From the monthly archives: July 2011
Expect the next round of legislation in Ohio to include some additional major reforms to improve the lives of our children. The first and most influential will be to change sentencing laws for children that will replace the punishment of a child for an illegal act with community service or jail time for the parent or guardian. Parents are the guiding force in a child’s life, teaching children everything about the choices a child has regarding moral and ethical behavioral decisions. With this level of guidance and influence, we must no longer blame the children for the actions they engage [...]
Full Story... →Given that the House and Senate are safely controlled by his Republican brethren, it’s unsurprising that Governor Kasich vetoed only seven items in the budget. But it’s curious that a facility in Twinsburg that serves developmentally disabled kids and adults wound up in the Governor’s crosshairs.
Legislators set aside $62,500 in each fiscal year for the Hattie Larlham Home out of state Medicaid program funds; the Home offers work opportunities for people with disabilities, as well as a creative arts program and autism preschool. The reason Kasich gave for the veto was that the earmark treated [...]
Full Story... →The political landscape has shifted and it is time for Americans to step back and re-evaluate their political affiliation. I will readily admit that this is a purely partisan act that is in direct response to the partisan acts of Ohio’s 129th General Assembly and Governor John Kasich, since the very word partisan means beings partial to a party. The two dominant pieces of legislation to be passed by Republicans and signed by the Republican Governor were Senate Bill 5, the union killer, and House Bill 153, the state’s “budget bill.” Both bills were prime examples of partisan politics at [...]
Full Story... →From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Considering the budget contains so many unproven fiscal reform ideas, matched with deep cuts to local governments, the governor was asked whether he had any concern that this budget may not actually achieve the intended goals.
"It’s a good question," Kasich said. "We just have to execute. I mean, JobsOhio, has to execute. No missteps.”
So, the Kasich budget is as “structurally” balanced as the Kasich Administration is infallible. This from a guy with a notorious history in Congress in making incorrect economic projections, then went onto to Lehman Brothers…. and JobsOhio is [...]
Full Story... →(HT: Plunderbund Facebook reader Rhonda Stoner)
Any time Governor Kasich talks about privatizing the Turnpike, he talks about how easy it’ll be for the State of Ohio to get a couple of billion dollars for it:
"Wouldn’t it be fantastic if I could take another country in Ohio called the turnpike, if I could privatize it and generate as much as $2.5 billion, potentially?—Gov. John Kasich [Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer, (02/10/11)]
After all, Kasich and his pro-privatization allies argue, Indiana was able to get $3.8 billion for leasing its Turnpike. Even with the credit markets as they are, we [...]
Full Story... →Several of you, and us included, had been wondering why Mecklenborg’s car had temporary Kentucky tags (it was a 2004 Lexus with a broken headlight.)
Perhaps, the reason the answer alluded us is that we assumed too much.
Here’s what we know for sure:
Mecklenborg has an Ohio drivers’ license (that appeared to have been expired at the time of his arrest.) He was driving a vehicle with a temporary tag issued by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. His passenger, Tiona Roberts, produced to the officer a Kentucky drivers’ license.
So, other than the fact that he was the driver, what [...]
Full Story... →I was really starting to feel sorry for Bob Mecklenborg. But after watching this video, I’m convinced he probably deserves whatever is coming to him.
From the minute he is pulled over, Mecklenborg acts like a complete jerk toward the officer. He refuses to take a breath test while completely denying having had anything to drink and once he’s asked to get out of the car, one of the first things he says is “I’m a lawyer”.
He proceeds to clearly fail all three parts of the standard field sobriety test, each time giving the trooper a hard time [...]
Full Story... →From Marc Kovac @ Dix Newspapers/Ohio Capital Blog:
This was Governor Kasich during this morning’s press conference that was supposed to be a celebration between he and the GOP legislative leadership on that miracleous thing of getting a budget through with just hours to spare despite having to overcome the burdens that come with one-party rule in Ohio.
This is John Kasich when he’s riding high, folks. This is Kasich when he’s celebrating something. Nothing says I’m not a partisan than using the Fox News-approved term “Democrat Party.” Sentencing reform? It was in Strickland’s last budget, virtually [...]
Full Story... →Budget Watch
