UAPA Newsletter
Support for Obama and Democrats Slips Among 'Millennial' Generation
Posted March 2nd, 2010 by Pathadler 
March 3, 2010
Support for Obama and Democrats Slips Among 'Millennial' Generation
One of the factors that fueled the resurgence of the Democrats in the 2006 midterms and particularly President Obama's 2008 campaign was the enthusiastic backing of the "Millennial" generation -- voters between 18 and 29 years old. But a Pew Research Center study says that the Democrats' advantage over Republicans with this group has dramatically shrunk from a 32-point margin in 2008 to 14 points.
These numbers include both those who identify with one of the two parties, and those who lean towards one or the other.
The figures come from an ongoing series of reports Pew is doing, based on data it and others collected from May 1990 to December 2009, comparing the Millennials to past generations, such as the Gen-Xers, Baby Boomers and Silent Generation (1928-1945). The reports cover not only political characteristics of the generations, but where they differ in religion, social mores, and use of media.
Clearly the support of Millennials is critical to winning the White House in 2012. It's important that we reach out to this demographic via social media and engaging programs to counteract the negative, inflammatory and very incorrect information being disseminated by the conservative right. The very future of these young voters depends on our actions.
Read the rest of the Politics Daily story here.
Kasich's miracle budget doesn't add up
By Gemma McLuckie
You'll be hearing a lot about Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich's call to eliminate Ohio's state government.
Upper Arlington Progressive Action thinks Kasich is a lot like the scientist featured in a Far Side cartoon a few years ago. He stands with a colleague, contemplating his blackboard, which he filled with mathematical formulas. He then points to his scribbles and explains, "A miracle happens here."
A vote for Kasich's cockeyed plan is a vote for "a miracle happens here." He says he has a formula, but refuses to share it
Upcoming Events
There are too many to list this issue! Please visit our website for the full listings.
Recommended Reading
"A Choir Boy Battles Wall Street: Richard Cordray may not look the part, but the Ohio attorney general has assumed the pit bull role once played by Eliot Spitzer and Rudy Giuliani".
Read the full story at BusinessWeek.com.
Funnies
Ciotola packs Library Board with his own recruits
Posted February 6th, 2010 by sdybiec
February 7, 2010
Ciotola packs Library Board with his own recruits
New mayor starts term with closed-door decision
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During his effort to censor gay periodicals in the Upper Arlington Public Library in 2005, then UA Council member Tim Rankin said,
"If we have to put people on this [Library] board who reflect the values of the community, we'll do that."
According to a story in the February 4th, 2010 edition of ThisWeek [PDF] [JPG], it would seem that UA's new mayor, Frank Ciotola, has made good on Rankin's threat.
Within a few days of being elected Council President, Ciotola made it one of his first acts to appoint three hand-picked recruits to the Library Board. All 3 appointees:
- delivered their applications directly to the current Council President, Frank Ciotola, not to the City Clerks Office (source: UA Clerk's Office)
- submitted applications a month and a half after the posted November 16, 2009 deadline
- completed their applications within 4 days of each other on Jan 6, 8 and 9th, 2010
Ciotola's appointees to the Library Board of Trustee had a fast track outside the normal process, which typically includes a review of applicants with other Council members.
The rest of the story is continued here, including
- Ciotola: "I wish the deadline had not been published"
- Democrats need not apply
- Who are the new appointees?
- The two Trustees who voted against censorship were passed over
2010: Fire in the belly
Now that the holidays are over and you are diligently working on losing weight, giving up cigarettes, or saving money, it is time to look forward.
Politically, 2010 is a big year. Local, state, and national elections will be fiercely fought. Every vote will count.
Upper Arlington Progressive Action expects to be in the midst of all this action, and we need you to be, too.
You may have had some disappointment during the first year of President Obama's tenure, but keep in mind the country's overall progress. As Slate analyst Jacob Weisberg tells us in "Obama's Brilliant First Year," Obama has "accomplished more than any first-year president since Franklin Roosevelt."
But he can't fulfill the rest of his campaign promises without our enthusiastic support this year --- and in 2012.
There is a new word going around the talk shows: intensity. Pundits are saying voters don't have the same enthusiasm this year. Let's prove them wrong. Add another new year's resolution to your list: I will be intense. Your goal will be to become an activist to further progressive goals at all levels.
We're organizing opportunities for you to help elect or re-elect good candidates, plus support legislation for progressive causes. We need all of you to help with events, communications, research and spirit!
Stay tuned for opportunities. And let us know what you are interested in.
We have a fire in our belly. Do you?
Obama and GOP in rare face-to-face encounter
Watch this genuine - and remarkable - conversation between Obama and Republicans at their retreat - transparently on CSPAN.
Obama is at best in this session. Andrew Sullivan says:
He is best at defusing conflict; he is superb at engaging civilly with his opponents. It's part of his legacy - I remember how many conservatives respected him at the Harvard Law Review. But he needs to do more of this, even though he may get nothing in return. Why? Because unless the tone changes, unless the pure obstructionism and left-right ding-dong cycle stops, we are on a fast track to catastrophe.
The Hardest Call
Posted December 19th, 2009 by sdybiec
December 19, 2009
Here are three opinion pieces from liberal and conservative voices: two in favor of the health care legislation and one against -- but barely against.
The moment Ted Kennedy would not want to lose
By Victoria Reggie Kennedy
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My late husband, Ted Kennedy, was passionate about health-care reform. It was the cause of his life. He believed that health care for all our citizens was a fundamental right, not a privilege, and that this year the stars -- and competing interests -- were finally aligned to allow our nation to move forward with fundamental reform. He believed that health-care reform was essential to the financial stability of our nation's working families and of our economy as a whole.
Read more here.
The Hardest Call
By David Brooks
The first reason to support the Senate health care bill is that it would provide insurance to 30 million more Americans.
The second reason to support the bill is that its authors took the deficit issue seriously. Compared with, say, the prescription drug benefit from a few years ago, this bill is a model of fiscal rectitude. It spends a lot of money to cover the uninsured, but to help pay for it, it also includes serious Medicare cuts and whopping tax increases — the tax on high-cost insurance plans alone will raise $1.3 trillion in the second decade.
Read more here.
Pass the Bill
By Paul Krugman
A message to progressives: By all means, hang Senator Joe Lieberman in effigy. Declare that you’re disappointed in and/or disgusted with President Obama. Demand a change in Senate rules that, combined with the Republican strategy of total obstructionism, are in the process of making America ungovernable.
But meanwhile, pass the health care bill.
Read more here.
In Defense of Our President
Posted December 2nd, 2009 by sdybiec
December 4, 2009
Obama's Brilliant First Year
By January, he will have accomplished more than any first-year president since Franklin Roosevelt.
Nov 28, 2009
"There's mounting evidence that the $787 billion economic stimulus he signed in February—combined with the bank bailout package—prevented an economic depression. Should the stimulus have been larger? Should it have been more weighted to short-term spending, as opposed to long-term tax cuts? Would a second round be a good idea? Pundits and policymakers will argue these questions for years to come. But few mainstream economists seriously dispute that Obama's decisive action prevented a much deeper downturn and restored economic growth in the third quarter. The New York Times recently quoted Mark Zandi, who was one of candidate John McCain's economic advisers, on this point: "The stimulus is doing what it was supposed to do—it is contributing to ending the recession," he said. "In my view, without the stimulus, G.D.P would still be negative and unemployment would be firmly over 11 percent.""
http://www.slate.com/id/2236708/
Obama Pushes Lobbyists Off Federal Advisory Boards
Hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists will be ejected from federal advisory panels as part of a little-noticed initiative by the Obama administration to curb K Street's influence in Washington.
November 29, 2009
The Washington Post reported that the move "may turn out to be the most far-reaching lobbying rule change so far from President Obama," resulting in "hundreds, if not thousands, of lobbyists" being ejected from federal advisory panels.
Not surprisingly, lobby groups, corporations, and other K Street influencers are up in arms.
"The reaction from the lobbying community has been swift and overwhelmingly negative."
But this week, congressional researchers concluded that the administration’s crackdown has “already changed the relationship between lobbyists and covered executive branch officials” and suggested that Congress might consider enacting similar restrictions on itself.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/26/AR2009112602362.html
and
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/opinion/04fri4.html
MIT Analysis Backs Obama
Nov 28, 2009
"The report concludes that under the Senate's health-reform bill, Americans buying individual coverage will pay less than they do for today's typical individual market coverage, and would be protected from high out-of-pocket costs."
23 Ph.D. economists sent a letter to Obama on Nov. 17 endorsing his approach to health-care reform. Read the economists’ four-page letter here.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29959.html
Download MIT Report:
Why Obama Supporters Ought to Count Their Blessings
Nov 24, 2009
"He has signed new laws on national service, equal pay, hate crimes, and many other overdue concerns; made real strides on energy; and launched a quiet revolution in education.
Not least, Obama's top legislative priority, health reform, is now almost close enough to smell the Rose Garden. After six presidents have tried, health reform may be just six weeks away from finally happening."
http://www.slate.com/id/2236558/
Stimulus Saved Or Created 600,000-1.6 Million Jobs
November 30, 2009
"[The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office] estimates that in the third quarter of calendar year 2009, an additional 600,000 to 1.6 million people were employed in the United States, and real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) was 1.2 percent to 3.2 percent higher, than would have been the case in the absence of ARRA [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka "the stimulus")]."
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/12/01/cbo-jobs/
Progress over Perfection
Nov 23, 2009
"Repeat after me, boys and girls, this mantra: PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION.
I don't give a damn whether you're so liberal you wear leaves for shoes to keep from hurting cows or so conservative you recoil at the idea of a public ANYTHING...we are SOOOOOO close, guys, to literally changing history, that we cannot, we WILL NOT...blow it at this point by bickering amongst our little Democratic selves because we're not getting every single little itty bitty solitary thing we want in a health care bill or any other bill that is before congress these days..."
Obama's Afghanistan Speech
Dec 1, 2009
In his speech Obama reminds America why we’re fighting, how we almost won in Afghanistan, how we got off course because of Iraq (without laying blame), how we plan to fix it, that this isn’t an open ended commitment and when he’ll start bringing troops home: July 2011.
23 Democrats
Posted November 12th, 2009 by sdybiec
November 12, 2009
23 Democrats
23 Democrats voted to restrict a woman's right to choose and against health care. But our very own Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy already in ultra-competitive race, voted for reproductive choice and for health care reform, despite Republican attacks. 
MoveOn.org has started a campaign to raise $150,000 in 48 hours to help Rep. Kilroy. If you can't give $400, any amount helps.
Dear MoveOn member,
Saturday night was bittersweet. The House passed sweeping health care reform --- but included a severe anti-choice provision in the bill.
23 Democrats voted wrong on both counts, first voting to restrict a woman's right to choose, then siding with Big Insurance to vote against a health care bill they had just succeeded in weakening.
On the other hand, there were principled Democrats in tough re-election fights who have been under fire from Republicans and the insurance industry for months. They faced intense pressure --- first to vote to limit women's access to reproductive choice and then to vote down health care altogether.
But they didn't give in --- they courageously stood up for women and for all Americans who can't afford to wait for health care.
And now they're facing even harsher attacks for their votes. Mary Jo Kilroy and other health care heroes are about to see some of the nastiest attacks against them yet and they need our support. Together we can show that when Democrats stand up and fight, people will stand up with them.
https://pol.moveon.org/give/healthcare_heroes2.html
In response to this week's email, MoveOn members pitched in funds to launch our biggest ad campaign ever holding Democrats accountable, targeting some of the 23 Democrats who voted wrong. Now we need to show that we'll get the backs of those pro-choice Democrats who cast the deciding votes for health care reform.
That includes Reps. Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire and John Hall of New York, both of whom voted for health care reform and are in competitive races in swing districts.2
Mary Jo Kilroy's Republican opponent, Steve Stivers, is the same candidate she narrowly defeated last year. His strategy? Hope that "urban" turnout declines without Barack Obama on the ballot.3
A former banking lobbyist,4 Stivers can tap special interests to raise millions for his campaign, but Kilroy, who MoveOn members first supported in 2006, is counting on grassroots support from folks like you.
"We cannot sit back and accept the status quo," she said in declaring her support for the health care bill.5 Let's help her fight for change. Make your contribution now:
https://pol.moveon.org/give/healthcare_heroes2.html
Thank you.
---Adam, Wes, Marika, Kat, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. Final vote results on passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, November 7, 2009
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll887.xml
Final vote results on adoption of the Stupak of Michigan Amendment, Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, November 7, 2009
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll884.xml
2. Cook Political Report, Nov. 4, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85149&id=17914-5643971-B8GjaCx&t=5
3. "Ohio Could See Two 2008 Rematches Next Year," Roll Call, May 12, 2009.
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_129/politics/34812-1.html
4. "Lobbyists make a run for congressional seats," USA Today, Nov. 3, 2008.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85150&id=17914-5643971-B8GjaCx&t=6
5. "Kilroy Announces Support of Affordable Health Care for America Act," Rep. Kilroy's website, Nov. 6, 2009.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85151&id=17914-5643971-B8GjaCx&t=7
UAPA Sample Ballot
Posted November 2nd, 2009 by sdybiecThe UA City Council election is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3rd!
If you're not sure where to vote: Find your polling location. Don't forget to bring your Ohio Drivers License or other form of ID to verify your address.
We need you! (And a friend)
Remember: In the last election only 30 votes -- less than 1 for each of Upper Arlington’s 36 precincts -- made the difference among City Council hopefuls. We need only two more progressive voters to go to the polls in each Upper Arlington precinct on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to make a difference!
This election comes down to two words:
If you vote for candidates Mike Schadek and Debbie Johnson, you can help make sure that we retain a moderate majority on City Council with a progressive vision for UA's future. This is the only hope we have for ensuring that UA retains its prominence, high quality of life and economic strength.
After meeting individually with 5 of the 7 Council candidates, we urge you to support Schadek and Johnson because they:
- Are pragmatic moderates who understand the need to balance market needs with those of our community
- Support services that allow UA to compete with neighboring suburbs
- Value First Amendment rights, respect for the law and tolerance
- Will explore environmental initiatives to make UA green, safe and walkable
 FOR MIKE SCHADEK |
| FOR DEBBIE JOHNSON |
| Voting for only these two candidates will maximize the impact of your vote. |
So be sure to vote on Tuesday for Mike Schadek and Debbie Johnson. And please, take one more person with you to the polls. Or forward this email to your progressive neighbors and friends now and urge them to vote on November 3.
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NO on Issue 2 and NO on Issue 3
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| YES for Judge: Mark Hummer |
UAPA Sample Ballot
Posted November 2nd, 2009 by sdybiecThe UA City Council election is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3rd!
If you're not sure where to vote: Find your polling location. Don't forget to bring your Ohio Drivers License or other form of ID to verify your address.
We need you! (And a friend)
Remember: In the last election only 30 votes -- less than 1 for each of Upper Arlington’s 36 precincts -- made the difference among City Council hopefuls. We need only two more progressive voters to go to the polls in each Upper Arlington precinct on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to make a difference!
This election comes down to two words:
If you vote for candidates Mike Schadek and Debbie Johnson, you can help make sure that we retain a moderate majority on City Council with a progressive vision for UA's future. This is the only hope we have for ensuring that UA retains its prominence, high quality of life and economic strength.
After meeting individually with 5 of the 7 Council candidates, we urge you to support Schadek and Johnson because they:
- Are pragmatic moderates who understand the need to balance market needs with those of our community
- Support services that allow UA to compete with neighboring suburbs
- Value First Amendment rights, respect for the law and tolerance
- Will explore environmental initiatives to make UA green, safe and walkable
 FOR MIKE SCHADEK |
| FOR DEBBIE JOHNSON |
| Voting for only these two candidates will maximize the impact of your vote. |
So be sure to vote on Tuesday for Mike Schadek and Debbie Johnson. And please, take one more person with you to the polls. Or forward this email to your progressive neighbors and friends now and urge them to vote on November 3.
|
NO on Issue 2 and NO on Issue 3
|
| YES for Judge: Mark Hummer |
Who deserves credit for Kingsdale?
Posted October 28th, 2009 by sdybiec
November 1, 2009
Who deserves credit for Kingsdale?
City Council incumbent candidates Frank Ciotola's and Wade Steen's campaign flyers are proclaiming how they got Kingsdale done.
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"With Linda Mauger and Don Leach both leaving Council, we need moderates to replace them --- members who will put the people's business first. We think Mike Schadek and Debbie Johnson are those two candidates." --- UAPA Executive Cmte |
But who really negotiated on behalf of Upper Arlington constituents for the best deal with developers? Who had the backbone to stand up and get the best deal for Upper Arlington?
As it turns out, Ciotola and Steen are two of the least deserving of all the praise they are heaping on themselves.
The market idealogues vs. the pragmatists
We heard it 100 times during the Kingsdale debate from Council's right-wing block --- "let the market dictate what goes in at Kingsdale". In this Columbus Dispatch story entitled 'Big-box approach OK'd for Kingsdale', Ciotola thought that UA was negotiating too aggressively on Regency's big box Target store proposal:
"I think municipalities are getting overzealous in dictating what the mix of development is instead of letting the market dictate," he said.
If UA had solely relied on market forces, as Ciotola suggests, Jacksonville, Fla.-based Regency would have "dictated" our future and we'd likely have a big box Target store or something like it at Kingsdale today.
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And thanks to Council's moderate, pragmatic majority we will have something much better than Steen or Ciotola were willing to settle for.
The audacity of negotiation
Instead of the passive role of government that Ciotola recommended, the city staff and other Council members embraced their responsibility to the community to get the best deal for UA.
By effectively tempering market forces with the needs of the community as described in the Master Plan they brokered a Kingsdale compromise has been well received throughout our community.
The role of government
At the heart of the Kingsdale debate was how active and engaged City government should be in making economic development decisions.
As early as 2005 the right wing block of UA City Council, Frank Ciotola, Tim Rankin and Wade Steen, was saying that negotiating at all with Regency, then owners of Kingsdale, would be "overstepping". Here's Ciotola quoted in This Week story from February 9, 2006 entitled "Redevelopment at Kingsdale tops agenda at council retreat":
Council member Frank Ciotola expressed concern that the city may be overstepping its bounds by discussing plans for Kingsdale, since the property is privately owned.
"Should we be telling Regency what it can and can't do with its property?" Ciotola asked.
But that's exactly what zoning laws do -- limit the uses of private property for the betterment of the community. And negotiating with Kingsdale developers for anything less than the best deal possible would be an abdication of UA City government's responsibility to its citizens.
Story continues here.
Get out the vote for Mike Schadek
It's time to get out the progressive vote in Arlington! Mike Schadek has run a true grassroots campaign, knocked on countless doors and talked with residents about the future of our great community. You can help Mike win by joining him for the last three days of the race to turn out the progressive vote. Even one vote per precinct makes a difference, so please sign up for a GOTV shift and help Arlington continue to move forward:
- Sunday, November 1st, there are 2 shifts: 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM
- Monday, November 2nd, there are 3 shifts: 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 4:00 PM
- Tuesday, November 3rd, there are 4 shifts: 7:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 4:00 PM
Send an email to DeDe Rhodes at dederhodes@gmail.com or contact DeDe at 614-537-1636.
Location: Vote Schadek Headquarters, 1537 Guilford Road, UA 43221
Steen, Ciotola oppose UA Sidewalk Policy
Posted October 28th, 2009 by sdybiec
October 30, 2009
Steen, Ciotola oppose UA Sidewalk Policy
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Upper Arlington currently has sidewalks along approximately only 20 percent of its roadway. This poses a significant safety risk for everybody that travels by foot, by bicycle, by car or public transportation. We need complete streets in UA with curbs, gutters and sidewalks.
In UA we inherited a city with no plan for sidewalks, and until recently there never has been a consistent plan to address this issue.
Now UA has a modest and reasonable Sidewalk Policy on the books to build sidewalks along UA's busiest streets:
When rebuilding an arterial or collector street, the City will look at the feasibility of adding a sidewalk on at least one side of the street.
But conservatives Ciotola and Steen have have fought this common sense and generally well-received approach. In 2007 Frank Ciotola, Tim Rankin and Wade Steen tried to remove the money to build sidewalks along Kenny Road. Their amendment failed:
- Voting to kill the sidewalk funding: Ciotola, Rankin, Steen
- Voting to preserve the sidewalk funding: Krauss, Leach, Mauger, Seidel
And again this year, Ciotola and Steen opposed the Sidewalk Policy, but decided not to offer an amendment to remove sidewalks from the Kenny Road rehab project.
"...However, I don't think I would getting support on that, knowing the past voting history of Council, so I will not offer up an amendment [to remove sidewalks from the Ordinance]."
--- Frank Ciotola, July 13, 2009, UA City Council Meeting Minutes
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Besides offering a safer, walkable community, sidewalks make economic sense, too. The residents on Glenn Avenue have even created their own website promoting sidewalks in their neighborhood near Barrington school. Here's one of many interesting tidbits gleaned from their site:
People are willing to pay more to live in walkable communities. The Urban Land Institute compared four new urban communities (those built within existing urban settings) with their surrounding competitors and found that people spent an average of $20,189 more to live in pedestrian-friendly new urban communities. (Valuing the New Urbanism, 1999). More recent studies show similar results.
2009 Upper Arlington City Council Race Analysis
Posted October 22nd, 2009 by sdybiec
October 29, 2009
With only two moderates running for City Council, the balance between moderate and conservative voices on Council hangs on the results of this election. UAPA believes UA City government needs:
- a moderate City Council
- a capable, experienced, moderate mayor --- Mary Ann Krauss
The only way this can happen is if both Mike Schadek and Debbie Johnson are elected to City Council. Here's the situation:
| Moderate | Right-wing | ||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Mayor | ||
| Current Council | Seidel | Krauss | Leach | Mauger | Steen | Ciotola | Yassenoff | Leach | |
| 2010-11 | Seidel | Krauss | ? | ? | ? | ? | Yassenoff | ? | |
|
Best Outcome |
Seidel | Krauss | Schadek | Johnson | Milillo | Ciotola | Yassenoff | Krauss (75%) | |
| Worst Outcome | Seidel | Krauss | Morrison | DeCapua | Steen | Ciotola | Yassenoff | Steen or Ciotola | |
City Council Race Overview
- This year 4 seats are open and 7 candidates are running for these seats.
- Each voter will get to vote for 4 candidates.
- City Council terms are for 4 years.
- Only if Schadek and Johnson replace moderates Leach and Mauger can Council moderate majority be maintained.
The progressive vote is key
The progressive vote had a race-determining impact in the 2007 City Council election --- only one vote per precinct separated the candidates in 2nd and 3rd place and the candidates in 3rd and 4th place.
Why is this year's UA City Council race so important?
The last couple years of City Council has been free of the divisive right-wing social agenda we saw in years past, and, as a result, Council has been considerably more productive. A moderate majority on Council works!
With two of Tim Rankin's most supportive Council members, Wade Steen and Frank Ciotola, running for re-election and Morrison, DeCapua, and Milillo being courted by Glenn Beck's local 9/12 group, the return of a narrow right-wing agenda is a very real possibility.
UA's mayor is the leader of City Council
- In UA's form of government, the mayor is elected by Council.
- Prediction: If both Debbie Johnson and Mike Schadek are elected, the next mayor will be a moderate. (70% probability).
- Prediction: If either Johnson or Schadek are not re-elected, the new mayor will be far-right (80% probability)
- The mayor appoints the Library Board
Use your votes carefully
The way the math works in UA's City Council 'approval voting system' can sometimes seem counterintuitive. If you use any of your votes toward candidates you aren't sure about, you could end up helping that candidate to beat one of the candidates you really do want to be elected. Our recommendation: vote for only those candidates you know you want in office, even if it means not using all four of your votes. Wikipedia has a good explanation of this in the section called 'Sincere voting'.
2009 Election Special: Get out the vote!
Posted October 21st, 2009 by sdybiec
October 22, 2009
We know the Upper Arlington City Council race is non-partisan. But we feel it's important to inform our UA Progressive Action supporters about progressive and moderate candidates so you can take that into account as you vote.
We want to ensure a moderate majority on City Council and a moderate mayor.
We're excited because a true blue progressive is running. Mike Schadek has been a life-long Democrat, and has the memorabilia to prove it. Ask him to show you his vintage bumper stickers! His web site has the full scoop.
We'll have more about Mike and other candidates as the election approaches.
The elephant in Democratic clothing
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We also feel it's important to point to a UA City Council candidate who claims to be a Democrat, but whose background and recent public statements belie that claim.
Vern Morrison is telling progressive voters he is a "registered Democrat." However, UAPA has learned from several sources that he is telling GOP faithful that he switched parties in 2008 to vote for Hillary Clinton in the Ohio primary. It is reported that Morrison revealed his "Limbaugh vote" at a local 9-12 Republicans' meeting on September 24th for folks who support Glenn Beck's right wing radical agenda. (Beck is with Fox News.)
Voting records confirm that Morrison has been a life-long GOP supporter.
You'll recall that during the Democratic primary Rush Limbaugh was encouraging Republicans to register as Democrats and vote for Hillary Clinton:
Why We Want to Keep Hillary Alive
March 3rd, 2008RUSH: The strategy is to continue the chaos in this [Democratic] party. Look, there's a reason for this. Our side isn't going to do this. Obama needs to be bloodied up. Look, half the country already hates Hillary. That's good. But nobody hates Obama yet. Hillary is going to be the one to have to bloody him up politically because our side isn't going to do it. Mark my words. It's about winning, folks!
The important race for municipal judge
In the non-partisan campaign for Municipal Court Judge, we are lucky to have Mark Hummer. He's an Upper Arlington resident AND a progressive. And most importantly he has 18 years of experience as a magistrate in the Franklin County Municipal Court. His opponent has a familiar name -- Brown -- but not a moment of judicial experience.
He has the support of numerous Democratic and GOP organizations and folks. Not to mention an endorsement from the Columbus Dispatch, "Magistrate Hummer would bring nearly 20 years of experience to the bench" (Oct. 13).
Mark is campaigning really hard, but needs some help. He would appreciate having permission to put yard signs on Mountview between Fishinger and McCoy, and on Fishinger between Reed and Kenny. Help him find homeowners! Contact Laura Kuykendall, LGKuykendall@vorys.com, to get signs.
Tonight: A chance to meet the candidates
Leadership UA is having a free evening with the City Council and Municipal Court candidates on Thursday, October 22, at the UA Municipal Center, 3600 Tremont Road. As a nonpartisan organization, Leadership UA hosts this evening to encourage and facilitate dialogue within our community.
- At 6:30 p.m. candidates will meet the public in the lobby.
- From 7-8:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, they will present and debate their positions on significant local issues.
What we're hearing about Issue 2
This November, Issue 2 will be on the statewide ballot, and Ohio voters who care about animals need to know this is a dangerous and harmful amendment. With Issue 2, agribusiness interests are attempting to thwart Humane Society of the United States' and others efforts to stop the most inhumane and unacceptable confinement practices on factory farms in Ohio.
Issue 2 would set up the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, and write it into the Ohio Constitution. According to a statement sent to the Secretary of State office, this is supposed "to ensure livestock well-being, maintain our food safety, assure our locally grown and raised food supply and protect Ohio farms and families."
Food & Water Watch takes a different view, "While masquerading as an attempt to improve food safety and animal welfare, Issue 2 would give a board of political appointees unchecked power to decide any and all regulations related to animal agriculture."
The broad coalition of organizations opposing Issue 2 includes the Ohio Farmer's Union, the Ohio Environmental Stewardship Alliance, the Ohio Sierra Club, the Ohio League of Women Voters, and The Humane Society of the United States.
Most of the major papers in Ohio oppose Issue 2:
Columbus Dispatch: Wrong Approach–Editorial:
“Don’t use state constitution to set livestock-care rules or other detailed policies.” Read More
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Herding Ohio leaders toward animal treatment laws that big agriculture likes –Editorial
“The General Assembly’s rush to add a “livestock standards” amendment to the Ohio Constitution is as unseemly as it is questionable. Someone at the Statehouse needs to be an adult.” Read More
Akron Beacon Journal: Hurry to Harvest–Editorial
“Amending the Ohio Constitution is serious business, changes made by a statewide vote achieving a permanency no enjoyed by statutes or regulations.”Read More
Dayton Daily News: Animal lovers, farmers both wrong–Editorial
“…nobody should be for settling food fights in the constitution.” Read More
Your assignment: Get out the vote!
Join Sen. Sherrod Brown This Wednesday for an Alternative Energy Presentation
Posted April 15th, 2009 by sdybiec
April 14, 2009 www.uaprogressiveaction.com
Join Sherrod Brown at a Question and Answer Presentation on Alternative Energy at COSI this Wednesday
Please join U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Battelle Memorial Institute for an informational summit on alternative energy opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Date: April 15, 2009
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Center of Science and Industry (COSI), 333 W Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio
Speakers will include:
- U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
- Jeff Wadsworth, CEO of Battelle Memorial Institute
- Representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Representatives from the Office of Governor Ted Strickland
This event is free and open to the public. Parking is available at COSI.
To RSVP, click here.
Celebrate Earth Day on April 25, 2009
Please join the Wickliffe Progressive School community, UAPA and Sustainable UA for an Earth Day Event on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at Wickliffe School, 2405 Wickliffe Road. These groups will be working together to get volunteers, Ohio-native plants and monetary donations for a community beautification event in celebration of Earth Day.
This is a great way for residents to provide community support for the school, for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to earn merit badges, and for high school students to fulfill community service requirements. Volunteers will be planting trees and plants, pruning old trees, and spreading mulch.
Two shifts are available for volunteers: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, and 12:00 noon – 3:00 p.m.
To volunteer, send an email to either Kris Rojas at krisrojas@sbcglobal.net or Robyn Harper at robynharper@sbcglobal.net to let them know you're coming, or just simply show up! Bring a shovel, spade or hand trowel marked with your name, and work gloves.
If you would like to make a monetary donation, please send a check, made payable to Wickliffe PTO, with "Earth Day event" written in the memo line, and send to Wickliffe Progressive School, 2405 Wickliffe Road, UA, 43221.
Mother Earth thanks you!
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to Recap the 2008 Election April 30
Join UAPA as we welcome Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on Thursday, April 30, to speak about the 2008 Election and what went right, what went wrong and what still needs to happen to ensure fair and honest elections in Ohio.
The event will be held at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Hall, 1250 Kinnear Road, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (See map here.) The presentation is free and open to the public.
Please RSVP here so we know how much refreshments we will need.
Help Support Gov. Strickland's Education Agenda
Governor Strickland's Education Agenda is at the forefront of his administration right now. He's asking supporters to send out postcards to people in their zip code with a personal note asking them to support his Education Plan.
Jan Davis is coordinating this effort for the 43221 and 43220 zip codes. All you have to do is send Jan an email with your name and address at eyendavis@aol.com, and she will bring you a pack of postcards, addresses and sample notes that you can use. The packets are in groups of 25. There are thousands of these to be mailed in the next few weeks. You would be responsible for the postage.
Help get Ohio moving forward with the Governor's plan!
Join Sen. Sherrod Brown This Wednesday for an Alternative Energy Presentation
Posted April 15th, 2009 by sdybiec
April 14, 2009 www.uaprogressiveaction.com
Join Sherrod Brown at a Question and Answer Presentation on Alternative Energy at COSI this Wednesday
Please join U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Battelle Memorial Institute for an informational summit on alternative energy opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Date: April 15, 2009
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Center of Science and Industry (COSI), 333 W Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio
Speakers will include:
- U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
- Jeff Wadsworth, CEO of Battelle Memorial Institute
- Representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
- Representatives from the Office of Governor Ted Strickland
This event is free and open to the public. Parking is available at COSI.
To RSVP, click here.
Celebrate Earth Day on April 25, 2009
Please join the Wickliffe Progressive School community, UAPA and Sustainable UA for an Earth Day Event on Saturday, April 25, 2009, at Wickliffe School, 2405 Wickliffe Road. These groups will be working together to get volunteers, Ohio-native plants and monetary donations for a community beautification event in celebration of Earth Day.
This is a great way for residents to provide community support for the school, for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to earn merit badges, and for high school students to fulfill community service requirements. Volunteers will be planting trees and plants, pruning old trees, and spreading mulch.
Two shifts are available for volunteers: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, and 12:00 noon – 3:00 p.m.
To volunteer, send an email to either Kris Rojas at krisrojas@sbcglobal.net or Robyn Harper at robynharper@sbcglobal.net to let them know you're coming, or just simply show up! Bring a shovel, spade or hand trowel marked with your name, and work gloves.
If you would like to make a monetary donation, please send a check, made payable to Wickliffe PTO, with "Earth Day event" written in the memo line, and send to Wickliffe Progressive School, 2405 Wickliffe Road, UA, 43221.
Mother Earth thanks you!
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to Recap the 2008 Election April 30
Join UAPA as we welcome Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on Thursday, April 30, to speak about the 2008 Election and what went right, what went wrong and what still needs to happen to ensure fair and honest elections in Ohio.
The event will be held at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Hall, 1250 Kinnear Road, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (See map here.) The presentation is free and open to the public.
Please RSVP here so we know how much refreshments we will need.
Help Support Gov. Strickland's Education Agenda
Governor Strickland's Education Agenda is at the forefront of his administration right now. He's asking supporters to send out postcards to people in their zip code with a personal note asking them to support his Education Plan.
Jan Davis is coordinating this effort for the 43221 and 43220 zip codes. All you have to do is send Jan an email with your name and address at eyendavis@aol.com, and she will bring you a pack of postcards, addresses and sample notes that you can use. The packets are in groups of 25. There are thousands of these to be mailed in the next few weeks. You would be responsible for the postage.
Help get Ohio moving forward with the Governor's plan!
Must see: Obama's first prime-time address
Posted February 13th, 2009 by sdybiec
Obama's first prime-time address
President Obama spells out the business of the people in his first prime time press conference.
Congresswoman Kilroy makes good on campaign promises, Republicans attack
With only a short time in Congress, Mary Jo Kilroy is already making good on her promise to help middle class Americans. Her voting record on middle class issues is stellar. Here it is compared to some Ohio Republican representatives:
Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15-D): 100%
...Kilroy voted for
..........The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009- House Version
..........The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009
..........The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
..........The Paycheck Fairness Act of 2009On the other hand----
Steven LaTourette (OH-14-R): 20%
Jean Schmidt (OH-2-R): 0%
Steve Austria (OH-7-R): 20%
John Boehner (OH-8-R): 0%
Congresswoman Kilroy was at Obama's signing of the kids-health bill, a bill she co-sponsored.
The GOP, more interested in obstruction and filibuster even while our economy is in free fall, is running radio ads blasting MJK's and 29 other Democrats' support for the stimulus package.
Mary Jo needs your help.
3rd Annual Salsa Party for Mary Jo Kilroy
Please join us for a night of Salsa music and dancing in support of
Mary Jo Kilroy
Representative from Ohio’s 15th Congressional District
3rd Annual Salsa Party – Thursday, February 19th at BoMA
583 East Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215
Sponsor Reception: 5:30 pm General Reception: 6:00 pm Music: 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Contribution Levels:
Gold Sponsor: $500 — Silver Sponsor: $250 — Admission: $50 per person
or join Club 15 at $15 monthly through November 2010 at www.kilroyforcongress.com/club15
Complementary Latin refreshments provided.
Sponsors: 2 drink tickets provided, General Admission/Club 15: 1 drink ticket provided.
RSVP to: Tyler — (614) 545-4070 x2 or tyler@kilroyforcongress.com
Please make checks payable to: Kilroy for Congress, PO Box 2582, Columbus, OH 43216
May we suggest
- Time Mag: 25 People to Blame for Financial Crisis
- Scientists: Pace of Climate Change Exceeds Estimates
- NYTimes Op-Ed: They Sure Showed That Obama
What got cut from the stimulus bill?
Posted February 8th, 2009 by sdybiec
What got cut from the stimulus bill?
The Senate bill is now inferior to the House's in terms of stimulative effect.
- Out: Education and State aid: The compromise Senate bill "cuts all $16 billion from the original bill for K-12 school construction, [and] trims more than $1 billion from Head Start programs for youngsters." Of the $83 billion cut by the Nelson-Collins gang, $40 billion of it was for state stabilization funding. This is incredibly important funding meant for "helping states and localities avoid wide-scale cuts in services and layoffs of public employees."
- In: Ineffective tax breaks: One example --- Republicans added the "house flipping subsidy", a $15,000 home-buyers credit, Dean Baker of the Center for Economic Policy Research calls this the “flip your house to your brother” provision: it will cost a lot of money while doing nothing to help the economy.
Interestingly, the most criticized provisions of Obama's stimulus package comprise a very small portion (less than 2%) of the total economic recovery legislation. Read about this in 'Republicans Mount Mini-Criticisms of Stimulus in the Media'.
Want to learn about what's in the stimulus package in the first place? Try 'Recovery and Reinvestment 101' and the 'A Guide to How the Stimulus Works' video.
Go here for some programs that have been cut, either entirely or partially in the latest Senate version.
Jym Ganahl says global warming is media mind control conspiracy
The Other Paper is reporting that Jym Ganahl is going public that he is a global warming denier. Jym is Columbus-based NBC 4 chief meteorologist.
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In a YouTube video, Jym Ganahl denies the scientific basis behind global warming backed up by the hundreds of scientific peer-reviewed articles:
"At times we are under a lot of criticism for our thinking about global warming. And they wanted to take away our credentials and shut us down as meteorologists without any scientific basis or fact behind what they are saying." [Emphasis added]
Ganahl believes that a vast mind-control conspiracy encompassing virtually every media outlet is to blame:
"Remember when 'War of the Worlds' first came out with Orson Wells with mind control and controlling people through the media and you can see how that can happen. That over the course of the years -- with swine flu, with west nile --- we panic the population and then it turns out to be false. But it's amazing to me that people believe what they see --and the Internet is another tool for that --- and they can be controlled. And it's remarkable how invasive that can be."
Ganahl's belief about the causes of global warming contradicts the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , which represents consensus in the scientific community. The IPCC concluded that the dominant causes for recent climate change result from these 3 human activities
- increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases,
- global changes to land surface, such as deforestation,
- increasing atmospheric concentrations of aerosols.
Ganahl insists that the primarily cause of global warming is sun spots.
Here are the three critical points, backed up by science:
- The empirical evidence that human activity has and continues to add meaningful quantities of Green House Gases to the biosphere is overwhelming.
- Recent observed increased global temperature and other events around the world are highly correlated to those increased Green House Gas levels.
- Past climate models which predicted that an increase in Green House Gases from human activity would produce defined, specific consequences have been borne out.
May we suggest
- A fascinating view into a part of our society we rarely see. Cheryl Zeigler, an 18-year-old single mother from the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, travels with her trainer to an amateur boxing match and dreams of going pro.
- Is the old media sustaining the old politics? News and analysis with NYU journalism professor and PressThink blogger Jay Rosen and political journalist and Salon.com blogger Glenn Greenwald.
- A Florida community, once a middle-class exurb, is facing hunger problems due to a steep decline in the number of construction jobs available.
- The recent salmonella outbreak has raised some alarming questions about food safety and the F.D.A.'s oversight of the food supply.
