How To Keep Ohio's Students From Leaving The State

by: irishbobcat

Fri Sep 03, 2010 at 07:21:59 AM EDT

. To keep college graduates from leaving the state, Ohio must become a more attractive state to reside in. We must improve employment opportunities for students while increasing the diversity of new jobs coming into the state as well as creating more blue-green jobs for Ohio. We also need to better fund our public education system, clean up Ohio's environment, and pass Single-Payer Health Care for All Ohioans so students will want to remain in the buckeye state. By passing statewide universal healthcare, Ohio would be sending the message that we want our young college graduates to stay in Ohio and that we will provide health care for them and their growing future families.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Let's Bring Business Back To Ohio

by: irishbobcat

Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 06:43:50 AM EDT

Our educational system must be improved as knowledge-based, diversified industries need a skilled and educated workforce. The top requirement from potential businesses is education and workforce.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

A Green Progressive Direction For Ohio In 2010

by: irishbobcat

Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 06:48:02 AM EDT

Protections: We support keeping and extending protections for consumers, workers, retirees, and investors.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party Nominee for Ohio Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info: contact 330-503-1407

Bloggers Behaving Badly: Rayne at FireDogLake.com

by: Michael Kwiatkowski

Tue Aug 31, 2010 at 23:42:27 PM EDT

Rayne's latest round of abuse began when truthexcavator posted an entry on what turned out to be a five-year-old news article about an israeli soldier acquitted of murdering a 13-year-old Palestinian by filling her body with enough bullets to drop a charging rhinoceros.  Truth made the horrendous mistake of comparing what Israel is doing to palestinians to what the Nazis did to Jews during the Holocaust.

I was shocked when I heard about this story, but I am less shock of the verdict by the Israeli Army. I'm passed the point of getting mad at Israel. I don't even think of it as a country anymore. I wish it was a country because the Jewish people deserve better. But it's not a country, just as Nazi Germany wasn't a country.

It's Time For New Leadership In Ohio

by: irishbobcat

Tue Aug 31, 2010 at 06:47:08 AM EDT

To do what Ohio's future requires and what the public sector cannot do-or is not doing-effectively, ethically, or not at all. It is the job of the governor to promote, and, if possible, provide protection, greater democracy, more freedom, a cleaner environment, broader prosperity, better health, and the building and maintaining of public infrastructure.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Let's Bring Jobs To Ohio

by: irishbobcat

Mon Aug 30, 2010 at 06:30:36 AM EDT

We need the state's agencies, together with federal and local governments, to cooperatively develop an effective and comprehensive ``investment strategy'' in urban areas to encourage investment and job creation in our inner cities.

We must aggressively promote Ohio's business assets with a new and fresh marketing strategy to dramatically increase business investment and resources.

Our educational system must be improved as knowledge-based, diversified industries need a skilled and educated workforce. The top requirement from potential businesses is education and workforce.  

A Green Party Government Will Do What Democrats Won't Do

by: irishbobcat

Sun Aug 29, 2010 at 08:00:38 AM EDT

The Green Party of Ohio does not accept a state where people of color and low-income people are always first in line for everything bad and then left to benefit last and least when it comes to anything good.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

The Green Party Plan to Fix Education Funding In Ohio

by: irishbobcat

Sat Aug 28, 2010 at 08:24:36 AM EDT

Ted Strickland's model to fund education is confusing and impossible to fund.

What we need is a straight approach to funding education.

I believe we need to remove education funding from the general revenue fund by creating an education trust fund. This fund would be responsible for funding primary, secondary, and higher education. It would earmark part of the state income tax, sales tax, and the commercial activity tax as it's funding source.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Where To Make Cuts In The State Budget

by: irishbobcat

Fri Aug 27, 2010 at 08:46:35 AM EDT

The first place I would look to make cuts is in the area of Adult Corrections. Spending on state prisons has been among the fastest growing expenditure in state budgets. The need for around-the-clock supervision increases operating costs in institutional agencies compared with other state agencies. The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has the largest staff of any state agency.

The last place I would look to make cuts is to K-12 public education and health and human services.  These sectors have already been sliced to pieces.

In looking at Medicaid expenditures, though most seniors prefer to receive long-term care in their homes, Ohio's long-term care delivery system substantially favors care in institutional settings. We must balance our long-term care delivery system to ensure long-term sustainability.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, cotact 330-503-1407

How To Fix Ohio's 8 billion Dollar Budget Shortfall

by: irishbobcat

Thu Aug 26, 2010 at 08:09:38 AM EDT

tax increases,
reductions in tax expenditures, and
reductions in programmatic expenditures.

While the term 'tax expenditures' may be unfamiliar, their existence and significance are quite familiar indeed. More generally, and pejoratively, described as 'loopholes' or 'tax breaks,' they may be defined as a loss of tax revenue attributable to an exemption, deduction, preference, or other exclusion from tax law.

In Ohio, the relative portion of state and local taxes paid by businesses has steadily declined since 1975, from 40 percent to 26 percent in 2010. This trend was reinforced by the business, personal income, and sales tax changes adopted five years ago in H.B. 66, and subsequent modifications enacted during 2009 in H.B. 318. (It is worth noting, too, that these tax changes also shifted a significant portion of taxes paid by individuals and families from the progres- sive income tax to the regressive sales tax.)

While incomes for most Americans have stagnated for three decades, those of Ohioans have generally stagnated at lower levels, reducing the capacity of the middle class in particular to bear additional tax burdens.

The wealthiest fifth of taxpayers have enjoyed soaring incomes for over 20 years. While progressive federal taxes have also made them by far the largest contributors to the overall costs of government, the regressive effects of combined state and local taxes in Ohio take a larger share of middle class incomes than the wealthy.

Business taxes, as a proportion of state tax revenue, have been in steady decline for several decades; the long-range implications in this regard of the 2005 tax overhaul are as yet unclear.
State personal income and business tax changes during the middle of the last decade (The 2005 Tax Reduction Act) have contributed significantly to the structural deficit. (About $2 per year or $4 per per biannual budget).

Returning to the former upper bracket rate of 7.5 percent for those whose incomes have outpaced the vast majority of Ohioans, would affect just over 2 percent of taxpayers, while raising $448 million annually. (This top rate, and all rates, were reduced 17% by the 2005 Tax Reduction Act, and are still scheduled to be reduced 4.1% more.)

The imbalance between business and individual taxes also might be addressed in a revenue package. Currently, the rate on the CAT is set too low to reimburse schools and local governments for the full amount of lost tangible property tax revenue. The resulting drain on the General Revenue Fund during the next biennium is estimated to be $322 to $438 million, far short of even beginning to replace lost revenue from the former corpo- rate franchise tax. Each 1/100 of 1 percent increase in the CAT would annually raise approximately $50 million. An increase of 0.08 percent would yield about $400 million annually, enough to cover the estimated cost of GRF subsidies to schools and local governments for loss of tangible personal property tax revenue, and return ap- proximately $200 million per year to the GRF.

I will take a realistic approach to balancing Ohio's budget shortfall. Ted Strickland and John Kasich won't.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

To Fix Ohio, Government Must Do More

by: irishbobcat

Wed Aug 25, 2010 at 08:29:42 AM EDT

Today's economic disconent is much less likely to be replaced by other concerns in 2011. That's why I am calling on government to do more for working Ohioans, not less.

People are worried about their finances and the state of the economy, possible loss of health insurance and homes, as well as unemployment figures near historic highs. Ohioans want a government to be more intense in helping people in this time of what Ted Strickland calls the Great Recession.

We must have government provide answers to inequality and eonomic insecurity. We must flatten the Ohio income distribution without adverse effects to economic growth. We must guarentee citizens of Ohio a chance at receiving new blue-green jobs as well as universal health care throught the Health Care for All Ohioans Act.

Ohio must have progressive leadership after 2010, and the Green Party is the only party willing to advocate policies that actually help people: Single-Payer healthcare, blue-green jobs creation, and better funding of education for all.

For more information contact: 330-503-1407

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/  

Why Not Ohio? Michigan Governor Calls for Feed-in Tariffs

by: irishbobcat

Tue Aug 24, 2010 at 08:38:04 AM EDT

Michigan Governor Calls for Feed-in Tariffs Cites Ontario's Success
August 9, 2010

by Paul Gipe

In an address to a progressive think tank, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm called for feed-in tariffs to develop the American renewable energy industry and the attendant jobs this would create.

Granholm has often spoken publicly about feed-in tariffs in her campaign to bring new industry and jobs to the distressed state. However, in her presentation to Center for American Progress, Granholm was clearer in her policy proscriptions and why they were necessary.

The reason, she said simply, "is that every other country is eating us for lunch".

"We have to send a message to employers across the world that we're serious. . ." about renewable energy, she went on. "Bottom line is we need feed-in tariffs for solar and wind . . . All these other countries are doing this," Granholm added.

The Governor warned the audience that while the US dawdles, others are moving ahead.

"Ontario now has a feed-in tariff. We have been trying to lure a number of solar companies to Michigan . . . and they are all saying, 'Oh my, are you kidding? I can go across to Ontario and have a feed-in tariff like they have in Germany'.

"We are missing out if we don't use these smart policies," here too, she said.

Why Not Ohio? Again, we see another Midwestern Governor calling for more Feed-In tariffs while Ohio Governor Ted Strickland remains silent.

Must be Ted's dirty coal and nuke PAC Backers got Ted's tongue.

I support Feed-In Tariffs for Ohio. Ted Strickland doesn't.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Some news from Hugh Giordano's Green campaign for state legislature in Philadelphia

by: rossl

Mon Aug 23, 2010 at 11:45:30 AM EDT

In case you don't know who Hugh is, he's a 25 year old union organizer running as a Green in PA's 194th district, which is mostly in Philadelphia and also a bit in Montgomery County (for locals, it encompasses Roxborough, Manayunk, parts of Lower Merion, and some surrounding areas).  He's been running a great campaign, knocking on doors, holding fun fundraisers, getting in the newspaper, and raising as much money as a typical Green congressional candidate.

Anyway, below the fold is some news from the campaign, including an endorsement from a fairly prominent local Democrat.

Why Not Ohio? Michigan Poised As the Midwest Green Energy Giant

by: irishbobcat

Mon Aug 23, 2010 at 07:55:20 AM EDT

Under Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, a Democrat now concluding her second term, Michigan studied various industrial sectors around which to build a new economic strategy. State economic specialists focused on clean energy, and especially battery production for the next generation of energy-efficient vehicles. She helped persuade the Legislature to approve $1 billion in tax credits for companies involved in developing advanced energy storage systems for electric vehicles.

The federal and state spending on advanced batteries has encouraged construction in other sectors of the recovering auto industry. State unemployment dropped to 13.1 percent in June from a peak of 14.9 percent in March, according to federal data.

Lenawee Stamping, a producer of metal stamping and welded fabrications, is expanding a plant in Tecumseh, Mich., to accommodate more production of G.M. electric vehicles, adding some 140 jobs. Magna Holdings of America, a designer and maker of auto components and systems, plans to invest $49.2 million to expand its operations in four Michigan cities to produce electric car systems, creating 500 more jobs, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

"What's absolutely critical is that we manufacture the components of a clean energy economy - the batteries, the wind turbines, the solar panels - right here in the United States," Ms. Granholm told a conference of engineers and battery developers in Detroit on July 27. "Michigan intends to lead the way in clean energy manufacturing."

Why not Ohio? Again, is it because Ted Strickland is so focused on bringing more dirty coal and nuke technology to Ohio that he is missing the brighter picture of clean energy manufacturing?

Say it ain't so, Ted.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green Party of Ohio Nominee for Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor/

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407

Why Not Ohio? Colorado Towns Explore Renewable Energy Options

by: irishbobcat

Sun Aug 22, 2010 at 09:25:47 AM EDT

Could something called a feed-in tariff push Aspen toward its goal of 100 percent renewable energy?

Feed-in tariffs provide generators of small to intermediate amounts of renewable energy fixed prices and long-term guarantees from their utility. The guarantee gives entrepreneurs easier access to financing.

"We are certainly going to look at it intensely to see if it has merit," says Dave Hornbacher, the city's deputy director of utilities and renewable energy. "It appears to have the potential to facilitate additional photovoltaic installations," he added.

In the wonkish world of energy policy, feed-in tariffs occupy a particularly esoteric niche. But speakers at a workshop last week in Boulder said they will be crucial in accelerating the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

"We're not thinking grandly enough, boldly enough," said Randy Udall, an energy analyst and activist from the Aspen area. Feed-in tariffs, he said, are the only way to achieve the giant steps that are needed.

Jim Woolsey, a former director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, said they would also provide environmental benefits by reducing atmospheric pollution from mercury, nitrous oxide and other toxin byproducts of burning coal.

Woolsey said feed-in tariffs could also make the United States less vulnerable to terrorists by making our energy supplies less centralized. An ordinary squirrel in Ohio was able to put New York as well as other states and parts of Canada into the dark in 2003. He suggested a few people with far more malevolent intentions could do far worse.

The effect of the tariffs would be to substantially change the nature of our electrical supply. That existing system is centralized around large coal-fired plants. But feed-in tariffs would create more diverse and dispersed energy sources.

Why Not Ohio? Why does Governor Strickland not push for Feed-in tariffs?

Is it because we know Ted Strickland is tied too closely to dirty coal and nuke PACS who tell Ted how to supply power to the state?

I am afraid it is so.

Dennis S. Spisak-Green party of Ohio Nominee fior Governor

Http://www.votespisak.org/governor

Http://www.dennisspisak.com

for more info, contact 330-503-1407