Ohio in True Peril

Only 4 years have passed since the days of total RepubLIEcan rule in the State of Ohio. Yet Ohioans clearly forgot about the mess that created for our state. Indictments, convictions, election fraud, massive tuition increases at our state colleges and universities, million dollar rest areas, state funds stolen by a Republican operative while laundering money illegally to Republican campaigns. We even had a Governor that was convicted of illegally taking gifts and remained in office. Yes in 4 short years Ohioans clearly have forgotten the frustration, anger, embarrassment and damage RepubLIEcan rule did to our state because much to the disbelief of people that actually pay attention, the voters just put the Foxes in charge of the hen house once again.
Every state wide elected official is now a RepubLIEcan, The state house is totally under RepubLIEcan control, and even the state Supreme Court is entirely Republican. What were Ohioans thinking? Was it competence of the individual candidates? Clearly not.

We have replaced an experienced Governor who managed to balance the state’s budget in a horrible economic climate and unlike most states without raising taxes, cutting education, teachers, firefighters, police and other services citizens depend on our state for. He even froze tuition at the state colleges and universities. His replacement? A man who got rich working for THE Company whose greed, and lack of business ethics, led to a bankruptcy that was the very spark that triggered the recession. Caught in that mess was Ohio retirees who saw their pensions stolen by this company. This man who has already made it clear he plans to cut education, who doesn’t feel every school even needs a principal, is cutting jobs in manufacturing and construction by cancelling much needed state infrastructure improvements. This man will cost the jobs of many middle class workers in state offices, police, fire, education, yet he plans to develop a board of his rich donors and pay them unlimited unreported bonuses.
We went from a competent, effective State Treasurer who put in many developments to improve efficiency and cut costs, to a man who has no financial experience, who has been nothing but a professional politician his entire career, who the Federal election commission and every major newspaper in the state has called a liar.

Then there is the Secretary of State, where we had a very competent, experienced elections attorney in that office, which cleaned up the fraud and even the appearance of it in our elections. She is being replaced by a man who lied about his residence to stay in office as a State Senator, who is going to be running our elections even though he has publically stated that he “can’t break the law, he makes the law, he can change the law” Are you kidding me?

How bad can it get, how bad will it get? The problem is not only is there almost nothing that can be done about it, we won’t even know about it. Since every state official is beholden to the party apparatus, who is going to investigate things. Even the Supreme Court is part of the gang. Perhaps the media will call them out? Who? The clearly RepubLIEcan supporting Dispatch Media group and the Wolfe family? Not a chance. WSYX and Fox 28 owned by RepubLIEcan ultra Conservative Sinclair Media group?
If we are lucky the Plain Dealer will get the word out, but don’t count on it.

Yes Ohio your memory is short, you did not take the responsibility of voting seriously by getting the facts about who these men are. So when your kid can’t afford college, when your property taxes go up to just maintain the basics at your local school. When you have to pay outrageous fees for state services, when state parks decline, roads deteriorate. While your medical costs go up to pay for all those that are losing their Medicaid to get basic health services at the Emergency rooms, while your local taxes go up to replace all the cuts in state funding just to maintain fire and police departments. Meanwhile under the guise of “privatization” you see the rich donors get massive state contracts and get richer and richer. Remember how you voted November 2nd and thus who to blame.

Brunner gets an A+

In 2004 the election process in Ohio was a sick joke after years of partisan manipulation to disenfranchise and manipulate the vote by Ken Blackwell. Jennifer Brunner has has worked hard and fought for the voters of Ohio and the results on election day show clearly she has succeeded.

Leading up to the election, she fought to make sure county boards of elections did their job to set up procedures and have the equipment necessary to make elections run as they should. For weeks she fought partisan attacks and court challenges that had one purpose to deny voters their right to vote.

Then came election day. Despite record turnout reports from all over the state reported few long lines, with the longest wait times in the neighborhood of one hour. Early voting helped with this as well as having sufficient machines and organization to handle each and every voting location smoothly.

The bottom line is clear. Our elections ran smoothly, efficiently and without any controversy. Voters can have confidence that their vote will count in Ohio once again.

Good job Jennifer Brunner.

Enough is Enough!

I will not stay quiet while I watch the very basis of our democracy attacked by people wrapping themselves in flags and calling themselves patriots.

I will not stay silent as the Ohio Secretary of State, who is a very capable experienced and knowledgeable public servant, receives death threats, unmarked boxes with powder shipped to them, and cyberhacking of their web site, trying to interfere with our electoral process.

What has made our country unique was that we change leaders peaceably. A rare occurrence in the majority of the nations of the world. This is what has made our country great, it is what has made us the envy of many in the world. And to see this violence, threats and anger being stoked is putting our nation at risk.

Shame on you Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and all those of you that are spewing hate on the air waves. Shame on you people at rallies that scream words like "terrorist, kill him, socialist."

Shame on you John McCain and Sarah Palin who not only allow this to go on but to stoke this anger yourselves. Using the words "socialist" and "paling around with terrorists" are despicable. I used to believe you were a man of honor John McCain, it is quite clear you no longer are.

Shame on those who are attacking those groups that are bringing more Americans into the electoral process with false claims of fraud with not so hidden racism under the surface.

You are not patriots, you do not put "country first," you are instead traitors. Traitor: a person who commits treason by betraying his or her country. Yes John McCain and Sarah Palin and the right wing nut jobs on the radio on Fox News you are indeed traitors. You are responsible for turning our nations peaceful election process into a violent one. Every death threat, every response by bomb squads, every violent act on your behalf you are responsible for.