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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2009 > October
October 2009
Voinovich, church and business leaders oppose Issue 3
In a last-ditch push to get the downsides of Issue 3 before voters, U.S. Sen. George Voinovich and business and religious leaders called the casino gambling proposal a rip off that will install monopolies in the state constitution, harm the poor, wreck families, and increase crime and addiction.
“I just want all of you to know this is a rip off. This is an absolute rip off in terms of the citizens of Ohio,” Voinovich said Tuesday, Oct. 30 at a press conference in downtown Columbus.
Joining Voinovich were the Ohio Council of Churches, Ohio Christian Alliance, Columbus Chamber of Commerce, state Rep. Ted Celeste, D-Columbus, and the Catholic Conference of Ohio.
The Ohio Council of Churches and Catholic Conference said through e-mails, video messages and church bulletins, they’re urging their collective 3.5 million members to vote No on Issue 3.
Issue 3, backed by Penn National Gaming and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, would put casinos in Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Proponents say it’ll bring 19,000 construction jobs and 15,000 casino jobs to Ohio, result in at least $1 billion in investment, and generate $650 million a year in new revenue for local schools and local governments across the state.
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TweetLegislative black caucus endorses Fisher for U.S. Senate
The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus on Friday, Oct. 30, announced that it is endorsing Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in the U.S. Senate race.
Fisher faces Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination in the Senate race.
“We’ve seen first hand Lee’s track record fighting for Ohio jobs and attracting new investment to our communities,” State Rep. Sandra Williams, D-Cleveland, OLBC President, said in a press release.
Fisher formerly served as development director for Gov. Ted Strickland and still works on economic development issues.
The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus consists of 17 black legislators in the Ohio House and Senate, the press release said.
“I’m honored to have the support of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus,” Fisher said in the release.
“Together we will continue our work to rebuild and grow the middle class by tackling the foreclosure crisis and making Ohio the hub of the clean energy industry, creating thousands of new, good-paying jobs.”
Former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman of the Cincinnati area, who served as U.S. trade representative and budget director under President George W. Bush, and Tom Ganley, a Cleveland-area car dealer, are seeking the Republican nomination in the Senate race.
The winner in the Senate race will replace U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who is retiring.
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TweetGov. Strickland’s Ohio approval rating drops to 48 percent; Obama at 52 percent
Gov. Ted Strickland’s approval rating among Ohio adults has dropped to 48 percent in an Ohio Poll released on Friday, Oct. 30, the first time it had been below 50 percent in five Ohio Polls dating back to May 2007.
In the same poll, the approval rating for Strickland’s fellow Democrat, President Barack Obama, dropped to 52 percent, down from 63 percent in an April 2009 Ohio Poll, sponsored by the University of Cincinnati.
The poll also showed a glimmer of optimism about better times to come. Thirty three percent said economic conditions in Ohio were getting better, up from 20 percent in April and more than double the 12 percent in May who said things were getting better.
The drops in approval ratings has more immediate significance for Strickland, who’s up for re-election next year, than for Obama, just finishing the first year of a four-year term.
Eric Rademacher, Ohio Poll co-director, noted in an e-mail that more Ohioans - 48 percent - approve of Strickland’s job performance than disapprove - 37 percent.
“However, his approval has dropped 20 points since May of 07, which is almost identical to his increase in disapproval since,” Rademacher said. “So, that is a trend Strickland will want to reverse as we go into 2010.”
Other key poll findings:
*More Ohioans - 49 percent - disapprove of Strickland’s handling of the Ohio economy than approve - 41 percent.
*A majority of Democrats - 52 percent - approve of Strickland’s handling of the economy while a majority of Republicans - 58 percent - and independents - 59 percent - disapprove of how the governor’s handled the economy.
*Fifty percent of Ohioans approve of Obama’s handling of foreign affairs overall, down from 62 percent in April.
*Forty five percent of Ohioans now approve of Obama’s handling of the economy, down from 56 percent in April.
*Most Ohioans rate U.S. economic conditions as either fair - 45 percent - or poor- 47 percent, about the same as April.
*Also, most Ohioans also rate Ohio economic conditions as either fair - 39 percent - or poor - 52 percent -, again about the same as April.
The poll was taken from Oct. 14-Oct. 20 with 808 adults across the state and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.
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TweetFormer AG Montgomery blasts casino plan
Former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery on Thursday, Oct. 29, blasted the plan to put casinos in four Ohio cities as loophole-riddled.
“If this amendment passes, Ohio will have the weakest oversight of casino gambling in all of American and that is deliberate,” Montgomery said at a press conference with House Minority Leader William Batchelder, R-Medina, and the Rev. John Edgar, a leader of the United Methodist Church’s anti-gambling efforts in Ohio.
Montgomery said that the amendment would limit the Ohio Casino Control Commission to investigating and having oversight over only those “directly” involved in operating casinos, leaving the door open for even criminal elements to have indirect involvement in the casinos.
Even Bernie Madoff, the imprisoned Ponzi scheme operator, could be involved in Ohio casinos, Montgomery said.
Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the pro-casino Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, disputed Montgomery.
“I think it is unfortunate that the former attorney general has apparently bought into the desperation tactics of the opponents on this issue,” said Tenenbaum.
He said the amendment was written to give the legislature and Casino Control Commission “broad authority” over who could be licensed to operate casinos. Casino backers think the regulations “ought to be very tight” to insure the integrity of gambling in Ohio, Tenenbaum said.
The proposed constitutional amendment to permit casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo is Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot.
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TweetState government sheds 1,336 jobs since July
Amid the Ohio budget crunch, state government has eliminated 1,336 jobs, or 2.2 percent of the workforce.
Ohio now has 58,650 workers compared with 59,986 in July, 60,054 in August and 58,889 in September, according to state figures. While there has been a downward trend overall, there are 593 more state workers represented by unions now compared with July.
State budget director Pari Sabety told lawmakers this week that there are 4,909 fewer state workers today than at the beginning of Gov. Ted Strickland’s term, which began in Jan. 2007.
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TweetDomestic violence victims may get public records shield
Victims of domestic violence who fear for their safety would be allowed to have their addresses shielded from disclosure on public records in a program that would be run by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office, if a soon-to-be introduced bill becomes law.
State Rep. Kathleen Chandler, D-Kent, is working with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on the privacy program.
Under Chandler’s bill, counselors at domestic violence shelters or elsewhere would help the participants file sworn statements, copies of protective orders and other material that proves that they have been victims of violent crimes. Mail for these individuals would be sent to the Secretary of State’s office and forwarded to the program participant’s true address, under the proposed legislation.
Participants would be required to vote by absentee ballot. Currently, 37 states administer address confidentiality programs, including 19 run by secretaries of state, 11 by attorneys general and seven by non-profits, according to Brunner’s office. “Ohio has been hard hit on many fronts, and a program such as this offers affected women and their children, as well as affected men, the opportunity to live peacefully at a location of their choosing with the privacy of their whereabouts kept safe from their stalkers or abusers,” Brunner said.
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TweetCivil rights offices merge
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission is merging its Dayton and Cincinnati offices into one located at 40 W. 4th Street in downtown Dayton.
The commission named Norman Gibson, of Cincinnati, as the new regional director after the retirements of Dayton office director Marguerite Walker and Cincinnati office director H. Jean McEntire. Gibson has been a civil rights investigator and supervisor for the commission for a decade.
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TweetColumbus Mayor Coleman votes against casino plan
Breaking with mayors of the other proposed casino cities, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman has voted absentee against Issue 3, the proposed constitutional amendment to allow casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo.
“The mayor is not uniformly opposed to gambling,” Dan Williamson, Coleman’s spokesman, said on Thursday, Oct. 29. “He believes, in fact, that at some point Ohio will have casino gambling. If so, it needs to be done in the right way.”
Coleman, a University of Dayton Law School graduate, believes a casino plan should be highly taxed, competitively bid and set up by the state legislature rather than by private interests, said Williamson. Issue 3 doesn’t meet those criteria, Williamson added.
Mayor Frank Jackson of Cleveland, Mark Mallory of Cincinnati and Carty Finkbeiner of Toledo all back Issue 3.
Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the pro-casino Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, had this e-mail reaction to Coleman’s decision:
“We’re disappointed that Mayor Coleman didn’t see the benefit of a $250 million private investment and 6,000 new jobs for his city, but we respect his right to express his personal opinion by voting, just as millions of Ohioans will do next Tuesday.”
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TweetSwine flu worries most Ohioans
Most Ohioans — 54 percent — are worried that they or someone in their household will get H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, and 34 percent plan to get vaccinated, according to a new poll released Thursday, Oct. 29.
In households with children, 53 percent of Ohioans said they plan to have their kids vaccinated, the poll found.
If one-third of Ohioans got vaccinated, the state would need to distribute roughly 3.5 million doses. So far, Ohio has received about 600,000 doses, according to the state Department of Health.
The Ohio Poll, conducted by the University of Cincinnati, also shows that women are more worried than men and whites are more likely to be concerned than African Americans about the virus.
The telephone survey, conducted Oct. 14-20, asked 808 adults in Ohio about their views on swine flu. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.
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TweetBWC blows off $14.5 million in drug rebates, report says
The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation missed the chance to recover $14.5 million in rebates from drug manufacturers between July 2005 and September 2008 and took eight months to get around to limiting payment for three expensive drugs at a cost of more than $5 million, a new report from the state inspector general said on Wednesday, Oct. 27.
The 19-page report said BWC officials fixed most of the weaknesses identified in an internal audit of the agency’s pharmacy benefits program for injured workers but missed these two items.
The bureau is an insurance pool for workers injured on the job in Ohio.
An earlier BWC contract with its pharmacy benefits manager called for the manager to be paid with drug company rebates. BWC switched in 2005 to paying the manager flat fees and giving the state the right to seek the drug company rebates. But the state failed to go after the rebates, the report said.
BWC Administrator Marsha Ryan said, “When this administration arrived at BWC in mid-2007, we found a pharmacy program in disarray and suffering from severe neglect. Since 2007, substantive and efficient pharmacy reform has occurred. We commissioned a complete study of the program, made improvements where they were desperately needed and added leadership and staff. I am confident the care we have administered to the pharmacy program over the past two years is providing efficient service to Ohio’s injured workers.”
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TweetBackers, foes plan dueling ‘high noon’ rallies on casinos
It’s high noon on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the battle over whether Ohio should allow casinos in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo as supporters and foes plan dueling rallies.
Ohio horsemen - men and women employed in the state’s horse racing industry - will drive trucks and horse trailers in laps around Capitol Square downtown to draw attention to the thousands of jobs they say will be lost if the issue passes.
They’re tagging their rally the “Issue 3 Job Killer Drive-By.”
Meanwhile, at the same time and about four miles north of downtown at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 189 Union Hall on Kinnear Road, casino backers will hold a “Last Push” rally featuring Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cleveland Cavalierrs, former Ohio and U.S. Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow and others.
Similar rallies have been held in Cleveland and Toledo and a final one is set for Thursday in Cincinnati.
The casino plan, a proposed constitutional amendment, is Issue 3 on the Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot.
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TweetStrickland teams up with Elmo
He’s furry, bug-eyed, big-mouthed and fictional but that didn’t stop Gov. Ted Strickland from joining forces with Sesame Street’s Elmo to help fight the flu.
Strickland and a dozen other governors recorded 30-second public service announcements with the beloved Muppet to tell youngsters how they can prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu virus.
“Children are among the most vulnerable for acquiring the flu, but simple things like coughing into your elbow and washing hands properly can go a long way toward keeping them healthy,” Strickland said.
Strickland and Elmo share tips with listeners such as cough into your sleeve, wash your hands thoroughly, and stay home when you’re sick.
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TweetFarm groups square off
Farm interests on both sides of state Issue 2 claim that out-of-state interest groups are meddling in Ohio’s agriculture industry.
Issue 2 is a proposed constitutional amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot that would create a livestock care standards board to regulate farm animal housing and care in Ohio.
Farmers, environmentalists and ProgressOhio, a left-leaning political group, denounced Issue 2 as a move by out-of-state agribusiness that may end up elbowing family farmers out of business.
They pointed to campaign finance reports filed last week that show $1.2 million of nearly $4 million raised on the Yes on Issue 2 side came from outside Ohio.
Joe Logan, a family farmer and director of agricultural programs for the Ohio Environmental Council, said the standards board could be stacked in favor of big agricultural interests and write rules to favor the big guys over the family operations.
Right after the vote No on Issue 2 people finished their press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 27, representatives of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation appeared to give their side.
Beth Vanderkooi said Issue 2 was put on the ballot to head off out of state animal welfare groups that want to impose arbitrary standards on Ohio farmers. She denied claims that Issue 2 is supported mostly by large factory farm interests and noted that much of the campaign contributions have been coming from Ohio farmers.
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TweetState Senate pays tribute to Schuler
The Ohio Senate on Tuesday, Oct. 27, paid tribute to the late Bob Schuler, a Republican senator from suburban Cincinnati who died of cancer June 19.
With Schuler family members in the audience, senators described him as hard working, quiet, humble, reliable and fun-loving.
State Sen. Ray Miller, D-Columbus, recalled Schuler as a great listener. “Anyone who can tolerate Sen. Jeff Jacobson in your ear at every turn has great listening skills,” Miller quipped as former senator Jacobson sat in the audience.
Former Senate President Richard Finan said “He did not have an enemy. Not one. It belies the idea that you have to be an SOB to be in politics.”
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TweetUPDATED with opponent reaction - Casino backers: locals will get 90 percent of casino jobs
Backers of the proposed constitutional amendment to allow casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo on Tuesday, Oct. 27, pledged that 90 percent of all jobs in the casinos would go to residents of the four host cities and the surrounding metropolitan areas.
That would amount to about 6,750 jobs, according to Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the pro-casino Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee.
Altogether, backers say the plan would create 34,000 jobs - 19,000 construction jobs and 15,000 permanent jobs. About half the permanent jobs - 7,500 - would be in the casinos and the other half in supporting businesses. The 90 percent refers to the 7.500 permanent jobs in the casinos.
Letters with the pledge are being sent to the mayor of the four cities, said Tenenbaum.
“I am writing to provide you with assurance that, as developers of the casino that would be authorized under State Issue 3, we will make hiring of local residents to work in the casino our highest priority,” Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and proposed developer for the Cleveland and Cincinnati casinos, said in a letter to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.
“To that end, we commit to you that a minimum of 90 percent of employees hired to fill the permanent casino jobs will be resident of the city and its surrounding MSA (metropolitan statistical area).”
Sandy Theis, spokeswoman for TruthPAC, the main opposition group, cited a study that showed the proposal would not create jobs but would transfer them from “restaurants, taverns and retail shops that would be forced out when the casinos moved in.”
“And if hiring local residents was such a priority, why did they not put it in the amendment?” Theis asked in an e-mail.
Opponents of the casino plan have charged that many of the jobs would go to out-of-state workers.
The proposed amendment is Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot.
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TweetCommon Cause/Ohio opposes casino plan
Common Cause/Ohio, the citizen reform organization, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, announced its opposition to Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot, the proposed constitutional amendment to allow casinos in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Cleveland.
“The Ohio Constitution , the general framework for governance in the state, is certainly not the appropriate document to grant exclusive gambling franchises,” William Woods, Common Cause/Ohio chair, said in a press release.
“We believe that before Ohioans vote on any proposed new gambling activities, the General Assembly is the proper public body to establish the parameters and regulations.”
The League of Women Voters of Ohio also opposes Issue 3 while support has come from groups such as the Ohio AFL-CIO and the Montgomery County Democratic Party.
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TweetAnti Issue 2 campaign to start radio ads
The anti Issue 2 campaign is an underdog, scraping together just $6,300 compared with the $4 million raised by those in favor of the constitutional amendment, and is beginning its modest media campaign this week.
Food and Water Watch will begin running a 30-second radio ad across the state, that urges Ohioans to vote no on Issue 2, which the group says will give corporate agri-business license to contaminate food with poor animal housing practices and bankrupt family farms.
Meanwhile, Ohioans for Livestock Care raised $4 million, including $1.2 million from out-of-state agricultural interests, and has already been on the TV airwaves with polished ads.
If the issue passes, Ohio would create a 13-member Livestock Care Standards Board to set rules for animal housing and care.
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TweetAbortion down 4 percent in Ohio
Abortions declined 4 percent last year to 29,613 compared with 30,859 in 2007, according to a report released Friday, Oct. 23, by the Ohio Department of Health.
The total number of abortions in Ohio has been in decline since 2000.
“We are winning the fight against those who push abortion as the first and sometimes only choice for women in crisis,” Ohio Right to Life Executive Director Mike Gonidakis said. “While we take great joy that the collective efforts of Ohio’s pro-life community are making significant strides in ending abortions, the total number is staggering.”
The Ohio Department of Health does not report on the reasons why abortion is declining.
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TweetBrunner’s dog “blogs” for her campaign
Democrat Jennifer Brunner’s campaign for U.S. Senate took a strange tact Friday, Oct. 23, when it posted a blog written from the point of view of her dog, Laney.
The dog blog recounts the kindness of Brunner and her husband when they rescued the puppy two years ago and compares Laney with people struggling with the economic recession.
“I was named “Lane” I guess because they found me emaciated and wandering around Lane Avenue. I was pretty scared and traumatized, just like many people are today with the tough times they deal with,” the posting on JenniferBrunner.com reads.
And the puppy chatter gives supporters an inside look at Brunner’s campaign: “Lately, my mom’s been pretty busy. She’s running for the U.S. Senate. I watch how hard she works and I’ve even heard her on the phone for hours working to raise money.”
Then the dog wraps up with a plea for campaign donations and signs off with a “woof” and a paw print.
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TweetReps. Morgan, Martin propose “Ohio Firearms Freedom” plan
Reps. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, and Jarrod Martin, R-Beavercreek, have introduced legislation that would allow for firearms made and sold within Ohio to be exempt from federal firearms regulations.
Morgan said on Friday, Oct. 23, that House Bill 315, is mainly a preemptive effort to protect the state against any federal regulations pushed by President Barack Obama’s admininistration.
He added, however, that a debate over the issue of state control should have been held earlier.
“I”m sure there are some (federal) laws that I’d like to see changed,” said Morgan.
Toby Hoover, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said the legislation is not needed. Gun advocates seem obsessed with the notion that “people are going to take things away from them,” she said.
“If you’re going to have firearms and ammunition, ….you ought to be held accountable,” said Hoover.
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TweetTelephone customers may see rate increases
Millions of Ohio households with basic telephone service would face steeper monthly bills, larger security deposits, longer outages and potentially quicker disconnections if pending legislation becomes state law, consumer advocates warned Friday, Oct. 23.
“There are no benefits in this bill for consumers. It benefits the telephone industry,” said Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander, who represents the interests of residential utility consumers.
Two identical deregulation bills, which are supported by the Ohio Telecom Association, are pending in the House and Senate.
Charles Moses, president of the telecom group, said, “For our companies to remain competitive, we must change the way we do business. Traditional land line telephone companies have lost more than 40 percent of their customers since 2001. Consumers today have more choices and higher expectations for their telecom services.”
There are 9.1 million wireless subscribers and 5.7 million landline customers in Ohio.
The Consumers’ Counsel, AARP Ohio, Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, and other consumer groups are marshaling forces to defeat the bills that they say will increase rates, weaken consumer protections and lower service quality standards.
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TweetUPDATED with opponents’ report: Casino backers raise and spend $31M; Opponents raise, $5.9M, spend $5.3M
Backers of the plan to put casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo raised $31.1 million during the reporting period that ended Oct. 14, according to the report filed on Thursday, Oct. 22, with Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
Coupled with $4.2 million raised earlier, that brought the group’s total contributions to more than $35 million. The Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee reported spending nearly $31.8 million during the last reporting period, ending with a balance of $188,213 in cash on hand.
In addition, the group reported in-kind contributions of $571,866. The cash contributions and nearly all in-kind contributions came from entities associated with the two Issue 3 backers - Penn National Gaming and Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, TruthPAC, the main opposition group, reported that it raised $5.9 million during the last reporting period, spent nearly $5.4 million and had cash on hand of $570,888. TruthPAC also reported in-kind contributions of $197,489.
TruthPAC’s money came mainly from MTR Gaming, Inc., which operates Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort in Chester, W.Va.
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TweetNew plan calls for legislature to regulate Ohio gambling expansion
Rep. Tyrone Yates, D-Cincinnati, wants elected members of the Ohio House and Senate, not private gambling interests, to decide if Ohio should have casinos or other forms of expanded gambling.
That’s a main reason that Yates on Thursday, Oct. 22, announced introduction of House Joint Resolution 5.
It calls for putting on the May 2010 ballot a proposed constitutional amendment “to allow the General Assembly to provide for and regulate the operation of certain lotteries and other forms of gambling.”
If approved, it would block future efforts such as the campaign for Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot, said Yates.
Issue 3, backed by and written by Penn National Gaming and Cleveland Cavaliers’ majority owner Dan Gilbert, calls for casinos in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Cleveland.
Yates opposes Issue 3 as a bad deal for the state.
Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the pro-Issue 3 Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, said in an e-mail that Yates’ proposal clearly is meant to hurt the four-casino ballot plan.
“The General Assembly has had decades to seek voter authorization to establish casino gaming in Ohio. “There has never been a serious attempt to do so,” said Tenenbaum.
“We’re going to keep our focus on the campaign and continue to work hard to communicate to the voters Issue 3’s benefits in terms of job creation, economic development and tax revenue for local communities and schools.”
Yates’ plan is the second recent legislative proposal on gambling. Last week Rep. Dennis Murray, D-Sandusky, introduced a proposed constitutional amendment that, if approved, could result in 15 casinos statewide, including in Dayton and other Miami Valley communities.
To get his proposal on the ballot next May requires support of super majorities in the legislature - 20 of 33 senators and 60 of 99 House members.
“I said to myself, ‘Gee whiz, there is a better mousetrap,’” said Yates. “That is to authorize the state to authorize gambling and let the public design the framework for what the gambling proposal should be.”
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TweetMontgomery County Dems endorse casino plan
The Montgomery County Democratic Party has endorsed Issue 3, the Nov. 3 ballot issue that calls for casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.
The endorsement puts the county party at odds with leading Democratic officeholders, including Gov. Ted Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher who oppose the issue. Also, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-0hio, has cast an absentee ballot against Issue 3.
In a press release on Wednesday, Oct. 21, the county party said that the plan would bring jobs to Ohio and millions of dollars to Montgomery County, the city of Dayton and local schools.
“This plan will keep important money and jobs in Ohio,” Mark Owens, party chair said in the release. “The Montgomery County Democratic Party is proud to stand with local labor in support of State Issue 3.”
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TweetHouse approves budget-balancing bill 55-44
The Ohio House on Wednesday, Oct. 21, approved a budget-balancing bill that postpones the fifth year of state income tax cuts.
It also cuts legislative salaries by 5 percent staring in 2011.
Two Republicans- Reps. Ross McGregor of Springfield and Matt Dolan of Novelty - joined all 53 Democrats in backing the bill which now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate.
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TweetIndictment announced in casino-related absentee ballot application probe
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters on Wednesday, Oct. 21, announced the indictment of Walter Sullivan of Montgomery in an investigation into fraudulent absentee ballot applications.
Sullivan was employed as a field worker for FieldWorks, a consulting company providing ground level organization for the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, the group promoting Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot, a press release said. The issue calls for casinos in Cincinnati, Toledo, Cleveland and Columbus.
FieldWorks resigned from the campaign after the investigation started.
“Our investigation at no time found any evidence that Ohio Jobs and Growth was involved in any criminal activity,” Deters said in the release. “They at all times acted cooperatively with the investigation. Any representation that they were the target of a grand jury investigation is entirely false.”
Sullivan was charged with five counts of false signatures for forging applications for absentee ballots. If convicted of all charges, he faces a maximum of five years in prison, the press release said.
The probe started when a staffer at the Hamilton County Board of Elections noticed irregularities when processing applications and contacts voters whose signatures were on the forms.
The voters confirmed that they had not requested the forms, the press release said.
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TweetBipartisan land bank plan could help Dayton, Montgomery County cope with abandoned properties
Bipartisan legislation that would allow 28 additional counties - including Montgomery, Warren, Clark, Greene and Butler - to organize land banks could help deal with the aftermath of the mortgage foreclosure crisis and the vacant, abandoned properties it has created, backers said on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Reps. Roland Winburn, D-Harrison Twp. and Peter Ujvagi, D-Toledo, have introduced House Bill 313 and Sens. Mark Wagoner, R-Ottawa Hills, and Sen. Teresa Fedor, D-Toledo, have sponsored a companion bill, Senate Bill 188.
The state’s current land bank law applies only to Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland. The new bills would focus on counties with populations greater than 100,000.
Such legislation gives counties a tool to acquire properties, develop creative ways to develop them, reduce blight and increase property values, Lavea Brachman, co-director of Greater Ohio, a public policy organization that works to revitalize urban and metropolitan areas.
Winburn said the bill would help Montgomery County. County Commissioner Dan Foley said the bill would give local officials a needed tool “that could help neighborhoods.”
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TweetCandidate for AG hires man with expunged record
Delaware County Prosecutor David Yost, a Republican running for attorney general, hired political consultant Matt Borges to help with the campaign.
In 2004, Borges, who had been State Treasurer Joe Deters’ chief of staff, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of improper use of a public office, according to media accounts at the time.
The case has since been expunged and the record sealed, Borges said on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Borges said he and Yost have been friends for 20 years.
“We did have a long conversation about it. Like I said, he’s known me for a long time,” Borges said. “I think he was comfortable and confident in my abilities.”
Borges also worked on the 2008 John McCain campaign for president.
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TweetBrunner lags far behind in campaign cash for U.S. Senate race
For the second straight reporting period, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner spent more money than she raised in her bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 2010.
Campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of the Senate showed Brunner’s campaign spent $200,579 during the reporting period ending Sept. 30 and took in $147,204. The reports were due Oct. 15.
She was left with cash on hand of $111,896, putting her far behind her opponent for the Democratic nomination, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher who had about $1.6 million on hand.
In an interview with the Dayton Daily News on Oct. 15, Brunner said she raised less in the most recent reporting period than in the previous quarter but vowed to stay in the race.
Both Fisher and Brunner are far behind Republican Rob Portman, who had $5.14 million on hand at the end of the reporting period. Portman, a former Cincinnati-area U.S. House member, is competing against Cleveland-area car dealer Tom Ganley for the GOP nomination.
Portman also served as budget director and trade representative under former President George W. Bush.
Ganley has said he plans to personally finance most of his campaign and so far has made or guaranteed loans of more than $100,000 to his campaign, according to his campaign finance report.
He finished the reporting period with $22,884 in cash on hand but with debts of $150,969.
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TweetFormer Buckeye QB Art Schlichter to cochair anti-casino group
Art Schlichter, the former Ohio State quarterback whose pro career was destroyed by gambling problems, is the honorary co-chair of “Families Against Issue 3” a group formed to oppose the four-casino plan on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Schlichter’s mother Mila also was named as an honorary co-chair, according to a press release issued on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
“If you understand the nature of gambling addiction, you know Issue 3 will bring a blight on Ohio,” Schlichter said in the press release. “We’re proof positive: four full-blown casinos here will wreck many Ohio families.”
Schlichter was released from prison in 2006 after spending 10 years in prison for gambling-related crimes, the press release said.
Robert Tenenbaum,spokesman for the pro-casino Ohio Jobs and Growth Pllan responded:
“Art Schlichter’s story is tragic and we recognize that the are some people who are susceptible to gambling addictions and that’s the reason Issue 3 includes $13 million a year for the state to use for research into and treatment of problem gambling.”
Schlicter also recently published “Busted: The Rise & Fall of Art Schlichter” (Orangefrazer Press) detailing his battle with gambling addiction. He and his mother reside in central Ohio, the release said.
The proposal calls for casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo.
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TweetHouse Finance Committee OKs bill to postpone tax cuts
The House Finance committee on Tuesday, Oct. 20, approved House Bill 318, the proposal to postpone for two years the fifth year of state income tax cuts to fill a $851 million hole in the state budget.
The full House will vote on the plan on Wednesday, which then will go to the Republican-controlled Senate.
Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, has called for speedy action, to protect spending for K-12 education.
The 17-13 committee vote was along party lines, with majority Democrats voting “yes” and Republicans, in the House minority, voting “no.”
The bill also includes 5 percent pay cuts for legislators, which won’t take effect until 2011 because the Ohio Constitution forbids salary adjustments during members’ terms. The cut would be $3,092 for lawmakers earning the basic salary of $60,584. It also applies to legislative leaders who earn more.
The committee tabled several Republican amendments, including one from Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, that would have kept the legislative pay cuts but removed the delay in the tax cuts.
The budget hole was created when the Ohio Supreme Court last month ruled that a plan to put video lottery terminals at Ohio’s racetracks was subject to a vote of the people in 2010, delaying expected income from VLTS for schools.
The bill will delay tax cuts that would have seen a family of four earning $60,000 paying $85 less in income taxes this year than in 2008. With the postponement, families still would pay slightly less in 2009 than in 2008 because the value of the personal exemption - available to all taxpayers and their dependents - is indexed to inflation. The personal exemption will grow from $1,500 to $1,550.
The vote came after sometimes passionate debate, sparked partly by testimony from Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks.
Hamler-Fugitt questioned whether making K-12 a spending priority- which Strickland and Democrats said the bill did - makes sense when youngsters across the state are facing the loss of after-school programs and other problems as the result of spending reductions in the two-year state budget bill.
“Somehow, I can’t reconcile how funding education at the peril of after school programs will help improve test scores or lower high school dropout rates,” Hamler-Fugitt said.
Rep. Stephen Dyer, D-Green, an architect of the school funding plan in the budget, defended making education the top priority, calling it the “greatest human service” that government provides.
Hamler-Fugitt called for several tax increases to raise money to “protect Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens.” They included rolling back state income tax rates to their 2005 levels. She also called for the House Ways and Means Committee to hold hearings on the effect of the 2005 overhaul of the tax code, including the income tax cuts.
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TweetState awards $657,154 contract to Dayton firm
Shook Touchstone LLC landed a $657,154 construction management contract with the Ohio School Facilities Commission to oversee projects in the Brookville Local School District.
The State Controlling Board approved the contract on Monday, Oct. 19.
Shook Touchstone is a joint venture with Shook Construction, a privately held firm founded in Dayton in 1926. Shook builds commercial and retail buildings as well as waste water treatment plants in the Midwest.
Shook Touchstone won a School Facilities Commission contract in October 2007 to provide construction management services for the Dayton Public Schools building and renovation projects.
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TweetUPDATED with “typical family” tax info - House vote set for Wednesday on budget balancing bill
The House is tentatively scheduled to vote Wednesday, Oct. 21, on a bill to postpone the final year of state income tax cuts and to cut legislators’ salaries by 5 percent.
House Bill 318 was listed on the House’s Wednesday calendar, pending a report from the Finance Committee.
The Wednesday calendar was released on Monday, Oct. 19. The Finance Committee began meeting about 3:20 p.m. Monday. Committee Chairman Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, said the committee is expected to vote out the bill on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Sykes said passage of the bill is needed to prevent big cuts to K-12 education.
House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, on Friday, Oct. 16, announced plans to balance the state budget by postponing for two years a final 4.2 percent cut in a five-year plan to reduce state income taxes. It was the solution proposed by Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland to fill a $851 million hole in the budget.
The hole was created when the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a plan to put video slot machines at Ohio’s seven racetracks was subject to a vote of the people in November 2010, delaying expected income from the VLTs for education.
Budish’s plan couples the postponement with the pay cuts for legislators, a plan originally proposed by Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights. The pay cuts wouldn’t start until 2011, however, because the Ohio Constitution prohibits pay adjustments during legislators’ terms. The cuts would amount to $379 a year just for the House.
The state Department of Taxation has provided this information on how a temporary freeze on income tax rates would affect a typical family of four at varying income levels. If there is a freeze, families would pay slightly less in 2009 than in 2008 because the value of the personal exemption - available to all taxpayers and their dependents- is indexed to inflation. The personal exemption will grow from $1,500 to $1,550 for the 2009 taxable year.
Here is how much less families of four would have paid in 2009 with the scheduled fifth-year tax cut than they paid in 2008:
Income of $30,000 - $26 less
Income of $60,000 - $85 less
Income of $100,000 - $178 less
Income of $200,000 - $454 less
With the proposed freeze, here is how much less families of four would pay in 2009 than in 2008 because of increased value of personal exemption:
Income of $30,000 - $5 less
Income of $60,000 - $7 less
Income of $100,000 - $9 less
Income of $200,000 - $12 less
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TweetLegislative black caucus endorses casino plan
The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus on Saturday, Oct. 17, announced its endorsement for Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot, the plan to permit casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and Cincinnati.
“After studying the proposed constitutional amendment and meeting with representatives of the prospective casino developers, we reached the conclusion that this proposal offers Ohio benefits it badly needs in this very difficult economic environment - jobs, new tax revenues for local communities and schools, and $1 billion in guaranteed private investment that will help revitalize our major cities,” Rep. Sandra Williams, D-Cleveland, president of the OLBC, said in a press release.
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TweetState treasurer candidate stumping for local candidates
Josh Mandel is running for Ohio treasurer in the 2010 election, but he’s traveling around the state during the current election season to campaign for local candidates.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, he is going door-to-door in Miami Twp. campaigning with Township Trustee Deborah Preston. Later on Saturday he will campaign in Lebanon.
Mandel is challenging incumbent State Treasurer Kevin Boyce.
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TweetHouse budget plan to cut legislators’ salaries
The Ohio House will consider a plan to balance the state budget that will include a 5 percent cut in legislators’ salaries, currently $60,584 year, Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, said on Friday, Oct. 16.
The plan will also embrace Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposal to postpone the fifth year of personal income tax cuts to come up with $850 million over two years, Budish said in a conference call with reporters. The postponement would be for two years - 2009-2010.
The pay cut for lawmakers would not take effect until 2011 because lawmakers are prohibited from taking a salary adjustment during their current term, a press release from Budish said.
Budish said he hoped the plan would get bipartisan support but early Republican response was not positive. Democrats control the House, 53-46.
State Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, proposed the 5 percent pay cut in June but no hearings have been held on the bill.
Morgan said he wouldn’t vote for the bill with the freeze on the tax cuts.
“I would say all he’s doing is playing politics with it to try to embarrass Republicans,” said Morgan.
Strickland applauded the plan. He made his original proposal to postpone the tax cuts on Sept. 30.
“Of all the options available to us, I believe postponing the last part of the scheduled income tax reduction will protect our schools from destructive cuts while avoiding a sales or other tax increase on Ohio families and businesses during this recession,” Strickland said in a press release.
Strickland proposed the freeze on the tax cuts after the Ohio Supreme Court last month ruled that the plan in the budget to put video slot machines at Ohio’s racetracks was subject to a referendum in 2010. This delayed start of slots-at-the tracks, blowing an $850 million hole in the state budget.
Hearings on the plan will start Monday, said Budish. He said hopes for prompt action but didn’t set a deadline. The proposal also would have to be approved by the Republican controlled Senate.
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TweetColumbus Mayor Coleman, wife to end marriage
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, a graduate of the University of Dayton Law School, and his wife Frankie “have decided to amicably dissolve their marriage of 25 years,” a press release from Coleman’s office said on Friday, Oct. 16.
“The mayor and Frankie intend to remain friends and be supportive of their family endeavors,” the release said.
Family members would have no further comment, said the release.
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TweetONN report: Sen. Brown votes against casino plan
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has cast an absentee ballot against State Issue 3, the proposal to put casinos in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Cleveland, according to an interview taped by the Ohio News Network and made available Friday, Oct. 16.
Brown said the proposal was not “particularly well done.” The interview is to air on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland also oppose the casino plan.
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TweetBrunner: “I’m in (Senate) race until the end”
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has shaken up her fund raising staff for the 2010 U.S. Senate race and her fund raising continues to lag.
Brunner said on Thursday, Oct. 15, however, that she’s committed to staying in the race against Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher for the Democratic nomination.
“I’m still in the race until the end,” she said.
“The Hill”, a Washington, D.C., newspaper reported that Brunner is replacing her finance director, deputy and assistant, which Brunner confirmed.
“We wanted to move in a different direction,” said Brunner. There will be more emphasis on grassroots efforts, she said.
Her campaign finance report, due on Thursday to the Federal Election Commission, will show she raised less money in the last quarter, which ended Sept. 30, than she did in the previous three months when she raised about $228,000, she said.
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TweetCatholic Bishops say “no” to four-casino plan
The Catholic Bishops of Ohio oppose Issue 3 on the Nov. 3 ballot, the proposed constitutional amendment to permit casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo, the bishops announced on Thursday, Oct. 15.
Also, the bishops announced support for Issue 2, which would create a statewide livestock standards board.
The bishops are “not opposed” to Issue 1, which would provide bonuses to veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iran and the Persian Gulf War.
The bishops include six Roman Catholic bishops and three Eastern Order bishops.
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TweetPoll: Casino ballot plan has slight lead
A poll released on Thursday, Oct. 15, by opponents of the four-casino plan on the Nov. 3 ballot showed that the likely voters are slightly n favor of the proposal.
The poll, paid for by TruthPac, the anti-Issue 3 group, found 48 percent of likely voters favored the plan, 44 percent were opposed and 8 percent were undecided.
David Betras, Mahoning County Democratic chairman, released the poll and was pleased with the results.
“The more people learn about this sweetheart deal the casinos have written for themselves, the less they like it,” Betras said in a press release.
Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the pro-casino Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan, said the numbers in the poll don’t reflect what his group’s polls show.
“We continue to lead. There are daily ups and downs on various issues but overall, based on our own polls, we remain very confident,” said Tenenbaum.
The casinos are planned for Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Cleveland. Penn National Gaming and Dan Gilbert, majority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, are the backers of the plan.
The telephone poll was conducted Oct. 7 - Sunday, Oct. 11 with 800 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.
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TweetUPDATED: Portman has $5.14 m and Fisher has $1.6 m on hand for U.S. Senate race
Republican Rob Portman had $5.14 million in cash on hand for his 2010 U.S. Senate race as of Sept. 30, the end of the third quarter reporting period, Portman’s campaign said on Thursday, Oct. 15.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher’s Senate campaign reported that Fisher, a Democrat, finished the quarter with $1.6 million on hand.
The campaign raised $1.3 million in the third quarter and doubled its number of individual donors to nearly 7,000, the campaign said. The campaign spent $525,000 during the third quarter, said Jessica Towhey, campaign spokeswoman.
Portman, a former U.S. House member who served as budget director and trade representative under President George W. Bush, has total receipts of $6.23 million for his campaign, including money transferred from other funds. The Senate campaign has raised $4.71 million through Sept. 30.
Fisher raised about $620,000 in the third quarter and ha raised more than$2.5 million since entering the race, his campaign said.
Portman is running for the GOP nomination against Tom Ganley, a Cleveland-area car dealer. Fisher is running against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination.
Jeff Longstreth, spokesman for Ganley, said Ganley’s report would be “small.” Ganley, a millionaire, knows that he personally is “going to be funding the vast majority of the campaign,” said Ganley.
Brunner said that she was putting the finishing touches on her report.
Thursday was the deadline for filing campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission.
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TweetWatchdog growls at lawmakers: few laws, lots of fundraisers
A government watchdog on Thursday, Oct. 15, released a study that showed Ohio legislators and Gov. Ted Strickland this year have been busy with fundraisers, but not so busy when it comes to enacting laws.
The study from Ohio Citizen Action’s Money in Politics project found that since January the House and Senate have canceled 40 of 92 sessions but have held 243 fundraisers, while canceling just three fundraisers.
Also, since January just nine bills have been signed into law, the lowest total in the past four legislatures.
“We really have come to almost a standstill,” said Catherine Turcer, director of the Money in Politics project.
The price tag to taxpayers for paying lawmakers and legislative support agencies is more than $55 million a year, said Turcrer.
The responsibility to get things moving is shared by House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland and Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, said Turcer.
Keary McCarthy, spokesman for Budish, said comparing “numbers to numbers” doesn’t reflect what’s been going on in the legislature.
The $50.5 billion state budget, House Bill 1, not only appropriated money but enacted significant policy changes, including an overhaul of K-12 education, McCarthy said.
It also included economic development provisions such as several tax credits aimed at spurring investment, McCarthy added.
Aides to Strickland and Harris had no immediate reaction.
Lawmakers are focused on next year’s elections, not this year’s problems, Turcer said. said.
“When push comes to shove, it’s all about election 2010,” said Turcer.
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TweetU.S. Rep. Boccieri endorses Fisher in U.S. Senate race
U.S. Rep. John Boccieri, D-Alliance, on Wednesday, Oct. 14, endorsed Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in the 2010 race for U.S. Senate.
Fisher is running against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination.
“I know that as our next U.S. senator Lee will be a leader on behalf of all Ohioans,” Boccieri said in a press release. He praised Fisher’s efforts at economic development.
Fisher said he was “honored” to have Boccieri’s support.
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TweetGov. Strickland stumps for Issue 2 at Columbus rally
On a stage decorated with bales of hay, eggs and shiny Ohio apples, farm boy turned Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland on Wednesday, Oct. 14, urged passage of Issue 2 on the Nov. 3 ballot.
“Agriculture has been the core of our economy since the founding of our state,” Strickland told a rally at Ohio State University. Strickland’s father worked in a steel mill, but the family lived on a small farm in Scioto County.
Passage of the proposed constitutional amendment would require creation of the Livestock Care Standards Board to prescribe standards for animal care and well-being with the goals of maintaining food safety, encouraging locally grown and raised food and protecting Ohio farms and families.
The rally was a bipartisan show of support, featuring Democrat Strickland, a video presentation from U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and speeches by House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and Sen. Keith Faber, R-Celina.
Legislators put the issue on the ballot earlier this year after the Humane Society of the United States began talking with Ohio agriculture interests about efforts to improve conditions for housing chickens, hogs and veal calves.
Strickland and others said outside interests should not set the conditions for Ohio agriculture, which contributes about $93 billion a year to the state’s economy and provides nearly one million jobs in farming and farm-related industries.
An estimated 200 backers turned up at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center for the pro-Issue 2 rally.
Outside, Shelly Howe, 22, an Ohio State student from Akron, was among three protestors.
“We don’t believe it supports small, local farms,” said Howe, carrying a sign that read “Issue 2: Anti-Farmer.” The Humane Society of the United States also opposes the issue.
Paul Shapiro, a senior official at HSUS, said in a telephone interview that the board called for by Issue 2 would be industry-dominated and have the “foxes guarding the hen house.” Strickland and others said, however, it would be well-rounded, including representatives from family farms, food safety and other interests.
However, Tim Weaver, president of Weaver Bros., Inc., an egg producer and processor based in Versailles in Mercer County, said in an interview that the board is needed.
“It’s needed because we want to assure that we have safe, locally produced food in Ohio for Ohioans,” said Weaver, 60.
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TweetNew plan calls for 15 casinos - Montgomery County could qualify
State Rep. Dennis Murray, D-Sandusky, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, introduced a resolution that would permit construction of 15 casinos in Ohio. It is House Joint Resolution 4.
If approved by supermajorities in the House and Senate, the proposed constitutional amendment would go on the May 4, 2010 ballot. To put an issue on the ballot, requires 20 votes in the 33-member Senate and 60 votes in the 99-member House.
The plan calls for:
*Up to six casinos in counties with a population of 400,000 or more. Montgomery County, with a population of 534,626, would be in this group.
*Up to five casinos in counties with a population of 100,000 or more but less than 400,000. Butler, Clark, Greene, Miami and Warren counties would be in this group.
*Up to four casinos in counties with a population of less than 100,000. Champaign, Preble and Darke counties would be in this group.
Voters in a county or city would have to approve gambling for a casino to be built.
A tax of 50 percent would be levied on gross casino revenue, with money distributed to the state, local governments and school districts.
Introduction of the resolution comes with Issue 3, a plan to put casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo, on the Nov. 3 ballot.
That plan calls for a tax of 33 percent on gross casino revenue, with most of the money going to local governments and school districts.
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TweetTwo county humane societies oppose Issue 2
The Capital Area Humane Society in Columbus and the Cleveland Animal Protection League in Cleveland on Tuesday, Oct., 13, announced their opposition to Issue 2 on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The issue is a proposed constitutional amendment to create the Livestock Care Standards Board, which would prescribe standards for animal care and well-being. Gov. Ted Strickland and major agriculture and business groups are backing the issue.
Representatives of the two groups said they support creating such a board but it would be a mistake to create the board through a constitutional amendment, which couldn’t be changed by the legislature, a press release said.
“The interests of Ohioans and the welfare of livestock and poultry would have been better served had this board been created through a legislative effort at the Ohio Statehouse,” Jodi Lytle Buckman, executive director of the Capital Area Humane Society, said in a press release.
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TweetKasich, Huckabee team up for webcast to combat Ohio “brain drain”
Mike Huckabee today, Oct. 13, is teaming up with fellow Republican John Kasich to talk about keeping “talented young people engaged and employed in Ohio.”
Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate, and Kasich, Republican candidate for governor in 2010, will join a live studio audience for an interactive webcast conversation at 12:15 p.m., a press release said. The webcast is from The Ohio State University.
Viewers can watch the webcast live on Kasich’s campaign Web site.
Kasich, a former U.S. House member from suburban Columbus, and Huckabee will take questions from the audience and from Twitter and Facebook users “about the importance of restoring economic opportunity to all young Ohioans,” the release said.
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TweetPoll: Politics behind Nobel awards
A new poll shows that following President Barack Obama’s win on Friday, Oct. 9, Americans are increasingly likely to believe politics are behind the awarding of the international Nobel Prizes.
Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, released on Sunday, Oct. 11, found that 58 percent of American adults believe that politics plays a role in the awarding of Nobel Prizes, an 18 point jump from 40 percent a year ago.
The poll was taken on Friday, Oct. 9-Saturday, Oct. 10 with 1,000 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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TweetUPDATED with legislative response - Strickland to lawmakers: Don’t “play games” with education
Gov. Ted Strickland on Monday, Oct. 12, tried to enlist the help of secondary school administrators from across to Ohio to persuade legislator to act quickly on a plan to fill an $851 million hole in the K-12 education budget.
The time is past to “play games with education or to play politics” with the budget, Strickland told about 275 people attending the fall conference of the Ohio Association of School Administrators at the Renaissance Hotel in Columbus.
“I would ask you to do what you can to encourage them (lawmakers) to participate in the solution,” said Strickland.
Before speaking, Strickland, a Democrat, told reporters that he would like to see the situation “handled within the next couple of weeks if possible.”
Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, reached by phone, did not sound like a man in a hurry.
“I do not think the governor has any more focus on trying to do what’s right for public education that we do in the Senate and our challenge is to …do the research, …to look at all the options before we do anything concerning our recommendations,” said Harris.
He added: “We’re not taking anything off the table.”
Keary McCarthy, spokesman for House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, said:
“House Democrats are united on quickly moving something that will address the budget situation.”
Strickland has proposed postponing the final year of a scheduled personal income tax cut to fill the gap. If lawmakers don’t like that plan, they have an obligation to come up with “realistic, alternative ideas.”
He declared that “there will not be cuts in education for Ohio.” He didn’t specify what he would do to avoid cuts if the legislature doesn’t act but said:
“I am determined to get this legislature to take action that will prevent education cuts.”
Strickland came up with his budget-balancing plan after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the proposal to put video slot machines at Ohio racetracks was subject to a vote of the people in November 2010, delaying the start of that program.
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TweetIssue 2 backers plan “Tractor to Table” rally
Backers of Issue 2 on the Nov. 3 ballot are planning a “Tractor to Table” rally for Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Passage of the issue would require the state to create the Livestock Care Standards Board to prescribe standards for animal care and well-being. The goals are to maintain food safety, encourage locally grown and raised food, and protect Ohio farms and families.
A tractor parade will kick off at 11:45 a.m. at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center at 2201 Fred Taylor Drive on the Ohio State University campus in Columbus.
Gov. Ted Strickland and Brenda Hastings, a dairy farmer from Burton, will speak about noon, a press release issued on Friday, Oct. 9 said.
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TweetUnion to launch “Save Ohio” TV ad campaign to prevent “safety net” cuts
SEIU District 1199, a union representing 25,000 health care and social service workers in Ohio, is launching the “Save Ohio” campaign aimed at stopping more cuts in safety net services in Ohio, the union announced on Friday, Oct. 9.
The union will launch a statewide TV campaign across the state on Tuesday, Oct. 13, a press release said. The ads will air in Dayton and other major markets, said Anthony Caldwell, union spokesman. The ad campaign also will be online, Caldwell said.
The union is calling on the legislature to quickly pass Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposed freeze on the final year of state income tax cuts to protect “the critical services that Ohioans need,” the release said.
“Political and community leaders must come together and work on a long-term solution that will protect our communities, invest in safety net services and ensure that Ohio remains a great state to live and work in,” Becky Williams, SEIU District 1199 president, said in a press release.
Strickland proposed the tax freeze to fill an $851 million budget gap. The gap emerged when the state Supreme Court ruled that the plan to put video slot machines at racetracks was subject to a vote of the people, delaying start of the gambling plan.
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TweetSen. Brown leads effort to include “public option” in health plan
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, on Thursday, Oct. 8, led 30 Senate Democrats in signing a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., urging that a public option be included in any health reform legislation that reaches the Senate floor.
“In too many parts of the country, one or two insurance companies control the majority of the market,” Brown said in a press release. “That isn’t good for consumers, businesses or taxpayers. As we finalize health reform legislation, we shouldn’t forget that a majority of Americans, doctors and members of Congress support a public option.”
The letter says that “absent a competitive and continuous public insurance option - health reform legislation will not produce nationwide access and ongoing cost containment.”
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TweetAG Cordray to make sure Ohio gets bang for economic bucks
Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray wants to make sure that Ohio gets the right bang for the millions of dollars it spends for economic development projects.
Cordray announced on Thursday, Oct. 8, that he is beginning to review economic development awards made by the state to ensure that recipients comply with the award agreements. The review is required by a new state law, Cordray said.
“Our goal, as defined by statute, is to ensure that tax dollars are being used as intended in these awards,” Cordray said in a press release. “Promises were made by businesses and organizations to create and save jobs in Ohio and those promises must be kept.”
Cordray’s office is reviewing economic development awards to more than 3,000 entities made between July 1, 2004 and June 30, 2009. His office is sending out letters to award winners and they will have 30 days to complete online reports that will be analyzed by AG staffers.
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Tweet69 percent of Ohioans support health care public option
Despite angry speeches at town hall meetings and congressional resistance, 69 percent of Ohioans say a public option would improve the nation’s overall health care system, according to a new poll.
The Fall 2009 Ohio Health Issues Poll, released on Tuesday, Oct. 6, also found that 66 percent of Ohioans say if doctors were paid more to manage and prevent chronic illnesses rather than paid per procedure, the health care system would improve or significantly improve.
The 69 percent who say the public option would improve or significantly improve the health care system was slightly lower than the 73 percent who provided the same responses in a June 2009 survey.
The poll was sponsored by the non-partisan Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and conducted by the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research.
It was conducted Sept. 16-26 with 818 adults from around the state through telephone interviews and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.
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TweetNearly 160,000 Ohioans lost both jobs and health insurance in 2009
A new report estimates that the economic downturn caused 158,300 Ohioans to lose both their jobs and health insurance in 2009.
“One-Two Punch: Unemployed and Uninsured” from Families USA, a national organization for health care consumers, was released on Wednesday, Oct. 7 and is based on the link between employment and health care coverage.
“This really underscores the need for national (health care) reform,” said Cathy Levine, co-chair of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage.
According to the report, 61.9 percent of Americans younger than 65 get health care through their job or a family member’s job. Job loss usually means health insurance loss because COBRA and individual coverage are too high, according to the report.
The estimate is based on a model created by Urban Institute economists. Their formula shows that for every percentage point increase in the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate, the percentage of uninsured working-age adults grows by .59 percentage points.
Ohio’s unemployment rate for 2008 was 6.5 percent but the average unemployment rate for the first eight months of 2009 jumped to 10.3 percent, according to the report.
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TweetH1N1 vaccine on its way, health department says
The Ohio Department of Health expects 61,500 nasal spray doses of the H1N1 vaccine to arrive within 24 hours and more doses will arrive each week after that and stockpiles of anti-virual medications are being distributed to local health departments, according to Health Department Director Alvin Jackson.
Gov. Ted Strickland on Wednesday, Oct. 7, signed an emergency order that authorizes the state’s 17,000 emergency medical technicians to administer immunizations, if needed.
Strickland, Jackson and other government officials are urging Ohioans to get the seasonal flu shot or spray immediately and the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. They’re also advising adults and children to stay home when they are sick, wash their hands frequently with soap and water, and cough or sneeze into their elbow.
The Ohio Department of Health has flu information on its web site, www.odh.ohio.gov, and available during business hours by calling (866) 800-1404.
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TweetPoll: Voters conflicted over U.S. involvement in Afghanistan
Voters across the country are conflicted over the involvement of American troops in Afghanistan, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The poll found that by a 65-28 percent majority voters are willing to have American soldiers “fight and possibly die” to eliminate the threat of terrorists operating from Afghanistan..
Also, by a 52-37 percent majority, voters think the war in Afghanistan is he right thing for the U.S. to do.
However, by a 49-38 percent margin, voters say they do not think the U.S. will succeed in eliminating the terrorist threat. Also, by a 62-22 margin they don’t think the U.S. will succeed in building a stable democratic government in Afghanistan.
Here’s your chance to get involved in the discussion:
The poll results come as President Barack Obama continues to review American policy in the war, including the possibility of sending more troops.
“The American people are deeply conflicted about the war in Afghanistan. Two-thirds of voters can tell you that the war is related to the 9/11 attacks and see the current effort there as worthwhile to prevent a recurrence,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute said n a press release.
“…they don’t want a prolonged military commitment and there is obvious nervousness about requests from the military to send more troops to Afghanistan.”
The poll was taken from Sept. 29 to Monday, Oct. 5 with 2,630 registered voters nationwide and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.
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TweetWays to keep the heat on this winter
Consumer advocates are reminding Ohioans of ways to keep their utility services going through the upcoming winter.
One in 10 Ohio households were faced with gas or electric shut-offs in the past year because of unpaid utility bills — a trend the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel expects to continue.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio issued a winter reconnection order that says any consumer facing electric or gas shut off can get service restored or maintained for an amount not to exceed $175, including any security deposit, and a reconnection fee of not more than $36. Consumers can use this option once between Oct. 19 and April 15.
For low-income households may be eligible for Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program grnats to pay the $175 charge.
Other assistance programs include: Percentage of Income Payment Plan, Budget Billing, and payment plans. PIPP is a state-run program where low-income customers pay a percentage of their monthly income for electric and natural gas service.
Utility companies administer budget billing plans that allow customers to spread their costs over 12 months. And customers may also propose payment arrangements with their utility companies and if the company finds the deal unacceptable, they have to offer a “one-third” winter payment plan where customers are billed one-third of the total monthly bill or a one-sixth plan where customers pay one-sixth of the past due along with current charges.
For additional information about these options, customers can visit Ohio Consumers’ Counsel web site, www.pickocc.org or call (877)742-5622.
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TweetOhioans worried about partisan debates, poll shows
Ohioans are increasingly worried about how bureaucratic decisions on health care, public education and government policies will impact the quality of life for their families, according to a new poll sponsored by Ohio Right to Life released Tuesday, Oct. 6.
“Ohioans are feeling a certain level of anxiety with the big issue political debates occurring in Congress and at the Statehouse,” said Ohio Right to Life Executive Director Mike Gonidakis. “Whether the topic is national health care or public school curriculums, many Ohioans aren’t yet sure what the final result will mean for their families.”
The survey was the second installment of the Ohio Cultural Index, which tries to measure Ohioans’ attitudes toward abortion, traditional family values, and faith in God.
The poll found 73 percent of Ohioans strongly believe in God, 52 percent oppose abortion, 58 percent believe public schools undermine values taught at home, and 47 percent believe entertainment negatively impacts families.
It also found that Ohioans are concerned about the availability of health care for very sick or elderly patients. Forty-one percent of respondents believe that such patients are denied treatment based on cost factors, up from 25 percent saying so three months ago.
The poll was conducted Sept. 23-26 by Wenzel Strategies, which is founded by Fritz Wenzel, a former political reporter for The Toledo Blade. The poll, conducted by an automated telephone system, questioned 936 registered voters statewide and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
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TweetMore candidates events planned for Kettering, Huber Heights, Harrison Twp., Springboro and Franklin
As the November election heats up, groups are organizing more candidate nights. Here are some new ones. Find out about others here. If you know of any other election events, email Anthony Shoemaker at ashoemaker@daytondailynews.com
Kettering School Board candidates Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church corner of East Stroop and Ackerman, Kettering. Hosted by League of Women Voters.
Kettering City Council candidates Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church corner of East Stroop and Ackerman, Kettering. Hosted by League of Women Voters.
Huber Heights Huber Heights residents can meet their candidates on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6:30 at the Huber Heights Senior Center at 6428 Chambersburg Road, Huber Heights. Candidates running for city and school positions have been invited. For more information please contact Art Couturier, Vice President at 233-2279.
Franklin-Springboro Library Two information sessions will be held next week for the public to learn more about the proposed levy for the Franklin-Springboro Public Library.
Library Director Anita Carroll said she will present information and answer questions on the library’s budget and 1-mill, five-year levy proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot. The meetings are set for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Springboro library, 125 Park Lane, and at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Franklin library, 44 E. Fourth St. The levy would cost the owner of a $150,000 home about $46 a year, officials said. “It is important that the people of Franklin, Springboro, Carlisle and the surrounding areas know exactly the financial situation that their libraries are in,” Carroll said.
“Because of the severe cuts from the state of Ohio and predictions of even more reduction in funding, the people should know the steps that the library board has taken and what is predicted for the coming years,” Carroll said.
Carroll said the library system is asking for a levy for the first time due to reductions in funding from the state. State money the libraries receive has decreased from about $1.44 in 2000 to a projected $1.04 million this year. It is currently estimated that next year’s funding would amount to $913,582.
To deal with the cuts, the library has stopped purchasing new books or other materials, reduced its programs - including those for children — by two-thirds, eliminated four full-time library positions and reduced hours at both library buildings.
Reservations for the community meetings are not required. Those with questions about the levy or the meetings can call (937) 746-2665.
Harrison Twp. There will be a forum for Harrison Twp. trustee candidates on Monday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at Shiloh Church, UCC located at 5300 Phildadelphia Drive (corner of N. Main Street and Philadelphia Drive.
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TweetCasino revenue estimate on target - if slots flop
Backers of the four-casino plan on the Nov. 3 ballot are on target with their estimate of revenue from the gambling plan with one big condition - slots have to flop. The casino plan is Issue 3 on the ballot.
A state analysis - prepared by the Office of Budget and Management and Department of Taxation - found that the casinos would produce $643 million in taxes annually, just slightly less than the $651 million projection from the Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan, the group backing the casinos.
The state estimate, released on Monday, Oct. 5, drops to $470 million a year, however, if the plan to put video lottery terminals at Ohio’s seven racetracks was up and running. That plan, which was part of the the state budget, now has been shelved by Gov. Ted Strickland because the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that it is subject to a referendum in November 2010.
The casino plan allocates 90 percent of the taxes to local governments and school districts and 10 percent to specific state programs.
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TweetCordray approves referendum petition
LetOhioVote.org’s petition circulators will hit the streets of Ohio in a matter of days after Attorney General Richard Cordray on Monday, Oct. 5, approved their petition language, spokesman Carlo LoParo said.
LetOhioVote successfully waged a court battle for the right to put Gov. Ted Strickland’s slot machine plan to a referendum vote in November 2010. The group seeks to repeal the language in the state budget bill that would have put 17,500 slot machines at Ohio’s seven horse racetracks by May 2010 to generate $933 million for K-12 education.
Strickland has since pulled the plug on the plan and Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, is now recommending that lawmakers repeal the slots language from the budget bill.
But until that’s done, LoParo said, LetOhioVote will push ahead on the referendum. They have until Dec. 20 to collect 241,366 valid signatures from registered voters.
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TweetStrickland scolded by Senate president
Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, scolded Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, for pushing to put slots at horse tracks without a vote of the people.
“…Your foray into this VLT effort has proven to be costly, confusing and contentious,” Harris wrote in a letter to Strickland that was released Monday, Oct. 5.
The governor canceled his plan to put 17,500 slot machines at the seven tracks to raise $933 million for K-12 funding. The plan had been part of the state budget bill but got sidelined when the Ohio Supreme Court said it was subject to a potential referendum in November 2010.
Now Harris says it’s in the state’s best interest to repeal the budget language that addresses VLTs. That would cancel any need for a referendum.
“I would ask for your commitment that any future effort to utilize VLTs as a revenue source will involve an open and deliberative process and most importantly, a vote of the people,” Harris told Strickland.
Strickland is asking lawmakers to cancel the last phase-in of a 21 percent across the board income tax cut as a way to make up the lost VLT revenues.
Meanwhile, Columbus-based Progress Ohio, a liberal group, and Cincinnati-based Citizens for Community Values, a conservative group, put aside their past differences and joined forces to oppose Issue 3. The proposed constitutional amendment to build casinos in Toledo, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus would increase crime, gambling addiction and other social ills, the two groups said at a joint press conference.
Anti-gambling expert John Kindt, a professor of business and legal policy at the University of Illinois, said the casinos will increase crime by about 10 percent and bankruptcies by more than 18 percent, while gambling addiction near the casinos will double.
Kindt, who appeared at the same press conference, pointed to a three volume study that academics worked on for 10 years to back up his claims. “The bottom line is: don’t do it,” Kindt said.
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TweetCandidate nights set for Beavercreek, Fairborn, Centerville and other cities
As election season heats up, you have a chance to meet candidates in your area at local candidate nights. Here’s a list of some of the events going on around Dayton. If you know of any other election events, send an email to ashoemaker@daytondailynews.com
Beavercreek candidates night Beavercreek Women’s League is hosting its annual candidates and issues forum on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 8:30 a.m. at the Hawker United Church of Christ, 1617 N. Longview St. Candidates for Beavercreek Council and School Board will attend.
Riverside candidates night The Riverside Republican and Democratic clubs is hosting a candidates night at Mad River Middle School, 1801 Harshman Road, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. Facilitated by the Dayton Area League of Women Voters. Candidates for Riverside City Council, the Mad River Board of Education and representatives from the City of Riverside, Metro Parks, and Montgomery County Library have been invited to discuss their platforms, and levy issues.
Centerville and Washington Twp. candidates nights There will be two candidate nights at the Washington-Centerville Public Library, 111 W Spring Valley Rd. On Oct. 20 at 7 p.m., there will be an event for Centerville City Council candidates. On Oct. 22 at 7 p.m., there will be an event for Washington Twp. trustee candidates.
Fairborn candidates night On Thursday, Oct. 15, the League of Women Voters is hosting a candidates night for Fairborn mayor and council candidates at 7:30 p.m. at St. Christopher Episcopal Church, 1501 N. Broad Street, Fairborn.
Dayton candidates nights Candidates for Dayton mayor, commission and school board will take part in several candidates night events in the next few weeks. Here are some of them: Oct. 5: Ruskin School, 407 Ambrose Court, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12: Mary Queen of Peace Activity Center, 200 Homewood Ave., 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22: St. Anthony Elementary School, 825 Creighton Ave., 7 p.m.
West Carrollton candidates night Each candidate running for city council in West Carrollton will get the opportunity to discuss his or her views on local issues during an event at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The event will be hosted by the high school honors American Government class in the community room at the West Carrollton High School, located at 5833 Student St.
Miami County candidates night
A forum will be at the Troy Jr. High School cafeteria, 556 North Adams Street, on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. under the sponsorship of Leadership Troy Alumni.
This event will feature candidates with opposition who are running for Concord Twp. trustee. It will also include explanations of the Concord Twp. tax levy renewal for fire and emergency services; the Miami County Park District operating levy; the Troy-Miami County Public Library tax levy for current expenses; and the Upper Valley Joint Vocation School bond issue, along with an explanation of state issues.
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TweetRep. Martin: Federal stimulus highway signs are “waste of money”
State Rep. Jarrod Martin, R-Beavercreek, thinks the signs that say “Project Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” - the federal stimulus plan - are a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Martin on Friday, Oct. 2, unveiled legislation that would stop contractors from purchasing and erecting the signs.
“The ARRA signs that you see along the highway amount to little more than political propaganda and are simply a waste of tax dollars,” Martin said in a press release.
“The taxpayers in Oho and across the country should not be asked to fund these signs letting them know the source of funding for these projects.”
Scott Varner, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation, had a different view.
ODOT oversees and monitors more than $1.1 billion in transportation stimulus funds in Ohio, he said in an e-mail.
“As part of a commitment to transparency and accountability, transportation construction projects in Ohio that are funded with stimulus dollars are being recognized with signage that shows taxpayers where ARRA funds are being invested and where recovery is taking place,” Varner said.
Costs vary, but the department estimates each sign costs about $300 for materials while labor costs are about $1,000 per sign, he said.
The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends but does not require the signs. All costs for the signs come from federal stimulus - not state - money, Varner said.
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TweetOhio Chamber of Commerce backs Strickland tax plan
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the state’s largest business advocacy group, on Thursday, Oct. 1, reluctantly endorsed, Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to plug a $851 million state budget hole by postponing the last year of state personal income tax rate cuts.
While Strickland’s proposal was “disappointing, we believe this may be the least onerous option available at this point in time,” a press release said.
In the release, chamber President Andrew E. Doehrel urged Strickland and legislative leaders to adopt a mechanism that automatically restores the tax cut when specific criteria are met.”
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TweetDayton candidates taking part in election forum tonight
Candidates for Dayton mayor and city commission seats are taking part in a meet the candidates night today, Oct. 1, sponsored by Updayton and the League of Women Voters.
Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin and challenger Gary Leitzell as well as commission candidates Joey Williams, Nan Whaley and David Esrati are scheduled to be at tonight’s event at c}space, 20 N. Jefferson St. The forum begins at 6 p.m.
There are several other candidate nights planned and Dayton school board candidates may take part in some of these events
Here’s a list of some of the upcoming events. Email me at ashoemaker@daytondailynews.com if you know of any other election events.
Dayton candidate nights
Oct. 5: Ruskin School, 407 Ambrose Court, 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 12: Mary Queen of Peace Activity Center, 200 Homewood Ave., 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 22: St. Anthony Elementary School, 825 Creighton Ave., 7 p.m.
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TweetProgressOhio.org weighs in on Husted lawsuit
A court ruling throwing out the Ohio Secretary of State’s residency ruling against State Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, would render state residency laws “toothless as applied to public officials,” according to ProgressOhio.org, a liberal advocacy group that filed a brief of amicus today, Oct. 1, in the Ohio Supreme Court.
In October 2008 ProgressOhio.org was the first to request a Montgomery County Board of Elections investigation of Husted’s residency for voting purposes. Today’s filing was in Husted’s Ohio Supreme Court case filed against Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and the local elections board. In his Sept. 22 lawsuit Husted asked the court to dismiss Brunner’s Sept. 21 ruling that he does not live in Montgomery County and therefore the board should cancel his voter registration.
ProgressOhio.org argues that Brunner did not abuse her discretion and that her decision gives needed guidance to elections boards on residency matters involving elected officials. The filing asks that the court deny Husted’s request for a ruling against Husted.
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TweetHusted: Bill would help get federal bucks for schools
Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, on Thursday, Oct. 1, introduced legislation that he said would help Ohio better compete for $4.35 billion from the federal Race to the Top program.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has made it clear that only states creating conditions for innovation and reform would compete for grant money, Husted said in a press release.
Senate Bill 180 would allow operators of high-performing brick and mortar charter schools to open new schools and would remove a moratorium on new start-up Internet and computer-based charter schools, said Husted.
It also would make participants in the Teach for America program eligible for an Ohio teaching license, Husted said.
“During these tough and uncertain financial times, I believe it is imperative that Ohio be in a strong position to take advantage of the Race to the Top dollars,” Husted said.
Amanda Wurst, Gov. Ted Strickland’s press secretary, said in an e-mail that the governor hasn’t reviewed Husted’s proposal.
“The most important step in ensuring Ohio is competitive for Race to the Top dollars is to address the $851 million hole in the education budget as quickly as possible,” Wurst said.
Strickland has proposed closing the hole by postponing the last year of personal income tax rate cuts.
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TweetUPDATED with FOP response - Anti-gambling Methodist leader: Pro-casino group “bought” FOP support
The leader of the United Methodist Church’s Ohio anti-gambling task force on Thursday, Oct. 1, said backers of the four-casino plan on the Nov. 3 ballot “bought” the support of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police.
“It’s legal. It’s not a bribe,” the Rev. John Edgar emphasized at a Statehouse news conference called to outline church opposition to the casinos.
The FOP support came because some of the taxes the casinos pay would be used for law enforcement training and some would go to local governments which could use the money to pay for law enforcement, Edgar said.
If the FOP support could be gained that easily, “what do you think is going to happen in the halls of this building….?” Edgar asked.
Mark Drum, Ohio FOP treasurer and legislative chairman, lashed back.
“I think all 26,000 law enforcement officers in Ohio are offended by his comments,” said Drum. The endorsement was made by the FOP membership, not just the leadership, he said.
The proposal would guarantee needed money for law enforcement training through a state program, he said.
Also, it would help struggling local governments that have been forced to cut back on police and fire protection during the tough economic times, Drum said.
“We (the FOP) do not get a single penny of any of these proceeds,” said Drum.
Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the pro-casino Ohio Jobs and Growth Plan, called the charge an “outrageous accusation.”
Tenenbaum said the casino proposal would provide about $13 million a year for law enforcement training.
The proposal would benefit the people of Ohio who are served by the police, not the FOP, said Tenenbaum.
At the press conference, Bishop Bruce R. Ough, leader of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, which includes the Dayton area, said efforts are underway to mobilize opposition to Issue 3 at nearly 2,000 Methodist churches in Ohio. The churches have about half a million members he said.
The plan calls for putting 10,000 yard signs in churches and other places of worship, said Ough. Also, starting this Sunday, Oct. 3, information opposing Issue 3 will be placed in church bulletins.
He denounced pro-casino claims that the issue is about economic development.
The proposal calls for casinos in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Columbus.
“In reality, they are motivated by greed, not good will,” said Ough.
Tenenbaum said casino backers had expected opposition from religious groups.
“We disagree with their views. We respect them,” said Tenenbaum.
Representatives of the Ohio Council of Churches, which represents 6,000 congregations with about 3 million members, also attended the press conference.
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TweetBrown drops out of Secretary of State race
Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown, a Democrat, announced Thursday, Oct. 1, that she is dropping out of the race for secretary of state and seeking re-election at the county level.
That leaves state Rep. Jennifer Garrison, D-Marietta, as the likely Democratic party nominee in the 2010 race.
On the Republican side, state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, faces a primary challenge from former Ashtabula County auditor Sandra O’Brien. O’Brien knocked out incumbent state treasurer Jennette Bradley in a GOP primary in 2006 but lost in the general election.
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, also a Democrat, is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican George Voinovich. Brunner faces a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher.
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TweetSupreme Court upholds $250,000 damage cap for cities
The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday, Oct. 1, ruled that a state law placing a $250,000 cap on the amount of non-economic damages an injured party may recover from a city or other political subdivision is constitutional.
The court’s 5-2 decision stemmed from a June 11, 2002, incident during a Cleveland Indians’ game at what was then Jacobs Field. The decision reversed an appeals court ruling.
The opinion upheld part of Ohio’s “sovereign immunity” law adopted as part of tort reform legislation. The provision says that except in wrongful death cases, the injured party can’t recover more than $250,000 in non-economic damages from a city even if a jury awards damages greater than that.
“A limit on the damages for which a political subdivision may be liable is rationally related to the purpose of preserving the financial integrity of political subdivisions,” Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer wrote in the majority opinion.
Justice Paul E. Pfeifer’s dissenting opinion said that “Instead of jealously safeguarding the right to trial by jury, the majority in this case eviscerates it….”
In the case, Donald Krieger and Clifton Oliver of Cleveland were part of a group of people at an Indians’ game when an explosive device was dropped from the upper deck and was detonated at ground level, injuring four people.
Krieger and Oliver were arrested and held in jail for four days but charges of aggravated arson and felonious assault were dismissed.
They sued the city for malicious prosecution and related charges and a jury awarded each of them $400,000 in compensatory damages and $600,000 in punitive damages.
The trial court vacated the punitive damages and overruled the city’s motion to reduce compensatory damages to $250,000.
The city appealed but the 8th District Court of Appeals upheld the $400,000 awards to each man.
The Supreme Court decision reversed the appeals court ruling.
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