Reported by CNN, a rape incident took place a month ago at a party in Steubenville, Ohio by two teenagers on the high school football team. The video posted by an anonymous young man at the party, presumably an eyewitness, told his version of what happened.

In the video the “eyewitness” shooting the video repeats that the girl is dead. He uses the word dead as a slang word for lifeless not literally dead. Another young man on camera then says, “She is deader than Andy Reid’s son… deader than OJ’s wife…” In the background with noise and boys’ voices someone yells the word rape. Someone says, “This is not funny,” only to be drowned out by laughter of the main speaker and those supporting him. When asked “What if that was your daughter?” the main speaker on camera answers, “If that was my daughter, I wouldn’t care. I’d just let her be dead.” “Besides,” he says, “Is this really rape because you don’t know if she wanted to or not.” An onlooking teenager says, “You are sick.”

CNN commented that what stands out from the incident is that it demonstrates a split in the boy rape-prone sexual culture. Some young men continue to believe that when a girl gets drunk, staging a sexual display for their buddies it is part of a night’s fun. They do not think of it as rape. Some of their friends, however, disagree. In their conversion to manhood, they are able to name rape when they see it.

The definition of rape in the United States is “a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without the party’s consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent; such as one who is unconscious, incapacitated, or below the legal age of consent.”

But the U.S., India, Africa and other countries have been protesting recently to change the laws to expand the definition of what is considered rape. Many are protesting and pushing for the victims to be supported and the rapists punished. Especially after the recent gang rape incidents in New Deli, India.

According to an article by The Daily Beast, the arrest rate for rape in 2010 in the U.S. was 24 percent, which was exactly what it was in the late 1970s, when tracking such data began. New York City has tried to adopt better policies since 1999 when a policy of testing every rape kit booked into evidenced. The kits have resulted in at least 2,000 cold hits (when the DNA profile from the rape kit matched a DNA from a separate crime scene or offender in a local, state or national DNA databank) as well as 200 active investigations, arrests, or prosecutions. Since 2003, the NYPD has seen its arrest rate for rape increase dramatically, from 40 percent to 70 percent of reported cases.

According to The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, on average in 2010, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner. That equals more than 12 million men and women raped in a year.

More than 79.6 percent of female victims of completed rape are raped before their 25th birthday with 42.2 percent experiencing their first completed rape before the age of 18.

Yes, rape has been happening since the dawn of man and the view of women being second class citizens has been going on for centuries, but it is deplorable to know the view of women to some, most in the younger generations, has not changed especially since many women today have higher paying jobs than their husbands or boyfriends and usually juggle that along with housework, children, a family, a social life and so on.

It is sad to say that when asked about this particular incident reported in Ohio, most young men brush it off and said she probably wanted it or passed out on purpose. How could someone answer that? Why do some people think that way?

No matter if a person is drunk, conscience, dresses sexually reveling or not; every person deserves to be respected. No one has the right to violate anyone at anytime. Some men need to stop listening to what their friends and the media says and keep their hands, urges and egos to themselves.

It seems in this party, one night stand and drug crazed generation, men’s respect for women keeps decreasing. Our culture and society needs to change and stand up so that everyone is protected more than abused.

To see one of the videos described in the article or get more info go to CNN.

Image Courtesy : Eric.Parker

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In addition to power outages and excruciating heat, an area in Northeast Ohio has encountered another obstacle, deadly water-related incidents including several drownings this month alone. And this past week, a toddler drowned in his very own swimming pool.

It was far from the normally peaceful Belden neighborhood that day as hospital sirens and police cars filled the streets on Belden Avenue. According to police reports, officers were called to the location of 3515 Belden Avenue, located on the southside of Youngstown, Ohio where they found three-year-old Kayden Braden dead. Kayden was being watched by his grandmother, Marcia Braden, at the time of the drowning.  The grandmother was watching several children in her home and had a four foot deep swimming pool she had got for Kayden.

Braden took all of the children into the house to take off their flotation devices and give them something to eat. After one young boy finished eating his cereal, he went back outside into the pool where he felt something hit his leg and thought it was a toy, but when he looked down he saw little Kayden lying at the bottom of the pool.

The young boy then proceeded to grab Kayden out of the pool where he layed him on the deck, screaming for help, and then Braden attempted to give her grandson CPR but he was unresponsive.

Police arrived at the scene at approximately 2:30 Wednesday afternoon, where they questioned Braden about what happened. Braden, who was crying hysterically, told officers that he initially came inside but must have gone back out to the pool when she was tending to the other children. Shortly thereafter she collapsed after having trouble breathing when police were talking to her. She was then rushed to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital by ambulance.

As Kayden was rushed off to the hospital, neighbors and spectators stood outside their homes praying for Kayden. He was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital Boardman Campus where he was officially pronounced dead with the cause of death being drowning.

According to Detective Sargent Doug Bobovick, “The incident does not seem to involve any foul play.” Police are investigating, and even though it’s very early on in the investigation, Detective Bobovick believes that it was just a horrible accident.

In the tri-county area including Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties, several people have died as a result of drowning this past year, five of which are in the month of July alone.

Mark Goodrich, a 12-year-old boy from Sharon, Pennsylvania, just over the Ohio border went swimming with friends two weeks ago in the Shenango Valley River and went missing. He was found dead the next day on the side of the river by a local resident.

Three others have also drowned in the region two weekends ago, all in different locations, and all were ruled as “accidental drownings.”

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Considering the weather conditions in the winter in Ohio, almost all construction is done during the summertime, when its warm and sunny so construction workers don’t have to worry about snow, ice, windchills, and freezing temperatures. But the railroad construction being done lately in northern Trumbull county, located in Northeast Ohio, has been posing problems for residents and emergency crews.

Several roads have been shut down where railroad crossings are located, and while residents look at it as a major inconvenience, another worry is if there is an emergency somewhere medics will not be able to arrive in time.

According to Major Harold Firster of the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office, “It’s very frustrating when you can’t get to the citizenry of the county.”

This past Wednesday, Trumbull County deputies had much difficulty arriving at a scene in the area after an emergency call had been made as four of the main routes in the area have been closed of for railroad repairs.

Bill Spithaler, a local resident that lives on Davis Peck Road, has concern for his community during this time:

“The fire departments and the sheriff’s department, nobody knew all these crossings were closed to where they have access. It’s an inconvenience for residents, but for the EMS it could be a major life-threatening ordeal for somebody that needed services.”

Major Firster believes that the announcement of all the closures taking place in the area were not made aware to the proper channels. “With multiple agencies trying to report this problem, it never really filtered down to the 911 center or the Sheriff’s office,” Firster said.

Norfolk Southern, who is doing all the repairs, usually let local residents know when, where, and for how long they will be doing work, but many have been left unaware posing problems such as getting held up in traffic or being late for work. Fortunately for the community, Firster is taking action and has contacted Norfolk Southern and the Department of Homeland Security and has been able to come to an agreement for emergency vehicles before the construction is completed. The agreement entails that all emergency vehicles will now be allowed in what was before restricted areas even for them, and that they are allowed to cross railroad tracks, including passing through the roads that have been closed off to local residents.

“Of the nine crossings that were closed, four of them are either open, or able to be crossed at this time,” Firster said. The other remaining five will be open soon.

Construction should be wrapped up in the next few days and all will resume back to normal in the community, in addition to new and improved streets and railroad crossings.

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Chicago, U.S.A. – Just ahead of a major U.S. Senate vote on the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to clean up mercury and other toxic air pollutants, a Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report shows that the 25 worst coal-fired power plants account for more than half of the dangerous mercury pollution emitted by the total of 144 electricity generation facilities in the Great Lakes region. The report also finds that almost 90 percent of the toxic emissions could be eliminated with off-the-shelf technologies.

According to ”Poisoning the Great Lakes: Mercury Emissions from Coal-Fired Power Plants In the Great Lakes Region,” Ohio emits the largest amount of mercury from coal-fired power plants (21 percent of the total in the Great Lakes region), followed closely by Pennsylvania (20 percent) and Indiana (16 percent). The remaining five states in the region rank as follows: Michigan (14 percent); Illinois (11 percent); Wisconsin (9.5 percent); Minnesota (6.5 percent); and New York (2 percent). Plants from outside the region also contribute to mercury pollution in the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes region’s five worst coal-fired power plants for mercury pollution are: Shawville (Clearfield County, PA); Monroe (Monroe County, MI); Homer City (Indiana County, PA); Cardinal (Jefferson County, OH); and Sherburne County (Sherburne County, MN). (See the complete list below of the worst 25.) A dozen power plants in Ohio and Indiana – owned in whole or part by American Electric Power — accounted for 19 percent of all mercury emitted in 2010 from the total of 144 coal-fired power plants in the region.

U.S. Senator James Inhofe, R-OK, recently filed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to void health standards reducing mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants and to permanently block EPA from re-issuing similar safeguards.

Thomas Cmar, attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council office in Chicago, said: ”Mercury is a dangerous brain poison that doesn’t belong in our Great Lakes. It puts the health of kids and pregnant women at risk and adds an unwelcome danger to eating what our fishermen catch. That’s why it is so important that we support the EPA’s standards to reduce mercury pollution by holding polluters accountable. Even more critical is that every single U.S. Senator from the region stand up for the Lakes by rejecting reckless attempts to derail the long overdue Clean Air Act updates that can help tame this problem.”

Cindy Copeland, report author and formerly with the EPA Air Program, said: “Mercury is poisoning the Great Lakes and the three states – Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania – that impose no rules are by far the worst offenders. Airborne mercury from coal-fired power plants in the Great Lakes Region harms our health, and the benefits of reducing mercury emissions are well worth the cost. With a reduction of health costs to the economy at up to $90 billion, it is hard to say no to this.”

In the Great Lakes region, there are more than 144 coal-fired power plants which pumped over 13,000 pounds of mercury into the air in 2010. Mercury pollution from these plants’ region accounts for close to 25 percent of the nation’s total. The Great Lakes region is comprised of the five Great Lakes (Erie,Ontario, Huron, Michigan, and Superior) and the eight surrounding states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Wisconsin).

Eating poisoned fish is the primary cause of mercury poisoning of humans. Mercury is a neurotoxin that harms the brain, heart, central nervous system, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. Young children and developing fetuses are most at risk, and can suffer developmental problems from mercury poisoning.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued nationwide rules to require coal-fired power plants to limit airborne mercury emissions and other toxic air pollutants by 2015. The technologies to meet the EPA’s mercury limits are widely available and effective.

Based on projected reductions in fine particulate emissions due to the combined benefits of various air toxic pollution controls, the EPA has projected that the benefits of its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) far outweigh the costs of pollution controls. The health benefits of the MATS are projected to be worth $37 to $90 billion in 2016 alone. The EPA has projected that the majority of the benefits would be reaped in the eastern United States, including the Great Lakes region.

Mercury emitted into the air from coal-fired power plants is by far the leading man-made source of mercury reaching the Great Lakes and the lakes, rivers, and streams of the Great Lakes region. This report lists the top 25 mercury emitting plants in the region. Mercury pollution from plants outside the region also contributes to the overall quantity of mercury found in the Great Lakes. When coal is burned to produce electricity, mercury is emitted into the air. The EPA estimates that coal-fired power plants are the largest man-made source of mercury pollution, accounting for 50 percent of mercury air emissions in the United States.

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On April 17^th, Johanna Orozco, an advocate for the prevention of dating violence, spoke to high school students at Salem Senior High School in Salem, Ohio. Orozco addressed warning signs to look out for, which could indicate an abusive relationship, and gave an in-depth, detailed and compelling story of her very own experience with dating violence.

Orozco has witnessed first hand and  knows all too well what a violent, volatile and abusive relationship can do to someone.

Her first love started out like most others. At the beginning, it seemed like a fairy tale come true. Orozco met her first love, Juan Ruiz, when they were kids, and started dating when Orozco was in the tenth grade. “They were the ideal couple. Everyone wanted to be like Johanna and Juan,” said Lincoln West High School drama club supervisor Catherine Zak. “They were outgoing, personable and very much in love.”

However, their relationship made a drastic turn for the worse when Ruiz grew controlling, jealous and abusive. When Orozco removed pictures of them together, Ruiz snuck into her bedroom in the middle of the night and raped her at knifepoint. After authorities were contacted, Ruiz was arrested.

According to ABC News, “Ruiz was released from the detention center and placed on house arrest when he visited Orozco March 5, 2007. While she was sitting in the driver’s seat of her SUV in her grandparents’ driveway, he shot his former girlfriend in the face. Glass and blood covered the floor of the vehicle. Orozco was rushed to the hospital.”

After Orozco was shot, “she was missing her entire chin, most of her neck and her upper lip.” She also lost almost all of her teeth in the attack and now suffers from paralysis of her lower lip. Her surgeon, Dr. Michael Fritz, performed over a dozen procedures in order to get Orozco’s face to look as much as possible like she did before the shotgun blast. In order to see Orozco’s transformation please visit, http://abcnews.go.com/2020/slideshow?id=8762450.

After she was released from the hospital, Orozco went back to high school and even attended prom and graduation. Her original plans were to go to college, but after all that she had endured and the support in letters, e-mails and cards from people all over the country, she had a change of heart and decided she wanted to become an advocate to help young people learn the dangers of abusive relationships. And despite all she has endured at the age of just 23, she is moving forward and speaking out, telling her inspirational story of perseverance, strength and courage.

Orozco is now very active in the Cleveland region where she was raised, and speaks at engagements regularly to spread the word about dating violence. Since her tragedy, laws have been passed in the state of Ohio in order to further protect victims of abusive relationships. In 2010, the Ohio Senate approved a bill that allows judges to protect teens in abusive relationships.

As for Ruiz, he pleaded guilty for everything he had done to Orozco in 2007 and was sentenced to 27 years in prison without the eligibility for parole.

According to the book, “Dating Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Associated Substance Use, Unhealthy Weight Control, Sexual Risk Behavior, Pregnancy, and Sociality,” one in five female high school students report being physically and/or sexually abused by a dating partner. And according to the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 30% to 50% of female high school students have reported some form of teen dating violence. But what about the teenagers who aren’t reporting what’s happening to them?

Whether you have been a victim of an abusive relationship or not, it is increasingly important to raise awareness about what is happening to the youth of today’s society. To learn more statistics about dating violence amongst teenagers, warning signs to look out for and how to be safer and smarter when it comes to dating, be sure to check out www.acadv.org. If you feel that you are at risk, please contact the domestic violence hotline at 1-800-650-6522.

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Ohio’s four voucher programs which benefit children in  low-income families  and students with special needs are now serving more than 24,000 children, according to the School Choice Yearbook 2011-12—the annual award-winning publication offering the most comprehensive data on the nation’s 27 private school choice programs—released by the Alliance for School Choice.

The school choice landscape in the Buckeye State saw significant expansion in 2011, after the state’s flagship Educational Choice Scholarship Program quadrupled its enrollment cap, the Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program raised its voucher amounts, and the legislature passed a plan creating the Jon Peterson Special Needs Scholarship Program, which is slated to begin next year. Ohio is also home to a fourth program, the Autism Scholarship Program.

Across the nation, more than 210,000 children have benefitted from publicly funded private school choice programs – a growth of nearly 25 percent since 2007. Last year’s expansions also mean that Ohio joins Arizona as one of only two states in the nation with four school choice programs. All four of Ohio’s programs provide vouchers to disadvantaged children to attend the school of their parents’ choice.

The Alliance’s annual Yearbook is a collection of the nation’s most accurate data on private school choice programs across the country.  The release of the 2011-12 edition, which chronicles both new programs and expansion nationwide, recaps what The Wall Street Journal dubbed “The Year of School Choice.”

In addition to an analysis of trends and information regarding school choice, the Yearbook offers a directory of the accountability provisions and requirements for each of the 27 private school choice programs and a chronicle of the events from the past year.

“Ohio has for nearly two decades been at the forefront of education reform, and 2011 was no different,” said Yearbook co author Malcom Glenn, the national communications director at the Alliance. “With a new program on the horizon this year, even more families will finally be given a much-needed choice in their child’s education.”

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FirstEnergy has announced that its generation subsidiaries will retire six older coal-fired power plants located in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland by September 1, 2012.  The decision to close the plants is based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), which were recently finalized, and other environmental regulations.

The total capacity of the competitive plants that will be retired is 2,689 megawatts (MW).  Recently, these plants served mostly as peaking or intermediate facilities, generating, on average, approximately 10 percent of the electricity produced by the company over the past three years.

The following plants will be retired: Bay Shore Plant, Units 2-4, Oregon, Ohio; Eastlake Plant, Eastlake, Ohio;  Ashtabula Plant, Ashtabula, Ohio; Lake Shore Plant, Cleveland, Ohio; Armstrong Power Station,Adrian, Pa.; and R. Paul Smith Power Station, Williamsport, Md.

In total, 529 employees will be directly affected.  Existing severance benefits will apply to eligible, affected employees.  However, the final number of affected employees could be less as some are considered for open positions at other FirstEnergy facilities and work locations, and eligible employees take advantage of a retirement benefit being offered to those 55 years and older.

“This decision is not in any way a reflection of the fine work done by the employees at the affected plants, but is related to the impact of new environmental rules,” said James H. Lash, president, FirstEnergy Generation and chief nuclear officer.

“We recently completed a comprehensive review of our coal-fired generating plants and determined that additional investments to implement MATS and other environmental rules would make these older plants even less likely to be dispatched under market rules. As a result, it was necessary to retire the plants rather than continue operations.”

The plant retirements are subject to review for reliability impacts, if any, by PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization that controls the area where they are located.

FirstEnergy is finalizing MATS compliance plans for its remaining coal-fired units.  Since the Clean Air Act became law in 1970, FirstEnergy and its predecessor companies have invested more than $10 billion in environmental protection efforts.

Since 1990, FirstEnergy has reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides by more than 76 percent, sulfer dioxide by more than 86 percent and mercury by about 56 percent.  When the six coal-fired plants are removed from FirstEnergy’s competitive generating fleet, more than 96 percent of the power provided will come from resources that are non- or low-emitting, including nuclear, hydro, pumped-storage hydro, natural gas and scrubbed coal units.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence.  Its 10 electric distribution companies comprise the nation’s largest investor-owned electric system.  Its diverse generating fleet features non-emitting nuclear, scrubbed coal, natural gas, and pumped-storage hydro and other renewables, and has a total generating capacity of nearly 23,000 megawatts.

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Hospice of the Western Reserve is kicking off a program to recognize “Hospice Heroes,” a community of individuals, families, and school, church or service groups across Northern Ohio who host fundraising activities that help the non-profit agency provide care to all who need it, regardless of their ability to pay.

Last year, the hospice covered unreimbursed expenses and charity care valued at nearly $5 million in the Northern Ohio region. According to Bill Sluzewski, development officer, fundraising events range from simple activities like selling candy bars, to larger events, like craft shows, benefit concerts and golf outings. “The organizers are often family members or friends of a patient who had been in our care,” he explained.

“Whether it’s a one-time activity or an annual event, it’s a legacy of love that honors their loved one and keeps their memory alive by giving back to other patients and families.” Such is the case for “Misty’s Wish,” created in 2010 by Sherri Viccarone, a resident of Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood, in loving memory of Misty, her teenaged daughter.

Misty, who was diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor, was cared for by Hospice of the Western Reserve during the final stage of her life.  The non-profit agency serving Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Summit Counties, offers one of the few pediatric hospice and palliative programs in the country.

Hospice helped with Misty’s medical supplies, medicine, physical and psychological therapies, and also supported Sherri and the extended family by guiding them the complex healthcare maze and providing emotional and spiritual support throughout the illness.  They also gave Misty an unexpected gift.

One day, a hospice team member asked Misty if there was one wish she would like to have granted before she died. Her response was a surprise to everyone: “I want my Dad to adopt me.” (Her stepfather was the only father she had known as she was growing up.) Within just ten days, Hospice of the Western Reserve’s legal team worked with a Cleveland judge to grant Misty’s wish to be legally adopted.

When Misty died, her mother, Sherri, was determined to tell her story to help other families coping with their children’s terminal illnesses, and to keep her daughter’s memory alive.  She started out by organizing an event called the “Misty Viccarone Christmas Memorium,” which involved collecting teddy bears and donating them to the Cleveland Clinic’s Oncology Department for children undergoing cancer treatment.

In 2010, Mrs. Viccarone and a dedicated group of volunteers expanded upon initial efforts by hosting a commemorative fundraiser with bowling, raffles and prizes. They called the event “Misty’s Wish,” a reference to the final wish Hospice of the Western Reserve helped to fulfill.

The event raised more than$5,000 for the non-profit agency’s pediatric palliative care patients. It was so successful that the group decided to make it an annual event.  Last year’s event, held at Yorktown Lanes in Parma Hts., generated an incredible $8,600. Mrs. Viccarone acknowledges that having a child diagnosed with a terminal illness is something no parent can ever anticipate or be equipped to deal with emotionally or psychologically.

However, she is determined to create something positive from the tragic circumstances.  An important part of her mission is helping other parents and caregivers by expanding awareness of pediatric palliative care.

“When I first tell people about the mission of Misty’s Wish, they’re sometimes shocked and surprised,” she said. “There’s a misconception that hospice care is only for the elderly.  In fact, a co-worker who even knew Misty had died of a brain tumor asked me why there was a need for a pediatric hospice team.

My answer was simple: `Because children die.’” Misty died on July 27, 1996, but thanks to the love and dedication of her family and friends, her memory lives on to help others through Misty’s Wish.

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House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) addressed the nation in a televised speech following the president’s remarks on the debt ceiling. Boehner accused Obama of creating a “crisis atmosphere.” He asked the president to sign the newly unveiled GOP plan that would temporary increase the debt ceiling.

“Obviously, I expect that bill can and will pass the Senate and be sent to the president for a signature,” Boehner said. “If the president signs it, the crisis atmosphere he has created will simply disappear.”

“You see, there’s no stalemate in Congress,” Boehner argued. “The House passed a bill to raise the debt limit with bipartisan support, and this week while the Senate is struggling to pass a bill filled with phony accounting and Washington gimmicks, we’re going to pass another bill, one developed in support of the Washington leadership of the U.S. Senate.”

John Boehner is referring to the “Cut, Cap and Balance” Act that would require deep cuts in Medicare and Social Security. The legislation is highly unlikely to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate and Obama has already stated that he would veto the proposal.

“The sad truth is the president wanted a blank check six months ago and wants a blank check today,” Boehner added. “That is just not going to happen.”

John Boehner said in his remarks that “the United States cannot default on its debt obligations,” agreeing with President Obama and Democrats’ insistence that the debt limit be raised. But he stated that the Democrats are unwilling to compromise by passing the House GOP legislation, saying “the president would not take yes for an answer.”

“Even when we thought we might be close on an agreement, the president’s demands changed,” Boehner said, a likely reference to Obama’s call for greater revenues as part of a “grand bargain” deal that would have reduced the deficit by up to $4 trillion. Boehner walked away from that effort Friday.

The new Republican plan that was released earlier on Monday would require immediate cuts in discretionary spending, touted as saving $1.2 trillion over a decade. In exchange, the debt ceiling would be raised by less than $1 trillion, a six month temporary plan. The GOP plan would also create a “Joint Committee of Congress” that would identify $1.6 to $1.8 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade.

Democrats call the House Republican plan a “non-starter” because it would require another debt limit fight before the end of next year. “Does anyone think it would be a good idea to do this all over again in six months?” Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said Monday.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/speakerboehner/

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The “small government” Republicans continue to initiate some really big, intrusive government ideas.  Abortion is just one of the debates taking place in states all across the nation.  In Arizona, Governor Jan Brewer signed a law that outlaws abortions performed on the basis of the race or gender of the fetus.  The strictest abortion measure in the nation cleared a hurdle when it passed a state House committee in Ohio.

Under the new Arizona statute, doctors and other medical professionals would face felony charges if it was proven that they performed abortions for the purposes of helping parents select their offspring on the basis of gender or race.  The women having such abortions would not be penalized.  State legislators stated that Arizona is the first state in the nation to enact such a law.  “Governor Brewer believes society has a responsibility to protect its most vulnerable — the unborn — and this legislation is consistent with her strong pro-life track record,” a spokesman said.

But like the non-existent beheadings that supposedly have occurred in the Arizona desert, opponents of the law say there is no clear evidence of those types of abortions occurring in Arizona.  A Planned Parenthood official in Arizona condemned the governor’s action in a statement to Reuters.

“This law creates a highly unusual requirement that women state publicly their reason for choosing to terminate a pregnancy — a private decision they already made with their physician, partner and family,” said Bryan Howard, the group’s chief executive.

In Ohio, the so-called Heartbeat Bill would outlaw abortions at the first detectable fetal heartbeat.  The Health Committee voted 12-11 to approve the measure.   The bill still needs to be approved by the House, where its future is uncertain.

Although many pro-life groups support the measure, Ohio Right to Life is against the bill, fearing legal challenges could jeopardize other gains that anti-abortion activists have made in the state.  The Roe v. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a woman’s right to an abortion until fetal viability. A fetus is usually considered viable at 22 to 24 weeks. Fetal heartbeats can be detected as early as six weeks.

If the Heartbeat Bill is passed, supporters and opponents expect a lengthy legal battle that may end up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.  That may be the entire point of the legislation–to revisit Roe vs. Wade.

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In the state of Ohio, approximately 200 dead geese have turned up along the shores of Lake Erie last month, stumping wildlife officials in a year already plagued with bizarre wildlife deaths.  Other geese in the area are so sick that they cannot hold up their heads, fly, or control their motor functions.  State wildlife investigators are puzzled and for now, are awaiting results on tests that a national wildlife laboratory in Wisconsin has been doing on some of the dead birds. “They will fall out of the sky and have trouble staying upright,” said Dave Sherman, a biologist at the Crane Creek Wildlife Research Station the Ohio Department of Natural Resources operates in Ottawa County. Two or three weeks before the dead geese were found, symptoms were first noticed with mallards.

Now, it has spread and is affecting mostly geese.  Wildlife officers are transporting many sick birds to wildlife rehabilitation facilities.  Wildlife officials report getting at least a dozen calls a day about the dying birds. “They’re throwing their heads back. They’re losing all balance and literally almost all back-somersault and have a seizure,” according to Laura Zitzelberger, operations director at Nature’s Nursery. At least eight or nine of about a dozen geese that were brought to Nature’s Nursery either died or had to be euthanized.

Two ducks and one of the geese that exhibited symptoms appear to have recovered. Another goose is struggling, she said.  At Back to the Wild animal rescue, 18 of 23 geese dropped off for treatment have died, nearly all within the past three days, said Sarah Langdon, Back to the Wild supervisor.  Of the remaining five, three are “acting like normal geese again” and may be released soon, she said. Officials continue to wait on test results to determine what is harming the birds.

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Ohio has followed Wisconsin’s lead, passing a law on Wednesday even tougher on union and collective bargaining than the controversial bill Wisconsin passed earlier this month. The Ohio state House passed the draconian measure by a vote of 53-44.  The legislation already passed in the Senate with a 17-16 vote at the beginning of the month. Republican Governor John Kasich signed the bill the next day.

Senate President Tom Niehaus threatened to clear the chamber ahead of final legislative action on the bill as pro-labor protesters shouted insults at senators and threatened to unseat them in the next election.  Chants of “Shame on you!” filled chambers as they voted against the public workers.

Ohio Senate Bill 5 would affect 350,000 public workers.  The legislation would prohibit government workers from striking and would face imprisonment and fines if they did.  The legislation would eliminate contractual patterns for wage increase, putting total authority for hiring, firing, and outsourcing in the hands of public sector managers.  It would cut government workers pay by 20 percent by forcing them to pay that much for their health care premiums.  The bill would deny collective bargaining rights to teachers, professors, and workers hired through private contractors.  Whereas in Wisconsin, police and fire personnel were not affected by the limits in collective bargaining, in Ohio they will also be denied the rights to bargain over salary and benefits.  It would broaden the factors that can determine layoffs or dismals to public employees and limit vacation days and paid holidays for long-term workers.  The bill would privatize some prisons.

Even though the Ohio measure was even worse than Wisconsin’s measure by pro-labor standards, Ohio unions were never able to garner the support that Wisconsin had.  The largest protests in Ohio’s state capital were 8,500, a number that pales in comparison to the 75,000-100,000 that demonstrated in Madison nearly every day.  Many believe the proximity of the University of Wisconsin to the capital helped in those protests.

Like Governor Walker in Wisconsin, Kasich and other Republicans have defended the bill by saying it is necessary to cut the deficit.  “This state cannot pay what we’ve been paying in the past,” said House Speaker Bill Batchelder. “Local governments and taxpayers need control over their budgets. This bill, as amended and changed, is a bill that will give control back to the people who pay the bills.”

Opponents of the bill, like State Rep. Robert Hagan, a Democrat from Youngstown, do not believe the bill was about austerity measures.  “Don’t ever lie to us and don’t be hypocritical and don’t dance around it as if it’s finances, because you know what it is: It’s to bust the union,” Hagan told his fellow lawmakers.

Democrats, including former Gov. Ted Strickland, and unions have vowed to mount a campaign to overturn the measure through a referendum in November.

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Without the boisterous protests of Wisconsin, legislation in Ohio that would severely curb collective bargaining is speeding toward passage.  The Ohio bill narrowly passed in the state senate on Wednesday by a margin of 17-16.  Although protests have been held daily at Ohio’s capital for the past two weeks, the numbers have been nowhere near as large as the numbers in Wisconsin.

Ohio’s bill could go to House committee hearings as early as next week. The measure is likely to receive strong support from the full chamber and Republican Gov. John Kasich.  The legislation is even more damaging to unions than the proposed measure in Wisconsin.  It would restrict the bargaining rights of roughly 350,000 teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public employees. They would no longer be able to negotiate health care benefits or certain working conditions, and they would be barred from striking.  The bill would also eliminate all paid sick days for teachers.  Whereas in Wisconsin the limits on collective bargaining would not apply to firefighters and police officers, in Ohio—there is no exemptions.  The attack on the middle class is not hidden anymore, but plainly obvious.

Protesters and union members were surprised at the speed in which the bill was pushed through in Ohio.  Democrats are far outnumbered in the state and were helpless to try to stop the bill.  “For as far-reaching this thing is and how many lives it will affect, I can’t believe how fast it moved,” said Columbus Police Sgt. Shaun Laird.

Like in Wisconsin, the government claims that they need to limit collective bargaining to fix a budget shortfall.  What is not well-reported is that Ohio has done all sorts of idiotic things that do the opposite of saving money.  For starters, they eliminated corporate income tax a couple of years ago.  Hey, that might have something to do with your budget shortfall, dudes.  Now, the state, under Kasich, is trying to repeal the estate tax.  Another money saving idea.  These people are brilliant.  Kasich, a multi-millionaire who raised money on Fox News where he used to work, also has rejected a $400 million federal grant to upgrade the state’s passenger rail system, which would have created at least a thousand direct jobs and thousands more indirectly, along with a jump in state tax revenue.  Kasich meanwhile gave a huge raise to his chief of staff paying him $40,000 more than the chief of staff of his predecessor.  He has hired at least four commissioners to sit on a “job creation” panel with annual salaries of roughly $150,000 each.   The commission has been structured to operate without formal accountability to the legislature or taxpayers of the state. After he was elected governor, Kasich refused to live in the governor’s house in Bexley and instead maintained residence in Westerville. This cost taxpayers a few million dollars in security overhauls for his own personal house, plus transportation costs.  He also rented the 30th floor of the Riffe Center for his primary office, not in the Statehouse, which would be free.

And, yes, this complete idiot and his cronies in the state GOP have the nerve to ask firefighters, teachers, and police officers to sacrifice.  They do not know the first thing about sacrifice.  I, along with many others in America, can talk about difficult choices, crushing debt, and overdue bills.  Kasich obviously has no clue what that is like.  It would seem to be that either Republicans are brain dead morons – a distinct possibility – or Kasich is hiding these public numbers pretty good.  Unless you are in the top .1 percent of earners in Ohio, I haven’t got a clue why this attack on the middle class is justifiable.  It is time for a recall.  No one should get away with this complete abuse of power in the name of austerity.

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In Ohio, the attacks on women’s reproductive rights continue. A state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would outlaw abortion after the fetus has its first detectable heartbeat.  Representative Lynn Wachtmann, a Republican, worked with Janet Folger Porter, president of Faith2Action who authored the so-called Heartbeat Bill.  The group had two fetuses “testify” in favor of the bill at a committee hearing.  Things keep getting weirder.

The heartbeat bill would forbid abortion in any case where there was a detectable heartbeat, which can occur as early as 18 days into a pregnancy.  “When a heartbeat of a baby is detected, that baby will be protected from abortion,” Wachtmann told the Hudson Hub Times last month. “It’s really as simple as that. … As technology improves in medicine, as it continually does, that protection will move closer and closer to conception, which is I think for many of us what our ultimate goal of protecting life is.”

In a press release, Faith 2Action said that the fetus would be the youngest ever to “testify”.  Am I the only one feeling like I am in Saturday Night Live sketch?  “For the first time in a committee hearing, legislators will be able to see and hear the beating heart of a baby in the womb–just like the ones the Heartbeat Bill will protect,” Porter said in the release.  Two pregnant women were given ultrasounds during the hearing and the images were projected onto a screen for legislators to look at. A flashing dot was identified as the beating hearts of the fetuses, one at 15 weeks’ gestation, the other at nine.

Not even all pro-life groups are behind the legislation.  “We don’t want to put our legislative focus and efforts on that. While it has good intentions, it won’t save lives. That’s the bottom line,” said Ed Sitter, Executive Director for Toledo Right to Life. The organization has drafted its own bill. It would outlaw abortions 20 weeks after conception.

Sitter said even if the Heartbeat Bill passes, it will get struck down by the courts.  Pro-choice groups also feel the bill is unconstitutional.  “At a time when Ohio is facing a crushing budget deficit, it’s absolutely appalling that the sponsor of this legislation and his allies would plunge the state into years of costly litigation,” said Kellie Copeland of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio.

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