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December 2009
OPERS hires new investments director
The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, the state’s largest public pension system and the 12th largest in the nation, hired John C. Lane as its new director of investments.
Lane will be responsible for overseeing OPERS’ $68.3 billion investment portfolio, 62 percent of which is managed in-house. The system serves 936,000 workers, retirees and beneficiaries.
Lane, 54, starts Jan. 11 and will be paid a base salary of $340,000. He replaces Jennifer C. Hom who resigned earlier this year for personal reasons after leading the investment division for five years.
Lane recently served as pension investments director for Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, N.Y. and has also served as chief investment officer for the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System and President of Makefield Securities Corp.
“John brings 25 years of collective investment experience gained in managing public and private sector pension investment plans,” said OPERS Director Chris DeRose. “John’s diverse background will be instrumental as we work to strengthen our asset base and implement investment policy.”
Lane earned his undergraduate and Master of Business Administration degrees from LaSalle University in Philadelphia.
ODOT tweets road conditions
Here is a potentially good use of Twitter: winter road condition updates from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
ODOT set up six twitter accounts, one for each of the major metro areas in Ohio including Dayton.
It might be handy in a storm to know how many ODOT crews are out salting and plowing which interstates along your route. But it remains to be seen how specific ODOT’s tweets will be. The last half-dozen posted for the Dayton area may be too general to be particularly helpful.
The latest, posted Sunday evening, Dec. 27, said: “ODOT crews responding to winter weather moving through Ohio. Plan ahead for potential impact to Monday morning rush hour.”
And the tweet sent on Christmas Eve said: “Happy Holidays from ODOT. Our crews will be monitoring highways around the clock throughout this holiday weekend.”
Click here for a link to ODOT’s twitter sign up page.
Teen-dating violence bill signed into law
Gov. Ted Strickland signed into law a measure that requires school districts to adopt policies on preventing dating violence at school, include prevention education for grades 7 through 12, and provide staff training on dating violence prevention.
The law is named after Tina Croucher, who was shot and killed by her high school boyfriend in December 1992. Her parents, Jim and Elsa Croucher of Monroe, became advocates for teen-dating violence awareness and pushed for the new law.
More H1N1 vaccine doses on the way
The Ohio Department of Health ordered 172,400 more doses of the H1N1 vaccine. That brings the total doses for Ohio to 3.83 million.
The doses will be shipped directly to hospitals, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, clinics and other health care providers.
State health officials are reminding parents that children younger than 10 should receive two doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine, administered 28 days apart. Children who had their first dose on or before Nov. 30 are now eligible for their second dose.
Sens. Voinovich, Brown clash on passage of health care overhaul
Ohio’s two U.S. senators, Republican George Voinovich and Democrat Sherrod Brown, disagreed sharply on the Senate’s passage of a comprehensive health care overhaul plan on Thursday, Dec. 24.
Voinovich voted “no” and in a prepared statement said:
“Americans watching the health care debate in Washington as they prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with their families know that today’s action will have far-reaching consequences on their lives and our entire economy….
“The two-trillion dollar spending bill rushed through by the Democrats cuts Medicare, raises taxes, increases premiums for health care insurance, places additional burdens on states and threatens the health choices that millions currently enjoy.”
Brown voted “yes” and said in his prepared statement:
“American families know first-hand that health insurance premiums have been skyrocketing. This bill will lower costs for middle class families with insurance, while providing help to 31 million Americans who lack it.
“And insurers will have to play by a new set of rules, including an immediate ban on pre-existing condition exclusion limits for children.”
U.S. Rep. Austria visits troops in Afghanistan; meets with U.S., Afghan leaders
U.S. Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, has returned from his first congressional trip to Afghanistan “confident that we can make progress.”
“Our objective was to better understand what our mission is and to insure that we’ve got a winning strategy to get our men and women home safely,” Austria said by phone on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
Austria said Wednesday, Dec. 23, that on his four-day fact-finding mission he met with U.S. troops, U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal and Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan.
The U.S. mission, Austria was told, is to push the terrorists out, secure local areas and work with the Afghan National Army to train them so they can be self-sufficient.
The U.S. troops he talked with told him, “You give us the resources. You give us the manpower. We can make that happen.”
He took with him 300 candy Buckeyes from Young’s Dairy near Yellow Springs for Ohio troops, including some from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
“The Ohio troops weren’t going to share (the Buckeyes) with the Michigan troops,” Austria said.
Austria visited Kabul, the capital, and Kandahar, an area of Taliban strength in the south, to learn more about the U.S. counter-insurgency strategy.
He said he asked President Karzai how committed his government, which has been riddled with corruption, was to democracy.
“We’re committed, but it’s going to take time,” Karzai told him. Karzai said it would take a minimum of five years, according to Austria.
Austria said he was in the country from Dec. 18 to Dec. 21. He made the trip with Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and other committee members, he said.
Austria also stopped by Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany to visit troops at the Aerospace Medical Center.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is to scheduled to begin operation of its own aerospace medical center in 2011.
Rep. John Adams proposes phaseout of state income tax
Rep. John Adams, R-Sidney, on Wednesday, Dec. 23, introduced legislation to phase out Ohio’s personal income tax over 10 years.
Adams said he knows House Bill 400, identical to legislation he’s introduce in a previous legislature, is a long shot.
“I know we’ll probably be lucky to get one hearing. I’ll take my one hour and try to educate more legislators on the benefits of lowering, phasing out or eliminating (the tax),” Adams said.
How would he replace the money the tax generates, which makes up a big part of the state budget?
“When the people we chase out of the state decide to stay, they will create jobs. The tax base will expand. That’s the way it works in every scenario,” said Adams.
It’s key to remember the tax would be phased out. It can’t be eliminated right away, said Adams.
Poll: Voters believe earth getting warmer but split on treaty
American voters believe the earth is warming, but they’re wary of the U.S. signing a treaty promising to reduce greenhouse gases, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released on Wednesday, Dec. 23.
In the poll voters by a 59-34 percent margin said they believe the earth is getting warmer. However, they split on signing a treaty to reduce greenhouse gases.
Thirty percent said the U.S. should sign a treaty only if other nations make the same commitment, while 33 percent said the U.S. should sign even if other nations don’t match what the U.S. is willing to do.
Another 28 percent said the U.S. shouldn’t sign a treaty, no matter what other nations pledge.
Here’s a chance to join the discussion:
Other poll results:
*Thirty eight percent said President Barack Obama’s administration is going too far in protecting the environment at the expense of American jobs, while 36 percent said the administration is striking the right balance between jobs and the environment. Just 8 percent said it focuses too much on jobs at the expense of the environment.
*Voters approved Obama’s overall handling of the presidency, 46-43 percent, about the same as his 46-44 percent approval rating in a Dec. 9 poll.
*By a 51-41 percent margin, voters said the U.S. is doing the right thing by fighting in Afghanistan, down from 57-35 percent approval in a Dec. 8 poll taken in the wake of Obama’s announcement that he was sending 30,000 more troops.
Budget squabble could delay tax refunds for some Ohioans
COLUMBUS — The lengthy Statehouse battle over how to fill an $851 million budget hole could delay state income tax refunds for some Ohioans who file paper returns.
Gov. Ted Strickland on Tuesday, Dec. 22, signed House Bill 318 that fills the hole by delaying a 4.2 percent income tax cut for two years. The legislature approved the plan last week, more than 80 days after introduction of the bill.
The Ohio Department of Taxation couldn’t finish work on tax booklets until agreement was reached. The booklets could be mailed out as late as Feb. 1, John Kohlstrand, department spokesman said.
The booklets usually are mailed out the first week in January, said Kohlstrand.
“The fastest way to get a refund is to go to our Web site (http://tax.ohio.gov),” said Kohlstrand.
The booklets should be posted to the site by the end of this week, he said.
Taxpayers will be able to start filing electronic turns on Jan. 11 by using one of the two Web-based filing systems on the site, Kohlstrand said.
The department processed about 5.4 million returns for 2008, including about 1.8 million filed on paper, he said. About 50,000 paper returns were filed in January and 47,000 of those filers sought a refund, Kohlstrand said.
The department prints 1.8 million booklets and mails 900,000 directly to taxpayers, said Kohlstrand. The other half goes to banks, post offices and libraries, he said.
The bill signed by Strickland means that $78 won’t be cut from the annual state tax bill for a family of four earning $60,000 a year.
The legislation also makes it easier for a local school district to qualify for a waiver from the requirement to provide all-day kindergarten starting next fall. In addition, the bill provides for three pilot projects at state universities using new construction methods that backers say will save millions of dollars.
The House passed the bill Oct. 21, it was delayed in the Senate until last week.
Gov. Strickland signs bill to fill $851M budget hole
Gov. Ted Strickland on Tuesday, Dec. 22, signed House Bill 318, the tax cut freeze bill needed to fill an $851 million state budget hole.
The legislation delays for two years a 4.2 percent state income tax cut. It includes several other provisions, including pilot building projects at universities using construction methods that are supposed to save millions of dollars.
For a family of four earning $60,000 a year, the delay means $78 won’t be cut from their annual state tax bill.
“This bill balances the education budget and protects our schools from devastating cuts,” Strickland said in a press release.
“It advances construction reform at University System of Ohio institutions. And it affirms that education is the foundation of our plan to strengthen our economy and create opportunity for all Ohioans.”
Husted wants ‘transparency’ in campaign expenditures
When some well-known person appears on TV to endorse - or blast - a ballot issue, such as the recent casino plan, state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, thinks voters should be able to find out if the spokesperson is getting paid.
“That may change their minds on the validity of that person’s endorsement,” Husted said on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
He said that he soon will introduce legislation to require that expenditures made by “so-called campaign sub-vendors” or third parties who act on behalf of a campaign, be disclosed publicly.
Currently, campaign committees can give money to a sub-vendor, such a a political consultant, to make expenditures for the committee. The campaign committee is not required to disclose how the consultant spent the money.
During the recent casino campaign, former Ohio Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow, for example, appeared in TV ads endorsing the casinos but it’s not known whether she was paid, Husted said. Voters approved casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.
Withrow, reached by phone, declined to answer whether she had been compensated.
Husted said the change should be made for future campaigns.
“I’m not picking a fight with the casino people,” said Husted.
Bob Tenenbaum, spokesman for the pro-casino Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, declined to say how much he was paid.
“We followed the law,” said Tenenbaum. “If the law changed, we’d follow that law.”
Poll: Voters “mostly disapprove” of health care overhaul
With the Senate preparing for a possible Christmas Eve vote on health care overhaul, voters across the country “mostly disapprove” of the plan, 53-36 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
The poll also found voters disapproving of President Barack Obama’s handling of the health care issue, 56-38 percent.
On a third health care issue, voters opposed, by a 72-23 percent margin, using any public money from the health care overhaul to pay for abortions.
Here’s your chance to get in the health care debate:
Obama also got bad marks on the economy. Voters disapproved his handling of the economy, 51-44 percent and also disapproved how he is trying to create jobs, 56-37 percent.
However, they favored, by a 52-42 percent margin, the president’s plan to use $200 million left over from the bank bailout to pay for a new stimulus package to create jobs, rather than to reduce the deficit.
“While the Senate leadership reportedly has the votes to pass a health care overhaul plan this week, outside the (Washington) Beltway there appears to be weak support, both to what voters understand of the plan, and the need to pass the plan now,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a press release.
The poll was taken from Dec. 15 to Sunday, Dec. 20 with 1,616 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.
State orders 416,400 more doses of H1N1 flu vaccnine
The Ohio Department of Health has ordered 416,400 more doses of H1N1 flu vaccine and the orders should begin arriving on Monday, Dec. 21., at 1,913 local health districts, hospitals, pharmacies and other providers across the state.
A press release said that the order to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes 46,200 doses of nasal-spray vaccine and 370,200 shots of H1N1 flu vaccine.
The order brings Ohio’s total to 3,662,700 doses so far, the release said. More vaccine is expected to be available.
The state health department reminds parents that children younger than 10 should receive two doses of H1N1 flu vaccine for optimal protection. Children who had their first dose on or before Nov. 23 are now eligible for a second dose, the release said.
To be effective, the CDC recommends the two doses be separated by 28 days.
For more information, check the Health Department Web site or call the information line at 1-866-800-1404 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“Third Frontier” renewal a top 2010 Strickland priority
When the legislature returns in January, a top priority for Gov. Ted Strickland will be persuading lawmakers to put a$1 billion, five-year bond proposal on the May 4 ballot to renew and expand the Third Frontier program.
Strickland, in a year-end interview on Monday, Dec. 21, cast renewal of the Third Frontier as part of his economic development and job creation agenda for 2010.
“Obviously, it’s got to be an emphasis on economic development and job creation but a vital part of that next year will be working toward renewal of the Third Frontier program,” Strickland said.
The Democratic governor faces re-election next year and some Republicans have cast his desire to put the renewal on the May ballot as an effort to help Strickland politcally.
“Give me a break,” Strickland said. He said he always credits Republican Gov. Bob Taft with creating the program and said it has support from Republican-leaning business groups. The program promotes high-tech research and job creation.
The governor does not have a formal role in putting the issue on the ballot. That requires approval of a resolution by 60 of 99 House members and 20 of 33 senators.
Strickland said he will file for re-election by the Feb. 18 deadline and select a lieutenant governor running mate before then.
In a wide-ranging interview, he also said he will seek additional financial help from the federal government to get Ohio through the recession.
His likely Republican opponent, former U.S. Rep. John Kasich, has charged that Ohio has been “stuck in a cycle of tax and spend” and needs new leadership.
Strickland dismissed the comments as “just tired political rhetoric.”
Slots-at-the-tracks ballot signatures filed
Backers of the plan to put Gov. Ted Strickland’s slots-at-the-racetracks plan before the voters said the petitions they filed with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on Sunday, Dec. 20, contained enough signatures to qualify for the November 2010 ballot.
A van carrying boxes of the petitions arrived at Brunner’s downtown Columbus office shortly before 3 p.m. Brunner kept the office open Sunday, the deadline for submitting the signatures.
The backers, organized as LetOhioVote.org, said the petitions included 325,496 signatures from registered voters, more than the 241,366 required. The requirement equals 6 percent of the votes cast in the 2006 governor’s race.
They said they met a second requirement - that in 44 of the state’s 88 counties there must be signatures equal to 3 percent of the votes cast in the 2006 governor’s race from 44 of the 88 counties. They said they met this threshold in 53 counties.
Brunner will send the petitions back to the counties where the signatures were collected to be checked and should have the results by the end of January, said Jeff Ortega, Brunner’s spokesman.
If LetOhioVote.org falls short, the group will have 10 additional days to comply.
The group will continue gathering signatures while the current batch is checked, said spokesman Carlo LoParo.
C. David Paragas, attorney for Ohio’s seven racetracks, questioned whether LetOhioVote.org will have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Historically, 50 percent of the signatures for such issues fail, he said. If it does qualify, the tracks will push for passage of the slots plan, Paragas added.
LoParo said his group hopes to have 400,000 signatures by the end of the year.
LetOhioVote.org includes opponents and supporters of expanded gambling, said LoParo.
Their goal is giving the voters - not Strickland and legislators - the right to decide.
Strickland, with legislators’ support, put anticipated money from slots-at-the tracks in the current state budget and contended that the provision was not subject to a referendum.
However, the Ohio Supreme Court on Sept. 21 ruled that the plan was subject to a vote of the people, halting any collection of revenue and creating an $851 million state budget hole.
Strickland and lawmakers last week agreed to fill the hole by delaying for two years a 4.2 percent state income tax cut.
Slots-at-the-tracks is separate from the four-casino proposal voters approved last month. That calls for casinos in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo.
Sen. Brown, Rep. Boehner duel on health care breakthrough
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, didn’t exactly agree on the big breakthrough in health care overhaul on Saturday, Dec. 19.
Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, became the critical 60th vote to support passage of health care overhaul and a Senate vote could come by Christmas Eve.
Brown praised the development while Boehner blasted the Democratic-backed health care plan, a key part of President Barack Obama’s domestic agenda.
“This bill is an important step toward strengthening Ohio’s middle class families. When it comes to health insurance, this bill would help those with insurance, those without, and those who fear they won’t have coverage tomorrow,” Brown said in a press release.
“It would immediately reduce insurance premiums for small businesses and over time would reduce the $1000 hidden tax that every family with insurance now pays to make up for uncompensated care provided to those without insurance.”
“This legislation cracks down on insurance practices worthy of Ebenezer Scrooge …..”
Boehner’s press release had a different tone:
“The American people have rejected the Democrats’; government-run approach to health care loudly and clearly, and it’s time to scrap Senator Reid’s bill and start over.
“The bill will fundamentally change something as personal and important as the relationship between a patient and a doctor, and yet Democrats are attempting to sneak the bill through before Christmas in the hopes the American people aren’t watching what they’re doing.
“…Now is the time to speak out, more loudly and clearly than ever, against this monstrosity.”
Kasich rips budget deal; Dem chairman Redfern rips Kasich
The battle of the budget still rages in Columbus, despite the agreement reached on Thursday, Dec. 17, on filling an $851 million budget hole.
Former U.S. Rep. John Kasich, the likely GOP candidate for governor in 2010, ripped the deal and Democratic State Chairman Chris Redfern ripped into Kasich.
The plan postpones for two years a 4. 2 percent state income tax cut.
“Today’s agreement is strictly stopgap and turns a blind eye to the massive shortfalls we will be facing during the next budget cycle,” Kasich said in a Thursday press release. “We better have new leadership and new ideas in place by then. Our state’s future depends on it.”
Kasich said “it has been clear to me that the people of Ohio understand that raising taxes is counter-productive to job creation and economic growth.”
In a Friday press release, state Democratic Chairman Redfern referred to Kasich as a “former Lehman Brothers Managing Director.”
“John Kasich has no relationship with the truth, Redfern said. “Once again, Kasich is offering attacks on Gov. Strickland’s leadership while failing to propose any alternative of his own. Shockingly, he also criticized his own party, since the Republican-controlled Senate supported the budget.”
Republicans provided five of the 17 votes needed for Senate approval; Democrats provided the other 12.
State prisons director retiring
Terry Collins, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, is retiring, effective, Jan. 31.
Gov. Ted Strickland, who formerly worked as a prison psychologist, said in a press release on Friday, Dec. 18, that he had accepted Collins’ decision and praised Collins’ work.
“He (Collins) has managed a corrections system that is well beyond capacity and has dealt with very difficult economic circumstances in his department while showing great concern for the safety and security of his employees,” Strickland said.
Collins will leave the job after 33 years of state service.
Congressman Turner criticizes Obama Administration on plan to move Gitmo prisoners
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, issued a statement today, Dec. 16, asking the Obama Administration to present a detailed plan to Congress on the cost to modify the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Ill., to house prisoners from Guantanamo Bay.
“While our nation’s unemployment hovers at 10 percent and the conflict in Afghanistan continues to escalate, the administration will spend more than half a billion dollars transforming the Illinois facility into GITMO North, all while making our nation less safe,” Turner said.
Turner is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee.
According to a recent Gallup poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans are against closing the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba and moving terrorist suspects to the U.S.
During a briefing this morning, officials from the Departments of Defense and Justice estimated the cost to modify the Illinois prison into a detention facility exceeding supermax standards will total $450 million.
“The administration needs to come before Congress and present a comprehensive operation plan for the Thomson facility and explain this $500 million cost before bringing these terror suspects on American soil,” Turner said.
Lehner pushing bill to give seniors care at home
State Rep. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, is pushing legislation that would expand services for Medicaid-eligible Ohioans who want to live at home, instead of moving to a nursing home.
The bill would also allow people already in nursing homes who want to be cared for at home to bypass wait lists for such in-home services.
Lehner said the program would be more cost effective for taxpayers since it costs $60,000 a year to house someone in a nursing home versus $20,000 a year to provide in-home services.
574,200 more H1N1 flu vaccine doses on the way
The Ohio Department of Health ordered another 574,200 doses of H1N1 flu vaccine. The doses are expected to be shipped directly to 1,200 medical providers in all 88 counties.
So far, Ohio has ordered 3.25 million doses.
Now, instead of just priority groups being eligible, all Ohioans are able to receive H1N1 vaccinations.
H1N1 and seasonal flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache and chills, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Some people, particularly children, also experience diarrhea and vomiting. Anyone with these symptoms should stay home from school or work and if symptoms become severe or you are pregnant or suffer from chronic medical conditions, seek medical attention immediately.
The state health department operates an H1N1 information line 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (866)800-1404.
Food banks get $250,000 year-end donation
The Walmart Foundation gave $250,000 to the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and $100,000 to the Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps low-income Ohioans pay their utility bills.
Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, director of the foodbanks, said the Walmart grant ranks in the top two biggest private sector contributions her association has received. The money will be used to buy 625,000 pounds of food, personal care items and cleaning products for 75,000 Ohio households, enroll 7,000 new low-income children in the state’s summer food service program, and leverage another $1 million in state and federal funding for the association.
Second Harvest represents 12 foodbanks and 3,000 charitable organizations, including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.
Gov. Ted Strickland praised Walmart for its contributions and encouraged others to step up. “Our neighbors need our help in Ohio,” the governor said.
David Gose, Walmart’s operations director in Ohio, said the Walmart Foundation donated $10.5 million in 2008 and is on track to give $13 million in 2009 in Ohio. Worldwide the foundation gave $423 million in cash and in-kind contributions in 2008.
Ohio Right to Life opposes judicial merit selection
Ohio Right to Life on Monday, Dec. 14, came out strongly opposed to the idea of allowing the governor and a panel to pick justices for the Ohio Supreme Court, instead of allowing voters to elect them.
Ohio Right to Life Executive Director Mike Gonidakis and Legislative Counsel Mark Lally sent a two-page letter to Gov. Ted Strickland and Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Moyer outlining their opposition to “merit selection.”
Moyer has been pushing for merit selection as a way to eliminate the potential impression that judges are influenced by big campaign donors. One proposal is for a commission to recommend justice candidates to the governor for appointment and then have the nominee stand for a “retention” election.
Gonidakis and Lally, however, criticize this set up, citing a 2007 study that found only 56 of 6,306 judicial retention elections between 1964 and 2006 led to the judges not being retained. Direct elections provide an important power check on the judiciary system, they argue.
Rep. Blair wants to trim state’s “financial waistline”
Rep. Terry Blair, R-Washington Twp., has unveiled legislation that Blair says would “put an end to the state’s ever-growing financial waistline.”
The bill would tie the state’s budget to actual general revenue fund receipts for the previous two years, Blair said in a press release on Friday, Dec. 11.
His proposal would prohibit the governor from proposing and the General Assembly from enacting a budget that would exceed 97 percent of general revenue fund receipts from the previous two years, Blair said.
Also, the proposal would put a stop to raiding the state’s “rainy day” fund, by capping the amount that can be transferred to the general revenue fund at 25 percent. The budget passed by the General Assembly in July drained the state’s “rainy day fund” of nearly $1 billion to help balance the state budget, he said.
“Since 1997, the growth of Ohio’s state government, as measured by its spending, has exceeded Ohio’s economic growth as measured by our state’s Gross Domestic Private Product,” Blair said.
“To continue on this unsustainable course will lead to further troubles for the state, and it’s time the state became responsible with the taxpayers’ dollars.”
Blair’s proposal comes against the backdrop of gridlock over efforts to fill an $851 million budget hole. The House has passed Gov. Ted Strickland’s proposal to fill the hole by postponing for two years a 4.2 percent state income tax cut but the proposal is stalled in the Senate.
Prescott hired to head tuition trust
The Ohio Tuition Trust Authority, the state’s college savings program, hired R. Michael Prescott as its new executive director.
Prescott, 47, who started Monday, Dec. 7, will oversee a portfolio of $5.5 billion assets invested for more than 780,000 participants in the CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan.
The authority is a state agency under the chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.
Prescott, who will be paid $175,000 a year, was recently a regional group president with Columbus-based Huntington Bank. He holds a master’s of business administratio from Ohio State University and an undergraduate degree from Ohio Northern University.
Republican Kasich leads Democratic incumbent Strickland in governor poll
Republican John Kasich leads incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, 48-39 percent among likely voters in a poll released on Wednesday, Dec. 9, for the 2010 governor’s race.
The Rasmussen Reports poll also found that 3 percent would prefer a third party candidate and 11 percent aren’t sure who’ll they’ll vote for.
Other poll findings:
*Strickland gets 69 percent support from Democratic voters and trails by 25 percent among voters not affiliated with either major party.
*The governor gets 71 percent of the black vote, with 13 percent of black voters saying they’ll vote against Strickland and 15 percent undecided.
*48 percent approve of how Strickland’s handling his job, while 50 percent disapprove.
*On a personal basis, 46 percent view Strickland favorably while 45 percent have that view of Kasich.
*46 percent have an unfavorable view of Strickland, while 24 percent give negative reviews of Kasich, a former Columbus-area U.S. House member making his first statewide race.
The poll was taken on Monday, Dec. 7, with 500 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
Voinovich wants ways to reduce federal deficit
U.S. Sen. George Voinovich would like one more thing before he leaves public service next year: a commission to study ways to reduce the federal deficit.
Sure, it’s a boring, wonky wish. But it would serve a big, important goal.
“If we could get this thing done and get it taken care of, it’d be very, very comforting to me,” said Voinovich, a Republican.
Voinovich, a former state lawmaker, Cleveland mayor and Ohio governor, is a champion of pinching pennies - he once bragged that he snatched one out of a urinal - and keeping a leash on the federal deficit and national debt.
For the last few years, Voinovich has been toiling away to get his colleagues to embrace a thorough review of tax loopholes and federal entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Social Security.
Finally, a year before his retirement, Voinovich believes he is close to getting an amendment inserted into an appropriations bill that would force Washington politicians to take it seriously.
Here is the deal: the appropriations bill includes a provision to increase the national debt limit. More and more Senators are balking at that, Voinovich says, unless there’s a credible, serious effort to reform taxes and entitlement programs. Voinovich’s plan is to establish an 18-member, bipartisan commission that would analyze the programs and make recommendations by November 2010.
What would prevent this commission report from being yet another dust-collector on a shelf? Voinovich included wording to require an up or down vote by Congress within seven days of receiving it - no amendments allowed.
Voinovich and others warn that if the U.S. continues to spend and borrow, it eventually won’t have money to pay for any domestic programs or national defense efforts.
The national debt is $12.2 trillion, and counting.
Portman and Fisher neck-and-neck in U.S. Senate poll
Republican Rob Portman and Democrat Lee Fisher are in a virtual tie in a possible matchup in next year’s U.S. Senate race among likely voters, according to a poll released on Thursday, Dec. 10.
The Rasmussen Reports poll, also showed Portman, a former Cincinnati-area U.S. House member, leading Democrat Jennifer Brunner, the secretary of state, 40-33 percent in another possible matchup.
Against Fisher, the lieutenant governor, Portman led 38-36 percent, a virtual tie.
The three candidates are seeking the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator George Voinovich. Portman also served as budget director and U.S. trade representative under President George W. Bush. He is running against Cleveland-area car dealer Tom Ganley for the GOP Senate nomination.
In other poll results:
*Overall, 41 percent of Ohio voters support the health care plan proposed by President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats, with 53 percent opposed.
*Ohio voters are divided over the idea of a government “public option” for health care, with 40 percent in favor and 38 percent opposed. However, 58 percent oppose such an option if it might cause employers to drop coverage and push their workers onto the government-run plan.
*More than a week after the president announced plan to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, 48 percent support his decision to do so, with 30 percent opposed.
*Overall, 46 percent approve of President Barack Obama’s job performance, while 50 percent disapprove.
The poll was taken on Monday, Dec. 7, with 500 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
No more mileage unless trips actually made, Garrison says
Taking a shot at her opponent, state Rep. Jennifer Garrison, D-Marietta, is introducing legislation to restrict state lawmakers’ mileage reimbursements to only trips made between the Ohio Statehouse and their legal residences.
Garrison is running against state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, for secretary of state. Husted’s residence had been called into question since his wife and children live in suburban Columbus and his Kettering residence shows little signs of anyone actually living there.
In October, the all-Republican Ohio Supreme Court overturned a ruling by Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, that Husted did not live in Kettering and could not vote there.
House and Senate rules allow lawmakers to claim mileage reimbursement if they live outside of Franklin County. Husted routinely claims the mileage, including more than $2,880 so far this year.
Legislative ethics officials received a complaint this week about state Sen. Karen Gillmor, R-Tiffin, claiming mileage reimbursement even though she lives in suburban Columbus and her children attend Dublin schools.
“Taxpayers should not have to pay mileage for legislators who don’t drive the miles,” Garrison said. “If the current system is open to abuse, we have an obligation to change it.”
Husted said when he claims mileage, it’s for trips he makes between his Kettering house and the Statehouse. “That’s fine by me. That’s what I do already” he said of Garrison’s proposal.
Senate President Harris fires back in budget dispute
Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, on Thursday, Dec. 10, through his spokeswoman, responded to charges that the Senate GOP plan to fill an $851 million state budget hole is “absurd” and “outrageous.”
House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, made the charges in a meeting with the Dayton Daily News editorial board.
“The fact is that there aren’t the votes in the Senate to pass the Governor’s and Speaker’s tax increase,” Maggie Ostrowski, Harris’ spokeswoman said in an e-mail.
Senate Republicans consider the plan by Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, approved by the House, to delay state income tax cuts for two years a tax increase, which Budish and Strickland deny. Senate Republicans want to add provisions such as an overhaul of state construction projects.
Also, the state wouldn’t be in the current situation if Strickland and Budish “had been willing to take the VLT (video lottery terminal) issue to the ballot as Sen. Harris suggested, not to mention that the two of them pushed for a school funding plan which has already cut schools and placed new unfunded mandates on districts.
“So what they are advocating so ardently for is a temporary patch on a mediocre school funding plan,” Ostrowski added.
Harris has said he would provide Republican votes to pass the “tax increase” if Democrats in the Senate “will also do the right thing and pass reforms that will provide long term savings for the state - construction reform and sentencing reform. This will help to avoid a tax increase in the future and will save school districts, higher education and any other entity that sponsors public construction projects significant dollars,” Ostrowski said.
She said it was much easier “to blame Republicans,rally teachers’ unions and ultimately stick the taxpayers with the entire bill, rather than sit down to work in bipartisan fashion with the Senate to do something for the long-term fiscal health of our state and taxpayers.”
Speaker Budish: Senate GOP budget plan “absurd” and “outrageous”
House Speaker Armond Budish on Thursday, Dec. 10, blasted the Senate Republican plan to fill an $851 million state budget hole as “absurd” and “outrageous.”
It’s not even really a Senate GOP plan, Budish said, because passing it would require votes from all 12 Democrats in the Republican-controlled Senate while Republicans would just provide five. Republicans control the Senate, 21-12.
“That alone I think is chutzpah,” Budish said at a meeting with the Dayton Daily News editorial board.
He said his visit was the beginning of an education campaign to get Ohio residents to call their state senators and urge passage of the plan to fill the budget hole as proposed by Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and approved by the Democratic-controlled House.
It calls for delaying for two years the fifth year of state income tax cuts. The Senate should approve the same plan, Budish has said.
Senate Republicans have said they would provide five votes for such a plan but only if it also includes a number of other provisions, including an overhaul of the way the state handles billions of dollars of construction projects.
Budish said that if he had asked minority Republicans in the House to provide all their 46 votes for a budget-balancing plan, with only five votes from majority Democrats, “I would get laughed out of the state.”
Unless a budget deal is reached by Dec. 31, schools across the state will face $851 million in cuts, Budish said.
That’s because they money from delaying the tax cuts would replace money that was supposed to have come from video lottery terminals at Ohio racetracks. The VLT money would have been part of the Ohio Lottery and all lottery money must go to education.
The Ohio Supreme Court effectively shut off the VLT money by ruling that the proposal is subject to a vote of the people.
Budish said he will keep the House in session during Christmas and New Year’s weeks if necessary to try to solve the budget problem. He said the construction overhaul is complicated and should be considered separately from the budget fix.
“Time is running out,” Budish said. Maggie Ostrowski, spokeswoman for Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, could not be reached immediately.
Tiger Woods’ favorables falling
Tiger Woods’ favorable ratings with the American people are falling faster than Woods’ golf scores used to.
A Rasmussen Reports poll released on Wednesday, Dec. 9, found that 38 percent of Americans now have a favorable opinion of Woods, down from 56 percent a week ago.
Two years ago, Woods got a favorable rating from 83 percent of the people.
The new poll finds 49 percent of the people with an unfavorable rating of Woods, up from 27 percent a week ago.
The poll comes in the wake of Woods’ minor traffic accident and reports of affairs with women other than his wife.
The poll was taken Monday, Dec. 7 to Tuesday, Dec. 8 with 1,000 adults and has a margin of error of plust or minus 3 percentage points.
Consumer advocates oppose telecom bill
Advocates for consumers and low-income Ohioans are opposing two telecom reform bills pending in the General Assembly that they say will lead to rate hikes for basic telephone service and weaker consumer protections.
More than 40 groups representing millions of Ohioans on Wednesday Dec. 9 signed onto a letter to state leaders urging defeat House Bill 276 and Senate Bill 162, which are supported by the Ohio Telecom Association.
Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Janine Migden-Ostrander, who represents the state’s 4.5 million residential utility customers, warns that the legislation would lead to steeper monthly bills, larger security deposits, longer outages and potentially quicker disconnections.
Ohio has 9.1 million wireless subscribers and 5.7 million land lines. Wireless and cable-based telephone service are not subject to regulation by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Migden-Ostrander said the legislation would allow utilities to increase their basic telephone service rates by $1.25 a month every year and dilute current minimum service requirements.
“This is absolutely not the time to be granting rate increases to companies that don’t need the rate increases,” said Ellis Jacobs, an attorney with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, a legal clinic in western Ohio.
GOP not endorsing - for now - in DeWine-Yost AG race
The Ohio Republican Party’s screening committee isn’t going to make a choice -at least right now - in the race between former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine and Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost for the GOP nomination in next year’s attorney general race.
The committee met by phone on Monday and “has decided not to make a recommendation at this time,” Ohio Republican Chairman Kevin DeWine, Mike DeWine’s cousin, said on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
Yost said he was disappointed but would continue running.
“‘I’m real optimistic,” said Yost. “Our internal polling shows that an informed voter is a Dave Yost voter.”
Mike DeWine said that he was not disappointed and declined to discuss Yost’s internal polls.
“My focus in this race is articulating a vision for the attorney general’s office, what I want to do with that office and raising money so I can get that message across to people,” said Mike DeWine
Democratic incumbent Attorney General Richard Cordray is expected to seek re-election.
Mike DeWine has won two U.S. Senate races, lost two U.S. Senate races and was elected lieutenant governor on the ticket with George Voinovich for governor in 1990.
“I would say that both (Mike) DeWine and Yost are imminently qualified to serve as attorney general. Either would do a better job of running that office than (Democrat) Rich Cordray has,” said Kevin DeWine.
Obama’s approval falls to new low in poll
Voters across the country give President Barack Obama his lowest approval rating ever and they don’t much like how he’s handling health care, according to a Quinnipiac University Poll released on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
In the poll, voters were nearly split in judging the president’s performance - with 46 percent approving and 44 percent disapproving. In a Nov. 18 poll, his approval rating was 48-42 percent. Obama’s highest approval rating was 59-31 percent in a June 4 poll.
On health care, voters disapprove 52-38 percent of the proposal now under consideration in Congress. Also, they disapprove of Obama’s handling of health care, 56-38 percent.
However, voters support 56-38 percent giving Americans the option of being covered by a government health plan. That finding comes just as news reports from Washington indicate that Senate Democrats may be dropping the so-called “public option” from their health care overhaul plan.
Here’s your chance to evaluate Obama’s performance.
“President Obama’s job approval rating continues to slide and it’s evident the deterioration stems from voter unhappiness over domestic policy matters,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Polling Institute, said in a press release.
The poll was taken from Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 6, with 2,313 registered voters nationwide and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Fishy carp letter raises plagiarism questions
State Rep. Mike Skindell, D-Lakewood, wanted to call attention to the potential environmental disaster of Asian carp invading the Great Lakes. But in doing so he lifted material verbatim from multiple sources without attributing it.
Skindell, a lawyer, used the plagiarized material in a two-page letter he sent Tuesday, Dec. 8, to Gov. Ted Strickland and Attorney General Richard Cordray. Thirteen of fellow House members co-signed the letter.
An entire paragraph was taken from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website on Asian carp. Skindell defended the use, saying those exact 60-words were a “commonly used description of a carp.”
“It’s throughout everything you read,” Skindell said. “I saw it throughout a number of sources.”
Journalism professors, however, say that’s a load of carp.
“Certainly in the world of academics and journalism, it’s plagiarism,” said Tom O’Hara, former managing editor of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer who is now an adviser to The Lantern, a student newspaper at Ohio State University. “We’re certainly not in the business of lifting large chunks of other people’s work verbatim and calling it our own.”
Tim Smith, a journalism professor and lawyer at Kent State University, agreed. He noted that Vice President Joe Biden once dropped out of a presidential race after being caught plagiarizing.
The following is a side by side comparison of Skindell’s letter and other sources on Asian carp found online.
SKINDELL LETTER: Asian Carp are a significant threat to the Great Lakes because they are large, extremely prolific, and consume vast amounts of food. They can weigh up to 100 pounds and can grow to a length of more than four feet. They are well-suited to the climate of the Great Lakes region, which is similar to their native Asian habitats.
U.S. EPA WEBSITE: Asian Carp are a significant threat to the Great Lakes because they are large, extremely prolific, and consume vast amounts of food. They can weigh up to 100 pounds, and can grow to a length of more than four feet. They are well-suited to the climate of the Great Lakes region, which is similar to their native Asian habitats.
SKINDELL LETTER: Moreover, following treatment of the waterway with rotenone last week, bighead Asian carp was found in the CSSC just above the Lockport Lock and Dam. This is the first physical specimen that has been found in the CSSC since eDNA testing earlier this year suggested the presence of Asian carp in the area.
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES BLOG: The Asian Carp Rapid Response Workgroup announced this evening that a bighead Asian carp was found in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) just above the Lockport Lock and Dam. This is the first physical specimen that has been found in the CSSC since eDNA testing earlier this year suggested the presence of Asian carp in the area.
SKINDELL LETTER: As you may know, bighead and silver Asian carp are in the Illinois River, which is connected to the Great Lakes by way of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC). In 2004, an experimental electrical barrier designed to repel fish was placed in the waterway to lessen the threat of an Asian Carp invasion.
U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE FACT SHEET: Bighead and silver carp are in the Illinois River, which is connected to the Great Lakes via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Asian carp pose the greatest immediate threat to the Great Lakes ecosystem. An electrical barrier designed to repel fish was placed in the waterway.
SKINDELL LETTER: Urge the Army Corps of Engineers to take additional actions to protect the Great Lakes, including the completion of the second portion of the electrical barrier, full utilization of the existing barrier now operating at minimal levels, creating a physical barrier to block carp from entering via other waterways during times of flood and using all existing congressional authorities to block the carp’s entry;
MICHIGAN GOV. JENNIFER GRANHOLM’S OFFICE: Recently, Lt. Governor Cherry wrote the Undersecretary of the Army to urge additional actions to protect the Great Lakes, including the completion of the second portion of the new barrier, full utilization of the existing barrier now operating at minimal levels, creating a physical barrier to block carp from entering via other waterways during flooding, and using all existing congressional authorities to block the carp’s entry.
Tax Dept: Tell us about your Swiss bank account
State tax officials have a one-time deal for Ohioans holding Swiss bank accounts: tell us about the accounts by March 1, 2010 and avoid some penalties.
The state’s new Ohio Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program offers eligible taxpayers the chance to limit the penalty they pay to 15 percent of the tax due.
The new disclosure program was prompted by an agreement between the Internal Revenue Service and the Swiss government reached in August. The Swiss government agreed to order UBS bank to give the IRS information on thousands of accounts held by Americans and the Swiss agreed with consider requests regarding accounts in other Swiss banks.
The IRS, in turn, will share info with Ohio and other states’ tax departments.
“Our job is to make sure everyone is playing by the same set of rules. When a few taxpayers hide income in offshore bank accounts, that isn’t fair to everyone else, state Tax Commissioner Richard A. Levin said. “This is a one-time opportunity for taxpayers with unreported offshore income to come clean and make things right while minimizing their penalty.”
It’s like an ally-ally-in-come-free but account holders would still have to pay owed taxes, plus interest and up to 15 percent in penalties. Those who do not come forward and get nabbed later will face much stiffer penalties, state officials warned.
No budget deal this week
Senate Republicans canceled hearings this week on a budget fix bill, signaling that there won’t be a deal on how to patch the $851 million budget hole this week.
Republicans and Democrats are at loggerheads over whether the budget fix, proposed by Gov. Ted Strickland and approved by the Ohio House, should include other items such as reforming the state’s antiquated construction bidding laws.
Insurance coverage for diabetes, autism approved in House votes
The Ohio House on Tuesday, Dec. 8, approved separate bills requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage for diabetes and autism.
House Bill 81, approved 58-38, would require that coverage be provided for diabetes equipment, supplies, medication, diabetes medical nutritional therapy and self-management education.
House Bill 8, approved 57-39, would prohibit insurers from excluding coverage for specified autism services for individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
Supporters sitting in the House gallery expressed thanks after the votes.
“It’s huge,” said Doug Krinsky of Westerville, a Columbus suburb, who has an autistic son.
Opponents, however, said the bills would increase costs to businesses during an economic downturn.
“The Ohio House of Representatives today approved two measures that guarantee higher health insurance premiums for small businesses that could not have come at a worse time, as most small businesses are already coping with double-digit annual increases in health care costs and the worst economic conditions in recent memory,” Roger R. Geiger, vice president/state executive director for the National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio, said in an e-mail.
vice president/state executive director
Both bills now go to the Senate.
Poll: Voters approve Obama’s Afghanistan troop surge
American voters approved President Barack Obama’s decision to send 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan by a 58-37 percent margin, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Also, voters approved 60-32 percent the president’s plan to start withdrawing combat troops from Afghanistan in July 2011.
However, by a 45-40 margin, they did not believe he can keep that pledge.
Also, the poll found that public support for the war in Afghanistan increased by nine percentage points in the past three weeks and now stands at 57-35 percent. During the same period, the president’s handling of the war went up 7 points, from a 38-45 percent negative rating on Nov. 18 to a 45-45 percent split.
The increase in public support for the war came with voters saying 66-26 percent that the president doesn’t deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, he is to be awarded this week.
“President Barack Obama’s nationally televised speech explaining his policy and troop buildup has worked, at least in the short term, in bolstering support for the war effort and his decisions,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a press release.
“….The American people tend to rally around their presidents in military matters, at least for a while. It took some time for similar type speeches about Vietnam and Iraq by Presidents Lyndon Johnson and George W. Bush, respectively, to lose their ability to rally support.”
The poll was taken Dec. 1 through Sunday, Dec. 6 with 2,313 registered voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Here’s your chance to join the debate:
Jobless benefits for full-time students allowed
Out-of-work Ohioans will now be able to continue to receive unemployment benefits while enrolled full-time in education and training programs, the Strickland administration announced Monday, Dec. 7.
“This policy change will help those Ohioans hardest hit by the recession to obtain job training skills without sacrificing their ability to continue providing for their families,” Gov. Ted Strickland said in a written statement. Now, claimants enrolled in any full-time accredited training program no longer have to declare themselves “able, available and actively seeking” work while they receive benefits, state officials said.
Also, the Obama Administration is allowing those on unemployment to receive special consideration for financial aid, such as Pell grants, to pay for job training or education.
Ohioans on unemployment will receive a letter explaining the program as well as giving instructions on applying for financial aid.
Tax breaks approved, 50 new jobs expected
The Ohio Tax Credit Authority voted 3-0 in favor of a six-year, 35 percent tax credit worth $55,466 beginning Jan. 1 for Composite Technologies Co. in Dayton.
The vote came Monday, Dec. 7, in Columbus.
The project is also benefiting from a $25,000 state grant, $25,000 city grant and $125,000 ED/GE grant.
Composite Technologies plans to lease a 45,000 square foot facility for a new composite resin mixing and molding division. The company plans to hire 50 more workers at $12 an hour plus benefits.
Montgomery County Administrator Deborah Feldman, a member of the tax credit authority, abstained from voting on the project.
Slots-at-the tracks plan appears headed for November 2010 ballot
Gov. Ted Strickland’s slots-at-the-racetracks plan appears to be headed for the November 2010 ballot.
“We’ve got the magic number,” Gene Pierce, treasurer for LetOhioVote.org, said on Friday, Dec. 4.
Pierce said his group has gathered the 241,366 signatures needed to put the issue on the ballot with two weeks to go before a Dec. 20 deadline. They’ll continue gathering signatures to make sure there’s a cushion if, as usually happens, some signatures are thrown out, said Pierce.
The group is committed to defeating the plan, said Pierce.
Dec. 20 is on a Sunday but Jeff Ortega, spokesman for Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, said the secretary of state’s office would open on Sunday if necessary for the group to turn in the signatures.
The campaign to put the issue on the ballot is at the root of the current crisis to fill an $851 million state budget hole.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled on Sept. 21 that the slots plan is subject to a public referendum, delaying the collection of any revenue from the slots and creating a potential $851 million state budget hole. The plan called for putting the video slots at Ohio’s seven racetracks.
The House has passed a plan to freeze an income tax cut for two years to fill the hole but Senate Republicans are insisting that the plan also include construction reform and prison sentencing reform measures.
U.S. Rep. Austria forming commission to examine Wright Patterson contracting
U.S. Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, is forming a “Blue Ribbon Commission” to examine the contracting process for Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Austria announced on Friday, Dec. 4. The launch will be on Monday, Dec. 7.
The commission’s charge will be to come up with recommendations to increase the number of contracts awarded to local companies to bring more jobs to the area, a press release said.
Commission members will include a “broad cross section of community leaders with extensive experience including those who worked on the base, business leaders and (those) in academia,” the release said.
The commission is expected to include from 15 to 20 members, Austrias office said.
Austria will hold a press availability at 10 a.m. following the commission’s first meeting. The availability will be outside room 270 in Allyn Hall at Wright State University.
Budget fix becoming legislative “Christmas tree?”
Is the plan to fill an $851 million state budget hole becoming a legislative Christmas tree?
Senate Republicans say they’ll provide five votes for House Bill 318, which would fill the hole by postponing an income tax cut but only if provisions for construction reform and prison sentencing reform are tacked on.
On Friday, Dec. 4, three House Democrats released their own wish list.
Reps. Mike Foley, D-Cleveland (and a Dayton-area native), Ted Celeste, D-Grandview Heights and Denise Driehaus, D-Cincinnati, said they would push to add House Bill 3 - which provides a six-month moratorium on mortgage foreclosures - and House Bill 9 - which requires landlords to notify their tenants if the landlords face foreclosure.
The House has passed both bills but the Senate hasn’t.
“If the Senate is going to pick and choose add-ons….in order to ram them through both chambers - quickly and with little debate - I think it’s reasonable to insist that the House add on foreclosure prevention as well,” Foley said in a press release.
Keary McCarthy, spokesman for House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, said it’s still the Speaker’s preference to keep the bill as clean - free of amendments from the House or Senate - as possible.
Speaker Budish: Keep state budget fix clean
If there was any doubt, House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, on Thursday, Dec. 3, made clear in a letter to Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, that Budish doesn’t want major policy changes added to the plan to fill an $851 million budget hole.
Harris’ spokeswoman Maggie Ostrowski, said, however, that Harris is not likely to be swayed by the Speaker’s letter.
Harris and Senate Republicans are advocating a plan that also includes prison sentencing reform and reforming how Ohio awards billions of dollars in construction projects. Those proposals would be tacked on to House Bill 318, the budget fix passed by the House that delays for two years the fifth and final 4.2 percent state income tax cut.
“…construction reform, sentencing reform and other similar major initiatives cannot be passed as part of HB 318 in the next week or two. No construction reform bill has been introduced in either the House or the Senate; no hearings have been held and the public has had no opportunity for input,” Budish wrote.
He promised to work with Harris on the issues during the coming months but urged passage of the budget fix without them.
“…I am growing increasingly concerned that the Senate will not adopt House Bill 318 prior to Dec. 31, 2009 and that will result in catastrophic cuts to education, which will severely hurt Ohio families and children from kindergarten through college,” Budish wrote.
In an e-mail response, Ostrowski wrote:
“The Speaker is wrong. There is a viable proposal on the table that addresses the immediate shortfall and which starts to address the even bigger revenue problems that we all know are coming in fiscal years 2012-2013 when the federal stimulus and other one-time money is no longer available.
“Sen. Harris feels strongly that if he is expected to provide votes for the delay in implementing the income tax cut as advocated by Gov. Strickland and Speaker Budish, it must also include some credible steps toward achieving long-term cost savings for the state to help avoid a major tax increase in the future. (ie construction reform and sentencing reform).”
The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to meet Monday to hear advocates of construction reform, including Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee.
Ohio website brags about Michigan cities
A slick new online magazine designed to promote Ohio features Grand Haven, Saugatuck, East Grand Rapids and other cities you won’t find on an Ohio map. The featured places are actually in the much-hated state up north.
The bi-weekly magazine is a product of the Ohio Business Development Coalition, which is funded by a grant from the state Department of Development.
The magazine and website tell “the story of the new economy in Ohio. It’s a narrative of creative people and businesses and what they are doing to create jobs for today and tomorrow. It’s the story of a state on the move.”
The online magazine editors go on to say that the site “will present original stories, video and photography to tell that story, from Cleveland to Cincinnati, Marietta to Maumee and parts in between.”
And apparently in parts found in Michigan.
A state Department of Development spokesman said the business development coalition is working to fix the error.
Please, let us kill off the bedbugs
Ohio is still waiting for word from federal authorities on whether the insecticide Propoxur may be used to control bedbugs.
State Sen. Eric Kearney, D-Cincinnati, will introduce a resolution that urges the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to grant the emergency exemption that would allow Propoxur’s use.
“I have spoken with tenants, landlords and representatives from the pest industry about the challenges of finding a suitable chemical to kill bedbugs. Allowing for the use of Propoxur by licensed applicators will help alleviate the problem,” Kearney said.
Kearney’s district includes Cincinnati, which is facing a city-wide epidemic of bedbug infestations.
State budget fix delayed until Monday
The latest budget fix hit a snag this week when some lawmakers objected to major reforms to how billions of dollars of public construction contracts are awarded.
Some Senate Republicans want the construction reforms folded into the budget correction bill, along with other a laundry list of other proposals. But the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus and others are concerned that the reforms are too big and too important to adopt without thorough consideration.
Contractors and labor unions want to preserve the current contracting system but university officials want more freedom in how they may award multi-million dollar deals.
Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee, Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut, Inter-University Council of Ohio President Bruce Johnson and others will testify before the Senate Finance Committee on Monday, Dec. 7, in an effort to convince lawmakers that contracting reform would save millions of taxpayers dollars and allow projects to be completed more quickly.
The state faces an $851 million budget hole created after a ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court essentially put a halt to plans to put video slot machines at racetracks to generate new revenue for the state. Without a budget fix, cuts would have to be made to K-12 education.
Gov. Ted Strickland proposed and the House passed a plan to delay the last phase of a 21 percent across the board income tax rate cut. But Senate Republicans cast that plan as a tax hike and are reluctant to vote for it.
The construction overhaul proposal is based on a report from a panel commissioned by Strickland that said the changes could save money and get contracts completed sooner. The changes would allow the hiring of construction managers earlier in the process and expand their roles and change how risks involved in projects are shared, among other things.
Cordray: don’t fall for the old jury duty scam
An old scam is once again rearing its ugly head as con artists use it to dupe people into turning over personal information, the Ohio Supreme Court and Attorney General Richard Cordray warned.
Cordray and the court said the con plays out this way: a scammer calls someone and claims to work for the court system. The scammer says a warrant is out for the person’s arrest for failing to report for jury duty. And the con artists say they need the person’s social security number, date of birth and even a credit card number in order to clear up the matter.
The con plays out as follows: a scammer calls a potential victim, claiming to work for the court system. The caller tells the victim a warrant has been issued for his or her arrest for failing to report for jury duty. In order to clear up the alleged issue, the victim is told he or she must provide their social security number, date of birth and in some instances a credit card number.
Cordray says don’t fall for it.
“The best rule of thumb is to never give out your personal information over the phone regardless of who is calling. Unless you initiate the call, you really don’t have verification of who is on the other end,” he said.
Budget talks break down on “construction reform”
Efforts to reach agreement on a plan to fill an $851 million state budget hole broke down Wednesday, Dec. 2, over a proposal to overhaul how the state awards billions of dollars in construction projects, including those at state-supported universities.
Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, said Senate Republicans want to include “construction reform” in the bill that also would delay for two years the last of five 4.2 percent personal income tax cuts.
Overhauling how contracts are awarded is a needed part of a long-term process to improve state finances, said Harris. Getting the bill passed with construction reform is the right thing to do for “this great state,” Harris said.
He and Senate President Pro Tem Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, said they understood that the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus had a problem with the construction reform proposal. The two Republicans said that they hoped to work out the problem, possibly on Thursday.
However, Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro, D-Hubbard, and Sen. Fred Strahorn, D-Dayton, said the entire Senate Democratic caucus, not just the black caucus, have concerns with putting construction reform in the bill to fix the budget.
There is not even a bill drafted on construction reform and the plan should work its way through the legislative process, they said. It should be considered separately from the plan to fill the budget hole, they said.
“It seems to me that the funding for education is being held hostage to somebody’s desire to have construction reform,” Cafaro said.
Unless agreement is reached on how to fill the budget hole, cuts would have to be made to K-12 education.
The construction overhaul proposal is based on a report from a panel commissioned by Gov. Ted Strickland that said the changes could save money and get contracts completed sooner. The changes would allow the hiring of construction managers earlier in the process and expand their roles and change how risks involved in projects are shared, among other things.
Harris said Ohio State University President Gordon Gee said that the reforms could save $100 million on just one project.
Kettering, Lebanon schools get Senate help with report card problem
The Ohio Senate on Wednesday, Dec. 2, gave the Kettering and Lebanon city school districts some help with their annual report cards.
“This is a first step in giving a more true picture of a school district’s performance,” Jim Schoenlein, Kettering interim superintendent, said by phone after the Senate’s 32-1 passage of Senate Bill 167.
The current system “does not communicate how a school district performs in an accurate manner,” Mark North, Lebanon superintendent, said in a separate telephone interview.
Although both districts generally were high-performing, their grades slipped to “Continuous Improvement” — equal to a “C” rating — because of a single measure called Adequate Yearly Progress.
It examines academic achievement in sub groups classified along racial, ethnic, economic and other lines.
Kettering’s AYP performance for special education students and students whose native language is not English brought its ranking down.
Lebanon’s slipped because of the AYP performance for Hispanics and other students whose native language is not English.
Otherwise, both districts were headed for the top rating: excellence with distinction. The bill would change guidelines to prevent a district from dropping more than one classification based solely on AYP performance.
Sen. Eric Kearney, D-Cincinnati, cast the only “no” vote. He said the whole report card system needs to be revamped.
Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman, said the governor believes AYP is important in holding schools “accountable for every child.” Strickland has not been supportive of the bill “for some time,” Wurst said.
Sen. Gary Cates, R-West Chester, sponsor of the bill, said that by providing an inaccurate grade of a district’s performance, the current system could make it hard to attract residents who are looking for the best schools for their children.
The bill now goes to the House. It won’t land on Strickland’s desk unless the House and Senate agreed on a final version.
UPDATED with Speaker Budish response:House GOP leader “disappointed” with Dem Third Frontier plan
Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, and his fellow Democrats apparently have some work to do if they want to get the Republican support they need to approve putting a renewal and expansion of the Third Frontier program on the May 2010 ballot.
House Minority Leader William Batchelder, R-Medina, said in a letter to Budish on Tuesday, Dec. 1, that Democrats had put the plan together without Republican input and after holding “multiple closed-door meetings” with special interest groups.
“I was disappointed by your initial approach to the Third Frontier program,” Batchelder said in the letter.
Budish fired back in a letter to Batchelder about what he said had been bipartisan efforts to put the proposal together. The Third Frontier promotes high-tech research and job creation.
“I’m offended by your accusations and disheartened that you would choose to interject such disparaging political charges into what has historically been a productive and bipartisan process,” Budish wrote.
Nevertheless, Budish said he would offer Republicans a chance to be co-sponsors of the plan.
The House Democratic plan calls for seeking voter approval for a $1 billion, five-year bond proposal.
It requires 60 votes in the 99-member House to pass the plan. Democrats hold 53 seats, which means they need at least seven Republicans.
Obama gets more support for Afghanistan from Portman than from fellow Dems
President Barack Obama gets more support from Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rob Portman for the president’s Afghanistan war plans than the president gets from his fellow Democrats in Ohio.
“I agree with President Obama’s decision to follow the advice of his military commanders and deploy 30,000 additional troops in Afghanistan,” Portman said in a prepared statement on Wednesday, Dec. 2.
“Our national security is at stake, as Afghanistan remains the central front in the global war on terror. However, I disagree with an exit strategy that includes arbitrary withdrawal dates that will embolden our enemies.”
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said after Obama’s Tuesday speech that he was “encouraged” by Obama’s “clear goals” and “responsible timeline” but “skeptical about a commitment of 30,000 of our service men and women.”
Portman, a former Cincinnati-area U.S. House member, is seeking the Republican nomination to run for Ohio’s other U.S. Senate seat, held by Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who is retiring.
The two candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for that seat did not support sending more troops to Afghanistan.
“…defeating al-Qaida does not require 30,000 additional troops be sent to Afghanistan,” Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher said in a prepared statement.
“”It’s time to say ‘enough’,” Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner said in a prepared statement. “It’s time to employ more than military and mercantile strategies in Afghanistan and set a timetable to bring our troops home from Afghanistan.”
Senate Finance Chairman “optimistic” about state budget deal
Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Carey, R-Wellston, said that he is “optimistic” that agreement could be reached on Wednesday, Dec. 2, on a plan to fill an $851 million state budget hole.
Carey said he would be one of five Republicans to back a plan but declined to name the other four. The five Republicans and support of all 12 Senate Democrats would be needed to pass the plan. Republicans control the Senate. Most of the Republicans are opposed because they consider the proposal a tax increase, which Gov. Ted Strickland and House Democrats deny.
It calls for postponing for two years the fifth year of five, 4.2 percent personal income tax cuts. That provision was in House Bill 318 already approved by the House but the Senate version could include other provisions, including comprehensive prison sentencing reform and construction reform.
It is unclear whether the House, controlled by Democrats, would accept the Senate version.
“We sent over a clean bill and I would like to see a clean bill come out of the Senate,” House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, said on Tuesday.
However, talks involving Strickland, a Democrat, and House and Senate leaders could resolve differences.
Court: wife’s secret tapes can be used to convict husband
Secret jailhouse recordings between a husband and wife can be used to help convict a criminal defendant, despite a state law that says spouses cannot testify about their private communications, according to an Ohio Supreme Court ruling released Wednesday, Dec. 2.
In a 6-1 decision, the court rejected arguments made by death row inmate Kerry Perez that the recordings made by his wife, Debra, while visiting him in the Clark County Jail should not have been allowed to be used against him at his trial.
The marital privilege law says that a husband or wife shall not testify about their communications. Debra testified at the trial but prosecutors did not ask her to repeat Perez’ statements. Instead, they let the tape recorded conversations do the talking.
The court affirmed Perez’ death sentence for the aggravated murder of Ronald Johnson, who was shot and killed during a March 2003 bar robbery in Springfield. Perez wanted his death sentence reduced to life in prison.
The court’s opinion, written by Justice Robert Cupp, said the marital privilege statute prohibits a spouse testifying about their private communications but doesn’t bar introducing those conversations through other means.
Justice Paul Pfeifer disagreed. In a dissenting opinion, Pfeifer said admitting the secret tapes “eviscerates the intent behind the privilege and is in some ways worse than the admission of testimony. If a spouse testifies, the defendant at least has a right to cross-examine.”
Centerville attorney disbarred
The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday, Dec. 2, permanently disbarred attorney Charles E. Bursey II of Centerville after finding Bursey misappropriated client money, forged clients’ signatures, and mixed client money with his own.
The court said in a 7-0 opinion that Bursey violated attorney discipline rules and engaged in a patter of dishonest conduct.
Bursey, 38, was convicted of theft in May.
Lawmakers, candidates react to Obama Afghanistan speech
Here’s what some lawmakers and candidates had to say about President Barack Obama’s speech on Afghanistan on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
U.S. Rep. Michael R. Turner, R-Centerville
“Our troops on the ground are vulnerable because they do not have the support necessary to achieve their mission… The president’s delay has caused our allies and the Afghanis to question his commitment and resolve to fighting al-Qaida and the Taliban.”
Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek
“It is good the President finally made a decision on this important issue. Now we need to move forward with a clear mission, winning strategy and get our servicemen and women home safely.”
U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio
“Our strategic plan must include all instruments of American power - humanitarian, diplomatic and military …Military force alone cannot do it all in Afghanistan, but we can help create a secure environment in which the Afghan people can work to achieve a stable government and viable economy.”
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio
“While I’m encouraged that the president laid out clear goals and a responsible timeline for completion, I remain skeptical about a commitment of 30,000 of our service men and women…
“I do not want a long commitment of troops in the region and I am concerned with the dramatic costs to human life and to military families…”
U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester
“We must deny al-Qaida and the Taliban a safe haven in Afghanistan from which to plot more attacks on Americans.
“…This is a complex issue and plenty of questions must still be answered. The most fundamental is whether this plan will help us achieve success. I’m pleased that Secretary Gates, Secretary Clinton, Admiral Mullen, and General McChrystal will be providing more answers in the coming days.”
U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland
“I place my trust in the commanders on the ground. While the cost of fighting is high the cost of losing Afghanistan to the extremists is far higher. .”
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana
“…I am troubled by the prescribed timelines announced by the president. Our goal is to win, not to announce to the enemy the day we are leaving. We must never forget that Afghanistan was the safe haven for terrorists that launched the 9/11 attacks on our country and we must never forget to thank our men and women in uniform for their sacrifice and service.”
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
“It’s time to employ more than military and mercantile strategies in Afghanistan and set a timetable to bring our troops home from Afghanistan.”
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate
“… defeating al-Qaeda does not require 30,000 additional troops be sent to Afghanistan. As those on the ground have said, stabilizing Afghanistan and preventing al-Qaida’s return requires training tens of thousands of additional Afghan forces, building a broad-based, coalition government with the legitimacy to lead and a crackdown on corruption by the Karzai government. Placing more American soldiers in harm’s way will not move us closer to achieving those goals.”
Obama outlines plans for Afghanistan
Here’s the prepared text of the speech President Barack Obama made on his plans for Afghanistan:
Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our armed services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan - the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my Administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion.
It is an honor for me to do so here - at West Point - where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.
To address these issues, it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, nineteen men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.
As we know, these men belonged to al Qaida - a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world’s great religions, to justify the slaughter of innocents. Al Qaida’s base of operations was in Afghanistan, where they were harbored by the Taliban - a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere.
Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaida and those who harbored them - an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to 0. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 - the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaida’s terrorist network, and to protect our common security.
Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy - and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden - we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaida was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the UN, a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.
Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq War is well-known and need not be repeated here. It is enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq War drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention - and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world.
Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end. We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011. That we are doing so is a testament to the character of our men and women in uniform. Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance , we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people.
But while we have achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. After escaping across the border into Pakistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaida’s leadership established a safe-haven there. Although a legitimate government was elected by the Afghan people, it has been hampered by corruption, the drug trade, an under-developed economy, and insufficient Security Forces. Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to take control over swaths of Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating acts of terrorism against the Pakistani people.
Throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were in Iraq. When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war. Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive. That’s why, shortly after taking office, I approved a long-standing request for more troops. After consultations with our allies, I then announced a strategy recognizing the fundamental connection between our war effort in Afghanistan, and the extremist safe-havens in Pakistan. I set a goal that was narrowly defined as disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies, and pledged to better coordinate our military and civilian effort.
Since then, we have made progress on some important objectives. High-ranking al Qaida and Taliban leaders have been killed, and we have stepped up the pressure on al Qaida world-wide. In Pakistan, that nation’s Army has gone on its largest offensive in years. In Afghanistan, we and our allies prevented the Taliban from stopping a presidential election, and - although it was marred by fraud - that election produced a government that is consistent with Afghanistan’s laws and Constitution.
Yet huge challenges remain. Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There is no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. Al Qaida has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe-havens along the border. And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan Security Forces and better secure the population. Our new Commander in Afghanistan - General McChrystal - has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. In short: the status quo is not sustainable. As cadets, you volunteered for service during this time of danger. Some of you have fought in Afghanistan. Many will deploy there. As your Commander-in-Chief, I owe you a mission that is clearly defined, and worthy of your service. That is why, after the Afghan voting was completed, I insisted on a thorough review of our strategy. Let me be clear: there has never been an option before me that called for troop deployments before 2010, so there has been no delay or denial of resources necessary for the conduct of the war. Instead, the review has allowed me ask the hard questions, and to explore all of the different options along with my national security team, our military and civilian leadership in Afghanistan, and with our key partners. Given the stakes involved, I owed the American people - and our troops - no less.
This review is now complete. And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.
I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources. Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort. And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home.
Most of all, I know that this decision asks even more of you - a military that, along with your families, has already borne the heaviest of all burdens. As President, I have signed a letter of condolence to the family of each American who gives their life in these wars. I have read the letters from the parents and spouses of those who deployed. I have visited our courageous wounded warriors at Walter Reed. I have travelled to Dover to meet the flag-draped caskets of 18 Americans returning home to their final resting place. I see firsthand the terrible wages of war. If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow.
So no - I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of the violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror. This danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaida can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaida, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.
Of course, this burden is not ours alone to bear. This is not just America’s war. Since 9/11, al Qaida’s safe-havens have been the source of attacks against London and Amman and Bali. The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them.
These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies. Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.
To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan. We must deny al Qaida a safe-haven. We must reverse the Taliban’s momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government. And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan’s Security Forces and government, so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan’s future.
We will meet these objectives in three ways. First, we will pursue a military strategy that will break the Taliban’s momentum and increase Afghanistan’s capacity over the next 18 months.
The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 - the fastest pace possible - so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.
Because this is an international effort, I have asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead. Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. Now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility - what’s at stake is the security of our Allies, and the common security of the world.
Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government - and, more importantly, to the Afghan people - that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.
Second, we will work with our partners, the UN, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security.
This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over. President Karzai’s inauguration speech sent the right message about moving in a new direction. And going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance. We will support Afghan Ministries, Governors, and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable. And we will also focus our assistance in areas - such as agriculture - that can make an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people.
The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They have been confronted with occupation - by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand - America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country. We will support efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens. And we will seek a partnership with Afghanistan grounded in mutual respect - to isolate those who destroy; to strengthen those who build; to hasten the day when our troops will leave; and to forge a lasting friendship in which America is your partner, and never your patron.
Third, we will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan.
We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.
In the past, there have been those in Pakistan who have argued that the struggle against extremism is not their fight, and that Pakistan is better off doing little or seeking accommodation with those who use violence. But in recent years, as innocents have been killed from Karachi to Islamabad, it has become clear that it is the Pakistani people who are the most endangered by extremism. Public opinion has turned. The Pakistani Army has waged an offensive in Swat and South Waziristan. And there is no doubt that the United States and Pakistan share a common enemy.
In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interests, mutual respect, and mutual trust. We will strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe-haven for terrorists whose location is known, and whose intentions are clear. America is also providing substantial resources to support Pakistan’s democracy and development. We are the largest international supporter for those Pakistanis displaced by the fighting. And going forward, the Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan’s security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed.
These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.
I recognize that there are a range of concerns about our approach. So let me briefly address a few of the prominent arguments that I have heard, and which I take very seriously.
First, there are those who suggest that Afghanistan is another Vietnam. They argue that it cannot be stabilized, and we are better off cutting our losses and rapidly withdrawing. Yet this argument depends upon a false reading of history. Unlike Vietnam, we are joined by a broad coalition of 43 nations that recognizes the legitimacy of our action. Unlike Vietnam, we are not facing a broad-based popular insurgency. And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border. To abandon this area now - and to rely only on efforts against al Qaida from a distance - would significantly hamper our ability to keep the pressure on al Qaida, and create an unacceptable risk of additional attacks on our homeland and our allies.
Second, there are those who acknowledge that we cannot leave Afghanistan in its current state, but suggest that we go forward with the troops that we have. But this would simply maintain a status quo in which we muddle through, and permit a slow deterioration of conditions there. It would ultimately prove more costly and prolong our stay in Afghanistan, because we would never be able to generate the conditions needed to train Afghan Security Forces and give them the space to take over.
Finally, there are those who oppose identifying a timeframe for our transition to Afghan responsibility. Indeed, some call for a more dramatic and open-ended escalation of our war effort - one that would commit us to a nation building project of up to a decade. I reject this course because it sets goals that are beyond what we can achieve at a reasonable cost, and what we need to achieve to secure our interests. Furthermore, the absence of a timeframe for transition would deny us any sense of urgency in working with the Afghan government. It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan.
As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, our or interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I do not have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I am mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who - in discussing our national security - said, “Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs.”
Over the past several years, we have lost that balance, and failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our friends and neighbors are out of work and struggle to pay the bills, and too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children. Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we simply cannot afford to ignore the price of these wars.
All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly 30 billion dollars for the military this year, and I will work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit.
But as we end the war in Iraq and transition to Afghan responsibility, we must rebuild our strength here at home. Our prosperity provides a foundation for our power. It pays for our military. It underwrites our diplomacy. It taps the potential of our people, and allows investment in new industry. And it will allow us to compete in this century as successfully as we did in the last. That is why our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended - because the nation that I am most interested in building is our own.
Let me be clear: none of this will be easy. The struggle against violent extremism will not be finished quickly, and it extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan. It will be an enduring test of our free society, and our leadership in the world. And unlike the great power conflicts and clear lines of division that defined the 20th century, our effort will involve disorderly regions and diffuse enemies.
So as a result, America will have to show our strength in the way that we end wars and prevent conflict. We will have to be nimble and precise in our use of military power. Where al Qaida and its allies attempt to establish a foothold - whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere - they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships.
And we cannot count on military might alone. We have to invest in our homeland security, because we cannot capture or kill every violent extremist abroad. We have to improve and better coordinate our intelligence, so that we stay one step ahead of shadowy networks.
We will have to take away the tools of mass destruction. That is why I have made it a central pillar of my foreign policy to secure loose nuclear materials from terrorists; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to pursue the goal of a world without them. Because every nation must understand that true security will never come from an endless race for ever-more destructive weapons - true security will come for those who reject them.
We will have to use diplomacy, because no one nation can meet the challenges of an interconnected world acting alone. I have spent this year renewing our alliances and forging new partnerships. And we have forged a new beginning between America and the Muslim World - one that recognizes our mutual interest in breaking a cycle of conflict, and that promises a future in which those who kill innocents are isolated by those who stand up for peace and prosperity and human dignity.
Finally, we must draw on the strength of our values - for the challenges that we face may have changed, but the things that we believe in must not. That is why we must promote our values by living them at home - which is why I have prohibited torture and will close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. And we must make it clear to every man, woman and child around the world who lives under the dark cloud of tyranny that America will speak out on behalf of their human rights, and tend to the light of freedom, and justice, and opportunity, and respect for the dignity of all peoples. That is who we are. That is the moral source of America’s authority.
Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs. We have spilled American blood in many countries on multiple continents. We have spent our revenue to help others rebuild from rubble and develop their own economies. We have joined with others to develop an architecture of institutions - from the United Nations to NATO to the World Bank - that provide for the common security and prosperity of human beings.
We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than any other nation, the United States of America has underwritten global security for over six decades - a time that, for all its problems, has seen walls come down, markets open, billions lifted from poverty, unparalleled scientific progress, and advancing frontiers of human liberty.
For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation’s resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours. What we have fought for - and what we continue to fight for - is a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity.
As a country, we are not as young - and perhaps not as innocent - as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. Now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age.
In the end, our security and leadership does not come solely from the strength of our arms. It derives from our people - from the workers and businesses who will rebuild our economy; from the entrepreneurs and researchers who will pioneer new industries; from the teachers that will educate our children, and the service of those who work in our communities at home; from the diplomats and Peace Corps volunteers who spread hope abroad; and from the men and women in uniform who are part of an unbroken line of sacrifice that has made government of the people, by the people, and for the people a reality on this Earth.
This vast and diverse citizenry will not always agree on every issue - nor should we. But I also know that we, as a country, cannot sustain our leadership nor navigate the momentous challenges of our time if we allow ourselves to be split asunder by the same rancor and cynicism and partisanship that has in recent times poisoned our national discourse.
It is easy to forget that when this war began, we were united - bound together by the fresh memory of a horrific attack, and by the determination to defend our homeland and the values we hold dear. I refuse to accept the notion that we cannot summon that unity again. I believe with every fiber of my being that we - as Americans - can still come together behind a common purpose. For our values are not simply words written into parchment - they are a creed that calls us together, and that has carried us through the darkest of storms as one nation, one people.
America - we are passing through a time of great trial. And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering. We will go forward with the confidence that right makes might, and with the commitment to forge an America that is safer, a world that is more secure, and a future that represents not the deepest of fears but the highest of hopes. Thank you, God Bless you, God Bless our troops, and may God Bless the United States of America.
White House provides excerpts of Obama Afghanistan speech
Here’s part of what President Barack Obama will tell the American people at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1, about his plans for Afghanistan, according to the White House.
“The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 - the fastest pace possible - so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers.
“They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.
“Because this is an international effort, I have asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead.
“Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. Now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility - what’s at stake is the security of our Allies, and the common security of the world.”
“Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011.
“Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul.
“But it will be clear to the Afghan government - and, more importantly, to the Afghan people - that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.”
Sen. Voinovich, Reps. Austria , Turner speak out on Afghanistan
As President Barack Obama prepared to speak to the nation at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1, on Afghanistan, U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, outlined what he hopes to hear from the president.
Meanwhile, U.S. Reps. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, and Michael R. Turner, R-Centerville, reacted to reports that Obama will announce that he is sending additional troops to Afghanistan and setting a plan to bring the troops home
“I know President Obama understands how important it is to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan and I look forward to hearing the specifics of a clear, coherent, measurable and realistic plan of action,” Voinovich said in a prepared statement.
“…I hope President Obama has not made his decision unilaterally, but coordinated with the international community, especially our NATO allies. We cannot continue to travel down this war road alone - we need international partnership, shared responsibility and financial support from our allies. It is vital we have commitments from regional players such as Pakistan, India and China.
“Our strategic plan must include all instruments of American power - humanitarian, diplomatic and military…”
To hear Voinovich, click here.
Austria said in a prepared statement that any delay in sending more troops would put at risk those already fighting in Afghanistan.
“I question why this decision took so long and it is important that we have a clear policy and winning strategy to successfully complete our mission in Afghanistan and get our servicemen and women home safely so our children don’t have to revisit this issue in the years to come,” Austria said.
Turner also questioned the delay in sending more troops.
“Our troops on the ground are vulnerable because they do not have the support necessary to achieve their mission.
“The American people expect to hear the president speak candidly about the revised strategy. The president’s delay has caused our allies and the Afghanis to question his commitment and resolve to fighting Al-Qaida and the Taliban.”
“I look forward to hearing from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and General Stanley McChrystal in the days ahead as to how they plan to deploy the surge in troops, and if indeed the president’s surge is sufficient.”
Ohio House votes crackdown on street racing
The Ohio House on Tuesday, Dec. 1, voted to crack down on street racing with tougher penalties and possible loss of the cars involved.
“Racing should be on the track or the drag strip, not on the public streets where putting the pedal to the metal endangers innocent people,” Rep. Ted Celeste, D-Grandview Heights, the bill’s sponsor said.
The vote on House Bill 191 was 91-7. It now goes to the Senate.
Currently the basic penalty is a first degree misdemeanor, which carries a prison term of up to six months and a maximum fine of $1,000.
The bill makes the crime a felony under certain conditions. For example, if the race physically harmed someone, the penalty would be a third degree felony, with a prison term of up to five years and a fine of $10,000.
Also, the bill would require a judge to order the immobilization and impoundment of the license plates or forfeiture of the vehicle of the offender was the owner or if the owner knew that the offender was street racing.
Ohio House approves tougher penalty for cockfighting
The Ohio House on Tuesday, Dec. 1, by a 79-19 vote approved legislation increasing the penalty for cockfighting.
House Bill 108 would make cockfighting a fifth degree felony, which carries a prison term of up to 12 months and a fine of up to $2,500.
It is now a fourth degree misdemeanor, with a penalty of no more than 30 days in prison and a maximum fine of $150.
State Rep. John Domenick, D-Smithfield, the sponsor, said there is no “redeemable social value” to the activity. Ohio has the second weakest penalties in the nation, he said, and they don’t deter cockfighting. He said the activity has gone on in Vinton County.
Rep. James Zehringer, R-Fort Recovery, an opponent, said he and his constituents don’t favor animal cruelty.
“My problem is the slippery slope. We’re putting animals above humans. What’s next? Hunting? Fishing? Horse racing?” Zehringer asked.
John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States applauded the vote in a prepared statement:
“The passage of the felony cockfighting bill in the Ohio House of Representatives is a crucial step towards bringing Ohio in line with the 39 states — including every other state in the Great Lakes region — that already punish the cruel blood sport as a felony.”
The bill now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
Columbus Mayor Coleman endorses Fisher in U.S. Senate race
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman on Tuesday, Dec. 1, announced that he has endorsed Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in the 2010 U.S. Senate race.
Fisher is running against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat. The seat is being vacated by Republican U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, who is retiring.
“I have known Lee for many years, and I’ve seen his leadership on key development projects,” Coleman said in a press release. “…Lee will put Ohio jobs and Ohio families first, and no one will work harder to bring new economic growth to our state.”
Coleman was Fisher’s lieutenant governor runningmate in 1998 when Fisher lost the governor’s race to Republican Bob Taft.
Rep. Turner to move residence to downtown Dayton
U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, is moving to downtown Dayton from Centerville, Turner’s office announced in a press release on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
Turner will hold a media availability at 1:15 p.m. at the Schuster Center condominiums at Second and Main streets downtown, to announce his family will sell their Centerville home of seven years and move their residence to downtown Dayton, the release said.
Turner is a former Dayton mayor. The announcement follows a meeting that Turner held on Monday with Mayor-elect Gary Leitzell.
259,800 doses of H1N1 vaccine on their way
An additional 259,800 doses of H1N1 flu vaccine has been ordered by the Ohio Department of Health, the department announced on Monday, Nov. 30.
The vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was expected to begin arriving Monday at 511 local health departments, family physicians, federally qualified health centers, pediatricians, OB/GYNs, internists and children’s hospitals in the state’s 88 counties, a press release said. One non-pediatric hospital also was to receive the vaccine.
The order includes 49,400 doses of nasal-spray vaccine and 210,400 shots of H1N1 flu vaccine.
The vaccine is intended for high risk individuals including: health care workers and EMS workers who provide direct patient care; pregnant women; people who live with or care for children younger than six months; all people six months to 24 years and people 25-64 years with chronic medical conditions.
The order brings Ohio’s total to 2,299,200 doses so far, the release said. More vaccine is expected in coming weeks.
