RELEASE: Derickson Opposes Budget Deal

OXFORD, OHIO- Conservative State Representative and candidate for Congress in Ohio's 8th District, today announced his opposition to the two-year budget deal between the White House and GOP Congressional leaders. "Sometimes you have to stand strong even if it means standing up against leaders in your own party," said Rep. Derickson. "I oppose this bad deal because it was made in the cover of darkness, busts previous budget caps, increases the debt limit, raises spending by $80 billion dollars and does nothing to reduce our growing $18 trillion dollar national debt. The New York Times called the deal a 'victory for Obama,' but I call it a defeat for our hardworking taxpayers."

Rep. Derickson said the budget deal also fails to defund Planned Parenthood. "The budget deal is a victory for Planned Parenthood and the culture of death because it fails to eliminate their funding. As State Representative, I voted to eliminate Planned Parenthoods funding in Ohio and we won that fight. In Congress I will promote a culture of life and vote to defund Planned Parenthood once and for all because life is a gift from God that must be protected," Derickson said.

Derickson called on his opponents in the race for Congress to take a stand on the Obama budget deal. "The voters of Ohio's 8th District know where I stand on this bad budget deal, but it's time for my opponents to make their stand known today. The voters are waiting."

Tim Derickson is a committed husband and father, small business owner, farmer and award-winning conservative leader in the Ohio House of Representatives.

RELEASE: Ohio House Passes Bill to Preserve Small Business Tax Cuts, Address TPP Reimbursements for Schools

COLUMBUS—The Ohio House of Representatives passed legislation that corrects language in the state budget bill dealing with tax cuts for small business owners and funding for schools in relation to phase-outs of the Tangible Personal Property tax.

 

“While Senate Bill 208 allows us to make certain that taxpayers keep more of their dollars, it also gives the legislature the ability to better support many of Ohio’s schools in a substantial way,” said Rep. Jeff McClain, Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee.

 

The state operating budget (Am. Sub. HB 64), which was signed by Governor Kasich in June, included a provision that provided a 75-percent income tax cut for small businesses on the first $250,000 of income, with a flat 3-percent income tax rate on income above that level.

 

However, the way in which the bill was drafted could have resulted in unanticipated and unintended tax hikes for some small businesses. For example, a business earning less than $40,000 after the 75-percent deduction would see its taxes increase. That is because, under Ohio’s progressive income tax system, rates up to about $40,000 are less than 3 percent.

 

Senate Bill 208 applies a progressive tax rate structure for TY’15 up to $40,000 of income. It then levies a flat 3-percent rate on income above that level. This ensures that no taxpayer will pay a higher rate than in 2014, and it reduces taxes on Ohio’s small businesses by $84 million over the next two years.

 

In addition, SB 208 addresses language in HB 64 regarding supplemental funding to protect school districts from the Tangible Personal Property tax reimbursement phase-outs. The state budget bill allowed the TPP phase-outs to continue, but provided a temporary back-fill of funding to protect schools from the phase-outs. For FY’17, Senate Bill 208 provides a supplement of 96 percent of what a school district would have received.

 

Specifically, SB 208 ensures that no school district receives less than 96 percent of what they received in FY’15 in foundation formula aid and TPP reimbursement payment.

 

The legislation now returns to the Senate for further consideration.

Ohio House Sends State Operating Budget to Governor

Release:

COLUMBUS—The Ohio House of Representatives today voted to pass Amended Substitute House Bill 59, the state operating budget designed to improve Ohio’s business climate, invest in schools, help Ohioans access the care and services they need, give Ohioans greater ability to obtain higher education, and put more money back in the pockets of hardworking Ohioans.

Am. Sub. H.B. 59 makes comprehensive reforms to Ohio’s state government structure in an effort to create a more attractive and jobs-friendly environment for Ohioans. The budget builds upon Governor Kasich’s strategic vision that he proposed to the legislature in February.

“We have made a concerted effort to help Ohioans get back on their feet while also investing in our schools, job training and community services,” said Speaker of the Ohio House William G. Batchelder (R-Medina). “I am very proud of the work that the legislature has done, alongside our governor, to set our state back on course toward long-term growth and prosperity. Just two years ago we filled an $8 billion budget deficit without raising taxes—and today, we are providing all Ohioans with a significant tax reduction and investing in the things that matter most.”

“Ohio's taxpayers will receive a lower tax burden and improved funding for education and health care services from the state budget,” said Chairman of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster). “I believe this budget will help our state grow stronger in many ways than would otherwise be the case because of the $2.7 billion tax reduction over these next three years and the improvements in basic services delivered primarily by our community partners.”

The budget enacts reforms and efficiency measures in numerous components of state government, particularly in the following key areas:

Reducing the Ohioans’ Tax Burden Through Common-sense Reforms

Working with Governor Kasich and the Ohio Senate, the Ohio House of Representatives crafted a series of meaningful tax reforms to allow Ohioans to keep more of their hard-earned money and to make Ohio more conducive to business growth. To accomplish these goals, Am. Sub. H.B. 59:

Provides nearly $2.7 billion in tax relief to small businesses and taxpayers by instituting a 50 percent small business tax cut for Ohio businesses and a 10 percent personal income tax reduction over the next three years.

Moves Ohio away from the income tax—which punishes success—and toward consumption-based taxes by adjusting the base sales tax rate from 5.5 percent to 5.75 percent.

Simplifies Ohio’s overall tax structure by equalizing sales taxes on Internet goods, goods purchased through a catalog, and digital goods.

Reforms the Commercial Activity Tax by establishing a tiered minimum tax structure based on gross receipts.

Helps seniors remain in their homes by authorizing the Homestead Tax Exemption for low-income seniors as well as those who currently receive the exemption.

Eliminating a flawed taxpayer subsidy that paid a portion of homeowners’ property tax, ensuring that the homeowners themselves—not seniors or low-income Ohioans—pay their own property taxes.

Strengthening Services that Ohioans Rely On

Am. Sub. H.B. 59 prioritizes community services and resources to help Ohioans with the unique circumstances they face. Members of the Ohio House believe in helping those who need assistance the most and giving families additional options for overcoming their personal challenges. Among other provisions, Am. Sub. H.B. 59:

Allocates $33 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding to assist the unemployed in getting back to work.

Increases funding to local governments for addiction services by $20 million annually and for mental health by $30 million annually.

Restores funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) so they can continue to serve those Ohioans who are most in need.

Increases funding for the PASSPORT program, allowing more senior citizens to receive vital care within the comfort of their homes.

Increases funding for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank by $2 million over the biennium.

Providing Vital Resources for Primary and Secondary Education

Education has continued to be a priority for the Ohio House, and the biennial budget includes numerous provisions to provide a competitive education for Ohio’s students. Am. Sub. H.B. 59 provides per pupil funding for economically disadvantaged aid particularly to rural and lower wealth school districts and ensures that all of Ohio’s more than 600 school districts receive at least the same amount of state aid that they received in fiscal year 2013. Furthermore, more than 70 percent of school districts will receive an increase in state aid. Am. Sub. H.B. 59 also:

Increases funding for special education, disadvantaged aide, and school transportation

Provides additional funding for school districts for every child in grades K-3 to implement the Third Grade Reading Guarantee through the “K-3 Literacy” program.

Increases funding for career-technical education by more than $200,000 over the biennium

Creates the “Straight A Fund” to provide schools with grants to implement their best reform ideas

Making Higher Education More Accessible, More Affordable

The state budget takes significant strides to ensure that those who seek advanced degrees are able to afford an education and receive the tools they need to be successful. Am. Sub. H.B. 59:

Caps tuition increases at 2 percent annually for all state schools

Permits schools to participate in a “cohort plan,” which allows universities to institute a stable, four-year cost of education, capped at a one-time increase of the tuition cap plus the five-year CPI average.

Increases funding for co-op internships by $6 million in fiscal year 2015

Provides more than $2.2 million in additional funding for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant, which provides grants to Ohio residents with the highest levels of financial need

Increases the Adult Basic Literacy Education (ABLE) Fund by $125,000 over the biennium to help Ohioans who are preparing for their GED exam.

“Chairman Amstutz, Vice Chairman McClain and the members of the Finance and Appropriations Committee did a fine job crafting this budget, and I am very grateful for the time they put into this effort,” said Speaker Batchelder. “Rest assured that the benefits of this forward-thinking budget will be reflected for years to come within Ohio’s communities, in Ohio’s schools, and in the paychecks of Ohioans.”

St. Sen. LaRose Announces Historic Tax Cut, Largest Investment in Public Education in a Decade

Release:

COLUMBUS– Senator Frank LaRose (R– Copley) today announced the passage of House Bill 59, the state’s two-year operating budget. The bill contains as its cornerstones one of the largest single-year tax cuts in Ohio’s history as well as the largest legislative investment in public education in more than 10 years.

“Our state economy is finally moving in the right direction - in fact we currently lead the nation in job creation. By working together we’ve come a long way in the last two years, but there’s more work to do. We must keep Ohio moving in the right direction and this budget does just that.” said LaRose. “Today we passed a budget that allows hard working Ohioans to keep more of what they earned, with perhaps that largest tax cut in state history; invests in our future by providing the largest increase to K-12 public education funding in more than a decade; and fully funds the Clean Ohio program to preserve and protect Ohio’s precious parks and natural environment. All of this is much more accomplished while providing a responsible and balanced budget to efficiently fund Ohio’s essential government operations. As with any human endeavor, no piece of legislation is perfect; certainly there are areas where I would have preferred a different approach. That said, this budget is the product of more than six months of collaborative hard work, reflecting the diverse voices of this great state. I was proud to support this budget today so that together we can continue to grow our state and keep our Ohio moving in the right direction.”

The bill authorizes $2.7 billion in tax cuts, which includes a 10 percent income tax cut over the next three years. The bill also delivers much-needed tax relief for Ohio’s small businesses through a 50 percent cut on the first $250,000 of net business income. Small businesses comprise 98 percent of the state’s employers and employ approximately 47 percent of all Ohioans.

In addition to enacting tax relief that is vital in keeping our economy healthy and growing, the bill also works to modernize and streamline the state’s outdated and complicated tax code and establish a fairer and more comprehensible system that promotes job growth. To do this, the bill eliminates many exemptions, credits and loopholes. The plan works to shift the state away from its current reliance on income taxes toward a structure that relies more heavily on consumption taxes.

The proposal, which will become law with the Governor’s signature, also contains a $717 million increase in spending on primary and secondary education, the largest legislative investment in public schools in more than a decade. The bill also includes $250 million for the newly created “Straight-A Fund,” which provides grants to promote innovation in our schools and efficiency in district operations and more than $78 million to support important early childhood education programs.

The higher education plan instituted by House Bill 59 is a model for the nation that focuses on graduation and degree completion, not simply student enrollment. The plan also serves Ohio’s rising student population by establishing a 2% cap on tuition increases at all of Ohio’s public universities. Over the past 5 years, Ohio has had the second lowest tuition increases for public universities.

Additional Provisions Include:

Local Governments: Distributes an estimated $27.6 billion in state aid to local governments and school districts over the next two years. 85% of dollars collected by the state are passed along to local schools, governments, and community programs.

Reforming Workers Compensation: Reduces BWC payments by 2% for private employers and 4% for public employers as responsible management has created stable fund balances. The bureau will also be empowered to reform its payment system to save Ohio employers $900 million.

Investing in Our Workforce: Provides $1 million to train workers in the bioscience manufacturing industry by partnering with community colleges. An additional $2 million will be appropriated to create training programs that will prepare Ohio workers for growing jobs in the oil & natural gas industry.

Supporting Wellness & Safety:

Drug & Alcohol Treatment: Invests $100 million in drug and alcohol treatment, and mental health services, including a $5 million pilot project to deal with convicts’ drug addictions after release from prison in an effort to slow recidivism rates and drug use simultaneously.

Developmentally Disabled: Provides $5.4 million for home healthcare services for developmentally disabled Ohioans.

Other Important Programs:

TourismOhio: Increases funding by 14%, making $8 million available each year to support and grow the state’s tourism industry.

Hispanic & Latino Affairs: Invests an additional 19% in fiscal year 2015 to help serve Ohio’s fastest-growing demographic population.

Human Trafficking: Transfers more than $500,000 to the Highway Patrol for equipment to scan commercial trucks to better detect trafficking victims.

UPDATE: Additional quotes:

“This budget is the second chapter in a story about Ohio’s recovery. The last budget put us on track and this budget continues that progress and keeps us moving forward,” said Faber. “This is a budget about every Ohioan and giving every Ohioan the opportunity to succeed. Our focus in the legislature has been creating an environment where the economy can grow, we can create jobs, and we can educate our workforce. This budget prioritizes Ohio’s resources to do just that.”

“This budget is all about increasing opportunity, growing our economy, and making sure that all Ohioans are able to find work,” said Finance Chairman Scott Oelslager (R–North Canton). “Our plan gives a 50% tax cut for our small businesses to boost job creation and a 10% income tax cut for all Ohioans so that everyone can keep more of their hard earned money.”

$7.6 Billion State Transportation Budget Clears Ohio Senate

Release:

COLUMBUS– This afternoon, the Ohio Senate lent its approval to House Bill 51, which appropriates more than $7.6 billion to fund the Ohio Departments of Transportation and Public Safety over the coming biennium.

“As we continue our work to put Ohio’s economy back on the right track, the Senate can be proud of this budget, which implements new, innovative ideas to improve Ohio’s infrastructure and create jobs all over our state,” said President Faber (R–Celina). “Through the Turnpike plan alone, we are expecting to create 65,000 jobs across the state of Ohio, which builds upon the work the Senate has already done to make job creation the state’s number-one priority.”

In addition to the budget appropriations, the Senate approved a plan that will allow $1.5 billion in bonds to be issued on the Ohio Turnpike. Combined with federal and local matching funds, this money will contribute extensively to infrastructure projects in northern Ohio and across the state. The additional funding will increase the priority level of many highway projects. Some projects that were not expected until 2025 will be given immediate consideration.

“House Bill 51 is arguably one of the greatest jobs budgets we will pass this General Assembly,” said State Senator Gayle Manning (R–North Ridgeville), who presides as Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “As we invest in our infrastructure, we do more than build better roads, we create a pathway for new businesses, we employ construction workers, and we contribute to the health of Ohio’s improving economy.”

The bill received bipartisan support in the Senate with Transportation Committee Ranking Minority Member Senator Capri Cafaro (D–Hubbard) saying that the legislation “does the responsible thing” on the Nexus Provision, which ensures that 90 percent of the funds raised through the bonding of the Ohio Turnpike will be used within 75 miles of the Turnpike.

Among the bill's provisions:

Permitting the bonding of the Ohio Turnpike up to $1.5 billion
The Nexus provision, which ensures that 90 percent of the money raised through turnpike bonding will be spent on northern Ohio projects
Increases the highway speed limit in Ohio to 70 miles per hour, outside of urban areas
Lowers the late fee for vehicle registration from $20 to $10.
Allows for the multi-year registration of certain vehicles
Requires a stop sign at all railroad crossings where passive warning devices (lights or gates) do not exist

Resistance to Kasich Medicaid Expansion Grows

A number of things pop out at you in this Columbus Dispatch article that are worthy of further commentary, but let's start with the fact that conservatives in the GOP caucus have stated -- in open testimony -- that they oppose the governor on this issue. That, in and of itself, is a HUGE accomplishment.

During more than six hours of testimony before a House committee, Republicans made it clear that their opposition to President Barack Obama’s health-care law trumps the Kasich administration’s stance that the expansion will save Ohio taxpayers $404 million over the next two years.

“Clearly, this is an unsustainable position for the federal government, and there will be a day of reckoning,” said Rep. Robert Sprague, R-Findlay. “We will either have higher tax rates as American citizens or our borrowing power will be reduced as a nation.”

The federal government's problems are a concern and I am pleased to hear that some state legislators understand that when the federal government is in trouble eventually those dilemmas will reach down to the state level.

But I think focusing too much on this is a trap that should be avoided. Expanding Medicaid while relying on federal taxpayer dollars to do it is BAD for Ohio, not good as Team Kasich suggests here:

Greg Moody, director of the Governor’s Office of Health Transformation, told the House Finance Committee that Kasich supports a balanced federal budget but that expanding Medicaid is a good deal for Ohio.

“Would I rather take the money and not spend it and drive down the deficit? Absolutely, but that’s not a choice,” Moody told lawmakers.

Under Obama’s health-care law, the federal government for three years would pay all costs to expand Medicaid to those with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty level — about $23,000 a year for a family of four. The federal match decreases over the next several years to 90 percent of the cost.

The expansion would provide coverage to more low-income uninsured, allowing them to meet the requirement beginning in 2014 that most Americans have health insurance or face a penalty. In addition, it would free up local money for mental-health and addiction services, shift some state costs for prison health care to Medicaid and generate other savings.

Let's start with Moody's dodge. Of course, using that money to pay off some national debt isn't an option. Mentioning that here is simply a diversion from the issue at hand. Ohio can't afford even a 10% increase in spending on Medicaid even in the long term. We are just now beginning to see a recovery from the Taft and Strickland eras and we're going to risk that progress on some scheme from Obama? That just doesn't sound like a good play to me.

Moving on to the "politics as usual" portion of this article:

Moody said Kasich, like many of his fellow Republicans, opposes much of Obama’s Affordable Care Act, but he’s pushing to expand Medicaid because “it’s making the most of a hand we’ve been dealt."

the thing about most card games is that you also have the option of "passing" or "folding" until you get better odds. Team Kasich has a way of playing bad hands in worse situations and just hoping for the best. That simply won't do...

Here's more politics as usual:

“If we don’t do this, we are subsidizing other states,” said Rep. Mike Foley, D-Cleveland.

Moody concurred, noting that Ohioans pay taxes to the federal government that will finance Medicaid expansions in states that decide to increase program eligibility.

“If we don’t spend it, it’s not like that money will be saved. We are still paying it in our federal taxes,” he said. “The question is: Is the money coming back to Ohio, or is it going somewhere else?”

The 527 Media and low information voters might buy this argument, but it is NOT a reason to put your own state finances in jeopardy. Should we just do whatever California does? How about New York? Why not just abdicate the governance of our state to Illinois? This sort of thinking is just passing the buck. Ohio deserves better from its leaders.

But the truly insulting thing about this argument is that it is the same tired Washington DC thinking that we have heard from virtually every Congressman we've ever sent there. I am reminded of a local politician saying at a Tea Party rally that he was against pork, unless it was coming to his district because that money was going to be spent anyway. He didn't say it in those exact words, but the meaning was clear as day.

Fiscal responsibility begins at home, people.

Here is another position that I find lacking:

Rep. Gerald Stebelton, R-Lancaster, suggested that Ohio hold out to “negotiate a better deal” with the federal government.

“The best leverage we have with the federal government is to opt out.”

We don't want to deal with the federal government at all. All 88 counties in this state voted to reject all forms of Obamacare with the Health Care Freedom Amendment. Allowing a backdoor entry in to that dreaded program is not only unacceptable it is against our state's constitution.

But, if that is an argument that will sway a politician to vote NO, I'll take it for now.

The bottom line is this: Team Kasich is going to need every single Democrat vote in order to get this passed. What else will Team Kasich have to give Chris Redfern in order to make that happen?

The Medicaid expansion proposal should be removed from the budget and buried in whatever hole it originated never to be heard from again.

Chairman Amstutz Releases Statement on Executive Budget Proposal

Release:

COLUMBUS—With Governor John Kasich’s introduction of his executive budget proposal, House Bill 59, Chairman of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) has released the following statement:

“The budget proposal that we received today exemplifies Governor Kasich’s bold vision to continue Ohio’s progress toward a more competitive, attractive economy. I am very appreciative of Governor Kasich and his budget team for their hard work on this proposal with tremendous effort from the Legislative Service Commission. This is an earlier-than-usual delivery.”

“We are eager to start hearings on the budget proposal and look forward to discussions that are thoughtful and open for public input. We will work closely with the governor, the Ohio Senate and the many affected Ohioans to ensure that this budget addresses the issues aimed at improving the quality of life in our state.”

ORP on Kasich Budget

Release:

COLUMBUS, OH - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett called Governor John Kasich's new Ohio Jobs 2.0 Budget blueprint a win for Ohio families.

"The smart and timely policies put forward in Governor Kasich's new budget really take President Obama to school," said ORP Chairman Bob Bennett.

"Ohio families should be pleased with Governor's new Jobs Budget 2.0 because it tackles the big challenges facing Ohio, and is a blueprint to provide funding for our schools, incentives to our college students to graduate faster, while also cutting income taxes, sales taxes, and taxes on small businesses. Governor Kasich's bold new budget builds on momentum from his last budget, and is essential to put Ohio's fiscal house back in order and continue our progress."

Today marked the deadline for President Obama to submit a budget to Congress. This is the fourth time in five years that he's failed to submit the budget on time and equal to the record of the previous three presidents.

AFP-Ohio: Gov. Kasich's Budget Proposal is a Mixed Bag

Statement:

“While we continue to study the budget details, it is clear that the Governor’s biennial budget proposal offers Ohioans a mixed bag,” explained Seth Morgan, policy director of Americans for Prosperity – Ohio. “The promise of tax reforms and reductions are positive but paying for them in part with increasing severance taxes on farmers with oil and gas under their land is a mistake. Additionally, increasing the number of Ohioans on the rolls of Medicaid is not real health care reform and will ultimately trap Ohioans in a system that badly needs patient-centered reform.”

“We look forward to engaging with Ohio’s policy makers to limit the reach of government into Ohioans’ lives and pocketbooks,” Morgan continued.

GUEST COLUMN: "A Simple Principle: No Budget, No Pay" by Speaker Boehner #NoBudgetNoPay

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) released the following column discussing legislation that will require both the House and Senate to pass a budget, and withhold member pay if they fail:


“When I and my Republican colleagues were entrusted with the majority in the House of Representatives in 2010, we committed ourselves to addressing our nation's debt problem and re-establishing trust between the American people and their elected leaders.

“Always mindful of those goals, we've passed a budget for the country every year that would lower the deficit and cut spending to begin solving the debt problem that is hurting our economy and threatening our children's future.

“This year we will again pass a budget for the nation that meets these goals. And this time, it is essential that the Democratic-controlled Senate pass a budget this year as well -- something it hasn't done in nearly four years.

“As Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), currently the House Minority Whip, correctly declared in 2006, passing a budget for the country is the most basic responsibility of governing.

“The 1974 Congressional Budget Act requires passage of a budget resolution by April 15 each year. Under Democrats' control, the Senate has refused to pass a budget for 1,360 days. At a time when uncontrolled spending is dragging down our economy, such a record of inaction is unconscionable.

“As we look to 2013, the American people continue to demand that Washington get serious about fiscal responsibility. Both parties and both chambers of Congress must heed this call by passing a budget. If they don't, they shouldn't be paid.

“It's a simple principle: no budget, no pay.

“President Obama is again demanding an increase in the nation's debt ceiling, and refusing to discuss the possibility of enacting spending cuts along with it to lower our debt.

“The president is right that we cannot allow our nation to default on its debts. But he's totally wrong when he says the debt limit should be increased without reducing government spending at the same time.

“A long-term increase in the debt limit that is not preceded by meaningful and responsible reductions in government spending might avert a national default, but it would also invite a downgrade of our nation’s credit that damages our economy, hurts families and small businesses, and destroys jobs.

“With that in mind, House Republicans have united around the principle that before there is any long-term debt limit increase, a budget should be passed that cuts spending. The House will adhere to this principle. The Senate must as well.

“The Democratic-controlled Senate has failed to pass a budget for four years. That is a shameful run that needs to end, this year.

“We are going to pursue strategies that will obligate the Senate to finally join the House in confronting the government’s spending problem.

“Every American family and small business has a budget. The House and Senate must as well.

“In the coming days, the House will consider legislation to temporarily raise the debt ceiling for three months, and set up a broader debate about spending that obligates the Senate to finally join the House in confronting the government's spending problem. The bill will require both the House and Senate to pass a budget, and member pay will be withheld if they fail.

“I know from the letters and emails I receive that this stance enjoys strong support among the people of our congressional district.

“Daryl from Lewisburg, OH, for example, wrote to me on January 17, saying he wants to see a ‘no budget, no pay’ plan enacted to not only encourage our leaders to set our nation on a more stable course, but also to restore the American people’s trust in their national legislature.

“I’ve heard your concerns, and we are taking a first step towards serious action to address the threat posed by our debt and deficit. We've even adopted a Twitter hashtag for this effort: #NoBudgetNoPay.

“There will be more. This is the debate our country needs.

“Republicans will hold the president and his Senate accountable for their failures on the budget and press for real action to lower spending. We must take these steps together so we can begin to solve the debt problem that endangers our children's future.”

Boehner represents Ohio’s 8th District, which includes all of Butler, Clark, Darke, Miami, and Preble counties, and the southernmost part of Mercer County. He was first elected to Congress in 1990.

Portman Tells Obama to Nix Pay Raise to Biden and Congress

from Fox News:

Republican Sen. Rob Portman is urging President Obama to rescind a recent executive order granting pay increases to Congress and other federal officials, saying the move doesn't exactly jibe with the country's debt crisis. Obama signed an executive order last week that will lift a ban on pay freezes for federal employees. Rank-and-file members of Congress would all see a $900 bump next year -- up from $174,000. Congressional leaders will receive a slightly higher raise, with the House speaker receiving a $1,100 salary increase to $224,600. The top two Senate leaders will see pay rise $1,000, to $194,400. Vice President Biden, meanwhile, will see his pay increase from $225,521 last year to $231,900 after his raise goes into effect March 27, 2013. Portman said now is not the time for bigger salaries in Washington -- at least not until the country can deal aggressively with its debt and deficit problems. "At a time when our country is facing record debt and trillion-dollar deficits, the last thing Washington should do is reward itself with a pay increase," the Ohio senator said. "I am calling on President Obama to withdraw his recent executive order raising federal salaries -- including for members of Congress. Until a long-term deficit reduction agreement is reached, we should not consider increasing the pay for Congress."

Senator Portman may be using this issue to get his name in the papers for what I believe to be a rather quixotic attempt to become the 2016 GOP presidential nominee. However, I don't care. Our Congressional leaders and this dithering idiot of a VP do not deserve a pay raise. Unemployment is up. Regulations are up. Inflation would be skyrocketing if not for the voodoo Bernanke and Co. are doing, but it will come. Confidence is down. Hope is shot. Regulations are up. And Congress has done little but bluster. Or, Portman may really believe what he and Rep. Bachmann on the house side are saying. It doesn't matter. Obama should rescind this idea of pay raising, especially in a time when most people are seeing salaries continue to be flat, benefits become more costly, and disposable cash at historic lows.

Obama: We Got All Stimulus $$ Back...CBO: $24B in Losses!

OOOPS, Obama Did It Again...Made You Believe He'll Lie to the End...and He will...On the stimulus:

President Barack Obama said on Thursday that “we got back every dime we used to rescue the financial system." According to the Congressional Budget Office, however, the government will lose about $24 billion on the bailout. “We got back every dime we used to rescue the financial system, but we also passed a historic law to end taxpayer-funded Wall Street bailouts for good,” Obama said in Miami Thursday. The Congressional Budget Office--based on figures from Obama’s own Office of Management and Budget---gives a different assessment. “The cost to the federal government of the TARP’s transactions (also referred to as the subsidy cost), including grants for mortgage programs that have not yet been made, will amount to $24 billion,” said the CBO report, which was released on the same day Obama spoke. CBO said that the cost of TARP “stems largely from assistance to American International Group (AIG), aid to the automotive industry, and grant programs aimed at avoiding home mortgage foreclosures,” noting that the losses will be so large they will eclipse the financial gains the government will realize from bailing out other large financial institutions. In fact, CBO reported that as of now $65 billion in TARP funds remain outstanding.

Darn, the turnover time on lies to truth is getting to be less than a day....For Benghazi, it was a week, and for this latest economic gem, less than a few hours.

Obamanomics Destroys Median (read Middle) Family Income....

Still trying to set the record straight vis a vis the talking points published by liberals.Much of what they write and believe is simply not true. For example, they were extolling how much Obama has helped middle class families, how he saved the auto industry, etc. Well, the facts fly in the face of this. For example, if we don't read from the Debbie Wasserman Schultz DNC talking points and look at research, we find that median household income just since Obama has taken over has dropped 8%, according to Sentier Research Group(http://www.sentierresearch.com/reports/Sentier_Household_Income_Trends_Report_August2012_09_25_12.pdf). Looking at the hard data a little more, we see that since the economic recovery technically began in June 2009, median household income has dropped 5.7 percent. As of August, that median income was $50,678 — also down 1.1 percent from the month prior. And since he took office in 2009, the median income has fallen 8.2 percent, from $55,198 to its present figure. “The August decline in real median annual household income is indicative of a struggling economy,” Sentier said in its report. “Even though we are technically in an economic recovery, real median annual household income is having a difficult time maintaining its present level, much less ‘recovering.’”

How is a drop in real median income (ie, the middle) helping the middle class? Let me guess....it doesn't matter because it is Bush's fault. On a side note, when is this President going to take responsibility for his failed policies? Everything from the weather to Bush to radiation accidents is blamed for the economy slowness, but never Mr. Obama. So, again, I pose to the Democrats: How is a drop in real median income for families helping the middle class?

Next, we hear about how Obama saved the American auto industry and how he helped auto workers. The rebound in some areas has been nice, but GM has not been doing that great, you know, Government Motors. Alot of the increase in jobs and recovery in the auto industry has come from Ford, which did not take bailout money and is still owned by private interests. Also, what did Obama do to help those who worked at Delphi in Dayton with their pensions? He is still freezing them out of legitimate claims against "old GM" as opposed to new GM, a company in which a Forbes article says is heading for another bankruptcy (http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiswoodhill/2012/08/15/general-motors-is-headed-for-bankruptcy-again/). So, tell me again how Obama has helped the auto industry, when it appears GM is just as insolvent as ever, and the kicker? This time, we, the American people, will have to pay even more. From the Forbes article: "if he wins a second term, he is probably going to have to bail GM out again. The company is once again losing market share, and it seems unable to develop products that are truly competitive in the U.S. market.

Right now, the federal government owns 500,000,000 shares of GM, or about 26% of the company. It would need to get about $53.00/share for these to break even on the bailout, but the stock closed at only $20.21/share on Tuesday. This left the government holding $10.1 billion worth of stock, and sitting on an unrealized loss of $16.4 billion."

So, again, how is this something to be proud of?

And, regarding that job creation thing: President Barack Obama claimed he created more private-sector jobs in the past 27 months than President George W. Bush created “during the entire seven years before this crisis.” But that’s like comparing apples and mangoes. The president is absolving himself of responsibility for the savage recession he inherited, while assigning to Bush responsibility for the recession that began within weeks of his taking office in 2001.

The fact is, the economy has gained just about the same number of private-sector jobs (Obama’s preferred measure) in the 27 months since the most recent job slump hit bottom as it did in the 27 months following the bottom of the first Bush slump. And looking at total jobs — the broader and more customary measure — Bush’s post-slump job creation record was significantly better than Obama’s. Check out http://factcheck.org/2012/06/obamas-economic-sleight-of-hand/ and see how Obama is playing sleight of hand. He hasn't created a single net new job. He may go down as the only president who left office with a net loss of jobs.

But yet, the democrats would have you believe Obama has helped the middle class. I don't see it. I don't think you do, either. We need a real change. And that is Romney and Ryan.

L.A. Teachers Get Free Insurance...Not One Dime do They Pay...

And some people wonder how California can be so miserably broke. Here's how :http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

LOS ANGELES – Union-funded hacks like those at the Economic Policy Institute tell us public employees have it rough. Their pay is so low they resort to eating dog food at night. Their pensions are terrible and no one – and we mean no one – should be subjected to such poor health care coverage.

It baffles the mind, then, to look at the honest numbers. Because when one does, it shows that the people at EPI are little more than union shills spewing cooked up numbers to satisfy the paymaster.

In the latest in a series of reports issued by EAGnews.org focused on labor spending in metropolitan school districts across the country, it’s revealed that members of United Teachers Los Angeles (the local teachers union) didn’t pay one thin dime toward health insurance premiums in 2010-11. That cost fell to taxpayers, who parted with a whopping $416 million.
The school district’s budget deficit entering the 2010-11 fiscal year was $640 million. Employees were laid off by the thousands and five instructional days were cancelled, yet union employees were allowed to maintain their free and very costly health coverage.

And the problem in Los Angeles persists. According to media reports, teachers are still not required to contribute toward health insurance premiums.

Just imagine if members of the UTLA were required to pay 20 percent toward insurance, which would still be well below the national private sector average. Schools could reap the savings and put them toward their mission: educating children.

That would equal $83.2 million that could go toward recalling laid off teachers and restoring instructional days to the school calendar. According to media reports, the Los Angeles district has eliminated 18 days of instruction over the past four years due to budget constraints.

Instead, unions and their apologists insist that schools are desperate for cash and taxes must be raised.

They don't give a damn about the children, just themselves....and we wonder why we continue to fall further behind. Between dumbing down the curriculum, producing poorer teachers, allowing ineffective teachers to continue, as well as throwing money down the insurance glory hole, our schools are a joke....but don't tell that to the unions...you simply aren't paying enough for them. You should pay more so they can get FREE HEALTHCARE, so they can have FREE pensions. So much for skin in the game and fair share....

Hey Mr. Obama: Your Spending Increases Did NOTHING to Reduce Poverty!

From CNS News:

The vast majority of current programs are focused on making poverty more comfortable … rather than giving people the tools that will help them escape poverty.”

The federal government is not making much headway reducing poverty despite spending hundreds of billions of dollars, according to a study by the libertarian Cato Institute.

Despite an unprecedented increase in federal anti-poverty spending, the national poverty rate has not declined, the study finds.

“[S]ince President Obama took office [in January 2009], federal welfare spending has increased by 41 percent, more than $193 billion per year,” the study says.

Federal welfare spending in fiscal year 2011 totaled $668 billion, spread out over 126 programs, while the poverty rate that remains high at 15.1 percent, roughly where it was in 1965, when President Johnson declared a federal War on Poverty.

So much for that throw money at the problem strategy, eh Barry? But, what it tells us is that perhaps the motivations are more sinister...like say, creating a nation dependent on programs just to make poverty "comfortable" :

finds that some of the increase is deliberate, with the government having expanded eligibility for welfare programs.

In fiscal year 2008, anti-poverty spending was $475 billion. In fiscal year 2009, when Obama took office, it had risen to $590 billion.

“But the dramat­ically larger increase also suggests that part of the program’s growth is due to conscious policy choices by this administration to ease eligibility rules and expand caseloads,” the Cato report says. “For example, income limits for eligibility have risen twice as fast as inflation since 2007 and are now roughly 10 percent higher than they were when Obama took office.”

In fact, the study points out that according to the administration’s own projections, federal welfare spending is unlikely to decline even after the economy recovers – further evidence that not all of the increase in spending is recession-related.

So, what should be done?

The study faults the way poverty programs are designed, saying that the increase in spending and largely unchanged poverty rate showed that the issue is not a matter of money, but a matter of what the programs aim to achieve.

“The vast majority of current programs are focused on making poverty more comfortable – giv­ing poor people more food, better shelter, health care, and so forth – rather than giving people the tools that will help them escape poverty.”

Instead, the study recommends refocusing anti-poverty efforts on keeping people in school, discouraging out-of-wedlock births, and encouraging people to get a job – even if that job is a low-wage one.

“It would make sense therefore to shift our anti-poverty efforts from government programs that simply provide money or goods and services to those who are living in poverty to efforts to create the condi­tions and incentives that will make it eas­ier for people to escape poverty.

But, you see, that doesn't give you a slate of addicted to government cash voters who will do whatever you say as long as you keep the drug of welfare spending coming.....government is the drug pimp, Americans in trouble are the addicts. Pathetic....

Economy Update...How We Lookin'?

Not good.....from Mark Steyn :

"Ask yourself – are you better off now than you were four years ago?"
But, in fact, you don't need to ask yourself, because the Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Consumer Finances has done it for you. Between 2007 and 2010, Americans' median net worth fell 38.8 percent – or from $126,400 per family to $77,300 per family. Oh, dear. As I mentioned a few months ago, when readers asked me to recommend countries they could flee to, most of the countries worth fleeing to Americans can no longer afford to live in.

However, you wouldn't know this from Obamas speeches. He talks about the private sector doing fine...the above doesn't sound fine to me.... Even some of his media minions are sick of the b.s. :

He gave a 54-minute address that tried the patience even of the most doting court eunuchs. "One of the worst speeches I've ever heard Barack Obama make," pronounced MSNBC's Jonathan Alter, as loyal Democrat attendees fled the arena to volunteer for the Obamacare death-panel pilot program. In fairness to the president, I wouldn't say it was that much worse, or duller, or more listless and inert than previous Obama speeches. In fact, much of it was exactly the same guff he was peddling when Jonathan Alter's pals were still hailing him as the world's greatest orator. The problem is the ever-widening gulf between the speech and the slough of despond all about? Beyondthe cheap dissembling, there was a bleak, tragic quality to this paragraph. Does anyone really believe a second-term Obama administration is going to build anything? Yes, you, madam, the gullible sap at the back in the faded hope'n'change T-shirt. You seriously think your guy is going to put up another Hoover Dam? Let me quote one Deanna Archuleta, Obama's Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior, in a speech to Democratic environmentalists in Nevada: "You will never see another federal dam."
Ever.
That seems pretty straightforward. America is out of the dam business. Just as the late Roman Empire no longer built aqueducts, so we no longer build dams. In fairness to the Romans, they left it to the barbarians to sweep in and destroy the existing aqueducts, whereas in America the government destroys the dams (some 200 this century) as an act of environmental virtue hailed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
Obama can urge us all he wants to band together because when we dream big dreams there's no limit to what Big Government can accomplish. But these days we can't build a new Hoover Dam, only an attractive new corner office for the Assistant Deputy Assistant Deputy Assistant Secretary to the Secretary of Deputy Assistants at the Department of Bureaucratic Sclerosis, and she'll be happy to issue a compliance order that the Hoover Dam's mandatory fish ladders are non-wheelchair accessible, and so the whole joint needs to close. That we can do! If only we dare to dream Big Dreams!! Together!!!
As to "touching the surface of the moon," I touch on this in my most recent book, whose title I will forbear to plug. Imagine if we hadn't gone to the moon in the 1960s. Can you seriously picture Obama presiding over such an event today? Instead of the Apollo 11 guys taking up a portable cassette machine to play Sinatra and the Count Basie band's recording of "Fly Me To The Moon," the lads of Obamo 11 would take an iPod with Lady Gaga or Ke$ha or whatever... Yet, even as you try to fill in the details, doesn't the whole thing start to swim out of focus as something that increasingly belongs not only to another time but another place? In the Sixties, American ingenuity burst the bounds of the planet. Now our debt does, and "touching the surface of the moon" half-lingers in collective consciousness as a dimming memory of lost grandeur, in the way a date farmer in 19th century Nasiriyah might be vaguely aware that the Great Ziggurat of Ur used to be around here.
But all he can see stretching to the horizon is sand.
So today our money-no-object government spends lot of money but to no great object. What are Big Government's priorities now? Carpeting Catholic universities with IUDs. Regulating the maximum size of milk-coffee beverages. As Obama told us: "'That's how we built this country – together. We constructed railroads and highways... Together, we touched the surface of the moon, unlocked the mystery of the atom.' And as we will one day tell our grandchildren: 'Together, we touched the surface of the decaf caramel macchiato and deemed it to be more than 16 ounces. Together, we unlocked the mystery of 30-year-old college students' womanhood. One small step to the IKEA futon for a lucky Georgetown Law freshwoman, one giant leap for womankind. Who will ever forget the day when the Union Pacific Board of Health Compliance and the Central Pacific Agency of Sustainable Growth Enhancement met at Promontory Community College, Utah, to hammer in the Golden Spike condom dispenser?'"
Most of us don't want a new Hoover Dam. We would like our homes to be less underwater, but there's no danger of that anytime soon. Most of us don't want America to go to the moon. We would like a few less craters on the economic wasteland down here. Soaring rhetoric at a time of earthbound problems – jobs, debt – risks making the president sound ridiculous. Granted, there's a lot of it about this time of year – commencement speakers assuring kids who can't manage middle-school math that you can be anything you want to be as long as you dream your dreams. But Obama offers an even more absurd evolution of this grim trope: "I can be anything I want to be as long as you chumps dream your dreams."
Self-pity is never an attractive quality, and in an elected head of state even less so. Obama whines that his opponents say it's all his fault. One can argue about whose fault it is, but not, as my colleagues at National Review pointed out, whose responsibility it is: It's his. He's the only president we have. And he made things worse. He increased the national debt by some 70 percent, and what do we have to show for it? No dams, no railroads, no moon shots. Just government, and bureaucracy, and regulation, unto national bankruptcy.

Another reason we need to get off the o train before we crash and burn.......

GUEST COLUMN: "Budget Disaster Looms If We Don’t Reduce Spending"

Rep. Jean Schmidt

By U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt,
Ohio’s Second Congressional District

The Congressional Budget Office released its long-term budget outlook last week. The report didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know. In short, the nonpartisan CBO provided us with yet another warning that continuing down our current budget path will result in disaster.

The CBO is concerned about our rising level of debt. At the end of 2008, federal debt held by the public amounted to 40 percent of Gross Domestic Product (the value of all goods and services produced in the country). That is “a little above the 40-year average of 38 percent,” according to the report. By the end of this fiscal year, debt held by the public will be about 70 percent of GDP – the highest since around the time of World War II.

Unfortunately, the near-term future is going to make matters worse. “The aging of the baby-boom generation portends a significant and sustained increase in the share of the population receiving benefits from Social Security, Medicare, (and) long-term care services financed by Medicaid,” the CBO said. “Moreover, per capita spending for health care is likely to continue rising faster than spending per person on other goods and services.” In other words, if we maintain our current policies, the federal debt held by the public will reach 200 percent of GDP by 2037.

Since President Obama took office in 2009, federal spending has gone up by approximately 25 percent each year – and the federal government has run annual deficits of more than $1 trillion for the last four years. In that same time, total federal debt has grown by some $4 trillion. According to the CBO, “the explosive path of federal debt … underscores the need for large and timely policy changes to put the federal government on a sustainable fiscal course.”

If we don’t stop our deficit spending soon, the United States will face higher interest on the money it’s been borrowing and will have fewer options in responding to the next financial crisis, the CBO said.

The time is now to put the federal budget on a sustainable course. We simply cannot afford to continue throwing money at every problem that arises. I hope President Obama will work with Congress to make the changes necessary to avert a foreseeable budget disaster.

Obama's Spending: Rex Nutting Of MarketWatch Thinks You Are As Ignorant As He Is

Rex Nutting is an ignorant fool who is using data already shown to be false in trying to say that Obama hasn't spent that much. From the Drivelarticle:

Of all the falsehoods told about President Barack Obama, the biggest whopper is the one about his reckless spending spree. As would-be president Mitt Romney tells it: “I will lead us out of this debt and spending inferno.” Almost everyone believes that Obama has presided over a massive increase in federal spending, an “inferno” of spending that threatens our jobs, our businesses and our children’s future. Even Democrats seem to think it’s true. Government spending under Obama, including his signature stimulus bill, is rising at a 1.4% annualized pace — slower than at any time in nearly 60 years.

He even has a chart. Basically, his argument is that since the stimulus and omnibus bill are on the 2009 budget and the 09 budget was approved in 08, therefore, it is all Bush's spending. What this putz isn't telling you is that Congress uses baseline spending....from James Pethokoukis.:

As the chart indicates, Nutting arrives at that 1.4% number by assigning 2009—when spending surged nearly 20%—to George W. Bush: “The 2009 fiscal year, which Republicans count as part of Obama’s legacy, began four months before Obama moved into the White House. The major spending decisions in the 2009 fiscal year were made by George W. Bush and the previous Congress. Like a relief pitcher who comes into the game with the bases loaded, Obama came in with a budget in place that called for spending to increase by hundreds of billions of dollars in response to the worst economic and financial calamity in generations.”

Let me complete the metaphor for Nutting: “Then as those runners scored, Obama kept putting more on base.”

Obama chose not to reverse that elevated level of spending; thus he, along with congressional Democrats, are responsible for it. Only by establishing 2009 as the new baseline, something Republican budget hawks like Paul Ryan feared would happen, does Obama come off looking like a tightwad. Obama has turned a one-off surge in spending due to the Great Recession into his permanent New Normal through 2016 and beyond.

So, I would add to the argument this way: If Bush is responsible for stimulus and omnibus and as well as the GM bailout, then Barack Obama is responsible for nothing. He isn't responsible for, as he and Biden are going around the country trumpeting: 1. saving GM 2.stopping the recession in late 2009 3. saving jobs

So, therefore, if this is true, then Obama REALLY has nothing to campaign on. However, it is not true, just as the notions of 1-3 are not true either.

The stimulus, omnibus, and auto bailouts were authorized after the 2009 budget was ratified, estabilishing a new baseline, as James P. talks about above. This new baseline, every year then, is the new normal. So, spending is elevated every year as a result of this procedure. Let me share with you James P's chart that makes more sense than the ramblings of Nutting:


Basically, they are saying it is Bush's fault even though he had nothing to do with the spending, but he was either a lame duck or out of office when it was authorized. Nutting is banking on the American public being as ignorant about how Congress and the budget works as he is. He even got nailed on a radio program by a caller.

Bottom line:
In fiscal year 2009, Barack Obama spent a total of $1.065 trillion that Nutting at MarketWatch and Pelosi produced charts saying that Bush spent. Bush didn't spend it. Bush didn't spend the stimulus bill. He didn't authorize it, ask for it. It was not even in his mind, but because it happened in 2009, it was lopped on to the 2009 budget that Bush did not sign, as it turns out. So they assign this to Bush-era spending. They're saying that Obama spending cannot be calculated until October of 2009, when the new fiscal year starts. No spending before that could possibly be Obama's, that's what they're saying, and of course they're not right about it.

Here are the totals: $825 billion on his first stimulus; $200 billion on a second round of TARP spending. More on that just a second. Forty billion spent on a new child health care bill, S-CHIP. Now, there's other incremental, incidental spending that Obama was doing left and right, throwing money all over the place. Solyndra was getting money, if you recall, all this green energy were getting so-called low-interest loans. Obama was printing money, borrowing it, throwing it around as fast as he could. But those are the big-ticket items: $825 billion for Porkulus; $200 billion additional TARP spending; $40 billion S-CHIP. Grand total, $1.065 trillion that Obama spent that these people are counting as Bush money.

Now, the really deceitful thing that Mr. Nutting and the others are doing is saying that they are counting Obama's stimulus in their tally of his spending. In the text of the story they say they're counting the stimulus. And, they are. They are counting Porkulus 2, $140 billion, which happened after October in 2009. They're not counting the $825 billion big-ticket Porkulus. So in the text of the story, they claim they're counting the stimulus, and it's really deceitful, because what they're counting is Porkulus 2, which is $140 billion. So casual readers of the Nutting story -- it's a Web story at MarketWatch -- casual readers think, "Oh, wow, even with Obama's stimulus he still spent less than Reagan and Bush?" But again, they're only counting that $140 billion second stimulus. They're not counting the first $825 billion stimulus.

Now, more on this TARP business. What actually happened there was, Obama as president-elect before the inauguration, Obama told Bush, or asked, to release the rest of the discretionary TARP money so that Obama could use it for economic recovery as soon as he took office. And Bush did. Bush expanded the discretionary amount of TARP, and that was around $200 billion or 300 billion. So you can add $200 billion to this, and you're just under $1.1 trillion of Obama spending that's not counted as Obama spending. Now, specifically that second round of TARP that Obama asked for as president-elect, not inaugurated yet, was for the auto bailout to buy General Motors and Chrysler and give them to the unions. And that was $200 billion.

So once again, they are playing fast and loose with the numbers.

I am not the only one and neither is James Pethokoukis who are showing how much Dems and the media are being dishonest by flouting this tripe.

There is a reason that the Democrats have not offered a budget in three years. And this is an excellent time, with this bogus report from Rex Nutting and the media picking this up, to point this out. The Democrats have refused to offer a new budget ever since 2009, because they want to lock all of Obama's spending into the budget and into the baseline. Continuing resolutions keep current funding levels at the same level. Thus, Obama's spending becomes the new norm, raising spending even more.

Why would the media cover this obviously bogus story? They want Obama reelected. Why do you think there hasn't been a whisper of the biggest religious lawsuit in history, where Notre Dame University and several archdioceses and other Catholic and Protestant groups have sued Obama over religious freedom?

Rex Nutting and his ilk are not just ignorant. They are biased liars. I was able to cobble this together in about 20 minutes. I was able to find plenty of refutation in about 10. They just go with what helps Obama. But, if you look at it, if this is all Bush's spending, then Obama genuinely has nothing at all to run on. Of course, we know he has nothing to run on anyway, except used unicorn farts.

Ohio House Passes General Mid-Biennium Review Legislation

Release: <blockquote>

COLUMBUS—The Ohio House of Representatives today voted in support of a joint House-Senate conference committee report on House Bill 487, which is the main component of the mid-biennium review. The legislation provides process improvement and updating of operating laws. Reforms in the bill include efforts to streamline state government services, prioritize state funding, and make government more responsive by removing statutory barriers.

 

“House Bill 487 makes many important reforms to our state government so that services are delivered to Ohio citizens in the most efficient way possible,” said Chairman of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster).

 

Under HB 487, $42 million has been allocated for the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program and the Farmland Preservation Program. An appropriation of $2 million was included to protect the timber industry through the reforesting of areas that have been targeted by the Asian longhorned beetle. The bill also extends state auditing authority to combined county Department of Jobs and Family Services agencies.

 

Other major provisions passed as part of House Bill 487 include:

 

• Streamlining state government and saving taxpayer dollars: Maintains our commitment to consolidating state government and spending tax dollars wisely by taking the unprecedented step of reviewing all appropriation line-items in a non-budget year, leading to the consolidation, merging, renaming or repurposing of more than 135 individual appropriation line items, which rendered $13 million in savings over this biennium. Also creates new online resources to aid local governments in joint purchasing and the sharing of services.

·         Safeguarding the Elderly: Creates the Aging in Place Pilot Program, a pilot program for 180 households in southwest Ohio to receive health services and home repairs to attempt to allow more elderly people to stay at home longer.

·         Protecting the Environment:  Creates the Healthy Lake Erie Fund and provides a $3.35 million appropriation to reduce algae blooms on Lake Erie, as well as inland lakes and streams

·         Ensuring healthcare in underserved areas: Protects state funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers.

• Working to eliminate drug addiction in major affected areas: Directs the Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction services to create a pilot project in Franklin and Scioto counties for the use of a non-addictive opiate treatment with the voluntary cooperation of individuals in the criminal justice system; Also creates a pilot project in Gallia and other southern Ohio counties to establish the Biometric Enrollment and Verification System in order to reduce drug diversion and doctor shopping
• Improving services for the developmentally disabled: Improves the state and local developmental disabled agencies and provides more decision-making authority for disabled individuals.

 

House Bill 487 will now be sent to the governor for his signature.

</blockquote>

Gov. Kasich Signs Capital Budget Bill

Release:

COLUMBUS—Governor John R. Kasich today signed Substitute House Bill 482 (Amstutz)—the capital budget bill—which allocates $1.74 billion for priority construction needs at state- and university-owned facilities. Breaking with tradition and challenging the status quo, Gov. Kasich urged the beneficiaries of these capital funds, namely colleges and universities, to work collaboratively to maximize limited resources and prioritize projects based on need.

Upon signing Sub. H.B. 482, Gov. Kasich released the following statement:

“I’m incredibly grateful to Speaker Batchelder, President Niehaus, Chairman Amstutz and Chairman Widener for their leadership in the House and Senate. Without their strong support and their insistence on the fiscal restraint exhibited by the legislature, we could not have succeeded in passing one of the of the leanest capital budget bills ever signed into law. This kind of leadership is what is required during challenging fiscal times like we’re in now, and together we’ve ensured that the taxpayers’ limited funds are allocated where needed most.

"When we started this process, we knew resources were extremely limited and the system in place to allocate funds was based primarily on power, not necessarily on prudence. I believed Ohio needed to change course to ensure we utilize these limited resources in a way that produces the greatest return on our investment, and I’m very pleased that my partners in the legislature embraced this new approach.”