President Obama speaks to the nation tonight

What a pleasure it will be to hear a president who actually can communicate effectively and eloquently with the American people. What a stark contrast to the previous eight years. I'll be tuning in to hear President Obama's message of hope, while realizing that there is no quick fix to the economic mess he inherited from former President Bush. Even writing former President Bush feels good, you should all give it a try.

Don't be surprised to see a GOP response which attacks the president and throws words like socialism and liberal around with a grain of salt. Remember, it was the so-called fiscal conservatives who took our largest surplus in history and threw it down the drain with reckless spending at home and abroad with the senseless and needless Iraq War.

If those folks are the conservatives, I say we ought to try out the progressive/liberal agenda and see how that works. Stay tuned!!

Reminder: Anthony Wayne Dems meet tomorrow night

The meeting is 7:00 pm at the Waterville Branch of the Lucas County Public Library on Michigan Ave. in historic Waterville, OH. Our guest speaker will be Ben Konop, Lucas County Commissioner. Please come out and support our organization. 2009 dues are due!

A sad sign of the times

Sad sign of the times as reported in the business section of the Toledo Blade: Hershey closes Pa. plant, moves to site in Mexico

The story details that production of York Peppermint Patties and other candy brands is ending at the Hershey Co. plan in Reading, Pa. after 23 years.

The chocolate maker closed the facility yesterday and will move production to a new factory it has built in Monterey, Mexico. 260 workers have been laid off with this move.

I'm sure the executive board of Hershey will adjust the prices of the affected products including the York Peppermint Patties downward to reflect the sub-standard wages they will more than likely be paying in Mexico. That's sarcasm folks.

Just another example of an American company selling out its loyal workforce to make an additional profit. Sad, but true. And 260 more workers who more than likely did nothing to deserve this slap in face will join countless others in the unemployment line next week.

Where does it end folks? Where does it end?

Anthony Wayne Democrats to meet February 25

The next meeting of the Anthony Wayne Democratic Club will take place February 25, 2009, 7:00 pm at the Waterville Branch of the Lucas County Library on Michigan Ave. in Waterville.
Our guest speaker will be Ben Konop, Lucas County Commissioner. Hope to see you there!

Tired of the partisanship

Is anyone else out there tired of the incessant partisanship we're seeing out of Washington, DC? From all accounts (according to respected economists) we are in a economic crisis the likes of which we haven't seen since the Great Depression, yet I see little effort by our legislators to work together.

In the fall when we were faced with similar remedies to our economic problems, there was at least some bi-partisan support for the "bailout" plans which apparently were necessary to keep our economy running at least at some level until we can emerge from these doldrums which are forcing folks from their homes, putting them in souplines, and finding massive unemployment levels unseen in a good many years.

Now, however, we see the GOP refuse to support the President's latest economic recovery plan because it "goes against their credo"? What kind of credo is that? The kind which George W. Bush followed when he and his GOP cohorts took the surplus left to them by the Clinton years and swirled our economy down the toilet with the worst deficits in our country's history in just 8 short years. The kind of credo which would send $Billions of dollars down a sewer named Iraq with an ill-conceived war which was absolutely unnecessary and which continues to harm our country's security to this day.

Look, I'm certainly no economist, and if I was I wouldn't be cranking out this blog at this hour of the night. What I do know is that we are experiencing more of the same sad tactics from the grand old party which I believe has characterized it in my lifetime.

What a pathetic sight to see John Boehner and the rest of his merry henchmen decry this stimulus package after seeing him and his ilk run the country down the drain in the past 8 years.
I hope to God that this economic recovery package gets our country back on its feet again after the sad past 8 years of missed opportunities. And when it does, we can sweep the rest of these naysayers out of office and send them back into the private economy, off the public dole which they have clung to for the past 15, 20 or 25 years and more. The same public dole they seem to decry at every opportunity, but one they cling to until their knuckles are white.

Thanks and have a good evening.

Classic moment re 2008 election

Today, while my four year old daughter was "helping" me clean the bathrooms in our house and actually cleaning the toilets, she asked the following question: "Who is that guy that didn't have a license to clean toilets"?

Very funny line from an astute four year old who thankfully has been spared from all the rhetoric regarding the famous unlicensed plumber/newsreporter/jack of all trades. Here in Ohio, some "leaders" had the priority above all else to pass a bill making sure future unlicensed plumbers who claw their way into their 15 minutes of fame are protected. Not saying we shouldn't protect our citizens and their identities, but surely there are bigger fish to fry if one looks carefully at where we are as a state and what our real priorities should be.

Have a good evening.

The Senate debates the economic recovery package

I can’t stand seeing the same tired old men, who haven’t spent even one day out of the last 20 years or so actually WORKING, debating the economic stimulus package. How can they know what is good for the country’s working people when they haven’t worked an honest day in the last 20 years? I think they all ought to resign, as they have abdicated their responsibilities to govern by going along with the failed policies of the Iraq war and tax cuts for the wealthy.

Where are all the jobs that the Bush tax cuts were supposed to create? Or the Taft tax cuts for that matter? To paraphrase Cuba Gooding’s character in “Jerry Maguire”, “Show me the jobs!”

I do know that thanks to the Taft tax plan of 2005, we are facing enormous deficits and cuts in Ohio as the income tax reductions have not been replaced by new jobs promised by that regime. I also know that as a result of the commercial activity tax (CAT) imposed by the Taft Administration we now pay a tax on groceries for the first time in Ohio since the great depression.

The bottom line is that the failed policies of the past have not worked, yet all the GOP can talk about is more and more tax cuts (for the wealthiest) to free up capital for job creation. It hasn't worked. We're tired of having the same old solutions bandied about. We all know that garbage which smells bad to begin with will smell worse with time. Please bring some new fresh ideas to the table, or resign your positions.

Phone call to Senator Voinovich's office, 2/3/09

I phoned Senator Voinovich's office on 2/3/09 to ask him to support the President's economic stimulus package and the gentlemen I spoke with did not seem too eager to listen to what I had to say. He did not ask for my name and only grudgingly asked where I was calling from.

I was not impressed by the "public service" I received while making this phone call. This made me feel as if my opinion was not all that important to the senator.

Hopefully, whoever takes his place after the 2010 election will employ staff who at the very least give off the impression that they care what constituents are concerned about.

Super Bowl Edition: Prediction! Cardinals win!

As I write this, I am reminded of my intense hatred of the Pittsburgh Steelers growing up as a Cleveland Browns fan. The hatred has subsided, but in no way can I root for the Steelers simply because they are from the same conference and division as are the Browns.

I know some Michigan fans who root for Ohio State in their bowl games and OSU fans who root for Michigan in their bowl games. I've never understood this. Rooting for the Steelers would be absolutely against all that I felt as a young fan of the Cleveland Browns.

All this being said, I look for a close game and an Arizona Cardinals win by the score of 27-21. If I were a betting man, I'd take the 8 and 1/2 points and the Cardinals. This all being said, I've been wrong before.

Those who keep track of such things will note that this post was written well before the start of the game. Good luck to both teams and hopefully we'll see a clean game with no major injuries!