Mike Wilson Stands with Military Voters

Release:

Columbus, OH – August 6, 2012: Republican candidate for State Representative in Ohio’s 28th District, Mike Wilson announced Monday his opposition to a lawsuit filed by Obama for America, the Democratic National Committee and the Ohio Democratic Party against Secretary of State Jon Husted and Attorney General Mike DeWine.

The lawsuit seeks to extend early voting privileges held by members of the United States Armed Forces to all voters in the three days prior to Election Day. The lawsuit refers to these extra privileges held by our armed forces as “arbitrary” and unconstitutional. In answer to the lawsuit that was filed on July 17, 2012, a large number of military organizations filed a motion to intervene and a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in order to prevent the lawsuit from impacting the ability of members of the military to vote.

Wilson said, “It is not arbitrary or unconstitutional to give our military an extra three days to ensure their vote is counted. They are subject to restrictions on their travel and free time that regular citizens do not have.”

Wilson also called the actions by Democrats to suppress the military vote hypocritical.

“Democrats at the statehouse voted to enact this change unanimously1, but it is unfortunate they put partisanship ahead of our military when the chips are down. My opponent wears her military experience on her sleeve, but then she is strangely quiet on important issues such as these that directly affect our military. Shame on Connie Pillich for turning her back on our military and staying silent while her President and her party file this lawsuit,” Wilson said.

Cincinnati Tea Party on Debt Limit

Re-published with permission:

Making Sense of the Debt Ceiling

Dear Fellow Citizens and Taxpayers,

The federal debt ceiling is front and center and the media is doing it's usual poor job of explaining what's going on.

The very short version is that the House Republicans are demanding that any increase in the debt ceiling be matched with spending cuts. Obama is participating in negotiations, but is actually pushing for a plan that is farther to the left than the one released by his own fiscal commission.

So far, John Boehner and the House Republicans are standing firm, but Obama is busily threatening to withhold Social Security checks and sending Tim Geithner out to lie about the risk of default (more on that in a moment). As a result of the Democratic lies, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is going wobbly. He is worried about the political ramifications of the fight and has proposed allowing the President to raise the debt ceiling unilaterally in order to push the political risk back in Obama's direction.

Below is an essay by our Clermont County leader Ted Stevenot that explains the situation with the debt ceiling in more detail. I want to highlight one point.

There is absolutely no reason why the US Treasury should default on our debt or withhold Social Security checks. If they do so, it is solely due to a decision by the Obama administration.

Each month, there is sufficient government revenue to pay for interest on the debt, social security, medicare, medicaid, necessary defense spending, and veterans benefits. Default is a choice, not a reality. Obama does not want to prioritize government expenditures. Obama wants to use the debt ceiling as leverage to lock in tax increases and bigger government.

Please read Ted's essay below and then contact Senator McConnell's office and let him know that he shouldn't sell out the American people. Tell Senator McConnell no on raising the debt ceiling unless real spending cuts are implemented.

At the same time, call Speaker Boehner's office. Thank him for standing firm and give him the same message.

Senator McConnell - 202-224-2541 - 859-578-0188

Speaker Boenher - 202-225-6205 - 513-779-5400

In Liberty,

Mike Wilson
President
Cincinnati Tea Party

The Debt Ceiling and How to Take Back America

by Ted Stevenot, Clermont County Tea Party

I think we have an opportunity to make a significant difference in turning around America's fiscal outlook via the current debt ceiling debate. But, before explaining this idea fully, let's consider a brief analogy.

Imagine a two income couple blissfully, but unenviably, traveling through life while spending all the money they make. One spouse makes about 60% of the household income, the other the remaining 40%. One day, the spouse making 40% of the income, comes home and says, "Bad news today dear. I lost my job!"

Meeting at the kitchen table that night, the couple sits down to prioritize how to survive on the money they have left. Quickly, they must determine which expenses are essential and which are not.

Together, they consider expenditures such as;

Season tickets or the mortgage?
Cable TV or the electric bill?
Family vacation or the car payment?
Eating out or buying groceries?

At the end of the discussion, the couple will hopefully have determined their priorities. They can now put in place a plan to carry their family forward until the unemployed spouse is either able to find new work or achieve some other remedy.

The Debt Ceiling Debate

With the above portrait of "everyday" prioritizing in mind, let's consider the debt ceiling and appropriation debate currently raging in DC. If you click on this link, you will see a chart showing that, for August 2011, the sum of;

Interest + Social Security + Medicare + Essential Defense, equals less than the regular income the government will take in without the debt ceiling being increased.

As long as spending is prioritized properly, there will be no risk of default or of seniors going without Social Security checks. But, if the figurative couple "goes on vacation" and "buys the season tickets," they could end up losing their house. The chart also shows, amazingly, there is roughly $50 billion leftover for the month even after these critical expenditures have been fully met.

(Click here to watch a video of Michelle Bachman making a similar case for addressing spending priorities versus raising the debt ceiling to FOX's Bill O'Reilly. It is one of the best performances I have seen from her so far.)

Saving the Country by Controlling Spending

It is a very good thing that James Madison and the founders thought to separate the powers of our government in the Constitution. As a result of this, the President today needs two favors from Congress to keep moving forward with his statist agenda - namely, (1) higher taxes and (2) a higher debt ceiling. Yet, he puts a new twist on "audacity of hope," by demanding he be given one favor in order to get another. He says in effect, "You must first wash my car before being allowed to mow my lawn."

The President is in this position because, in these circumstances, and by Constitutional design, the Speaker of the House holds all the cards. The Speaker has the "gavel." As such, he (or she) controls the schedule for what gets voted on and who gets to speak. Without the Speaker's direct consent, nothing can get through the Congress. No debt increases, no appropriations, no new taxes, no new legislation, no nothing. Ultimately, the President can only accept or reject what has first been permitted through the Speaker's hands.

So, Here Is the Basic Plan...

The Republicans can write an appropriation bill that directly stipulates spending to service the current debt, Social Security, Medicare and Essential Defense. No new debt. No new taxes. After that, they can prioritize what to do with the remaining cash receivables such as funding federal law enforcement, border patrol, VA benefits, etc.

Pass this bill in the House and send it to the Senate. It will then be the Senate's turn to decide whether to pay for "season tickets or the mortgage." The burden will be on them to pass the bill that will head off any impending doom. Once the Senate "eats their peas," the bill can be served up to the President where he can, subsequently, eat his.

Redistributing the Haircuts

As alluded above, the Speaker of the House is in the driver's seat on any new legislation and the nation's purse. Let the progressives whine about how disastrous it will be when entities like the Department of Education, NPR, the NEA, ACORN, the IMF, PBS and over half of the EPA's budget do not rate high enough to be funded. It's tough love. All agencies of government will have to hold "kitchen table meetings" of their own. Bring on the thousand legislative and spending cuts we were promised during the 2010 midterm elections. Defund Obamacare. The leverage is there and the people will support a sincere effort to restore fiscal sanity.

Key fact: As of this session of Congress - and many thanks to Tea Party folks like you - there are fewer Democrats in the House of Representatives then at any time since 1937.

It is therefore time for the Republicans to act decisively to save our nation from crushing and irresponsible spending and debt. As long as the double-threat of default and suspension of essential services is removed, the people will get on board with the plan. The fact is, the people have been taking haircut after haircut in recent years. It is now time for the federal government to take one too.

OHD-28: OEC Calls for Investigation On Dirty Democrat Ad

Release:

COLUMBUS–The Ohio Elections Commission has ruled unanimously in a lawsuit filed against the Ohio Democratic Party (ODP), which was in response to a campaign mailer slandering House candidate Mike Wilson. Specifically, the mailers falsely claim that Wilson wants to cut funding for police and safety forces.

The elections complaint was filed by military veteran Chris Hammond, who contested numerous slanderous statements by the ODP. The suit states that House Bill 400, the bill in question, does not provide which programs would be streamlined if the income tax is phased out. The bipartisan probable cause panel voted 3-0 that there was reason to believe that the ODP had lied in this statement about Mike Wilson.

Additionally, the Ohio Elections Commission yesterday ruled unanimously that there is probable cause to believe that the Ohio House Democratic Caucus made false accusations in a televised campaign ad slandering Wilson. Specifically, the television ad claims that Wilson wants to cut programs that assist military veterans.

“The reason why Connie Pillich and her supporters are airing these false ads is that they are trying to misdirect from their own poor record,” said Wilson. “Connie Pillich voted to raise taxes on all Ohioans including our veterans, our seniors and our families. Additionally, she cut state funding to our schools. Based on that track record, I can assure veterans, seniors and families that they will get better treatment from me than they got from Pillich.”

The Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee called for an end to the false attacks from Democrats.

“The desperate claims against Mike Wilson are ludicrous, and Connie Pillich and her supporters should cease and desist any further airing of such attacks,” said Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee director Mike Dittoe. “Mike Wilson has long been an advocate of our state’s first responders like police and firefighters. This desperate attempt to once again skew House Bill 400 is the same, tired scheme from the tired Democratic playbook.”

The Ohio Elections Commission will now have a full hearing on the issue at a later date. If an ad is found in violation of state law, the Ohio Elections Committee can refer the matter for criminal prosecution or assess other penalties.

I saw that ridiculous ad on Fox19 again this morning.  Still ticks me off that these people are lying like this, but that's what Democrats do...

UPDATE:  Exit Question: Will the Enquirer (or any other 527 Media outlet in this state for that matter)EVER report on Connie Pillich's lies???

Team Wilson Fights Back Against the Lies from Team Pillich

Release:

Columbus, OH – October 11th, 2010: Former Sgt. Chris Hammond, USMC, filed two complaints with the Ohio Elections Commission alleging false statements on the part of the Ohio House Democratic Caucus, the House Democratic Caucus Fund and the Ohio Democratic Party. The complaints relate to a television ad that falsely attacks Mike Wilson’s positions on veterans’ benefits, as well as mail pieces that falsely assert that Mike Wilson has a plan that will force the layoff of thousands of police, firefighters and teachers.


According to Sgt. Hammond, “I filed these complaints because I know Mike Wilson to be a strong supporter of our military and our veterans and I believe these ads to be false. It is very disappointing that Representative Pillich’s Democrat allies would deliberately distort the truth in such a blatant way.” Sgt. Hammond continued, “As a fellow veteran, I know that Representative Pillich understands the value the military places on truth and honor. Connie Pillich dishonors her own service when she exploits other veterans to distort the truth on her behalf.”


Veterans across the region are outraged by the television ad which has appeared frequently on local stations. The ad contains a series of veterans attacking Wilson and questioning, “Why won’t Mike Wilson honor veterans?” The ads cite Wilson’s support for H.B. 400, a plan to reform Ohio’s tax code by phasing out Ohio’s income tax over 10 years.


“H.B. 400 does not implement any spending cuts and only schedules income tax rates to decline over a 10-year period,” pointed out Mike Wilson, Republican candidate for State Representative. “This plan is quite similar to one implemented successfully in Indiana by Governor Mitch Daniels. It has made Indiana more competitive for business and jobs. I have no plans to cut veterans’ benefit and this change, if implemented, will help provide the best benefits we can provide to our veterans – a robust economy and a steady job.”


In contrast, Representative Pillich voted for $2.1 billion in increased taxes and fees contained in H.B. 1 and H.B. 318. “I’m sure the Democrats would love to talk about anything but the increased taxes they voted for and the 400,000 jobs that have left Ohio since 2006,” said Wilson.

Wilson’s campaign is chaired by Major Brad Wenstrup, an Iraqi War veteran and former candidate for Cincinnati Mayor. Wilson’s campaign manager, Maggi Cook, is the daughter of a World War II veteran, and lost a brother in Vietnam in 1968. Her son, Sgt. Robert Cook currently serves with the 101st in Afghanistan. His younger half-brother, Sgt. Joe Cook, lost his leg in an IED attack in 2007. “I am honored to have the support of so many veterans. I am proud that they are standing up on my behalf to fight the smears. This is the kind of politics we are working to change,” declared Wilson.

About Sgt. Chris Hammond: Hammond joined the Marine Corps at age 17 and received basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina in 1994. During this grueling test, Chris learned what true honor, integrity, courage, and commitment were and how to serve others more than oneself. Chris graduated basic training with honors as his Series Highest Marksman and subsequently received 4 awards of Rifle Expert.

Chris was also honored to make the rank of Sergeant (E5) in just over 4 years. Throughout his 2 tours overseas in Okinawa, mainland Japan, and South Korea, Chris earned 2 Sea Service Deployment Ribbons with a bronze Star designation, 2 Medals of Good Conduct, 1 National Defense Service Medal, 2 Meritorious Masts and 2 Letters of Commendation and completed 8 years of honorable service.

Chris is the proud father of 2 daughters. His wife Brenda (Larson) Hammond, is a daughter of the American Revolution through the Chenoweth family bloodline in southern Ohio during the Indian raids and massacre along the Ohio River Valley in 1789. Chris and his family reside in Blue Ash, OH.

Also, here is a letter read in to the record of the last Reading Council meeting:

Wilson Reading Veteran Read

OHD-28: Mike Wilson vs. Double Dipping

We had Mike Wilson on the TIB All Stars Show awhile back and now the Cincinnati Enquirer has a story on Mike's principled stand against double-dipping.  Retired ought to mean retired.  Just another reason why the 28th District ought to send him to the Ohio House.

Team Wilson on Pillach's OEC Complaint

Release:

Springfield Township, OH – Mike Wilson, Republican candidate for State Representative, has become aware of media reports that a complaint has been filed against him with the Ohio Elections Commission. The complaint involves a minor technical error concerning the Designation of Treasurer form. This error, which was self-reported to the Ohio Secretary of State, was subject to a similar OEC complaint during the primary and addressed in local media at that time.

In Ohio, the Designation of Treasurer form is filed to establish a campaign committee with the Ohio Secretary of State. The Wilson campaign originally completed the form in October of 2009 and sent to the Secretary of State via regular postal service. Having completed and submitted the form correctly, the primary campaign began fundraising in earnest. In December, a Hamilton County Board of Elections official noticed that they had not received a copy of the form and reached out to the Wilson campaign. The Wilson campaign responded by filing a provisional copy at the Board of Elections in late December. Unfortunately, the original form was lost by the US Postal Service or the Secretary of State’s office. In the intervening period, the strength and popular support for the Wilson campaign was demonstrated through the 208 donations received, more than many state representative campaigns receive the entire year.

After confirming the original form was not received by the Secretary of State, the Wilson campaign self-reported and considered the matter closed. Mike Wilson pointed out, “The Secretary of State’s office said they couldn’t remember the last time they had fined someone for a minor violation like this. I’m disappointed that Representative Pillich is resorting to the same old politics as usual that voters have rejected. This is an attempt by Pillich to change the subject away from her support of the failed Democrat policies that have led to massive job loss in Ohio.”

None of the 208 contributions are in any way illegal and none had to be returned or will have to be returned. The same complaint was filed against the Wilson campaign during this year’s primaries but was later dropped. The maximum potential fine for this violation is $100. The Wilson campaign has been in contact with the Secretary of State’s office and the Hamilton County BOE concerning this matter.

NOTE TO TEAM KASICH: This is why you get out in front of things like this. You can actually say that you aren't hiding something because it has already been an issue previously handled.

Mike Wilson is a stand up guy and I can't believe how desperate Connie Pillich is in trying to make this an issue.

GUEST COLUMN: "Why Ohio’s Economy is Struggling" by Mike Wilson

Ohio’s economy is in terrible shape.

Whether you look at unemployment (10.5% - 43rd), or state GDP per capita ($35,381 - 33rd), our position in absolute terms and relative to other states is bad and getting worse. The reality of these statistics is that the citizens of Ohio are hurting. While going door-to-door, I’ve met with the long-term unemployed who are barely scraping by, and I’ve met with parents whose children moved out of state after college to seek jobs.

From 1990 to 2000, 720,200 jobs were created in Ohio. From 2000 to 2009, 544,100 were destroyed. This means that only 176,100 private sector jobs were created over a 19-year period - barely 9000 per year in a state of over 11 million people. The unfortunate truth is that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Ohio has tremendous built-in advantages as a state. We have world-class universities, a well-educated workforce, robust rail, highway, air and water transportation, and a legacy of innovation that is the envy of the country. Entrepreneurs like Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers were a huge part of what made Ohio great. Today in Ohio, however, Edison and the Wright Brothers would be punished for their success with excessive taxation and burdensome regulation.

We see the proof of this in the news when venerable Ohio companies like NCR (founded in Dayton in 1884) and US Playing Card (founded in Cincinnati in 1867) leave for other states and take their jobs with them. We didn’t lose these jobs to overseas competition. We lost them to Georgia and Kentucky. In the case of US Playing Card, they moved their headquarters only about 15 miles across the river – just barely enough to escape the suffocating anti-business atmosphere of Ohio.

Governor Strickland offered NCR tax breaks totaling $31.1 million in an effort to keep them in Ohio. While that unfortunately wasn’t enough, what it shows is a recognition that the tax climate in Ohio matters and it is so out of whack that a $30 million incentive is insufficient to keep a company here.

In the 2011-12 Ohio budget, we are faced with an estimated shortfall as high as $8 billion. We are in this situation because our political class has failed. During the good times, we spent the windfall in tax revenues. When tax revenues declined in the current recession, the Strickland administration and House Democrats led the charge to increase spending by 9.3% in fiscal years 2009-10. The less we had, the more they wanted to spend.

This reckless spending was financed mainly though one-time funds including federal “stimulus”, debt restructuring and drawing on the state’s rainy day fund. The remainder came from $1.2 billion in additional fees, and a $900 million tax increase passed in December that was retroactive to the beginning of the year – thus violating the cardinal rule of not raising taxes in a recession.

In the next budget, we need to take steps to restore Ohio’s competitiveness, and we need to get government off the backs of our job creators – small businesses. To do so, government needs to tighten its belt - something they have utterly failed to do so far. In 2009, the average state employee made more than the average private sector employee in 87 of Ohio’s 88 counties and that’s before accounting for the lavish benefits and gold-plated pensions received by state workers.

The failure of our leaders in Columbus have driven jobs out of our state and created the 7th highest state and local tax burden in the country. It has made Ohioans poorer. Using budget gimmicks to avoid taking responsibility instead of fixing the problem is the same old politics that everyone is tired of. We need new leaders willing to take on the entrenched interests and balance our budget with spending cuts, not tax increases. It’s why I signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and why I encourage my fellow candidates and representatives to do the same.

Ohio may be in terrible shape, but the right leadership can make it great again. The current leadership has failed. That is why I am running for State Representative.

TIB NETWORK ANNOUNCEMENT: Mike Wilson to Guest on All-Stars

You won't want to miss the TIB All-Stars Show this weekend because our guest will be the Republican nominee for State Representative Mike Wilson.  Mike was the founder of the Cincinnati Tea Party and will join us in the first hour of the broadcast.