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Mar
17
Benefits of Health Care Reform in OH-11
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:47 pm March 17th, 2010 in Cleveland+, Congress, Health Care | Please comment
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Mar
14
You can read the Plain Dealer story here and from Channel 19 (with a photo) here (he was 30, a police officer, with a young child and fiancé. Coming on the heels of the death of the son of the Mayor of Walton Hills, I am speechless. May he be of blessed memory.
3/15/10: More from the Plain Dealer this morning.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:57 pm March 14th, 2010 in OH24th, Ohio, RIP | Please comment
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Mar
4
As some readers may recall, Sarah Palin had this exchange during a question and answer portion of a tea party event in Nashville last month:
QUESTION: When we are successful and we have a conservative House and a conservative Senate, as soon as that happens, what do you think are the top three things that have got to be done?
PALIN:…And then, I think, it is kind of tougher to — kind of tougher to put our arms around, but allowing America’s spirit to rise again by not being afraid — not being afraid to kind of go back to some of our roots as a God-fearing nation where we are not afraid to say, especially in times of potential trouble in the future here, we are not afraid to say, you know, we don’t have all the answers as fallible men and women.
So it would be wise of us to start seeking some divine intervention again in this country so that we can be safe and secure and prosperous again. To have people involved in government who aren’t afraid to go that route, not so afraid of the political correctness that, you know, they have to be afraid of what the media would say about them if they were to proclaim their reliance on our creator.
I’ve just read the Plain Dealer article, “Fired state workers accuse their boss of religious harassment,” that describes exactly the kind of scenario I believe Palin’s rhetoric encourages. The possibility of interference of religion in state affairs is not far-fetched. It is something that’s always bothered me and even more so as offices of faith-based and community initiatives have come to direct more and more taxpayer funds to religious institutions and good works. Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 2:14 pm March 4th, 2010 in Ethics, Government, Law, Ohio, Politics, Religion, Social Issues, intolerance | 3 Comments
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Mar
3
I’ve frequently told the story about how one of my social work field placements was in Cleveland City Council during the summer of 1990. My assignment was to investigate and report back on which sites would be the best for building a recreation center for North and South Collinwood (I worked under Allan Dryer – sorry if I butchered your name, Allan – who was then-Council President Jay Westbrook’s right-hand person). There were at least three viable sites but my conclusion was that the politics between the wards and the communities were the most serious obstacle.
Here ya go – twenty years later, it’s going in N. Collinwood:
Polensek was anything but grateful to Mayor Frank Jackson three years ago, when the city appeared poised to build a recreation center south of Interstate 90 in the South Collinwood ward of then-Councilman Roosevelt Coats. Polensek and Coats had been arguing over where a recreation center should be built since the late 1990s.
Not one quote from Ward 10’s current council member though. Someone might want to get that input.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:00 pm March 3rd, 2010 in Cleveland+, Politics | 1 Comment
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Mar
2
I think there are a multitude of ways to gauge “worst place for women to work” but here’s 24/7 Wall Street’s take. Excerpt:
…The data used is from Catalyst, a non-profit organization which works to promote the status of women in business. Our analysis compared the Fortune 500 women who are executive officers as defined by the SEC to data on the number of female members of boards of directors at the same universe of companies. This is the first time these two lists have been cross-referenced for a public analysis.
The companies on the 24/7 Wall St. Worst Places for Women to Work list have no women on their boards and no women in senior management. Any company on the list would have to: 1) completely lack sensitivity to the issues of women in the work place, or 2) have enough misgivings about women to insure that all the people who have any meaningful place in running their companies have to be men. It is hard to say whether these companies are “female-free” at the top tiers because of misogyny or dull-wittedness. The practice of equal opportunity is missing at all of these companies.Our analysis makes an assumption, but we believe it is a fair one. A company with no women on its board or in senior management is extremely unlikely to be concerned about the issue of disparity in pay by gender and is likely to perform worse than the national census average in terms of what it pays its non-executive female management and its women rank-and-file employees.
And the winners are (with greater detail at the article): Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:49 am March 2nd, 2010 in Business, Gender, Media, Sexism, Women, employment, leadership | 1 Comment
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Mar
2
I’ ve met Allison Stevens and admired her work for a few years now.And after reading her latest, “Exhaustion is Political Parent’s Enemy No. 1,” I can guarantee her new column, MomAgenda, will be added to the very few must-reads I have these days.
This is going to sound oh-so-familiar to those of us who’ve been writing and momming for a while now, but it can never be said often enough – because until it happens to you, it is nearly impossible for others to believe or understand (she wrote as she noticed it was 7:15am and time to wake up the third of three kids who must get ready and go to school):
Not long ago I worked as a reporter for daily publications. I used to hammer out up to three stories a day. Now it seems like I have lost all ability to write anything on the fly, other than an e-mail to my husband begging him to come home from work and help me get mac ‘n cheese on the table before the 2-year-old melts down.
It took me nine months, for example, to get this piece into publication.
No Time for Basic Needs
Before I had children I had heard about the challenges of parenting: the sleep deprivation, the round-the-clock nursing, the separation anxiety, the terrible twos.
But I had no idea that parents actually had trouble finding time to meet basic needs like eating, bathing and sleeping.
Allison, welcome to yet another sisterhood. And thank you for making what it sounds like you think will be a sacrifice, but I promise, you will see and hear the rewards before you know it.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:19 am March 2nd, 2010 in Blogging, Gender, Government, Media, Politics, Women, Writing | 9 Comments
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Feb
28
Zimon to Run as Coffee Party Candidate for County Exec and Synagogue, AJC, Ohio Bar & NASW President
Because there simply is not enough challenge in Pepper Pike, or my freelance writing work, or raising my three kids, and I am addicted to multi-tasking (unlike some of our Congressional members who insist on doing only one thing at one time), I’ve decided, on this Purim 2010, to pull petitions and run as a member of the newly formed Coffee Party for:
Cuyahoga County Executive: Vote Zimon – She’s No Retread
B’nai Jeshurun Synaogogue President: Vote Zimon – Enough With This Predetermined Stuff
American Jewish Committee: Vote Zimon – She Tells Scott What To Do Anyway
Ohio Bar: Vote Zimon – She’s Married To A Practicing Lawyer And That’s Good Enough For Us
National Association of Social Workers: Vote Zimon – Talk About Talk Therapy!
Last year, my slogan was, Don’t Get Mad, Get Elected. But now, on Purim, I want to make it clear that my newest mantra is: Don’t Get Elected, Get Overextended!
And if my enthusiasm for simultaneously running for multiple top spots sounds a little circumspect, at a minimum, do check out the Coffee Party. It actually sounds kinda cool:
MISSION: The Coffee Party Movement gives voice to Americans who want to see cooperation in government. We recognize that the federal government is not the enemy of the people, but the expression of our collective will, and that we must participate in the democratic process in order to address the challenges that we face as Americans. As voters and grassroots volunteers, we will support leaders who work toward positive solutions, and hold accountable those who obstruct them.
Follow the Coffee Party at its Facebook fan page and on Twitter. Read about it in these news items.
And for those who didn’t know, one Purim tradition is parody. Although note that I did not say I’d also run as an Independent for Ohio Treasurer or my state rep’s seat.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:03 am February 28th, 2010 in Holidays, Humor, Jewish, Judaism, Religion | 9 Comments
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Feb
26
Mandel: Public’s frustration w/Dems will have more impact in states with “bigger Jewish populations”
From the national Jewish publication, The Forward, and its article, “Political Hopefuls from Both Parties Run “Independent”:
Coming from a community that voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama and that is strongly aligned with the Democratic Party, Jewish Democrats are nevertheless seeking to strike a new tone this year. This means taking a step away from the party and the president and using the term “independent” as much as possible on the campaign stump. And for Jewish Republicans running for statewide offices, hopes are high that they can cash in on public disappointment with the conduct of leaders in Washington.
…
Republican Jewish political candidates — none of whom are known to be in serious contention for Congress this cycle — expect that public frustration with the Democrats will work to their party’s benefit.
“There is definitely a new momentum,” said Josh Mandel, a Republican running for the post of Ohio state treasurer. “I think it will have more of an impact in states with bigger Jewish populations.” Jewish Republicans have high hopes for Mandel, a Marine veteran who served in Iraq, and view him as a potential future player on the national level. [emphasis added]
As an interesting footnote, during Mandel’s 2008 re-election campaign, he stated that he’d never met a Jew who supported him blindly because he was Jewish:
Asked if he thinks he’ll receive Jewish votes for being Jewish himself, Mr. Mandel answered, “Maybe my opponent has met people who blindly support me because I’m Jewish, but I certainly haven’t.
The political reality of identity politics in Ohio – like it or not, agree with it or not – does involve the sizeable Jewish population on Cleveland’s east side as a factual situation. No one I’ve ever met has disputed that and in fact, I was told by a non-Jew in Pepper Pike that he would not help me get on the ballot because, as he told me, there already are too many Jews in Pepper Pike. Honestly, I’m not sure why anyone involved in politics would try to dispute this very well-known, acknowledged information.
Rather, the challenge with identity politics is to decide for yourself, as a candidate, how that reality informs your choices, as a candidate. For example, I never went out saying, “I’m the mom! We need a mom!” Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:00 pm February 26th, 2010 in Jewish, Judaism, OH17, Politics, Religion, Social Issues, Voting, Women | 2 Comments
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Feb
26
And hey – that is what the Mumsnet co-founder herself calls the vast U.K.-based network of online parents:
Ten high-ranking politicians, including David Cameron and Gordon Brown, have appeared in live webchats on Mumsnet in the last year. “Just two of them,” its co-founder Justine Roberts said yesterday, “had been asked to take part.” The rest invited themselves.
Such is the political clout of Mumsnet.
…
[However, Roberts] dismissed the idea that Mumsnet represented a coherent block of votes as totally wrong, saying that the online community – in political terms – is “like an octopus with pre-menstrual tension.”
You can view an interview with the Mumsnet co-founder at that link.
Yeah, I’m not sure I’d describe BlogHer in remotely the same language, but you can read all about the enormous amount of money and time being spent by UK political candidates on Mumsnet in my most recent post at BlogHer here.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:47 am February 26th, 2010 in BlogHer, Blogging, Campaigning, Gender, Media, Politics, Tech, Women, social media | Please comment
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Feb
21
From the New York Times (reprinted in the Plain Dealer just today, but originally dated 2/7/10) in regard to what the Times calls the promotion of “a legion of women” into Bulgaria’s government:
“Women are more diligent than men, and they don’t take long lunches or go to the bar,” insisted Mr. Borisov, who has cited his mother and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany as his role models.
“Women have stronger characters than men because when they say no they mean no, and they are less corruptible,” he said last summer, inaugurating the women’s wing of his center-right party. [emphasis added]
Cue eye-roll – but okay. (I’d probably debate the lunch length and bar-hopping opinion but if that’s what Borisov would like to believe, I’m not sure how eager I should be to disabuse him of that notion, not to mention, it’s all relative.)
Why else might women be desirable for government service: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:31 pm February 21st, 2010 in Ethics, Gender, Government, Politics, Sexism, Social Issues, Women, intolerance, leadership | Please comment
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Feb
21
And woohoo – I am in fact one of the 80 paid contributing writers. I count myself very lucky. My connections and my learning, courtesy of BlogHer, are directly responsible for what I’m doing now.
An excerpt from Forbes’ article honoring the fifth anniversary of BlogHer.com:
“BlogHer is one of the most influential blogger platforms out there,” says Sree Sreenivasan, professor of digital journalism at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. “Among tech-savvy women, they know this is the place to be.”
If you’re having trouble imagining what BlogHer.com is really all about, think of it as an ecosystem of blogs where each feeds off the others. The site rotates headlines from the thousands of blogs in the network, which allows smaller players in the blogosphere to benefit from the traffic of larger blogs through a shared space and homepage. …
…
Make no mistake–BlogHer is not a pet project or an activist mission. The site, which is venture-backed by Venrock, the venture capital arm of the Rockefeller family, the Peacock Fund and Azure Capital Partners, expects to be profitable for the first time this year and has just secured its third round of funding. A hefty 80% of its revenue comes from Web-based advertising, and the remaining 20% comes from sponsorships, conferences and research and consulting. Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:44 pm February 21st, 2010 in BlogHer, Blogging, Gender, Media, Tech, Women, Writing, leadership, social media | 1 Comment
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Feb
20
For the background, read here.
For what supposedly actually happened, read here.
Whatev. I don’t see how pretending it might be more rage-filled than it actually wasn’t is any better than it not actually being as it was originally described by The Hill. The anger remains the same. And the hits on the media, traditional or otherwise, only undermine all the criticisms these folks try to pin on the media in the first place – because they’re the ones working to manipulate everything.
All a big waste of energy. Can you just imagine if that was used for something good?
By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:08 am February 20th, 2010 in Politics, conservatives, intolerance | 4 Comments
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Feb
19
Former Channel 3 anchorman Tim White has filed to run for the 17th House District seat.
White left Channel 3 in December of 2008.
He has homes in Pepper Pike and Wyoming.
He is running as a Democrat….
I have to tell you – Pepper Pike Council Member Scott Newell – and also former Channel 3 newsman – has said a number of things in relation to our City Council work that I’ve really appreciated and I’m excited to be working with him. Do not discount the journalist-turned/multi-tasking as politician.
I don’t know Tim White, but I definitely wish him the best of luck (he’ll have a primary against Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Kelli Perk) and I hope there’s more information forthcoming and, Tom Beres – I can’t believe you didn’t tell me last night at the NOCCA event! /sarcasm
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:41 pm February 19th, 2010 in Campaigning, Cleveland+, Democrats, Elections, Media, OH17, Ohio, Pepper Pike, Politics, Statehouse | Please comment
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Feb
19
As seen at The Moderate Voice, the site to which Tom Briscoe dedicated it:
I’ve been a co-blogger at TMV for more than four years and am proud and grateful that they let me continue to post there. I love the community and have a very special bond with founder Joe Gandelman – we grew up around the corner from each other, but didn’t actually know one another until blogging came along.
Mazel tov to Joe for what he’s built and all of us who seek to preserve what a special site TMV is.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:22 am February 19th, 2010 in Blogging, Politics, Writing | Please comment
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Feb
17
Attendees at a conservative conference in town [D.C.] this week will have the opportunity to whack a pinata of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Conservative Political Action Conference “CPAC” begins Thursday here in D.C. and will feature a party Friday evening where guests will have the opportunity to whack a Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) piñata.
On the other hand, Harry Reid will be there in punching bag form. Is there some gender discrimination going on there? Why aren’t they both piñatas – or punching bags?
My state rep and Republican candidate for Ohio Treasurer, Josh Mandel, will be a panelist, along with Stephen Baldwin and others at CPAC:
Saving Freedom for Future Generations
Marriott Ballroom
Kevin McCullough and Stephen Baldwin, XPAC
Jason Mattera, Young America’s Foundation and author of Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation
Rep. Joshua Mandel (OH)
Moderator: Jeff Frazee, Young Americans for Liberty
I sure hope we don’t get reports or photos back that he participated or otherwise condoned the event. I also wonder what Republican Mayor of Walton Hills, Marlene Anielski, thinks about the CPAC party plans – seeing that she’s running to replace Mandel.
Other Republicans it’s been suggested to check in with and why
Maine’s US SenatorSusan Collins and Idaho Republican Mike Crapo who co-sponsored Amy Klobuchar’s S. Res. 327, an Oct. 2009 resolution supporting the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2009. did as well. It passed by unanimous consent.
The House version, H. Res. 817, authored by Al Green (D-TX9), was co-sponsored by Judy Biggert (R-IL13), Dan Burton (R-IN5), Shelly Capito (R-WV2), Michael Conaway (R-TX11), Erik Paulson (R-MN3), Ted Poe (R-TX2), Bill Posey (R-FL15) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL18). It passed by unanimous consent. Burton and Poe also co-sponsored H.R. 840 Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act that was introduced on Feb. 3, 2009.
Crapo sponsored, and Louisiana’s U.S. Senator who is up for re-election, David Vitter co-sponsored, S. Res. 391 A resolution recognizing the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. It passed by unanimous consent on Jan. 21.
An Oklahoma County judge has extended a temporary restraining order that blocks enforcement of a strict abortion law. The law would require doctors to report personal information about women who seek abortions and for the information to be posted on a public Web site.
The law was to have taken effect Nov. 1. District Judge Daniel Owens said Friday the restraining order would remain in force until a lawsuit seeking to throw out the law is resolved. A hearing is set for Feb. 19. Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 1:41 pm February 17th, 2010 in Abortion, Gender, Law, OH17, Ohio, Politics, Republicans, Sexism, Social Issues, Statehouse, Women, conservatives, intolerance, leadership, treasurer | 3 Comments
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Feb
7
Many thanks as always to Cleveland Family for allowing me to write for them. I’m actually now in my seventh year of being published in their magazines. They have been fantastic to write for and it’s been wonderful to see them grow. Please check out their website – it has a lot of great resources.
And my February essay (and illustration!), of course.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:38 pm February 7th, 2010 in Humor, Jill Miller Zimon, Ohio, Parenting, Writing, Youth | Please comment
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Feb
7
Two Plain Dealer online pieces (also both in the print version) today discuss the race for Cuyahoga County Executive. I’m quoted in this one and this link takes you to a rundown of 20 individuals whose names, the PD reporters say, come up the most often in conversation about the position.
Observations: 17 men, three women. Two people of color (one male, one female).
That cannot, cannot, cannot be the sum total of what 1.3 million people have to offer up as possible leaders.
Wait. Let me restate that: Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:25 pm February 7th, 2010 in Campaigning, Cleveland+, Elections, Government, Media, Ohio, Politics, Transparency, Women, democracy, leadership | 6 Comments
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Feb
4
I don’t want to get known as ignoring the successes of recruiting and supporting. So here is a story from the Columbus Dispatch about GOP women getting endorsements for their races:
Former candidates Angel Rhodes and Julie Hubler mounted vigorous floor fights to win the party’s backing over two newcomers who had been picked by the screening committee.
Rhodes, who ran for Franklin County commissioner against incumbent Paula Brooks in 2008, got the nod to oppose Democrat John Patrick Carney in the 22nd Ohio House District race. The screening committee had recommended Dublin business entrepreneur Kathy Eshelman. Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:48 pm February 4th, 2010 in Campaigning, Elections, Gender, Government, Ohio, Politics, Statehouse, Voting, Women | Please comment
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Feb
4
Ironically, I just asked Ohio Democratic Party Chair Chris Redfern about whether the party had any plans yet for how to deal with Citizens United and he said they’re waiting to see/learn what the DNC is thinking/planning.
Here’s The Daily Briefing on what U.S. Senator from Ohio, Sherrod Brown (D) would like:
The Ohio Democrat today unveiled a bill requiring corporations that produce political ads or engage in other campaign activities allowed by the Supreme Court ruling to gain approval of shareholders ahead of any political spending. Brown’s bill, which he dubs the Citizens Right to Know Act, also would require corporate CEOs to make personal disclaimers revealing the company’s sponsorship of an ad, much as political candidates now appear briefly on camera or are heard on a radio ad taking responsibility for a spot. Read more
By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:24 pm February 4th, 2010 in Campaigning, Congress, Elections, Government, Law, Ohio, Politics, Sherrod Brown, Transparency, Voting, leadership, senate | 2 Comments
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Feb
4
From the New York Times’ coverage of hearings related to the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy related to whether gays and lesbians serve in the U.S. military:
On one thing, Mr. Gates, Admiral Mullen and Republicans on the committee agreed: many gay men and lesbians are serving honorably and effectively in the military today, despite a policy that has led to more than 13,000 discharges, including those of much-needed Arabic translators.
“I have served with homosexuals since 1968,” Admiral Mullen told the committee. He added, “Everybody in the military has, and we understand that.”
That such an obvious reality must be stated by a top command figure before it can be heard, even by those who have served with gay men and women in the military, demonstrates the ridiculous level of denial that some elected members of our government, and the voters who vote them in, have in regard to the way things are in 2010 – and, as Mullen says, have been for more than 40 years.
By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:10 am February 4th, 2010 in Culture, Military, Politics, Social Issues, intolerance, leadership, war | 2 Comments
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