Gov. Kasich To Black Lawmaker: ‘I Don’t Need Your People’

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

Gov. Kasich To Black Lawmaker: ‘I Don’t Need Your People’

Delivering on his vision for a “new way,” Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) “is on pace to be the first governor since 1962 to have an entire Cabinet without any racial diversity.” Every one of his 22 full-time agency head appointments has been a white person. Only five are women. Dubbing diversity as “metrics that people tend to focus on,” Kasich said, “I can’t say I need to find somebody to fit this metric” because “it’s not the way I look at those things. I want the best possible team I can get.”

Yesterday, the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus held a press conference to express their waning patience with his dismissive attitude and “implore Kasich to make better strides to diversify his Cabinet.” But according to State Senator Nina Turner (D-OH), this time Kasich’s response was a bit more blunt. According to Turner, when the caucus offered him help in finding qualified minority applicants, Kasich told Turner, “I don’t need your people“:

TURNER: Today, in 2001, it feels more like 1811 in the state of Ohio under a governor who just does not get it. I want to read some of (Kasich's) quotes. He said, ‘I don’t look at things from that standpoint. It’s not the way I look at things. I want the best possible team I can get and hopefully we will be in a position that we are fully diverse as we go forward.” As we go forward, as we go along, by and by, someday. I remember Martin Luther King saying so eloquently that wait almost always means never. Through his actions and deeds, Governor Kasich has declared that Ohio is open for business, but if you are African-American you need not apply. If you are hispanic, you need not apply. If you are Asian-Indian, you need not apply. And Oh My God I have a few women but we don’t need many more, so for women, you need not apply.

And then to have the pure unadulterated gall to say that he can’t find anyone. In that same caucus meeting when I said to the governor “if you need help, we can help you” and he said, and I quote, “I don’t need your people.” Now as an African-American, I was kind of perplexed about “I don’t need your people.” I wasn’t quite sure whether or not he was referring to my ethnic group people or my people as in the 350,000 constituents I serve in this state that represent all ethnic groups, all religious groups. I didn’t understand what “I’m not going to hire your people” means.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/2011/01/28/kasich-black-your-people/

[CLANG]

1. Kasich is a Republican. 'Nuff said!

[atreides1]

2. This is unfortunate

But, this is what the majority of the voters of Ohio wanted...which seems to indicate that the majority of the voters prefer a racist, sexist, anti-gay agenda.

Now we know what kind of people hold the majority in the state of Ohio!!

[okieinpain]

4. I would like to see the voter turnout but I would almost bet you

that the turnout was just below average.

[okieinpain]

5. I win, voter turnout was at 48%, that is even below the 2006 mids

http://www.wfmj.com/Global/story.asp?S=13436013

[cynzke]

8. Vote

You don't always get who/what you vote for, BUT when you don't vote, you ALWAYS get who/what OTHERS vote for.

[okieinpain]

9. exactly and I think it happened all across the nation. I know it

did in oklahoma, and it was a repug that said it the next day after the election, that the turnout in oklahoma was low for mid-terms.

[Democat]

20. Those who didn't vote may regret it for years in Ohio.

Hope we all learn a lesson.

[Bill McBlueState]

11. Not the majority

The majority of voters picked someone other than Kasich. He got around 49% of votes cast.

[WhiteTara]

21. that means he got 49% of less than 1/2 the

voters...so again, the rabid 25% won.

[JohnnyRingo]

3. That's our Kasich

Unfortunately, John Kasich has decided to represent only the people who voted for him instead of all the residents of Ohio. He made it clear when he made his decision to nix the stimulus supplied 3C corridor rail system, which would be delivered without matching funds even before he took office. While this decision made the local T-Party jump for anti-Obama joy, the hasty and ill thought out move cost Ohio jobs, growth, and a head start on a 21st century mass trans system.

If California was able to recall Grey Davis for unpopularity, how long do we have to wait to rid ourselves of a governor for total incompetence and now an admitted bias against a very large segment of Ohioans? I have "conservative" friends here in NE Ohio who essentially want the state motto renamed "Tomorrow's Hooterville" just to smite what's left of our dwindling Democratic leadership. They actually denounced the stimulus money our congressman snagged for our district because he's a Democrat. Cheering failure has become the absurd trademark of Ohio's Republican party, but now the onus is upon them to craft failure into an election winning virtue.

I never thought I'd live to see a return of James A Rhodes' vision for Ohio.

K&R

[IrishBuckeye]

6. Black folk need not apply

Wasn't a fan of the rail which had a top speed of what 36 mph for the cost of the project.

That said Kasich will crush the working people of Ohio. With the financial shortfall facing Ohio Kasich would like to get rid of the estate tax which brings in $250 million a year to governments in the state. The tax is applied to estates valued at $338,333 or higher and only about 7 percent hit that mark. It's clear he is working for the rich and only want the rich working for him and black folk need not apply.

[JohnnyRingo]

18. The 36mph speed was a Kasich campaign misrepresentation.

The train would make the trip to or from Columbus at a speed that far exceeded that of freeway travel. Kasich added the time for the stop in Columbus for boarding and unboarding, then assumed that travellers would make the entire trip from Cinci to Cleve. The fact is, the vast majority of commuters would only make one leg of the journey North or South, saving both time and money.

When gasoline inevitably becomes a luxury in the near future (look at the price now), it will appear foresighted to already have a rail system under construction. The 3C Corridor was pre-designed (at a $2 million dollar cost) to be expandable East and West as train travel became essential.

If Kasich was around in the '50s he'd argue that no one wants to drive cross country on an interstate highway, and would have Ohio "opt out", leaving I80 turning into a two lane rural road at the PA border and picking up again in Indiana. He'd likely tell us that no one will spend money in Ohio towns if they're "speeding by at 70mph".

[Doctor_J]

7. Hey! If it weren't for Ken Blackwell, we would be enjoying President Kerry's

2nd term now.

[Ter]

10. We would probably be out of both wars by now too

Kerry was a bit more progressive on wars than Obama seems to be.

[Solly Mack]

12. K&R

[fascisthunter]

13. ANOTHER GOP racist

gee.... why do folks equate right wingers with nazis.... hmmmm.

[HughBeaumont]

14. Fuck this fascist shitbag Tea Klux Klanner.

Thanks Ohio. Thanks a WHOLE FUCKING LOT.

Anything happens to my wife's job, it's on YOUR ASSES.

Wake the hell up. Republicans hate your poor GUTS, you stupid bastards. This guy ain't doing SHIT for this state. Talks about jobs, but all I see is him laying people off in droves. Way to go, dickheads. Sure hope your hatred of all things progressive was worth it.

[Dappleganger]

15. His macaca moment.

A governor who cannot represent all the people of his state has no business even running for president.

BTW, George Allan is planning to run for congress again--no doubt emboldened by remarks such as this.

[rexcat]

16. The man is arrogant...

it is only going to get worse.

[fortyfeetunder]

17. African Americans can certainly get some mileage from that statement

Like take their tourism, entertainment, business, and investment dollars to another state. It's that simple.

[vonarrow]

19. Kasich is a racist bastard...

Kasich is a racist bastard........is there any doubt? No, there isn't.

Isn't there enough black people in Ohio to make Kasich feel the heat?

Some black person in Ohio needs to file a complaint with the Employment Commission; just like in any other job/race discrimination investigation.

[Botany]

22. That is my Governor

The man makes me proud!

do i have to add this? :sarcasm: