* Hmmmmm. Why does Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15th) have ads showing up on blogs? Does Stivers want people to call/email him to ask why he voted to kill Medicare? If you haven't had the chance to contact the office of Republican Rep. Steve Stivers, here are some telephone numbers that you might find handy: (614) 771-4968 or (202) 225-2015 or
website to send him a message http://stivers.house.gov asap.
Stivers might be viewing some recent polls that show he is very vulnerable considering his push to overturn some consumer protection reforms and his vote to kill Medicare. Is the former bank lobbyist getting a little nervous because he hasn't created one job bill? Is Stivers concerned because Ohio Republicans are about as popular as bed bugs?
*** The Columbus Dispatch had a story that told us what most of us already knew: David Brennan, charter school owner/mogul, and his lobbyists, are having direct contact with Republican members of the Ohio House in order to push certain legislation. Are those Republicans trying to provide their services for the money Brennan has provided to them for their campaigns?
Dispatch:
...Records examined by The Dispatch show that dozens of friendly email exchanges, calls and meetings involving the lobbyists and aides to House Speaker William G. Batchelder started shortly after Republicans took control of the chamber in January.
For example, a Feb. 6 email from Chad Hawley, policy director for the House GOP caucus, told Tom Needles, Brennan's top lobbyist, that Brennan's charter-school proposals "look like great ideas and exactly the kind of things we are hoping to do."
....House staff members ran a number of charter-school-related amendments by Brennan's lobbyists. On April 19, nine days before the initial House budget changes were unveiled, lobbyist (and Needles associate) Colleen Grady sent Lisa Valentine, the top education policy adviser for the House Republicans, her opinion of 11 different amendments......
Isn't that amazing! Rather than ask teachers and educators about input on education policy, the Ohio House Republicans are getting feedback from charter school lobbyists on which items look good and those that do not.
Is this further proof that the Ohio Republicans will do anything, even take lobbyist submitted legislation, to please their campaign contributors? Are we back to the Bob Taft days of "pay to play" politics?