Bill introduced to teach Founding Documents in Ohio Schools

Imagine that.... teaching the children in our schools about the Founding Documents of our country -- What a novel idea! 

From WMD --

COLUMBUS—House Majority Whip John Adams (R-Sidney) recently introduced legislation that will incorporate the study of historically significant government documents into the educational curriculum of Ohio students.

Specifically, House Bill 211 will require that the social studies curriculum for elementary and secondary students in grades 4-12 includes the study of the following:

• Declaration of Independence
• Northwest Ordinance
• Constitution of the United States (with emphasis on the Bill of Rights)
• Ohio Constitution

“We can’t expect our children to understand and defend the rights and freedoms the Founding Fathers intended for us—and that many people have died for—if they don’t have an understanding of how these documents led to the system of government we have today,” Adams said. “By giving these young people an understanding of our heritage, we are better preparing them to be active and productive citizens down the road.”

 

The study of these documents has recently been diminished in the standards and curricula developed by the Ohio Department of Education during the previous administration. If passed, the State Board of Education would be required to revise the standards and curricula to include the additional content.

For text of HB 211, click here.

"Deal in the District" Letter to Congressman Steve LaTourette

Below is a copy of the letter submitted to the local district office of Congressman Steve LaTourette as part of the Tea Party Patriots "Deal in the District" initiative....

Congressman Steve LaTourette

10075 Ravenna Rd

Twinsburg, OH  44087

April 28, 2011

Dear Congressman LaTourette,

The undersigned Tea Party groups, on behalf of our members in your district, respectfully submit this letter for your review and timely response.

We are at a critical crossroads in American history. With the lengthy time you have served this district, we are confident you are aware that when elected to serve in a representative republic, you are duty bound to reflect the will of your constituents. 

As you know, a deal was made on April 8th between Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Harry Reid, and President Obama to continue appropriations for the remainder of fiscal year 2011. You should be aware that this deal fell way short of the expectations of the American people and the constituents in your district. 

It is to our extreme disappointment that your recent votes on the Continuing Resolutions, defunding the NPR, the defunding of the EPA, and continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2011 are not reflective of the will of your constituents.  Collectively, we also find that the talking points from you and the GOP leadership on why you were not able to do the job you pledged to do  - that being $100 Billion in cuts - are completely unacceptable.  That a “Deal” on the continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2011 was deceivingly portrayed to be $38.5 billion in cuts and was proven to only be $352 million in cuts is beyond comprehension and a total affront to the constituents you were sworn to represent in your district.

In all due respect, you were elected to speak for, and on behalf of the constituents in your district. You were not elected to make phantom deals with the establishment in D.C. that will negatively affect the future of our country on our behalf, against our wishes and at the expense of future generations.  With this, we respectfully request that you stand for and with the people you were elected to represent by agreeing to support the following Deal in your District;

• Vote against any tax increases.
• Meet the GOP Pledged $100 Billion in spending cuts – NOT budget cuts.
• Stand against raising the Debt Ceiling in any way, shape or form.
• Support the Full Faith and Credit Act to assure our obligations are paid.
• Support all votes to de-fund in its’ entirety or portion thereof Obamcare
• Vote NO on any budget bill proposed after May 1, 2011 that does not make at least $1 trillion in spending cuts.

Congressman LaTourette, we are asking, will you listen to the people you represent and support this deal in your district?

As your response will be made public, and in the interest of brevity, clarity and accuracy, please respond by May 6, 2011 to each individual item with an affirmative or negative answer followed by an explanation of your position if you wish. 

In closing, we want to thank you for your time and giving our letter your prompt and undivided attention. We look forward to your timely and written response.

Thank You,

Arzella Melnyk                                              Tom Zawistowski

Coordinator                                                   Executive Director

Geauga/Lake Tea Party Patriots                     Portage County Tea Party

Mike Petruziello                                             Jean C. Coe

President                                                        Organizer

Geauga County Tea Party                               Geauga 9.12 Patriots

Ralph King                                                     Diana Price

State Co-Coordinator (OH)                             Coordinator

Tea Party Patriots                                         Cleveland 9.12 Group

Ohio " We the People" Convention

We the People Convention, Inc.

4682 State Route 43 • Kent, Ohio • 44240 • 866-427-9257

For Immediate Release: April 12, 2011


WE THE PEOPLE CONVENTION SET FOR JULY 1-2 IN COLUMBUS

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The first-annual “We the People Convention” – a gathering of citizens interested in participating in the governing process as provided by the Ohio and US Constitutions  – will be held in Columbus, Ohio on July 1-2, 2011 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center and will feature nationally known political analyst Dick Morris as a keynote speaker. Candidates who declare their intention to run for President of the United States in 2012 will also be invited and expected to attend the two-day event.

“Our mission statement is clear. The purpose of this statewide convention shall be to recruit, educate, and motivate Ohio citizens at the grassroots level to perform their constitutionally defined role in the governance of their townships, municipalities, and counties, as well as in our state and nation, by providing opportunities, knowledge, and training to ensure limited constitutional governance,” said Tom Zawistowski, president of We the People Convention, Inc.

The convention was announced today in a press conference at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. We the People Convention, Inc., is a state registered 501(c) 4 non-profit educational corporation based in Columbus. Zawistowski also announced the formation of a new State Political Action Committee (PAC) called the Ohio Citizens PAC which will host two dinners around the convention to raise money for Patriot groups around the state. The PAC dinner on Friday, July 1, 2011 will feature Morris, while the dinner on Saturday night, July 2, 2011 is expected to feature presidential candidates. 

Zawistowski added, “Our goal is to educate citizens about the political process and the effects of that process on governance. For many of us in the Patriot Movement, it is clear that we have the government we have because we have not fully participated in the political process as is provided by the Ohio and U.S. Constitutions. If we are not happy with the government we have, it is up to “We the People” to change the direction of government through our participation. However, based on recent experience, we have found that regular citizens have not been able to exercise their rights effectively primarily due to a lack of understanding of how things work. The goal of this convention is to rectify that situation.”

“We expect to attract, conservative citizens from all parts of the political spectrum.  Some will be members and leaders of TEA Party and 912 groups, others will be devotees of tax reform, gun rights, states rights and other conservative issues.”

The We the People Convention will consist of two days of educational breakout sessions, interspersed with major national figures speaking at luncheons and at two evening dinners being hosted by the Ohio Citizens PAC on Friday and Saturday night of the Convention.  Additional speakers will be announced as they are contracted. The website for the Convention is located at www.WethePeopleConvention.org. 

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Donald Trump: Property Rights & Eminent Domain

While the outspoken Donald Trump is bringing a refreshing flavor to the GOP presidential jockeying for 2012, a respect of property rights over a plundering of property rights through the use of state-sponsored eminent domain for his projects should raise some questions....

From NRO --

In a free market, there’s a pretty simple process for dealing with the situation that arises when one person covets another’s belongings: The coveter makes an offer to purchase them. If the offer is rebuffed, the coveter can make a new proposal, but he cannot simply take what he wants. It’s an effective way of recognizing the impracticality of the Tenth Commandment while enforcing the Eighth.

Donald Trump’s covetous nature is not in dispute, but what many may forget is that he’s no great respecter of the admonition not to steal, either: The man has a track record of using the government as a hired thug to take other people’s property.

This is called, of course, “eminent domain.” The Constitution’s Fifth Amendment allows the government to take private property for “public use,” so long as “just compensation” is paid. In the infamous 2005 Kelo decision, the Supreme Court held that “public use” could include, well, private use, so long as the new property owner paid more in taxes than the previous one. In other words, it allowed developers and the government to gang up on homeowners. The developer gets more land, the government gets more tax money. The only losers are the original owner and his property rights.

A decade and a half ago, it was fresh on everyone’s mind that Donald Trump is one of the leading users of this form of state-sanctioned thievery. It was all over the news. In perhaps the most-remembered example, John Stossel got the toupéed one to sputter about how, if he wasn’t allowed to steal an elderly widow’s house to expand an Atlantic City casino, the government would get less tax money, and seniors like her would get less “this and that.” Today, however, it takes a push from the Club for Growth to remind us of Trump’s lack of respect for property rights. More....

Obama Appoints Former SEIU Official to Investigate Union Corruption

Hat tip to Weasel Zippers (via Big Government) --

Former SEIU Official appointed by Obama to investigate Union Corruption, Cuts number of Investigators (Big Government)

Ryan's Budget Passes House

From National Review Online --

The House has adopted Rep. Paul Ryan’s 2012 budget resolution, which would cut $6 trillion in spending over the next 10 years, on a 235-193 vote. No Democrats voted for the plan.

Here’s Ryan in advance of the vote on the House floor:

OH Senate Passes Bill Eliminating Death Tax

From the Columbus Dispatch --

A bill to eliminate Ohio's estate tax in 2013 passed a Senate committee yesterday, a move local governments see as another potential blow to their already strained budgets.

But supporters say it's time for Ohio to eliminate a tax that they say drives wealthy seniors out of the state.

"Repealing Ohio's death tax will help keep more of our family farms in business, and it will also help keep more of our small business owners and the jobs they create here in Ohio," said Sen. Kris Jordan, R-Powell, the sponsor of Senate Bill 90.

An identical bill passed a House committee in mid-February but has not yet come up for a full House vote. GOP leaders in the House and Senate say they want to eliminate the estate tax, but they first want to finish up the two-year budget to get a clear understanding of the cuts that governments will face. More....

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Congress & the Monkey Theory

From Politically Incorrect Gazette --

If you start with a cage containing five monkeys and inside the cage, hang a banana on a string from the top and then you place a set of stairs under the banana, before long a monkey will go to the stairs and climb toward the banana.

As soon as he touches the stairs, you spray all the other monkeys with cold water. After a while another monkey makes an attempt with same result... all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put the cold water away. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and attempts to climb the stairs. To his shock, all of the other monkeys beat the crap out of him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys, replacing it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment... with enthusiasm.

Then, replace a third original monkey with a new one, followed by a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him up have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs. Neither do they know why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

Finally, having replaced all of the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys will have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, none of the monkeys will try to climb the stairway for the banana.

Why, you ask? Because in their minds... that is the way it has always been!

This, my friends, is how Congress operates and is why, from time to time, all of the monkeys need to be REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME!

RSC Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4) to Oppose Spending Deal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE			Contact: Brian Straessle
April 12, 2011				(202) 226-9717

RSC Chairman Jordan to

Oppose FY 2011 Spending Deal

Washington, DC – Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan issued the following statement expressing opposition to the compromise spending deal struck for the remainder of FY 2011.

“I thank the Republican leadership for their efforts to cut spending and rein in Washington.  In January, the RSC launched an effort to cut a full $100 billion from President Obama’s budget, and nearly every Republican voted in favor of making those fiscally-responsible cuts.  By contrast, the tax-and-spend Democrats failed to pass their own budget last year, failed to take action on our spending plan this year, and never came up with a plan of their own.”

“While I respect that some of my Republican colleagues will ultimately support this spending deal, I believe voters are asking us to set our sights higher.  The debate is now turning to next year’s budget and the debt ceiling, both of which offer real opportunities to chart a better future than the one toward which the country is currently headed.  Making a real impact will require the discipline to do the right thing even when it’s the hard thing.  Americans want us to reach higher, act bolder, and remember the job we were sent here to do.”

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RPCC to Choose New Member For Cuyahoga County Board of Elections

There will soon be a new face on the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Republican Party of Cuyahoga County (RPCC) Chairman Rob Frost, citing professional and political reasons, has stepped down from his post on the this past Monday.

From the PD --

Rob Frost, one of two Republican members on the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, resigned Monday.


"I went over there reluctantly and a job needed to be done, and I feel we really have gotten the agency running better," Frost, who was appointed in May 2007, said.

Frost, a lawyer and paid chairman of the county's Republican Party, said the timing is driven by "professional and political reasons." His last day is April 15.

Frost's replacement on the BOE will be determined by a vote of the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County Executive Committee.  After this process, Secretary of State John Husted will confirm or reject the recommendation.

The troubling thing is that the political gamesmanship & chicanery started in full force almost simultaneously with Frost's announcement.  If we didn't know any better (sarcasm), it almost appeared choreographed. 

RPCC favorite, Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland, with tacit RPCC approval, began contacting members of the RPCC Executive Committee immediately after Frosts resignation.  Sutherland, while maybe a 'nice' lady, falls far short of the free-thinking person willing to stand for the right thing when it is needed. 

To back this up , we would submit the following;

In 2007, when an Interchange was to be built in Avon at I-90, Sutherland who supported the interchange, which at that time would have been funded mostly by the developers, in siding with the Cuyahoga County Democrats, she threatened to pull her support unless there was a 'tax-sharing' plan....

Earlier this week, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan and Bay Village Mayor Deborah Sutherland all said they would vote against the interchange unless Avon agreed to share revenues from the site ...

This interchange is now the topic of great dissent in Avon, as the City, after the original deal falling through, is now trying to force a select few residents and businesses to bear a $9 million portion of the project.

Mayor Sutherland, in her role as Mayor of Bay Village and President of the Cuyahoga County Mayors & City Managers Association, was a staunch supporter and cheerleader for the forced sales tax increase imposed by Cuyahoga County to pay for the Med Mart, a Greater Cleveland Partnership and then County Commissioner Taxin' Tim Hagan driven project. 

At the time there was strong support within the RPCC Central & Executive Committee to put this corporate welfare tax on the ballot -- Sutherland REFUSED to support the initiative to put this tax on the ballot. 

It was only after 1 year of this forced sales tax increase imposed against the will of the people that Sutherland, unhappy with the lack of progress, flip-flopped and called for a "tax timeout." 

Mayor Sutherland has shown she will make decisions just to get along and/or to further her political career and partisan standing.  Sutherland's actions have shown her initial decisions, because they are based not on good policy but on self-interest, are short sighted and can cause irreparable effects on citizens, businesses and the community as a whole.

Now that the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has been vastly improved, can we afford having it turn back into the Cuyahoga County 'Bored" of Elections?

With the responsibility of being on the Board of Elections, and with the Unions and hardcore ACORN type activities we can expect in the 2011 & 2012 elections, we cannot afford someone that will compromise the integrity of the election process - just to get along with the Cuyahoga County Democrats or further their political career at the expense of voting integrity.  

TPP's Mark Meckler on Hardball with Chris Matthews

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Spending Cuts are a Hollow Victory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Ralph King
Clevelandteaparty@gmail.com
 April 9, 2011

                                                                               

HOLLOW VICTORY

Tea Party Patriots Criticize Minimal Budget Cuts

(CLEVELAND) - Today, Tea Party Patriots, the nation's largest tea party organization, criticized the minimal cuts made in a last-minute budget deal between both Houses of Congress and President Obama.

"In the seven days preceding last night's deal, our nation's debt increased by $54.1 billion.  And now our 'leaders' are touting as 'historic' the $38.5 billion in spending cuts for the rest of fiscal year 2011,"  said Mark Meckler, Co-Founder and National Coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots.  "Leadership requires bold, visionary action in times of crisis.  Are we getting bold, visionary leadership in Washington, DC?  We think the numbers speak for themselves."

"Democrats in the Senate and White House have obstructed any real move towards pulling our country back from the fiscal abyss," said Jenny Beth Martin, also a Co-Founder and National Coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots.  "While our nation increased its deficit by $223,000,000,000 (Two Hundred and Twenty-Three Billion Dollars) in February, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid characterized $61,000,000,000 in proposed Republican spending cuts as 'extreme and draconian.'"  

"We want to thank all those in Congress who stood with the tea party movement against the pressure by their leadership of both Houses and the President," said Ralph King, Coordinator of the Cleveland Tea Party Patriots and State (OH) Co-Coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots.  "We are extremely disappointed with the Ohio Freshmen in Congress for siding with the GOP establishment but want to applaud Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4) and Rep Steve Chabot (OH-1) for standing strong strong against the continued wave of spending and irresponsibility."

Tea Party Patriots is a national grassroots coalition with more than 3,000 locally organized chapters and more than 15 million supporters nationwide.  Tea Party Patriots is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government, and free markets.  Visit Tea Party Patriots online at www.TeaPartyPatriots.org.

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Cleveland's 3rd Annual Tax Day Tea Party

Cleveland's

3rd Annual Tax Day Tea Party

Tired of the EPA regulating your life?

Do you believe in Liberty & Freedom?

Sick of Rising Water, Sewer & Utility Bills?

Disgusted with Government Waste & Spending?

Want to help turn around Ohio?

Join Us & Be Heard!

(Click for Map Directions)

   Saturday April 16th,  2011 

 Voinovich Park 11am - 1pm 

Our fight to restore Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and the Free Markets in our country is far from over!

Want Health Care Freedom in Ohio?

Help continue the fight against Obama Care in Ohio! Come and learn more about the Tea Party Patriots Ohio Health Care Compact and how you can step up and help with The Ohio Project against the Obama Care Forced Health Insurance Mandate.

Hear Ohio Coal Association President Mike Carey and how you can help stop the EPA from their continued use of the Clean Air & Clean Water Acts as a Hammer & Sickle against the American people. This is the same EPA, through the Clean Water Act that is FORCING the $3 Billion in repairs that will cause your sewer bill to increase 300%!

Learn from People's Constitutional Coalition of Ohio (PCCOH) on how you can help get involved in restoring the rights of Ohio as granted by the U.S. Constitution. Tea Party favorite, former OH Rep Seth Morgan, now with American's For Prosperity in OH, will be on hand to talk about AFP's Ohio 180 Degrees program.

The ever-energetic Tom Zawistowski of the Portage County Tea Party will be there with exciting news about the "We the People" convention, the first ever state-wide Tea Party/ Liberty group gathering in Ohio. 

Conservative Columnist, Author, Blogger & Comedian, Eric Golub of Tygrrr Express will also be there entertaining us with his witty political views & humor. Local favorite's Theo Wilson will be addressing the crowd and Matt Brakey will be there delivering a message from our Founding Fathers. For Speaker Bio's click here.

Keeping us rocki', live entertainment will be provided the Deja Voodoo Band, Northeast Ohio's Premier Rockin' Blues Band.

OH Supreme Court will Review Smoking Ban in Ohio

From 1851 Center for Constitutional Law  --

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Matt Henderson at (614) 499-6602    

High Court will Review Smoking Ban Constitutionality

Legality of Ban's Application to Bars, Health Department Enforcement in Dispute

COLUMBUS (April 6, 2011) - The Supreme Court of Ohio today agreed to become the first state supreme court in the nation to determine whether a statewide smoking ban violates bar owners' property rights.  The Court also agreed to review whether the Ohio Department of Health has consistently exceeded its authority in fining business owners under the ban.

The case is brought by the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, an Ohio-based public interest law firm, on behalf of Zeno's Victorian Village, a family-owned Columbus tavern. 

The Center argues the smoking ban unconstitutionally deprives business owners of fundamental property rights.  It also argues that the state health officials' methods while enforcing the ban exceed their unconstitutional authority and is at odds with the plain language of the ban. The legal center's Motion for Jurisdiction is available here.

"Irrespective of what one thinks of the merits of this law, it was never intended to result in the indiscriminate imposition of $5,000 citations on innocent business owners," said 1851 Center Executive Director Maurice Thompson.  "These enforcement complications are largely a function of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole:  local taverns are not public property, and owners of these properties have a right to decide how their indoor air is used, just as potential patrons have a right to freely enter or exit."

The 1851 Center believes this will be Ohio's most important decision on property rights since the Ohio Supreme Court decided Norwood v. Horney in 2006, prohibiting takings of private property for economic development.  "In Norwood, the Court called Ohioans' property rights, including the right to use property, 'fundamental' and 'sacrosanct,'" said Thompson.  "This case will determine whether the Court really meant that."

After a politically-charged filing against Zeno's by then-Attorney General Richard Cordray, a Franklin County Common Pleas court ruled that state and local health officials had overstepped their authority in enforcing the law.  "When an individual is asked to stop smoking but refuses, liability is transferred from the property owner to the individual," Judge David E. Cain wrote in his February 2010 decision.

The Ohio attorney general appealed the decision to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which overturned the lower court and prompted the current appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court. 

The Ohio Licensed Beverage Association, Buckeye Liquor Permit Holders Association, Ohio Liberty Council, COAST, and the Ohio Freedom Alliance filed amicus briefs with the high court supporting the 1851 Center's position, and asking the Court to review the case.

The 1851 Center for Constitutional Law is a non-profit, non-partisan legal center dedicated to protecting the constitutional rights of Ohioans from government abuse. The center litigates constitutional issues related to property rights, voting rights, regulation, taxation, and search and seizures.



Tea Party Patriot Groups in Ohio Announce the Ohio Health Care Compact

For Immediate Release

April 4, 2011

Contact:
Marianne Gasiecki
(419)961-4439

Ohio Tea Party Patriot Groups announce

Ohio Health Care Compact

We will be taking Control of our Health Care One Step at a Time!



Ohio - As part of the Tea Party Patriots & The Health Care Compact Alliance 50 state initiative to enact interstate compacts specifically for health care, the Tea Party Patriot groups of OH are proud to announce the Ohio Health Care Compact!

 

The Ohio Health Care Compact is the key to true freedom when it comes to health care in Ohio. The Ohio Health Care Compact is in the beginning stages and we expect legislation to be introduced into the Ohio legislature in the immediate future.

 

Gary Young, coordinator for the North Ridgeville Tea Party Patriots and Coordinator for the Ohio Health Care Compact stated, "a health care compact in Ohio will be the key to our state's economic freedom and give us the means to specifically address and fix the health care concerns and funding in our state."

 

Already introduced in half a dozen other states, the Health Care Compacts are quickly becoming a big hit for states looking to take back control of their health care and move the decision making process away from federal bureaucrats and closer to the people. Shifting the responsibility of health care decisions closer to the people will give the states more flexibility in combating the rising costs of medicaid/medicare and health care in general.

 

The Ohio Health Care Compact, when enacted will not conflict with any efforts to repeal Obama Care or repealing of the health insurance mandate -- in fact it will enhance and make these efforts stronger!

 

To learn more about the Ohio Health Care Compact, please click here.

 

Ohio Tea Party Patriots Groups

Buckeye Lake TPP * Cleveland TPP * Geauga/Lake TPP * Lorain County 9.12 TPP * Mansfield TPP * Medina TPP * Morrow County TPP * New American Patriots TPP * Newark (OSU Campus) TPP * North Ridgeville TPP * Stark County TPP * Zanesville TPP

# # #

Time To Defund Ohio Commission on Hispanic Latino Affairs (OCHLA)

Now we need to defund the Ohio Commission on Hispanic Latino Affairs (OCHLA). OCHLA is an Ohio state agency created in 1977 to advise the Governor, General Assembly and other state agencies on the needs of Spanish-speaking citizens. OCHLA, receiving in excess of $500,000 from the State of OH and has routinely operated as an ACORN type group by actively lobbying the state legislature to provide favorable treatment for illegal aliens in Ohio. 
 
A complaint against OCHLA has been filed with Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles in 2010, but Charles, who was reappointed by Governor Kasich as Ohio Inspector General, did his best to ignore the complaint.
 
It would also be a safe bet that OCHLA most likely played a hand in the Justice Dept. singling out Cuyahoga County and demanding they print bilingual ballots at an extra cost of $500,00 for the past 2010 elections.

From the Grassroots Rally Team of Ohio --

Time to Defund Ohio Commission on Hispanic Latino Affairs (OCHLA)

Latino Affairs Director Defends Budget Before House Committee

OCHLA is hoping to continue to be funded with our tax dollars. When legislation has been introduced to help stop the influx of illegal immigrants into Ohio, OCHLA has been there to give opposing testimony. We expect our elected officials to protect us from the ill effects of illegal immigration and yet OCHLA uses our tax dollars to oppose this.

In testimony defending their current funding level of over $340,000 from Lilleana Cavanaugh, Executive Director of Ohio Latino Affairs Commission, calls this a modest investment for a more positive social and cultural impact for the State of Ohio.  (Click here to read full testimony).

Just two of the many testimonies from OCHLA:

S.B. 238 -

"... thank you for the opportunity to testify in opposition to Sb 238, which prohibits undocumented immigrant workers from receiving injury compensation from the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC).  My name is Florentina Staigers, and I am the Policy Director of the Ohio Latino Affairs Commission...."

" The immigration system is broken and this bill is yet another attempt to deal with some of the effects of that broken system by deterring undocumented immigrants from seeking work in Ohio." (Click here to read full testimony)

S.B. 35 & S.B. 150 - 

Bill SB 35 reads: "To enact section 109.45 of the Revised Code to direct the Attorney General to pursue of Memorandum of Agreement that permits the Enforcement of Federal Immigration Laws in the State of Ohio by Law Enforcement Officers."

In permitting the Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law, both criminal and civil is not a clever way to resolve this dilemma om Immigration. This BILL is going to cause the State consequences, not only economical, but political as well.  Not everybody that dictates the Law, knows or has witnessed what happened when an ignorant Law Enforcement Officer approaches our Hispanic/Latino people. (Click here to read full testimony).

(Lupe Williams was an OCHLA commissioner when she gave this testimony.)

Please contact the following Subcommittee members, and ask that OCHLA be defunded:
Representative John Carey / ChairPhone: (614) 466-1366
Fax: (614) 719-6987

Representative Ron MaagPhone: (614) 644-6023
Fax: (614) 719-3589

Representative Gerald L. StebeltonPhone: (614) 466-8100
Fax: (614) 719-0005

Representative Matt LundyPhone: (614) 644-5076
Fax: (614) 719-3957

Representative Debbie PhillipsPhone: (614) 466-2158
Fax: (614) 719-6992

Public testimony will be heard on this issue next week:
Date: Thursday, April 7, 2011
Time: 10:00 AM
Room: 122

If you plan on giving testimony, please have 25 copies of written testimony to summit to the Chairman prior to the hearing. You are also required to fill out a Witness Information form prior to testifying.

To email the above Houe members, please cut, copy and paste the below emails...

district87@ohr.state.oh.us, district57@ohr.state.oh.us, district35@ohr.state.oh.us, district5@ohr.state.oh.us, district92@ohr.state.oh.us

City of Avon, OH: A Plundering of the People

Patriots -- one of the biggest threats to our freedom and liberty is government plunder of property rights -- be it personal or real.

For a better understanding of legal plunder a good read is the book "The Law" written by the brilliant French economist and politician, Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850).  Bastiat identifies legal plunder as one taking from another through the use of the law.  (Click here to read.)

In the City of Avon, OH an ugly precedent of legal plunder is being forced on mostly a select few residents and some small family owned businesses and farms -- which may very well cost them the businesses they built from scratch as explained by sixth-generation farmer, Don Nagle.

In the form of a tax, the city of Avon wants to assess these 105 property owners an estimated $9 Million dollars to pay for a portion an interchange to be built at I-90 and Nagel Rd FOR The Jacobs Group & The Cleveland Clinic. 

Jacobs Group is paying $9 million, or a third of the costs. The Cleveland Clinic is building a $100 million facility next to the interchange, but it's not being asked to pay a dime.

Channel 3 Investigative reporter Tom Meyer highlights the public plunder here.....

The Ohio Dept of Transportation says this is an innovative way for future highway funding, , a local land development expert and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law professor Alan Weinstein has stated, "he believes more cities in similar circumstances will adopt this type of funding." 

If this is allowed, how long will it be before this "innovative way" of funding affects you? 

The following comments and request is from one of the small family-run businesses and fellow Tea Party supporter that will be forced to partially fund this interchange for the benefit of the Jacobs Group and the Cleveland Clinic....

The mayor is assuming that when or if these property owners sell their land, they will come into a great big windfall of money and can take the hit because they will have that extra money. But we all know he cannot guarantee that, and he won’t put it in writing that if the business fail to produce the windfalls he is predicting, they will get some sort of assessment adjustment. Now he is wanting to have these few people shoulder this much money, when so many communities and businesses will greatly benefit from this interchange.

There is a council meeting Monday April 4th at 7 pm at Avon City Hall (located at the corner of Rt 83 and Chester Rd) ...we are asking that anyone who can come, please come and support these farmers and local family owned businesses, we need your help!!! These businesses he wants to assess, likely will not survive if this goes forth as planned. Help protect, true local jobs. This is a worthy cause!!!!

Fellow Patriots -- this is why we exist!  Let's give the City of Avon a little of what we learned in our continuing fight against Obama Care and defeating of the Dream Act!  The Mayor wants to claim this is the same as a road assessment -- when in reality this is nothing more than corporate welfare!

• Where: Avon City Hall
• Address: 36080 Chester Road  Avon, OH  (Click for map)
• Time: 7:00PM

City of Avon Elected Officials

Mayor Jim Smith
Phone: (440)937-7805
Email: sandy@cityofavon.com

Brian Jensen (Ward 1)
Phone: (440)934-4486
Email: bryanjensen@centurytel.net

Dennis McBride (Ward 2)
Phone: (440)934-0593
Email: DennisMcBride@cityofavon.com

Kevin Ward (Ward 3)
Phone: (440)315-6597
Email: kevin.ward@cityofavon.com

Daniel Urban (Ward 4)
Phone: (440)937-4393
Email: urbankd@roadrunner.com

Daniel Zegarac (Council at Large)
Phone: (440)934-4063
Email: danzegarac@yahoo.com

Craig Witherspoon (Council at Large)
Phone: (440)937-5815
Email: Craig.Witherspoon@cityofavon.com

Clinton Pelfrey (Council at Large)
Phone: (440) 934-7898
Email: ccrge2002@yahoo.com