The Daily Bellwether

2012 Hamilton County Ohio Democratic Party Sample Ballot

2012-11-05T08:32:00.000-05:00

The Hamilton County Democratic Party in Cincinnati, Ohio has released its official sample ballot for the 2012 presidential election. From President Barack Obama on down, the sample ballot lists the names of candidates who are running as Democrats. It includes judicial offices. You can print out the ballot and take it to the polls on Election Day Nov. 6:

Dem David Krikorian Seeks FBI, Justice Dept. Probe of Election Eve Robocalls: Oh-02 Candidate Suspects Illegal Super Pac

2012-03-12T19:27:00.000-04:00

Political Scandal Brewing Over Super Pac?

BREAKING NEWS -- The Hamilton County Democratic Party has now joined the call for a federal investigation: "Without real and meaningful transparency, shadowy groups from almost anywhere could influence our elections and we might never know it happened. This should be regarded as an intolerable situation. " (You can read the complete text of the Democrats' statement about apparent tampering in the primary by scanning down the page.)

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- With suspicion mounting about illegal activity by political dirty tricksters, efforts are now being made for a Justice Department probe into unusual events that could have swayed a SW Ohio primary election for Congress. David Krikorian is asking U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart to lauch a federal investigation into a flood of mysterious robocalls that urged SW Ohio voters to support an unknown candidate. Krikorian told federal prosecutors (see letter below) he has information about "a clear violation of the law." The robocalls were anti-Krikorian -- he is a Cincinnati area resident who had the endorsement of Dems in Hamilton County. Krikorian was targeted by a group calling itself the "Victory Ohio SuperPac." But no such organization seems to exist. The calls on March 3 and March 5 blanketed the district and originated from a downtown Cleveland phone number, which has since been disconnected. The wireless Verizon account -- if traced by authorities -- may reveal who was behind the robocalls.

Krikorian trails William R. Smith, a truck driver from rural Pike County, by 59 votes. Smith, 61, did not campaign, did not spend any money, and did not do anything other than file petitions to seek the nomination. There is a growing sense that Smith's candidacy -- he appears to have been an unwitting beneficiary -- was boosted by a dirty trick fueled by the mysterious Super Pac. Democratic Party officials plan to join Krikorian's call for a federal investigation, and are likely to schedule a press conference Tuesday announcing their decision.

Oh-02 is the congressional district east of Cincinnati. It has been represented by Republican Jean Schmidt, who lost in the March 6 primary to Brad Wenstrup, a physician and Iraq War veteran. Wentrup's win on the GOP side is considered an upset. But it was considered a fair contest. On the other hand, Smith's victory is seen as a fluke propelled by robocalls that seemed to come out of nowhere from a SuperPac that cannot be traced.

The Daily Bellwether has a copy of the letter Krikorian has drafted for Stewart, the chief federal prosecutor in Southern Ohioidate in last week's Democratic primary. Krikorian wrote:

March 12, 2012

Mr. Carter M. Stewart

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Cincinnati, OH 45215

Dear Mr. Stewart:

My name is David Krikorian and I am a candidate for the United States House of

Representatives in the Second Congressional District of Ohio, FEC candidate ID

#H8OH02090. I have firsthand knowledge and evidence that a likely violation of federal

statute occurred between March 3, 2012 and March 6, 2012 that had an adverse impact

on my campaign.

The activities in question were untaken by a group identifying itself as the “Victory Ohio

Super PAC”. 2 U.S.C. § 433(a) establishes a registration threshold for non-authorized

committees, as of March 12, 2012 no committee has registered with the Federal Election

Commission with the name: “Victory Ohio Super PAC”. Failure to properly register is

also a likely violation of Title 26 of the Internal Revenue Service Code § 6652. Failure to

file certain information returns, registration statements etc..

Additionally 2 U.S.C. § 434(a)(1) and (4) and (b) establishes reporting requirements and

expenditure notices for non-authorized committees regarding independent expenditures

that impact a federal election, as of March 12, 2012 no committee identifying itself as

the: “Victory Ohio Super PAC” has made any expenditure disclosures to the Federal

Elections Commission.

describes the facts of this case and includes the opinions of campaign-finance experts that

believe a likely violation of federal statute has occurred. The actions in question were a

series of automated phone calls, as USA TODAY reports:

“One version of the robocall took aim at Krikorian: "William Smith has an opponent

that describes himself as a Reagan conservative. … Please don't make a mistake

and embarrass the party. Vote for William Smith, the real Democrat for Congress."

March 12, 2012

Page 2

The recorded call ended with the disclosure, "This has been paid for by the Victory

Ohio Super PAC." Neither the FEC nor Ohio's Secretary of State have any record

of such a group. A call recipient's caller ID system generated a non-working phone

number from the Cleveland suburbs.”

Click here to listen to the robocall from the Cincinnati Enquirer’s website:

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/files/2012/03/001voicemail.mp3

I would like to request a meeting with representatives from your office to formally

request an investigation into the above matter. I can provide additional evidence and

further details of the case as said meeting. My goal is to identify the people or entities

that are responsible for the Victory Ohio Super PAC and hold them accountable for what

appears to be a clear violation of the law.

Sincerely,

David Krikorian

Candidate for the United States House of Representatives

Mr. Robert Warfel

Supervisor

Federal Bureau of Investigation

2012 Ronald Reagan Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45236

Ms. Anne L. Porter

U.S. Attorney’s Office

221 E. Fourth Street, Suite 400

Cincinnati, OH 45202

UPDATE: 3/13/2012, 9:11 a.m. -- Geoffrey Sea, a Southern Ohio resident near Waverly, has written an in-depth blogpost that suggests backers of a stalled nuclear fuel project outside Piketon were behind the robocalls. Sea said an ardent supporter of the plan, a former local Chamber of Commerce official and current county commissioner, recruited Smith to run. Here's a tidbit from his report in a new blog called The SONG Sheet (for Southern Ohio Neighbors Group): "Cleveland, Mr. Beekman, and Ms. Schmidt, all have a definite connection. A Cleveland "entrepreneur," who is also a former USEC board member and former maverick candidate for mayor of Cleveland, has founded a company called "the Piketon Initiative for Nuclear Independence." It was this company, ePIFNI as they call it, that submitted the formal proposal for spent nuclear fuel storage at Piketon in 2006, a proposal endorsed by Congresswoman Schmidt and Chamber of Commerce Director Blaine Beekman. ePIFNI continues to submit bids for contract work at the Piketon site."

UPDATE 2: 3/13/2012, 1:48 p.m. -- Here is the complete text of the Hamilton County' Democratic Party's statement seeking a federal investigation into the robocalls:

"Tonight, David Krikorian, Democratic candidate for Congress in Ohio’s 2cd Congressional District has submitted a formal request (see attachment) to the US District Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio that an investigation be undertaken regarding certain events that appear to have taken place in the run-up to last week’s Ohio Primary Election.

Specifically, a series of robo-calls were placed to voters by an entity that identified itself as
Victory Ohio Super PAC. Victory Ohio Super PAC appears not to be an entity that is
registered with either the Federal Election Commission or the office of the Ohio Secretary
of State. Consequently it appears that Election Law violations may have taken place.
The Hamilton County Democratic Party fully supports Mr. Krikorian’s call for a formal
investigation. It is fundamental that voters have a right to know who is attempting to
influence their decision on Election Day. We note that Hamilton County Republican Chair
Alex Triantafilou also has suggested an investigation of this matter is warranted.

Transparency in elections is of the utmost importance. Voters should know who is
attempting to influence the outcome. In the post Citizen’s United era of growing Super
PAC spending, this question is becoming murkier by the day. What appears to have taken
place in South West Ohio only adds to the growing concern over this issue. Without real
and meaningful transparency, shadowy groups from almost anywhere could influence our
elections and we might never know it happened. This should be regarded as an intolerable
situation.

It is imperative that an investigation be undertaken to determine exactly what happened in
this election."

Ohio Taxpayers Fail To See Rosy Return On $900,000 State Loan for Cincy Biotech Startup: Fire Sale Auction Tied To Incentive Package Flop

2012-03-09T17:46:00.000-05:00

Ohio Biomedical Loan Didn't Work Out

By James McNair
Daily Bellwether contributor
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Five years ago, an Ohio startup company called SpineMatrix hailed its breakthrough technology in diagnosing lower back pain. Venture investors hopped on board with $17.5 million in seed capital. The Ohio Department of Development loaned $900,000 from its Innovation Ohio Loan Fund. In return, SpineMatrix pledged to build a factory and, within three years, create 76 jobs. Backed with public money, the biomedical project was supposed to deliver a payoff for the state's economy. The press releases sounded optimistic.

Along the way, SpineMatrix moved from Akron to Blue Ash and changed its name to Verium Diagnostics in May 2011. But the wait for the company to deliver was all for naught, and the state’s roll-of-the-dice on a promising yet embryonic venture demonstrates the pitfalls of sinking taxpayer money in the private sector. Last month, an agent for ODOD announced a foreclosure auction of Verium’s assets. No estimate of their worth was provided in the public notice, but the assets included equipment, fixtures, inventory, personal property, accounts and other debts, none of which was described in any detail. The deadline to bid was Friday.

Ohio officials apparently have anticipated the company’s demise for some time. In a December report to the Ohio General Assembly, state Attorney General Mike DeWine included Verium on a list euphemistically calling deadbeat borrowers “non-compliant loan award recipients.” The outcome for Verium was the fire sale that was supposed to end Friday in a downtown Cincinnati law office. Verium’s website, www.veriumdiagnostics.com, says nothing about the company or its fate. A phone call to CEO William Christy was not answered. Verium appears to have simply packed it in, as there is no bankruptcy filing under its current or former name.

Alas, an unfortunate end to a little green shoot. Verium owned a patented, FDA-approved device that non-invasively scanned a patient’s neuromuscular system for underlying problems. The machines would be leased to spine centers. Former CEO Ben Shappley told an Ohio Venture Assocation gathering in 2008 that the company was in an “enviable” market position. “Right now,” he said, “there’s no competition for determining the physiology of low back pain.”

The Mystery Surrounding Oh-02 Democratic Mystery Candidate Grows Even More Mysterious: Online Bio Info Is For Another 'William Smith'

2012-03-09T10:14:00.004-05:00

This is NOT William Smith of Oh-02

BREAKING NEWS 2:05 p.m. -- Robocalls that dissed Democratic-endorsed candidate originated from a Cleveland-area telephone number: 440-429-9200. There were at least two spiels to southern Ohio voters from that number -- one on Sunday March 3, the other Monday on primary eve. The Verizon phone line is now unreachable . A recording says it is disconnected, changed or no longer in service. And the SuperPac behind the robocalls looks to have vanished into thin air.

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- At first, Democrats heard robocalls from a SuperPac that came out of nowhere virutally on the eve of the March 6 primary. The calls touted a candidate who doesn't seem to have campaigned for office.  Now the blogosphere and e-mails have been primed with data about William R. Smith, the Pike County Democrat who appears to have won the party's nomination for the OH-02 congressional seat. But the William Smith whose bio and photo are floating around online isn't the same William Smith who is the mystery candidate leading David Krikorian by 59 votes.  (The margin is so tight there could be a mandatory recount looming later this month.)  Somebody is circulating false information. Whether by accident or intentionally, nobody can say for certain.  For example, the William Smith who ran in Oh-02 is 61 years old, according his voter registration data. His birthdate is Jan. 16, 1951.    The William Smith whose bio is floating around the Internet graduated from Glenwood High School near Canton in 1960. To be that person, the Oh-02 nominee from Pike County would have been 9 years old when he finished high schoool. He would have been 14 when he went to U.S. Army Aviation School during the Vietnam War. And he would have been 12 when he finished a "three-year apprenticeship at Timken, ending in 1963."

Neither the United Steelworkers of America nor Timken have a reputation for violating child labor laws -- it is extremely unlikely they put a 9-year-old to work in a steel mill.

LezGetReal, a Vermont-based LGBTA blog with a large following, seems to have created much of the confusion about Smith's background by publishing this data Thursday: "According to the candidates’ profiles posted by Our Campaigns, Smith graduated from Glenwood High School in Canton in 1960 and is a retired tool grinder and abrasive specialist from the Timken Company. He was a member of the United Steelworkers of America for 12 years and served a three-year apprenticeship at Timken, ending in 1963. He attended the U.S. Army Aviation School in 1963 and the Air National Guard NCO Academy in 1970. That information would indicate time in the Ohio Air National Guard, though his bio doesn’t specify that.
He was trained in mediation and arbitration and was elected to four terms on the Stark County Central Committee and has worked for various Democratic campaigns. Stark County is in northern Ohio and surrounds the city of Canton. No information is given as to when Mr. Smith moved to Pike County.

Our Campaigns, a collective political website that has compiled data about thousands of races and candidates over the years, shows that the William Smith from Canton (Stark County) was a Democratic candidate in Oh-16 against Ralph Regula during the 1996 and 2000 elections. It does not connect him to Oh-02.  As far as the earlier congressional contest, Regula eventually retired from Congress after defeating Smith handily.  By the way, the Pike County William Smith -- the Oh-02 mystery candidate -- did not run against Regula in 2000. He voted at home in the GOP primary that put George W. Bush against John McCain -- Bush won and the rest is history.

So Ohioans still have a puzzler on their hands. The bio online is mixed up. William Smith -- who did not campaign but came out ahead on March 6 -- doesn't seem to be taking many phone calls. Messages left at his home by The Daily Bellwether and others haven't been answered. Also adding strangeness to this episode were robo calls from the Victory Ohio SuperPac  on Smith's behalf ahead of the primary. Nobody can find out much about the Super Pac. Victory Ohio was the name of the McCain-Palin operation in the state during the 2008 presidential campaign, and it does not remain in business. The 22-second SuperPac robocalls complained that Krikorian had once called himself a "Reagan conservative" and went on to say that supporting Krikorian would embarrass the party. A woman's voice in the robocall said: "Please don't make a mistake and embarrass the party. Vote for William Smith, the real Democrat."  A lot of southern Ohio Dems voted for Smith without really knowing much of anything about him. And maybe the party has been embarrassed by the intervention of a SuperPac that materialized seemingly from nowhere . . .

At the moment, Open Secrets.org says Federal Election Commission records show there are 363 SuperPacs operating across the United States. They have raised $130 million and spent $74 million so far this election cycle. When The Daily Bellwether went through the list, it was unable to find a SuperPac named Victory Ohio.

[UPDATE: 11:22 a.m. -- Anastasia Pantsios at Ohio Daily Blog is now calling the Oh-02 contest "one of the most bizarre in the state -- if not THE most bizarre." She is pointing out that Krikorian had a load of baggage (her words) and that someone could have recruited a candidate with a bland name like "Smith" to sow confusion.]

[ UPDATE: 11:53 a.m. -- The Victory Ohio robocall from March 5 can be heard on YouTube by clicking here.]

Hamilton County Judge Rucker's Dem Primary Opponent Gigged By Ethics Panel: O'Neill Wrongly Used 'Judge' In Campaign Material

2012-02-29T17:06:00.001-05:00

Ex-Judge O'Neill in Downtown Cleveland

[UPDATE: 9:19 A.M. 3/1/2012 -- Hamilton County Democratic Party issues a press release that urges O'Neill to abandon any claim he is a sitting judge: "We look forward to Mr. O’Neill running a clean and fair campaign. While Mr. O’Neill promised Monday to make the required corrections, as of this writing on Wednesday Feb 29, his web site remains unchanged. This is not the kind of conduct that we as Democrats should
condone by any of our candidates, especially candidates running for a seat on the highest Court of our State. Ohioans deserve a Supreme Court candidate who not only understands the law, but respects it as well.]

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Toledo Blade reports that Supreme Court candidate William M. O'Neill "violated the Judicial Code of Conduct by knowingly misrepresenting himself as a sitting jurist." The story cites a ruling by a hearing panel chaired by Guernsey County Common Pleas Judge David A. Ellwood, who wrote: “The fact that he is known as judge because of his tenure on the 11th District Court of Appeals and that as a retired judge he is known as a judge, he nevertheless as a judicial candidate is prohibited from using the term ‘judge’ before his name in campaign materials since he does not currently hold that office…"

O'Neill, a lawyer, is a Northeast Ohio resident who ran for the Ohio Supreme Court twice and lost. This year, he faces a March 6 primary against Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Fanon Rucker, who is endorsed by the Ohio Democratic Party. The winner gets the nomination. Rucker has pointed out that O'Neill has not been a judge for years. He felt O'Neill was improperly using the title. O'Neill told the Blade that he has spent more money on legal fees than on his campaign. Still, it looks bad for a candiate seeking a seat on the state's top court to be accused of breaking the rules. Judges are charged with enforcing the rules no matter how mundane or trivial, and they must obey them to the letter. How else can judge demand others follow the law if they don't follow the law?

Blade reporter Jim Provance also noted:

"Canton-based 5th District Court of Appeals Judge Sheila Farmer, who serves as chief justice of the Courts of Appeals, must within five days appoint a panel of five fellow appellate judges to consider the lower panel’s recommendations.The hearing panel noted that a two-sided O’Neill campaign card refers to him nine times as “judge,’’ including the disclaimer of who paid for it, while describing him as “former court of appeals judge’’ once.
At last week’s hearing, Mr. O’Neill noted that then Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer had appointed him as a retired judge in 2009 to perform a marriage ceremony in Cuyahoga County, referring to him as “the Honorable William Michael O’Neill.’’ He was similarly titled on a 2011 retired judge seminar attendee list.
Mr. O’Neill said 20,000 of the campaign cards were printed and about half of them have been personally distributed. He said he will not distribute the rest and will ask via his campaign Web site for those holding the other cards to destroy them."

The Daily Bellwether just checked O'Neill's campaign website and he was still using the title "Judge," so he may be planning an appeal. Or maybe he hasn't had time to pull down the term that implies he still holds office. He has an impressive resume, but some Democrats feel he should give up his quest to become a Justice and step aside for new blood. Here's what was on his site (you can see "Judge" three times) moments ago:

Judge O'Neill served ten years on the 11th District Court of Appeals from 1997 to 2007. He is a graduate of Ohio University, Cleveland Marshall College of Law and Huron School of Nursing. Before being elected and re-elected to the Court of Appeals he was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Ohio from 1984 to 1996. He has sat by assignment on the Supreme Court of Ohio at the request of the Chief Justice.

Judge O'Neill is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Vietnam.

Judge O'Neill currently works as a Registered Nurse in the Pediatric Emergency Department of Hillcrest Hospital, an affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic. Mrs. OíNeill died in a car accident in 1995 and Judge O’Neill raised his four children as a single parent near Chagrin Falls.

And this logo calling for the election of "Judge" O'Neill still appeared on the webite:

Jean Schmidt, Closet Democrat? Federal Finance Records Show House Dems Spent $$$ With David Axelrod Firm To Boost Her In 2005

2012-02-29T13:22:00.000-05:00

Democratic Money Aided Jean Schmidt's Campaign

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- This has all the hallmarks of a Chicago story. Federal Election Commission documents have surfaced in the past 48 hours that show the House Democrats' fundraising arm spent $12,000 on a "media production" aimed at helping Jean Schmidt. The money went to AKP Message & Media, at 730 North Franklin Street, Suite 404, in Chicago. That is the home of the political consulting firm founded by David Axelrod, who is President Obama's close adviser and strategist. For unknown reasons, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a report indicating it imade an independent expenditure in support of Republican Schmidt on Sept. 8, 2005. At the time, Schmidt was running against Paul Hackett, a Marine veteran of the Iraq War. The Hackett-Schmidt showdown was a special election to fill the Cincinnati-area congressional seat that covers SW Ohio along the Ohio River. Rob Portman -- now a U.S. Senator from Ohio -- was leaving Congress to join the Bush Administration.

Records Show Axelrod Firm Did Media For Schmidt

Schmidt beat Hackett and held the seat for the GOP. Apparently, she had help from the Democrats. Here's some of what AKPD Media says about itself:

"At AKPD, we’re proud of our history. And we think when you get to know a little about where we have been, you’ll have a better sense of the unique strategy, discipline and creativity we bring to our work.
David Axelrod began his career as a journalist, and before long he was the Chicago Tribune’s political editor and columnist, the youngest person in the paper’s history to hold those positions.
But Axelrod’s passion was politics. He left the Trib and managed Paul Simon’s upset victory for the U.S. Senate in 1984. Following that race he founded Axelrod and Associates, which later became AKPD Message and Media.
He launched the firm with a mission—to provide superior strategic and communications advice and advertising for Democratic candidates and causes, and to do so with a sense of purpose and passion for ideals that underlie Democratic campaigns."

But there is more than one expenditure from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in support of Schmidt. A month before the payment to Axelrod's from, another $12,680 went to Winning Directions, 2700 South Quincy Street, Suite 54D, Arlington, Va. Winning Directions is a Democratic political consulting firm whose staff includes Jerry Austin, an Ohioan who ran Jesse Jackson's presidential campaign. Austin is one of the best-known operatives in the state. Take a look at his bio:

"Mr. Austin has worked on behalf of President Jimmy Carter, Senator Gary Hart, Senator Paul Tsongas, Senator Carol Moseley Braun, Senator Paul Wellstone, Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator John Glenn, Governor Richard Celeste, Governor Jim Guy Tucker, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Mayor Jane Campbell, Obama for President and numerous members of Congress.

"Mr. Austin was a member of the international delegation who witnessed the Marcos/Aquino election in the Philippines, the Pinochet Plebiscite in Chile and was an advisor to the SDLP in Northern Ireland when they beat Gerry Adams for the MP seat in Belfast. In 2006, he helped the MSZP retain enough seats in Parliament to remain in power in Hungary.

"In 1988, Mr. Austin was Jesse Jackson’s National Campaign Manager and in 1992 he served as a Senior Political Advisor to Senator Paul Tsongas' campaign for President. Mr. Austin's governmental clients have included The Greater Cleveland Growth Association, Cuyahoga County Regional Transit Authority, and the President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, The Cleveland School Board, The Columbus School Board, the State of Arkansas Highway Department and the State of Virginia Department of Health."

The Daily Bellwether has been making calls today asking why Democratic money was spent in support of Schmidt's 2005 campaign -- the year she won the OH-02 seat. Perhaps there is a mistake and the money spent in opposition to Schmidt -- but the records don't say that.

So far, there have been no answers. Hackett's office said he was out of town. If you want to look at the records online at the FEC website, go to the Democratic Congressiional Campaign Committee reports filed in September and October 2005. The expenditure for Axelrod's firm is on page 1,003 of the 1,004 page document that covers the period September 1-30 2005.

[UPDATE: 3/09/2012, 11:35 a.m. -- Jerry Austin has sent The Daily Bellwether an e-mail. It says he had nothing to do with Jean Schmidt. The e-mail speaks for itself:

I have never been part of an independent expenditure to help Jean Schmidt--now or ever.

I am not now nor have ever been an employee of Winning Directions. They listed me as a consultant on their website.

Please make your readers aware of this information.

Jerry Austin

Glimmer of Good News for Romney in Latest Ohio Polling: Bellwether State's Republicans See Him With Best Chance of Beating Obama

2012-02-28T16:13:00.000-05:00

Ohio Republicans See A Bunch of Losers

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The numbers from the Quinnipiac University survey of  847 likely GOP voters in the Buckeye State give Mitt Romney a selling point ahead of next week's March 6 presidential primary. He's got the highest percentage of Republicans who think he will be the strongest candidate against President Obama in November. Forty percent of GOPers see him as being able to reclaim the White House -- nobody else in the primary field comes close. By slight margins, even born-again evangelicals and Tea Party supporters give Romney the best chance of defeating the president.   And 35% of those who identify themselves as conservatives give Romney the edge over the current primary field. Still, none of them are seen as able to whip Obama. When the pollsters asked Ohioans, "Who do you think would be the strongest Republican candidate to run against President Obama in the general election?" these numbers came back:

Newt Gingrich -- 16%
Ron Paul -- 6%
Romney -- 40%
Santorum -- 25%
Don't Know/NA -- 13%

That dataset makes clear that perplexed Ohio Republicans now view their entire crop of presidential hopefuls as a bunch of losers, with Romney the top of the lot. He's the only one with a selling point -- I'm not as bad as the rest -- and it can be spun to show that Republicans must pick him if they want to avoid being crushed.  Romney, of course, badly needs something to get his campaign in a grove.  He is struggling to win the Michigan primary today against former Pennsylvania Sen. Rich Santorum, and the outcome of that race is going to set the tone for the next week of campaigning ahead of Super Tuesday. Romney won't be knocked out of the race if he loses to Santorum, but he'll be bailing to keep from going under and looking for the lifejackets.  Ohio is a critical state in presidential elections -- it's a given that nobody can win the nation's highest office without winning Ohio. So the Quinnipiac polling Feb. 23-26 can be used as an inducement to bring reluctant Republicans into the Romney fold.

At the moment, Santorum has a 7-point lead over Romney in Ohio. That has been unchanged since mid-February. Santorum has not been able to build on his momentum, and hardly any Republicans think he can be elected president. The Ohio GOP has to be asking itself:  How did this happen, where did these guys come from, can we recover?

Steaming Joe & Fleecing Taxpayers? While Eyeballing Cincinnati's Spending, State Auditor David Yost Inks Deal for $7 Cups of Coffee

2012-02-28T11:19:00.003-05:00

State Money Buys $7 A Person Coffee Breaks

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Ohio official who bills himself as the watchdog to "skinny down" spending now wants taxpayers to pay for $7 a person coffee breaks. State Auditor David Yost's office is also buying $17.50 continental breakfasts and $20 lunches on the public's tab. Yost's guests: Investigators who are supposed to search for wasteful spending.   What's interesting, perhaps, is that the school breakfast program for poor kids gets about $1.51 per child for free morning eats compliments of Uncle Sam.  So Yost -- a conservative Republican who says he is frugal -- is paying more than four times as much for his fraud investigators to take a coffee break.
   You can read about the USDA's breakfast program by clicking here.

At the moment, the Republican auditor's crew is conducting a performance audit of Cincinnati's Department of Public Services to "skinny down" the agency. When he started the audit last year, Yost said: "These are hard times, and the people of Cincinnati are well-served by this decision to use a cutting-edge process to find smart savings."

Auditor's Contract Shows Costs

Despite the hard times, the coffee and continental breakfasts turned up in a contract that Yost's office has signed with the Hilton Hotel in Columbus (a page from the contract accompanies this post). Yost's request for the money went to the Controlling Board yesterday. Here's what the request said:

The Auditor of State's Office requests Controlling Board approval to waive competitive selection in the amount of $86,100.00 for FY12 to contract with the Hilton Columbus, Columbus, Franklin County to provide meeting space and catering services for the 12th Annual Emerging Trends in Fraud Investigation and Prevention Conference.

The Conference is a joint effort between the Auditor of State's Office and the Central Ohio Chapter of Certified Fraud Examiners. The conference provides an opportunity for law enforcement officials, financial professionals, private investigators, security professionals, attorneys, city and state employees, and others from across the country to learn from some of the most experienced and innovative investigators in the country. The conference has grown from a one day, one-size-fits-all conference with approximately 150 attendees to a two day, five-track conference offering up-to-the-minute information for hundreds of professionals. The FY11 conference drew over 600 public and private sector professionals from a variety of professions representing 12 states.

You can see Yost's press release from last August announcing the Cincinnati audit.  He said he was coming to town because GOP Councilmember Charlie Winburn sponsored the ordinance for the performance audit:

         For Immediate Release
           August 4, 2011

Cincinnati Gives Green Light to Performance Audit
Department of Public Services to be Audited
Columbus - Auditor of State Dave Yost praised the Cincinnati City Council for their unanimous, bipartisan vote yesterday to authorize a performance audit to “skinny down” the city’s Department of Public Services.

“These are hard times, and the people of Cincinnati are well-served by this decision to use a cutting-edge process to find smart savings,” Auditor Yost said. “Across the board cuts can endanger vital services. A performance audit can often find savings through efficiencies and best practices that will preserve the level of service.”

On June 13, 2011, the Cincinnati City Council passed a motion to engage the Auditor of State’s office to identify cost savings through a performance audit of all city departments and divisions. These departments include public services, police and fire administration, transportation and engineering, building and inspections, and enterprise technology solutions.

In a unanimous vote yesterday, council passed an emergency funding ordinance to authorize the transfer of $80,000 to conduct a performance audit. The focus of this audit will be the Department of Public Services. The ordinance was sponsored by Councilman Charlie Winburn, and the scope of the performance audit will include an analysis of the city’s sanitation and facilities management operations and fleet services.

Performance audits are designed to provide cost savings, revenue enhancements, and/or efficiency improvements. The process usually takes four to six months to complete and will provide city leaders with recommendations in the form of a report. City leaders also will receive regular updates from the Auditor of State’s office throughout the audit period to aid the city in the decision-making process for the next budget cycle.

Denise Driehaus Told Cincy Right-to-Life She Backed Overturning Roe v. Wade: Democrat Said Ban Abortion From 'Conception To Birth'

2012-02-26T11:48:00.003-05:00

Denise Driehaus Wants To Rollback Abortion Rights

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- When she ran for her current two-year Ohio House term in 2010, Democrat Denise Driehaus told Cincinnati Right-to-Life she was an ally in their fight to overturn Roe v. Wade. She also checked "Yes" to a survey questionnaire that asked: "Will you support state legislation to ban abortion-on-demand from fertilization to birth." Driehaus -- who was a West Sider at the time -- is now running for reelection in Ohio House District 31, which has been moved to Cincinnati's East Side and includes several close in suburbs. The new district has far more Democratic voters, and her position against abortion rights is completely outside the mainstream of her party. If she changes or tailors her views to fit the new district, she looks like Mitt Romney, a politician without core values who will shift, dodge, juke, flip-flop and say anything for a vote.

Driehaus has two March 6 primary opponents, including Luke Brockmeier who is pro-choice and Terry Tranter who is pro-life and has the endorsement that Driehaus received in 2010. Driehaus' answers to the pro-life group's questionnaire published 19 months ago put her views virtually in line with Republican Gov. John Kasich and U.S. House Spearker Boehner, and she said she would support "leadership in the Ohio House/Senate who upholds pro-life principles."

In 2010, most Democrats from former Gov. Ted Strickland on down the ticket declined to participate in the Right-toLife endorsement process. They were solidly pro-choice. Driehaus was an exception. The Daily Bellwether has a copy of the Cincinnati Right-to-Life report and candidates' survey from 19 months ago. Denise Driehaus's responses are on page 4 (highlighted):

There is a form with the Ohio questionnaire results that is available by clicking here(pdf). How out of touch was Denise Driehaus on Rov v. Wade? Last month, the Ohio Democratic Party issued a statement on the 39th annivary of the Supreme Court decision. ODP said the landmark ruling "rightfully leaves decisiions about reproductive rights" in the hands of women and their physicians. The complete statement is available by clicking here. But here's an excerpt:

“Democrats in Ohio and across the nation are committed to continuing the fight to protect women’s rights and women’s health. And in 2012, the Ohio Democratic Party and the Ohio Democratic Women’s Caucus are committed to electing and re-electing candidates up and down the ticket who will preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose

[UPDATE: 12:36 p.m. -- Cincy Blog's Brian Griffin noted last week Denise Driehaus's views on reproductive rights "are in conflict with the majority of the people in the new district but she'll happily pretend otherwise." Griff said she is trying to hide the fact she is pro-life.]

Cincinnati Looks To Put Super PR Honcho On Dohoney's Staff At City Hall: Top Pay for Flacking, Speechwriting Set At 115K Yearly

2012-02-24T15:35:00.001-05:00

Cincinnati Looking For City Hall Flack

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The new position is called "Executive Public Information Officer" and the annual paycheck won't be lower than $85,000. It could go as high as $115,000. Whoever gets the post is supposed to "play a pivotal role in the coordination of communications with the general public, City Council and the news media." On top of that, the super flack also will be an executive level aide to City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. He apparently wants someone with six years of prior government or business service to serve as what's being called a sidekick and strategic counsel. A journalism of public relations background doesn't seem to count, although the duties include acting as the city's official moutpiece. Interestingly, some of the job responsibilities include serving as a buffer between the city administration and the council -- sort of a new layer of bureaucracy.

City's Super Flack Annoucement

Paperwork submitted to the city's civil service commission says the required education and experience shall include: "Each applicant must have six years of responsible experience in public administration management, business administration, or a closely related filed, and a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution with major course work in public administration, management or a closely related field. A Master's Degree is preferred."

Here's a list of the duties:

Drafts correspondence for the City Manager.
Serves as lead communications staff on mayor city projects, including overseeing contractors, developing timelines, messages, and implementing strategies.
Develops and maintains relations with the media; provides backgrounding and context for stories as they are developing; explains city procedures as needed and coordinates appropriate departmental response, as needed.
Represents [the] City Manager to community and corporate partners, as needed.
Serves as spokesperson for the City Manager and Administrative departments.
Oversees staff if the office of cable communications to produce programming for Citicable, video productions to better explain city initiatives; and monthly cable television public affairs shows.
Researches and drafts speeches for the City Manager and Assistant City Managers.
Responds to requests for information from the City Council.
Attends meetings as assigned; prepares and presents reports and materials as appropriate.
Provide crisis communications leadership and response as appropriate.
Coordinate communications activities with community partners in promoting the City of Cincinnati and the region.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Right-to-Work Petitioners Say University of Cincinnati Stifles Anti-Union Effort: Seek U.S. Injunction Opening Campus For Signature Drive

2012-02-24T11:25:00.001-05:00

Free Speech Fight Over Right-to-Work

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The lawsuit seeks a Temporary Restraining Order that would lift restrictions on a campus chapter of the Young Americans for Liberty. The state school is accused of suppressing efforts to gather signatures for a right-to-work ballot amendment. YAL is on the opposite end of the political spectrum from the Occupy Wall Street movement, yet both groups have had to fight in the courts for access to public spaces. U.S. District Judge Timothy Black in Cincinnati has yet to set a hearing on the case, which likely will be fast-tracked through the federal courthouse. The student group contends it cannot freely circulate petitions for a workplace freedom amendment on the 41,000-student campus and was explicitly told in writing members cannot "walk around campus" to gather names. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported on the dispute two days ago, but the story did not mention the phrase "right-to-work" and some readers may have missed the significance. In effect, the AFL-CIO says the goal of the right-to-work movement is to outlaw union shops in Ohio.

The unions argue the intention is to give Ohioans a right to work for less money in their paychecks. Ohio AFL-CIO president Tim Burga -- who is not involved in the Cincinnati lawsuit -- has been outspoken in denouncing the petition drive as an assault on union workers. Burga said in an e-mail Thursday the AFL-CIO is going to launch a statewide education plan "to help inform every Ohioan on what this Amendment will really mean to the middle class and those who aspire to get there." He called the right-to-work amendment "nothing more than Senate Bill 5 of Steroids."

So how did U.C. become ground zero is this struggle? The school said YAL president Christopher Morbitzer would have to stay in a designated "free speech" zone on the northwest corner of McMicken Commons. Morbitzer is limited to an area about 0.1% the size of the entire campus. College officials said they would call the cops if he stepped outside to collect names on his anti-union petitions. His lawyers said Morbitzer was confined to 10,000 square feet within the 8,506,833 square feet on the campus.

In the request for a temporary restraining order, Morbitzer's lawyers said the student was trying to educate his fellow students and had no plans to disrupt anybody and no plans to block doors or sidewalks. He simply wanted to ask people to sign his petition. The lawyers said it's the university creating the disruption:

"Ironically, prohibiting Mr. Morbitzer and YAL from educating their fellow students on public sidewalks and open spaces serves to disrupt the education process and the spirit of free debate to which the University claims commitment in its statement of interest. Indeed, by restricting expression such as the Plaintiff's to a mere sliver of campus, the University disrupts the ability of its students to enjoy the educational benefits of dialogue on the public university campus . . .

"Finally, YAL's desired speech does not occupy space desirable for other educational uses, create noise or commotion, block traffic, or otherwise interfere with any university locations. Ironically, if relegated to the Free Speech Area, the experience of Mr. Morbitzer and YAL only confirms that these students need to shout and scream to draw attention to themselves, in order to get their classmates on the other 99.9 percent of the campus to come to them and sign the petition. This is actually more likely to disrupt education at UC than simply permitting plaintiff's to engage in the supposedly criminal offense of 'walking around.'

The lawyers who challenged UC are Ryan D. Walters and Maurice A. Thompson of the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law in Columbus. Local co-counsel if Curt C. Hartman of Amelia. Thompson said in a statement: "Fortunately, the First Amendment allows us to protect the education of UC students from their educators . . ." You can find information about the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law by clicking on this link.

Ghiz's Elect Leslie 'Ghiz For Judge' Website Distributing False Info: LeslieGhiz.com Says She Still Serves On Cincinnati City Council

2012-02-23T12:09:00.001-05:00

Ghiz Should Rewrite Her Campaign Bio

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Republican Leslie Ghiz was voted off the Cincinnati City Council last November. But her campaign website for a seat on the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas says she is "currently serving her third term" and doesn't mention she lost the election. Ghiz will be on the countywide ballot in the March 6 primary. One cannot say her judicial campaign website is not up to date, because it includes a disclaimer:

"Paid for by Ghiz for Judge, 30 Garfield Pl, Suite 600, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, Dan Vogelpohl, Treasurer

Anyone can access former Councilmember Ghiz's website by clicking here. Presumably she will update the the out-of-date bio by the time Election Day arrives. Indeed, it looks like a left over from the council race she lost. However, early voting for the 2012 primary is already under way and the misinformation could be influencing some voters.
One would expect a judicial candidate to be bound to the highest code of conduct. On the other hand, Ghiz may simply have made a mistake or been too busy to freshen her online campaign material. Either way, it seems sloppy and reeks of inattention to detail.

Anyhow, just so everyone can see what is out on the Internet at the moment about Leslie Ghiz, here's the full-text of her bio as it appeared moments ago on her judicial campaign website, The bio is accompanied by a photo showing her being sworn in on the Cincinnati City Council:

About Leslie

Leslie Ghiz was elected to her first term on Cincinnati City Council in 2005 and was reelected in 2007 and 2009. She is currently serving her third term on City Council. She serves as a member of the Public Safety, Strategic Growth and the Budget & Finance committees.
Leslie was raised in Huntington, West Virginia, directly across the Ohio River from Chesapeake, Ohio. Her love for the City of Cincinnati stems from her childhood in West Virginia, when, as a child, Leslie's family would travel to Cincinnati for long weekends in the summer, attending Reds games and frequenting Kings Island. The excitement she felt as a child has never subsided. In a town that offered her everything from the arts to a world-class zoo, Leslie was always certain Cincinnati would become her home.
Outside of her professional career, Leslie has had a rich history of service to her community. Her involvement includes: being a tutor in the Cincinnati Public Schools, first at Washington Park Elementary, then McKinley Elementary; a former Board Member for Youth Opportunities United; a development committee member for Women Helping Women; a Sunday School Teacher for Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church; a volunteer/donor for Pro-Kids, a volunteer for Dress for Success Cincinnati, the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, Hoxworth Blood Center as a blood/bone-marrow/stem cell donor, a volunteer for the May Festival, the Cincinnati Jaycees, and Ensemble Theatre.
Leslie's true passion is as an advocate for Cincinnati who leads with straight talk and common sense. Her top priority as City Councilmember has been working with public safety officials to reduce the crime rate in Cincinnati. During her first term on Council, Leslie was able to push through legislation increasing funding for additional police presence in our communities. In addition to reducing crime, Leslie also plans to fulfill her agenda of restoring the quality of life to Cincinnati neighborhoods, bringing fiscal solvency to City Hall, and making City Council more accountable to its citizens.
Leslie attended West Virginia University, where she received a bachelor's degree in English. She earned her jurist doctorate from Capital University (Columbus, Ohio) in 1994. She resides in North Avondale with her husband Steve and sons George and Andrew.
Paid for by Ghiz for Judge, 30 Garfield Pl, Suite 600, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, Dan Vogelpohl, Treasurer
© 2012 LeslieGhiz.com. All rights reserve

[UPDATE: 9:30 p.m. -- The website has been scrubbed and the "third term" bio is gone. That seems to indicate somebody affiliated with the campaign recognized the material was inappropriate. But the picture of the swearing in ceremony remains.]

Fed Audit Discovers Ohio Republican Party Filed Inaccurate Financial Records: State GOP Hid $1.2 Million In Debts From Public

2012-02-23T09:22:00.000-05:00

Ohio GOP Caught Fudging Finance Reports

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A Federal Election Commission audit issued late last year -- and unnoticed by almost everyone -- discloses the Ohio Republican Party operated on a tide of red ink. The state GOP did not publicly disclose it owed $1,195,892 to various vendors who "consistently invoiced ORP for the balances due." Stiffing businesses who want their money is a sharp business practice that hardly gibes with the Republican philosophy of supporting Main Street. In other words, the party that claims fealty to fiscal responsibility got caught being unable to control its own spending. And it got caught publishing false reports about its finances. The Daily Bellwether has the entire sequence of the Ohio GOP's audit record available here. An FEC staff report issued seven months ago got the heat turned up by urging action: "The Audit staff recommends that the Commission find that the Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee failed to disclose debts and obligations for calendar years 2007 and 2008."

Page From Audit

The FEC staff said the Ohio Republican Party was legally required to file reports showing a true picture of its finances -- including bills that weren't being paid. It also was supposed to explain the reason for the debt, or how it was incurred. The audit covers the years 2007 and 2008, the last presidential election cycle. Excerpted below is a portion of the audit finding:

Facts and Analysis

A. Facts
Disclosure reports filed by ORP during the audit period did not disclose any debts owed.
Although ORP paid the majority of invoices timely, it carried outstanding balances with
five vendors that were not disclosed as debts. During audit fieldwork, a review of vendor
invoices and computer files identified debts totaline $1,195,892 that should have been
disclosed on Schedules D (Debts and Obligations). The vendors consistently invoiced
ORP for the balances due. Some of the undisclosed debts were outstanding prior to the
beginning of the audit period.
B. Interim Audit Report & Audit Division Recommendation
The Audit staff mformed ORP representatives of this matter at the exit conference and
provided schedules detailing the undisclosed debts for each reporting period for the
audited cycle. ORP representatives indicated that amended reports would be filed.

Conservative writers, such as Jason Hart at Big Government, already have doubts about the Ohio Republican Party under Chairman Kevin DeWine. They are supporting Gov. John Kasich's efforts to push DeWine out of the party's top job. Hart and the others don't know about the state GOP's inaccurate financial filings. They are, however, concerned about 2010 spending reports showing the ORP plowed more money into contests for attorner general and secretary of state than it did on the governor's contest. These are the numbers Hart has cited:

$753,680 spent in the incredibly close Kasich-Strickland race
$1.3 million spent in the secretary of state race, for DeWine ally Jon Husted – including $375,245 in the GOP primary
$1.5 million spent in the attorney general race, for Kevin DeWine’s cousin Mike DeWine

Hart says the Ohio Republican Party was scandal-plagued in 2006 (remember Coingate at the end of the Bob Taft era). Hart thinks President Obama and Sen. Sherrod Brown benefit if there are similar mistakes involving funds and fundraising. Today's revelation of the FEC's audits showing that may open that door.

Rock Band 'Foreigner' Wants Clark Montessori Choir to Back-Up Cincinnati Concert: Kids Get Called to Perform On Group's Biggest Hit

2012-02-22T14:21:00.002-05:00

F Stands or Foreigner, Not Flunking

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The show is Saturday night at the Taft downtown. British-American Foreigner has sold about 70 million albums since it started making music in 1976. And the band's hits are legion -- Juke Box Hero, Head Games, Dirty White Boy and Feels Like the First Time are among
a handful of its tunes that have become classic rock standards. The biggest hit of all -- and the only Foreigner single to reach No. 1 -- is I Want to Know What Love Is, a gospel flavored anthem that's been covered by everyone from Wynona Judd to Mariah Carey and even The Chipmunks. Now Clark Montessori's 18-member high school choir gets to sing along with the band that made it. Definitely another high note for the East Side campus.

Caitie Linger, a music teacher at the Cincinnati public school, said representatives of the rock band called quite out of the blue recently to inquire if the choir would perform backup onstage at the Feb. 25 show in Cincinnati. Recalls Linger, who directs the choir: "This was completely unexpected. We have no connections with them. They said they learned about us from the Internet. They Googled us." Clark is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood and has about 650 students in grades 7-12. It is also the nation's first public Montessori High School. Two years ago, President Obama selected the school as a finalist in his race to the top and sent Education Secretary Arne Duncan to speak at the 2010 graduation ceremonies. There are big footprints on Google.

Sheet Music for Big Hit

While Foreigner has faded a bit over the years -- the shows no longer fill mega-arenas and many original members are on the sidelines -- the kids are still pumped. And they've been learning about music from the classic rock era. The choir members are going to sell Foreigner CD's inside the Taft before they take the stage -- the band said all money raised by the CD sales will go to charity. That kind of public service ties in with Montessori schooling. And the choir won't come dressed in a glam rock look, it will be in t-shirts and black pants. Foreigner said there could not be any "grunge" onstage. Clark backs up the big finale, and yes, the kids have become fans.

Originally in the 1980s, I Want to Know What Love Is was backed up by the New Jersey Mass Choir. So Clark is filling some pretty big robes on the Saturday night gig. If you want to learn about Foreigner, you can read about the band's history by clicking here on Wikipedia. Foreigner's official website is here. And if you can't quite remember the tune and words to I Want to Know What Love Is, then watch the two-minute youTube clip below from the BBC's Last Choir Standing (it's not Foreigner but a British gospel choir called Revelation):

Cincinnati Hires Human Resources Chief From Scandal-Tainted Michigan County: Controversial $200,000 Payment In Detroit

2012-02-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

Wayne County Mired In Scandal

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- City Manager Milton Dohoney said today he was "pleased to announce" the appointment of a Wayne County, Mich., official who will become Cincinnati's human resources director next month. Dohoney's press release did not mention that Georgetta Kelly is joining his staff after exiting Detroit with newspaper headlines questioning her activities in county government. The Free Press has reported Kelly signed off on a $200,000 severance payout to another county worker who voluntarily quit. Apparently, there is a scandal unfolding about paying money to people who leave for other jobs or retire. The flap that embroiled Kelly involves the CEO of Detroit Metro Airport. Meanwhile, other union workers have been asked for wage concessions. You can read about Cincinnati's new human resources directors entanglement in the Detroit scandal by clicking here to see a Detroit Free Press story published Feb. 20 (yesterday).
The Free Press is owned by Gannett and is the Enquirer's sister newspaper. Here's a snippet from the story:

A county document obtained by the Free Press raises new questions about who signed off on the controversial $200,000 severance payment that sparked a scandal enveloping the administration of Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano. County Personnel Director Georgetta Kelly, who last week became the latest member of Ficano's inner circle to resign, clearly signed a document approving Turkia Awada Mullin's payout when she voluntarily resigned a county job late last summer to become CEO of Metro Airport.

Kelly announced last week that she is leaving her job to take another one out of state, becoming the fifth top county official to resign since a scandal erupted in September when the county acknowledged paying the severance.
Four other Ficano insiders have been fired and another demoted.

Dohoney said Kelly was an Air Force veteran, and had a masters in public administration from the University of Dayton. He said the county government in Detroit had about 3,400 employees and 18 different union bargaining units. Saod Dohoney: "During her tenure [in Detroit] . . . Ms. Kelly provided leadership, direction and oversight of strategic human resources functions including policy development, implementation, and interpretation; talent management; employee/labor relations; and compensation and benefits. She implemented the restructuring of the department it aling it with current Human Resources practices."

Here's some more information from the Wayne County deputy sheriff's union website that notes there have been federal indictments in the county:

Unless you have been out of the country for the last year you are well aware that the County of Wayne and its CEO are in hot water. Yesterday, two of Ficano’s appointees were charged with embezzlement by the Feds following an investigation which started with allegations of improper severance payouts, unsigned back door contracts and unlawful appointments to high paying jobs.

Through all of this a lot of members want to know how this will affect us. At the start of the negotiations the county asked us for 10 % concessions and an increase in health care costs. Throughout our answer has been no to concessions and health care increases. The county used a newly passed piece of legislation to impart a health care cost increase on us which we feel was improper. POAM filed an unfair labor practice charge against the county of Wayne for the increase in health care costs; the first pre-hearing date for the ULP is February 22nd. The County has been asked by POAM for information concerning their financial reports, retirement assessments and any other item that shows where all of Wayne Counties money is, so far the county has been reluctant to give up the information. Unlike other Wayne County unions, unless we know where the money is and the true financial status of the county there is no way we will entertain any offer of concessions from the county.

Today we have been told that the head of Personnel Georgetta Kelly has stepped down; we have also been informed that Mark Dukes, head of Labor Relations has stepped down. Mark Dukes has acted as the lead county negotiator in our contract talks so we have to wait and see who will take over that position. The next date scheduled for negotiations is also February 22nd at the POAM office.

As the county continues to fight allegations of wrong doings, we will continue to gather any and all information that will help us get the best possible contract for the membership

Cincinnati Cooks Up $984,000 Aid Package for Upscale Soul Food Restaurant: Loan and Grant Enticing Mahogany's to City's Riverfront

2012-02-21T15:14:00.000-05:00

Mahogany's Gets City Incentive Package

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The paperwork seeking approval of a $684,000 small business development grant, plus a $300,000 loan to buy fixtures, furniture and other equipment, has been filed with City Council. Mahogany's Cafe & Grill now operates a single restaurant in Hamilton. It is venturing into The Banks development downtown along the Ohio River with the nearly $1 million in public business expansion subsidies. Officials say the money should help create new jobs. And it also should put some pretty tasty dishes before diners by summer's end. The restaurant's principals, Elizabeth and Trent Rogers, have agreed to personally guarantee the deal should anything go sour.

$300,000 City Loan

$684,000 City Grant

City documents say the incentive package should encourage other businesses to come to The Banks. The documents describe the City Council action as an emergency measure: "The reason for the emergency is the immediate need for the City enter into the Grant Agreement so the (restaurant owners) can commence designing and constructing leasehold improvements for the restaurant in order to keep construction and the opening of the restaurant on schedule . . ." Mahogany's is supposed to occupy a 3,250-foot site on the north side of Freedom Way.

When it was announced last month that Mahogany's was coming to Cincinnati, Mayor Mark Mallory said that he was a fan: 'It's going to be great to finally have a really god soul food restaurant in Downtown Cincinnati. It will add to the variety and flavor that make Downtown special. I'm also pleased to see our first African American-owned business opening at The Banks." At the time, nobody seemed to notice that the restaurant had been wooed with financial aid. Meanwhile, the city is making sure it gets credit for putting up the money. The documents require:

Recognition of City Funding. Throughout construction of the restaurant, Borrower shall
ensure that the financial support of the City is recognized in any and all printed materials such as informational releases, pamphlets and brochures, project and exhibition signage, construction signs, and any publicity such as that appearing on the Internet, television, cable television, radio, or in the press or any other printed media. In identifying the City as a funder, Borrower shall use either the phrase “Funded by the City of Cincinnati” or a City of Cincinnati logotype or other form of acknowledgement that has been approved in advance in writing.

So how good is Mahogany's? The national restaurant review website Urban Spoon says 83% of those who have visited Mahogany's and written about their experiences have filed positive reviews. Here's one from Feb. 19 that is mixed, which is to say it points out some service flaws but raves about the food.

Wonderful food but I went on a night they were under staffed. I walked in on a Saturday night with no reservations the manager informed me of an hour wait for a table but was able to seat us in about 15 mins. The place is small with a high demand. While waiting for I food I watched two servers greet customers, answer phones, bus tables, take orders and run food all with smiles on their faces and making time to insure guest food was great. I was told they usually have a bigger staff by a "regular" but had some call offs that night. I had shrimp and grits which was hot, huge and the best I've ever had! My date had chicken and waffles and it had to be the most different and tastest combination ever created. We will return. Hats off to you ladies for your professional demeanor and thank you Dave for the best Patron Margarita to date! If you want real food, a great atmosphere and friendly staff try Mahoganys if you want freaky fast food try Jimmy Johns!

The hometown newspaper, the Journal-News in Hamilton, says the portions are huge and come with flavor and soul. It checked on the restaurant about three months after the August 2010 opening. Said writer Teri Horsley:

The menu is filled with soul food delicacies with Paw-Pa Jim’s Shrimp & Grits being this writer’s favorite. The huge portion of grits was drenched in butter and special secret sauces, then sauteed in smoked bacon, scallions, portabella mushrooms mixed with fresh shrimp. My decision to mix in hot sauce gave the traditional favorite a kick that was to die for. Other menu faves include Johnnie-Mae’s Catfish and grits, so named after Roger’s mother-in-law, with the fish being an Asian variety that has no bones and a lighter texture. The dessert and baked goods menu changes daily, but the Slap Your Mama Banana Puddin,’ and Sweet Potato Muffins are the most popular choices for carry out.

'Job Saver' Romney Visits Cincinnati Corp. Closing Maine Plant: Cut Slams Small Town Despite State's $6 Million Business Tax Break

2012-02-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

The Lobster Claw in Saco, Maine

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Cincinnati biomedical company Republican Mitt Romney visited -- and where he touted himself as a job saver -- actually is in the process of closing a manufacturing plant in Maine. The work is being transferred to Memphis, Tenn., as a cost-cutting move by Meridian Bioscience, which is taking a $2.2 million write down but hasn't disclosed how many jobs are being eliminated.  Romney was clueless that Meridian is trying to sell its soon-to-be vacant operation in Saco, Maine, a small coastal community about 12 miles from Portland, the state's largest city. Standing on a loading dock at Meridian's headquarters in Cincinnati, Romney said: "Some people, mostly in Washington, tend to think it's government that makes America work. Those guys are wrong."

Meridian has received tax incentives from Maine, including a $6 million business equipment tax refund in FY 10.  Yet it is packing up and abandoning a small New England community that needs every paycheck available. City Administrator Richard Michaud said he was not aware that Meridian was leaving Saco, but that the move will hurt. Michaud told The Daily Bellwether: "There's a whole array of small plants in our business park. Meridian is not one of the major employers here, but losing any employer is not a good thing in the timeset we are in."

Romney, who founded Bain Capital in the 1980s, has been criticized for closing plants that were profitable in order to squeeze out more money for private equity stakeholders. His business tactics have been an issue in the GOP presidential primary season. Newt Gingrich called Romney a cold capitalist: "Is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of others people and walk off with the money?"

While Romney tried to blame President Obama's healthcare programs for hurting businesses, Meridian said in its most recent 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that a product line wasn't selling.  The company said nothing about Obama's economic policies.  It said it wanted lower production costs and would shed the Maine operation to achieve them.  A company press release is available by clicking her on the Financial News Network. And excerpts from the 10-K filed last month are avaiable to see after the jump break.

As a result of the order volume trends in bulk antigens, antibodies and reagents, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011, we announced the closure of our Saco, Maine facility, and began the transfer of our manufacturing operations from this facility to our Memphis, Tennessee facility. We expect the consolidation of manufacturing operations in Memphis will provide a lower overall cost structure and should be completed during the second fiscal quarter of 2012. Total costs to complete the consolidation of facilities are expected to be approximately $2.2 [million] consisting of fixed asset impairments, inventory impairments, stay bonuses and moving costs, among other similar items. During the fourth quarter of 2011, we recognized $1.057 [million] of these costs, and the balance will be recognized during fiscal 2012, primarily during the first half of the fiscal year.

Our facility in Saco, Maine, the operations of which we are
in the process of consolidating with the Memphis facility, contains approximately 23,000 square feet for manufacturing, sales, distribution and administrative
functions. In anticipation of the consolidation of the Maine operations with the Tennessee location being completed during the second quarter of fiscal 2012,
we are marketing the property for sale or lease.

Democrats portrayed Romney as a hypocrite who is focused on money rather than people. Said Hamilton County Democratic Party Chair Tim Burkey:

"Nothing Mitt Romney says can change the fact that he spent his career as a corporate buyout specialist who put profits over people and lined his pockets by outsourcing jobs, closing down plants and laying off workers. His 59-point economic plan would do nothing to create jobs now, fix America's economy or help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. His tax plan would benefit the ultra-wealthy and do nothing to help middle-class families in Greater Cincinnati, and he even belittled President Obama's successful effort to cut taxes for middle-class families by $1,500 a year. And despite his attempts to revise history, the fact is Ohio's auto industry would not exist as we know it if Mitt Romney had his way.

"Cincinnati voters also haven't forgotten Governor Romney's last visit to the Cincinnati area, when he falsely said that he didn't have a position on Senate Bill 5 - even though he had come to Ohio for the purpose of campaigning for Senate Bill 5. And they will not forget that the very next day in Virginia, he said that he 'fully' supported John Kasich's attacks on Ohio workers after telling Ohio voters he had no position."

Payday Lender Stocks Shoot Up On Word Of Mexican Billionaire's Acquisition: Will Suitors Come Wooing Cincy's Check 'n Go Chain?

2012-02-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

Big Money Courting the Payday Lenders

By James McNair

Daily Bellwether Contributor
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- With a Mexican billionaire agreeing to pay $655 million for a local payday lending operation's biggest competitor, one has to wonder if the folks at Kenwood-based Check ‘n Go are pondering a massive payday of their own.

Yesterday, it was announced that Advance America Cash Advance Centers Inc., the big dog in the world of payday lending, agreed to be bought by Grupo Elektra, a Mexico City retailer/banker controlled by billionaire Ricardo Salinas. Forbes says Salinas is worth about $8.2 billion. Advance America, based in Spartanburg, S.C., is publicly owned. It stock was waffling along at the $8 mark before Wall Street learned about the buyout. By the close ot trading yesterday, it shot up 33 percent to $10.44 a share and was the biggest gainer in the U.S. stock market. And the shares of other payday lenders also got a lift -- Cash America, DFC Global, EZ Corp., First Cash Financial and QC Holdings were all juiced yesterday.

Check ‘n Go -- part of Axcess Financial Services -- is privately owned, controlled by brothers David and Jared Davis. As such, it doesn’t disclose its annual revenue, but it is a sizable enterprise. Its website, www.checkngo.com, offers an out-of-date (2009) count of “nearly 1,300” stores in 31 states, while www.axcess-financial.com says it also owns more than 140 Cheque Centre stores in Scotland, England and Wales. Advance America has 2,600 stores, so Grupo Elektra is paying about $252,000 per store. Strictly on an off-the-cuff basis (since we don’t know Check ‘n Go’s revenue, or debt situation for that matter), Check ‘n Go would be worth about $363 million.

If any deep-pocketed types (Bain Capital, anyone?) haven’t scouted out Axcess/Check ‘n Go as an acquisition, it might be time for Axcess to go public. Billionaires don’t open their wallets for companies that aren’t going anywhere.

Obama's Cincinnati Reelection Headquarters Opening Feb. 21st: Birthers Begin Bombing City With Slanderous Citizenship e-Mail

2012-02-17T09:51:00.000-05:00

Obama Headquarters Opens Feb. 21st

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- As the 2012 campaign season hits full stride, President Obama's reelection headquarters for Cincinnati and Hamilton County open next week, There will be free parking, food and drink during the two-hour party at 2718 Woodburn Ave. Obama is rising in the polls and Democrats are getting pumped about another four years in the White House.

Meanwhile, some Republicans (or conservatives) who can't seem to grasp reality have started circulating another Internet slander about the President's birth certificate. It landed in Cincinnati-area e-mail boxes around 7:52 a.m. today -- and falsely claims that Obama is using the identity of a French immigrant. Perhaps not coincidentally, the latest installment of the smear appeared at about the time that Obama's local campaign is publicly launching its Cincinnati area efforts. Sadly, some of the President's opponents are clinging to distortions and unreality -- they are like Holocaust deniers. Or drunks on horses, they climb up one side and tumble off the other. This is the money line in the anti-Obama diatribe:

Let's all get this information out to everybody on our mailing lists. If the
voters of this great nation can succeed in bringing this lying, deceitful,
cheating, corrupt, impostor to justice it will be the
biggest and best news in decades for our country and the world.

Snopes.com says the birther e-mail has been around for about nine months and is easily debunked. Obama's SSN is different from the dead the Frenchman whose identity he allegedly is using. However, if you want to read -- and see for yourself the birther slander now making its rounds in Cincinnati -- the e-mail is below. Give it the complete lack of credibility it deserves:

The Plot Thickens
An intensive investigation has revealed the identity of the man whose SocialSecurity number (SSN) is being used by President Obama:
Jean Paul Ludwig, who was born in France in 1890, immigrated to theUnitedStates in 1924, and was assigned SSN 042-68-4425 (Obama's current SSN) on orabout March 1977.
Ludwig lived most of his adult life in Connecticut . Because of that,his SSN begins with the digits 042, which are among only a select fewreserved for Connecticut residents.
Obama never lived or worked in that state! Therefore, there is no reason onearth for his SSN to start with the digits 042. None whatsoever!
Now comes the best part! Ludwig spent the final months of his life in Hawaii, where he died.
Conveniently, Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, worked part-time inthe Probate Office in the Honolulu Hawaii Courthouse, andtherefore had access to the SSNs of deceased individuals.
The Social Security Administration was never informed of Ludwig's death, andbecause he never received Social Security benefits there were no benefits tostop and therefore, no questions were ever raised.
The suspicion, of course, is that Dunham, knowing her grandson was not aU.S. Citizen, either because he was born in Kenya or became a citizen ofIndonesia upon his adoption by Lolo Soetoro simply scoured the probaterecords until she found someone who died who was not receiving SocialSecurity benefits, and selected Mr. LudwigsConnecticut SSN for Obama.
Just wait until Trump gets past the birth certificate and onto the issue ofBarry O's use of a stolen SSN. You will see leftist heads exploding, becausethey will have no way of defending Obama.
Although many Americans do not understand the meaning of the term "naturalborn" there are few who do not understand that if you are usingsomeone else's SSN it is a clear indication of fraud.
Let's all get this information out to everybody on our mailing lists. If thevoters of this great nation can succeed in bringing this lying, deceitful,cheating, corrupt, impostor to justice it will be thebiggest and best news in decades for our country and the world.

Flight to Freedom Video Game Scores Rave Reviews On the 'Net: Slave Escape Adventure Bypasses Cincinnati Freedom Center

2012-02-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

New York's WNET-TV Created Hit Video Game

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A free interactive video game about running away to freedom in Ohio during the slave era before the Civil War is getting glowing reviews on the Internet. It was produced by a public TV station in New York with money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Nobody in Cincinnati seems to have had much to to do with the project, which should deeply embarrass the city that is home to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. The adventure game has been out for less than a month and there already have been hundreds of thousands of downloads. That success signals just how hopelessly marginalized an operation the Freedom Center has become. It was supposed to be the nation's prime source of education about the Underground Railroad, but New York is getting the raves; Cincinnati is on the sidelines.

In Flight to Freedom gamers take on the persona of Lucy King, a fictional 14-year-old girl who is a slave in Kentucky. The year is 1848. Players plan her escape and travel into Ohio on the Underground Railroad.
Once across the Ohio River, they quickly learn life in the North -- where people are "free" -- can be treacherous. There is danger and difficulty facing the young girl on the road to freedom. Along the way, the players cross paths with abolitionists and slave owners. They make decisions that affect how the flight to freedom ends. Players learn how people’s choices – from small, everyday acts of resistance to action that sought an end to slavery – changed our nation for the better. Basically, it's a video game about slavery and the abolitionist movement. Kirk Hamilton, who reviewed Lucy's flight on gamer guide Kotaku.com earlier this week, was impressed and said the game was engaging and actually quite good:

"After arriving in Ohio, I learned that I was anything but safe. Act three begins a year later, in 1849, and while Ohio was a free state, slaves were still deemed the legal property of their owners, so 'Slave Catchers' would come across the border looking to catch escaped slaves and return them for a bounty. A whole new raft of troubles, danger, and agonizing choices awaited Lucy. What will happen to her? Only one way to find out.

I am impressed with Mission U.S., both for what it's doing and for how it's doing it.It's a well-made game, and it treats its characters and its players with respect. It manages to convey some important aspects about the experience of slavery in a way that is appropriate for kids (I haven't seen anyone get beaten or hanged or heard the n-word) but can be appreciated by adults as well."

Click here to get a free download of the game, and also to read more about its production by Channel 13, the PBS affiliate in New York City. The trailer is here:

Ohio Democratic Party Says State Treasurer Josh Mandel Skirts Campaign Finance Law: Feds Asked To Probe GOP Senate Spending

2012-02-15T13:41:00.001-05:00

Dems Question Mandel Spending

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Ohio Democratic Party has filed a federal complaint accusing Republican State Treasurer Josh Mandel of illegally financing his U.S. Senate campaign with money specifically given to fund his 2010 race for a state office. The Democrats contend Mandel is "emptying his state committee." They say the state treasurer is circumventing federal election laws by dipping into a pot of leftover state campaign money for the Senate seat.

Mandel is running against U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who is completing his first term and seeking reelection. The Democrats want the Federal Election Commission to investigate whether Mandel breached the wall that is supposed to keep federal and state election money in separate pots. The complete text of the Ohio Democratic Party's complaint against Mandel is available after the jump break:

Chris Redfern

Chairman, Ohio Democratic Party

340 East Fulton Street

Columbus, OH 43215

Complainant,

Citizens for Josh Mandel

Kathryn D. Kessler, Treasurer

50 West Broad Street, Suite 1900

Columbus, OH 43215

Josh Mandel

50 West Broad Street, Suite 1900

Columbus, OH 43215

Respondents.

COMPLAINT

Complainant files this complaint under 2 U.S.C. § 437g(a)(1) for apparent violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act (“FECA” or the “Act”) against Josh Mandel, Citizens for Josh Mandel, and Kathryn D. Kessler, treasurer (“Respondents”). In 2010, Mandel ran and was elected State Treasurer of Ohio. He is now running for U.S. Senate. From recent state and federal campaign finance reports, it appears that Mandel has been using money left over from his state race to fund his senate campaign. After only a month in to his four year term as Treasurer, and immediately before he declared his candidacy for the Senate, Mandel began emptying his state committee, Citizens for Josh Mandel (the “State Committee”), and appears to have paid for at least 10 trips, including to Utah, New York, and Washington, D.C. for the purpose of taking “political meetings.” Shortly thereafter, contributions to Mandel’s federal campaign began pouring in from the same locations. Given the timing of these trips, they were clearly part of Mandel’s testing the waters activity. Federal law prohibits using state campaign money to support a federal campaign in this manner – this rule is necessary to ensure that only funds that are permissible under federal law are used in a federal race. Accordingly, the FEC should immediately investigate Mandel’s apparent attempts to circumvent the law.

FACTS

Josh Mandel was elected State Treasurer of Ohio on November 2, 2010. Then, less than three months after taking office, he started a run for U.S. Senate. Mandel filed his Statement of Candidacy with the FEC on April 6, 2011 and designated “Citizens for Josh Mandel” as his principal campaign committee. As he is only in the first year of a four year term, Mandel is not currently running for re-election for his position of Treasurer in Ohio. Despite this fact, Mandel’s state campaign committee has been making a number of expenditures for travel for the purpose of “political meetings,” apparently in support of Mandel’s Senate campaign. Overall, Mandel spent over $25,000 out of his State Committee in the first six months of 2011, essentially emptying the account. Almost all of these expenditures were made just before he established his federal committee, and then after launching his federal campaign, he has made essentially no expenditures from the State Account for the rest of the year. This plainly points to the fact that Mandel was using the State Committee to get his federal campaign off the ground before he was able to raise federal contributions.
According to Ohio campaign finance records, Mandel’s state campaign has spent over $8,000 on airfare, hotels, and other travel expenses to visit Utah, New York, and Washington, D.C. including for “political meetings.”[1] Even Mandel’s campaign spokesman has admitted that the trips were made in order to have “political discussions.”[2] In all, his filings and news reports indicate that Mandel took ten trips in the weeks immediately before he filed his Statement of Candidacy in the Senate race.[3] Then, illustrating that the trips were clearly on behalf of his Senate campaign, contributions started flooding in from these same locations. Starting just six days after registering with the FEC, Mandel started receiving contributions from the New York area for his Senate campaign, contributions that totaled over $176,000 in the first three months. Similarly, Mandel received a check from the Washington, D.C. area just two days after registering with the FEC, and over the next months, raised $57,000 from the D.C. area. Some of the travel expenses Mandel’s state campaign made in Washington D.C. may have also been in connection with a reported meeting Mandel had with Senator Jim DeMint to discuss his Senate candidacy.[4]

LEGAL ARGUMENT:

The FEC should investigate whether Citizens for Josh Mandel has accepted a prohibited in-kind contribution from the State Campaign.

The Act places limitations and prohibitions on the sources and amounts of contributions to a federal election campaign. The campaign committee of a candidate for federal office is permitted to raise money only from certain sources, including individuals, partnerships, and political action committees. See 2 U.S.C. § 441a. Many states impose fewer restrictions on contributions to campaigns for state elective offices. In Ohio, for example, individuals and PACs are permitted to make contributions in far excess of the federal limits. This disparity creates concerns about the injection of “soft money” into federal elections in the form of transfers or in-kind contributions between a candidate’s state campaign and federal campaign committee. Explanation and Justification, Transfer of Funds from State to Federal Campaigns, 57 Fed. Reg. 36344 (Aug. 12, 1992).
In order to preserve the integrity of the federal election process, the FEC enacted regulations to specifically prohibit “transfers of funds or assets from a candidate’s campaign committee or account for a nonfederal election to his or her principal campaign committee or other authorized committee for a federal election.” 11 C.F.R. § 110.3(d). As explained by the Commission, this blanket prohibition is a necessary means for ensuring that only permissible funds under the Act are used in connection with a campaign for federal elective office. Explanation and Justification, 57 Fed. Reg. at 36345. A state campaign committee cannot pay for expenses of a federal committee, and even when a candidate is only testing the waters, the funds used by the candidate are subject to the Act’s contribution limits. 11 C.F.R. §§ 100.72(a) and 100.131(a).
Here, all available information indicates that Mandel’s out-of-state trips, made immediately before he filed his Statement of Candidacy, and described as being made for “political meetings,” were for testing the waters and drumming up support for his Senate campaign, and accordingly, it was a violation of the Act for Mandel’s State Committee to pay for such travel.

REQUESTED ACTION

Given the evidence described above, the FEC should investigate whether Respondents violated federal law. Should the Commission determine that Respondents have done so, we request that Respondents be enjoined from further violations and be fined the maximum amount permitted by law.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich's Budget Office Tallies Different Jobs Numbers Than Boss: Wackadoodle Accounting or Flaky Guv?

2012-02-14T11:56:00.000-05:00

Jobs Numbers and Exploding Cigars

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The governor's State of the State speech in Steubenville last week was a doozy. Among memorable lines he called his wife, Ohio's First Lady "hot," and described California as a place run by wackadoodles. Some have theorized Gov. John Kasich was tipsy. Others suggest he was just rambling and off-the-cuff. Now it looks like some of the numbers Kasich tossed around about jobs creation during his first year in office were just pulled out of thin air. Perhaps the data set was wackadoodled by Gov. Katzenjammer as an amusing antic. Or maybe Kasich mangled the jobs numbers because he's ignorant of the facts. Then again, the Republican governor could have tamped the number down a bit because he didn't want President Obama's economic policies receiving too much credit.

In the speech, Kasich said Ohio created 43,500 private sector jobs during the past year, the first of his four-year term. He didn't use plain, precise English. But it's clear he was talking about his record and claimed credit for the gain: "Our private sector jobs growth . . . we created 43,500 new jobs. A net increase of 43,500 families better off." But the real number is much better. He muffed it.

OBM Financial Report Uses Different Jobs Numbers Than Kaisich

Kasich's private sector jobs number is challenged in the report issued by his own staff. If the staff is correct, Kasich got the number wrong. Way wrong. In the state's monthly financial report issued Feb. 10, the Office of Budget and Management reported much stronger job creation in the private sector last year. (An excerpt from the document is above.) OBM said: "Private sector employment increase by 79,100 jobs in 2011."

That means Kasich was off by 35,600 private sector jobs. Kasich is supposed to have a sharp mind for numbers -- he chaired the House Budget Committee in the 1990s and claims a major role for balancing the U.S. Budget during the Bill Clinton era. And when he quit the House, Kasich became a managing director at Lehman Bros., the giant investment bank. Of course, Lehman collapsed in bankruptcy because it really didn't have accurate numbers to stay afloat and investors were misled. But there are other jobs numbers that Kasich katzenjammered in his speech (which you can read below). He said, "Ohio is the number one job creator in the Midwest today, as we sit here. Number One."

Ohio's current monthly financial report -- which is supposed to be based on the most current data available -- offers a less flattering picture:

"Among the contiguous states, year-over-year employment growth was strongest in Kentucky and Michigan (+1.7%), followed by Ohio (+1.4%), West Virginia (+1.3%), Pennsylvania (+1.0%), and Indiana (+0.6%). For the Ohio and contiguous state region, employment increased by 1.3% during 2011, the same as for all states outside the region combined."

The point here is not to call Kasich a prevaricator. The point is to make sure that Ohioans get consistent information about the state's economic progress. Kasich's State of the State is an annual report to the people and lawmakers. He should know what he's talking about when he speaks. It's neither the time nor place for wackadoodle moments. In his owns words from Steubenville, here's Gov. Kasich:

Where are we today? I could give you 50 other things, but we'd go on forever here. Where are we today? Ohio is the number one job creator in the Midwest today, as we sit here. Number one.
(Applause)
We're the number nine job creator in America. From 48 to nine in one year. Legislature, people…
(Applause)
…it's about time, because we're a powerhouse here in Ohio. And you know what? Our private sector job growth, rather than losing the 400,000 jobs over the last four years, we created 43,500 new jobs. A net increase of 43,500 families better off.
Total manufacturing jobs—it’s not just autos, believe me, and I'm going to tell you in a moment—14,400 manufacturing jobs. God made some people to make things. It's coming back to America, and it's coming back to Ohio.

That manufacturing number. Wrong again, according to the financial report. Ohio added 18,300 manufacturing jobs in 2011.

Cincinnati School Supt. Mary Ronan Confirms Massive Budget Hole: 'We Face A Funding Gap of $43 Million'

2012-02-13T13:20:00.001-05:00

Smiling Ronan In Better Times

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A week ago, The Daily Bellwether broke the news that the city's schools were confronting a terrible budget shortfall that could jeopardize teacher jobs and education programs. Today, Supt. Mary Ronan confirmed the bleak situation and described "greatly decreased" revenues from state and federal cuts while projecting a $43 milliion funding gap. Ronan sent parents an e-mail disclosing the shortfall and asking for advice about what to do. The GE Foundation is paying for a survey, along with an independent polling firm. You can read the complete text of the Cincinnati school superintendent's letter below:

Dear Cincinnati Public Schools Community,

We all have reason to be proud of our distinction as the top-rated urban school district in the state of Ohio. We are leading the state — and, in many ways, the nation — as an effective and innovative urban school district in which student achievement is on the rise. This reflects well on everyone associated with Cincinnati Public Schools: teachers and staff, administrators, students, parents, our school board and the community as a whole.

Numerous factors must come together in order for the district to perform well, with financial resources playing a major role. While our commitment to providing Cincinnati’s students with the highest quality education has never wavered, our budget, unfortunately, has continued to shrink year after year. Despite being fiscally responsible and making tough decisions to hold spending flat, state and federal budget cutbacks, lower property tax collections and the worst economy since the Great Depression have greatly decreased our revenues. As we begin to develop the 2012-13 General Fund budget, we face a funding gap of $43 million.

Today I’m reaching out to you for three reasons: to make you aware of our budgetary challenges, to let you know that difficult decisions need to be made in regard to programs, and to seek your input on some of those decisions.

On Tuesday, February 14, 2012, the district will launch a Budget Survey, asking you to share your awareness level of our budget issues and the steps we’ve already taken to reduce costs, as well as to tell us what programs and services you think are most important to our children.

The survey will close on Friday, March 2, so please be sure to respond as soon as you can. We will be launching the survey as part of a collaboration underwritten through the generosity of the GE Foundation in conjunction with K12 Insight, an independent research and communication firm.

As I sit down with district administrators and the school board to discuss how best to cope with our reduced resources, the board and I want your voice to be one of the many influencing factors in our extended conversation. In addition to weighing which programs are most important to you, we also will review how those programs impact each student’s education.

We encourage you to complete this survey online if possible. If your e-mail address is in our system, you will receive an e-mail invitation to participate in the survey. If you do not receive an invitation, please access the survey on the district’s Website at http://www.cps-k12.org.

You may visit any CPS school to access the survey online. Computer access to the survey also will be provided at the CPS Education Center, 2651 Burnet Avenue in Corryville, through our Customer Help Center and Human Resources kiosks. Computer access to the survey also will be available at the main and local branches of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

At the end of the survey, you will be asked to provide the district with an e-mail address so we can reach out to you via e-mail in the future.

If you are unable to access this survey online, please call (513) 363-0020 and request that a paper survey be mailed to you. We want you to be part of this process so you can share your views.

Please note that K12 Insight will provide us with reports and analysis in such a way that your feedback will remain anonymous and confidential,and your identity will not be associated with your response.

Once the survey is completed, we will share the feedback in an open and transparent process.

This survey is a first step toward an ongoing, broader conversation, in which we all feel free to speak candidly. In exchange for your constructive feedback, we promise greater transparency into district operations. Working through this challenge together not only will strengthen our commitment to our children but also strengthen our bond as a community.

Sincerely,

Mary Ronan

Superintendent, Cincinnati Public School

SW Ohio Woman Breaks Military Glass Ceiling: Obama Picks Buckeye Native As First Female 4-Star Air Force General

2012-02-13T10:20:00.000-05:00

Female Gen. Wolfenbarger Gets 4th Star

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Janet Wolfenbarger will make history with the promotion -- pending Senate approval -- that makes her the first female four-star general to ever wear an Air Force uniform. It's a lofty rank, the highest an officer can reach in the current military. And her pioneering continues a tradition that gives the Buckeye State a groundbreaking role in all things involving flight. Ohio is home to the Wright Brothers, who first figured out how to fly, John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, and Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon. Wolfenbarger now serves as the military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition and she is one of four female lieutenant generals in the Air Force. She is a native of Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton.

She has released this statement: "I am humbled and honored to have been nominated by the President to the rank of general and to serve as commander of Air Force Materiel Command. I look forward to participating in the Senate confirmation process when the time comes. At present, I remain focused on the important Air Force acquisition work I've been charged with."

Wolfenbarger got her third star in 2009. She became the Air Force's highest-ranking woman in January 2010. Yet within the ranks, there is some grousing going on about the promotion. Wolfenbarger has never served overseas or in a combat zone. Some consider her more of a pencil pusher than a warrior. These are some comments made on the the Air Force portal in response to the announcement:

While her multiple degrees and special project experience are certainly commendable I must question the lack of so much as an overseas short tour or extended combat deployment during her entire three decade career. As these factors are closely scrutinized for promotion to senior enlisted ranks they should be more so for promotion to senior officer ranks. I guess it just redefines being able to do more with less.

Vito, US

General officer appointments are political but it seems a bit nuts to elevate someone to the rank of General that has never deployed or commanded a squadron group wing. I don't doubt she is really smart and is a talented leader but something major seems to be missing here.

AF Vet VA, Virginia

Those sentiments are not universal, and there is a good deal of pride in the fact she has broken the glass ceiling.
Wolfenbarger's bio shows she was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1980 after graduating in the first class with female cadets at the Air Force Academy. She also holds a graduate degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also held several positions in the F-22 System Program Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; served as the F-22 lead program element monitor at the Pentagon, and was the B-2 system program director for the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB.

She has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the National Defense Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal. Wolfenbarger received her third star in December 2009 and became the Air Force's highest-ranking woman in January 2010. Dorian DeWind, a former Air Force officer who is military correspondent for the Moderate Voice, says she is competent for the role she has been given and notes that it has taken more than four decades for the highest rank to open to a female.

(Courtesy of Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs)

EDUCATION1980 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
1983 Squadron Officer School, by correspondence
1985 Master of Science degree in aeronautics and astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
1988 Program Management Course, Defense Systems Management College, Fort Belvoir, Va.
1991 Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence
1994 Master of Science degree in national resource strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

ASSIGNMENTS1. July 1980 - August 1981, technical intelligence analyst, Armament Division, Eglin AFB, Fla.
2. August 1981 - July 1983, communication systems development officer, Electronic Security Command, Kelly AFB, Texas
3. July 1983 - December 1984, student, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
4. December 1984 - October 1987, Chief, Strategic Offense Weapons Branch, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
5. October 1987 - September 1988, executive officer, Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Md.
6. September 1988 - July 1993, Chief, Plans and Strategies Division; Chief, Air Vehicle Analysis and Integration Team; and Chief, F-22 Subsystems Team, F-22 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. July 1993 - June 1994, student, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
8. June 1994 - June 1997, Lead F-22 Program Element Monitor, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
9. June 1997 - April 2000, Chief, B-2 Air Vehicle Team, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
10. April 2000 - December 2002, B-2 System Program Director, B-2 SPO, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. December 2002 - July 2005, Commander, C-17 Systems Group, Mobility Systems Wing, ASC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. August 2005 - July 2006, Director, Air Force Acquisition Center of Excellence, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
13. August 2006 - January 2007, Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. January 2007 - July 2008, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, and Special Assistant for Command Transformation to the Commander, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. July 2008 - December 2009, Director, Intelligence and Requirements Directorate, Headquarters AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
16. December 2009 - September 2011, Vice Commander, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
17. September 2011 - present, Military Deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Driehaus Foe's State House Campaign Buoyed By $$$ From Texas: Brockmeier's Top Donor Is In-Law Employed By Oil/Gas Driller Eying Ohio

2012-02-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

A Schlumberger Truck On The Move Recently In The Shale Fields

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ever hear the saying, Don't mess with Texas. Word has quietly spread this week among some Democrats in the 31st House District that Luke Brockmeier's biggest financial supporter is from Texas and an employee of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield services company. Brockmeier is running against incumbent State Rep. Denise Driehaus, who is sponsoring HB 345 that imposes a moratorium on fracking by drillers tapping natural gas fields in Ohio. Driehaus is concerned that fracking could contaminate water supplies -- she wants an EPA study proving the process is safe. Campaign finance reports on file with the Secretary of State's office show Brockmeir raised $9,095 last year, and 82% of the money came from the Sclumberger employee in Snyder, Tex. That community is a small town in the oilfields near Lubbock. Brockmeier calls any attempt to paint him as a backer of fracking or pawn of the oil industry as character assassination. He says the money has come from family, not frackers.

The 31st is a newly created district with 5,555 registered Democrats among its 57,819 voters. In 2008, when Obama and Hillary drew record turnout, there were 4,869 Dems who voted. This year, the numbers will be far less without a presidential contest headlining the ballot.
The 31st comprises a large chunk of Cincinnati's East Side, including Clifton and Hyde Park, and several suburbs like Deer Park and Amberley Village. Whoever gets the Democratic nomination March 6 is almost certain to win the seat in the November General Election. Driehaus had to move into the new district from her West Side neighborhood in order to run. In contrast, Brockmeier is a longtime resident who lives in Madisonville, a fact he's been pointing out to voters. He's also been aggressive in portraying Driehaus as a pro-life candidate -- she supported three bills to limit abortion rights in the current legislative session. Now, he seems to be under pressure about the campaign donations linked to an oilfield drilling operation that's setting up operations in Ohio.

Brockmeier, in a statement e-mailed to The Daily Bellwether, says the Texas donor is his mother-in-law. He said he is opposed to fracking "because I'm an environmentalist." But some Democrats -- none who want to go on the record -- say the campaign donations grabbed their attention because Schlumberger announced last month it bought a 140-acre site in Tuscarawas County. The company plans to build an operation to put up and tear down drilling rigs in the Marcellus Shale gas fields -- the fields tapped by fracking. In all, it plans to hire 250 workers and build a $2.89 million operation in the Strasburg Industrial Park. You can read a news report about Schlumberger's expansion into Ohio by clicking here.

This is the complete text of the statement Brockmeier e-mailed to The Daily Bellwether about the campaign donations (two that totaled $7,500) from Texas:

"I've always been anti-fracking because I'm an environmentalist. Denise (who took corporate money from Duke) has had 3 years to act, but is suddenly anti-fracking now that it's in the news.
I'm also anti-oil and anti-coal in Ohio, because they're not sustainable industries. But I've taken money from Texas! From somebody with the same name as my treasurer, who is my wife!
Yes, I've taken money from Big In-Law.
My mother-in-law is a longtime progressive donor because she's a pro-choice, pro-LGBT equality activist. She's also a part-time receptionist at an oil company.
She has donated to me some of the money she inherited after the recent deaths of her own parents, who were both government employees, because she believes in my cause. She loves me like a son, since both of my parents died when I was in my early 20s.
I'd appreciate it if we could skip the character assassinations and the attacks on my family and stick to which candidate will best represent the progressive voters of this district."

On his website, Brockmeier has been critical of fracking:

"Cincinnatians need to stand united against injection fracking, which is the injection of millions of gallons of chemically-tainted drilling byproducts into the Ohio River watershed in Eastern Ohio. That, for the record, is thepositive way of describing fracking. More outrageously, Cincinnati sees no benefit from this process; the state tax receipts are negligible, and the minor bump in employment is elsewhere.
Proposal: we need a huge state-level investment in water testing and treatment in Cincinnati, since we bear the entirety of the external risks. Until we get that assurance, we need a moratorium on this irresponsible process."

On her website, Driehaus touts her cred as treehugger:

"Denise Driehaus is an environmentalist. She held one of the first town hall meetings on fracking at the Esquirer Theater, and introduced legislation that would place a moratorium on fracking in the State of Ohio. Driehaus has previously been endorsed by the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters."

[UPDATE: 2/12/2012 10:37 a.m -- Luke Brockmeier has published some biographical information about his family. It is probably the warmest, most loving piece a Cincinnati officeseeker has written about his roots and formative years in a long, long time. Maybe the best ever. Take a moment and read it by clicking here.]