Bill would ban scab refs

Are lawmakers finally listening to the 99%?

In New Jersey, Democratic State Sen. Stephen Sweeney plans to introduce a bill to rein in the NFL's union-busting. This legislation would prohibit professional sports in New Jersey from using scab referees.

Sweeney says the purpose of his bill is to prevent players from being injured when inexperienced officials don't know how to control a game. I think it's also a matter of fairness to the refs locked out by the NFL, and this bill should pass.

Indeedity-doodledy, I also think Congress should revoke the NFL's antitrust exemption that has been in place since 1961. Last year, some members of Congress wanted to take away the exemption when the NFL tried locking out players. I already supported revoking it because of the NFL treating fans like criminals.

Who's really for big government - us or the NFL? Sounds to us like the NFL is, because we're not the ones who support frisking spectators.

With Hamilton County taxpayers being robbed to fund the Bengals' stadium, Hamilton County should follow New Jersey's lead.

(Source: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120925_N_J__senator_wants_to_ban_replacement_refs.html)

Ehrlich learns nothing from Occupy

Most of the hostile media is smart enough to take away one important lesson from the ongoing Occupy movement: Instead of continuing to portray income inequality as something America deserves, as if the 1% truly works harder than the 99%, it's better to just shut up about it.

But this lesson is lost on fascist former Gov. Bob Ehrlich of Maryland, now a Baltimore Sun columnist who heads Mitt Romney's hopeless Maryland campaign. In his latest rambling piece, Ehrlich snivels that Occupy is motivated by "class envy" and that the movement is just an "opportunity to attack capitalism and all those wealthy folks who never seem to pay their 'fair share.'"

More significantly, he gushes that the Occupy coalition simply doesn't represent America's "values." In Ehrlich's world, everybody is supposed to just be quiet and accept their lot in life. He says "it's difficult to get the 99 percent to resent the 1 percent when much of the 99 percent wishes to join the 1 percent."

Wrong, Bob. The real 99% resents a system that unfairly favors the 1%. It's not just the big cities or the East Coast where the 99% believes this. This belief is also honored in the vast expanses of the Midwest and small-town America - a land Ehrlich doesn't get.

I was raised in a working-class town in Kentucky of 5,000. It's an America I understand. The media punditry doesn't get to decide whether or not we should support Occupy. If the press doesn't like our Occupy support, tough toilets.

Bob Ehrlich has learned nothing from the Occupy revolution. He writes like it's the Gingrich era, when media writers seemed to enjoy rubbing it in when we lost out in what Ehrlich calls a system of "inherent winners and losers." That doesn't fly today. On the other hand, I doubt Ehrlich is really who Occupy is trying to reach. He was a lost cause from the giddy-up.

Also, I find it hilarious that Ehrlich continues The Media's 11-month-long obituary for Occupy even while Occupy anniversary marches are drawing as many marchers as the events a year ago did. The press wants us gone so badly that they think they can wish us away.

3CDC violates ADA at Oktoberfest

Cincinnati's version of Oktoberfest is the city's biggest annual festival. I often call it Ploptoberfest because people keep throwing things in the toilets year after year. And 3CDC is the cabal of corporate powers that governs many downtown landmarks these days.

Letting 3CDC run any public facility used at Oktoberfest is a recipe for disaster. It shows, because today I went to Oktoberfest and found that 3CDC has apparently never heard of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Many folks can't stay on their feet for too long due to health conditions, and they need a place to sit periodically - but 3CDC denied this to them.

In this photo, 3CDC has fenced off the seating around the flagpole at Fountain Square...



Here they've fenced off another area traditionally used for seating...



This photo shows how 3CDC has fenced off this ledge that was used as seating and blocked it with unsturdy tables...



What besides sheer meanness could have motivated 3CDC to block its seating areas? I suspect their argument would be that the seating is closed for everyone, not just those who need it - but the point of my argument is that those who don't need it don't need it. That makes 3CDC guilty of discrimination.

I am absolutely livid about this!

When I saw it, I sent out a text blast for Occupy Cincinnati to gather on Fountain Square for an action against the fences, but I don't think any of the Occupy regulars saw it. But the police sure did. I went and buyed a slice of cheesecake, and when I got back, there was a policeman guarding the fence around the flagpole.

I will remember this. And I will be on 3CDC's case about this like stink on shit from tonight until the end of time. 3CDC really stepped in it this time, and I will make sure people know about it.

Hall of Fame hurts right-winger's feelings

With the prospect of being shackled to a statist chain gang at the hands of Mitt Romney rapidly sinking into the sunset, it's time for a more frivolous story of right-wing grumpiness.

Last December, Hampton Stevens wrote a column for the far-right Washington Times that deigned to unearth a leftist conspiracy at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He says the Hall of Fame is guilty of fostering a "real divide" between "red and blue" by inducting performers who are popular in liberal states at the expense of those whose fan base resides in conservative states.

The more Stevens pounds this point, the less sense he makes. He grouses that the Hall of Fame's "big tent gets tiny" when dealing with music popular in right-wing regions. For example, he cites the bands Boston and Rush as being among "conservative" acts the Hall of Fame has ignored - even though members of both bands have criticized Republicans for misusing their music for political campaigns the bands don't agree with. He cites Guns N' Roses as a "liberal" act that the Hall of Fame has inducted - even though some of Guns N' Roses' lyrics were unambiguously unliberal.

Stevens also makes an obligatory reference to "bubble gum pop" as his article begins to depreciate into a hilariously pathetic, petulant word salad. ("Bubble gum pop" is one of these phrases that music writers seem to love but nobody else can ever figure out what it means.)

What exactly does Hampton Stevens define as a liberal act or a conservative act? He seems to be so paranoid that he thinks that if the Hall of Fame has inducted a performer, that performer must be liberal. It's all a big plot, you see. He seems to think this even if a band or musician who gets inducted is part of the same musical subgenre as a "conservative" act who doesn't.

As is typical in the wacky world of the Washington Times, Hampton Stevens is sounding like a complete idiot. Let's just let the little crybaby whine.

P&G, XLC sued for discrimination

Corporate culture has long ruled the roost locally, and it's unsurprising that religious and gender discrimination are part of the package. Big Business's program of control is multipronged.

And most folks who are familiar with the right-wing gasbags who dominate cable TV and talk radio know how much the right-wing noise machine scapegoats Muslims. Much of it is subtle, like how the crawl on Fox News Channel trots out brief items designed to keep viewers in panic mode. This is but one facet of the corporate program.

Now 2 Cincinnati-based companies - Procter & Gamble and XLC Services (a contractor for P&G) - are being sued by a Muslim employee at a North Carolina facility. The plaintiff says she was forcibly searched for jewelry that violated company policy (while other workers were not searched), and that she was fired for reporting sexual harassment. The suit accuses XLC and P&G of gender and religious discrimination, deceptive trade practices, battery, and other wrongdoing.

If the allegations are true, what does it say about corporate society? It sure doesn't say much for Corporate America's supposed commitment to friendly workplaces.

(Source: http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/blog-3949-procter_gamble_sued_for_religious_discrimination.html)

Lawn Chair Quarterback: "Phone Company Strikes Again"

Because this is a day ending in y, my Internet access - which comes from the phone company - is slow. But last night, I decided to do somethin' 'bout it: I e-mailed the phone company to complain.

This morn, they replied saying they'd call me. They really stepped in it, didn't they?

I don't want them to contact me. I want them to fix my slow Internet. I made it perfectly clear what the problem was, and if they don't understand it without contacting me, that's their fucking problem. Plus, if they need to contact me, they're to e-mail me - not call me. I thought I made that clear to them ages ago.

Best of all, they don't have my phone number. I don't use the phone company for phone service. I got rid of my landline largely because their service was so miserable. I suspect they know they don't have my number, so this amounts to a deliberate refusal to fix my Internet.

Our latest LCQ explores the phone company's silliness...

Romney's 47% gaffe not new in Far Right circles

Gonna be a big autumn. Occupy Wall Street just held a 1-year anniversary march that rivaled or exceeded its first march, and a Mitt Romney blunder is actually getting media attention, for a change.

Romney gaffed his way into the spotlight when a video surfaced of him at an earlier fundraiser where he bellyached about the poorest 47% of Americans not having to pay taxes. Romney said that because this 47% didn't pay taxes, that meant they were just lazy loafers who were guilty of trying to bilk the system. He said that this, in turn, meant they must be Obama supporters.

Think of how stupid that "logic" is.

But this talking point wasn't brand new when Romney squeezed it out of his cavernous piehole. It was in widespread circulation on right-wing websites a year ago. And it was completely discredited. Fact is, Americans who are too poor to pay income taxes actually pay more than the rich in other taxes. More importantly, this meme was just another example of the brand of classist bullying that has defined the Tea Party and other Far Right crusades of recent years.

Who composes this 47% that's been held up to mockery by the right-wing politburo? Most of this 47% is made up of the working poor, the disabled, the elderly, the homeless, and students.

What's significant here is that Romney has decided he doesn't need the support of 47% of Americans.

And from the looks of it, he's not gonna get it. There have been more than a few instances where Romney has slipped up and folks have been ready to declare the election over. This one is different in that it's actually getting substantial coverage. But he was losing pretty handily anyway. All this spectacle does is dig him in deeper.

What does the 47% meme say about the right wing overall? They spread this garbage, and they enjoy it. So why support them?

With Romney fading and Occupy booming, we can sleep much better.

Occupy Cincinnati anniversary march looms

We're only 3 weeks away from Occupy Cincinnati's 1-year anniversary march against Wall Street greed!

While the local media is promoting Glenn Beck conferences, they've completely ignored Occupy's upcoming event. But I've been pulling out all the plops to make sure it's a dooz! I've posted gobs of eye-catching flyers for the event on the community bulletin boards at local businesses and libraries, and if that doesn't bring the peeps in, I'll cry like the macho superman I am.

We shall gather at Lytle Park at 1 PM on Saturday, October 6. It's free like pee, and it's a rain-or-shine event!

So keep your bod in tiptop shape, because you won't want to miss it!

Lawn Chair Quarterback: "Civil War Helmets"

Tim reminisces about some 8th grade hilarity...

Former Highland Heights top cop admits wrongdoing

As the stench of public corruption wafts like a lingering trouser sneeze, it's just another day in Campbell County - where graft has long ruled the roost.

Carl Mullen - former police chief of Highland Heights and later the Highland Heights-Southgate Police - has now owned up to federal charges he was facing. He pleaded guilty in federal court today to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Mullen admitted to using almost $130,000 from the department's credit card to line his own pockets.

For his loldumb misconduct, Mullen now faces 20 years for the wire fraud charge and 2 years for the identity theft count. Plus, he must pay back the money he pilfered.

(Source: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120914/NEWS010704/309140065/Ex-police-chief-admits-taking-department-money)

This is what infiltration looks like...

As long as Occupy remains effective, I will take pleasure in writing about the movement here. Since it debuted, however, Occupy has been infiltrated by agencies and individuals who want nothing less than to see its complete ruin, and it's time we call these moles out on one of their techniques: baselessly accusing others of being infiltrators. It's happened to me too, and anybody who reads this blog or has met me at Occupy events can instantly debunk the infiltrators' claims.

Last month, I warned fellow Occupy peeps on Facebook about a Tea Party rally in Cleveland designed to attack Occupy. Upon hearing of this, Occupiers planned a counterprotest.

But about a week after this warning - only days before the event - somebody who I'd never seen on Facebook or anywhere else stumbled into the group and asked, "who the fuck is Tim Brown ... ?" He then dredged up an Occupy-related article I wrote way back in April and quoted part of it out of context. It was clear he was hoarding my articles for months and waiting for the right time to spring them.

Then another naysayer slapped him on the back and implied that I must have been an infiltrator because I showed "practically no participation in the past" regarding Occupy. That was absurd on its face, because the article was 4 months old. Plus, others can verify that I began participating in Occupy Cincinnati on the day of its very first march - which was last October.

Then the chap who started this exchange suggested Occupy cancel the counterprotest, implying I was a double agent who was just trying to get Occupy into trouble. As a result, the Tea Party event went completely unanswered.

Of course, nobody in Occupy Cincinnati believed that loon, but the damage was done. Who sounds like the real infiltrator - me or him? Whoever put him up to his deception is snickering to themselves about it right now - because it worked.

I'm not the only victim on that particular forum. Just this past weekend, an unfortunate bloke was accused of being a mole who incites violence - although his message did not endorse violence. For my part, I take Occupy's commitment to nonviolence very seriously, as all Occupiers should. It's a matter of solidarity. I have defended myself when assaulted by Occupy opponents, but I will not support initial force. I've yet to see any real Occupiers provoke violence.

It's no wonder nobody takes that page seriously anymore. The more gnawing point though is that the infiltration has thoroughly gutted a once-powerful Occupy chapter.

On the other hand, it's interesting that I was among those targeted. This indicates that some official agency has had me in its crosshairs for a long time - probably since years before Occupy. At minimum, this episode proves I'm doing something right. So I'm gonna keep doing it.

Occupy makes union-busting boss back down

It's yet another victory for the Occupy revolution!

In New York City, workers at a Hot & Crusty cafe who were illegally fired by their boss for forming a union enlisted the help of the popular Occupy Wall Street. The 23 employees Occupied the cafe and opened their own sidewalk bagel shop.

Now, after a week of protests, the union-bustin' supervisor had no choice but to rehire his workers and recognize the union. Employees even won thousands of dollars in pay they were owed after being paid below minimum wage. Now workers at other Hot & Crusty locations also plan to unionize.

The growing Occupy coalition nationwide and around the world has been faced with these choices: Either fight or give up. I prefer to be part of the fightin' Occupy. When we fight, we win; when we don't, we lose. Occupy is nonviolent, but (as Occupy Campbell County's Facebook page says) nonviolent should not mean pushover.

(Source: http://www.alternet.org/hot-news-views/restaurant-union-workers-win-historic-victory-new-york-city)

Lawn Chair Quarterback: "Tim Channels Clint Eastwood"

Brrrrring! Channel Clint Eastwood!

Tim interviews a chair about corporate personhood...

Media forgets Bain probe

We know the media gatekeepers don't always think like real people do, but I simply cannot comprehend why this story is being ignored.

A few days ago, when it was revealed that the state of New York is investigating Mitt Romney's Bain Capital for tax evasion, it was the top story on the business pages for about a day. Now it's been conveniently swept under the rug.

Honestly, what the fuck is wrong with The Media to forget a story like this? Evil is being rewarded handily by this cover-up.

We shouldn't be surprised though. The press has been in lockstep service to the right-wing establishment for as long as I can remember, and their cartoonish, catatonic bias against Occupy just over the past year has only proven it more. So hey, what's another day of press distortion to make the media thought police feel good about themselves? It's the only thing The Media's desperate losers have at their disposal to soften the crash collision with reality they're about to face.

City to ask voters for aspartame bailout

In Richmond, California, the Wall Street 1% operates with just as few limits as anywhere else in this fine land.

City Council has placed a referendumb on the ballot that would levy a special tax on soft drinks - but would exempt diet sodas that are laden with cancer-causing chemicals like aspartame.

One councilor criticized the proposal as "an elitist tax on poor people" and questioned officials' ongoing practice of calling schoolchildren "fat." But the fact that it is in effect a taxpayer-funded bailout of artificial sweeteners like aspartame is just as bad.

I can pay the penny-per-ounce tax as long as I opt to keep buying sugar-filled liquid candy that has already rotted my teeth. But bailing out makers of poisonous artificial sweeteners is completely unacceptable.

How do we stop this Big Business bailout? If the measure passes, we may have no choice but to destroy the product being bailed out. If it means we have to go to supermarkets and dump it, so be it.

Romney's firm under investigation for tax evasion

Game over, Mitt...

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/09/01/787661/romneys-former-company-under-investigation-for-tax-evasion