Ohio Citizen Alert--Big Sister is Watching You

The Columbus Dispatch and other media have reported that the Director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Helen Jones-Kelley, approved records checks on Samuel Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio. Mr. Wurzelbacher, whose middle name is Joseph, is better known as Joe the Plumber.

These records checks were clearly politically motivated and therefore completely improper. As the Dispatch stated in its lead editorial on Wednesday, "Access to such data is supposed to be restricted to official business of government and law enforcement....Such scrutiny could have a chilling effect on the willingness of people to stand up and be counted prior to elections. It also undermines the confidence of all Ohioans that their state government is serious about protecting sensitive information."

Referring to the Ohio governor, the Wednesday editorial also stated: "Strickland, who...said there were no political motives in the data-checking, apparently is giving [Jones-Kelley] the benefit of the doubt."

I suggest that Ohio citizens who read The Postliberal not give Gov. Strickland the benefit of the doubt. He should be inundated with mail informing him that Jones-Kelley's snooping was transparently political, and that he shouldn't be covering up for her. He should fire her.

Gov. Strickland's homepage can be accessed by clicking here. Follow the "Contact" link to find a form for sending the governor mail. Let him know that voters feel personally affected by Jones-Kelley's abuse of her office to harass a fellow Ohio citizen and infringe upon his rights. We can watch too. Make sure Ted Strickland knows we're watching his administration, and that we care.