Obama Tax Cuts Going Unnoticed

The Tea Party Republicans have succeeded in making us believe that President Obama raised our taxes. We’ve been bamboozled again.

As the New York Times reported earlier this week:

“In a troubling sign for Democrats as they head into the midterm elections, their signature tax cut of the past two years, which decreased income taxes by up to $400 a year for individuals and $800 for married couples, has gone largely unnoticed. “

Not only is the Obama tax cut unnoticed but completely forgotten and ignored in the negative mudslinging ads proliferating our airways as we head to November.

Now we are being told again the way to create jobs is with more tax cuts. Well how is that working for you? Eight years of Bush tax cuts and two more years of Obama tax cuts have not produced the promised job growth. Despite the fact we are enjoying the lowest tax rates since 1950.

The only thing the tax cuts have accomplished is to make the rich richer and the rest of us scrambling to pay their bills.

As election day nears it will get even more difficult to separate perception from fact. If we knew that 1/3 of the Obama stimulus funded our tax cuts would we still think it was a bad idea?

2010 Marks Biggest Monopoly Threat To United States

Anti-monopoly regulations never considered the biggest economic threat now bearing down on the United States. It is not just one company but an entire sector of industries that are wielding power over congress and the laws that permit them to become the lords of the 21st century.

In the seventies the financial industry (banks, lenders, investment houses) collectively made about 16% of all the corporate profits in the United States. With bank deregulation, new laws allowing junk bonds and derivative trading, and reduced financial industry restrictions the sector now accounts for over 40% of the nations total profits.

It will only get worse with the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allows corporate campaign contributions to political action committees to remain anonymous. Prior to the reporting change government records show that billions have been contributed to political races in the past decade by the financial sector. Unless the reporting rules change we will never know how much more they are paying to insure favorable laws to keep making incredible profits without creating actual products.

This house of trading economy with no real output from the exchange of money will be the demise of the US economy and could take centuries to recover from. Left unchecked too long the country's standing in the world will become diminished as the chasm dividing the rich and poor widens and the country’s dependence on imports becomes irreversible.

Recent evidence of the will if the financial sector to push their agenda is surfacing as the November 2010 elections approaches. Massive spending on campaign ads in support of conservative candidates and issues is far outpacing spending for more moderate approaches.

Don’t expect congress to be looking to change these rules any time soon. These big contributions are their best hope of being reelected and they certainly will not want to stop this gravy train. Campaign finance laws need to change but who will lead the charge for new legislation?

Defend Obama Against Birth Certificate Lies

We at the Trotwod Democratic ask you take a few minutes to help us defend against the continuing belief by some in our city and country that President Obama's Birth Certificate and his right as a natural born US Citizen is somehow in doubt.

During Senator Obama's campaign for the presidency a valid copy of his birth certificate was provided and displayed on the internet. No legal challenge has convinced any judge in this country that this document is flawed.

In addition, according to the 14th Amendment, in the abscence of a valid birth certificate no other claims or accusation presented by anyone would cause him to be disqualified as a natural born citizen.

We encourage you to challenge anyone who continues to beleive President Obama is not a natural born citizen of our great country. This lie does not deserve to go unanswered.

Excerpt from USConstitution.net
Who is a natural-born citizen? Who, in other words, is a citizen at birth, such that that person can be a President someday?

The 14th Amendment defines citizenship this way: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." But even this does not get specific enough. As usual, the Constitution provides the framework for the law, but it is the law that fills in the gaps. The Constitution authorizes the Congress to do create clarifying legislation in Section 5 of the 14th Amendment; the Constitution, in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4, also allows the Congress to create law regarding naturalization, which includes citizenship.

Currently, Title 8 of the U.S. Code fills in the gaps left by the Constitution. Section 1401 defines the following as people who are "citizens of the United States at birth:"

•Anyone born inside the United States *
•Any Indian or Eskimo born in the United States, provided being a citizen of the U.S. does not impair the person's status as a citizen of the tribe
•Any one born outside the United States, both of whose parents are citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S.
•Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year and the other parent is a U.S. national
•Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year
•Any one found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21
•Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)
•A final, historical condition: a person born before 5/24/1934 of an alien father and a U.S. citizen mother who has lived in the U.S.
* There is an exception in the law — the person must be "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States. This would exempt the child of a diplomat, for example, from this provision.

Anyone falling into these categories is considered natural-born, and is eligible to run for President or Vice President. These provisions allow the children of military families to be considered natural-born, for example.

Fall 2010 Meeting Schedule

Our first regular meeting will be September 2 (note; this is a change of day of the month we usually meet on the 2nd Thursday) 7:00 PM at Trotwood United Church of Christ (TUCC) at 18 N. Broadway. Members of the club will be encouraged to participate in 2010 events for state-wide office holders. Our State Senator, Fred Strahorn and our member of the Ohio House, Roland Winburn are both up for reelection. To keep up on the latest from the Trotwood Democratic Club visit us on the web at http://trotwooddems.blogspot.com/ Our October 14th and November 11th meetings will be at the same time and location. Our December holiday dinner will be held at TUCC on a Sunday evening TBA.

Save the date for our BIG event of the fall. The Trotwood Democratic Club 36th Annual Dinner will be held on Friday September 17th 2010 at 6:00 p.m. The event will be held at the Montgomery County Democratic Headquarters, 131 South Wilkinson Street in Dayton. Discounted tickets for members will be on sale at picnic and our regular September meeting. The Trotwood Democratic Club will honor our Democrat of the Year. Our special keynote speaker is Maryellen O’Shaughnessy, candidate for Secretary of State. We hope that you will reserve a spot for yourself and an associate at this fun filled event. This is a great evening of food, entertainment, and camaraderie with fellow Democrats and Democratic office holders from all over Montgomery County. There will be an open bar from 6-7 p.m. We are asking for a donation of $20 per ticket for the dinner. But, if you are a Trotwood Democratic Club member, you may pre-purchase your tickets at the picnic or the regular September meeting for $15 per ticket. Be sure to make your reservation by September 10, 2009 by calling club headquarters at 837-7800.

DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES ON BALLOT NOVEMBER 02, 2010

Governor ,Ted Strickland INCUMBENT WILL SERVE ON APPORTIONMENT BOARD*

Lieutenant Governor, YvetteMcGee Brown


Attorney General, RichardCordray INCUMBENT WILL SERVE ON APPORTIONMENT BOARD


Auditor, David Pepper WILL SERVE ON APPORTIONMENT BOARD

Treasurer, Kevin Boyce INCUMBENT


Secretary of State, Maryellen O’ Shaughnessy WILL SERVE ON *APPORTIMENT BOARD

Ohio Supreme Court, Chief Justice Eric Brown INCUMBENT

Ohio Supreme Court, Mary Jane Trapp


U.S. Senate, Lee Fisher


U.S. Congress 3rd District, Joe Roberts


Ohio Senate SD 5 (represents Trotwood), Fred Stahorn INCUMBENT


Ohio House HD 40 (represents Trotwood), Roland Winburn INCUMBENT

Montgomery County Comissioner, Dan Foley INCUMBENT

Montgomery COunty Auditor, Karl Keith INCUMBENT

Mont. County Juvenile, Court Judge Tony Capizzi INCUMBENT

2nd District Court of Appeals, Mike Fain INCUMBENT

Montgomery County Court of Appeals, Mary Wiseman INCUMBENT

Montgomery County Court of Appeals, Connie Price INCUMBENT

Trotwood Ward #1, Nicole Johnson
appointed to fill Mayor Cameron’s ward seat now standing for election
note: hasn’t screened with club but has no democratic opponent

* Using data from the latest census, the Apportionment Board will draw new legislative districts in 2011. Traditionally, the political party that controls the board gerrymanders the lines to its benefit, creating a number of safe districts for both parties and attempting to secure control of the legislature.

Government is Good

A new website takes a look at the things government does well.

http://www.governmentisgood.com/

Financial Reform Bill Needs Sherrod Brown's Amendments

Banking reform legislation is hitting a feverish pitch. The current proposal has met with senate committee approval and now heads to the floor for discussion.

Among the hot items are the derivative trading exemptions in the committee version and a proposed amendment by Ohio Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown to limit the size of the largest banks. Most republicans want to see no change to those two items.

The derivative exemptions allow for unregulated derivative trading to continue in several categories. Opponents say the exemptions take most of the teeth out of the new reform and will set up the nation's economy for another bubble bursting recession.

Senator Brown's size limitation revolves around the concept of not having big banks that are "too big to fail."

One limitation already introduced by Brown would limit how banks could have ownership interest in clearing house companies who trade derivatives. He has recommended that banks with assets over $50-billion may only own 20% interest in those clearinghouses.

Browns other proposed limit is on the actual size of the banks themselves. He wants to place a cap on a banks liabilities equal to 3% of the Gross Domestic Product(GDP). Based on the 2008 GDP that would result in a limit of $426-billion. Currently the top six banks have 60% of the GDP. Fifteen years ago the six largest bank had 17% of the GDP.

These amendments are expected to be met with with a lot of resistance from lobbyists and the banks themselves. Reform watchers think the 2010 reform package will be ineffective without these changes. What do you think?

Read more on The Hill http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/91517-financial-reform-takes-center-stage-in-senate-

Obama Is Not A Socialist

A CNN interview with the leader of the US Socialist Party says President Barak Obama is anything but a socialist. He blasts the new healthcare bill as a capitalist tool written by and for the health insurance companies.

But the best part of the interview comes at the end when he identifies the biggest socialist of the 2008 election. He say this candidates record of taxing big oil companies and distributing the proceeds equally among the populace is casebook socialism. And the congratulations goes to Sarah Palin.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/14/Obama.socialist/index.html?hpt=C2

Top 10 list of accomplishments of Ohio Democrats

Greater Miami Valley Democrats!
January is going to be an exciting month in an exciting year for Ohio Democrats. All of our great candidates are starting to gear up for the election in November and I wanted to give you a quick update on what our Ohio Democrats have been doing in Columbus. I just can’t tell you how impressed I have been with all their accomplishments, even in this tough time.
You wouldn’t know it from reading the Dayton Daily News, though! That’s why I wanted to get you the scoop directly. Check out my Top 10 list of accomplishments of Ohio Democrats. As you’ll see, they are working overtime to fix the mess caused by broken promises from Republican politicians who told us if we just gave Wall Street and the wealthy free reign and big tax giveaways, prosperity would trickle down to the rest of us.

Rebuilding Ohio from the Ground Up:
Top Ten Ways Ohio Democrats are Renewing Ohio's Promise
#1: Fixing Ohio Schools
Governor Strickland and Ohio Democrats passed education reform that will teach our young people the skills they need to get good jobs. Fully implemented, the share of state education spending will go from 48% to 61%. And the plan expands all-day kindergarten, rewards the best teachers, encourages higher education, directs resources to the districts most in need and expands professional development and support for new teachers.
#2: A Tax Cut for Every Senior Homeowner in the State
Governor Strickland and Ohio Democrats lowered property taxes for every senior citizen homeowner in the state, saving the typical senior citizen homeowner $400 a year.

#3: Health Care Access for All Ohio Children
Democrats passed and Governor Strickland signed a bill that guarantees access to affordable health care for every child in Ohio, regardless of their family’s income or background, and the state is working to make it happen. Democrats and Governor Strickland implemented market reforms that will expand access to coverage to an estimated 109,000 uninsured adults as well.
#4: Ohio Stimulus Bill Will Create 50,000 New Jobs
Democrats passed a $1 billion stimulus program in 2008 that is rebuilding Ohio’s infrastructure and investing in Ohio’s jobs of the future, including energy, and transportation. The Ohio Job Stimulus Plan is expected to create 50,000 new jobs.
#5: Ohio National Leader in Green Energy Manufacturing
Governor Strickland proposed and signed legislation requiring that 25 percent of all of Ohio’s electricity be produced from advanced energy sources, such as wind and solar by 2025. This gives Ohio the 3rd most aggressive advanced energy portfolio requirement in the country and will bring thousands of new “green collar” jobs to Ohio. This year Ohio was rated number one in the nation in alternative energy manufacturing.
#6: Making College Affordable
While other states have drastically hiked tuition at their public colleges, Democrats made Ohio the only state to freeze tuition for two straight years for all public colleges and universities – this after a decade where average increases were nine percent a year. Governor Strickland also worked with colleges and universities to enact caps on tuition increases. The result is the slowest four-year rate of tuition growth since the 1960s.
#7: Helping Small Business Create Jobs by Cutting Red Tape
Democratic leaders have created new and expanded opportunities for Ohio’s small businesses, including women- and minority-owned businesses, by streamlining more than 1,000 regulations to be more growth-friendly while at the same time protecting consumers.
#8: 12,500 Jobs Created Building 332 New Schools for Ohio Children
Led by Governor Strickland, Democrats have set aside more than $4 billion for school construction. This program is building 332 new “green” schools across the state and creating more than 12,500 high-paying jobs – all without a penny of debt. This fund has been called a “genuinely bright idea” and “a bold step.”
#9: Holding Fraudsters Accountable
Democrats, led by Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, continue to protect Ohioans financial security by aggressively holding accountable Wall Street companies and executives who harm Ohio investors, retirees, workers and families through securities law violations. He’s recovered well over a billion dollars so far and is also working to prevent foreclosures and stop financial predators.
#10: Protecting Ohioan’s Financial Security
Ohio Treasurer Kevin L. Boyce received national attention for helping provide Ohio residents with the financial education they need to make smart choices for themselves and their families. He’s linked higher interest rates on savings accounts for those who complete financial training, as well as focused on protecting and expanding opportunities for small businesses.

If you want to get involved spreading the word like me, send me an email and I’ll get you in touch with a Democratic Party Neighborhood Organizer in your area.

One last thing: Here’s a couple of things you can do to support the party this month:
1. State-wide Candidate Petitions: I’ve got statewide petitions for several candidates: Secretary of State- Jennifer Garrison, Attorney General-Richard Cordray, State Treasurer-Kevin Boyce, State Auditor-David Pepper and Ohio Supreme Court Judge- Mary Trapp. If you would like to help with gaining the signatures they need to get on the ballot, please give me a call or reply to this email for more details.
2. State of the State House Party: Host a house party to watch Governor Strickland on 27 January for the State of the State Address. Please give me a call or reply to this email for more details.
Democratically Yours,

Claudia L. Mason
Regional Field Director
Ohio Democratic Party
cell: 614 271-2694
cmason@ohiodems.org
Serving Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami and Montgomery Counties

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