by
01.18.2011
Posted In: Healthcare Reform, Congress, Public Policy, Republicans, Protests at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Groups Urge Chabot to Just Say 'No'
A major effort is underway today to urge Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Westwood) to buck his GOP colleagues and vote against repealing the health-care reform law.
A national group, Catholics United, is placing about 6,000 telephone calls to Catholics who live in Ohio's 1st Congressional District, that contains a recorded message asking them to have Chabot vote “no” on repealing health-care reform. The GOP leadership is expected to bring up the repeal bill, H.R. 2, on Wednesday for a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives.
by
11.29.2010
Posted In: Healthcare Reform, Community, Public Policy, Human Rights at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Free Testing on World AIDS Day
Because it can take years after exposure for symptoms to develop, many people who are infected with the virus that causes AIDS don't even realize it. More than one million people in the United States are estimated to be living with HIV, and approximately one in five people with HIV are unaware they're infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
by
05.16.2011
Posted In: LGBT Issues, Human Rights, Community, Public Policy at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Minson Tribute Set for Tonight
Local and national leaders working to advance equal rights for LGBT people will gather tonight in Covington to unveil a national award in honor of the late Nancy Minson.
The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and the Cincinnati Women's Political Caucus is co-sponsoring “Light of One, Power of Many: A Night to Honor Nancy Minson.” The event will be held at The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, and begins with a reception at 6 p.m.
by
02.13.2009
Abolitionists Win One
Three years ago Eddie Sanders Sr. invited CityBeat into
his home to talk about the clemency campaign he and his family were just
beginning on behalf of his nephew, Jeffrey Hill (See Killing a Family
To thank the Governor:
Call: 614-466-3555
Write to:
Governor's Office
They also offer suggestions.
“Here are some things you may want to mention in your
message about Jeff's case,” writes IJPC.
“Thank you for leading the state towards a new time of
compassion.
To thank the Parole Board:
Call: 614-752-1159, ext. 2
Write to:
Cynthia Mausser, Chair of
by
07.20.2011
Posted In: County Commission, Spending, Public Policy, 2011 Election at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Baptist Ministers Join Tax Effort
A Hamilton County commissioner and several local residents will get some major help in collecting signatures as part of their effort to create an admissions tax for Bengals and Reds games.
The Baptist Ministers Conference voted today to endorse the petition initiative sought by the Citizens’ League Against Subsidized Sports (CLASS Action). The latter group was formed in May to consider methods for ending the burden on county services caused by the subsidies needed to operate Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park.
by
10.23.2008
Nader Campaign Pushes Reform
Some campaign workers for independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader are conceding their choice for the Oval Office probably doesn’t have a realistic chance at being elected. But they say Nader’s platform of issues is what’s truly important and are urging progressive voters to pressure the winners in this November’s elections into pursuing his agenda.
by
10.30.2008
Apparently Size Does Matter
Politics is often a game of strategy, and an area anti-tax group is well-known for taking the offensive on most issues it advocates. A recent dispute over a referendum on a payday loan law, however, has the group facing stinging criticism for getting its facts wrong and overstating its own influence.
by
02.09.2009
Posted In: Social Justice, Public Policy, City Council, Community at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Shafting the Poor: It's What We Do
Cincinnati is once again planning to reduce, limit and even eliminate services for the most vulnerable in our community as a time when people with money are struggling. Those people who called “less fortunate” at religious services are supposedly preventing downtown from developing to its full potential.
by German Lopez
04.25.2012
Posted In: Republicans, Democrats, News, Public Policy, Government at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Republicans Back Down on Voting Restrictions
Ohio GOP to repeal parts of its own passed legislation
This
week, Republicans are moving forward with a partial repeal of HB 194, a bill that was blasted
by voting rights groups for eliminating opportunities to vote early and disallowing pollworkers to guide voters to the correct precinct. The bill was
also criticized by Democrats for curtailing voting rights in a way that made it
harder for mostly Democratic constituents to vote.
But a lot of that opposition may be pure political posturing. After all, Democrats were sure they were going to win the referendum on HB 194, and they were sure they could use it to get more supporters out to vote. With SB 295, the referendum of HB 194 could potentially be taken off the ballot, and state Democrats will lose one issue to hammer Republicans with in an election year.
In a sense, Democrats aren’t just upset about a “change of rules in the middle of an election year,” as Schultz put it in his email. They’re upset about a change in politics in the middle of an election year.
Regardless, SB 295 does have some legitimate problems. It’s good to see most of the draconian restrictions on voting repealed, but if Republicans really want to admit their mistake, they’ll repeal the rest of the restrictions as well.
The good news first: Most of HB 194 is being repealed. It’s good to see Republicans follow the advice of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, a moderate Republican who called or the repeal of HB 194 earlier this year.
The bad news: Some new limits on voting rights are going to remain in place, and the entire repeal process, which involves the passing of SB 295, might be unconstitutional.While it’s good to see HB 194 repealed, it’s not the only voting law Republicans enacted last year. The Ohio legislature also passed HB 224, which prohibited voting the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before election day.
For Democrats, this poses a bit of a problem. Democrats are happy to see most of the restrictions on voting repealed, but they want to see all of the restrictions repealed. If SB 295 passes, Democrats worry that the rest of the restrictions won’t be repealed because Republicans will think they have done enough.Even the Obama team spoke on this issue. In an email to Obama supporters Tuesday, Greg Schultz, the Ohio State Director on the Obama team, urged voters to speak up: “This bill could mean an end to our last three days of early voting this November — and would change the rules, right in the middle of an election year. It's an unambiguous attack on our voting rights.”
The other problem is the repeal could be unconstitutional. After HB 194 passed, voters were quick to speak out against the new law and put it up for referendum in the November 2012 ballot. So Republicans are repealing a law that is already up for referendum. This is the first time that’s happened in the Ohio legislature, and Democrats claim it might be unconstitutional.But a lot of that opposition may be pure political posturing. After all, Democrats were sure they were going to win the referendum on HB 194, and they were sure they could use it to get more supporters out to vote. With SB 295, the referendum of HB 194 could potentially be taken off the ballot, and state Democrats will lose one issue to hammer Republicans with in an election year.
In a sense, Democrats aren’t just upset about a “change of rules in the middle of an election year,” as Schultz put it in his email. They’re upset about a change in politics in the middle of an election year.
Regardless, SB 295 does have some legitimate problems. It’s good to see most of the draconian restrictions on voting repealed, but if Republicans really want to admit their mistake, they’ll repeal the rest of the restrictions as well.
by
04.22.2009
Posted In: Social Justice, Public Policy, News, Community, Government at 08:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Re-Integrating Millions
Considering that the United States has incarcerated more of its citizens than any other country in the world, we’ve created a problem we can’t avoid – re-integrating millions of people into mainstream society. With restrictions on employment that bar former felons from even submitting an application for an open position, we’re creating conditions that, at best, force former offenders into lying to get jobs or returning to crime in order to survive.
