BuckeyeStateBlog Bloggers

WADC Booth at Market Day

Lucie Pollard — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:51:36 EDT

Please stop by Booth 371 tomorrow (Saturday, September 19) from 9 - 4:30,

We will have candidates, volunteer sign-ups, voter registration, issue information and more.

This is Worthington's biggest event -- High St. is closed to traffic from 161 to South Street. We will have our normal wonderful farmers' market, plus arts, crafts, food and community groups like WADC!

WADC now on Facebook

Lucie Pollard — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:16:58 EDT

Over the weekend Ryan Sarni and I started a Facebook page for WADC. We hope friends will join and help us develop it creatively. When I last looked there were 9 friends -- and we need you too.

One WADC member told me to let people know they can't just search for the acronym, or they may get Women Against Drunk Cody. I spent a fair amount of time wondering just how mean a drunk this Cody guy is, that a band of women felt compelled to form a Facebook group to oppose him!

But the WADC I hope you will want to join is the Worthington Area Democratic Club.

Participate: 24 Hours of Stimulus starts at 12noon today

Jill Miller Zimon — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:54:23 EST

If you're like me, you've heard and read enough from the pundits and politicians about the stimulus. Look, when a country is where we are economically, no solution is going to be one that everyone can support because we know we don't all agree on solutions and we know we don't know what will happen - no matter who tells you otherwise.

Today, starting at 12noon, you can participate in a discussion with people like yourself and others about the stimulus. Here's what you need to know:

What it is:

You're invited to participate in 24 Hours of Stimulus - an online bipartisan citizen discussion on the Economic Stimulus and Recovery bill, hosted by Political Voices of Women on Twitter, starting at 12n EST, Monday, February 9th. hashtags: #24stimulus and #pvow,

This schedules the tweetchat between the start of the Monday Senate session and the currently anticipated time of the stimulus vote.

It also gives everyone a chance to pop in and have their say at a time that's most convenient for them.

How to do it:

Follow the conversation: Go to summize.com or search.twitter.com and search on the #24stimulus or #pvow hashtags. That will bring up the tweets that have been written as part of the discussion.

Participate: If you have a Twitter handle, just jump in with a comment or thought or reaction or question and be sure to add the #24stimulus hashtag to your tweet.

If you don't have a Twitter handle, get one - it's free and easy to set up at twitter.com.

I'm told that if you go to Tweetchat.com, you can enter the room with either hashtag and follow the tweets and contribute to the discussion there.

Looking forward to it.

[poll] OH US Senate race: The win, the women & the apportionment board

Jill Miller Zimon — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 13:45:40 EST

Other than my extreme distaste for Mark Naymik's use of the word "delicious" in this Plain Dealer column about Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and the Democratic options for filling retiring U.S. Senator and Republican George Voinovich's seat, it does a decent job outlining the reality that, when you say yes to one thing, you are pretty much saying no to something else - implicitly. That's a tactic Strickland often uses: to say "yes" and "no" in such a way that you don't really think about how that's actually happened - his position on casinos and gambling is probably the best example of this.

In this instance, Strickland gives a "yes" to Fisher's candidacy, as noted in the Dayton Daily News last night:

Gov. Ted Strickland said Tuesday afternoon that Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher is the "best qualified" Democrat among those considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2010.

Although Strickland says he's been upfront about this with Brunner, this statement is still a "no" to Brunner, no matter how you slice it. It should be noted, however, that it's also a "no" from Strickland to everyone else in the Dem field, until and unless Fisher chooses not to run.

The strength of Naymik's column is in its fleshing out of at least two deeper battles: first, the one that has to do with whose word is stronger, whose name, whose endorsement? Strickland for Fisher, or, if Brunner were to procure an endorsement from current junior Ohio U.S. Senator and fellow Democrat Sherrod Brown, would it hold more sway statewide?

This is where Naymik uses "delicious" regarding how he feels when contemplating this duel for the voters' confidence vis a vis the power of an endorsement:

Brunner won't publicly discuss her thinking just yet and didn't respond to a call Monday. She is seeking the support of her close friend and political mentor, Sen. Sherrod Brown. Their relationship makes the whole scenario more delicious because Brown is also a close friend of Strickland's. Strickland said he had talked only briefly to Brown about the upcoming Senate opening.

I do not have an answer as to whose endorsement would do more, for either candidate. I think it's a real toss up. Much depends on who, if either, are able to do better for their constituents: Brown in Congress or Strickland in running the state.

Voting at Vets' Memorial

Lucie Pollard — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 11:09:16 EDT

Our family decided to make an occasion of it yesterday -- celebrated Claire's birthday with lunch at Latitude 41 (yummy, local food in an elegant setting), then on to Vets' Memorial, which Claire still remembers as the ACT staging area in 2004, when she was in charge of sending people out all over the west side that cold, rainy day. I think it was good to have a sunny day filled with positive experiences to superimpose on that bitter memory. As for me, I associate Vets' Memorial with the Eddie Bauer Warehouse sales staged there years ago (the girls always refused to come with us to those affairs -- back then they said it was one more place full of mulch colored clothes only parents would like!).

Today was different for all of us. Claire wondered aloud if she would cry (voting for John Kerry made her tear up because the election mattered so much).

McCain Fumbles Pizza Purchase

Kelley Wenzlaff, The "Mom" for the House! — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:14:40 EDT

The lead story in today Columbus Dispatch newspaper slices the hard breaking news story that Republican presidential candidate John McCain does not know how to purchase pizza.

The article states: "McCain stopped yesterday for a 20-minute photo op and tour of the main fire station, carrying two large pizzas. As he glad-handed his way down a line of 24 firefighters, he told an aide, "I don't think I brought enough pizza for everybody. We'll have to send out for some more."

Clearly this is an issue of great concern for all den mothers and little league dads who routinely purchase pizzas. These parents know full well that two large pies will not even begin to satisfy the feeding frenzy of even a small group of half a dozen pint sized pipsqueaks, let alone 24 full grown macho men.

*The ratio of pies to people is a half a pie per person for thin crust and a quarter pie for thick if the eaters are male and over the age of 12. The ratio can be cut by a third for women, picky eaters, and parties involving ice cream and cake. Every parent knows this.

As a result of this story, voters across the nation are rethinking their position on a McCain presidency. Can a man who has never ordered pizza for his family or football team really lead the free world? What will happen when he invites heads of state to the White House and they run out of food in the middle of tense negotiations? The results could be catastrophic, even if he does remember to hold the anchovies.

In conclusion, I must commend the main stream media for it's in depth coverage on this event, as clearly this is the type of hard hitting analysis the American People look for when casting their votes...

The Greatest Scandal?

Adam Rosen — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 23:07:45 EDT

An editorial in the Wall Street Journal today shows how the issue of education can be twisted to blame our public schools and then offer them no help at all:

The profound failure of inner-city public schools to teach children may be the nation's greatest scandal. The differences between the two Presidential candidates on this could hardly be more stark. John McCain is calling for alternatives to the system; Barack Obama wants the kids to stay within that system. We think the facts support Senator McCain.

The WSJ breaks it down to the school voucher system to be the "golden ticket" to educational success. The editorial goes on to praise school choice programs in D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program which is a federal initiative and Philly EdisonLearning a private company run effort. The numbers behind the success?

A recent Department of Education report found nearly 90% of participants in the D.C. program have higher reading scores than peers who didn't receive a scholarship...

The number of students performing at grade level or higher in reading at the schools managed by private providers increased by 6.1% overall compared to 3.3% in district-managed schools. In math, the results for Edison and other outside managers was 4.6% and 6.0%, respectively, compared to 3.1% in the district-run schools.

These figures are made to sound exemplary, but the gains are marginal at best. Then the Journal paints Obama and the Democratic Party as threatening to kill those "successful programs" at the bequest of "uniformed teachers unions." To top it off, the editorial points out the fact that the Obama's send their kids to expensive private schools, not willing to wait for fixes to public education.

Not only is the articles evidence shortsighted (kids respond well to good schools that are safe and have excellent resources) but it is out of touch with reality. The issue of improving public education cannot afford to be sidestepped. The Democratic Party is in favor of increased federal funding, improved teacher salaries and more early childhood education, where the real differences are made in closing the achievement gap. While vouchers and school choice systems can help with certain students, its not a magical solution, and its most certainly in need of standards reform and better accountability standards (even the Ohio Grantmakers Forum, a large school-choice support agrees on pg 37-42 in "Education for Ohio's Future"). The WSJ is missing the point on the debate about public education... there is no one size fits all solution and shallow observations about Obama's children prevents the real issues from being discussed.

Training on nonprofit technology NEXT WEEK

User from Columbus, OH — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:32:35 EDT

The New Organizing Institute is excited to announce a one-day "Organizers Summit" training on online organizing and political technology coming up *next week* on July 28 in Columbus, Ohio! This state-based training will help organizations build on a core set of skills that are fundamental in a new, more technology-focused world -- including organizing, communications, field, and evaluation.

Whether you are a new online organizer or a seasoned professional with traditional field experience, the Organizers Summit will focus on how to use new technology and the internet to make all aspects of traditional field and communications more efficient and effective for organizational staff.

Event: NOI Organizers Summit in Columbus, OH
Date/Location: July 28 at The Ohio State University's Fawcett Center
Cost: $125 per person (includes two meals, and training materials)
Register at: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1095/t/6780/content.jsp?content_KEY=4184

The training will feature two tracks for attendees: field/data and organizing/communications. Sessions and workshops at the Organizers Summit will focus on developing skills in the following areas:

- Introduction to Online Organizing, Communications, and New Media
- Advances in Field Technology and Technique
- Testing and Evaluation: How, When, and Why
- Recognizing "Moments" for Strategic Online Organizing
- Effective Email Writing and Campaign Design
- Working with Blogs and Bloggers
- Online Fundraising, Marketing, and Advertising
- Organizing Through Social Networks
- Integrating Video Into Your Online Strategy
- And much more!

NOI is working with a wide array of state-based partners across the country to organize this training, along with nine other trainings in other regions of the country. This is an amazing opportunity to share some of the lessons, strategies and techniques being used by organizations on the forefront of online organizing and political technology all over the country and to build your network.

Find registration information and more details about the Organizers Summit at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1095/t/6780/content.jsp?content_KEY=4184

We look forward to seeing you there!

Veterans' Council National Kickoff in Dayton Yesterday

User from Columbus, OH — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:43:33 EDT

Yesterday at noon, union veterans gathered at Memorial Hall in downtown Dayton. This event was one of a number around the country that marked the kickoff of the AFL-CIO's new Veterans' Council.

In addition to mobilizing leaders at the top to develop a national strategy to make sure veterans' voices are heard this year, and mobilizing grassroots union veterans to get involved to protect veterans' interests, the Council marks its kickoff with the debut of a tv ad featuring IBEW member and Vietnam Navy combat veteran Jim Wasser.

John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO, spoke at the veterans' event in Dayton today, as did Mark Ayers, President of the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, Vietnam veteran, and chair of the Veterans Council. Other speakers included Joe Rugola, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO, and Wes Wells, Executive Secretary of the Dayton-Miami Valley Labor Council, whose son is currently serving in Iraq.

Why isn't the Veterans' Council supporting John McCain, who served in Vietnam, instead of Obama, who was never in the military? Material from the Veterans' Council says:

We support the candidate who has the strongest record in standing up for working people’s and veterans issues. Obama supports seriously reforming our nation’s broken health care system. McCain does not. Obama supports ending tax breaks for companies who send jobs overseas. McCain does not. Obama supports full funding for the GI bill and increased funding for veterans health care. McCain does not.

We've got a great one-minute video of John Sweeney speaking at the event, as well as two union vets talking about John McCain available from the Ohio Labor 2008 YouTube site.

"Just Say No Thanks" -- Union Activists tell John McCain, We Don't Need Another Oil-Loving President

User from Columbus, OH — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:33:35 EDT

With gas topping four dollars a gallon nationally this week, and everything getting more expensive – from milk and bread to health care – even people who thought they were safe are feeling the pinch.

It's time to get involved in building a government that's accountable to the people, and an economy that works for all -- and labor is taking the lead. Steve Gliebe, a union worker at Cooper Tire & Rubber in Findlay, says, "My paycheck might be looking the same, but it's shrinking. I'm not saving any money – everything I make goes right back out."

Around the state of Ohio, as we see more and more people relying on food stamps or the charity of their neighbors to get by, it's clear that there is a serious problem. This hardship doesn't come out of thin air. We can trace it back to a Washington policy of coddling Big Oil – a policy that John McCain plans to continue if we make the grave mistake of electing him President. For example, he would give the top five biggest American oil companies $3.8 billion worth of tax breaks. His plan to suspend the gas tax has been unanimously declared intellectually bankrupt by economists, and it could cost our nation 300,000 highway construction jobs.

It's time to speak out against the backwards Bush-McCain ideology of government concern for corporations at the expense of citizens. It's time to demand a real plan for a better future, and some relief for working people struggling to make ends meet. To this end, union activists demonstrated in Columbus and Cincinnati yesterday and Sandusky today, and they'll continue to demonstrate across the state in the coming days. Keep your eye out for coverage of those events in the media and on this blog.

Unless we all work together now to turn our country around, Steve says, "We're all going to be poor."

Blogging in tongues against HB 477

Jill Miller Zimon — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:52:11 EDT

Multiple Ohio blogs have posted entries in a foreign language today:

And it's been noted that maybe, to some people, surfing from blog to blog and being unable to understand most of the posts (until you go here for the translation of each one) proves the point that Ohio and maybe even the United States should standardize, through legislation, the language most of us use and which is already being used by the state and federal goverment: English.

Why would we want our governments to do that?

Because everything we try to read otherwise is pretty incomprehensible and that's exactly what we want to avoid. It's torture to stare at something and not have any idea whatsoever as to what it says, what it argues, what it tells you to do, what it tells you not to do.

Sounds logical, right?

Wrong.

Why? Why is that logic wrong?

Because those of us reading this blog and those blog posts are primarily native English speakers. Of course blog posts in Polish, German, Croatian, Korean and so on look like gobbledyguck to us.

So what's the point of this little demonstration?

To non-native English speakers, blogs - and so many other forms of communication that native English speakers take for granted - look like nonsense. How does it feel, going to the most familiar places you know on the Internet to gather information about the day, about issues and policy that matter, about breaking news and urgent messages, and find that the shoe is on the other foot: you can't understand a word, you can't glean even the essense of what's being communicated?

What kind of humans would legislate torturing literally hundreds of thousands of fellow Ohioans that way?

Here's a list of the Ohio state senators on the State and Local Government and Veteran Affairs Committee, which appears to be the one that has HB 477 right now. Please contact them and let them know how you feel about HB 477.

Gary Cates (R)
Chair

Teresa Fedor (D)
Ranking Minority Member

Democrats:

John Boccier

Tom Roberts

Republicans:

Timothy J. Grendell
Vice Chair

Columbus Campaign Training Event

Kelley Wenzlaff, The "Mom" for the House! — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:53:41 EDT

White House Project
GO RUN LEAD Training Program
Columbus Ohio
June 6 - 8, 2008

"If it takes a village to raise a child, the likelihood is slim that a woman would be governing that village in Central Ohio."

That statement is the conclusion of recent research conducted by Laralyn & Associates on Women's Political Presence. For decades Ohio has received failing marks on women's rights and representation and currently we are losing ground on the precious little territory we do occupy.

• Ohio ranks a dismal 43rd among the 50 states for the number of women in state legislature
• Only 12 of 59 judges on the bench in the 7 county Central Ohio area are women
• Women represent 51% of the population and only 28% of key elected and appointed positions

The Whitehouse Project is working to change that.

Sustainability Now! Conference

Lucie Pollard — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:23:10 EDT

Consider attending this conference May 16 - 17, which is jointly sponsored by Simply Living and OSU's Social Responsibility Initiative with support from the Columbus Green Building Forum.

On Friday hear the keynote address by Jim Merkel, author of

Alberto Gonzalez at OSU tonight

Lucie Pollard — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:07:49 EST

At 7 p.m. he will appear at Mershon Auditorium, to talk about his heritage, family, and life in politics, as the highest ranking official of Hispanic descent.The OSU Student Union funded the event, and each student can show his/her Buck ID and get 2 free tickets at the Ohio Union office in the stadium.

Blackwell & Brunner on tv at same time - OMG!

Lucie Pollard — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:38:51 EST

Sometimes living in the heart of it all is just too much. I was watching MSNBC and Chris Matthews brought Darth Vader, I mean Ken Blackwell, on to do commentary. I hope they aren't paying him! I watched as much as I could stand, and then switched to C-SPAN where they carried a live ONN feed with Jennifer Brunner at a press conference, responding to questions about the Obama law suit and extended poll hours.

Election Eve at Franklin County B of E

Lucie Pollard — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 09:02:55 EST

Dropped my daughter off to hand out literature for a candidate yesterday evening -- what a spectacle! Lots of Barack and Hillary supporters out on Broad Street waving signs at traffic (who honked happily in response). I noticed that the Barack signs were handmade, and my daughter said it seemed as if the Barack supporters were locals, whle the Hillary people were from out of state. She said some of the Hillary guys were a little confrontational, but pretty nice after she went over and said "Look, we all have to be on the same side after the nomination -- we're all Democrats!" They toned it down after that. Lines of voters were steady, even though the rain picked up and the temperature dropped.

A primary like no other! I voted early, but my daughter wants to go to our polling place. She loves that ritual.

Ohio blogger makes it to CNN Blog Buzz!

Jill Miller Zimon — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:33:07 EST

I was so four-letter word nervous that I had to sit on my hands!! See where writing letters to the editor, op-eds AND BLOGGING can get you!? Thanks to everyone who has encouraged me along the way, and that includes several folks at Progress Ohio - not the least of which are Dave Harding and Brian Rothenberg who have been very supportive (and toughened me up!).

Together we CAN make a difference!

Kelley Wenzlaff, The "Mom" for the House! — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:51:11 EST

Most of you know I am running for State Representative in Delaware County (HD-2) on a strong environmental platform, reminding people that we CAN improve our economy in environmentally friendly ways. In order to do that, I have been contacting experts in the field, working to learn everything possible about this issue. What amazes me is these people are always shocked when I call. I can not tell you how many have said "Even though I have written books on the subject and provided testimony to the legislature countless times, YOU are the first candidate or official to EVER bother to call me up and educate yourself!"

Wow.

All I can say is if I'm doing something different because I don't have a background as a politician, then I don't ever want to learn the game.

The good news is, I am finding innovative solutions to Ohio's problems and making some great new friends along the way, including actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr!

Ed's efforts over the past twenty years have helped reduce the size of the hole in our ozone layer, increased recycling efforts, eliminated the smog problem in his home state of California, and propelled the clean air emissions standards of our auto industry.

It just goes to show; together we really CAN make a difference!

WADC tonight: Brian Rothenberg, Candidates and More

Lucie Pollard — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:18:59 EST

WADC is looking forward to an interesting evening. Our featured speaker is Progress Ohio's Brian Rothenberg, who will doubtless have some interesting reflections on Rootscamp, the amazing growth of Progress Ohio, and the ever-changing relationship of media and politics.

In addition we will hear from the two candidates competing in the primary for Franklin County Commissione: John O'Grady and Cindy Lazarus.

We are also expecting brief statements from Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy (Clerk of Court of Common Pleas), and Jay Perez (Ohio House, 21st district) who are no longer opposed in the primary.

Liz Shirey will speak about ODP's "Neighborhood Leader" project (and I look forward to thanking her personally for her work in putting together the ODP's Women's Organizing Convention last weekend.

WADC always has spirited Q and A sessions, which are frequently the most interesting part of the evening. Come join us for an interesting and varied evening.

More Information Here > >

MOM gets National Exposure!

Kelley Wenzlaff, The "Mom" for the House! — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 14:48:28 EDT

The October issue of All You Magazine, (a national women's magazine distributed by Time Inc. with over two million subscribers nationwide) has highlighted the work of Delaware County progressive: Kelley Wenzlaff, The "MOM" for The House. Kelley is leading the charge for family friendly work policies and innovative green technologies in her district. Here's the link to a summary over at the Daily KOs:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/30/15348/199