:type:

Dramatic elections forecast

GOP scandals give Democrats best shot in years

Friday, February 17, 2006

Joe Hallett and Mark Niquette

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The races are set. Now comes the wild ride.

 

With candidates awash in campaign cash and Democrats fielding a strong slate of contenders, the elections for statewide offices this year promise to be the most competitive since 1990 — and the most expensive in Ohio history.

 

More at:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/17/20060217-A1-00.html

 

That would be true if the Democrats actually stood for anything.

 

I am a member of the new Third Party: THE MIDDLE CLASS.

 

Our campaign platform? OUR SURVIVAL

From the 2/17/06 PD:

 

Bill would wipe out 'pay-to-play'

Friday, February 17, 2006

Ted Wendling

Plain Dealer Bureau

 

Columbus -- Attorney General Jim Petro says allegations that a pay-to-play culture permeates Ohio politics are "largely a misperception," but that didn't dissuade him from proposing strong measures Thursday to wipe out the practice.

 

Petro has been stung by persistent reports that he has awarded unbid legal work to lawyers based on their willingness to contribute to his campaign. Although he has vehemently denied the accusations even as FBI agents interview the lawyers who are making them, he said his first initiative as governor would be to propose legislation prohibiting vendors from contributing to officeholders who award them contracts.

 

Petro said the bill would forbid an officeholder from awarding a contract to anyone who has given money to him or any other candidate or holder of the office within two years. It also would prohibit vendors from giving money to the campaign committees of the officeholder or any other candidate for that office during the contract and one year thereafter.

   

Full article at http://www.cleveland.com/open/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/isgov/1140177557149430.xml&coll=2

 

GOP expects to have upper hand in November’s races for legislature

House Democrats hope to pick up seats in Franklin County

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Jim Siegel and Mark Niquette

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

 

Republicans expect to remain firmly in control of the state House and Senate after the November 2006 elections, but Thursday’s filings show a number of interesting races shaping up across the state.

 

Republicans are running former Cleveland Browns star Tom Cousineau for a House seat near Akron, while Democrats are running Ted Celeste, the brother of former Gov. Richard F. Celeste, for a House seat in Franklin County.

 

More at:

http://dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/18/20060218-C9-01.html

 

KJP, I agree the American middle class is in danger. Advances in technology and outsourcing trends are wiping out good paying manufacturing jobs, shrinking the ranks of middle management, and even shifting skilled technical and professional jobs to other countries.  Combine that with the crushing-debt-for-diploma scheme that prevails in our postsecondary education system and even our college graduates that manage to find good jobs will be scraping by for years.

 

The best Ohio can do as a state is make college affordable by increasing funding to its public universities so they can reduce tuition. It also needs to make its cities attractive to educated people by fostering vibrant urban cores in order to retain Ohio grads and attract them from other states and countries.  These have not been priorities of the Republican hegemony, so it is time for them to go.

"Republicans expect to have about a 10-1 money advantage"

 

We have the best democracy money can buy.

 

Petro's plan from the 2/19/06 PD:

 

 

Keeping Ohioans living within their means

Plan ties spending to residents' earnings

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Julie Carr Smyth

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Lansing, Mich. -- When Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro decided to draw up a ballot issue that would put a cap on state spending, he looked to Michigan as a model.

 

For close to three decades, Michigan's Headlee Amendment has limited spending each year to a percentage of statewide personal income without wreaking havoc on the budget.

 

But ask most people in the state capital about the longstanding restriction, and they're likely to respond: "What restriction?" 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1140352218182650.xml&coll=2

 

From the 2/24/06 Dispatch:

 

 

Spending amendment’s petitions flawed, opponents say

Friday, February 24, 2006

Joe Hallett

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment to limit the amount of money state and local governments can spend are trying to knock it off the November ballot by challenging signature petitions in five counties, including Franklin.

 

The opponents said they will try to invalidate the ballot issue by eventually protesting about 25,000 signatures in dozens of counties.

 

The Tax and Expenditure Limitation amendment, championed by Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, a GOP candidate for governor, proposes to limit growth in state and local government budgets to 3.5 percent or the sum of the rates of inflation and population growth, whichever is higher.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060223/NEWS01/602230353/1056/rss02

 

From the 2/28/06 Dispatch:

 

Blackwell’s bills for lawyers are rising, Petro says

Controlling Board hears latest sniping

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

James Nash

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

   

Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell should look at his own skyrocketing tab for outside lawyers before criticizing gubernatorial rival Jim Petro for his expenditures, Petro said yesterday.  Petro, Ohio’s attorney general, has been sharply criticized by Blackwell for giving millions in state legal work to lawyers who contributed to Petro’s campaigns.  He returned fire yesterday at a meeting of the state Controlling Board.

 

Although neither Petro nor Blackwell addressed the board — the lawmakers who approve requests for special funding — their partisans continued to snipe at each other over Petro’s request for $2.06 million for outside lawyers and Blackwell’s request to pay a lawyer $50,000 to deal with challenges to a petition drive.

 

In the end, the Controlling Board approved both requests.  But the decision came after an outspoken Petro critic, state Sen. Ray Miller, D-Columbus, hammered a Petro aide over the office’s escalating legal bills and political contributions from many of the lawyers who get state work.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/02/28/20060228-D3-00.html

 

Boehner brings new name, style to office

Majority leader sends his message with jokes, a smile

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Jack Torry

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

WASHINGTON — The first change you noticed yesterday was cosmetic: John Boehner’s name on the front door of the office of the House Majority Leader rather than the nameplate that read "Tom DeLay."

 

The second change was the atmosphere inside the office where the majority leader conducts his weekly news conference. Instead of DeLay charging that the Democrats wanted to "tear down the House and burn it down to gain power" — as he did a year ago — Boehner engaged in lighthearted jokes, telling one male reporter, "Nice haircut. That’s the worst haircut I’ve ever seen you get."

 

More at:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/01/20060301-A3-00.html

 

Petro ordered University of Akron to change law firms, documents show

Associated Press

Wednesday, March 1, 2006 11:04 AM

 

AKRON, Ohio -- Legal documents that reveal Attorney General Jim Petro ordered the University of Akron to replace four law firms despite objections from the school's top lawyer have been made public by the university's board of trustees.

 

Trustees voted Tuesday to release the previously confidential documents, which include e-mails and letters between Ted Mallo, a school vice president and general counsel, and members of Petro's staff. The documents were released following a public records request by The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. Petro had told the university the documents were private, citing attorney-client privilege. Trustees said the privilege should be waived.

 

Petro, a Republican running for governor, has denied accusations from two lawyers who claim their firms lost legal work from the state because they refused to donate to Petro's 2002 campaign for attorney general. The lawyers have said they were interviewed by the FBI last month.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=169765

Hundreds of Ohioans Social Security numbers online

BY JON CRAIG | ENQUIRER COLUMBUS BUREAU

 

COLUMBUS – Hundreds, if not thousands, of Ohioans’ Social Security numbers are posted on the Secretary of State’s web site -- despite state and federal laws barring their public release.

 

Responding to a reader tip, the Enquirer checked certain records on Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's site. The Enquirer is withholding the exact type of data to protect people from identity theft.

 

More at:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060301/NEWS01/303010012

yeah, and aren't the ohio licenses supposed to be changing?

Were they just random ohioans or government employees or what?  Why would they have any reason to post SSNs in the first place?  I'd like to see the list to know if my SS number is released.

yeah, and aren't the ohio licenses supposed to be changing?

If it is, I hope it doesn't require me to go to the BMV... I'd rather piss out a kidney stone than have to go to the BMV  :oops:

Good job Kenny B!

I was almost upset until I heard Arnold Engel was involved.

Blackwell’s Web site lists Social Security numbers

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Matthew Marx

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

 

A link on the government Web site of Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell contains hundreds of Social Security numbers and birth dates on public documents stored there.

 

The personal data are listed on nationally standardized forms submitted by citizens and corporations could be mined by any identity thief with Internet access.

 

More at:

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/02/20060302-E6-04.html

Do noncitizens cheat Ohio?

 

Local congressmen sign on for amendment to change Census

 

BY MALIA RULON | www.ENQUIRER.com WASHINGTON BUREAU

 

WASHINGTON - A growing number of Ohio lawmakers are questioning whether illegal immigrants - and other noncitizens - should be included in the census count that's used to determine congressional representation. Right now, the U.S. Census counts every person every decade, meaning that noncitizens - including those who have entered the country illegally - are routinely counted along with U.S. citizens. Among other things, those numbers are used to determine how many members of Congress each state gets - and how many votes each state has in the Electoral College, which chooses the president.

 

"It's as if in some states, the ballot box gets stuffed and nobody has discovered it yet," said Rep. Mike Turner, a Republican who represents the Dayton area and northern Warren County and chairs the House Government Affairs' subcommittee on federalism and the census.

 

 

 

Your thoughts?

Counting people that aren't allowed to vote for the purpose of determining representation? Hmmm, where have we seen this before?

I see, it's the 0/5ths compromise!

Voting machine support costly

Elections boards and counties stunned by expense; state aid for training ends after primary

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Mary Beth Lane

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The cost of service contracts for new touchscreen voting machines has left county elections officials across Ohio in sticker shock.

 

Many say they need the extra — and expensive — technical support to program and run the machines properly and ensure the integrity of elections.

 

But a spokesman said Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell thinks counties can run the systems themselves after the May 2 primary election, when state-paid training and technical support ends.

 

More at:

http://dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/05/20060305-C1-00.html

 

New voting machines being road-tested

Elections officials taking tour to teach people to use devices

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Robert Vitale

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Before Franklin County residents vote for governor, senator and other high-and-mighty offices, they’ll make a really tough choice:

 

Chocolate, vanilla or strawberry?

 

With a countywide rollout of new voting machines set for the May 2 primary, elections officials are giving people a "sneak poke" at the touch-screen technology that, depending on one’s perspective, will be as easy or confounding as a trip through the self-checkout aisle at Kroger.

 

More at:

 

http://dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/05/20060305-C8-00.html

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060305/NEWS09/603050376/-1/NEWS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published March 5, 2006

 

Developing fued could split GOP's harmony

 

By STEVE EDER

and JAMES DREW

BLADE STAFF WRITERS

 

 

COLUMBUS - After nearly 16 years of near-perfect harmony in the Ohio GOP, a civil war is breaking out and Republicans are taking sides.

 

At the center of the battle is power broker Alex Arshinkoff, who for nearly three decades has served as chairman of the Summit County Republican Party, one of the state's premier county parties.

 

More at link above:

But Morrow County is still going with the punch card method, right?  :roll:

   

How Congress benefits from corporate flights

By Jim Drinkard, USA TODAY

 

WASHINGTON — It was a busy weekend last November for the flight crew of BellSouth's corporate jet. Over three days, they crisscrossed the Southeast, ferrying six U.S. senators, two of their wives, a trio of political consultants and two of the company's Washington lobbyists to Republican and Democratic fundraising events.

 

To charter a comparable Cessna Citation for that three-day itinerary would have cost $40,800, not including food and drinks. The two parties' campaign committees reimbursed BellSouth $8,364.94 for the flights, in line with campaign-finance rules that call for the equivalent of first-class commercial airfare for each traveler...

 

 

Find this article at:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-03-06-congress-flights-cover_x.htm 

 

And more from the Cleveland Plain Dealer

 

 

 

 

Congressional jet set

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

 

These politicians spent the most on private aircraft from 2001 through 2005, reimbursing corporations for letting them use their private jets and planes:

 

Candidate Amount 1. Rep. Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri $125,187 2. Rep. Michael Oxley, Republican of Findlay $108,710 3. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Republican of Georgia $101,795 4. Rep. Don Young, Republican of Arkansas $83,077 5. Sen. Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee $69,030 6. Rep. Tom Reynolds, Republican of New York $63,185 7. Rep. Tom DeLay, Republican of Texas $62,513 8. Rep. Billy Tauzin, Republican of Louisiana $57,920 9. Rep. Henry Bonilla, Republican of Texas $57,361

 

10. Rep. John Boehner, Republican of West Chester $55,898

 

 

 

© 2006 The Plain Dealer

© 2006 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

 

delightfully corrupt!

 

I recall flying back from a buisness trip to the DC area, and my fellow traveller said 'that guy in front is Tony Hall" (Tony Hall used to be the Congressman from Dayton).

 

as we where on one of those awfull teen-tiny shuttle jets, I though "no way", telling my coworker..."No way Jose....Heck, politicians fly on private jets or first class, they don't take little puddle jumpers and fly with the great unwashed like us!"

 

But sure enough, we landed in Dayton, and he got off the plane and the media was wating there on the tarmac to interview him..it really was Tony Hall flying on that puddle jumper.  I guess he didnt have enough corporate clout for a private jet.

Ohio GOP kingmaker faces serious threats in '06

Bennett-led party hit by scandals, infighting

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Julie Carr Smyth

Plain Dealer Bureau

 

Columbus- Behind every political rock star who calls himself an Ohio Republican, there is Bob Bennett.

 

Bennett, an accountant and lawyer from Cuyahoga County, has spent the last 18 years at the helm of the powerful Ohio Republican Party, a well-oiled, well-funded machine he views as a "service organization" for pub lic officials...

 

[email protected], 1-800-228-8272

 

© 2006 The Plain Dealer

© 2006 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

http://www.cleveland.com/open/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1142069832127180.xml&coll=2

Blackwell to settle suit, remove data from Web

Social Security numbers will be taken off Internet

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

James Nash

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell has bowed to legal and political pressure to remove thousands of Social Security numbers from business records posted on his official Web site.

 

Blackwell agreed yesterday to settle a lawsuit by buying software to remove Social Security numbers from 1.2 million documents posted on the secretary of state’s Web site. Newly posted Uniform Commercial Code forms, which contain information about business debts, will omit Social Security information, Blackwell’s office said.

 

Full story at:

http://dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/14/20060314-B4-03.html

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060314/NEWS24/603140394/-1/NEWS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published March 14, 2006

 

Columbus airport's tax break discussed in budget sessions

 

By JIM PROVANCE

BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU

 

 

COLUMBUS - An exclusive tax break bestowed upon a south Columbus cargo hub last year that had other hubs like Toledo and Findlay crying foul continues to be in dispute as lawmakers tackle a midterm budget correction bill today. Negotiations have focused on doing away with the advantage granted to warehouses and distribution centers at the federally designated foreign trade zone at Rickenbacker Airport. The geographic tax break would be replaced with an exemption for businesses meeting specific import-export criteria, regardless of where they're located.

 

"I don't believe state policy should negatively impact another region with the intention of helping another," said state Sen. Randy Gardner (R., Bowling Green). "The original language on foreign trade zones had that result for the Toledo port."

From the 3/16/06 Dispatch:

 

 

Researchers call spending-limits proposal ‘flawed’

Economy, schools would suffer, study says

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Mark Niquette

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A proposed Ohio constitutional amendment to limit government spending is better than similar versions in other states but still flawed — and Ohio "will pay dearly" if it is enacted, a new study concludes.

 

The Tax Expenditure Limitation amendment, or TEL, already is certified for the November ballot. Its goal: controlling state and local spending to ease the burden on taxpayers and help stimulate the economy.

 

But similar measures have hurt economies in other states, and the TEL would create serious budget problems for local governments and school districts, says the study released yesterday by Cleveland State University researchers.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/16/20060316-B3-00.html

 

From the 3/19/06 Enquirer:

 

 

Mallory joins N.Ky. mayors

Leaders talk coalition

BY ANDREA REMKE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

 

COVINGTON - About 30 leaders from Northern Kentucky cities gathered Saturday to discuss issues during the Kenton County Mayors Group meeting in Covington City Commission chambers. At the request of Covington Mayor Butch Callery, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory attended as the guest of honor, and spoke to the group about working together on regional issues.

 

"Cincinnati needs to thrive for all of us to thrive," Callery told the group of mayors and city leaders.

 

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060319/NEWS0103/603190453/1059/rss13

 

<i>I find it interesting that even NKY suburbs know how important it is to have a vital DT Cincy, yet the paved-over farmland of West Chester, etc are in la-la land.</i>

 

<b>Region's mayors urge cooperation</b>

 

Post staff report

 

Northern Kentucky mayors say collaborating with Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory could lead to more tourism and less crime. Mallory was a guest at Saturday's meeting of the Kenton County Mayors Group, where he spoke for 40 minutes, answered a dozen questions and joined in a discussion of regional issues. Topics included the possibility of teaming with southeastern Indiana to promote tourism in the area and the importance of cutting crime in Cincinnati.

 

"Since it's probably going to be years before Kentucky and Ohio have casino gaming, we talked about how we can work with Indiana (which has casino gaming near Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky) to promote our area," said Covington Mayor Butch Callery.

 

 

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060320/NEWS01/603200356

 

Legislators try to save tax exemption for Rickenbacker

Taft threatens veto, saying proposal frees too many from commercial-activities levy

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Jim Siegel

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Republican lawmakers moved yesterday to save a highly coveted state tax exemption for companies with major distribution operations at Rickenbacker Airport, but Gov. Bob Taft is threatening a veto.

 

A budget-correction bill that passed a House committee 28-3 last night also would expand eligibility for the state schoolvoucher program, re-authorize $1.7 billion for ongoing construction projects and scrap Taft’s plan to consolidate 20 state regulatory boards.

 

[email protected]

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/21/20060321-B3-00.html

Ex-watchdog vying for PUCO seat

William Spratley, former Ohio consumers’ counsel, among 4 candidates to replace commissioner

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Alan Johnson

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

 

Ohio’s first and most aggressive watchdog for residential-utility customers is one of four candidates vying for a spot on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

 

William A. Spratley, 58, served as Ohio consumers’ counsel from 1977 until 1993, when he resigned under pressure after battling with state lawmakers, including powerful House Speaker Vernal G. Riffe Jr., over funding for his agency...

 

[email protected]

http://www.dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/22/20060322-D1-02.html

 

From the 3/22/06 Dayton Daily News:

 

 

House backs change in count

Amendment would count only citizens in apportionment

By William Hershey

Dayton Daily News

 

COLUMBUS | —The Ohio House on Tuesday became the first state legislative body to give formal support to a proposed constitutional amendment to count only U.S. citizens when it comes to apportioning U.S. House seats among the states.

 

The vote on the resolution was 71-24, with all no votes coming from Democrats. The resolution, which now goes to the Ohio Senate, urges Congress to support the amendment.

 

http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0322house.html

 

House expands business tax cuts

Taft balks at 2010 losses estimated at $60 million

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Sandy Theis

Plain Dealer Bureau Chief

 

Columbus - Legislators voted Wednesday to expand a coveted tax break to all Ohio companies with major warehouse operations, rather than reserve the exemption for those housed at south Columbus' Rickenbacker Port Authority.

 

While the change pacified some business leaders, it irritated Gov. Bob Taft, who is threatening to veto it.

 

[email protected], 1-800-228-8272

 

© 2006 The Plain Dealer

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1143106869137250.xml&coll=2

Pure stupidity and bigotry.

If we are talking purely on representation, then I think that it makes sense.  It's bad enough that despite growing Ohio and similar states are losing representation.

 

 

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060325/NEWS09/603250380/-1/NEWS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published March 25, 2006

 

Democrats view Ohio as fertile territory in '08

Potential presidential candidates start with fund-raising for '06 races

 

By JIM TANKERSLEY

BLADE POLITICS WRITER

 

 

The first official Democratic presidential primary is nearly two years away. But an unofficial, cash-driven "preprimary" is raging already in the state that tipped the 2004 presidential election.

 

Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and several other Democrats with eyes on the 2008 presidential campaign are lining up to raise money for Ohio Democrats in 2006. Analysts say they are bringing mixed motives with them...

 

 

More at above link:

'Ohio is ground zero' in critical House battles

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Elizabeth Auster

Plain Dealer Bureau

 

Washington- Mary Jo Kilroy has her pitch down pat. Sitting in a Washington restaurant, wearing a dark pinstripe suit and a serious expression, the 56-year-old Democratic pol from Columbus calmly explains why she thinks she can knock out one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress.

 

First, she says, Ohioans are sick of Republicans' "appalling record of political corruption" and eager to send a message "that it's time for a change." Second, she says, she has the muscle and the message to beat Rep. Deborah Pryce, who ranks fourth in the House GOP leadership.

 

More at:

http://www.cleveland.com/politics/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1143279495124850.xml&coll=2

I like the fact that the Buckeye State is such a politically important state :)

What do we get out of it, except more political ads?

Political bitchslappings from the "loser" party of the time.

 

"Damn you Ohio for Bush!"-type of rhetoric.

Petro donors reap collection work

Sunday, March 26, 2006

James Nash

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Charles A. Mifsud II was just 27 and barely two years out of law school when he went into business with a lofty ambition: to become the top debt collector for the state of Ohio. He took out a $150,000 loan to buy computers and other equipment to track down scofflaws and get them to pay. And Mifsud made another investment, this one in the political career of the man who chooses the lawyers who collect money owed to state agencies.

 

Mifsud cut three checks totaling $1,000 to Jim Petro in 2001 and 2002 during Petro’s campaign for attorney general. The young lawyer also dropped $16,500 into the coffers of the Ohio Republican Party, which supported Petro in his successful 2002 campaign. 

 

In three years, Mifsud rocketed from small-time work — pocketing less than $27,000 in 2002 — to realize his goal of being Ohio’s top debt collector. The son of the late Paul Mifsud — longtime chief of staff to former Gov. George V. Voinovich — received more than $1.4 million last year from his work for the state.

 

Full article at http://dispatch.com/news/news.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/26/20060326-A1-04.html

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060326/NEWS24/603260335/-1/NEWS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article published March 26, 2006

 

Lawyers who gave to GOP got state work

$170M in legal fees went to contributors

By STEVE EDER and JAMES DREW

BLADE STAFF WRITERS

 

COLUMBUS - Lawyers who contributed more than $1.8 million to an obscure Ohio Republican Party fund that backed the campaigns of Jim Petro and Betty Montgomery for attorney general have received more than $170 million in legal fees working for the attorney general's office since 1998, a Blade investigation shows.

 

An analysis of payment records from the attorney general's office to "special counsel" - private-sector lawyers hired to do legal work for the state - reveals that the firms that contributed the largest amounts of money to the Ohio Republican Party state candidate fund received among the most in fees from the state.

 

Menaced by Blackwell's knife

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Brent Larkin

Plain Dealer Columnist

 

While Ken Blackwell was campaign ing in Toledo on Wednesday, a per fect storm was gathering around him in Greater Cleveland - the type of storm with the potential to spread throughout Ohio and wipe out his candidacy for governor.

 

At the suggestion of the Republican mayor of Bay Village, about 140 local public officials gathered in Warrensville Heights to learn details of Blackwell's ballot initiative to limit government spending.

 

At the end of the two-hour session hosted by the Cuyahoga Mayors and City Managers Association, there was unanimous agreement about the need to wage an aggres- sive campaign against Blackwell's sloppily written Tax and Expenditure Limitation (TEL).

 

http://www.cleveland.com/open/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1143279700124850.xml&coll=2

President showing signs of losing support among Ohio Republicans

Monday, March 27, 2006

Darrel Rowland and Catherine Candisky

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

 

While Donna G. Pariseau’s son was home from Iraq on leave, his squad was blown up in a Humvee.

 

Everyone was killed except the driver, who remains in a coma.

 

It was the driver who was taking her son Ethan’s place...

 

Dispatch reporters Alan Johnson, Mark Niquette, Jonathan Riskind, Jim Siegel and Jack Torry contributed to this story.

 

[email protected]

 

[email protected]

 

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/03/27/20060327-A1-04.html

What do we get out of it, except more political ads?

 

More political ads means more money for Ohio businesses

 

 

Since Ohio is a premere swing state it would be nice if we had a viable candidate for President in 08'. If he got the backing of his own state he would be sure to win thereby bringing all the pork to Ohio...Look what Bush and Delay did with Texas, I vacationed in Houston and Dallas late last year and those cities look amazing they also have great economy. Coincidence, I think not!