'Friday Night Lights' Creator Accuses Romney of Plagiarism

All week Mitt Romney has quoted one of his favorite TV series to punctuate the poignant stories of lives cut short that he has woven into his campaign speeches.

But on Friday the creator of the series, "Friday Night Lights," accused Mr. Romney of plagiarism for adopting the slogan, "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose,'' and asked him to stop using it.

"Your politics and campaign are clearly not aligned with the themes we portrayed in our series," Peter Berg, the writer-director of the show, wrote in a letter to Mr. Romney.

"The only relevant comparison I see between your campaign and 'Friday Night Lights' is in the character of Buddy Garrity - who turned his back on American car manufacturers, selling imported cars from Japan."

The Romney campaign did not immediately respond to a question about whether it would cease using the slogan.

Already this week Mr. Romney has stopped mentioning Glen Doherty, a former Navy SEAL killed in the attack on an American consulate annex in Benghazi, Libya, after Mr. Doherty's mother objected to the candidate politicizing her son's death.

Insurance companies and health maintenance organizations (HMOs), which stand to make huge profits from the Medicare privatization proposal that Rep. Jim Renacci voted for this year, made significant contributions to his 2012 re-election campaign, according to a new report from Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and Public Campaign Action Fund (PCAF). Congressman Paul Ryan, the GOP vice presidential candidate, included the privatization scheme in this year's House budget.

Ryan's plan, endorsed by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, would end Medicare as we know it and leave seniors without protection from soaring out-of-pocket medical costs while increasing insurance company profits by $16 billion to $26 billion in 2030, the report found. Campaign donations from these insurers have disproportionately gone to the House members, including Renacci who support the Ryan Medicare scheme. The pattern raises questions about whether the congressman is working for his constituents or for campaign donors from big insurance companies and Wall Street.

So far in the 2012 election cycle, insurance industry and HMO interests have given at least $14 million in campaign contributions to U.S. House members who voted for the Ryan Medicare privatization plan, the HCAN/PCAF report said. From the top of the ticket on down, federal candidates who supported the Ryan plan received nearly twice as much insurance industry campaign cash as those who voted against it. Romney has received $2.7 million from insurance interests this cycle alone. Renacci received $105,685 for his re-election effort.

For the insurance industry, the political spending is an investment that could reap enormous returns. A respected Wall Street analyst estimates that the market value of Wall Street-run health insurance companies will soon increase by $12 billion to $25 billion if the Republicans win the Senate and the White House, the report said. By 2030 the industry would post $16 billion to $26 billion in increased annual profits attributable to the Medicare privatization, according to a Harvard economist.
"It's no coincidence that big insurance is putting big money into races like Rep. Renacci's re-election campaign," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio. "To an industry obsessed with maximizing its returns, this is a smart investment that will yield big profits. The problem is, lawmakers like Rep. Renacci are supposed to be working for constituents, not for Wall Street."

Continue to Miss Critical Deadlines for Implementing a State Health Insurance Reform

COLUMBUS--Lt. Governor Mary Taylor has once again put politics over the interests of Ohio's businesses and consumers by not submitting a list of minimum essential benefits to be covered under Ohio health insurance policies.  Citing a lack of clarity in rules from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), she ignored an important deadline in implementing federal health care reform.

"The Lt. Governor consistently derides 'Obamacare' and federal mandates and yet, when given the opportunity for control over how the insurance industry will be regulated in Ohio, she opts for a one-size-fits-all federal model," said Representative John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus). "Secretary Sebelius and HHS recognized that all states are not the same and allowed states the opportunity to regulate themselves. Ohio has a unique economy and unique demographics.  What works in California or Texas or Indiana may not be best for Ohioans."

Ohio Republican Party says Issue 2 would create a redistricting commission with a blank check to spend

A frequent criticism of Issue 2, the redistricting reform proposal before Ohio voters on Nov. 6, is its cost to taxpayers.

The Ohio Republican Party played that card when it sent out a campaign flier Sept. 11, 2012, with a warning about the 12-member redistricting commission that Issue 2 would establish. Its claim:

"They'll have a blank check to spend our money."

The claim is a common theme used in the campaign against Issue 2. PolitiFact Ohio decided to check it out.

...

as the Ohio Supreme Court ruled, the proposed amendment places a qualification on spending. If the commission were to ask for more money than initially provided, as LoParo hypothesized, it would have to show the spending is necessary.

There is no specific cap on spending in the amendment, but that does not mean the commission will be able to spend as much as it wants.

The GOP's statement is not accurate. On the Truth-O-Meter, the claim rates False.

Moyers & Company presents "United States of ALEC," a report on the most influential corporate-funded political force most of America has never heard of -- ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council.

A national consortium of state politicians and powerful corporations, ALEC presents itself as a "nonpartisan public-private partnership". But behind that mantra lies a vast network of corporate lobbying and political action aimed to increase corporate profits at public expense without public knowledge.

Using interviews, documents, and field reporting, the episode explores ALEC's self-serving machine at work, acting in a way one Wisconsin politician describes as "a corporate dating service for lonely legislators and corporate special interests."

In state houses around the country, hundreds of pieces of boilerplate ALEC legislation are proposed or enacted that would, among other things, dilute collective bargaining rights, make it harder for some Americans to vote, and limit corporate liability for harm caused to consumers -- each accomplished without the public ever knowing who's behind it.

Watch It:

In a harshly worded letter, Retired Judge William O'neill today demanded that Justices Cupp and O'Donnell "stop sitting on their $44,000.00 contributors' cases."

Judge William O'Neill and Senator Michael Skindell, candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court, are demanding that Justices Robert Cupp and Terrence O'Donnell recuse themselves from all future First Energy Cases. 

"The First Energy Family has contributed more than $44,000.00 into re-election campaigns for Justices Cupp and O'Donnell this year alone," O'Neill said. "It is simply wrong for them to continue sitting on First Energy cases."

The Ohio Supreme Court is currently considering a case in which 300,000 First Energy Customers are seeking to sue the corporation for fraud. The 11th District Court of Appeals earlier ruled in favor of the consumers. First Energy is now asking the Ohio Supreme Court to reverse that ruling.

"This could easily be a billion dollar case," O'Neill said. "And the public has a right to know that the ruling was not purchased by one side or another."

In 2012, First Energy has been involved in four matters before the Ohio Supreme Court. The Court ruled in favor of the corporation in all four cases. 

Ohio Supreme Court rejects JobsOhio effort to speed access to liquor profits

JobsOhio will need to find another way to speed its access to $100 million in liquor profis.

The Ohio Supreme Court today dismissed a petition filed by the nonprofit -- created by Gov. John Kasich to handle the state's economic development program -- that would have freed up the state's commerce director to transfer the funds. The court said JobsOhio's writ of mandamus action was the wrong legal procedure to enable the transfer of funds from the state to the nonprofit.

The court in a 4-2 decision said JobsOhio needs to find its remedy through the normal legal process, not in a direct appeal to the Supreme Court.

Ohio Supreme Court dismisses Gov. John Kasich's JobsOhio suit

JobsOhio has been saddled with litigation since its outset, largely with questions of whether it is constitutional. Lower courts have said that suits brought by the left leaning group ProgressOhio have raised legitimate constitutional questions, but no court has said explicitly whether the operation is legal.

The Kasich administration sought to have the Supreme Court address the merits of the lawsuits and give it an up-or-down ruling so that it can know whether to move forward.

To seal the deal allowing JobsOhio to take over the liquor sales operation, JobsOhio's president Mark Kvamme, Ohio Budget Director Tim Keen and Goodman need to sign off on the agreement. But in a planned scenario, Goodman refused to sign, prompting Kvamme to file the mandamus action.

The court's ruling on today, however, means the administration remains in limbo over JobsOhio.

ProgressOhio Director Brian Rothenberg called the court's ruling a "self-inflicted wound" by the Kasich administration because he says the administration has previously argued his lawsuit had no standing in the lower courts, which is where the Supreme Court on Friday told the administration to go.

"There's a half-billion dollars slated to go to a private entity from state coffers and we still don't know if it's constitutional or not," Rothenberg said. "At some point a court has to determine if this is constitutional or not."

Bill Moyers tackled ALEC, the secret group that helps write laws in Ohio and across the country, in his latest special on Democracy Now! Check it out:

State Auditor Dave Yost has released a report finding that Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor and Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder both used state airplanes in questionable ways. Taylor was forced by Gov. John Kasich earlier this year to reimburse over a $1,000 to the state of Ohio for taking three personal trips in state aircraft. Yost's report revealed that Batchelder also reimbursed the state a similar amount for trips taken from a private event. 

The audit also found that in 2011, Kasich used the state aircraft over twice as many times as Gov. Ted Strickland did his last year in office.

Taylor is not the first lieutenant governor to run into turbulence on a government-owned plane. Bruce Johnson, who served in the position under Gov. Bob Taft, was riding in an F-16 that buzzed downtown Columbus, flying nearly 5 times as low as allowed. The FAA found the flight to be "careless or reckless".

A week after calling Sen. Sherrod Brown "un-American" for helping save America's auto manufacturing sector, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel has moved on to smearing President Barack Obama in a fundraising email being labeled "mind-boggingly cynical":

In an effort to raise money from conservatives, Josh Mandel, the Republican candidate for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat, is falsely accusing President Obama of "trying to suppress the military vote." Even in a political environment awash in hard-hitting and often misleading charges, the accusation stands out as a flat-out lie.

In reality, Gov. John Kasich and Ohio lawmakers rolled back the right to early vote for everyone except for military members. The lawsuit is seeking to give those rights back to non-military people.

ProgressOhio, State Senator Michael Skindell and State Rep. Dennis Murray have filed a motion to intervene in a Kasich Administration lawsuit that seems to be nothing more than an attempt to pull one over on the Ohio Supreme Court. In the latest twist in the JobsOhio legal odyssey, Gov. John Kasich's administration is suing Gov. Kasich's administration. JobsOhio is asking the Ohio Supreme Court to force Ohio Department of Commerce Director David Goodman to sign an agreement to transfer the state's liquor operations to JobsOhio. In response to this bogus action, ProgressOhio, Skindell and Murray have petitioned the Ohio Supreme Court, asking them to put an end to these legal games and allow the courts can decide on the constitutionality of JobsOhio.

•  PDF of the Motion to Dismiss
•  PDF of the Motion to Intervene
•  PDF of the Motion to to Expedite

"Coming from a governor who is known for a 'my way or the highway' attitude, this seemingly disingenuous legal action against his direct report is laughable at best. Should the Ohio Supreme Court agree with our position and find that this is nothing more than a phony declaration, with the intent of speeding up the legal process, it could produce swift and punitive results against the Kasich administration," said ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg.

"The Kasich Admininstration is playing litigation paddy cake with itself to try to distort Ohio constitutional law.  Both sides of this sham litigation say that they think JobsOhio is constitutional, meaning that if the Court were do decide this case, neither 'side' of the Kasich Administration would be arguing to protect the Ohio Constitution or the people of this state from exactly this  kind of government overreach that the Constitution is designed to prevent," said Rep. Murray.

In statements given during an August 10, 2012 interview with the Columbus Dispatch, Director Goodman says that he "personally questions the validity of these constitutional challenges." This raises the question, if Goodman believes in the constitutionality of JobsOhio, why is he declining to sign the transfer agreement. This is a quintessential example of the administration being disingenuous and attempting to trick the court. However, the Supreme Court is well aware of its own jurisdiction and these shenanigans it should not succeed.

"We have great confidence in the legal process and would like for the charades to stop so that the courts can determine the issue of standing and ultimately decide on the constitutionality of JobsOhio," added Rothenberg.

This morning ProgressOhio, the Center for Media and Democracy, Common Cause and People for the American Way released a report detailing questionable practices by Ohio legislators, their staffers, and lobbyists involved with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

A PDF copy of the the report is available for download at http://tinyurl.com/ALEC7deadly.

The report is based on thousands of pages of public records detailing how ALEC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and the corporate lobbyists that fund it, have deeply intertwined themselves into Ohio's legislative process.

Among the top findings in the report are:

• The Director of Scheduling for the Ohio House speaker was asked to rearrange the 2012 session dates around ALEC events. 
• Senior staff from ALEC advised a legislator handling requests from the press that, "Actually, it would help ALEC out a lot on this issue if they said that they didn't use ALEC model legislation." 
• Hundreds  of  Statehouse emails were sent  during work  hours  solely  to schedule  legislators  for  free dinners from lobbyists at ALEC events. The lobbyist battles to take certain lawmakers out to dinner are so intense that a legislative staffer resorted to lying. 
• Despite ALEC's claims of non-partisanship, legislative staff circulated a membership recruitment letter to Republicans only. 
• ALEC's co-chair was incredulous that a corporation received 3 tickets to an ALEC event at a baseball game for "a lousy $1,000."

ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg commented, "This report undeniably shows that the spirit of the ethics laws are being flouted. It is clear that ALEC and the corporate lobbyists that fund it are flouting long-standing rules meant to protect citizens from pay-to-play government. Every dollar spent on a secret meal or exotic junket shifts power from the public to corporate lobbyists."

ProgressOhio's February 2012 report documenting the legislative influence ALEC has in Ohio is available for download here [pdf].

The Center for Media and Democracy's report on ALEC and Ohio's ethics laws is available here.

Conservative group at work in Ohio, records show

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Hundreds of emails were sent through an Ohio lawmaker's office last year to arrange free meals and other perks for legislators from lobbyists at events sponsored by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, records show.

The Ohio House scheduler was asked to arrange session dates around council events and obliged, raising questions about the council's sway at the Statehouse.

The Associated Press reviewed emails obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy. It's part of a coalition of liberal activist groups leading a national campaign to highlight the council's operations and corporate ties, as well as controversial bills it has pushed, including voter identification and "stand your ground" gun legislation.

Activists complain the council improperly influences the legislative process by allowing corporate leaders to draft legislation alongside legislators. Under Ohio law, state lawmakers can't take gifts worth more than $75 -- but happy hours, lavish dinners, concerts and sporting events at council conferences are largely exempt.

For the period of the emails, those events included conferences in New Orleans and Phoenix and a Cincinnati Reds baseball game.

State email records show mostly Republican state lawmakers attended the group's conference in August 2011 in New Orleans, something Brian Rothenberg, executive director of the liberal policy group ProgressOhio, said shows it is not a bipartisan entity, like the National Conference of State Legislatures or the Council on State Governments.

"Clearly, this is hardly bipartisan. It's a very conservative effort to sit at the table with large corporations, provide model legislation on conservative objectives, and change the way Ohio laws work," he said. As criticism has grown nationally, corporations such as Wal-Mart and Amazon have dropped their affiliation with the group.

Read The Full Story From The AP

Democrat Notes the Prosecutorial Role in Protecting a Well-functioning Democracy

COLUMBUS- State Representative Dennis Murray (D- Sandusky) sent a letter to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien and Columbus City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr. today urging a continued full and thorough investigation into Superintendent Heffner's actions and whether criminal charges should be brought. 

Saturday, Mr. Heffner announced his resignation on the heels of last week's report by Inspector General Meyer finding wrongdoing by Mr. Heffner. Last year, while serving as interim-Superintendent Mr. Heffner testified before the Senate Finance Committee in favor of legislation that would and did financially benefit Education Testing Services (ETS), with whom he had accepted a job and signed an employment agreement.

A copy of Rep. Murray's letter can be seen below.

The full report by Inspector General Meyer can be seen here.

The state watchdog has found that Ohio's leading education official was on the payroll of a Texas-based standardized testing firm when he lobbied state lawmakers last year on a bill that benefited the company.

In a report released Thursday, Inspector General Randall Meyer urged the Ohio Board of Education to consider disciplinary action against Superintendent Stan Heffner.

Ohio Superintendent Stan Heffner improperly advocated for private education firm, inspector general finds

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio Schools Superintendent Stan Heffner acted improperly when he testified last year in favor of legislation that benefited a private education company that he planned to work for, according to an Ohio inspector general's report released today.

Heffner, who was hired by the state school board with the support of Gov. John Kasich, already had entered into an employment agreement with Educational Testing Service, headquartered in Princeton, N.J., when he testified before an Ohio Senate committee in May 2011 in favor of legislation that increased Ohio's use of tests provided by ETS.

"By providing testimony to the legislature as the state's principal employee for leadership in education, in support of a bill that could and ultimately did benefit a corporation with which he entered into an agreement of employment, Heffner failed to meet the standards of proper governmental conduct," Inspector General Randy Meyer's report said.

Read The Full Story From The Asscociated Press

The report was submitted to the Ohio Board of Education, which hires the state superintendent. The panel has 60 days to respond to the investigation and decide whether administrative action should be taken against Heffner.

No comment as yet from The Kasich Administration.

Renacci claims to return contributions in letter to Sutton
 
PARMA HEIGHTS, OH - After weeks of pressure from Betty Sutton has finally forced Congressman Jim Renacci to return over $100,000 in campaign contributions under FBI investigation from Suarez Corporation employees, questions remain about what Renacci knew about the questionable contributions and why he decided to wait over two months since Sutton first called on him to return the potentially illegal funds.
 
"Every day, Ohioans work hard and play by the rules, and they expect their representatives in Washington to do the same," said Sutton. "While some of Renacci's largest contributions are under FBI investigation, Jim Renacci has lied and he has hid the truth about what he knew about these suspect donations, and why he refused to return them. He owes the voters of this district an explanation, and I look forward to hearing all of the facts because voters deserve to know the truth about these shady campaign practices."
 
The questions Ohio voters deserve the answers to include:

1)      When did Jim Renacci first learn about the FBI investigation of Suarez donors?
2)      Did Jim Renacci ask Suarez company executives, including Mr. Suarez, to ask Suarez employees for campaign contributions?
3)      Why did Jim Renacci wait until now to return the donations after knowing about the FBI investigation for several months?

Word of an FBI investigation of donations by employees of the Suarez Company came in May, when information was disclosed that major donations were made by, "employees had never given to federal campaigns before, lived in modest homes, and held job titles such as "copywriter." [Toledo Blade, May 21, 2012].

A longtime leader on improving ethics and transparency in government, Sutton helped sponsor and led the floor fight to pass legislation creating an Office of Congressional Ethics within the House.

Ohio's Conservative Representatives vote for repeal that would strip health care benefits and consumer protections from millions of Americans

 "Today's vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act demonstrates once again that conservatives in Congress care more about partisan political games than solving problems for the middle class. Representative Boehner and the other extremists have now voted 31 times to repeal a law that the Supreme Court has upheld as constitutional and that already provides benefits and consumer protections to thousands of Ohioans," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.

"Ohio's 13 most conservative representatives have voted repeatedly to strip these folks of their health care by supporting repeal and by voting this year for the Romney-Ryan budget that ends Medicare as we know it and dismantles Medicaid in order to give millionaires an annual tax break," Rothenberg stated.

Repealing the ACA would unequivocally hurt Ohioans, many of whom already rely on Obamacare for benefits. Repealing the law would:

• Take away health insurance from 97,000 young adults who are now covered under the law's provision that allows young adults to remain on a parent's policy until age 26.

• Increase costs for seniors in Medicare by taking away prescription drug rebates that have already benefited 148,238 seniors and by forcing 1,203,274 more seniors who have already gotten free preventive care in Medicare to pay for their cancer screenings and annual exams.

• Rob 143,327 Ohioans of rebates totaling $11,331,726 that insurance companies will pay for the first time this year for failing to comply with the 80/20 rule. That averages to rebates of $139 for the 81,500 Ohio families covered by a policy. That Affordable Care Act rule requires insurance companies to spend at least 80% of our premium dollars on actual medical care instead of overhead and profit.

• Give back to the insurance companies the power to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, to impose arbitrary caps and limits on coverage and to deny claims for any reason.

"It's time for conservatives to stop wasting time on partisan political games," said Rothenberg. "Congress should stop trying to drag our country backwards and trying to take away our health care benefits. Ohio's delegation should move on and get to work on fixing the economy and creating jobs for the American people."

Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus, today charged the Kasich administration with "playing politics at the expense of Ohio taxpayers" by refusing to create the health insurance exchanges called for in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The think tank said that while the five states bordering Ohio have pulled down over $130 million in federal exchange grants, Ohio has received only $1 million -and only because the previous Governor, Ted Strickland, applied for it.  For a comparison of state grants see http://www.statehealthfacts.org.

According to the Toledo Blade, Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, who is also state Insurance Commissioner, told a Bowling Green audience yesterday that she and Gov. Kasich have determined it would be too expensive for Ohio to set up an exchange, which she estimated "would cost between $30 and $40 million per year to operate...plus initial start-up costs."

Insurance exchanges are marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for affordable health insurance plans that best fit their needs.  The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the ACA on June 28.  States refusing to create exchanges will have one created for them by the federal government.

The Kasich administration complains that they don't have the money to set up a state insurance exchange, estimating their cost at $30 to 40 million per year. Yet, for two years, they've refused to apply for federal planning grants that could have been used for this very purpose.

Sends Letter to Director Mohr Looking for Answers
 
COLUMBUS--State Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard (D-Columbus) sent a letter to Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Director Gary Mohr today questioning the abrupt removal of Cathy Collins-Taylor and Jose Torres from the Parole Board last week.

Director Mohr provided little explanation to the Dayton Daily News other than to say he continues to "seek the right people for the right positions."

More than a year after Gov. Kasich took office and Director Mohr was appointed this sudden removal appears to be politically motivated.

A copy of Rep. Heard's letter can be seen below.

Washington DC - Josh Mandel has been developing quite the reputation for dodging questions, refusing to take positions, and flat-out lying as he campaigns for the Senate. In addition to our previously released video highlighting Mandel's refusal to comment on the FBI investigation into his campaign contributions, American Bridge is releasing a video of Mandel dodging yet another question: why did he start running for the Senate just after taking office as Ohio Treasurer?

Spoiler alert: despite talking for a very long time, he never answers the question.

Watch It:

View the full length version here

Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statement in response to claims of bipartisanship made today by Governor Kasich, Speaker Batchelder and President Niehaus:

"Webster's dictionary defines 'bipartisanship' as cooperation, agreement and compromise between political parties. So, it strikes me as very odd that the Governor and Republican leaders would hold a press conference touting their new-found spirit of bipartisanship and not invite Democrats to the event.
 
"Where was the Republicans' so-called 'bipartisanship' when they passed Senate Bill 5 without a single Democratic vote?  Thankfully 62% of Ohioans rejected the GOP's unwarranted attack on collective bargaining rights.
 
"To set the record straight, Senate Democrats have introduced 156 bills in this General Assembly, but only 14 percent have passed the Senate.  Half of the bills that did pass were jointly sponsored with Republican members and five bills dealt with one issue--pension reform."
 
"Senate Democrats also offered more than 700 amendments to protect Ohio's schools and communities from Governor Kasich's devastating budget cuts. Not a single amendment was accepted by the Republican majority.  That is not bipartisanship by any definition."

COLUMBUS - ProgressOhio today called on the Ohio General Assembly to halt an earmark tucked away in HB 487, the Mid-Biennium Review (MBR). The earmark shifts redistricting tax funds away from public oversight while covering redistricting costs for majority party legislators and shutting out minority legislators.

Buried in the omnibus budget revision bill was the transfer of $350,000 from the Legislative Task Force on redistricting to the Ohio Attorney General's office. This contradicts and overrides a previous agreement signed by both parties in the General Assembly on how task force funds should be expended by individual caucuses.

"The party in power already used redistricting to hurt their opposition at the ballot box. Now this earmark is being used to hit them in the pocketbook," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.

When Josh Mandel became Ohio's Treasurer barely a year ago, he was entrusted to act as a responsible steward of the state's funds. Mandel quickly violated that trust by failing to fulfill the responsibilities of his job so he could campaign for a Senate seat instead.

Mandel has also acted irresponsibly by flouting campaign finance rules. Questionable contributions made to his Senate campaign by employees of Suarez Corporation are now under investigation by the FBI. The suspicious nature of the donations was raised by the press to Mandel last year, as it was noted how unusual it was for multiple employees (and their spouses) of the same company, many whom have never before given to federal campaigns, to each make maximum donations to the same candidates. Yet Mandel refused to investigate the donations, and returned them only after the press reported on the existence of an FBI investigation.

And though he has now returned $105,000 in tainted donations, Mandel has yet to come clean. He refuses to identify when he became aware of the FBI investigation, how he learned of the investigation, and how long he waited before returning the donations. This is to say nothing of whether he knew that the contributions were illegal before they were made, and still chose to accept them anyway.

With the FBI investigating these contributions to Mandel's campaign, Ohio voters are asking the same question: what is Josh Mandel hiding?

Watch It:

Learn More:

FBI Investigating Campaign Donations Made To Mandel And Renacci

Public Action Campaign Fund says Renacci 'owes it to his constituents' to return the money

With over a week passed since Betty Sutton first called on Congressman Jim Renacci to return questionable campaign contributions from a major donor under federal investigation, the national ethics watchdog group, Public Action Campaign Fund, has weighed in, calling on Renacci to return the donations.

Washington, D.C.--National campaign finance watchdog Public Campaign Action Fund called on Congressman Jim Renacci to return $100,000 in contributions he received from employees and their spouses at the Suarez Corporation - donations that are under investigation by the FBI - or place the questionable donations into a separate fund until he has been cleared of wrong-doing and the donations are deemed to be lawful. Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) has already returned similar contributions. The FBI is probing whether company owner Benjamin Suarez illegally reimbursed employees after making these donations.

"We don't know what, if any, influence Suarez was trying to buy over Congressman Renacci, but Renacci's constituents deserve to know he's taken every step to reject any appearance of a conflict of interest," said David Donnelly, executive director of Public Campaign Action Fund. "He owes it to his constituents to not only return or put the money aside, but also come clean with what he knows and when he knew it."

According to the Toledo Blade, "Federal officials have investigated questionable campaign contributions to two Ohio officeholders, U.S. Rep. James Renacci and state treasurer and U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel" that total "$100,000 each to Renacci and Mandel."

This week it was revealed that there is an FBI investigation into over $200,000 in contributions made to the political campaigns of State Treasurer Josh Mandel and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci. It is believed these contributions were given by employees of the Suarez Corporation at the behest of their employer, Benjamin Suarez. Thirteen Suarez employees and six of their spouses gave the maximum contribution limit of $5000 even though many have job titles  inconsistent with a high salary and have no record of previous political campaign donations.

Brian Rothenberg, executive director at ProgressOhio said, "I hope this is not another Coingate type scandal, this time with Mandel and Renacci as the benefactors. If the FBI is involved, there's a high probability inappropriate occurred. So why won't Congressman Renacci return these suspicious campaign contributions?"

Rothenberg continued, "Even Josh Mandel, who wouldn't return money from a Nazi reenactor, has returned his contributions from Suarez. Using proxies to funnel campaign contributions through employees is a serious federal crime. Even the appearance of this taking place would be enough scare most politicians, but apparently not for Rep. Renacci."

PARMA HEIGHTS, OH - Following reports that Congressman Jim Renacci's largest donor and his employees are at the center of an FBI investigation, Betty Sutton today called on Renacci to return more than $100,000 in questionable donations.

"Given the seriousness of the investigation into a pattern of highly irregular contributions to Congressman Renacci, he should return the questionable contributions immediately," said Sutton.  "This FBI investigation raises significant questions about how Congressman Renacci obtained tens of thousands of dollars of highly unusual donations.  He should come clean with Ohioans and return the suspicious contributions."

Suspect donations from employees of the Suarez Corporation to Renacci's campaign first drew speculation last August when employees of moderate means who had no history of political giving suddenly gave the maximum contribution to the Congressman. Renacci admitted yesterday that authorities launched the investigation more than five months ago and that his office had turned over records to investigators.

"Ohioans deserve better, and it is up to Congressman Renacci to do the right thing; He needs to honor the public trust and return these questionable contributions. "

Related:

FBI Investigating Campaign Donations Made To Mandel And Renacci

The FBI is investigating campaign payments made by employees of the Suarez Corporation Industries to Josh Mandel and Jim Renacci. The direct marketing company is owned by Benjamin Suarez, a major Republican donor.

The Toledo Blade reported last August that 17 Suarez Corporation Industries employees and some of their spouses gave a combined $100,000 to the Mandel campaign and $100,000 to the Renacci campaign.

According to The New Republic, some had never given to political campaigns before, lived in modest neighborhoods, and held job titles such as copy writer. raising questions about whose money was being contributed and whether it was an attempt to steer around the $5,000 contribution limit.

I visited the home of Michael Blubaugh, a copywriter at Suarez who had given $5,000 each to Renacci and Mandel last year--and whose wife, Donna, had done the same. They live in a modest subdivision, in a home valued by Zillow at about $142,000. When Donna came to the door, she said she had already been asked about the donations by the FBI. The inquiry had caught her by surprise, she said, "because I didn't know about the rules, so I was like, 'What?'" But she said the $20,000 had been given of her and her husband's free wills. "Our house may not look it, because we're saving for retirement, but my husband makes good money as a copywriter," she said. But why give so much to the candidates? "My husband made the decision, not me," she said.

Giving campaign money in the name of another is illegal.

When asked about the Suarez Contributions last August during an interview that aired on WKYC on September 1, 2011 Josh Mandel completely dodged the question.

Watch It:

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement upon the signing of SB 295, an unprecedented partial legislative repeal of HB 194, which was signed by Gov. Kasich today.   SB 295 is an unconstitutional effort to undermine voters' rights to challenge the terms of a bad law at the ballot box.

"One year ago, Republicans rammed through one of the worst voter suppression bills in state history, House Bill 194.  HB 194 dramatically limited early voting opportunities, created meaningless reasons to throw out perfectly good absentee and provisional ballots, and took away local control from counties who adopted practices to eliminate the long lines that plagued Ohio voters in the 2004 presidential election.

"Senate Bill 295 does not repeal all of the vote suppressing provisions of HB 194.  By signing this into law today, Gov. Kasich is disregarding the wishes of over 400,000 voters who want those three days of early voting back.  This overreach by the Republicans could again mire Ohio in expensive litigation during a busy election year."

Welfare drug tests to be put in bill

A test program requiring some Ohio welfare recipients to pass drug tests before getting cash assistance is among the changes Senate Republicans are expected to make today to a wide-ranging bill known as the mid-biennium review.

The proposal is modeled on a bill crafted last year by Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster. Schaffer initially proposed a statewide testing requirement, but then in November offered a new version that would set up a test program in three counties that volunteer and are chosen by the director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Under Schaffer's drug-testing proposal, participating counties would survey each applicant to determine if there is "reasonable cause" to suspect the person has a drug problem. If the answer is yes, the person must pass a drug test before getting assistance.

Schaffer said the survey is key to Ohio avoiding the kind of unconstitutional search and seizure trouble that drug-testing laws encountered in Florida and Michigan.

Our Response? Pass the Hagan proposal calling for Alcohol and Drug Testing of Elected Officials and JobsOhio Board Members!

COLUMBUS: Religious leaders joined voters today in calling on state lawmakers to reopen the voting booths on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before Election Day in November.

"This is a voting rights, a civil rights and a moral issue. Our vote is sacred. In 2008, an estimated 93,000 voters cast their ballots on the three days right before Election Day," said Rev. Timothy C. Ahrens of the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in downtown Columbus. "Politicians need to stop playing games and restore all voting opportunities to Ohioans."

Tasha Jones, a Columbus mother of four who has two jobs and works on Election Day at a voting precinct, said in 2008 she drove fellow church members to vote on the Sunday before the election.

"So many people have died fighting for their right to vote. They were beaten, thrown in jail. I don't take my right to vote lightly. I want to be able to vote early on the final weekend in person," Jones said.

The News-Messenger Reports:

PORT CLINTON --Ohio Rep. Dennis Murray, D-Sandusky, speaking at an Ottawa County Bar Association lunch Wednesday, addressed important issues facing the state, including his lawsuit challenging Gov. John Kasich's plans for restructuring the Ohio Department of Development and his initiative to create a public-private economic development entity called JobsOhio.

In 1840, Murray said, the state almost went bankrupt after it invested in various industries.

Leaders in Columbus, he said, should learn from history.

"We got so intermingled at the time ... certain bills passed mentioned the names of specific companies," he said of legislation written 170 years ago.

According to Murray, when the current bill was being discussed, he had concerns.

The issues surrounding Kasich's moves have to do with the state's constitution.

"The constitution is not going to take a back seat to budget issues," he said.

"Just because a Governor wants to do something, he cannot if it is expressly prohibited by Ohio's constitution," said Representative Murray.

"The people of Ohio were wise to place these Constitutional limitations on government.  For even in 2011, when we are called to have government move 'at the speed of business', we see that it is still too easy to move at the speed of Enron, at the speed of AIG, and at the speed of Bernie Madoff."

Renacci receives $5,000 from organization whose work has led to millions in secret campaign donations

PARMA HEIGHTS, OH - This week, Tax Evader Millionaire Jim Renacci was rewarded for his loyalty to big corporations and billionaires by receiving an endorsement and a $5,000 donation by the Citizens United Political Victory Fund, a donation that Betty Sutton has called on him to return.

"Citizen United's money is just more proof that Millionaire Tax Evader Congressman Renacci is in Congress to look out for millionaires and big outsourcing corporations, and not the needs of working Ohioans," said Scott Eggleston, Sutton campaign manager. "Congressman Renacci should return this tainted cash and stand with Betty Sutton in denouncing the harmful, undemocratic Citizens United Supreme Court decision, stop secret, shady outside groups like this one from trying to buy our elections, and rightfully restore the power of our democratic process back to the hands of middle-class Ohioans."

Last week, Congresswoman Betty Sutton joined a group of lawmakers in the U.S. Capitol to support a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United ruling, which has allowed corporations and billionaires to spend unlimited amounts of money, without the need to disclose its source, in an attempt to unfairly influence elections. Betty is the sponsor of a Constitutional Amendment that would overturn this disastrous ruling so it is no surprise that those dedicated to keeping it and their lopsided power in place are trying to beat her.

More information about Millionaire Tax Evader Jim Renacci's long-lasting devotion to Citizens United and giving millionaires and corporations an upper hand in our elections can be found below:

Following more than a year of Josh Mandel's special interest friends attacking Sherrod Brown, the Friends of Sherrod Brown campaign  today released a new TV ad, "How to Succeed."

The ad highlights Josh Mandel's practice of hiring political cronies for top jobs at the Treasurer's office, including Joe Aquilino, who Mandel made the Director of Debt Management despite the fact that Aquilino was so unqualified he was dispatched to attend a beginner's course in the subject he was charged to oversee.

Cleveland's Plain Dealer Reports:

WASHINGTON -- You've seen U.S. Sherrod Brown criticized in TV ads over economic and energy policy. Now Brown is hitting back, starting tonight with a tough, 30-second commercial that accuses his opponent, Josh Mandel, of hiring inexperienced, "unqualified" buddies and giving them big raises in the Ohio treasurer's office.

The commercial shows pictures of six Mandel aides and focuses on three in particular: Mandel's former campaign manager, earning $100,00; his former college friend, earning $150,00, and his former 26-year-old campaign aide, earning $90,000.

"Mandel made him Ohio's director of debt management," the announcer says of the latter aide, "even though he had no finance experience."

"Josh Mandel," the announcer says. "He's just a politician we can't trust."

Watch It:

Lawmaker sends fiery rebuke to all House members

COLUMBUS -The Ohio House of Representatives this afternoon received correspondence that harshly criticized the House legislative process of the 129th General Assembly.

State Representative Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) issued the following e-mail directed to House Agriculture Chairman Dave Hall and Speaker Batchelder:

ha

Lawmaker Critical of Process Designed to Obstruct Access to "Fracking" Legislation

COLUMBUS - At 9:25 pm last night you would be hard pressed to hear much in the empty halls of the Statehouse. However, if you were in House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee, there is no doubt you heard the sharp hammer of Chairman Dave Hall's gavel as he ruled Representative Robert F. Hagan out of order while giving sponsor testimony.

Agriculture and Natural Resources committee may have been the first to try out a new I-Pad format for committee members, but that doesn't mean it ran any smoother than usual. The committee was packed with fourteen pieces of legislation. Majority members were largely given preference in testifying toward the beginning of committee, leaving most minority member bills concerning fracking related processes until the late evening.

The Toledo Blade Reports:

Josh Mandel, Ohio treasurer of state, has given his staff appointees large raises since he took office while awarding more modest raises to the employees he inherited when he became treasurer a year ago.

The analysis, done by the U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown re-election campaign and confirmed by The Blade, adds to the Democrats' portrayal of Mr. Mandel -- the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate -- as having filled jobs in his office with well-paid political "cronies."

But the Mandel staff said appointees received additional pay because they took on new administrative and supervisory duties, or received "nondiscretionary" raises as mandated by collective bargaining agreements or civil service rules.

Six Mandel political appointees received raises ranging from $250 to $1,153 per two-week pay period since the time he took office.

In the same period, raises for the six highest-paid holdovers from former Democratic Treasurer Kevin Boyce ranged from $147 to $441 per pay period.

The biggest dollar-amount raise went to Mr. Mandel's general counsel, Seth Metcalf. His salary zoomed to $5,961 per two-week pay period from $4,808, a 24 percent increase, after he joined the staff in January, 2011. According to Seth Unger, press secretary for Mr. Mandel, Mr. Metcalf also took on the job of chief financial officer, eliminating a position and saving $45,000 a year.

Read The Full Story at The Toledo Blade

Today, Josh Mandel is hard at work doing what he loves best - ignoring his job while raising cash for his U.S. Senate campaign.

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Following the stunning report by the Dayton Daily News, which revealed that "Josh Mandel hired young, relatively inexperienced staffers from his 2010 campaign and gave them high-ranking jobs in the state treasurer's office," a new examination by The Huffington Post has uncovered that Mandel shockingly "dispatched a top aide to a beginner's course in the subject he was overseeing."

The Huffington Post Reports:

Days after being accused of hiring young, inexperienced staffers for key positions in the state Treasury, new evidence shows that Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, the Republican nominee for the state Senate race, dispatched a top aide to a beginner's course in the subject he was overseeing.

A roster of attendees for a seminar on the fundamentals of municipal bond law, held at the April 2011 National Association of Bond Lawyers, shows that Joe Aquilino -- Mandel's debt management director at the time -- attended the conference. The seminar is tailored for those new to the subject.

According to the brochure for the NABL seminar, its purpose was to help people "learn the building blocks of municipal finance and gain or strengthen basic knowledge of state, tax and securities law issues in municipal finance."

Aquilino, 26, had been the political director for Mandel's 2010 campaign for treasurer before being tapped to oversee Ohio's debt management, including issuing new bonds and working with the state's investment underwriters. Aquilino has since left that position to serve as political director for Mandel's Senate race against Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Washington DC - Ohio Senate candidate Josh Mandel has amassed a long trail of maliciously misleading and inaccurate statements - which is bad enough - but he did have one moment of brutal honesty lately. When confronted with his penchant for dishonesty, Mandel vowed to repeat his lies "again and again," seeing no downside as reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

COLUMBUS- State Reps. Ted Celeste (D- Grandview); Jay P. Goyal (D- Mansfield); Matt Lundy (D- Elyria); and Connie Pillich (D- Cincinnati) held a news conference today to discuss the lack of transparency across government.  This comes after the release of a national report by the Center for Public Integrity in which Ohio received an overall grade of "D" for risk of corruption.

"We call on our legislative leaders today to take action and convene a special taskforce to review the current laws and enforcement practices and to take the necessary steps to correct problems, and ensure full accountability and transparency throughout government," said Rep. Goyal.  "We have a responsibility to the people of Ohio and it is simply unacceptable for us to fail to ensure government is working for Ohioan's best interest at all times, not for special interest or influences."

The lawmakers sent a letter to legislative leaders today calling for them to convene a special bi-partisan taskforce to review the enforcement practices of current laws and consider new legislation to strengthen accountability and transparency across government.  The letter also calls for hearings on bills already introduced that address several of the areas covered in the report. A copy of the letter can be seen below.

There have been numerous concerns raised in recent weeks involving a lack of transparency and accountability inside and outside of government. Most recently state and federal law-enforcement officers have been called on to investigate potential quid pro quo dealings.

"This Governor is determined to operate this state in the dark. We can never let that happen. If you have nothing to hide you should always want the process to be as open as possible," said Rep. Lundy.  "As legislators we must take action to correct these problems immediately."

COLUMBUS, OH- Seniors and activists representing ProgressOhio, Ohio Communities United, Alliance of Retired Americans, and Health Care For America Now were ejected from the Department of Insurance this afternoon. While attempting to deliver over 500 signatures asking Director and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor to implement a health care exchange, guards removed them from the premise and refused to take their petition.

The petitioners were told their petition would only be accepted in the mail and that any rights for citizens to access a government office were null and void since the Dept. of Insurance is housed in a leased space. The protesters asked for a written policy and the police were called.

"According to Mary Taylor's staff, the right to peaceably petition the government ends at the edge of the sidewalk. It seems her willingness to ignore our country's laws extends past the Affordable Care Act all the way to the First Amendment," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.

Greg Moore, Campaign Director of Fair Elections Ohio, issued the following statement regarding the Ohio Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee declining to take action today on S.B. 295 (to repeal H.B. 194):

"We are pleased that the Republican-controlled Senate continues to hesitate in taking action  to repeal H.B. 194, a harmful law that curtails Ohioans' voting rights. H.B. 194 has has been out of the hands of the legislature since the governor signed it in July 2011. It has been certified by the Secretary of State for a November 6th referendum vote for more than three months.
 
"While it is encouraging that dialogue in Columbus is no longer about defending a law that hurts voters, it is discouraging to watch our state legislature waste the public's time and money debating how it can prevent Ohio voters from having their say on H.B. 194.

"The failure of the legislature in S.B. 295 to restore Ohio's election laws to what they were before the passage of H.B. 194 demonstrates a motive that rests more in politics than in policy. If the legislature is truly interested in restoring voting rights, it would repeal the provisions of H.B. 224 that were adopted to correct parts of H.B. 194 related to weekend voting."

Ohio's political history may appear illustrious on the surface. The state gives native-son status to eight presidents, sometimes called "The Great Eight."

But that's a bit tongue-in-cheek, as the list includes the likes of William Howard Taft, Warren G. Harding and others who rarely, if ever, make any historian's list of Top 10 presidents.

Columbus, OH--Today, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage (OCHC) released its analysis of the oft-cited Milliman report commissioned by the Ohio Department of Insurance on the implementation of the health insurance Exchange. The Milliman report projects how the Affordable Care Act will likely impact the individual and small group health insurance markets. It incorporates an estimate of the number and characteristics of Ohioans who will likely purchase health coverage through the Exchange. OCHC's analysis points out the limitations of the report and how Ohio's Insurance Director, Mary Taylor, isn't telling the whole story.

"Because the Milliman report has been delivered to all lawmakers and because Director Taylor is using its conclusions as independent validation of her claim that a state-based Exchange will harm Ohio's consumers, we thought it was important to let policymakers and the public know there is a bigger story to be told," said Cathy Levine, co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. "People will be helped, premium increases may not be as high as predicted, and there are important opportunities that Ohio lawmakers have to make sure Ohio's markets remain strong while extending coverage to hundreds of thousands of Ohioans."

New Report Documents Influence of American Legislative Exchange Council in Columbus
 
COLUMBUS, OH - A new report released today by People For the American Way Foundation, Common Cause, the Center for Media and Democracy and ProgressOhio reveals the deep ties between the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and Ohio's legislature.

Through a side-by-side comparison of ALEC legislative models and actual Ohio bills, the report shows how Ohio's legislators are working in tandem with corporate leaders to deregulate key industries, privatize education and dismantle unions.
 
The report, ALEC in Ohio: The Corporate Special Interests that Help Write Ohio's Laws, is available here.

Ohio's oil and gas resources have caught the attention of drillers, investors and political leaders alike. Thanks to a process known as hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), substantial reserves of oil and gas trapped deep under the surface can be extracted and brought to market, with a potential value of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Innovation Ohio has released a report, "Fracking, Fairness and the Future," in which they call on Governor Kasich and state lawmakers to ensure that Ohio workers, landowners and taxpayers receive a fair share and a fair shake if the state decides to allow expanded drilling for oil and gas.

"Though a shale boom potentially could bring tens of thousands of jobs to Ohio, environmental concerns have raised doubts about whether fracking and its associated processes are safe. However, environmental issues are not the primary focus of our report. Because creating jobs will do little good if we poison our people and destroy our state, we believe it is self-evident that fracking should be halted if threats to public health and safety cannot be resolved. But if fracking does go forward, we believe that the economic benefits should be shared fairly with ALL Ohioans, not transferred out of state or allowed to flow down a one-way street in the direction of Big Oil."

IO's recommendations include: charging industry a reasonable severance tax and sharing the revenue with local governments hit hard by budget cuts and poised to deal with the local impacts of increased drilling; establishing a landowner's bill of rights; and creating a "Hire Ohio" policy to ensure new jobs go primarily to the Ohioans who need them.

The Putting the People's Interests First Act of 2012 Would Build on STOCK Act by Setting Strict Firewall to Prevent Any Conflicts of Interests that Could Arise by Members of Congress Owning Stock Affected by their Official Duties

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on Wednesday, offered an amendment that he said would strengthen the pending STOCK Act by requiring senators and their senior staff to divest from individual stock holdings in companies that could be affected by their work.

"Members of the House and Senate should focus on serving their constituents, not their stock portfolios," said Brown, speaking from the floor early Wednesday afternoon. "While the STOCK Act is an important step, we can draw an even clearer line by preventing our colleagues from voting on issues that affect their financial investments...There's no reason they need to be in the business of buying or selling stocks that could be influenced by their actions."

The Putting the People's Interests First Act of 2012, which is being sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), technically prohibit members of the Senate and staff from owning individual stock in areas affected by their congressional work but does allow investment in broad-based funds such as mutual funds and allows for assets to be placed in blind trust.

Questions raised about performance, integrity and accountability of IG Meyer

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Connie Pillich (D-Montgomery) introduced legislation today to create greater accountability and oversight for the office of the Inspector General by requiring a bipartisan appointing process through the four legislative leaders.  This legislation will ensure the state's top watchdog maintains the necessary distance from partisan political activities.

"Recent activities have brought attention to the need for greater distance from political partisanship by the state's top watchdog.  The Inspector General is charged with the responsibility of investigating wrongdoing in state government and protecting taxpayers from waste, fraud and abuse within the executive branch.  Under no circumstance should Inspector General participate in any activity that could raise questions about the integrity and independence of the office," said Rep. Pillich.

Activists in Striped Referee Uniforms "blew the whistle" on Rep. Boehner's Big Oil Campaign Donations and Agenda to Force through Keystone XL Pipeline

Cincinnati, OH- Climate activists fed up with the influence of corporate money on Congress stormed Spk. Boehner's office today in striped ref uniforms to "blow the whistle" on congressional corruption. Activists in uniform blew literal whistles and threw penalty flags to draw attention to the corruption of Congress by corporations and Big Oil, as evidenced by the ongoing campaign to force through the pipeline.

"I'm a writer, and I would never accept money from someone to bias any of my articles. That's why I'm sick of Congress saying the millions they get from Big Oil hasn't affected their votes on Keystone XL. Shame on John Boehner for vowing to continue his campaign to force this pipeline," said Andrew Culp, writer and teacher.

Rep. Boehner accepted $1.1 million from the fossil fuel industry before voting to expedite the Keystone XL "Tar Sands" Pipeline in December, according to OpenSecrets.org.

"I travelled to Washington, DC to stop this pipeline. Meanwhile, Speaker Boehner has sold us out for $1.1 million. I don't trust his agenda to force through this pipeline any more than I trust the corporations backing the project." Said Amanda Morgan, student at University of Cincinnati.

Mandel caught on tape raising money from lobbyists while neglecting his job in Ohio

WASHINGTON, DC - Only one day after the Associated Press reported that Ohio Treasurer and Senate candidate Josh Mandel has never attended a Board of Deposit meeting, he skipped yet another one to attend a high-dollar fundraiser in Washington, DC. American Bridge trackers caught Mandel on his way to the fundraiser in DC, as well as his absence from the Board of Deposit meeting.

"I don't know how Josh Mandel can look Ohio voters in the eye and claim to be 100% dedicated to his job, instead of running for Senate. I suppose he had a lot of practice keeping a straight face from all the times he told voters he planned to serve a full 4-year term," said Matt Thornton, spokesman for American Bridge 21st Century.

Watch It:

COLUMBUS: Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel hasn't attended a single monthly meeting of the powerful but mundane state board that decides which banks will hold billions in state deposits.

Ohio Treasurer Is A No-Show At Deposit Board

It's common to send a designee to most meetings, but the total absence of Mandel, a first-term Republican, makes him unique among modern-era treasurers.

Meeting minutes, news clippings, and interviews by The Associated Press show every state treasurer since at least the early 1980s has some record of attending the Board of Deposit in person. The treasurer serves as chair.

State will lose hundreds of millions in liquor profits

COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) released the following statement in response to yesterday's announcement that JobsOhio is set to take control of Ohio's liquor profits for a onetime payment of $500 million.  State liquor operations bring in tens of millions a year to the general revenue fund.

"I could have supported the lease of our liquor profits if two simple conditions had been met: the deal was fair to the people of Ohio, and it would not blow a hole in the budget. Unfortunately, the deal is not fair. Gov. Kasich is turning millions of dollars over to a few of his big business buddies at JobsOhio and getting little in return.  Equally important, the deal takes approximately $150 million a year away from the general revenue fund for education, police, fire and critical social services, creating a structural budget deficit over the next 25 years,"  said Leader Budish.

Budish seeks immediate suspension, long-term ability to carry out duties is questioned

COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) and Senate Democratic Leader Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) sent a letter to Gov. Kasich today questioning the conduct of Inspector General Randall Meyer after news he participated in the most partisan of activities - fundraising for the Republican Party. The Ohio Inspector General is a non-partisan agent responsible for investigating fraud and corruption of state officials.

"In order to maintain the integrity of the Inspector General's office, I am calling on Gov. Kasich to immediately suspend Mr. Meyer.  I believe this suspension will give the Governor the opportunity to review the facts and make an informed decision about Mr. Meyer's future ability to fairly and objectively carry out his duties," said Leader Budish.

Leader Cafaro added that, "Inspector Generals are expected to hold themselves to a higher standard and that includes avoiding partisan political activity in order to protect the integrity of the office."

A copy of the letter can be seen below.

GOP used political interests instead of state constitution to draw new lines

COLUMBUS - A lawsuit being filed in the Ohio Supreme Court today charges that Republican state leaders blatantly violated the Ohio Constitution by egregiously gerrymandering Ohio's new state legislative districts.  The suit challenges the constitutionality of the new lines because of over 250 community divisions and evidence that other criteria was used such as political indices and campaign contributions.

"Republicans violated the Ohio Constitution by ignoring restrictions on splitting apart communities and instead used criteria designed to maximize their political advantage and campaign cash," said House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D- Beachwood).

Article XI of the Ohio Constitution was adopted specifically to prevent political gerrymandering by imposing detailed, objective, and politically neutral requirements on Ohio's reapportionment process.  In particular, the Constitution requires that districts be compact and contiguous, and that counties, townships, cities, villages, and wards not be split unnecessarily.  Yet, the Apportionment map adopted on Sept. 30, 2011, divides 51 counties, 108 townships, 55 cities and 41 wards, totaling 255 divisions.

A "Canadian provincial prime minister came to Ohio for his medical treatment because of the delay in Canadian health care which would have endangered his life."

-- State House Speaker William G. Batchelder

• Batchelder claimed that a Canadian provincial premier came to Ohio for medical treatment that basically saved his life but could only remember that it was the head of a western province. And after scouring newspapers across eight Canadian provincial capitals, we could find nothing matching Batchelder's description.


• Batchelder's staffer said it definitely was not Danny Williams, former premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada's easternmost province. Williams did have a trip south to Miami for specialized heart surgery.


• But then the staffer said it was Williams that Batchelder referred to in the speech and said it has been "widely speculated" that he came to the Cleveland Clinic for post-operative treatment. However, they had no proof of it.


• Meanwhile, a local Canadian reporter who covered Williams surgery said he is "fairly confident" he never came to Ohio for treatment.

The Williams surgery in the United States was big news and it was initially unclear where in this country he was going for treatment. But by the time Batchelder made his speech in the House, it was 11 months after Williams had his surgery.

Batchelder, as speaker of the House, is in a position of authority that also carries great responsibility. When he speaks, people listen.

Yet neither he nor his office could point us to any concrete evidence that a high level provincial official came to Ohio for treatment. And given that the best they could come up with was that it was "widely speculated" that Williams might have come to Cleveland, the claim is more than just inaccurate; it's ridiculous to a point that we're ready to set the good speaker's double-knits ablaze.

We rate Batchelder's claim Pants on Fire.

Related:

Speaker Batchelder: The Ohio Legislature's Largest 'Double Dipper'

The Liar Wire: Batchelder Claims OCC 'Employs 74 Lawyers And That The Funding Them Is Wasteful Duplication'

Maybe Batchelder Just Wants To Watch Matlock While In Session?

Millions cut from Public Transit in budget but plane funding nearly doubles
 
COLUMBUS- State Rep. Matt Lundy (D- Elyria) sent a letter to Auditor Dave Yost today asking for an audit to be done on the Ohio Department of Transportation in regards to the use of the state plane. He also asked for answers to questions that have recently been raised about the frequent use of the state plane. Recently, the public has been made aware of Lt. Gov. Taylor being picked-up and dropped-off at Akron-Canton airport, which is only six miles from her home.
 
"At a time when middle class Ohioans are struggling, it is simply inexcusable that Lt. Gov. Taylor or any member of Gov. Kasich's administration use the state planes as their own personal chauffeur service," Rep. Lundy said. "Ohioans deserve answers to where their tax dollars are going, and I look forward to hearing how such careless use of Ohio's limited resources will be prevented in the future."
 
In the most recent transportation budget, HB 114, $2.9 million was cut from public transportation while the funding for the state planes nearly doubled. The state operating budget, HB 153, cut an additional $2.4 million from the public transportation services many Ohioans rely on daily for work.
 
"The fact that millions was cut from public transportation services that many Ohioans rely on daily to get to and from their job, while the budget for the state planes is nearly doubled demonstrates just how out of touch Gov. Kasich, Lt. Gov. Taylor and the entire administration are with middle class Ohioans," said Rep. Lundy.
 
It was determined by an unknown formula that these pick-ups and drop-offs cost the state $2,181 but Lt. Gov. Taylor has only reimbursed the state $1,039.50.  Leaving tax payers footing the bill for the remaining $1,141.50 for her travel, and yet another flight that is still unknown.
 
A copy of the letter is below:

This morning, Speaker Pro Tempore Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), under orders from Speaker Boehner, refused to allow Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer to speak on the floor and ask for unanimous consent to bring up the Senate bipartisan compromise to extend the payroll tax cut.

Whip Hoyer and Congressman Chris Van Hollen are continuing to try to offer the Senate compromise even though Republicans walked off the floor.

Once again, Republicans are risking a tax increase on 160 million Americans and the loss unemployment benefits for those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Watch It:

The Washington Post Reports:

This afternoon, after House Republicans voted to "disagree" with the Senate compromise extending the payroll tax cut, the brinksmanship took a sudden and dramatic turn. Obama made a surprise appearance before reporters and called out John Boehner in the most direct terms yet to stop the games and pass the Senate proposal. He said:

House Republicans say they don't dispute the need for a payroll tax cut. What they are holding out for is to ring concessions from Democrats on issues that have nothing to do with the payroll tax cut -- issues where the parties fundamentally disagree. A one year deal is not the issue.

The clock is ticking. Time is running out. And if the House Republicans refuse to vote for the Senate bill, or even allow it to come up for a vote, taxes will go up in 11 days.I saw today that one of the House Republicans referred to what they're doing as "high stakes poker." He's right about the stakes. But this is not poker

This is not a game for the average family who doesn't have 1,000 bucks to lose. It's not a game for somebody who's out there looking for work right now, and might lose his house if unemployment insurance doesn't come through. It's not a game when the millions of Americans take a hit when the entire economy grows more slowly because these proposals aren't extended

I'm calling on the Speaker and the House Republican leadership to bring up the Senate bill for a vote. Give the American people the assurance they need in this holiday season.

A study released today finds that recent prison privatization moves could cost Ohio more than the previous approach was costing.

In September,the state announced it would sell one prison, privatize the management of two others, and combine the operations of two more, one of which had been privately run for the last decade.

A close look at the sale of the Lake Erie Correctional Institution in Conneaut to Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) suggests that that deal, rather than saving up to $3 million a year as the state projects, could easily wind up costing millions of dollars instead. In addition, the state's claim that private operation of two Marion facilities that are being combined will save another $3 million a year is based on what appear to be highly dubious accounting assumptions that one expert calls "bogus" and that seem to bear little relation to reality.

In fact, to the extent that the state's savings claim is accurate at all, it represents as much a repudiation of prison privatization as an endorsement. More than half of the purported savings of all the announced moves - $7 million a year - would come from converting the North Coast Correctional Treatment Facility (NCCTF) from private to state operation and merging it with the state-operated Grafton facility, saving by consolidating operations. Ironically, the state could have ordered such a move at any time over the last decade. The annual savings from that merger is well over twice what the state claimed that NCCTF was savingeach year by virtue of its private operation.

COLUMBUS - Today, Representative John Patrick Carney (D- Columbus) moved to subpoena Lt. Governor Mary Taylor to testify before the House Health and Aging committee.  Rep. Carney has been trying for nearly a month to have the Lt. Governor, who also serves as Director of the Department of Insurance, appear before the committee to discuss the Department's efforts in setting up an Ohio specific Health Benefits Exchange.

The Affordable Care Act passed by Congress in March 2010 allows citizens to purchase private Health Insurance on Insurance Exchanges beginning in January 2014.  States have an option to set up their own exchanges that meet the federal guidelines.  Insurance is one of Ohio's largest industries and the concern amongst Democrats is that Ohio's interests will be excluded from a federal exchange.

"Time is of the essence as there are federal grants available to set up an Ohio health insurance exchange yet no answers are forthcoming from Director Taylor," Rep. Carney said.  "Failure to act is an invitation to the Federal Government to run Ohio's healthcare industry."

COLUMBUS - State Representative and Ranking Member of the Judiciary and Ethics Committee Dennis Murray (D-Sandusky) sent a letter to Inspector General Randall Meyer and Legislative Inspector General Tony Bledsoe requesting a joint investigation into potential waste, abuse, fraud, and violations of state sunshine and public records laws.

This comes after the Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting released a transparency report yesterday highlighting some of the misconduct in the redistricting and re-apportionment processes.

"The information in yesterday's report revealed is absolutely appalling.  I ask for a joint investigation today because I fear we are just beginning to lift the veil of secrecy that surrounds the congressional redistricting and re-apportionment processes," Rep. Murray said. 

"My Democratic colleagues and I are deeply troubled at the wasteful spending of Ohioan's tax dollars, and the violation of Ohio's sunshine and public records laws."

Columbus - Senator Tom Sawyer (D-Akron) issued the following statement today in response to a report from the Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting:

"The revelations confirm my worst suspicions about the redistricting process.  It is now apparent that public hearings in which I participated across the state were nothing more than a charade.  Ohioans were promised a fair and open process for drawing new Congressional districts. Instead, they got a map put together behind a veil of secrecy in a Columbus hotel room.

"Despite previous denials from Republicans, it is now clear that people working for Speaker of the U.S. House John Boehner carefully orchestrated the entire process. The result is a map where the addresses of major campaign contributors took priority over maintaining communities of interest.

"I am the first to admit that redistricting has always been a political process, but this is a new extreme for the state of Ohio."

You can find a location in your area to sign the petition to overturn the gerrymandered redistricting process here.

Plan to shroud the process in secrecy originated with national Republican officials

Columbus, Ohio - This morning, the Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting (OCAR) released a comprehensive transparency report on Ohio's redistricting process. The independent group graded state officials a D minus on transparency.

The report, entitled "The Elephant in the Room," documents a number of backroom activities which had not been publicly disclosed, including:

• At the last minute the corporate headquarters of a major financial contributor was moved into Congressman's Jim Renacci's district at the request of the Speaker John Boehner's political team.

• Ohio Republican officials believed that they saved millions of dollars in future state legislative campaign expenditures by making many districts more safely Republican.

• Speaker Boehner's political team controlled the congressional mapmaking process. Senate President Thomas Niehaus committed to adopting a map which Boehner fully supported.

• Republican officials determined that the new congressional map would provide a 12 - 4 Republican advantage, with only the 14th District (LaTourette) being a possible swing district.

• $210,000 was secretly paid to two Republican staffers for working three months on redistricting maps.

• A downtown hotel room was rented for three months to use as a secret redistricting office.

• The plan to shroud the process in secrecy was recommended early on by a national Republican consultant who advised state officials in a series of secret meetings.

"We are trying to shine a light on what took place in the political backrooms, since very little took place in public," stated Jim Slagle, Manager of the Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting.

WASHINGTON -- Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked an effort to put someone in charge at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a move that prevents the newly formed agency from supervising some of the same nonbank entities that triggered the financial crisis.

The Senate voted 53 to 45 to reject a procedural motion to begin debate on confirming Richard Cordray as the CFPB director. The motion required 60 votes to pass. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) was the lone Republican to side with Democrats in seeking to begin debate.

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) criticized a report today that Governor Kasich and his administration are offering up to $400 million to bring ailing retail giant Sears Holding Company to Ohio from its Illinois home.  Sears Holding Company lost more than $400 million in the most recent financial quarter.

"Sears has relied on a corporate welfare from Illinois for the past 23 years," Rep. Foley said.  "Now that their subsidy is set to expire, Sears is looking to another state to foot their bill, and Governor Kasich seems more than willing to make Ohio taxpayers ante up."

Illinois changed its Tax Increment Financing (TIF's) in the initial $128 million deal to keep Sears in Illinois.  The Sears TIF deal is set to expire in 2012, leaving a company that has seen steady losses over the past several years to pursue other location options.  In the most recent financial quarter, Sears lost $421 million compared to a loss of $215 million in the year-earlier period.

Rep. Foley continued, "Governor Kasich appears more than happy to court Sears and hand out hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars to the declining retail giant.  If a deal like this goes through, it would create no new net jobs in the country, but instead just push them from state to state while putting Ohio taxpayers on the hook for $400 million."

"Ohio should be trying to bring in new companies and industries that are ripe for growth, not declining retail giants who want to evade taxes and force states into a race to the bottom.  I urge the Governor to recall this offer and use the money for more productive, real job creating purposes," Rep. Foley finished.  

Dayton Daily News:

State Rep. Rex Damschroder, R-Fremont, announced Thursday that he has introduced legislation to ban "double dipping" for Ohio government workers, the practice that allows them to collect retirement benefits if they return to public employment after retiring.

House Bill 388 would suspend retirement benefits of a public retirement system retiree who returns to public employment.

Of course, they are right up front about the fact that this means you public workers, but not "us" the legislators themselves:

HB 388:

Sec. 145.01.  As used in this chapter:

    (A) "Public employee" means:

    (1) Any person holding an office, not elective, . . .

COLUMBUS - Representative John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus) once again called on Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon), Chairman of the House Health and Aging Committee (Committee), to schedule testimony from Lt. Governor Mary Taylor. 

In a letter today, Representative Carney reiterated the need for Lt. Governor Mary Taylor to testify before the Committee regarding Ohio's progress in setting up a statewide Health Insurance Exchange.  Lt. Governor Taylor also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, the agency responsible for instituting certain provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Representative Carney and Democratic Members of the Health and Aging Committee sent a similar memo earlier this month.

In response to the first letter, Representative Wachtmann stated that he had asked Director Taylor to provide hard copies of information to the Committee but that he would not be asking her to address the committee in person.

"It is perplexing to me and my colleagues why on November 18th Rep. Wachtmann indicated in Gongwer that he would 'welcome her' and 'it was a good idea' to have her testify and four days later issues a letter that she was going to provide a written report and not make herself available to answer questions." Rep. Carney said.

It is Time to Exchange Politics for Good Policy

Columbus, OH--Consumer advocates gathered today to call on Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Taylor to act now to start building an Ohio-based health insurance Exchange, or marketplace, as permitted under the Affordable Care Act. 

Thirteen other states have already enacted legislation to establish Exchanges. Ohio has until June 30, 2012 to pass legislation to establish a state-based Exchange and be eligible for implementation money. If Ohio does not establish a state Exchange, the federal government will establish one for Ohio. 

"We cannot let the politics of health care reform keep us from establishing a health insurance marketplace that works for Ohio's consumers and small businesses," said Col Owens, co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage. "Getting it right for the needs of Ohioans will take thoughtful planning and stakeholder input, and it will take time."

 According to policy experts, if it is built right, Ohio's Exchange could be a competitive marketplace allowing individuals and small businesses to join together to negotiate for insurance premiums and discounts the way larger companies do. The marketplace could provide an easy way to shop and compare insurance costs and benefits. By developing an Exchange that encourages insurance companies to compete for consumers' business, Ohioans would have more choices, better protections, and greater control.

More choices, more information, and better prices are just what Elizabeth Niswander needs from an Exchange. Niswander, an employee in the nonprofit and the service industries, is without health insurance. 

"There are many Ohioans just like me. We are working in our communities but struggle to find affordable health insurance," said Niswander. "We could all benefit from a consumer friendly exchange, a resource that will help me find insurance coverage options, compare insurance plans and their costs, and get financial assistance to help me afford health insurance premiums."

WASHINGTON - Recently, the State of Ohio announced the selection of KPMG for a federally subsidized state contract to study changes to the Ohio Turnpike including privatization. KPMG LLP, the US member firm of the Switzerland-based KPMG International, is part of a global network of professional firms providing audit, tax, and outsourcing services. In response to the announcement, several members of the Ohio Congressional Delegation expressed concern over the State's potential plans for the Turnpike.

"Ohioans depend on the turnpike to maintain commerce and essential manufacturing and agriculture jobs," Rep. Marcia Fudge noted. "They own it and should reap the benefits. As our economy begins to grow stronger, creating obstacles to economic growth is the wrong thing to do. We should stay focused on keeping the turnpike in the hands of the people of Ohio."

"It's alarming that the Ohio Department of Transportation continues to use federal funds to promote the privatization of the Ohio Turnpike." Rep. Ryan said. "Efforts to privatize the Turnpike threaten the job security of more than 1,000 Ohioans and the quality of this asset owned by the people of Ohio. I am especially troubled by the Administration's choice of a company that specializes in outsourcing instead of spurring economic growth here at home. Instead of eliminating jobs, we should be focused on policies that create jobs."

Despite an unresolved ethics complaint against Gov. John Kasich's Jobs czar, Mark Kvamme, the Senate Ways and Means Committee voted to confirm Kvamme's appointment and refer it to the full Senate for a vote.

The party-line committee vote occurred, despite a request from the panel's ranking Democrat, Sen. Mike Skindell, to bring Kvamme in for questioning. Skindell argued that Kvamme's appointment should be put on hold until he addressed issues raised in the complaint -- or until the Ohio Ethics Commission completed its inquiry.

Skindell's request quickly morphed into a heat exchange with committee chair Tim Schaffer, who refused to let Skindell complete a sentence then accepted Kvamme's appointment based on a voice vote.

Several state Democratic lawmakers have asked the Ohio Ethics Commission to investigate possible conflicts of interest they say could prevent Kvamme from serving as head of JobsOhio, Gov. Kasich's public/private development agency.

The legislators questioned whether Kvamme's interest in a Silicon Valley venture capital firm could create a temptation to subjugate the state's job-creation interests to his own financial well-being, noting that he stands to make more money as a venture capitalist than a public employee.

JobsOhio officials are required to file financial disclosure statements, which Kvamme has done, although he failed to list all of his business interests.

Columbus, OH - Today,members of ProgressOhio, veterans and community supporters went to Senator Portman's Columbus office to demand he meet in person with real people - the 99 % -including those who are unemployed, underemployed, or struggling to get by - and not just the wealthy 1%.

Several attempts in recent weeks to schedule a meeting with the Senator have been unsuccessful.  The group was told that constituents are able to meet with him if they are willing to travel to Washington, D.C.  The group protested outside of Portman's Columbus office, highlighting the senator's availability to the superrich, and to no one else.  The group today called for Portman to create jobs for all Ohioans.  Senator Portman has not offered any explanation for his votes against jobs for all Ohioans.

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Robert F. Hagan D-Youngstown) this afternoon asked the Ohio House Republican Leadership to make a charitable contribution to Youngstown Second Harvest Food Banks. Rep. Hagan says the amount should be $7,992.81- the cost to taxpayers to reimburse millage costs for the 92 House members who attended today's session (17,761 mi. total.)

"It is absurd that we were called to session today for twenty minutes to vote on absolutely nothing, to discuss absolutely nothing, and to give the taxpayers of this state only an invoice for mileage reimbursements and no substantive legislation," said Rep. Hagan.

Yesterday, Ohio House Republicans rejected attempts by Democrats for a compromise proposal for new congressional districts.  The Democratic plan would have created 6 districts more competitive than under the GOP drawn map.

Rep. Hagan attempted to make a point of personal privilege on the House floor to draw fellow legislators' attention to Youngstown's recent designation as the leader in nationwide poverty. However, the lawmaker was barely able to plead for real help and attention when Republican counterparts began shouting objections and walking off of the floor.

"Sadly, there is nothing to object. People in my district and across Ohio need serious help. They need more than partisan politicking at the expense of taxpayers. We need real solutions. The way I see it, House Leadership can begin helping with real solutions by donating the cost of mileage reimbursements for legislators to the Youngstown Second Harvest Foodbank. It might be the greatest action they take to address poverty in Ohio."

Watch It:

Proposed map gives GOP edge but let's voters decide outcome in 6 competitive seats

COLUMBUS - Today, Republicans rejected a compromise proposal for new congressional districts that would end a redistricting standoff and give voters the ultimate say in the makeup of Ohio's congressional delegation. The proposal was submitted in an effort to reach an acceptable agreement that would make 6 of the current districts more competitive for voters.  A comparison of the Democratic Partisan Index of the original map, HB 319, the GOP proposed map and the Democratic counter offer can be seen here.

"We've put forth a reasonable proposal that recognizes the current political makeup, but gives voters the ultimate say in who represents them in Congress," said House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood).  "Additionally, this is a fair proposal that avoids significantly breaking apart communities, strengthens the voice of Ohio voters and improves accountability through an increased number of competitive elections."

The proposal was put forth by Budish and Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President, State Rep. Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland).  In addition, the proposal maintains the constitutionally required majority-minority district in Cleveland, improves the minority influence district in Franklin County, and creates minority influence districts in Cincinnati and Dayton.

Ohio's Small Town Mayors Say They'll do Their Part;
Thousands of Ohioans Are Counting on It

COLUMBUS, OHIO - This week, in advance of a Senate vote on the infrastructure portion of the President's Americans Jobs Act, a group of 21 mayors from across Ohio joined together in signing a letter urging Republicans in Congress to pass the bill.

In their letter, this group of Ohio mayors, representing various communities across the state, writes, "With Ohio's unemployment at 9.1%, we see firsthand the foreclosed homes, the shuttered businesses, and the crumbling infrastructure in our communities. Far too often, we speak with citizens who have been laid off and are desperately searching for new jobs. We cannot wait any longer. We thank our Congressional leaders who have already shown great support in the fight to pass the American Jobs Act, but it is time for all of our leaders to step up, bridge the partisan divide, and act now by passing the jobs plan."

John Kasich slams use of out-of-state arbitrators in contract talks with safety forces . . . PolitiFact Ohio's Truth-o-meter says:

Republican Gov. John Kasich, the most high-profile supporter of Issue 2, has consistently called for the elimination of binding arbitration because it allows an outside arbitrator who doesn't understand local issues to settle labor disputes with taxpayer dollars at stake.

  . . .

The fact remains an out-of-state mediator cannot resolve disputes under the state's rules for binding arbitration - and that is the specific process Kasich has repeatedly criticized. And citing a procedure seldom used by safety forces, who are covered by the binding arbitration rules, doesn't make this claim more accurate.

And as the state government's chief executive and leading spokesman for reforming the state's collective bargaining rules for public employees, Kasich should know that.

Rather, the governor has been stumping for Issue 2 arguing a point that is not accurate. That's ridiculous.

A statement that is not accurate and makes a ridiculous claim gets a special rating on the Truth-O-Meter: Pants On Fire.

Read The Full Report

Advisory thwarts Referendum and Violates the U.S. Constitution

COLUMBUS- State Reps. Kathleen Clyde (D- Kent) and Ronald V. Gerberry (D- Austintown), Ranking Member on the State Government and Elections committee, held a press conference today amid the ongoing confusion surrounding the implementation of military voting bill, HB 224.  Over the last month Democratic lawmakers have repeatedly contacted Secretary Husted informing him of their concerns, and asking him not to thwart the HB 194 referendum and to allow in-person early voting at county Boards of Elections through Monday, Nov. 7.  Secretary Husted has refused these requests and ignored the concerns.

"House Bill 224 is obviously not clear on many points, yet it is being treated as a clear statement of the legislature's intention by the Secretary of State's office.  We ask Secretary Husted to immediately rescind his Advisory 2011-7 and notify local Boards of Elections that they are to remain open for early voting through Monday, November 7," Rep. Clyde said.  "If we sit by while executive office holders make the law, we are abdicating our duty as lawmakers and setting a dangerous precedent with respect to the separation of powers between the branches of government."

The march toward a clean sweep of newspaper editorial endorsements against Issue 3 continues.

Friday, the Canton Repository (a usually reliable "conservative" newspaper) joined the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal and Toledo Blade in urging a "No on Issue 3" vote. 

Columbus, Ohio - The Ohio Roundtable filed suit today in Franklin County Court to stop Governor John Kasich's plan to open racetrack casinos, expand the Ohio Lottery and absolve casino owners of tax liabilities. All these actions require amending the Ohio Constitution, according to Rob Walgate, Vice-President of the Ohio Roundtable and lead plaintiff in the suit.

"The Governor has failed to honor his oath of office to uphold the rule of law by abiding by the Constitution," Walgate stated. "He has taken short cuts and negotiated back room deals. He has attempted to use legislative action to deconstruct specific sections of the Constitution and implement his will. He has thumbed his nose at the rule of law and the will of Ohioans expressed at the ballot box since 1973."

Cite Potential Conflicts, Failure to Disclose Ties to Offshore Software Firm

COLUMBUS- Today, a group of Democratic State Representatives asked the Ohio Ethics Commission to examine apparent conflicts of interest they say could prevent Mark Kvamme from serving as Gov. John Kasich's economic development point man.

The complaint asserts that some of his private business dealings conflict with his public duties. Among the potential conflicts raised is his role as a "special limited partner" in Sequoia Capital, a California-based venture capital firm, according to the complaint signed by State Reps. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo); Michael Ashford (D- Toledo); Mike Foley (D- Cleveland) and Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown).

Sequoia has a significant stake in VanceInfo, a leading China-based software development firm.  VanceInfo's clients include IBM and Microsoft, both of which have operations in Ohio. Kvamme has a personal stake in VanceInfo and Sequoia Capital's website lists him as a member of the "Outsourcing Team."

"Mr. Kvamme appears to have a clear conflict of interest here,'' Rep. Foley said during a Columbus news conference. "On one hand, he has an interest in seeing that VanceInfo grows by absorbing work that might otherwise be done in North America, including Ohio.  On the other hand, he has a duty to promote job creation and economic development here in Ohio. So when he is making decisions, is he helping the venture capital firm that could pay him millions or Ohio that pays him $1 a year?''

Criticize Latest Attempt to Thwart Referendum

COLUMBUS - Democratic State Representatives raised concerns today over some counties' plans to cut off early voting on the Friday before Election Day.  The members sent a letter to Secretary Husted asking him to bring much needed clarity to the situation.  Secretary Husted indicated in a letter to legislative leaders that in light of the stay of HB 194's provisions, there is confusion over how to implement provisions of the later-passed HB 224 which includes language that would cut off early voting on the Friday before the election.  Similar Friday cut-off language was included in HB 194, but that bill is on hold until voters approve or reject it in 2012.

"The voters of Ohio have spoken - they want a chance to vote on how Ohio conducts early voting and Secretary Husted should not take that choice away from them," said Rep. Gerberry, Ranking Member on the State Government and Elections committee.

COLUMBUS - State Representative Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) has introduced legislation to improve accountability in state public officials. House Bill 343 requires drug and alcohol testing for statewide elected officials, legislators, JobsOhio board members and recipients of federal corporate bailout money (Troubled Asset Relief Program).  It also provides a process for recalling statewide elected officials and members of the General Assembly.

The drug testing proposal comes in response to plans announced by Republican State Representatives Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) and Jim Butler (R-Oakwood) to require, "drug screenings of potential and existing beneficiaries of TANF (welfare recipients)."

"Republicans in the Statehouse want a state agency to test welfare recipients for drugs and alcohol citing 'legislators' responsibility to ensure Ohioans tax dollars are properly cared for,' but they conveniently gloss over the glaring hypocrisy of avoiding any such testing of their own, while clearly insulting the dignity of Ohioans who have fallen upon rough times and need assistance to make ends meet," said Rep. Hagan.  "It is Republican proposals like this that smack of a clear misunderstanding of the daily struggle of many Ohioans in this terrible economic climate. I wish they would just stick to their failed promises from last fall of putting Ohioans back to work instead of attacking those who need help."

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur this morning welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Department of Transportation that the Ohio Department of Transportation may not use federal funding to further a scheme to privatize the Ohio Turnpike.
 
"The Turnpike is a capital asset that should be used for economic development in Northern Ohio, not a financial derivative to be shopped around to the highest bidder," said Congresswoman Kaptur.
 
"The Turnpike belongs to the Ohio people--they paid for it.  I applaud Secretary (Ray) LaHood for making the correct decision and standing up for the people of Northern Ohio."
 
U.S. Department of Transportation officials announced the decision with revoke funding for privatization during a conference call this morning with members of the Ohio Democratic congressional delegation.  Congresswoman Kaptur praised her colleague, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (OH-17) for organizing the call and a letter to USDOT earlier this week.

Yesterday, Representative Betty Sutton traveled to Wall Street to join fellow-Americans in sending a message to Wall Street fat cats and their political point men that enough is enough: it's time for Wall Street bankers and Corporate CEOs to pay their fair share.

Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing they all have in common is that they are the 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%.

Workers are told that they aren't allowed health care, shelter, food. Students are told that they aren't allowed jobs, and that they will be in debt for the rest of their lives, unable to declare bankruptcy. The 1% has destroyed this nation and its values through their greed.

White House Releases Report Outlining the Current Challenges to our Education System and the Impact of the American Jobs Act

Today, the White House released a report, Teacher Jobs at Risk, outlining how the Administration's efforts - including the American Jobs Act - will keep teachers in the classroom, strengthen our schools and improve the local economy in communities across the country. The American Jobs Act will support nearly 400,000 education jobs, preventing layoffs of educators and allowing thousands more to be hired or rehired. In addition, the President's plan will modernize at least 35,000 public school buildings and community college campuses while putting construction workers back to work.

"Here in America, we are laying off teachers in droves.  It makes no sense, and it has to stop.  This bill will prevent up to 280,000 teachers from losing their jobs - and support almost 40,000 jobs right here in Texas," said President Obama.  "Congress should pass this jobs bill so we can put our teachers back in the classroom where they belong."

America's education system has always been one of our greatest sources of strength and global economic competitiveness, as well as the engine of incredible progress in science, technology, and the arts. We cannot expect to train our children for the high-skilled jobs of today, or for the opportunities of the future, without investments in a world-class education system.

"Mr./Madam Speaker,

I rise today to speak about jobs. While we operate in a divided Congress, Americans are struggling.  Millions are unemployed, underemployed and without the skills to be employed. More than 1.4 million Americans have been out of work for more than 99 weeks. These Americans want jobs.  These Americans don't understand the delay - many can't afford to wait. So why haven't we passed a jobs bill?

President Obama introduced his jobs plan - with many provisions previously supported by both Republicans and Democrats. What is stopping this Congress from passing a jobs bill? I want every unemployed American to know, some of us are working to get a jobs bill passed.  We feel your pain and we know your struggle.

We must act now. 

I yield back."

Watch It:

Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus, today charged Gov. John Kasich and legislators who voted for Senate Bill 5 (Issue 2 on the November ballot) with "gross hypocrisy."  IO says that the Governor and his allies have not only exempted themselves from many of the sacrifices they are demanding of other public employees, but also enjoy salaries, perks and privileges that far exceed those available to regular working Ohioans.

Among the highlights contained in the materials released by IO are:

Is Speaker Bill Batchelder a hypocrite?

If nothing else, the Medina representative who championed the reduction of public worker's rights while having them pay more of their benefits costs is the Ohio legislature's biggest 'Double Dipper'.

What's a Double Dipper you ask?

Well, it's an employee who works for the state while also collecting retirement benefits from the state.

Turns out, Speaker Batchelder has collected over $500,000 in pension payments from Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS) all while collecting hundreds of thousands in legislative salary during the last five years.

Former Schmidt aide's group stuffs Ohio mailboxes with "Yes on 2″ flyers

A conservative group headed by Barry Bennett, Rep. Jean Schmidt's former chief of staff and Mary Cheney, daughter of the former vice president, has started flooding Ohio voters' mailboxes this weekend with flyers urging a "yes" vote on Issue 2, which would keep Senatae Bill 5 in place.

The group, based in Alexandria, Va., is called the Alliance for America's Future, and plans to make several mailings into Ohio to help the campaign to preserve Senate Bill 5, which would limit the collective bargaining rights of public employees. Bennett, who left as Schmidt's chief of staff early last year to head the group, said "millions" of Ohio voters will see the mail pieces which are being sent out independently of the official "Yes on 2″ committte, Building a Better Ohio.

The "Alliance" is registered as a 501(c)(4) - enabling it and the groups to which it funnels money to operate under the cloak of secrecy. The same cloak of secrecy now being used by Building a Better Ohio in the bitter referendum campaign over Senate Bill 5.

WASHINGTON -- Drawing clear battle lines for next year's elections, a combative President Barack Obama on Monday demanded that the richest Americans pay higher taxes to help cut soaring U.S. deficits by more than $3 trillion. He promised to veto any effort by congressional Republican to cut Medicare benefits for the elderly without raising taxes as well.

"This is not class warfare. It's math," Obama declared, anticipating Republican criticism.

'Shared sacrifice': Should Congress cut its pay, benefits?

Washington (CNN) -- Should members of Congress cut their salaries or raise the age at which they can draw a congressional pension when many Americans are making personal sacrifices during the country's prolonged economic crisis?

Sen. Sherrod Brown thinks so.

In April, the Ohio Democrat introduced the Shared Retirement Sacrifice Act of 2011, which would require lawmakers to wait until the age of 66 to collect their pensions. Currently, lawmakers can retire as early as 50 with a full pension depending on how long they served.

"The reason I introduced my bill ... on this shared sacrifice in terms of retirement age is I hear lots of members of Congress, especially, particularly conservative members of Congress, say we should raise the retirement age for Social Security," Brown said on CNN's "American Morning."

Brown points to the fact that a member of Congress who gets elected at 35 and retires at 55 can draw a pretty good pension then while other Americans can't draw Social Security benefits until they reach 66.

Read More: 'Shared sacrifice': Should Congress cut its pay, benefits?

Read more about the bill

During his two Ohio live shows last week, MSNBC's Ed Schultz challenged Gov. John Kasich to be a guest and explain why he's waging a war against public sector workers.

Kasich did not appear.

COLUMBUS- Today, Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D- Beachwood) sent a letter to Speaker Batchelder expressing deep concern over complete a lack of transparency in the redistricting process thus far. 

In the letter, Leader Budish states, "Passing new Congressional district maps just hours after they are first revealed is wholly unacceptable and does not fulfill the letter or spirit of our agreement to jointly pass separate legislation moving the primary date. As a result, it appears that you have abrogated our agreement, and I do not now believe that my caucus will support providing 7 votes to pass the primary date legislation as an emergency."

A copy of the full letter appears below.

After a win in the Ohio Supreme Court and the subsequent re-filing of the case, ProgressOhio's lawsuit regarding the unconstitutional provisions of Kasich-Kvamme's JobsOhio takes down another plank of the plan. 

This makes the running score to date ProgressOhio 5 JobsOhio 0.

Direct investing plan scuttled by JobsOhio leaders

Mr. Kvamme said during a meeting with Crain's editors and reporters that the organization was setting aside a highly touted plan to use JobsOhio money to invest directly in growing businesses to keep them in the state; instead, he said, the group will rely chiefly on the loans and tax credits the state long has used to encourage business growth in Ohio.

"We decided we're not going to do investments," said Mr. Kvamme, who is JobsOhio's chief investment officer. "What we will be doing is loans, very similar to what (the Department of Development) has done in the past, to create a recurring revenue source" as businesses repay their debts.

He also alluded to the legal difficulties that could arise in creating an investment vehicle that would allow state money -- the liquor profits that will fund JobsOhio -- to be used for equity investing.

Mr. Kasich initially had planned to have JobsOhio provide companies with equity, which is sometimes more attractive than loans to small, growing businesses. An equity position would give the state the chance to share in the success of the businesses it helped fund, which in turn would allow it to use its investment gains to expand JobsOhio's economic development kitty.

Mr. Kvamme said he believes Jobs-Ohio can find others who will make the equity investments some young companies need. He said, for example, that he would like to take a "trade mission" to the West Coast to knock on the doors of Silicon Valley investors to "open the eyes of venture capitalists to the world-class companies being created here."

Now while the lawsuit continues, we await Gov. Kasich assurance the legislature will make this addtional change to the law to add to those already made in response to the JobsOhio lawsuit.

Youngstown Lawmaker Critical of Testing for Welfare Recipients and Not the Political Elite

COLUMBUS - State Representative Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) today announced he will soon introduce legislation requiring drug and alcohol testing for statewide elected officials, legislators, and JobsOhio board members.

"The premise of this bill is pretty straight forward. You have individuals entrusted by the public to perform legal functions on behalf of the citizens who pay us with tax dollars," said Rep. Hagan.  "I don't buy the assertion by Republican lawmakers that we need to test welfare recipients for drug and alcohol use, but that elected officials, who receive much more in annual tax dollar salary than those on public assistance, simply are exempt from any such testing." 

Rep. Hagan's proposed legislation highlights the need for accountability and transparency in the way public officials are entrusted to govern while spending taxpayer dollars, or receiving them for pensions, healthcare, and salary.

"It is hypocritical to demand that the average Ohioan and working poor should be held to a higher standard than the political elite in this state. Substance abuse is substance abuse, and receiving tax dollars is receiving tax dollars. It shouldn't matter who you are."

The proposal would require drug testing of state legislators, Supreme Court justices, statewide elected officials, and JobsOhio board members. The bill will also provide that the testing be paid for by the public official, and that consequences be imposed for those found to possess un-prescribed pharmaceuticals, illicit drugs, and/or alcohol in their body at the time of testing. Consequences for positive screenings include outright removal from public office- in the case of JobsOhio board members, and required treatment, possible impeachment, and the ability to recall all other elected officials who test positive.

Legislation similar to Rep. Hagan's proposal has been enacted in Missouri. 

-30-

It looks like there may be a lull in the Absentee Wars of Cuyahoga County, with Cuyahoga Executive Ed FitzGerald coming out ahead for now.

If you are not caught up on this story you can read the background here, and the update here.  Basically, Secretary of State Jon Husted is trying to keep large counties from sending out absentee ballot requests to every voter but he only has control over the local Board of Elections.  FitzGerald then decided since voting is so important that if the Board of Elections was prohibited from sending out applications, the County government would do it.  Husted called him a "rogue actor" and threatened to not have the Board count any application not directly from them.  FitzGerald responded by requesting a Department of Justice investigation into Husted's plan to not count certain ballots.

Which brings us up to today.

COLUMBUS - ProgressOhio, State Senator Michael Skindell, and State Representative Dennis Murray have re-filed a Constitutional challenge to JobsOhio in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

"Everyone agrees that Ohio should be doing whatever we can do to legally bring more jobs to Ohio but the Governor and the Legislature must work within the bounds of the Constitution," said Brian Rothenberg of ProgressOhio.  "These Constitutional restrictions are there to protect the public's money and the public's trust and are not optional.  It's unfortunate that we must continually file legal actions to keep the Governor honest, but if this is what it takes to protect the citizens of Ohio and their tax dollars, so be it."

Recently, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the General Assembly unconstitutionally tried to change the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court when creating JobsOhio.   Plaintiffs in the case argued that contrary to House Bill 1, the Supreme Court does not have original jurisdiction in constitutional challenges, and the Supreme Court agreed.

Pursuant to that decision, ProgressOhio, Senator Michael Skindell, and Representative Dennis Murray have refilled their constitutional challenge to JobsOhio in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.

The battle around mailing out absentee ballot requests is heating up.  Last week, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald announced that he was going to have Cuyahoga County send out absentee requests if Secretary of State Jon Husted continued to ban the Board of Elections from sending out absentee ballot requests. (You can read the full story here)

On Friday, Husted came back swinging against Executive FitzGerald in an interview with Ohio Public Radio.

From the Plain Dealer:

Asked on Friday what legal power he has to keep Cuyahoga County from continuing with its mailing plans, Husted told Ohio Public Radio Friday his office is looking at "prohibiting the board from processing the applications because they're not consistent with the law."

"There are lots of things that could be done that we're exploring, but we don't need a controversy over this. It seems like we can all agree on a set of uniform standards and live by them, and that's what I hope Cuyahoga County will do in the end."

FitzGerald's reponse and Husted's counter after the jump.

Watchdog Group Warns of Abuses Unless JobsOhio is Reformed

COLUMBUS - Gov. John Kasich is finalizing plans today to funnel public money to private groups that support Senate Bill 5. And a new analysis shows these groups and their affiliates have donated nearly a half-million dollars to pro-SB 5 candidates and causes.

The government watchdog group, ProgressOhio, held a news conference today to question Kasich's plan and warn that widespread abuses could occur unless major reforms are made to JobsOhio -- the governor's new non-profit jobs agency.

"JobsOhio is starting to look like a slush fund to pay off supporters,'' ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg said at a Columbus news conference. "Explain to me why this is not a new pay-to-play scheme."

Rothenberg called for better oversight and transparency said he is troubled that JobsOhio is exempt from many of the state's ethics and open government laws.

"When public money is spent, public oversight is necessary,'' he said. "How else will we determine if this new system to create jobs is better than its predecessor?"

Rothenberg said he began a close examination of JobsOhio after Kasich's surprise announcement that it will rely on Third Frontier money - in addition to hundreds of millions in liquor profits.

Cincinnati, OH - Following a meeting today between JobsOhio representatives and Cincinnati business and political leaders Brian Rothenberg, ProgressOhio Executive Director, issued the following statement:

"Considering the fact that most of the people appointed to this board have financial ties to Kasich, this is yet another example of how he panders to corporate interests and wants the state to operate under these type of allegiances and with no public transparency or accountability.

"When other states have done what Governor Kasich is trying to do here with this plan they have been plagued with misuse of taxpayer dollars, huge executive bonuses, and poor performance. Contrary to what he says, that's not what Ohio needs and that's not what is going to restore our economy."

In this episode of Kasich's Cons, we examine the disconnect between Kasich and his Friends saying they gave SB5 Opponents the ability to participate in the process, when there were turning away thousands of Ohioans who had come to testify on SB5.

Watch It:

Don't let Kasich Con Ohio!

Vote NO on Issue 2!

Budish responds to Kasich's national Republican radio address

COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish released the following response to House Speaker Boehner's announcement that Gov. Kasich will deliver this week's Republican radio address. Speaker Boehner's comments stated, "Washington could certainly learn a thing or two from Ohio, where leaders are working together..." The full text and audio of Gov. Kasich's speech was made public at 3:00 pm today.

"It is comical that Speaker Boehner calls Gov. Kasich a success, and claims this is the kind of example that should be set for Washington. Gov. Kasich's policies are failing Ohio. Under Gov. Kasich, Ohio has seen two straight months of rising unemployment rates following adoption of the Kasich budget, which comes after 15 months of job creation under Democratic leadership. 

Gov. Kasich has governed with an air of absolute  arrogance," Budish said. "He passed the biggest spending budget in Ohio's history, yet slashed funding to education, police and fire protection, mental health services and long term care for seniors.  Where'd the money go?  Kasich's budget gives huge tax cuts to the wealthiest among us and rains lavish benefits on special interests and major Republican friends.  T

his week the governor has implicitly recognized that  one of the largest pieces of his agenda, Senate Bill 5, is flawed.  SB 5 would strip bargaining rights away from the same public servants he targeted in his budget. And let me make very clear that there has been absolutely NO opportunity for meaningful input on any significant legislation from Democrats, working people, or middle class folks who have been irreparably harmed by Kasich's radical agenda. 

I take great offense to Speaker Boehner's praise of Gov. Kasich's leadership."

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Matt Lundy (D-Elyria) released the following statement in response to Gov. Kasich's announcement detailing the transfer of Ohio's economic development activities from the Department of Development to JobsOhio.

"Gov. Kasich has made clear he does not understand how to create living wage jobs for Ohio's working families.  Instead, he spent the last eight months waging war on Ohio's working families through policies like SB5, which he is now back-peddling. Under Gov. Kasich, Ohio's unemployment rate increased for the first time in 15 months," said Rep. Lundy.

"Now as the Governor has detailed how Ohio's economic recovery will be left to a small group of unaccountable, private interests with the authority to award millions in tax dollars to whomever they see fit, I pause with great concern.

This board of private interest will operate in complete darkness, because the governor made sure they will not be subject to current public record laws, leaving JobsOhio ripe for corruption."

In this episode of Kasich's Cons we examine the disconnect between the "Family Values" touted by Kasich's friends in the Statehouse and the reality. Two charges of driving under the influence, one situation of possible domestic violence, and a resignation have created a "Summer of Scandal" in the Statehouse.

In this edition, we look at the case of State Senator Kris Jordan. A powerful conservative in the Statehouse, Sen. Jordan was elected at a young age and has been steadily moving up the ranks at the Statehouse.

Despite his rising career, Sen Jordan has a problem with the truth.  Senator Jordan was the deciding vote on passing SB5 after promising constituents he would vote against the bill.

Further, after running as a Family Values Conservative,  Sen. Jordan was under investigation for Domestic Violence after his wife called 911 during an altercation, but as so often happens in domestic incidences such as this she refused to press charges.

Watch It:

If you oppose the following measures:

• Making it easier to purge to voter rolls.
• Eliminating early voting on Sunday and reducing Saturday access, making it harder for working people to get to the polls.
• Banning the addition of more easily accessible early voting locations.
• Stopping the mailing of absentee ballot request to voters.
• Not providing return postage on absentee ballots.

- we need a moment of your time.

A bill recently passed in Ohio will do all this and more to restrict our right to vote. Last month, over 1,000 signatures were collected to start the process of letting voters decide the matter. However, the movement was almost ended before it started when Attorney General Mike DeWine sat on our request for the maximum amount of time before denying it.

Thanks to help of activist like you, we were able to come back and get the required signatures once again. However, if the Attorney General and Secretary of State once again take all 10 days to deny our petition, then the bill may take effect before voters have a chance to decide.

Please contact Attorney General Mike DeWine and Secretary of State Jon Husted and ask them to make a fair, prompt decision on Fair Elections Ohio.

• First contact the attorney general here
• Then email the secretary of state's office by clicking here

Ask them to make a quick and fair decision on the Fair Elections Ohio petition.

Martin pleads not guilty to charges

State Rep. Jarrod Martin, R-Beavercreek, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a child endangerment charge in Jackson County Municipal Court and began mounting a defense to prove his innocence, his attorney said.

Martin, 32, also is pleading not guilty to a drunken driving charge.

 . . . After the July 22 incident, it became public that in March 2010 Martin was found passed out drunk on now House Speaker William Batchelder's Chevy Suburban in a downtown Columbus parking garage.

Two months after that, he was kicked out of a Beavercreek hotel with five other men attending a bachelor party. The hotel manager complained that the men had been fighting and yelling and police said they were all "highly intoxicated."

in this episode of Kasich's Cons we examine the disconnect between the "Family Values" touted by Kasich's friends in the Statehouse and the reality. Two charges of driving under the influence, one situation of possible domestic violence, and a resignation have created a "Summer of Scandal" in the Statehouse.

In this edition, we look at the case of recently resigned State Representative Robert Mecklenborg. A powerful conservative in the Statehouse, Rep. Mecklenborg had been the driving force behind voting rights and womens' rights rollback legislation. Yet, behind the scenes Rep. Mecklenborg had troubles of his own.

In this mini episode of Kasich's Cons, we discuss making Ohio a "Right to Work" state.

Governor Kasich and his Legislative Allies have said in the past that SB5 is specifically targeted to Public Sector union workers, not private sector union workers.

Once again, John Kasich is trying to con Ohio.

At a Ohio Young Republicans meeting, Representative Andrew Brenner lays out the conservative strategy to ban both public AND private sector unions by making Ohio a "Right to Work" state.

Watch It:

Don't let Kasich and his Allies Con Ohio. Stand up against his bus!

Repeal SB5! Vote NO on Issue 2!

Join the movement:
www.weareohio.com
www.standupforohio.com
www.progressohio.org

Veil of secrecy continues as public safety is at risk

COLUMBUS- Sate Reps. Matt Lundy (D- Elyria) and W. Carlton Weddington (D- Columbus) again raised concerns and questions over the privatization of five state prisons. Today they sent a public records request to the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections and the Governor's office asking that the bids to privatize five Ohio prisons be made public. This comes amid continued public safety concerns and questions surrounding Gov. Kasich's ties to lobbyist at interested firms.

"I continue to raise concerns over the secretive process in which Ohio's prisons are being privatized. Previous questions over safety, cost and accountability have gone unanswered and ignored. Unfortunately, it has become clear this is just another example of Gov. Kasich rewarding his friends. It is time the veil of secrecy under which the Kasich administration operates is lifted," said Rep. Lundy.  "Today we call for the Governor to release the bids that CCA, GEO and MTC have submitted. The public deserves to know what price tag has been put on their safety."

Corrections Corporation of America, GEO Group and Management and Training Corp. are the three companies that have submitted bids to purchase Ohio's prisons. Gov. Kasich received contributions for his transition fund of $10,000 each from two of the companies seeking to buy Ohio's prisons. All three companies hired close Gov. Kasich ties to lobby for their firms' interest, including Gov. Kasich's former congressional chief of staff and two political advisors to his gubernatorial campaign.

"America is the epitome of freedom and democracy, the best form of government the world has ever known. The world idolizes our freedoms and democracy."

~GOP Mantra

Today's Reality:

Ohio Gov. John Kasich's administration on Monday began the formal process to potentially sell the Ohio Turnpike by seeking consultants to work for the state, the Toledo Blade reports.

John Kasich often talks about privatizing the Ohio Turnpike because it "worked out so well for Indiana".

Except that Indiana has had a less than successful privatization effort. Since the turnpike was leased in 2006 for $3.8 billion for 75 years, tolls have almost doubled.

Indiana Turnpike Toll in 2007: $4.65
Indiana Turnpike Toll in 2011: $9.00

An increase of 93% in 4 years.

Watch It:

Don't let Kasich and his corporate allies Con Ohio.

Stand up against his bus!

Across the country extremist governors have launched coordinated attacks against the middle class by decimating public services and failing to create jobs, all while giving handouts to the wealthy.

With so many reactionary governors it is hard to tell which one is the worst!

Cast your vote for the Worst Governor Ever in this special summer election.

In this mini episode of Kasich's Cons, we discuss the continued repetition of the defecation in the Statehouse lie.

Despite being proved FALSE again and again by non partisan outlets like Politifact Ohio, SB5 supporters continue to use the story in an effort to disrespect and discredit SB5 opponents.

Watch It:

Don't let Kasich and his Allies Con Ohio. Stand up against his bus!

Repeal SB5! Vote NO on Issue 2!

Join the movement:
www.weareohio.com
www.standupforohio.com
www.progressohio.org

In this Episode of Kasich's Cons, we discuss the disconnect between Ohio Gov. John Kasich's request for input, while at the same time moving forward on an extreme ideological agenda that is not supported by the majority of Ohioans.

The real truth actually comes from Senator David Burke. A constituent asks if its worth it to contact your elected representatives since she has not ever received a response back. What did the Senator do with all the SB5 emails and voice messages?

His response? He deleted them and didn't listen.

Watch It:

Gov. Kasich and his Friends only care about the opinion of lobbyists who help write the bills. Show them that our views are the only ones that should matter. Vote to Repeal SB5!

Vote No on Issue 2!

In today's episode of Kasich's Cons, Ohio Governor John Kasich talk about privatizing the Ohio Turnpike because it worked out so well for Indiana.

Except that Indiana has had a less than successful privatization effort.  Since the turnpike was leased in 2006 for $3.8 billion for 75 years, tolls have almost doubled and the company that paid to lease the turnpike is preparing to default on it's debt.

Indiana Turnpike Toll in 2007: $4.65
Indiana Turnpike Toll in 2011: $9.00

An increase of 93% in 4 years!

Watch It:

In an interview with Bill Hemmer of FOX News yesterday, Senate President Tom Niehaus agreed that even if the Tea Party's "Ohio Health Care Freedom Act" does pass, state law will not trump federal law meaning the vote for the Ohio Consitutional Amendment will have no legal force or effect whatsoever.

HEMMER: What I read is that there might be a court challenge even before you get to November. I don't know if that's the case or not. But critics contend even if it does pass, state law will not trunk (sic) federal law here. Are they right?

NIEHAUS: Well, that's true, but again I think it's important that voters have an opportunity to tell their elected officials in Washington, and in particular the president of the United States, how they feel about some of his initiatives.

Interview with State Senator Tom Niehaus

A constitutional amendment that is known to be legally null and void before it is even voted upon? Why would  the leader of Republicans in the Ohio Senate be for that?  Could it be that he recognizes the need to try to stir up the referendum's tea party supporters to get them to the polls this fall hoping they will vote for maintaining SB5?

HT: @plunderbund

Canton, Ohio- Denied much of a voice at a recent Representative Renacci town hall meeting, two dozen of his constituents paid him a personal visit at his Canton office on Thursday afternoon.

Renacci's staff limited discussion at the town hall meeting using a confusing red card, green card system to "ask" constituents their opinions. Thursday afternoon, waving the now- symbolic Red cards over their heads, the group - organized by Healthcare for America Now and their partner ProgressOhio - presented the Renacci staff with a bound copy of genuine stories and individual personal pleas from his constituents that he safeguard essential Medicaid services.

As the nation prepares to celebrate 46 years of Medicaid and Medicare, politicians in Washington are negotiating a deal that could make this the programs' last birthday. Last month, Congressman Steve Stivers voted for the Republican budget that would cut Medicaid for seniors, people with disabilities, and children - while protecting tax breaks for millionaires.

State Rep. Debbie Phillips says conflict of interest questions must be answered

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Debbie Phillips (D- Athens) sent a letter today to Inspector General Randy Meyer requesting an investigation of new State Superintendent of Education, Stan Heffner.  The requests comes as questions arise over a possible conflict of interest between a company that he had been hired to work for and his continued advocacy of a policy that would have benefited that company while still a public official.  A copy of the letter sent to Inspector General Randy Meyer is seen below:

July 18, 2011

Randy Meyer
Office of the Ohio Inspector General
30 East Broad Street
Suite 2940
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3414

Dear Mr. Meyer:

I am writing regarding the allegations that are surfacing concerning Superintendent Stan Heffner and a possible conflict of interest with one of the nation's largest testing companies.

As you may be aware, Mr. Heffner has been serving as interim superintendent for public instruction. Prior to becoming interim superintendent, he had accepted a position with Education Testing Service (ETS), the company that provides certification tests for all Ohio teachers.  After he accepted the position and while still in his official position, Mr. Heffner gave testimony before the Senate Finance Committee in support of legislation that likely meant significant revenues for his new employer.  This official action on his part seems to violate the spirit, if not the letter, of Ohio's ethics law.

I am aware that this matter has also been referred to the Ohio Ethics Commission, but the fact that your office has concurrent jurisdiction, as well as the power to investigate waste and wrongdoing and recommend agency improvements, more than justifies action on your part.

The education of Ohio's children is our most important responsibility, and we must have a Superintendent and Department of Education that are above reproach. I am deeply concerned about the matters raised by Mr. Heffner. Due to the troubling nature of these allegations and because it is essential that the head of the Ohio Department of Education is beyond reproach, I request that you investigate this matter to determine if any illegal or wrongful acts were committed.

In particular, such an investigation should seek to answer the following questions:

• Did Stan Heffner know at the time of his testimony before the General Assembly whether the passage of House Bill 153 in the form specifically recommended by him would benefit his future employer, Educational Testing Services (ETS)?

• Does Mr. Heffner's recent appointment violate the Ohio Revised Code, which prohibits superintendents of public instruction from having financial or employee connections with education publishing companies?

• What reasons justified the change in Department of Education policy underlying Mr. Heffner's testimony in support of expansion of teacher testing?

• Does the Department of Education have in place proper policies to check for, monitor, and control potential and actual conflicts of interests for employees who are coming into the Department from the private sector and/or who have announced that they are leaving for the private sector?

• What other Department employees in policy-making positions currently have job offers from state contractors?

• When did Stan Heffner begin discussions with ETS about future employment?

• Did Heffner immediately notify superiors of his discussions about employment with ETS? If so, whom and when?

• Did Heffner recuse himself of any decision-making about or oversight of the use testing products supplied by ETS?

• What policies does the Department have to firewall employees with potential or actual conflicts of interest?

• When asked to testify on behalf of HB153 and specifically provisions related to teacher testing, did Heffner notify anyone at the Department, the Board or the Governor's office of his future employment with ETS? Was a decision then made that no conflict existed?

• What other decisions affecting ETS did Stan Heffner make during his tenure at the Department, particularly during that period extending from the date he first sought a job with ETS, through interviews and negotiations, and all the way until he was announced as the new Superintendent?

• Who wrote the testimony Heffner gave in front of the Senate Finance Committee?

• Did ETS condition (either actual or implied) Stan Heffner's future employment (or salary or bonus) with ETS upon the spending of additional public monies for teacher testing or other programs that would benefit ETS?

• Did Stan Heffner promise or imply that he could influence either the Department of Education or the General Assembly in the spending of additional public monies for teacher testing or other programs that would benefit ETS?

• Was the compensation package offered to Stan Heffner consistent with industry standards, or did it contain any unusual "bonus" or other front-loaded compensation?

• Did Stan Heffner have any actual (not future) financial interest in ETS at the time of his General Assembly testimony?

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist you in this matter. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,



Representative Debbie Phillips

President Obama emphasizes the importance of compromise and shared sacrifice so that we can overcome our fiscal challenges and get our economy on a stronger footing going forward.

Watch It:

COLUMBUS - State Reps. Ted Celeste (D-Grandview Heights), Jay P. Goyal (D-Mansfield) and Matt Lundy (D - Elyria) today criticized the Republicans for moving Ohio away from open, accountable and transparent state government.

The lawmakers pointed out a number of examples of Republicans attempting to hide their actions behind a vault of secrecy, including putting major new policy directives into the state budget without any public hearings, stonewalling virtually all open records requests, exempting JobsOhio from public records and allowing lobbyists to work directly with the non-partisan Legislative Services Commission to write bill language.

"The governor's friends are getting special access and getting what they want," said Rep. Lundy.  "Republicans think they own state government and need to be reminded that they work for the people of Ohio.  Ohioans want open government, not deals made behind closed doors where the governor takes care of his buddies.  The current buddy system needs to stop.  The public has a right to know what is going on here."

Everyone knows what's at stake in 2012: SB 5--a bill that eliminates the collective bargaining rights of more than 350,000 public employees--will be on the ballot. Some politicians are willing to go to extreme measures to influence the outcome of the citizens' veto.

Last week the legislature passed HB 194--a voter suppression bill that cuts down on early voting and makes it harder for Ohio voters to cast their ballots. Not satisfied with making it more difficult to vote, some senators are saying they will take up HB 159--a voter ID bill that would disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Ohioans--as soon as this week. Previously, they'd said it would not be voted on until the fall.

Call your senator at 1-888-218-5931 and tell him or her you oppose HB 159 because it will disenfranchise nearly 900,000 Ohioans.

Canton Repository Article: Constituents React "100 percent" negatively at Renacci Town Hall

http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x1721561689/Renacci-town-hall-meeting-turns-combative

U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci had a hard time getting his message across during a town hall meeting Thursday as he was repeatedly interrupted.

The interruptions didn't come from a vocal minority, but, in a room at Malone University's Johnson Center that appeared to be populated by slightly more detractors than supporters, almost 100 percent of the comments came from those opposed to Renacci's statements, which were aimed at reduction of the federal deficit.

Renacci, R-Wadsworth, had a slide presentation that was supposed to take about the first half-hour of the 90-minute meeting, according to a spokesman. That turned into the first hour because of continued interruptions.

The meeting, billed as a "Conversation with your Congressman," turned into a "Confrontation with your Congressman" as one man was escorted out after continually and loudly calling Renacci's statements lies. Renacci had warned at the start of the meeting that if the discussion wasn't kept on a civil level, people would be asked to leave. Another man stormed out, denouncing Renacci's support of a Republican fiscal measure.

The freshman congressman was criticized for what he said were non-partisan budget facts, to his fiscal stance, to his reference to the president's health care plan "Obamacare."

Read More From The Canton Repository

Approximately 20 protestors stood on High Street today outside of the Federal Building to send a message to Rep. Steve Stivers that he should not play roulette with our Medicaid System by cutting Medicaid and possibly throwing seniors out of nursing homes.

Seniors and people with disabilities make up one-quarter of Medicaid enrollees but two-thirds of Medicaid spending. Medicaid is the primary payer for 64 percent of all nursing home residents. Millions of seniors would be left without nursing home coverage, their families forced to dig into their own pockets to care for them. The average cost of nursing home care in the U.S. is $74,800 a year, while the median household income is only about $52,000. The math just doesn't work for most families.

We need a balanced approach to the budget, not the Republican proposal that takes away critical benefits for families, seniors, children and people with disabilities while at the same time giving corporations tax subsidies and giving the wealthy huge tax breaks.

After a secret video which Gov. Kasich recorded using state resources of the Governor thanking the Koch Brother's astroturf group Americans For Prosperity was pulled down today upon being exposed for the public to see, did John Kasich fly off to Vail to tell the Koch Brothers thank you in person?

Josh Mandel's Claim That He's "Focused On Being Treasurer" Is Laughable, Insulting 

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Ask Josh Mandel about his abuse of taxpayer dollars, failure to file a personal financial disclosure report, or refusal to stand up to GOP efforts to end Medicare as we know it, and he's likely to repeat his favorite stock response: "I'm focused on being Treasurer."

Really? Josh Mandel's lack of "focus on being Treasurer" has been so blatant that even right-wing Republican bloggers are calling him out for traveling across the country and ignoring the job that he promised Ohioans he would do for a full four-year term.

That's why the Ohio Democratic Party released a video today to help everyone "focus" on exactly what Josh Mandel's been spending his time on.

Watch It:

He'd demonstrate a profile in courage and stand up for the right to vote in Ohio by vetoing the Republican legislators voter disenfranchisement legislation like North Carolina's Gov. Purdue did just this week.

Via WRAL:

Gov. Beverly Perdue on Thursday vetoed a controversial proposal to require voters to present photo identification before casting their ballots.

"The right to choose our leaders is among the most precious freedoms we have - both as Americans and North Carolinians," Perdue said in a statement. "North Carolinians who are eligible to vote have a constitutionally guaranteed right to cast their ballots, and no one should put up obstacles to citizens exercising that right."

House Bill 351 would require a person arriving at a voting precinct to show one of eight forms of photo ID, including a new voter card available for free from county election boards. Without the ID, people could still cast provisional ballots but would have to prove their identity later.

Where are the Republican legislators in Ohio who, like their Tea Party supporters who elected them, are so sanctimonious about the Constitution that will actually stand up for it?

Can't find one because they're more about supposed "Right to Life" than they are Right to Vote. Total hypocrites and cowards!

COLUMBUS - State Representatives Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) and Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) have made a public records request for all correspondence between Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio Ballot Board.  The request was in response to concerns over the Governor's now-discredited desire to split SB 5, a controversial measure to limit public employees' right to collectively bargain, into separate ballot initiatives this November.

The text of a letter to the Governor's Chief Legal Counsel requesting the records is below:

Suggestion of splitting referendum question would be 'extraordinary breech of precedent'
 
COLUMBUS - State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today sent the following letter to Gov. John Kasich's legal counsel, warning him against splitting a referendum question into multiple ballot issues.
 
The letter was prompted by news reports that unnamed officials from Gov. Kasich's office were talking with some members of the Ohio Ballot Board about possibly splitting up the referendum question so voters would be required to cast multiple different votes on the matter.  Rep. Clyde noted that splitting up a referendum question would be an extraordinary breech of precedent.

The Ohio Constitution lays out a referendum process that allows the submission to Ohio voters "for their approval or rejection, of any law, section of any law or any item in any law appropriating money passed by the general assembly."  The opponents of Senate Bill 5 have petitioned their fellow Ohioans to repeal the entire law.  This is a single question: "Shall the law be approved?"  There is no authorization or precedent for doing anything different than this in a referendum.

The letter to Governor Kasich is below:

Democrats protect health reforms, speak out to protect Ohio's greatest resource
 
COLUMBUS - State Representative Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) voted against Senate Joint Resolution 1 today, joining his Democratic colleagues in the House to defeat an effort that would undermine health care reforms made at the federal level.
 
"Unconstitutional and unconscionable, SJR 1 sought to limit Ohioans from reaping the full benefits of federal reforms that will expand coverage and decrease the cost of care for a vast population of Ohioans," Ramos said.  "I was proud to stand alongside members of this chamber and of my community to defend the interests and betterment of Ohio's uninsured and underinsured."
 
Ramos also spoke out against House Bill 231, an attempt to undermine the Great Lakes Compact, an interstate agreement to promote environmentally sound and moderate utilization of the Great Lakes.  Specifically, Ramos offered an amendment to improve a provision that would increase, by millions of gallons, the volume that commercial water users can take from Lake Erie and its rivers each day before public oversight is required.
 
"This bill places the corporate interests of a few before the long-term needs of Ohioans, and is a threat to our neighbors throughout the vast Great Lakes region," added Ramos. "By disregarding any reasonable or scientific approach, HB 231 subverts the Great Lakes Compact and existing conservation rules, and seeks to put Ohioans in the dark about how commercial users impact one of the most precious natural resources in this hemisphere.

Partisan ploy defeated by one vote, Dems stop measure from being placed on ballot
 
COLUMBUS - House Democrats stood solidly together today to defeat Senate Joint Resolution 1, a partisan measure that would have jeopardized health care access for Ohioans by placing an issue on the ballot to repeal portions of federal health care reform law. House Republicans took the measure to the floor today needing a three-fifths majority or one Democratic vote.  Every House Democrat voted no, denying House Republicans the ability to place this measure on the ballot this fall.
 
"This is a cynical, partisan ploy by House Republicans who are more concerned with imposing their extreme ideological agenda than finding pragmatic solutions to make our state stronger," said House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood). "House Democrats have been fighting every day to stand up for middle class Ohioans and I'm pleased we stood together today to defeat this partisan attack on access to affordable health care for Ohioans."
 
Defeating Senate Joint Resolution 1 stops one option for placing this measure before voters.  The Affordable Health Care Act enables individuals with preexisting conditions to get health insurance and it allows young adults to get insurance on their parents plan until they are 26. It also helps seniors with free preventative health visits and financial assistance to those seniors in the donut hole. Repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act could cost Ohio nearly $500 million in federal funds and would throw Ohio's budget out of balance.

"It makes you scratch your head and wonder why anyone would want to go back to a place where those with pre-existing conditions are denied coverage and small businesses lose their tax breaks for providing health care coverage. Those who voted this down are a 'profile in courage,'" said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, ProgressOhio.

State Rep. Williams Concerned about GOP Secrecy

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) today expressed her concern about the refusal of the Chair of the House Economic and Small Business Development Committee to allow state agency directors to testify. Rep. Williams is Ranking Member of that committee.

The panel is hearing House Bill 220, which provides a refundable commercial activity tax credit to EB-5 Investors that experience a capital loss on their investment.  Chair Nan Baker (R-Westlake) has on three separate occasions refused to permit the directors of the departments of Development and Taxation to testify on the impact of this legislation.

Rep. Williams has sent a letter (click here) to Tax Commissioner Joseph W. Testa and Development Director James A. Leftwich asking that they testify.

"This bill commits up to 200 million taxpayer's dollars, and it is only right and appropriate we take an in-depth look at all aspects of the proposal," said Rep. Williams. "It makes no sense that the committee Chair would refuse to allow all members to ask relevant questions, and I am concerned that her decision prevents the kind of transparency and openness that should exist in our state government."

Rep. Sykes Requests Cost-Impact Analysis of Kasich's New Tax Give-Away

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) requested today an analysis of a new proposal by Ohio Gov. John Kasich to give tax breaks to financial investors.  The proposal was reportedly provided to some members of the Ohio House and Senate Conference Committee to be included in the state budget at the request of Gov. Kasich.

"This tax breaks for big shots proposal could result in another devastating blow to middle class families facing massive budget cuts to their schools and communities," said Rep. Sykes. "Of course we want to encourage investment in Ohio companies but we shouldn't do it on the backs of hard working, middle class Ohioans."

Lawmaker concerned about Governor's response to records requests

COLUMBUS - State Representative Matt Lundy (D-Elyria) has requested Attorney General Mike DeWine to rule on whether the Governor must comply with a number of recent Public Records Requests.  Despite including specific time frames, subject of correspondence and individuals involved in open records requests, Governor Kasich and his staff have refused to provide the material claiming, "The request is overly broad." 

"The Governor has repeatedly used the defense of 'too broad' to refuse to comply with public records requests from both lawmakers and the media, and I do not believe that is a valid argument," said Rep. Lundy. "The public's right to know is being violated by this administration. We need transparency and openness in government, not secrecy."

The Governor's office cites the ruling in State ex. rel. Glasgow v. Jones (2008), 119 Ohio St. 3d 391 as the basis of the "overly broad" response to Rep. Lundy's request for crucial information regarding education and the state budget.  The same argument was used in a request for public records by State Rep. Debbie Phillips (D-Athens). "Overly broad" was also cited by the Administration for refusing several requests by the Columbus Dispatch and other newspapers recently. 

"I believe the ruling is being misinterpreted, misused and abused," said Rep. Lundy.  "I believe my interpretation is consistent with the direction given to government officials in the Attorney General's  '2011 Ohio Sunshine Manual'  and that the Governor should be required to turn over the documents.

Annin and Company Flagmakers, in Coshocton, is the Nation's Oldest and Largest Producer of American Flags

WASHINGTON, D.C. --On the day before Flag Day, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced that he will introduce legislation that would ensure that flags purchased by the Federal government are entirely made in America.

"American flags should be American-made," Brown said. "With Ohio companies proudly producing the American flag, taxpayer funds should not be used to purchase foreign-made flags. Our nation's economic strength is tied to a strong manufacturing sector - and we should be doing everything we can to support American manufacturing." 

The Federal government is currently required to purchase flags made from 50 percent American-made materials; the All-American Flag Act would require the government to buy flags that are entirely produced with American-made materials. Companion legislation, introduced by U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA), passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 but died at the end of the last congress and currently awaits a committee vote.

The manufacturing and distribution facility for the nation's oldest and largest producer of American flags is located in Coshocton. Annin and Company, founded in 1847, currently employs 500 workers nationwide.

HAMILTON, Ohio - Governor Kasich will be in Hamilton today at a job announcement at Thyssenkrupp Bilstein. But just as before when Governor Kasich rolled through other parts of Ohio, should he be there? Governor Kasich did not support the Obama administration bailout plan that gave General Motors time to restructure itself and made these jobs possible.

"Governor Kasich opposed the auto bailout that have allowed for companies like ThyssenKrupp Bilstein to grow. This company is expanding because we have a vibrant auto industry and if Governor Kasich had his way these jobs may not exist today," stated Chuck Morton, Dayton Miami Valley AFL-CIO.

Democratic Lawmakers Seek to Keep Legislative Process Open and Accountable

COLUMBUS - State Representatives Ted Celeste (D-Grandview Heights) and Jay P. Goyal (D-Mansfield) today announced that they will soon introduce legislation to limit undue influence by special interest groups in writing legislation. Their bill would prohibit outside parties from meeting with the Legislative Services Commission (LSC) without a member of the General Assembly or their staff present.  LSC is the non-partisan agency that assists the legislature in writing the specific language of bills.

While communication between lawmakers and LSC is confidential, the legislation proposed by Reps. Celeste and Goyal would clarify state law that communications between outside groups or individuals and LSC would be considered public records. These steps will ensure that the process of developing legislation in Ohio is open and accountable.

"We have seen media reports recently that outlined how lobbyists for a charter school operator met alone with LSC staffers and developed language that highly favored the company that wound up in the state budget," said Rep. Goyal. "LSC's work is highly regarded, and they should not be put in that position without a lawmaker or their staff there to oversee the process. We should not give special interests special permission to write legislation that so directly benefits them."

The situation raised additional questions when Speaker Batchelder and other House Republicans initially refused to identify even the legislator who was responsible for the charter school changes included in the budget bill.

"At a time when thousands of Ohioans were literally locked out of the Statehouse and refused the right to testify on a significant bill (SB5), it is unthinkable to allow those with the biggest checkbooks the most access to the legislative process," said Rep. Celeste. "Special interests should not be allowed to have unfettered access to the non-partisan people who write the language for bills."

My fellow citizens, we are about to find out.   Yesterday evening, a budget balanced on the backs of hard working Ohioans was passed out of the Senate on a party line vote.  Instead of laying a foundation for the prosperity of all people, this bill would stifle the ability of our state and its citizens to reach their full potential.  It guts support for schools, cities and higher education, meaning higher fees, higher local taxes and higher tuition; all amounting to middle class tax increases. 

This is the legislature passing its responsibility to balance the state's budget onto those who don't have a say, or don't have a choice.  This is pass-the-buck budgeting at its worst.

This budget lacks jobs and a framework to create them, and will only add to the unemployment rolls.  This was touted as "the jobs budget," but over 2,000 public servants have been laid off since it was unveiled and the livelihoods of thousands more hang in the balance. 

The people of Ohio deserve better.  Fortunately, we have 22 days before the General Assembly is constitutionally obligated to pass the budget, and it is my hope that with this time we can craft a plan that will reverse these wrongs and help Ohio's citizens realize their own American Dream.

Instead of deferring our dreams, we need to work together to create an environment in which they can be realized.  Our future is in our hands, Ohio.  Let's make it a bright one!

Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus, released an analysis today which finds that Ohio's "budget hole" for FY 2012-13 is $5.1 billion, not $8 billion as Gov. Kasich and his allies routinely assert.

IO President Janetta King said:

"The games that Gov. Kasich, Budget Director Keen and their legislative allies are playing with the Ohio budget are both deceitful and shameful. They deliberately talk about an $8 billion hole they know does not exist --and they continue to use it as a scare tactic to frighten Ohioans and justify their extremist policy agenda. It is time for the people of Ohio to know the truth."

"Where's the money going? should be the real question going forward on this budget. It was balanced on the presumption of an $8 billion hole that isn't there.

The head scratcher is why public schools and first responders are being forced to continue laying off teachers, police and firefighters when question marks remain over this $3 billion dollar discrepancy," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of Progressohio.org.
 
"If Governor Kasich and Tim Keen filled a $5 billion hole with $8 billion, then why all the cuts? This budget is balanced on dishonest accounting."

Related:

Youngstown Vindicator: ProgressOhio Is Right, Ohio Budget Deficit Needs Independent Investigation

Senate Democrats Offer Proposal to Increase Fairness in Education Funding

Senate Democrats Submit Over 300 Amendments to Restore Fairness and Accountability to State Budget

Kasich's Proposed Tax Cuts For Banks A Slap In The Face To Working Ohioans

COLUMBUS, OH - The Columbus Dispatch has reported that amendments to the state budget in the Ohio Senate would attempt to fix some of the constitutional issues originally raised by ProgressOhio and other plaintiffs in a complaint currently before the Ohio Supreme Court.

Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio, made the following response, "The Senate's actions have validated our original concerns over the unconstitutional aspects of Jobs Ohio.  While the Governor's Office and the General Assembly have not addressed all of the constitutional issues we argue in our case, the actions they have taken prove that we were correct in our original findings.  Jobs Ohio was a hastily written bill that did not take into consideration the Ohio Constitution.  The process behind Jobs Ohio has not been moving at the speed of business but the speed of error.

"We remain concerned about the unanswered constitutional problems in this bill and we will need to see legislative language because the devil is always in the details.  We are going to be meeting with the other plaintiffs and legal counsel over the next few days and will be in discussions regarding our next legal steps in this case."

Related:

GOP Senator And Policy Groups Question Price For Sale Of State's Liquor Operation: We Think Any Price Is To High For Violating Ohio's Constitution!

Kasich Bus Tries To Run Over Ohio's Constitution With JobsOhio

ProgressOhio, State Sen. Skindell and Rep. Murray File Lawsuit Over Constitutionality Of JobsOhio

Early reactions and statements on ProgressOhio's victory in Kvamme suit

Kasich Subverts Ohio Constitution and Law With Kvamme Appointment

Columbus - The Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus today unveiled an education funding proposal that ensures urban and rural school districts are not shortchanged.  The Student Success Index is one of the 242 budget amendments that Senate Democrats submitted to the Senate Finance Committee.

"Unlike a plan put forth by Senate Republicans, our proposal doesn't leave anybody out," said Senate Minority Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard).  "We are ensuring that all students, regardless of their circumstances, are receiving more resources for their education."

Senate Republicans inserted an additional $115 million into the state budget which overwhelmingly benefits wealthy school districts.  This "Robin Hood in reverse" proposal ignores Ohio's most challenged districts.

The Student Success Index distributes the same $115 million funding increase on a fairer and broader basis by utilizing three widely recognized measurement tools: District Report Cards, the Education Challenge Factor and State Performance Index scores.  The measurements reward success while also acknowledging the challenges that all districts face.

Like the House passed version of the budget, the Student Success Index ensures that no school district will see more than a 20 percent decrease in state funding from FY 2011 spending levels.  In fact, every school district in Ohio will see additional funding beyond the House plan.

News report raises questions that demand closer scrutiny

Columbus - Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) today called for removing a provision from the state budget that would privatize the Ohio Lottery by June 1, 2012.  Senator Skindell will submit an amendment this week to strip the Lottery privatization proposal from the Senate's version of the budget.

"I have concerns about the timing and the manner by which this proposal was inserted in the budget," said Senator Skindell, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.  "Members of the General Assembly have not had sufficient time to determine if this is a good idea or simply a sweetheart deal for private companies that want to take over management of the Lottery."

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today that language included in the Senate's version of the budget is nearly identical to legislation drafted by a company that hopes to take over day-to-day management of the Lottery.  In addition, the Chairman of the Ohio Lottery Commission told the Plain Dealer he was not consulted about the proposed legislation.

"Any discussion about privatizing the Lottery should have full transparency and much greater scrutiny than this proposal has received so far," said Senator Skindell.

Senator Skindell also pointed out that the most recent state audit praised the Lottery's operations.  Last year Lt. Governor Mary Taylor, in her previous role as State Auditor, determined the Ohio Lottery "performed well" and its management practices were consistent with other U.S. Lotteries.

Is $1.2 billion too low for the state's liquor operation? GOP lawmaker and public policy group both think so

We think any price is to high for violating Ohio's Constitution!

Governor Kasich has pointed to House Bill 1, the bill to privatize the Ohio Department of Development, as a crowning achievement of his first 100 days, but the bill blatantly violates the constitution in multiple ways.

• HB1 gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in violation of Article IV of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 limits redress in the courts to 60 days in violation of Article 1, Section 16 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 is a special act conferring corporate powers in violation of Article XIII, Section 1 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates an illegal second position under the authority of the state for the Governor

• HB1 creates debt liabilities for the state in violation of Article VIII, Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates a joint venture between the State of Ohio and a private corporation in violation of Article VIII, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates an appropriation for longer than two years in violation of Article II, Section 22 of the Ohio Constitution 

ProgressOhio, Democrats File Lawsuit Over Constitutionality Of JobsOhio

Watch It:

Today police, firefighters, teachers, construction trade workers and others attended lobby Day at the statehouse to target lawmakers in key senate districts.

As part of the days lobby efforts workers spoke to reporters at a press conference organized by the Unity Labor Table and facilitated by ProgressOhio.

Despite some positive changes made to the state budget by the Senate Finance Committee, this spending plan remains deeply flawed.  This plan simply takes us in the wrong direction.

The press conference participants discussed how the plan deprives local communities of the resources needed to pay for public schools and basic services.  It passes the buck to cities and towns and forces them to make the tough choices on how to make do with less.  It does not create jobs. Even worse, it could lead to some 50,000 jobs being lost in local communities.

Columbus - The Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus is submitting more than 300 amendments today to add much-needed fairness and accountability to House Bill 153, the proposed biennial state budget for fiscal years 2012-2013.  The amendments reflect the Caucus' commitment to protecting good-paying jobs, strengthening families and empowering communities.

"Our priority is to protect taxpayers and address some of the devastating cuts proposed by the Governor and House Republicans," said Senate Minority Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard).  "We should not balance the budget on the backs of the vulnerable or local governments.  Unfortunately, that's what will happen if we don't make considerable changes to the current budget plan."

The budget amendments protect taxpayers by strengthening oversight and accountability for charter schools and by ensuring there are no "sweetheart deals" to sell state prisons or lease the Ohio Turnpike at less than fair market value.

Representatives Dennis Murray and Bob Hagan both made impassioned speeches on the floor denouncing the effect of money and influence in policy.   The vast majority of Ohioans from all side of the political spectrum are against drilling in State Parks and public lands, but the House and Senate are plowing ahead.

Why?  Could it have something to do with the over $500,000 in traceable campaign contributions that the Oil and Gas Industry gave out in 2010 to conservatives running for office?  Of course not.

Rep Murray said, "If money is the mother's milk of politics, then this legislation suggests that we must be drunk on milk and indeed depend on the real gold that will be showered on some members of this General Assembly as thanks for the black gold."

Watch It:

Hagan had the best zinger of the day about halfway through the floor debate when he said, "I appreciate Rep Blair's Mother giving us these pot holders, [but] for a minute I thought there must have been pot in it, because apparently, someone over there is on drugs!  I cant believe what you are doing again ... If we could capture the gas, bluster, and bravado coming from the other side, we could heat the whole state!"

Watch It:

Congressional Republicans have frequently attacked Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Warren and the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) she's setting up, which officially launches on July 21. The House GOP escalated its anti-Warren, anti-CFPB campaign at a hearing of the House Oversight Committee today, chaired by Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC).

McHenry was once known as Tom DeLay's "attack-dog-in-training," a title he more than earned yesterday. Before the hearing had even begun, McHenry went on CNBC and brazenly accused Warren of lying to Congress.

Watch It:

Prevailing wage helps ensure that decent wages are paid to skilled workers and that taxpayer value is provided on public construction projects. This law protects good jobs in Ohio and prevents contractors from sacrificing the quality of construction projects for lower wage and less skilled workers.

But the state budget is being used in a sneaky, back door attempt to strip this law away - even though prevailing wage has no effect on the state budget.

Simply put, prevailing wage helps keep skilled trades in Ohio.

Call Ohio Senator Chris Widener, Chair of the Ohio Senate Finance Committee, at 614 466-3780 and tell him not to use the budget to gut the prevailing wage law. Our budget should make Ohio stronger, not rob us of good, skilled jobs in our communities.

Chris Widener's office - (614) 466-3780

Thanks for all that you do.

Lawmakers say selling prisons would be bad for Ohio and its citizens

COLUMBUS - State Representative Ronald V. Gerberry (D-Austintown) and Representative Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) have jointly sponsored legislation that bars the Governor from selling any state correctional facility without first getting approval from the General Assembly.

"It is imperative that we try and put the brakes on the Governor's pending proposal, for the good of this state and for the good of Ohioans as a whole," said Rep. Hagan, who noted that the one-time, short-term cash infusion for a tight budget could be detrimental to Ohio in the long run.

Rep. Gerberry explained that  many states have already privatized their prison system in hopes of alleviating tight budget concerns only to find "heartache, headache,  little cost savings,  and a whole lot of public safety problems."

"Selling off state prisons might provide a short-term infusion of cash, but there are definite negative impacts to consider," said Rep. Gerberry. "Taxpayers will lose potential proceeds from these facilities in the future, correction workers will earn less, thereby damaging our tax base, and many times private owners care little about the communities they are in, thereby creating serious accountability and public security problems."

Gov. Kasich has included the sale or privatization of state prisons in the biennial budget, and has indicated that his targets are the Marion, North Central, and Grafton facilities.  Reps. Gerberry and Hagan hope their legislation will bring public pressure to remove the provision from the budget before it is finalized by the June 30th deadline.

BREAKING NEWS:  SHADOWS COLUMN LEADS TO FEDERAL PROBE OF CHARTERS:  Newsnet5.com in Cleveland is reporting that a Turkish Islamist organization first reported on by Shadows on High, September 15, 2010 is now the subject of a federal probe of Ohio taxpayer money moving to Turkey. PO will report more as details become available.

SHADOWS ON HIGH: With Charters, the Greedy get Greedier

"No group should use political influence to run public policy in the state of Ohio," Gov. John Kasich recently told the Columbus Dispatch.

For Shadows readers, the sad intersection of Ohio's brand of profiteering politics and the availability of school funds has long been exposed as a toxic mix.

Back in the mid-1990s, when even Senate GOP members were balking at Ohio's first foray into voucher schools, then-Governor George V. Voinoivich made a rare appearance at his party's own club room on the north side of the Senate Building's 2^nd floor. 

Shortly after vouchers were passed, largely at the behest of Akron financier David Brennan. During the next General Assembly session, charter schools emerged. For Brennan, the crusade was based on claims of failing schools and the need to give desperate parents a "choice."  But, the opponents of the legislation were able to see the truth:  this legislation was about money, it was about allowing outside businesses to become rich from funds that should have gone into Ohio's classrooms. 

There can be little surprise that Voinovich's son George F. Voinovich went on to work with Brennan's law firm or that senior Voinovich operative Tom Needles now is a lobbyist with charter schools for clients.

Brennan was helped along by the intellectuals of the Buckeye Institute and Fordham Institute. They provided valuable cover for free-market "education" plans, and eventually these institutions proliferated in Ohio more than in any other state in the union.

It was not enough though for David Brennan and fellow businessmen like Bill Lager, who is to Ohio charter schools what the University of Phoenix is to colleges and universities. This year, emboldened by the right-wing tea-party make-up of the Ohio House, they stripped away all pretenses and in the process got too greedy, even for Fordham.

Gone were oversight rules to require educational performance, along with any semblance of accountability and transparency with state tax dollars. A provision giving all assets purchased with state money to, you guessed it - the for-profit holding companies owned by folks like Brennan and Lager. And therein lies the dowry for the GOP's unholy marriage between the profiteers and ideologues.

When Gov. Kasich vowed to fight the influence of individual groups, his target wasn't the charters but Ohio's for-profit nursing homes. They think they should win every legislative battle, Kasich said. Their supporters contribute millions to political candidates and causes, he said. The money Ohio spends on nursing homes is "through the roof.''

Substitute "for-profit charter schools" for "for-profit nursing homes" and Kasich is eerily silent. Never mind that charter schools already have won virtually every legislative battle, their supporters give millions to political candidates and causes - and most are paid to deliver poor results.

The difference between Kasich's  outcry over nursing homes but quiet encouragement of charter schools was the topic of the latest report by Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank that believes Ohio's limited tax dollars should be spent wisely and reserved for programs that help move Ohio forward.

The study showed most charter schools waste money and set Ohio back.

The report focused mainly on electronic schools - known as "e-schools.'' These entities market themselves as on-line alternatives for students who want an education without walking through a school house door.

Via Cincinnati.com

State Sen. Bill Seitz, the increasingly renegade Republican, is helping out the groups seeking to repeal Senate Bill 5, the controversial rewrite of state collective bargaining laws.

Here is the full statement made by Senator Seitz which was released last weekend at a Rally For SB5 Opponents:

After working very hard to suggest amendments to SB 5 that would have made it less excessive and more fair, I was tuned out by a majority of my colleagues. The bill that passed goes well beyond what even management lawyers suggested was necessary to restore balance between public sector management and public sector labor.  I voted against the bill - twice - and was deprived of the chance to do so a third time when Senate leadership removed me from the Committee that was hearing the bill.

My speeches on the Senate floor politely but firmly pointed out the many flaws in this bill - flaws that could have been corrected through fair negotiation and debate, but were not corrected in the feverish effort to quickly pass the bill.  For standing up for simple justice for law enforcement officers, firefighters, teachers, and professors across this great State, my reward was to be removed as Chairman of the Committee I chaired, and removed from that Committee, too. This retaliation cost me $6,500 - about 10% of my pay. 

Because most voters are independent-minded, I believe the broader electorate is tired of bully politics whether practiced by Republicans or Democrats.  What has happened to me, as a result of my opposition to Senate Bill 5, is surely a taste of things to come for Ohio's working families if Senate Bill 5 is allowed to stand. After all, the typical worker isn't a sitting State Senator from the majority party. Why shouldn't they fear the worst if this bill is permitted to become law?

We can do better than Senate Bill 5.  We can make Ohio great again - together.  We cannot achieve that goal by dividing neighbor against neighbor for the benefit of an elite few seeking to plunder the public and private sectors alike. 

My friends, you are embarked upon a great adventure.  It will not be easy, but there are those times when human resolve to do the right thing must trump partisan politics and even an act of the legislature.  It is solely up to you whether the people's voice will heard. The General Assembly has failed you.  You cannot fail yourselves.

Yours for a Better Ohio,
William J. Seitz

Related:

Republican Odd Couple Splits Up Over "Irreconcilable Differences'

The competition provided by charter schools was supposed to terrify under-performing traditional public schools and make them run more efficiently.

Test scores would increase. Waste and fraud would decrease. Ohio businesses would have a better educated work force.

Unfortunately for school kids, the explosion of charter schools has had the opposite effect.

Today, Innovation Ohio released a study that showed most charter schools, especially e-schools,  have abysmal academic records and virtually no accountability. Elected officials with the power to make them accountable are turning a blind eye, as they benefit from millions of dollars in political donations from e-school operators who make millions from the status quo.

Innovation Ohio called today's system "indefensible, reckless, and fiscally irresponsible."

The zeroes in on donations from two men: David Brennan who operates more charter schools in Ohio than anyone else, and William Lager, founder on the on-line schools called Electronic Classrooms of Tomorrow or ECOT.

Polling shows that 80% of Ohioans and 77% of state gun-owners oppose allowing guns in bars.[1] This has been reflected in actions by citizens across the state since it was announced that HB45, which would allow guns in bars, restaurants and open-air stadiums, would come for a vote today.

Since news of the vote was confirmed yesterday afternoon, 650 ProgressOhio members have called into the Statehouse opposing guns in bars. The calls have centered on eight state representatives considered swing votes on the issue.

An additional 578 letters were collected since yesterday by ProgressOhio and the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence. Hard copies of these letters, and petitions representing an additional 2,370 signatures collected since December, were delivered to Ohio House Speaker William Batchelder's office.

State Rep. Ted Celeste recorded a video statement outside of Speaker Batchelder's office. "The majority has been fond of calling for common sense legislation, but what we have before us is 'nonsense' legislation. Guns in bars makes no sense," said Celeste.

Update: Republican controlled Ohio House Passes HB 45: 56-39

Related:

80% Of Ohio Opposes Guns in Bars. Stop It From Passing Today!

Rep. Slaby: Constituents Say No, But I Say Yes!

Columbus Mayor Coleman Urges Ohio House to Keep Guns Out of Bars

'Guns in Bars' Returns To Ohio

The Ohio Restaurant Association.

The Ohio Licensed Beverage Association.

The Fraternal Order of Police.

80% of Ohio voters.

What do they have in common? They all oppose HB 45, which would let people bring loaded guns into Ohio's bars and open-air stadiums.

It's an irresponsible, unpopular piece of legislation that 80% of Ohioans and 77% of gun owners oppose! Yet it may come up for a final vote as soon as tomorrow.

ProgressOhio members sent nearly 2,000 letters to stop this bill last year. Without your help, guns in bars will become the law in Ohio.

Please send a letter right now telling your state legislators that loaded guns don't belong in restaurants, bars, and open air stadiums!

Here is a quick, and kind of sad, Friday Funny. (And if you don't get the picture, catch up on your internet memes already.)

ProgressOhio.org, partnering with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, has been running a campaign against the extreme agenda of the NRA and the Buckeye Firearms Association in the Ohio Statehouse.  Right now there are two bills in the House of Representatives: House Bill 45 which would allow guns in bars, restaurants, and open air stadiums, and House Bill 54 which would allow drug offenders and other criminals to purchase firearms, while still banning drug offenders from receiving financial aid for college.

We encouraged our members to send a letter to their local representative to state their opposition to the bill. 

The full letter reads:

An in-depth look at the private prison industry: violence, escapes, cash flow and some politicians'plans to make our communities less safe and more prone to violent crime

As correctional officers from around the country arrive in Washington for National Correctional Officers week, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) released a new report entitled, "Making A Killing: How Prison Corporations Are Profiting From Campaign Contributions and Putting Taxpayers at Risk."

Each election cycle, America's largest private prison companies pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaigns of governors, state legislators, and judges, in the hopes of advancing their political agenda--establishing more private prisons and reducing the number of public ones.   The report tracks the flow of money from the companies to the people in power, and details some of the worst cases of violence and death in the nation's least safe facilities.

"Private prison companies have one goal, and that's to maximize profits," said Ken Kopczynski, Executive Director of the Private Corrections Working Group.  "States considering privatization should be clear about the problems associated with these corporate facilities--high rates of violence, high staff turnover, lax security, and routine mismanagement.  We should be securing our prisons, not selling them off to the highest bidder."

Ohio has a long standing commitment to provide a high‐quality, affordable and accessible education at public colleges, but the Governor is proposing that Ohio abandon this commitment in favor of converting our public educational institutions to "charter universities", or "entrepreneurial universities" as they are now cleverly being called. But don't be fooled. This idea undermines the concept of public universities by making them for-profit driven.

Charter or entrepreneurial universities would blow the cap off tuition making access to a college education more difficult and unaffordable for most Ohio families.

Virginia implemented this concept and Virginia Commonwealth University had a 24 percent tuition increase this past year alone. That means students in Ohio would be forced to choose between attending college at all, or doing so but graduating with an excessive amount of debt. This would also prevent adult Ohioans from returning to college to learn new skills for jobs in new industries, resulting in less trained workers and less economic activity in our communities.

Tell Gov. Kasich that Ohio should not shift focus on the classroom, access, and affordability of higher education by converting our public institutions into capital development mechanisms that cause tuition to skyrocket, makes universities exempt from public records laws and construction regulations, and creates a lack of accountability on how taxpayer dollars are spent.

Kaisch: "State employees are actually going to get a pay raise"

Gov. John Kasich marked his 100th day in office with a news conference highlighting a long list of accomplishments. Among them were introduction of the "Jobs Budget," as he called it, and passage of Senate Bill 5.

SB 5, described as "collective bargaining reform," would limit collective bargaining rights for public employees across the state.

Kasich was asked during the meeting with reporters if the economic squeeze on workers and schools and local governments made it important symbolically for state lawmakers to take a pay cut.

"I think they should be treated like all other state employees, and state employees are actually going to get a pay raise," the governor answered.

A raise? In these times? While closing an $8 billion state budget deficit?

PolitiFact Ohio was surprised. We asked the governor's office to explain, and looked for some background information on our own.

<snip>

State workers will be getting more money in their paychecks, as Nichols noted. But that's not because they'll be getting paid more for their time.

Those increases are a result of them working more days at the same rate of pay. When the furloughs end, state workers will no longer be forced to take unpaid days off from work.

On the Truth-O-Meter, we rate Kasich's claim as False.

Read the full story at PolitiFact Ohio

Related:

Kasich: Give State Legislators a Pay Raise!?!

Ohio's CEOs Collect Raises While Workers Collect Pink Slips

Ohio Constitution, Past Precedent  Indicate that Referendum is a "No" Vote Against a Law
 
COLUMBUS-State Reps. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) and Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus), both former election officials, today sent the following letter to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted calling for the Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) referendum ballot language to be clear that a yes vote means it should be approved as law and a no vote means it should not be approved as law.

The letter stems from comments made by Secretary of State Husted's office, suggesting that the Ohio Ballot Board would be able to word the question so that a Yes vote would be required to vote against the law. As a citizen's veto, the Ohio Constitution states that a law subject to referendum does not go into effect "unless approved by a majority of those voting".

The letter to Secretary of State Husted is as follows:

More Images Here

This morning, a coalition of environmental groups and citizens called No Frack Ohio stood up for our state and our future.  The protest outside the Ohio Union at the Ohio State University drew a diverse and bi-partisan crowd of participants to oppose high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," under current regulatory frameworks. 

Inside the Student Union, pro-industry spokesmen were speaking to speaking to State Legislators about the future fracking "boom" at a conference sponsored by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and The Ohio State University Institute on Energy and Environment. Not one representative of an environmental or citizen group was invite to present at the conference, only pro-industry businessmen who will make windfall profits from oil and gas drilling in Ohio. 

The protest was organized by NO FRACK OHIO, a collaboration of over 50 grassroots and conservation groups calling for a moratorium on horizontal hydraulic fracturing until further safeguards are put in place to protect human health and the environment. The NO FRACK OHIO collaboration is also opposed to legislation pending in the statehouse that would open all public lands to oil and gas drilling, including state parks, nature preserves and university grounds. 

Marc Kovac, who runs the Ohio Capital Blog, found another nugget from the Kasich 100 Days press conference last week. 

Kasich Sticks Foot In Mouth

During a press conference marking his first 100 days in office, Kasich was asked whether lawmakers should cut their own pay, as a symbolic recognition of the economic realities facing many other Ohioans.

Members of the Ohio General Assembly earn more than $60,000 a year, with those in leadership topping $85,000 or $90,000. They also get other perks -- public pensions, tax breaks for their time in Columbus and travel stipends.

That's pretty good money, especially in this economic environment. Cutting pay rates a few percentage points wouldn't push any lawmaker into the poorhouse.

We recently did some of our own research here at ProgressOhio and found that Kovac is actually underestimating the compensation totals.

Governor Kasich responded today to the lawsuit filed by Senator Mike Skindell, Representative Dennis Murray, and ProgressOhio.org challenging the constitutionality of House Bill 1, which privatizes the Ohio Department of Development.

"I think about people who obstruct. There are two ways you deal with them. You either get mad at them, or you say a prayer for them," Kasich said at a press conference about his first 100 days in office.

Governor Kasich has pointed to House Bill 1, the bill to privatize the Ohio Department of Development, as a crowning achievement of his first 100 days, but the bill blatantly violates the constitution in multiple ways.

• HB1 gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in violation of Article IV of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 limits redress in the courts to 60 days in violation of Article 1, Section 16 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 is a special act conferring corporate powers in violation of Article XIII, Section 1 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates an illegal second position under the authority of the state for the Governor

• HB1 creates debt liabilities for the state in violation of Article VIII, Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates a joint venture between the State of Ohio and a private corporation in violation of Article VIII, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates an appropriation for longer than two years in violation of Article II, Section 22 of the Ohio Constitution 

Since the lawsuit was filed the response from the Governor's office has been to blindly defend their plans, while labeling any opponent's motivation as political.  But wait, that sound familiar doesn't it?

Back in February, ProgressOhio.org filed a lawsuit over the constitutionality of appointing Mark Kvamme, an out of state resident, to be the Director of the Ohio Department of Development. 

Back then, the messaging from the Governor's office was pretty much the same calling the lawsuit "a political smear".

Kasich himself responded in an official statement to the residency lawsuit, claiming that he was "confident we could overcome those objections."  

What happened?  Without fanfare, Kasich quietly moved Kvamme to another position, as well as resubmitting the paperwork for Director Nally of the Ohio Department of Development. 

Despite Kasich's claims of confidence that he was in the right, the constitution and ProgressOhio prevailed.  

SB5 is on its way to the ballot but the Statehouse Blackout is still going strong. Extreme conservative bills are being discussed right now and every day Ohioans are once again being left in the dark.

Thanks to the help of activists like you, our petition to open up committee hearings to Ohio Government Television is going strong!  We have started to send a message to Statehouse leaders but we can't stop now. 

Please sign the petition today and then recruit just one more person to sign!

Taxpayers have spent millions in upgrading technology at the Statehouse and the systems exist to allow every committee meeting to be streamed live on Television and www.ohiochannel.org.  In fact, Governor Kasich just today streamed his First 100 Days speech on Ohio Government Television, which is of questionable importance compared with debate over abortion bans, striping voting rights, and the exploitation of our State Parks by oil and gas drilling.

Please help us get over the signature goal by signing the petition and then sharing it one more time on Facebook, posting it to Twitter, or sending an email to your family, friends, and co-workers.  Once you sign the petition, the sharing buttons are right there on the left side of the page, please take advantage of them and help spread the message.

ProgressOhio.org, Senator Mike Skindell, and Representative Dennis Murray filed a lawsuit in the Ohio Supreme Court today over the constitutionality of House Bill 1 "JobsOhio".  

Governor Kasich has pointed to House Bill 1, the bill to privatize the Ohio Department of Development, as a crowning achievement of his first 100 days but the bill blatantly violates the constitution in multiple ways.

• HB1 gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in violation of Article IV of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 limits redress in the courts to 60 days in violation of Article 1, Section 16 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 is a special act conferring corporate powers in violation of Article XIII, Section 1 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates a second position under the authority if the state for the Governor

• HB1 creates debt liabilities for the state in violation of Article VIII, Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates a joint venture between the State of Ohio and a private corporation in violation of Article VIII, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution

• HB1 creates an appropriation for longer than two years in violation of Article II, Section 22 of the Ohio Constitution 

"We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes," billionaire hotelier Leona Helmsley famously (and allegedly) sniffed. She wasn't entirely correct: The superrich do still pay taxes. The wealthiest 1 percent of taxpayers pay 32 percent of all income tax collected by the federal government.

But the superrich don't pay as much as they used to--and thanks to a combination of tax cuts and preferential tax policies, their tax obligations can be less demanding than the so-called little people's.

In fact, the very wealthiest Americans' tax burden has been steadily dropping for years, even as they've enjoyed astounding income growth not seen by the vast majority of Americans.

And then there's the corporations.

Corporations exploit various loopholes and tax breaks to reduce their IRS bills Though the corporate tax rate is 35%, here's 10 that paid nothing (or close to it) last year.

Several paid nothing and yet got a tax rebate from the US Treasury.

Buried in a Dayton Business Journal story last week were comments Lt. Governor Mary Taylor made about the next steps of Gov. Kasich's anti-working family agenda.  Taylor candidly said their next target is Ohio's workers' compensation laws. 

Taylor told the Journal that she and Gov. Kasich would like to privatize the Bureau of Workers' Compensation but cannot because of constitutional constraints. 

So, the next best thing?  They want to change the laws to allow private insurance companies to "enter the fray and compete" which "could be a boon to insurance giants with a large presence in Ohio, such as Anthem, a unit of WellPoint Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc., Cigna Corp. and Aetna Inc," reported the Journal.

After 10 years, Ohio has no reliable comparison with public facilities

A study released today finds that cost calculations performed over a number of years by the State of Ohio have not reliably demonstrated the private-prison savings required under Ohio law.

Since the first private prisons were opened here in 2000, Ohio law has required that any private operator produce savings of at least 5 percent compared to what it would cost the state to run the same facility. According to previous calculations done by the state, the savings have exceeded that threshold by as much as a factor of three.

But the study, written by journalist Bob Paynter for Policy Matters Ohio, found that as of last month - 10 years into the privatization experiment, and one day before Gov. John Kasich announced a plan to sell five state-owned prisons - Ohio officials still hasn't developed an accurate, reliable way to compute how much, if anything, they had actually saved.

Columbus - State Representative Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) today requested that the administration of Gov. Kasich provide vital budget information that has not yet been released. Rep. Sykes is the Ranking Minority member of the Ohio House Finance and Appropriations Committee, and he and other members have been asking the Administration for this information and public records throughout the hearing process.

Frustrated by this lack of information and the Administration's unwillingness to provide the requested data, Rep. Sykes sent the following letter:

Timothy Keen, Director
Ohio Office of Budget & Management
30 East Broad Street, 34th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3457

Dear Mr. Keen,

I write to you today on behalf of the taxpayers of Ohio who are tremendously concerned about the impacts of the proposed state funding cuts. As a representative of those taxpayers I am apprehensive about the lack of available data necessary to reach a comprehensive understanding of potential impacts to our schools, businesses, and communities.

In order to carry out our responsibilities as State Representatives to review, analyze, amend, and ultimately to vote aye or nay on the state's biennial budget, it is imperative that my fellow members of the General Assembly and I receive the proper information and detail to make informed decisions. Despite having asked for this information during the House Finance and Appropriations committee hearings on the budget and faced with an impending amendment deadline, as of this date we have not received this information. Therefore I am making this request for information and public records so that we will receive the necessary information and may feel comfortable with our analysis of this complex and important piece of legislation.

As ranking member of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee, I am requesting the following information and public records in an attempt to elicit greater detail about the impact of Governor Kasich's proposed budget on the people of Ohio. Given that almost all of this information has previously been requested over the past few weeks, I respectfully request you provide the following information by the close of business on Friday, April 15, 2011 and that you appear before the House Finance and Appropriations committee this week to discuss these issues directly with members of the committee:

• What is the effect of the language allowing OBM to enter into contracts that outsource public services to private entities in terms of the division of liquor?  Would Jobs Ohio be able to outsource or sell the division or its operations or profits to a private entity without the legislature's consent?

• What is the policy reason behind making Jobs Ohio, a private entity, exempt from paying Ohio taxes?  If Jobs Ohio did have to pay Ohio taxes, what would be the revenue from those taxes?

• What % of projects will be affected by the prevailing wage exemption? How many projects currently exceed the $5 million threshold?  How many projects will be affected by the prevailing wage prohibitions in the budget?

• How much money is being used to balance the budget using money made available to the state due to the Affordable Care Act? Are these funds tied to federal requirements in order for the state to receive them?

• What is the actual dollar amount of funding cuts to Ohio's hospitals? Please provide this information on a hospital by hospital basis.

• How is the $119.5 million in savings calculated for the hospital non-contracting language included in the budget?

• What are the actual dollar amount funding cuts, including when applicable revenue losses due to TPP and KwH policy changes in the budget, for local developmental disabilities boards, mental health boards, Area Agencies on Aging, PASSPORT providers, county JFS offices, child support enforcement, and children services and child care providers? Please provide this information statewide and on a county by county basis.

• What specific effects will the cuts to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission have on their ability to process cases? Could their workload be further exacerbated by the changes made in SB 5?

• What is the revenue impact due to the closure of 7 taxpayer service centers?  Currently, it is estimated that they bring in $73 million in revenue each year and closing the 7 centers would save approximately $29 million.

• The Ohio Farm Loan Revolving Fund is taking an 85% cut in the executive budget.  Yet the Director of Agriculture said that the fund is not actually taking that cut.  Please substantiate this statement.  Will less money be available for loans than was available in FY10-11?  If so, how much less?

• What will be the financial impact associated with requiring courts as opposed to the Adult parole Officers to prepare pre-sentence investigation reports?

In addition to the information above, I request the following public records:

• Please provide public records containing data compiled by your office used to estimate how much money would be generated by leasing state parks for drilling purposes.

• Please provide public records compiled by your office to estimate how much money is being used to balance the budget using money made available to the state due to the Affordable Care Act. Are these funds tied to federal requirements in order for the state to receive them?

• Please provide public records containing data that shows the value of the 5 facilities that DRC is looking to sell (including land, fixtures and furniture). Has the state conducted such an appraisal, and if so, what are the details of the appraisal contract (in addition to the results of the appraisal)?

• Please provide public records containing data that shows the amount of remaining debt the state has incurred on these 5 facilities. Will any of the proceeds of the sale of these facilities go to retiring the related debt to ensure that our children will not have to pay for assets that the state no longer owns?

• Please provide public records compiled by your office estimating the number of employees that will be laid off due to the closing of the DYS facility.

I also call your attention to a similar request made to Robert Sommers on April 6th for information related to Governor Kasich's K-12 education budget. We have yet to receive a response to this inquiry (attached).

If you need any additional information about these questions or requests for records, please don't hesitate to contact my office.

As a Congressman in 1995, Brown Donated Salary During Shutdown to Charity; Sponsored Legislation to Bar Elected Officials from Drawing a Salary During a Government Shutdown

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that he will not accept his federal salary during a government shutdown if one occurs. Following the 1995 shutdown when Brown donated his salary to various charities in his then-House District, Brown introduced legislation that would prohibit Members of Congress from receiving their salaries as long as the shutdown continues.

"If the government is shutdown, I shouldn't be getting a paycheck," Brown said. "Hardworking Ohioans deserve elected officials who will take a serious approach to passing a budget. But when Washington politicians use the budget process to pick ideological fights, American taxpayers lose out. I will fight to prevent a shut down, but if the government does shut down, bad behavior by Washington politicians shouldn't be rewarded with paychecks."

Brown announced plans to donate his federal salary to charity if the government shuts down, and is urging all his colleagues - from the President and Vice President to all Members of the House and Senate - to do the same. Brown signed a 'No Budget, No Pay' pledge because if the government shuts down, millions of working Ohioans will be impacted, and elected officials should not be exempt. 

Brown cosponsored legislation that was passed by the U.S. Senate that would prevent lawmakers and the President from drawing a salary if the government shuts down. However, the House of Representatives has not brought the bill to the floor for a vote.

Despite making 2-3 times the starting pay of an Ohio Teacher, Cop, Paramedic or Firefighter for a part-time second job, President Niehaus and Speaker Batchelder think that balancing Ohio's budget on the backs of the middle class is "shared sacrifice". 

What sacrifices are Niehaus and Batchelder making?  Pay cuts?  Paying more of their Health Insurance or Benfits plan? Less Lobbyist luncheons?

Don't hold your breath.  To Niehaus and Batchelder "Shared Sacrifice" means you sacrifice while they share the benefits!

COLUMBUS -Today State Reps. Debbie Phillips (D-Athens) and Matt Lundy (D-Elyria) requested Governor Kasich's office to provide vital budget information that that has yet to be released to Finance Committee members.

As members of the Primary and Secondary Education Subcommittee, Reps. Phillips and Lundy requested this information in committee, but have yet to receive any answers from the Governor's office.

Today's public records request follows weeks of testimony on the budget by staff in the Governor's office. Some staff members appeared before the committee without written testimony and were unable to answer committee member's questions.

Frustrated by this lack of information and unwillingness to provide the requested data, Reps. Phillips and Lundy sent the following letter.

Members ask Attorney General to request that funding be restored

COLUMBUS - State Representatives Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) and Stephen Slesnick (D-Canton) today sent a letter to the state Attorney General asking him to join their call to restore funding to the Ohio Consumers' Counsel. Reps. Slesnick and Driehaus are both members of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the Ohio House Finance and Appropriations Committee hearing the OCC budget.

"I think it's important to understand that the money saved through this budget cut goes back to the utility companies, not to fix the budget deficit," said Rep. Driehaus.  "We need to continue investing where it counts and where it's going to help the most.  There is not one single person in this state that doesn't benefit from the Ohio Consumers' Counsel advocating on their behalf.  The OCC protects all utility consumers and makes sure that the state is advocating for its citizens."

"Given the current economic climate, Ohio residents need a watchdog like the Ohio Consumers' Council advocating on their behalf now, more than ever," said Rep. Slesnick.  "For the agency to effectively represent and save money for utility customers, the OCC budget must be restored. With this letter, we look forward to working with Attorney General DeWine towards achieving our mutual goal of protecting Ohio taxpayers."

The text of the letter from Reps. Driehaus and Slesnick to Attorney General Mike DeWine is below.

From a reader:

Back when the Kasich administration was refusing to give reporters the resumes of job seekers, a lawyer for the racing commission was hacking into a state website to learn who had applied for his boss's job in the past.

Yesterday's Toledo Blade exposes the controversy:

Tom Fries' last day as executive director of the Ohio State Racing Commission was Friday.

Perhaps his first indication that his resignation would be requested should have come more than two months earlier when he learned that his deputy, John Izzo, had accessed a secured government Web site and posed as Mr. Fries to change his password. He acquired the resumes of those who'd applied for executive director in the past.

Mr. Izzo, who also serves as the commission's legal counsel, was suspended for a month without pay, and at the time Mr. Fries would say only that he had "broken the rules.'' But documents obtained by The Blade show Mr. Izzo twice denied he was the one who accessed the system before finally admitting that he had acquired the resumes at the request of then-racing Commissioner Tom Zaino.

But the article raises more questions.

For example, Tom Zaino said he had been asked "by remembers of the Kasich transition team '' to get the records but does not ID those members. Who are they?

And Izzo said Zaino told him not to tell Fries about his request. Why the cloak and dagger conduct? The records are public.

The Blade said Mr. Fries first learned about the breech in "a security e-mail in January from neogov.com, a government computer Web site used for job applications. The e-mail sought to verify that he'd changed his password.''
Since did not change his password, Mr. Fries set about the task of finding out who did and he asked Mr. Izzo if he was the culprit. After initially lying, Izzo fessed up and got a 30-day suspension for hacking into the system, then lying about it.

The story broke on the very day that Kasich appointed new Racing Commission members and asked for and received the resignation of Mr. Fries - who was appointed to the post by Democrat Ted Strickland.

The Racing Commission, along with the new Casino Control Commission, will be overseeing millions of dollars in wages. In other states that allow casino gambling, regulators have often been by hamstrung by the powerful gambling interests that often cut corners.

Gov. Kasich appointed his own Casino Control Commission members, tossing out those who had been appointed by former Gov. Ted Strickland, including Rocky Saxbe, a former GOP candidate for Ohio Attorney General.  During his brief tenure as chair of the commission, Mr. Saxbe  brought in law enforcement officials for ethics training and enlisted input from prosecutors in the counties where the casinos will be located.

The new appointees lack a similar concern about ethics.

The Associated Press has reported today that despite Governor Kasich's repeated insistence that the Mark Kvamme appointment was constitutional, he was removing and reappointing Ohio EPA Director Nally over the same residency issues.   

The documents show Nally's appointment papers were originally submitted on February 15, 2011. However they were pulled and resubmitted on March 21, 2011 after Nally, who has lived in Indiana, had been a resident of Ohio for 30 days. These documents contradict the Ohio EPA's website which states Nally was "sworn into office by Governor John R. Kasich on January 10, 2011."

Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio.org, the organization that filed a lawsuit over the constitutionality of the Kvamme appointment, commented: 

Similar to the school funding fiasco, John Kasich has shown that there are two different sets of information in the Governor's Office, the truth and what they tell the public.   At the same time Governor Kasich was calling the Kvamme residency lawsuit frivolous, he was quietly shuffling around the director of the EPA in order to try and fix the exact same residency problems. We were confident that the Court would have ruled in our favor and by the Governor's actions, he obviously believed the same.

The Nally incident creates more questions. What happens with all the contracts and negotiations that occurred between Nally's appointment and re-appointment? Once again, the Governor's seeming indifference over Ohio's Constitution can lead to many difficult consequences for businesses, the public and the Ohio EPA.

COLUMBUS - Ohio House Minority Whip Tracy Maxwell Heard (D-Columbus) today issued the following statement regarding House Speaker William Batchelder's offensive and demeaning remarks following House passage of Senate Bill 5:

"It is deeply regrettable that while presiding over the Ohio House yesterday, Speaker Batchelder used language that was offensive and demeaning.  Given the magnitude of the vote on Senate Bill 5, the citizens in the House Chamber had a right to express their displeasure, just as Speaker Batchelder had a right to remove them. However, the Speaker does not have the right, under any circumstances, to mock these individuals and imply that they are stupid. As Gov. Kasich has admittedly learned, words matter.  I would encourage Speaker Batchelder to follow Gov. Kasich's example and apologize for his offensive and demeaning words."

Listen to Speaker Batchelder

A Wisconsin judge for the second time directed the state to put on hold an explosive law that strips most public workers of nearly all their union bargaining rights, ordering officials on Tuesday to follow her original instructions to stand down.

"Apparently that language was either misunderstood or ignored, but what I said was the further implementation of (the law) was enjoined," said a visibly annoyed Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi. "That is what I now want to make crystal clear."

Earlier this month, Sumi issued an emergency injunction prohibiting the Wisconsin secretary of state from formally publishing the law -- the final step before it could take effect.

Republican legislative leaders responded by directing the law be published by another state agency, and then declared it valid. State officials began implementing the law this weekend, stopping the collection of union dues for state workers and taking more from their pay for health care and retirement.

Sumi said Tuesday that action violated her original order, and she made it clear after a daylong hearing that the law was on hold while she considers a broader challenge to its legality.

New state report details 128 tax credits, exemptions and deductions

The Ohio Department of Taxation estimates that 128 exemptions, credits and deductions in the tax code will amount to more than $7 billion in foregone revenue to the state's General Revenue Fund over each of the next two fiscal years. A new study by Policy Matters Ohio analyzes the ODT's tax expenditure report, which was sent to the legislature with the rest of Gov. John Kasich's budget last week. The ODT report examines credits, deductions and exemptions in the tax code that reduce the amount of revenue the state would otherwise receive.

Most tax expenditures remain in effect indefinitely with little or no scrutiny by policy makers, Policy Matters noted. No committee of the General Assembly holds hearings on tax expenditures or systematically examines them as part of the budget process. "Gov. Kasich has not proposed to limit or eliminate a single tax expenditure in his budget proposal," said Zach Schiller, research director at Policy Matters Ohio and author of the study. "This is remarkable, given the huge reductions in aid to local governments and proposed cutbacks to public education and higher education spending, programs for children, and other items in the budget."

"Tax expenditures result in a loss of tax revenue to state government, thereby reducing the funds available for other government programs," ODT noted in its report. "In essence, a tax expenditure has the same fiscal impact as a direct government expenditure." The report estimates foregone revenue, which is not necessarily what the state would get if a tax expenditure was repealed.

Policy Matters Ohio found that among the highlights in the new report are:

• The number of tax expenditures has grown. It increased to 128, from 122 in the previous biennium.

• Most of the exemptions, credits and deductions go to businesses. Seventy-three of the tax expenditures, accounting for just over half of the total value in FY12 or $3.7 billion, go for business assistance and economic development.

• Sales-tax expenditures account for the largest share of the total:  56, adding up to $4.8 billion in FY12 and more than $5 billion in FY13.

• Credits against the commercial activity tax (CAT) will amount to $456.7 million in FY12, compared to estimated tax collections of $1.47 billion.

• Five business tax credits against the commercial activity tax - four economic development incentives and a credit against past losses - are estimated to add up to more than $100 million in annual tax credits. This tax was created in 2005 in part to cut down on loopholes that had existed in the corporate income tax it replaced.  

• The state continues to provide special-interest tax exemptions and credits such as one for wealthy buyers of time shares in jet aircraft. That sales tax cap is worth more than the $500,000 a year by which the governor's budget proposal would reduce aid to foodbanks. Eliminating the sales-tax exemption for pollution-control equipment purchased by utilities - most of it mandated -- could reduce the cut to libraries by 21 percent.

Last week Governor Kasich unveiled his budget proposal, which relies on massive cuts to balance the state budget. Gov. Kasich is attempting to balance a projected $8 billion budget deficit on the backs of Ohio's children, seniors, sick and our hard working middle class.

Join One Ohio Now and others from all over Ohio on Tuesday, April 5th at the Statehouse to send a message to Gov. Kasich and Ohio's general assembly that they need to find a middle ground instead of reducing vital services and programs that will further hinder Ohio's economic vitality.

Tuesday, April 5th at 12pm

Ohio Statehouse

1 Capital Square, Columbus, OH 43215

(North Plaza/Broad Street)

Please let us know that you're coming.

Big Ed:

"Gov. Kasich Wants To Sell Off Ohio To Wealthy Buddies Like a Loaf of Bread"

Featuring State Senator Nina Turner.

Watch It:

The Affordable Care Act Provides Expanded Medicaid Services And Options That Can Help Seniors With Home Care. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Affordable Care Act "provide[s] states with new options for offering home and community-based services through a Medicaid state plan." It also "establish[es] the Community First Choice Option in Medicaid to provide community-based attendant supports and services to individuals with disabilities who require an institutional level of care" and "provide[s] states with an enhanced federal matching rate" to help with the costs of the program. [Kaiser Family Foundation, Summary of the Health Reform Law]

The Affordable Care Act Helps Eliminate Abuse At Long-Term Care Facilities. According to Families USA: "Through the Elder Justice Act provisions of the Affordable Care Act, for the first time, there will now be a dedicated source of federal funding for Adult Protective Services offices - state agencies that provide services to abused, neglected, or exploited seniors and people with disabilities." In addition, the law expands a program that checks applicants who would work directly with those in long-term care against abuse and neglect registries. According to Families USA, "the pilot program prevented more than 9,500 people with histories of abuse or violent criminal records from ever working with seniors or people with disabilities. This successful program will now be conducted in every state, ensuring that people with a history of neglect or violence are not put in a position to take advantage of, or harm, our seniors and people with disabilities." [Families USA, October 2010]

A coalition of 27 environmental groups in Ohio, including the Sierra Club, the Buckeye Forestry Council, and the Ohio Environmental Council, sent a letter to Governor Kasich and leader of the Ohio House to voice opposition to House Bill 133, which would open up State Parks to oil and gas drilling.

The signers stated "We believe that our state parks, state forests, state nature preserves, Lake Erie, and other state properties should be off limits to oil and gas extraction. Our state parks attract 50 million visitors each year, and the State of Ohio has a solemn duty to honor its promise to perpetually care for--and not exploit--its public lands, to forever protect the last remaining vestiges of our natural heritage for generations to come."

The letter outlined 7 main points against drilling in State Parks:

1. Only a small percentage of Ohio's landscape currently is off limits to oil and gas drilling. 
2. Drilling on State Lands will require the State to acquire expensive new land.
3. Drilling in Public Lands threatens tourism revenues for local and rural communities. 
4. Our State Lands should be protected from pollution and other risks caused by drilling. 
5. Drilling would disrupt the pristine ecosystems on our State Lands. 
6. Drilling on State Lands does not outweigh the financial liabilities and safety risks. 
7. The Majority of Ohioans oppose drilling on our State Lands

Please contact your legislator or the sponsor of House Bill 133, Representative John Adams at 614-466-1507 or district78@ohr.state.oh.us and tell him we need to protect State Parks, not exploit them.

The full letter is below:

Tell Statehouse Leadership that they can't hide from the people of Ohio: Put Committee Hearings Online and on Ohio Government Television!

This has been an "interesting" National Sunshine Week (www.sunshineweek.org) in Ohio.

NO CAMERAS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE: On Tuesday, Governor Kasich outlawed cameras at his own Budget Press Conference, hoping to keep the public in the dark on his job killing two year budget. After being blasted by the Associated Press, the Ohio Newspaper Association, members of the Statehouse Press, and National groups like the ACLU, Kasich finally allowed in reporters.

TESTIMONY BLACKOUT: Continuing this week and next, the Commerce and Labor Committee in the House is hearing testimony on Senate Bill 5, the middle class destroying bill that will strip collective bargaining rights from Police, Firefighters, Teachers, Paramedics and other public workers.

Hundreds of citizens from across Ohio have signed up to testify but unless you are able to get the day off from work, drive down to Columbus, pay for parking, and be one of the first lucky dozen of people, you will never see their testimony. You are stuck in an information blackout.

The Statehouse should be open to all, not just the wealthy with free time! Stream all Committee Hearings on OhioChannel.org!

Recently State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) concisely laid out the facts "Wiring for all the rooms in the Statehouse was completed as part of the $3 million renovation in 1996. Each room is equipped to record audio online and cameras could be rolled in or ideally, mounted on the walls if used permanently."

"There is absolutely no reason to continue practices that keep Ohioans from being able to be fully engaged in their state government. Further, a recent decision to provide video in committee hearings was made during the confirmation hearings of former Governor Ted Strickland's Director of the Department of Public Safety. As [SB5] moves forward the people of Ohio deserve to have public access and transparency into the legislative process."

Let's recap:

• Wiring for video was installed in 1996

• Cameras are available to record committee hearings

• Ohio Government Television (www.ohiochannel.org) has the technology and bandwidth to stream live

• The Republican controlled Senate allowed hearings to be recorded and streamed live in 2010

• Hundreds of people have signed up to testify on SB5 between the House and Senate

• Only a few dozen people are able to sit in the committee hearing room

So why do Republican Statehouse Leaders continue this information blackout? What are they trying to hide? Huge changes like SB5 are being made behind closed doors by career politicians and lobbyists while hard working Ohioans are left out in the cold once again.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Sign the petition and tell Statehouse leaders know that they can no longer operate in the dark. Ohioans deserve better.

Raises Concerns about conflict of interest in Corrections Director's role

COLUMBUS - State Representative Matt Lundy (D-Elyria) today made a written request to the Ohio Ethics Commission about Governor Kasich's proposal to privatize several Ohio prisons.  Specifically, Rep. Lundy is concerned about the involvement of Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Director Gary Mohr.

As recently as 2009, Mohr was the managing director for Corrections Corporation of America. Most recently, Mohr's consulting company, Mohr Correctional Insight, worked extensively with CCA.  CCA is one of the leading private corporations operating prison facilities and could bid on the privatization opportunity being presented this year in Ohio.

"I have always believed that even the perception of a conflict of interest should be taken seriously.  This matter deserves immediate attention," said Rep. Lundy.

At the time of Mohr's appointment in January, Governor Kasich said that Mohr would not participate in decisions involving CCA in Ohio.

"How does the director not participate in what could be a $200-million dollar decision for the state to privatize prisons?  The Ethics Commission needs to put in place very clear guidelines for Mr. Mohr to follow.  To simply say he won't participate in the process doesn't provide much comfort for taxpayers.  Let me stress that I am not questioning the character or integrity of Director Mohr who brings great experience to the table," said Rep. Lundy. 

Rep. Lundy's district includes Lorain County where two facilities have been designated by the ODRC for sale to a private corrections corporation.  Rep. Lundy is opposed to privatization of the facilities.

"The governor and the director aren't even trying to work with managers and employees to come up with a plan.  The sale means one-time money for the state and a future of low-paying jobs for hundreds of employees trying to support their families. This move only hurts the local economy and slows down the economic recovery in Lorain County," stated Rep. Lundy.

Read The Letter Here

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost today announced the release of an update to the Sunshine Laws Manual. This open government resource, which is published as a joint venture of both offices, is a guide to the state's laws concerning open meetings and public records.

The release of this new edition of the Sunshine Laws Manual coincides with Sunshine Week, which is celebrated from March 13-19, 2011.

"Accountable and transparent government must function in the open," said Attorney General Mike DeWine. "The goal of the Sunshine Laws Manual is to help officials and Ohio citizens to better understand Ohio's open meetings and public records laws."

"The Yellow Book is the owner's manual for open government," Auditor Yost said.  "It tells you how to start it, operate it and keep it running smoothly."

So how is already unpopular Gov. John Kasich celebrating Sunshine Week and the release of Ohio's updated Sunshine Manual?

By telling reporters they will not be allowed to broadcast sound and images from the Tuesday release of Kasich's budget plan.

Spokeswoman Connie Wehrkamp says journalists can bring only pens, notepads and tape recorders to the afternoon briefing, where Kasich is to announce the first details of his state spending blueprint for the next two years. She says videos and photos will be prohibited and the audio may not be used for anything but checking accuracy.

Members of the Statehouse press corps registered complaints with the governor's office on the matter. They noted a lack of precedent for such limits on their ability to cover a governor's budget release.

Apparently, Dewine hand delivered the manual to Gov. Kasich personally:

UPDATE: Gov. John Kasich's administration quickly stepped back from an attempt to ban TV cameras and broadcast audio recording equipment from a press conference on his state budget plan.

The ban drew immediate protests from the Statehouse press corps, the ACLU of Ohio and Ohio Democratic Party.

This is National Sunshine Week apparently in every state except Ohio.

Sunshine Week is a national initiative to promote a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include news media, civic groups, libraries, nonprofits, schools and others interested in the public's right to know.

Sunshine Week as a national effort is spearheaded by the American Society of News Editors. The key funder has been the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, with significant support from ASNE Foundation. In 2011, The Gridiron Club and Foundation contributed $10,000.

Though created by journalists, Sunshine Week is about the public's right to know what its government is doing, and why.

Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels, and to give them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger.

So how is already unpopular Gov. John Kasich celebrating Sunshine Week and the public's right to know?

By telling reporters they will not be allowed to broadcast sound and images from the Tuesday release of Kasich's budget plan.

Spokeswoman Connie Wehrkamp says journalists can bring only pens, notepads and tape recorders to the afternoon briefing, where Kasich is to announce the first details of his state spending blueprint for the next two years. She says videos and photos will be prohibited and the audio may not be used for anything but checking accuracy.

Members of the Statehouse press corps registered complaints with the governor's office on the matter. They noted a lack of precedent for such limits on their ability to cover a governor's budget release.

Nice work Governor . . .

Group sues to oust Kasich's development chief

A liberal policy group went to court yesterday to unseat one of Ohio Gov. John Kasich's cabinet members..

Kasich was named in a complaint yesterday in the Franklin County Court of Appeals by ProgressOhio.org, which is arguing that Development Director Mark Kvamme's status as a California resident makes him ineligible to run Kasich's JobsOhio.

The lawsuit contends Ohio law requires appointees to public office to be Ohio residents for at least 30 days to qualify for appointment.

The complaint, which asks the court to order Kasich to "remove Kvamme from the position of director of the Department of Development" and forbid Kvamme "to represent the state of Ohio in any way" was routed to Magistrate Kenneth Macke.

"The Ohio Constitution does not allow for nonresidents to hold that office," said Brian Rothenberg, executive director of ProgressOhio.org. "I expect Gov. Kasich to want to discuss the virtues of having Mr. Kvamme in his cabinet, but the governor can't just thumb his nose at Ohio's constitution."

Read the full story at The Columbus Dispatch

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As Congress continues negotiations on the Fiscal Year 2011 budget, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) called for an end to tax handouts for "Big Oil: and to corporations that ship jobs overseas instead of a Republican budget proposal that could--as an independent, nonpartisan report has estimated--destroy 27,000 Ohio jobs. The Republican budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would also eliminate workforce investment programs, which helped up to an estimated 134,000 Ohioans train for new jobs and secure employment last year alone.

"We need to get serious about reducing the deficit, but let's do it by cutting corporate handouts instead of efforts that promote job creation and economic development," Brown said. "Following 14 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, now is not the time to turn our back on policies that will set back the economy as we are building traction. And as thousands of Ohio workers seek retraining assistance, we should not deny them the opportunity to gain the skills they need to get new jobs. The best approach to deficit reduction is job creation, and there are 15 million out-of-work Americans who would be delighted to pay taxes again."

According to independent, non-partisan analysis released by Moody's Analytics - whose chief economist Mark Zandi advised Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign - the Republican budget proposal is expected to eliminate 700,000 jobs through 2012. It s estimated that Ohio would lose 27,000 jobs over this period. Goldman Sachs also stated that slashing spending by $61 billion--as proposed by the Republican plan--could reduce economic growth by as much as two percent.

Brown contrasted Republican proposals that will reduce economic growth with sensible ways to reduce the deficit responsibly while creating jobs immediately and continuing to strengthen Ohio's economy. Last week, new jobs figures showed the creation of 192,000 new private sector jobs in February - marking 14 consecutive months of private sector job creation.

"Hitler didn't want unions. Stalin didn't want unions. Mubarak didn't want independent unions. These autocrats in history don't want independent unions."

Brown's statement about tyrants and unions may have been distracting and ill-advised given the current standoffs, but it also is historically accurate.

We rate Brown's statement as True.

Ohio's Sherrod Brown took the floor of the U.S. Senate last week to recall some history he considered pertinent, given current events involving public worker unions in Ohio and Wisconsin.

"I look back at history," he said, "and some of the worst governments we've ever had, you know one of the first things they ever did? They went after the trade unions. Hitler didn't want unions. Stalin didn't want unions. (Former Egyptian President Hosni) Mubarak didn't want independent unions. These autocrats in history don't want independent unions."

Brown hastened to say that he was not drawing an analogy.

"I'm not comparing what's happening to the workers in Madison or in Columbus to Hitler and Stalin," he said. "But I am saying that history teaches us that unions are a very positive force in society that creates a middle class, and it protects our freedom."

Recent history also teaches us that nuance and context are lost when someone drops the H-bomb. Mentioning Hitler in political discussion obscures any other point.

Read the full story at PolitiFact Ohio

Appointment is Unconstitutional

COLUMBUS  - After weeks of watching the Kasich Administration dial back contract signings and Controlling Board requests to subordinates, ProgressOhio filed a lawsuit in the 10th District Court of Appeals today to force Governor Kasich to remove Mark Kvamme from his position as Director of the Ohio Department of Development.

"We waited assuming that the actions of the Kasich Administration pretty much acknowledged the questionable Constitutionality of Mr. Kvamme's appointment and gave time for them to take action, " said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio.org. "It seems clear that if Mr. Kvamme's handlers are having deputies execute contracts and Controlling Board requests, that they understand the Constitutional conflict and are choosing to ignore the elephant in the room."

On January 7, 2011, Gov. John Kasich appointed Mark Kvamme, a California Resident, to be the Director of the Ohio Department of Development and he has been serving in that position ever since. At the time Mr. Kvamme acknowledged he would be retaining his residency out-of-state. The Ohio Constitution and Revised Code require that State Directors must be a resident and registered to vote in Ohio for 30 days prior to an appointment or else it is illegal and nullified. Mr. Kvamme is not a resident of Ohio, is not eligible to vote in Ohio, and therefore is not legally appointed to his position.

Multiple sources, including the non-partisan Legislative Services Commission and the Office of the Ohio Attorney General, have confirmed that Mr. Kvamme's appointment is a nullity based on the Constitution and Revised Code. In fact, Rothenberg pointed out that the Third Frontier Commission has cancelled a meeting in the wake of questions about Mr. Kvamme's residency. On Monday February 28th, the Controlling Board had to remove Kvamme's name from $17.7 million in contracts in order to avoid the constitutional issue according to published reports and the Governor's Communication's Director has been quoted as stating that contracts would be signed by deputies over the Constitutional issue.

"We all can agree that Ohio needs to create more jobs for the hard-working people of Ohio, but Gov. Kasich is not above the law. Multiple agencies have confirmed the problems with Mr. Kvamme's appointment," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio.org. "Given the actions taken to date, leaving Mr. Kvamme in this job title appears to be political hubris given the shift in legal authority already in place," said Rothenberg. "Constitutional issues are not optional."

Mr. Rothenberg also pointed out that the Kasich Administration has sought to invalidate appointments of the Strickland Administration like School Board Member Martha Harris over paperwork issues and that just this week the Attorney General rejected a Cuyahoga County Law Director candidate over charter language. "Mr. Kvamme should be treated no differently. The law is the law," said Rothenberg.

A copy of The Lawsuit can be found here.

A copy of The Removal Order can be found here.

Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) today sent the attached letter to Speaker Batchelder outlining his requests while Senate Bill 5 (SB 5), the anti-working family legislation, is being heard in the Ohio House of Representatives.

"What I witnessed during the Senate hearings is not acceptable. Literally locking thousands of Ohioans out of the process is wrong and I hope to avoid that situation during House hearings. The Statehouse truly is the People's House and I want to ensure it remains that way during the debate on this bad piece of legislation."

SB 5 Letter to Speaker Batchelder

State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) this afternoon released the following statement in response to the Governor's State of the State address:

"Of the things that Governor Kasich had to say today, very few reflected the real state of this state.  He hardly mentioned education, but what he did say, is that an "I won, you lost" mentality is unacceptable for our children in regard to education.  This is ironic coming from a man who recently signed a bill to repeal Governor Strickland's K-12 funding reforms - the first attempt in decades to put our unconstitutional school system on a path away from regional winners and losers.
The only way to remedy this is to provide funding for a good education for every child, not provide charters and vouchers for some.  The time spent by certain officials in this state to craft a sub-par, combative charter school system could have been spent making responsible, innovative changes to the existing system, which is run by professional educators who are accountable for our children's futures, not a profit margin.  Rather than support public education, this Governor seems eager to underfund three separate, competing school systems.
 
Governor Kasich's irony went further.  He built a theme in his address around innovation.  He said "we can't keep doing the same thing."  He followed that statement on a well-worn note, with reassurance that his budget would maintain the last phase of the income tax cut, which offers more in handouts to the wealthy than it does in relief to the vast majority of Ohio's households.
 
He talked about the ills of using "one-time" dollars such as federal stimulus to maintain state operations, yet this very day, I'm hearing that his administration is considering a plan to sell 5 prisons, including one right here in Lorain County.  This is the same kind of one-time money, except this would remove state assets from public control and put them in private hands, with unknown implications for prisoner care and employment security.
 
He called broadly supported passenger rail initiatives "silly little pork barrel projects."  He said that Ohioans need jobs, and he must have meant two or three at a time, because his policies will grow the working poor; propagate broken homes and absent parents.  More than jobs, Ohio needs careers, which will pay a modern and appropriate wage and treat employees in all sectors like human beings with families.  It needs to be recognized that this type of "cost-containment" is wage containment - is redistribution of wealth toward the wealthy.
 
Governor Kasich said today that "the state of the state is in our hands."  By "our," I presume that he did not mean mine, or those of the thousands of people jeering him from the statehouse lawn.
 
If there is anything that I learned from his address today, it's that, in John Kasich's Ohio, there are winners and there will be losers.  If I've learned anything from his party over the years, it's that this is nothing new at all."

Ohio House Minority Leader Armond Budish and Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro, flanked by representatives of Ohio's Policeman, Firefighters, and Teachers, and Democratic lawmakers from both houses of the legislature, gave a fiery response to Governor Kasich's State of the State today.

Senate Minority Leader Cafaro started it off by blasting Kasich for discussing investments in Opera houses and not the big issues. "We don't need more entertainment venues," she said. "We need jobs."

House Minority Leader Armond Budish continued by calling out Kasich for hypocrisy and statements that are flat out untrue. Governor Kasich says he wants to work with Democrats, Armond stated, but only a few weeks ago the Governor told Democrats that "I don't need you people."   

Kasich says he is not doing away with collective bargaining, Kasich continued, but "Teachers have no recourse.  If they strike, they go to jail.  That is not collective bargaining.  They tell police they can't bargain for safety equipment.  That is not collective bargaining.  ... When management gets to make the final decision, that is not collective bargaining."

During the State of the State, Kasich talked about everyone needing to make sacrifices to address the deficit but Democratic Leaders called him out on the facts.  Minority Leader Budish told the story of Governor Kasich coming to the Democratic Caucus.  State Representative Mike Foley asked him what the wealthy were being asked to sacrifice and the Governor refused no answer not once, but twice.   

Governor Kasich wants to "balance the budget on the backs of workers and the middle class and that's wrong," Leader Budish explained. "The poor and the middle class are being asked to sacrifice and that is where it stops.  The wealthiest of Ohio are not asked to sacrifice, you are."

"We have our work cut out for us.  This is an unprecedented assault on the working class. ... [and] we are going to fight like hell for you."

View Slideshow:

View Larger Images Here

Priorities will promote prosperity for all, fight against anti-middle class agenda

COLUMBUS - House Democrats today outlined a "Compact with the Middle Class" to promote economic prosperity for all and stand up for a strong middle class. Led by House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood), Democrats say various GOP proposals aimed at wage earners and working families demonstrate a very clear anti-middle class agenda in Columbus.

"Our focus must be on creating economic opportunity for all, not stripping away workers' rights and turning over the keys of Ohio's Treasury to out-of-state interests," said Leader Budish.  "The GOP's partisan attacks on wage earners and middle class families won't create jobs and they certainly won't improve our economy."

The "Compact with the Middle Class" is a combination of principles and legislative initiatives outlined by House Democrats.  It includes 10 core principles that will strengthen middle class families, protect local communities and promote economic opportunity for all.  It was also developed as a result of several legislative initiatives that adversely impact middle class Ohioans, such as House Bill 61 and Senate Bill 5.

Budish also noted that Gov. Kasich's top priority to privatize the Department of Development included none of the suggestions from House Democrats to ensure that taxpayer money was safeguarded.  Instead, House Bill 1 gives a private board of CEO's the ability to give millions in tax dollars to other businesses with limited oversight and accountability to Ohio taxpayers, and exempt from Ohio's long-standing ethics laws.

"Opening Ohio for business can't simply mean giving special interests a free run at Ohio's tax dollars and state resources," said Leader Budish.  "We have to make sure that our economic recovery protects middle-class taxpayers and promotes economic opportunity for all."

With few protections for hourly employees, House Bill 61 would let businesses offer hour-for-hour compensation time and could lead to the elimination of time-and-half overtime pay.   Senate Bill 5 is a controversial proposal that would eliminate the fair balance in bargaining between management and employees, and criminalize the right to strike.

"The GOP's anti-middle class agenda is a daisy chain for economic disaster," said Assistant Minority Leader Matt Szollosi (D-Toledo). "Firefighters, teachers, police officers and nurses spend their money in small businesses on Main Streets all across this state. Firing those individuals or severely cutting their wages will have dramatic impacts on local economies throughout Ohio."

The "Compact with the Middle Class" includes legislation (House Bill 44) that would free up access to credit for small businesses and help create jobs on Main Street. Additionally, House Bill 43 will allow for more capital investment so Ohio's small businesses can create jobs and continue to grow.

"Our priorities are to create economic opportunities for all Ohioans, not just a select few," said State Rep. Tracy Heard (D-Columbus). "Unfortunately, instead of focusing on economic recovery, Gov. Kasich and his allies in the legislature have begun a dangerous game of political payback that puts middle class Ohioans in the crosshairs."

Yesterday, Marc Kovac of  The Ohio Capital Blog asked Attorney General Mike Dewine about the Statehouse "access issue".

Watch It:

Dewine says, "We were very, very careful in regard to ugh first amendment ugh you know people have a right to come here, they have a right to protest, they have a right to get into the building ugh the only restaint on that is for safety, Ugh, we all know you can only put so many people in a room the fire marshal won't allow it, so any decision that was made was made on the question of safety. . . .  "

Here's a time stamped image taken from inside the building during the the period when the doors were locked:

Ugh, does that look like a fire code violation to you Mr. Attorney General?

And if the doors to the "People's House" were locked due to a fired code violation or "safety" concern why were thousands more allowed in the building after Democrats threatened a lawsuit that day?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Moments before a hearing on Senate Bill 5 was scheduled to start at 4 p.m., the Statehouse doors were opened to thousands of protesting union workers who had waited outside all afternoon.

A short time earlier, Democratic legislative leaders said they were prepared to head to Franklin County Common Pleas Court to get an order opening the doors.

Thousands of protesters chanted "This is our house. . . let us in" outside the Statehouse during an impromptu news conference in a Statehouse basement hallway. Democratic leaders gave an impassioned plea for the public to be allowed inside before the hearing.

Why were Statehouse News Bureau reporters told that by the Capital Square Advisory Board that the decision to lock the doors was made by The Ohio Department of Public Safety (the Kasich administration) and not the Fire Marshal?

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit which is going forward met with your office to try and settle the issue, but the outrage over this violation of First Amendment rights continues to grow. 

It appears now that the suit may well turn into a class action suit against the parties involved.

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Matt Lundy (D-Elyria) today announced that he will introduce a bill calling for the creation of a "Listen First" panel to address the rushed debate over controversial legislation such as privatizing the Ohio Department of Development and the dismantling of workers' rights. The "Listen First" panel would allow for Ohioans throughout the state to participate in their government even if they can't make a trip to Columbus.

"Complex and controversial issues should not be rushed," said Rep. Lundy. "The major changes being proposed by Governor Kasich should be approached in a more rational and constructive way. What is the hurry? We are all Ohioans and we need to sit down to listen to how Ohioans feel about these issues.  Isn't this our duty as public servants of this state? We need to change the tone from a destructive to a constructive conversation about how to best work together."

Rep. Lundy added, "Senate Bill 5 is just one of many proposals by Governor Kasich that calls for extreme changes.  The bill even threatens jail time for police, firefighters and teachers who strike. I think that Ohioans would have serious concerns about this and should be able to fully participate in the legislative process.

Over the period of just a few days, many of these extreme changes will undo what's been working for over 28 years. It's time to slow down the process and gather more input from taxpayers which will lead to more positive and reasonable solutions."

This morning's line to receive vouchers to attend today's Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee hearing potentially including a vote on SB 5 was filled with No on SB 5 advocates.

Should the bill get to the Senate floor for consideration on Wednesday, limited vouchers are available for seats both inside and immediately outside of the Senate chamber. Vouchers for those interested in attending will be given to attendees on a first come, first served basis.

The line for seating will begin at 11 a.m. on the North Plaza located on the Broad Street side of the Ohio Statehouse, and ticket distribution will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Session is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. No attendance will be granted to the session without a voucher."

Approximately 15,000 people took part in a worker's rally at the Ohio Statehouse to protest Senate Bill 5. The legislation would take away collective bargaining rights for public employees and is a direct assault on Ohio's middle class.

Capri S. Cafaro is the Ohio Senate Minority Leader for the 128th General Assembly.

Senator Joe Schiavoni represents the 33rd Senate District encompassing Mahoning, Carroll and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

Watch It:

Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) said today that a new version of Senate Bill 5 is a bad idea that has only gotten worse.  The Senate majority presented a substitute bill in the Insurance, Commerce and Labor committee that would still take away the collective bargaining rights of public employees.
 
"The amended bill still strips public employees of any means to effectively bargain and would put them in jail if they strike," said Senator Cafaro.  "Senate Bill 5 turns collective bargaining into a one-sided conversation where management always gets the last word."
 
Even though the committee hearing was delayed until the afternoon, Senate Republicans did not provide Democrats with a summary of the amended bill until the hearing began.

Read the Full Story Here

Amended bill still goes too far by taking away collective bargaining rights
 
Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) said today that a new version of Senate Bill 5 is a bad idea that has only gotten worse.  The Senate majority presented a substitute bill in the Insurance, Commerce and Labor committee that would still take away the collective bargaining rights of public employees.
 
"The amended bill still strips public employees of any means to effectively bargain and would put them in jail if they strike," said Senator Cafaro.  "Senate Bill 5 turns collective bargaining into a one-sided conversation where management always gets the last word."
 
Even though the committee hearing was delayed until the afternoon, Senate Republicans did not provide Democrats with a summary of the amended bill until the hearing began.
 
"Senate Republicans gave us a 99 page document one minute before the hearing and expected us to ask questions about it," said Senator Schiavoni, the ranking member on the committee.  "That's ridiculous.  But, that's what they did with the original bill.  Polls show the public doesn't want to strip public employees of their right to collectively bargain.  We are wasting time on this bill when we should be working to create jobs."
 
Today's committee hearing took place against the backdrop of a "Rally to Save Ohio's Middle Class."  An estimated 15,000 Ohioans showed up at the Ohio Statehouse to protest against ending public employees' right to collective bargaining.
 
Senate Democrats have requested the opportunity for more witnesses to testify on the amended bill.  However, the chairman has not announced if additional testimony will be allowed when hearings resume Wednesday morning.

Live broadcast would open up legislative process to more Ohioans

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today demanded that the Ohio Senate use the existing infrastructure of Ohio Government Television (OGT) to audio and video record the controversial Senate Bill 5 (SB 5) committee hearing. This would also allow for the committee to be streamed live via the OGT website.

"On this, the 208th anniversary of Ohio statehood, leadership refuses to utilize available technology so that tax-paying citizens can access Senate hearings," said Rep. Fedor. "Wiring for all the rooms in the Statehouse was completed as part of the $3 million renovation in 1996. Each room is equipped to record audio online and cameras could be rolled in or ideally, mounted on the walls if used permanently.  Having this type of access would allow for the whole context of the hearing to be heard, rather than just a 30-second sound byte."

Yesterday Rep. Fedor and others filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court to address the decision by the Capital Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) and the Department of Public Safety to lock citizens out of the Statehouse during Senate Bill 5 hearings last week. Due to the threat of the lawsuit, interested parties from the office of the Ohio Attorney General, CSRAB and Public Safety met with Rep. Fedor and other plaintiffs to discuss access plans for today's rally. Part of those discussions involved audio/ video recording and live streaming of the committee hearing. Today prior to the start of committee, Rep. Fedor was notified that the Senate would not provide that service.

"I have been assured that the technology and infrastructure exists and is ready to be utilized," said Rep. Fedor. "There is absolutely no reason to continue practices that keep Ohioans from being able to be fully engaged in their state government. Further, a recent decision to provide video in committee hearings was made during the confirmation hearings of former Governor Ted Strickland's Director of the Department of Public Safety. As this bill moves forward the people of Ohio deserve to have public access and transparency into the legislative process."

Today the Ohio Senate continued hearings on SB 5, the controversial anti-working family bill. The hearing once again brought thousands of people to the Statehouse in protest. Citizens rallied on the Statehouse lawn and inside parts of the building.

Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro today sent a strongly worded letter to Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus regarding his commentary in an article published in the Sunday Columbus Dispatch.

Niehaus had said, "they (the Democrats) abandoned the legislative process on this bill."

Cafaro counters that the bill was written in secret and witheld from the minority until the first hearing upon it.  She states, "If any fingers should be pointed in regards to "abandoning the legislative process" they should be directed at the Majority Caucus who have dictated the tems and timing of this ill-conceived proposal".

Read Minority Leader Cafaro's Letter Below:

Cafaro Blasts Niehaus Over Comments In Sunday Dispatch

Thousands of Ohio citizens were locked out of the Statehouse today when they arrived to protest SB 5.

Chanting, "This is Our House/ Let Us In" and "Kill the Bill", they were left out in the cold apparently by Republican lawmakers.

"This is the people's house. Ohioans came from all over the state today to make their voices heard," Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said. "To make them stand in the freezing cold and snow today is an unfathomable and unprecedented step. Thousands and thousands of people were allowed in the Statehouse last week to voice their opposition to Senate Bill 5, and they must be let in today. I call on John Kasich to immediately instruct the Highway Patrol to open the Statehouse and let these people in."

Redfern is a former member of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board. "I've seen more than 750 people in the Statehouse for a wedding," Redfern added. "We routinely received and approved requests from associations and organizations that numbered in the thousands. What is happening now is intimidation, plain and simple. The people's house has suddenly been closed."

Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro and Senate Democrats annouced a little after 3pm that they were going to Court to file an injunction to open the doors.

Watch It:

While thousands of nurses, teachers, firefighters, and other public service workers and community members pack the Statehouse to protest Senate Bill 5 - a measure that would take away the rights of public service workers in a move to dismantle the labor movement in Ohio - a group of workers will deliver hundreds of witness slips to Senator Kevin Bacon's office to protest attempts to silence voices of opponents to the bill.  The delivery of witness slips - which are required to be filled out by testifiers before submitting their testimony - will highlight the last minute announcement, Friday afternoon, from Committee Chairman Kevin Bacon to break with protocol and limit testimony to those who had been contacted by the Chairman's office prior to the Feb. 17 hearing. 

Workers who were not able to testify last week because testimony in support of the legislation went longer than promised will deliver the witness slips and discuss their disappointment with attempts to silence the voices of opponents to Senate Bill 5 and Kasich's partisan agenda to weaken the middle class.

The witness slip delivery and major mobilization of thousands of workers, students and community members today come on the heels of large turnouts at the Statehouse last week and rallies, town halls and other events across Ohio to oppose Senate Bill 5 and Kasich and his political allies' assaults on working families in Ohio.  Similar actions by workers and community members have also occurred in Wisconsin and Indiana over the past two weeks.

Columbus, OH - Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson will be holding a 10am press conference on Wednesday, February 23^rd at the Hyatt on Capitol Square.

He will be joined by Martha Harris regarding her federal lawsuit filed against Gov. John Kasich to prevent her from being illegally removed from the State Board of Education midway through serving her term.

Former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is lead attorney in the lawsuit which was filed last week.

The AP picks up on the Kvamme story . . .

Ohio jobs chief's eligibility debated

Ohio legislative analysts say the residency status of Gov. John Kasich's jobs chief may make him ineligible to serve in the Cabinet.

News of the potential glitch for development director Mark Kvamme came as Kasich prepared to sign the JobsOhio bill into law Friday.

. . .

The issue of Kvamme's residency first arose earlier this week during testimony on the JobsOhio bill, which establishes a semi-private nonprofit agency to handle state job creation issues.

Democrats sought answers to the question and the liberal policy group ProgressOhio posted the 1992 attorney general's opinion and other documents on its website Wednesday.

In this video from Marc Kovac's Capital Blog Gov. Kasich and Republican Sen. Keith Faber respond to questions about whether Mark Kvamme is eligible to serve as Director of the Ohio Department of Development.

After saying that there is more than one way to skin a cat (implying that he plans to get around Ohio laws with respect to residency and appointed Directors) notice how Kasich pulls out all the stops to paint Kvamme as a great guy even going so far as to  that The Ohio State University's E. Gordon Gee who he calls "Ohio's Greatest Politician" "absolutely loves Mark Kvamme" and then turns the the mic over to Sen. Faber who tries to "splash water" in the eyes of the press while making absolutely no legal sense in his apples to oranges comments on the issue.  Faber calls it a scandal and then quickly tries to reverse course.

When your designated legislative spokeman calls an issue a political smear and a scandal and the governor has to go so far as to attempt to attach his appointee to the Buckeyes, you can be assured that they know they have a problem on their hands.

Watch It:

Of course, the reality is as reported by the Columbus Dispatch:

Other Republicans chided the Democrats for raising a legal hurdle against an appointee they see as a highly qualified leader who can help Ohio attract jobs.

Nonetheless, one of Kvamme's assistants will sign contracts and other documents until concerns about his service are resolved, said Kasich spokesman Scott Milburn.

Looks like ProgressOhio's research is paying off!

Residency of Development Director questioned, could put investments for Ohio businesses in jeopardy

COLUMBUS - Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) today questioned whether Gov. John Kasich's choice for Ohio Department of Development Director Mark Kvamme, a California resident, is legally allowed to hold that office. Ohio's Constitution, confirmed in a 1992 Ohio Attorney General's opinion, clearly states that a person must be eligible to vote in Ohio to hold public office.

In a letter to Gov. Kasich today, Leader Budish wrote," While Mr. Kvamme brings unique experiences to the state, I am concerned that his status as a resident of California jeopardizes his appointment as the Director of the Department of Development, chairperson of the Third Frontier Commission, and the head of JobsOhio.  I believe based on a review of materials excerpted below and enclosed with this letter that this issue could impede our mutual desire to create jobs and improve our economy.

Leader Budish points out that Ohio Department of Development Director Mark Kvamme is a resident of California, not Ohio, and does not intend to become a resident of Ohio (Fortune Magazine January 7, 2011).

Article XV, Section 4 of the Ohio Constitution states that no one may be appointed to any public office in Ohio unless the person has the qualifications of an elector. The Ohio Revised Code, ORC 3503.01(A), states that residency must be established for 30 days before being eligible to vote.

A 1992 Ohio Attorney General's opinion based on previous case law finds that a Governor cannot appoint someone who is not eligible to hold the office. "If a person is constitutionally ineligible to serve as an officer, the appointment to that office is also a nullity," said the opinion citing multiple court decisions.  Another research document from the Legislative Service Commission also supports this decision.

"It's the task of the Third Frontier Commission and the Department of Development to create, retain and attract jobs to Ohio.  We've heard repeatedly from your administration how time is critical -- government must act at the 'speed of business.'  Yet, right now investments made by the Third Frontier Commission and the Department of Development under the direction of a person whose appointment may violate the Constitution are vulnerable to court challenge," said Leader Budish in his letter to the Governor. "It's my understanding that your attorneys are aware of this problem as they decided to cancel the meeting of the Third Frontier Commission yesterday.  The longer this cloud of uncertainty hangs over the Third Frontier Commission, the Department of Development, and JobsOhio, the longer job creation will be stalled in Ohio."

Related:

AG Opinion Nullifies Kasich Appointee DOD Director Kvamme Over Residency

Memo: Legislative Service Commission

From a Tea Party email we learn that the Tea Party intends to hold a rally on SB 5 on the Capital Grounds. Matt Mayer from the Buckeye Institute, Rebecca Heimlich from Americans for Prosperity, Ray Warrick from the Mason (Warren County) Tea Party and Mike Wilson (Cinn Tea Party) will be speaking.  Senator Jones is likely to join them as well.

The only problem is their admission that they will not follow the permit procedure as required under Ohio Law. 

Will the Highway Patrol do their job and kick them to the curb?

128-4-02 Capitol buildings or grounds use: general rules and requirement of a permit.

(B) "Capitol grounds" shall be defined as the property surrounding the capitol buildings bounded by High street on the west, Third street on the east, Broad street on the north and State street on the south side of the capitol and accompanying steps leading to the capitol buildings

(A) Capitol buildings or grounds are available for use by the public for the purpose of governmental business, public meetings for free discussion of public questions, or for activities of a broad public purpose, provided that, when necessary, the authorized permit procedure has been followed and appropriate approvals have been received.

(B) A permit for use of the capitol buildings or grounds may be obtained by following the procedures in rule 128-4-03 of the Administrative Code. Any group or individual engaging in any of the activities described in paragraphs (B)(1) to (B)(4) of this rule, in or on the capitol buildings or grounds without a permit is in violation of this rule and will be required to move to the adjoining sidewalk or other appropriate location. Violations of this rule will be prosecuted to the extent allowed by law. A permit is required of the following:

(1) Any group or individual engaged in public speech or other expressive activity designed to gather crowds;

(2) Any group or individual engaged in any activity, expressive or otherwise, that can reasonably be anticipated to gather crowds;

We call upon the Capital Square Foundation to enforce the law as they have so often done in the  with "progressive" groups and have the Highway Patrol move the Tea Party's rally off the Capital Grounds for violating Ohio Law by not having obtained the proper permit.

Every American remembers the headlines and news stories about contaminated food, children's toys from China with lead in them, and dirty drinking water.  A parents' worst nightmare is for their own children to get sick from something we gave them, when it was preventable.  Unfortunately, Representative Bob Gibbs voted to make it easier for that nightmare scenario to become a reality.  Gibbs opposed commonsense protections to ensure the safety of America's food, drinking water, and children's toys.

Today Representative Bob Gibbs opposed a Motion to Recommit [H. Res 72, #32, 2/11/11], which stated: "In carrying out the requirements of section one, relevant committees shall place a high priority on preserving the standards that ensure the safety of the nation's food supply, safe drinking water, and the safety of children's toys."

"Limiting burdensome regulations is a good goal, but Representative Bob Gibbs went too far when he voted to put the health and safety of our families at risk by removing the standards that protect our kids from contaminated food and waters, and lead in their toys," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "In America we shouldn't have to worry about the safety of the food our kids eat, the water they drink and toys they play with.  It's deeply disappointing that Representative Bob Gibbs voted to reconsider fundamental protections that families depend on to stay safe."

Increases transparency and ethics requirements to protect tax dollars

Columbus - Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) announced today that Senate Democrats have proposed nearly 40 amendments to fix flaws in Governor Kasich's JobsOhio plan.  The amendments focus on protecting tax dollars, improving transparency and accountability and raising ethical standards for JobsOhio.

"Through hearings in the House and the Senate, it has become clear that the current JobsOhio plan lacks the necessary transparency and accountability measures to protect taxpayers' money," said Senator Skindell, the Ranking Minority member on the Senate Finance Committee.  "Senate Democrats listened to the concerns of the Ohio Ethics Commission and that's why we're calling for higher ethical standards for board members and other employees of JobsOhio."

Senate Democrats have proposed that Ohio's Ethics laws apply to JobsOhio, just as they do for other state agencies and departments.  Other amendments submitted to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee today include the following:

• More legislative oversight:  Appointments to JobsOhio's Board of Directors would need "advice and consent" from the Senate.

• More public input and scrutiny:  JobsOhio would be required to establish a records retention policy and provide time for public comment during board meetings.

• Greater transparency:  Businesses would be required to disclose money they contribute to JobsOhio.

"Senate Democrats strongly support efforts to create jobs in Ohio, but it must be done correctly," said Senator Skindell.  "As state legislators it is our responsibility to make sure JobsOhio has adequate safeguards in place at the beginning, not six months from now and not sometime in the future after tax money has been misspent because of insufficient oversight."

The Senate Finance Committee resumes hearings on JobsOhio next Tuesday morning.

Right-wing media and politicians are twisting the facts to blame our economic problems on public workers.  

Firing cops, nurses and firefighters doesn't make us stronger - it puts our communities at risk. The banking crisis put us in a deep economic hole, and we need leadership to get back on track.  Instead, politicians who raked in millions from corporate CEOs to get elected are now blaming middle class Americans for our economic problems - demanding deep cuts in their hard-earned pay and benefits or firing them altogether.  States are in deep financial trouble because of the economic downturn, not because hardworking Americans are paid a fair wage. Firing cops, nurses and firefighters doesn't make us stronger - it puts our families and communities at risk and means more people out of work. Solving our budget problems means restoring balance to our economy by putting more people back to work and eliminating tax breaks for corporations and CEOs that outsource our jobs.

Gov. John Kasich's boast of rapid problem solving undersells previous administration's work

Gov. John Kasich wanted to make a splash.

The swashbuckling Ohio governor wanted to show Ohio's business community he was serious about his vow to speed up the permitting process at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

Kasich found just such an opportunity when an air pollution permit for an Eastern Ohio energy company, Mingo Junction Energy Center (MJEC), was granted during his first week in office.

At a news conference on his fifth day in office, the Republican governor described the air permit as having "languished" under the previous administration and was incredulous that EPA officials had "held the darn thing up for over 20 months."

Kasich implied that EPA paper-pushers had been negligent. "It's just bureaucracy. It's a lack of commitment and a lack of vision."

Kasich praised his new EPA director, Scott Nally, for acting quickly to get the permit issued. "This is a fact -- it was over 20 months they couldn't get an agreement, he did it in 48 hours," Kasich boasted.

Kasich's contention at the news conference that "they couldn't get an agreement" for 20 months that Nally got in 48 hours is an oversimplification, particularly since a draft permit was issued in mid-November, and state officials were ready to issue a final permit while Strickland was still in office.

Those are critical facts that would give the listener a different impression of the governor's statement. That's why we rate Kasich's claim to be Barely True.

Despite running a campaign largely focused on repealing government funded health care, today Representative Bob Gibbs's government funded health care benefits go into effect.  Representative Bob Gibbs opposed an effort to make sure that repeal of health insurance reform would only move forward if a majority of Members of Congress gave up their own government health care. He even opposed a simple measure to make transparent whether Members of Congress accepted government funded health care.   

At least 15 Republicans, keeping with the spirit of their congressional campaigns, are not taking their government health care while they fight to repeal health care for millions of Americans.

"It didn't take long for Representative Bob Gibbs to go Washington.  Representative Gibbs is accepting government funded health care, despite continuing the push to repeal the health reform benefits for middle income families," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Representative Bob Gibbs apparently believes that repealing health insurance reform and putting private insurance companies back in charge of our health care may be good for his constituents, but it's not good for his very own family.  Representative Gibbs is the worst kind of hypocrite - one who looks out for themselves instead of their constituents."

According to recent polling, "Most Americans think incoming Congressmen who campaigned against the health care bill should put their money where their mouth is and decline government provided health care now that they're in office."

The filibuster lives on.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly late Thursday to reject efforts to change its rules to restrict the blockades that have sewn gridlock and discord in recent years on Capitol Hill.

Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell reached a deal under which both have vowed never to pass any rules reforms via the "Constitutional option," which only requires a simple majority vote. The idea is that if one side rams through reforms this way, the other will retaliate when it gains the majority. Take this option off the table, and future reforms will only pass with bipartisan support.

What we got out of this round could be an end to secret holds on nominations and bills, plus an end to forcing the clerk to read aloud amendments that anyone could have read already, and the exempting some low-level nominations from Senate confirmation. It's not nothing. But neither is it a fix for the filibuster.

Reid and McConnell said the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee would be asked to put together legislation on reducing appointments subject to Senate confirmation, now about 1,400, by about one-third. The confirmation process can take months, subject nominees to exhausting investigations, eat up Senate time and be used by senators as leverage to advance other causes.

They also agreed that the practice of disgruntled senators forcing the reading clerk to read out amendments in their entirety, a delaying tactic that can take hours, will be done away with as long as lawmakers have advance access to the amendment. A resolution offered by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., to enact that change passed 81-15.

The resolution to effectively end the practice of secret "holds," where a single senator, without revealing his or her name or motive, can block votes on legislation or nominations, passed 92-4.

Under the proposal long pushed by Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and also sponsored by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., senators would have to make public their objections within 48 hours of placing them and could no longer baton-pass their holds to other senators to avoid having to reveal themselves.

Holds, which require 60 votes to overcome, have become a common practice by senators trying either to block nominations or push some political point.

The Ohio General Assembly introduced HB 1 this week to begin the process of replacing the public Department of Development with a new private entity, called JobsOhio, to run job creation and economic development projects in Ohio. Governor Kasich made this one of his top campaign pledges. Kasich and his allies have also talked about selling off the Ohio turnpike, prisons, the state lottery, and the state liquor agency, to name a few.

Proponents of these privatization schemes would like you to believe that job creation and other public functions have failed because of bureaucratic waste but they refuse to acknowledge the fact that Ohio's economy has been decimated by bad trade deals that have outsourced hundreds of thousands of jobs and a tax structure that favors corporate greed over the interests of working families. So, what will these privatization plans really mean for Ohioans? A new report from the research group In the Public Interest shows that these privatization schemes will hurt Ohio communities and put services at risk. "In many of these asset sale agreements, the public has been on the losing side - loss of control, increased user fees, loss of jobs, lower quality infrastructure, and future budget woes are just a few problems that communities have experienced following asset privatization," says the study.

Take the Department of Development scheme for example. Similar plans have been implemented across the country and are currently being used in seven states, including Michigan and Indiana. Many of the states that have tried this model have had disastrous results, particularly with transparency and accountability. A report from Good Jobs First shows that there have been misuses of taxpayer funds, excessive executive bonuses, questionable subsidy awards, blatant instances of conflicts of interest, questionable claims of the effectiveness of the organization by those running it, and resistance to accountability (based on reports from the Columbus Dispatch and Cleveland Plain Dealer, accountability and transparency will probably be a major issue with Kasich's new JobsOhio program). "Rather than making economic development activities more effective, privatization is often little more than a power grab by governors and politically connected business interests," said Philip Mattera, research director of Good Jobs First and principal author of the report.

And, based on Kasich's comments, JobsOhio will probably be the tip of the iceberg in an agenda that will sell out workers and the good of Ohioans for his short-term political gain.

Visit Ohio AFL-CIO

Youngstown, OH - State Representative Bob Hagan (D-Youngstown) sent out a statement today calling out Governor Kasich for his hypocritical stance on organized labor in Ohio.

"While I am happy Governor Kasich is finally taking the time to meet with the hard working men and women who are the backbone of the Mahoning Valley economy, I am disappointed that he has continued his crusade against organized labor. Since day 1, Governor Kasich has demonized workers as the source of every problem with State Government. Perhaps today he can learn firsthand what it is like to get your hands dirty for a living instead of trying to dirty the reputation of hardworking Union members who work every day to grow our economy," said Representative Hagan.

"Kasich says he wants Ohio to move at the speed of business but he forgets that a large portion of our state economy is manufacturing. When he attacks 'labor costs', he is really attacking the hardworking residents of Ohio who are struggling to provide for their families. Instead of focusing on how to reward his CEO friends with new JobsOhio Board Positions financed by the taxpayers, the Governor should focus on how to help those families struggling here in Youngstown and across Ohio. I hope the Governor remembers those men and women he met today when he is slashing the services and educational opportunities that Ohioans need."

On Tuesday, January 25, 2011, Governor Kasich toured the Lordstown, OH General Motors assembly plant. Despite GM's recent decision to move thousands of jobs to Ohio to build the Chevy Cruze, Kasich continues to denigrate Ohio's businesses and our workers. He has consistently attacked organized labor since his inauguration. Additionally, Governor Kasich has called for the end of collective bargaining and binding arbitration for public employees and has specifically stated that he doesn't "favor the right to strike of any public employee," preferring they be fired instead.

COLUMBUS - Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern and David Pepper, former candidate for State Auditor, said Tuesday that the State Auditor should not be barred from examining John Kasich's privatized Ohio Department of Development.

"State Auditor David Yost assured voters he would serve independently, and stand up for accountability and transparency in government regardless of party. Yost should live up to this promise, and demand that the legislation to privatize the Department include language that permits his office to examine the agency's books," said Pepper, the Democratic candidate for State Auditor in 2010.

Republicans in the Ohio House started holding hearings Tuesday on proposed legislation to privatize the Department. The bill, not available to the public until Tuesday, would effectively allow the new department to operate in private with no transparency.

If the bill were to pass as proposed, the State Auditor would have no authority to audit the board. The board would be audited by a private committee completely independent of the state Auditor's office. When Auditor Yost took office, he swore to protect the taxpayers of Ohio. It is his duty to put politics aside and reject the exclusion of the board from the state Auditor's office.

"We call upon David Yost to independently represent Ohio taxpayers and push to reverse John Kasich's decision to hide from public view the state's economic development efforts, and the doling out of millions of taxpayer dollars," said Redfern.

While voting for a resolution that lacked any specific plan to reduce spending, Representative Bob Gibbs voted to protect taxpayer funds for corporations that ship jobs overseas. The motion that Representative Bob Gibbs opposed would have prohibited any taxpayer money to contract with a company that the federal government cited for ship jobs overseas. House Republicans, including Gibbs, will trumpet their commitment to reducing spending as part of tonight's State of the Union.

"While Representative Bob Gibbs talks about cutting spending, he should stop spending taxpayer money on corporations that ship American jobs overseas," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Republicans' plan to reduce federal spending protects tax breaks for companies shipping our jobs overseas, funded on the back of middle income families."

The outsourcing of American jobs has cost over 5 million American jobs.

Today, Representative Gibbs opposed a measure to ensure "no spending for any contract entered into by the United States Government with a company that has been determined by the Secretary of Labor to have offshored or outsourced American jobs.". [H.R. 19, #19, 1/25/11]

Last year, Republicans Fought to Protect Tax Breaks for Corporations who Ship American Jobs Overseas.

Republican Leader John Boehner led near unanimous Republican opposition to legislation that paid for protecting the jobs of police, firefighters, and teachers through closing tax loopholes that encourage companies to move American jobs overseas. Americans for Tax Reform stated that all candidates who signed their pledge were required to oppose this crackdown on outsourcing tax breaks. [HR 1586, #518, 8/10/10; Citizens for Tax Justice, 8/25/10; Americans for Tax Reform, 8/9/10]

PolitiFact: The health care law a "job killer"? The evidence falls short

Republicans have used the "job-killing" claim hundreds of times -- so often that they used the phrase in the name of the bill. It implies that job losses will be one of the most significant effects of the law. But they have flimsy evidence to back it up.

The phrase suggests a massive decline in employment, but the data doesn't support that. The Republican evidence is extrapolated from a report that was talking about a reduction in the labor supply rather than the loss of jobs, or based on measures that weren't included in the final health care law.

We rate the statement False.

Read The Full Analysis at PolitiFact

Washington, D.C.--A new television ad begins airing today in the district of newly elected Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio), highlighting his vote to repeal health care legislation after taking $79,000 in campaign contributions from health and insurance interests in the 2010 election. 

"Jim Renacci sided with the insurance companies and against the people of Ohio in one his first votes in Congress," said David Donnelly, national campaigns director for Public Campaign Action Fund. "Renacci and his freshmen colleagues got elected to bring change to Washington, but yesterday's vote is the latest example of Washington listening to big insurance companies while everyday people lose out."

"It's disappointing that one of Renacci's first votes in Congress was to do the bidding of the big insurance companies that funded his campaign," said Brian Rothenberg, executive director of Progress Ohio. "The people of Ohio are tired of our pay-to-play political system that puts campaign cash ahead of everyday Americans." 

On Wednesday, the U.S. House voted on a bill that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, legislation passed last year to reform the nation's health care system. Rep. Renacci voted to repeal the legislation. In the 2010 election, Renacci took $79,000 in campaign contributions from political action committees (PACs) and individuals connected with health care and insurance interests. 

"Congressman James Renacci, who took $79,000 from health and insurance interests, just voted to put big insurance companies back in charge of your health care," the narrator reads in the ad. "So they can deny you coverage for pre-existing conditions, kick your kids off your plan, and jack up premiums. Is this the change we voted for?"

Watch It:

On the same day Republicans voted to take away access to affordable health care for middle class families, Representative Bob Gibbs voted against an effort to also repeal government subsidized health care plans for Members of Congress. Americans expect their Representatives to live by the rules that they write for everyone else but Representative Gibbs just voted to protect his government subsidized health care while planning to repeal the benefits of health insurance reform for hardworking middle class families. The motion would have required that repeal of health insurance reform would not take effect unless a majority of Members of the House and Senate waive their health care.
 
"In a stunning show of hypocrisy, Representative Bob Gibbs voted to protect government-subsidized health care for his family but not for the families of his constituents," said Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Representative Bob Gibbs has become the latest Republican health care hypocrite to demand government-funded health care benefits for himself, while trying to repeal health care reform and make it harder for most Americans to afford coverage for their own families. On the same day he voted to repeal health insurance reform and put private insurance companies back in charge of our health care, Representative Bob Gibbs's vote makes clear that he is the worst kind of hypocrite - one who looks out for themselves instead of their constituents."
 
After campaigning against government run health care, several House Republicans affiliated with the Tea Party have announced they will not accept government health care as a Member of Congress.

Today, Republicans in the House of Representatives are voting on a bill to repeal the new freedoms, control over health care decisions, and cost savings the health care law---the Affordable Care Act---provides the American people. As Secretary Geithner noted this morning, repeal would be bad for business and bad for the economy.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act would also have a significant effect on families' bank accounts. Stephanie Cutter, an Assistant to the President who has been working on implementing the health reform law, takes to the White House White Board to explain what repealing it would mean for family premium costs and American jobs.

Watch It:

Today, Boehner's House begins debating its first major piece of legislation: repealing the health care bill, lock, stock, and pre-existing conditions. They call it Repeal and Replace, but have yet to offer their replacement plan. Their only "plans" on the table? Tax credits and medical malpractice reform, with a large dose of free-market rhetoric.

Here's a quick outline of what the GOP "Repeal and Replace" plan actually means.

WASHINGTON - In this week's address, President Obama said that once business resumes in Washington, he looks forward to working with members of both parties to meet the challenges facing the country.  By working together in a spirit of common cause, the President and members of Congress can face these challenges in a way worthy of the voters who sent them to Washington.

Watch It:

WASHINGTON, DC-- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH11) today co-sponsored four- amendments which are designed to protect from repeal key provisions of the Patient Bill of Rights and tax cuts for middle class families and seniors in the Affordable Care Act.  In its current form, the bill known as H.R. 2 would repeal the Affordable Care Act of 2010 in its entirety.  Congresswoman Fudge opposes efforts by House Republicans to eliminate access to coverage for 32 million Americans while increasing the Nation's deficit.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) initially estimated that repealing health care reform would increase the federal deficit by roughly $145-billion dollars over 10 years.  "Now we find the CBO has updated its figures and the news is even worse," said Congresswoman Fudge.   "The CBO considered changes in the economy and added two more years to its projections (through 2021). The new study says repealing the Affordable Care Act would swell the deficit another $230 billion dollars. Republicans have it wrong.  They call health care reform a job killer.  Repeal is the real threat to jobs, our economy and most of all, the health of hardworking Americans."

On Friday, the House is expected to vote on a Rule to bring the repeal bill to the Floor.  The amendments cosponsored by Congresswoman Fudge guarantee repeal cannot go forward unless the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Congressional Budget Office, certifies the following:

• That repeal will not permit an insurance company to deny someone coverage or otherwise discriminate against them because of a pre-existing condition.


• That repeal will not take away guarantees that life-saving preventative services such as mammograms and flu shots will be covered without cost-sharing


• That repeal will not raise drug costs to seniors and people with disabilities by reopening  Medicare prescription, drug donut hole, eliminate free preventive health coverage; or increase the incidence of fraud or abuse


• That  repeal will not increase taxes for moderate income or low income individuals or families, including through the elimination of tax credits for health care premiums as provided for under the Affordable Care Act.

After winning the House in the November midterms, Republicans -- who have long complained about Democratic stewardship of the lower chamber -- promised to run the House in an open and transparent process, allowing the minority party to offer amendments on legislation and permitting time for fair debate. But as Democrats now prepare to offer counter amendments to the GOP's health care repeal bills, the GOP is walking back its pledge.

As the Washington Post's Greg Sargent reported yesterday, incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is suggesting "that the GOP will not allow what's known as an 'open rule'" which would allow Democrats to introduce a series of potentially embarrassing amendments. "It's a straightforward document," Cantor said of the legislation that would repeal the largest reform of America's health care system. "It reflect what most people inside the beltway and outside the beltway want."

But ironically, the procedural move also contradicts what Republicans wanted from Democrats throughout the health care debate. When the House first passed reform in November 2009 and then again in March 2010, Republicans insisted that they should be able to offer unlimited amendments to the legislation on the House floor and argued that all parts of the bill must first be debated in the appropriate committees of jurisdiction -- which the GOP's repeal bills would bypass.

Watch It:

WASHINGTON D.C.- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH11) called on Ohioans to not be fooled by a misguided plan by House Republican Leadership to throw out health care reform.

"Before the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies could discriminate against children with pre-existing conditions. Companies could charge women higher premiums just for being women. Seniors had no end in sight to the Medicare Part D prescription donut hole. Apparently, House Republicans think these injustices are ok. Repeal strikes at the very protections our families and seniors need," said Congresswoman Fudge. "Over half a million Ohioans once again risk completely losing their health insurance when they are dropped for being in an accident, become sick, or make a simple mistake on an application.

"Moreover, repeal does the opposite of what Republicans claim. Instead of lowering health care costs, repeal opens the floodgates to higher prescription drug costs and adds $143 billion dollars to the deficit over 10 years. Who's kidding whom? The only winners in this scenario are insurance companies. Ohioans deserve better."

Without the Affordable Care Act:

No reporters allowed at Kasich's actual inauguration

COLUMBUS -- When Ohio swears in its new governor on Monday, no representative of the public is slated to be there to witness it.

Republican Gov.-elect John Kasich has closed the 12:01 a.m. event to the news media, an act unprecedented in modern state history. He cites security concerns for his family at his personal residence, where he is to be sworn in by Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor. A ceremonial inauguration is scheduled in downtown Columbus later that day.

The decision is escalating criticism of the former congressman and Wall Street banker over positions he's taken on access to public information, events and documents since his election Nov. 2.

Columbus - Today, State Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) was sworn in to the 15th Senatorial District as the first Democratic African-American woman to hold the seat. Senator Tavares, who most recently held a position as a member of Columbus City Council, is honored to once again serve at the state level and is eager to begin her term as a senator.

"As you know, I have worked hard to provide leadership on the difficult and challenging issues facing our community. I will continue to listen, lead and get results for the people of our district," Senator Tavares said.
 
Former Senator Ray Miller said, "We are extremely fortunate during these difficult economic times to have a public servant of Senator Tavares' ability to return to the Ohio General Assembly. Her previous experience as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and her service on the Columbus City Council will enable Senator Tavares to bypass the normal learning curve and achieve meaningful results for our community."
 
In her tenure as a former city councilmember and state representative in the Ohio General Assembly, Tavares was the chief sponsor of some of the most significant legislation in recent history. Senator Tavares plans to continue a strong legislative agenda, as she has already selected several bills to be introduced into the 129th General Assembly.

WASHINGTON - In his weekly address, President Obama resolved to do everything he can to make sure the economy is growing, creating jobs, and strengthening the middle class in the new year. 

With each party controlling one house of the Congress, Democrats and Republicans will share the responsibility to move the country forward, and the President reiterated his commitment to work with anyone who has a good idea in either party.

Watch It:

WASHINGTON - In this week's address, President Obama called on members of Congress to come together to ratify the new START treaty just as they were able to come together to pass the essential economic package he signed into law on Friday. 

Ratifying a treaty like START is not about winning a victory for an administration or a political party, it is about the safety and security of the country. 

This is why it has been endorsed by both Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, every living Republican Secretary of State, our NATO allies, and the leadership of the military.

Watch It:

Food Safety Bill Presents Important Family Farmer Litmus Test For American Politicians

After nearly two years of heated debate and countless food related illnesses, the Food Safety Modernization Act (S.510) passed in the Senate on Tuesday morning by a wide bipartisan margin of 73 to 25, including 15 Republicans.

It was a remarkable victory for American consumers and the growing local, sustainable food movement.

Despite partisan gridlock, intense industry opposition, and a Tea Party campaign of misinformation, the Senate appeared to have done the right thing for both consumer protection and family size farms in passing a bill that included a few modest exemptions for small-scale farmers engaged in direct sales of local foods won in a series of last minute amendments.

As per usual when legislation is made in Congress, industrial agriculture sets the rules and these minor protections are the only thing standing between the smallest family farmers and expensive new regulations that could drive them out of business.

But now a minor parliamentary mistake threatens this important victory for consumers and family farmers. The Senate's violation of an overlooked constitutional provision requiring that taxes originate in the House of Representatives has stalled the legislation in the House.

Industrial agriculture lobbyists and front groups funded by agribusiness are now using this procedural error to try to kill the new food safety bill or, even worse, to strip the hard-won farmer protection provisions from the bill entirely.

Almost as soon as an anonymous Republican Senate staffer tipped off Roll Call late Tuesday evening about the gaffe, Big Ag flacks and their supporters in Congress have been tripping over themselves to once more make their failed and dangerous case for why a common sense amendment sponsored by Sen. John Tester (D-Mont.), the only organic farmer in the U.S. Senate, must be killed.

Even after the Peanut Corporation of America fiasco of last year and the massive egg recall from this past summer, members of Congress and the elite class of agribusiness lobbyists continue to ignore the elephant in the room regarding food safety and agricultural production, which as most informed citizens know is concentration.

Read More > >

This is the last time we will ever ask you to call George Voinovich.

He has prided himself on being a 'deficit hawk' during his political career and in his final weeks before retiring from the US Senate, George Voinovich has the opportunity to cast one of his last votes to do something about the deficit, and help a lot of people in the process.

Republicans in Congress are stalling on extending unemployment benefits for the unemployed, even though for every dollar the government spends on unemployment benefits, it generates about two dollars of economic activity. That's because this money gets quickly spent on immediate needs to make ends meet, which helps to stabilize and grow the economy.

But Republicans in Congress are also proposing extending tax cuts for the wealthy - which according to the Congressional Budget Office would add close to close to $700 billion to the deficit over the next decade. This isn't the legacy a 'deficit hawk' would want to leave behind.

Putting our nation on a path of broad prosperity will require generating new jobs, investing in key areas, modernizing and restoring our revenue base, and greatly increasing the cost efficiency of the health care system. Achieving these goals, however, will require an informed and engaged public to help set national priorities.

The following report puts forth a blueprint that invests in America and creates jobs now, while putting the federal budget on a long-term sustainable path. We document the hard choices that need to be made and suggest specific policies that will yield lower deficits and a sustainable debt while preserving essential initiatives and investments.

In his twenty years in Congress, Boehner has been one of the fiercest protectors of Corporate America, and his political and legislative history provide a striking road map for what to expect from his tenure as Speaker.

Following stints in local politics and service in the Ohio State House, John Boehner was elected to the United States Congress in 1990.  In his second term in Congress, Boehner helped write the Contract with America and became a stalwart ally of Newt Gingrich, even his "protégé."  Boehner backed Gingrich's partisan and confrontational style of leadership, and Gingrich elevated him to the position of GOP Conference Chairman.  From there, Boehner became the go-to Member of Congress for corporate lobbyists and business interests.

As Conference Chairman, Boehner "met weekly with leading lobbyists to enlist their support and discuss strategy" throughout his four year tenure.  During a vote to remove a subsidy to the tobacco industry, Boehner personally handed out checks from tobacco lobbyists and industry PACs to other congressmen on the House floor.  At least one Republican colleague, Rep. Linda Smith, blasted Boehner's actions, saying that "if it is not illegal, it should be."  Since his role in the Republican leadership was closely tied to Gingrich, when Gingrich resigned following the GOP's 1998 election loss, Boehner was voted out of his leadership position.

After he was forced out of his role as Conference Chairman, Boehner embarked on a plan to regain support among his Republican colleagues.  His leadership PAC, called the "Freedom Project," took in millions of dollars from special-interest lobbyists, and he then used the money to contribute to his fellow Republican candidates.  Top contributors include Sallie Mae, Merrill Lynch, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Cincinnati Financial Corp., which helped make Boehner's leadership PAC one of the best-funded among his peers.  The "major sources of financing" for the Freedom Project came from "for-profit colleges and trade schools, and private student lenders," and as chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Boehner sponsored "legislation strongly supported by private student lenders to restrict the ability of the U.S. Department of Education to make government student loans less expensive by cutting fees."  Boehner told representatives from student loan companies that he has "tricks up my sleeve to protect you," and he later helped pass a law to bar individuals from refinancing their student loans.

According to Boehner, "I have a good relationship to K Street and people who lobby us."

The Senate unanimously approved a bill on Friday funding $1.15 billion in compensation to black farmers in a decades-old bias lawsuit that is one of the largest civil rights settlements in U.S. history.

The Pigford v. Glickman case was settled in 1999 and provided that qualified farmers could receive $50,000 each to settle claims they were denied farm loans or subjected to longer waits for loan approval because of racism.

But tens of thousands of farmers missed the filing deadline. The settlement in Pigford II, reached in February, allowed those farmers to pursue their claims. The lawsuit was named for North Carolina farmer Timothy Pigford.

The Senate bill, totaling $4.6 billion, includes compensation for American Indians in a class-action lawsuit against the Interior Department over the mismanagement of Indian trust fund accounts.

"This is a huge, huge victory for myself and black farmers, many of whom have died waiting for justice," said John Boyd of the National Black Farmers Association. "I have been working on this thing for 26 years. I've been hearing 'no' for so very long."

The measure must still be approved by the House of Representatives before the end of the "lame-duck" session of the outgoing Congress.

A group of House Democrats has released a letter to Republican congressional leaders calling on them to announce which of their members will be forgoing their congressional benefit health insurance (which is subsidized by the government) in light of their party's opposition to health care reform overhaul legislation.

"If your conference wants to deny millions of Americans affordable health care, your members should walk that walk," four Democrats write in the letter, which is addressed to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican leader John Boehner. "You cannot enroll in the very kind of coverage that you want for yourselves, and then turn around and deny it to Americans who don't happen to be Members of Congress."

According to the letter, the federal government pays more than $10,000 of the premiums of each member of Congress who has a family policy under the most selected plan.

The signatories on the letter are four liberal lawmakers: Joseph Crowley of New York, Linda T. Sanchez of California, Donna Edwards of Maryland and Tim Ryan of Ohio. They sent a separate letter to other Democratic colleagues asking them to sign onto the effort.

At the time, Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said that the bill "would weaken protection of homeowners by requiring many states to accept lower standards for notarizations." President Obama, warning of the "unintended consequences of this bill on consumer protections, especially in light of the recent developments with mortgage processors," vetoed the legislation.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) circulated a letter Tuesday, indicating that he'll mount a campaign to pick off Rep. Ed Towns (D-N.Y.) as the ranking member of the panel in the new Republican-controlled House, according to two senior Democratic lawmakers.

But to move up the committee ranks to even have a chance of taking out Towns, who's chaired the committee for the last two years, Kucinich will have to leapfrog two more senior Democrats: Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings and New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who have both said they're supporting Towns.

Democrats are facing the reality of a particularly active Oversight and Government Reform Committee. California Rep. Darrell Issa, who's in line to be chairman, said he's looking to hold hundreds of hearings on myriad issues from health care to stimulus funding to the national housing meltdown.

Speaking on the MSNBC's Ed Schultz show Monday, Kucinich seemed clear.

"I'm going to be talking to my colleagues about what would be the best route to take to ensure that the oversight responsibilities of the Congress will, in fact, not be compromised," he said.

It wasn't Kucinich's first move against Issa. Last week, Kucinich sent him a letter, asking him to prove or withdraw his critique that the stimulus program is "walking around money.

Watch It:

Steve Stivers won his Ohio House seat by to calling for the elimination of all but four federal departments and privatize the national parks. But does he believe his own platform?

There is no shortage of small-government conservatives in the House GOP class of 2010. But few can match the maniacal budget-cutting zeal of Steve Stivers, an Iraq veteran and former banking lobbyist from Ohio.

Little noticed outside of his Columbus-area district, Stivers courted local Tea Party groups with a far-reaching plan to tear down the federal government. In a publicly released survey issued by the Union County and Galloway 912 Project, Stivers wrote that "only four departments perform Constitutional roles (State, Defense, Justice, and Treasury) so you could eliminate the departments of Agriculture, Education, Interior, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy, and others and return to a constitutionally pure government." He singled out the Department of Interior as the juiciest target, saying that the entire country's National Parks could be privatized and sold either to conservationists or commercial interests.

The local Tea Partiers lapped it up. Stivers romped to victory in the GOP primary and then beat out a Democratic incumbent who had narrowly defeated him two years ago.

The only question is: does Stivers believe his own budget plan?

Which Steve Stivers will show up when the new Congress convenes in January? The newly minted Tea Party Stivers or the  moderate he was until he completely flipped all of his positions to win the Tea Party's support in his recent race?

Read The Full Article at The Daily Beast

Read More At The Ostroy Report

Obama says most job losses occurred before his economic policies took hold

President Barack Obama had jobs on his mind when he sat down Oct. 27, 2010, for a pre-election interview on Comedy Central's The Daily Show  with Jon Stewart.

Under questioning from Stewart, Obama came back to a familiar theme: When he took office, he inherited a mess.

"We lost 4 million jobs before I was sworn in; 750,000 the month I was sworn in; 600,000, the month after that; 600,000 the month after that. So most of the jobs that we lost were lost before the economic policies we put in place had any effect."

Candidates have sparred endlessly over who deserves the blame for the nation's high unemployment rate -- 9.6 percent in the latest tally. After the Daily Show interview, one of our readers asked us to check Obama's numbers. So we decided to take a look.

Obama didn't give a time frame for the 4 million lost jobs other than to say the losses occurred before he took office. We checked with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, official keeper of the jobs statistics, to see if the numbers matched up in some way.

We found a match: Looking at BLS data on seasonally adjusted non-farm employment from December 2007, when the recession officially began, to January 2009, the month before the stimulus was enacted (a 25-month period), the jobs number declined by 4.4 million. So Obama's first number was right, although he could have been clearer about the time frame.

When he refers to his economic policies, we presume he is referring to his main economic stimulus, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It passed in February 2009, but it took several months before the impact of its spending was felt in the economy.

There's still plenty to debate about the stimulus and its impact on the economy, and the recent reversal of job gains is troubling. But the numbers support Obama's statement, so we rate it True.

Latest Installment Details David Brennan's use of Tax Dollars for Political Contributions

Columbus--ProgressOhio PAC released a new advertisement today entitled "Gold" which explores how charter school magnate David Brennan uses tax dollars collected from his schools to fund John Kasich, Mary Taylor, and Josh Mandel. This is the third video unveiled by ProgressOhio PAC in the "Brennan's Bonanza" series.

Interestingly enough, the old White Hat money machine keeps ticking, as the Columbus Dispatch reported this week that, "Among the other individuals who gave at or near the maximum amount on Kasich's 48-hour report were Ann Brennan, the wife of David Brennan of Akron, Ohio's biggest charter-school operator."

The final commercial highlights the $2 million worth of donations that Brennan has made to GOP candidates within the past five years. As owner of the White Hat Management Group, a for-profit charter school organization, newspapers have reported that Brennan' holdings net over $6 million in profit annually.

Watch It:

Brennan's Bonanza 'Gold'

Paid For by ProgressOhio PAC
Devin Russell, Treasurer
550 E. Walnut St. Columbus, OH 43215
Not Authorized By Any Candidate or Candidate's Committee.

Tea Partiers voting for the GOP because they expect significant deficit reduction are going to be sorely disappointed.

NYT: As G.O.P. Seeks Spending Cuts, Details Are Scarce

If there is a single message unifying Republican candidates this year, it is a call to grab hold of the federal checkbook, slam it closed and begin to slash spending. To bolster their case that action is needed, Republicans are citing major legislation over the four years that Democrats have controlled Congress, notably the financial system bailout, the economic stimulus and the new health care law.

But while polls show that the Republicans' message is succeeding politically, Republican candidates and party leaders are offering few specifics about how they would tackle the nation's $13.7 trillion debt, and budget analysts said the party was glossing over the difficulty of carrying out its ideas, especially when sharp spending cuts could impede an already weak economic recovery.

"On the actual campaign trail, you are hearing virtually none of the kind of blatant honesty that we need about what changes would fix this situation," said Maya MacGuineas, the president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, an advocacy group in Washington that promotes fiscal restraint.

The parties share blame for the current fiscal situation, but federal budget statistics show that Republican policies over the last decade, and the cost of the two wars, added far more to the deficit than initiatives approved by the Democratic Congress since 2006, giving voters reason to be skeptical of campaign promises.

Calculations by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and other independent fiscal experts show that the $1.1 trillion cost over the next 10 years of the Medicare prescription drug program, which the Republican-controlled Congress adopted in 2003, by itself would add more to the deficit than the combined costs of the bailout, the stimulus and the health care law.

The House Republican leader, John A. Boehner of Ohio, has called for immediate cuts in "non-security discretionary" spending to prerecession 2008 levels. Independent analysts say that would require eliminating about $105 billion -- or more than 20 percent of spending by departments like Education, Transportation, Interior, Commerce and Energy -- a level of reductions that history suggests would be extremely hard to execute. (Since 1982, nonmilitary discretionary spending has never dropped by more than 5.5 percentage points in any given year.)

At the same time, most Republicans are calling for the permanent extension of all Bush-era tax cuts, which would add $700 billion more to the deficit over the next 10 years than President Obama and Democratic leaders have proposed by continuing only some of the lower rates.

Why a potential Republican majority shouldn't excite fiscal conservatives:

The blue parts of that chart are the parts Republicans have said they won't cut. The red slice, well that's fair game.

Republicans' Fiscal Fantasyland:

Even if you were to eliminate this entire slice of the budget (meaning you're willing to gut the Department of Homeland Security and defund all other federal agencies and departments) it wouldn't even eliminate half of last year's deficit.

Read More at Think Progress

ProgressOhio PAC released the second video in it's "Brennan's Bonanza" series today entitled "Pepperoni Pizza".

The ad explains the financial relationship between Ohio charter school guru David Brennan and John Kasich.

In the commercial, John Kasich is quoted comparing Ohio's education system to pizza shops and pepperonis, stating that more tax dollars should be given to alternatives such as Brennan's charter schools. David Brennan and his family are some of the largest financial contributors to John Kasich.

"Charter schools are the primary channel through which Brennan profits from public funds." said Brian Rothenberg, executive director at ProgressOhio.

"Funding John Kasich is an investment to ensure that more tax dollars are funneled his way if Kasich were to win the Governor's race."

Watch It:

Brennan's Bonanza
Pepperoni Pizza

View last week's episode of Brennan's Bonanza here.

Paid For by ProgressOhio PAC
Not Authorized By Any Candidate
or Candidate's Committee

Politico reports:

House Minority Leader John Boehner's political action committee gave $5,000 to Rich Iott, the Ohio Republican candidate who has dressed up as a Nazi officer during World War II re-enactments.

The contribution from Boehner's Freedom Project to fellow Buckeye Iott was recorded on Sept. 22, according to a quarterly report Iott filed with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday.

Democrats criticized Boehner and called on him to apologize for the donation to Iott.

"For the past week, John Boehner has chosen to remain silent about his embrace of this Nazi enthusiast running for congress, now we know why, it turns out he was financing his congressional bid," said Ryan Rudominer, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "... John Boehner must apologize immediately to the American people especially to our veterans, to women, and to those of the Jewish faith for recruiting all these extremists and fatally flawed candidates."

Boehner was the only lawmaker to give to Iott in the quarter.