BILL MOYERS: THE UNITED STATES OF INEQUALITY

PRESIDENT OBAMA AT THE 2013 WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT'S DINNER

WE SALUTE JOHN KERRY AND ASK THAT HE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER VIETNAM

WATCH DEMOCRACY NOW AND 2013 INAUGURATION

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MAPLE HEIGHTS MIRED IN CONTROVERSY

What a crappy day  ...

Things don't look so good for those lovely residents in Maple Heights.  Actually they look horrible.

Here's what's happening.  Various residents in Maple Heights are exercising their employer/legal rights (asking for public records and public information), and it looks like they're  being stonewalled by John Montello, the law director.  Remember, Montello is the Mayor's guy (the chosen one) and we figure  if the Mayor gets swept up in a scandal, so does the law director and vice versa.

We think (our opinion - feel free to disagree) this guys picks for negotiators for Maple Heights, is not helping the residents in Maple Heights.  Not only that, but it appears too much (for us at least) of this guy's actions have been to the detriment of some of his employers (resident tax payers).  His  legal opinions  (which he published) helped (we feel) disenfranchise his employers in district 5.  According to what we read and heard, he drafted legislation (?) on behalf of Mayor Lansky, that took money away from certain residents in district's 3 and 5 (restricting them to only 20% of  money set aside for them for damage done to their homes due to the railroad - to which they state they haven't received a dime yet).  He allowed the Human Services director to dodge answering serious questions asked of her by one of her employers (a taxpayer), and now he's decided to block certain information that is crucial to determining if affirmative action agreements have been violated, or if the leadership in Maple Heights is "giving away the store" to people who don't live in Maple Heights.

Oh yeah, we've also been told he couldn't find any affirmative action agreements entered into by the city of Maple Heights [wonder if he billed them that $95 an hr - or is it more now?], even though he was able to find a 1924 case law (or was it Mr. Blair Melling) that led to the residents/voters/his employers  in district 5 being eventually disenfranchised (our opinion), and possible intimidation of members of council (declaring a council seat vacant for any reason).  

One of his employers/a resident found the chief negotiator  of  those affirmative action agreements, and he gave her copies of those agreements.   So what's up with Montello? You were given a hint, but still couldn't locate those agreements?  

There's a lot more to this story, and you can dig up our old posts on Maple Heights.    Here's a bit of advice Montello and Mr. Mayor, ...

You don't want to do anything that even looks like/smells like you're trying to cover up wrong doing. 

And FYI, we bet a lot of you are just itching to find out what other information we've uncovered about the city of Maple Heights.


Here's a small tidbit.  We were told by a credible source that there were over 560 foreclosure filings in the city of Maple Heights in 2012 so far (in a city of  about  23,100 residents), and that there are many houses vacant. It also appears that the population declined from about 26,000 to the now about 23,100 (according to 2010 census) during the current Mayor's term in office, and the school's student enrollment has also declined (see our other posts).  Now before we allow these city employees to say that things are bad all over Ohio, Maple Heights is one of the worst in terms of home foreclosures,  and the market values and assessed values of the homes in Maple Heights has declined significantly.  

A suggestion:
If any employee who works for Maple Heights government  knows of a cover up,  or any acts of wrong doing, or acts of racism  by Maple Heights public employees, our suggestion is to come forward now.  If there's a scandal coming, you don't want to be swept up in it.


Update 12/20/2012:

Mr. Blair Melling has decided to dip his toe .. wait ... no, dip his foot into the muck and mire in Maple Hts.  Did Mr. Montello sick Mr. Melling on those poor folks in Maple Hts?  Careful Mr. Melling, do you really want to get caught up in these murky waters?  Just asking.  [Re: Melling and Montello, click Here (about 10 paragraphs down) and Here. ] We'll keep you updated but it looks like besides issues stated on this post, constitutional issues also keep popping up.


This post is open to further editing if corrections or additions need to be made.

MAPLE HEIGHTS IN LOCKDOWN MODE August 10, 2012

How Little Old Ladies Got Thrown Under the Bus in Maple Heights March 20, 2012

And the Razzle Dazzle Continues in Maple Heights January 19, 2012

Who Does John Montello, Law Director for the City of Maple Heights Really Work For? December 29, 2011

The Boys Are Back in Maple Heights , November 9, 2011

and there is more

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING

 CLEVELANDS SECRET CLUB WISHES EVERYONE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!

IS A VULTURE CAPITALIST COMING TO SAVE US?

You all know we don’t like most politicians, most big corporations, or private equity firms like Bain Capital.  Mitt Romney is counting on your ignorance of finance (and not doing your own research), and quite honestly, we think he’s succeeding. 

There were people that predicted (or foresaw) the financial crisis of2008, but no one was really listening.  Part of the reason was most people have absolutely no idea about things like finance, or economics, or how the economy works, or what WallStreet is about, or have knowledge about credit default swaps, or derivatives, leveraged buyouts, etc.

What they do know is that they don’t know how to budget, that they try to keep up with the Joneses, that the price of gas has gone up, … basically they know they are screwed because they know nothing about finance, or Wall Street, or how the economy works, or debt and deficits, or how to live within their means. 

The Joe Scarboroughs, and FOX (cable) news idiots (although there was one Fox smart guy), and CNBC whoevers, and contributors to Forbes, financial journalists, etc etc etc still are completely clueless how we prevent 2008 from happening again, and wouldn’t recognize the signs again, even if it smacked them in the face.  All they seem to care about are a bunch of people making money and huge profits, and essentially that’s all Mitt Romney cares about when it comes to the economy.

What he does know, is how to use other people’s money (borrowed money) to loan it to businesses, so he can siphon off some of the profit (or most of it depending on what it says in the contract) and collect a fee; but that’s not creating a healthy economy, … Is it?

It’s disingenuous and hypocritical to hear people like Romney talking about debt and deficits, when basically he got filthy rich using investor's (borrowed) money to loan it to businesses (so they’re now in debt). 

We’ve got a few videos for you to watch.  Definitely watch MattTaibbi’s segment on “Democracy Now”, and the video about debt/deficits.

All Things Mitt


Debt and Deficits

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

"What follows is a PARTIAL list of Obama’s accomplishments so far. Unlike many such lists, there is a link to a citation supporting every single one.

 

Legislative Prowess

Despite the characterizations of some, Obama’s success rate in winning congressional votes on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first year in office. Though he is often cited as superior to Obama, President Lyndon Johnson’s success rate in 1965 was only 93%. http://n.pr/i3d7cY

 

Fiscal Responsibility

Within days after taking office, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse. http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5

 

Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money. http://n.pr/hcgBn1

 

On his first full day, he froze White House salaries. http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIx

 

He appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending. http://www.cio.gov

 

He committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems, and also signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting system. http://bit.ly/hOw1t1 http://bit.ly/fz8GAd

 

Through an executive order, he created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. http://bit.ly/hwKhKa

 

Improving the Economy, Preventing Depression

He pushed through and signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as “the stimulus package,” despite the fact that not one Republican voted for that bill. In addition, he launched recovery.gov, so that taxpayers could track spending from the Act. http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSs http://1.usa.gov/e3BJMk

 

 

In his first year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy 3.5%. http://reut.rs/i46CEE

 

He completed the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan, and recovered virtually all of its costs. http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVS http://bit.ly/eCNrD6

 

He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan. http://1.usa.gov/goy6zl

 

He oversaw the creation of more jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years. http://bit.ly/hrrnjY

 

He oversaw a bailout of General Motors that saved at least 1.4 million jobs, and put pressure on the company to change its practices, resulting in GM returning to its place as the top car company in the world. http://lat.ms/zIJuQx

 

He also doubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership which is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency. http://bit.ly/eYD4nf

 

He signed the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system. It also created a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown. http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7

 

He signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which was designed to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices. http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcS

 

He increased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOw

 

He signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market. http://bit.ly/eEpLFn

 

 

Through the Worker, Home Ownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery. http://bit.ly/dZgXXw http://bit.ly/gORYfL

 

He initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b

 

He created business.gov, which allows for online collaboration between small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has since merged with SBA.gov.) http://www.business.gov

 

He played a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis. http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5

 

He took steps to improve minority access to capital. http://bit.ly/f9xVE7

 

He created a $60 billion bank to fund infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges. http://bit.ly/e1SSaQ

 

He implemented an auto industry rescue plan, and saved as many as 1 million jobs. http://bit.ly/ibhpxr Many are of the opinion that he saved the entire auto industry, and even the economy of the entire Midwest. http://bit.ly/gj7mt5

 

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost. http://1.usa.gov/ez30Dc

 

He dismantled the Minerals Management Service, thereby moving forward to cut ties between energy companies and the government. http://nyti.ms/bw1MLu

 

Provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession. http://bit.ly/g0IKWR

 

He used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eV

 

Crafted an Executive order establishing the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans. http://bit.ly/eyqsNE

 

Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection

Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money. http://huff.to/eAi9Qq

 

He pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression. http://bit.ly/hWCPg0 http://bit.ly/geHpcD

 

Dodd-Frank also included the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau http://1.usa.gov/j5onG

 

He made it so that banks could no longer use YOUR money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that work against their own customers’ interests. http://bit.ly/fnTayj

 

He supported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation. http://bit.ly/fnTayj

 

He wholly endorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes. http://bit.ly/esOdfB http://bit.ly/eG4DPM

 

He made a deal with Swiss banks that permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals and tax evaders. http://bit.ly/htfDgw

 

He established a Consumer Protection Financial Bureau designed to protect consumers from financial sector excesses. http://bit.ly/fnTayj

 

He oversaw and then signed the most sweeping food safety legislation since the Great Depression. http://thedc.com/gxkCtP

 

 

Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination

He advocated for and signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7

 

He pushed through, signed and demanded the Pentagon enact a repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that forced soldiers to lie to fight for their country, and put our troops at risk by disqualifying many qualified soldiers from helping. http://bit.ly/fdahuH http://bit.ly/mZV4Pz

 

He appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0

 

Helped Congress pass and signed the Civil Rights History Act. http://bit.ly/th0JC8

 

He extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCj

 

He’s appointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history. http://bit.ly/g1lA7D

 

He issued a Presidential Memorandum reaffirming the rights of gay couples to make medical decisions for each other. http://1.usa.gov/aUueGT

 

He established a White House Council on Women and Girls http://1.usa.gov/rFfqMM

 

He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. This was after the GOP blocked the bill in 2007. Only 5 Republican Senators voted for the bill. http://bit.ly/fT3Cxg

 

Wrote and signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies evaluate the effect of their policies and programs on women and families. http://bit.ly/e1puTk

 

He expanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act. http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0x

 

Under his watch, National Labor Relations Board has issued final rules that require all employers to prominently post employees’ rights where all employees or prospective employees can see it, including websites and intranets, beginning November 2011. http://1.usa.gov/qu2EhQ

 

Fighting Poverty

He provided a $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). http://nyti.ms/gfLqyM

 

He signed an Executive Order that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs. http://wapo.st/eWECA8

 

Improved Foreign Relations and American Status Abroad

He visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office. http://bit.ly/hZycda

 

As he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. http://nyti.ms/dKvY4g

 

He did much to restore America’s reputation around the world as a global leader that does the “right thing” in world affairs, at least according to the rest of the planet. http://bit.ly/h743y7 http://bit.ly/ho4TCr

 

He re-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues. http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDj

 

Closed a number of secret detention facilities. http://nyti.ms/rpUc9l

He improved relations with Middle East countries by appointing special envoys. http://1.usa.gov/tiGAGe

 

He pushed for military to emphasize development of foreign language skills. http://bit.ly/AxUCLV

 

Offered $400 million to the people living in Gaza, called on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop inciting violence. http://bit.ly/9axfWh

 

He refused to give Israel the green light to attack Iran over their possible nuclear program. http://bit.ly/xVmSZK

 

He worked to make donations to Haiti tax-deductible in 2009. http://huff.to/6YkAVY

 

He established a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. http://1.usa.gov/eX28DP

 

Issued Executive Order blocking interference and helping to stabilize Somalia. http://1.usa.gov/hxdf8U

 

He established new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them. http://n.pr/hY3Kwa http://nyti.ms/emQBde

 

He ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay. It was Republicans (and a smattering of Democrats) who prevented him from following through. http://bit.ly/eW6CVF

 

Ordered a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture, or what Bush called “enhanced interrogation.” He ordered interrogators to limit their actions to the Army Field manual. http://bit.ly/g6MTuC

 

He ordered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed. http://bbc.in/h6N9ax

 

He released the Bush torture memos. http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0

 

On his second day in office, he signed a detailed Executive Order that banned torture, reversed all Bush torture policies, and put the United States in compliance with the Geneva Convention. http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zve http://nyti.ms/hzWWys

 

In response to the emerging “Arab Spring,” he created a Rapid Response fund, to assist emerging democracies with foreign aid, debt relief, technical assistance and investment packages in order to show that the United States stands with them. http://bit.ly/zfmGv9

 

Passed the Iran Sanctions Act, to prevent war, and to encourage Iran to give up their nuclear program. http://1.usa.gov/wLtNjb

 

Ended the Iraq War. http://tgr.ph/ru0tyS

 

He authorized and oversaw a secret mission by SEAL Team Six to rescue two hostages held by Somali pirates. http://bit.ly/y8c9Fz

 

Better Approach to “Defense”

Created a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat. http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nE

 

He authorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2

 

He restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush. http://lat.ms/gkcl3i

 

He signed and pushed to ratification a new SALT Treaty. http://bit.ly/f3JVtw

 

Negotiated and signed a new START Treaty that will last until at least 2021. http://1.usa.gov/cI1bC4

 

Through the Defense Authorization Act, he reversed the Bush Administration and committed to no permanent military bases in Iraq. http://bit.ly/hk73OJ

 

He developed the first comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda and the withdrawal of most troops, as well as the rebuilding of Afghanistan. http://wapo.st/ee4Xcs

 

He returned our focus to Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing our troops. http://bit.ly/lNXUna

 

Fulfilled campaign promise and ended our involvement in Iraq, and will complete full troop withdrawal before Christmas 2011. http://onforb.es/nTUk4Z

 

He took steps to severely weaken al Qaeda and limited their ability to terrorize the world. http://yhoo.it/n5lXs6

 

He negotiated and signed a nuclear nonproliferation treaty with India. http://1.usa.gov/aHp0Cn

 

He took decisive action to use NATO to limit the slaughter of innocents in Libya, so that the Libyan people could topple a despotic government and determine their own fate. http://aje.me/qAh4Sj

 

Treating Soldiers and Veterans with Respect

He made sure that families of fallen soldiers could be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB, by providing funding for it. He also ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers.http://nyti.ms/glqN66 http://bbc.in/gWSSkA

 

He funded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services. http://1.usa.gov/huhqfo

 

He provided the troops with better body armor. http://bit.ly/hzSv2h

 

Created the Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order to improve the quality of their medical care. http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxW

 

He put an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. (personal note: my son will be in harm’s way for six fewer months with Obama as president, so you know I love this one). http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7Q

 

He supported and signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, which made more money available to enable better medical care for veterans. http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1

 

He ushered through the largest spending increase in 30 years for the Department of Veterans Affairs for improved medical facilities, and to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended care facilities. http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3x

 

He created the Green Vet Initiative, which provided special funding to the Labor Department to provide veterans with training in green jobs. http://bit.ly/epwUQY

 

He oversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals. http://bit.ly/gjzTxX

 

Education

He has repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of the process. http://bit.ly/gYWd30 http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr http://bit.ly/eEzTNq

 

Completely reformed the student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate. http://nyti.ms/dMvHOt

 

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he invested heavily in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. http://1.usa.gov/gGRIAr This includes a major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide http://bit.ly/fNDcj3 , as well as an expansion in school construction. http://bit.ly/fYwNrV

 

Also through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he put $5 billion into early education, including Head Start. http://1.usa.gov/tzT2Rr

 

Signed the Post-9/11 GI Bill, also known as GI Bill 2.0 http://bit.ly/hPhG7J

 

He oversaw expansion of the Pell Grants program, to expand opportunity for low-income students to go to college. http://bit.ly/hI6tXz

 

He passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds. http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUe

 

 

Greater Transparency and Better Government

He signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch. http://bit.ly/fsBACN

 

He signed an order banning anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years. He also put strict limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House. http://nyti.ms/gOrznV

 

He held the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public. http://bit.ly/gVNSgX

 

The Obama White House became the first to stream every White House event, live. http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5

 

He established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities. http://www.serve.gov

 

He provided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history. http://1.usa.gov/hQ7ttV

 

He crafted an Executive Order on Presidential Records, which restored the 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records, and eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews. This will provide the public with greater access to historic White House documents, and severely curtails the ability to use executive privilege to shield them.http://1.usa.gov/gUetLb

 

He improved aspects of the Freedom of Information Act, and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent in the processing of FOIA requests. http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2

 

 

National Safety and Security

He’s restored federal agencies such as FEMA to the point that they have been able to manage a huge number of natural disasters successfully. http://bit.ly/h8Xj7z

 

Authorized Navy SEALS to successfully secure the release of a US captain held by Somali pirates and increased patrols off the Somali coast. http://nyti.ms/efBO7B

 

Has repeatedly beefed up border security http://bit.ly/mMYB4i

 

Ordered and oversaw the Navy SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden. http://bit.ly/jChpgw

 

 

Science, Technology and Health Care

He created a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making.http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw

 

Opened up the process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects. http://bit.ly/j0KV2U

 

He eliminated the Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. He also provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell research. http://bit.ly/h36SSO http://ti.me/edezge

 

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he committed more federal funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research labs. http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7

 

He signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis. http://bit.ly/fOi2rb

 

He expanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time mothers. http://bit.ly/jRRRJc

 

His EPA reversed research ethics standards which allowed humans to be used as “guinea pigs” in tests of the effects of chemicals, to comply with numerous codes of medical ethics. http://bit.ly/bKgqdS

 

Conducted a cyberspace policy review. http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvC

 

Provided financial support for private sector space programs. http://bit.ly/fn8ucr

 

He oversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use. http://bit.ly/dNTRyP

 

He ushered through a bill that authorized the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViB As a result, the FDA has Ordered Tobacco Companies to Disclose Cigarette Ingredients and banned sale of cigarettes falsely labeled as “light.”

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs. http://bit.ly/ecQSgA

 

He also increased funding for community-based prevention programs. http://bit.ly/frMPG3

 

He oversaw a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors. http://bit.ly/e5b1iq http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9

 

He eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price. http://bit.ly/fOkG5b

 

Two weeks after taking office, he signed the Children’s Health Insurance Re-authorization Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4 million. http://bit.ly/fDEzGv

 

He held a quick press conference, and urged Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation. Rep. Waxman responded by launching a probe, and Anthem Blue Cross put the increase on hold for two months. http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9C

 

Ushered through and signed the Affordable Health Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage to 30 million more people, and ended many common insurance company practices that are often detrimental to those with coverage. He also established http://www.healthcare.gov/

 

Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he allowed children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V

 

Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he provided tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small business to provide health insurance to their employees, and 29 million people will receive tax breaks to help them afford health insurance. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V

 

Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level. http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo

 

Through the Affordable Health Care Act, health insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V

 

Provisions in the Affordable Health Care Act have already resulted in Medicare costs actually declining slightly this fiscal year, for the first time in many years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Last year’s increase was 4%. Compare that to the average 12% annual inflation rate during the previous 40 years. http://1.usa.gov/oMxpTh

 

 

Strengthening the Middle Class and Families

He worked to provide affordable, high-quality child care to working families. http://bit.ly/fNfidS

 

He cracked down on companies that were previously denying sick pay, vacation and health insurance, and Social Security and Medicare tax payments through abuse of the employee classification of independent contractor. http://nyti.ms/fOGLcj

 

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he cut taxes for 95% of America’s working families. http://bit.ly/eSEI4F

 

Under Obama, tax rates for average working families are the lowest they’ve been since 1950. http://bit.ly/f74pD8

 

He extended and fully funded the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years. http://bit.ly/eFeSdP

 

He extended discounted COBRA health coverage for the unemployed from 9 months to 15 months, and he’s extended unemployment benefits several times. http://aol.it/evtVxD http://nyti.ms/emrqKJ http://bit.ly/hOtIpg http://bit.ly/fTT7kz

 

 

Environment and Energy

He fast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact federal fuel efficiency standards that were above federal standards. http://nyti.ms/e8e94x

 

He fast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in a decade. http://politi.co/hiaPKM

 

He oversaw the establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, which creates more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73y

 

His EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history. http://bit.ly/lP3yEL

 

He ordered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances. http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbu

 

He ordered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155p (As you can see, Republicans are trying hard to kill it.)

 

He oversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2R

 

Bypassed Republican opposition in Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions. http://bit.ly/froaP5

 

His EPA ruled that CO2 is a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNN

 

He doubled federal spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCE

 

He pushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars. http://bit.ly/j8UP5Y

 

He created a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWq

 

He reengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and even proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush-era stance that climate change was a “hoax.” http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3 http://bit.ly/fE2PxK http://nyti.ms/hfeqvv

 

He fully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide. http://bit.ly/eJ6QOO

 

He required states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption. http://bit.ly/lBhk7P

 

Following Bush’s eight year reign, he reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic. http://bit.ly/fzQUFO

 

Created tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid automobiles, and later he and Democrats morphed that program into one that includes electric cars. http://bit.ly/glCukV

 

Mandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles. http://bit.ly/h5KZqy http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5c http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk

 

He oversaw and pushed through an amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizing advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. http://1.usa.gov/yTRYVo

He also actively tried to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to eliminate the liability limits for those companies responsible for large oil spills. http://nyti.ms/bxjDi3

 

 

He initiated Criminal and Civil inquiries into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. http://nyti.ms/bVuB7a

 

Through his EPA, he asserted federal legal supremacy, and barred Texas from authorizing new refinery permits on its own. http://bit.ly/ww8eMd

 

He strengthened the Endangered Species Act. http://bit.ly/hscjsH

 

His EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year. http://bit.ly/jYH7nt

 

Through the EPA, he took steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2

 

He increased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10% http://bit.ly/fbJPjY

 

He announced greatly improved commercial fuel efficiency standards. http://1.usa.gov/oQiC1K

 

He announced the development of a huge increase in average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg to 35.5mpg starting in 2016 and 54.5 starting in 2025 http://1.usa.gov/qtghsW

 

 

Other Stuff

He has expanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements such as NAFTA. http://bit.ly/etznpY

 

He oversaw funding of the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. He protected the funding during the recent budget negotiations. http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO http://bit.ly/ff5Luv

 

Oversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. http://bit.ly/dFb8qF

 

He nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices. http://huff.to/eOChg6 http://bit.ly/i02wgP

 

He appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president. http://bit.ly/dX6vNB

 

He eliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education, and he rescinded the global gag rule. http://bit.ly/eCFAI1 http://bit.ly/f92drF

 

He loosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference. http://huff.to/eQfa7j

 

His FDA banned the use of antibiotics in livestock production. http://bit.ly/jUjLzo

 

Ushered through and signed national service legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps program. http://bit.ly/idgQH5

 

 

 

Read the original article at http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009.html  "

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA DNC 2012 SPEECH

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S 2012 DNC SPEECH

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MAPLE HEIGHTS IN LOCKDOWN MODE

What's that famous "Godfathers" line?  Oh yeah,   Michael Corleone: "Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in."

Okay, okay ... nothing bad on my end, however ...

What the hell is wrong with these guys in Maple Heights.  Rumor has it that certain government officials (and/or MHTS public employees) have been given orders not to talk to or release any, or is it any really important information to certain residents in Maple Heights (who shall remain nameless). 

Look, Ohio has a public records law and there are sunshine laws.  What you Maple Heights public employees are doing, ... honestly looks like a cover-up.  You shouldn't be going around deciding who and who you are not going to release public information to.  You can't be that dense.  Now a whole bunch of people want to know what you have to hide, and now I want to know what you have to hide?

If there's nothing, release the damn information that you are legally required to release. 

And here's a question: Can a public official become an "accessory after the fact", and can "obstruction" be charged against a public employee?



Update 8/24/2012: 
A few friends thoughts  "Are these guys Republicans, cause they certainly act and sound like it?"



Update 8/23/2012:
It is official.  Requests by a person, who shall remain nameless, for public information/records were sent to a Ms. Waller, Ms. Gambosi, Mr. Montello, Ms. Vopat, and a Charles Crews Jr.  As of this date, the individuals named have not given the information requested. 

It also appears that Mr. Montello or/and Mayor Lansky (two public employees who work for the taxpayers in Maple Heights, and not the other way around) may have put the "lock" on the release of certain public information (that they call inquiries).  And since when did public employees get the impression they don't have to answer questions from taxpayers/residents (again, who pay their salary)?  The words "arrogance" and "insubordination" come to mind (my opinion).  Yep, something doesn't smell right.   

To be continued

2012 Ohio Sunshine Laws

**Related post:

Who Does John Montello, Law Director for the City of Maple Heights Really Work For?