> The old saying, "You can never go home again," does not apparently apply to Republican Rep. Steve Stivers, a former bank lobbyist.
Lancaster Gazette:
Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Upper Arlington, said it will be important to have an office when takes his seat Jan. 3 in the newly-drawn 15th Congressional District.
But instead of occupying the outgoing Rep. Steve Austria’s (R-Beavercreek) office at 207 S. Broad St., he will move into the nearby Chase bank building at 123 S. Broad St., Suite 235. The move is contingent upon the federal General Service Administration approving the lease agreement, which still is in negotiations....
Although the Chase building is not the same building he worked in as a bank lobbyist, Stivers has been the recipient of campaign contributions PACs/employees from Bankpac, JP Morgan Chase, and others associated with banks. This just shows that Stivers knows that making nice with bankers is something he likes to do. It is no coincidence that Stivers serves on the banking committee in the House. I just wonder if it is really ethical to rent an office in a building owned/maintained by one of your contributors.
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* Do you remember Gov. Kasich's prediction about how Ohio would benefit from fracking? City Beat can prove that Kasich was wrong.City Beat:
Ohio’s fracking boom might not be living up to the hype.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources originally estimated that 250
fracking wells would be built by the end of the year, but only 165 have been completed and 22 are currently being built.
The disappointing results are being blamed on low natural gas prices
and a backlog in work needed to connect wells to customers. Maybe the
state’s claim had as much basis as Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s claim that the state’s fracking boom would be worth $1 trillion....
Wait! There is one more thing from City Beat that will delight the state's Democrats.
...It’s commonly said Cincinnati is Republican territory, but after the latest elections, that’s looking more and more false....
Good.
> Is Gov. Kasich losing more support from Ohio farmers? It appears that Kasich has angered the state's farmers---- yet again.
Plunderbund:
Marc Kovac reports in the Vindicator that the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, as predicted, has voted to oppose Kasich’s severance tax hike on drillers to fund a state income tax cut.
Similar to our position, the group thinks that “any increase in the severance tax should be used to address local government funding, pay for infrastructure needs and economic development, and mitigate negative impacts of oil and gas drilling on communities and the environment.”
The typically-Republican leaning organization also voted to maintain their position against Kasich’s plan to lease the Ohio Turnpike....
The Ohio Farm Bureau usually operates as cheerleader for Republicans, but apparently they've started to question Kasich's moves.