News from the center of Ohio

College students in Ohio's 15th congressional district and parents of children with learning

differences, Steve Stivers is NOT your candidate.  Did you know that Republican candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, wants to end college loans and special education????

(Source: 912 Union County & Galloway Federal Candidate Questionnaire, 11/09)

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Why won't Jon Husted release his income tax returns?  Is he hiding something?

The Democratic candidate for Ohio's Secretary of State, Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy has raised some serious questions about Republican Husted's lack of transparency regarding his own income.  Husted, a member of the "do as I say, not as I do" club, has refused to release his income tax returns. Democrat O'Shaughnessy has released her tax returns for the last few years, according to the Dayton Daily News.

Dayton Daily News:

...O’Shaughnessy campaign spokeswoman Heidi Hubmann said serious questions have been raised about whether Husted lives in Kettering. Husted says he lives in Kettering, but his campaign spokesman would not say whether Husted takes the tax deduction....


...The tax break for legislators who live outside the 50-mile radius allows them to take a deduction of as much as $157 per day for food and lodging during legislative sessions, according to a January 2010 memo from Senate Clerk Vincent Keeran provided by the O’Shaughnessy campaign.

For tax year 2009, a senator taking the maximum deduction could write off $55,870, according to the memo from the clerk, who could not be reached for comment.....

As noted in the Dayton Daily News,  in 2006, Husted and his wife improperly took a "principal residence" tax deduction on a home in Franklin County and his house in Kettering. 


Where does Jon Husted live?  Does Husted think that residency laws and ethics are okay for other people but not him?


Do you remember this clipping from the Dayton Daily News (posted by BuckeyeStateBlog)?

I think that Democrats in Husted's State Senate District of Kettering need to go to his "house" and knock on the door.  If you are handy with video, you could interview neighbors and ask them when they last saw Husted in his Kettering house.  You might also want to verify that Husted is driving that new Ford he bought with that campaign money. Take some pictures and send them to the Ohio Democratic Party.  I'm sure they'll put those pictures to good use.

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Brad Bauman, the Communications Director for the Kilroy campaign, informed me that Republican candidate Steve Stivers, former bank lobbyist, is refusing to participate in an upcoming debate/forum with Democratic Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15th).  Why?  Stivers doesn't want to be involved if Constitution candidate, David Ryon, and Libertarian candidate, Bill Kammerer, are included the event.  Sounds like Stivers is throwing a tantrum!!!!!  What is he afraid of?  Does Stivers think that Ryan and Kammerer  will expose his pandering to groups like Glenn Beck's 912 project and the Tea Party?  Encourage Stivers  to participate in the WBNS event: (614) 358-0800.

"...Basically a tool of the Republican Party."

In this morning's Dispatch, Gov. Ted Strickland calls the Ohio Chamber of Commerce "basically a tool of the Republican Party."

Governor Strickland is correct.

 The Huffington Post has this:

In this first post-Citizens United election, voters are the victims of a democracy crime that the government seems unable, or unwilling, to stop despite it occurring right before our eyes.

Political operatives, like Karl Rove, are misusing the tax laws to create organizations that allow for anonymous and unlimited donations from corporations and the super-rich in order to determine the outcome of the mid-term elections in violation of election and tax laws. See American Crossroads Watch....

....The wealthy using front groups for secret donations is not new. It is a strategy perfected by a variety groups that has been is on steroids in the post-Citizens United electoral world. The Chamber of Commerce is one of the leaders in this approach where they have focused a great deal in past years on affecting the outcome of state supreme court races. We've been highlighting this at StopTheChamber.com. In one case, the courts, after five years of litigation, required disclosure of campaign donors for a Chamber front group. In Citizens for a Strong Ohio the Ohio Elections Commission ruled that a Chamber of Commerce front group that attacked an Ohio Supreme Court Justice was required to disclose its donors under Ohio law. Three courts upheld that decision, and all the corporate donors were named. The Chamber is a major player in this year's election activity as well....

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, and local and national chamber groups, have always supported the pro-business, anti-consumer, anti-health care, anti-fair wages, of the Republican Party.   Just look at the contribution to former bank lobbyist, Steve Stivers, that was made by an account executive of the Ohio Chamber.  The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is looking out for themselves and their wealthy members and not regular, ordinary working people.




This is from OpenSecrets:

HACKATHORN, JON MR COLUMBUS,OH 43220	OHIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/ACCOUNT EX	3/31/10	$250	Stivers, Steve (R)

Veterans Group Endorses Kilroy

Dispatch: 
...The political-action committee of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States endorsed Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, D-Columbus, the Kilroy campaign announced today....
....In a letter to Kilroy, the group said it was backing her because of her "strong support for veterans, national security & defense, and military personnel issues."

Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15-Democrat) was appreciative of their endorsement.

"I thank the VFW Political Action Committee for their support and acknowledgment of our hard work on behalf of the men and women who serve our country," Kilroy said in a press release today. "They are here for us and I will always be there for them."

 _____

*  The right wingers at Fox News are discouraging young people from voting.  Media Matters has the details:

Stossel asks why we should care if young people vote: "Young people often don't know anything."

September 28, 2010 9:37 pm ET

In my humble opinion, the people at Fox don't know anything.

_____

>>>  Mike Papantonio was on MSNBC's ED SHOW and he just called Gov. Chris Christie's attacks on teachers as "reptilian" and  "predatory."  Awesome.  Rotund, pompous, rude Christie is that and more.  Why do Republicans like Christie and Kasich hate public school teachers so much?

..........................................................

***  TPMDC has something fascinating about Sharron Angle:

With the recent news that Sharron Angle, the Republican nominee for Senate in Nevada who is running on a platform of tearing down big government, actually receives government health care benefits through her husband's pension as a former federal employee, let's take a look at some of her best anti-government lines.....

• Her declaration that extending unemployment benefits "really doesn't benefit anyone."

• She has also said of Social Security: "My grandfather wouldn't even take his Social Security check because he said he was not up for welfare." ....

Sharron Angle is an example of "do as I say, not as I do."

Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy At Debate- Husted A No-Show

Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy, Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State, was in a debate today- - - by herself. Glass City Jungle has the details of the debate.  O'Shaughnessy's Republican opponent, Jon Husted was too busy (or too scared?) to show. 

Husted recently ran an attack ad against Mary Ellen. But Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy has provided some facts:

Professional Politician?  Husted Has Been On The Ballot 6 Times, And Is Nearly 20 Years Younger.
Jon Husted Is A Perpetual Candidate.
O’Shaughnessy Expenditure Was For Office Furniture and Appliances For 240 Employees And 5 Office Locations. 
Office Furniture Accounts For 0.25% Of Clerk Of Courts Budget.  
Husted Campaign Spent Over $17,000 On A Car.

Husted Campaigns Spent Nearly $7,000 On Football Tickets.
Husted Campaign Spent Nearly $900 On A Sofa For His Campaign Office. 
O’Shaughnessy’s Office Is Currently Under Budget.  
O’Shaughnessy Was Prohibited From Voting For Pay Raises For Herself By Council Charter.
O’Shaughnessy Was Ineligible For Raise When She Voted To Hike Pay. 
O’Shaughnessy’s 2002 Opponent Attacked Her Vote On Pay Raise.
In 2008, O’Shaughnessy Made $37,409 On City Council; Husted Made Over Twice As Much. 

Husted Said Lawmakers Would Not Refuse Automatic Pay Raise. 
Governor Strickland had refused to accept his raise; Attorney General Mark Dann and Auditor Mary Taylor accepted their raise.
2003: Husted Voted For Largest Tax Increase In State History.
While Speaker, Husted Co-Sponsored And Voted For 2nd Largest Tax Increase In State History. 
In 127th General Assembly, 49 People Won The Watchdog of The Treasury Award. (not just Husted!)
Husted Supported Shipping Ohio Jobs Overseas, Closing Unemployment Centers.

Husted Supported 1999 U.S.-China Bilateral Trade Agreement.
Husted Pleased With Plan To Close Ohio’s Walk-In Unemployment Centers. 

-    Husted Has Skrited The Very Laws He Seeks To Enforce.         
Montgomery County Board Of Elections Investigated Husted’s Residency. 

Montgomery Board Of Elections Voted Along Party Lines In Husted Residency Case.  

Ohioans Should Not Trust Husted.
Cleveland Plain Dealer Says Husted Owns "Poorly Calibrated Ethical Compass." 
Etc. Etc. Etc.

 ______________________________________

>>>> Progress Ohio ran this piece on January 8, 2009, with a great headline:

Husted Continues To Claim He Lives In Kettering: Apparently Doesn't

Shower Or Flush The Toilet Much There

 ________

Below is an image of Husted's utility usage: 

 

 (originally posted at Progress Ohio on June 12th, 2009)

• The original utility records are available at: http://www.scribd.com/share/upload/12699020/1t38baajx1ytgxc3xf69.
• An annotated video of Husted seemingly caught in misstatements during his testimony before the Board of Elections is available online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O22V0Etbbm0. 

 

________________________________________

(Background:  Husted was elected to the state senate to represent Kettering, Ohio. Husted owns a home there but is rarely there. Okay. He is NEVER there and actually lives in Upper Arlington with his family.) 





 There is plenty more on Husted at Mary Ellen's Fact Check.

Do you get the point about Husted? 

Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessy has asked for Husted to release his income tax returns, just as she has done.  We're waiting.......

College Students Fear Kasich Will Raise College Tuition

John Kasich, Republican candidate for Ohio governor, has plans to cut and gut education funding in order to fund his massive tax cuts. Do you know what that means?
 In Education:
- Programs will be cut
- Teachers/Professors will lose their jobs
- Classes will be larger
- Tuition at Ohio's colleges will increase (Gov. Strickland had a tuition cap to keep tuition costs down.)
- Some college specialized programs will be eliminated, others consolidated
- Equipment, books, libraries, facilities will not be replaced/repaired
- Scholarships/grants/work study programs will be cut

Kasich wants to move to total free choice charter schools, thereby removing a substantial amount of funding for public schools.

The young people in Ohio will suffer because Kasich wants to eliminate the state income tax.  Kasich's move to wipe out the state income tax means that the state of Ohio would lose 40% of the state budget and severely hamper growth and services in this state.  In order to make up the difference, Kasich would have to impose huge user fees, registration fees, license fees, etc., and possibly institute a sales tax.


John Kasich attempted to defund grants/scholarships when he was in the House of Representatives. In 1995, Kasich targeted college students and programs that many of them needed for school.

NY Times (2/15/95):

...Other suggestions advanced by Mr. Kasich include the elimination of Federal aid programs managed by colleges, including the Perkins loan, the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and the work-study programs....

...Under Mr. Kasich's suggestions, an additional 23 grant programs in the Federal Department of Education, some of them covering higher education, would be eliminated....

President Clinton did not allow Kasich's draconian plans to go through because he said it would be devastating.

College students were appalled at Kasich's plans and a protest march was organized.

*Here is more from the Dayton Daily News, Sunday, February 19, 1995 (retrieved from Newsbank):
Eight Antioch College students were arrested in Columbus after being sprayed with pepper gas
Saturday at a protest against Republican-proposed cuts in student financial aid. About 75 Antioch
students, members of a campus group called Student Aid Action, took part in what began as an informational protest outside the offices of U.S. Rep. John Kasich , said student Karali Pitzele, who
was answering the SAA hotline at the school. Kasich , R-Columbus, is chairman of the House Budget Committee.... ....students are trying to educate the public about proposed cuts in the
Republican-backed Contract With America.
 

According to articles in the Dispatch (Saturday, April 3, 1999-retrieved from Newsbank) and
the Dayton Daily News (Tuesday, April 6, 1999-Newsbank), the city of Columbus had to pay to settle 

a lawsuit with the arrested students because they were sprayed with mace and arrested during a peaceful protest. 
It took four years for the case to make it to the settlement table.

I am not suggesting a march against Kasich.  I am suggesting that before you cast a vote for Kasich, think  

about what he attempted to do in the past and what his proposals would do to us, if he is elected.

_________________________

Josh Mandel is running for Ohio Treasurer, even though he is not even remotely qualified. Check out the

my post at Stubborn Liberal.

__________________

Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15th) should be re-elected. She has done more to help her constituents by solving 

problems, supporting change, voting for the health care law, protecting the environment, promoting green jobs,

and supporting programs in education, etc. (For a complete list of Kilroy's sponsored legislation, visit 

Rep. Kilroy's legislation page.)

Kilroy's opponent, Stivers, is a former bank lobbyist, who continues to support bankers, lobbyists, polluters,

insurance companies, oil/gas PACs and execs.  Stivers even voted against a bills for consumer protection and

a scholarship program for the disabled!

* According to a survey that Republican Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, completed for the 

Glenn Beck/912 group, Stivers wants to

1. Repeal the health care reform bill

2. Repeal the 16th Amendment to the Constitution

3. Repeal the 17th Amendment to the Constitution

4. Eliminate the Department of Agriculture

5. Eliminate the Department of Education

6. Eliminate the Department of the Interior

7. Eliminate the Department of Housing of and Urban Development

8. Eliminate the Department of Transportation

9. Eliminate the Department of Energy 

Sounds pretty radical, doesn't it? 

- - - - - - - - - - -

* Did you know that Republican Rob Portman wants to privatize Social Security? OMG!  

Can you imagine what would have happened if Portman's Social Security privatization

plan would have been in force during the recent Wall Street collapse, Grandma and Grandpa

would have already moved into your house or onto the street.

================================

If you are a college student, visit and participate in the political process by visiting your local 

College Dems group. Here is a partial list for Ohio:

Ohio State: College Democrats at Ohio State

Ohio University: OU College Dems 

Bowling Green State University:  Bowling Green College Dems 

University of Cincinnati:  UC College Dems 

University of Dayton: UD College Dems

Case Western Reserve: Case College Dems 

Steve Stivers: Flip-Flops on Issues

In a forum between Democratic Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15th) and Republican/Tea Party member Steve Stivers, a former "top" bank lobbyist, Stivers was exposed as flip flopping on issues.

Dispatch:


U.S. Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy came out swinging yesterday against Republican opponent Steve Stivers, portraying him as a sleazy flip-flopper with plans to impose a 23 percent national sales tax on goods and services.

In their first side-by-side public forum this year, Kilroy, a first-term Democrat, wasted no time in castigating Stivers for allegedly switching positions on three issues: a cap-and-trade system for reducing industrial emissions; a mandate on individuals to purchase health insurance; and repealing the 17th Amendment, which provides for the direct election of U.S. senators.

In his first campaign against Kilroy two years ago, Stivers expressed support for the concepts of cap-and-trade and the insurance mandate. In a survey months ago, the Republican said he would favor reverting to the pre-1913 method of state legislatures picking senators....

( Note:  The fact that Steve Stivers supports the repeal of the amendments and laws that came after 1913, shows his allegiance to the Glenn Beck-Tea Party-Far Right political platform.  Think about it.  What amendments/laws are the Glenn Beck-Tea Party-Far Right groups against?  I wrote about this on my Stubborn Liberal blog (2/13/10):  The 19th Amendment to the Constitution gave women the right to vote in 1920. Social Security was signed into law in 1935. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. Medicare and Medicaid were part of the Social Security Act of 1965. The voting age was lowered to 18, and many other laws and rights were passed after 1909.....)


Stivers has lied about Mary Jo Kilroy, insulted her, and fabricated so much about her that it is sad.  Kilroy is not lying about her record or about her concerns for the people.  Kilroy has supported laws that create health insurance, help prevent families from going into bankruptcy because of medical debt, create jobs, want help financial help while going to college, seek job re-training, etc.  Stivers supports the rich bankers, most of whom do not live in Ohio's 15th congressional district.  Kilroy also supports the rights of women to decide about their own reproductive decisions.  Stivers has been for, then against, then for, then against women's reproductive freedom.  Kilroy has concerns about women and that is why she is supported by Emily's List.  Stivers, unfortunately, is only concerned about bankers and far right religious groups.

Kilroy has fought persistently for the everyday, regular, hard working people in Ohio's 15th congressional district.  Stivers, on the other hand, has sold his soul to bank PACs/executives, lobbyists, utility polluters, insurance company PACs/executives, mining PACs/executives, and others trying to protect their obscene profits at the expense of consumers.  Are you willing to support the rollback of these rights and laws that Stivers and his far right supporters want? Do you want someone like Stivers who has opposed consumer protection, opposed scholarships for the disabled, and supported pay day lenders?????

Our success and economic survival will be enhanced by Kilroy, who has demonstrated courage in the face of astroturfing groups opposed to health insurance.  Mary Jo Kilroy has stood up for the real people in Ohio's 15th district.  Stivers- - - - has defended banks.

 ___________ 

One more item---- Steve Stivers said he wanted to sell off the national parks!!!!!

____________

By the way, I'm concerned that a person who lies about where they live (Husted) is making up lies about Democrat Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessey.  Contact Husted's campaign office (614) 456-1229 or hustedforohio@hustedforohio.com  and tell him to stop the lies.

<.............................>

Mike DeWine is running for Ohio Attorney General, but his ads show that he doesn't understand what the job involves.  We've seen Mike DeWine's work in the past, and we know how he supported the outrageous Bush economic policies that put us in this mess. Reject Mike DeWine again and force him to retire his continuous search for a political job.

___________

Mike Duffey is running for state representative.  He supported raising his own salary when he was on the city council. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Duffey, a Republican, thinks he is entitled to move into the Ohio Senate.  The Buckeye State Blog had a link to Liar Wire  on Mike Duffey: 

MIKE “DOUBLE TALK” DUFFEY
Mike “Double Talk” Duffey says he's a budget hawk, but on Worthington City Council he repeatedly supported raising taxes. He also increased spending and turned a budget surplus into a budget deficit. In fact, he even voted to raise his own taxpayer-funded salary while in office.
Oh, my.

Jon Husted - - - Not to be trusted

Jon Husted, Ohio Republican candidate for Ohio Secretary of State, has started a smear campaign against one of the most highly-respected leaders in central Ohio. Husted, who does not live in the Kettering district he represents, has the audacity to attack Democrat Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessey, his opponent in the race for Ohio Secretary of State.  Before I show how the O'Shaughnessey campaign has responded, I'd like to share part of the record of Jon "I live in Upper Arlington" Husted:

1. webcache of One Oar in the Water:
...Trips that Husted has taken as speaker with his son, Alex, and high-powered lobbyists have brought controversy in recent years.

On Memorial Day Weekend in 2005, the pair jetted off on a fishing trip with a trio of lobbyists in tow as the state's $51.2 billion budget was being debated. An Ohio State bowl game trip that year on a plane owned by NCR, a Dayton-based Fortune 500 company, with his family and lobbyists along also netted headlines....
....While Husted clearly spends most of his time living in a $343,000 three-bedroom home in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington with his growing family, he is supposed to live in his legislative district.....

Husted has a house in Kettering.

2. Watch the video of Jon Husted's testimony in front of the Montgomery County Board of Elections and posted by ProgressOhio (Youtube):



It is nice to see Husted squirm. Clearly, he seems to have a problem telling the truth. 
(I wonder what would happen if Jon Husted, as Secretary of State, questioned YOUR residency?)

In December 2009, Husted considered Brookside Country Club his home golf course? See LINK for details.  (FYI:  Brookside Country Club is not near Kettering.)

3. Ohio Citizens Action has been keeping a record of Husted's custom of using lobbyists for special trips: From 2005 Ohiocitizensaction:

Jun 29:  Husted used NCR jet for football trip
COLUMBUS -- "When incoming House Speaker Jon Husted needed a way to get to San Antonio on Dec. 29 to represent Ohio at the Alamo Bowl, he asked Tim Day of Dayton-based NCR Corp., if he could help. Day, vice president for NCR government affairs, based in Washington, did. He arranged for Husted, R-Kettering, to travel on the company's Lear 55C, seven-seat corporate jet, to watch Ohio State play Oklahoma State, and to reimburse NCR...Catherine Turcer, legislative director for Ohio Citizen Action, a government watchdog group, said the arrangement should have raised this question for Husted: 'Would they be doing this for me if I were not speaker of the House?'...This is the second time in less than a week that Husted's relationship with lobbyists he also regards as friends has drawn attention," William Hershey, Dayton Daily News.

 And......

Jun 25:  Ohio House leader defends fishing trip with lobbyists

COLUMBUS -- "During a lull in debate over a $51.2 billion, two-year budget, Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted took a Florida fishing trip with three Columbus lobbyists with stakes in the budget outcome...Mr. Husted and his 9-year-old son shared a bedroom for two nights in the $427,940, 3,200-square-foot, three-bedroom home of Joseph Feidner, Mr. McCarthy's father-in-law...Catherine Turcer, of government watchdog Ohio Citizen Action, said a person cannot get a room at a Motel 6 for $50, let alone a room in a private home located along a canal with access to Mr. Feidner's private boat. 'This just shows what an enmeshed, dysfunctional family we have,' she said. 'That the speaker didn't consider this inadvisable or possibly inappropriate in the midst of an enormous budget battle is surprising to say the least,' " Jim Provance, Blade Columbus Bureau.

4. Jon Husted has received an obscene amount of campaign contributions from David Brennan, charter school mogul.  OhioDems provides the ugly details:

...Husted Received Over $130,000 From Charter School Advocates. Since being elected to the Ohio General Assembly, Husted has received over $130,000 from charter school owners, employees and advocate groups. Donors included David Brennan, owner of the largest for-profit charter school operator in Ohio, and William Lager, Founder of Altair Learning Management and Electronic Classrooms of Tomorrow. [Ohio Secretary of State, Accessed 8/20/09; Columbus Dispatch, 10/23/05; Lager Biography, accessed 5/12/10]

Republican Campaigns To Return $29,000 In Improper Campaign Donations To Charter School Mogul. Four Republican campaigns were forced to return a total of $29,410 in contributions associated with charter school proponent David Brennan. The Brennans contributed the maximum amount in their own names to four GOP candidates’ campaigns in the 2006 and 2007 election cycles, but then appear to have used two political action committees, Main Street PAC and the Go-Go PAC, to give beyond the legal limit. The refund was due to an agreement between the parties at the Ohio Secretary of State's office. [Akron Beacon Journal, 7/2/08; Akron Beacon Journal, 4/11/08]

Husted Donor Fined $5.2 Million For Illegally Operating Charter School PAC In Ohio. All Children Matter, a political-action committee associated with David Brennan, was fined a record $5.2 million in April 2008 by the Ohio Elections Commission for exceeding campaign-contribution limits. The group illegally funneled $870,000 from its Virginia PAC to its PAC in Ohio in 2006. The state ruled that All Children Matter-VA PAC was not properly established under Ohio law, and the transfer of money to the Ohio PAC was not permitted because contributions exceed state limits. Brennan donated $200,000 to All Children Matter. [Columbus Dispatch, 4/11/08; Akron Beacon Journal, 8/24/07]....

Incredible, isn't it?  Husted and the charter schools seem to have a mutually beneficial relationship- -
They provide boatloads of money for Husted's campaign, and Husted sponsors and passes legislation to protect the charter schools from regulations and oversight.

5. Here is how Democrat Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessey has responded to the mudslinging from Jon Husted:
"While Maryellen O'Shaughnessy has spent the past 18 years fighting for the working men and women of Ohio, Jon Husted has been busy working for corporations and his own special interests. "   
FACT CHECK:

Audio (Husted campaign)	Facts
There she goes again…professional politician Maryellen O’Shaughnessy, padding her pockets.	Professional Politician?  Husted Has Been On The Ballot 6 Times, And Is Nearly 20 Years Younger. Jon Husted Is A Perpetual Candidate.  Since 2000, when he entered politics, Jon Husted has been on the ballot 6 times for 3 different political offices.  [Ohio Secretary of State website, accessed 8/16/10] Husted Known To Be A Potential Candidate For Governor.  According to Thomas Suddes writing in the Columbus Dispatch, Husted is listed as a potential future candidate for Ohio Governor.  [Columbus Dispatch, 5/9/10]
While Ohioans Struggle to Find work, O’Shaughnessy ran for five different offices, spent $30,000 of your money on new furniture.	O’Shaughnessy Expenditure Was For Office Furniture and Appliances For 240 Employees And 5 Office Locations.  The Clerk of Courts in 2009 spent $33,664 on office furniture, for an office of more than 230 people, with 5 locations [Franklin County Auditor; Franklin County Clerk of Courts] Office Furniture Accounts For 0.25% Of Clerk Of Courts Budget.  $33,664 accounts for one quarter of one percent of the $12.9 million Clerk of Courts Budget.  [Franklin County Auditor] Husted Campaign Spent Over $17,000 On A Car.  According to Husted’s campaign expenditure reports, his campaign committee paid $17,090.04 at Beau Townsend Ford on July 13, 2009 for "automobile." [Ohio Secretary of State Campaign Finance Expenditures Report, accessed 3/25/10] Husted Campaigns Spent Nearly $7,000 On Football Tickets.  According to Husted’s campaign expenditures, Husted’s campaign committees have spent $6885.12 on football tickets.  [Ohio Secretary of State Campaign Finance Expenditures Reports, accessed 3/25/10] Husted Campaign Spent Nearly $900 On A Sofa For His Campaign Office.  In his first campaign, Husted spent $883.22 on a “Sofa-Office.”  [Ohio Secretary of State, Campaign Finances, Accessed 3/25/10] O’Shaughnessy’s Office Is Currently Under Budget.
O’Shaughnessy even voted for her own personal stimulus package – a taxpayer funded pay raise…for herself.	O’Shaughnessy Was Prohibited From Voting For Pay Raises For Herself By Council Charter. O’Shaughnessy Was Ineligible For Raise When She Voted To Hike Pay. Columbus’ city charter stipulates that a council member cannot vote on a pay raise without first facing an election. O’Shaughnessy, who was elected to the council in 1997, was not eligible to receive a pay increase unless she won reelection in 2001. [Columbus Dispatch, 12/15/98] O’Shaughnessy’s 2002 Opponent Attacked Her Vote On Pay Raise. In a 2002 television ad, O’Shaughnessy’s opponent, Dewey Stokes, attacked O’Shaughnessy for voting to raise council pay: “Whoa, check out this slippery condition. Maryellen voted to raise her own pay.” In an ad watch, the Columbus Dispatch noted, “[s]he could not receive the pay increase until January, after she won election to a second term.” [Columbus Dispatch, 10/30/02] In 2008, O’Shaughnessy Made $37,409 On City Council; Husted Made Over Twice As Much.  In 2008, Jon Husted made $84,114.50, whereas Maryellen made $37,409.  [Buckeye Institute State Salary Data; Columbus Auditor’s Office, Gross Wage and Separation Information, Form 1093] Husted Said Lawmakers Would Not Refuse Automatic Pay Raise.  According to the Dayton Daily News, on December 19, 2007, Jon Husted “answered ‘probably not’ when asked if legislators would do anything to stop raises they're also scheduled to get Jan. 1.”  Governor Strickland had refused to accept his raise; Attorney General Mark Dann and Auditor Mary Taylor accepted their raise.  [Dayton Daily News, 12/19/07]
A better choice, Jon Husted, an award winning taxpayer watchdog,	Jon Husted Voted For Two Largest Tax Increases in State History 2003: Husted Voted For Largest Tax Increase In State History. Rep. Husted voted in 2003 to approve the House version and the conference committee report for House Bill 95, the state’s two-year operating budget, which raised or added $3 billion in taxes and created tax cuts that reduced school funding by more than $327 million. The budget contained a $48.8 billion spending plan that would pay the state share of government programs, such as public schools, prisons and social services. The bill passed the House and conference committee 53-46. [House Journal, H.B. 95, 4/9/03; Newark Advocate, 7/30/03; Columbus Dispatch, 6/27/03; Columbus Dispatch, 11/17/03, Ohio Legislative Service Commission] While Speaker, Husted Co-Sponsored And Voted For 2nd Largest Tax Increase In State History. In 2005, Jon Husted co-sponsored and voted to pass Bob Taft’s House Bill 66, containing a sweeping tax increase that dished out $460 million to the top 1% when fully implemented, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, "Taft's plan represents a $2 billion tax hike over two years - the second largest tax increase in state history." [House Journal, H.B. 66, 4/12/05, Page 672; Cincinnati Enquirer, 4/27/05] In 127th General Assembly, 49 People Won The Watchdog of The Treasury Award. According to Conservative Blogger Matt Naugle, 49 Republican Legislators Won The Watchdog Of the Treasury Award In The 127th General Assembly.  In the 127th General Assembly, the following legislators won the Watchdog of the Treasury Award:  “Armstutz, Austria, Buehrer, Cates, Faber, Goodman, Harris, Jacobson, Mumper, Niehaus, Padgett, Schaffer, Schuler, Seitz, Wagoner, Adams, Aslanides, Bacon, Batchelder, Brinkman, Bubp, Carmichael, Coley, Collier, Combs, Core, Daniels, Fessler, Flowers, Gibbs, Goodwin, J. Hagan, Hite, Hottinger, Huffman, Husted, Jones, Ross McGregor, Reinhard, Schlichter, Setzer, Uecker, Wachtmann, Wagner, Webster, White, Widener, Wolpert, and Zehringer.”  [Right Ohio, accessed 9/23/10] Husted Supported Shipping Ohio Jobs Overseas, Closing Unemployment Centers. Husted Supported 1999 U.S.-China Bilateral Trade Agreement. On November 18, 1999, the Dayton Daily News reported that Husted supported the November 1999 bilateral trade agreement on China's WTO accession. When asked about China’s “inconvenient human-rights violations” and its affect on the passage of the deal, Husted said, “We haven't engaged in that discussion. We have tried to communicate why this trade agreement is good for business.” [Dayton Daily News, 11/18/99] Husted Pleased With Plan To Close Ohio’s Walk-In Unemployment Centers. On October 3, 2001, the Associated Press Reported that Husted supported a plan to close Ohio’s 56 walk-in unemployment centers, forcing unemployed to file claims by telephone or internet. According to the article, “Husted was pleased with the details about workforce impact and cost savings that the department provided.” At the time of the proposal, more than a fourth of the unemployed Ohioans used the walk-in centers. [Associated Press State & Local Wire, 10/3/01]
Husted will stop voter fraud and restore integrity to our elections.  Jon Husted for Secretary of State.	Husted Has Skirted The Very Laws He Seeks To Enforce Montgomery County Board Of Elections Investigated Husted’s Residency. The Montgomery Board of Elections agreed to instruct their attorneys investigate the voter registration of Jon Husted at the request of both Democrats and Republicans. The Board of Elections ordered an investigation into the matter on October 21 2008, three days after a Dayton Daily News article revealed that Husted claimed residency in both Kettering and Upper Arlington. Board member Dennis Lieberman said the Board of Elections had an “obligation” to investigate the claims. Three of the four members of the bipartisan board voted to pursue the investigation. [Dayton Daily News, 10/22/08, 10/18/08, 11/3/08] Montgomery Board Of Elections Voted Along Party Lines In Husted Residency Case. On February 25, 2009 the Montgomery County Board of Elections voted 2-2 along party lines to send Jon Husted’s residency case to Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for a ruling. During Husted’s hearing he admitted to living in Upper Arlington and refused to disclose how often he and his family are at their home in Kettering. Two Democratic members of the Board voted against Husted while the two Republican members voted in favor of his testimony. [Dayton Daily News, 2/26/09] Montgomery County Board Of Elections Voted A Second Time Along Party Lines In Husted Residency Case. The Montgomery County Board of Elections voted 2-2, again along party lines, in Jon Husted’s residency case.Two Democrats voted against Husted while two Republicans voted in support of the State Senator. Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner sent the case back to the Montgomery County Board of Elections on June 8, 2009. [Dayton Daily News, 6/30/09, 6/9/09] Husted Asked Ohio Supreme Court to Force Brunner to Issue Final Judgment on Residency Claim. On August 11, 2009, Ohio State Senator Jon Husted filed a writ of mandamus with the Ohio Supreme Court against Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. The filing requested the Supreme Court to order Brunner to issue a final ruling on Husted’s residency challenge. Husted claims that he has a clear legal right to “immediate resolution to the purported challenge to his voter residency in Montgomery County,” and that the matter has been delayed “far beyond any allowable statuary limits or reasonable timeframe.” He also said the evidence supporting his legal right to vote in Montgomery County is “overwhelming and uncontroverted.” [Complaint in mandamus of Jon A. Husted, Case Number 2009-1455, Ohio Supreme Court, 8/11/09]   Ohioans Should Not Trust Husted. Cleveland Plain Dealer Says Husted Owns "Poorly Calibrated Ethical Compass."  Jon Husted asked an NCR Corporation official for help getting to the Alamo Bowl college football game in San Antonio on December 29, 2004.  NCR obliged and flew Husted, along with his son, his friend’s son, and Husted’s fiancé, on its corporate jet to the game.  Husted’s campaign committee reimbursed NCR $600 for the flight for him and his son and later reimbursed NCR another $600 out of his pocket to pay for his son’s friend and his fiancé.  A jet charter company provided the Dayton Daily News with a quote of $22,255 to charter a small jet for an overnight flight to San Antonio.  An NCR spokesman said the company’s cost was “less than half’ the $22,255, but he did not give any specific figures. Due to the incident, the Plain Dealer said Husted owned a “poorly calibrated ethical compass.” [Dayton Daily News, 7/1/05;Plain Dealer, 7/1/05] Toledo Blade On Husted Redistricting: “Ohioans Should Not Believe Him.”  The Toledo Blade wrote in an April 2009 editorial that Husted “claims he is running for secretary of state in 2010 in order to abolish the office and replace the political machinery for drawing state legislative districts with something nonpartisan.  For a number of reasons, Ohioans should not believe him.”  Furthermore, “as speaker of the House when the GOP dominated the Statehouse, he could have engineered such a change but didn't.”  [Toledo Blade, 4/8/09] Husted Is Unfit For The Office Of Secretary of State. Husted Accused Of Violating Ohio Law Regarding Secretary of State Directive.  On August 25, 2008, Husted co-signed a letter with Senate President Bill Harris sent to every Ohio elections official in which he urged, “The Directive of Secretary of State Brunner . . . Ignores our intent and the clear language of HB 562. To reiterate, that was not our intent, and that is not what the statutory language demands.”  At least one board of elections put on hold its plans to timely send notices required by law because of Husted’s letter.  Secretary Brunner on August 28, 2008, warned Husted by letter that he was interfering with the conduct of an election and quoted for him the criminal statute that prohibits interfering with an election:  R.C. 3599.24(A)(3) “No person . . . shall attempt to intimidate an election officer, or prevent an election official from performing the official’s duties.”  [Letter from Bill Harris To Boards of Elections, 8/25/08; Letter from Jennifer Brunner to Jon Husted and Bill Harris, 8/28/08] Husted Campaign Ad Promised “A Conservative For Secretary Of State.”  In a campaign ad run in April 2010, Jon Husted promised “a conservative for Secretary of State.”  [Husted Campaign Ad, 4/12/10] Husted Planed To Advance A Conservative Agenda.  At the March 27, 2010 Dayton Tea Party Forum, Husted said the election is “really the difference between whether or not we’re going to be focusing on the opportunity to advance a conservative agenda over the next year, ten years, or whether or not we’re going to be focused on trying to fight against a liberal agenda that will be coming our way over the next ten years.” [Dayton Tea Party and Ohio Liberty Fair Candidates Forum, 3/27/10] Husted Had Something Better To Do Then Find A Solution To A Possible Total Breakdown Of Ohio Election System.On January 18, 2008, the Akron Beacon Journal reported that Husted said he had a conflict and could not attend a meeting with the Gov. Ted Strickland, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, Senate President Bill Harris, Senate Minority Leader Ray Miller and House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty. The meeting was scheduled to discuss how to guarantee all votes would be properly counted in the 2008 presidential election. “But when he showed up at 9 a.m., for his regular weekly session with the governor and was told the elections meeting was still going on, he chose to stay outside the gathering for nearly a half hour. ‘I just didn't think it was polite, for a meeting that I couldn't attend, to walk in at the last minute and that's really all it was,’ Husted said. ‘I figured it would be over at any minute. I didn't think it would run long.’ Husted also did not send anyone to the meeting to represent Ohio House Republicans and likewise had no explanation. ‘I don't know why no one went,’ Husted said. ‘I guess I didn't realize the meeting had all that much stature to it because I've been staying in regular contact with the secretary of state.’” The meeting was to discuss a $1.9 million report on that “recommended replacing electronic touch-screen voting machines in 57 counties with optical-scan ballots” because “the report found that someone armed with a magnet or a PDA (personal digital assistant) could tamper with vote results.” [Akron Beacon Journal, 1/18/08] Husted Co-Sponsored Legislation That Would Throw Out More Ballots.  In 2009, Husted co-sponsored Am. Sub. S.B. 8, which would require election officials to invalidate ballots that were determined by automatically tabulating machines to have been overvotes – without human analysis.  The legislation reads “that, if automatic tabulating equipment detects that more marks were made on an optical scan ballot for a particular office, question, or issue than the number of selections that the voter is permitted to make for that office, question, or issue, the election officials must not attempt to determine the voter's intent with regard to that office, question, or issue, and the voter's ballot must be invalidated for that office, question, or issue.”  [S.B. 8, 2/10/09] Husted Voted To Make Voting Harder By Prohibiting Same-Day Voter Registration/Voting In 2008: In 2008, Husted Voted in favor of SB 380. The bill would generally prohibit same day voter registration and application for absent voter's ballots, require absent voter's ballot identification envelope statements to be completed for absent voter's ballots to be counted, permit partisan observers at early voting polls, revise the time period in which voters may cast absent voter's ballots in person, and require the Secretary of State to provide county boards of elections names of voters whose registration information did not match motor vehicle records. The bill passed the House 55-43, but was vetoed by the Governor because, "the bill addresses issues that are too complex and controversial to properly address in a lame-duck session." [S.B. 380, 12/16/08; Columbus Dispatch, 1/7/09] Sen. Fedor: Bill Ill-Timed, “Would Simply Make It Harder For Ohioans To Cast Their Vote.” Substitute Senate Bill 380 is frankly an ill-timed bill and it is so crucially important that we move forward in a comprehensive, deliberative, bipartisan process," Sen. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) said. "This bill would simply make it harder for Ohioans to cast their vote." [Gongwer News Services Ohio Report, Volume 77, Report 244, 12/18/08]   Ohio Secretary Of State: Bill Would Disenfranchise Eligible, Registered Voters. According to Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, the bill would disenfranchise eligible, registered voters in order to fight illegal voting that is very rare in Ohio. Also, the process in the bill to provide additional voting options for Ohioans could allow either political party to block early voting centers for partisan reasons. [Gongwer News Services Ohio Report, Volume 77, Report 241, 12/15/08]   Husted Voted To Prohibit Same-Day Voter Registration/Voting And Place Heavier Restrictions On Voting Again In 2009. In 2009, Husted voted for SB 8, “to require absent voter's ballot identification envelope statements to be completed for absent voter's ballots to be counted, to require boards of elections to notify absent voters that their ballots will be rejected if they do not complete the required statement, to generally prohibit same day voter registration and application for absent voter's ballots, to permit election observers to be appointed to serve at the board of elections or at another designated site during the time absent voter's ballots may be cast in person, to revise the time period in which voters may cast absent voter's ballots in person, to permit a board of elections to establish additional locations at which voters may cast absent voter's ballots in person, to require the Secretary of State to notify boards of elections of mismatches between voter registration information and motor vehicle records, and to revise the process for appointing members of a board of elections.” The bill passed 22-10. [S.B. 8, 2/10/09] Husted Voted For Bill That Election Law Experts Said Would Make It Harder For Ohioans To Vote.  In 2005, Jon Husted voted in favor of House Bill 3, a bill that would enact stricter voter identification rules.  Election law experts and a number of organizations, including Ohio chapters of the NAACP and the League of Women Voters, said the bill could cause longer lines at the polls and will discourage the poor, elderly and disabled from voting.  Peg Rosenfield, an elections specialist for the League of Women Voters of Ohio, said HB 3 would make it more difficult to vote, register voters, count ballots and get initiatives on the ballot.  “We want to reform the system.  They want to complain about it,” House Speaker Jon Husted said of Democrats.  “We want to stop the cheating.  They want to keep loopholes alive.” [HB 3, 5/17/05; Columbus Dispatch, 2/1/06] Voter Fraud Exceedingly Rare, And Not Facilitated By Registration Reform.  According to Demos, a non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization, “notable election reforms of the past 10 to 15 years—such as the NVRA, more permissive absentee balloting rules, all mail-in voting in Oregon, and the enactment of Election Day Registration in several more states—have not facilitated voter fraud.”  [Demos, An Analysis of Voter Fraud in the United States, 11/17/2007, Accessed 5/15/10] Husted Co-Sponsored Legislation That Would Reduce The Number Of Judges For Polling Locations.  In 2009, Husted co-sponsored Am. Sub. S.B. 8, which “permits a board of elections that uses multiple precinct polling locations to appoint a reduced number of judges… and requires only one presiding judge for the multiple precinct polling location, instead of a presiding judge for each individual precinct.”  [S.B. 8, 2/10/09]

 
 OMG!  O'Shaughnessey knows how to throw a powerful punch against the Husted smears.  It looks like Husted is just doing some lying.

In my opinion, if you liked the voting disasters (broken machines, Republican party interference during county of votes, disenfranchised voters, understaffed polling locations, not enough voting machines in Democratic districts, caging of voters, etc., etc.) Ohio experienced during Kenneth Blackwell's time as Ohio Secretary of State, you'll love Jon Husted.  However, if you are for free and fair elections, Mary Ellen O'Shaughnessey is your candidate.

Kasich and Stivers: Against Working People

The Columbus Dispatch had an article today on the race for Ohio governor. Here is a sampling from the Dispatch:

....During a speech before Ashtabula County Republicans in March 2009, Kasich talked about the need to "break the back of organized labor in the schools," according to the Ashtabula Star Beacon. He did not back away from that quote last week, saying as he pushes ideas to change schools he has often clashed with teachers unions, who have "smeared my record and distorted it."

   Kasich, who is backed by business groups, also opposes paying prevailing wages on state-funded construction projects. And as part of a sweeping review of state laws and regulations, he wants to reexamine the 1983 law that gave public employees in Ohio the right to collective bargaining, arbitration and strike (except for safety forces)..... 


.....The governor would maintain birthright citizenship for children born here to illegal immigrants. Kasich, a former Fox News commentator, has been a longtime supporter of amending the Constitution to end the automatic right....

On the right of gay couples to adopt, Kasich said,  ".... I don't have a firm position on that."

Really?  Kasich voted YES on banning adoption by gays in Washington, DC, according to Ontheissues:

Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC.

Vote on an amendment banning adoptions in District of Columbia by gays or other individuals who are not related by blood or marriage. Reference: Amendment introduced by Largent, R-OK; Bill HR 2587 ; vote number 1999-346 on Jul 29, 1999   

How is it possible that Kasich has no position on gay adoptions when he clearly had a position in 1999?  Did he change his mind or would he vote the same way today? All of Kasich's plans demonstrate his desire to bring us back to the days when workers had to submit to the will of the boss. In essence, Kasich wants workers to give up their rights and privileges so that he can wipe out unions and collective bargaining.  I guess he wants us all to have a workplace where fair pay for fair work isn't honored, safety/health regulations are forgotten, workers cannot claim discrimination or complain about an unfair policy, and overtime pay, days off, vacation, and other benefits would be gone.  Don't you think that Kasich's bizarre attacks against workers show an unhealthy hatred of the average worker?  Why does Kasich have such an unholy hatred of public school teachers?  Is there anyone in the media that has the courage to ask Kasich some meaningful questions?

 ______________

   

 Republican congressional candidate, Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, has a record in the Ohio Senate that he might not want to brag about to voters.  DCCC in 2008:


..."Not only does Steve Stivers need to account for his past as a lobbyist for the banking industry, who consistently fought for less banking regulation, eliminating oversight and contributing to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, he also needs to answer why he continuously refuses to stand up for Ohio children and families," said Ryan Rudominer, Midwest Regional Press Secretary for the DCCC. "Unfortunately for Central Ohio families, in 2006, former lobbyist turned politician Steve Stivers voted to weaken child abuse legislation, including making it easier for sex offenders to avoid punishment by reducing the period of time allowed to prosecute a sex crime in civil court."
In the face of Republican leadership, Stivers could not even stand up for legislation he previously supported.  The Senate unanimously approved tough legislation to protect children from sexual abuse. The Ohio House subsequently gutted some of the bill's strongest provisions.  Senate Democrats and Republican Patricia Clancy said no to the House changes, but Stivers decided to side with the Republican Party instead of Ohio families. [SB 17, 3/29/06] 

During the summer, Stivers came under fire for failing to close a loophole in legislation he co-authored which was supposed to mandate background checks at camps to protect our children [SB 259, 8/5/04]. The law required the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services to monitor "child day camps" but made no reference to residential camps. Stivers has repeatedly said he would try to close the loophole, but three years later has still failed to do so. [The Associated Press, 7/23/08] 

Steve Stivers is being supported by people and PACs associated with the financial sector.  Why should we be concerned?  Stivers has gotten his campaign funds from groups that are opposed to health and safety regulations, opposed to banking regulations, opposed to fair practices in the insurance industry, and groups opposed to laws that would protect the environment.

OpenSecrets:

Steve Stivers (R)

Industry	Total
Leadership PACs	$92,410
Lawyers/Law Firms	$77,920
Commercial Banks	$70,550 *
Insurance	$64,400 *
Health Professionals	$64,000
Electric Utilities	$59,200 *
Retired	$57,361
Real Estate	$44,530
Securities & Investment	$33,350 *
Mining	$31,749 *
Candidate Committees	$30,500
Misc Finance	$29,025 *
General Contractors	$28,900
Food & Beverage	$28,600
Oil & Gas	$28,350 *
Retail Sales	$26,500
Lobbyists	$24,450 *
Pharmaceuticals/Health Products	$23,300
Hospitals/Nursing Homes	$22,658
Republican/Conservative	$22,150

 Incredible list, isn't it?????

If you are looking for a candidate who will work to end regulations and safety measures, Stivers is your man.

If you want someone in Washington, DC who cares about the working people, cares about families, promotes and protects the health and safety of workers on the job, protects consumers against unscrupulous banks and insurance and financial firms, and has been recognized for her outstanding support to protect the environment - Mary Jo Kilroy needs and deserves your vote.

The Truth

If you check some of the comments around the net, many voters are not happy with a recent ad for Republican Steve Stivers in which his child was featured.  Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, has an ad that notes the burden his child will have because of the national debt.  Some say it is inappropriate, and others feel that the ad actually backfires.  Stivers lives in a perfectly nice home, while others in the district have lost and continue to lose their homes to bank foreclosures.  However, Stivers doesn't think that bank reform legislation was necessary.

 Stivers said that voters aren't that interested in financial reform. 
The Dispatch(8/16/10):

...Steve Stivers, the Republican challenger, says voters are more concerned about their jobs and the national debt than arcane financial regulations. Stivers said he would have voted against the financial-reform bill even though he supports some of its provisions....

How did  Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy respond to what Stivers said?

...."It's hardly an arcane issue when people have lost their jobs, lost their life savings and lost their homes to foreclosure," she said in an interview. "In this race, you have a really clear contrast between someone who is standing up to Wall Street and special interests and someone who spent his career serving the banking industry as a lobbyist."...

Stivers didn't think that this Wall Street reform was necessary?  He believes that banks and bankers are never at fault. At a website called WhoRunsgov.com, Stivers actions in financial services are highlighted:

As a lobbyist for Bank One, Stivers lobbied successfully for a 2002 Ohio bill that blocked Ohio cities from enacting local ordinances intended to stop predatory mortgage lending.
As a state senator, Stivers was one of four lawmakers to opose a 2006 bill that gave consumer protections against mortgage lenders. His spokesman during the 2008 House campaign said the bill "was nowhere near tough enough."Reed, Matt, "Ohio candidates focus on predatory lending" The Associated Press, Oct. 24, 2008⁽²⁴⁾

____________

Oh, no. Here is the title of an article at Huffington Post:

New Proof Wall Street Knew Its Mortgage Securities Were Subpar: Clayton Execs Testify

..."This should have a phenomenal effect legally, both in terms of the ability of investors to force put-backs and to sue for fraud," said Joshua Rosner, managing director at independent research consultancy Graham Fisher & Co.

Original buyers of these securities could sue for fraud; distressed investors, who buy assets on the cheap, could force issuers to take back the mortgages and swallow the losses....


Does that mean that John Kasich knew what he was selling to the Ohio retirement funds that lost over $400 million at Lehman Brothers????  I'm just asking.

At the Shoe

I am at the Buckeye game. There are about six minutes left in the third quarter. Former governor Bob Taft and his wife are in the press box with some of their friends.

Be sure to visit Plunderbund.com for a different view about Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist, and the price of his daughter's shoes. Stivers just noticed the national debt. It is funny that he wasn't upset when Bush brought the debt to huge numbers. Stivers just noticed? He must be spending too much time hanging out with lobbyists, bankers, polluters, and insurance PACs.

Go over and check out Dailykos.com for an interesting story about John Boehner. Where is the National Enquirer when you need it?????

More later.........

Tax Cuts and Shut Downs

 *** Ezra Klein explains in the Washington Post how the Republican plan would hurt more than help:

...Take the deficit. Perhaps the two most consequential policies in the proposal are the full extension of the Bush tax cuts and the full repeal of the health-care law. The first would increase the deficit by more than $4 trillion over the next 10 years, and many trillions of dollars more after that. The second would increase the deficit by more than $100 billion over the next 10 years, and many trillions of dollars more after that. Nothing in the document comes close to paying for these two proposals, and the authors know it: The document never says that the policy proposals it offers will ultimately reduce the deficit.

Then there's the question of policy uncertainty. The health-care law, which is now in the early stages of implementation, would be repealed. In its place, Republicans would write a new health-care bill. They offer some guidance as to what it would look like, but as every business knows, the congressional and regulatory processes are both long and uncertain. That's joined by three sentences on shrinking and reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- the policy's anticipated effects on the housing market, where the two mortgage giants are backing nine out of every 10 new loans, are not mentioned -- and a promise to force a separate congressional vote on every regulation with more than $100 million in economic impact, which would force businesses to figure out a new, dual-track regulatory process.

The agenda is least confused on the subject of reducing government. Though it says little about specific cuts it would make, the pledge includes a cap on non-security discretionary funding, the aforementioned congressional review process for big-ticket regulations, a hiring freeze on federal employees, and weekly votes on spending cuts. None of these policies are spelled out in any detail, but nor are they contradicted by other elements of the plan.....

The Republicans created the financial disaster we've been living in today.  Why would anyone want to give them power again?

 - - - - - - - - -

*  Do you know that one of Republican John Boehner's goals is to shut down Congress.  The Republicans did it in 1995 and 1996.  (I guess when you've got nothing, you just throw a tantrum.)  The shutdowns of Congress in the 90's by the Republicans did some huge damage, and now they want to do it again.  What would happen if the Republicans gain control and then shut down the entire government?

Gerald McEntee at Firedoglake gives us the results if the Republicans take control:

 ....Across the country, politicians who stand for policies that would transfer wealth and power back to the Wall Street barons are on the November 2nd ballot. Republicans who call for a return to the unregulated capitalism that created our economic crisis are running for the Senate in states such as Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin. Their election will tip the balance far onto the side of the bankers and hedge fund managers who did so much to rob Americans of the dreams for a better future....

....They could care less about the working people of America, and no corporate produced PR gimmick should let them off the hook for their disastrous past performance. Their reckless incompetence and greed cost many millions of Americans their jobs, their homes and their hopes for the future. We need to understand that the very people who drove the economy into the ditch are now planning to take back the keys, restart the engine and take the whole country along on their reckless joyride along the road to the bottom. That’s their real pledge.


Every American who relies on Social Security, Medicare or veterans benefits needs to know what the Republicans have in store for them if they take power next year. The millionaires who host right wing talk shows are not likely to realize how important a Social Security check is to the family that needs it to get by in difficult times. They aren’t getting their care at VA hospitals. They don’t need a student loan. So, they haven’t reported on the GOP plan to raise the retirement age, massively cut vital public services and shut down the government if they don’t get their way. Instead they’ll be talking about how wonderful this new "pledge" is, and how much better off we would all be if they could implement it tomorrow....

If you vote for Republicans and they shut down the government, as they've done before, the mail won't be delivered, veterans' hospitals would close, Social Security checks wouldn't be deposited, every government building and agency would close.  Do you really want this total chaos from the Republicans?

_________

***  Rep. John Boccieri (OH-16th) is a hardworking member of Congress, with an interesting background.  Here is a little tidbit from his congressional website:

...Congressman Boccieri is a Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. As an aircraft commander aboard the C-130 Hercules, Boccieri deployed in four rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom....

...In Congress I am working for fair trade policies that promote the growth of American businesses and create good-paying jobs to support families here in Ohio...

On the battlefield, we pledge to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, it should be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind, and that includes making sure our veterans have access to health care and other benefits promised them when they joined the armed forces....

Very impressive.

However, Boccieri's opponent, Renacci, on the other hand, is not so impressive.
Republican Jim Renacci on business (LINK):

1. Renacci Was Accused Of Failing To Pay His Employees And Kicked Out Of The Better Business Bureau.
2.  Renacci Was Sued For Failing To Pay Wages To An Employee.
3. Renacci Was Blasted For Losing "Hundreds Of Jobs" Due To His "Lack Of Leadership."
4. Renacci Critcizes Cash For Clunkers, Yet Profitted From It. 
5. Renacci's Company Collapsed, Leaving $200,000 In Debt 
6. Renacci Sued for Writing Checks "For His Own Personal Benefit And Gain."  

What has Renacci's done on trade (LINK)?
1. Renacci Was Registered As A Lobbyist On Foreign Trade Issues. 
2. Renacci Signed Pledge Supporting Tax Breaks For Companies That Ship Jobs Overseas....

For the complete background on the Renacci, visit the very informative Real Renacci. Check under the "Issues" link for the shocking details and "read more."

And one more thing!!!!!!

The Hill:

....Renacci got entangled in a complicated dispute with the state of Ohio over whether his network of businesses, which includes nursing homes and an auto dealership, made a profit in 2000.
Renacci, who's running against freshman Rep. John Boccieri (D-Ohio), declared a loss on his taxes. But after getting audited, he and his wife ended up settling with the state for more than $1.3 million in back taxes, interest and penalties, court records show.....

Ouch!!!!!!!!