Showing posts with label Ohio News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ohio News. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

The Looming Blow to Ohio Manufacturing: Howard Lutnick’s Push to Defund MEP Could Cost 11,000–20,000 Jobs Statewide

 

Howard Lutnick - United States Secretary of Commerce
Howard Lutnick

Because Who Needs Modern Manufacturing When You Have AI, Right?

Ohio manufacturing faces 11,000–20,000 job losses as Lutnick pushes to defund MEP, threatening modernization and global competitiveness.



A recent IndustryWeek report confirms that the Trump Administration, under the direction of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, intends to eliminate all federal funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) in 2026. Even before the full cut takes effect, MEP centers supporting Ohio have already faced delayed federal payments, stalled hiring, and shrinking capacity to assist local manufacturers.

Ohio stands to lose the most. MEP delivers hands-on support for small and mid-sized manufacturers across the state, enabling companies to modernize operations, implement new technologies, meet regulatory requirements, and strengthen supply chains. Without that support network, many firms will shoulder higher costs, slower modernization cycles, and increased exposure to foreign competition. Smaller manufacturers in rural regions face the greatest risk of closure.

Howard Lutnick remains at the center of the policy shift. During public testimony, he stated:

“The new technology is AI-driven, automated. I think we need to re-examine and retool a whole variety of these programs so that we are able to provide the best technological assistance rather than just continuing a program that’s decades and decades old. So I’m very focused, and our department is very focused, on making sure we’re bringing our manufacturers the best tools and we’re examining them.”

Why Lutnick’s Argument Fails to Hold Up

MEP already delivers AI, automation, and advanced manufacturing support. Centers in Ohio routinely guide firms through robotics adoption, data-driven manufacturing, digital quality systems, and smart-factory upgrades. Eliminating the program under the claim that it is “outdated” ignores the documented evolution already underway.

Ohio’s small manufacturers cannot adopt high-tech tools without structured assistance. AI, automation, and advanced robotics carry steep costs. Cutting the only subsidized technical support program makes modernization harder, not easier.

A modernized industry requires a bridge, not a cliff. Lutnick frames AI as a replacement for traditional support programs, yet AI can only be deployed effectively when firms have strong processes, trained workers, and access to experts. MEP is the bridge that connects legacy operations to advanced technology.

A zero-budget proposal contradicts the goal of providing “the best tools.” Eliminating funding removes every tool MEP delivers, including the very AI-related assistance Lutnick claims to prioritize.

Ohio’s manufacturing sector continues to power regional economies, small towns, and supply chains that feed national industries. Removing MEP support undermines that foundation. The policy direction led by Lutnick risks weakening a core manufacturing state at the precise moment global competition intensifies.

Global Competition Makes Cuts Even More Dangerous

Foreign competitors invest aggressively in modernizing their industrial bases. China, Germany, Japan, and South Korea provide extensive state-backed support, ranging from automation grants to export assistance, enabling their manufacturers to scale rapidly and dominate global markets. Ohio’s manufacturers would be forced to compete against heavily subsidized overseas firms with fewer resources, less technical guidance, and slower modernization timelines. When domestic firms fall behind on productivity or quality standards, key contracts shift to foreign suppliers, eroding industrial capacity and weakening national economic security. Defunding MEP gives rival nations a strategic opening while leaving Ohio’s industrial backbone to absorb modernization challenges alone.

Estimated Job Loss from MEP Cuts

Evidence-based estimates suggest that Ohio could lose roughly 5,700–6,900 direct MEP-supported jobs if federal funding is eliminated. When including downstream effects on suppliers and related industries, total employment losses could reach 11,000–20,000 jobs statewide, threatening livelihoods, payrolls, and regional economic stability. These figures underscore the tangible human and economic consequences of eliminating MEP support for Ohio’s manufacturers.


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All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.- Galileo Now You Know 
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Taliban Cash Jackpot Every Friday, Ohio Moms & Kids Get a Freezing Sidewalk for Christmas. Merry Freaking Priorities, America!

 

While Terrorists Count Our Millions, American Families Count Hypothermia Hours. Thanks for the Warm Wishes, Uncle Sam




Picture this: While American families huddle in doorways during Ohio's brutal winters, freezing winds howling at sub-zero temps that claim lives every year, our government wires $40 million a week, every single week to the Taliban in Afghanistan. These are the same thugs who sheltered Osama bin Laden and turned a nation into a hellhole for women and girls. But back home? The feds are slashing funds that keep our own people off the streets. It's a sick joke, and the punchline is thousands of Americans about to lose their roofs over their heads. This isn't compassion; it's betrayal.

Let's break it down, no sugarcoating. Since the Taliban seized power in 2021, the U.S. has pumped billions in "humanitarian aid" into Afghanistan, over $5 billion in cash shipments alone, flown in like pizza delivery for terrorists. Lawmakers like Rep. Tim Burchett have called it out: $40 million weekly, taxpayer dollars, getting taxed and pocketed by the Taliban. They skim millions just to let the aid through, turning our money into their war chest. Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted $10 million went straight to them in taxes by late 2024, and the cash keeps flowing in 2025. That's $2 billion a year propping up an enemy regime while our vets, moms, dads, men and women of all ages and working poor get told to pound sand.
Now look at the nightmare hitting home. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) just gutted the Continuum of Care program, the main lifeline for permanent supportive housing. It used to let 87% of the money go to real homes with wrap-around services (the proven "Housing First" model that actually ends homelessness). The new rule? Caps it at 30%. Starting January 1, 2026, they’re yanking stable housing and forcing the money into short-term shelters that kick people out if they don’t jump through hoops. No extra dollars to fill the gap. Ohio alone could lose $80 million out of its $178 million, putting over 10,000 Ohioans (part of 170,000 nationwide) back on the street.
Winter in Ohio is a killer. Temperatures drop to 20 below zero, snow buries everything, and the wind cuts straight to the bone. Last year homelessness already jumped 3%, with 11,759 people without shelter statewide and 2,556 in Franklin County alone. Now imagine a disabled veteran, a domestic-violence survivor.
Shelters are already full. Tents turn into ice boxes. People freeze to death under bridges. Ohio loses dozens every single winter to hypothermia. This policy isn’t reform; it’s a death sentence handed down by bureaucrats who’ve never felt that cold.
The hypocrisy gets worse. While American citizens wait years for Section 8 vouchers that never come, FEMA poured $650 million in 2024 alone into hotels, food, and services for migrants at the border. Kids here illegally often get free school meals and health care that struggling U.S. families can’t access. Meanwhile, FEMA froze $117 million meant for homeless American families this year. Born-here citizens are treated like garbage while others walk in and get handed the keys.
Ohio’s leaders? Silent. Twenty states, led by New York, sued HUD in November to stop these cuts, calling them unlawful chaos that endangers 170,000 lives. Cities like Columbus filed their own lawsuit back in May. Nonprofits joined in December. But Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost? He didn’t lift a finger. No lawsuit, no support, nothing. He left Ohio’s most vulnerable to freeze while he chased headlines somewhere else.
Homelessness is NOT a crime, it’s what happens when the country you paid taxes to and fought for turns its back on you. These cuts will cost lives, fill emergency rooms, and pack jails with people arrested just for trying to stay alive. Over 170,000 Americans, including veterans who served this nation, now face the streets because Washington would rather send pallets of cash to terrorists than keep its own people warm.
This is America’s shame. Reverse the HUD cuts. Demand Ohio’s leaders fight. Our people deserve better than crumbs while enemies get billions.
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All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.-Galileo

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Sunday, March 23, 2025

Targeted for Freedom - Life Ruined: Thaddeus Billman’s Battle - CAIR-Ohio’s Assault on Free Speech – Part 2


Targeted for Freedom: Thaddeus Billman’s Battle - CAIR-Ohio’s Assault on Free Speech – Part 2

Life Ruined.


On March 14, 2025, The Columbus Dispatch doubled down on its witch hunt against Thaddeus Billman with a follow-up hit piece titled, “CAIR-Ohio: Columbus shelter board should fire employee who posted anti-Muslim YouTube videos,” amplifying the venomous rhetoric of the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Ohio (CAIR-Ohio) and its executive director, Khalid Turaani. Just one day after their initial article sparked a firestorm, The Dispatch and CAIR-Ohio escalated their assault, demanding Billman’s head on a platter for his YouTube channel “Reasoned Answers.” Their accusations drip with bias, innuendo, and a reckless disregard for truth—hallmarks of defamation under Ohio law. Billman, a Christian apologist and data analyst unjustly axed from the Community Shelter Board (CSB), stands as a testament to America’s embattled free speech rights, facing a coordinated effort to ruin his livelihood over opinions expressed outside his workplace. This isn’t justice—it’s a lynching dressed up as moral outrage, with CAIR-Ohio deliberately targeting him for his views.

The Dispatch and CAIR’s Biased Barrage
The Dispatch’s March 14 article leans heavily on CAIR-Ohio’s inflammatory claims, starting with Turaani’s assertion: “Billman’s role in a community nonprofit serving Muslims, among others, should alarm us all—proof that hate thrives even in well-intentioned spaces.” This is a textbook smear—vague, unsubstantiated, and designed to imply guilt without evidence. CAIR-Ohio zeroed in on Billman, cherry-picking his YouTube content, including his interview with historian Robert Spencer, to paint him as a threat, despite no concrete link to workplace misconduct. Billman’s role at CSB—crunching numbers, ensuring data integrity, and submitting reports—has no nexus to his personal views. Yet Turaani and The Dispatch paint him as a ticking time bomb, a bigot lurking in plain sight. How does this accusation hold up? It’s a flimsy house of cards, built on assumption, not fact, revealing CAIR’s calculated targeting of a man who dared to speak his mind.

Turaani doubles down, claiming, “For such a well-regarded organization in the Columbus area to have a person peddling hate in such a way that it’s creating a platform for a very well-known racist is simply unacceptable.” Calling Spencer, a scholar who’s briefed the FBI and U.S. military, a “very well-known racist” is a cheap shot, not a fact. Billman’s admiration for Spencer—a man with a robust academic record—doesn’t make him a hate-monger. It’s a personal opinion, protected under the First Amendment, not a fireable offense. The Dispatch regurgitates Turaani’s overblown hyperbole without skepticism, despite Billman’s prior statement to them: “My private views, or YouTube views, are not relevant to my job,” and “Any views I hold do not impact the work that I do.” Though he couldn’t be reached for further comment on this story, his stance remains crystal clear. CAIR-Ohio’s targeting here is blatant—punishing Billman not for actions, but for associations they deem unacceptable.

Shredding CAIR’s Sanctimonious Nonsense
CAIR-Ohio’s press release, quoted by The Dispatch, takes the cake for audacity: “Employees who project bigoted ideologies—especially on social media—cannot be trusted to act with integrity in their work,” Turaani declares. Let’s rip this apart. First, “bigoted ideologies” is a subjective smear, not a legal standard. Billman’s videos critique Islam from a Christian perspective—crude at times, sure, but free speech doesn’t require politeness. The Supreme Court in Cohen v. California (1971) upheld the right to offensive speech, ruling that “one man’s vulgarity is another’s lyric.” Billman’s words, however provocative, are his constitutional right, exercised off-duty, with no shown impact on his job. CAIR-Ohio targeted him anyway, twisting his personal expression into a professional indictment without proof.

Second, “cannot be trusted to act with integrity” is pure conjecture—defamation dressed as concern. Under Ohio law, defamation requires a false statement of fact made with actual malice—reckless disregard for the truth (Milkovich v. Lorain Journal Co., 1990). Turaani has no evidence Billman’s views compromised his work. He’s guessing, and The Dispatch ran with it, amplifying a lie that’s cost Billman his career. Third, “the line between free speech and hate speech is increasingly blurred” is Turaani’s dodge to silence dissent. There’s no “hate speech” exception to the First Amendment (Snyder v. Phelps, 2011)—a fact CAIR conveniently ignores while crying victim. This isn’t blurred; it’s Billman’s right, plain and simple. CAIR’s relentless targeting hinges on vilifying his speech, not his deeds.

Turaani’s follow-up is even worse: “Islamophobia and hate are rising, not fading, as minorities face relentless attacks… From Springfield to DEI suppression, it’s all connected.” This is a masterclass in bad faith. “Islamophobia” is a loaded term, not a legal category, flung at Billman to shut him up. His channel debates religion—hardly a “relentless attack” on anyone. Linking him to unrelated issues like Springfield or DEI is a desperate stretch, lumping him into a grand conspiracy with zero proof. CAIR’s tactic here is clear: smear, exaggerate, and suppress, targeting Billman as a scapegoat for their broader agenda.

CAIR’s Dirty Laundry: Lawsuits and Speech Suppression
CAIR-Ohio’s sanctimony is laughable given its own track record. Nationally, CAIR has initiated or been involved in frivolous lawsuits since its founding in 1994, often targeting critics of Islam or its own actions. In 2005, CAIR sued Andrew Whitehead for calling it an “Islamist hate group” on his Anti-CAIR website; the case settled after CAIR dropped it, unable to prove falsehood. In 2016, CAIR sued Florida gun range owner Robert Hall for banning Muslims, claiming discrimination—yet lost when courts upheld his free exercise rights. CAIR’s Ohio chapter joined the fray in 2021, firing its own director, Romin Iqbal, for allegedly spying for an anti-Muslim group, exposing internal rot while crying “Islamophobia” elsewhere. This is an outfit that thrives on litigation and intimidation, not integrity—precisely the kind of group that would unjustly target Billman for his YouTube channel.

CAIR’s obsession with silencing speech is well-documented. Its 2021 “Islamophobia Report” demanded social media censor “anti-Muslim content,” a blatant attack on free expression. Turaani’s call to fire Billman fits this pattern—punish thought, not action. Compare this to Billman, who’s never sued to shut anyone up. His “crime”? Talking about religion online. CAIR’s hypocrisy is staggering, and their targeting of Billman is a textbook example of their playbook: attack, defame, and destroy.

CSB’s Legal Blunders and Bad Faith
CSB’s response is a masterclass in cowardice and potential illegality. Spokeswoman Níel Jurist told The Dispatch that Billman’s claim of being cleared “may give the impression” of a formal review, insisting the matter is “still under investigation.” Why is a nonprofit blabbing to the press about an employee’s private life during an “ongoing investigation”? This reeks of retaliation and defamation. In Reeves v. Sanderson Plumbing Products, Inc. (2000), the Supreme Court ruled employers can’t justify firing without job-related evidence—CSB has none, just vague “concerns.” Speaking to The Dispatch mid-investigation also risks violating Ohio’s employment laws against public disparagement (Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Co. v. White, 2006).

Who tipped off CAIR-Ohio to weigh in? Was it CSB, leaking to an advocacy group mid-probe? Or The Dispatch, fishing for a juicy quote? Either way, it’s a red flag—collusion to smear Billman before due process. CSB’s sanctimonious “we support all communities” line is hollow when they’ve torched Billman’s rights without proof, amplifying CAIR’s unjust targeting with their own spineless complicity.

Defending Thaddeus: America’s Free Speech Champion
Thaddeus Billman isn’t just a data analyst—he’s a warrior for the First Amendment. His YouTube channel, however brash, is his right as an American. Pickering v. Board of Education (1968) protects public employees’ speech on public matters unless it disrupts work—CSB hasn’t shown a shred of disruption. Billman’s insistence that “any views I hold do not impact the work that I do” is unassailable. He didn’t infringe on anyone’s rights; CAIR and CSB infringed on his, targeting him for exercising his freedom.

Khalid Turaani’s baseless attacks don’t hold a candle to Billman’s legal footing. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) bars religious discrimination—firing Billman for his Christian views could violate it. Ohio’s at-will employment doesn’t excuse retaliation or defamation, and CSB’s public statements flirt with both. Billman could sue for wrongful termination, defamation, and First Amendment retaliation—grounds as solid as steel.

The Real Villains
Call Billman “Islamophobic”? Rubbish. He debates ideas, not people. CAIR’s the one peddling fear, suing critics into silence while dodging its own scandals, targeting Billman as their latest victim. CSB’s the one breaking trust, airing dirty laundry to dodge accountability. The Dispatch? A megaphone for malice, not truth. Thaddeus Billman’s fight isn’t just his—it’s ours. The battle for justice roars on.
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The Looming Blow to Ohio Manufacturing: Howard Lutnick’s Push to Defund MEP Could Cost 11,000–20,000 Jobs Statewide

  Howard Lutnick Because Who Needs Modern Manufacturing When You Have AI, Right? Ohio manufacturing faces 11,000–20,000 job losses as Lutnic...