Public workers locked out of the people's house
Thousands of public employees packed the east and west entrances to the Ohio Statehouse today. There were firefighters in full safety regalia and others with bagpipes. There were police officers in plainclothes, not there to do surveillance on the crowd, but to storm the Ohio Senate. Other high-ranking officers were there in dress uniforms to protect the rights of police to collectively bargain.
Statehouse Lockout--Video from Feb. 22 2011 Statehouse Rally
Teachers and prison guards mingled together. The gathered demonstrators chanted “Kill the bill” in reference to Ohio’s Senate Bill 5 designed to destroy collective bargaining by all of Ohio’s public employees.
When the workers arrived at 1pm, they found themselves locked out of the Statehouse. They immediately began to chant “Let us in! Let us in!” U.S. Reps Tim Ryan and Dennis Kucinich urged the workers on, and former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland denounced the attack on the middle class and the brutal nature of balancing the budget on the backs of nurses, police, and teachers.
Statehouse Lockout--Video from Feb. 22 2011 Statehouse Rally
Teachers and prison guards mingled together. The gathered demonstrators chanted “Kill the bill” in reference to Ohio’s Senate Bill 5 designed to destroy collective bargaining by all of Ohio’s public employees.
When the workers arrived at 1pm, they found themselves locked out of the Statehouse. They immediately began to chant “Let us in! Let us in!” U.S. Reps Tim Ryan and Dennis Kucinich urged the workers on, and former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland denounced the attack on the middle class and the brutal nature of balancing the budget on the backs of nurses, police, and teachers.
Ohio workers flood capital--Demand defeat of anti-labor bill!
“This is Ground-Zero, D-Day for worker rights in Ohio,” said Firefighter John Anthony. “It really is one for all & all for one, now! We all need to stand together for the rights to bargain, or we’ll all loss our rights!”
Anthony stated that his family had been part of this struggle their entire lives. His family had been fired from the railroad for standing up for worker rights during the Rhodes administration in the ‘70’s.
“I’d like to think we’re fighting for him, also,” he said!
He was part of the massive crowds of workers that crammed into the Ohio Statehouse this past week, protesting the anti-labor SB-5, which would strip Ohio’s public workers of the hard-won bargaining rights. The crowds of angry workers are growing, as a series of mobilizations gripped Ohio’s Capital. Crowds of 800, then 2,000, and over 4,000 this past Thursday have packed the Capital building in Columbus. Another, much larger mobilization is expected on Tuesday, the 22nd.
Anthony stated that his family had been part of this struggle their entire lives. His family had been fired from the railroad for standing up for worker rights during the Rhodes administration in the ‘70’s.
“I’d like to think we’re fighting for him, also,” he said!
He was part of the massive crowds of workers that crammed into the Ohio Statehouse this past week, protesting the anti-labor SB-5, which would strip Ohio’s public workers of the hard-won bargaining rights. The crowds of angry workers are growing, as a series of mobilizations gripped Ohio’s Capital. Crowds of 800, then 2,000, and over 4,000 this past Thursday have packed the Capital building in Columbus. Another, much larger mobilization is expected on Tuesday, the 22nd.
Little Egypt at the Statehouse
The State House parking garage was full an hour before the hearing. So were the hallways and the Atrium and the Rotunda. A sea of blue-shirted firefighters and SEIU members, green AFSCME shirts and signs, and teachers wearing their red OEA buttons filled the Statehouse for the first hearing on SB 5, a bill designed to carry out Republican Governor Kasich’s campaign pledge—or threat-- to “break the back of organized labor in the schools” and other public institutions. There were too many public employees to count, but one Columbus news channel called it “thousands” of people. They were out in a show of force, not ready to have their backs broken, or their collective bargaining rights taken away, as the bill proposed to do.
Ohio Republicans would execute Medicare recipients
The Ohio GOP may soon push "breakthrough" legislation requiring the official execution of Medicare recipients, according to a fictional source within the party. Secret computer-based lotteries will decide who will be eliminated from the state's Medicare rolls, he said in confidence, but family notification would be withheld until after the shootings have taken place.
The GOP now has total control of the Ohio legislature and governor's office. The unnamed "source" explained that soaring budget deficits threaten the party's efforts to eliminate the Ohio estate tax, a tariff that could lower the income of some of the state's multi-millionaires by as much as several thousand dollars.
"There are simply too many Ohioans turning 65 to allow this to continue," the source said. "Clearly those who have not accumulated at least $2 million by the time they become seniors have no right to continue to live, let alone to impinge on those who, by the force of their efforts and the grace of God, have become acceptably rich."
The GOP now has total control of the Ohio legislature and governor's office. The unnamed "source" explained that soaring budget deficits threaten the party's efforts to eliminate the Ohio estate tax, a tariff that could lower the income of some of the state's multi-millionaires by as much as several thousand dollars.
"There are simply too many Ohioans turning 65 to allow this to continue," the source said. "Clearly those who have not accumulated at least $2 million by the time they become seniors have no right to continue to live, let alone to impinge on those who, by the force of their efforts and the grace of God, have become acceptably rich."
Kasich, Kasich, you can’t hide – we know you’re with the rich inside
Nearly 300 demonstrators braved chilling temperatures in front of Ohio’s capitol on Saturday, January 8 in order to “defend Ohio” against the incoming administration of John Kasich. A coalition of labor activists, leftists, progressives, and environmentalists wanted the incoming budget hawk to know that they would not stand for the Buckeye State $8 billion deficit being balanced on the backs of poor and working people.
A reoccurring theme at the rally is that the former Lehman Brothers manager would bust out the state of Ohio’s remaining assets and enrich his Wall Street buddies instead of rebuilding the infrastructure and creating a high-tech economy.
A reoccurring theme at the rally is that the former Lehman Brothers manager would bust out the state of Ohio’s remaining assets and enrich his Wall Street buddies instead of rebuilding the infrastructure and creating a high-tech economy.
On the OSU medical clinic article
Dear Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman:
I read with interest your article titled: "Ohio State's medical industrial complex under fire for unnecessary surgeries".
As a woman retired MD who specialized in Gynecology and Anatomic Pathology, and who has worked at OSUMC, I have special insight into the situation.
According to the NOW letter to Dr. Gee published in the Dec issue of The Other Paper:
"In view of the fact that best practices calls for pathological analysis by an expert (experienced in gynecologic pathology) to properly determine Pap smear and cervical biopsy diagnosis and OSUMC is capable of providing that expertise in the person of Dr. Gerard Nuovo, there is no good reason for giving Ohio women second class medical treatment and care. And there is no good reason for dismissing an expert who brings shortcomings to the attention of authorities."
Dr Gabbe, the CEO of OSUMC, replies to this letter from NOW with the following statement:
I read with interest your article titled: "Ohio State's medical industrial complex under fire for unnecessary surgeries".
As a woman retired MD who specialized in Gynecology and Anatomic Pathology, and who has worked at OSUMC, I have special insight into the situation.
According to the NOW letter to Dr. Gee published in the Dec issue of The Other Paper:
"In view of the fact that best practices calls for pathological analysis by an expert (experienced in gynecologic pathology) to properly determine Pap smear and cervical biopsy diagnosis and OSUMC is capable of providing that expertise in the person of Dr. Gerard Nuovo, there is no good reason for giving Ohio women second class medical treatment and care. And there is no good reason for dismissing an expert who brings shortcomings to the attention of authorities."
Dr Gabbe, the CEO of OSUMC, replies to this letter from NOW with the following statement:
Ohio State's medical industrial complex under fire for unnecessary surgeries
The Ohio State Medical Center (OSUMC) is performing unnecessary surgeries on women and the world-renowned doctor who blew the whistle on the practice is about to be fired.
Well-respected gynecological pathologist Dr. Gerard Nuovo has provided public records showing that the decision to give women unnecessary surgery on their cervix or endometrium depends upon the diagnosis of an inexperienced pathologist. It has been suggested by the National Organization for Women (NOW) Education and Legal Fund that this is done to maximize profit.
Nuovo has been a tenured professor in the College of Medicine at the Department of Pathology in the OSUMC since 1999. Dr. Nuovo has written a textbook on gynecologic pathology and co-wrote a textbook entitled "Human Papillomavirus and the Relationship to Genital Tract Neoplasms." He has published over 260 peer-reviewed articles and has written 37 chapters in various medical books.
Well-respected gynecological pathologist Dr. Gerard Nuovo has provided public records showing that the decision to give women unnecessary surgery on their cervix or endometrium depends upon the diagnosis of an inexperienced pathologist. It has been suggested by the National Organization for Women (NOW) Education and Legal Fund that this is done to maximize profit.
Nuovo has been a tenured professor in the College of Medicine at the Department of Pathology in the OSUMC since 1999. Dr. Nuovo has written a textbook on gynecologic pathology and co-wrote a textbook entitled "Human Papillomavirus and the Relationship to Genital Tract Neoplasms." He has published over 260 peer-reviewed articles and has written 37 chapters in various medical books.
Photos are more evidence that Attorney General woman's sexual harassment complaint was bogus
In September 2010, the Ohio Highway Patrol finally released the photos [reproduced below] of Cindy Stankoski mentioned in the Ohio inspector general's report on Marc Dann's 16-month tenure as attorney general.
Dann had been forced to resign in May 2008 after an internal report supported the claims of Stankoski and Vanessa Stout that they were sexually harassed by Dann’s director of general services, Anthony Gutierrez.
When the internal investigators issued their report on May 2, 2008, they did not have the photos, which were found during the inspector general’s subsequent investigation. The public did not become aware of the photos’ existence until the inspector general issued his report on Dec. 22, 2008.
Without releasing the photos, the inspector general’s report described them this way: “During our investigation, we found several risqué photos of Cindy Stankoski on [coworker] Mariellen Aranda’s cell phone. In each, Stankoski flirtatiously sported Gutierrez’s Attorney General-issued badge at her bosom. Stankoski is now claiming that she was sexually harassed by Gutierrez.”
Dann had been forced to resign in May 2008 after an internal report supported the claims of Stankoski and Vanessa Stout that they were sexually harassed by Dann’s director of general services, Anthony Gutierrez.
When the internal investigators issued their report on May 2, 2008, they did not have the photos, which were found during the inspector general’s subsequent investigation. The public did not become aware of the photos’ existence until the inspector general issued his report on Dec. 22, 2008.
Without releasing the photos, the inspector general’s report described them this way: “During our investigation, we found several risqué photos of Cindy Stankoski on [coworker] Mariellen Aranda’s cell phone. In each, Stankoski flirtatiously sported Gutierrez’s Attorney General-issued badge at her bosom. Stankoski is now claiming that she was sexually harassed by Gutierrez.”
No Child Left Behind scam: Purchase orders bypass Columbus School Board approval to funnel millions of federal dollars to questionable vendors
The Columbus City School Board has abandoned its role to monitor the district's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) funds. The Board has remained silent after the district's Internal Auditor, Carolyn Smith, revealed the Board had not approved 20 million dollars in purchase orders referred to as Super P.O.'s. for the last four years. With preferential treatment in place and no incentive to provide quality-tutoring services, our students are being miserably shortchanged. (Super P.O.'s)
There is no better example of this shortchange than the district's Effectiveness Reports submitted to the Ohio Department of Education for fiscal year 2010 for Supplemental Educational Services (SES) vendors. The report shows only 4 out of 72 vendors received an effective rating. This means the other 68 SES vendors allegedly serving our students received well over $3,000,000 for FY 2010, but were considered either not effective or needing improvement in tutoring basic reading and math.
There is no better example of this shortchange than the district's Effectiveness Reports submitted to the Ohio Department of Education for fiscal year 2010 for Supplemental Educational Services (SES) vendors. The report shows only 4 out of 72 vendors received an effective rating. This means the other 68 SES vendors allegedly serving our students received well over $3,000,000 for FY 2010, but were considered either not effective or needing improvement in tutoring basic reading and math.