2008 April 09 | Rowsey Blog

Elizabeth Edwards Says the Clinton Health Care Plan Is The Best One

April 9, 2008

According to the Associated Press, Elizabeth Edwards has just stated that she thinks that Senator Clinton’s plan for health care is better than that of her opponent Senator Obama.  Although this may not be a formal endorsement, I think that it is a statement that the Clinton campaign should welcome and flaunt.

Both John and Elizabeth Edwards have gone across the country and met many people that became Edwards supporters.  They are tune with what is on the mind with many Americans.  This might just help attract some of the Edwards supporters to the Clinton campaign.

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Politics, election | 3 Comments 

Are You Better Off Than You Were 5 Years Ago?

April 9, 2008

According to an article from the associated press:

One in four, or 25 percent, said their economic situation had not improved, while 31 percent said they had fallen backward. Those numbers together are the highest since the survey question was first asked in 1964. Among the middle class, 54 percent said they had made no progress (26 percent) or fallen back (28 percent).

This does not come as a surprise to me, but it is a signal of troubling times.  Don’t they always say that parents want to leave for their children a better opportunity than they themselves had?  That might be in jeopardy.

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Money Matters | Leave a Comment 

Paid Sick Leave in Ohio

April 9, 2008

The Columbus Dispatch reports today that:

“Legislators themselves expect to get paid for days missed for personal reasons, or for no reason at all,” Butland said, adding that “sick days” accounted for only 106 of the 510 House session days missed, and 12 of 114 in the Senate.

“In many cases, members were apparently excused for sick-day reasons far more generous than called for” in the bill, Butland said.

The proposal requires businesses with at least 25 employees to provide at least seven paid sick days per year to full-time employees. It has sat idle since it was introduced in the legislature three months ago, after the coalition collected the necessary signatures.

In my opinion paid sick leave should be a basic right when you are employed.  Ohio workers are not asking for paid vacation or some exorbitant number of sick days.  Just seven days out of 365 days a year.

This is another example of the do-nothing legislative branch being hypocritical.  These legislators are taking sick days regularly, but won’t afford the same right to the constituents that they represent.  It is an embarrassment to the state of Ohio that there is even an argument on this issue.

Would small business owners rather sick employees come to work and pass their illness on to the other workers?  Wouldn’t that make it worse for the company?  This is a disgrace!

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Money Matters, Ohio Government, Politics, columbus, ohio | 2 Comments 

McCain on Iraq

April 9, 2008

Thanks to my friend Dan who sent me this article from the Associated Press recounting McCain’s stand on the Iraq War.  According to the article:

“The dramatic reduction in violence has opened the way for a return to something approaching normal political and economic life for the average Iraqi,” McCain said.

I think that this issue is of paramount importance to the McCain campaign and will in fact out shadow every other issue.  Everything will take a back seat to Iraq, with the possible exception of the Economy.  And let us not forget the amazingly stupid admission from McCain that he doesn’t really understand economics.  Clinton responded by saying:

“I think we’ve had enough of a president who didn’t know enough about economics, and didn’t do enough for the American middle class. We’re ready for a president who will meet the challenges of our time,” Clinton said.

“He looked at the housing crisis, and he blamed consumers. And his plan for the economy is to extend George Bush’s tax cuts for billionaires and give a new $100 billion corporate tax cut,” she said of McCain.

“The Bush-McCain philosophy could not be clearer — the ‘ownerchip society’ really means ‘you’re on your own,’” she said.

I think she has it right there.  Most of us are tired of politicians that seem not to want to help those struggling to pay their mortgage and put food on their tables.  We are tired of the policies of Bush-Cheney.  It’s time to give someone a chance who will wake up everyday and fight for the middle class, rather than ignore them.

I do not think that McCain can or even should run from his support of the Iraq policies.  Most people did support the war initially.  It was noble to remove such an evil dictator from power.  The surge has certainly helped and as democrats we shouldn’t be afraid to admit that.

I don’t think that Iraq will be McCain’s achilles tendon.  It will be his lack of understanding the economy.   

Posted by Jason Rowsey | Filed Under Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Money Matters, Politics, Polls, election | 5 Comments