Politics

~An investigation into how campaign cash is corrupting America's courts~
February 19, 2010
(VIDEO)
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02192010/watch.html

"Robert P. Watson, Ph.D. Coordinator of American Studies
Lynn University"
Email: rwatson@lynn.edu

On Friday February 12, 2010, 7:03 pm EST
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/State-Budget-Woes-A-Drag-On-ibd-483598023....
As Washington works to rev up the economy and spur hiring with yet another dose of stimulus, state and local governments are busily applying the fiscal brakes.

Tax hikes, spending cuts and layoffs top the agenda as states continue to wrestle with severe budget crises that largely can't be deferred by borrowing.

Mayor Michael P. Bell today sent to members of Toledo City Council and the City's union leadership an updated forecast for 2010 revenue and the current state of the anticipated deficit. That information is attached electronically to this release. To date the administration has identified $25.6 million in deficit reduction measures.

The Mayor met on Wednesday with the union leaders to present them with the potential cost savings to be achieved through employee concessions, which would affect all employees in all funds and agencies. The concessions and deficit reduction measures, coupled with the ballot initiatives the administration has proposed for council action would remediate the 2010 deficit without seriously affecting the level of service provided to Toledo residents. All measures would nevertheless pursue a long-term improvement in the efficiency of internal operations for the City of Toledo.

On Thursday the administration will meet with representatives from the State Auditors office and on Friday there will be a budget working meeting with members of the administration, city council, department directors and union leaders. Public input sessions are also being scheduled to allow citizens the opportunity to offer suggestions and weigh in on the service priorities they feel need to be addressed.

The Mayor has committed to providing multiple draft budget scenarios to City Council by March 1 to allow them time for discussion and action before the March 31 deadline.

Latest newsletter from Senator Voinovich:
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Currently, the U.S. Debt is estimated at: $12,264,478,112,700

Your share of today's public debt is: $39,934

Spearheading Debt Reduction Task Force Legislation

Mayor Bell wants to increase taxes. TPS wants more taxes. Ohio wants to raise taxes.
You can't park downtown without getting a parking ticket. I don't know what the attraction is
going downtown anyway. I can't fit in the seats in the Lucas County Arena. You better pay your red light tickets, though I don't know what Toledo will do when they will have to refund everyones money after the Supreme Court rules on the cameras. Did I miss anything?

Zachary Roth | February 3, 2010
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/mcconnell_raised_big_b...
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02052010/watch2.html

Toledo Public Schools and Lucas County appear to wanted to try to dismiss a request to lower property values of Michaelmas Manor by 1 million on a technicality. Ohio Supreme Court says not so fast.
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This in from Steven Flagg of the Urban Coalition http://www.tpsinfo.org .
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Tomorrow, February 4, 2010, the Toledo Board of Education meets in a special board meeting to, most likely, pass a resolution putting a levy on the May 4th primary election ballot.

LUCAS COUNTY CHILDREN SERVICES SPONSORS ESSAY CONTEST
Focus is on raising awareness of child abuse and neglect

(TOLEDO, Ohio - February 2, 2010) - Lucas County Children Services, the
governmental agency responsible for protecting children from abuse and
neglect, is sponsoring an essay contest open to all children in grades 7
and 8 in Lucas County.

The contest theme, “What makes a family, and how does it keep me
safe?” is in support of Child Abuse Prevention Month, recognized
nationwide each April. The contest winner and runner-up will have the

Article published January 29, 2010
New GOP religion is just grand
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100129/OPINION03...
This President and his administration were delivered a nation and economy on life support a year ago. No one understood whether the world economy would implode, resulting in a global depression.

Fortunately, we have stepped back from the abyss and the economy is slowly recovering, but all we hear from the media is why are we not yet out of the woods.

WASHINGTON- Congressman Bob Latta (R- Bowling Green) made the following statement regarding President Obama’s State of the Union Address this evening.

“Instead of focusing on creating jobs and putting Americans back to work in 2009, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid chose to focus their attention on a $1 trillion dollar health care bill, cap and trade legislation, which would be the largest energy tax levied against American families and business alike, a $1 trillion dollar “Stimulus Package,” and billions of dollars in bailouts.

Toledo’s economy continues to struggle mightily, based on year-end numbers released by agencies that assist the unemployed and working poor. But officials on the front lines of the fight against poverty say many families are giving up hope and struggling even more as a result.

Lucas County Job and Family Services (JFS) provided food stamps for more than 87,000 people in 2009, a 16 percent jump in the number of clients compared with 2008. The number of people on Ohio Works First cash assistance also jumped by more than 11 percent in 2009.

I witnessed the Toledo Public School Board of Education meeting tonight and it was a barrel of laughs, around the "horseshoe" many concerns by myself and other spectators and maybe violations of the sunshine laws, by the board members. But then what do you expect, that was how Three for Children was born, Larry Sykes (he's baacck), Deborah Barnett and Steve Steel.

NEW MEMBERS NAMED TO LCCS BOARD

Lynn B. Jacobs and the Rev. Martin Otto Zimmann join Lucas County
Children Services Board

(TOLEDO, OH — January 26, 2010) The Lucas County Commissioners have
appointed Lynn B. Jacobs and the Rev. Martin Otto Zimmann to the Lucas
County Children Services (LCCS) Board of Trustees.

Ms. Jacobs is retired from the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office Civil
and Juvenile Division, where she served as an assistant prosecutor. She
is a member of the Toledo Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar
Association, and is a past-president of the Toledo Women’s Bar

Foreign Money in American Politics?
Some Say Supreme Court's Decision in Citizens United Case Has Opened New Path
By MATTHEW MOSK
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/foreign-money-american-politics/story?id=9...
Jan. 24, 2010 —
Some election lawyers believe that last week's landmark U.S. Supreme Court opinion may have opened a new avenue for foreign money to enter the American political system, and that the justices are inviting a repeat of the 1996 Chinese money scandal that bloodied the Clinton administration.

Unless you've been under a rock all weekend....you know that the internet once again illustrates why the dinosaur media is dying...and why the liberals want to prop up a state media in it's place....

Who is Ellie Light?

That is a question that a number of newspaper editors are now asking themselves. Ellie Light not only seems to be a prolific letter writer, but also a great supporter of President Obama.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2626033/who_is_ellie_light.html...

Obama has suspicious number of letter-writing fans named 'Ellie Light'

Reaction of political groups was immediate.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-01-21-campaign-spe...
"This decision allows Wall Street to tap its vast corporate profits to drown out the voice of the public in our democracy," said Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause, a group that favors limits on campaign spending and vowed to push swift passage of legislation in Congress to publicly finance congressional elections.

Mayor Michael P. Bell today sent legislation to Toledo City Council tentatively agreeing to settle two disputed claims alleging improper termination. While the liability has been denied the administration feels the settlement is in the best interest of the City.

January 14. 2010
Obama wants banks to pay for auto bailout losses
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
http://detnews.com/article/20100114/NATION/1140433
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/a-spot-of-tea-vs-a-plea-for-m...
The White House wants the nation's largest financial institutions to repay taxpayers for the costs of bailing out banks and automakers.

Under the proposal, the largest 50 banks -- including GMAC Inc. -- would pay $90 billion over 10 years to cover taxpayer losses under the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program.