BUTLER COUNTY UPDATE: Sheriff Jones and the Tea Party Express

Hey Tea Partyers! Read this and let us know what you think...

Personally, I think a guy who runs a department that gets more than a quarter of the total budget ought to be able to find some ways to trim the fat...and I'm not talking about eating at Subway and hitting the treadmill.

How about that helicopter? Does Butler County really need an air force?

How about the boat? Does Butler County really need a navy?

How about the horses? Does Butler County need a cavalry?

Fiscal conservatism means reducing spending particularly in a time of economic trouble. When is Sheriff Jones going to realize that just because he throws a fit, that doesn't change the numbers?

TIB Radio Announcement

The TIB Radio Network is announcing that last week's TIB All Stars Show was scheduled to be the last show of the year for Tom, Matt and Mark. However, we do have some new programming in the works to tell you about.

TIB ALL STARS:

The All Stars will be back in 2010. Tom Blumer, Matt Hurley, and Mark G. will be back for season four of the internet radio sensation.

WMD PROGRAM:

Mark and Matt will be back on FRIDAY NIGHTS starting next week from 6 until 8 with an optional third hour. This show will feature some "wacky" radio bits and some special guests.

RADIO FREE BUTLER COUNTY:

Matt will go solo but this show is still in the early production stages. More on this as it develops.

BUTLER COUNTY UPDATE: Special Prosecutor Edition

To fully understand where we are, we have to examine where we've been so let's all jump in to the Way Back Machine for a little trip back to 2007 for a recap of the Mosketti Incident.

Carole Mosketti was the County Treasurer. She hired her granddaughter in clear violation of the state anti-nepotism laws. To tell that story, let's go to the press release from the Ohio Ethics Commission:

Butler County Treasurer Carole B. Mosketti entered a guilty plea on May 17, 2007, to a Bill of Information filed by Special Prosecutor Lynn Grimshaw in Butler County Common Pleas Court, alleging a conflict of interest in hiring her family member. As a result of an Ethics Commission investigation, Mosketti admitted that she unlawfully used her authority as Treasurer to hire her granddaughter, Heather Maus, as a part-time employee at the Butler County Treasurer's Office from December 21, 2004, and continuing until June 7, 2007, and paying her $3,800.

Judge Matthew Crehan sentenced Mosketti to pay the maximum fine of $1000 and also court costs. As part of the plea agreement with the Special Prosecutor, Mosketti also agreed to resign from office effective May 31, 2007. She had previously made full restitution to the County of $4,166.76, which was the total amount that the County paid Maus. (Maus worked at the County Records Center just prior to being hired by Mosketti.) Maus resigned from the Treasurer's Office on June 7, 2006.

Okay, so what's this bit about a Special Prosecutor? We read on...

Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper requested on June 19, 2007 that the Commission investigate whether Mosketti violated the ethics law by hiring her granddaughter as a part-time employee, based upon information received by his office from the County Auditor. On October 27, 2006, Piper requested that the Butler County Common Pleas Court appoint Lynn Grimshaw as a Special Prosecutor and Paul M. Nick, the Commission's Chief Investigative Attorney, as an Assistant Special Prosecutor, to prosecute any felony or misdemeanor charges based upon the Commission's investigation. The charges filed today are the result of negotiations between the Special Prosecutor and Mosketti's counsel, Jack Garretson.

...

The ethics conflict of interest charge is first degree misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail. The Ethics Law protects the public from improper conflicts of interest by prohibiting public officials and employees from misusing their public positions or participating in actions to benefit family members, themselves, or their private business.

So what does this have to do with our current situation? Let's not forget what got us in to this mess in the first place. Commissioner Jolivette has been accused of hiring family members for part-time jobs with the county.

The question is: Why hasn't Robin Piper asked for a Special Prosecutor?

The legal answer is: Jolivette didn't do what Mosketti did.

The political answer is: Leaving Jolivette in the race so he can get thumped strengthens the position of those who want to control the budget.

Let's break that down starting with the legal answer.

We need to bring in the Ohio Ethics Commissions document (PDF) on the subject, specifically Section IV, paragraphs 3 and 4:

An official has “authorized” the employment of a family member when the employment could not have been awarded without the approval of the official. In other words, under this section, an official is prohibited from making the final decision about whether a family member should be hired. For example, an official is prohibited from voting to hire a family member.

If the official makes the final hiring decisions for the public agency she serves, her family members cannot be employed by the public agency. For example, a county office holder cannot hire a family member and cannot delegate the authority to hire her family members to a subordinate employee, which means that her family members cannot be hired by her office. However, a person who worked in the office before her relative is elected is not prohibited from continuing to work for the office, as long as the terms and conditions of her employment are not changed through promotion or other actions described below.

The distinction is that Jolivette was one of three people making the decision in which his vote didn't actually decide whether or not his kids would get hired. Mosketti was the sole voice in the decision to hire her grandchild.

Has Jolivette violated the spirit of the law? I think so, but I don't think he did so intentionally. Having seen with my own eyes how the agendas were laid out back in the day, it is very easy for a Commissioner to not know who specifically was being hired on a particular vote. The agenda process has since been updated to include the names of those effected by the vote, but at the time only the department or agency was listed.

There are other reasons for not supporting Jolivette for re-election but I don't believe this is one of them.

Now, the political reasons for not appointing a Special Prosecutor...

By keeping Jolivette politically viable heading in to endorsements and the primary helps Robin's Good Ole Boys Club. They need to strengthen their position by soundly defeating Jolivette. What this does is give the Club a dude that they can point to and say, "We eliminated corruption." Never mind the fact that Jolivette hadn't actually violated the law.

Plus, this is a numbers game. Keeping Jolivette around does two things: it keeps the number required to come out on top lower; and, it supposedly keeps the Hamilton people from aligning with other candidates.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS:

I'm not a lawyer, and I don't play one on the internet. My analysis is based on having read the documentation and reading the stories of the allegations. That's it. There may be more or less information regarding the Jolivette Situation that I am not privy to at this time.

And, I am not afraid to be wrong...it has happened before and it will probably happen again. That's why I encourage folks to make up their own minds once they have the facts in hand. We need to start asking questions and seeing what answers we receive.

BUTLER COUNTY UPDATE: The Shelton Maneuver

I'm sure this has been standard practice in Butler County for decades, but I will call it the Shelton Maneuver since that is who I first witnessed practicing this particular method of political retribution.

Emails and phone calls are now going out saying that if people want to have a future in politics in Butler County they had better distance themselves from me.

This is pathetic, but that is Butler County GOP politics for you...

So let me lay out the choice for anyone who gets this call or email.

Make your choice. It is me or them. I am not that well known in the party, but I am one of the few people willing to speak truth to power.

It is okay if you choose them. But realize what you are choosing. If you want the same old politics as usual with the nepotism, corruption and intimidation then side with them. I don't want you on my team anyway.

But if you want a fresh start in Butler County Republican politics, then join my team.

So send me your emails. Tell me about the phone calls you are getting. The only way to stop this insanity is to expose it. And since I am already in the proverbial doghouse with these peeps, I got nothing else to lose. Not that that would have stopped me anyway.

BUTLER COUNTY UPDATE: About That Email...

At some point today, someone using the email address butlerctygop@gmail.com sent out a blast with copies of three posts under the WMD banner.

I was not consulted. I have no idea who sent the email. The email was not sanctioned by me. And I don't believe it was sanctioned by the Butler County Republican Party.

If I were to send out an email, I would use my own name. Also, I wouldn't put the whole post in the email either. I would tease it and give you a link to the spot where you could find it on WMD. Why? Because I'm in the "business" of getting traffic to WMD... If I am giving away the whole story in an email, you aren't coming here for that content...and I want you to come here!

While I appreciate that whomever sent this email blast out agrees with what I have to say, I really wish they had done it a bit differently...

BUTLER COUNTY UPDATE: Boys Club Revisited

I have a few outstanding items that I need to address on this issue since folks have had a chance to talk about it...

Chris Wunnenberg insisted that I "check my facts" in his adversarial and confrontational denial. "Check your facts" is typically Politician for "You are right!" so I'm not sure how to take Chris at this point. Particularly since he is such a bad politician...

Gary Cates took the road that most sincere people take. In his denial, he actually spent time explaining that he beilieves in the integrity of the system. I think he genuinely believes that and until there is more solid evidence presented that classifies him as a Member in Good Standing of the Butler County Good Ole Boys Club ("No Girls Allowed!"), I think it is fair to clear him at this point.

My spies tell me that they saw Jose Alvarez yucking it up with disgraced former Auditor Kay Rogers this week at the O'Tucks event in Hamilton. Seriously, Jose, this is not the kind of person you want to be caught associating with if you really want to be a Butler County Commissioner... Are you even aware of the news???

UPDATE: I forgot that I wanted to add a little something about why I posted this stuff in the first place...

As a member of the Central Committee, I get lots of calls and letters from elected officials, party chieftains, campaign staffers, and other interested people. Typically, if you see it on WMD then I have heard it at least twice at the minimum and usually significantly more than that.

My motivation for writing the piece and making such an issue out of it is that we are all hearing this stuff but we aren't actually talking about it. The only we we are ever going to rid Butler County of the bad apples is to expose them for who and what they are. We aren't going to do that if we don't talk about it.

I tend to have to say this over and over again, so if you've read this bit before, please forgive me. I am NOT a journalist. I'm a blogger. There are no layers of editors making decisions about what I can and can not say. What you see on WMD is the result of the choices and thinking on the part of the individual contributors. We each have set our own standards for what we are willing to put our names on... Our integrity is on the line every time we click the "publish" button, so you should know that when I say that such and such is what I believe...or this is what I know...then you can and should hold me accountable for that. Politics is a dificult field to write about because people lie all the time. All I can do is give you folks the best "read" of the situation that I can.

Lastly, the last thing I ever want to be accused of is that I am trying to convince you to think any given way. I write what I write because I want you to know where I am coming from...but you should make up your own minds.

Keep the faith, people...we are winning!

Fox Indicted - Snoopys Dance

I have been away today on personal business, but I did give out a shout of glee today when I heard the news. It was a bright spot in an otherwise really sad day for me.

Stories from Intrepid Reporter Josh and his Faithful Sidekick Dave are here and here.

We have a LONG trial ahead...but I simply can not resist a little Victory Dance or twelve, so without further adieu I present the Dancing Snoopys!!!



Thank you Chuck Furmon...this one is for you!

Thomas Sowell: Obama is Dismantling America

I guess some Air America African American radio show host will call this distinguished gentleman a porch slave or house slave next as they did to the normally liberal Juan Williams a couple of weeks ago. However, Dr. Sowell is a profound thinker, and one who should be paid attention to:

Just one year ago, would you have believed that an unelected government official, not even a Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate but simply one of the many 'czars' appointed by the President, could arbitrarily cut the pay of executives in private businesses by 50 percent or 90 percent? Did you think that another 'czar' would be talking about restricting talk radio? That there would be plans afloat to subsidize newspapers -- that is, to create a situation where some newspapers' survival would depend on the government liking what they publish? Did you imagine that anyone would even be talking about having a panel of so-called 'experts' deciding who could and could not get life-saving medical treatments?

"Scary as that is from a medical standpoint, it is also chilling from the standpoint of freedom. If you have a mother who needs a heart operation or a child with some dire medical condition, how free would you feel to speak out against an administration that has the power to make life and death decisions about your loved ones? Does any of this sound like America? How about a federal agency giving school children material to enlist them on the side of the president? Merely being assigned to sing his praises in class is apparently not enough. How much of America would be left if the federal government continued on this path? President Obama has already floated the idea of a national police force, something we have done without for more than two centuries.

"We already have local police forces all across the country and military forces for national defense, as well as the FBI for federal crimes and the National Guard for local emergencies. What would be the role of a national police force created by Barack Obama, with all its leaders appointed by him? It would seem more like the brown shirts of dictators than like anything American. How far the President will go depends of course on how much resistance he meets. But the direction in which he is trying to go tells us more than all his rhetoric or media spin. Barack Obama has not only said that he is out to 'change the United States of America,' the people he has been associated with for years have expressed in words and deeds their hostility to the values, the principles and the people of this country. Jeremiah Wright said it with words: 'God damn America!' Bill Ayers said it with bombs that he planted. Community activist goons have said it with their contempt for the rights of other people.

These things are all on the record and have been shown time and again. When exactly can we hold the President to his own statements as well as his admonishment to "judge him by whom he gains counsel from"? But wait, there is more:

Among the people appointed as czars by President Obama have been people who have praised enemy dictators like Mao, who have seen the public schools as places to promote sexual practices contrary to the values of most Americans, to a captive audience of children. Those who say that the Obama administration should have investigated those people more thoroughly before appointing them are missing the point completely. Why should we assume that Barack Obama didn't know what such people were like, when he has been associating with precisely these kinds of people for decades before he reached the White House? Nothing is more consistent with his lifelong patterns than putting such people in government -- people who reject American values, resent Americans in general and successful Americans in particular, as well as resenting America's influence in the world.

That part I highlighted in bold is key. Obama knows these people! He thinks you are too stupid to check up on them, or that you will simply believe his excuses. He doesn't care what you think, he is all about being an agent or revolution, an agent of "creative destruction" as some of the more radicals in the 1960s called it, folks like Bernadine Dorne who praised the Manson family murders. Folks like her husband Bill Ayers who along with Dorne have been supporters and advisers to Obama for decades. All of these people fit his profile and his words and deeds. He doesn't want a strong America, he wants a strong American government that will be lord and master of all its resources and people.

Any miscalculation on his part would be in not thinking that others would discover what these stealth appointees were like. Had it not been for the Fox News Channel, these stealth appointees might have remained unexposed for what they are. Fox News is now high on the administration's enemies list.

Nothing so epitomizes President Obama's own contempt for American values and traditions like trying to ram two bills through Congress in his first year-- each bill more than a thousand pages long-- too fast for either of them to be read, much less discussed. That he succeeded only the first time says that some people are starting to wake up. Whether enough people will wake up in time to keep America from being dismantled, piece by piece, is another question-- and the biggest question for this generation.

Let's hope we are not too late....

God bless America....

Obama is Jimmy Carter part Deux, not Give em Hell Harry

Victor Davis Hanson has an excellent piece about foreign policy, Jimmah Carter, Barack Obama, and the last great Democrat President, Harry Truman. While Mr. Obama entered the White House with as little foreign policy experience as Mr. Truman, it appears he is more likely to follow the dangerous and deadly naivete of the peanut farmer from Georgia, rather than the failed haberdasher of Missourah:

Upon entering office, Barack Obama knew little about foreign policy. But then neither did Vice President Harry S. Truman when Franklin Delano Roosevelt died suddenly on April 12, 1945.

President Obama often invokes the supposed mess abroad—especially in Iraq and Afghanistan—left to him by George W. Bush. But Mr. Obama's inheritance is mild compared to the myriad crises that nearly overwhelmed the rookie President Truman.

All at once Truman had to finish the struggle against Hitler, occupy Europe, and deal with a nominally allied but increasingly bellicose and ascendant Soviet Union. Within months of taking office he had to make the awful decision to drop atomic bombs on Imperial Japan.

At war's end, Truman was faced with a global propaganda nightmare. Stalin's victorious Soviet Union—soon to be nuclear—cynically posed as the egalitarian leader for millions of war-impoverished and newly liberated colonial peoples. In contrast, America accepted the difficult responsibility and expense of rebuilding the destitute former European colonial powers and rehabilitating ex-Axis Japan and Germany.

Some of Truman's initial military decisions proved nearly disastrous. After the atomic bombs forced Japan's surrender, he was stubbornly convinced that a nuclear air force could ensure American security on the cheap.

The result was that between 1946 and 1949 Truman tried to emasculate the Marine Corps. He mothballed much of the Navy and slashed the Army. Only the Communist invasion of South Korea in the summer of 1950 finally woke him to the reality that there would still be plenty of limited conventional threats in the Cold War, and that he'd better rearm if the U.S. was going to protect its interests and allies.

But the public had already lost confidence in Truman's military leadership during the so-called Revolt of the Admirals in spring and summer 1949, when top Navy officials blasted the president's plans to reduce conventional maritime forces. In just four years (between 1947 and 1951), Truman went through four secretaries of defense.

His necessary firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1951 set off an even greater firestorm. For months Truman had allowed MacArthur far too much leeway to attack his civilian superiors. But when Truman finally dismissed him, he did so in clumsy fashion that won the general iconic status and only fueled doubts about the commander in chief.

No matter: Truman constantly learned from his mistakes. Gradually, the president shed his Wilsonian trust that there would be a postwar global consensus under the aegis of the new United Nations. Instead, he came to believe that too many trans-Atlantic diplomatic elites had been terribly naïve about Stalin's murderous agenda.

This is an important point. Like many New Deal Democrats, Truman had been indoctrinated with Wilsonian ideals and such blather that left the world unsettled after the First World War and produced such despots as Ho Chi Minh and others. Truman was able to see past the indoctrination and utopian fantasies to deal with the world as it was. It appears that Obama, like Carter and the Dem party today, is nothing more than a Wilsonian dreamer regressive, intent on leaving matters to others in a world deliberative body while the world suffers. Truman realized the danger and the insincerity of Stalin and the Soviets. Carter didn't understand until it was too late and the tanks had already levelled Afghanistan. What will it take for Obama, or will he do as Carter did and just use empty gestures like boycots of Olympics? Back to the Hanson piece:

Against the advice of his angry State Department, Truman supported the establishment of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948. The Berlin Airlift, the Marshall Plan, the salvation of Greece and Turkey, and success pushing the Communists north of the 38th parallel in Korea all established the parameters of the next half-century of bipartisan American foreign policy. To craft a strategy of communist containment, Truman brought in conservative advisers like Paul Nitze, while working closely with Republican Sen. Arthur H. Vandenberg.

Truman's no-nonsense Secretary of State Dean Acheson summed up the president's doctrines: "Released from the acceptance of a dogma that builders and wreckers of a new world order could and should work happily and successfully together, he was free to combine our power and coordinate our action with those who did have a common purpose."

Ever since, most Democrats have embraced Truman's "common purpose." That means containing rival anti-Western ideologies, establishing alliances of similarly-minded democratic allies, and periodically standing up to regional thugs.

Jimmy Carter's presidency was a departure from this strategy. Mr. Carter started out cutting defense. He questioned the U.S. commitment to South Korea and offered homilies about the inordinate fear of communism. Then there was the short-sighted decision to arm radical Islamists in Pakistan, the abrupt abandonment of the previously allied Shah of Iran, and initial courting of the exiled radical Ruhollah Khomeini. The president seemed stunned into inaction by the subsequent Iranian hostage crisis and the rise of militant Islam. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Communist inroads into Central America, and the alienation of European governments further weakened American interests.

Truman was able to stave off the spread of Communism throughout Europe and help build back the Continent under freedom and present REAL HOPE to those behind the Iron Curtain. Carter only made many question whether America could handler herself, much less lead the world. And whither Obama?

The Obama administration reaches out to enemies such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bashar al Assad, the Castro brothers and Hugo Chávez. It pays far less attention to British, Colombian, French, Israeli and Japanese allies. In unilateral fashion we withdrew promises of land-based antiballistic missile defense from Eastern Europe, giddy that we might appease the Russians into abrogating their patronage of Iran's nuclear ambitions. But so far the centrifuges keep spinning while we appear unreliable to friends, compliant to rivals, and weak to enemies. The administration has also promised greater support to the U.N., seemingly unworried that the organization's illiberal majority has often appeased or abetted autocratic governments.

Will an inexperienced Barack Obama, in the fashion of Harry Truman, learn quickly that the world is chaotic and unstable—best dealt with through strength and unabashed confidence in America's historic role galvanizing democratic allies to confront illiberal aggressors?

Or will a sermonizing Mr. Obama follow the aberrant Democratic path of the sanctimonious Jimmy Carter: finger-wagging at allies, appeasing enemies, publicly faulting his less than perfect predecessors, and hectoring the American people to evolve beyond their supposed prejudices?

America awaits the president's choice. The world's safety hinges upon it.

WSJ: Dems Are So 1939...or 1965....

The Dems are always looking backward when the rest of the world is looking forward. For example, they are still carrying on as if there are separate restrooms for blacks and whites, that lynchings are an everyday occurrence and everyone who happens to be white has an inner klansman growing inside them. They do not see the truly postracial world that elected a black President, however much he lied his way to get there. Likewise, with their so called "reforms", the Democrats are doing the same old tired things they have always done: respond with throwing money at the problem, creating a dependent population subservient to them, and then using those people for power, behavior common to drug pushers and pimps. The Democrats typically engage in talking about how government is so efficient and is the friend of the people, when example after example (Amtrak, the US Postal Service, etc.) can be given to show that government is not efficient and it is not responsive to the changing dynamics of the people. The Wall Street Journal has an excellent piece discussing how the Dems are not progressive, but more are throwbacks to failed policies that only hurt:

In a world defined by nearly 100,000 iPhone apps, a world of seemingly limitless, self-defined choice, the Democrats are pushing the biggest, fattest, one-size-fits all legislation since 1965. And they brag this will complete the dream Franklin D. Roosevelt had in 1939.

The culture still believes the U.S. has a hipster for president. But the Obama health-care bill, and maybe this whole administration, is starting to look totally out of sync with the new zeitgeist, the spirit of the age.

Everything about the health-care exercise is looking very old hat, starting with the old guys working on it. Max Baucus, Patrick Leahy, Pete Stark—all were elected to Congress in the 1970s, and live on as the immortals in Washington's Forever Land. But it's more than the fact that Congress looks old. The health-care bill is big, complex, incomprehensible and coercive—all the things people hate nowadays.

It's easy to make jokes about how insubstantial the millions of people seem to be who are constantly using technologies like Twitter. But these new digital and Web-based technologies, which have decentralized virtually everything, now occupy most of the average person's waking hours at work or at home. Mass media is struggling to stay massive in a world whose people want to break up into many discrete markets.

The one lump that won't change is government. Government in our time is looking out of it. It'd be one thing if government were almost cool in an old-fashioned way, but it's not. When everyone else's job gets measured by performance, its hallmark is malperformance—whether in Congress, California or New York.

We define the past 25 years in terms of entrepreneurs and visionaries in places like Silicon Valley who took a small idea and ran with it. Congress does the opposite. It take something already big . . . and make it bigger.

Excellent points all. Why are we trusting our future to fossils of the past, people whose main accomplishment is adding trillions to our debt and destroying the financial and real estate sectors, all the while calling our troops terrorists and extolling the virture of no choice at all?

There was a time when contributing to the common good meant joining something relatively small like the Peace Corps or Teach for America. Now it means being willing to just fall into line behind some huge piece of legislation.

Read Mr. Obama's speech last week at MIT on climate change: "The folks who pretend that this is not an issue, they are being marginalized." This, ironically, sounds a lot like the 2007 antiHillary "Big Brother" TV commercial. Its message was that Hillary represented something big and ominously coercive. Boot up that ad now and put Obama's face where Hillary's is.

The larger point here isn't necessarily partisan. It's a description of the way people live their lives in a 21st century world, and how disconnected politics has become from that world.

If we were really living in the world of leading-edge politics that many people thought they were getting with Barack Obama, he would have proposed an iPhone for health care—a flexible system for which all sorts of users could create or choose health-care apps that suited their needs. Over time, with trial and error, a better system would emerge.

No chance of that. Our outdated political software can't recognize trial and error. What ObamaCare is doing with health care—the "public option"—may be fine with the activist left, but I suspect it's starting to strike many younger Americans as at odds with their lives, as not somewhere they want to go. Wait until EPA's ghost busters start enforcing cap-and-trade.

People thought something small, agile and smart was coming to government, but so far it's turning out to be just big-box politics.

Exactly. We are tackling a Windows 7 problem with Windows 3.1. We are trying to solve a pentium problem with an apple IIc. It just doesn't compute. Where is the choice? Where are the true options? And what are the Republicans doing, aside from MORONS, IDIOTS, AND SUCH like those who support the lefty in that New York race (see Gingrich, Newt) or those who support retreads like Mike DeWine in Ohio (see Ochocinco, Jason and John)shooting the cause in the foot? The article gives them an opportunity and a warning:

None of this is to suggest the Republicans are any better. They do, however, have a better chance of breaking out of the ancient political castle. So long as the Democratic Party is the party of the Old Hat People, dependent on public-sector unions with Orwellian names like the Service Employees International Union, it will remain yoked to a pre-iPhone political model that will increasingly strike average everyday American voters as weird and alien to their world.

So, instead of saying, when history calls, history calls and going along to just get along like that insipid pus bucket emptyheaded moron Olympia Snowe did, instead we should boldly go out and present real alternatives, real choice. Real solutions.

Kerry Wants Law Library of Congress to Change its Mind...Or else...

From a report:

The chairmen of the House and Senate foreign relations committees are asking the Law Library of Congress to retract a report on the military-backed coup in Honduras that they charge is flawed and “has contributed to the political crisis that still wracks” the country.
The request, by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. and Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., has sparked cries of censorship from Republicans who say the Democrats don’t like what the August report said: that the government of Honduras had the authority to remove President Manuel Zelaya from office.
Zelaya has been holed up at the Brazilian embassy in Tegucigalpa for several weeks, and high-ranking U.S. officials arrived Wednesday to try to broker a resolution.
Critics of the Obama administration — which condemned Zelaya’s removal in June — have pointed to the report as evidence that the White House was wrong when it sided with most Latin American countries in calling for Zelaya to be returned.

The only political “crisis” that the report stoked was the one in the US, when people wondered why we were suddenly taking the same side as Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega, and the Castro brothers against one of the more stalwart US allies in the region.

This effort shows you how much the Dems are all in for Obama. They will seek to rewrite history, to force people to rewrite history. They have already cowed the Congressional Budget Office. Remember when the CBO excoriated the stimulus bill as well as the original proposals for healthcare, only to flaccidly give a nod toward teh disastrous Bacchus bill when the time came, with inaccurate lowballing of the cost? These people care only for their own power and that of the beloved leader.

Obama is trying to make us liked, at the cost of our national prestige and security. Going to bed with thugs like Chavez and Co. and not giving full support to a valued ally like Israel is ignorant and denotes a rather startling naivete of the way the world is at present.

The efforts by Kerry and Co. show you that the Left is not about truth and divergence of opinion and never has been. It is only about the castration of thought and the acquiescence of the masses to whatever excrement falls from the mouth of the annointed one.

Butler County Update: The Party Favor Edition

Intrepid Reporter Josh gets in to the act by asking whether or not Jose Alvarez is the party favorite. No, Josh, Jose is the party favor at this point...

Since folks have been asking, I think the time is right to reveal what I have been able to piece together...

WHO: Commissioner "Democrat" Don Dixon, Sheriff Rick "Spotlight" Jones, State Senator Gary Cates, Prosecutor Robin Piper, Puppet Ed Shelton, and Party Mascot Chris Wunnenberg UPDATE: Oh, yeah, County Engineer Greg Wilkens, you did not escape my list...I was working from memory this morning.

WHAT: Secret cabal met to decide who was going to be the next Butler County Commissioner

WHERE: Undisclosed, super-secret lair somewhere in Butler County.

WHY: Because these clowns think that backroom deals are the right way to pick office holders.

HOW: Through intimidation and fear tactics. Jobs have been threatened....you know, the usual.

So, what are we going to do about it?

UPDATE: At least one of the Mugnificent Seven are trying to claim they had no knowledge of these events or were even there. My advice, ask them in person and look for the usual tell-tale signs of a liar. Of course, some of these chaps have been in this business so long that they can actually look a person right in the eye and tell them whatever they think you want to hear. But, trust your instincts and trust your judgment.

What is wrong with the Republicans?

Hey all of you gun toting, bible thumping, Constitution following, bill of rights reading, tea-day protesting Conservative friends and acquaintances. This is your new, Conservative underground leader coming at you, once again from a location that isn't secure because I am not afraid of "big brother". Between GOD and Glock, I'll be fine!





I want to start out by saying that this is something I have been working on for a while. I wanted to get this message out, and luckily I have started to build up a small group of followers thanks to my good friend Matt Hurley. This next sentence is between you and me, so don't tell anyone. Basically this post is a summary of the first chapter of a book I have been and am working on. Hopefully I will finish it and get it to potential publishers by Feb 2010. I thank you for your support and kind words and any prayers you can give me in this endeavor.







There is an old analogy that popped up quite a bit this past election cycle. It goes some what along the lines of "You must first remove the beam from your own eye before you can start pointing out the splinters in others' eyes." I found that interesting, mainly because my Grandfather, a WWII vet, lifelong conservative, and proud American use to say it. Grandpa was a great man, and as far as I am concerned, the greatest I'll ever know. He was modest of his history and proud of who he was and what he believed and most importantly, his country. He also was the first to point out that just because he was proud of and loved his country, he usually didn't care for the government and the people in it. This man knew that being proud of the United States of America didn't mean you had to support the government or be proud of it, because when it comes down to it, (pardon the language, but this is his quote word for word), "its the proud, hard working, flag waving, red blooded Americans that make me proud and make the US great, not those sons of bitches in Washington." I told you all this to get to another point, but had to first pay honor to this great man. The reason I want to Honor US Army SGT Ed Fowler, is because he was a proud American, who loved his country and taught his grand kids of the sacrifices and principles and values that made the US great, and on March 2, 2009, America lost a true HERO, PATRIOT and GREAT MAN. R.I.P. Grandpa. Now, the reason I told you this is to get to my main point, grandpa was never affiliated with a party because he had been let down by both Democrats and Republicans, he just said I am an independent conservative! After the 80's, he would sometimes throw in the term "Reagan Conservative." That was truly a man of incite. I am proud to say that I have no true commitment to any party, but I am in fact a proud Reagan/Goldwater Conservative. This causes me to align 99% of the time with the Republican party.







I told you this little history to show you that I have a legitimate viewpoint towards my title topic. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE REPUBLICANS?" Hopefully I can shed a little light into this, and will hopefully lead to people realizing what is happened and what needs to happen. When the people stand up, and start demanding true republican/conservative principles out of our leaders, whether or not we are the majority, then the Republicans will finally be able to remove that big beam and and start fixing the splinter problems in the rest of the country's eye.





The Republican party has two major flaws over the past 8 years (well over a longer time than that, but I'm focusing on the last 8 years because that led to its destruction in 06 and 08). Those flaws can be summed up in two words: Education and Principles.





Education, or lack there-of is a major problem with the Republicans. We can not keep going on being considered the party of no, or the party of old white guys. We need to do a lot better job of getting the message out there. We say no to an Obama plan, and he comes back with they don't offer an alternative. Guess what, they need to get their lazy asses out there and let people know what their plan is. They are becoming just like the Democrats. They have their seats in congress, statehouse, senate, etc and don't care unless they have a close race ahead of them.


One thing that is hurting our cause is what we all do, not just the elected officials, but the republican followers of them also do is complain and blame Obama, Reid, Pelosi, etc. Now, I AM NOT, I repeat NOT, defending Obama, Reid or Botox Pelosi. Make that clear, NOT supporting them, but come on people. You can not go through everything with just blaming someone else. After the absurd spending and policies (not all of them, I liked a lot of the policies from 00-06, but we lost our way from the way the party operated congress in 94) we have the nerve to just go out everyday and blame blame blame. People, this is no different than Charles Manson calling Michael Jackson a sicko for his past sins. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" Very few republicans in congress can claim no blame for the debacle that has been the last few years, and MOST of them are freshman congressmen/women.


For a party of Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves, for the party who were the majority party who passed the 13th (abolish slavery), 15th (voting rights for slaves) and 19th (women's voting rights) amendments to the US constitution so they could be ratified by the states. That's right, the Republicans did all that, and the 13th and 15th amendments had a high majority of the democrats voting against. How about the Civil rights act of 1964, in a democratic house where 40% of that party voted against it and 80% of Republicans voted for the act, or the democratic controlled Senate where 31 % of Dems voted against and 82 % of Rep voted for it. The Republicans have played a bigger role in minority rights then the democrats have over our history. So why is it that there is a misconception that we are a racist party? LACK OF EDUCATION.


This past election, Obama sounded like a conservative, promising tax cuts for 95 % of Americans. That is great to the average voter. So why doesn't the average voter know that the Republican policy has always been to let the voters keep as much of their own money as possible through tax cuts and credits. We are suppose to be the party that believes people spend their own money better than Uncle Sam ever can. Why is it that when a Democrat in a debate asks the question, "Well how are you going to pay for these tax cuts?" that we can not come up with a viable answer. We tip toe around cutting here and there. Why can't we just say this: Number 1, tax cuts to stimulate the economy have proven to raise revenue to the Government without raising taxes, that should help "pay" for them. Number 2: When are you going to learn that this is not the governments money. When a child gets his allowance reduced, he doesn't have to "pay"for it, he has to cut down his candy budget for the week. So why is it that Government thinks that it is their money first. All taxes are is an allowance we give the Government for the services they are required to perform in the US constitution. The government doesn't have to "pay" for tax cuts, they don't pay anything. The government needs to learn how to cut their budget, when it comes to taxes the only people who pay are the American citizen. When Congress raises taxes they don't "Pay" less, we pay more! No one can get that message across, why? Lack of Education.


The Last bit of Education needed is on the base. We think we need to broaden the base by being more "moderate". Guess what, that is Bull CRAP! The majority of "Independent" voters who we were supposedly targeting by being moderate, where the same people who were pissed off by our lack of control after they helped us into office in 2000. Yea, that's right! They wanted the government to quit spending and taxing and butting into their lives. Wow, what does that sound like? Conservative Principles! What kind of people have those principles, the BASE. We need to excite the conservative base and once we win, not betray them. The independents are only independent because of social policy. When it comes to fiscal policy, they want whoever is going to cut taxes, cut spending and cut government. But yet we try to be more like the democrats cause we think its going to expand the base. WHY IS THIS? LACK OF EDUCATION! That leads me into the second flaw which I will cover in my next segment...which I will have published on this blog by next wednesday

Butler County GOP Update: Endorsement Recommendations

Tomorrow night, the Butler County Republican Party will get together and make some endorsements. Here are my recommendations...

State Central Committeeman: Tim Evans

Everything I have heard about Tim is that he is a top-notch candidate for this position.

I can not say the same thing about Chris Wunnenberg. How dare you, sir, quote Ronald Reagan in your letter while you attend private meetings plotting and scheming. Have you no decency, sir? Chris Wunnenberg wants to be a king-maker. Near as I can tell, he has more ambition than political talent and/or skill. The very last thing Butler County GOP needs is yet another glory hound representing us in Columbus.

Secretary of State: Ham Sandwich

By 2010, Ham Sandwich will only be half as stale as Jon Husted is right now...

Jon Husted is not right for Ohio. If you really need to know why, hit the Husted tab in the sidebar...

The Rest: Near as I can tell, the remaining slate to be voted on tomorrow night is not controversial.

State Central Committeewoman
Court of Common Pleas - General
Court of Common Please - Domestic
U. S. Senate
State Auditor
U.S. Congressional District 8

RELEASE: Combs Introduces Legislation to Help With Indigent Defense

Release:

COLUMBUS – State Representative Courtney Combs (R-Hamilton) today introduced legislation that would allow municipal courts that do not have a public defender assigned to their court and those that do not seek reimbursement from the Indigent Defense Fund to compensate court appointed attorneys.

“Unfortunately for courts that do not use the public defender system, the defendants and the city are in turn paying for another court’s defense fund,” Combs said. “My legislation would correct this problem and help struggling cities save money during these tight times.”

Under House Bill 335, the court would retain the court fees assessed for indigent defense rather than pay those fees into the State Indigent Defense Fund. Currently, indigent defendants in these courts are paying into the State Indigent Defense Fund and are not receiving any benefit. The city then is forced to reimburse the court for indigent defense.

This issue was brought to Combs’ attention by Judge Joyce Campbell of the Fairfield Municipal Court, whose court does not have a public defender. In 2008, her court sent over $130,000 to the Indigent Defense Fund.

“The Ohio Public Defenders Office provides excellent representation to those communities they serve,” Judge Campbell said. “However, for those courts, such as mine, that do not utilize their services it is fundamentally unfair to require the poorest of the poor to pay fees for services they do not receive. This legislation will rectify this situation and provide relief to the government entity actually paying for the court appointed attorneys representing indigent defendants in municipal and county courts of Ohio.”

The bill will now be referred to a committee where it will undergo further discussion.

Husted Steps In It...Again

I told you so... You can't say I didn't warn you...

Jon Husted has made his battle with Jenny Brunner the focal point of his campaign for Secretary of State and that is a HUGE mistake as illustrated by this Cleveland Plain Dealer piece.

The last line of his letter -- written just days before the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in his favor -- is this: "Today Jennifer Brunner and the Democrats want to take away my right to vote, tomorrow it could be yours."

If Husted truly believes Democrats can't be trusted on voting issues, he is going to have a hard time making nonpartisan decisions if he's elected in November 2010.

It's easy to call the line typical campaign rhetoric. But candidates for secretary of state bear more responsibility than others when it comes to avoiding hyperbole about the voting process.
...
Husted could say a lot more about his commitment to nonpartisanship by leaving Brunner out of a race she's not running.

Husted has nothing else to offer. He is an empty suit with the ability to raise some cash. that's all he is. That is all he will ever be. yet there are still those in the Ohio Republican Party who think this guy is a star on the rise.

Here is your star in action:

[Husted] also said he remains committed to keeping politics out of the office, but "when you see something that is wrong, you have a responsibility to call a spade a spade."

"And that's a fine line you have to walk," he said.

He acknowledged that the residency episode felt very personal and that putting aside such an attack is difficult.

"But you have to," he said.

But you didn't, Jon...and that is the whole point. Ohioans are sick and tired of lying politicians who claim to be one thing and turn out to be something else. Jon Husted fits that exact mold.

The fact that Husted made it to the starting lineup when he has no more skills than your average back-bencher is a real crime.

HT: ORP News Clips...thanks for pointing out what a TOOL this guy is ORP... Now, why exactly did you endorse this clown again???

Butler County Update: Spotlight Jones Playing Politics

If I've said this a million times on this blog, forgive me as I repeat it once again: I agree with Sheriff Jones on the illegal immigration enforcement issue and that's about it.

His current ploy for attention is to take any and every event that happens in Butler County and turn it in to a chance to blast the people who took every step possible to prevent cutting the sheriff's budget. (The latest story is here.) Here is a factoid that Intrepid Reporter Josh leaves out of his stories: the Butler County Commission left the sheriff's budget alone for YEARS while slashing other areas of the county's budget. Why? Because they felt that the safety and security of the citizens were important and a budget cut was not to be taken lightly.

If the sheriff is so concerned about these budget cuts, why hasn't he taken a pay cut himself? Do we really need an aviation unit and a boat? Horses are kind of expensive aren't they? Why doesn't anybody question how the sheriff has been spending all of this money?

Over on his website, the sheriff says this:

I have adopted the motto “Spectemur Agendo” which translates to “Let us be judged by our Actions”. I believe in accountability, responsibility, and a certain “esprit de corps”.

“Sacrifice, Duty, Honor, Justice, Vigilance, and Courage are the foundation that will define this Sheriff’s Office.”

Well, sheriff, I think your actions lately have been those of a whiny little crybaby. Instead of acknowledging that this county has been effected by the bad economic times, lashing out at those who have shielded your agency from the crunch that others have had to face is not acting with accountability, responsibility, or in the spirit that is conducive to public trust.

That you, of all people, would even consider subverting the will of the People and deny them the choice that you have sworn an oath to uphold is disgusting and vile. That's right. Sheriff Rick Jones is one of those who are a part of the secret cabal trying to intimidate others in to voting to endorse Jose Alvarez for County Commissioner.

Apparently, Alvarez is so desperate for support that he would succumb to the desires of this group of people hellbent on bringing down what is left of the Butler County Republican Party.

UPDATE: I really want to point out that the men and women of the Butler County Sheriff's Department are some of the best and brightest. In no way does my thoughts about the sheriff reflect on them, their integrity, or the work that they do to keep us safe. Keep the faith!

BUTLER COUNTY UPDATE: La Familia Edition

Who is the Butler County Godfather?

Of all the emotions I have expected to embrace as a Butler County Republican, I never -- in my wildest dreams -- thought that shame would be one of them. Today, my friends, I am ashamed to be a Butler County Republican.

I would have thought that we, as a party, would have learned the valuable lesson of humility and rid ourselves of the arrogance of past mistakes, but clearly I over-estimated the capacity for greed and the lust for power that has infected this once proud party.

Elected officials are supposed to be public servants not mafia dons. Some of the names I have been hearing -- from my many sources within Butler County government and politics -- do not surprise me one bit: the old school, tired Republican establishment that thinks they are smarter than everybody else and are willing to deny the good people of Butler County the right to choose what kind of government shall be put in place.

I have to admit that I am surprised by a few of the names I have been hearing because I thought I had come to know them as honest actors in the struggle for good versus evil. When it comes time to name names...and if you don't think I will do just that, then you don't know me as well as you think you do...this is not a list that you are going to want to be on.

That's right. I am compiling a list for publication. This list will only appear here, but in literature that I will make available to the good people of Butler County. It is time that Republicans take responsibility for our transgressions and do something about fixing the actual problem that we face in Butler County: nepotism and a clear lack of an ethical compass.

It is no longer acceptable for a few politically connected men to meet in a room to decide the fate of Butler County. It has been said that sunlight is the best disinfectant, and I intend to shine a very bright light down some of Butler County's deepest and darkest holes to reveal these critters for who and what they are...

To my friends on the Central Committee: Ultimately, it is OUR responsibility to keep this party on the right path. We have, for far too long, allowed weak party leadership to be influenced by the allure of power and greed. It is my sincerest hope that you will join me -- and many others in our communities -- in this confrontation with the forces who have made a mockery of our values and principles which we hold so dear. We must rid ourselves of this shame and the only way to do that, unfortunately, is to act against it. They have operated in the shadows for fear of you knowing what they are planning.

We simply can not afford politics as usual -- particularly the brand that has been practiced here in Butler County -- when so much is at stake. So far, we have been very lucky that the local Democrats have been caught unprepared to take advantage but that time has been wasted on silly political ploys, maneuvers, and games that will cost us in the long run.

The final question that each of us must answer is this: With whom do you stand?

More to come.....

OH-02 UPDATE: Krikorian Forgot He Was Running for Congress

Once again, the Angry Armenian has forgotten what campaign he is supposed to be running. I thought he was running for Congress, but clearly he must have realized that he has no chance at actually being elected and has thrown his support behind opposing a state issue.

I hope Team Krikorian keeps on spending money on other campaigns because that is brilliant!

Oh yeah, David...real fiscal conservatives LIKE corporations...

TIB All Stars -- 102409 -- Live Blog

The TIB All-Stars are on the Air at 6PM Eastern..... Click the link to listen; participate in the live blog...





Listen Now!

Click the "Listen Now!" text above to listen to TIB RADIO.

UPDATE: Due to technical difficulty, TIB Radio is off the air until a re-configuration can occur. Please check in here on WMD for further updates as they happen.

Ohio GOP Update: The Hug That Might Have Been

Ever since this picture hit the news, I have been hitting Jon Husted for figuratively and literally hugging the Governor and his disastrous economic policies.

But what about the Hug that could have happened just this week?

One of my many spies forwarded to me an email that our friends in the Ohio Republican Party put out that is called "ORP News Clips" and one of the articles highlighted is from the Columbus Dispatch and is titled, "2 Republicans willing to delay income-tax cut."

The article is about the two turncoat "Republicans" who sided with liberals to raise our taxes during a recession. One of those traitors is a guy named Matt Dolan. Dolan ran an unsuccessful bid to be the guy to lead the Ohio House Republicans. He wanted to be Speaker just like Jon Husted. Like Husted, the only thing that Dolan brought to the table was an ability to raise funds.

As far as I know, Dolan -- at least -- lives in his district...

I would like to enter this in to evidence that this is the sort of "leadership" that the establishment Republicans in the party would have us get behind. Fortunately, we got lucky and the caucus chose Batchelder instead.

GUEST COLUMN: "Who's at Ohio's Helm?"

By State Rep. John Adams

During this recession, Ohio’s families expect leadership from their elected officials more than ever. But these days, the halls of the Statehouse are relatively quiet as the Ohio House appears frozen in the face of the economic crisis. There are occasional votes on bills that have little or nothing to do with Ohio’s economy or creating jobs. And in the case of the House Economic Development Committee, the hearing room has remained silent for all but just a couple hours since January.

How can House Democrats continue to ignore our state’s hardships? What can possibly be more important than getting Ohioans back to work and modernizing our tired economy?

We as legislators have an obligation to help those who are struggling through this recession by changing the way Ohio does business. There is much work to be done here in the Buckeye State, but the Economic Development Committee has yet to pass any substantial bills to the House floor. We need to be looking for innovative ways to attract businesses and jobs to our state, and the successes and failures of our neighboring states is a good reference point for what needs to be done here in Ohio.

Consider Indiana, which ranked 47th in economic performance in the 2009 ALEC-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index. After years of irresponsible leadership and a weakened economy, Governor Mitch Daniels took the reins and radically improved the state’s business climate by cutting wasteful spending, revamping government structure, and avoiding tax increases. He managed to turn a $700 million budget shortfall into a $1 billion surplus. All of these initiatives have created jobs, attracted $8 billion in foreign investment to Indiana in the past two years, and earned the state an ALEC-Laffer Economic Outlook ranking of 17th in the nation.

If we can learn anything from Indiana’s example, it’s that a major improvement to Ohio’s economy requires major effort and commitment. It will be impossible to create jobs and grow our businesses without fully committing to making that happen. Unfortunately, aggressive action has yet to be seen in the Ohio House, and there are no signs that it will even start in the first place.

After months of inaction by the House Economic Development Committee, we launched our own analysis of Ohio’s business climate to examine which areas of our state’s economic development can be improved. We believe that, like Indiana, Ohio has the capability to turn its economy around and become a national competitor for jobs and businesses. We met with members of the local business community to discuss how the Ohio Legislature can improve the corporate climate and assist small businesses. Based on our conclusions, we created “The Future of Ohio,” a package of ten bills to cut bureaucratic red tape and facilitate small business growth, which is the primary avenue for Ohio’s economic recovery.

As a small business owner, I believe that the first necessary step toward Ohio’s recovery is promoting small business growth within our communities. Like Indiana, if we strive to lessen government’s presence by doing what is necessary to grow our economy, rather than government, we can turn our outlook around. By supporting the creation and expansion of Ohio's small businesses we can make a positive change for the future.

Background Checks Needed with Advent of Casinos

Release:

COLUMBUS—House Republican Leader William G. Batchelder of Medina, today announced his commitment to safeguarding casino licenses and preventing individuals who have committed crimes in the past from obtaining a casino license, if Issue 3 is approved by voters this November.

“If Issue 3 passes, the General Assembly has an obligation to ensure that the Casino Control Commission carefully screens applicants who want to own and run the Ohio casinos and makes sure that licenses are not granted to anyone with serious gambling infractions in their past," Batchelder said. “Many other states ask applicants about past gambling charges, even if they have been later expunged or overturned on appeal. This industry is highly regulated for a reason, and Ohio should not bow to pressure and adopt regulations that are lower than industry standards."

As per Section 3770.051 of the Ohio Revised Code, the director of the State Lottery Commission must request the criminal records of any vendor with whom the commission is considering entering into a contract, to protect the integrity of the state’s online gaming system or instant ticket system. Batchelder seeks to extend a variation of this law to apply to Ohio casinos, should the issue pass a public vote.

“It is prudent that policymakers work together to ensure there are safeguards in place such as background checks, so that anyone with a criminal record cannot apply for a license to operate casino in Ohio,” Batchelder said. “I can remember the Ohio Lottery suffering from scandal in the early 1970s caused by the lack of safeguards. Clearly defined rules and regulations on something as vague as gambling are necessary to prevent the dismal mistakes of the past. I urge my legislative colleagues to come together to proactively work and prevent the potential abuse that could come from Issue 3.”

Assistant Republican Leader Louis Blessing Jr. of Cincinnati, who is an opponent to Issue 3, stated the following: “A review of other state standards suggests that criminals would likely be denied a casino license in other states. The cavalier attitude that individuals with similar pasts, who apply for a license here in Ohio tells me they think previous mistakes are just college pranks. This is another reason why we need to know the identity of all of the investors. If the main financial backer can’t get a license, can their partners? We have no idea because he refuses to list the other investors."

Other states have similar laws that serve to uphold the integrity of the state casino system. According to Blessing’s research, Pennsylvania regulators ask casino applicants to list all ‘offenses or charges,’ even if the charges were later dismissed, or downgraded.

In Indiana, applicants are asked whether they have ever been ‘arrested, detained, charged, indicted, convicted, received pro-trial diversion, pleaded guilty or nolo contendere or forfeited bail concerns any criminal offense, either felony or misdemeanor…’ In Colorado, the first question regulators ask is, “Have you ever been convicted of any gambling-related felony at any time?"

BUTLER COUNTY:

Release:

HAMILTON, OHIO – Since taking office in 2008, Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds has championed the need to share resources and work collaboratively with other government entities. He followed up on his pledge by donating a surplus vehicle to the Animal Shelter.

With two high-mileage vehicles in need of expensive repairs, Dog Warden Julie Holmes said Animal Control was hoping to receive a grant to replace them with a new vehicle. The grant wasn’t granted. Her wish was, however.

“We can’t thank Roger Reynolds enough for this generous gift,” Holmes said of the 1999 Dodge Caravan that was given to Animal Control. “We’re trying to be very frugal. This will allow us to auction off our other two vehicles and replace them with the auditor’s van which has lower miles.”

Reynolds said the van was available because it is no longer needed to support a field office.

“Improved efficiencies and streamlining the Auditor’s office prompted the closing of our field office in March,” said Reynolds. “Since then we’ve had an extra van. When we heard about the dog warden’s situation we were eager to help.”

Holmes said the van will be used for a variety of tasks including animal rescues, picking up strays, transporting animal control officers, transporting injured or sick animals to the veterinarian’s office and delivering dog licenses for sale to those who can’t get to the Auditor’s office or one of their agents.

“This van was purchased with taxpayer money and the taxpayers will benefit by its continued use in Butler County with Animal Control,” Reynolds said. “This is an example of agencies working together whereby we share resources which effectively reduces the citizens’ tax burden.”

Above, Butler County Deputy Dog Warden Kurt Merbs (left) receives the keys to a 1999 Dodge Caravan from Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds on Thursday, Oct. 22. The Auditor's Office donated the van to Animal Control. "This van was purchased with taxpayer money and the taxpayers will benefit by its continued use in Butler County with Animal Control," Reynolds said.

Hutzel Announces Candidacy for 12th District Court of Appeals

Release:

MIDDLETOWN-Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel today formally announced her decision to run for the 12th District Court of Appeals. Hutzel will run for the position soon to be vacated by Judge William Young.

"I am proud my time in the Prosecutor's Office and the work we have done to make Warren County a better, safer place to live," Hutzel said. "If elected to the Court of Appeals, I will bring the toughness, knowledge, and experience that my time in the Prosecutor's Office has provided."

Hutzel was elected Warren County Prosecutor in 2002. In that office, she has overseen prosecutions of major crimes such as murder, rape, and theft. Her office provides legal representation to all levels of Warren County government, including 25 County Agencies.

"Government's first obligation is to protect its citizens, but a judge who has never set foot in a courtroom before putting on the robe can't do justice," said Hutzel. "My 16 years of experience as a prosecutor gives me the background and sensitivity to do justice on the court. Over the next several months, I'll travel throughout Southwest Ohio, and I'll take my case directly to the voters."
Rachel Hutzel is a life-long resident of Warren County. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Dayton College of Law. She has been a practicing attorney since 1991, serving in the Warren County Prosecutor's office since 1993. She and her husband, Matt Blazey, have a son, Matthew.

The 12th District Court of Appeals is based in Middletown and serves Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Fayette, Madison, Preble, and Warren Counties.

Ohio House GOP Lawmakers Introduce Estate Tax Reduction Act

Release:

COLUMBUS—State Representatives Jay Hottinger (R- Newark) and Cheryl Grossman (R- Grove City) today introduced House Bill 326 that would shrink Ohio’s estate tax liability, a proposal included in “The Future of Ohio” plan introduced earlier this fall by House Republicans.

“It is time to improve Ohio’s heavy tax burden by reducing the estate tax,” Hottinger said. “Ohioans are already handicapped by one of the highest tax rates in the country, which is shortchanging our ability to attract jobs and families. The estate tax continues to be a contributing cause of our population exodus. This legislation would encourage many Ohioans to remain in the state where they can pass on their life savings to their heirs without penalty.”

This legislation would allot all estate tax revenues to local governments by eliminating the state share, which is currently 20 percent. Municipalities and townships would have the right to exempt the estate tax within their territorial jurisdiction. The bill would also increase the state estate tax credit to $15,575 and link it with the consumer price index, effectively raising the exemption threshold to $366,250 for estates with dates of death on or after January 1, 2010.

“Ohio is one of only 23 states that still impose a death tax,” Grossman said. “What kind of messages does this send to Ohioans who have worked hard their whole lives and invested in our communities? It is important as we seek ways to improve Ohio’s economy that we ease the tax burden in any way we can, including for those families struggling with the loss of a loved one.”

Under current Ohio law, every estate is taxed at a rate ranging from 2 percent to 7 percent, and most have an initial fee assessed as well. There are six classified tax brackets ranging from taxable estates of $40,000 or less to estates worth more than $500,000. The payment of this tax is divided to provide 20 percent to state General Revenue Fund and the additional 80 percent is distributed to the local municipalities.

This bill is a key component to “The Future of Ohio” package of proposals rolled out by House Republican members last month. These economic development proposals were drawn from discussions with constituents and small business leaders across Ohio. The initiatives would come at a minimal cost to taxpayers, with long-term job creation, economic stimulus, and far greater revenue in state income than costs. Jobs created by these proposals would have a multiplier effect on the economy by increasing tax revenues for state and local government.

St. Rep. Combs on Ohio Dems Tax Increase

Release:

COLUMBUS— State Representative Courtney Combs (R- Hamilton) today opposed the Ohio House of Representatives’ passage of House Bill 318, which would suspend the last installment of the income tax reductions set forth in 2005.

Under current law, state income tax rates are to be reduced by a total of 21 percent over a five-year period, according to House Bill 66 of the 126th General Assembly. Governor Strickland and House Democrats have supported a freeze of the tax reforms, which would retroactively increase the tax burden on Ohio’s families by 4.2 percent in 2009.

“It is sad to say, I knew this day was coming when Governor Strickland and the House Democrats put forth an unbalanced budget last July,” said Combs. “House Republicans have put forth a number of measures to reduce government spending and the Democrats refuse to hear them.”

In addition, House Bill 318 would reduce the salaries of state legislators by 5 percent, a proposal initially championed by Representatives Seth Morgan (R-Huber Heights) and Terry Boose (R-Norwalk) in June of this year. The salary reductions would be effective starting in 2011, as permitted by the Ohio Constitution.

House Bill 318 was initiated to fill an $851 million budget deficit caused by the failure of the video lottery terminals (VLT) provision included in July’s biennial budget. House Republicans have expressed concern that the bill imposes a higher tax burden and continues the expansion of government without providing for any cost-efficiency measures.

In an effort to provide sustainable changes to fill the budget deficit, House Republicans proposed amendments to House Bill 318 on the House floor that would streamline government agencies and consolidate spending; minimize waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system; remove the provision that calls for a tax increase; allow local school boards to decide whether or not to accept unfunded state mandates; create a committee to maximize hospital employment and sustainability; prevent taxpayers from being retroactively penalized by a state income tax increase; and reduce bonuses for House committee vice-chairs and ranking members. These suggestions were rejected by House Democrats.

“Now is not the time to put a tax increase on the backs of Ohio’s families,” said Combs. “Government spending is out of control and government must learn to live within its means.”

House Bill 318 passed from the House by a 55-44 vote. The bill now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee

Check out this brand spanking new website dedicated to getting Republicans re-elected to the Ohio House. It is pretty slick and there is plenty of information on all of the candidates and the issues Ohioans are facing.

VIDEO: Yes on Issue 3

NOTE: WMD has not taken an official position on Issue 3 at this time.

GUEST COLUMN: "Issue 2 is Good for Ohio"

By Rep. Jean Schmidt (R, OH-02)

On November 3rd, voters will go to the polls to vote on local and state ballot issues. As a member of the House’s Committee on Agriculture, I am particularly interested in Issue 2, which will determine how best to regulate livestock farming in Ohio. While this may not seem like an important issue, it is vital to Ohio’s agriculture community and to Ohio families already struggling to put food on the table.

Passage of Issue 2 would establish the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. The Board will decide the policies and best practices for the care and treatment of farm animals in Ohio. The Board will be appointed by the Governor and State Legislature and will include family farmers, farming organizations, veterinarians, consumers, food safety experts, a representative of the humane society and a Dean of an Ohio Agriculture College. In short, this Board would be responsible for ensuring that livestock farming is conducted in a safe and humane manner.

Activists from outside the State have threatened to push their own initiative under the guise of “protecting animals.” While these groups talk of noble intentions, the fact remains that, in states where they have successfully enacted their initiatives, family farms have been driven out of business and the cost of food has increased.

I grew up on a small farm and am honored, through my position on the House Committee on Agriculture, to work each day with farmers from across my district, Ohio and the country. Ohio’s family farmers work very hard to make sure we have the food we need to feed our families. The animals they raise for human consumption are their top priority. They work hard to make sure that the animals are healthy and safe for our families.

The livestock and poultry producers from Ohio are hard working, intelligent business people, who know the welfare of their animals is of paramount importance. They are diligent about the health and welfare of animals -- not only for their bottom line and the safety of consumers, but because it is the right thing to do.

The opponents of Issue 2 will tell you that this ballot initiative is being pushed by big agri-business. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Ohio Farm Bureau represents family farmer’s interests here in Ohio and in Washington. They ensure that farmers have a voice in the policies and regulations that affect them daily.

I have endorsed Issue 2 and urge all Ohioan’s to support this much needed ballot imitative. It is the best way for the people of Ohio to decide how we regulate farming in our state.

OH-18: Gibbs Opposes US EPA; Defends Coal Jobs

OH-18 NW21 Permit Release

Portman for Senate Ends 3rd Quarter with $5.14M Cash-on-Hand

Release:

TERRACE PARK, OH - The Portman for Senate Campaign today announced that it ended the third fundraising quarter with more than $5.14 million cash-on-hand. The campaign raised $1.3 million in the third quarter and doubled its total number of individual donors to nearly 7,000; total receipts for the cycle amount to $6.23 million. Rob Portman issued the following statement regarding the campaign's third-quarter numbers:

"We had another strong quarter. I am really grateful for the outpouring of support for our effort to take common-sense solutions to Washington. It is a clear signal that Ohioans are concerned about the economy and the direction of our state and country, and they are looking for a better solution to the tax-and-spend, job-killing agenda coming from Washington.

"The last thing we need is higher energy and health costs, and higher taxes on small businesses to pay for bigger and more intrusive government. Since Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher took over as Ohio's Economic Development Director, we have lost more than 350,000 jobs here in Ohio. Ohioans understand that we can no longer afford wrongheaded policies like the ones embraced by Job Czar Lee Fisher and his administration. If I am elected as Ohio's next U.S. Senator, I will have a laser-focus on creating the jobs we desperately need to pull us out of the economic decline.

"I intend to run a campaign of ideas about how we can work together to turn around our state our nation. The strong support we've received so far ensures that we will have the resources necessary to get out our message and respond to partisan attacks."

NOTE: The Portman for Senate campaign has assembled an impressive grassroots organization, anchored by 135 campaign chairs and co-chairs covering all of Ohio's 88 counties. Portman has also earned the unanimous endorsement of the Ohio Republican Party State Central Committee and from the entire Republican delegation of both houses of the General Assembly and every Republican Member of Congress from Ohio.

BY THE NUMBERS

$6.23 million: Total receipts for cycle

$5.14 million: Cash-on-Hand

$1.3 million: Amount raised in 3rd quarter

$4.71 million: Total amount raised by end of 3rd quarter filing

6,943: Total number of individual contributors

3,742: Individual donors in 3rd quarter

77%: Percentage of total contributions from Ohioans

FieldWorks has resigned from the Ohio Jobs and Growth Campaign

Release:

FieldWorks has resigned from the Ohio Jobs and Growth Campaign.

FieldWorks was hired to canvass Ohio voters and last weekend discovered that one of its many temporary employees appeared to be committing fraud on Vote by Mail applications in Ohio.

Evidence was gathered quickly to hand over to authorities and the employee was terminated. Since that time, FieldWorks has continued to work aggressively with law enforcement and prosecutors to identify any other possible forgery or fraudulent behavior with other canvassers around the state.

This activity appears to be isolated to a handful of the nearly 200 temporary FieldWorks employees who have been working in Ohio. It also applies to only a very small percentage of the many thousands of VBM applications that have been processed in Ohio. The activity only involved absentee ballot applications and not any ballots themselves.

FieldWorks has zero tolerance for any type of fraudulent conduct in the electoral process. Fieldworks is greatly concerned about the motive behind this conduct because employees had no financial incentive per application that would cause them to falsify absentee ballot applications. It was made clear to employees prior to working in Ohio that falsification of applications is a felony.

Because the investigation is ongoing, FieldWorks resigned from the campaign.

The Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee absolutely had no role in hiring or supervising the FieldWorks temporary employees, nor any involvement in any of the fraudulent conduct that may have been conducted by these employees.

FieldWorks has been fully cooperative with law enforcement from the start of their investigation and has helped to identify the sources of these problems.

FieldWorks will of course continue to cooperate with authorities in any way possible.

CincyPAC Endorses Issue 3 Ohio Casino Gaming Amendment

Release:

Cincinnati’s young professional political group CincyPAC is supporting Issue 3, which seeks to amend Ohio’s Constitution to establish a single casino in each of the cities of Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo. Board members agreed to support the issue on the basis it aligns with CincyPAC’s core value that supports adequate funding and programming for entertainment venues, the arts and historic landmarks.

Supporters of Issue 3 say establishing casinos in Ohio’s four largest cities can result in $600 million in tax revenues for Ohio, which would support public school districts, law enforcement training, the Ohio Racing Commission, a new Ohio Casino Control Commission, host cities and counties, as well as efforts to counteract problem gaming.

“Our board and membership are committed to effort that will help bring new, engaging entertainment venues,” says Candace Klein, president, CincyPAC. “We believe having a casino in Cincinnati will appeal to the city’s young professionals, as well as young professionals in other cities in the region.”

Ohio voters have previously rejected casino measures in the past, but prior proposals did not designate specific state-wide locations for the casinos. Cincinnati’s proposed casino site involves the Broadway Commons property currently occupied by a sizeable parking lot. “CincyPAC is also committed to efforts that support adequate public transportation,” says Klein. “Our board members hope planners will evaluate how placing a casino at the Broadway Commons site will affect transportation flow and its impact on surrounding neighborhoods.”

Issue 3 is not only expected to generate sizeable tax revenues for schools and local governments, but create more than 20,000 new jobs across Ohio, including 13,000 construction jobs and 6,000 permanent jobs.

CincyPAC is a political action committee geared towards educating city official candidates and holding them accountable to moving Cincinnati forward, ensuring that the city appeals to young professionals. We are a non-partisan group made up of Greater Cincinnati professionals, diverse in profession, background and political viewpoints.

The organization’s top issues include supporting access to economic prosperity, adequate public transportation, health and environmental sustainability, adequate funding and programming for entertainment venues, the arts and historic landmarks, and diversity and inclusiveness.

To find out more information about CincyPAC’s top issues and how to get involved, please visit www.cincypac.com. Follow CincyPAC on twitter at CincyPAC.

More Truth for "Truth"PAC

An Ohio Elections Commission panel, in a 3-0 decision, has found probable cause that the so-called "Truth"PAC has made false statements regarding Issue 3. The case now moves to the seven-member full commission for another hearing.

Also, the "Truth"ers have run an internet ad that failed to contain a legal disclaimer.

In another blow to LiarPAC "Truth"PAC, their complaint against Ohio Jobs and Growth was dismissed.

WMD should have more on this later... DEVELOPING

UPDATE: From the OJ&G release:

Referred to the full Elections Commission for a hearing were:

* Statements by “TruthPAC” co-chair Sen. Teresa Fedor that misrepresented the union labor record of Penn National Gaming, one of the principal sponsors of Issue 3;

* A statement by “TruthPAC” co-chair Rep. Lou Blessing that falsely claimed cash wagering was “mandated” in the proposed constitutional amendment.

* Ads placed on a web site by “TruthPAC” which did not contain the complete disclaimer required by Ohio law.

OH-18: Gibbs Announces 3rd Quarter Fundraising

Release:

LAKEVILLE, OH – State Senator Bob Gibbs, candidate for Ohio’s 18th Congressional District, released his 3rd Quarter FEC results this morning, showing a strong start to both his campaign and his fundraising efforts.

As of September 30, Gibbs has raised roughly $115,000 in total contributions with just under $113,000 left as a cash-on-hand balance. Senator Gibbs began his bid for Congress toward the end of the 3rd Quarter, leaving him with roughly 30-days of focused fundraising until the Sept. 30 deadline.

“I’m proud of the support that we have been able to put together in such a short time,” said Gibbs. “Everywhere I go in the 18th District, people are excited that I’m running and they want to help in anyway they can. It has been a very positive reaction.”

Gibbs is challenging Democrat Congressman Zack Space for the seat in November of 2010. Gibbs credits his early fundraising success, in part, to Space’s track record in Congress. “Republicans, Democrats and Independents have had it with Zack Space ignoring our district and voting for damaging legislation like the National Energy Tax,” said Gibbs.

“Up to this point Zack has been able to get away with voting with Nancy Pelosi 96% of the time,” said Gibbs. “Zack’s constituents are tired of taking a backseat to Washington politics and that is why so many people throughout this district are excited about my candidacy.”