Husted is Bad for Business and Ohio's Economy
Ohio ranks 47th in these United States of America for business climate. The Commercial Activities Tax (CAT) is an abomination and probably a significant contributor to Ohio's economic lethargy. The CAT tax came to be under Speaker Husted's watch in the Ohio House while there was a Republican governor in the mansion.
In 2006, Husted voted for a hike in the minimum wage (Am Sub SB 7). In 2008, Team Husted passed HB 545 which was targeted to eliminate the Pay Day Lending industry in Ohio (those are jobs).
Husted on Guns
I'm not real sure on this one, so I'm going to rely on the Buckeye Firearms folks for a yeah or nay on whether or not this is a good vote or not. In 2006, Husted votes NO on Amd. HB9 which would have required the local sheriff's department to disclose information to journalists UNLESS there was a a letter on file expressing that their information should not be disclosed.
Husted Surrendered to Democrats
Strickland's first budget fight was not a fight at all. In fact, all we were hearing from Republican sources was just how hard they were fighting Taxing Ted, but when it came time to sign the budget, here is how upset the governor was with Jon Husted's performance.
I contend that Team Husted (and Bill Harris is not off the hook in my book in the Senate either) did not do enough to reduce the burden on Ohio's taxpayers in that budget. That he surrendered to whatever Ted Strickland wanted while putting up the bare minimum of a fight to try and save face. And look where we are today...
Fast forward to the last election cycle...
Jon Husted is term limited out of the House and runs for the Senate, but his legacy is the GOP losing the Ohio House. Best part? Husted galloped over to the Senate with six figures in his account AFTER the election. Meanwhile there are a number of races in which Republicans fell short, but MIGHT have pulled an upset if Husted had invested some of his treasure:
District 18 - Cuyahoga County - Coleen Grady (R) loses to incumbent D Matt Patten by less than a thousand votes.
District 20 - Franklin County - Jim McGregor (R) loses to incumbent D Nancy Garland by less than two-thousand votes - 51% to 48%
District 85 - Fayette, Pickaway and Ross Counties - John Schlicter (R) loses to incumbent D Raymond Pryor by less than three-thousand votes - 52% to 47%
District 92 - Athens, Meigs, Morgan and Washington Counties - Jill Thompson loses to incumbent D Debbie Phillips by less than a thousand votes - 50% to 49%
Granted, we'd have need to sweep all four but the point here is that Jon Husted just surrendered and walked over to the other chamber and didn't care about the wreckage he left behind in the Ohio House.
Husted Doesn't Respect Ohio's Electorate
Jon Husted does not live in the district that he represents. Ultimately, Jennifer Brunner is going to have to make the decision as to whether or not she thinks that is true, but it seems clear to me that the Husteds don't live in Kettering. We can also chat about whether or not that really matters (it does), but the reality is that it appears as if Husted really doesn't care about living in the district he represents regardless of whether or not that's where he is supposed to live. And I have a real problem with that and I believe Ohio's electorate will too.
No matter whom the Democrats put up against Husted, this issue will be front and center and I haven't heard a legitimate defense from Team Husted or his lackeys at the Ohio Republican Party. Memo to ORP Chairman Kevin DeWine: Jon Husted is not Change We Can Believe In. My advice is to jump off this particular ship before it sinks and takes reapportionment with it.
5/2 UPDATE: Related Posts -- Kyle's Anonymous Contributor: "Why Jon Husted is right for Secretary of State"
Matt's Chat: "A Couple of Rebuttal Points on Husted"
