitz, a Republican, wrote in his op-ed that “[t]he bill is flawed because it says the employees’ only rights in that case are to work under a perpetual wage freeze, with management dictating the outcome. This reduces collective bargaining to a sham .” Moreover, the 99-page amendment was released only Monday, and legislators are expected to vote on it today, giving them almost no time to read or consider it. There’s not even a summary from Ohio’s Legislative Service Commission, the state’s version of the Congressional Research Service. As Seitz wrote, “Neither will I support a bill without taking time to read and understand it.”

BETTER WAYS TO FIX THE BUDGET : Opponents of the bill note that the current collective bargaining law works just fine. Indeed, the number of public employee strikes plummeted after the law was enacted in 1983, and has remained low ever since. Yet Kasich argues that unions are crippling the Ohio government. But more importantly, as in Wisconsin, kneecapping unions will do little to solve the state’s budget woes. Kasich claims his union busting would save the state $1.3 billion, but if Kasich is serious about solving the budget problem, he would abandon his political attack on the unions and focus on things that would actually make a difference. One way to do this would be to crack down on the state’s special interest tax dodging and tax breaks for the rich. The Progress Report identified a number of areas in which this would be possible. Kasich could end Ohio’s 2005 tax cuts for the wealthiest to make them pay their fare share. Restoring the income tax rate to 7.5 percent on those making over $200,000, and creating a new 8.5 percent rate on income above $500,000 would generate $950 million a year. The state could also end tax credits and benefits for wealthy Ohioans who don’t need them. These include a tax exemption for Social Security and railroad retirement, the limiting of which could help save $55 million, a homestead property tax reduction, which could help save $118 million, among others. Ending some of these unnecessary tax credits may even find big bipartisan support. For example, Ohio actually has an “income-tax deduction for gambling losses,” the elimination of which could save the state $80 million every two years. The fact that Kasich and his Republican colleagues haven’t considered these options exposes his efforts for what they are — union busting in the guise of sound fiscal policy.