Posts in the category Separation of Powers / Federalism

A portion of a Directive dated September 5, 2008 issued by Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner

Jane Schiff — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:39:09 EDT

The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, election companies & martial law -

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2008/Dir2008-80.pdf

This was dated September 5, 2008.

On page 3 of 17, please note:

(Note: Beginning with the November 2008 general election, pursuant to Am. Sub. H. B. 562 military ID's will no longer have to contain the name or address of the voter offering the military ID as identification; poll workers must, however, be able to ascertain that the person offering the military ID as identification is the person he or she purports to be and has the qualifications to vote in the election in question.)

On page 4 of 17, please note: "Military ID"
"The General Assembly has not defined "Military Identification." Generally speaking, an acceptable Military ID is an identification card issued by the United States Department of Defense to:....."

"Some civilian government employees and contractors"

Ohio Revised Code 3505.181 Eligibility to cast provisional ballot - procedure

Jane Schiff — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:47:05 EDT

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: The following PORTION of this code needs to be posted IN BOLD PRINT CAPITAL LETTERS ON THE HOME PAGE OF ALL OF OHIO'S 88 Boards of Election. Actually, I should correct myself; a number of counties don't have websites. So - this portion of the code needs to be made available in paper form brochures for public consumption in advance of the election.
I suddenly realized that the term "voter education/voter outreach" usually comes down to "safe" activities for Boards of Election. Safe activities seem to emcompass voter registration and demos about how to use their machines.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3505.181

"...(5)(a) At the time that an individual casts a provisional ballot, the appropriate local election official shall give the individual written information that states that any individual who casts a provisional ballot will be able to ascertain under the system established under division (B)(5)(b) of this section whether the vote was counted, and, if the vote was not counted, the reason that the vote was not counted.

(b) The appropriate state or local election official shall establish a free access system, in the form of a toll-free telephone number, that any individual who casts a provisional ballot may access to discover whether the vote of that individual was counted, and, if the vote was not counted, the reason that the vote was not counted. The free access system established under this division also shall provide to an individual whose provisional ballot was not counted information explaining how that individual may contact the board of elections to register to vote or to resolve problems with the individual's voter registration."...

The Green Party And Democracy

User from Struthers, OH — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:54:07 EDT

The Green Party And Democracy

August 29,2008

Our nation was born as the first great experiment in modern democracy. We seek to rescue that heritage from the erosion of citizen participation. Moreover, we seek to dissolve the grip of the ideology, intoned by big-money interests for more than twenty years, that government is intrinsically undesirable and destructive of liberty and that elected officials should rightly "starve the beast" by slashing all spending on social program, in the name of freedom. We challenge that tactic by calling on all Americans to think deeply about the meaning of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. In a democracy, individuals come together to form structures of governance that protect and advance the common good. We the citizens are the government, and we the citizens can direct it to fulfill its finest goals and purposes. Our citizens must not permit usurpation of their authority by acts of individuals and government agencies that isolate or insulate government from their oversight and control. We, the People, have a responsibility to participate in self-government through all the means that our Constitution provides.
Citizens of a democracy must have the information and ability to determine the actions of their government. Vast concentrations of wealth and power that have occurred in recent years are inherently undemocratic. The deregulation of corporate activity and the decentralization and underfunding of the regulatory structures that remain - accompanied by the centralizing of big money - has been a disaster for our country. The true owners of the public lands, pension funds, and the public airwaves are the American people, who today have little or no control over their pooled assets or their commonwealth.
The power of civic action is an antidote to the corporate control of so much of our law-making and regulating. The pervasive abuse imposed by corporate power increasingly undermines our democracy, but the Green Party seeks to rekindle the democratic flame. As voting citizens, taxpayers, workers, consumers, and stakeholders, we unite to exercise our rights and, as Thomas Jefferson urged, to counteract the "excesses of the monied interests." Toward this end, we consider serious reform of campaign funding to be essential, as well as curbs on the influence of corporations on lawmakers and regulatory agencies.
The Green Party considers American democracy to be an ongoing, unfolding project that is dynamic and creative in nature. We are committed to the strengthening of our civil society, including the many mediating institutions at the community level that have always characterized our democracy. We seek to heal the alienation and apathy that has been cultivated in the citizenry by the power-brokers of the status quo. Righteous anger about the crippling of our democracy is rising in the land, and the Greens offer constructive alternatives. In addition, we seek to repair the plummeting opinion of the United States in the international community resulting from our arrogant, narcissistic foreign policy of recent years. A growing and grave imbalance between the citizens of this country and the interests which extract power from the citizens is an imminent danger to our security and national and global social stability. We strongly feel that our country should view itself as a member of the community of nations... not above it. The United States could well play a leadership role in that community but only if we become committed to an eco-social vision of peace, national self-determination, and international cooperation.
Our goal is to become an important political force in this country, and to present candidates for election at every level of government.

WRITE-IN
DENNIS SPISAK FOR CONGRESS
Green Party Candidate for Ohio's 6th District
The ONLY PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATE
Running against a Conservative Democrat and Republican!

Renewable Energy Green/Blue Collars Jobs
Single-Payer Affordable Healthcare
Economic Fairness/Quality Education
Clear and Fair Elections with Paper Ballots

Campaign site: Http://votespisak.org/electspisak.tripod.com

UNITING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ISN'T WORTH THIS!

Jane Schiff — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:31:46 EDT

I could be happy with Abramoff's liberation in trade for the Impeachment of G.W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, Mukasey, Gonzales (even though he's gone), Chertoff, Ashcroft (even though he's gone)...

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_10318072

Thursday, August 28, 2008
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0 CommentsProsecutors seek to slash Abramoff prison term
By MATT APUZZO Associated Press Writer
Article Last Updated: 08/27/2008 06:13:25 PM MDT

WASHINGTON--The Justice Department on Wednesday recommended a dramatic reduction in the prison sentence of imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who became the key witness against lawmakers and congressional aides he spent years corrupting.
Prosecutors asked federal judges in Washington and Florida to shave years of prison time off his sentence, citing his work in an FBI investigation that sent numerous powerful people to prison and contributed to the Republican Party's loss of Congress.

"It is appropriate given Abramoff's extraordinary cooperation to date, cooperation which can be wholly or partially credited for the convictions of a member of Congress, five high-level legislative branch officials, one high-level executive branch official and two other mid- to low-level public officials," Justice Department prosecutors said in documents filed in Washington's federal court.

In 2006, Abramoff began serving nearly six years in prison for a fraudulent Florida casino deal. On top of that, he faces about 11 years in prison when he is sentenced next week for corrupting Capitol Hill lawmakers with expensive meals, golf junkets, luxury sports tickets and other gifts.

The Justice Department is asking for a much more lenient sentence. Prosecutors asked that the Florida sentence be reduced to less than four years. They asked a federal judge in Washington to sentence Abramoff to five years and four months, with credit for the two years he has served in the Florida case.

That means Abramoff could be eligible for release sometime in 2011.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell asked for even less time, saying Abramoff has reviewed more than 500,000 documents and spent more than 3,000 hours working with the Justice Department over the past three years.

Abramoff's cooperation helped send former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles to prison. In court documents, Lowell hinted that others may soon follow, saying Abramoff "assisted with the government's investigation of scores of other persons who have not yet been charged."

Abramoff's sentencing Sept. 4 will be his first court appearance in years. Because nearly everyone in the corruption case has so far pleaded guilty rather than going to trial, Abramoff has not had to take the witness stand and tell his story.

He will get the chance to speak next week before U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle. She has shown leniency in the case when defendants show genuine remorse, but she has shown little patience for those who arrive in court with excuses. She chastised Griles for ducking responsibility and issued a 10-month prison sentence that was twice what had been proposed.

David Safavian, the former chief of staff for the General Services Administration, is the only person to go to trial in the case. He was convicted of lying about his relationship with Abramoff, but an appeals court threw out some of the charges and ordered a new trial on others.

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., are among lawmakers who have been investigated but not charged in the case.

Ohio, Edison - Mitofsky and their client media

Jane Schiff — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:13:50 EDT

Independent reporters may have a tough go of it covering precincts for the 2008 Presidential and General Election in Ohio. Consider the following:

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2008/Dir2008-29.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/advisories/2008/Adv2008-03.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/AgencyNewsletter/July2008/2008SummerConference.aspx

There was an announcement made at the 2008 Ohio Secretary of State's Summer Conference held June 23 - 25, 2008 to the effect that Ohio already has exit polling arrangements for the November 2008 Presidential and General Election with the exit polling company, Edison - Mitofsky. Edison - Mitofsky's website is intriguing because it lists the names of the "credentialed" media who they provide services to:

http://www.exit-poll.net/

Spend & Spin!

Free Fallin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:33:18 EDT

Payday Lenders Continue to Spend & Spin

The payday lobby seems to think that their opponents are being bankrolled by "special interests," apparently disregarding the fact that they are one big "special interest." In Arizona, the payday lenders have exceeded the $9 million mark in their efforts to overturn a pro-consumer bill in that state.

You can read an Article from the Arizona Star, here: http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/254016. The article suggests that the industry's opponents raise and spend next to nothing in comparison.

In Ohio, the payday lobby is outspending their opponents by incredible margins. The disparity in expenditures is easily evident just by looking at the millions of dollars spent on television ads by the payday lobby versus the unusual technique being utilized by the proponents of payday lending reform: YouTube.com! CNN Money and Forbes Magazine picked up an Associated Press story about the efforts to compete with a multi-million dollar lobby: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/08/26/ap5360144.html.

From the article:

Up against a multimillion dollar ad campaign, defenders of Ohio's tough new payday lending law are turning to YouTube.com.

The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio has created an online video that warns viewers not to be deceived by the payday lending industry, which is trying to repeal the law.

You can view the YouTube video, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDoeXujagE4

Despite enumerable examples of evidence that the payday lobby is working diligently to deceive voters, the industry continues to throw up smoke and mirrors trying to change the subject. The facts, however, remain the same. Payday lending is a debt trap and 391% interest is too high!

Don't be fooled by the payday lobby! 391% interest is not freedom! If you think 391% interest is too high, VOTE YES ON ISSUE 5!

http://www.voteyesonissue5.org

Ohio Voter Infrastrucuture - consider forwarding this to everyone who would be receptive

Jane Schiff — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:12:10 EDT

I've started emailing Ohio counties' Boards of Election. Please consider forwarding this to people that you know who want to register to vote AND cast Ohio ballots. The voting public needs to be aware of all the requirements to register and to vote in the 2008 Presidential and General Election.

Please consider publishing the following links from the Ohio Secretary of State's web sites on your BOE web sites in order to update basic information for voters. If that is going to be difficult, perhaps you could consider getting your local hard copy newspapers to print a public service announcement that runs daily in the paper until one week after the election, to the effect that there are many new requirements in order to vote, and list the Ohio SOS's phone numbers both toll-free & non toll - free and the following web addresses:

Toll - Free (877)767 - 6446

Phone - (614) 466 - 2655

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/publications/election/Bring_ID_CARD.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/voterInformation/provisional.aspx

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/elections/forms/11a.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2008/Dir2008-66.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2008/Dir2008-63.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/advisories/2008/Adv2008-18.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/advisories/2008/Adv2008-19.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/memos/2008/08-Memo0808.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/elections/voterInformation/absentee.aspx

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2008/Dir2008-50.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/publications/election/VRform.pdf

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/publications/election/VRinstructions.pdf

http://www.ohioelectiontraining.com/ - This web site is for public consumption and clearly states that it can't be used to sign up for being a poll worker. The training contains many laws that inform voters about their requirements and rights and so therefore isn't just useful for persons who wish to become poll workers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here.

I Have Requested That Jennifer Brunner Obtain 50 Paper Copies of the Provisional Voter Hotline Notice.

Jane Schiff — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:35:48 EDT

I emailed the following to Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner today, August 22, 2008.

Hello,

I witnessed many Provisional Voters about to leave the precincts on March 4, 2008 without Provisional Voter Hotline Notices. I redirected them back to get their Notices.

I believe distributing these Notices in advance of the November 2008 Presidential and General Election would help mitigate damage.

I do not have money to print them if and when you post the notices.

Could you post the official Provisional Voter Hotline Notices on the SOS website? It would be great to have a downloadable and printable form in THREE PLACES on your website namely:

-Provisional Voting
-Absentee Voting
-Election Publications in BOTH HARD COPY PAPER BROCHURES for people who DON'T HAVE INTERNET ACCESS as well as online in the titles above.

This morning, in person, I asked Sally Krisel, Director of the Hamilton County Ohio BOE for multiple copies of the Notice the county was using. She said she could give me only one. I ended up not taking the single copy of the Notice and I explained I don't have the funds to print or xerox multiples. I told her I would request that you help me. I told Sally I was aware that many Provisional Voters hadn't received the Notices on our March 4, 2008 Ohio Presidential Primary Election until I redirected them back to their poll workers.

These Notices need to be easily assessable for public consumption on the street well in advance.

If you are willing to assist me, please put 50 copies in the mail to me or please arrange with Sally Krisel for me to come and pick them up in person.

Sincerely,

Jane Schiff

Without Contacting Ohio's Chief Election Officer

Jane Schiff — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 08:15:49 EDT

http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/163/77686.html?1219146213

No wonder there's so much tiptoeing around. The 2 articles that I've seen about absentee voting left gaping holes.

July 18, 2008 Akron Beacon Journal http://www.ohio.com/news/ap?articleID=617534&c=y failed to report about the financial choices for the election officials in all of Ohio's 88 counties regarding Combined Mailing of Notice of Election and Application for Absentee Voting.

August 8, 2008 WCPO.COM
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b767279e-4b18-4b14-a981-5a6 c95d1bb26
failed to report about the financial choices for the election officials in all of Ohio's 88 counties regarding Combined Mailing of Notice of Election and Application for Absentee Voting.

Impeachment Weekend Update

Michael Carano — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 21:18:02 EDT

Impeachment Weekend Update:
Taking Our Message to Denver

Dear Friend of Impeachment,

In case you missed it, Rep. Robert Wexler gave us a great shout out. Here's part of it:

Over the past 7 months, PDA and its members have been true leaders in our campaign to pursue impeachment. Many, many of you have supported my efforts by signing up on WexlerWantsHearings.com, and I am thankful that some of you have kindly contributed to my re-election fight.

I am looking forward to being at Progressive Central in Denver to discuss this subject (and others). If you are in town, I hope you come and join the discussion.

Reserve your space, here.

Join us for the whole week if you can, otherwise please make plans to join me on Thursday (scroll down) for a special day devoted to oversight, investigations, and impeachment. Rep. Keith Ellison will be joining me on the morning panel, and in the afternoon Rep. Ellison; Leslie Cagan of United for Peace and Justice; Steve Cobble, Institute for Policy Studies Fellow; and The Nation’s John Nichols will continue the discussion on constitutional law.

Your support and encouragement are inspiring. PDA is often under-recognized for its work on many different progressive causes, but many Members of Congress (especially those of us on the Judiciary Committee) are well aware of its contributions and leadership.

The Hill--the top "insider" publication for Members of Congress and staffers--picked up the story and echoed the shout out to us. Read the article here.

See all the details about "Progressive Central" and make your reservations to join us in Denver here.

Contact the national and local media: Demand they cover impeachment.

Show your support for impeachment: Order buttons, bumper stickers, shirts and ImpeachMINTS.

Yours for Accountability,

Tim Carpenter, PDA National Director
Joanne O'Neill, PDA New Jersey State Co-Coordinator
William Crain, PDA Montana State Coordinator
Mike Hersh, PDA National Staff

UNSOLICITED ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Jane Schiff — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:01:19 EDT

I sent this to Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on August 17, 2008 at 12:20:52 A.M. EDT

http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/163/77605.html?1218918865

Black Box Voting » Ohio » (OH) Hamilton County » (OH) 8/08 - Hamilton: Pick your poison: long lines, delays, or chain of custody problems

Subject:=?windows-1252?Q?Criteria_for Black_Box_Voting_"Watch_List"_locations?=

Jane Schiff — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:42:45 EDT

distribute, add to blog, let's get busy.

HOW TO RECOMMEND AN AREA FOR THE WATCH LIST:

Provide specifics from 2007 or later, with credible links, news articles, or documents for any of the CRITERIA below. Send your recommendation for Watch List location by e-mail to: crew@blackboxvoting.org. Or you can post what you have online here:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/73/77633.html (if you aren't registered to post, use above link)

We will add Watch List locations throughout the fall. The earlier you submit your recommendations, the better.

CRITERIA FOR BLACK BOX VOTING ELECTION PROTECTION WATCH LIST:

Counties and municipalities are assigned to the 2008 Black Box Voting election protection "Watch List" when we get reasonably recent specifics demonstrating any of the following:

- History of significant anomaly in election results
- History of ignoring election law
- History of election official lying to the public
- Impossible numbers or ballot/results reconciliations missing or significantly incorrect
- Significant obstruction of freedom of information requests
- History of corruption/indictments. Think it doesn't happen? Think again. Two of the Watch List election officials have been indicted for embezzlement in the past 90 days.

- This year, any place still using ES&S iVotronics. These voting machines are so demonstrably flawed and in most locations, so entirely vendor-dependent that any election using them should be repudiated as "void" by the public. Click the Texas Watch List map on the home page if you want to know more.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY IS PUT ON THE WATCH LIST?

1. Customized citizen watchdog assignments for volunteers

2. See Web site - Watch List locations displayed on colored maps on home page: http://www.blackboxvoting.org for media and the public to see

3. Press releases to local media at Watch List locations

4. Increased Freedom of Information requests to Watch List locations

5. Stepped-up daily monitoring by Black Box Voting

6. Sharing of Watch List locations with other election integrity groups. public interest groups, and whatever political group cares to know

If you want to get our Watch List bulletins, and you haven't already done this, you can get the latest bulletins sent by joining the list here: http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-profile.cgi?action=register

FYI -- NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE TODAY: FEDS ADMIT THAT VOTING MACHINES ARE CRAP (paraphrased). Article currently linked on home page of BlackBoxVoting.org. We have been exposing this for SIX YEARS. The problem isn't, as the New York Times says, that "no one knew" there were problems. The problem is that the elections industry has been involved in a coverup. See Tool Kit, Section 5, for the truth about Election 2008:

- Your right to sovereignty over your government will not be honored.
- 99 percent of the votes will be counted in secret on computers controlled by government insiders and vendors.
- Your right to Freedom of Information will not be honored.
- You will be unable to ascertain that chain of custody is intact.
- It's too late to resolve these problems for 2008.
- It's not too late for partial solutions.
- It's not too late to collect important circumstantial evidence to assess the accuracy of the election.

Most places are going to refuse to make any improvements of any kind before November, even though there are meaningful things election officials can do, which are described in Tool Kit 2008.

We've been telling you the straight story for six years. This is the hand America has been dealt for November. Tool Kit 2008 will help you and your group work with the hand we've been dealt.

It's time to get off the defense and come out swinging. Black Box Voting analyzed trends from over 20,000 incident reports and news articles to develop the free TOOL KIT 2008, to let you know what to look for in 2008. Quite a bit of it is new, different than 2004. Tool Kit 2008 is available in free, hard copy "pocket guide" form - e-mail crew@blackboxvoting.org with your name and mailing address if you'd like one sent to you. You can also download at http://www.blackboxvoting.org/toolkit2008.pdf

* * * * *

You know what? In 2004, even though Black Box Voting proved voting machine tamperability, and got it covered twice in major spreads in the New York Times and on television with Howard Dean, (Aug. & Sept. 2004) no one took this seriously until AFTER the election. Then they wanted us to fix the barn door after the horses got out!

Black Box Voting proved undeniably, in 2005 and 2006 with our groundbreaking "Hursti Hack" projects, that these machines are OPEN FOR BUSINESS. Our work was featured in an Emmy-Nominated HBO Documentary, "Hacking Democracy". Request this DVD with a $50 donation, which will help us cover costs for election protection work. It's powerful, it will open eyes for people you show it to.

The #1 most critical thing we can get RIGHT NOW is Freedom of Information documents. They cost money. We can buy copies or we can arrange for inspections -- cheaper! Therefore you can donate to buy copies of the Freedom of Information documents we need, or you can volunteer to do an inspection for us. It's like the race car and the driver, you can't get far without BOTH.

Just pick one thing and do it. Just do something. Do enough.

START WITH THIS: If you know of problems in a location, report specifics and recommend it for the Watch List. If you can volunteer to inspect records, e-mail crew@blackboxvoting.org.

We need assurance that those of us who DON'T HAVE COMPUTERS WILL IMMEDIATELY GET THE HARD SHINY PAPER BROCHURES

Jane Schiff — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:03:57 EDT

I am cautiously happy to report the following: late in the afternoon EST on Tuesday, August 12, 2008, Ohio Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner has corrected the online version of the election publication entitled "When You Vote Bring I.D." I shall be contacting her and the Ohio Voter Rights Institute to seek assurance that the hard shiny paper brochures of "When You Vote Bring I.D." are immediately available for people who don't have computer access.

http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/publications/election/Bring_ID_CARD.pdf

Even the most well-recognized among us
need to bring ID to the polls.
Bring I.D.
When You Vote
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner
MANY FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION WILL BE ACCEPTED, THEY ARE:
Early and Absentee Voting
Election Day Voting
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner
I N S T I T U T E
VOTING RIGHTS
The last four digits of voter's social security
number; or driver's license number; or
A copy of a current and valid photo
identification, (i.e. Ohio driver's license, state
ID card, government ID). Photo identification must
show name and address; or
A copy of a current utility bill (including cell
phone bill), bank statement, paycheck, government
check, or other government document that
shows the voter's name and current address
(including from a public college or university).
NOTE: Ohio law provides you cannot use as proof of identification a
notice that the board of elections mailed to you. Voters who do
not provide one of these documents will still be able to vote by
provisional ballot.
Questions?
Please call your local county board of elections office or visit
us at: WWW.SOS.STATE.OH.US or call us: 877.VOTE.VRI
A current and valid photo identification
(i.e. Ohio driver's license, state ID card,
government ID). Photo identification must show
name and address (does not need to be current
address for driver's license or state id card); or
A military identification that shows the voter's
name. (Does not need to show address); or
A copy of a current utility bill (including
cell phone bill), bank statement, paycheck,
government check, or other government
document that shows the voter's name and
current address (including from a public
college or university).
SOS 2212 (08/08)

URGENT

Jane Schiff — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:27:30 EDT

The Ohio SOS publication both in hard copy from the Web as well as the hard copy brochure - both entitled:

"WHEN YOU VOTE BRING I.D." is encountering a critical obstruction in distributing this to the public. The fly in the ointment involves:

OHIO SOS ADVISORY 2008 - 12 DATED JULY 23, 2008.

Corrections to the "When You Vote Bring ID" hasn't been incorporated into the publication. The corrections that need to be made concern Amended House Bill 562 .
The Hamilton County, Ohio BOE (namely Sally Krisel, the Director of the Hamilton County Ohio BOE and Diane Goldsmith, Voter Registration Department Administrator) said they couldn't give out incorrect "When You Vote Bring I.D." brochures. They handed me the above Advisory. I pointed out the Advisory doesn't forbid distribution although the Advisory states "In a forthcoming directive, your office will receive more detailed information about military identification cards and other acceptable forms of identification." They were consulting with eachother back and forth. Diane Goldsmith directed another employee to: blot out with a black marker part of the 5th item on page 2 of the above brochure so that it read:

"A MILITARY IDENTIFICATION THAT SHOWS THE VOTER'S NAME OR"

5th item of page 2 of the publication "When You Vote Bring ID"

The employee performed Diane Goldsmith's instructions and I was permitted to leave the Hamilton County Ohio BOE with 50 of the hard shiny brochures as per above which the employee had to personally change.

However, as of the time of this email, the problem hasn't been attended to for the online brochures neither in the printable form of the brochures nor in the shiny hard brochures. The order form is still accessible.

The brochure itself is coded SOS 2212 (03/08). That code is located on the 2nd page lower left of the publication "When You Vote Bring ID" directly above the logo of the VOTING RIGHTS INSTITUTE."

I now understand why I ordered 50 hard shiny copies of "When You Vote Bring ID" on or about August 4, 2008 and they never arrived.

On Monday, August 11, 2008 I received in the U.S. mail a PUBLICATION NOTICE without a date and without a signature. I paraphrase this item on the letterhead of Jennifer Brunner, Ohio Secretary of State:

Please note we were unable to fill your entire request of the following publication(s):

Voting Rights Institute Bring ID Cards
Due to the Following reasons:

Publication being revised/updated

Exact quote for the following: "Your mailing information will remain in our database and your request(s) will be mailed to you when this publication becomes available. The publication you are requesting may be available to download as a PDF document from the Secretary of State's Web site at www.sos.state.oh.us.

If you have any question regarding this notice or need additional assistance with publications printed by the Secretary of State's office please call our publications request line at 614 - 466 - 3613 or send an email to Prequest@sos.state.oh.us."

Bush, Manson, and the Media Blackout - Bugliosi Interview Part 2

Michael Collins — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:28:51 EDT

Bush, Manson, and the Media Blackout

An Interview with Vincent Bugliosi - Part 2

"More dead since the war was declared won.
A war based on lies and deceit." Image cc

Michael Collins
Washington, DC
(See Part 1)

If a man carefully plans and executes the killing of another, we call him a murderer, arrest and try him, then send him off to the nearest death chamber. In many states, individuals convicted of three felonies are subject to an automatic life sentence under a program quaintly referred to as the "three strikes and you're out law." Justice for ordinary citizens in the United States may not be swift but when executed, it is final and unforgiving.

But when a national leader fabricates evidence to support the reasons for war thus causing death to thousands of soldiers and hundreds of thousands of civilians, what do we do? We give him 24 hour a day, 7 day a week protection, a stretch limo and a deluxe plane with all the gas he'll ever need, and a house full of history and helpers in the middle of the nation's capitol. We call him "Mr. President."

Michael Collins: An Interview with Vincent Bugliosi Part 1

Michael Collins — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:27:26 EDT

Michael Collins: An Interview with Vincent Bugliosi - Part 1

Prosecuting George W. Bush for Murder

Plotting the crime, Bush plans the misleading 2003 State of the Union speech then delivers the lies to citizens and the Congress: "A brutal dictator, -- with ties to terrorism -- will not be permitted to dominate a vital region and threaten the United States." George W. Bush

Michael Collins
"Scoop" Independent News
Washington, DC

In his new book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, Vincent Bugliosi makes a devastating, well documented case that President George W. Bush is guilty of murder as a result of the lies he told to justify the invasion of Iraq.

Payday Lending Industry Front Group Website Goes Live

Free Fallin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:47:26 EDT

Industry Front Group Website Goes Live

The Community Financial Services Association's campaign to overturn House Bill 545 went live with a new website yesterday. Their website, Ohioans4financialfreedom, displays how out of touch they are with real Ohioans.

First, they say: "Protect 6,000 good-paying jobs that could be lost."

This is not accurate. House Bill 545 says absolutely nothing about closing any businesses or preventing the dispersion of payday loans. House Bill 545 simply caps interest rates and fees at 28% APR, protecting Ohio's consumers from predatory 391% APR interest. Payday lending stores have already started applying for licenses to continue operating under the new law from the Ohio Department of Commerce. If any stores close, it's because they choose to, not because they have to.

Second, they say: "Protect your financial freedom and private financial choices."

Payday lenders target low-income neighborhoods where it is easier for them to encourage people to walk through the door. Neon signs with "Get cash in minutes!" and "Easy cash quick," etc. Once a borrower is trapped in a cycle of payday loans, it becomes necessary for the consumer to keep taking out loans. This is not a choice! Usurious payday loans at 391% are bad for Ohioans and bad for the Ohio economy. Usury is not freedom!

Third, they say: "Protect your right to privacy about your personal finances."

This is a nice catch phrase that appeals to just about everyone! House Bill 545 includes a provision calling for the creation of a database that will let lenders know how many loans a person has taken out at a given time. This allows lenders to lend according to borrowers ability to repay - something neither predatory mortgage lenders nor payday lenders seem to care about.

And finally, once again, the industry uses their lame argument for why their referendum should be on the ballot: "Ohioans have a right to repeal bad laws."

Well, it bears repeating that House Bill 545 is one of the best consumer protection laws in the country and will help hundreds of thousands of Ohioans escape the debt trap. Ohioans do have a right to overturn bad laws, but this referendum effort is not being mounted by Ohioans, but by industry lobbyists and attorneys flown in on their corporate jets. Where are the citizens working on this referendum? Where are the consumers calling for 391% interest? They are nowhere to be found. Instead, the industry lobby CFSA is the sole donor to the effort to repeal House Bill 545. This is right in line with what they are doing in other states like Arizona where they've spent $8.7 million to overturn a consumer law and in Virginia where they succeeded in buying higher interest rates for a low, low price of $20 million.

The Ohio government should be PROTECTING consumers from predatory business practices that rely on borrowers getting trapped in a cycle of debt! Payday lending is bad for Ohio!

Michael Collins: The People, the Press, and the Case for Impeachment

Michael Collins — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:38:14 EDT

The People, the Press, and the Case for Impeachment

"When our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence they were not worried about political will, how much time there was, or about any parties' political future, they were just worried they were going to be hanged by the neck. But they did what was right. Now it is your time." Elliott Adams, President, Veterans for Peace, testimony July 25, 2008

House Justice Committee Hears Kucinich Resolution - Part 2

Michael Collins
Washington, DC

Michael Collins: Bush Accused ot Tyranny and Murder at Justice Hearings

Michael Collins — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:43:59 EDT

Bush Accused of Tyranny and Murder

Star witnesses, legal scholar Bruce Fein and former
LA District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi. M. Collins cc

House Justice Committee Hears Kucinich Resolution

Direct from the hearing

Michael Collins
"Scoop" Independent News
Washington, DC Part 1

Today's hearing on the abuse of presidential powers before the House Committee on the Judiciary turned into a devastating political ambush by Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), committee Democrats, and the extraordinary panel of witnesses.. At least 12 Democratic Committee members were present plus the Chairman while only four Republicans bothered to show up.

ProgressOhio Call to Action - Stop Loss Bill

The Mustang Major — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:39:32 EDT

Congresswomen Betty Sutton of Ohio's 13th Congressional District joined several other Representatives and a Senator from across the nation in introducing legislation that would compensate troops and military families who have been exploited by the Pentagon's shameful practice of Stop Loss or commonly known as The Backdoor Draft.

Our military family is asking that readers on several Veterans and Military Family blogs and forums PLEASE contact your state Representatives and Senators in Congress to get behind and co-sponsor the Stop-Loss Compensation Act in the Senate and House (S. 3060 and H.R. 6205).

You will find our "Write Officials" link on the right hand side of the ProgressOhio Website, and to add extra bite we ask you to please also select "Write Your Paper" to do a brief Letter to the Editor decrying this abusive practice and asking voters to speak out.

This is not about being pro or anti-war, it is about QUESTIONING practices that harm our troops, hurt military readiness, negatively impact military recruitment, and could eventually lead our government to 'no choice' but conscription - THE DRAFT.

Bobby Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
The Mustang Major

Military Families Speak Out - OHIO