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Sophomore Adam Benson, a member of the Lakeland men's soccer team, has been named honorable mention All-Wisconsin NCAA Division III by local members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Benson, a midfielder from Anoka, Minn., finished the 2009 season with three goals and a team-high five assists. He was named second-team All-Northern Athletics Conference and also received CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 5 second team accolades.

Benson started all 19 matches for the Muskies, who finished 8-10-1 overall and 6-5 in conference play.

A total of 33 players from around the state were selected to the All-Wisconsin teams.

Adult Education - Chippewa Valley Center

If you would like to become a healthcare manager, stop in to see a Lakeland College representative and discuss their new Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Management.

As a working professional, you know the difference a degree can make in your career.

Lakeland College's BlendEd® can allow you to fit college into your busy schedule!

Kathie Christensen from Lakeland College (Chippewa Falls) will be available

• December 9th - WITC cafeteria, Rice Lake, 2:00-4:00
• December 10th - CVTC commons area, Chippewa Falls, 4:30-6:30
• December 17th - CVTC Eau Claire Health Building, 2nd floor commons, 2:00-4:00

Attend where convenient for you; we hope to see you at one of these locations!

Darryl Moore's mission is making sure Milwaukee-area African American high school students understand the importance of going to college. And not just any college. His alma mater, Lakeland College, is at the top of the list.

Currently the math specialist at Congress Elementary School in Milwaukee, Moore oversees other teachers and helps them to improve their students' learning. In addition, Moore started a group called Junior Betas, which connects elementary students in the area with mentors who can help them understand the particular problems that can happen in inner cities. Through the program, Moore connects members of the Beta Sigma Omega fraternity (mainly from Lakeland) with young people, helping them to see how they can be successful. It begins with placing high value on a college education.

"Studies show that up until third grade, there is not that much difference in what children need to understand the challenges facing them," Moore said. "After third grade, racial differences do matter. Children need to understand that images they see of African Americans in the media are not the real story." Moore is adept and successful at helping young people see a clearer picture.

Moore has been an ambassador for Lakeland College for several years. As our Alumni Ambassador program takes shape, we can learn from the impact that his influence as a graduate has had on prospective students. He has mentored high school students directly, met them through younger siblings, and instructed them as a deacon at his church. When Moore brings a high school student to Lakeland to visit, that young person not only gets a picture of what college is really like, but learns about Lakeland through Moore's personal experience.

His vision of what is possible at college was shaped, in part, by his time as a Beta on Lakeland's campus in the mid-1990s. "The fraternity teaches accountability, and gives a sense of family. Every time I set foot on the campus now, I see Lakeland as home. The fraternity was my family. I saw people that went home every weekend. They didn't last long."

Moore cites Dr. Mehraban Khodavandi as one of his most important influences. "I call him Uncle Mehraban, he calls me his nephew. When I was in his class, he told me I needed to get my grades up. He told me I owed it to my community to go back and make a difference." Laughing, Moore adds, "He also told me if I didn't get my act together, he would wring my neck!"

Moore made good on all his promises to his respected mentor. He not only graduated from Lakeland, but went on to attain a master's degree from Cardinal Stritch, as promised. "Some people at Lakeland have a way of impacting your life forever," Moore said. "Professor Khodavandi was one of them for me."

He also remembers very fondly, and with some amazement, that after graduation, when he wanted to help the Betas expand their reach, he received help from then-alumni director, Mary Piehl. Moore needed to get to a meeting down in Kenosha. "Mary, who was the staff advisor to the Betas, drove an hour to pick me up (she had no baby sitter for her son, so she brought him along), drove me to the meeting, and then brought me all the way back home. Her dedication and willingness to help me was one of those things that makes a person say wow."

What would Moore say to new graduates? "Never underestimate or devalue what you have learned at Lakeland." Then he added, "Even more important, make sure to show the people who gave you tremendous love that they are cherished, whether it is a favorite professor or someone who works in housekeeping, like Paul [Temme]. Paul would do anything for you. That is a person who should be cherished and remembered."

Darryl Moore has been an Alumni Ambassador of his own making, but you can bet his experience and dedication to Lakeland College and to young people will be much appreciated as we move forward with this important new endeavor. If you would like more information on becoming an Alumni Ambassador, contact Lisa Vihos, director of alumni relations, at vihoslb@lakeland.edu. Darryl Moore can be reached at betasigomeg22@yahoo.com.

Adult Education - Milwaukee Center

Lakeland College has launched a new institutional website, a dramatic overhaul that puts visitors in the driver's seat of their web experience.

The content of lakeland.edu is designed with audience preferences in mind, and pages are organized based on the needs of visitors instead of the structure of the college. It recognizes the ever-increasing importance the web site plays in the college selection process.

"In planning for this site, we gathered data from our visitors about what they need when they visit lakeland.edu, and we built a site that matches their expectations," said Jason Irish, Lakeland director of interactive communications and the architect of the project.

"The site's design makes it easier to find the information you need. Information is presented the way you would expect to find it, whether you are a prospective student, Lakeland graduate, donor, etc."

The new site's design features more, larger and engaging photos of students and the campus to add visual appeal. The new site also introduces a campus video tour, hosted by Lakeland's student ambassadors, and ready access to everything from Lakeland's NCAA athletic team scores to a financial aid estimator for new students.

The site will interface with popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, accommodating the ability to gather and share information between prospective students and their parents.

"With the increasing number of prospective students that rely solely on our website, it's critical that our site be ever more engaging and user-friendly," said Nick Spaeth, Lakeland's director of admissions.

Lakeland's website has won multiple awards from the National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA) for being one of the top admissions websites in the country.

"This new site represents the next step in Lakeland's award-winning website tradition," Irish said.

The new navigation might reduce the amount of time visitors spend on the site, mainly because visitors find what they need sooner.

"One of our goals is making the site more efficient for all visitors," Irish said. "If people are spending a lot of time on the site because they can't find what they need quickly, that's not a valuable experience."

Student Life - CareerDev

Lakeland College recently recognized several employees with service to the college awards, marking their anniversaries at the college's annual Christmas gathering.

Marceline Werthmann, admissions coordinator and switchboard operator, was recognized for 45 years of service, while Linda Tolman, professor of English, was recognized for 40 years.

Other honorees included:

30 Years:

Susan Gould, registrar; Karl Elder, Fessler Professor of Creative Writing & Poet-In-Residence; Ronald Hass, math and computer science professor.

25 Years:

Laurie Freeland, associate director of the Milwaukee Center; Adina Schwartz, associate professor of economics; Donna Wolf, resource development support coordinator.

20 Years:

Gary Bauer, facilities operations manager; Jane Bouche, athletic director; Mari Falk, associate registrar; Denise Presnell-Weidner, associate professor of art and Bradley Gallery director; William Weidner, associate professor of art and Bradley Gallery director.

15 Years:

Charles Stockman, associate professor of resort management; Paul Temme, custodian.

10 Years:

Charles Grubisic, IT staff; Karl Kuhn, associate professor of religion; Robert Hersey, grounds keeping; Ray Fisher, driver; Cynthia Pfrang, Sheboygan Center education coordinator; Margret Albrinck, interim Vice President of Academic Affairs/Dean of the College; Brian Frink, associate professor of chemistry/physics; Richard Gaumer, associate professor of accounting; Elizabeth Stroot, associate professor of psychology; Elaine Christensen, library assistant; Debra Fale, admissions visit and event coordinator; Steven Mantia, associate registrar.

5 years:

Jeffrey Schwehm, associate professor of biochemistry; Keith Rutlin, Central Wisconsin Center director; Wendy Scheibl, housekeeping; Erin Kohl, Kellett School associate dean of operations & advising; Stephanie King, assistant director of financial aid; Chad Buchmann, head softball coach / director athletic event management; Scott Niederjohn, Charlotte and Walter Kohler Charitable Trust Assistant Professor of Business; Maria Wierichs, Business and Leadership Development Institute director; LuAnn Lawonn, housekeeping; Thomas Padron, instructor of resort management; John Yang, assistant professor of education; Paula Loomis, daycare staff; Jennifer Siebert, assistant director of Academic Resource Center / English Language Institute; Christopher Thousand, head baseball coach / Wehr Center manager; Christine Vanic, admissions office manager.

Adult Education - Chippewa Valley Center Download/view PDF brochure for more information.

Nine games into the 2009-10 season, the Lakeland women's basketball team is among the Northern Athletics Conference leaders in several statistical categories, including scoring offense (second), scoring margin (second) and field goal percentage defense (third).

However, there is one important statistic the Muskies have yet to record - a loss.

Lakeland is off to the best start in program history with an unblemished 9-0 record, including a 5-0 mark in NAC play. The previous record was held by the 1983-84 team, which started its season 6-0.

On Thursday, the Muskies knocked off North Division rival Edgewood, 66-61, after losing the five previous contests against the Eagles. Three days later, Lakeland shot just 35.8 percent from the field, but defeated Concordia Chicago, 50-47, on the road.

Despite shaky offensive performances this season - the team ranks 10th in the league in field goal percentage - Lakeland is relying on a full-court pressure defense to create offense and keep opponents in check.

As a result, the Muskies are first in the conference with 15.4 steals per game, and lead the league with a plus-8.78 per game turnover margin. They force 28.1 turnovers per game, which is also first in the league.

"Coach (Teri) Johnson has done a good job of making sure we know that defense wins games," said senior forward KC Blahnik, who leads the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game. "Our defense creates our pace and our offense. Coach Johnson has stressed defense since the first day of practice."

Johnson, the team's third-year head coach and a 2000 Lakeland graduate, said she has preached defensive consistency all season and has stressed intensity in practice. She pointed to senior guard Terra Hiben, whose impact is felt beyond the box score, as an example. Hiben averages a modest 1.8 points per game, but averages 24.0 minutes and is 10th in the conference with 2.2 steals per contest.

"There are certain players that bring out the best in our team," Johnson said. "Terra Hiben doesn't get the credit she deserves because her defensive intensity pushes others."

Depth is another cog behind the Muskies' fast start. Nine Lakeland players average more than 12 minutes per game, while 10 players have appeared in all nine games so far this season. Johnson believes the team's depth has helped the Muskies push the tempo in games and has increased the quality of practice.

"Going nine or 10 players deep helps us stay fresh, and it brings competitiveness in practice," Johnson said. "That competition is important to our progression and improving our mental toughness. It shows our players' willingness to make their teammates better."

After losing just one senior from the 2008-09 team, which went 17-9 overall, much of the Muskies' core returned this season with another year of experience, while several new players have emerged as vital contributors.

Johnson has started the same group of four seniors and one junior in each contest this season. That kind of consistency has helped the Muskies settle comfortably into their roles.

"Last year, those players weren't ready for the roles they were given," Blahnik said. "The biggest thing is that people are stepping up. We don't have the same leading scorers every game, so it's good that the team doesn't rely on just one person."

The Muskies are just over half way to the school record for consecutive wins, which was set when the 2001-02 team won 17 straight contests. However, Lakeland players and coaches remain concentrated on what is coming next - a trip to California for games against Occidental (Dec. 20) and Redlands (Dec. 21).

"We've got to stay focused mentally," Johnson said. "We're winning right now, so we'll have kind of a target on our back. We have to have fun with the position we're in right now and we can't be afraid.

"We have a great opportunity going into every game, and it's a great challenge for our players to face. We're going to find a lesson in every game."

The House of Representatives today approved a bill to fund the hiring of 50,000 new police officers over the next five years that was introduced by New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner along with Bainbridge Township GOP Rep. Steve LaTourette. The bill - approved in a 342-78 vote - would provide $1.8 billion a year to continue a program that...

The House of Representatives today approved a bill to fund the hiring of 50,000 new police officers over the next five years that was introduced by New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner along with Bainbridge Township GOP Rep. Steve LaTourette.

The bill - approved in a 342-78 vote - would provide $1.8 billion a year to continue a program that President Bill Clinton established in 1995. It would supplement $1 billion from the economic stimulus package to be used for nationwide police hirings.

LaTourette says he's optimistic the U.S. Senate will also sign off on the legislation.

"You'd be hard pressed to find a program that is better liked by the law enforcement community and city officials," said LaTourette, a former Lake County prosecutor. "More importantly, the COPS program is well run and it's a stream-lined, effective use of taxpayer money."

Over the years, LaTourette said the COPS program has provided money to hire more than 200 officers in his district. Statewide, LaTourette said the COPS program has funded more than 3,700 officers and sheriff's deputies, more than 225 school resource officers, and has provided more than $55 million in technology grants for departments.

The only Ohio member of Congress to vote against the bill was GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Urbana. He had fiscal concerns about authorizing a 72% funding increase for police hiring at a time when federal spending needs to be curbed, said his press secretary, Meghan Snyder

WASHINGTON — You don't think about Ohio and Montana in the same breath. Ohio doesn't have mountains. Or grizzly bears. Or Yellowstone. Montana doesn't have people. But Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana are teaming up to raise money for their -- and others' -- political future. They formed a new campaign committee, the...

WASHINGTON — You don't think about Ohio and Montana in the same breath. Ohio doesn't have mountains. Or grizzly bears. Or Yellowstone. Montana doesn't have people.

But Democratic Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Jon Tester of Montana are teaming up to raise money for their -- and others' -- political future. They formed a new campaign committee, the Ohio/Montana Victory Fund, recent filings with the Federal Election Commission show.

The committee will enable them to hold joint fundraising events. It also provides a way for donors keep participating when they max out to one candidate but not the other. The concept is hardly new, and Republicans employ it, too.

So far, the Ohio/Montana committee hasn't raised any money, but there's plenty of time. Both Brown and Tester were elected to their first Senate terms in 2006 and don't have to run again until 2012. Both are raising money individually anyway, although not at a hurried pace. And Brown is helping other Democrats benefit, courtesy of a $25,000 donation from his campaign organization, Friends of Sherrod Brown, to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which can steer the money to races as it sees fit.

Friends of Sherrod Brown raised $163,489 in this year's first quarter, with roughly two-thirds of it from individuals, his newest FEC filing shows. A lot came from people in Cincinnati, including super-lawyer Stan Chesley, who now has maxed out to Brown by giving $4,800 -- three years before the election. Former radio mogul and venture capitalist Frank Wood also has given the maximum to Brown.

A number of health care PACS and PACs that represent truck drivers have been generous to Brown, as is Duke Energy's PAC, which has already sent checks totaling $8,000.

Legislation is before Congress this year to expand health care and to cap carbon emissions from utility companies. Issues involving trucks from Mexico are part of the debate over trade and tariffs.

Brown is involved in each of these issues, and this presents the eternal chicken-and-egg question of politics. But to those who would see a quid pro quo, consider this:

The American Bus Association PAC gave Brown $1,000 recently. The association is fighting Brown's legislation to mandate safety improvements on motorcoaches, saying Brown's bill -- introduced after the crash that killed five baseball players from Bluffton University -- would require expensive fixes that might not save lives.

Brown says the group's position is wrong, even if he appreciates its generosity.

"I think that shows Sen. Brown's independence," says Meghan Dubyak, his spokeswoman.

Legislators who've spent years trying to strengthen domestic job protections for returning National Guardsmen and military reservists have a new weapon in their legislative arsenal: Alliance Democratic Rep. John Boccieri. Boccieri, an Air Force reserve major who has piloted C-130 transport planes in Iraq and Afghanistan, participated in a press phone call today with sponsors of legislation that would ensure...

Legislators who've spent years trying to strengthen domestic job protections for returning National Guardsmen and military reservists have a new weapon in their legislative arsenal: Alliance Democratic Rep. John Boccieri.

Boccieri, an Air Force reserve major who has piloted C-130 transport planes in Iraq and Afghanistan, participated in a press phone call today with sponsors of legislation that would ensure that soldiers who leave home to fight for our country will come back to the same employment and benefits they had when they deployed.

Boccieri said he knows many reservists who come home to find their jobs have been eliminated, but are too pressed for time and money to take their former employers to court. Such cases can take three to four years to pursue. As a state legislator in Ohio, Boccieri spearheaded legislation that placed such lawsuits on an "accelerated docket" that required them to be considered in three to four months.

"In the military, we have a saying: 'In battle, we will leave no soldier behind,' Boccieri said. "It should be our pledge that when we return home, we will leave no veteran behind."

While many service women and men return home without problems, a September 2007 Defense Department report indicated that nearly 11,000 reservists were denied prompt re-employment after returning from military service, that more than 22,000 lost seniority and pay, that nearly 20,000 suffered pension cuts, and nearly 11,000 lost health insurance.

"If our nation is going to sustain its operational reserve policy, our country must be able to provide strong re-employment protections for returning troops," said retired U.S. Army Col. Bob Norton, of the Military Officers Association of America.

The "Service Members Access to Justice Act" authored by Alabama Democratic Rep. Artur Davis and Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Robert Casey, has languished legislatively for several years, but Davis and Casey say they're optimistic the bill will move forward with a push from Boccieri, who has first-hand knowledge of the situation.

Casey said it's a good sign that President Barack Obama backed the measure when he was in the U.S. Senate. He said he hopes Congress will take up the bill after it deals with pressing items like the federal budget and legislation to stimulate the ailing economy.

"Congress is a very slow moving animal," said Davis. "We couldn't ask for a better new champion than John Boccieri."

The percentage of Americans saying the country is headed in the right direction rose to 48 percent; 44 percent say the nation is on the wrong track. Not since January 2004 has an AP survey found more "right direction" than "wrong direction" respondents.

WASHINGTON — For the first time in years, more Americans than not say the country is headed in the right direction, a sign that Barack Obama has used the first 100 days of his presidency to lift the public's mood and inspire hopes for a brighter future.

Intensely worried about their personal finances and medical expenses, Americans nonetheless appear realistic about the time Obama might need to turn things around, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. It shows most Americans consider their new president to be a strong, ethical and empathetic leader who is working to change Washington.

Nobody knows how long the honeymoon will last, but Obama has clearly transformed the yes-we-can spirit of his candidacy into a tool of governance. His ability to inspire confidence -- Obama's second book is titled "The Audacity of Hope" -- has thus far buffered the president against the harsh political realities of two wars, a global economic meltdown and countless domestic challenges.

"He presents a very positive outlook," said Cheryl Wetherington, 35, an independent voter who runs a chocolate shop in Gardner, Kan. "He's very well-spoken and very vocal about what direction should be taken."

But other AP-GfK findings could signal trouble for Obama as he approaches his 100th day in office, April 29:

• While there is evidence that people feel more optimistic about the economy, 65 percent said it's difficult for them and their families to get ahead. More than one-third know of a family member who recently lost a job.

• More than 90 percent of Americans consider the economy an important issue, the highest ever in AP polling.

• Nearly 80 percent believe that the rising federal debt will hurt future generations, and Obama is getting mixed reviews at best for his handling of the issue.

And yet, the percentage of Americans saying the country is headed in the right direction rose to 48 percent, up from 40 percent in February. Forty-four percent say the nation is on the wrong track.

Not since January 2004, shortly after the capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, has an AP survey found more "right direction" than "wrong direction" respondents.

So far, Obama has defied the odds by producing a sustained trend toward optimism. It began with his election.

But he is aware that his political prospects are directly linked to such numbers. If at the end of his term the public is no more assured that Washington is competent and accountable and that the nation is at least on the right track, his re-election prospects will be doubtful.

"I will be held accountable," Obama said a few weeks into his presidency. "You know, I've got four years. ... If I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition."

The AP-GfK poll suggests that 64 percent of the public approves of Obama's job performance, down just slightly from 67 percent in February. President George W. Bush's approval ratings hovered in the high 50s after his first 100 days in office.

But Obama also has become a somewhat polarizing figure, with just 24 percent of Republicans approving of his performance -- down from 33 percent in February. Obama campaigned on a promise -- just as Bush had -- to end the party-first mind-set that breeds gridlock in Washington.

Obama is not the first president who sought to tap the deep well of American optimism -- the never-say-die spirit that Americans like to see in themselves.

Even as he briefly closed the nation's banks, Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke in the first days of his presidency of the "confidence and courage" needed to fix the U.S. economy. "Together we cannot fail," he declared.

"When Obama came in," said D.T. Brown, 39, a Mount Vernon, Ill., radio show host who voted against Obama, "it was just a breath of fresh air."

Others said their newfound optimism had nothing to do with Obama, but rather with an era of personal responsibility they believe has come with the economic meltdown.

"I think people are beginning to turn in that direction and realize that there's not always going to be somebody to catch them when things fall down," said Dwight Hageman, 66, a retired welder from Newberg, Ore., who voted against Obama.

The AP-GfK Poll was conducted April 16-20 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media. It involved telephone interviews on landline and cell phones with 1,000 adults nationwide. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

___

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown expects legislation that would make it easier for workers to unionize will undergo a major rewrite before the U.S. Senate considers it this year. The current draft of the Employee Free Choice Act would allow unions to be recognized if a majority of workers sign union cards, and would remove employers' current right to demand...

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown expects legislation that would make it easier for workers to unionize will undergo a major rewrite before the U.S. Senate considers it this year.

The current draft of the Employee Free Choice Act would allow unions to be recognized if a majority of workers sign union cards, and would remove employers' current right to demand that workers instead hold a secret-ballot election to ratify a union.

Unions say the bill is needed because current secret-ballot elections allow anti-union companies to bully and propagandize workers. Business owners argue the proposed change would enable harassment by unions.

Although Brown backs the legislation in its current form, he says it won't get enough votes for passage in the Senate now that former backers including Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Arlen Specter have withdrawn their support.

He said he expects a compromise will be reached to continue the secret-ballot elections, but require them to be conducted swiftly and handled in a way that doesn't inordinately favor businesses.

"There are discussions going on now with Republicans and Democrats who were not supportive of the bill in its original form," Brown told The Plain Dealer after addressing a forum on the issue organized by the pro-union "Jobs with Justice."

He said the Senate wants to tackle the legislation because "fair minded people in both parties understand this system has not worked well."

"It has not been fair to workers," he continued. "Large numbers of people in this country want to join a union but have not been able to because of the way the system is rigged. A strong majority of Senate and House want to make the rules fairer and there are a lot of ways to do that."

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, apparently dissatisfied with President Barack Obama's pro-trade stance and concerned about pending agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, today called for a broad review of United States trade policies and agreements. The call for a time-out followed criticism by Brown, a Democrat, of the Obama administration's reluctance to reopen the North American Free...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, apparently dissatisfied with President Barack Obama's pro-trade stance and concerned about pending agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, today called for a broad review of United States trade policies and agreements.

The call for a time-out followed criticism by Brown, a Democrat, of the Obama administration's reluctance to reopen the North American Free Trade Agreement. On Monday, responding to Obama trade ambassador Ron Kirk's disinterest in renegotiating NAFTA, Brown said, "There is pent-up demand for a new approach that starts with fixing what is not working, including NAFTA."

Today, Brown told the Washington International Trade Association, "If in fact President Obama does not open up NAFTA for review, we must not continue the failed system for future trade agreements."

He told the association that he wants the White House to create a blue-ribbon panel on trade. And he wants the Government Accountability Office to launch a review of the country's trade agreements and their impacts on the domestic economy.

"The basic premise of redirecting U.S. trade policy is that we must see evidence that our trade model is working before we pass new trade agreements - whether with Panama, Colombia, or South Korea," Brown said in his speech.

"We must see evidence that our current trade policies level the playing field for U.S. and foreign companies and for U.S. and foreign workers. We must see evidence that our current trade policies link productivity to wages, so that economic activity doesn't simply enrich top executives, but rather, it raises the standard of living for workers and enriches communities around the world."

Brown led the narrowly lost fight against the Central American Free Trade Agreement when he was in the House, and is the author of the book, "Myths of Free Trade." In his speech today, he cited Mexican factories and villages with human waste in canals nearby, Mexican workers who could not afford the cars they made, Costa Rican workers who could not afford the toys they made, and Chinese workers in a bicycle plant who could not afford bikes.

He cited safety lapses in the United States, too -- a result, he said, of unfair competition with foreign countries. In Nebraska, he said, meatpackers "work at such high speeds that they can't maintain worker or food safety. Meatpackers are easily injured, and knives dropped to the factory floor are merely wiped on a dirty apron, in haste, as cattle quickly move down the processing line.

"Meatpackers in Nebraska have said they enjoy work on days when the meat is being shipped to the EU," said Brown, noting that European meat processing plants average about 100 cattle per hour, compared with about 300 in the United States. "The reason is because the lines are slowed, and the workers can work more safely and productively. The reason is that the European Union has stricter food safety standards than the U.S.

"Those meatpacking workers in Nebraska, or in any one of the countries I just spoke about, are not sharing the wealth they are creating, nor are their communities safer. Their working conditions and wage disparity represent an unfortunate shift in our nation's history of trade policy."

Brown also noted health care problems that have resulted in the United States from medicines made in nations with poor standards.

"In Toledo, Ohio, patients died after taking contaminated Heparin to treat their heart conditions," Brown said. "The manufacturer of Heparin had outsourced the making of the drug, and as a result, did not know where the contamination occurred.

"The patients in Toledo, or the factory workers in Reynosa, or the meatpackers in Nebraska illustrate that continuing our trade direction is not a ringing endorsement of our trade agenda. Their stories represent a continuation of a policy of broken promises."

You can read the text of Brown's speech here.

WASHINGTON — Federal environmental officials are pressing Ohio's communities to upgrade their sewer systems. Those communities in turn have to ask homeowners and businesses to pay more in fees -- dramatically more in many cases, and at a time when people can least afford it. This makes no sense, Ohio's two U.S. senators said in a telephone news conference in...

WASHINGTON — Federal environmental officials are pressing Ohio's communities to upgrade their sewer systems. Those communities in turn have to ask homeowners and businesses to pay more in fees -- dramatically more in many cases, and at a time when people can least afford it.

This makes no sense, Ohio's two U.S. senators said in a telephone news conference in which they announced a proposal for relief.

George Voinovich, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, said they want to create a $1.8 billion federal grant over five years to help communities across the country pay for sewer upgrades. The program would provide 75 percent of the money for upgrades, with communities giving the other 25 percent.

They also would expand a state revolving loan fund, and ask the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for more leniency when demanding sewer upgrades.

Their announcement came on Earth Day, and neither senator is asking the EPA to back off its mission of improving the environment. Both of them said they recognize why the EPA makes cities renovate their outdated systems, many of them subject to overflow. But with factories laying off employees and many workers struggling to pay their bills, the agency needs to do more to help, said the senators, citing double-digit water and sewer rate hikes across Ohio.

This is similar to a bill introduced in 2008. The senators said they expect it to become an amendment to broader clean water legislation that the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee takes up. Voinovich is a key member of that committee.

Click this link to see the Ohio communities with sewer-overflow problems.

WASHINGTON — The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will not renew Lockheed Martin's controversial contract to process pay for the nation's military retirees and will return the work to government employees in Cleveland, the agency announced Monday. The action won't result in a large gain or loss of jobs in Cleveland, where Lockheed Martin's workers are based, because the...

WASHINGTON — The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will not renew Lockheed Martin's controversial contract to process pay for the nation's military retirees and will return the work to government employees in Cleveland, the agency announced Monday.

The action won't result in a large gain or loss of jobs in Cleveland, where Lockheed Martin's workers are based, because the government will employ roughly the same number of workers as the contractor, a DFAS spokesman said.

The number of Lockheed employees working on the contract has ranged from 400 to 700.

The head of DFAS, Terri McKay, estimated the switch would save the government more than $20 million over the next 10 years and will "potentially improve service delivery and customer satisfaction."

The change will take effect in early 2010. It is part of a widespread effort to reverse government privatization programs implemented by former President George W. Bush. Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the Pentagon will cut contracting for support services to pre-2001 levels, and will hire up to 30,000 new civil servants to replace contractors over the next five years.

Lockheed Martin's handling of DFAS work has been criticized by Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich. He accused the contractor of delaying payments to veterans, mishandling their cases, and charging taxpayers an exorbitant amount. Kucinich has wanted the Defense Department to return the work to government employees since a 2003 Inspector General's report found bidding on the contract was botched.

"I am very pleased that DFAS will once again ensure quality service by operating this program 'in house' with trained and qualified staff," Kucinich said in a press statement. "I hope that this experiment in privatization will demonstrate to other agencies the costs, both financial and otherwise, of outsourcing the responsibilities of government."

Lockheed Martin spokesman Joe Wagovich defended the company's performance, saying it delivered "more than $400 billion in benefits accurately and on-time" under the contract and that its work "achieved the highest customer satisfaction ratings."

"We look forward to continuing our partnership with DFAS over the next year and will work closely with our customer to effectively transition the program," Wagovich said.

Daniel Drost, a government worker at DFAS who has spent years helping Kucinich fight the privatization, said the switch will benefit military retirees and taxpayers.

"The contract will be performed faster and cheaper," said Drost. "The irony of this is that 'faster and cheaper' used to be the privatization mantra. In the retired pay outsourcing case, those were hollow words."

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Josh Mandel, an Iraq War veteran viewed as a future star in Ohio Republican circles, is drawing close to announcing officially that he will run for state treasurer in 2010. "I'm very seriously leaning toward running for state treasurer and will be making my final decision very soon," Mandel said in an interview Monday.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Josh Mandel, an Iraq War veteran viewed as a future star in Ohio Republican circles, is drawing close to announcing officially that he will run for state treasurer in 2010.

"I'm very seriously leaning toward running for state treasurer and will be making my final decision very soon," Mandel said in an interview Monday.

The 31-year-old Lyndhurst Republican has been working behind the scenes in recent months to line up support for a statewide run and has met with groups of Republican activists in a majority of the counties in Ohio by his own count.

If Mandel does get in the state treasurer's race -- and no other GOP candidates have surfaced thus far -- he will face another fresh face in statewide politics in Democrat Kevin Boyce, 37, a former Columbus city councilman who became state treasurer on Jan. 6.

Boyce was picked for the statewide post by Gov. Ted Strickland after then-treasurer Richard Cordray won a special election for the Ohio attorney general's office.

Mandel, who served a pair of combat tours in Iraq as a Marine, has racked up some impressive margins in winning a pair of legislative races despite running in a swing district that actually leans slightly Democratic. He is also sitting on an impressive pile of potential campaign cash for a second-term lawmaker -- his last finance report showed that he had squirreled away about $460,000.

An education-reform proposal that Gov. Strickland presented in January specifically shielded Cleveland from losing aid, but it would have required a state-funded study to make sure the district spent its money wisely.

CLEVELAND — A school funding plan proposed by Ohio House Democrats would eliminate Gov. Ted Strickland's request for an efficiency study of the Cleveland schools.

An education-reform proposal that Strickland presented in January specifically shielded Cleveland from losing aid, but it would have required a state-funded study to make sure the district spent its money wisely.

The new House plan and federal stimulus money would keep the Cleveland schools whole, but there is no preferential treatment, so demanding the study would be unfair, said State Rep. Stephen Dyer, a Democrat from Green. Dyer was instrumental in developing the plan, which Strickland supports.

Cleveland schools chief Eugene Sanders noted that the district is conducting studies of its own that could lead to school closings and program cuts. Those studies, unlike the one proposed by Strickland, will not cover personnel. But Sanders said jobs would probably be eliminated if the other cuts are made.

The district has lost more than a third of its students since the start of the decade. Dyer said the schools would eventually see a funding decrease under the House plan if the slide continues.

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