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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Local Rep wants Ohio English only


Jon Craig reports from Columbus:


A Green Township Republican Tuesday introduced a bill to make English the state’s official language.


Rep. Bob Mecklenborg, who was appointed to the Ohio House in October, is being challenged in the March 4 primary election by Dick Hammersmith, a conservative political consultant.


“I think it’s a real good bill,’’ Mecklenborg said, noting it has the support of House Speaker Jon Husted. “The passage of this bill will ensure that. . .in order for (Ohio’s) actions, laws and business to be considered authoritative and legal, they must be communicated in the English language.”

House Bill 477 is similar to a bill introduced in March 2006 by State Rep. Courtney Combs, a Republican from Hamilton. That bill died without any votes taken in the last legislative session.without action in the State Government Committee.


Mecklenborg’s bill requires use of the English language by all state and local government entities in official actions and proceedings. The legislation is not meant to infringe on each Ohioan’s right to choose their primary language for personal communication, he said.


Public state and local entities would be bound by the new law. Private organizations, companies and individuals would not be affected.

Under Mecklenborg’s bill, state and local agencies would be required to create an additional line item in their budgets to demonstrate the amount of funds used for providing services in languages other than English and how they spent those funds.

“This bill also has an important symbolic function because it sends a clear and concise signal to all those who want to participate in our state as citizens that there are responsibilities, as well as benefits,” Mecklenborg said in a statement. “Recognition that English is the official language of the state is such a responsibility.’’


There are several exceptions in the bill, including exemptions to comply with federal law or to promote public health and safety.


95 Comments:

at 3:48 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Agreed, but this issue should be addressed by Congress.

English should be the official language of not just Ohio, but the entire country.

 
at 3:48 PM, February 12, 2008 Blogger usefullidiot said...

Good for Bob!!

 
at 3:56 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think the United States needs to get a backbone and make English the official Language in the whole United States. You go to any other country and you better learn their language or you are doomed, but come to the United States, US citizens born and raised here are expected to learn all the other languages from people coming here. I know this will make a lot of people mad, but we need to take out country back and make our country like other countries, when you come here, you either learn our language or else. Do not look down on us because we can not learn your language, when, the issue is, you either can not learn our language or you just don't want to. Either case, if it was any other country, then you would be doomed.

 
at 3:58 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good idea

 
at 4:01 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

yes, let's make this a priority. there aren't any other pressing issues except for fear-mongering.

 
at 4:02 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is the best piece of legislation I have seen come from Columbus in quite some time. Thank you Bob Mecklenborg!!

 
at 4:03 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think this is a good idea. If the state of Ohio can tell us where we can and can not smoke our cigarettes then the state should be able to say "Ohio is an english only speaking state".

 
at 4:03 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

HE HAS MY VOTE!
I've have been waiting for a Bill like this for years. Why are our tax dollars being spent to place interpreters in our schools? I think that money would be better spent purchasing new books or updated school supplies.

 
at 4:04 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Last I checked, the constitution made no provision for a state language. Aside from Xenophobia, I'd like to know why we should give this bozo credence over the founding fathers.

What, you think we didn't get non-English immigrants in 1776? If it ain't in there, it's not necessarily by oversight.

 
at 4:05 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

im sarry u feel me this way wee cut your gr ass and crook your meels and u treet us like this i have decided to return to the mother country and im taking with me the rest of my werking force including Dora.

usta la fleesta matha flafa

 
at 4:05 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bob should just call this the, "Vote for me in 3 weeks Bill". I agree with making English the official language, but we all know the real reason this was introduced.

 
at 4:05 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

.

Gosh, we didn't realize that the English language was such a terrorist threat !

The wRong wingnut whackos attempting to frame the issues on illegal aliens is, PATHETIC !

It is the wRong wingnut whacko organizations that are hiring the illegals. Just ask "KOCH", etc. !

We should all 'FEAR' those non-English speaking state and county workers !

They must be terrorist !

In fact, they would probably cause an election board to lock-down and throw away election ballots !

PATHETIC 'HypocRites'

HAD ENOUGH, VOTE DEMOCRAT 2008 !

 
at 4:12 PM, February 12, 2008 Blogger Prolly said...

Wow this is a horrible idea. You would figure a multicultural state would ... appreciate its multiculturalism. It's clear that both of these candidates mentioned here are fighting for a "who's who" of conservative thought-- and I will vote for neither. There is no reason to fear another language. The rest of the world appreciates and uses various languages. If we want to BECOME competitive-- we need to do the same. We need to end legistlation of fear. Don't be scared of change.

 
at 4:13 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, hurry, make this a bill sooner rather than later. If not, we may lose our beloved language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


EYE ROLL, you provincial, isolated, eemer Cincinnatians.

eemer="I saw eeem (him) run that way with the ball!"

 
at 4:14 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can Mr. Mecklenborg teach me how to speak redneck?

 
at 4:16 PM, February 12, 2008 Blogger inclusive said...

Just imagine how it would be if the Native Americans, had we not slaughtered most and run the rest off, subsequently required that the English-speaking invaders speak only Iroquois, Seminole, Wakenabi, Sioux, or.....
Hmmmmmm.
This country is founded on invasion and immigration.

 
at 4:20 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah, yet another example of the ludicrous, racist bs espoused by the Republican Party. Why not make Navajo codetalk the official language? I believe the Native Americans were here looooong before European settlers.

 
at 4:21 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let's welcome Bob Mecklenborg's staff and campaign aides, who have posted several entries already, to this blog.

I'm glad to see Bob write this bill. That way, the next time he supports another one of Simon's Sales Tax hikes, we'll be sure it's written in English.

 
at 4:22 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

4:04 PM liberal moron:

As with most liberals, you like to quote the Constitution but it's painfully apparent that you've never read it. So allow me to educate you and the rest of the ignorant libs:

The Tenth Amendment provides that powers that the Constitution does not delegate to the United States and does not prohibit the states from exercising, are "reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Thus, states can certainly enact official language laws. So could the Congress, for that matter.

Hope you enjoyed your fifth grade Civics discussion. Here endeth the lesson.

 
at 4:23 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you could go to almost any other country and not need to learn the native language to survive. English works just fine in places like Germany, France, even Mexico, so the argument that we should make English the official language here because everywhere else you need to learn their language to live, is incorrect.

 
at 4:25 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah! I'm sick of hearing all those Irish accents, it's about time!!!

Wait, we hated the Irish a long time ago....now we hate the Italians!

Wait, we've moved on? Now it's the Mexicans?

Do Americans realize we've done this whole immigration dance from day one, every few generations we just do it all over again, but for a different people.

If people referred to the Italians, Catholics or Irish the way they treat Hispanics now, people would think you're a racist...wait, maybe you are?

 
at 4:29 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Also, at out borders, let's put up big bright English-only signs saying "Non-English Speakers Stay Out". The signs and the laws will certainly keep the non-English speakers from entering our fair state....don't you think?...And Ohio's jobs will be saved and we will return to our old glory...
LOL

 
at 4:33 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Vote for me in 3 weeks bill? A stance on an irrelevant tax levy?

Get real people. This is a great bill and we should all congratulate Representative Mecklenborg on this important piece of legislation.

Give credit where credit is due. Bob will do big things in the statehouse in the next 9 years.

 
at 4:34 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Doesn't it figure. A republican. From the narrow-minded west side. In a city that has one of the lowest rates of foreign born people in the entire United States. God, what other stupid thing will come out of the west side of Cincinnati? Please. What about Freedom of Speech? If I want to speak my ancestor's native German tongue, by gosh I'm going to. Doesn't Rep Mecklenberg have more pressing issues....like getting a life. Can we give the west side to Kentucky...please?

 
at 4:37 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, Mecklenborg has won the knuckle dragging, racist, bed-wetting coward crowd's vote. People like the idiot facist "Vox Populi".

Too bad no one cares to remember that until the 1940's much if Cincinnati spoke German. Street signs were in German as were many church services. In fact, a couple of old churches in OTR still have German language masses, and we still have a German language school in Clifton.

Your grandparent and great-grandparents are turning in their graves.

 
at 4:37 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Amen to that. You know it's time when you have to choose English or Spanish at the ATM> Come on 5/3 Bank, who gives you most of your money?

 
at 4:39 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ahhh.... nothing like the smell of xenophobes in the morning.

Smells like... fear.

 
at 4:42 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

"im sarry u feel me this way wee cut your gr ass and crook your meels and u treet us like this i have decided to return to the mother country and im taking with me the rest of my werking force including Dora.

usta la fleesta matha flafa"

Typical racist, full of prejudice, close minded conservative...

 
at 4:42 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

English should be the primary language in the U.S.A.. No ifs,
ands, or buts about it.

You have people here suing America
because we do not print information in their language. This is an unecessary expense.

However when one visits, for example, an asian or hispanic community English translations are not available for English speaking Americans.

Not to mention that a majority of
immigrants received a public education. We as Americans paid for them to learn a second language but failed our own children by not paying for them to learn another language at the tax payers expense also.

Thus in the job market we have immigrants making more money simply because they speak their native tongue and english. Is this fair to our own American children? NO!

And worst I have asked other immigrants to teach me simple phrases in their native tongue and one guy straight out said "I did not need to know that" and refused to teach me any thing in his native tongue.

I agree with the proposal to band
allowing immigrants to speak among themselves using their native language to exclude Americans from understanding all implications that may or may not have a negative outcome in our everyday educational systems as well as our
business and/or legal dealings
on U.S. soil. Every day immigrants are boldly excluding Americans from conversations that impact our lives financial.

It is ok to put American needs in America FIRST for a change.

 
at 4:43 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

It just ain't right if you ain't speaking that good old english. Screw them multi-culturist weirdos.

 
at 4:45 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

"You go to any other country and you better learn their language or you are doomed, but come to the United States, US citizens born and raised here are expected to learn all the other languages from people coming here"

Wrong! Whenever we go to Cancun or any other resort, we expect the locals to wait hand and foot and speak to us in English. I see it all the time.

 
at 4:46 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

WHY ISN'T ENGLISH THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE ALREADY??

I am thankful someone tackled this head-on!!

 
at 4:46 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm so proud to be "from" Cincinnati. Yes, as in I moved away and can say that I'm "from" Cincinnati. Talk about backwards, idiotic, close-minded, and plain stupid.

Aren't there more important things to get "fired up" about? Aren't there more important things to legislate? What a complete waste of time, taxpayer money, and such an obvious close-minded conservative campaign promise.

When I read news stories like this, I realize just how happy I am to have moved away.

Enjoy your overly conservative, change fearing, close-minded city (or as it's more likely, your favorite 'burb that only survives because of the city but is better because it keeps you away from the scary "blacks" and "Mexicans" (and don't forget the terrorists!)).

Remember--Jesus was an intolerant bigot too.

 
at 4:54 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mecklenborg and the members of Ohio's congress should find better things to do with their time. I'm sure there are more pressing needs in Government than trying to push for a form of discrimination.

 
at 4:59 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

"As with most liberals"

Hey well I am a liberal and I completely agree that english should be the official language. I get highly annoyed trying to press voice response menus or ATM machines trying to select "English".

As they said in Ferris Buellers Day Off "What country do you think is?"

Oh and as for the constitution... repubs like to translate it literally so what part of
"promote the common welfare" do you not understand?

 
at 5:04 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I appreciate the fact that Ohio is multi cultural. I do agree with this bill though, b/c if you want to be a resident of this state, and a legal citizen of our country, then it should be policy to know our language, which is English! There are to many people here illegally, having kids, causing crime, driving up enmployment, well-fare, medi-care,court costs, and policing cost from their crime. We pay for someone to speak for them, when they cant speak our language, and give them all the help they need. Meanwhile my husband is working 2 jobs and I am working as well, and we have troubles and cant get help b/c we make to much money! It's ludacris, and I am tired of it! At least if you are going to come here, get a green card, and act proud to be an American!

 
at 5:08 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm so embarrassed that this man represents our region. I'm glad I didn't vote for this narrow-minded freak.

 
at 5:11 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whether or not this bill is a good idea or not is irrelevant. It's another example of our statehouse passing "symbolic" -Rob's own words- legislation instead of focusing on our real problems.

If this passes, government employees at all levels will have to adjust their procedures (by adjusting their budgetary policies to include this line-item related to non-english services), and that is time they could be better spending actually doing their jobs.

Bob Mecklenborg, what's more important, symbolism or effeciency.

 
at 5:16 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Doesn't it figure. A republican. From the narrow-minded west side. In a city that has one of the lowest rates of foreign born people in the entire United States. God, what other stupid thing will come out of the west side of Cincinnati? Please. What about Freedom of Speech? If I want to speak my ancestor's native German tongue, by gosh I'm going to. Doesn't Rep Mecklenberg have more pressing issues....like getting a life. Can we give the west side to Kentucky...please?

I hate to break it to you, but there are plenty of ignorant narrow minded jerks from the east side too. Grow up.

 
at 5:24 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wonder what Hammersmith's position is on this issue? We'll never know because he's a single issue candidate concerned only about the abortion issue. Bob is not only pro-life, but he's right on all the issues that are important to conservatives.

 
at 5:27 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't know what's more appalling - Mecklenborg's xenophobic bill, or the abundance of bigoted comments in response to it, which just prove that racism is still alive and well in our community.

I also find it disturbing that many believe that a certain rapper's name is the original spelling of the word meaning "laughable or hilarious because of obvious absurdity or incongruity." It's L-U-D-I-C-R-O-U-S, people. learn the English language yourselves, "natives," and then we maybe we can teach it to others, if that's so important to you.

Postscript: I mean no disrespect to Ludacris, who earns props for the pun.

 
at 5:35 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

It would be nice if the Representative would learn to speak the language he advocates. "Real good" his English obviously ain't.

 
at 5:37 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Vox Populi,

Once again you have proven yourself to be far less intelligent than you think that your are. The states are not allowed to enact any laws that would violate the equal protection clause (as an English only law might) and Congress is not permitted to pass laws that are not justified under the Commerce Clause and therefore related to interstate commerce. Perhaps a Federal English only law would survive a Constitutional challenge if it were exclusively limited to those activities which impact interstate commerce but that is no forgone conclusion.

I think that some more learnin' might be in order...

 
at 5:37 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

As a taxpayer, thank goodness we have someone making sure we are being efficient.

The European Union's biggest expense is hiring translators for their 30+ official and working languages.

I am personally grateful that we are drawing the line and telling the people who want something translated that the burden is on them and not us taxpayers.

This is the type of legislation we have been waiting 14 years for from our Republican legislature.

I just wish it didn't take Mecklenborg 14 years to do it.

 
at 5:40 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Weak !

What do they know that we don't ?

Now, sock puppet Bob lacks integrity !

He continues to post anonymously in support of his own rhetoric !

He highjacks a topic to shamelessly promote himself !

Other than claiming to be the best door to door salesman, he is shallow, PERIOD !

Although he is sincere that his ego elevates him to be the best candidate, he really is only a legend in his own mind !

He has nothing to offer, PERIOD !

He has promised not to blog and yet continues ?

He is a flip-flopper, Period !

That being said, we like the guy !

He is personable enough, but, he is big time Naive !

PATHETIC !

 
at 5:42 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've been trying to decide who to vote for the upcoming primaries. This seals the deal, Mecklenborg has my vote. He seems to be the true conservative in the race.

 
at 5:48 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I heard on the radio this morning that Bob Mecklenborg is pushing for a law to make Ohio citizens more free to defend themselves in their homes. Right now you are liable to be sued if you defend yourself from a home-invader. I'm switching my vote to Mecklenborg.

 
at 5:48 PM, February 12, 2008 Blogger usefullidiot said...

All of you nay sayers to Mecklenburg's bill need to go to the Donnerschwabian Hall and hear the old timers talk about how they wanted to learn English to fit in to America.

 
at 5:52 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a terrific idea. The Unites States of America was founded using the English language. Making English the official language of Ohio would "even the playing field", which is why I'm surprised liberals don't embrace it. God knows Democrats love "leveling the playing field".

This would make everything more consistent and move newly welcomed immigrants in the right direction. This nation was built on diversity as far as races and nationalities, but the Constitution and other significant historical documents to the birth of our great nation were written using the English language.

P.S. I can't believe that the press was able to cover this after that winter storm. Watch out for a "re-freeze" and "black ice". Sometimes ice isn't always the problem, it's the lack of visibility.

 
at 5:52 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

And adoption of such a law would change what? I'll answer my own question. It's a perfect opportunity for Mecklenborg to create a commission to oversee and police the situation, complete with junkets to vacation spots. I'm sure plenty of his relatives would love to be hired to supervise and enforce this law.

 
at 6:01 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Would you people just shut up. Do you realize that they main reason for a bill like this is money saving. How much money does the state spend on extra signage, employing bilingual employees, and everything else that goes along with having to cater to a group of people who don't care to become part of this society. Also, why is it racist to ask people that come to this country to be able to speak the defacto national language. Every other group of immigrants that has ever come to this country has taken the time to learn the language but for some reason we have to spend money and hold the hispanics hands rather than force them to learn the language.

 
at 6:01 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

You people can't be serious. Just when I thought Ohio couldn't be more close-minded, now this.

Let's make the official color white while we are at it.

 
at 6:02 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Typical Republican "pretending to work for their constituents..." Now that Ohio has succeeded in writing anti-gay bigotry into the state constitution, let's move forward and attack non English speaking immigrants !!!

 
at 6:11 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds like another one of the clowns we routinely send to Columbus. Capitalize on the peoples' fears like a good demagogue. And the fact is that in other countries many languages are spoken. And it's a good thing because we Americans for the most part are language deficient.

 
at 6:19 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am switching my vote to Dick Hammersmith. Bob is just pandering to the right in an effort to pretend he is conservative.

We need leaders, no pander-bears.

 
at 6:28 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

If we make English the "official language" -can we get a promise from Bob to give little Georgie Bush some lessons!

 
at 6:32 PM, February 12, 2008 Blogger Randy Simes said...

We are a nation that was settled by the French, English, and Spanish. Over the years we have seen large immigrant populations from Asia and South America.

Given the fact that caucasions will soon be the minority, in America, and I think it is silly to suggest that we should make our State or Nation English only. There is no official language in the US for a reason...we should keep it that way.

 
at 6:38 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Are you serious? Is this really happening today? Is this guy for real? It never ceases to amaze me how insane our elected officials are...I'm sure that nut-case Brinkman would have proposed this bill had he thought of it first.

 
at 6:40 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anon. 5:04 PM said, "I appreciate the fact that Ohio is multi cultural..."

You're kidding right? Ohio, and Cincinnati in particular, are so not diverse.

Instead of symbolic stupidity in an effort to play off the fear of people whose only contact with an "immigrant" is a passing glance at the grocery or while out to dinner, why don't you work on legislation to protect foster kids or feed the hungry on a consistent basis or start working with non-profits on more rehabs of low-income housing.

The poor and marginalized were here before the "illegals" came in. You can't blame homelessness and joblessness and violence on them - it was here way before people starting throwing around the term "illegal." You're all about the English speaking citizens? Then for the love of humanity, do something real to help real people already and get over this petty symbolic stuff.

 
at 6:45 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.


'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Every American citizen needs to read this!

 
at 6:50 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Every other group of immigrants that has ever come to this country has taken the time to learn the language ..."

A good deal of German immigrants were "inspired" to learn English after both WWI and WWI in order to prove they weren't the enemy. Not out of some strong desire to become more American. It was a desire to protect their families and homes from angry, and sometimes violent, mobs.

Same thing with many Asians during WWII. Internment camps will do that to a person.

A good deal of "excess money" spent on signs, etc. enables an additional group of people to spend their money. You can't pretend this is cut and dry and that there wouldn't be consequences for the economy in ignoring a portion of the population that's proven to be a lot better at buying with cash-in-hand than many Americans. French-Canadians seem fine with their bi-lingual signage.

 
at 7:00 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Cowardly, provincial West Siders are so PATHETIC. Wake up folks, it's not 1956 anymore.

 
at 7:03 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

"You go to any other country and you better learn their language or you are doomed, but come to the United States, US citizens born and raised here are expected to learn all the other languages from people coming here. I know this will make a lot of people mad, but we need to take out country back and make our country like other countries, when you come here, you either learn our language or else. Do not look down on us because we can not learn your language, when, the issue is, you either can not learn our language or you just don't want to. Either case, if it was any other country, then you would be doomed."

I can only assume this comment was meant as a joke, and is sarcastic? I've never been to another country (and this includes the Ukraine, Peru, and other 3rd world countries) where everyone, even the uneducated, didn't speak English, for the sake of dealing with the stupid American tourists who can't learn their language.

 
at 7:10 PM, February 12, 2008 Blogger Jim said...

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say multilingualism is the greatest threat our society faces today. I understand there are people on the planet that actually speak languages other than their native one. Oh that America should drown in a sea of such barbarism!! Well done Mr. Mecklenborg (great Anglo-Saxon name by the way!). Clearly you are everything we could hope for in an enlightened and conscientious leader. Sieg Heil!

 
at 7:16 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let's get straight what this means: nothing. State and local agencies are issuing everything in English already. Sometimes they also put it in Spanish. Big deal. Now they have to spend time measuring how much money that takes, which will probably cost taxpayers more in staff time than it takes the state to do it.

This doesn't have even the slightest effect on 5/3 Bank or any other private business accommodating its customers by having Spanish as an option.

See it for what it is: grandstanding by someone up for election.

 
at 7:27 PM, February 12, 2008 Blogger Quimbob said...

"You go to any other country and you better learn their language or you are doomed"
China
I am all for having an official language. There are stories of some Cincinnati courthouse proceedings being entirely in German. It might have saved time and money but it might be impractical if you had to go back to the records 20 years later.
I do have a problem with the state telling the municipalities what they can do, however. That just smacks of big government neocon socialist pooh.
It also sounds like an infringement of the first amendment, too.
ALSO how come I only have 2 choices of language at the ATM ?

 
at 7:29 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Another classic Cincinnati conservative spewing complete garbage. Why do we need to be concerned with an "offical" language? You conservatives want to know why other countries have "offical" languages? The answer is colonialism. For many years much of the rest of the world was controlled by European powers, the offical business was done solely in that colonizer's langauge and not the native tongue, so after it became unfasionable to have an "empire" and those colonies became "nation states" they made their native tongues the "offical" language; it was an expression of freedom! They were throwing off the yoke of their colonizers (like France or Great Britain or Spain or Portugal etc.)

So comparing the US and other countries in regards to "offical" languages is retarded; the US is an IMMIGRANT NATION! By the way, Mecklenborg and the rest of you closed minded conservative Cincinnatians make me ashamed that my IMMIGRANT parents (who do speak English) moved to such a closed minded town need to recognize that most of the South-west of US was a part of MEXICO for a long time, and we took it forcefully, in something called the Mexican-American war.

Get real conservatives, your thoughts aren't doing anybody any good.

 
at 7:29 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for writing this bill!

Even if it doesn't pass, it spreads a message to those who are here and want to take advantage of our system with fake social security numbers and identity documents, don't pay into the system, but yet draw from it, and commit crimes against law abiding citizens. I am all for diversity and culture and learning things from people around the globe (god knows there are some things we as Americans could improve on), but DO IT LEGALLY. How many of you know someone who has been in a car accident by someone without a drivers license and insurance and they play stupid "no speaka da englash". Who pays? The law-abiding, ENGLISH SPEAKING AMERICAN. I had a family of them (I think 15 of them lived there) move into a house a couple of doors down from me, and I moved because they TRASHED the place and were constantly tresspassing on my property at all hours of the day and night. We're supposed to feel sorry for them, they came here with nothing, yada yada. COME HERE LEGALLY, LEARN ENGLISH and I'm more apt to help you.

Besides, isn't it for everyone's benefit if they can UNDERSTAND the instructions given to them if there is not an interpreter available?

 
at 7:36 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did any of you people actually read the story?
Pull your heads out of your rectums and give it another shot. Thanks.

....embarrassed that this man represents our region
.....narrow-minded freak
....form of discrimination
....Talk about backwards, idiotic, close-minded, and plain stupid
....Typical racist, full of prejudice, close minded conservative
.... If I want to speak my ancestor's native German tongue, by gosh I'm going to
....yet another example of the ludicrous, racist bs espoused by the Republican Party

...............................

“The passage of this bill will ensure that. . .in order for (Ohio’s) actions, laws and business to be considered authoritative and legal, they must be communicated in the English language.”

Mecklenborg’s bill requires use of the English language by all state and local government entities in official actions and proceedings. The legislation is not meant to infringe on each Ohioan’s right to choose their primary language for personal communication, he said.
.................

This is long overdue IMO, also did you know that the majority of schools only offer spanish as a 2nd language class?
How lame is that.

 
at 7:57 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

If this bill passes would people who communicate with American Signed English have to learn Signed English?

 
at 8:35 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Another example of why our state is in such a bad way. Legislators should be concerned with improving Ohio's economy, providing quality infrastructure (bridges, roads, etc.) and not attempting to out "Limbaugh" each other. One Courtney Combs is more than enough for Ohio. Plus the fact that Combs' similar measure died an appropriate death (with no support) should have sent a message to this fool. Clearly what we have here is a political hack attempting to save his candidacy a few weeks before a primary election. This is not a newsworthy proposal.

To Rep.Mecklenborg, get a life.

 
at 8:36 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Finally...Once this crucial piece of legislation is passed hopefully we can make air the official gas we breathe before they take that away from us.

Ich bin ein Mecklenborger!!!

 
at 8:42 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

While other countries are becoming more multi-lingual, more welcoming, more inclusive, this kind of idiocy predominates in the U.S. Travel anywhere in the world and you'll find people much more fluent than Americans. Even those without much formal education. Instead of worrying about declaring English as the official language, how about figuring a way to improve the skills of the 37% of American born citizens that are functionally illiterate. Declare all you want. A large portion of the population born here, with every advantage, still can't read and write English.

 
at 8:47 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is such an open and shut case. This nation is a welcoming nation...we just need our citizens to speak our language. If I lived in China, I would be expected to learn and communicate in Chinese. Simple as that. Hats off to Bob Mecklenborg. I don't know him, but I for one am glad to see him stick up for AMERICA.

 
at 9:16 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is about time the legislature passed this type of legislation. Thank you, Bob.

On another note, has anybody heard anything about a rumored coffee cup bill? My take on it is that if you don't want to spill your coffee, you shouldn't be driving with it!

 
at 9:21 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

"US citizens born and raised here are expected to learn all the other languages from people coming here."

That might be the stupidest thing I've ever read on this blog.

 
at 9:39 PM, February 12, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Um, I hate to inject a little science, but many studies show that immigrants always learn English by the second generation. So Mecklenborg's pandering is irrelevant, as well as xenophobic and ignorant.

Another thing that makes it irrelevant is that by 2020, non-Hispanic whites will be less than 50% of the population, i.e., a minority. To get ahead of the curve, Mecklenborg should be demanding that Spanish be the official language of Ohio.

Reality bites.

I guess it's always 1956 on the West Side.

 
at 12:21 AM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

5:37 -

Liberals love to cite the Equal Protection clause because leftist judges use it as their last refuge to attack laws which are constitutional on their face. And while the Equal Protection argument is often cited by your side, it often fails as well.
[See: Bush v. Gore, 2000]

As for the Commerce Clause, decades of Supreme Court case law have [unfortunately] ensured that "interstate commerce" includes just about every human endeavor. Using the power granted by the Commerce Clause, Congress can pass just about any law it wants, provided that it affects "interstate commerce" and does not conflict with the Tenth Amendment.

Good luck with the remainder of your paralegal studies!

 
at 12:27 AM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

at 4:37 PM, February 12, 2008 CincyCapell said...

"Well, Mecklenborg has won the knuckle dragging, racist, bed-wetting coward crowd's vote. People like the idiot facist "Vox Populi."

There's the pot calling the kettle black. You post using someone else's name, then have the nerve to call someone else a coward?? You're a typical liberal coward, who is so ashamed of what you write you have to use a conservative's name to try to bring credibility to your far-left argument. You are definitely a great representative of Todd Portune and David Pepper.

As for this legislation, anyone can see what's going on here. It's about the March primary and trying to earn votes against Hammersmith, nothing else. Mecklenborg is going for the headlines-grabber to win votes against the very conservative Dick Hammersmith.

 
at 9:25 AM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is rediculous. I have never seen so much anti-American sentiment. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

You are the problem with America. We didn't used to be a self-loathing nation, and now you ungrateful twits who were born with freedom given to you have forgotten how such freedom came to be. If you live in our country, speak our language on official business. The days of "press 1 for english" are disgusting.

 
at 11:10 AM, February 13, 2008 Blogger Chill out said...

This guy is obviously a phobic moron. What happens if you speak another language here? Eternal damnation!

Ohio is looking more idiotic every day.

 
at 12:00 PM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, make the poor hapless go-getters - smart and desperate enough to leave their country for a better life, have to struggle and attempt immediate English so that my ignorant concience doesn't have to feel stupid when I can't understand anything else. Shameful.

Fascists.

 
at 12:08 PM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Another Cincinnati conservative spewing complete garbage. Why should we be concerned with establishing an "offical" langauge? It's a waste of time to me, English will always be the dominant language, I think we can all agree on that. As for other conutries with "offical" languages we need only to look to recent history as to ascertain why they have offical languages. Most of the world was colonized by European powers (just like the US was at one point) and the native tongue was suppressed (as well as the local culture). All offical business was condcuted in the colonizer's language; so when it becam unfashionable (say after WWII) to have an empire, the newly formed "nation states" made their own native tongues (you know the ones that were suppressed by the colonizers) the "offical" language.
My parents are immigrants, and yes they did speak English before they came here, however my grandparents didn't. The language issue never stopped them, and if you conservative idiots would ever leave Cincinnati and travel to a foreign country you would find that a native English speaker has it better off than any other language as English is very common around the world.
Grow up conservatives, look at the real issues that we face (economic, race, education, healthcare etc.) and stop worrying about Bob Mecklenborg's ridiculous policy initiatives; stop having your attention diverted from the real issues.

 
at 12:19 PM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

its funny how the fascists forget who is doing press 1 for english. why its none other than their buddys, the corporations, and all they're trying to do is use technology to provide better and more complete customer service.

i guess its always easier to scapegoat someone then tackle the real problems that have been caused by the neocons and fascists.

 
at 1:32 PM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Vox Populi,

Once again, your analysis proves your intelligence. With respect to the Equal Protection argument, it is absurd to claim that disparate impact to the essential elements of our government (particularly the court system) do not fall squarely within the realm of "equal protection."

As for the commerce clause, you may (or should) be aware that the conservative Court has moved to limit its scope in the last decade. Lopez established that there are limits and--while I am not saying that an English only rule would not survive such a challenge--it is far from a foregone conclusion that it would be upheld.

 
at 3:37 PM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

It's hilarious to see pseudo-intellectual, self-hating liberals throwing the word 'fascist' around. Liberals are the real fascists. Anyone with a cursory understanding of history knows that fact. In order to educate you ignorant libs, here is Rich Lowry's review of "Liberal Fascism" by Jonah Goldberg. Enjoy!

"The f-bomb of American politics is the word “fascist,” routinely hurled by the left at conservatives. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater were smeared as incipient fascists, and George W. Bush now receives the honor, along with practically anyone to the right of Rosie O’Donnell on a college campus.

The operational meaning of the word “fascism” for most liberals who invoke it is usually “shut up.” It’s meant to bludgeon conservatives into silence. But many on the left also genuinely believe that there is something fascistic in the DNA of contemporary conservatism, as if Republican Party conventions would get their rightful treatment only if they were worshipfully filmed by Leni Riefenstahl.

In his brilliant new book "Liberal Fascism," Jonah Goldberg demonstrates how the opposite is the case, that fascism was a movement of the left and that liberal heroes like Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt were products of what Goldberg calls “the fascist moment” in America early in the 20th century. How we think of the ideological spectrum — socialism to the left, fascism to the right — should be forever changed.

Benito Mussolini was a socialist and earned the title “Il Duce” as the leader of the socialists in Italy. When he founded the fascist party, its program called for implementing a minimum wage, expropriating property from landowners, repealing titles of nobility, creating state-run secular schools and imposing a progressive tax rate. Mussolini took socialism and turned it in a more populist and militaristic direction, but remained a modernizing, secular man of the left.

The Nazis too were socialists, “enemies, deadly enemies, of today’s capitalist economic system,” in the words of the party’s ideologist Gregor Strasser. The party’s platform sounded a lot like that of the Italian fascists. The Nazis wanted to chase conventional Christianity from public life and overturn tradition, replacing them with an all-powerful state. Both Hitler and Mussolini were revolutionaries, bitterly opposed to “reactionary” forces in their societies.

By what standard, then, are they considered conservatives who took things to extremes? The left points to their anti-Semitism and militarism. But anti-Semitism isn’t an inherently right-wing phenomenon — Stalin’s Russia was anti-Semitic. As for militarism, these regimes looked to it as a way to mobilize and organize society, something deeply anathema to the anti-statist tradition of postwar American conservatism.

On the other hand, the progressive movement of the early 20th century looked to Mussolini as an inspiration and shared intellectual roots with European fascism, including an appreciation of the “top-down socialism” of Otto von Bismarck. Goldberg eviscerates Woodrow Wilson as the closest we have ever had to a fascist president. Wilson and his supporters welcomed World War I as an opportunity to expand the state, instituting “war socialism” and a far-reaching crackdown on dissent.

FDR picked up where Wilson left off. The crisis of the Great Depression was the occasion for reviving “war socialism.” The man who ran the National Recovery Administration was an open admirer of Mussolini, and the alphabet soup of New Deal agencies had their roots in World War I and the classic fascist impulse to mobilize society and put it on a war footing.

Goldberg sees the fascist exaltation of youth, glorification of violence, hatred of tradition and romance of “the street” in the New Left of the 1960s, still the subject of the fond memories for the liberal establishment in this country. Goldberg argues that “liberal fascism” — the phrase was coined by H. G. Wells, and he meant it positively — is a distant heir to European fascism. The liberal version is pacifist rather than militaristic and feminine rather than masculine in its orientation, but it also seeks to increase the power of the state and overcome tradition in sweeping crusades pursued with the moral fervor of war.

Goldberg’s keen intellectual history is, at bottom, a profound cautionary tale about the perils of state aggrandizement and of revolutionary movements. If nothing else, it should convince liberals that it’s time to find a new insult."
--Rich Lowry, National Review

 
at 4:29 PM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

"here is Rich Lowry's review of "Liberal Fascism" by Jonah Goldberg."

Translation: Here is an ideologue's review of another ideologue's book.

Is this a source worthy of recognition?

I'm not for name calling, but the reason behind liberals using the word fascist is that the far right's policies tend toward homogenization and seek to legislate behavior. Now, I'm sure that the right would level the same criticism on the left, but the use of the word isn't to serve as a synonym for "shut up" rather it is a lazy way of saying that the government shouldn't be involved in legislating such issues.

Curious how the Republicans pride themselves as the party of less intrusive government...

 
at 10:48 PM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

The entire thought of English only repulses me 100%. In a normal competitive world, those with the ability to speak several languages fluent always have the front end. Is this Mean Jean Schmidt's amigo or something? Give me a break...never seen/heard anything like this in my life.

 
at 11:18 PM, February 13, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is amazing how those who are against "English Only" really aren't thinking this out. Our nation is divided enough with calls for "DIVERSITY" And now many want a second language. Our nation and all nations are greatest under MELTING POT. Second languages and goofy "diversity" is ripping apart Europe and Canada. Please wake up and look what it's starting to do here.

 
at 4:04 AM, February 14, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I see from some of the comments here that the usual local hate America crowd have been reading and blogging on this. Let me break the news to you liberal idiots as gently as I can, if you can spare a minute from bowing down to your multiculturalism god: It is clear that you have neither common sense or patriotism, but attacking others for theirs is not the sign of intelligence you make it out to be. On the contrary it is the mark of your stupidity. How fortunate for you that you live in a time and place that will tolerate people like you. Had you been born 100 or more years ago you would have been shot for your treason or at least kicked out of this country and rightfully so.

But getting back on point, I feel this type of legislation does not go far enough. It should be a matter of law that businesses producing products in this country be labelled in only one language and not in the current form split English/Spanish. If there is a market for Spanish labelled products then by all means serve it but don't force me and other patriotic Americans to support measures that only serve to induce and aid further illegal aliens invasion of America. Anything and everything should be done to make their illegal lives more painful here than wherever it is they came from so that they might decide to stay home or at least go someplace else in the world.

 
at 8:15 AM, February 14, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

I guess that people that post here don't travel much. They continually repeat the lie that if you go to another country you have to learn their language. Not true. You can get along just fine in any major city in the world speaking English. You can live in other countries and never speak a word of the native language. American colonies, especially of retirees, are springing up all over Mexico and Central and South America. These American visitors live out their speaking their native tongue--English, in Spanish speaking countries.

It's the opposite argument. Americans insist on speaking English no matter where they go and expect everyone else to also. Americans are too dumb, or too lazy or too arrogant to learn a second language but expect everyone else to pick it up overnight.

 
at 5:06 PM, February 14, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here's another "Hate America First" type chiming in at 8:15 AM.

The entire world is in the midst of trying to learn English and yet here in the USA we have to "press one" to speak the mother tongue. Millions of children in China are taught English, not Spanish. English is the international language of business, science, and diplomacy. So of course it should be the official language in the United States. It's the quasi-official language of the rest of the world! You must not get out of Ohio much.

 
at 9:56 PM, February 14, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

It looks like the Mecklenborg staffers went back to work today. At least now we know when Roberto Mecklenborg supports another tax increase we'll all be able to read about it in English!

 
at 12:04 AM, February 21, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous - "I guess that people that post here don't travel much. They continually repeat the lie that if you go to another country you have to learn their language. Not true."


I guess this person has never travel to Miami Florida...which is in the US by the way. Miami has everything from official street signs to billboards in complete spanish. It is known as the American city where you cannot not know Spanish. Almost 70% of the people speak Spanish as their language and the city actually recognizes Spanish as one of its official languages. Tell me liberals, is recognizing Spanish as an official language racists? I'm guessing its probably not and someone will come up with some way to justify it when the simple fact of the matter is that we need English as an official language to keep our country as one cohesive nation. Yeah lets have diversity and all that crap, but we need to be able to communicate. Having the southern halves of FL, Texas, and Cali with official documents and street signs in spanish while other parts of New York California and Chicago all print official documents in Polish, Korean, or Chinese is not a smart economic move on our country's behalf. When this finally happens all of us "narrow-minded, racists" republicans will be able to laugh at you guys who move away to your choatic blue states that cannot even function due to the fact that they are too worried about diversity that they forget simple business practices while we reside comfortably in our cohesive functioning red states that are fiscally responsible and allow room for "social justice" (which is practically worshiped by liberals), but through churches and other non-profit organizations not through welfare and food stamps.

 
at 11:52 AM, March 08, 2008 Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is about time this happened. I am so tired of "pushing 1" for English! All immigrants before us had to learn the language, so why have we changed our ways to accomodate those who speak Spanish?? I am worried that the US is loosing our identity. Why have we allowed it this long?

 
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