The strike has been a divisive force in the community, and according to the Strongsville Patch, the union is now attempting to approach school board members individually to push the negotiations into binding arbitration. The end result has not only been teachers crossing picket lines, but also picketing in protest of the union’s “bullying”. Parents from opposing sides of the issue have joined forces, and are planning a roundtable, in the hope of at least encouraging communication between the two sides.

Tensions have been high on the picket lines, as illustrated the the video below:

The Strongsville community has an organization that was formed as a result of this strike, and their website is located at strikefacts.com. It’s currently carrying information about the proposed teacher contracts, and reports of bullying and intimidation by the striking teachers and union.

Have you ever been to Costco at lunch time on Sunday? The crowd isn’t gathered around the cheese counter for no reason. Nope, they’re all looking for their free slice of cheddar. Two aisles over there’s another crowd getting two sips of a natural energy drink. But hey, it’s a free lunch. Right?

Years ago, when my kids were young we attended the opening of a neighborhood community center. As we entered the greeter told us city management would be giving away bike helmets to kids shortly. Since my young children were learning to ride I thought we’d get in line for a helmet. At the appointed time we got in the line but suddenly there were people pushing and shoving to get ahead of us. We stood there as long as we could until an old lady with a walker pushed in front of me causing my daughter to cry. I told the kids that was enough and hanging on to their little hands we escaped the melee. All that for a helmet that would only fit a six year old?

Every year we hear stories of craziness at the opening of Black Friday sales. People are often crushed and injured in their desire to save an extra ten to twenty dollars on a television, video game, or even blender.

So is it any surprise that things got out of hand as residents gathered to sign up for reduced rent apartments? Everyone wants to be first. No one wants to be left out.

In Columbus, OH a church opened their space to allow residents access to shelter while filling out applications to a new low rent housing project. Instead of calmly waiting their turn several of the people wanted to be first and tried to get ahead causing a ruckus that was only resolved with police attention, including mace.

Is it because we are human and resort to our animal like nature? I was reminded of post tsunami Japanese who, despite complete trauma, stood quietly in line waiting for emergency supplies of food and water. Instead of pushing and shoving they maintained decency, each waiting his turn. If these people could react in such a civilized way, are we in the US somehow teaching that being uncivilized is tolerable?
Update: The video doesn’t seem to be working in Internet Explorer. Here is a link to the web page: 10TV.com

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

I was recently doing some research on voter fraud in this election as a follow up to my previous blog on voter fraud when a friend sent me the following article from a site called Vision to America showing voter fraud in Ohio:

Let’s face it. Obama won the election. Just like Putin and Ahmadinejad did theirs. The only difference is that unlike Iranians and Russians, Americans won’t be gathering in the streets to protest their disenfranchisement at the hands of the corrupt Democratic Party machine.

First, he received over 99% of the vote in districts where GOP inspectors were illegally removed. Next, he won 100% of the vote in 21 districts in Cleveland. Well, he’s gotten another lucky break!
Mr. Obama won Wood County in Ohio this year. That’s right, Mr. Obama won the majority of Wood County’s 108% of registered voters. That’s not a typo.
In 2012, 106,258 people in Wood County are registered to vote out of an eligible 98,213.

Makes you wonder how much of this went on in every blue state.

Mitt Romney is campaigning in Florida with Governor Jeb Bush while Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan is campaigning in Wisconsin. Romney and Ryan are hoping to capitalize on their accelerating momentum evident in recent battleground and independent voter polls.

Former President Bill Clinton is stumping for Obama in Iowa and Joe Biden is holding events in Florida hoping to stem the tide of likely voters moving towards Romney in the final days of the campaign.

The Obama campaign has spent tremendous amounts of time and money to get the Democratic base to the polls early while the Romney camp has focused on getting not-so-committed voters to vote in early polls. The effect these two different techniques has on the election may be critical.

By pulling in his most-committed voters for the early vote, Obama is front-loading his base to pad his early vote numbers. While this will pad early voter totals, it leaves the campaign hoping that less-motivated voters turn out for long lines on election day. The tactic is likely an attempt to create a false wave for bandwagon voters to jump into. Obama hasn’t seen any positive momentum in months and may be working to create the appearance of a turn-around in the week before the election.

Mitt Romney’s campaign has been working to get under-motivated voters to the polls for early voting. Shorter lines and the choice of several days to avoid inclimate weather give those voters fewer reasons to avoid the polls. Romney’s approach seems to be hinging on the idea that his base will turn out on election day no matter what, but others may not.

So far, Obama’s strategy is scoring him some numbers in Iowa – but, that’s it. Nationwide, Romney has a 51% to 46% likely voter advantage vs. Obama according to Gallup. In Ohio, the early voting numbers are about even between Republicans and Democrats and recent polls show Romney taking a slight lead in the Buckeye state by a 50% to 48% margin.

According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, voter registration totals as of October 22nd were 626,508 Republican, 621,401 Democrat and 686,649 unaffiliated. The largest voting block in the Hawkeye state is independents among whom Romney leads Obama by 16-20 points in recent polls. The Iowa Secretary of State’s office is also reporting that 531,996 people had voted through October 30th with Democrats casting 43.7% of the ballots vs. 32.2% by Republicans and 24% Independents.  The totals show that  232,462 Democrats, 171,272 and 127,620 Independents have voted so far. That leaves a much larger contingent of likely Romney voters yet to vote in the 2012 election. With up to 20% of independents leaning to Romney, the race in Iowa is still quite close and tipping towards Romney as election day approaches.

Romney’s momentum is carrying into early voting and voter enthusiasm is clearly in his favor, but the election will only go his way if all of the likely voters show up to vote.

UPDATE: Listen to a replay of the show here or follow the link to download.

The stories seemed to have enough truth in them that Team Obama made this ad:

This weekend the miners of Century Mine came forward with an open letter to President Obama asking him to stop the ad, claiming it contained absolute lies and misinformation. Wheeling Intelligencer The miners included 500 signatures from the working employees of Century Mine.

As you watch the miner’s press conference listen for these salient points:

• Due to security, the mine was closed for the Romney Rally. Historically, during mine closures, including bad weather, miners are not paid. Miners were told they could make up missed hours if they wished.
• Miners cannot be paid to attend political events.
• No employee was forced to attend the event. Lists of attendees were made due to security concerns.

There can be no doubt that workers in this former Democratic stronghold are now very concerned with the policies of the Obama administration and they’re not sit idly and be used as pawns.

What do you think?

Washington, DC – (9/24/12) – Generation Opportunity, the largest non-profit, non-partisan organization in the United States engaging and mobilizing young Americans (Millennials ages 18-29 years old) on the important economic issues facing the nation, released new polling data today on Ohio young adults as the 2012 presidential election nears. Since its launch in June of 2011, Generation Opportunity has amassed a following of over four million on Facebook and is actively organizing Millennials across America through grassroots tactics, voter registration, and voter turnout efforts. Generation Opportunity has already engaged well over one hundred and thirty thousand Ohio young adults through its social media and field operations.

“Young adults in Ohio are paying a very steep personal price for the poor economy and economic policies coming out of the White House that are crushing the creation of full-time, meaningful jobs under the weight of higher taxes and ever-expanding regulations. Every day, across Ohio, young people are forced to cut back on basic purchases such as groceries and gifts for family members, to change living conditions and move back in with their parents, to find extra work and even sell their personal possessions. Their dreams of buying homes, going back to school, starting families, paying off student loans, getting married, and advancing their careers have been absolutely devastated. They know they are getting a raw deal and are intensely frustrated with elected leaders who once promised change, but have instead created a status quo that is even more bleak and limits the prospect of independence while pushing greater dependency,” said Paul T. Conway, president of Generation Opportunity and former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Labor. “Our survey confirmed what we have heard on the ground and online for well over a year – if candidates want to earn the respect and votes of young people in Ohio, they need to offer detailed solutions that allow employers the ability to create full-time jobs that lead to improved lives and better futures. However, if elected leaders come to Ohio and stubbornly defend policies that have already proven to be a failure and harmful to young Americans, this generation will not hesitate to make their voices heard in November and demand change. They know America can do better, and they have the confidence to act.”

For Generation Opportunity, the polling company, inc./WomanTrend, conducted a statewide online survey of 507 Ohio adults ages 18-29 between July 27 and August 14, 2012.

Randomly selected online opt-in panel participants were sent an invitation to the survey via email which included a secure link to the online questionnaire. Quotas were used to ensure the survey was representative of the larger 18-29 year old statewide population with regard to race, region, and gender. The data were NOT weighted. The overall sampling margin of error for the survey is ±4.4% at a 95% confidence interval, meaning that the data obtained would not differ more than 4.4 percentage points in 95 out of 100 similar samples obtained.

THE IMPACT OF THE POOR ECONOMY, LACK OF OPPORTUNITY AND HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT ON OHIO’S YOUNG ADULTS:

• 85% of Ohio’s 18-29 year olds changed some aspect of their day-to-day lives because of the current state of the economy (Accepted multiple responses) (Randomized):

• 55% – reduced entertainment budget;
• 43% – cut back on gifts for friends and family;
• 43% – reduced grocery/food budget;
• 38% – skipped a vacation;
• 38% – driven less/relied more on public transit;
• 37% – taken active steps to reduce home energy costs;
• 30% – tried to find an additional job;
• 27% – sold personal items or property (cars, electronic appliances, or other possessions);
• 24% – changed living situation (moved in with family, taken extra roommates, downgraded apartment or home);
• 17% – skipped a wedding, family reunion, or other significant social event;
• 3% – Other, specified;
• 11% – None of the above (accepted only this response);
• 4% – Do not know/cannot judge (accepted only this response).

• 79% of 18-29 year olds in Ohio have delayed or might not do at least one major life event due to the current state of the economy (Accepted multiple responses) (Randomized):

• 42% – Buy my own place;
• 30% – Go back to school/getting more education or training;
• 29% – Pay off student loans or other debt;
• 27% – Start a family;
• 25% – Save for retirement;
• 22% – Change jobs/cities;
• 20% – Get married;
• 17% – None of the above (accepted only this response);
• 4% – Do not know/cannot judge (accepted only this response).

OHIO YOUNG ADULTS ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, VIEWS ON ELECTED LEADERS, THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FULL-TIME JOBS:

• Only 33% believe that today’s political leaders reflect the interests of young Americans.

• 73% believe that the lack of job opportunities is shrinking the American middle class.

• 64% of Ohio Millennials believe the availability of more quality, full-time jobs upon graduation is more important than lower student loan interest rates.

• 81% of 18-29 year olds in Ohio plan to vote in the election for President this year. 

Yep, Buddy the voting dog. That is the most recent one, of course. Over the years there have been many stories of this kind, with people registering pets, and if memory serves, I think someone actually registered an inanimate object to vote. Now, the Dems might be trying to argue that voter fraud is not a major problem. It is true that a very small number of fraudulent ballots or voter registrations are caught each election cycle. However, it is foolish to think that is the real extent of fraud, because the current laws are far too lax to get an accurate picture of the problem. (Seriously folks? The fact that people can get away with registering their pets to vote doesn’t make you think twice on this?)

Here in Pennsylvania, I will have to present my ID in order to vote. This is laughable to me, considering the fact that out of five poll workers at my poll, only one didn’t hold me as a baby, and she’s known me for over a decade now. Sure, it’s funny, but necessary. Not everyone votes in a precinct where they count voters in the hundreds. And while those ladies that really do know who I am go through the motions and make me show them ID, some of their brethren will be refusing to enforce the law. Personally? I think anyone that says that should be fired.

Now, while the left is frothing at the mouth about disenfranchising dogs, and people that are living so far under the radar that they can’t manage to get a free ID to vote in Pennsylvania, this administration is working hard in Ohio to make sure that the military votes won’t necessarily end up being counted. First, beyond the fact that this is reprehensible, I should point out that this is yet another politically motivated move – the Obama camp is worried that the military folks might be ticked off at their man, and won’t vote for him. Ohio is a Heroes Vote All-Star state. There are only 15, and bluntly, people should be screaming to find out why there aren’t 50. You want to yell about disenfranchising, how about yelling about suppressing military votes? And if you think it’s not insulting to our active military that there’s even an argument about requiring at least as much as it takes to buy a brew or a pack of smokes to cast a ballot….

But hey, this isn’t 2000 anymore. I’d be willing to bet that there would be Dems lined up everywhere demanding Voter ID laws then.

The Obama Campaign lawsuit is under scrutiny, in what is being called a “slippery slope” to gain the upper hand by Captain Pete Hegsteff.

When Hillary Clinton was on the campaign trail in 2008 and spoke at Scranton High School, the line to get tickets a few days before her appearance stretched about 1,000 people long.

Monday’s line to grab the available free tickets to President Barack Obama’s speech Wednesday was noticeably shorter — about 225 people were waiting when the doors opened for the distribution.

“It’s a little disappointing to see that,” said Cathy Kneeland, 64, of Scranton, who showed up more than three hours early to stand in line and found herself second. “You would think more people would want to see the president speak.”

The lack of interest in the President is a nationwide continuing trend. Along with his poll numbers, sales of anti-Obama merchandise are reported to be almost four-to-one over pro-Obama artifacts.

This past week, anti-Obama merchandise outpaced sales of pro-Obama merchandise 79 percent to 21 percent at the online clothing store CafePress, which has been tracking sales of election-relevant items.

CafePress, an online custom merchandise shop, launched its 2012 “Election Meter” at the beginning of November but has been tracking the trends in candidate merchandise sales since April.

The disappointing numbers in Scranton show a dismal trend for the Obama campaign – the white middle class workers of America have lost faith in him. The sentiment has not been lost on Democrat leadership as they are returning the favor. As Thomas Edsall writes in The New York Times the DNC just doesn’t love them anymore.

Democratic operatives for the 2012 election make it clear for the first time that the party will explicitly abandon the white working class.

As Laura Ingraham asked in a Tuesday morning tweet, “Can Obama win reelection by cobbling together a coalition of rich white liberals, blacks, and Hispanics?”

Obama travelled the world shortly after his election – to apologize for America. He had hoped that it would endear him to the peoples of the Mid-East and Europe. There is now much the same treatment of President Obama as there was of President Bush in that part of the world as this man in Pakistan demonstrates (image right).

Tack on his polling results here in the good ‘ole U.S.A. and it’s no wonder he’s spending more time on the golf course.

Kentucky

Steve Beshear (D) wins re-election bid as Governor – has more than 58% of the vote

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has been re-elected, becoming the second Democrat to win a U.S. gubernatorial race this year amid lingering economic uncertainty that’s already proving worrisome to President Barack Obama’s 2012 effort.

Beshear easily overcame challenges from Republican David Williams and independent Gatewood Galbraith, in a conservative state where voters routinely elect Republicans in national races. With 50 percent of precincts reporting, Beshear had 241,211 votes or 58 percent, to 131,319 votes for Williams or 31 percent. Galbraith had 44,893 votes or 11 percent. [from HuffingtonPost]

Ohio

Issue 2: FAILED: SB5 – the limitation of collective bargaining for public-sector unions – Initiative fails, SB5 defeated, unions can hold Ohio citizens hostage again thanks to Millions of Dollars of Big-labor special interest money.

Issue 3: PASSED: Vote to exempt Ohio from Obamacare insurance mandate – measure passes – Ohio citizens have voted to be exempt from Obama’s health care reform individual mandate. Supreme Court case incoming “10th amendment v. Obama”

Maine

Maine voters decided that it should be ok to vote the same day you register overturning the law that would have required voters to register a whole 2 days before the election.

Mississippi

Initiative 26: FAILED: Definition of a Person (personhood) – does life start at conception? Mississippi says no: 42% yes, 58% no with 921 of 1876 precincts reporting

Gubernatorial race: BRYANT WINS: Phil Bryant (R) vs. Johnny DuPree (D): 802 of 1876 precincts reporting 59% to 41% for Bryant

Washington

The Washington Liquor State Licensing Initiative (1183) was PASSED by a 60-40 margin.  The referendum called for the closing of state liquor stores as a part of budget cutting and the privatization of liquor sales.

Virginia

Preliminary indications are that the Virginia Senate will be split 20-20 giving the tie break to the GOP Lt. Governor and control of committees to the Republicans.  However Senate seat 17 has been decided by less than 100 votes.  A recount is expected.

With Obamacare on the fast track to a Supreme Court ruling, Ohio’s Issue 3 could have an effect on the final judgement of the constitutionality of the law.  If voters choose to strike down the amendment, the SCOTUS can use voter sentiments in that state to sway their decision.  Americans were not given the option of voting for Obamacare and many opponents say it never would have passed the smell test if citizens had been given the option to vote for the legislation in the first place.  Ohio is the first state that will put that theory to the test.  If voters reject the measure, the SCOTUS could use that as a guage for how the rest of the country would feel about national healthcare requirements.  Taking that into consideration, it seems more likely that the Justices would uphold Obamacare as the law of the land, citing Ohio as an example of how Americans feel Obamacare does not violate their Constitutional rights.  Conversely, a vote to adopt could also sway the SCOTUS in the direction of striking down Obamacare for good.

The second initiative is Issue 5, which addresses the state of union pay and benefits in Ohio.  As we’ve seen in the battles in Indiana and Wisconsin earlier this year, public union reforms are becoming a hot button issue in the States.  With bankruptcy looming for many of the States, some governors are being forced to drastically change their budgets and cut costs in order to address tanking balance sheets.  Public unions have come under fire as a large drain on state and local budgets.  In Wisconsin, unions rioted at the capital, protesting against Governor Scott Walker’s attempts to curb union benefits and require public union employees to contribute to their own healthcare and pension funds.  Ohio Senate Bill 5 closely mirrors Walker’s ultimately successful reforms.  It curbs their right to collectively bargain for anything outside of wages and prohibits striking.  It puts an end to the “fair share” policy of unions, which extracts dues from all employees including those who opt out of the union system.  It will also, like Wisconsin, require unions to pay more into their own healthcare and pension programs.  Although Issue 5 doesn’t carry the same national weight as Issue 3, its passage could signal a continuing momentum in States’ battle against exorbitant public union pay and clout, which has greatly contributed to the budget crisis across America.  Passage of Issue 5 in Ohio could embolden other strapped states to follow suit.

Issue 2 is also an important initiative to watch as it wrestles control away from public unions and puts budgeting of salary and expenses back in the hands of local elected officials.

Ohio has a huge day of voting on Tuesday that could have quite a persuasive effect on the rest of the country.  As the saying goes, “As Ohio goes, so goes the rest of America”.

On Nov. 8th the voters of Ohio will go to the polling stations to vote on an attempt by Big Labor Unions to repeal the democratically passed Senate Bill 05, which was  signed into law by Governor Kasich back in March, 2011. ( Known on ballot as ** Issue 2**)

Before the ink was even dry after the signing of SB 5 into law, big labor was on the march, creating another community organizing group to demand the law’s repeal, this one with the catch-phrase title, We Are Ohio. I guess the 85% of the working folks in the State of Ohio that chose not to belong to big Labor Unions are now being told they are no longer Ohioans. If big labor Unions are Ohio, just what are the other 85% of the Ohio public supposed to be? Michiganders? Doesn’t their vote count too? Is this what the democracy looks like that Unions so love to chant about at these protest rallies that are designed to…..ignore the majority of the voting public and the laws that their elected officials pass? Democrats and their Union bed-pals are desperate to hold onto power in 2012 and that is exactly what this ballot initiative is all about.

I invite everyone to check out the above-linked We Are Ohio page. They put out what appears to be a white paper in a fact-checking form, yet their “facts” leave a lot to be desired. We will just visit one blaring piece of misinformation that proves that We Are Ohio is nothing more than a left-wing-big-Union-promoting-propaganda media outlet designed to fool the good people of  Ohio into repealing SB 5. ( Issue 2 on the ballot) Here is what the Union power-brokers would like you to believe: ( from the Union propaganda page, We Are Ohio)

MYTH: Public employees are overpaid, and their salaries need to be brought in line with the private sector.
TRUTH: A recent Rutgers University study found Ohio public employees earn 6 percent less on a yearly basis than their peers in the private sector. They earn 3.5% less on an hourly basis. The average OAPSE (Ohio Association of Public School Employee) makes $24,000 a year and retires with an average pension of $900 a month. Public employees do not pay into or receive Social Security.  ( emphasis mine)

In a scathing rebuttal to the ludicrous claims that Ohio teachers earn less than the private sector and “retire with an average pension of $900.00 a month, we see a retired Ohio teacher explain how the Union gimmickry is being used to against the Ohio taxpayers in a Columbus Dispatch editorial:

We had an administrator who retired at $80,000 a year, was rehired at the same salary he had just left behind, and then got another $40,000 a year from the State Teachers Retirement System, making him $120,000 a year. ( emphasis mine)

For the mathematically-challenged propagandists over at We Are Ohio, that equates to a pension of $10,000.00 a month, a far cry from the $900 that We Are Ohio wants you to believe. The retired teacher went even further in showing why he thinks this is bad for the taxpayers of Ohio:

So, when he was rehired, 85 percent of his $80,000 was paid by the taxpayers of Ohio. In this one simple action by the local school board, every taxpayer in our state was held liable for his salary.
Members of the public should have some say in the matter, since it’s their money.

I believe Ohio Senate Bill 5 would put the power of spending their hard-earned dollars back in the hands of the taxpayers, just where it should be. Submitted by, DAVID A. KUNKLER

Unlike the Wisconsin Union recall effort, conservatives are not taking this fight lying down and created a group titled Building a Better Ohio. On that website we see several examples like that of the retired teacher above that debunk the propaganda of We Are Ohio. Here is another well-explained example of just how disgusting the misinformation being put out by We Are Ohio truly is, from an editorial in the Canton Repository titled, SB5 Needed to Fix Bizarre Compensation:

Now let’s look at the “average Stark County resident;” bear in mind that public-sector employees are included in this average. If an average resident earns $25,285 and benefits provided by the employer cost $13,660, the total cost to employ the “average” county resident is $38,945, but compare that to a (Union) teacher in the Jackson Local Schools who has a base salary of $65,031 plus $23,895 paid by the “employer” (taxpayer), or $88,926 for a year of their “labor,” which is about nine months. (emphasis mine)

There we have it. An average Stark County Ohio resident’s total compensation, including wages and benefits is right at $39 grand a year, while a union teacher in the very same county ‘s package totals a whopping $89 grand a year for a difference of $50 grand a year. This is why responsible State legislators across America are scrambling to install some sort of fiscal sanity back into their budgets and curtailing big labor Union costs by passing laws such as Ohio’s SB 05. Now Unions are on the March to deny the working folks the right to say how there tax dollars will be spent once again.

Let’s hope Ohioans will vote YES ON ISSUE 2 on Nov. 8th. This will affect States across America if the good people of Ohio do not step up and vote yes, and conservatives across America should try to help out by making donations to help Building a Better Ohio    to help fight back against the big labor Union misinformation campaign now know as We Are Ohio.

“The five regional convention sites allow GHC to provide home education information and resources to homeschool parents nationwide,” stated Mary Jo Dean, a homeschool parent who, with her husband, Brennan, founded Great Homeschool Conventions, Inc. in 2006. “We are excited to see homeschooling growing so dramatically, and we look forward to providing parents with the information and encouragement they need to have successful homeschooling experiences.”

To that end, GHC’s regional homeschool conventions will be held throughout the country to make them accessible to as many homeschooling families as possible. The conventions kick off in the spring at theSoutheast Homeschool Convention in Greenville, S.C., March 22-24, 2012, followed by the Mid South Homeschool Convention in Memphis, Tenn., April 12-14, 2012, and the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 19-21, 2012. For homeschool families in the West, GHC has scheduled the California Homeschool Convention May 24-26, 2012, in Long Beach, Calif. The season wraps up with the Northeast Homeschool Convention in Hartford, Conn., June 14-16, 2012.

Those attending the GHC regional homeschool conferences will find camaraderie, support, entertainment, and a wealth of practical information. The conferences’ featured speakers include Chuck Colson, Andrew Pudewa, Diana Waring, Dr. Jay Wile, Amanda Bennett, David Hazel, Dr. Carol Reynolds, Todd Wilson, Sonya Shafer, John Stonestreet, Dr. Susan Wise Bauer, Pastor Tedd Tripp, John Rosemond, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, Carl Kerby, Dr. Jobe Martin, and over 20 other homeschool experts. Musicians and comedians will be on hand at each convention to provide family-friendly evening entertainment.

But the meat of the conferences is in the workshops. Parent-teachers can choose the workshops that are most appropriate for their families in subjects like math, science, language arts and music at all educational levels, along with workshops in special topics, including learning styles, gifted children, special needs and unit studies. Parents can also participate in workshop tracks covering creation apologetics and parenting, while teens and parents alike can attend the Teen Worldview Track, led by Summit Ministries of Colorado staff and speakers.

“All homeschool and unschool families are welcome at the GHC regional homeschool conventions,” said Dean. “We look forward to meeting more homeschoolers and hearing about their struggles and successes in home education.”

Register for any of the GHC regional homeschool conventions and learn more at http://www.greathomeschoolconventions.com.

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – Jeb Bush, the first Republican to be elected to consecutive terms as Governor of Florida, is the newest signatory of the Right On Crime statement of principles, which aligns the conservative agenda on criminal justice reform with long-standing conservative principles such as accountability, limited government, and fiscal responsibility.

“States across the country, including Florida, are proving that policies based on these sound conservative principles will reduce crime and its cost to taxpayers,” Gov. Bush said.  ”Many of the signatories of this statement of principles are respected leaders and friends, and I am pleased to add my support.”

“Jeb Bush’s track record as Governor of Florida was marked by consistent and visionary conservative leadership,” said ROC senior policy advisor Marc Levin.  ”Gov. Bush’s endorsement of these principles increases the credibility of the conservative criminal justice reform movement on a national level.  Gov. Bush’s support will also provide valuable momentum in Florida, which presents one of the best opportunities for implementing these reforms that better protect the public and reduce the costs of crime.”

The conservative statement of principles was unveiled last December by Right on Crime, an initiative spearheaded by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and based on measures implemented in Texas that have reduced crime by more than 9 percent while saving taxpayers more than $2 billion.

The campaign grounds itself in the basics of conservatism: personal responsibility, free enterprise, limited government, and family. Using a model that has been successful in Texas since 2005, Right on Crime promotes data-driven solutions that are proven to restore victims, decrease the number of repeat offenders, and save taxpayer dollars.

Ten states across the country have enacted reforms this year that are aligned with the Right On Crime statement of principles.  These reforms include:

• Juvenile justice overhauls in Florida and Texas;
• Closure of no-longer-needed prisons in Colorado and Texas;
• Evidence-based diversion programs that will offset the need for new prisons in Arkansas and Ohio; and
• Parole reforms in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina.

The conservative statement of principles and a current list of signatories are available online atwww.rightoncrime.com/statement-of-principles.