The Columbus Dispatch, Senate Bill 5 saves $1.3B, study says, By Jim Siegel
Pay increases, insurance examined - Saturday, February 26, 2011 - State
and local governments would have saved an estimated $1.3 billion in
2010 on health insurance and automatic pay increases if the limits
imposed by Senate Bill 5 were in effect, according to a new analysis by
the state Office of Collective Bargaining. The report comes as Senate
Republicans are preparing to pass the biggest overhaul to collective
bargaining since the law was enacted in 1983. Changes to... read
more. |
Rasmussen... What They Told Us:
Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Saturday, February 26, 2011 - Wisconsin and Libya. Angry protesters are
in the streets. Here at home they’re exercising their democratic rights
in a budget battle; over there, they’re being shot down for seeking
democratic rights in real battles. A sizable number of voters are
following new Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s showdown with unionized
public employees in an effort to close... read
more. |
Dayton Business Journal, Fannie
Mae, Freddie Mac request $3.1 billion
by Jeff Clabaugh, DBJ Contributor - Friday, February 25, 2011 - Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac both reported significantly improved quarterly
results, even as both seek more government aid. Combined, the two have
requested another $3.1 billion draw from their Treasury Department
lifeline, after both reported negative net worth after making dividend
payments to the government... read
more. |
Youngstown Vindicator... Kasich:
Slots decision will take time, By David Skolnick
Fri, February 25, 2011 - VIENNA - Gov. John Kasich said he’s in no rush
to legalize slot machines at the state’s horse racetracks. Kasich, a
Republican, said Thursday that the state wants to hire a “gambling
expert” to review gaming in Ohio, including casinos being built in
Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo and the possibility of slot
machines at the state’s seven racetracks. Penn National Gaming Inc.
wants to relocate a harness track from Toledo to Austintown. The... read
more. |
Politico...
Lawmakers won’t miss
a paycheck, By Erika Lovley
February 23, 2011 - If the government shuts down, thousands of
government employees would be furloughed without pay, federal agencies
and parks would shutter, and congressional staffer paychecks would
stop. But the elected members of Congress? Their $174,000 a year pay
checks would keep coming. Under U.S. law, elected members of Congress —
as well as the president and uniformed military personnel — are exempt
from furlough, but most congressional... read
more. |
Politico... White House meets
lobbyists off campus, By Chris Frates
2/24/11 - Caught between their boss’ anti-lobbyist rhetoric and the
reality of governing, President Barack Obama’s aides often steer
meetings with lobbyists to a complex just off the White House grounds —
and several of the lobbyists involved say they believe the choice of
venue is no accident. It allows the Obama administration to keep these
lobbyist meetings shielded from public... read
more. |
From
Yahoo.com... Census:
Near-record level of US counties dying
By Hope Yen and John Raby, Associated Press - Tue Feb 22, 1:31 pm ET -
WELCH, W.Va. – Nestled within America’s once-thriving coal country,
87-year-old Ed Shepard laments a prosperous era gone by, when shoppers
lined the streets and government lent a helping hand. Now, here as in
one-fourth of all U.S. counties, West Virginia’s graying residents are
slowly dying off. Hit by an aging population and a poor economy, a
near-record number of U.S. counties... read
more. |
Keeping the
Government Running While Cutting Spending, U.S. Rep. John
Boehner
Last week House Republicans passed a bill to keep the government
running for the remainder of the fiscal year that includes the largest
discretionary spending cuts in modern history -- keeping our Pledge to
America. Our goal is to create a better environment for
private-sector job creation by cutting spending and reducing the size
of government, not shutting it down. This week, I’ll continue... read
more. |
The Collective
Bargaining Debate Facts Tell the True Story. By Jim Buchy
In the past few weeks you have heard a lot of discussion about
collective bargaining for public employees. This issue must be
addressed, but when considering important proposals that will affect
the lives of many good Ohioans you must assess the facts. I am
committed to keeping my door open and discussing the facts with anyone
interested. Currently, all the talk about this issue... read
more. |
Dayton Business Journal... Federal
judge rules health reform legal, by Kathy Robertson, DBJ
Contributor
Regardless of the outcome, ramifications will be felt locally -
Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - A federal judge has ruled the health
care reform law is constitutional. In a new ruling, a federal judge
Tuesday decided the health care reform law is constitutional, tipping
the record to three in favor of the Affordable Care Act to two against.
Judge Gladys Kessler in the District of Columbia... read
more. |
Truthout... White House Declares
Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional
by Nadia Prupis, t r u t h o u t | Report - Wednesday 23 February 2011
- The Obama administration said Wednesday that the Defense of Marriage
Act is unconstitutional and the Justice Department will no longer
support it. The Defense of Marriage Act is a federal law defining
marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Attorney
General Eric Holder sent a letter to... read
more. |
Canton Repository... Kasich in
Canton — Protesters voice opposition to Senate Bill 5
By Robert Wang, CantonRep.com staff report - Feb 22, 2011 - CANTON —
More than a thousand people were determined that Gov. John Kasich would
not have a quiet visit to the Canton Memorial Civic Center Tuesday
night. Amid a cacophony of honking and chants, area union members and
union supporters waving signs crowded around both sides of Market
Avenue N to demonstrate their... read
more. |
Cleveland Plain Dealer... ‘Underemployed’
demonstrator gets offer of help
By Leila Atassi, The Plain Dealer - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 -
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- While business owners waited for President Barack
Obama in the Wolstein Center, one man positioned himself as close as
security would allow and hoped his message would leave an impression on
the president, too. He stood near East 22nd Street and Prospect Avenue
-- far off the path of the... read
more. |
msnbc.com...
Wis. governor
refuses to budge on budget bill
Walker warns of 1,500 layoffs if collective-bargaining end isn’t passed
soon - MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Monday
afternoon he won’t negotiate over his plan to strip most collective
bargaining rights from nearly every public employee as he works to plug
a $3.6 billion hole in the state budget. Walker said at a news
conference in his conference room in the Capitol, where thousands have
been demonstrating against his plan for a week... read
more. |
Foxnews.com... Arizona Senate
Panel Passes Sweeping Bills Targeting Illegals
Published February 23, 2011 - PHOENIX -- An Arizona Senate committee
late Tuesday narrowly approved a sweeping bill that would target
illegal immigrants in public housing, public benefits and the
workplace. The committee earlier Tuesday also approved a bill that
would deny automatic citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants
in a measure designed to set up... read
more. |
Commissioners Corner, County
Employees Dedicated & Honorable
Mike Stegall, Darke County Commissioner - While on the campaign trail,
I expressed an interest in having the Commissioners put a monthly
column in the paper and on the internet to keep everyone informed as
much as possible about the goings on in the county. The other 2
Commissioners, Diane Delaplane and Mike Rhoades, quickly agreed... read
more. |
Foxnews.com... On the Hunt for
the Loch Ness Monster
February 19, 2011 - Looming from the deep, its back a cluster of
snake-like humps -- is it England’s answer to the Loch Ness Monster?
The terrifying “beast,” thought to be up to 50 feet long, was captured
on camera by two pals out kayaking on Lake Windermere in northern
England. Shocked Tom Pickles and Sarah Harrington told how the
mystery... read
more. |
Senator Faber’s
Weekly Newsletter - February 22, 2011
Variety of Vehicles up for
Bid February 26
- Nearly 90 cars, SUVs, trucks and vans will be available for bidding
at the State of Ohio surplus auction Saturday, February 26. The auction
will be held at the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, General
Services Division headquarters, 4200 Surface Road, Columbus. The gates
open at 8 a.m.; the auction begins at 10 a.m... read
more. |
Darke County Drug
Task Force Makes Arrest on Illegal
Assembly for the Manufacturing of Drugs
On February 21, 2011 the Darke County Drug Task Force received
information that a subject was seeking pre-cursor items (ingredients)
for the illegal manufacture of methamphetamine. Reports indicated
that the suspect might be mobile and have the items in a vehicle.
At approximately 10:24 PM Darke County... read
more. |
Dayton
Business Journal... Wisconsin
protests spill into Ohio, by Joe Cogliano
Monday, February 21, 2011 - A massive protest rally similar to those in
Wisconsin is planned for Tuesday in Columbus as Ohio considers a bill
that would trim union benefits. A massive Wisconsin-like rally at
Ohio’s statehouse in Columbus is being planned for Tuesday to protest
Senate Bill 5, which would abolish collective bargaining rights of
state employees. The mobilization is expected to be much larger than
last Thursday’s turnout, where an estimated 4,000... read
more. |
Foxnew.com... Wisconsin Union
Battle Could Set Stage for National ‘Right-to-Work’ Debate
By Judson Berger - For years, the country has been split practically
50-50 between states that allow employees to decide whether to join a
union and states that allow unions to require membership. Most southern
and central Midwestern states are right-to-work states, while the West
Coast, New England and the northern Midwest comprise what critics call
“forced-unionism” states... read
more. |
Insider Report from
Newsmax.com - February 20, 2011
Headlines (Click below for complete stories): 1. Michele Bachmann
Scores Highest on Immigration. 2. Richard Grenell: Jane Harman Should
Pay for Election. 3. Sen. Hatch Bill Would Plug ‘National Security
Loophole’. 4. Biggest U.S. Aid Recipients Oppose America at U.N. 5.
Rasmussen: Buyers Spurn GM Over Bailout. 6. Heard: The Gipper, David
Letterman, Obama’s Teleprompter... read
more. |
Rep. Dennis
Kucinich’s presidential campaign must repay $52,443 to taxpayers
By Sabrina Eaton, The Plain Dealer - Thursday, February 17, 2011 -
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Federal Election Commission on Thursday ordered
Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s 2004 presidential campaign to give taxpayers a
$52,443 refund, ending a dispute that’s lasted nearly four years.
Kucinich’s 2004 campaign got $3.3 million in matching funds from the
U.S. Treasury, but wasn’t supposed to use any of it after March 4,
2004, when his eligibility for matching funds expired... read
more. |
Bond issues and
elimination of Ohio Estate Tax, By Josh Mandel, Ohio State
Treasurer
I am focused on managing the Treasury and proud to report that our
office is running smoothly. We have assembled an outstanding
team, ripe with experience, and quietly going about their business with
a sharp sense of integrity, clarity and discipline. Here’s a
glimpse into some of our recent activity… First Bond Issuance of
2011: The Treasurer’s office is one of the main authorities in
the state... read
more. |
Two
Feb. 18 Newsmax Articles - House
Votes to Deny Obama Healthcare Law Funds
The Republican-controlled House voted Friday to choke off cash to
fund President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform law, stepping up a
fight with Democrats over budget cuts and deficits. House Votes to Dethrone Obama’s Czars
- The architect of a daring GOP attempt to strip congressional funding
for nine executive branch “czars” says it’s only the first salvo in a
much larger battle to reverse “radical policies” promulgated by the
Obama administration... read
more. |
Rasmussen... What They Told Us:
Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Saturday, February 19, 2011 - Money, money, money. The conservative
backlash witnessed in last November’s elections is now hitting the
bottom line. House Republicans closed the week with a vote to cut $60
billion out of the current federal budget, and Democrats are screaming
bloody murder. Meanwhile, partisan warfare has erupted in Wisconsin
where a new conservative GOP... read
more. |
Edison President
Valdez will think “outside the box”, By Bob Robinson,
Editor
Feb. 20, 2011 - GREENVILLE – Newly appointed President Cristobal (Cris)
Valdez will be coming to a well-rounded institution that has made
significant gains in recent years in the variety and types of degrees
it offers, according to Edison Community College Trustee Darryl
Mehaffie. “He thinks outside the box,” Mehaffie told members and guests
at Saturday’s monthly Darke County... read
more. |
Dayton Daily News... Space
Shuttle could come to Wright-Pat, By Jack Torry,
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - In a sign that Wright-Patterson Air Force Base may land
one of the coveted space shuttles, the White House has asked Congress
for $14 million to prepare for the delivery of the orbiter Atlantis to
the National Museum of the Air Force. Although the money needs to be
approved by Congress, the request is a strong indication that NASA and
the Air Force... read
more. |
Examiner... Federal Reserve
Inspector General hedges on trillions missing
May 23rd, 2009 - The Inspector General of the Federal Reserve in the
video below acknowledges that trillions of dollars cannot be accounted
for. The astonishing five-minute clip is taken from a Congressional
hearing where Federal Reserve Inspector General Elizabeth Coleman is
questioned by Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida on May 6th about huge
amounts... read
more. |
Politico... John Boehner
increases chance of government shutdown
By Jake Sherman & John Breshnahan - 2/18/11 - The specter of a
government shutdown grew exponentially Thursday when House Speaker John
Boehner drew a hard line on government spending, promising to accept
not even a temporary government-funding extension that doesn’t include
serious cuts. The move triggered an immediate and fierce response... read
more. |
Columbus
Dispatch... Some GOP
senators say bill goes too far, By Jim Siegel
Friday, February 18, 2011 - A bill making major changes to state
collective-bargaining law is not a slam-dunk to pass the Senate in its
current form. The Dispatch talked to seven Republican senators this
week who either would not commit support or expressed varying levels of
discomfort with Senate Bill 5, which would eliminate collective
bargaining for state workers, take away binding arbitration for police
and firefighters, and limit the bargaining power... read
more. |
Politico...
The politics of
education upended
In Wisconsin, about 1,000 teachers called in sick Wednesday to protest
Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to strip their union bargaining rights. In
Washington, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recounted his battle with
his state’s teachers unions Wednesday, calling their leaders “greedy”
and “selfish.” And in Nevada, Indiana and Florida, Republican governors
are targeting teachers contracts and work rules to fix a system they
say is broken. “The status quo has put us at the bottom... read
more. |
Dayton Daily News... Gov. Kasich
to sign JobsOhio bill on Friday, By John Nolan Staff Writer
Governor applauds legislature for passing jobs plan - DAYTON — Gov.
John Kasich, in office just five weeks, praised the Ohio General
Assembly’s approval on Wednesday of legislation to create JobsOhio, a
private economic-development agency Kasich says is needed to create
jobs in a state trying to overcome years of job losses. “I will be
signing it soon,” the governor said shortly... read
more. |
Less Mandates in
Education Equals Better Schools, By State Representative
Jim Buchy
Recently, the Ohio House of Representatives voted to pass House Bill
30, which removes many unfunded and unnecessary mandates that have been
forced on our local schools. I was happy to support this legislation,
which passed by a vote of 59 to 36 with bipartisan support and will
move to the Senate for further action. As passed by the House, HB 30
will remove mandates from schools that... read
more. |
Rasmussen...
Health Care Law
57% of Voters Favor Repeal of Health Care Law, 38% Opposed. Most voters
continue to strongly favor repeal of the national health care law and
they’re evenly divided as to whether the new law will force them to
change insurance coverage. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone
survey finds that 57% of Likely Voters at least somewhat favor repeal
of the health care law while 38% are at least somewhat opposed. Those
figures include 45% who Strongly Favor... read
more. |
Foxnews... Republicans Say Obama
Budget Plan Not Serious
February 15, 2011 - President Obama urged lawmakers on both sides of
the aisle Tuesday to “give a little bit,” as they begin to debate his
$3.7 trillion budget proposal for 2012. But Republicans fired back that
the federal government has been giving for the past two years and that
Obama still hasn’t given them enough to work with in terms of spending
cuts. Though the administration says... read
more. |
Columbus Dispatch... DEA urged
to step up ‘pill mill’ fight in Ohio, By Alan Johnson
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - Sen. Brown wants crackdown in Ohio. Ohio
Sen. Sherrod Brown wants the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to
ramp up enforcement efforts against “pill mills” in Ohio. Brown said
prescription-drug abuse is hitting Ohio especially hard. “The cost of
allowing these illegal operations to continue is simply too high; it
perpetuates... read
more. |
District residents to
help develop GSD Master Plan, By Lyn Bliss, Senior Scribe
The Greenville School District Board of Education is faced with trying
to make a decision on what IS best for the community – as viewed by the
members of that community. Toward that end, they have formally
expressed their interest in the Ohio School Facilities Commission’s
(OSFC) Classroom Facilities Assistance Program (CFAP). Therefore, in
the effort to gain input from... read
more. |
Dayton
Business Journal… Ohio AG
files class-action lawsuit against BP
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has
filed a class action lawsuit against British Petroleum on behalf of
Ohio’s public pension funds. Dewine authorized the filing Monday in
U.S. District Court in Houston alleging that BP plc was wholly
unprepared to prevent and deal with the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Lead plaintiffs include the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
(OPERS), State Teachers Retirement System (STRS)... read
more.
|
Spending the Future:
President’s Deficit-Filled Budget Threatens Job Growth
John Boehner, U.S. Representative, 8th District - Yesterday, President
Obama sent Congress a $3.73 trillion budget that calls for more failed
‘stimulus’ spending and job-crushing tax hikes on families and small
businesses. The President’s budget destroys jobs by spending too
much, taxing too much, and borrowing too much. This week, House
Republicans will move to create a better environment for job creation
and economic growth. We will go beyond our Pledge... read
more.
|
Cincinnati
Enquirer... Jobs,
unions, abortion on statehouse docket this week, by Jon
Craig
COLUMBUS - Statehouse hearings ramp up this week with testimony on Gov.
John Kasich’s JobsOhio program, and locally-sponsored legislation
banning racial profiling and overhauling the 1983 collective bargaining
law. Senate Finance Committee hearings resume Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. on
House Bill 1, which allows Kasich to privatize the Department of
Development by creating a non-profit JobsOhio program. The House passed
a JobsOhio bill earlier this month... read
more.
|
Senator Faber’s
Weekly Newsletter, February 14, 2011
Grand Lake St. Marys Fish Tissue Study Shows No Microcystin In Samples
- Grand Lake St. Marys is very dear to all of us. Its restoration
is a very high priority of mine. I provided you all with Governor
Kasich’s initial action plan last week, and I just wanted to follow up
with some more good news about the lake. The EPA released the
below information last week: The “do not eat” fish consumption... read
more. |
FoxNews... Obama Sends $3.7
Trillion Budget to Congress
February 14, 2011 - Editor’s Note: Also posted at the end of this story
are links from a variety of reports... President Obama sent Congress a
$3.73 trillion budget Monday, a spending plan for 2012 that projects
$1.1 trillion in deficit savings over the next decade but also
continues adding to the national debt for years to come. Republicans,
who are still trying to cut billions out of this year’s budget... read
more. |
Budget cuts, economic
development focus of “State of the County”, By Lyn Bliss
How do the local school facilities impact economic development effort
in Darke County? “They drove by North School and they were gone,” said
Commissioner Mike Stegall. While acknowledging that local school
facilities have had an impact on bringing in new businesses, Darke
County Commissioners Diane Delaplane, Mike Rhoades and Stegall, in
their recent... read
more. |
Politico...
Mitch McConnell: The
Obama agenda is ‘over’, By Shira Toeplitz
2/13/11 - “The legislative agenda of Barack Obama is over,” said
McConnell to his party’s faithful in Louisville, Ky., according to the
Associated Press. McConnell cautioned that he and his GOP colleagues
are willing to do what they “think is right for America,” including
working with the president, but he also tossed a hefty dose of partisan
meat to the crowd, accusing Obama of doing “Clintonian back-flips” to
present himself as a moderate. Since the GOP made major... read
more.
|
New
York Daily News... Vatican
says Catholics an app for your iPhone can’t replace a visit to the
confessional
- By Michael Sheridan, Staff Writer - Wednesday, February 9th 2011 -
Officials in Rome have declared that an app available on Apple’s
iPhones, iPads and the iPod touch cannot serve as a confessional. “One
cannot speak in any way of confessing via iPhone,” Federico Lombardi,
the Vatican’s spokesman, said in a statement. “This cannot be
substituted by any IT application.” Confession: A Roman Catholic app
walks Catholics through the sacrament... read
more.
|
Truthout... Fox News Insider:
“Stuff Is Just Made Up”, by Eric Boehlert
Thursday 10 February 2011 - Asked what most viewers and observers of
Fox News would be surprised to learn about the controversial cable
channel, a former insider from the world of Rupert Murdoch was quick
with a response: “I don’t think people would believe it’s as concocted
as it is; that stuff is just made up.” Indeed, a former Fox News
employee who recently agreed to talk... read
more. |
Darke County Calamity
Days, By Bob Robinson & Delbert Blickenstaff, Senior
Scribes
“We’re all hoping that school will be out by July 4!” … Comments noted
during CNO’s survey on “Calamity Days.” A calamity is defined as “a
state of deep distress or misery caused by misfortune or loss.” That
picture describes what happens when we have snow and ice on the roads
so that the school busses cannot safely transport students to school.
That’s why they’re called... read
more. |
Rasmussen... What They Told Us:
Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Saturday, February 12, 2011 - Let the budget battle begin. House
Republicans, feeling empowered by an angry electorate, are looking to
cut billions of dollars from the federal budget and are now discussing
plans to defund the national health care law since repeal has run
aground in the Democratic-controlled Senate. After all, the majority of
voters still support repeal of the law... read
more. |
Cleveland
Plain Dealer... Kasich
wants $3 billion deal to lease the Ohio Turnpike, By
Reginald Fields
Thursday, February 10, 2011 - COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. John Kasich said he
wants at least $3 billion for leasing out the Ohio Turnpike, which he
calls an under-utilized state asset. The governor has talked for months
about potentially privatizing the turnpike, much like Indiana has done,
to create new revenue for the cash-strapped state. On Thursday, while
speaking to the Ohio Newspaper Association in Columbus, the Republican
leader put a price... read
more.
|
Dayton
Daily News... Kasich firm
on union bargaining changes
If lawmakers don’t come up with collective bargaining bill he likes,
he’ll put his in budget. By Laura A. Bischoff, Columbus Bureau,
February 11, 2011 - COLUMBUS — If lawmakers don’t pass a collective
bargaining bill that he likes, Gov. John Kasich on Thursday said he is
prepared to wrap his own reforms into his budget bill next month.
Kasich said his own bill would outlaw strikes by public employees and
penalize those who walk off the job by firing them or docking... read
more.
|
Foxnews... Battle Over Budget
Cuts Raises Specter of Federal Government Shutdown
By L.A. Holmes - Published February 11, 2011 - A government shutdown is
on the table if Congress fails to reach an agreement on spending cuts,
a freshman GOP congressman told Fox News on Friday, making him one of
the few Republicans to publicly raise the possibility. “I think
nothing’s off the table at this point,” Rep. Tim Scott of South
Carolina said, warning that uncontrolled spending... read
more. |
Boehner receives
Ashbrook Award, Feb. 10, 2011
ASHLAND, Ohio – The Ashbrook Center at Ashland University presented its
annual CPAC Ashbrook Award to the Honorable John Boehner, Speaker of
the United States House of Representatives, on Feb. 10 at the
Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington D.C.
Marvin Krinsky, chairman of the Ashbrook board, released the following
statement: “Only in America can... read
more. |
Dayton
Business Journal... Dayton
Chamber backs Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s jobs plan
Thursday, February 10, 2011 - The Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce is
endorsing Governor John Kasich’s JobsOhio bill, Ohio House Bill 1,
which is designed to privatize economic development. The chamber threw
its support behind the bill Wednesday, citing the need for the state to
be able to move quickly when companies need support to grow. “HB 1
allows Ohio to start moving at the speed of business,” said Phil
Parker, president and chief executive officer of the... read
more.
|
Dayton
Business Journal... U.S.
Postal Service faces default, by Jeff Clabaugh , DBJ
Contributor
Wednesday, February 9, 2011 - The U.S. Postal Service starts a new
fiscal year with a wider first-quarter loss, and it warns at this rate,
it won’t be able to meet some of its obligations by September. The
Postal Service posted a first-quarter loss of $329 million, compared to
a loss of $297 million a year earlier. Excluding the cost of
pre-funding future retiree health care benefits, which the Postal
Service is asking Congress to allow it to delay... read
more.
|
New York Times... German Börse
in Talks to Buy the Big Board
By Michael J. de la Merced and Jack Ewing - The New York Stock
Exchange, a symbol of American capitalism for more than two centuries,
may soon have new owners — in Europe. The exchange, facing pressure
from electronic upstarts that have taken business away from it, said on
Wednesday that it was in advanced talks on a merger with the
operator... read
more. |
Columbus
Dispatch... Legislators
ponder insurance pools for schools, By Jim Siegel
Requiring districts to collaborate on worker health coverage gets new
look as way to save - Feb. 7, 2011 - State leaders who are scouring the
budget for cost savings soon might have a new message for school
employees: Everybody into the pool. Mandatory health-insurance pooling
for schools, a concept that last saw heavy Statehouse debate in 2005,
could be poised for a comeback. A state board is preparing an updated
cost-savings analysis, and some key... read
more.
|
Columbus
Dispatch... Police,
firefighters could see retirement pay trimmed
Goal is to meet 30-year solvency requirement - Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011 -
Firefighters and law-enforcement officers across Ohio would see their
retirement pay trimmed under a plan approved yesterday by the Ohio
Police & Fire Pension Board. The move during a special meeting in
Mansfield means the pension fund would now meet a requirement in Ohio
law that it be able to cover at least 30 years of retirement
obligations. Chided by state lawmakers last month... read
more.
|
Darke County Drug
Task Force Disrupts Active Drug Lab
On February 6th at approximately 02:46 AM the Darke County Drug Task
Force consisting of the Darke County Sheriff’s Office and the
Greenville Police Department responded to an active methamphetamine
drug lab at 204 Hart Street in the City of Greenville; a residential
neighborhood. Also responding to assist was the City of Greenville Fire
Department and Greenville Township Rescue... read
more. |
Politico...
Barack Obama faces
new budget pressures - By David Rogers
2/7/11 - As key senators met Monday evening on a bipartisan deficit
reduction plan, President Barack Obama faced increased pressure to
articulate a strategy for himself and his party, already so edgy about
spending cuts that many Democrats seem prepared to ignore the
consequences for policy. Indeed, Obama and House Republican leaders
share this much in the coming budget wars: Both are racing to catch up
with the train. And just as the president must... read
more.
|
Dayton
Business Journal... Horse
track plan may bring 1,500 jobs to Dayton
Beulah Park horse track in Columbus may relocate to a former Delphi
plant in Dayton. Wednesday, February 9, 2011 - Penn National Gaming
Inc. is looking to transform a former Delphi plant in north Dayton into
a $200 million horsetrack and slot machine complex. The Dayton Business
Journal has learned the project would entail relocating Beulah Park
horse track in Columbus to the old Delphi facility at Needmore and
Wagner Ford roads in Dayton... read
more.
|
Bloomburg Report... `Mini-Revolt’
Confronts Republicans as Lawmakers Ready Spending Cuts
By
Catherine Dodge - Feb 8, 2011 - As House Republicans parry Democratic
criticism that they’ve gone too far with proposed spending cuts, they
confront a battle within their own ranks over whether the cuts go far
enough. A faction of House Republicans plans to continue pushing for
bigger budget savings than party leaders recommended last week,
reductions that Democrats argue would harm... read
more. |
Greenville Fire
Department’s “Quint 2” tested for service, By Bob Rhoades,
Senior Scribe
The early years, Part 2 - It’s here! The newest addition to the
Greenville Fire Department Roster will be known as Quint 2.
Traditionally fire apparatus is named by what it does, Engine, Ladder,
Heavy Rescue, Medic, etc. In this case this apparatus does 5
different things. It carries a 75-foot aerial ladder, a full complement
of ground ladders, water (500) gallons, a pump, and equipment... read
more. |
Politico...
House conservatives
ready to cut, By Jonathan Allen and Jake Sherman
February 7, 2011 - It’s finally slash-and-burn time for conservatives,
and the programs they target in a massive spending bill next week will
help shape the national political debate over what the government can,
and should, pay for. Republicans are planning a freewheeling,
open-ended debate that promises to test the party’s limits on how far
it’s willing to go on spending cuts, and it may divide Democrats
between those who want to embrace modest cuts and those... read
more. |
Boehner: If Pres.
Obama is committed to jobs, he should end “Stimulus” spending binge
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued
the following statement responding to President Obama’s speech to the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “President Obama has retooled his rhetoric,
but not his job-destroying policies, which are eroding confidence,
fostering uncertainty, and crowding out private investment. Far
from changing tack, his administration is taking steps... read
more. |
Politico... The end of the DLC
era - By Ben Smith
February 7, 2011 - The centrist Democratic Leadership Council, which
fought and largely won a battle for the soul of the Democratic party in
the 1990s, is on the verge of bankruptcy and is closing its doors, its
founder, Al From, confirmed Monday. The group’s decision to “suspend
operations” marks the conclusion of a long slide from its peak of
relevance in the Clinton era, and perhaps the beginning a... read
more. |
Record Turnout for
Partnering for Progress Quarterly Meeting
Over 50 investors and guests show for economic development update -
GREENVILLE- A record number of investors and guests came out recently
in the cold and snow to the first Partnering for Progress Investor’s
Meeting of 2011. The quarterly event was held on Friday, January
28th at Second National Bank on S. Broadway in Greenville.
Partnering for Progress... read
more. |
Senator Faber’s
Weekly Newsletter
February 7, 2011 - Grand Lake St. Marys Update - On January 27th,
Governor Kasich and the directors of the Ohio Environmental Protection
Agency (OEPA), the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Ohio
Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) announced initial actions to
address long-standing water quality problems at Grand Lake St.
Marys. The initial actions taken... read
more. |
Politico... FAA bill full of
politics as usual - By Shira Toeplitz
February 7, 2011 - Earmarks might be on the outs in Washington, but the
first bill on the Senate floor since Democrats reluctantly embraced an
earmark ban is still chock-full of expensive aviation pet projects that
lawmakers are eager to defend for their voters back home. Tucked inside
a current draft of a bill to fund Federal Aviation Administration
programs are legislative line items... read
more. |
Washington Post... John Kasich:
Spoiling for a fight in Ohio - By George F. Will
Sunday, February 6, 2011 - In 1997, when Republicans controlled the
U.S. House of Representatives and John Kasich chaired the Budget
Committee, he set his sights on the GOP’s 2000 presidential nomination
because “there just aren’t enough hours left in my life that I can get
everything done that I want to get done.” He was 44. The presidency
eluded him, as it has every sitting congressman other... read
more. |
Politico...
Bush-Appointed
Federal Judge Tosses Out Challenge to Health Reform
by Ian Millhiser - Friday 04 February 2011 - Judge Roger Vinson’s
error-filled opinion was one of the biggest news stories this week, at
times even overshadowing the revolution underway in Egypt. Yet another
opinion signed by George W. Bush-appointed Judge Keith Starrett
highlights just how much of an extreme outlier Vinson is — and how
wrong it was for so many observers to overreact to Vinson’s tea
partying opinion. The Constitution requires a plaintiff to show... read
more. |
FoxNews.com... Unions Head for
Showdown With Senate Over TSA Representation
February 05, 2011 - Unions that want to represent thousands of airport
screeners are heading for a showdown with the Senate as early as
Monday, with some lawmakers looking to revoke the collective-bargaining
rights the Transportation Security Administration just granted them.
TSA Administrator John Pistole announced for the first time Friday that
he would allow security officers... read
more. |
Politico...
Senate launches bid
to out-cut House, By David Rogers
2/4/11 - House Republicans sketched out tens of billions in
appropriations cuts Thursday, even as White House Budget Director Jacob
Lew met with Senate Democrats amid increased pressure to resurrect
major elements of last year’s presidential debt commission report. The
GOP’s ambitious goal in the House is to roll back foreign aid and
domestic spending to 2008 levels, but the leadership now admits that
its net savings amount to just $32 billion... read
more. |
Rasmussen... What They Told Us:
Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Saturday, February 05, 2011 - The drama on the streets of Cairo has
many Americans thinking about national security and the role our
country plays in the world these days. Most expect the unrest in Egypt
to spread to other Middle Eastern countries and think that will be bad
for the United States. But a sizable majority (70%) also believe the
United States should stay out of Egypt’s current... read
more. |
Faber says budget
“fix” will hurt - By Jan Boyer, Senior Scribe
GREENVILLE - Expect “gnashing of teeth and wailing” as Ohio works to
fix its budget woes. This was State Senator Keith Faber’s (R-12)
message to a room full of Chamber of Commerce members and friends at
Romer’s Catering Friday. “For too long, inactivity has been the state
government norm,” Faber said. There is general agreement that the
problem can’t be cured by spending... read
more. |
Boehner calls on
Obama to abandon spending quest
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today issued
the following statement regarding the latest employment figures
released by the U.S. Department of Labor: “The president's ‘stimulus’
spending binge isn't working and has failed to deliver on its promise
to keep unemployment below eight percent. The spending binge is
hurting job creation -- eroding confidence, draining funds away from
private investment, and... read
more. |
Newsmax...
U.S. Lawmakers Aim to
Stop EPA Carbon Regulation
U.S. lawmakers introducing legislation to stop the federal government
from regulating emissions blamed for global warming may have a stronger
bargaining position now that President Barack Obama wants to pass a
clean-energy plan. Republicans Fred Upton, chair of the House Energy
and Commerce Committee, and Senator James Inhofe readied draft
legislation Wednesday that would stop the Environmental Protection
Agency from regulating carbon dioxide... Read the story at Newsmax.
|
Foxnews.com... Al Gore Explains
‘Snowmageddon’ - By Gene J. Koprowski
Feb, 03, 2011 - If the planet is warming, why is a third of America
locked in a deep freeze, with record-low temperatures as far south as
the Mexican border, where the thermometer in Ciudad Juarez plummeted
Wednesday night to a bone-chilling 9-below zero? Self-proclaimed
planetary climate czar Al Gore thinks he has answer. “As it turns out,
the scientific community... read
more. |
Sources in Sex
Offender Controversy Troubling - By Bob Robinson, Editor
One source used to
“support” residency restrictions actually “states point-blank that
residency restrictions are not effective.”
A local citizen has indicated that some of the sources being used to
push wider restriction zones aren’t being correctly used. For
instance, one of the sources used says… “As a result of the laws
restricting residential locations for registered... read
more. |
Sojourners...
Daily Digest
The latest news on Senate Rejects Repeal of Health-Care Law, Voting
Rights Act, Census Shows Racial Minority Growth, START, Yemen
Anti-Government Protests, Syrian Weekend Protests, Afghanistan, and
India Tackling Maternal Health. Compiled by Duane Shank 02-03-2011... read
the stories. |
Dayton
Business Journal... Ohio’s
Republican majority pushing agenda through
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 - You’ve got to give Ohio Senate and House
Republicans an “A” for consistency when it comes to their priorities
for the 129th General Assembly. According to a report by the Columbus
Biz Insider, the top five bills introduced in the Senate on Tuesday
sounded many of the same themes heard a month ago when House Speaker
Bill Batchelder, R-Medina, outlined the priorities he and his GOP
colleagues will advance in the coming months... read
more. |
Boehner praises
Senate GOP for seeking to Repeal Job-Destroying Health Care Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) issued the
following statement applauding Senate Republicans for keeping their
promise to seek repeal of the job-destroying health care law, and
vowing to continue working to repeal and replace it with common-sense
solutions that lower costs and protect jobs: “I’m pleased Senate
Republicans have kept their promise... read
more. |
Family Health Chooses
Executive Director, By Delbert Blickenstaff, M.D., Senior
Scribe
Jean Young, of Ansonia, OH, has been selected by the Board of Directors
to be Family Health’s new Executive Director. The first Executive
Director was the late Jean Louise Thieme, starting in 1973. Following
Ms. Thieme were Morrison Borders, and Jay Montgomery (who held that
position for 20 years.) Since Mr. Montgomery’s retirement in October,
2009... read
more. |
Working to Create
Jobs in the 21st Century, By State Representative Jim Buchy
On Monday, January 10, Jim Zehringer was sworn in as Director of
Agriculture for the State of Ohio, which meant that his seat as state
representative of the 77th House District was vacated. Jim served
the district admirably for several years and he is going to be a great
Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Jim’s work on the
Grand Lake issues exemplified his ability to be a leader... read
more. |
Dayton
Business Journal... DPL:
80k customers lost power overnight
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 - Dayton Power & Light is still working
to restore electricity to 42,000 customers who lost power during
Tuesday’s ice storm. Some customers may still be without power after
Friday evening, when DPL said it expects to have 95 percent of
customers back online. “We have crews working to restore power to our
customers as soon as possible (around the clock), and we will be adding
more crews later today that are coming in... read
more.
|
Politico...
Senate GOP aims for
piecemeal health care reform repeal, By Jennifer Haberkorn
2/1/11
Senate Republicans have promised to force votes on allowing states to
opt out of some of the most politically controversial provisions of the
health care reform law. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John Barrasso
(R-Wyo.) introduced legislation Tuesday that would allow states to “opt
out” of the law’s requirement that individuals have to buy insurance,
that large companies have to provide insurance and that states need to
expand their Medicaid program... read
more.
|
Dayton
Business Journal... Obama
launches entrepreneur program, by Kent Hoover
Monday, January 31, 2011 - Barack Obama’s administration launched a
two-pronged Startup America program to boost high-growth
entrepreneurship in the U.S. The initiative, announced Monday, includes
government programs as well as private-sedctor efforts to train, mentor
and fund entrepreneurs. The private-sector efforts will be coordinated
by the new Startup America Partnership, chaired by Steve Case,
cofounder of AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) and CEO of Revolution... read
more.
|
Sojourners...
Daily Digest
Feb. 1 - Napolitano Urges Officials to Stop Exaggeration of Border
Violence, Illinois Civil Unions Signed Into Law, Super Bowl Draws Child
Sex Rings, Egypt Protests, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Korea, Haiti,
and Select Op-Eds. Feb. 2 - U.S. Illegal Immigration Stabilizes,
Cutting Federal Spending, Recession Takes Toll on Low-Income Renters,
President Mubarak’s Concession, Interview with Mohamed ElBaradei, Iraq,
Sudan, Mexico, and Select Op-Eds... read
more.
|
Rasmussen
Reports... GOP Voters
Want Presidential Candidate With Private Sector Experience
Monday, January 31, 2011 - Most Republican Primary voters are looking
for experience in both the private sector and government in a potential
presidential candidate. Private sector experience carries a bit more
weight. They are also looking for someone who shares their views rather
than simply picking someone who is electable... read
more.
|
Rep. Richard Adams Votes in Support of Economic Development Effort
JobsOhio passes from
Ohio House; advances to Ohio Senate
- COLUMBUS—State Representative Richard Adams (R-Troy) announced that
Am. Sub. House Bill 1, which creates a non-profit economic development
organization called JobsOhio, today passed from the Ohio House of
Representatives by a vote of 59-37. Its passage marks a crucial step
toward fostering a... read
more. |
Dayton
Business Journal... Unrest in
Egypt fluctuates oil, gas prices
Tuesday, February 1, 2011 - As unrest in Egypt rages on, oil prices in
the U.S. continue to fluctuate. The benchmark price for crude oil for
March delivery rose to $102.19 per barrel Tuesday amid concerns about
political turmoil in the African nation. However, prices fell below $92
per barrel by noon on the New York Mercantile Exchange. With Egypt’s
future in question, so too is the future... read
more. |
Citizens
Against Government Waste... Ohio’s
Sen. Sherrod Brown a Porker of the Month
Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) has named Sens. Sherrod Brown
(D-Ohio), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and John Kerry (D-Mass.) Porkers of
the Month for urging the Pentagon to release taxpayer funds to continue
developing General Electric’s alternate engine for the Joint Strike
Fighter. The alternate engine has been criticized as wasteful and
unnecessary by taxpayers, both the Bush... read
more. |
Federal Judge in
Florida Rules Obamacare Unconstitutional
Monday, 31 Jan 2011 - PENSACOLA, Fla. – A federal judge ruled Monday
that the Obama administration's health care overhaul is
unconstitutional, siding with 26 states that sued to block it. U.S.
District Judge Roger Vinson accepted without trial the states' argument
that the new law violates people's rights by forcing them to buy health
insurance by 2014 or face penalties.
Attorneys for the administration had argued that the... read
more. |
Ohio Expansion
Projects to Create and Retain More Than 1,103 Jobs
Projects Invigorate Regional Economies, Generate Jobs for Ohioans. The
City of Greenville will receive a $150,553 Roadwork Development Grant
for the costs associated with the completion of public roadwork
improvements in support of Continental Carbonic Products, Inc.’s
project in the City of Greenville (Darke County). The project involves
the construction of approximately 650 feet of roadway and four curb
inlets north of the intersection... read
more. |
Boehner and Wicker
seek Answers for Delphi Retirees
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) and Senator
Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) today announced the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) will complete phase one of its non-partisan, independent
analysis of the federal financial assistance provided to the General
Motors (GM) Corporation and its treatment of non-unionized Delphi
retirees... read
more. |
Senator Faber’s
Weekly Newsletter
January 31, 2011 - The Ohio Statehouse celebrates its Sesquicentennial
- 1861 to 2011 - 150 years of serving as the heart of Ohio democracy!
The people of Ohio will celebrate the sesquicentennial of the Ohio
Statehouse in Columbus throughout 2011. Completed in 1861, the
Statehouse has served as the heart of Ohio democracy for the last 150
years. Throughout the state, our Capitol Building... read
more. |
Obamacare ruled
unconstitutional; Boehner comments, followed by Newsmax
link.
Feb. 1, 2011 - Fox News at 3:03 p.m. Monday: Florida judge rules that
health care law is unconstitutional, says entire act must be declared
void. Politico at 3:27 p.m. Monday: A federal judge in Florida has
ruled that the entire health care reform law is unconstitutional. Judge
Roger Vinson stopped short of ordering the federal government to stop
implementing the law... read
more. |
FoxNews.com... Boehner: U.S.
Will Not Default on Debt, But Congress Will Slash Spending
The United States will not default on its obligations, but must reduce
spending at the same time it raises its debt limit, House Speaker John
Boehner said Sunday. Suggesting that lawmakers are willing to uncouple
the debt ceiling from the spending debate so that the U.S. doesn’t
default on its loans, Boehner said the Republican-led House will demand
that an increase... read
more. |
FoxNews.com... Arizona-Style
Immigration Bills Emerge in New State Legislative Sessions
Buoyed by expanded majorities, Republicans at the state level are
stepping up their push to pass Arizona-style immigration laws even as a
federal court weighs whether to strike down the original legislation.
Mississippi was the latest state to make gains on the issue, with the
state House voting Thursday for a bill that would let officers check
immigration status during traffic stops... read
more. |
Dayton Business Journal... Air
Force band makes Dayton stop, by Joe Cogliano
The U.S. Air Force Band of Flight will be in Dayton to play its annual
Hearts, Heritage and Heroes Concert on Feb. 12. The event — filled with
music to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day and Black History
Month — takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the National Museum of the U.S. Air
Force. Under the command of Maj. R. Michael Mench, the band travels... read
more. |
Rasmussen...
What They Told Us:
Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
First things first. Next week we’re looking for your opinion to help us
shape our products now and in the future. Rasmussen Reports will
conduct a reader survey next Tuesday through Friday. Please give us
feedback about our current website and content, and help us decide what
to add in the future. President Obama, in his State of the Union
address last Tuesday night, called his plans for targeted new spending
in areas like education, transportation and technology... read
more. |
Dayton Business Journal... Cincinnati
casino breaking ground Feb. 4
The Harrah’s casino in downtown Cincinnati is planned for the area of
town known as Broadway Commons. Developers of the new Cincinnati casino
will break ground next week. Rock Gaming CEO Dan Gilbert and Caesars
Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman will be there for the event Feb. 4 and
will share new details about the development, according... read
more. |
Politico.com...
House GOP
punches reform again - By Kate Nocera and David Nather
House Republicans launched a two-pronged attack on health reform
Wednesday, ripping apart the idea that it cuts spending and painting it
as a disaster for business. The first hearing of the Budget Committee
took on the spending argument, while the Ways and Means Committee went
after the law as anti-business. And despite President Barack Obama’s
State of the Union plea to stop the fighting on health care, the
administration counterpunched by calling in Costco... read
more. |
FoxNews.com... CBO Director:
Trillion-Dollar Deficits Risk ‘Fiscal Crisis’ in U.S.
The top numbers cruncher for Congress warned Thursday that the federal
government increasingly risks sending the country into a “fiscal
crisis,” projecting that unless cuts are made, within a decade the
national debt could reach nearly 100 percent of all annual economic
activity. That’s like having $50,000 in debt on a $50,000-a-year
salary... read
more. |
Detling nominated to
replace McClurg - By Bob Robinson
The Darke County Republican Party Central Committee heard the arguments
of three applicants seeking to replace retiring Juvenile Probate Courts
Judge Mike McClurg at its Jan. 24 meeting at Shawnee Prairie. The
official position to be filled is Darke County Common Pleas Judge,
Probate/Juvenile Division... read
more. |
Sojourners…
Daily News
Digest
The latest news on Social Security, Foreclosures, Immigration, Firearms
Research, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Afghanistan Parliament, and Palestine
Papers. Compiled by Duane Shank 01-27-2011... read
more. |
McCulloch
Honored as
“Great Ohioan” - Rep. Adams is Pleased With Announcement
COLUMBUS—William Moore McCulloch yesterday was selected as part
of the 2011 class of “Great Ohioans” by the Capital Square Review and
Advisory Board and Capital Square Foundation. McCulloch is a former
congressman and state representative, serving as speaker of the Ohio
House from 1939-1944. After graduating from law school at the
Ohio State University... read
more. |
Dayton Business Journal... Ohioans
deep in credit card debt, by Tom Demeropolis, DBJ
Contributor
Thursday, January 27, 2011 - Hopefully, Ohioans financial backs are
feeling strong. Because the state has one of the largest amounts of
credit card debt. The Buckeye State’s total credit card balance is
nearly $29 billion, according to Equifax (NYSE: EFX). Based on percent
of income to credit card debt, Ohio comes in No. 2 in the nation... read
more. |
Washington Post... A State of
the Union response or a 2012 match-up? By Jennifer Rubin
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) had the unenviable task of responding to the
State of the Union. You can’t compete with the president in pomp and
setting, and it is absurd to try to match him line by line and program
by program. Ryan smartly didn’t try. Instead, he crisply set out a
vision and the rationale for his vision. As the camera moved in, the
initial image of a very young man in a very big room... read
more. |
Senator Faber’s
Weekly Newsletter
Important Scholarship Information for 2011 - Again this year, the Ohio
Association of Career Colleges and Schools is pleased to announce its
2010-2011 Legislative Scholarship Program. This program offers
over 260 scholarship opportunities worth more than $1,000,000 to
graduating high school seniors in Ohio. The primary objective of
these scholarships is to provide students... read
more. |
|
Sojourners…
The latest news on Health-Care Law, National Black Museum, Climate
Change, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, South Korea-North Korea, World
Hunger, and Select Op-Eds. Jan. 24, 2011 and Jan. 25, 2011... read
more. |
Redstate...
Another Tax on
the
Poor - By Erick Erickson
Liberals, with the signature of President Bush, have driven up the cost
of being poor in this country yet again. That’s right — beginning this
year in California and next year everywhere else, the incandescent
lightbulb is being banned... read
more. |
NPR... Transcript: Obama’s State
Of The Union Address
The White House has released the text of President Obama’s State of the
Union address, as prepared for delivery: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice
President, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow
Americans: Tonight I want to begin by congratulating the men and women
of the 112th Congress, as well as your new Speaker, John Boehner. And
as we mark this occasion... read
more. |
Dayton Business Journal... U.S.
EPA approves 15% ethanol fuel
Jan. 22, 2011 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given the
green light to a controversial boost in the amount of ethanol allowed
in gasoline used by cars and light trucks manufactured between 2001 and
2006. The EPA on Oct. 13, 2010, granted a waiver for E15 fuel — a blend
of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline — to be used in 2007... read
more. |
Dayton Business Journal... Unemployment
rate declines in Dayton; Darke County slightly up; Ohio unemployment
rate drops to 9.6%
Jobless rate in Dayton region declines again. The Dayton-area
unemployment rate continued to decrease in December, marking the third
consecutive month of improvement. The December jobless rate for the
Dayton metropolitan statistical area was 9.9 percent... read
more. |
THE WHITE HOUSE, Office of the Press Secretary
Excerpts from
President Obama’s State of the Union Address
Jan. 25, 2011 - With their votes, the American people determined that
governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. New laws
will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans. We will
move forward together, or not at all – for the challenges we face are
bigger than party; this excerpt is followed by comments from Speaker of the House John Boehner...
read
more. |
Money
News... Fannie, Freddie to
Taxpayers: Pay Our Legal Bills - By Forrest Jones
Monday, 24 Jan 2011 - Mortgage finance giants Fannie and Freddie have
asked taxpayers to pick up $160 million in legal fees owed during civil
lawsuits, the New York Times reports.
The bulk of the money — $132
million — went to defend Fannie Mae in securities suits and government
probes into accounting irregularities allegedly occurring before the
subprime meltdown sparked the housing crisis.
The total bill could
rise, the newspaper reports... read more
|
Locals invited
to
Swearing-ins and Inaugural Activities in Columbus - By Lyn
Bliss
Along with at least three other Darke Countians, my husband Al and I
had the pleasure of attending the recent swearing-ins and inaugural
activities in Columbus. These were held for all of the Ohio Executive
Office electees: Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney
General, Auditor and Treasurer. Republican Central and Executive
Committeewoman... read
more. |
Locals invited
to
Swearing-ins and Inaugural Activities in Columbus - By Lyn
Bliss
Along with at least three other Darke Countians, my husband Al and I
had the pleasure of attending the recent swearing-ins and inaugural
activities in Columbus. These were held for all of the Ohio Executive
Office electees: Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney
General, Auditor and Treasurer. Republican Central and Executive
Committeewoman... read
more. |
Local GOP
endorses
Detling to replace McClurg
The Darke County Central Committee voted Tuesday night to endorse
Juvenile-Probate Court Magistrate Jim Detling to replace retiring
Juvenile-Probate Court Judge Mike McClurg. The Committee also voted to
send the names of all three applicants to Gov. John Kasich... read
more. |
Politico…
Fickle
independents
return to Barack Obama - By Alexander Burns
President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats learned at least one
big lesson in the November elections: What the independent voter gives,
the independent voter can also take away. But now, the same
temperamental bloc that threw House Democrats out of power appear to be
in a giving mood again - at least as far as Obama is concerned. That
unpredictable, cranky group of voters who helped carry the president
into office... read more
|
Politico…
Who’s your
date?
Pairing off for the State of the Union - By Meredith Shiner
Lawmakers on the Hill haven’t quite broken out the corsages — yet — but
the high school level drama is on as senators and representatives
scramble to find suitable across-the-aisle seating partners for
Tuesday’s State of the Union address. The very public rollout of
odd-couple pairings this week, from lofty press releases to tweets to
public displays of bipartisan affection on national TV — where Sens... read more
|
Foxnews.com…
Obama Tacks
Center,
but Debt Reduction Remains Elusive
President Obama's State of the Union address is expected to emphasize
jobs, growth and debt reduction but is unlikely to embrace the
recommendations of a bipartisan majority of the deficit reduction
commission he created to find ways to balance the budget, a senior aide
to the president told Fox News. The panel, which spent a half-million
dollars developing a set of debt reduction recommendations... read
more
|
Insider Report
from Newsmax.com
Headlines: 1. Huckabee Book Tour Points to 2012 Run 2.
State Budgets: The Worst Is Yet to Come
3. Report Refutes ‘Tear
Gas Death’ of Palestinian
4. Rep. David Wu Loses Staffers After
‘Bizarre Behavior’
5. Piracy Hits Record High in 2010
6.
We Heard: Linda McMahon, Ron Paul... read
more
|
Rasmussen...
America's Best Days - 68% Prefer
A Government With Fewer
Services, Lower Taxes
Jan. 21, 2011 - House Republicans are proposing to follow their repeal
of the national health care bill with billions in spending cuts,
and most voters continue to favor a government that offers fewer
services and lower taxes. The latest Rasmussen Reports national
telephone survey finds that 68% of Likely Voters prefer a government
with fewer services and lower taxes rather than a more active one with
more services and higher taxes... read more
|
Rasmussen Reports… What They
Told Us: Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Jan. 22, 2011 - Things appear to be looking up a bit for President
Obama who on Friday posted his highest job approval numbers in nearly a
year in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll. Tacking
to the center after the Democrats’ disastrous showing in the midterm
elections, most notably with the Bush tax cut deal, seems to be paying
off for the president... read
more
|
Sojourners… Doctor: Transfer of
Giffords to Houston flawless
HOUSTON – Rep. Gabrielle Giffords smiled inside an ambulance as she
heard applause during a dramatic send-off from her hometown Friday, and
doctors say her transfer by jet and helicopter to a hospital in Houston
went flawlessly. Throngs of sign-carrying well-wishers lined the
streets in Tucson to wave and cheer. “She responded very well to that —
smiling... read
more
|
Dayton
Business Journal... Ohio
pulls approval for Miami-Jacobs nursing program
Ohio Board of Nursing withdrew approval of the Miami-Jacobs Career
College nursing program. The state board cited “recurring deficiencies
related to a disregard for students,” said Lisa Emrich, a board
programs manager. Miami-Jacobs said it was "outraged by the decision."
"They defied the examiner’s recommendation which clearly acknowledged
our progress and also recommended continuing our accreditation for
another year as we continue to improve the... read more
|
Reason
Foundation… Reforming
Education, Consumer Spending, and Closure
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Reforming Education - As governor of
Florida from 1999 to 2007, Jeb Bush championed school choice. His first
year in office he created a program that offered vouchers to students
in failing schools. The program successfully boosted student
achievement until it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2006. Two
other Bush-supported programs -- one that offers tax credits to
business that help send low-income... read more
|
Politico... Conservatives urge
Mike Pence to fill GOP ‘void’
To understand the dissatisfaction on the right with the current crop of
Republican presidential hopefuls, look no further than Mike Pence. An
Indiana congressman with just five terms in public office, Pence is
currently the subject of a draft movement — but he may well pick a
gubernatorial run over a White House bid. Nevertheless, a group of
longtime Republicans... read
more
|
Newsmax… GOP Attempts Historic
$2.5 Trillion Cut in Federal Spending
Buoyed by their successful vote to repeal healthcare reform,
conservative House Republicans on Thursday rolled out plans for a
massive, $2.5 trillion cut in federal spending over the next 10 years.
The proposal, to be contained in the Spending Reduction Act of 2011,
would reset non-security discretionary spending to 2008 levels,
affecting everything from state stimulus... read
more
|
Ryan to Deliver
Republican Address on Jan. 25
Speech to immediately follow President Obama’s State of the Union -
Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) and Senate Republican Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced today that House Budget Committee
Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) will deliver the Republican address following
the President’s State of the Union address to Congress on January 25,
2011. Last year... read
more
|
Boehner on the
“No
Taxpayer Funding for Abortion” Act
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) and Rep.
Chris Smith (R-NJ) held a press conference today to discuss the
introduction of the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” Pledge to
America legislation that would codify the Hyde Amendment by permanently
prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion across all federal
programs. During his opening remarks... read
more
|
Republicans'
new
strategy: Blame Harry Reid
Cantor said Reid should bring repeal up for a vote if he is 'so
confident' it wouldn't pass. House Republicans seized power in November
by portraying then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) as the symbol of all
that was wrong with the country and the political system. Now they’re
going after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
Only two weeks into the new Congress, Majority Leader Eric Cantor... read
more
|
Boehner on
Meeting
with Chinese President Hu Jintao
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) and a
bipartisan group of lawmakers today met with President of the People's
Republic of China Hu Jintao. Boehner released the following statement:
“I want to thank President Hu of China for meeting with me and a
bipartisan group of lawmakers today to discuss some of the issues... read
more
|
Dayton Business Journal... Ohio joins
health care reform lawsuit
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 - Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on
Tuesday filed a motion to add Ohio and five other states to the federal
health-care lawsuit, which is challenging last year's reform law as
unconstitutional.
In addition to Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Maine joined
the suit. The motion brings the total number of states to 26... read
more
|
The Columbus
Inauguration Galas
There was a lot of activity in Columbus over the past couple of weeks,
and some of our Darke County residents were privileged to take part in
them. Lyn Bliss was one of those residents. She has posted several
youtube slide shows on their experience. Feel free to check them out.
Franklin Conservatory Reception • Husted
Swearing-in - DeWine-Husted Reception • Mandel
Swearing-in • Kasich Inauguration • Governor/Lt.
Governor Gala
• Yost
Swearing-in & Reception
|
Sojourners...
Daily News
Digest
Polls show low regard for political dialogue. Poll shows high marks for
Obama on Tucson, low regard for political dialogue “Americans
overwhelmingly describe the tone of political discourse in the country
as negative, verging on angry, according to a new Washington Post-ABC
News poll, but more than half say the culture did not contribute to the
shootings in Tucson that killed six people and wounded 13” Gun laws.
Americans’ Views on Guns... read
more
|
Boehner
outlines what
repealing Obamacare means for taxpayers
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester)
today delivered the following speech on the House floor outlining what
repealing the job-destroying health care law means for families, small
businesses, and taxpayers, and urging lawmakers to work together on
better reforms that will lower costs and protect jobs. A link to the
video and the full remarks... read
more
|
Politico… Rookie Rand Paul
tackles budget head-on - By Manu Raju (AP Photo)
President Barack Obama will soon lay out his vision for federal
spending when he releases his annual budget, setting in motion months
of debate over the size and scope of government. Rand Paul is doing the
same thing. The tea party hero is at the bottom of the Senate in
seniority and was sworn in as Kentucky’s junior Republican senator only
two weeks... read
more
|
Dispatch error
in
death of 9-year-old
On January 14, 2011 at approximately 9:41 AM the Darke County Sheriff’s
Office received a 911 call from 120 East Cross Street in the Village of
Palestine, Ohio. The Darke County Dispatcher sent Ansonia Rescue, Fire
and Police to 120 West and East Cross Street in Ansonia. The caller was
provided CPR instructions while emergency units responded. At
approximately 8 minutes into the... read
more
|
More than two
tons of
food collected Monday
The cans of corn and boxes of macaroni and cheese have been tallied,
and the results are amazing! In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Day, HandsOn West Central Ohio partnered with Hits 105.5 to collect
more than 4,800 pounds of food for four food pantries and soup kitchens
in Darke, Logan, Miami and Shelby Counties. A program of Council on
Rural Services... read
more
|
Dayton
Business Journal... Time
Warner, Sinclair agree on TV deal
Jan. 17, 2011 - Two weeks after their broadcasting rights fee agreement
expired, Time Warner Cable and Sinclair Broadcast Group have agreed in
principle to a new contract. Terms will be made public when a final
agreement is put into place in the next week. The tentative deal
guaranteed none of Sinclair's (NASDAQ:SBGI) television stations would
leave Time Warner cable networks at midnight Saturday. Executives at
Time Warner (NYSE:TWC) and their counterparts... read more
|
Dayton
Business Journal - Bankers
group forecasts 2.1M new jobs in 2011
Economic recovery is going to take effort, but is not unreachable,
according to the American Bankers Association’s Economic Advisory
Committee. The 14-member committee on Friday predicted improvement in
the economy could be realized this year. The committee anticipates that
2.1 million new jobs will be created in 2011... read more
|
Saluk says
nearly 200
jobs saved or created in 2010 - By Bob Robinson
GREENVILLE – Darke County Economic Development Director Marc Saluk told
a standing room only crowd Saturday that the combined efforts of
individuals and groups saved 80 Darke County jobs, and helped create
about 110 new ones. “In 2010, there were 38 official county visits to
local businesses to find out their needs and what we could do to help
them... read
more
|
Congressman
John
Boehner on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) Monday issued the
following statement in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:
"With words that continue to inspire, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. challenged our country to look inward and honor the promises
our forebears made to secure the blessings of liberty. Reverend
King stressed faith and grace in his quest to achieve freedom and
equality for all, preaching that the ‘time is always right to do what
is right.’ Recent events have reminded us that whatever our
differences may be, we can disagree without being disagreeable to each
other, and we can seek to be right without being self-righteous.
Reverend King led a committed life, and it is right that we continue to
honor his memory and reflect on his legacy."
|
Yahoo
News... House panel wants
Homeland Security documents - By Alan Fram, Associated
Press
WASHINGTON – A House committee has asked the Homeland Security
Department to provide documents about an agency policy that required
political appointees to review many Freedom of Information Act
requests, according to a letter obtained Sunday by The Associated
Press... read
more
|
Newsmax... The Best Country for
Tax Simplicity - and the Worst
The typical small business in the United States might need to spend 187
hours a year to comply with the nation’s tax code. In the Indian Ocean
nation of Maldives, compliance could take less than an hour - and in
Brazil, 2,600 hours. The World Bank and the PricewaterhouseCoopers
accounting firm devised an analysis of the world’s tax codes... read
more
|
Truthout… What Does WikiLeaks
Have on Bank of America? by Mary Bottari
Jan. 13, 2011 - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is promising to
unleash a cache of secret documents from the hard drive of a U.S.
megabank executive. In 2009, he told Computer World that the bank was
Bank of America (BofA). In 2010, he told Forbes that the information
was significant enough to "take down a bank or two," but that he needed
time to lay out the information in a more user-friendly format... read
more
|
Rasmussen
Reports... What They Told Us:
Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Saturday, January 15, 2011 - It’s back to business for the new Congress
this coming week following the tragic shooting of Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of six others in Arizona. First up
in the House is a vote to repeal the national health care bill passed
last year by Democrats in the previous Congress. Although that vote in
the Republican-led House... read
more
|
Rasmussen
Reports… 75% Want
Health Care Law Changed - Friday, January 14, 2011
Voters overwhelmingly want to see last year’s health care law changed,
but there is substantial disagreement about how best to do it. The
latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 75% of
Likely U.S. Voters want to change the law, while only 18% want it left
alone. Those figures include 20%... read
more
|
Politico…
Tax reform on
deck in
the House, By Richard E. Cohen
Jan. 14, 2011 - Tax reform is on deck in the House, with hearings
planned for next week in the Ways and Means Committee. Chairman Rep.
Dave Camp (R-Mich.) announced late Thursday that he will hold the first
in a set of hearings on “fundamental” tax reform next Thursday... read
more
|
Politico…
Health care
reform
law back on House agenda for Tuesday - By Jake Sherman
Jan. 13, 2011 - The House will try to get back to normal next week,
with the chamber coming back into session on Tuesday to reignite debate
over repealing the health care reform law. “As the White House noted,
it is important for Congress to get back to work, and to that end we
will resume thoughtful consideration of the health care bill next
week”... read
more
|
msnbc… The emergency response in
Tucson: Timeline shows ambulance delays - By Bill Dedman
How fast was the emergency response in Tucson? It depends on your
perspective. The Pima County Sheriff's Office released on Friday a
timeline of the shooting in Tucson, Ariz., of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords
and others, appearing to show the first ambulance arriving 20 minutes
after the first 911 call came in. That information seemed to match
reports... read
more
|
Allen Keaser
named
Kiwanis Citizen of the Year
Allen Keaser, Greenville Township Fire Department volunteer, has been
named the Greenville Kiwanis Citizen of the Year. Keaser and his wife
Nancy recently spoke to Kiwanis about the Township’s mascot, Rage, and
gave a history of Dalmations with fire departments. In addition to his
service with the fire department, Keaser serves on both... read
more
|
Politico.com…
Reince Priebus
elected RNC chairman; Michael Steele ends bid, By Andy Barr
Jan. 14, 2011 - Reince Priebus, who led the Wisconsin Republican Party
to major gains in the 2010 midterm elections, won election as chairman
of the Republican National Committee in a drawn-out balloting process
Friday, ousting incumbent Chairman Michael Steele after a rocky
two-year tenure. Priebus started out as the top vote-getter in the
race, besting Steele by one vote on the first ballot. But it wasn’t
until the seventh round of voting... read
more
|
News Update
from the
Kasich Taylor Team:
On Monday, John Kasich was sworn in as Ohio’s 69th Governor and been
working tirelessly to send the message that Ohio is open for business
again. Below, you can find highlights of some of the Governor's
activities in his first days in office. 1. Governor Kasich was sworn in
as Ohio’s 69th Governor. See below for link to all activities noted. 2.
Governor Kasich announced venture capitalist Mark Kvamme as the new
Director of the Ohio... read
more
|
Edison
Community
College Selects Four Candidates For President
Edison Community College has selected four finalists for the position
of president and will bring each candidate to campus for two days
between January 18 and 27. The selected candidate will replace outgoing
president Dr. Kenneth Yowell, who will be retiring in April after 23
years at the helm of Edison... read
more
|
Dayton
Business Journal… Wright
State University creates virtual humans for U.S. soldiers
- Jan. 12, 2011
Wright State University students are working on a project aimed at
relieving the culture shock facing soldiers deployed overseas. Their
answer: virtual humans. The university’s Center of Excellence in
Human-Centered Innovation was awarded a $530,000 grant to give soldiers
realistic cultural training by creating virtual figures that feature
personality and cultural representations of behaviors, mannerisms,
facial expressions, speech... read
more
|
Dayton
Business Journal… Kasich
addresses Dayton business leaders - Jan. 11, 2011
New Ohio Gov. John Kasich said the state of Ohio needs some quick wins
to get on track. Kasich, the keynote speaker at the Dayton Development
Coalition’s annual meeting on Tuesday, looked comfortable on stage as
rifled through his plans to create a more business-friendly state. It
was his first appearance since wrapping up... read
more
|
Sojourners News Briefs
- Jan. 13, 2010
The latest news on Religion, Obama Calls for Healing, Gabrielle
Giffords, Jared Lee Loughner, Health-Care Repeal Vote, Home
Foreclosures, 2010 Ties as Warmest Year on Record, Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Israel, Sudan, and Select Op-Eds... Compiled by Duane Shank
01-13-2011... read
more
|
Politico.com...
Tragedy may
soften
health debate
- Jan. 13, 2011
When the House returns to the debate over repealing health care reform,
the rhetoric most likely will be softer — but the lines of division are
expected to be as hard as ever. The House is expected to return to
Washington next week to a more subdued debate on repealing the health
care reform law than it probably would have had a few... read
more
|
Shelby
County Ag Day Draws Farmers from Six Counties,
By Justin Petrosino
OSU Extension, Shelby County, hosted its annual Ag Day on Monday,
January 10th,at St. Michael’s Hall in Ft. Loramie. The event brought in
farmers from six counties including Darke and state specialists from
OSU and Purdue. Participants in the field day listened to experts speak
about insect management, movement of phosphorus in our soils, managing
the problem weed marestail, crop disease management, and many other
topics... read
more
|
From
Politico.com... President Obama
in Tucson, AZ
President Obama and the first lady have entered the auditorium in
Tucson to thunderous applause and cheers from the thousands of people
at the service. He is standing next to Daniel Hernandez, the intern who
is credited with saving the life of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords; Michelle
Obama is standing next to Giffords’s husband, Mark Kelly. (8:02 p.m.) A
unique moment... read
more
|
Boehner on Resolution Condemning Attacks
- Jan. 12, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester)
delivered remarks on the House floor today during consideration of a
resolution condemning the tragic shooting in Tucson, AZ and honoring
the victims. Following are Boehner’s remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Today, we are called here to mourn. An unspeakable act of violence has
taken six innocent lives, and left several more... read
more
|
Kasich
Inaugural Speech - Jan.
10, 2011
Well, I have to start by thanking my great family, my little daughters,
Emma and Reese, coming up on their 16th birthday. Almost. They act like
it. They'll be 11 here on the 16th of January and it's very exciting
for them. Whenever I leave the room at night, often Emma says, "Daddy,
I love you." Sweeter words were never heard, Sweetheart. And my little
daughter Reese, the other jewel that's in my sky, she gives me those
little hugs. And when I get ready to make a big speech, she says,
"Daddy, keep it short... read
more
|
Sojourners…
Daily Digest
Jan. 11, 2011 - The latest news on Gabrielle Giffords, Jared Lee
Loughner, Spirit of Unity After Arizona Shootings, Abortion Rates
Plateau, Arizona Immigration Law, California Social Services Cuts,
Aghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, South Sudan Vote, and Select Op-Eds.
Compiled by Duane Shank... read
more
|
Rasmussen
Reports… Voters Still See
Democratic Agenda in Congress As More Extreme than GOP’s
Jan. 11, 2011 - Voters continue to feel the Republican agenda in
Congress is less extreme than that of congressional Democrats. A new
Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 42% of Likely
U.S. Voters now describe the agenda of Republicans in Congress as
mainstream, while nearly as many (38%) view it as extreme. Twenty
percent (20%) are not sure. At the same time, 38% of voters think the
agenda of Democrats in Congress... read
more
|
Politico.com...
Lawmakers face
the
new normal
Jan. 11, 2011 - He had never thought twice about going to the grocery
store, until Sunday. But Rep. Steve Cohen went anyway, padding down the
aisles and accepting well wishes from constituents as unnerved as he
was by the shooting of his friend Rep. Gabrielle Giffords the day
before. A young man approached Cohen, slow seeming, a little out of it,
telling the lawmaker that he thought the government was waging war
against the people, before moving on... read
more
|
Boehner extends State of the Union
invitation - Joint Session of
Congress Will
Convene January 25th
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-West Chester)
today sent a letter to the President formally inviting him to deliver a
State of the Union address. The Joint Session of Congress will
take place on January 25, 2011, in the House Chamber of the U.S.
Capitol. The text of the letter can be found below... read
more
|
Green
runs for Muncipal Court Judge
GREENVILLE-Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jesse J. Green has
filed his petition to run as a Republican candidate for Municipal
Court judge for the term to commence on January 1, 2012. Jesse had
served as an assistant prosecutor in Darke County since 1993. He is a
member and past president of the Darke County Bar Association, He is
also a member of the... read
more
|
Newsmax.com… Obama's State Dept. Removes Mother, Father
From Passports
Jan. 9, 2011 - In what seems to be a diplomatic effort at extreme
political correctness and a nod to gay rights groups, the Obama
administration is removing the words “mother” and “father” from U.S.
passport applications and replacing them with “gender neutral”
terminology. Mom and dad will now be referred to rather coldly as
“parent one” and “parent two.”
Conservative Christian groups are
outraged over the decision... read
more
|
Truthout.org… News Briefs
Jan. 10, 2011 - Tom DeLay Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
Jason
Leopold, Truthout: "A federal judge Monday sentenced former Republican
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to three years in prison for his role
in orchestrating a scheme to illegally funnel nearly $200,000 in
corporate cash to Texas political candidates in 2002."... read
more
|
Rasmussen Reports… Support for Public Employee Unions Declines
Jan. 10, 2011 - With states across the country finding that benefits
for public workers are becoming nearly impossible to fund in the
current economic climate, support for public employee unions has
fallen. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that
45% of Americans now at least somewhat favor unions for public
employees, while the identical number (45%) are opposed to them. These
findings include 21% who Strongly Favor such unions versus 30% who
are... read
more
|
Greenville Holds first Power of the Pen
competition
GREENVILLE – Greenville Junior High School held its first Power of the
Pen Regional Competition Saturday, with Greenville JHS Eighth Grader
Christal Smith and Mississinawa Valley JHS Seventh Grader Chance Garber
taking Best of Round honors. Smith earned Best of Round for the first
of three Eighth Grade prompts… “Taking it was easy... read
more
|
Insider
Report from Newsmax.com…
Jan. 9, 2011 - Headlines: 1. BP Explosion Led to ‘Oil Spill
Hysteria’
2. Beijing Boosts Wages Amid Fears of
Unrest
3. Romney, Palin Lead in Early New Hampshire
Poll
4. ‘Ridiculous Lawsuits’ Are No Laughing
Matter
5. Website Shows Real ‘Cost’ of Taxes
6. We Heard: Harry Reid, John Boehner... read more
|
Rasmussen Reports… Reviewing Last Week’s Key Polls
Jan. 8, 2011 - The Washington landscape for the next two years began to
take shape this past week, with Republicans taking charge of the House
and President Obama shaking up his White House staff to meet the
challenge of his new, energized opposition. The new House’s first
significant move is expected next week when it is likely to vote to
repeal the national health care plan passed by congressional Democrats
last March... read more
|
Truthout.org…
Arizona
Shooting Sets
Off Debate on Violent Political Rhetoric
Jan. 8, 2011 - Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Arizona) and seventeen others
were shot Saturday after a gunman opened fire at a public event in
Tucson, law-enforcement sources confirmed. Six people were killed,
including a federal judge, an aide to Giffords and a nine-year-old
girl.
The 40-year-old Arizona Democrat was shot in the head once at
point-blank range... read
more
|
Newsmax.com… Tea Party, Palin blamed for Shooting; but
Shooter Linked to Leftwing Politics
Jan. 9, 2011 - As U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords fights for her life
after a mad gunman shot her on Saturday, some Democrats and major media
have moved to pin the blame for her attack on the tea party movement
and conservatives like Sarah Palin, despite the fact that the shooter
was both deranged and fascinated by leftwing politics. Giffords'
Democratic colleague, Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, told Mother
Jones magazine... read more
|
From the Kasich Team...
Just after midnight, Jan. 10, 2011 - "We are thrilled to let you know
that John Kasich and Mary Taylor were just sworn in as our Governor and
Lt. Governor of Ohio! As Ohioans, we can be proud of this team and know
that they will work tirelessly to bring jobs back to our great state.
With your help, we won the election but now the hard work of governing
begins and we need you to stay involved. Please continue to share your
ideas and stay tuned for future updates."
|
TheHill.com…
House postpones
healthcare vote after attack on Giffords
Jan. 8, 2011 - House Republicans are postponing a vote to repeal the
healthcare law scheduled for next week after the shooting of Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in Arizona.
Majority Leader Eric Cantor
(R-Va.) said in a statement late Saturday that “all legislation
currently scheduled to be considered by the House of Representatives
next week is being postponed so that we can take whatever actions may
be necessary in light of today’s tragedy... read
more
|
Columbus
Dispatch… 200 state jobs moved
to civil service
Jan. 6, 2011 - Two hundred state employees have been granted
civil-service protections since the November election, shielding them
from the normal firings that occur with a change of administration.
Records released to The Dispatch yesterday by the Ohio Department of
Administrative Services show state agencies responsible for
transportation and services for disabled Ohioans moved the largest
number of employees to protected status... read
more
|
FoxNews.com...
Death Toll From
Arizona Shooting Spree
A shooting at a town hall-style event Saturday in Tucson, Ariz., left
six dead, including a federal judge, and critically wounded Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords, who police said was the target of the attack... read
more
|
Foxnews.com…
Giffords
Wounded,
Federal Judge Killed in Arizona Shooting
Jan. 8, 2011 - A shooting rampage at a town hall-style event Saturday
in Tucson, Ariz., left at least five dead (later updated to six),
including a federal judge, and critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle
Giffords, who is in intensive care but expected to survive after being
shot in the head at close range. The gunman, who sources identify to
Fox News as 22-year-old... read
more
|
Columbus
Dispatch... For $1, Kasich hires
private help to spur job creation
Jan. 6, 2011 - A prominent venture capitalist from Silicon Valley has
agreed to run the Ohio Department of Development essentially free to
help transition it to a private jobs organization, Gov.-elect John
Kasich plans to announce on Friday. Mark Kvamme, a partner at Sequoia
Capital in Menlo Park, Calif., will serve as department director on an
interim.... read
more
|
Garst Museum names new director
Jan. 8, 2011 - The Board of Directors of the Darke County Historical
Association,
Garst Museum, is pleased to announce the hiring of Clay Johnson, Ph.D.
as its next executive director. He replaces retiring director, Penny
Perry. Uniquely qualified for the position of executive director, Clay
holds a Ph.D. in Public History with History and Public Administration
from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan... read
more
|
Columbus
Dispatch... Jobs still trail
state incentives
Jan. 6, 2011 - Report: Ohio didn’t follow up when employers who got 76
awards fell 7,000 workers short - The state often has failed to take
action when companies don’t create or keep jobs in return for tax
credits and other assistance, and it’s difficult to track whether
companies comply with their agreements, a new report concludes. Ohio
Attorney General Richard Cordray released the report to the legislature
today as required by a 2009 law... read
more
|
Dayton
Daily News... 10,000 Ohio jobs
put at risk by new cuts in defense spending
Jan. 7, 2011 - The Defense Department’s announcement Thursday that it
will cancel production of a new amphibious-assault vehicle for the
Marine Corps puts at risk 10,000 jobs and a potential $2 billion
economic impact in Ohio over the next six to seven years, the
manufacturer General Dynamics Corp. said. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown,
D-Ohio, and Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, urged that the government
complete prototype testing... read
more
|
Dayton
Business Journal... Report:
Health care reform repeal to kill 250k jobs
Jan. 7, 2011 - Research group says repealing health care reform
would be ‘job killer’ and cost 250,000 jobs. A national nonpartisan
research group says repealing health care reform would destroy more
than 250,000 jobs over the next decade. The new U.S. House of
Representatives leadership, including House Speaker John Boehner,
R-West Chester, has proposed to repeal President Barack Obama’s health
care reform law... read
more
|
Commissioners
sign $14.7 million 2011 budget - By Bob Robinson
Jan. 5, 2011 - Commissioners signed a $14,728,394.14 General Fund
Budget for 2011
Wednesday, an increase of more than $176,000 over the 2010 Budget.
Revenues, however, are expected to decrease by nearly $300,000... read
more
|
Boehner 61st
Speaker
of the House - Opening
Session of 112th Congress
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today
delivered the following remarks to the opening session of the 112th
Congress. “Madam Speaker, thank you for your kind words, and thank you
for your service... read
more
|
Locals see
Boehner
Ceremony - By Bob
Robinson - Jan. 5, 2011
What do 22,000 phone calls get you? For 11 Darke Countians, the
experience of a lifetime. Four buses, loaded with residents of the
Miami Valley, headed for Washington, D.C., Tuesday morning and arrived
yesterday evening. Today more than 400 people, including the supporters
from Darke County... read
more
|
Commissioners start year with a bang
- By Bob Robinson - Jan. 4, 2011
Something old, something new… It’s not a bride preparing for her
wedding day; it’s the first day out in 2011 for the new Darke County
Commissioners. Something new? Recently elected Darke County
Commissioner Mike Stegall takes his seat, replacing retired 5-term
Commissioner Terry Haworth. Something new? Commissioner and 2011
President... read
more
|
Commissioners
request public input - Jan. 3, 2011
We, the Board of Darke County Commissioners are facing a serious
dilemma.
Back on December 20, 2010, in our Regular Agenda Session, Common Pleas
Court Judge Jonathan P. Hein, attended our meeting and spoke to
Commissioners Haworth, Delaplane & Rhoades, regarding his 2011
Appropriations that he submitted early in December, 2010... read
more
|
Melville case
‘unfinished
business’ - By Bob
Robinson
It pulled at my
heart strings to the point I took a lone flower and
placed it on her casket when her remains were re-interred in the county
cemetery. Jane Doe was positively identified in July 2009 as
18-year-old Jeanne Marie Melville. She was exhumed from the Darke
County Home Cemetery for the second and last time a month later on Aug.
6 at 1 p.m. Her remains were returned to her home in Green Bay, Wis... read
more
|
An informed
public
makes
better government - By
Bob
Robinson - Part 1 of two parts
“What I do want,” said Darke County Commissioner-elect Mike Stegall,
“is for you… the Advocate, Early Bird, Policy… to ask questions.” He
intends to do his job; he wants the Fourth Estate to do theirs. “The
more informed people are about their government, the better it will
be,” he said. “Question! Question with boldness… you’ll never get a
complaint from me.”... read
more
|
Stegall talks
about
traits
he’ll bring to office - By
Bob Robinson - Part two of two
“We’re both Alpha Males,” Darke County Commissioner-elect Mike Stegall
said, referring to Commissioner Mike Rhoades and himself. “That’s why
there are three of us.” He said he’d heard that people expected Rhoades
and him to butt heads. Stegall acknowledged they probably will.
“(Greenville Township Trustee) Bill Kelly has a strong personality… we
argue… we disagree, but we’re still friends”... read
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