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Morgan, Yost get auditor endorsements

By William Hershey | Friday, February 26, 2010, 08:40 AM

State Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, and Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost are touting endorsements as they continue their battle for the GOP nomination for state auditor.

On Thursday, Feb. 25, Morgan’s campaign announced that Summit County Republican Chairman Alex Arshinkoff in Akron had endorsed Morgan. In a press release, Arshinkoff compared Morgan to incumbent GOP Auditor Mary Taylor, like Morgan a CPA.

He called Morgan a “fresh face with bold ideas.”

Meanwhile, Yost’s campaign said the Delaware County GOP had endorsed its home-county candidate.

“I am humbled and honored that my fellow Delaware County Republicans have put their confidence in me to best serve the people of Ohio by protecting their tax dollars,” Yost said in a press release.

The county chair likened Yost to Taylor.

“Dave Yost is a very known commodity in Delaware County. He has a nearly perfect skill set, background, and proven track record in office to help him build on the accomplishments of current State Auditor Mary Taylor,” Teri Morgan, Delaware County Republican Chair, said in a press release.

Veterans’ group endorses Husted for sec of state

By William Hershey | Thursday, February 25, 2010, 02:52 PM

Ohio Veterans United on Thursday, Feb. 25, endorsed state Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, for secretary of state.

“Sen. Husted has a strong record of supporting Ohio veterans and honoring their service to our country,” retired Air Force Col. Thomas Moe, a Vietnam War POW and honorary chair of the group, said in a press release.

Husted is running for the GOP nomination against former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O’Brien. Franklin County Clerk of Courts Maryellen O’Shaughnessy is the Democratic candidate.

No state income tax would lead to big problems

By Laura Bischoff | Thursday, February 25, 2010, 11:57 AM

Critics are hammering against a GOP-sponsored bill pending in the Ohio House that that would eliminate the state income tax over 10 years.

Amy Hanauer, director of the Cleveland-based Policy Matters Ohio, told the House Ways & Means Committee this week that eliminating the income tax would devastate state government.

The state income tax generated $8.3 billion in fiscal year 2009, which amounted to 45 percent of the general revenue fund money. Without that chunk of money, Ohio could close all the state prisons, end aide to higher education and chop off property tax relief and still have to make more spending cuts, Hanauer said.

The idea that a lower tax rate would spur economic development “is a fantasy,” she said. The tax cuts of 2005 failed to bring relative improvement to Ohio’s economic standing, she said.

Getting rid of the income tax would bring $28 in annual savings to Ohioans earning less than $17,000 a year but result in a $35,490 windfall for the state’s top 1 percent of earners who make more than $309,000 a year, Hanauer said.

Among the 30 co-sponsors of the bill are two state representatives now running for statewide office: Seth Morgan of Huber Heights who is running for state auditor and Josh Mandel of Lyndhurst who is running for state treasurer. It is an idea also supported by Republican John Kasich, who is running for governor.

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Smoking ban goes too far, judge rules

By William Hershey | Thursday, February 25, 2010, 11:19 AM

Huber Heights bar owner Dave Grusenmeyer says he’s pleased with a Columbus judge’s decision that throws a potential wrench into the way Ohio’s statewide smoking ban is being enforced.

“What it’s going to mean is that they get things changed around so I once again will have the right to run my business the way I choose to run it,” Grusenmeyer, owner of the Beacon Lounge and president of the Miami Valley Licensed Beverage Association, said on Thursday, Feb. 25.

Still, it might not be a good idea to light up when you visit the bar if you don’t want to subject the bar owner to a fine.

Attorney General Richard Cordray is appealing the decision from Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David E. Cain and has asked for a stay pending appeal. Also, Dr. Alvin Jackson, state health director, said in a statement that “we will continue to enforce the Smoke Free Act.” Ohioans approved the ban in 2006.

Cain ruled that the health department overstepped its legal authority in enforcing the ban against Zeno’s, a Columbus bar, and tossed out citations that resulted in $30,000 in fines. The judge faulted a “strict liability” policy against bar owners that resulted in citations without taking into consideration “no smoking” signs, removal of ashtrays and notifying customers that smoking wasn’t permitted.

Grusenmeyer said that he has taken similar measures in Huber Heights but some people still smoke. He has not been fined so far, he said.

“Would the Department of Health require property owners to pat down visitors for cigarettes before they are allowed to enter?” Cain wrote. “Would it have property owners remove people by force from the premises at the risk of personal injury?” Placing the enforcement burden on bar owners is “ludicrous and defies basic notions of fairness,” wrote Cain.

Sara Morman, spokeswoman, for the health department, said in an e-mail that the smoking ban was set up more to protect people from second-class smoke in public places and that it is difficult to cite individuals violating the ban, as opposed to bar owners.

No individuals have been fined, she said. To cite an individual, the department needs a name and address, she said. Also, if an investigator goes into a bar and sees someone smoking but doesn’t see the bartender ask the person to quit, the smoker is not in violation, she said.

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UPDATED with Strickland reaction: Sen. Widener proposes bill to jump start green energy projects

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 01:16 PM

Sen. Chris Widener, R-Springfield, on Wednesday, Feb. 24, unveiled legislation, Senate Bill 232, that he said would make Ohio more competitive with surrounding states in attracting renewal energy projects and creating “green-collar” jobs.

His bill would allow companies that want to build renewal energy generation facilities - such as wind projects - to pay an annual fee based on how much energy they generate instead of tangible personal property taxes. This would bring Ohio tax rates for such projects in line with surrounding states, Widener said at a press conference.

Meanwhile, Rep. Roland Winburn, D-Harrison Twp., said in a press release that he planned to introduce legislation “in the near future” with similar goals. His bill would eliminate the tangible personal property tax on generation equipment on wind and solar facilities but he did not provide more details.

Widener said he’s engaged in his own “March madness.” He said hearings would being next week on his bill and he’d like to get a final version to Gov. Ted Strickland for his signature by the end of March.

“There’s no reason to wait,” said Widener.

Gov. Ted Strickland welcomed the proposal, spokeswoman Amanda Wurst said in an e-mail.

“In his State of the State address, the governor proposed eliminating TPP (tangible personal property tax) for wind and solar farms that break ground in 2010, are creating energy in 2012 and create Ohio jobs.

“We have not had the chance to review either the Senate or House proposals, but the governor is encouraged that both chambers are taking a serious look at how we can grow green jobs in Ohio. Governor Strickland remains committed to working with the GA in a bipartisan manner to get a bill passed that continues to cement Ohio’s standing as the nation’s leader in advanced energy.”

Widener’s bill would:

*Allow companies seeking to generate renewable energy in Ohio to be exempt from the tangible personal property tax and instead make an annual payment amounting to $6,000 per megawatt of installed capacity for the life of the project.

*Tell the companies to apply to the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority for the exemption.

*Make the new tax treatment available for all renewable energy projects that are under construction by 2011 and operational by the end of 2012.

*Require each project to create a number of construction and operation jobs in Ohio consistent with a model published by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

*Require project owners to repair all roads impacted by construction.

*Require owners to train county fire and emergency responders for potential emergencies at the owner’s expense and equip local and county emergency responders with proper equipment to respond to emergencies.

Fatal crashes down 14 percent in Ohio

By Laura Bischoff | Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 11:06 AM

Reports show traffic fatalities decreased by 14 percent in Ohio in 2009 compared with 2008, the state departments of public safety and transportation said on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

Last year, 1,028 people lost their lives on Ohio roads in vehicle crashes compared with 1,191 in 2008. Motorcycle deaths are also on the decline with 163 deaths in 158 crashes last year compared with 213 deaths in 212 crashes in 2008, officials said.

And drunken driving was a factor in 320 fatalities last year, compared with 422 fatal crashes in 2008.

State payroll drops $48 million

By Laura Bischoff | Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 10:56 AM

A combination of layoffs and unpaid furlough days helped the state shave $48 million off its 2009 payroll costs over 2008, a state report released Wednesday, Feb. 24, shows.

Searchable data Find out how much your elected officials and other state employees made:

The state spent $3.24 billion on employee pay in 2009, compared with $3.29 billion in 2008. That includes overtime, vacation, sick days and other leave time.

During the budget crunch, most of the state’s 65,000 workers accepted pay freezes, 10-days a year in unpaid days off, and other concessions.

The state also clamped down on overtime in 2009. Ohio spent $517,362 less in overtime in 2009 than in 2008, records show.

The employee count for 2009 was 65,781 compared with 68,262 in 2008. Those numbers include full-time employees as well as seasonal workers, part-timers and people who serve on boards and commissions.

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5 other Ohioans top Wright Brothers to represent state in Capitol

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 10:30 AM

Dayton’s Wright brothers came in sixth in a committee vote to decide finalists to represent Ohio in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Inventor Thomas Edison was the top vote getter among the 10 finalists, according to the National Statuary Collection Study Committee made up of members of the Ohio House and Senate.

The six members of the committee ranked their choices in preference from 1 to 10 and votes were calculated on that basis on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Here are the scores:

Thomas Edison, inventor - 46 points
Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and author - 40 points
Jesse Owens, Olympic gold medal winner - 36 points
Harriet Taylor Upton, women’s suffrage activist - 27 points
James M. Ashley, Toledo congressman and abolitionist - 23 points
Wright brothers, Dayton aviation pioneers - 22 points
William McCulloch, Piqua congressman and civil rights supporter - 18 points
Judith Resnik, Akron astronaut who died on the Challenger - 18 points
Albert Sabin, Cincinnati, creator of oral polio vaccine - 12 points
Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president and civil war general - 11 points

The only local representative on the committee was Rep. Richard Adams, R-Troy. Adams first choice was McCulloch. The Wright brothers were his second choice. Half of the committee members did not have the Wrights among their top 10.

Sen. Tom Leston, D-Warren, was the only member of the committee to rank the Wrights at No. 1.

Ohioans will have a chance to vote for their top choices at historical sites and museums around the state and other locations from March 20-June 12.

The House and Senate then are expected to make the final choice in November.

The new statue will replace a statue of William Allen, a former U.S. senator and congressman who also served a two-year term as governor from 1874-76. Allen held pro-slavery views and was an outspoken critic of Abraham Lincoln.

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Fisher leads Brunner, poll says

By Laura Bischoff | Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 08:43 AM

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher leads Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner 29 to 20 in the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate but 48 percent of Democrats are still undecided, according to a poll released Wednesday, Feb. 24, by Quinnipiac University.

Fisher had a slight lead - 24 to 22 - in Quinnipiac University’s poll released Nov. 12.

The winner of the May 4 primary will likely face former U.S. Rep. and former Bush White House budget director Rob Portman of Cincinnati.

The poll found that Portman holds small leads against both Fisher and Brunner in hypothetical match ups: 40-37 over Fisher and 40-35 over Brunner.

The poll also found that Ohio voters are fed up with both state and federal government. Only 1 percent said the federal government does the right thing “almost all of the the time” and 15 percent said “most of the time.” When it comes to state government, 2 percent say it does the right thing “almost all of the time” and 20 percent said most of the time.

Voters are also tired of the Democratic and Republican parties. Thirty-eight percent of Ohio voters view the Democratic party unfavorably and 37 percent view the GOP unfavorably, Quinnipiac University found.

Meanwhile, nearly one-third of voters view the Tea Party movement favorably and only 23 percent view it negatively.

“It is clear that the voter anger is bipartisan. They are fed up with both parties. Whether the Tea Party movement becomes a significant political force will be seen in the May primary and the November election, but clearly it has the potential to be a big factor in elections this year,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

The poll surveyed 1,662 Ohio voters between Feb. 16 and Feb. 21. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percent.

Rep. Morgan gets “Family First” endorsement in auditor’s race

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 08:41 AM

State Rep. Seth Morgan has received the endorsement of the Family First PAC, a conservative political action committee, in the race for state auditor.

Morgan is running for the GOP nomination against Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost, the state GOP-endorsed candidate. “Family First is honored to endorse Rep Seth Morgan CPA for auditor of state. Seth Morgan has a proven record on the issues of limited government, school choice, pro-life, the sanctity of marriage, and responsible spending and taxation,” Lori Viars, executive director of Family First, said in a press release on Wednesday, Feb. 24.

“Seth has proven himself as a solid fiscal conservative and social conservative, as well as a man of integrity. With his credentials and experience as a CPA, Ohioans could not ask for a more qualified watchdog for our tax dollars,” Viars, of Lebanon, said. Family First works in Ohio and Northern Kentucky, the release said.

Wright brothers among finalists to represent Ohio in U.S. Capitol

By Anthony Shoemaker | Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 06:32 PM

By William Hershey Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS - The Wright brothers, Dayton’s aviation pioneers, and former Piqua congressman William McCulloch are among 10 finalists a legislative committee has selected for a statute to represent Ohio in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Orville and Wilbur Wright were considered as one entity by the committee, which announced its choices on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

William M. McCulloch

McCulloch, a Republican, is credited with playing a key role in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and other major civil rights legislation.

The other finalists:

James Ashley, Toledo, abolitionist and U.S. House member.
Thomas Edison, Milan, inventor.
Ulysses S. Grant, Point Pleasant, president and Civil War general.
Jesse Owens, Ohio State athlete and winner of four Olympic gold medals.
Judith Resnik, Akron, astronaut.
Albert Sabin, Cincinnati, medical researcher known for creating oral polio vaccine.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Cincinnati, abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Harriet Taylor Upton, Ravenna, advocate for women’s suffrage.

The finalists were selected from more than 90 candidates. Candidates had to be dead. Rep. Richard Adams, R-Troy, the only Dayton-area lawmaker on the committee, said he cast his top vote for McCulloch.

McCulloch, said Adams, was responsible for something that is “ongoing, that is showing positive results.”

Ohioans now will have a chance to vote for their top choices at historical sites and museums around the state and other locations from March 20-June 12.

Sentiment from voters throughout Ohio “will be the single greatest factor” when the committee makes a final recommendation to the legislature, probably in July, said Sen. Mark Wagoner, R-Ottawa Hills, chairman of the National Statuary Collection Study Committee.

The House and Senate then are expected to make the final choice in November. Gov. Ted Strickland does not have a formal role in the process, which involves adopting a legislative resolution to send to Washington, D.C.

The new statue will replace a statue of William Allen, a former U.S. senator and congressman who also served a two-year term as governor from 1874-76. Allen, from Chillicothe in Ross County, held pro-slavery views and was an outspoken critic of Abraham Lincoln. State officials decided it was time to bring him home and send a replacement.

Each state gets two statues in the hall and President James Garfield will continue to be Ohio’s other representative.

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Make up calamity days online?

By Laura Bischoff | Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 01:55 PM

The joy of an unexpected snow day may melt away faster than a snowman in a rain storm.

A pending bill in the Ohio House would let school districts make up excess calamity days by requiring students to complete missed assignments within two weeks of the day off.

Currently, state law allows for five calamity days without making them up. Next year, the allowance drops to three days and the plan is to eliminate all calamity days as a way to squeeze in as much learning time as possible.

House Bill 407, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Zehringer, R-Fort Recovery, is scheduled to get its first hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

The bill would allow schools to sign up for the option at the beginning of the academic year. On calamity days over the allowed number, students would complete assignments online within two weeks. Anyone without a computer or Internet access would pick up paper copies at school and complete them within two weeks.

If the bill garners enough support, it could be adopted this year and implemented next school year.

Zehringer’s staff did not know whether other states have similar arrangements.

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Kasich hits YouTube with introduction

By Laura Bischoff | Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 01:14 PM

Just hours after a new poll said 62 percent of Ohio voters don’t know Republican John Kasich enough to have an opinion about him, the Kasich for governor campaign began touting a 4-minute video on YouTube that introduces him to Ohioans.

Kasich is a former Lehman Brothers investment banker, former Congressman and former Fox News host. Now, he’s running against incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland for the governor’s office.

In the video, Kasich speaks in broad terms about the importance of family, of fixing Ohio’s problems and of moving the state into the future. He does not offer specifics or touch on his proposal to eliminate the state income tax and how that would impact school funding, prisons, health care for the poor and other state services.

The poll, conducted by Quinnipiac University, also said Strickland is leading Kasich 44 to 39 percent.

To see the video, click here. Kasich’s campaign has uploaded 55 videos to YouTube while the Strickland campaign has uploaded seven videos.

Obama approval in Ohio slips to new low in poll

By William Hershey | Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 09:01 AM

President Barack Obama gets a negative 44-52 percent approval rating among Ohio voters, the president’s biggest negative in any state or national survey conducted by Quinnpiac University since Obama’s inauguration last year.

The university’s polling institute released the results on Tuesday, Feb. 23, in a poll that also found Obama’s fellow Democrat, Gov. Ted Strickland, doing better among voters and leading Republican challenger John Kasich in the governor’s race, 44-39 percent.

Obama’s new approval rating is down slightly from 45-50 percent in a Nov. 12 poll. The drop is led by a big fall among independent voters, who approve his performance, 38-57 percent. That’s down from 45-49 percent in November.

Ohio voters turn thumbs down on Obama’s handling of the economy, 39-57 percent, and 34-58 percent for his handling of health care.

Good news for Obama: voters approve 55-39 percent of his decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

“Given that President Obama carried the state with 51 percent of the vote, these numbers mean many Ohioans who were in his corner have now deserted him,” Peter Brown, the polling institute’s assistant director, said in a press release.

The poll was taken from Tuesday, Feb. 16, to Sunday, Feb. 21, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

Strickland leads Kasich in gov poll

By William Hershey | Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 08:40 AM

Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland leads Republican challenger John Kasich, 44-39 percent, among voters in a poll for the governor’s race released on Tuesday, Feb. 23, by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

The two were tied 40-40 percent in a Nov. 11 poll.

Also in the poll, voters approve of how Strickland is doing his job, 48-40 percent, up from a 45-43 percent approval rating on Nov. 11.

The governor’s favorability rating is 45-36 percent, up from 38-37 percent in November.

Sixty two percent of the voters say they don’t know enough about Kasich, a former Columbus-area congressman, to have an opinion about him .

“There has been an improvement in voters’ views of Gov. Ted Strickland,” Peter Brown, polling institute assistant director, said in a press release. “The momentum is a few points, but it is consistent across a number of measures. Voters, however, remain negative on his handling of the state budget and the state economy.”

Brown said the campaign “will be a race by the candidates to define Kasich for the 62 percent of the voters who don’t know enough about him to have an opinion.”

The poll was taken from Tuesday, Feb. 16 to Sunday, Feb. 21 with 1,662 voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

Other key poll findings related to the governor’s race:

*Voters disapprove of Strickland’s handling of the economy, 53-35 percent.

*Strickland gets a negative 32-51 percent approval for his handling of the state budget.

*Voters say 41-35 percent that Kasich would do a better job of rebuilding Ohio’s economy and by 41-35 percent that the Republican would do a better job of handling the state budget.

*Voters split on who would be more likely to do in office what he promises on the campaign trail. Thirty five percent say Strickland and 36 percent say Kasich.

*Voters say 40-36 percent that Strickland most shares their values.

Wait lists for seniors to be eliminated

By Laura Bischoff | Monday, February 22, 2010, 03:40 PM

Gov. Ted Strickland moved Monday, Feb. 22, to eliminate wait lists by the end of March for seniors who need in-home care and assisted living programs.

Currently, 592 people are on waiting lists for these services, including 163 in the Dayton and Springfield areas. “We should do our best to support older Ohioans who prefer to live independently in their own homes, but need assistance along the way,” Strickland said. “We have identified existing funds that will allow us to assist all seniors eligible for home and community-based care without a wait.”

As a way to help balance its budget, the state Department of Aging implemented waiting lists for the services. But that in turn causes the state Department of Job and Family Services to see higher costs when seniors are forced to move into nursing homes because in-home services aren’t available.

Strickland is calling for $4.8 million in JFS funds be transferred to the aging department for the services. The transfer is subject to state Controlling Board approval.

AARP Ohio and Ohio Area Agencies on Aging both praised the move.

“We applaud Gov. Ted Strickland for proposing this cost-effective method of ensuring that older Ohioans are able to receive the right services, at the right time, in the right place. Eliminating the waiting list for long-term care services is not only fiscally responsible, it is the answer many older Ohioans and their families seek,” said Jane Taylor, state director of AARP Ohio.

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Cincinnati Tea Party plans West Chester rally, press conference

By William Hershey | Monday, February 22, 2010, 02:40 PM

The Cincinnati Tea Party is holding a rally and press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 6 p.m.- 6:45 p.m. at the Lakota Freshman Campus Auditorium in West Chester, the group announced on Monday, Feb. 22.

Candidates must register by Tuesday, February 23 to participate, a press release said. The auditorium is located at: 5050 Tylersville Road, West Chester, 45069.

“Candidates from any party who are running for office—from precinct executive to president—are welcome to join in and be recognized,” said the release.

“Participants in the rally will be required to commit to basic ethical standards and the Tea Party’s core values: limited government, fiscal responsibility, and free markets. All agreements will be notarized and published on the Cincinnati Tea Party and Cincinnati 9/12 Project websites. No candidates will be endorsed.”

The press conference precedes the West Chester Community Tea Party meeting, which will screen the movie, Not Evil, Just Wrong.

The documentary challenges Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”, the release said. The public is invited to this screening.

Candidates may register at:

Can Ohio compete in the “Next Economy”?

By William Hershey | Monday, February 22, 2010, 02:08 PM

A report released today, Feb. 22, outlines how Ohio can compete in the so-called “Next Economy” with growing exports, reinvigorated metro areas, “clean-energy” jobs, “clean-tech” venture capital investments and more efficient government.

The report came from the Greater Ohio Policy Center and the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program.

Click here to read the whole report.

“Our goal is for the report’s recommendations to usher in a new era of prosperity in Ohio by outlining concrete policies that transform the way the state conducts business and open the way to innovative practices at the local level to take advantage of Ohio’s many assets,” Lavea Brachman, Greater Ohio co-director, Brookings Non-Resident Senior Fellow, and a co-author of the report, said in a press release.

The report’s 39 recommendations include:

Maintain the successful Third Frontier program

Pass a package of foreclosure prevention and corrective action legislation

Cut the number of Ohio school districts (more than 600 now) by at least one-third

Determine the true costs of Ohio’s proliferation of local governments

Compete aggressively for federal investments in clean energy, industry cluster development, and advanced manufacturing.

Strickland named head of Midwestern Governors Association

By William Hershey | Sunday, February 21, 2010, 07:29 PM

Gov. Ted Strickland was named chairman of the Midwestern Governors Association and co-chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, according to a press release from the governor’s office on Sunday, Feb. 21.

Strickland’s agenda for the midwestern governors group is “midwest jobs,” the release said.

This includes training workers and investing in businesses for the new energy economy and building on the regional efforts to foster economic growth and opportunities for the Midwest in the new energy economy, the release said.

He replaces Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

“As a region, the Midwest must determine how to best open up credit markets for mid-sized and smaller advanced energy companies,” Strickland said in the release.

“As we cast off our reputation as the ‘Rust Belt,’ we must capitalize on the entrepreneurial spirit and strong work ethic of midwesterners to expand our energy economy. Our region has the resources and potential to move this nation forward.”

Morgan wins endorsement of Greene County Republicans in state auditor race

By Anthony Shoemaker | Friday, February 19, 2010, 12:22 PM

State Rep. Seth Morgan won the endorsement of the Greene County Republican Party on Thursday, Feb. 18, with 60 percent of the vote.

The Greene County party voted the opposite of the Ohio Republican Party which is backing Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost.

Morgan entered the auditor’s race after incumbent Republican Auditor Mary Taylor joined GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich as his lieutenant governor running mate.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine asked Yost to drop out of the attorney general’s race and run for auditor.

“Seth Morgan continues to be recognized as the most qualified candidate of either party for Auditor of State,” said Rob Scott, Morgan’s communications director, in a statement released after the Greene County GOP endorsement. The Greene County endorsement is the second county endorsement Seth Morgan has received in more than a week. Brown County Republicans nominated Morgan last week.

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Winfree to retire from SERS

By Laura Bischoff | Friday, February 19, 2010, 11:33 AM

School Employees Retirement System Executive Director Jim Winfree will retire, effective April 30, he told his board of directors this week.

Winfree has led the public retirement system since January 2004. SERS is the retirement system in Ohio for school employees who are not certified teachers, such as janitors, clerks and bus drivers. SERS has 279,000 active and inactive members as well as retirees and more than $9 billion in investments.

Winfree’s career includes nine years as an assistant attorney general, 20 years in private practice, eight years as an Upper Arlington city council member, and 27 years as an office in the Naval Reserve. While serving in the Navy, Winfree was the Underwater Demolition Team Officer-in-Charge of the primary recovery team for Apollo 7.

Sean Hannity to speak at Cincinnati Tax Day Rally

By William Hershey | Thursday, February 18, 2010, 12:44 PM

Fox News host Sean Hannity will speak at a Tax Day Rally on Thursday, April 15, at the Fifth Third Arena at the University of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Tea Party announced on Thursday, Feb. 18.

Hannity will speak at the rally as the final stop on a nation tour to discuss his book, “Conservative Victory,” a press release said. The event is at 6 p.m. and doors will open to the public at 4 p.m.

Hannity will join national and local participants at the rally, the release said. Additional rally sponsors include the Ohio Liberty Council and the Cincinnati 9/12 Project, the release said.

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Ohio leads nation on water and sewer projects

By Laura Bischoff | Thursday, February 18, 2010, 11:30 AM

Ohio leads the nation with 274 water pollution control projects being funded in part with federal stimulus money, state and federal officials said Thursday, Feb. 18.

And the state ranks third with 62 drinking water projects funded with stimulus money.

Officials said the water pollution control construction projects are helping protect or improve Ohio’s water resources in 187 communities with 5.6 million residents. The drinking water projects will help provide safe drinking water for 1.2 million Ohioans in 150 communities.

All told, 700 jobs are being created or retained with the work, officials said. A little more than $279 million in stimulus funds are matched with $196.1 million of low-interest loan money for the projects.

Chris Korleski

Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski said, “Ohio EPA has worked extremely hard to put the best and broadest water infrastructure recovery program in place, and we have been able to put (stimulus) funds to work in hundreds of communities.”

Seth Morgan files for auditor; Kasich-Taylor team also files

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 05:23 PM

State Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, on Wednesday, Feb. 17, filed petitions with the secretary of state to run for auditor.

He faces a challenge for the GOP nomination in the May 4 primary from Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost, the Ohio Republican Party endorsed candidate.

The 2,215 signatures on Morgan’s petitions - 1,000 were required - show “support from all corners of Ohio,” Rob Scott, Morgan’s spokesman said in a press release.

The deadline for filing is Thursday, Feb. 18.

Others filing Wednesday included:

Republicans John Kasich for governor with lieutenant governor runningmate Mary Taylor.

Republican Josh Mandel for treasurer.

Democratic incumbent Richard Cordray for attorney general.

Democrat Eric Brown for Ohio Supreme Court chief justice.

Republican incumbent Paul Pfeifer for the Ohio Supreme Court.

Reports say Ganley to drop Senate run, switch to House race

By Laura Bischoff | Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 04:58 PM

Cleveland area auto dealer Tom Ganley’s campaign staff won’t comment on reports that Ganley plans to drop his GOP primary challenge against Rob Portman and switch to run against U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, a Democrat.

Ganley spokeman Jeff Longstreth said the campaign will have an announcement on Thursday, Feb. 18 — the deadline for filing petitions to get on the ballot.

If Ganley drops out, it’ll give Portman a clear path to the GOP nomination and allow him to save his campaign cash for the general election when he would face either Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher or Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

Portman, of Cincinnati, is a former Congressman, Bush White House budget director and U.S. trade representative.

Ohio foreclosures set record in 2009

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 03:10 PM

Ohio residential foreclosures set a record in 2009, increasing to 89,053, according to data available from the Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

The number of foreclosures went up 3.8 percent from the 85,773 in 2008.

There were increases in 65 of 88 Ohio counties. There was a decrease in Montgomery County, dropping to 4,703 from 5,194 in 2008, a 9.5 percent drop.

The foreclosure crisis continues to move into suburban counties, Bill Faith, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, said in a press release.

“We could be looking at 100,000 foreclosures in 2010 if we’re not prepared,” said Faith.

Here’s the 2009 foreclosure picture for other Dayton-area counties:

Butler, 3,162, up 5.9 percent from 2,987 in 2008.

Champaign, 318, up 24.2 percent from 256 in 2008.

Clark, 1,104, down 1.8 percent from 1,124 in 2008.

Darke, 311, up .3 percent from 310 in 2008.

Greene, 851, up 10.1 percent from 773 in 2008.

Miami, 741, up 25.6 percent from 590 in 2008.

Preble, 370, down 1.1 percent from 374 in 2008.

Warren, 1,498, up 14.7 percent from 1,306 in 2008.

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House honors right to life teen

By Laura Bischoff | Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 02:22 PM

When it was all said and done, Elizabeth Trisler’s appearance on the floor of the Ohio House on Wednesday, Feb. 17, took less than five minutes and didn’t offer a hint of controversy.

Instead, the national Right to Life oratory contest winner was lauded as a “justifiable source of pride” and was given a standing ovation by lawmakers.

“They were welcoming. I didn’t see anyone glaring at me,” said Trisler, 19, of Shelby County, immediately following her Statehouse debut. “I didn’t see what all the fuss was all about. Wasn’t that short and non-controversial?”

State Rep. John Adams, R-Sidney, wanted to give Trisler a resolution commending her for her win at the national competition in June. But House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, declined the request to recognize Trisler on the House floor, fearing she would use the opportunity to advocate her point of view on abortion.

Both the ALCU of Ohio and Ohio Right to Life called on Budish to reconsider and Trisler appeared on Fox News three times, ABC News once and in numerous Ohio newspapers. Budish relented.

Trisler said the speaker apologized for the controversy and congratulated her for her contest win.

“I think that was very nice and very commendable,” said Trisler, a student at Christian Academy in Sidney.

Husted files for secretary of state; faces primary against O’Brien

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 12:32 PM

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, today, Feb. 17, filed petitions to run for secretary of state, the state’s top elections officer.

Husted, who is endorsed by the Ohio Republican Party, will face former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O’Brien for the GOP nomination.

O’Brien, the unsuccessful Republican candidate for state treasurer in 2006, filed her petitions on Tuesday.

Husted said his petitions included nearly 3,000 signatures from voters in more than 60 counties.

“The support we generated from across the state marks another important stepinour campaign’s success,” Husted said in a press release.

The likely Democratic candidate is Maryellen O’Shaughnessy, Franklin County clerk of courts.

The filing deadline for statewide candidates is Thursday.

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Cordray, DeWine trade attacks as AG race heats up

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 09:48 AM

Democratic Attorney General Richard Cordray and his likely Republican opponent Mike DeWine, the former U.S. senator from Cedarville, already are getting after each other.

Cordray launched his re-election campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 16, and denounced DeWine for backing policies that Cordray said led to the Wall Street financial collapse that fueled the recession.

Also, Cordray downplayed DeWine’s high statewide name recognition.

“People knew him well enough that they voted him out of office in 2006,” Cordray said. “It was a 12-point loss, a significant loss.”

Cordray touted his office’s work on behalf of consumers, investors and small businesses. He also said that he restored integrity to the office after being elected to serve out the term of fellow Democrat Marc Dann, who resigned in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal.

DeWine, who is expected to be challenged for the GOP AG nomination by Hardin County attorney Steve Christopher, fired back at Cordray in a press release.

“As attorney general, he has continued many of the same policies and practices of disgraced former Attorney General Marc Dann,” DeWine said.

“Whether it’s raising campaign money from people who do business with the state or suing small businesses in an attempt to gain publicity, Richard Cordray has far too much in common with Marc Dann.”

Mandel to file petitions

By Laura Bischoff | Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 08:47 AM

Republican Josh Mandel is expected to file petitions on Wednesday, Feb. 17, with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office to run for state treasurer.

Mandel, a state representative and Iraq war veteran from Lyndhurst, is challenging incumbent state Treasurer Kevin Boyce, a Democrat. Boyce was appointed to the job by Gov. Ted Strickland when Democrat Rich Cordray left the treasurer’s office to become attorney general.

Sen. Voinovich praises Obama nuclear reactor plans

By William Hershey | Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 04:13 PM

U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, gave a big thumbs up to President Barack Obama’s announcement of a nuclear loan guarantee for the construction and operation of two new nuclear reactors at a plant in Georgia.

The loan guarantees are for about $8 billion and the reactors would be for the first nuclear plant to break ground on U.S. soil in nearly three decades, Voinovich’s office said on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

“Although loan guarantees alone will not sustain the nuclear renaissance, I believe this is an essential step,” Voinovich said in a press release. “My colleagues and I created this loan guarantee program back in 2005 to promote clean, advanced energy sources,” Voinovich said in a press release.

“….Our country needs nuclear power - the jobs, the energy security and the environmental benefits it provides.”

Voinovich said he looked forward to “hearing more about what President Obama will do for nuclear power and jobs.”

Stimulus anniversary sparks contrasting reactions

By William Hershey | Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 02:16 PM

Cry or rejoice?

That’s the question as the nation on Wednesday, Feb. 17, gets ready to observe the first anniversary of the $787 billion federal stimulus plan pushed through Congress by Democratic President Barack Obama.

Republicans are blasting the plan. An example of the blasting came from the National Republican Congressional Committee in press releases sent to Ohio and other states.

“It’s been one year since the trillion-dollar stimulus bill was signed into law, and we’re still seeing unemployment at record levels,” Tory Mazzola, NRCC spokesman, said in a press release.

The Center for Community Solutions, a Cleveland-based research group supportive of the stimulus, had a different take. As stimulus dollars started to flow, job losses began to slow down, the group said in a release.

“Ohio, as a large state and one with unemployment rates that have been running above the national average, has seen greater benefit from the Recovery Act than most others,” Emily Campbell, policy and planning associate with the center, said in the release.

For the record, Ohio unemployment was at 9.5 percent in February 2009 and rose to 10.9 percent in December 2009, the last month for which federal figures are available. Also, the state lost 107,800 jobs from February- December, 2009, according to federal data.

Cordray to seek re-election

By Laura Bischoff | Monday, February 15, 2010, 02:53 PM

Democrat Richard Cordray plans to announce on Tuesday, Feb. 16, that he will seek re-election as attorney general.

Cordray first won statewide office in November 2006 when he was elected state treasurer. When Democrat Marc Dann left the attorney general’s office in the wake of a sexual harassment and management scandal in 2008, Cordray ran for and won a chance to serve the remainder of Dann’s term.

Cordray is being challenged by former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine.

The DeWine campaign recently released a poll showing the Republican leading Cordray by double digits.

Meanwhile, campaign finance reports show DeWine has $1 million in cash on hand compared with Cordray’s $2.6 million.

Rep. Boehner to speak at CC luncheon in Middletown

By William Hershey | Monday, February 15, 2010, 09:25 AM

U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, will speak at a luncheon at noon on March 1 in Middletown, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce servicing Middletown, Monroe and Trenton.

The public is invited to the luncheon at The Manchester Inn and Conference Center, 1027 Manchester Ave. in Middletown, Bill Triick, chamber of commerce president, said on Monday, Feb. 15, The cost is $20 and advance reservations are needed, said Triick.

Reservations can be made at the chamber’s office, 1500 Central Ave. in Middletown or by calling 513-422-4551. They also can be made through the chamber’s Web site, www.thechamberofcommerce.org.

Ohio Education Association announces endorsements

By William Hershey | Friday, February 12, 2010, 09:30 AM

The Ohio Education Association Fund for Children and Public Education (OEA-FCPE) has endorsed Democrats in all statewide administrative races- except attorney general.

Also, the educators’ union declined to make an endorsement in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary between Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

The endorsements from the teachers’ union, announced on Thursday, Feb. 11:

Governor- Ted Strickland

Secretary of State - Maryellen O’Shaughnessy

Treasurer - Kevin Boyce

Auditor - David Pepper

“Our FCPE state council will be screening in the attorney general race after the May primary date,” Michele Prater, spokeswoman for the group, said in an e-mail.

Democratic incumbent Attorney General Richard Cordray is seeking re-election. Former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine of Cedarville and Hardin County attorney Steve Christopher are seeking the GOP nomination for AG.

The educators’ group also plans to screen candidate for the U.S. Senate and Ohio Supreme Court after the primary, a press release said.

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Morgan-Yost GOP auditor’s race heats up

By William Hershey | Friday, February 12, 2010, 09:11 AM

The race for the Republican nomination for state auditor between state Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, and Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost is heating up.

On Thursday, Feb. 11, Morgan’s campaign announced that he had been endorsed by the Brown County Republican Party with 75 percent of the vote.

“This endorsement further solidifies the base of support Seth is gathering across the state,” Emery Phipps, a Morgan spokesman said in a press release.

“Not only is he being supported by leaders of conservative organizations statewide as well as the Tea Party movement, the Republican ‘establishment’ is joining these groups and proclaiming Seth as their candidate for auditor no matter what the party ‘elite’ want the rank and file to believe.”

However, Kent Moore, Belmont County GOP chairman, on Thursday sent a letter to county chairmen across the state criticizing Morgan and praising Yost, the state GOP-endorsed candidate.

“Seth may in fact have a future in our party, but he has a lot to learn about working with and for people,” Moore said in the letter.

“…I’ll be happy to explain to Seth that the reason he will not receive the support of this chairman at this time is not because I believe in ‘waiting your turn’ as Seth assumes to be the case - but because he needs to learn to respect the GOP and its elected leaders, before he can expect to earn our support.”

Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper is the Democratic candidate for auditor.

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Dem O’Shaughnessy launches secretary of state campaign

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 05:39 PM

Democrat Maryellen O’Shaughnessy, with Gov. Ted Strickland’s blessing, launched her campaign for secretary of state, the state’s chief elections officer, on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Strickland tapped O’Shaughnessy, Franklin County Clerk of Courts, for the slot after state Rep. Jennifer Garrison, D-Marietta, withdrew from the race.

“She will be a guardian of the integrity of the elections system and implement new ideas to increase voter participation and enhance voter protection,” Strickland said in a press release.

O’Shaughnessy pledged to “work every day to administer elections in a free, open and fair way.”

State Republican Chairman Kevin DeWine wasn’t impressed.

“Another week, another candidate for secretary of state. They obviously spin a wheel over at the Democratic Party headquarters and whoever it lands on gets to run for this office,” DeWine said in press release.

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O’Brien seeking the GOP nomination for secretary of state.

Fisher campaign study: Loans to Dayton small businesses drop 28 percent

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 01:21 PM

Loans to small businesses in Dayton dropped 28 percent - more than $5 million - between 2006 and 2009, according to a study prepared and released on Wednesday, Feb. 10, by Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher’s U.S. Senate campaign. The drop was from about $17.9 million to about $12.8 million, according to the Fisher campaign.

In a conference call with reporters, Fisher, a Democrat, blamed the drop largely on the economic policies of former Republican President George W. Bush. Fisher called Republican Rob Portman, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate, a “chief architect” of Bush policies. Bush, with Portman’s backing, cut SBA funding and increased fees for small businesses, said Fisher.

Portman served as budget director and U.S. trade representative under Bush.

Statewide, loans to small businesses dropped 34 percent during the period of the study, Fisher said. The study looked at loans from the federal Small Business Administration used to start up and expand small businesses. The SBA does not make the loans, but guarantees them.

Jessica Towhey, spokeswoman for Portman’s campaign, said she was wary of the study.

“We have to wonder about the authenticity of data coming from a campaign that is desperate to convince Ohioans that Job Czar Lee Fisher spent the last three years focused on creating jobs while more than 300,000 Ohioans have lost their jobs and the unemployment rate has more than doubled,” Towhey said in an e-mail.

To help small businesses, Fisher proposed:

*Creating five million jobs nationwide over two years with a new job creation tax credit.

*Encouraging banks to get loans out to responsible small business owners and cutting red tape.

*Boosting transparency and accountability on Wall Street.

Fisher is running for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

Portman, also a former Cincinnati-area congressman, is running against Cleveland-area car dealer Tom Ganley for the GOP nomination.

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Speaker to allow Right to Life teen on the House floor

By Laura Bischoff | Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 01:08 PM

Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, reconsidered his opposition to honoring 19-year-old Elizabeth Trisler on the House floor, according to spokesman Keary McCarthy.

Last year, Trisler won an oratory contest sponsored by the National Right to Life and was invited by state Rep. John Adams, R-Sidney, to be recognized on the floor. Lawmakers often applaud winning sports teams and academic stand outs on the floor for their achievements.

McCarthy said Budish was concerned that Trisler would use the moment to advocate for her position on abortion.

Both Ohio Right to Life and the ACLU of Ohio urged Budish to reconsider.

Although not a written rule or policy, traditionally, the recognition moments are not used for issue advocacy, McCarthy said.

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Poll: Let gays serve openly in military

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 09:07 AM

Gay men and women should be able to serve openly in the U.S. military, according to a national Quinnipiac University poll of registered voters released on Wednesday, Feb. 10.

By a 57-36 percent margin, voters say gays should be able to serve openly.

Also, by a 66-31 percent margin, voters say the current policy of not allowing openly gay men and women to serve is discrimination.

However, by 54-38 percent margin, voters also say gays serving in the military should face restrictions on showing their sexual orientation on the job.

Among voters in military households with an active or reserve or veteran family member, there was a split - 48-47 percent - on ending the current “don’t ask; don’t tell policy,”

There’s a partisan split on repealing the current policy. Democrats back ending it, 72-23 percent while Republicans oppose repeal, 53-40 percent. Independents favor repeal, 56-37 percent.

“Voters think 2-1 that keeping gays from serving is discrimination,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a press release.

“But they are much more mixed on exactly how the transformation of the military will occur and how the Pentagon should adjust to the needs of gay soldiers, sailors and Marines.”

Other poll findings:

*By an 82-10 percent margin, voters say the military should stop pursuing disciplinary action against gays who are outed against their will.

*Voters split 45-46 percent on whether heterosexual personnel should be required to share quarters with gay personnel.

*Voters say 65-30 percent - including 57-38 percent among military families - that ending “don’t ask; don’t tell” will not be divisive or hurt the ability to fight effectively.

*By a 50-43 percent margin, voters say the Pentagon should not provide for domestic partners of gay personnel.

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Widener named vice chair of Senate finance committee

By Laura Bischoff | Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 05:54 PM

Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, named state Sen. Chris Widener, R-Springfield, vice chairman of the finance committee on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Widener has been on the finance committee for the past year and also chairs the Energy and Public Utilities Committee.

ACLU and Right to Life agree: let the girl on the House floor

By Laura Bischoff | Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 12:53 PM

Elizabeth Trisler is the kind of kid who the Ohio House loves to recognize on the chamber floor with applause and pats on the back. She’s Ohio grown, she won an oratory contest and her state representative, John Adams, R-Sidney, wanted to give her a proclamation.

Trisler, now 19 and a community college student, won the oratory contest sponsored by the National Right to Life last June. House Speaker Armond Budish, D-Beachwood, decided the Shelby County teen-ager should not be honored on the House floor, though she did receive the proclamation.

That decision has both Ohio Right to Life and the ACLU of Ohio calling on Budish to reconsider.

“By declining to recognize Ms. Trisler’s achievement, Speaker Budish has created a troubling precedent that anyone who is deemed ‘controversial’ by House leadership will not be honored,” said ACLU of Ohio Executive Director Christine Link in a written statement. “Legislators should pay tribute to those who excel in their field, regardless of their political views or affiliations.”

Link scolded House lawmakers for sending a message that silencing those who disagree is the answer rather than modeling for young people that difficult issues can be handled through thoughtful discussion and respect.

“Surely, Speaker Budish can put aside his partisanship for 10 minutes to honor the accomplishments of a talented and optimistic teenage girl,” said Ohio Right to Life Executive Director Mike Gonidakis.

Budish spokesman Keary McCarthy said while Ohioans often receive proclamations on the House floor, they are not given an opportunity to advocate for issues. McCarthy said it was his understanding that Trisler wanted to read her speech.

“The speaker believes that it is important to avoid having political interests on either side of the aisle abuse this brief opportunity for recognition,” McCarthy said. “However, the speaker will gladly reconsider the request from Rep. Adams if appropriate discretion is used in a way that does not contradict a long history in the Ohio House of not having these presentations become a forum for advocacy.”

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Strickland calls passenger rail critics “cheerleaders for failure”

By William Hershey | Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 12:08 PM

Without identifying them by name, Gov. Ted Strickland on Tuesday, Feb. 9, blasted critics of the state’s plan to use $400 million in federal stimulus money to develop passenger rail service linking Dayton, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus.

“To be candid with you, I’ve been a little frustrated,” Strickland, a Democrat, told a gaggle of reporters at the Statehouse. “I am tired of those who are…I call them cheerleaders for failure.

“Anytime there’s an idea that comes along they immediately go look for the negative and for why it won’t work and why it might fail.”

Strickland wouldn’t identify who he meant.

“I know who I’m talking about,” he said. “I’m talking about anyone regardless of who they are….that look at $400 million and don’t see that as a win for Ohio…”

Some Republican lawmakers and others have questioned whether the rail plan will work because trains - at least initially - will not run at high speeds and because the frequency of service won’t make it convenient for Ohioans to ride the trains.

There also have been questions about whether Ohio, with its already strained budget, will be able to afford the estimated $17 a year needed to subsidize the service.

“My brother, this is 2010. We are not always going to be in a recession,” said Strickland. “This economy is going to return. Ohio will have growth in the future..”

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New governor poll: Kasich leads Strickland, 47-41 percent

By William Hershey | Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 09:10 AM

Republican John Kasich leads Democrat Ted Strickland, 47-41 percent among likely voters in a new Rasmussen Reports poll for the governor’s race released on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

The results are similar to a January poll that showed Kasich, a former Columbus-area congressman, leading incumbent Strickland, 47-40 percent. Kasich led in a December poll, 48-39 percent.

The poll shows a gender gap, favorable to Kasich. Kasich leads among males by 23 points, while Strickland has a 10-point lead among female voters.

Voters not affiliated with the Democratic or Republican parties favor Kasich by 16 points.

The poll was taken Friday, Feb. 5-Saturday, Feb. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Strickland appoints Steven Lesser as PUCO commissioner

By William Hershey | Monday, February 8, 2010, 04:44 PM

Steven Lesser, currently chief of staff at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, has been appointed a PUCO commissioner by Gov. Ted Strickland.

Ellis Jacobs, a senior attorney for Advocates for Basic Legal Equality in Dayton, was among the four candidates - including Lesser - that a nominating committee had sent Strickland to consider.

The commissioners serve five-year terms and regulate gas, telephone and electric utilities. His salary will be $119,995 a year, Strickland’s office said.

Lesser, of Bexley, a Columbus suburb, has been PUCO chief of staff since September 2007.

“Steven has served the PUCO in numerous capacities for the past 30 years,” Strickland said in a press release. “He is well regarded by his colleagues and he understands the issues facing utilities and customers in Ohio.”

New DeWine AG opponent comes from Tea Party movement

By William Hershey | Monday, February 8, 2010, 01:07 PM

Hardin County attorney Steve Christopher today, Feb. 8, said he is running for the Republican nomination for attorney general against former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine of Cedarville.

“I feel like the moderates and conservatives need to have a candidate for attorney general who’s not a professional politician and a liberal, which DeWine and Cordray both are,” Christopher, 51, who is part of the Tea Party movement, said by phone.

The incumbent attorney general is Democrat Richard Cordray.

Christopher said he is a township trustee in Hardin County where he lives on a farm near Forest. He has law offices in Kenton and Findlay in Hancock County, where he filed his designation of campaign treasurer form.

“The overriding theme (of the campaign) is that we need a conservative on the ballot, someone who understands the constitution,” said Christopher.

He also is an adjunct professor at Ohio Northern University. DeWine attended law school at Ohio Northern.

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Slots-at-the-tracks plan could be on Nov. ballot

By William Hershey | Monday, February 8, 2010, 12:01 PM

Backers of the plan to let voters decide if slot machines should be allowed at Ohio’s seven racetracks said on Monday, Feb. 8, that they filed enough extra signatures to get the issue on the November ballot.

“Today’s filing should put us over the top in qualifying for November’s ballot,” Gene Pierce, treasurer and committee member for LetOhioVote.org, said in a press release.

The group filed 177,307 supplemental signatures from registered voters with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, the release said. The filing should cover a shortfall of 27,065 signatures from the original submission of signatures, said the release.

It takes signatures from 241,366 to qualify the issue for the ballot. The group originally filed petitions with 325,496 signatures but too many were thrown out to qualify the issue. The group then had 10 more days to file the supplemental signatures.

Ohio AFL-CIO endorses Third Frontier ballot proposal

By William Hershey | Monday, February 8, 2010, 11:51 AM

The Ohio AFL-CIO, the state’s largest labor federation, has endorsed the renewal of the Third Frontier high tech economic development program on the May 4 ballot.

“Third Frontier continues to create jobs and re-invest in our economy and we will encourage our members to vote for its renewal,” Ohio AFL-CIO President Joe Rugula said in a press release on Sunday, Feb. 7.

The ballot proposal calls for the state to issue $700 million in bonds over four years to provide money to universities and businesses for high tech research with the goal of creating jobs.

Portman holds slim leads in U.S. Senate matchups

By William Hershey | Monday, February 8, 2010, 11:38 AM

Republican Rob Portman holds slim leads over Democrats Lee Fisher and Jennifer Brunner in possible matchups for this year’s U.S. Senate race, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released on Monday, Feb. 8.

Portman, a former Cincinnati-area U.S. House member, led Fisher, the lieutenant governor, 43-39 percent, and was ahead of Brunner, the secretary of state, 42-38 percent.

The poll did not include Cleveland-area car dealer Tom Ganley who is running against Portman for the GOP nomination.

In other poll results:

*51 percent somewhat or strongly disapprove of the job performance of President Barack Obama and 49 percent strongly or somewhat approve.

*53 percent somewhat or strongly disapprove of the job performance of Gov. Ted Strickland while 46 percent strongly or somewhat approve.

*54 percent say cutting taxes is a better way to create jobs while 17 percent say government spending is a better way.

*43 percent say the U.S. is safer today than it was before the 9/11 terrorist attacks while 39 percent say it is not.

The poll was taken Friday, Feb. 5 - Saturday, Feb. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Super Bowl divide: Dems for Saints; Republicans like Colts

By William Hershey | Sunday, February 7, 2010, 05:21 PM

The nation’s political polarization reaches into the Super Bowl.

A new Public Policy Polling national survey shows that 32 percent of voters back the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Feb. 7 while 22 percent support the Indianapolis Colts.

Democrats overwhelming back the Saints, 36-21 percent. Republicans narrowly go for the Colts, 26-25 percent. Independents back the Saints, 33-20 percent.

“There may not be the same kind of partisan gap on the Super Bowl that there is for Barack Obama’s approval ratings but even when it comes to football there are two Americas,” Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling, based in Raleigh, N.C., said in a press release.

“You’re much more likely to be rooting for the Saints this weekend if you’re a Democrat.”

Public Policy Polling PPP surveyed 584 registered voters from January 29-31. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.1 percent.

Complete results are attached and can be found at www.publicpolicypolling.com.

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Brunner lags far behind in U.S. Senate campaign cash

By William Hershey | Friday, February 5, 2010, 12:33 PM

Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner continues to lag far behind all other candidates in campaign cash for the U.S. Senate race.

Brunner’s Federal Election Commission report for the final three months of 2009, showed she raised $92,588, less than the $143,624 she spent and had just $60,859 on hand at the start of 2010.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, Brunner’s opponent for the Democratic nomination, had net contributions of $769,580 and had about $1.8 million on hand at the start of the year, his FEC report said.

As previously reported, in the battle for the Republican nomination, Rob Portman, the former Cincinnati-area congressman, raised $1.4 million during the quarter and had $6 million on hand.

Tom Ganley, the Cleveland-area car dealer challenging Portman for the GOP nomination, had nearly $1.3 million on hand at the start of the year. The bulk of Ganley’s money has come from loans Ganley made to the campaign. The campaign received loans of more than $1.5 million during the last quarter of 2009, his campaign finance report showed.

Former supreme court justice dies

By Laura Bischoff | Thursday, February 4, 2010, 03:06 PM

Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Craig Wright died Wednesday, Feb. 3, in Palm Springs, California. He was 80.

Wright, a Republican, served on the state supreme court from 1985 until his retirement from the court in 1996. He then worked in private practice until 2003 and as a judge by assignment for the Ohio Court of Claims until 2009.

“Craig Wright was an extraordinary jurist,” said Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer. “His intellect and his years of experience in the law served him well as a trial judge and justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Craig’s work in the field of alcohol and chemical addiction extended and improved the lives of hundreds of people. I have lost a good friend.”

The supreme court said Wright’s legacy includes helping establish a program to address substance abuse in the legal profession.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Kasich bills campaign for make-up artist

By Laura Bischoff | Thursday, February 4, 2010, 02:32 PM

Republican John Kasich’s campaign paid at total of $250 for make-up artist Kandi Mayo’s services on two occasions last year, according to his 2009 annual campaign finance report.

Apparently, Mayo made up Kasich for his June 1 campaign announcement and for an event on Oct. 13.

His campaign spokesman Rob Nichols noted that it is standard for candidates to get make-up if they are to appear on TV or in commercial shoots.

Kasich, a former Congressman and former Fox News host, is running against incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat.

Strickland, who has been known to shop at thrift stores, did not report make-up, haircut or similar expenses on his 2009 campaign finance report but he did bill his campaign in 2008 for a $250 make-up job by Leora Ludwig.

Democratic presidential wannabes John Edwards billed his campaign account for two $400 haircuts and Hillary Clinton, now U.S. Secretary of State, reported $2,500 in hairstyling fees as media production costs on her campaign account, according to news reports.

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PUCO job up for grabs

By Laura Bischoff | Thursday, February 4, 2010, 01:56 PM

What is always considered a plum assignment is up for grabs this spring when Gov. Ted Strickland appoints a new member to the powerful Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

A nominating committee sent Strickland four candidates to consider: Wilson Gonzalez, a senior regulatory analyst for the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel; Steve Lesser, the PUCO chief of staff; Suzanne Rhodes, a project manager for Wilbur Smith & Associates; and Ellis Jacobs, a senior attorney for Advocates for Basic Legal Equality in Dayton.

Commissioners serve five-year terms, regulate gas, telephone, and electric utilities, and are paid between $74,000 and $158,000 a year.

Republican Rhonda Fergus is not seeking re-appointment to the five-member PUCO. No more than three from any one party may serve at the same time. Two Democrats and two independents also serve on the five-member commission.

All four nominees are Democrats.

Legislature puts Third Frontier proposal on May 4 ballot

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 02:09 PM

By overwhelming bipartisan margins, the House and Senate on Wednesday, Feb. 3, approved putting a renewal of the Third Frontier high-tech economic development proposal on the May 4 ballot.

The vote in the Democratic-controlled House was 83-14; in the Republican-controlled Senate, the vote was 30-2.

The proposal calls for issuing $700 million in bonds over four years.

Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland does not have to give his OK to get the issue on the ballot but supports the plan. The governor expects leadership for the campaign to come from the business community, said Amanda Wurst, Strickland’s spokeswoman.

Chris Kershner, vice president for public policy and economic development for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, applauded the vote in an e-mail:

“The Dayton area business community realizes the true return-on-investment for investing in the future of our economy through the Third Frontier Program. All of the input we have received from members of the Dayton Chamber has been extremely supportive of the passage of this initiative.

“Passage of this issue on the May ballot is especially important as the Dayton economy is defining itself as a global leader in aerospace, information technology and advanced energy technology.”

Also, the Ohio Business Roundtable, a partnership of the chief executives of the state’s major companies, issued a state promising support:

“The bipartisan Third Frontier, spanning the administrations of Governors Bob Taft and Ted Strickland, is the most successful economic development and jobs program in this state and the envy of elected officials across the country. ..

“The Business Roundtable is united with our elected leaders and united with our partners in business, higher education and labor to win this campaign for jobs and Ohio’s future.”

Fisher gets new campaign manager for U.S. Senate race

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 10:05 AM

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher is getting a new campaign manager for his U.S. Senate race, John Collins, campaign spokesman, announced on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Geri Prado, who had been a top political adviser in Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign before joining Fisher’s campaign, is out.

Jay Howser, who has worked most recently with Democratic Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana is in as campaign manager, the campaign said.

Collins described Prado’s departure as “amicable” and a “mutual” decision.

“Geri Prado worked tirelessly over the past 10 months to help us put this operation together and Lee is enormously appreciative of her leadership,” Collins said in a prepared statement.

“Jay Howser comes to us as one of the most experienced campaign managers in the country, and we are excited to grow our operation.”

Fisher is running against Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race.

Former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman from the Cincinnati-area and Cleveland-area car dealer Tom Ganley are seeking the Republican nomination.

House, Senate poised for Third Frontier vote

By William Hershey | Wednesday, February 3, 2010, 09:13 AM

The House and Senate today, Feb. 3, are expected to vote to put a compromise plan for extending the Third Frontier high tech economic development program on the May 4 ballot.

A House-Senate conference committee late Tuesday agreed to a four-year, $700 million bond proposal. The Democratic-controlled House had proposed a five-year, $950 million plan while the Republican-controlled Senate had approved a four-year, $500 million plan.

A three-fifths majority vote - 60 votes in the 99-member House and 20 votes in the 33-member Senate - is needed to put the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. The deadline for getting it on the ballot is today.

Gov. Ted Strickland’s signature is not required on the resolution but the governor supports extending the Third Frontier. He had called for a $1 billion extension, but is expected to go along with the compromise.

The program is credited with creating or retaining 48,000 jobs, including thousands in the Dayton area.

Renewal of Third Frontier down to the wire

By Laura Bischoff | Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 04:29 PM

State lawmakers are trying to bridge a $450 million partisan gulf over asking voters in May to renew the Third Frontier bond program.

The Democrat-controlled House passed a resolution to ask voters to approve $950 million in bonds over five years while the GOP-controlled Senate set the guidelines at $500 million over four years.

The deadline for putting an issue on the May ballot is tomorrow, Feb. 3.

Gov. Ted Strickland said it comes down to the Senate Republican caucus. “I hope they’ll listen to the business community and the academic community that strongly support this at a robust level,” the governor said Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Strickland noted that the Third Frontier was started by Republican Gov. Bob Taft.

Meanwhile, Republican John Kasich, who is running against Strickland this year for governor, won’t say what amount of bonds is best for the Third Frontier renewal, just that it should be “reasonable,” according to his campaign spokesman Rob Nichols. He added that the way that the grants are awarded should not be politicized.

AG Cordray unveils plan to help small businesses battle scams

By William Hershey | Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 10:51 AM

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray has opened his office’s hotline for consumer complaints to small businesses and so far has recovered more than $60,000 on their behalf.

Cordray unveiled the operation at a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 2, and got a ringing endorsement from Laura Dickinson, office manager for the Spurlock Insurance Group in West Chester in Butler County.

Dickinson said she ordered new cell phones for the company in December 2008 after a promise that the new service would reduce costs. When that didn’t happen, she tried to return the phones but kept getting billed by the seller - finally $2,455 - before contacting Cordray’s office in November 2009.

The issue was resolved the next month, Dickinson said. Before the AG’s office got involved, “it was a nightmare,” she said.

Don Spurlock, company president, said that it would have been too expensive to hire a lawyer on his own.

Cordray said the AG’s office in the past has helped individuals with consumer complaints but now has determined that the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act gives him the authority to also fight scammers, deceptive vendors and others on behalf of small businesses.

His office started a pilot project in July working through trade organizations such as the Ohio branch of the National Federation of Independent Business and now is trying to spread the word to small businesses throughout the state, he said.

Businesses with fewer than 20 employees create half the jobs in the state and “we need to do everything we can to insure the success of Ohio small business owners,” Cordray said.

Roger Geiger, Ohio executive director and vice president of the NFIB, applauded Cordray’s effort.

“He is really helping foster the economic recovery,” said Geiger.

To file a small business complaint,call 1-800-282-0515 or visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/Business.

Ohio Republican Party endorses Yost for auditor; Morgan still in race

By William Hershey | Monday, February 1, 2010, 07:23 PM

The Ohio Republican Party endorsed Dave Yost, Delaware County prosecutor, for state auditor on Monday, Feb. 1, but state Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, remains in the race for the nomination, said Rob Scott, Morgan’s campaign spokesman.

“I am pleased and humbled to have this endorsement,” Yost said in a press release. “I know the challenge ahead of me to fill the shoes of Mary Taylor is huge. I’ll work hard to keep a conservative in that office and put together a campaign to win.”

“Dave Yost would have been a great attorney general,” Scott said in a press release. “The Ohio auditor’s office is not a bargaining chip to be played for nor is it an office for someone who concedes to political pressure.”

About 30 critics of the decision to endorse Yost demonstrated outside the party meeting at GOP headquarters in Columbus, party spokesman John McClelland said in an e-mail.

“We are a big tent party and sometimes people have disagreements. I talked with some people and they were very cordial,” said McClelland.

Mark Haverkos of West Chester in Butler County, who helped organize the demonstration, said demonstrators had backed Yost for attorney general.

Yost had been running against former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine of Cedarville for the GOP nomination for AG but switched to the auditor’s race at the request of Ohio GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine, Mike DeWine’s second cousin.

The demonstrators do not support Mike DeWine for attorney general, said Haverkos.

The scramble to fill the auditor’s slot on the GOP ticket came after incumbent GOP auditor Mary Taylor joined Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich as his running mate.

Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper is the Democratic candidate for auditor.

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Franklin County judge to run for chief justice

By William Hershey | Monday, February 1, 2010, 01:57 PM

Franklin County Probate Court Judge Eric Brown on Tuesday, Feb. 2, will announce his candidacy for chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Democratic Party announced on Monday.

Gov. Ted Strickland will introduce Brown at a 10 a.m. Statehouse press conference, a press release said. Brown was elected in November 2008 to a full term as probate court judge previously served at a judge in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court general division.

The Republican candidate for chief justice is expected to be Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor.

Incumbent Chief Justice Thomas Moyer is retiring.

Ohio Right to Life endorses Portman, Kasich, Husted, M. DeWine and Mandel

By William Hershey | Monday, February 1, 2010, 01:15 PM

The Ohio Right to Life Society PAC on Monday, Feb. 1, endorsed Republican candidates in five statewide races, including two races with likely GOP primaries.

The endorsements:

U.S. Senate - Rob Portman, the former U.S. House member, who faces Tom Ganley, a Cleveland-area car dealer, in a possible GOP primary.

Secretary of State - Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, who faces former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O’Brien in a possible GOP primary.

Governor and Lt. Gov. - Former U.S. Rep. John Kasich and Auditor Mary Taylor

Attorney General - Former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine of Cedarville

Treasurer - State Rep. Josh Mandel, R-Lyndhurst.

House Dems unveil reappportionment plan

By William Hershey | Monday, February 1, 2010, 12:13 PM

Rep. Tom Letson, D-Warren, on Monday, Feb. 1, unveiled House Democrats’ plan to change how Ohio draws state legislative districts.

Unlike the plan approved last fall by the Republican-controlled Senate, the House plan would not cover how U.S. House districts are drawn.

Also, Letson said the goal is get a proposal before voters on Nov. 2. Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, sponsor of the Senate plan, wanted to get the issue on the May 4 primary ballot.

Letson said his plan “will take the politics out of the reapportionment process.”

It calls for Ohio citizens after each census - including the 2010 census - to submit proposals to the Apportionment Board based on: competitive fairness; political competitiveness; communities of interest and compactness.

The five-member board would review the proposals and the final arbiter would be a five-member panel of retired judges - two Democrats, two Republicans and a fifth selected by the other four.

Husted said he welcomed the Democrats’ proposal but was disappointed that it did not cover U.S. House districts and that Democrats want to wait until November to put the issue on the ballot.

Husted’s proposal would do away with the Apportionment Board. It is made up of the governor, auditor, secretary of state and a legislator from each party. The party that controls two of the three statewide seats on the board controls redistricting.

His plan would instead set up a seven-member commission - governor, auditor, secretary of state, House speaker, Senate president and House and Senate minority leaders. A five-vote supermajority would be required to adopt a redistricting plan. Also, at least two votes would have to come from commission members not in the majority party.

Letson said his plan focuses on “how” the districts are drawn while Husted’s focuses on “who” draws them.

Another farm issue heading to ballot?

By Laura Bischoff | Monday, February 1, 2010, 10:11 AM

Only three months after agri-business convinced Ohio voters to create a Livestock Standards Board, the Humane Society of the United States announced Monday, Feb. 1, that it’ll push for another state constitutional amendment to regulate how farm animals are treated in Ohio.

Ohioans for Humane Farms plans to collect more than 403,000 valid signatures from registered voters by July 1 to put an anti-cruelty measure on the November ballot, said Paul Shapiro, spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States.

HSUS spent $10 million on a similar campaign in California and $1.5 million in Arizona. “We don’t have concrete numbers in mind (for the Ohio campaign) but we know this will be a major priority for the organization as well as other organizations involved,” Shapiro said.

The proposed measure would require the new, yet-to-be appointed Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board to adopt standards to prevent animal cruelty and enhance food safety, HSUS said.

Last year, the Ohio Farm Bureau and other agri-business interests rallied behind State Issue 2 to create the 13-member Livestock Standards Board. It was seen as an effort to head off a campaign by the HSUS to get its own regulations adopted.

Ohioans for Humane Farms said its measure will allow voters to prevent practices in Ohio that include confining animals in tiny cages for months on end and allowing sick and injured animals into the human food supply chain.

The measure would give the Livestock Care Standards Board six years to implement the minimum standards.

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Democrat O’Shaughnessy running for secretary of state

By William Hershey | Monday, February 1, 2010, 09:57 AM

With support from Gov. Ted Strickland and Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern, Franklin County Clerk of Courts Maryellen O’Shaughnessy has launched her campaign for Ohio Secretary of State.

“After consultations with Democratic officials, our friends in labor and numerous additional Democratic stakeholders, Gov. Strickland and I have concluded that Maryellen O’Shaughnessy is without a doubt the best candidate to be secretary of state,” Redern said in a press release on Monday, Feb. 1.

The announcement comes after Rep. Jennifer Garrison, D-Marietta, last week withdrew from the secretary of state race. O’Shaughnessy is a former member of Columbus City Council and was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House in 2000.

State Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and former Ashtabula County Auditor Sandra O’Brien are seeking the GOP nomination for secretary of state. Husted has $2 million on hand in his campaign fund.

“I look forward to taking my case to the people of Ohio and advocating free, fair and open elections with increased voter participation, competitive apportionment and the protection of each Ohioan’s right to vote,” O’ Shaughnessy said in the press release.

The secretary of state is Ohio’s chief elections officer but the race has added importance this year. The secretary of state, governor and auditor plus a legislator from each party will make up the Apportionment Board. The board will draw new stat legislative districts after the 2010 census.

The party that holds two of the state-wide seats on the board will control redistricting.