Jean Schmidt: Plagiarist

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) has been caught plagiarizing. Again.

Here is what Schmidt recently wrote in her column:

“When exiting the bus, care should be taken to check that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps do not get caught in the handrails or doors. Additionally, students should never go back for anything left on the bus, and never bend down near or under the bus to pick something up that has fallen.”

But here is what former Ohio State Highway Patrol Col. Paul McClellan wrote in 2005:

“When exiting the bus, care should be taken to check that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps do not get caught in the handrails or doors. Additionally, students should never go back for anything left on the bus, and never bend down near or under the bus to pick something up that has fallen.”

Golly, that's identical! But The Daily Bellwether has even more here:

Col. McClellan in 2005:

. . . reminds motorists that they are required to stop for stopped school buses that are displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. Motorists approaching from either direction are required to stop at least 10 feet from a stopped school bus until the bus resumes motion. If a school bus is stopped on a road divided into four or more lanes, only traffic driving in the same direction as the bus must stop.

Schmidt, Sept. 4, 2007:

. . . reminds motorists that they are required to stop for stopped school buses that are displaying flashing red lights and an extended stop arm. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, motors approaching a stopped school bus from either direction should stop at least 10 feet away and wait until the bus resumes motion. If a school bus is stopped on a road divided into four or more lanes, only traffic driving in the same direction as the bus must stop.

Col. McClellan, in 2005:

While waiting for the bus, they should stand at least three giant steps away from the curb, and line up away from the street. Before stepping into the bus, children should wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver gives permission.

Schmidt, Sept. 4, 2007:

While waiting for the bus, they should stand at least three giant steps away from the curb, and line up away from the street. Before stepping into the bus, children should wait until the bus stops, the door opens and the driver gives permission.

Col. McClellan, in 2005:

Parents should encourage their children to sit quietly in their seat and follow the driver's instructions on school bus safety. When exiting the bus, care should be taken to check that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps do not get caught in the handrails or doors. Additionally, students should never go back for anything left on the bus, and never bend down near or under the bus to pick something up that has fallen.

Schmidt, Sept. 4, 2007"

While on the bus, children should be encouraged to sit quietly in their seat and follow the driver's instructions on school bus safety. When exiting the bus, care should be taken to check that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps do not get caught in the handrails or doors. Additionally, students should never go back for anything left on the bus, and never bend down near or under the bus to pick something up that has fallen.

There is more. But you've probably seen enough.

Thinkprogress links to this other account of Schmidt plagiarizing material from Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) in 2006:

Schmidt:

Two-and-a-half years ago, Republicans delivered on a promise we made to the American people by passing sweeping Medicare reform, including a comprehensive Medicare prescription drug benefit to give America's seniors access to affordable prescription drugs. Now that the program is off the ground, the evidence is in and we have much to celebrate: the Medicare prescription drug benefit is working, and seniors are saving money. Over 90 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries now have drug coverage - that's 38 million seniors. As of this summer in Ohio, 1.4 million more seniors have prescription drug coverage than before the benefit began.

Pryce:

Two and a half years ago, Congress delivered on a promise we made to the American people by passing sweeping Medicare reform, including a comprehensive Medicare prescription drug benefit to, for the first time, give America’s seniors access to affordable prescription drugs. As we have now passed the May 15th deadline, the evidence is in and we have much to celebrate: the Medicare prescription drug benefit is working, and seniors are saving money.

Over 90 percent of all Medicare beneficiaries now have drug coverage - that's 38 million seniors. As of mid-June in Ohio’s, nearly 1.6 million seniors have prescription drug coverage.

Schmidt:

Prior to enactment of this measure, Medicare had changed little since its creation in the 1960s. The program brought a 20th-century attitude to 21st-century medicine, funding expensive operations but failing to fund prescription drugs. Medicare would pay for your operation to install a pacemaker after a heart attack, but it wouldn't pay for the heart medicine that might have prevented the heart attack in the first place.

Pryce:

Prior to enactment of this measure, Medicare had changed little since its creation in the 1960s. The program brought a 20 th-century attitude to 21 st-century medicine, funding expensive operations but failing to fund prescription drugs. Medicare would pay for your operation to install a pacemaker after a heart attack, but it wouldn’t pay for the heart medicine that might have prevented the heart attack in the first place.

Schmidt:

The reforms changed all this. Thanks to the reforms passed in 2003, which took effect on Jan. 1 of this year, millions of seniors are now receiving low-cost prescription drugs through the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. In the face of attacks and attempts to scare seniors away from signing up, many of us teamed up with local advocacy organizations to hold thousands of events across the country to educate seniors about the new benefit. The results of those efforts can be seen in the record sign-up, which far surpassed enrollment goals. More importantly, seniors are saving. The average beneficiary expects to save $1,100 a year.

Pryce:

The Medicare prescription drug benefit changed all of this. Thanks to the reforms we passed in 2003, which took effect on January 1 of this year, millions of seniors are now receiving low-cost prescription drugs through the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. In the face of partisan attacks and attempts to scare seniors away from signing up, I was proud to have teamed up with local advocacy organizations to hold events in central Ohio to educate seniors about the new benefit. The results of those efforts can be seen in the record sign-up, which far surpassed enrollment goals. The average beneficiary expects to save $1,100 a year.

Schmidt:

And there is more good news. Competition is reducing the cost of the benefit both for seniors and for tax payers. Premiums were originally expected to be $37 per month, but competition among the plans has reduced average premiums to just $24 per month. Low-income beneficiaries are receiving significant assistance, often paying little or no premium, co-pay or deductible. Estimated tax payer costs of the plan from 2006 to 2015 have dropped by $180 billion.

Pryce:

And there’s more good news. Competition is reducing the cost of the benefit both for seniors and for taxpayers. Premiums were originally expected to be $37 per month, but competition among the plans has reduced average premiums to just $24 per month. Low-income beneficiaries are receiving significant assistance, often paying little or no premium, co-pay or deductible. Estimated taxpayer costs of the plan from 2006 to 2015 have dropped by $180 billion. In fact, the cost of the program is expected to fall from an estimated $8 billion in 2006 alone.

Schmidt:

The initial sign-up deadline ended on May 15th, but our commitment to America's seniors hasn't stopped. The House Ways and Means Committee recently held a hearing to examine how the benefit is working, and the Medicare agency announced that seniors who qualify for the low income benefit can continue to enroll past the deadline penalty-free. The Social Security Administration is reaching out to low income-eligible individuals through targeted education and application events, direct mailings and follow-up phone calls. The Medicare agency is coordinating closely with SSA and local organizations on personalized grassroots outreach.

Pryce:

The initial sign-up deadline ended on May 15, but our commitment to America's seniors hasn't stopped. The House Ways and Means Committee recently held a hearing to examine the benefit and the Medicare agency announced that seniors who qualify for the low-income benefit can continue to enroll past the deadline penalty-free. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has launched significant outreach efforts through targeted education and application events, in addition to direct mailings and follow-up phone calls, to likely low income-eligible individuals. The Medicare agency is coordinating closely with SSA and local organizations on personalized grassroots outreach.

Schmidt:

The Medicare prescription drug benefit represents the most significant modernization to any public health program in our nation's history. Seniors signed up in droves and are saving a lot of money. The best part are the stories that I have heard from seniors and their families in the district who finally have the piece of mind that they can get the medicines they need. When millions of America's seniors go from having limited access to prescription drug coverage to having the choice to select affordable coverage that best meets their needs, we all have much to celebrate.

Pryce:

The Medicare prescription drug benefit represents the most significant modernization to any public health program in our nation's history. Seniors signed up in droves and are saving a lot of money. The best part are the stories that I've heard from countless seniors and their families in my district who finally have the peace of mind that they can get the medicines they need to improve their quality of life. When millions of America's seniors go from having little or no access to prescription drug coverage to having the choice to select affordable coverage that best meets their needs, we all have much to celebrate.