Kasich's lake protections are timely and wise

 

By The Plain Dealer Editorial Board

 

A high fin from the fish in Lake Erie to Gov. John Kasich, who signed an executive order Wednesday that bans oil and gas drilling in Lake Erie.

 

His action provides a welcome layer of protection should Congress lift its own ban on drilling in the Great Lakes, the largest freshwater ecosystem on the continent.

 

Kasich's order prohibits drilling not just in but also under Lake Erie, a distinction that could be important given the anticipated expansion in Ohio of horizontal drilling by companies fracturing the rock, or "fracking," for deeply buried shale oil and gas. It bars the Ohio Department of Natural Resources from issuing any permit, license or lease that allows the withdrawal or production of either oil or gas from, or under, the bed of Lake Erie.

 

cont

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/07/kasichs_lake_protections_are_t.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Anyone been following the severance tax issue?  I'm not exactly a Kasich fan, but he seems like the voice of pure reason compared to the insanity that is the GOP leadership in the state legislature.

 

http://www.ohio.com/blogs/drilling/ohio-utica-shale-1.291290/kasich-drillers-spar-over-new-ohio-severance-tax-1.320043

 

Kasich is a hardhead..... but that appears to be a good thing because he has no issues with breaking party lines.  It's almost like his ego won't let him be controlled by TPTB within the GOP.  I find myself agreeing with him much, much more than I thought I would when he was elected.  If polled, I would be on the "approve" side for as far as the job he is doing as Governor.

Kasich is a hardhead..... but that appears to be a good thing because he has no issues with breaking party lines.  It's almost like his ego won't let him be controlled by TPTB within the GOP.  I find myself agreeing with him much, much more than I thought I would when he was elected.  If polled, I would be on the "approve" side for as far as the job he is doing as Governor.

 

If Strickland had Kasich's determination (and gall)  I honestly believe he'd still be governor and we'd have 3C rail.

Nice guys finish last in politics these days. Just don't cheat on your wife.

 

If Strickland had Kasich's determination (and gall)  I honestly believe he'd still be governor and we'd have 3C rail.

 

If Strickland had distanced himself from Obama, he'd still be governor.

 

If Strickland had Kasich's determination (and gall)  I honestly believe he'd still be governor and we'd have 3C rail.

 

If Strickland had distanced himself from Obama, he'd still be governor.

 

I don't know, a lot of it is about timing, too.  Strickland benefited from running in 2006 (as opposed to 2002 or 2004 if the election had been that year) and was punished for being a Democrat in 2010.

Exactly. Obama didn't magically turn things into 1997 in those two years, so out the Democrats went.

Kasich is a hardhead..... but that appears to be a good thing because he has no issues with breaking party lines.  It's almost like his ego won't let him be controlled by TPTB within the GOP.  I find myself agreeing with him much, much more than I thought I would when he was elected.  If polled, I would be on the "approve" side for as far as the job he is doing as Governor.

 

Same here.

This is a long read, but a very good article, I still hate Kasich and this article hits a lot of the points as to why (Cincinnati streetcar not included!)

 

Did Barack Obama Save Ohio?

The New York Times By MATT BAI

Published: September 5, 2012

 

The way John Kasich sees it, he is fulfilling a grand design, a mission for which he was chosen by God, to save Ohio. “It’s like what what’s-his-name told the hobbit,” Ohio’s Republican governor told me as we flew on the plane that ferries him around the state. “What’s that guy’s name? Gandel? Gandorf?” A pair of young aides seated across from Kasich called out helpfully over the drone of the engine. “Gandalf,” Kasich repeated. “Do you remember what he told the hobbit?”

 

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/ohio-economy.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all

This is a long read, but a very good article, I still hate Kasich and this article hits a lot of the points as to why (Cincinnati streetcar not included!)

 

Did Barack Obama Save Ohio?

The New York Times By MATT BAI

Published: September 5, 2012

 

The way John Kasich sees it, he is fulfilling a grand design, a mission for which he was chosen by God, to save Ohio. “It’s like what what’s-his-name told the hobbit,” Ohio’s Republican governor told me as we flew on the plane that ferries him around the state. “What’s that guy’s name? Gandel? Gandorf?” A pair of young aides seated across from Kasich called out helpfully over the drone of the engine. “Gandalf,” Kasich repeated. “Do you remember what he told the hobbit?”

 

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/ohio-economy.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all

 

Fascinating article, on several levels. It really highlighted so many unanswered questions. I had to laugh hearing Kasich compare economists to astrologists. Actually, I'm betting astrologers have more of a handle on their trade in comparison.

 

I've personally grown exhausted/bored by the whole R vs. D political paradigm. I understand it, but I've shed my past, nostalgic allegiances and I feel better.

This is a long read, but a very good article, I still hate Kasich and this article hits a lot of the points as to why (Cincinnati streetcar not included!)

 

Did Barack Obama Save Ohio?

The New York Times By MATT BAI

Published: September 5, 2012

 

The way John Kasich sees it, he is fulfilling a grand design, a mission for which he was chosen by God, to save Ohio. “It’s like what what’s-his-name told the hobbit,” Ohio’s Republican governor told me as we flew on the plane that ferries him around the state. “What’s that guy’s name? Gandel? Gandorf?” A pair of young aides seated across from Kasich called out helpfully over the drone of the engine. “Gandalf,” Kasich repeated. “Do you remember what he told the hobbit?”

 

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/magazine/ohio-economy.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all

 

So, according to the following republicans in the last 12 months, God has chosen them specifically

 

A) John Kasich

B) Michelle Bachmann

C) Rick Perry

D) Rick Santorum

E) Herman Cain

 

Yikes.  Serious red flags go off in my head anytime I hear someone say they were 'chosen by God'. 

That was a long and interesting read. 

 

I'm glad the author dug into the JobsOhio debacle.  Crony Capitalism involving large transfers of wealth to limited numbers of individuals is at it's very worst when the public coffers are being raided and redistributed.

 

Yeah, they built that.

 

 

^^hey, at least they didn't kick God off the party platform :wtf: and then clumsily (and rather unconvincingly :wink2:) attempt to invite him back in! lol

^Him?  You sexist  :evil:

^^hey, at least they didn't kick God off the party platform :wtf: and then clumsily (and rather unconvincingly :wink2:) attempt to invite him back in! lol

 

Huh?

^^hey, at least they didn't kick God off the party platform :wtf: and then clumsily (and rather unconvincingly :wink2:) attempt to invite him back in! lol

 

Huh?

 

 

Ted Strickland (aka NYT Kasich article comedy relief) had a major role in this.

 

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/05/convention-floor-chaos-democrats-alter-platform-disagree/

Anybody else catch Strickland and Kasich on 90.3 this morning talking about Ohio's role in the election?They both said that Ohio basically is a microcosm of the US as a whole. Strickland was first, and tooted his and the POTUS's horn saying that the recovery in Ohio started even before he left office. When the mod got Kasich on the line and  later asked Kasich about it he had a very gruff no comment answer. It was very odd and un- politician like. Kasich had some good things to say about diversifying Ohio's economy.

Mark Kvamme steps down from JobsOhio post

Business Courier by Dan Monk, Senior Staff Reporter

Date: Tuesday, October 2, 2012, 2:43pm EDT - Last Modified: Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 9:13am EDT

 

The California venture capitalist who started the JobsOhio economic development program in Ohio today announced he would return to the private sector by Nov. 1.

 

Mark Kvamme will be replaced by John Minor, one of JobsOhio’s managing directors, who will assume Kvamme’s title of president and chief investment officer.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2012/10/mark-kvamme-steps-down-from-jobsohio.html

 

 

Anybody else catch Strickland and Kasich on 90.3 this morning talking about Ohio's role in the election?They both said that Ohio basically is a microcosm of the US as a whole. Strickland was first, and tooted his and the POTUS's horn saying that the recovery in Ohio started even before he left office. When the mod got Kasich on the line and  later asked Kasich about it he had a very gruff no comment answer. It was very odd and un- politician like. Kasich had some good things to say about diversifying Ohio's economy.

 

Any chance that's posted online?

Nothing older than 10/5 http://www.ideastream.org/index.php/soi/P20/

Please help this along Governor K:

Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols sounds encouraging but not specific. "The sooner we can transition back to local operation of these local resources the better for everyone," he said. "That needs to happen in a way that makes the most sense for all Ohioans, and we're optimistic that we'll find that solution."

 

State officials must not let the future of Cleveland's lakefront parks become our fiscal 'sea' cliff

Updated: Tuesday, December 04, 2012, 8:14 AM

By Mark Naymik, The Plain Dealer

 

It's time for Ohio to give up management of the Cleveland's lakefront parks, which include Edgewater and Euclid Beach.

 

The Cleveland Metroparks is in the strongest position to run them. As my colleague James Ewinger outlined in a recent story, the Metroparks has been studying exactly what it will take to improve maintenance, upgrade amenities, increase the number of users and keep the parks safe.

 

To its credit, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which manages a half-dozen city lakefront parks, wants to unload them.

 

Yet, negotiations keep spinning around money, making this debate Ohio's fiscal sea cliff.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2012/12/state_officials_must_not_let_t.html

Mr Kasich has done it again. Nation attention too. Giving a murderer clemency, because he's too fat for an injection.

Mr Kasich has done it again. Nation attention too. Giving a murderer clemency, because he's too fat for an injection.

 

No - from http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/19/pardon-from-kasich-is-rare.html --

 

"Gov. John Kasich has used his executive clemency power moderately during his 16 months in office, sparing the lives of two convicted killers but approving only 5 percent of other requests."

 

[...]

 

"Kasich has done far better than his predecessor, Ted Strickland, in keeping up with clemency requests.

Strickland made no decisions for nearly three years in office and rushed to complete hundreds of cases in his last few months as governor.

In 412 clemency requests decided thus far, Kasich released no one from prison."

 

For the record --

 

* Strickland (D) approved 20% of 1,615 cases from 2005-2010. Most pardons were for low-level, non-violent offenders. He also spared the lives of convicted killers.

* Celeste (D) granted just 67 clemencies before 1991. Nulled 8 death sentences, shortened prison time for 26 female inmates who were victims of battered-woman syndrome.

* Taft ® approved <10% of the cases.

* Voinovich ® approved <10% of the cases.

* Rhodes ® approved 56/320 cases, or 17.5%, in 1982.

 

The Cleveland Plain Dealer (before it went to archive), noted that Kasich granted clemency based not on his weight, but from questions regarding the trial, mirroring the statements made from the parole board.

Mr Kasich has done it again. Nation attention too. Giving a murderer clemency, because he's too fat for an injection.

 

Maybe sentence him to a life sentence of 800 calories per day?

haha i think you are supposed to get 2k calories/day to live!

 

i never heard of this case until i looked it up. what a guy.

 

I want to say 2k is just the Surgeon General's recommendation, and there are actually a lot of people who live on less (though even more people who live on more, with most of it being complete junk).  I actually don't know what the threshold for starvation is, but it's well below 2k.

The average American eats 3770 calories per day according to this chart: http://chartsbin.com/view/1150. Notice that those slender Euros aren't really that far behind us -- that walkabilty and lower stress levels that they have over there must be helping.

Substantially healthier foods too.

Any chance Kasich & others can work with Gee to sneak UC into the Big Ten?

^Are you kidding? aOSU is terrified by the idea of UC threatening their dominance.

tOSU is terrified by the idea of UC threatening their dominance not bringing another major media market to the Big Ten network, which is the only reason middleweight teams are allowed in.

 

FTFY.

Even with UC outside the Big 10, OSU is terrified of UC.

In what sports?

But UC is dam near an AAU school, and a top 25 Public research school and the BIG label for UC would only bring in more $$$ to

Ohio, that has to trump all. I don't think OSU is scared or concerned like maybe 15 years ago. Gee chairs the task force on statewide university funding.

 

Anyway word on the street is that the Big 12 has been told they need to go to at least 12, or add 2 more schools for a CCG.

Do they raid 2 ACC schools, or grab UC, does UC end up in the ACC?

In what sports?

 

OSU will always recruit well, doesn't matter where UC is, and they have a locked in fan base. UCs base would grow a little.

I mean jeez, Indiana has IU, Purdue and ND. UC and OSU can coexist in the same conference, it benefits Ohio.

In what sports?

 

The money-maker: football.

 

OSU changes their schedule to avoid playing UC. A UC-OSU annual match-up would be a huge money-maker. It would be a reality if OSU weren't afraid of losing.

I don't think that's the reason. From 1950 on OSU would have beat UC 9 times out of 10.

I don't think that's the reason. From 1950 on OSU would have beat UC 9 times out of 10.

 

As they probably would against most of the current Big Ten schools. Would be nice to see OSU play in Cincinnati every other year though.

OSU was supposed to come back to Cincy but they bought out of that game and moved to CBus, as allowed per the contract.

UC football and BBall has probably accomplished more with less than any other D1 program. Even OSU fans would probably agree to that.

 

I just want UC to end up at the big boy table, ACC or Big 12 would be fine.

Ed Fitzgerald was interviewed by Bill Wills on WTAM this morning. Fitzgerald said Kasich has been a lousy governor and that he could do a better job. Wills pressed him a bit on running against Kasich, but Fitzgerald seems legitimately undecided at this point. He thinks he'll need about $20 million to run a viable campaign, saying that was a daunting proposition. Wills, a conservative, was very complimentary and supportive of Fitzgerald. However, Wills wished Fitzgerald would serve out another term at the County, and Fitzgerald admitted he'd be glad to do just that.

Kasich's new "education plan" is a sop for his cronies in the charter school business.  Parents who can already afford to send their children to private schools will get our tax money to send their children to private school.  It will be about a billion dollars of state revenues that will go to these corporations.

IN-DEPTH: Kasich's budget gives county coffers a bum

 

Gov. John Kasich’s tax plan would result in a three-year windfall for counties thanks to expanding the sales tax to services, but the state would take over counties’ rates to prevent too big a boon.

 

Under the plan – which requires approval by the Legislature – counties are guaranteed increased revenue for three years starting with fiscal 2014, which begins July 1. They’ll get at least a 10 percent bump in revenue in the first 19 months under the new plan, compared with collections over the next few months. Over the rest of the three-year period, the state promises counties at least a 15 percent bump in revenue.

 

--

 

Hamilton County: Deficits, now projected to be $30 million in several years, would be reduced for its two stadiums. Under Kasich's plan, $6.5 million a year would be added to the fund.

Kasich's new "education plan" is a sop for his cronies in the charter school business.  Parents who can already afford to send their children to private schools will get our tax money to send their children to private school.  It will be about a billion dollars of state revenues that will go to these corporations.

 

Seriously?  Of the Facebook friends I have in the education sector (only one of which works for a for-profit charter), all of them looked genuinely relieved when the budget proposal came out.  NPR has a decent rundown of the changes; the budget obviously supports vouchers more than you're comfortable with because you wouldn't be comfortable with anything short of completely eliminating them, and tries to give districts more labor flexibility, which I'm sure you also oppose.  That said, I really don't see any dramatic changes to the status quo here:

 

http://stateimpact.npr.org/ohio/2013/02/04/whats-gov-kasichs-2013-budget-does-for-education/

Kasich undoubtedly 'moved toward the middle' with this budget proposal. 

IN-DEPTH: Kasich's budget gives county coffers a bum

 

Gov. John Kasich’s tax plan would result in a three-year windfall for counties thanks to expanding the sales tax to services, but the state would take over counties’ rates to prevent too big a boon.

 

Totally ridiculous. Kasich pulls local funding, leaving smaller gov't entities to figure out how to fund services. Then he takes over one of the counties' main ways of controlling their revenue stream. The first is somewhat defensible under the idea of promoting local control, but when you combine that with reducing ways of raising revenue (having to ask permission of the state!) it becomes rather tyrannical.

I'm skeptical of Kasich, but so far his tax change proposals don't sound too bad. Lower income taxes and sales taxes, but sales applies to services so for most people it'll be close to a wash. (It'll apply to all brackets, therefore slightly regressive, but that's to be expected.) Some businesses will pay more and others will pay less. (Small businesses will be the ones that pay more, but again that's expected.) It does sound like counties with higher sales taxes and transit systems will make out pretty well. (but at a loss of control over their rates)

 

I don't like it, but compared to what I expected when I saw headlines, not to bad. (Obviously I have low expectations from Kasich.) I'll reserve further judgement till I've seen more information.

I was thinking that taxing professional services would actually be kinda progressive since wealthy people probably hire more pro services than poor people do but then really wealthy people jus have in house services, so.....

The county power grab is kinda weird - don't like it.

frankly I'm beginning to think Kasich is just trying to stir poop up for the sheer heck of it.

“I almost think it’s going the other direction. It’s like the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer,” said Brad Miller, treasurer of the Dawson-Bryant School District in southern Ohio’s Lawrence County.

 

“It looks like we haven’t accomplished anything. There was a lot of anticipation, and I had high hopes, but as of right now, it seems like nothing’s going to be done.”

 

Yesterday, Kasich said he still had not seen any material detailing how much money each of Ohio’s 612 school districts would receive under his plan.

 

“No, I don’t look at those because it’s the philosophy that matters,” Kasich said after a town-hall meeting with business professionals in Dayton to promote his tax proposals. “And to look at a (computer) run and yank out one part of it distorts the whole purpose of it. … We said we were going to fund the school system on the basis of dollars following pupils.”

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/02/08/this-is-not-what-we-were-told.html

=Dollars becoming revenue for school corporations

Kasich's new "education plan" is a sop for his cronies in the charter school business.  Parents who can already afford to send their children to private schools will get our tax money to send their children to private school.  It will be about a billion dollars of state revenues that will go to these corporations.

 

Seriously?  Of the Facebook friends I have in the education sector (only one of which works for a for-profit charter), all of them looked genuinely relieved when the budget proposal came out.  NPR has a decent rundown of the changes; the budget obviously supports vouchers more than you're comfortable with because you wouldn't be comfortable with anything short of completely eliminating them, and tries to give districts more labor flexibility, which I'm sure you also oppose.  That said, I really don't see any dramatic changes to the status quo here:

 

http://stateimpact.npr.org/ohio/2013/02/04/whats-gov-kasichs-2013-budget-does-for-education/

 

While I'm not a huge fan of vouchers at least the organizations that get the money tend to be trustworthy.  The problem is any expansion of charter school funding, particularly those run by for-profit companies.  That's where Kasich's ties to folks like Brennan are an issue certainly worth discussing.

 

At the end of the day, however, the problem with both charter schools and vouchers is that they'll only improve educational outcomes marginally while leaving behind the most troubled students in public schools with even less funding.  The math is a bit complicated, but a big part of what it comes down to is that funding for special education services is rarely enough to cover the costs of the mandates imposed by state and local governments, and these are the kids that are generally denied access to parochial and charter schools.  There are other issues, such as who actually has the time and resources to access schools of choice, too.

Kasich's new "education plan" is a sop for his cronies in the charter school business.  Parents who can already afford to send their children to private schools will get our tax money to send their children to private school.  It will be about a billion dollars of state revenues that will go to these corporations.

 

Seriously?  Of the Facebook friends I have in the education sector (only one of which works for a for-profit charter), all of them looked genuinely relieved when the budget proposal came out.  NPR has a decent rundown of the changes; the budget obviously supports vouchers more than you're comfortable with because you wouldn't be comfortable with anything short of completely eliminating them, and tries to give districts more labor flexibility, which I'm sure you also oppose.  That said, I really don't see any dramatic changes to the status quo here:

 

http://stateimpact.npr.org/ohio/2013/02/04/whats-gov-kasichs-2013-budget-does-for-education/

 

While I'm not a huge fan of vouchers at least the organizations that get the money tend to be trustworthy.  The problem is any expansion of charter school funding, particularly those run by for-profit companies.  That's where Kasich's ties to folks like Brennan are an issue certainly worth discussing.

 

At the end of the day, however, the problem with both charter schools and vouchers is that they'll only improve educational outcomes marginally while leaving behind the most troubled students in public schools with even less funding.  The math is a bit complicated, but a big part of what it comes down to is that funding for special education services is rarely enough to cover the costs of the mandates imposed by state and local governments, and these are the kids that are generally denied access to parochial and charter schools.  There are other issues, such as who actually has the time and resources to access schools of choice, too.

 

The problem I have with charter schools - whether they are "good" or not, is that they are not truly public. They don't have to admit every student, and unlike public schools, they can kick students out pretty easily. So, comparing traditional public schools who admit everyone - including students with disabilities - is difficult. Those studies that have tried an "apples to apples" comparison have generally shown that charter schools, at best, do as well as traditional public schools. The other challenge for urban families is the transaction cost of searching for schools. Rather than having quality public schools for everyone, we have developed a system, like the free-market capitalism that spawned it -  that fetishizes choice over (e)quality, promotes the idea that education is an "industry", and believes that money is the root of all good.

 

More broadly, the education "problem" we have in the US at the moment is not one of cognitive ability, good teaching, funding, or anything else related to education. Rather, it's a tradition of racial and economic exclusion in the US that is determining most of the education "gap". Until we get to the root problems inherent (and often praised) failures of late American capitalism - such as chronic underemployment, low wages, a 24/hour economic cycle, and a lack of job security - we will be dealing with the same problems for generations.