Help set the record straight on voting problems in Ohio
by Gena Miller Shelton

Our friends from True the Vote published a recent report entitled “The Myth of Voter Suppression” where they stated that not a single case of voter suppression occurred in Ohio in 2012.  The basis of their claim is that not a single person in the state of Ohio filed a complaint with officials that their vote was suppressed. Apparently the folk who had their cars were towed while waiting in lines to early vote, or the students who waited over 2+ hours at the Ohio [...]

The following post was written by long-time Plunderbund reader Jor Dough.  Enjoy…

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In the next few days millions of Americans will once again join the ranks of taxpayers who file and often pay federal income taxes.  Some of us have our taxes withheld by our employers and in doing so we often overpay and the government ends up refunding our over payments when we file our annual returns.

The Republicans in Ohio have a much different attitude and practice when it comes to taxation and taxpayers.  In a recent story, the Columbus Dispatch pointed out the overwhelming support that Ohio’s GOP politicians [...]

Why would a retiree organization care about the state budget?
by Bentley Davis

The Alliance for Retired Americans in Ohio is a membership organization made up of about a quarter of a million retirees in Ohio.  And we are very concerned about Kasich’s proposed budget.  Why?

Well, most retirees are on fixed incomes.  They get their Social Security checks, and if they are lucky, pension checks.  For the most part, retirees spend whatever comes in each month.  They aren’t socking money away for future savings – they’re retired.  And they are the ones who will be the most hurt [...]

Governor’s faculty workload policy fails to address real higher ed problems
by Sara Kilpatrick

John Kasich doesn’t think professors work hard enough.  Don’t take my word for it; just look at the two budgets he has introduced since taking office.  In 2011, Kasich’s initial budget called for full-time faculty to teach one additional class every other year…with no end date.  The language was so ill-conceived and poorly crafted that it garnered support from no one, and was quickly removed in the Ohio House.  But if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.  In his latest budget, Kasich included [...]

Guest Post by Luke Brockmeier

Kasich’s tax reform seems like a terrible idea for Cincinnati (and for Toledo, Youngstown, Marietta, and any other multi-state metro area). I mean, I don’t get it–how is a 5% small business tax hike offset by a tax cut of 3% (at best)?

I’m going to avoid macroeconomics here.*

He wants a 5% tax on services (including business-to-business services such as graphic design, web design, and advertising) when the transaction takes place in Ohio.   So why won’t all of the graphic designers, web designers, and advertising firms move to Kentucky?

I… don’t know.   [...]

Last week, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that he would end the combat exclusion policy, thus lifting the ban on women in combat.

I, for one, applaud the news.

I’m sure the nay-sayers are out there handing out the usual excuses:  women aren’t qualified, aren’t strong enough, couldn’t handle it, will ruin unit cohesion.  Blah, blah, blah.  They said the same thing about women being in the military at all.  They said it about blacks serving in our armed forces.  Yet here we are, 65 years after President Truman integrated the military and permitted women in the regular [...]