"Champaign County commissioners are moving forward with a proposal that could provide residents in some townships and villages with a discount on their electricity bills.

The county is working with the County Commissioners Association of Ohio to place an electric aggregation on the ballot this fall."

 

Champaign county has been working on building a wind farm in recent years which has proven politically contentious.

 

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/springfield-news/champaign-county-considers-electric-proposal-1387363.html

Is there any downside to doing this? Especially if individuals can opt out, like in Cincy, it just seems win-win-win all around. But there must be a downside, right?

I thought it was odd they are just doing electric. That's why I brought up the wind farm thing. It might hurt the gas stove business.....

Some in the funeral business are seeking state approval for a new and controversial technique for disposing of human bodies through chemical decomposition.

The technique, alkaline hydrolysis, involves placing a body inside a stainless-steel cylinder machine that is used to accelerate natural decomposition, shrinking years into hours. The process uses lye to break down corpses into liquid, proteins and dry bone residue.

 

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/springfield-news/controversial-liquid-cremation-sought-in-ohio-1398630.html

Pretty gross. The next thing you know, they're going to want to put bodies into high-intensity furnaces so they can burn the dead into ashen remains we can carry around with us and even turn them into decorations in our homes! Oh wait......

"The state watchdog (Inspector General Randall Meyer), has found that Ohio’s leading education official was on the payroll of a Texas-based standardized testing firm when he lobbied state lawmakers last year on a bill that benefited the company.

In a report released Thursday, Inspector General Randall Meyer urged the Ohio Board of Education to consider disciplinary action against Superintendent Stan Heffner."

 

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/02/read-the-heffner-report/

In general these educational companies are far too cozy with state and local governments.  The kids are the real losers with situations like these.

and then he resigns

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120804/NEWS0102/308040033/Ohio-school-chief-quits?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

He just said it on FSN Ohio --- says he wants to give back and make the city a little more fun.

Thanks, Charlie, but I think we'd rather have Roxanne Qualls.

 

I guess somebody should tell him that Cincinnati's mayor is now more than just a symbolic figurehead, a la Jerry Springer. He'd actually have to exhibit some real leadership.

Well at least he would be able to throw out a ceremonial first pitch better than Mallory.

Winning! Lol.

 

Wouldn't mind him running, could be good publicity for the city. Obviously, he would lose.

^ Unless he ends up being a spoiler that allows some idiot like Smitherman or Winburn to win a plurality of votes.

 

He'd probably fit right in as a County Commissioner, though...

I'd like him spend more time here since he likes it so much (he said he'll be hanging around more often).

The whirlwind of crazy with Sheen, Winburn, Smitherman & Thomas would be seriously amusing to watch.

Sheen's cars rolling down hillsides would certainly take the focus off Seelbach, too.

The amount of crazy from Smitherman, Winburn, et al would be enough to make Sheen quit drugs forever.

 

Somebody should start making Reds jersey's with Sheen's name on the back. 

Somebody should start making Reds jersey's with Sheen's name on the back.

 

kinda like this?

 

Please no.

The amount of crazy from Smitherman, Winburn, et al would be enough to make Sheen quit drugs forever.

 

 

Or cause him to increase his dosage....

"If you’re a C-Span junkie, you’ve probably enjoyed “question time,”  when members of Parliament get to quiz the Prime Minister or cabinet members on whatever they’d like. The sessions can be combative, amusing, and illuminating.

Now a Cleveland Democrat, Rep. Mike Foley,  has proposed a bill requiring the governor to appear before the Ohio State House 10 times per year.  (Locally, Rep. Denise Driehaus is a co-sponsor)."

 

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/22/bill-require-question-time-for-governor/

 

I am not crazy about the idea in this partisan political atmosphere.  Seems like it could be abused for ulterior purposes.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120928/NEWS0106/310310003

 

Heaven forbid that the democratic process actually gets a workout, you know?

What a bunch of babies.

HOW DARE someone oppose the Hamilton County GOP!  Doesn't she realize with whom she is dealing?  Of course, the Hamilton County GOP would never dream of casting stones at some organization like the Chicago/Cook County Democratic machine, would they?

The defeatism is astounding in the Democratic party.

In the 1st district, Sinnard doesn't want donations & the party is shutting out Smith in the 2nd district.

Of course the state Republicans won't challenge Dale Mallory.

ugh

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120921/NEWS0106/309190186/No-coattails-long-enough-local-Dem-House-candidates?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cs

She comes within 1 percent of winning a countywide race; she's outspent almost 7-to-1, seldom campaigns, is "irresponsible," and the Republicans still can't beat her by more than 25 points?

Judicial Poll Results 2012

 

Leslie Ghiz didn't do so well.....

he-he, I saw that. I'm trying to find info on the Supreme Court Judges before I send in my absentee ballot.

This letter is in response to the letter "Fossaceca will bring thoughtful,

informed voice to Statehouse" written by Diana Nazelli.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/sun/all/index.ssf/2012/09/anthony_fossaceca_will_bring_t.html

 

 

In the twenty years that I've known "Foss" I have always been very impressed

with his honesty, integrity and strong work ethic.  He is a unusual

candidate in that he is running for office in a time when this country is in

such desperate need of statesmen.  Ms. Nazelli "hit the nail right on the

head" in describing what Anthony brings to the political table; he is all

these qualities and more.  Others who have worked with him would provide

similar testimony as well.

 

As for his opponent it appears she prefers to follow the "party line" when

voting and therefore promotes "business as usual" at the Statehouse and

we've all seen where that has led us to.  Ohio's 6th District cannot

continue along this precarious path but rather needs to "shift gears" and

get back to what the founders intended for governmental and political

leadership; that compromise on any given issue does not in any way suggest a

compromise of character.

 

Politics is not about the art {or science} of bringing the other person

down.  It is about working together towards the common goal of improving

upon the quality of life for all citizens regardless of race, color, creed

and political persuasion.  It is for this reason that voters should choose

Anthony "Foss" Fossaceca on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 because he will get

the job done the right way.

 

Joe Bialek

Cleveland, OH

 

 

Ohio early voting cleared by U.S. Supreme Court in Obama victory (via @BloombergNews)

The Supreme Court has turned aside a request from the state of Ohio to take up an appeal of federal court decision which prevented the state from stopping early voting during the three day period before the election. The decision is a victory for the Obama campaign, which had successfully argued that Ohio could not allow military and overseas voters to vote during the three day period unless that opportunity was available to all voters.

 

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/supreme-court-turns-down-ohio-early-voting-case

A Tea Party-linked group attempted to get officials in 14 Ohio counties, including Montgomery and Butler, to remove at least 1,800 people from the voter registration rolls in the last few months, but found their efforts mostly thwarted by errors in their work, lack of documentation, and federal laws that strictly limit purging voter rolls, the Dayton Daily News found.

“It seems as though some groups are filing these challenges based on very scant evidence and in doing so they’re walking right up to the edge of voter intimidation,” said Ellis Jacobs, an attorney with the Miami Valley Voter Protection Coalition. “Unfortunately they don’t seem to take very seriously people’s right to vote.”

Franklin, Butler, Lucas & Cuyahoga overturned all challenges.

 

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/group-contests-voter-rolls/nSfSg/

Todd Snitchler, Ohio Public Utilities Commission Chairman, Tied To Renewables Opposition Group

AP  |  By By JULIE CARR SMYTH

Posted: 01/29/2013 2:20 pm EST

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A top state utility regulator who opposed plans for an Ohio solar farm and openly questioned global warming maintained ties with an influential conservative group that supports repealing states' renewable energy requirements.

 

Todd Snitchler, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, was a keynote speaker at the American Legislative Exchange Council's task force meeting in April 2011. His state ethics filings show he attended another meeting of the council that December, nearly a year after leaving the Legislature to accept Gov. John Kasich's appointment to the commission.

 

It is unclear what role, if any, Snitchler's continued involvement may have played in a model bill penned by the council, known as the Electricity Freedom Act. The council's board of state legislators approved the legislation in October.

 

The commission that Snitchler leads is overseeing implementation of Ohio's "25-by-25" standard, which requires power companies to get 25 percent of their electricity from alternative and advanced sources by 2025. Such standards are targeted for repeal under the legislative council's model bill.

 

Read more at:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/todd-snitchler-ohio-global-warming-denial_n_2575444.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Great, just what we need: some regressive troglodyte who wants to repeal our already half-assed green policy.

I think this was in the Dispatch a few weeks ago, when it came out that he had a Twitter account that he often used to slam green energy projects:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/01/12/puco-chief-blasts-green-energy-on-twitter.html (my favorite part of that is that he retweeted links from Pravda, indicating that he's not perhaps the most world-aware conservative out there)

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2013/01/15/quiet-puco-chairman-still-on-twitter.html

 

 

It gets better......if you can call this better.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/01/puco_hopefuls_political_ties_d.html#incart_river_default

 

PUCO hopeful's political ties draw scrutiny from Democrats as Gov. John Kasich reviews finalists

By Henry J. Gomez, Plain Dealer Politics Writer

on January 30, 2013 at 8:00 PM, updated January 30, 2013 at 8:02 PM Print

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When M. Beth Trombold applied for a seat on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in January 2012, she identified herself in a letter to the screening panel as a Republican.

 

Republican Gov. John Kasich didn't appoint her then. A year later, with the regulatory agency needing a Democrat or independent to fill a new vacancy, Trombold again is a finalist. But this time she is presenting herself as nonpartisan.

 

"Please note," she wrote to the panel in December, "that my political affiliation is Independent."

 

Democrats are scrutinizing Trombold's voting history and emphasizing her role in the Kasich administration as assistant director of the Ohio Development Services Agency. They believe Kasich is trying to stack the PUCO with allies despite state law that says no more than three of the commission's five members can be from the same political party.

More on Trombold, who has now been appointed:

 

http://www.plunderbund.com/2013/02/16/john-kasichs-puco-appointee-lied-on-her-job-applications/

So the new Ohio budget passed last week makes the base state sales tax 5.75% from 5.5%.  With the added piggyback taxes in Cuyhaga County for RTA and other items, we'll now have the highest tax in Ohio at 8%

 

Anyone know if the slight increase that was levied for the MedMart will drop off now that the facility is up & running?  Seems like we should be set for a rollback in theory from the increased revenue that this was supposed to deliver along with the casino revenue....

 

joking of course

It's a BOONDOGGLE!!!

 

Joking of course

So the new Ohio budget passed last week makes the base state sales tax 5.75% from 5.5%.  With the added piggyback taxes in Cuyhaga County for RTA and other items, we'll now have the highest tax in Ohio at 8%

 

 

 

 

 

What do you mean by NOW?  Since this is an across the board state sales tax increase doesn't Cuyahoga already have the highest sales tax rate in Ohio?

^good point, we've had the highest tax rate in the state for quite a while now of course.  We've probably just moved up to one of the highest rates in the midwest

So did the "broaden the base" sales tax scheme die while I wasn't paying attention?

Ohio isn't alone, but that still doesn't mean we have to like or accept it.....

 

Sunday, December 15th, 2013

Why State Legislatures Are Hostile to Big Cities

 

Public Sector, Inc. pointed me at a very interesting study that just came out in the American Political Science Review. Called “No Strength in Numbers: The Failure of Big-City Bills in American State Legislatures, 1880–2000” by Gerald Gamm and Thad Kousser, the study looks at bills affecting big cities, and why they so often fail to pass the legislature.

 

The authors do their analysis by looking at what they call “district bills”, that is, those that affect only a single city, county or other district, or a handful of such districts. Contrary to what you might think, most of these bills aren’t about money. Only 9% of them involved transferring money to the locality. Rather, the bills are about empowerment. As the study puts it, “Almost always, district bills traffic not in funds or major programs but in authority, granting the locality the ability to conduct its business as its leaders and representatives define that business.” The fact that such a bill is necessary suggests that indeed state legislatures like to keep localities under their thumbs, making cities come begging to be allowed to do things.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.urbanophile.com/2013/12/15/why-state-legislatures-are-hostile-to-big-cities/

I think a lot of the problem is that suburban Republicans align with their rural brethren. They---and a lot of their constituents---do not see value in working as a bloc representing an entire metro area. This may change as inner ring suburbs become more like core cities.

 

Another problem is that often a metro area may be a large core city surrounded by a crazy quilt of suburban entities. This diffuses political leadership and creates divisions that are hard to overcome.

Anybody know what prompted the NCH mayor to retire after so many years in office?

Interesting choice:

 

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/29/politics/va-nomination-bob-mcdonald/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Bill could save taxpayers, cities say it would cause drastic cuts

 

State Sen. Kris Jordan introduced the legislation earlier this year. It would prohibit municipalities from levying a tax on the incomes of people who work there but don’t live there.

It’s impossible to say how much eliminating taxes commuters would cost cities across Ohio because municipalities don’t track where the withholding comes from, Scarrett said. In some instances, cities could lose up to 60 to 70 percent of their revenue, he said.

 

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/bill-could-save-taxpayers-cities-say-it-would-caus/ng3M9/

Total flipping disaster. 

I'm torn on this issue, though I've been saying for years that we need some sort of local income tax reform. I just don't think it makes sense for employees to pay a full share of income taxes to the city in which they spend no more than 25-33% of their weekly hours and in which they use minimal services. If this were to pass, cities like Cleveland or Akron would have big problems. However I would feel no sympathy for cities like Beachwood or Independence, the residents of whom pay little in income taxes but who have gold-plated services (and overpaid government leaders) at the expense of non-residents.

 

I didn't read the article, but if this is passed, ideally I think that the cap on local income taxes (currently at about 2.75% I think) should be raised to maybe 4%. Either that, or still allow cities to tax non-residents, but cap it at .5 or .75% and raise the residential cap to around 3%.

 

Lost in all of this is something that has baffled me for years: Townships in Ohio do not have the authority to levy income taxes and yet somehow they survive...even the ones that have tens of thousands of residents, for instance Colerain near Cincinnati.

Two other thoughts here, since I'm on a roll:

 

1) Eliminating tax credits might help with closing some of the budget gap that would exist for many municipalities if this legislation goes through.

 

2) As much as anything that any politician could do, this might go a long way towards spurring more mergers and consolidations between municipalities.