Schwarzenegger Pisses Off 200,000 California State Employees
Could this happen in Ohio?
As posted here last week, the Governator is not jacking around with a recalcitrant California State Legislature as they dither over submitting a balanced budget. They’re a month late and the bills aren’t getting paid in California. So Conan has signed an executive order to reduce state employees’ pay to minimum wage. Public safety and some health employees are exempt. No word on Schwarzenegger’s own salary.
The minimum wage is $6.55 per hour. Here in Ohio, state interns make $11 per hour.
That’s how bad it is in California tonight. What’s on the Ohio budget horizon?
Many if not most state governments, including Ohio, have adopted balanced budget language into state law. That’s why our Governor Ted Strickland had to make some tough choices earlier this year. Revenues are not meeting expectations and Ohio was forced to trim over $700 million from its budget. This cutting is not easy – would you like to make the choice between this mental health facility or that veteran’s home? Would you like to have to decide which correctional facility can handle a reduction in staff – when none of them would be considered by any definition as overstaffed? These are the sorts of decisions Governors have to make.
Now, I can’t imagine that when the Governor and the next legislature get down to business on the next biennial budget in 2009 that things are going to be much better revenue-wise than they do now. Since Strickland is governor and not king, we unfortunately have to rely on lawmakers as much as Strickland.
If you look back at the last dozen or so years of Republican-led legislatures, what have they done? Until Ted Strickland showed up, nothing. They saw the writing on the wall with the 2006 election for statewide offices and started soiling themselves. They’ve worked with Strickland, but they certainly haven’t made it easy.
This November’s election is important. We need to wrest control from the do-nothing Republicans and give Strickland a Democratic legislature to work with.
Cuyahoga Corruption - Update
Cleveland Media
- Kevin Kelley long employed by county – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Ferris Kleem’s house valued at 1995 price despite improvements – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Ameritrust project part of probe – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Governor weighs in – NewsNet 5
- Russo returns to work – WKYC
- DAS construction says it’s not target of probe – Crain’s Cleveland Business
- Op-Ed, Elizabeth Sullivan: A Justice Dept. twisted by partisanship – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Feds examining VA hospital project – Cleveland Plain Dealer
Message for McLovin
I understand and for obvious reasons, have yanked your comment. Thanks for the yank of my chain.
McCain’s Desperate Measures: Paris Hilton and Britney Spears
Includes “Americans Want a Respectful Campaign” Video
Americans want a respectful campaign … People say, negative ads move numbers. They may, but do we have to go to the lowest common denominator? I don’t think so.
This was Senator John McCain on April 14 being interviewed by one of the empty suits on Fox ‘News.’ What kind of campaign has John McCain run in just the first three days of this week?
Negative.
On Monday, he questioned his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama’s patriotism, a scurrilous, cheap attack. Today, the high minded McCain campaign put up a new ad featuring stars to the trailer trash set Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. It begins with footage of Obama’s speech in Berlin – and a foreign or domestic crowd McCain couldn’t attract in a million years. The announcer intones, “He’s the biggest celebrity in the world …” while Paris and Britney strike a pose. From this auspicious start it goes on to misrepresent Obama policies. It’s all negative, including trying to demean a Harvard-educated, public service rendering U.S. Senator. Pathetic.
What does McCain’s words and actions say about him this week? He’s a liar. Reference April 14. It also makes all the more apparent will do anything or say anything to win. The John McCain I admired five, six, ten years ago was the John McCain of Faith of My Fathers. He was the war hero, the straight talker, the man on the high road vs. Shrub Bush. Today, he looks tired, desperate and lacking authenticity.
Losing the election in November won’t be the hardest thing on McCain this year. The hardest thing will be the lasting impression this campaign will leave on America’s memories of McCain.
Americans Want a Respectful Campaign - John McCain
Wednesday Clips – Jobs and China, Dimora, Russo, Sick Days, Bridges, Obama, Cali Quake, Etc.
Filed under: Barack Obama, Cuyahoga Corruption, Marc Dann, Ohio Economy, Presidential Campaign 2008, State of Ohio Govt
Ohio News
- China siphons Ohio’s jobs – Columbus Dispatch
- Ohio bridges rated safe but costly work ahead – Columbus Dispatch
- Election Board has plan for long lines – Columbus Dispatch
- Ohio Roundtable to fight sick days – Columbus Dispatch
- Capital Notes – Columbus Dispatch
- Ohio EPA chief asks Congress to restore regional rules – Columbus Dispatch
- Editorial: Make it right – Columbus Dispatch
- Cuyahoga Corruption: Probe bad for Democrats? – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Raids sought records that could show favors, influence – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Raid kept secret, even from agents – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- How Democrats would replace them – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Bush visits factory, attends fundraiser – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Some BP gas customers charged twice – Associated Press (Dayton Daily News)
- Suspected bombs found at two Ohio Post Offices – Associated Press (Toledo Blade)
Nation/World
- CIA outlines Pakistan links with militants – New York Times
- Energy prices bright sliver in grim economy – New York Times
- Teaching law, testing ideas, Obama stood out – New York Times
- With security at risk a race to patch the Web – New York Times
- ‘Really scary’ quake in Chino Hills – Los Angeles Times
- Quake registers 5.4 – Los Angeles Times
Marc Dann Still Riding Sunshine Express
“It’s a monster” Current AG Office Says of Request
Breaking news tonight out of Dann Land. Former Ohio AG Marc Dann has filed a public records request with his old office – for everything. Reported in the Youngstown Vindicator and and WFMJ TV Tuesday night, Dann wants it all. Dann’s former spokesman, Jim Gravelle (no, silly, not Leo Jennings) said of the request: “It’s a monster.”
This is just one more chapter in the bitter break-up of the frat house that Marc built. Mistakenly slipped into the request was a note meant for Jessica Utovich. It read: “I want my records back.”
This is irony upon irony. Marc Dann, crusading Senator, became known as the public records poster boy with his unceasing requests of the Taft administration. Fast forward to Dann in office and I don’t think you’ll find a single member of the Ohio media who ever felt their public records requests were treated with as much attention or alacrity as Dann expected of others. One of the classic stalling tactics used by Dann was the old – can you be more specific – that ’s a rather broad request. Now, we find Marc making the broadest request in Ohio’s recorded history.
I have a feeling that when the current interim AG, or more likely her successor delivers Marc’s junk, they’ll use this vehicle:
For real reportage:
Cuyahoga Corruption Case: Day 2
Not a peep from Russo, Dimora
- Dimora items seized include schedule books, campaign memos – Associated Press
- Cuyahoga County official under federal investigation owns island homes – WKYC
- Jones expects Dimora to resume county work – Crain’s Cleveland Business
- Could federal corruption probe affect Med Mart? – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Keep an eye on corruption scandal in Ohio – National Review Online
Sen. Ted Stevens Coverage: All the wonderful news
Finally … the nightmare may be over …
- Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens indicted on corruption charges – Associated Press (LA Times)
- Stevens’ career hurt by ‘bridge to nowhere’ – CNN
- DOJ Remarks on Stevens indictment TRANSCRIPT – CQ Transcripts Wire (Washington Post)
- Ted Stevens indicted on corruption charges – Anchorage Daily News
Republican or Democrat, this guy has been one of the biggest hypocrites in Congress.
Tuesday a.m. – Cuyahoga Corruption, UHC fined, GM, DoJ Hiring, Obama, Tim Kaine, Torture
Filed under: Barack Obama, Cuyahoga Corruption, Marc Dann, Ohio Economy, Presidential Campaign 2008
Ohio News
- Editorial: Cuyahoga reform FBI-style – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- City OKs streetcar study – Columbus Dispatch
- State fines United Health Care – Columbus Dispatch
- Editorial: Right to repeal – Columbus Dispatch
- Editorial: Which Way? – Columbus Dispatch
- Dann aide remains under scrutiny – Toledo Blade
- Editorial: Obama’s Journey – Toledo Blade
- GM to cut second shift – Dayton Daily News
National News
- Report faults aides in hiring at Justice – New York Times
- Obama, Clinton ticket seen as unlikely – New York Times
- 10 things to scratch from your worry list – New York Times
- Justice Dept. report cites illegal hiring practices – Washington Post
- Obama, Kaine in serious talks – Washington Post
- Op-Ed, Eugene Robinson: A torture paper trail – Washington Post
Dimora and Russo at Center of Federal Probe
Jimmy Dimora (left) and Frank Russo (right)
Coverage from the Plain Dealer
- Corruption Probe Profiles: The people and places – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Federal raids target Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Raids shut down county offices, rattle workers – Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Tangled web of friendship, favors – Cleveland Plain Dealer
Obamacon on Bush Economy
Filed under: Barack Obama, Presidential Campaign 2008, U.S. Economy
Contract with America’ Architect to Vote for Obama
Per my last post, George W. Bush, John McSame, and the Republican Party have buried this country in debt. I found this little tidbit on Andrew Sullivan’s blog on the Atlantic Online. Here’s an excerpt from a letter written by Larry Hunter, one of Newt Gingrich’s Contract With (on) America’s authors:
I’m a lifelong Republican - a supply-side conservative. I worked in the Reagan White House. I was the chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for five years. In 1994, I helped write the Republican Contract with America. I served on Bob Dole’s presidential campaign team and was chief economist for Jack Kemp’s Empower America. This November, I’m voting for Barack Obama.
You can find the rest of Hunter’s letter here.
Bush Administration Big Spending Yields Record Deficit for 2009
Budget High Ground Shifts to Democratic Party
- Bush Administration projects record 2009 deficit – Associated Press
- Record deficit of $482 billion projected – New York Times
- Bush Aides Project Record $482 Billion 2009 Deficit – Bloomberg
The stories today about President George W. Bush’s projected $482 billion deficit for next year reminded me of past President Bill Clinton’s answer to critics of his time in office: “What didn’t you like about the Clinton years – the peace or the prosperity?”
What a way to go out, W. What you’ve done – and there’ll be no Karl Rove to pull the wool over history’s eyes – is wreck the Republican Party’s moral authority on fiscal conservatism. Your war, your gimmick of free money tax rebates, and your reverse Robin Hood tax policies have officially left you (and us) a legacy of debt. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Clinton came into the White House in 1993 with a federal deficit of around $290 billion. In 1999, his administration was sitting atop a $194 billion budget surplus. According to the economic forecasts of the time, staying on the Clinton economic program would have had the nation’s publicly held debt erased by 2015. Granted, that’s a lot of ifs, but the fact is, under Democratic leadership, our country was on the right track.
The “New Democrats” and Bill Clinton shifted our party in the right direction. Putting people first and responsible spending began shifting the moral high ground on the federal budget to the Democrats. George Bush’s seismic mismanagement has settled this issue.
Blogger Interrupted: Analysis on Cuyahoga Corruption and Big Picture for November
Cleveland area politics watcher says don’t worry, Obama supporters. Read it here.
U-Hauls needed to take stuff away from Russo, Dimora houses
Plain Dealer begins Cuyahoga Corruption Coverage
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Up to 200 FBI and IRS agents are executing search warrants at the Cuyahoga County administration building, data center and engineer’s office. They swept into the offices about 9 a.m., telling employees to shut down their computers.
The searches — which extended to the homes of County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and Auditor Frank Russo — are part of a long-term public corruption investigation, according to an FBI spokesman. Agents also were seen at the office of DAS Construction in Cleveland.
Agents from Pittsburgh have been brought in to help with the searches, which were conducted under the authority of a sealed affidavit filed in U.S. District Court.
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