April 7 – 13, 2018
SWAMP REPORT
Feds Raid Trump Lawyer’s Hotel Room
Federal interest in Trump’s longtime lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen continued this week when the F.B.I. raided his offices and hotel room. Apparently Robert Mueller’s team tipped off the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York and they’re the ones who obtained a search warrant to conduct the raids. Predictably, Trump apparently went off the walls, screaming about everything from Jeff Sessions to firing Mueller to the F.B.I. not investigating HIllary Clinton. We’re not yet sure the reason behind the raids; some speculations are around hush payments to women, others are potential instances of bank fraud.
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Another One Bites the Dust: Paul Ryan’s OUT!
Republicans are dropping like flies. Four GOP senators are not seeking reelection, and Speaker Paul Ryan makes it 27 Representatives folding it in. While the vast majority claim it’s to spend more time with their family, that’s the typical cover up for saying “We’re sick of this guy Trump undermine us at every corner, throw anyone he wants to under the bus, all while we have to have these big smiles, apologetic tones, and take it or otherwise lose in a primary.”
Meanwhile in Ohio, scandals are rocking the GOP…
Rosenberger Resigns Amid Controversy; Many Ask Who’s Next?
Ohioans lost double the Speakers everyone else did this week, as Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger announced he was resigning amidst an F.B.I. investigation into luxurious travel, paid for by payday lending lobbyists (wonder why that reform legislation has been stalled?). The getaway locations include England, France, Israel, Los Angeles, and Boston. They’re also looking into a luxury condo he rents from a donor in downtown Columbus.
This all leads to the question: who’s going to be struck down next in Ohio politics? There were other lawmakers with Rosenberger on some of these trips, and Attorney General Mike DeWine had a suspicious phone call with the Speaker…
Ohio GOP Scandals, FBI Investigation, Leadership Fight Take Toll
DeWine wasted no time in contacting his buddy Rosenberger after news of the F.B.I. investigation broke, which is odd because there doesn’t seem to be any reason he should reach out. While his spokespeople claim DeWine called just to urge Rosenberger to resign if he did anything wrong, that should be basically a duh statement, and we still don’t know what other things they talked about but are hiding from the press. Even the Republican Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor is calling for Dewine to explain himself.
There’s also the matter that State Rep. Nathan Manning accompanied Rosenberger on at least one trip, and for all we know many more lawmakers have been taking advantage of these sweet deals.
Local Business Supports Women on Equal Pay Day
April 10 was Equal Pay Day — the day the average woman would have to work until to make the same amount of money as the average man made the previous year. To help spread awareness about the day and the severe issue of the gender pay gap, ProgressOhio helped organize an event at the Rambling House where all women received 20 percent off.
Across the country, women earn only 80 cents for every dollar that a man is paid, or about $10,086 less per year in median income than white men. In Ohio specifically, women earn roughly 77 cents for every dollar, with lifetime losses totaling $459,080.
UTERI WATCH
No One Shows Up for Anti-Choice “Walk-Out”; DeWine Supports Heartbeat Bill
Womp womp womp. After lots of bluster and pre-emptive defensive statements of how schools should treat all student protestors the same, it seems like the anti-choice student walk out was much ado about nothing. With the Ohio Right to Life President Michael Gonidakis threatening schools that he would be “watching to see if they’re consistent,” the whole event fell flat when no students walked out. That contrasts with the student walk out over the Parkland protests, when hundreds if not thousands of Ohio students walked out of class.
The killer line in the WOSU article, though, was: “No students discussed participating on social media, either.” In a world where everything is shared on social media, Gonidakis couldn’t even get one mention. Sad!
2018 ELECTION
Renacci Fundraising Scheme Raises Questions About White Collar Crime
Renacci’s own campaign.
After Rep. Jim Renacci launched his now-abandoned gubernatorial campaign, Renacci gave $56,000 in campaign contributions to a dozen House GOP candidates and PACs. Eight of the twelve then in turn gave a combined $26,700 back to Renacci’s own campaign.
Wage Boards – A Different Approach To Raising The Wage
In their report Wage Boards for American Workers, the Center for American Progress argues that wage boards – panels with representatives of workers, businesses, and the public with the power to set minimum workplace standards – are the way to raise wages and give workers a stronger voice.
They challenge the reader and activists to go for this bold step by saying: “No other policies have the ability to so broadly and consistently raise wages. The solutions to the nation’s workforce challenges are at our disposal—the only question is whether the United States has the political will to move forward.”
Public Libraries Are the Newest Ally Fighting The Opioid Crisis
Libraries across the country are doing their part to help communities combating the opioid crisis. In Ohio, Willoughby-Eastlake Library director Rick Werner told WOSU that, “In some respects, during the day, we’re a senior services organization, because our libraries are full of senior citizens. After school, we become an after-school program. In the evenings, we’re homework centers. So, I think we very much recognize that we’ve got obligations beyond information provision.”
“We’re probably one of the last public institutions that’s open as many hours as we are and have absolutely no barriers to entry,” he said. “And I think with that openness and accessibility comes responsibility for us to make sure that we are as responsive to the needs of the community as we can be.”
CHARTER CHATTER
Another Youngstown Education Official Resigns
The Chief Academic Officer of the Youngstown City Schools, Tyrone Olverson, is the fourth member of the Academic Distress Commission to resign from the district. This has led to further questions regarding the feasibility of the controversial HB 70, known as the “Youngstown Plan.”
District CEO Krish Mohip, who was put in place by the Plan, hired Olverson in August 2016. Olverson was a finalist for the CEO position for Youngstown schools and has been second-in-charge to Mohip, who is now looking to jump ship as well.
Progressive Action Calendar Alerts:
4/14: Youngstown March For Science Stem Appreciation Day
4/14: March For Science – Cincinnati
4/15: March For Science – Cleveland
4/15: Tax Day March #2
