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Ohio AFL-CIO Launches 2006 "Who’s on Our Side” Campaign to Hold Lawmakers Accountable to Working Families; Releases Poll Showing Voters Say Nation on Wrong Track
COLUMBUS--With Congress wrapping up the first half of its work in Washington, Ohio AFL-CIO Legislative Director Tim Burga today released mid-term “report cards” grading votes in 2005 by the Ohio Congressional delegation and announced the launch of a new campaign, dubbed “Who’s on Our Side?”, to persuade lawmakers to improve their record on issues vital to Ohio working families in 2006. Burga was joined by Tom Mooney, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Dave Caldwell, President of the Central Ohio Labor Council and Legislative Coordinator for the United Steelworkers statewide District 1.
Citing a national poll showing voter dissatisfaction with Congress’ performance in 2005, Burga said too many Ohio Members of Congress earned poor marks overall and that those failing to make the grade should “study up” over the mid-term break to get in line with issues most important to Ohioans.
COLUMBUS--With Congress wrapping up the first half of its work in Washington, Ohio AFL-CIO Legislative Director Tim Burga today released mid-term “report cards” grading votes in 2005 by the Ohio Congressional delegation and announced the launch of a new campaign, dubbed “Who’s on Our Side?”, to persuade lawmakers to improve their record on issues vital to Ohio working families in 2006. Burga was joined by Tom Mooney, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Dave Caldwell, President of the Central Ohio Labor Council and Legislative Coordinator for the United Steelworkers statewide District 1.
Citing a national poll showing voter dissatisfaction with Congress’ performance in 2005, Burga said too many Ohio Members of Congress earned poor marks overall and that those failing to make the grade should “study up” over the mid-term break to get in line with issues most important to Ohioans.
Christopher Redfern (Ohio Rep.-D), who defended both fired Bernadette Noe and indicted Tom Noe (both GOP operatives), just won the highest seat in the Ohio Democratic Party. After much procedural wrangling between candidate Dennis Lieberman supporters and Redfern supporters, the Ohio Democratic Party held the election of ODP Chair tonight, immediately prior to the annual holiday party.
Procedural controversy erupted at the ODP election because Lieberman supporters wanted a paper ballot (and, thus, a secret vote). US Rep Stephanie Tubbs Jones supported this procedure, and former US Rep Mary Rose Oakar commented, "There's a lot of intimidation in this room." Other Central Committee members stood and reported having received office calls from gubernatorial candidate,Ted Strickland, who endorsed Redfern.
The majority, including Franklin County Commissioner and Congressional candidate Mary Jo Kilroy, overturned the paper ballots idea and required voting members to physically stand for their candidate. The majority also decided to hold the election quickly, without grassroots input.
Procedural controversy erupted at the ODP election because Lieberman supporters wanted a paper ballot (and, thus, a secret vote). US Rep Stephanie Tubbs Jones supported this procedure, and former US Rep Mary Rose Oakar commented, "There's a lot of intimidation in this room." Other Central Committee members stood and reported having received office calls from gubernatorial candidate,Ted Strickland, who endorsed Redfern.
The majority, including Franklin County Commissioner and Congressional candidate Mary Jo Kilroy, overturned the paper ballots idea and required voting members to physically stand for their candidate. The majority also decided to hold the election quickly, without grassroots input.
Thomas Paine saw the United States as an "asylum for mankind." Sadly, under the political and social dominance of the Social Darwinists, America has become more of an "asylum for the insane". Torture, state-sponsored terrorism, illegal wars, flagrant disregard for international law, tax decreases for the wealthy, funding cuts for social safety net programs, government endorsed racism, and diasporas in the aftermath of natural disasters are but a few examples of the handiwork of the wealthy elite as they create a gross perversion of Paine's vision of the US. Not to worry though. America’s patrician class now has its own private armies to protect its gold from the proletariat they so graciously tolerate.
"The road has potholes but equality is on the horizon," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
WASHINGTON - Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans scored big wins in 2005, according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign. The report - "Equality from State to State: GLBT Americans and State Legislation 2005" - details record-setting and historic state legislation affecting the GLBT community over the past year.
"The road has potholes but equality is on the horizon," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "This report proves that as the national conversation over equality continues, Americans come down on the side of fairness. When the fog of divisive politics recedes, the real stories emerge of hard-working GLBT Americans seeking equality wins."
More state anti-discrimination bills passed in 2005 than in any other year. Eleven bills were passed in state legislatures that established or strengthened statewide anti-discrimination protections for the GLBT community.
WASHINGTON - Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) Americans scored big wins in 2005, according to a new report from the Human Rights Campaign. The report - "Equality from State to State: GLBT Americans and State Legislation 2005" - details record-setting and historic state legislation affecting the GLBT community over the past year.
"The road has potholes but equality is on the horizon," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "This report proves that as the national conversation over equality continues, Americans come down on the side of fairness. When the fog of divisive politics recedes, the real stories emerge of hard-working GLBT Americans seeking equality wins."
More state anti-discrimination bills passed in 2005 than in any other year. Eleven bills were passed in state legislatures that established or strengthened statewide anti-discrimination protections for the GLBT community.
As this kidnapping draws out I am reminded of the Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers song that says "the waiting is the hardest part." We fill our days with work - important work - but work that helps us avoid the waiting. If we stop and wait we grow restless, even edgy.
What we are currently experiencing here in Iraq is nothing new. Iraqis civilians are kidnapped often. Almost every Iraqi knows someone who has been kidnapped. The day before the abduction of our colleagues, Jim, Harmeet, Norman and I visited a Chaldean church where we met a 17 year old who was kidnapped a year ago. His kidnappers held him for several weeks. They didn't know him; they only wanted money from his family. He told us they treated him well.
What we are currently experiencing here in Iraq is nothing new. Iraqis civilians are kidnapped often. Almost every Iraqi knows someone who has been kidnapped. The day before the abduction of our colleagues, Jim, Harmeet, Norman and I visited a Chaldean church where we met a 17 year old who was kidnapped a year ago. His kidnappers held him for several weeks. They didn't know him; they only wanted money from his family. He told us they treated him well.
White flags on top of houses and cars, plenty of American and Iraqi military vehicles, too many check points and blocks on the road, many frightening walking patrols, curfew after sunset, heaps and heaps of destroyed houses,
shops, offices, the only bridge,
hospitals and medical care centers, walls covered with bullets shots, and election posters…empty faces with bleak looks wandering in the streets. This is the picture of Al-Qa’im after the “Steel Curtain” military operation which began on November 5, 2005 with 3,000 American and Iraqi troops participating in it.
If ever there was a time to speak up... THIS IS IT. It takes FIVE minutes or less.
Please take action NOW!
Nadler Demands Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Illegal Eavesdropping Operation
“Neither the President himself, nor anyone else in the White House can authorize an order to spy on Americans without a warrant.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) today demanded that Attorney General Gonzales appoint a special counsel to investigate the President’s apparent violation of law in asking the National Security Agency to eavesdrop, without warrants, on Americans’ international phone calls.
Full text of article
ASK YOUR CONGRESSPERSON TO SUPPORT NADLER'S CALL! WE NEED REAL HEARINGS ON SPYING IN THE U.S. WITHOUT WARRANT
ACTION PAGE
Here's an excellent article by Will Pitt on this issue
Please take action NOW!
Nadler Demands Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Illegal Eavesdropping Operation
“Neither the President himself, nor anyone else in the White House can authorize an order to spy on Americans without a warrant.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) today demanded that Attorney General Gonzales appoint a special counsel to investigate the President’s apparent violation of law in asking the National Security Agency to eavesdrop, without warrants, on Americans’ international phone calls.
Full text of article
ASK YOUR CONGRESSPERSON TO SUPPORT NADLER'S CALL! WE NEED REAL HEARINGS ON SPYING IN THE U.S. WITHOUT WARRANT
ACTION PAGE
Here's an excellent article by Will Pitt on this issue
The Ohio Honest Elections Campaign called for a series of regional town hall meetings featuring candidates for state Democratic Chair to engage ordinary Democrats and others interested in restoring democracy to the state of Ohio. Mayor of Dayton and Democratic Vice-Chair Rhine McLin, succeeding to Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party upon Denny White’s resignation, set up a process for candidacy notice, resumes, questionnaires and oral interplay on December 19, 2005, the date she scheduled the State Central Committee meeting for the election of a new chairperson. She expressed openness to a candidate forums within that time frame.
Others have proposed that the Party owes it to Ted Strickland, currently the only declared Democratic candidate for Governor, to select the candidate he has endorsed for State Chair-- State Representative and House Minority leader Chris Redfern.
Others have proposed that the Party owes it to Ted Strickland, currently the only declared Democratic candidate for Governor, to select the candidate he has endorsed for State Chair-- State Representative and House Minority leader Chris Redfern.
There is a solution that most of us are not seriously considering but should be. We are all increasingly aware of the problem: a world that lacks peace, democracy, an equitable distribution of resources, and practices that can be sustained without risking the viability of human life.
We can shift blame to the powerful, but were we all willing to do a bit more, we would ourselves become the powerful. There are no excuses. We must look at ourselves and our neighbors and ask what it is about us that allows us to tolerate such injustice, cruelty, and destruction of resources needed by future generations.
There are habits of thought that prevent us from putting up a sufficient fight for life and decency, habits that can be dropped much more easily than we can create a democratic media or put some spine in the Democratic party or end the war on Iraq. In fact, if we drop these habits of thought, each of those tasks and many others will become much easier.
We can shift blame to the powerful, but were we all willing to do a bit more, we would ourselves become the powerful. There are no excuses. We must look at ourselves and our neighbors and ask what it is about us that allows us to tolerate such injustice, cruelty, and destruction of resources needed by future generations.
There are habits of thought that prevent us from putting up a sufficient fight for life and decency, habits that can be dropped much more easily than we can create a democratic media or put some spine in the Democratic party or end the war on Iraq. In fact, if we drop these habits of thought, each of those tasks and many others will become much easier.
The Ohio EPA and U.S. Army at Ravenna Army Ammunition Plant are seeking public comment on whether or not to clean up contaminated soils at an area known as the Winklepeck Burning Grounds. Obviously the proposed cleanup of the 200-acre site is necessary; the Army’s own studies verify that contaminant levels constitute a significant risk to human health. The real question is – is this enough?
You should know that proposed cleanup goals (the highest allowable contaminant concentration that can be left after soils are excavated) at Ravenna will not afford adequate protection of human health and the environment when compared to facilities elsewhere. This is due in part to the fact that Ravenna limits its evaluation of risk to soldiers to direct dermal contact with soils and fails to address other equally plausible routes of exposure such as inhalation of fugitive dust and emissions, incidental ingestion, and exposure through the human food chain (consumption of food crops, wild game, dairy products, fish, etc.).