Blame Conservatives for Ohio's Issue 2 Loss

"The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections." Lord Acton—The History of Freedom in Antiquity, 1877 

Much ink and bandwith has been spilled analyzing the reasons Ohio's collective bargaining reform law, Issue 2, failed to survive Tuesday's referendum.  Many suspect it was the millions of dollars poured into the anti-Issue 2 campaign by the out-of-state Big Labor groups and the blatantly deceptive ads that ran constantly on radio and TV stations across the state. Those were certainly major factors in the outcome. Some say that Governor Kasich and the Republican legislature overreached by including police and firefighters - that they should have been exempted from the reforms because they gave opponents ammunition for the aforementioned despicable ads that implied that police and firefighters would be in danger as would everyone else in Ohio. Again, that was a factor in the outcome. 


But the real reason Issue 2 went down on Tuesday is that conservatives voted against it. Tea Party members, fiscal conservatives, social conservatives - conservatives of every stripe in Ohio  voted save their "benefits" and the "benefits" of their union friends and relatives.  


The Ohio Constitution has an unfortunate provision that allows citizens to both amend the constitution and to call for a referendum to stop a new law from taking effect - a citizen's veto. While all this "We the People" language sounds good on paper, the reality is that it shifts the power to make laws from the legislature to special interest groups and uninformed citizens, most of whom don't bother to actually read the laws, let alone understand the implications of them. It has the effect of turning the state into a direct democracy.


When SB5 became law, Big Labor immediately went to work to gather enough signatures to put a referendum on the ballot so Ohio voters would have the opportunity to veto the legislation that the duly elected state legislature had passed and the duly elected governor had signed into law. From there, it was just a matter of convincing enough people that this new law would cost them money and cost their beloved "public servants" money. 


I began to see the trajectory this past spring when a teacher told me she had signed the petition to put SB5 on the ballot. She said they had passed it around at school  and "everyone" had signed it.  This was a conservative teacher from a conservative school in a district where most people would never dream of voting for a Democrat. As we headed into fall I began to see the anti-Issue 2 signs springing up amid the falling leaves in the yards of union members in our small town.  This is a town where it's rare to see a Democrat on the Village Council or school board and 56% voted for Governor Kasich. Hardly blue country, but the township voted down the collective bargaining reforms 61-39%.  These same voters (65% of them) overwhelmingly said they wanted Ohio to be protected from Obamacare. Again, hardly blue country. 


The unpleasant truth is that union members- conservative union members - voted with their pocketbooks. They saw (or most likely heard from their union bosses) that SB5 would cost them money and they voted to preserve the status quo. Their friends and family members also voted in solidarity with them. It's quite an easy thing to say we're Tea Party members and believe that we're 'Taxed Enough Already,'  but when it becomes personal and we're forced to have some skin in the game, how many of us would give up part of our paycheck or some of our benefits to help our state's bottom line? 


Issue 2 could not have passed without strong support from Republicans and conservatives. The state's 300,000 public employees (and 655,000 union members overall) barely made a dent in the 2 million votes against the measure.  Consider that more Ohioans voted against Issue 2 than voted for Governor Kasich (1,889,186) or Governor Strickland (1,812,052) in the last election.  


This was a big test for the conservative movement and Tea Party values and I'm disappointed to say we failed miserably.  As much as I dislike the direct democracy component of the Ohio Constitution, it does give us some insight into whether conservatives will put their money where their mouth is.  Human nature is such that men and women will, if given the opportunity, vote against measures that hit them in the pocketbook. Never mind that eventually, all Ohio taxpayers - union and non-union alike - will be paying for these gold-plated benefits for generations to come. At least those Akron public employees still don't have to pay anything for their pensions and healthcare this year. 


All of us who call ourselves conservatives need to do some soul searching in the wake of this huge loss in Ohio. While most of us in the private sector have had to deal with austerity measures in the workplace, for the most part, it hasn't been voluntary. We need to ask ourselves if we're willing to have skin in the game to help our country (or our state or our city) begin to dig out from the overwhelming burden of debt we find ourselves in. 


Or is the modern conservative movement merely slogans and academic discussion? 

Cross-posted at RedState

Ohio Issue 2 - A Proper Redress (Part 1)

I'm going to be writing a series of blog posts over the next few days, addressing the specific issues related to Ohio Issue 2/SB 1. For today, I'd like to share a Letter to the Editor I sent to the Daily Record (Wooster) today. I had to heavily edit to keep it from becoming a manifesto with a length rivaling War and Peace.  I plan to address some of these issues with more specificity in the coming days. 

Those of us who are voting YES on Issue 2 have been accused of everything from wanting to destroy the middle class to putting the lives of our firefighters in danger.

The truth is, most of us are just concerned citizens who see the budget crisis on our doorstep and realize that reforms are needed. While many public employees do already pay 15% of their health care and 10% of their pensions—some even more— many do not. The average city worker in Ohio pays 9% for their health care, compared to 23% for the private sector. Akron’s teachers and city workers pay nothing toward their own health care. A YES on Issue 2 would require public employees to pay 15%, still well below the state average for the private sector. (And they’ll still be able to bargain for safety equipment, wages, terms, and conditions.)

In Columbus, the city pays both the employer (taxpayer) and the employee portion of the pension for city employees—they don’t contribute a dime toward their own pensions, a practice called pension pickups. Pension pickups cost Columbus $36 million in 2011. A YES on Issue 2 would stop the practice of taxpayers footing the bill for the public employees’ portion of the pension contribution.

Obviously, these perks are completely out of line with the private sector. We must remember that all Ohio taxpayers pay for these gold-plated benefit plans through our state tax dollars, which are redistributed to municipalities and school districts across the state.

This isn’t personal—the hard truth is that these benefit packages are no longer sustainable. School districts and municipalities across the state are projecting huge deficits over the next five years. The Akron City Schools are projecting a $142 million deficit by 2015, when personnel costs will consume 93% of the district’s budget. (Find your district’s projections here.) This will certainly lead to massive teacher layoffs and this scenario will be repeated in school districts, cities, and counties across the state.

Vote YES on Issue 2 to save jobs and put us back on the road to balanced budgets in our school districts, our cities, our counties, and our small towns. If you need to know more, www.iVoters.com is a great non-partisan website for information on all three of Ohio's ballot issues.


[Part 2 - Safety Workers]
[Part 3 - Teachers]

OH Union activist: Tim McVeigh would be a member of the Tea Party

Happy Labor Day from the Ohio unions!

From Facebook:

Union Workers Opposed to Senate Bill 5

If Timothy McVeigh Was Alive Today, He Would Be A Member Of The Tea Party

Wall Photos

Share · 11 hours ago

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    [name removed] Doubtful and not a very good attempt at humor. Shame on you!
    

    4 hours ago
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    Union Workers Opposed to Senate Bill 5 The post wasn't meant to be funny, or a one size fits all indictment. The post was shared to provoke thought. If you feel that 99% of what I post is worthwhile , then shake your head when I post something you don't agree with. If you feel ONE controversial post is a reason to berate me as childish and shameless, that is your perogative. I don't see anyone stepping up to the plate here offering to spend the 2 to 3 hours a day I spend scouring the internet and news feeds to supply this page with content. I have stated several times in the past that I would appreciate and encourage others to post relevant content but have seen little in the way of cooperation. If you feel strongly enough about particular posts, please feel free to comment..I reserve the right to ban users when they feel personal insults are the order of the day.
    

    2 hours ago
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    Union Workers Opposed to Senate Bill 5 ‎**A Prior Comment has Been Removed**
    

    about an hour ago

    
    

    People who like this

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      [name removed]
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      [name removed]

    
    
    

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The "prior comment" that was removed simply said, "sick." It unleashed a tirade from the Facebook page administrator who spends "2 to 3 hours a day" inventing new ways to insult and ridicule Republicans and the Tea Party yet feels personally insulted by the word "sick" attributed to her Tim McVeigh post. The detractor has now been banned from the Facebook page.

This is the beginning of the silly season in Ohio, where the balance of power has shifted to "we the people" in way that is detrimental to the state.

Though there hasn't been much national attention given to Ohio's union reform measure - SB5 - things are beginning to heat up. Governor Kasich and the Republican-controlled legislature succeeded in passing some common-sense reforms that give local governments better control over their budgets.
While still allowing public employees to collectively bargain over their wages and some benefits, it removed or reduced their collective bargaining leverage in the areas of health insurance and pensions and requires government employees to pay a certain percentage of those benefits. It also requires that employee performance be a factor in determining compensation. See here and here for some basics.

Although there were some protests at the Ohio Statehouse, it wasn't anywhere near the scale of Wisconsin because the unions knew that when Governor Kasich signed SB5 into law this spring the fight had just begun.That's because the Ohio Constitution gives "the people" the power to call for a referendum to challenge a law they don't like. If a special interest group can get 6% of the electorate to sign a petition, they can get it on the ballot and shift the balance from a republic form of government to a pure democracy in certain cases. This process can also be used to amend the Ohio Constitution. It was used in recent years to legalize casino gambling in the state after years of failing to get it through the legislature.

In this case, the unions needed around 200,000 signature. They collected over 700,000 and instead of protests at the capitol, where citizens are lobbying their elected officials as we usually see in a republic form of government, citizens are lobbying (and bullying) their fellow citizens.


"We are Ohio," the group working to repeal the union reforms, has already begun running the typical firefighters-are-going-to-die ads. They will likely follow this with the typical your-kid's-teacher-will-have-to-eat-dog-food-if-this-thing-isn't-repealed ads.


In Wisconsin, by the time the recall elections were held, the state was already benefiting from the reforms Gov. Walker and the legislature had put in place. Unfortunately, in Ohio SB5 has been put on hold, pending the outcome of the referendum. And while the law is in a holding pattern, local and county governments have been hit hard by cuts in state funding and many have made layoffs and cut services. It hasn't made Governor Kasich or the Republicans especially popular this fall, so they are starting 4th and 20 at their own 1-yard line, to use a football analogy.


That said, the economy has been so bad for so long that those of us in the private sector are seeing our 401K's decline at an alarming pace at the same time our healthcare costs are doubling and tripling. We consider ourselves lucky if our employers contribute anything at all toward our retirement plans.


Meanwhile, the unions are complaining because they're being asked to actually pay the employee's share of their pension contribution. Currently, many of them enjoy the benefit of the state or local government paying both the employer's and the employee's share of their pension contribution. Good deal if you can get it, but it's not sustainable in this day and age.


And most of us don't think it's unreasonable that public employees are being asked to pay 15% toward their health insurance premiums, when most residents in the state pay 30% or more. Or that government employees would be compensated based (in part) on merit rather than just seniority, like those of us in the private sector are.


It remains to be seen whether Building a Better Ohio will have the resources to overcome the rhetoric and the misinformation being spread by those who oppose the reforms. The unions are fighting for their lives and they are fired up.

Beermageddon coming to Ohio

As if Ohio didn't have enough union problems, what with Governor Kasich's bold reforms aimed at curbing the burgeoning budget and the ensuing protests, complete with a referendum repeal effort that gained enough signatures to earn a place on the November ballot.

Marvin Fong - The Plain Dealer

Now we learn that the Teamster's union is threatening to cut off Ohio's beer supply in the midst of the hottest Ohio summer in recent memory.  PR Newswire reports:

"More than 300 delivery drivers and warehouse workers employed by Heidelberg Distributing throughout Ohio put up informational pickets at key distribution facilities around the state today to warn the company and the public of labor problems that could cut off Ohio's supply to beer and wine products during the busy summer season."

What this means is that it is conceivable that Ohioans could have to tough it out through all those miserable, interminable political commercials without the benefit of their favorite alcoholic beverage.  And they may have to cast their votes without the comfort of their favorite brew.  And how will they ever drown their sorrows if their side loses?  

And perhaps most troubling is the stress this may cause in the Ohio legislature when the Teamsters are unable or unwilling to stock the full service bar in the Statehouse.  Bad things are likely to happen, such as lawmakers crossing state lines to drink and drive. 


As for me and my house, we may feel slightly inconvenienced if our supplies of IBC Root Beer and Monster energy drinks are cut off.  There are some benefits to being teetotalers. 


Aside from that,  this may turn out to be an early Christmas present for Kasich and Co.  Unions holding citizens' favorite beverages hostage during this blistering summer in the months leading up to a critical union referendum doesn't seem to be a brilliant strategy.   

Important events in N.E. Ohio

How did it get to be June already?  Here in Ohio, we've had two solid months of Monsoon Season and now, suddenly, it's summer, with temps in the 80's this week and a blur of yellow in the sky.  Meteorologists are still trying to identify it.  


I wanted to highlight a couple important events happening in N.E. Ohio.  I hope my (9) readers in Germany, my (3) readers in the UK and whoever you are in the United Arab Emirates will bear with me for a moment...

Understanding SB5 Discussion in Wadsworth

Date:  Thursday, June 2nd

Time:  7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Wadsworth Church of the Nazarene

743 High Street, Wadsworth, Ohio

Melanie Elsey from the American Policy Roundtable will explain what is truly in SB 5, Ohio’s collective bargaining reform bill. Taking a non-partisan approach, she ignores what is being propagated by the left and the right and strictly interprets what is written in the bill.

To gain a full understanding of what this bill means for Ohioans, Melanie has compared SB 5 with our current Ohio Revised Code. For a preview of what may be discussed, visit the Frequently Asked Question: Ohio SB 5 as passed by the Ohio General Assembly,

With political propaganda dominating this issue, it’s time to understand the facts. Please bring your family and friends to this informative, honest discussion about SB 5.

~~~~~

Islam and the West

The The AP Roundtable holds policy briefings in communities building leadership networks on special issues and projects. A team of experts come together to talk about timely legislation and issues that impact your community. Join us for a Discussion on: Islam and the West featuring: Robert Spencer Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 at 7 pm Cleveland, Ohio Space is limited and you must be pre-registered. Please RSVP no later than Friday, June 3, 2011. To find out more information and to RSVP to the Ohioevent, contact Allison Allen by phone or email: 1-800-522-VOTE ext. 104 | aallen@aproundtable.org Please provide your name, address, phone and email address. To help host or schedule a policy briefing near you, please contact: Rob Walgate, V.P. at (800) 522-VOTE ext. 105

Waiting for Superman...in the meantime, there's Kasich.

Last night I attended a screening of the documentary, "Waiting for Superman," hosted by Governor John Kasich and former D.C. Schools Chancellor, Michelle Rhee.  As we pulled up to the Cleveland State University Student Center we saw about a dozen protesters in front of the building.  I caught a glimpse of an anti-SB5 sign as we drove by.  SB5 is Gov. Kasich's public union reform bill and there is no small amount of opposition to it.  


There was a palpable tension in the room.  It was clear that this was not a crowd packed with only partisan Kasich supporters.  Ohio Democratic Party leader Chris Redfern, always ready with a lengthy, rhetoric-laden critique said this:

“Taxpayer dollars should not be used to promote the agenda of charter school fat cats at an invitation-only event sponsored by the corporate backers of John Kasich’s anti-middle class policies. To say the least."

"Invitation-only event" might be stretching the truth a bit.  I received an e-mail about the event from Americans for Prosperity Ohio.  It said the event was free, but an RSVP was required.  I responded to let someone at Gov. Kasich's office know that I would be attending and added my son's name as well, though he hadn't technically been invited.  Not a problem.  Then, at 4:45, right before the event, I sent another e-mail adding my son's girlfriend.  Again, not a problem. They even managed to have a name tag ready for her when we arrived at 5:45!  So it was clearly not a closed event, though the invitations may have initially been sent to those supportive of school choice. 


The movie "Waiting for Superman" follows the saga of several children trapped in failing public schools in some of the poorest, most crime-ridden cities in the U.S. These children are in desperate circumstances: Daisy, Emily, Francisco, Bianco, Anthony.  Unlike my children, who have had every advantage in life, these children have futures that are bleak, hopeless.  

As we were being introduced to these children and getting a glimpse of the warehouses that pass for schools in their inner-city neighborhoods, the narrative was suddenly interrupted.


The union protesters thought this would be a good time to march through the halls shouting their anti-reform slogans.   It was very disturbing that while people inside the auditorium were in tears over the plight of the children pictured above, union activists were demanding that we maintain the system that is failing these precious children. 


Just as a side note, I have been very frustrated by the misinformation being spread about SB5.  It's not extreme.  It's not "busting the unions," it's not eliminating pensions for government employees, it's not eliminating "tenure" (continuing contracts) for teachers who currently have that status. If you haven't already done so, I would encourage you to read the American Policy Roundtable's Frequently Asked Questions about SB5.  This non-partisan guide answers many of the questions that people on both sides of the issue have been discussing in a fair and non-emotional format.  Please share it with others.  


The movie was disturbing on so many levels.  It's heartbreaking that in the year 2011 we are still sentencing millions of children to spend their formative years in schools from which they will not graduate.   In one school, in the past 40 years, 60,000 students have passed through and only 40,000 have graduated.  What happened to the other 20,000?  


I was surprised to learn that the problems are not just in lower income,  inner-city schools.  Many affluent schools "track" students, meaning someone decides at a young age,  which children are college material and which are better suited for vocational school.  Those who are not deemed college material are put on a track that makes it almost impossible to later change tracks, sealing their fate at a young age.  They receive a far different education than their more academically gifted peers.  


The movie highlighted charter schools  and teachers with innovative solutions that were succeeding in the worst, most poverty-stricken areas of the country. But they've met with resistance from teachers unions and those who consider school reform - school choice - to be a turf war.  And the children pay the price.  It's disgusting and cruel to make these children enter a "lottery" for a 1/732 chance to attend a decent school.  No 2nd grader should have to suffer the fate of being labeled "not accepted" and forced to return to the dropout factory.  I'm in tears again just thinking about the sad faces of the children and the helplessness of their parents. 


Watch the trailer for the movie here:






After the movie, Gov. Kasich and Michelle Rhee answered questions from the audience.  The session was broadcast to screenings of the movie across the state.  


Michelle Rhee is a rock star.  Rhee, who is hated by the Left,  looked chic and beautiful in a tangerine dress.  She was featured in the movie as a tough innovator of the D.C. schools who was blocked at every turn by the powerful teachers unions.   Last night she proclaimed proudly that she was a life-long Democrat but insists that school reform and school choice is a bipartisan issue, saying, "I'm agnostic as to the delivery method."  In other words, she doesn't care how or where a child receives an education, as long as it's a good one.    If ever there was a bipartisan issue, this should be it.  


This was the first time I have heard Gov. Kasich speak in person.  He was very likable and passionate about this issue.  I mentioned that there was tension in the room.  When Kasich gave his opening remarks, it was obvious that some lines were designed to elicit applause from the audience.  Nothing.  Dead silence.  I was all ready to clap but got the same feeling I get in our Baptist church when I get the urge.....clap cramp.  It was an interesting group dynamic.  It was as if we sensed the tension, understood the powerful feelings of disagreement bubbling just below the surface, but somehow came to a tacit agreement that we would remain civil and polite. Somehow, "spiking the ball" at a Kasich applause line didn't seem appropriate.  Nor did booing.   While the rabble was roused outside, inside the auditorium it was a good moment for Ohio.  We were all there because we cared about children.


Whether or not you're a fan of Gov. Kasich, you have to give him credit for sticking his neck out and nearly exhausting the audiences' supply of questions.   It was about a 50/50 mix of questions from supporters of school choice and his reforms and from those opposed.  All were civil and polite.  He threw a good number of the questions to Michelle Rhee, who is clearly the expert on the topic.  Kasich stuck to the questions related to Ohio's specific reforms and those related to the union reforms and budget cuts.  He didn't flinch or back down, but stressed that he wanted to hear from teachers and work with them to create a fair way of evaluating them. 


An interesting tidbit that came out of the session was that Rhee convinced Kasich to include the performance pay for teachers in SB5.  He was going to scrap it, but after some heated debates with Rhee, realized it was necessary for true reform.  


At the end, everyone stood and gave Gov. Kasich and Michelle Rhee a round of applause.  I heard people around me, who didn't seem inclined to agree with Kasich on much, expressing their approval for the event and Kasich's demeanor.  I don't think he made any (new) enemies and probably gained a few (perhaps reluctant) supporters.  And if anyone came away from that movie not wanting to fight for school choice,  they are completely heartless.  

April 28, 2011

Illiterate Children Reciting the Koran on Film: The Left Gives a Standing Ovation for Islam | NewsReal Blog:

 "One of our stars is a 10-year-old kid from Tajikistan named Nabiollah, an angelic, big-eyed moppet who can recite the entire Quran from memory in an astonishingly pure boyish soprano, with remarkable command of melody and intonation. He’s like the Justin Bieber of Quran recitation, and judges at the Cairo event seize on him as an amazing gift from Allah. But memorizing the Quran (in Arabic, which he does not otherwise speak or read) at a rural madrassa has nearly been Nabiollah’s entire education; he is functionally illiterate in Tajik, his own language.

How does the Left respond to clear anti-education?  They are a bit uncomfortable, but still manage to rise to their feet and applause this pro-Islam film.  In the conflict of education versus Islamic propaganda – Mohammad wins every time."

Salon.com summarzied the film this way:

It’s “Spellbound” plus a poetry slam. Plus Islamic fundamentalism…but if you’re open to the possibility that Islam in practice is an incredibly diverse spiritual and social movement that embraces 1.6 billion human beings and a lot of internal discussion and disagreement, and that the more we know about it the better, then “Koran by Heart” is a movie you’ve got to see...

...She recounts that at the screening Rifdha and her parents were actually there along with the film’s director.  Afterwards they took questions.  And one person had the guts to ask the father directly if he would be open to letting Rifdha get more education and be a scientist.  The Muslim father responded by saying Rifdha must be a housewife.

Just when Osman and all the Progressives are about to come to their senses about Islam, the director of the film speaks up.  Here’s how Osman ends her article: 

The director quickly took the microphone and spoke some words of wisdom. When we go around the world making films we don’t tell people how to live their lives, he said. Nobody tells us how to live our lives, he added. He graciously thanked the family for coming all the way to New York to attend the opening. Inspiring film. Good point. Lesson learned...

...And there you have it.  It doesn’t matter what the Left believes about education, women, or freedom. The spread of Islam must happen.  We must not fear it or reject any part of it.  We can’t push our values on them, no matter how much the culture of Sharia spreads into our own borders.
Many of the articles on the film screenings reported the movie getting large standing ovations" 

It's tricky being a liberal these days, isn't it?  At least if you're trying to be consistent.

~~~~~

Allen West is Right: Leftist Women Castrate Our Men | NewsReal Blog: (HT: Joel)
Author and blogger Suzanne Venkner, who is the niece of Phyllis Schlafly responded to the following statement by Rep. Allen West:

"We need you to come in and lock shields, and strengthen up the men who are going to the fight for you. To let these other women know on the other side — these planned Parenthood women, the Code Pink women, and all of these women that have been neutering American men and bringing us to the point of this incredible weakness — to let them know that we are not going to have our men become subservient. That’s what we need you to do. Because if you don’t, then the debt will continue to grow…deficits will continue to grow."

Venker said,

 ...The problem is that too many Americans, women in particular, are afraid to take a stand against feminism. They think being opposed to feminism means being against women’s rights or being throwbacks to a bygone era when women were at home doing nothing else with their lives but caring for children — which, besides being untrue, is not a bad thing anyway. But that is precisely how liberal women want people to think of feminism: as American women’s saviors.
But feminism did not save the women of America. If anything, it ruined them...

...That’s because feminism is about rejecting the timeless institutions that makes most people happy and any good society flourish: marriage and motherhood.
Liberal women don’t explain it this way, of course. They insist they’re not against the traditional family but merely want women to have choices. Hogwash. Not only do feminists subtly and overtly undermine traditional gender roles, they take credit for something they didn’t do. American women’s choices (a.k.a. “progress”) were expanded not from the bra-burning demonstrations that sought to reform society but from a natural evolution that was aided by technology – technology that was invented by men, I might add. American women should be thanking men, not feminists, for the lives they have today. 

Allen West’s argument that liberal women have neutered men was courageous and spot on. It just wasn’t self-explanatory. West would have done well to quote antifeminist warrior Carolyn Graglia when making his argument:

"The traditional family will remain in peril until we derail the feminist engine of reform by killing the sexual revolution, by replacing no-fault divorce laws with laws that protect homemakers and families, by ending preferential treatment of women in education and workplace, and by reforming all laws that discriminate against one-income families through requiring them to subsidize child care for two-income families.

But these things will not happen until a change occurs in those men who have rejected the value of a woman’s traditional role and of a man’s contributions that make this role viable. Without those contributions, what do men think will define their manhood? If women’s traditional role is expendable, then, as increases in the number of well-educated, never-married mothers indicate, so also are men expendable for all purposes other than sperm donor. The result is a society increasingly like Sweden’s, which has the lowest marriage rate and one of the highest illegitimacy rates and employment rates of working-age women in the western world."

The liberal feminists need to be reminded every now and then that the most significant "liberators" of women were not Gloria Steinem or Margaret Sanger, it was the men who invented the electric washing machine, the electric stove, and running water. 


It's rather humorous that "The Donald" is getting so much attention for being a straight-talker and not being afraid to say controversial things.  Of course, half of what he says falls into the realm of reality show fiction and the other half is shameless self promotion.   Meanwhile,  Rep. Allen West is saying actual substantive controversial things, speaking about matters of consequence with intelligence and eloquence.  Let's hope we Americans wise up and demand more of West and less of Trump.

~~~~~

Pornography raid underscores Wi-Fi risks - Technology & science - Wireless - msnbc.com: 

(HT: Challies)

"BUFFALO, N.Y. — Lying on his family room floor with assault weapons trained on him, shouts of 'pedophile!' and 'pornographer!' stinging like his fresh cuts and bruises, the Buffalo homeowner didn't need long to figure out the reason for the early morning wake-up call from a swarm of federal agents.

That new wireless router. He'd gotten fed up trying to set a password. Someone must have used his Internet connection, he thought.

'We know who you are! You downloaded thousands of images at 11:30 last night,' the man's lawyer, Barry Covert, recounted the agents saying. They referred to a screen name, 'Doldrum. 

'No, I didn't,' he insisted. 'Somebody else could have but I didn't do anything like that.'

'You're a creep ... just admit it,' they said.

Law enforcement officials say the case is a cautionary tale. Their advice:

Password-protect your wireless router."

I happen to be married to a techie who is very fussy about suchs things and I always wondered what the big deal was.   OK....I get it now! Those SWAT team goons would probably confiscate my super-cool Google Chrome CR-48 notebook computer....what a tragedy that would be!  


But seriously, this story does raise some important questions.  Like,  should the internet be free and open to anyone?  Some who were interviewed for the story  and commenting on it thought so and purposely leave their routers open as a courtesy to passersby, hoping others will do the same.   This raises some obvious privacy concerns, although many in the younger generation don't seem to have the same worries their parents do.  I suppose the rise of cloud computing will change this landscape as well.  


The other question is why a heavily armed SWAT team was even needed for this operation.  Could they have just knocked on the door and taken him into custody?  Viewing child pornography, as vile and disgusting as it is, is hardly drug running or gang activity.  What is the likelihood this guy was lying in wait for them with a cache of weapons?  What kind of police state do we live in that an innocent man is subjected to the SWAT team breaking down his door in the middle of the night? 

~~~~~

Do you have questions about Ohio's SB5 and what it means for union members and taxpayers of the state?  The American Policy Roundtable has prepared and excellent guide:

Frequently Asked Questions: Ohio SB5 as passed by the Ohio General Assembly

The guide takes on questions such as:

• What does the collective bargaining process look like under SB5?
• Will repealing the salary schedules put teachers with higher salary at risk for losing their jobs?
• Will tenured teachers (continuing contracts) lose their tenure?
• What does it mean to base salaries or wages on performance? 
• If public employees can't negotiate for their health care benefits, won't their health coverage be much worse? 

APR has done Ohioans (regardless of which side you're on) a huge service in preparing this detailed FAQ that cuts through the spin.  I hope it makes it into the hands of every Ohio voter as the rhetoric continues and opponents of SB5 prepare to wage a well-funded campaign in their attempt to repeal it.  

March 2, 2011

"The New SB5 *
Colleen Grady breaks down the new and improved SB5 on her State of Ohio Education blog.

"Today the Ohio Senate committee hearing the bill accepted an omnibus amendment to the beleaguered bill that substantially alters the provisions of the original legislation."  After sorting it all out for us, Colleen asks: "Is the bill moving in the right direction?" Stop by her blog and share your comments.  


*Update:  SB5 was voted out of committee today and is headed to the senate for a vote scheduled for this afternoon.  


*Update to the update:  The Ohio senate passed SB5 today by a vote of 17-16.

Tennessee bill would make following Sharia a felony 

The Blaze

"The Tennessee state legislature is considering making it a felony to follow some versions of the Islamic code known as Shariah, the most stringent measure yet aimed at limiting the expansion of the religious code in superseding civic law. The bill faces steep constitutional hurdles, but the measure’s proponents are confident it will become law."


Unborn babies to 'testify' in hearing on Ohio Heartbeat Bill
LifeSite News

"Two unborn babies will ‘testify’ to their humanity in a live ultrasound before an Ohio House committee that is considering a bill that would ban abortion as soon as an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detected.... An unborn child’s heartbeat is generally accepted as beating by 18-24 days after conception. The earliest first trimester abortions generally begin at 4 weeks into pregnancy (dated from the last menstrual period). Pro-life supporters of the measure say the two unborn babies, including one at nine weeks gestation, would become the youngest human beings ever to testify before the Health Committee.

Sarah Palin denounces Obama's DOMA decision

National Review

"I have always believed that marriage is between one man and one woman. Like the majority of Americans, I support the Defense of Marriage Act and find it appalling that the Obama administration decided not to defend this federal law which was enacted with broad bipartisan support and signed into law by a Democrat president. It’s appalling, but not surprising that the President has flip-flopped on yet another issue from his stated position as a candidate to a seemingly opposite position once he was elected."

Boxer says Republicans have a vendetta against Elmo

The Hill

"Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said Tuesday that House Republicans want to strip government funding of PBS because they have a "vendetta against Elmo."

Fred Thompson to lobby for TN trial lawyers

Sherri Clark for iVoters

"Attorney, legal consultant, author, orator, spokesman, US senator, movie star, and now lobbyist, Fred Thompson has accepted the Tennessee Association for Justice’s offer to enlist him in the fight against a tort reform initiative led by newly elected Governor Bill Haslam.  TAJ, formerly known as Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, is hoping that Mr. Thompson’s otherwise conservative positions and uncanny ability to debate/influence will be the secret weapon they need to battle against growing concerns among many Tennesseeans regarding abusive litigation."

Our conservative hero, Fred Thompson, going over to the dark side?

Another Afghan Christian faces execution

Denny Burk reprints a letter from this Christian brother and says, "I hope and pray that it will help to focus attention on Shoaib’s case. Intense international scrutiny led to the release of Said Musa last week. Let’s pray that the same might happen for brother Shoaib."

"My name is Shoaib Said Assadullah. I am 23 years old. For the last four months I have been imprisoned in Qasre Shahi prison, Mazar-e Sharif for the crime of apostasy, which means I’ve changed my beliefs. Not only has my freedom been taken from me, but I [am] undergoing severe psychological pressure. Several times I have been attacked physically and threatened to death by fellow prisoners, especially Taliban and anti government prisoners who are in jail.

My case is supposed to be sent to the court shortly, because the prosecutor has the right to hold a case only for 30 days. The court’s decision is most definitely going to be the death penalty for me, because the prosecutor has accused me under the Clause 139 of the [Afghan] criminal code which says, ‘If the crime is not cited in the criminal code, then the case has to be referred to the Islamic Shariah law.’

They're still enforcing Shariah law in Afghanistan????

Texas getting stood up by D.C. on border security

Town Hall - Elizabeth Meinecke

"Both Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Poe have made several past overtures to the White House and administration on the issue. Poe sent letters to the president and, following the deployment of only 1200 troops, introduced legislation, yet still feels the issue hasn't been fully addressed. Perry also made requests asking for 1,000 National Guard troops along the border. One request came in 2009, and another came after the National Guard troops deployed to Texas last summer as part of the 1200 totaled only 286.

Both said in separate interviews that they had no idea what else needs to happen to get the president to respond adequately to the issue. Meanwhile, terrorists are being smuggled across the southern border. Recently, a U.S. ICE agent was shot and killed by the drug cartels. Juarez, on the Mexican border, has had more civilians killed than Afghanistan had last year."

Rutgers to begin gender-neutral housing

CNN

"In the wake of the high-profile suicide of a gay Rutgers University student last fall, the New Jersey college will implement gender-neutral housing in an attempt to make the university more inclusive...In the aftermath of the Clementi tragedy, members of the university's LGBTQ community told the administration that gender-neutral housing would help create an even more inclusive environment. "

John Piper tweeted: "Responding to Tyler's tragic suicide with gender neutral dorms is like pushing others in after him."

19 Action News in Cleveland is conducting their Food Wars.  Up this week: CORNED BEEF!  Corky & Lenny's vs. Slyman's.  I've never had Corky and Lenny's but I am certain there is nothing better in the world than a Slyman's corned beef sandwich.  Vote here.   I found this short  video on Slyman's website that shows their American Dream. This is what happens when the free market and capitalism collide with hard-working immigrants....100 briskets a day!  When asked why he makes the sandwiches so big, the owner said, "To thank America for my freedom." Another reason to love the U.S.A.!


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...and now a little encouragement...I stumbled upon this blog when Ryan was looking for a church near Hillsdale College and have been blessed by it many times.  The following is a letter the blogger wrote to himself on his 58th birthday:

Be That Guy
Wally Metts
"And slow down so you can make time for others, especially young men who are trying to figure things out. Remember when your Dad died and you had no one to call? Now you are that guy....Learn to be more generous and more grateful. When you get to the end, people shouldn't be tired of you, mad at you, burdened by you or embarrassed by you. Go back to Psalm 112 again and again.

Be that guy too, the gracious, merciful, righteous, fearless, steady guy who fears the Lord and delights in his commands. You are not too old to learn."