ProgressOhio

 From the Diamondback, the Univeristy of Maryland's student newspaper:

 "The War on Women"

Drug war has disproportionate impact on females, SSDP panel says

With more than 2 million Americans in jail, a growing number of them women, four advocates yesterday pointed to the criminal justice system’s “prejudiced” and “insensitive” drug policy as the culprit in a panel at Stamp Student Union last night.

Since the 1990s, with the introduction of conspiracy law — which allow the government to prosecute individuals for their associations with drug offenders — the number of women in prison has skyrocketed. Women, who often are not directly involved in drug deals, are especially vulnerable to the laws, representatives from the Drug Policy Alliance, Americans for Safe Access and the Sentencing Project said.

“Women are held under the full weight of the crime, even if they haven’t seen, touched or distributed [drugs],” Drug Policy Alliance representative Jasmine Tyler said. “She answers the phone, uses the money to pay the bills, she may have went shopping.”

The panel said conspiracy laws, along with other drug policies, can result in girlfriends facing longer sentences than their drug king boyfriends, mothers losing custody of their children, low income families losing housing and welfare and a staggering amount of broken families.

“Women and youth are the new populations that are being targeted,” Tyler said. “The men are gone and the rate of women in jail is skyrocketing. This is the next population to exploit.”

Read the rest here.

It looks like Big Pharma is ready to take in a lot of money...

From Aude Sapere:

As the thinking world is learning the H1N1 scare was just that, a big scare. We know now that this was a contrived plot launched by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control to help mitigate the huge amount of money big pharma invested into this spurious vaccine, which on the front end funded weak academic research and padded a few of those Post hole Diddlers pockets.

Now it looks like the those same Post hole Diddlers want a little bit more money. At the moment they are working to make the flu vaccine mandatory for all Americans, even those between the ages of 16 to 49 years. Think about how much money the academic community and big pharma will make off of this scam when you consider there is 304,059,724 people living in the US.

WASHINGTON – Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts says he opposes federal funding for abortions, but thinks women should have the right to choose whether to have one.

Brown tells ABC's "This Week" that he disagrees with his party's position that the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion should be overturned.

Brown says the abortion question is one that's best handled by a woman, her family and her doctor. He also says more effort needs to go into reducing the number of abortions in the U.S.

Brown has said the GOP shouldn't take his vote for granted on every issue. He says he's fiscally conservative but more moderate on social issues.

Interrogation Team Is Still Months Away; The Wall Street Journal

The head of a new elite terrorism-interrogation program said Thursday that it will take several more months to establish teams that could question high-profile suspects. The teams are part of an overhaul of counterterrorism policy and have become an issue in a partisan battle over the Obama administration's handling of the suspect in a botched Christmas Day airline bombing attempt.

The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, or HIG, will consist of three to five teams of interrogators based in Washington and largely drawn from the ranks of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with some from the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Department.

Andrew McCabe, a veteran FBI counterterrorism investigator who is leading the new program, said in an interview that the bureau can currently cobble together an ad-hoc team of interrogators if the need arises. ...

Administration officials say the National Security Council is still reviewing operational details of how the teams will operate. Mr. McCabe and deputies from the CIA and Defense Department are seeking office space in Washington's Virginia suburbs and preparing to pick members of the interrogation teams.

Initial plans are for the teams to be used overseas only, though the administration hasn't ruled out using them in the U.S. for incidents such as the Christmas bomb plot.

"It seems absolutely foolish not to use it domestically," said Philip Heymann, a former deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration and one of the chief developers of the new teams. Mr. Heymann and other members of a small government advisory board proposed the development of the teams to replace the government's reliance on CIA interrogators for terror suspects.

The recommendation was largely adopted by the White House in August. "They were moving forward, but carefully, to set up their operation," Mr. Heymann said. He added that he wasn't troubled by the time it's taking to launch the teams because he expects them to be used for years to come and it's important they be carefully assembled.

Earlier this month, a two-month independent investigation of ACORN, by former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, found incidents of mismanagement, but no criminal wrongdoing by ACORN, the favorite whipping boy of Republican scammers such as Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Fox "News" and the GOP itself. That investigation also found that the "sting videos" used recently against ACORN were doctored and manipulated.

And today, once again, ACORN is cleared of wrongdoing vis a vis yet another independent investigation, this one by the Congressional Research Service [PDF], as noted in a press release from U.S. House Judiciary Chair John Conyers.

Conyers Releases CRS Report on ACORN

For Immediate Release
December 22, 2009 Contact: Nicole Triplett

(Washington D.C.) - House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) today released a report prepared by the Congressional Research Service on several issues concerning the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). The report was requested by Chairman Conyers and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank on September 22, and is linked here: CRS Report. Among its findings, CRS reported that:

• There were no instances of individuals who were allegedly registered to vote improperly by ACORN or its employees and who were reported "attempting to vote at the polls." Memorandum from the Congressional Research Service to the House Judiciary Committee, "ACORN Investigations" (December 22, 2009), at 1.


• As of October 2009, there have been 46 reported federal, state, and local investigations concerning ACORN, of which 11 are still pending. "ACORN Investigations," Table 1.


• No instances were identified in which ACORN "violated the terms of federal funding in the last five years." "ACORN Investigations," at 1.


• Recently enacted federal legislation to prohibit funding to ACORN raises significant constitutional concerns. The courts "may have a sufficient basis" to conclude that the legislation "violates the prohibition against bills of attainder." Congressional Research Service, "The Proposed ‘Defund ACORN Act’ and Related Legislation: Are They Bills of Attainder?" (November 30, 2009), at 25.


• Concerning recent "sting" operations relating to ACORN, although state laws vary, two relevant states, Maryland and California, "appear to ban private recording of face to face conversations absent the consent of all the participants." Memorandum from the Congressional Research Service to the House Judiciary, "Allegations of Recording Conversations with Various ACORN Affiliated Individuals without Their Consent" (October 9, 2009), at 1.

"I appreciate the careful work of CRS on these issues," Chairman Conyers said.  "I look forward to seeing the results of the work being undertaken by other agencies, including the recently announced Government Accountability Office review concerning federal funding of ACORN."

Read More at The Brad Blog

From the bill summary:

This is comprehensive legislation designed to address our nation's vulnerabilities to cyber crime, global cyber espionage, and cyber attacks. It would establish a new Cybersecurity Advisory Panel within the White House and stream-line the cybersecurity effort through all levels of government. The bill also calls on the Department of Commerce to establish and maintain a clearinghouse on information related to cybsecurity threat and vulnerability information to public and private infrastructure deemed "critical" by the President. The Secretary of Commerce would be given access to this information "without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access." The bill would also give the President new authority to "declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network."

After the tragic shooting at Fort Hood by Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who reports now indicate had some contact with a radical Islamic cleric, during the Bush Administration, former Alaska governor, now book promoter and serial liar, Sarah Palin called for increased profiling of Muslims in the military last night on Fox News.

Watch It:

“I say profiling in the context of doing whatever we can to save innocent American lives, I’m all for it then,” concluded The Alaskan Mooselini.

So I guess she by default is saying she also wants to start profiling Christian Fundamentalist would-be terrorists, too? You know, like the Teabaggers who threaten to kill the president, the abortion clinic stalkers, the militias…?

I was browsing the Half Price Books local interest section yesterday and found The Worlds of Ohio Women, copyright 1977, for $4. An essay by Mary Jo Ginty of Cleveland Women Together caught my attention:

"The development and widespread distribution of highly effective methods of contraception and the emergence of an overwhelming national concensus in favor of birth planning options among Americans in all social, economic, and ethnic groups, is a major achievement. The legalization of the right to terminate unwanted pregnancies, simpler less traumatic methods of sterilization, and a federal program to equalize access to these services, have all created the opportunity to now move forward with decisiveness to reduce to a minimum the incidents of unintended pregnancies and births."

Well, you've come a long way from asserting yourself in cigarette ads, baby. But as far as making strides in reproductive health, Ohio women are dismal failures.

Ms. Ginty's optimistic plan to "move forward with decisiveness" to reduce unintended pregnancies has been dismissed repeatedly by our legislators. The Ohio Prevention First Act, introduced three times and stalemated in the General Assembly, seeks to accomplish that very goal.

Here we are 32 years later. Our Ohio and congressional leaders continue to pander to pro-life extremists for their own political gain. I wonder how many of them have ever visited an abortion clinic or could objectively examine the facts.

In the current health care debate, it's clear that our reproductive rights are being used as an easily-sacrificed bargaining chip. Women are not just failing to make progress, our rights are being squelched.

They have no women members -- a serious empathy vacuum. They do not pay taxes like corporations do. They have no medical expertise. They have extremist views on contraceptive use.

So why are we allowing this group to hijack democratic health care reform?

Because when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops talks, Congress listens -- to the detriment of women's reproductive rights.

Apparently separation of church and state principles don't apply when you're talking about women.

Along with Planned Parenthood, I'm disappointed with the House's cave-in to pro-life extremists who seek to chip away at abortion rights established 36 years ago.

Over a century ago, proto-feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton recognized how religion keeps women down:

"When women understand that governments and religions are human inventions; that bibles, prayer-books, catechisms and encyclical letters are emanations from the brains of men, they will no longer be oppressed by the injunctions that come to them with the divine authority of 'Thus sayeth the Lord.'"

As I see it, everyone can live by his or her convictions on this contentious issue. It's easy -- If you're against abortion, don't have one.

If you own a uterus or love someone who does, here's why you should care about separation of church and state: Catholic bishops are doing all they can to force anti-choice amendments into the health care reform bill -- and they're instructing their congregations to help them.

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, writes: "A few days ago, it felt as if we were holding strong in achieving health care reform that would finally ensure comprehensive coverage for everyone. As the legislation began moving closer to a vote, I knew that our job holding on to our reproductive health victories would be hard ... and then I received a copy of a memo that the Catholic bishops sent to their congregations.

 "As I write this, the bishops have asked all the Catholics in the country to contact their legislators, asking them to alter current health care legislation to include anti-choice amendments. The bishops have inserted letters into church bulletins and asked priests to include their call to action in their sermons — and even in their prayers — during Sunday services.

 "It's clear that every group opposed to a woman's right to choose is pulling out all the stops this week to bring all the progress we've made on health care reform to a grinding halt. The results could be devastating to everyone who desperately needs health care, including the women, men, and teens that Planned Parenthood serves....

"One thing I know for sure — the bishops don't speak for all Catholics. From one Catholic Planned Parenthood supporter:

What bothers me most is this: Millions of people are uninsured and hundreds of thousands die every year as a result. And, to see my church sacrifice health care reform for the sake of this one issue is just going too far. They don't represent me, and they don't represent my beliefs. I'm speaking out, and I'm asking my Catholic friends and family to do the same.

Planned Parenthood urges us to stand up for women's health and tell our senators and representatives to reject this dangerous effort from Catholic bishops.

It's bad enough that Catholic hospitals deny clients basic contraceptives. Now these control freaks want to upend all women's health care.

This is outrageous, grossly undemocratic interference with deeply personal choices.

With two-thirds of the Supreme Court espousing Catholic bias and a burgeoning Catholic immigrant population, women's fundamental health care rights are being diminished and disregarded.

Personally, I think a group of celibate religious men is clueless as to the family planning needs of American women and has nothing worthwhile to offer in the current health care debate. Catholic views on birth control are radical and far from the American mainstream.

On a broader level, this is why separation of church and state matters -- why it is a big deal when a public school teacher insists on keeping a bible on his desk or a menorah is dispayed at Christmastime in a public square. Except in this case, it REALLY matters.

If we let religious leaders hijack health care access and deny reproductive rights to individuals, we are no better than oppressive Middle East theocratic nations.

Fight back for health care democracy!

Many people think separation of church and state issues are petty. It brings to mind uprooted nativity scenes in town squares, nutty Zoroastrians, Bible-toting public school teachers and seemingly harmless public prayer sessions.

So what's wrong with a blithely Judeo-Christian government?

Plenty.

If you happen to be a person who has never worried about getting pregnant, separation of church and state issues may never concern you. However, if you are a woman seeking emergency contraception from a holier-than-thou pharmacist you might feel differently.

In the highly charged politics of reproductive rights, religion usually trumps individual rights.

As Sandhya Bathija points out in Whose Conscious Counts?  in the Americans United for Separation of Church and State newsletter, this kind of religious favoritism can logically be applied to these situtations:

• a police officer could refuse to protect a medical clinic because it conflicts with his religious beliefs;

• a nurse at a public hospital would be free to lecture an AIDS patient and his partner that God “doesn’t like the homosexual lifestyle” and they must pray for salvation;

• a city bus driver could decline to drive a bus that displays an atheist advertisement because it offends her as an evangelical Christian;

• an on-staff counselor can refuse to counsel unmarried or gay and lesbian employees on relationship issues.

Interesting article Prayer policy divides Shelby by Mary Beth Lane in the Dispatch today. Is it just me, or is anyone else disturbed by this?

"The Columbus City Council rotates opening prayers between two Catholic priests, Monsignor John Cody and the Rev. Michael Watson. Their prayers are nondenominational, generally asking for council members to be given wisdom and guidance, spokesman John Ivanic said.

"On occasion, he added, Watson ends a prayer by asking for help for the Buckeyes, the Bengals and the Browns."

Obvious question aside -- Whose side is God on when the Bengals play the Browns? -- these super-paternalistic, anti-choice leaders are making a mockery of the prayer itself.

I don't think this undemocratic expression of religion through government entities is right. It's not petty, and we shouldn't be afraid to criticize our leadership about it.

Ohio House Bill 176, a bill the would prohibit housing and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, PASSED in the house this afternoon.
More details on the way.

UPDATE: Among those who voted no was GOP State Treaurer candidate Josh Mandel (R-Lyndhurst).

Never mind that just a few years ago as Undergraduate Student Government president, Mandel supported a student domestic partnership plan for same-sex and opposite-sex unmarried couples.

From The Lantern - April 2000:

“The Undergraduate Student Government representatives have been and will continue to advocate for domestic partner benefits in public and private settings,” said USG President Josh Mandel. “Students want it, students deserve it, and the university has a responsibility to provide it.”

Flash forward to 2009. Mandel approached my boss at the State House today to inform him that he would be voting no on House Bill 176. (Side note: my boss is gay. Mandel knows this.)

What happened between age 23 and 31, Josh?

Although most Republicans voted no, Mandel's colleague Ross McGregor (R-Springfield) today had this to say about HB 176 and youth:

"The younger people see this as the right thing to do because they understand that diversity and acceptance is what Ohio needs to promote."

McGregor spoke about the General Assembly staffers who have stopped him and praised him for doing the right thing. (HT BSB). He also said this is a jobs bill.

Unfortunately, representatives like McGregor are swimming against the tide within a party that only 3 years ago choose uber-homophobe Ken Blackwell for the top of its state ticket - and will likely nominate another fiscally reckless extremist in 2010.

I guess we all did some pretty silly things when we were 31. Fortunately for GLBTs in Ohio (and people who seem GLBT), there were 56 elders at the State House today (all 53 Democrats, and 3 Republicans) who did the right thing, showed backbone, and passed HB 176.

YES (56)          

Belcher    Blair    Bolon    Book
Boyd    Brown    Carney    Celeste
Chandler    DeBose    DeGeeter    Dodd
Dolan    Domenick    Driehaus    Dyer
Foley    Garland    Garrison    Gerberry
Goyal    Hagan    Harris    Harwood
Heard    Hite    Koziura    Lehner
Letson    Luckie    Lundy    Mallory
McGregor    Moran    Murray    Newcomb
Okey    Otterman    Phillips    Pillich
Pryor    Sayre    Schneider    Skindell
Slesnick    Stewart    Sykes    Szollosi
Ujvagi    Weddington    Williams B.    Williams S.
Winburn    Yates    Yuko    Budish

NO (39)

Adams J.      Adams R.      Amstutz      Bacon
Baker     Balderson     Batchelder     Blessing
Bubp     Burke     Coley     Combs
Daniels     Derickson     Evans     Gardner
Goodwin     Grossman     Hackett     Hall
Hottinger     Huffman     Jordan     Maag
Mandel     Martin     McClain     Mecklenborg
Morgan     Oelslager     Ruhl     Sears
Snitchler     Stautberg     Stebelton     Uecker
Wachtmann     Wagner     Zehringer