I'm not sure what to make of this WDTN report about "merging" Cincinnati with Dayton. I guess I'd have to actually hear more about what is actually being proposed; but generally speaking, I'm opposed to mergers of cities of this size.
Government, at all levels, is about the consolidation of power. When concentrated, power of this magnitude can be corrupted much more easily. Accountability becomes a quick victim of bureaucracy. Incompetence and graft becomes commonplace. And the ordinary citizen just becomes a number, a statistic in a game of politics.
In smaller municipalities, mergers like this can be of benefit. If services are improved while cost is maintained or lowered, then a move like this makes sense.
None of that is likely in this scenario.
I'm not sure what Dayton is trying to do. They have also been pushing county-wide regionalism efforts. The message I take from this is that Dayton government is desperate to find a way to divert attention from something. Whatever it is, it's bad.
Put me down in the "Against It" column until we learn more...
Sheriff Richard "Spotlight" Jones - Get serious...
Bill Coley - The former state representative topped insiders' lists for who might run...He didn't respond Friday to requests for comment."
Tim Derickson - Term limited in Ohio House - "I in no way could have anticipated this possibility, but now that it is
an open seat, I'm seriously considering a run for that seat."
Ross MacGregor - "Some people label me 'liberal.' I prefer 'moderate."
Kieth Faber - Lives outside the district - "A spokesman for Faber declined to comment."
J.D. Winteregg - "I'm not afraid to confront people on different issues, and that's what the Republican Party needs."
Wes Retherford - "I really haven't had a chance to collect my thoughts."
Seth Morgan - "I don't know if I'm ready to say one way or the other."
Chris Widener
Bill Beagle - Just announced he's in today.
Roger Reynolds - "At this point, that's not something I'm prepared to talk about." - 9/30 UPDATE: He's in. Everybody else should drop out. This is the guy!
Joe Deters - Lives outside the district - "No chance"
Not in the Enquirer article, but heard elsewhere: Steve Austria
Even though it is not a requirement for Congressman to live in the districts they represent,. I --and many people who still live in the district-- prefer that they do. That will eliminate a few from the list.
Keep an eye on Coley. Once he makes his decision, that will determine who stays and who goes.
I fully expect the Ohio Republican Party to try and push Faber on to the scene. Expect the people in the district to tell the party to get bent. Pound sand. Go away. But they'll try it anyway.
Derickson should get in because after having developed so far as a legislator, it would be a shame to waste the talent.
Spotlight and Winteregg will provide all of the comedy...
I picked a fabulous time to return to blogging......
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (R), whose office has focused on
the heroin epidemic, said he was astonished at how easily pill addicts
made the switch.“There used to be some psychological barrier to heroin,” DeWine said. “That barrier is gone today.”
I don't know what the number is, but I suspect the number is a lot higher than the AG's office would care to admit; there are people who had to switch to heroin because of efforts to hamper illegal distribution of prescription drugs that effected and affected patients with legitimate need to control their pain.
Don't get me wrong, I applaud the AG for dealing with an out of control problem, but I fear that in the zealousness and righteousness of taking prescription drugs off the streets we may have gone too far and pushed people who would otherwise have stayed with their doctor's planned prescriptions on to illegal narcotics.
The article is about trafficking, but DeWine's point was important enough that I felt compelled to speak about. Maybe I'm wrong about this entirely or not at all, I don't know; but it sure would be reassuring to hear from our government that they are at least aware of the problem of their own causing.
Those of you who have been following my "Blogging for Dollars" exploits for the Heartland Institute know that I have written about this topic quite a bit.
This just in: "State Representative Robert McColley (R-Napoleon) will be holding a press conference tomorrow
to discuss legislation he is introducing that will work
to reform the process known as Civil Asset Forfeiture. Supported by
various organizations such as FreedomWorks and the Justice Action
Network, the bill would strengthen and clarify Ohio law to protect due
process and individual property rights."
I look forward to learning more about this bill as the subject came up several times when I was trying to get in at the Ohio House before three "unnamed" state representatives told the Speaker that wasn't a good idea. This blog firmly stands with proper application of the law. Due process is a vital protection against the tyranny of government.
By now, just about everybody has had the BREAKING NEWS that the Speaker of the House, my (former) Congressman, and a Great American, John Boehner, will be retiring at the end of October.
I choose to remember Boehner as the energetic guy with the drive to advance a conservative agenda to stop the Obama-Reid-Pelosi onslaught rather than the exhausted man he has become.
Boehner was the vanguard of the Republican comeback in Washington DC. Before his selection as Speaker, Republicans (and conservatives) had NOTHING. No place in government beyond being the minority in all three branches of government (because let's face it, conservatives don't even have the Supreme Court).
A lot of people gave him grief, even early on when Republicans controlled only one-half or one-third of government. But I gave him the benefit of the doubt. We needed the Senate to really get things done. That's what the professional Republicans told us. And a lot of us believed it.
Well, we got the Senate and still nothing happened. And then those same professional Republicans said, "Now we need the White House to get stuff done."
I remember the last time Republicans ran the table. We got higher taxes, more government, and the Big Tent. A lot of us aren't buying what the professional Republicans are selling.
About this time is when I started noticing that Speaker Boehner seemed a bit tired. Like, even he wasn't buying this stuff anymore.
This is a good man who has had to deal with some of the worst American politics -- on both sides of the aisle -- has had to offer. And for the most part, Boehner handled his duties with grace and humility. Occasionally, a bad word or two.
In the end, for me, Boehner's legacy is best summed up in this video clip that I took before he became Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, thank you for your service to your nation, the great state of Ohio, and the Eighth District and may you enjoy your retirement.
COLUMBUS,
Ohio -- State Representative Andrew O. Brenner (R-Powell) commends the
Ohio Department
of Education (ODE) today for their reduction of testing time for state
assessments. Representative Brenner previously introduced House Bill 74,
which called for the reduction of state tests and limiting the time to three
hours per year per subject. Fortunately, the ODE has made adjustments
that are very similar to those recommended by Representative Brenner in
HB 74. Brenner has continued to push for the changes outlined in HB 74.
Representative
Brenner said he was "ecstatic" when he learned that the ODE was making
changes
that would mean testing lengths will be close to what he sought in HB
74. He noted that the ODE “is doing what they need to be doing” in order
to remedy the problems with testing lengths.
HB
74 was introduced on February 19, 2015, well before the testing hour
reduction announcement
recently made by the ODE. Representative Brenner has been on record
urging the administration and the ODE to remedy the issues with PARCC,
the length of state assessments, and other policy issues.
ODE
announced in July the elimination of the PARCC assessments, another
policy Representative
Brenner has been supporting through legislation. He welcomes "the
positive policy changes at ODE" and looks forward to continuing to work
with the leaders at ODE to encourage necessary adjustments.
WASHINGTON, DC –Speaker
John Boehner (R-West Chester) today welcomed Pope Francis to the United
States Capitol, where he became the first Pope to ever address
a joint meeting of Congress. After the Pope’s visit, Boehner issued
the following statement:
“What
a day. What a moment for our country. I’m so proud that so many came
to greet the Pope here at our Capitol, the world’s greatest symbol of
democracy. The Holy Father’s visit is surely
a blessing for all of us. With great blessings, of course, come great
responsibility. Let us all go forth with gratitude and reflect on how
we can better serve one another. Let us all go forth and live up to the
words, God bless America.”
COLUMBUS - State Senator Chris Widener (R-Springfield)
today applauded the Commission on Presidential Debates for selecting
Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio as the host for the first 2016
presidential debate. The debate is scheduled for Monday, September 26,
2016 at the Wright State Nutter Center.
"The
road to the White House runs through Ohio and there is no better place
than Wright State to kick off the presidential debate," said Widener.
Senator Widener delivered the news during a special point of privilege on the floor of the Ohio Senate today.
The
Dayton area is home to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, which is one of
the largest bases in the nation, making the Dayton area home to
countless veterans. Wright State recently opened the Veterans and
Military Center which houses the newly created Aerospace Professional
Development Center.
"We
are extremely proud that the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD)
has chosen Ohio and Wright State as the location for the first
presidential debate," added Widener. "Congratulations to Dr. Hopkins and
his team at Wright State University on sharing Ohio's story and
providing a great venue."
The CPD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation. They have sponsored all general election presidential debates since 1988.
Following the reports that Wright State University will host the first general election presidential debate next September, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges released the following statement:
"Every President elected since 1964 has won Ohio. There is no question that our state is the bellwether for presidential elections. Our state was proud to host the first republican presidential primary debate and we're excited to hear that Ohio will also be hosting the first general election debate. As Ohio goes, so goes the nation."
COLUMBUS - Ohio Senate President Keith Faber
(R-Celina) announced today the introduction of legislation that would
divert public funding away from any entity associated with performing
non-therapeutic abortions in Ohio.
This legislation follows recently released videos that show officials at
Planned Parenthood seeking to profit off of the sale of body parts of
unborn children. The investigation, initiated by the Center for Medical
Progress, displayed Planned Parenthood officials negotiating the sale of
body parts from unborn babies as well as describing the process in
which body parts could be harvested once a deal was agreed upon.
"The recent developments regarding Planned Parenthood are disturbing and
quite frankly inexcusable," said Faber. "The practices outlined in
these videos are not only reprehensible but also illegal under Ohio law,
and this bill will ensure that public money is not funding such
activities."
The proposed legislation would divert public funds in Ohio away from entities that:
Perform non-therapeutic abortions
Promote non-therapeutic abortions
Have a contract with any entity that performs or promotes non-therapeutic abortions
Become or continue to be an affiliate of any entity that performs or promotes non-therapeutic abortions
The state of Ohio gave $1.3 million in taxpayer dollars to Planned
Parenthood alone in 2014. Pending passage of this legislation, this
funding could be diverted to the more than 300 alternative health care
providers in Ohio as well as the 50 Community Action Agencies across the
state.
"It is our intention to use these public funds to provide family
planning services and comprehensive healthcare to women and children in
Ohio," said Faber.
The FY 2016-17 state budget sustained funding to vital women's health
services such as breast and cervical cancer screenings at alternative
clinics that to do not provide abortions. Currently, none of the
twenty-five Planned Parenthood clinics in Ohio provide prenatal care or
mammograms. According to Planned Parenthood’s Annual Report, 94% of
their services to pregnant women are abortions.
Also at Watchdog.org, Maggie Thurber points out that Ohio's unemployment numbers aren't telling the whole story. Apparently, when you take in to account the number of Ohioans who have dropped out of the work force (given up on finding a job here), things aren't looking all that great. There were more people working in Ohio in June than in August. Think about that...
My reaction to all of this is that with a record like this the governor of this great state really ought to seriously consider running for President of the United States......
The Senate will consider the following during today’s session (1:30 p.m.):
Urging Disapproval of the Iran Nuclear Deal: Senator Joe Uecker (R-Miami Township) sponsored Senate Concurrent Resolution 9 to urge Congress to vote against President Obama's proposed Iranian nuclear agreement. Beyond security concerns, the proposed agreement includes coercive language that may compel state and local officials to change their policies in order to satisfy the new relationship between the United States and Iran.
Administering an Efficient Justice System: House Bill 11, sponsored by Representative Andrew Brenner (R-Powell), seeks to create a judgeship to the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, which currently has two judges. Delaware County has nearly doubled in population over the last 25 years. The growing population requires additional services from the county, including an additional judgeship to focus on domestic relations.
Raising Awareness about Breast Cancer: Sponsored by Representatives Al Landis (R-Dover) and Nan Baker (R-Westlake), House Bill 93 permits motorcycles to apply for a “Breast Cancer Awareness” license plate.
Honoring Astronaut Neil Armstrong: Senator Shannon Jones (R-Springboro) sponsored Senate Bill 131, which designates a stretch of State Route 123 within Warren County as the Neil Armstrong Memorial Highway.
Supporting Baseball for All: Senate Bill 159, sponsored by Senator Jim Hughes (R-Columbus), designates a "Baseball for All" license plate with proceeds from each purchased plate going to the Grove City Little League Dream Field Fund. Dream Field allows people with special needs, including those who use wheelchairs and walkers, to be able to access and use the field.
Friend of WMD, Gary Lewis, the Auditor of the City of Hillsboro, has begun participation in a program that State Treasurer Josh Mandel started that posts local government spending online. It's the sort of transparency that government should be scrutinized by the public. Politicians ought to desire this level of openness and the taxpaying public ought to demand it.
Local government can be the worst for corruption and bad fiscal policy. By posting financial transactions, governments -- and politicians -- can be held accountable for their fiscal condition. Mandel's willingness to spearhead such an effort is a testament to his dedication to government reform. More local auditors ought to follow Lewis's lead and hop on board this bandwagon.
Check out Ohio's Online Checkbook to see if your local government is participating. If they aren't, be sure to ask your local elected officials why not.
Encouraging Voter Registration and Participation A Guest Column by State Senator Frank LaRose
St. Sen. Frank LaRose
Tuesday September 22, 2015 marks National Voter Registration Day. In
2008, six million Americans did not vote because they missed the
registration deadline or were not familiar with the process of
registering to vote. In 2015, we want to ensure that every citizen is
able to register and make use of their right to vote. That is why on
this day each year volunteers, celebrities, and organizations from
across the United States will "hit the streets" for National Voter
Registration Day.
The purpose of this day is to coordinate field, technology, and media
efforts to create a lasting awareness of voter registration
opportunities that allows previously unregistered voters to be reached. A
network of a thousand organizations operating on the ground and through
social media will register tens of thousands of voters and tens of
thousands more online while receiving pledges to vote from those already
registered.
Millions of voters need to register and re-register each year and this
awareness campaign utilizes new technology to inform more Americans
about the voter registration process than ever before.
I have introduced legislation in the Ohio Senate to further these goals
by designating the fourth Tuesday in September as "Voter Registration
Awareness Day."
A group of community leaders brought this proposal to my attention as a
way to encourage voter participation across Ohio. This legislation
builds on that concept and emphasizes to all Ohioans the importance of
registering to vote. This legislation ensures that Ohio recognizes Voter
Registration Awareness Day on the same day established by the National
Association of Secretaries of State as National Voter Registration Day.
Senate Bill 169 affirms Ohio's commitment to encouraging voter
registration and increasing the ease of access to elections. This effort
serves as a complement to Senate Bill 63, a bill I introduced earlier
this year to establish online voter registration in Ohio. Senate Bill 63
passed the Ohio Senate with near unanimous support and is awaiting a
hearing in the Ohio House of Representatives. By commemorating Voter
Registration Awareness Day, we are not only encouraging Ohioans to
exercise their right to vote, but to play a pivotal role in the
democratic process.
I took notice of an interesting article in the Columbus Dispatch about a new committee being formed by Cliff Hite to look at the possibility of banning "pay-to-play" sports in schools.
Some districts have chosen to implement a fee for student participation in extra-curricular activities including sports and music. For some districts, this is a fine way to deal with exploding budgets and dwindling funds; but in other districts, pay-to-play fees are limiting participation of the less fortunate.
I look forward to hearing what Hite and company come up with as paying for all of these activities is surely going to come up. With the school funding formula fiasco being what it is already, this will surely be controversial.
I'm intrigued and unless something comes up that would cause me to change my mind, at this point I'm a supporter of the idea. It is certainly worth exploring.
Akron, OH - The We the People Convention today released the results of a statewide Ohio poll that asked TEA Party/912/Liberty group leaders and group members what they would do in the 2016 election if the race were between Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden and either Jeb Bush, Chris Christie or John Kasich. Over 400 grassroots activist took the poll during the week of September 12-19, 2015 and the results showed that between 61% and 68% would leave their ballot blank, or even vote for the Democrat, if either Bush, Christie or Kasich were the Republican nominee. Even Ohio Governor John Kasich would only get 39% of their votes. In comparison, when asked the same question about Republican Candidate Donald Trump, the activist said that 71.26% would vote for Trump in a Presidential Election against either Democrat Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden.
Tom Zawistowski, President of the We the People Convention, said "The message to the Republican Establishment could not be more clear. If they force an Establishment candidate on the ballot again next year, against the will of the Republican Party base, we will not work for them and we will not vote for them and they cannot win Ohio if that happens. The statement that Kasich made at the debate, that he would beat Clinton in Ohio, is highly dubious when one looks objectively at what happend in his re-election in 2014. He did not get people to vote for him, he got over 1,000,000 Ohioans NOT to vote at all, most of whom were from highly Democratic NE Ohio and Cuyahoga County. ALL of whom will come out and vote against him in 2016. Kasich cannot beat Clinton in Ohio without our support and he will not have that support."
Zawistowski added "The Republican's own survey's show that 37% of all Ohio voters affiliate with the TEA Party movement. Any thought that a Republican Establishment candidate can win Ohio when three quarters of that 37% are willing to leave the ballot blank are simply wrong. Let me say it as clearly as I can. We will no longer vote for the "lesser of two evils", because it is still evil. If you cannot bring us candidates who are good conservatives, who will govern according to the policies and principles contained in the National Republican Party Platform, then we see no difference between them and the Democrats and we will not vote for either of them."
Zawistowski concluded "Finally let me send a direct message to those in the Establishment who are already peddling the "The next President will appoint at least two Supreme Court Justices and you would not want that to be Hillary Clinton" case for voting for the lesser of two evils. We have a two word answer for them: Roberts and Kennedy. Both appointed by Republican Presidents. Both personally responsible for the major liberal rulings of the Court in the past six years. Even when "Republicans" held 45 seats in the Senate, Reagan's first choice Robert Bork, who was a true conservative, only got 42 votes! Kennedy was then put up and approved to satisfy the Democrats. If they think that we are dumb enough to believe that Bush, Christie or Kasich, and the Establishment Republicans in the Senate, would appoint any Supreme Court Justice any less liberal, and any less beholding to K Street, than Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden, they are fooling themselves. They sure as hell aren't fooling us. If we do not get a Conservative nominee, the Republican Party Establishment will be solely responsible for loosing the third Presidential election in a row, and we are not convinced that is not their goal anyway."
The mission of the We the People Convention is to recruit, educate, and motivate Ohio citizens, at the grassroots level, to perform their constitutionally defined role in the governance of their townships, municipalities, counties, as well as in our state and nation, by providing opportunities, knowledge, and training to ensure limited constitutional governance.”
MATT: Am I surprised? No. Does it matter? Probably not. The GOP is known as the Stupid Party for a reason.
Judge Pat DeWine of Cincinnati is proud to announce his candidacy for the Ohio Supreme Court in the 2016 election. Judge DeWine currently serves as a judge on the Court of Appeals, and will be running for one of the two open seats on the Ohio Supreme Court in 2016.
On Friday September 18th, Judge Pat DeWine received the official endorsement of the Ohio Republican Party and the State Central Committee. "I am honored to receive the support of the Republican Party", said DeWine. "I look forward to continuing to travel across the state, and talk to voters about the importance of this election."
As part of his official announcement for his candidacy for the Ohio Supreme Court, Judge DeWine has released a video on social media detailing his efforts.
You can watch the official announcement video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcEvIoI9Bic&feature=youtu.be The announcement video is also available on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JudgePatDeWine?fref=ts) or on his website, PatDeWine.com.
Judge DeWine has broad experience. He has served as both an appellate and a trial court judge; he practiced law for for 13 years at one of Cincinnati's largest law firms; he clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; and he has served as a member of Cincinnati City Council and as a Hamilton County Commissioner.
MATT: It's a good thing Pat decided to run since the Ohio Republican Party already endorsed him last week before he decided to run.....
Long time readers of WMD might like to note that earlier this week, Butler County GOP Central Committee chair Judy Shelton resigned her positions with the party and the Board of Elections.
While many who served with me in my time on the Central Committee know that Judy and I did not have the best relationship, I am deeply saddened to learn that one of her children recently passed away. If she and/or her husband (sidebar: he once called me a not-so-nice name to my face at a meeting once) happen to see this, I wish to express my deepest condolences for their loss.
In the Journal-News article, Shelton says, “It’s time with the presidential (election) coming up. I would like to see fresh, new leadership going forward.” Personally, I thought it was "time" quite awhile ago. She's been divisive. She's held on to power that she shouldn't have (speaking of the BOE position...) when the by-laws (at least at the time anyway) instructed something different. In general, I have found her willing to accept a lot of the shenanigans that have plagued the Butler County Republican Party over the years. Some might even suggest that she allowed it and encouraged it. The turmoil kept the factions fighting instead of uniting to stop a lot of it.
I'm glad to see her go.
Looking forward, there are several good people that I'd love to see step up. Bill Lack would be fantastic. He's smart and a savvy political operative, but he's busy with other pursuits. Nancy Riggs is exactly the right sort of person for the job too, but I hear she isn't interested in running.
Chris Wunnenburg is the most likely successor. He's politically astute and has been trying for years to advance in the hierarchy. My understanding is that he has the support of elected officials and Team Boehner, which makes him a pretty good bet.
Unless Roger Reynolds or Nancy Nix decide to run (and they are both too busy with their official duties, I would think), Chris has my support as well.
It is well past time for real reform to come to Butler County.
Columbus—With National Recovery Month in full swing, State Representatives Robert Sprague (R-Findlay) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) held a news conference this morning to urge quick action on H.B. 248, their bill to compel health insurance companies to cover the cost of opioid pain medications formulated with abuse deterrent properties. The bill is currently before the House Health and Aging Committee.
The legislators were joined by a wide array of supporters representing the medical community, addiction services providers, law enforcement, and community leaders. Dr. Elizabeth Lottes, Maryhaven Research Institute noted, "Abuse deterrent properties make a pain pill harder to crush or melt and therefore harder to abuse. When the FDA approved the first abuse-deterrent formulation, data show instances of snorting or injecting that particular drug dropped by as much as 70 percent. This is a tool we need in the fight against opioid addiction."
Representative Sprague said, "According to the most recent state statistics, there were 2,110 overdose deaths in 2013. Despite the best efforts of our behavioral health community and our law enforcement, the numbers just keep rising. By making tamper-resistant pain drugs more widely available, we can begin to turn that around."
Representative Antonio explained that insurance companies sometimes decline to pay for the abuse-deterrent form of an opioid drug because similar drugs without tamper-resistance properties are less expensive.
"People who abuse prescription pain pills are more likely to end up in the hospital and more likely to need outpatient treatment," she pointed out. "If we can prevent abuse, prevent an overdose, we can save those costs. So H.B. 248 is a good financial strategy as well as being a way to help save lives and keep families from suffering the consequences of drug abuse."
“For patients who need pain medication, it is impossible for prescribers to know if these medications might end up in the hands of an abuser,” said Delaware County Sheriff Russell Martin. “The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 70 percent of medications that are abused are stolen, given away or somehow diverted from the patient who actually needs the prescriptions for a medical reason.”
September is National Recovery Month. The observance began in 1989 to raise awareness that effective treatment can help those suffering from addiction and behavioral health issues to lead healthy and productive lives. More information is available at: http://www.recoverymonth.gov/recovery-month/about-recovery-month.
Today is Constitution Day. In 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document. It was a great day in Philadelphia for our fledgling nation. Wise men gathered to work out some differences and agree to work together for the common interest of our country. They didn't get everything right, but they did a whole lot better than modern Americans would have; of that I am sure.
The Founding Fathers, if not Christian, were deists. They had a sense of morality and ethics that our contemporaries would benefit from. While slavery was an issue that wouldn't be resolved for nearly a hundred years, you can see the seeds planted in the Constitution for a respect for all life.
I find it curious that our governor, Preacher John K-BACON (Kasich), can quibble over life issues. He claims to be pro-life, and he takes just enough action and says just enough of the right things to make most folks believe him. He somehow finds religion invoking St. Peter in his Medicaid expansion arguments, but has instructed the legislature to put the Heartbeat Bill in a drawer. He claims to want to defund Planned Parenthood, but isn't willing to shut down the government to do so.
These positions are troubling because one has no idea what our governor actually believes. It is almost as if he is trying to play both sides of the fence out of fear of upsetting his chances on the national stage.
Our Founding Fathers were bold men with strong convictions. We could use more of that.
Boehner said the president did not disclose every piece of the accord to Congress as required by law and that a lawsuit over the deal is “an option that is very possible.” “If you read the provisions in [the congressional review law], it’s pretty clear that the president has not complied,” Boehner said during his weekly press conference Thursday. “Because it makes clear that any side agreements and any other type of an agreement—including those that do not directly involve us—must be turned over as part of it. I do not believe that he’s complied.”
Maybe the Tan Man needs to cry more when he delivers these pronouncements because NOBODY is buying what he's selling.
NOBODY.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post says the Speaker is too busy battling...wait for it...conservatives in his own party.
“The people considering this are being totally irresponsible, but Boehner’s guys, we’re getting ready for whatever may come — not out of fear, but with exasperation about what some Republicans are willing to do to their own party,” said Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), who is part of the speaker’s circle of unofficial advisers.
Now THIS I believe. The only time the Republican establishment ever has any backbone whatsoever is when they are facing off against conservative Republicans who actually want to do something with the GOP Platform rather than just ignore it.
When will leadership, at any level of the Republican Party, start fighting Democrats with the same level of vigor as they do against conservatives?
According to St. Rep. John Becker, the legislature passed a "budget that is a mix of state and federal dollars. The annualized spending of state dollars is increasing at triple the 1.6 percent inflation rate from current actuals. Federal dollars are being spent at 4.8 times the inflation rate. The people of Clermont County did not send me to Columbus to spend their money faster than they can earn it. Did I mention that Obamacare Medicaid expansion was baked into this?"
He's right. That budget was and is a disaster. But Ohio Republicans, many of whom go around their districts claiming to be conservatives and fiscally responsible, are still bending over backwards trying to pat themselves on the back for their support for continued expansion of government that is already runaway out of control and, in the case of the federal government, staggeringly in debt.
Let me emphasize something Rep. Becker said, "The annualized spending of state dollars is increasing at triple the 1.6 percent inflation rate from current actuals." You have to ask yourselves if everybody else in the state got a raise or something. Where is this money coming from? Team Kasich is telling us that this budget cuts taxes...and it does, sort of...by shifting the burden of taxation elsewhere. But "conservative" Ohio Republicans will still talk about how they are cutting taxes. What they aren't telling you is that they are spending even more tax dollars than before.
Whatever happened to the idea of reining in spending and reducing government? "Conservative" Ohio Republicans have no answer for that question because they have no interest in doing either. All they care about is conning you into voting for them.
"Government spending will increase by 11 percent, compared to the previous biennial budget, most of which comes from Kasich’s continued support for increasing entitlement spending, such as Medicaid.
Kasich’s Medicaid expansion program is costing state taxpayers $1.4 billion per year—about $258.14 per taxpayer—more than budget projections predicted, causing the program to exceed its budget by about 63 percent."
Last year, the House passed legislation authorizing the
House to file litigation challenging President Obama’s unilateral
changes to ObamaCare. Litigation was filed on November 21, 2014, and
oral arguments were first
heard in House v. Burwell in Washington, DC on May 28, 2015.
On September 9,
2015, a federal court ruled that the House of Representatives has
standing to challenge one of President Obama’s unilateral changes to
ObamaCare.
Under the leadership
of Speaker Boehner, this is the first time in Congressional history
that the House has successfully challenged the Executive Branch in this
manner.
How is President Obama ignoring the rule of law?
The Obama Administration is unlawfully giving away billions of taxpayer dollars to insurance companies. This is money that was
never appropriated, so the administration is using taxpayer funds from a separate account,
subverting Congress’s “power of the purse.”
What does this ruling mean?
This
is a big victory: The House can now move forward and challenge the president’s unlawful implementation of ObamaCare.
This
is a “blow to the Obama Administration": Under
the Constitution, Congress has the sole power to change the law. This
ruling is a major step for Congress to preserve the separation of
powers.
Time
and again, the president has chosen to ignore the will of the American
people and re-write the law on his own without a vote of Congress.
That’s not the way our system of government was designed
to work. That is why Congressman Boehner will continue to lead the
charge in protecting the Constitution and stopping President Obama’s
executive overreach.
I've heard all of this before. He's tough. He'll cry his way to victory...or something. I've seen this movie and I know how it ends: With the Tan Man caving...again...to Obama while America still suffers the effects.
After Mark's accident, I was content to let WMD sit here because without Mark's input I really had lost a lot of my will to do this regularly.
Loyal readers of WMD have the Ohio House of Representatives in general and three "unnamed" Southwestern Ohio members specifically to thank for The Return of WMD. The best way to NOT silence a critic is to NOT give said critic a job.
I'll be making some changes here over the coming days as I ramp up operations here again.
What won't change is the WMD commitment to hold Ohio Republicans accountable for the principles they claim to hold dear but betray at the drop of a hat...or a dollar bill...or whatever.
I want to personally thank the Speaker (and his staff) for rekindling my fire.
I got an email today from a longtime reader who has missed us.
Enough vacation Matt, time to get back to work. I miss your postings!
Warmest Regards,
G
As I explained to G, Mark's accident sort of took the wind out of my sails and I really needed to take a break.
You know, focus on some things in my personal life. Have a little fun.
Well, break is over...
I'm not going to say that I will be back full time all the time, but I have been feeling the need to write again and until I can find a better way and/or place to do that, WMD will be back in at least a limited form.
As for the internet radio station, I still own the software but I'm just not really feeling like that is something we can do without Mark. At least, not yet...
The Enquirer is reporting that the Ohio Republican Party has failed to endorse John Becker and two other area Republican state representatives because they DARE to hold the line on spending.
John Becker has done more for the Ohio Republican party than anybody I know. He has fought the good fight with friends in the Tea Party and other conservative groups that the ORP was an organization worth investing time and energy. His dedication to that cause is one of the reasons why WMD has restrained itself from completely and utterly abandoning any and all hope that the ORP could be reformed. All of that is nothing.
THIS is how the Ohio Republican Party rewards people who have differing views. Where's the 80% with us bullshit line now?
I had always suspected that Bill Batchelder was a tool. That he has allowed this nonsense confirms what I have always suspected. This guy is a loser and I'm grateful that he can do us no more damage thanks to term limits.
These idiots have even recommended endorsing Peter Beck. That dude is going to prison.
