Lawmakers work to reenergize Ohio

We want to thank Sara from State Rep Nan Baker's office for forwarding us the following requested press release...

For Immediate Release

September 21, 2009

Media Contact: Megan Piwowar
(614) 466-0863

Lawmakers work to reenergize Ohio

Cleveland—State Representative Nan Baker (R-Westlake) today unveiled proposals by Ohio House Republicans to spur economic development. Baker and other members of the House Republican Caucus, including Minority Leader William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) and Representatives Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster), Todd Snitchler (R-Uniontown), Dave Hall (R-Killbuck), and Terry Boose (R-Norwalk), revealed extensive plans to bring about job creation and industry growth.

“During this economic crisis, with everything at stake, Ohio cannot afford another second of inaction on the part of House leadership,” Baker said. “As the ranking minority member of the House Economic Development Committee, I have become increasingly frustrated by the Democrat leadership’s unwillingness or inability to lead. Therefore, House Republicans worked tirelessly over summer recess to create a collection of economic proposals that could potentially turn the economy around.”

The press conference, in conjunction with four other conferences across the state, was conducted to address the failure of the Democrat-controlled Economic Development Committee to conduct regular, productive hearings on the economic condition of Ohio.

“The Republican caucus is focused on what Ohioans care about the most, jobs and economic development,” Batchelder said. “While Democrats have not given priority to the creation of jobs, we have been working on solutions for Ohio’s economy.”

Frustrated with inaction on the part of Governor Strickland and the Economic Development Committee, Republican members engaged in discussions with the local business community for ideas to revamp Ohio's economy. Based on their findings from market research and conversations with constituents, the House Republicans created a package of proposals that were announced at the press conferences and will be introduced in the coming weeks.

“So far, the Democrats have not shown that they are willing to make any important decisions regarding economic development within our state,” Hall said. “How many more businesses and young people need to flee the state before the Democrats decide they need to act?”

Among these ten bills are proposals to offer employer tax credits to hire unemployed Ohioans and to grant income tax credits for college graduates who remain in Ohio. Altogether, these bills are designed to provide resources to small businesses, offer incentives for businesses and young people to remain in Ohio, and track Ohio's progress in rebuilding its economy.

“In presenting a package of economic proposals, our goal is to spark an honest, constructive debate about the best course of action for Ohio’s future,” Amstutz said. “House Republicans have a specific plan in place to bring about economic recovery, but since the onset of this General Assembly our voices have been silenced, regardless of how practical our ideas were.”

“This recession is affecting all Ohioans, both Republican and Democrats,” Snitchler said. “We need to all work together to provide a solid foundation for Ohio’s economic future. We encourage lawmakers at all levels of government to consider our proposals and use them as they wish—changing the course of Ohio is what is important, not receiving credit or praise.”

The House Economic Development Committee has only met four times since the commencement of the 128th General Assembly and has yet to pass a single bill. The only item to pass out of committee was an ineffectual House Resolution that created the Compact With Ohio Cities Task Force, which focuses on local municipalities rather than the economic health of the entire state.

“Ohioans have entrusted us to make difficult decisions during difficult times, and we have an obligation to uphold our commitment,” Boose said. “This is not the time to coast. This is not the time to sit back with our fingers crossed. Ohio needs action, and if the Democrats won’t step up to the plate then I will.”

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OH Supreme Court upholds Tax on Groceries

Since we are not already burdened with too many taxes in OH our robed Republican rubes riding the big bench in Columbus ruled it is OK for gross receipts of grocery stores to be taxed...

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled the state can continue to collect a business tax when it’s applied to grocery store food sales, avoiding what could have been an $188 million annual hole in the state budget.

In a 6-1 decision, the court upheld the collection of the Commercial Activities Tax on food sold by grocery stores and others for offsite consumption. The Ohio Grocers Association had argued that applying the tax to food sales violated the state Constitution, which prohibits sales taxes on the sale of food that’s taken off store premises to eat.

The tax amounts to 26 cents per $100 in sales over $1 million, or a flat rate of $150 for the first $1 million in sales, as long as sales are above $150,000. State tax officials estimate the portion of the tax collected on food receipts would amount to about $188 million a year.

Lawmakers have called the tax as one levied on the privilege of doing business in Ohio, but grocers argued the payment amounted to a sales tax.

The court rejected that argument, noting that state laws are given a strong presumption of constitutionality and that the court was required to uphold the tax if it may “plausibly be determined as permissible.” (Canton Repository)

And one would presume a State Supreme Court Justice would be smart enough to realize that if the grocery stores are taxed on the total amount of food items they sell then this cost will be passed onto consumers on the un-taxed grocery items they purchase - thus creating a sales tax on groceries.

I love how they say you must pay for the "privilege" of doing business in OH.

Action Alert: Humane Border Supporters Agenda will Increase Health Care Costs

Fellow Patriots

This is just in from Arzella of the Cleveland Tea Party Patriots and the Co-Coordinator for the Grass Roots Rally Team.

We apologize for the short notice, but this falls in line with our core values and if you are available please attend our protest...

Free lecture by Rev. Robin Hoover

Cuyahoga Community College invites community members to attend three free lectures by Rev. Robin Hoover, President and Founder of Humane Borders. He will address the topic of Humane Borders: the Moral Argument for Reform.

Immigration concerns the whole population and affects newcomers to this Nation. Rev. Hoover's lecture will be particularly interesting and informative to the Hispanic population, which includes a high percentage of relatively new immigrants, and confronts important issues in the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

Rev. Hoover will talk about the mission and initiatives of Humane Borders, as well as the issues surrounding immigrants to the United States: legalizing the undocumented; beginning a responsible guest worker program; increasing the number of visas for Mexican nationals; demilitarizing the border; supporting economic development in Mexico, and providing federal social services for the undocumented.

LECTURES ARE SCHEDULED AT: September 23 at 6:30 p.m. Performing Arts Center, Eastern Campus 4250 Richmond Rd., Highland Hills, 44122

We will be meeting with Arzella and the Grass Roots team at 5:30pm and stayin until approximately 6:00pm.

Kucinich to promote health care @ Gtown/DC

Our neighbor's daughter goes to Georgetown University-Washington DC and just received this email, which she forwarded to us. Why is he spending time speaking with students @ Gtown instead of addressing us, here in Ohio?


Based on the zip code of your home, it appears that you are either a constituent of (or near since some zip codes are shared by multiple Congressional districts, live near the district of) Congressman Dennis Kucinich, I wanted to make sure you were aware that he is speaking here on campus at the invitation of the group,Georgetown Solidarity Committee.


Rep. Dennis Kucinich on Universal Health Care: Keeping a Public Option on the Table

Wednesday September 23

White-Gravenor 201 A

8:00-9:30 p.m.


Below is the description from Georgetown Solidarity Committee about the Congressman's talk:


Representative Dennis Kucinich will be speaking on the subject of /Universal HealthCare:


Keeping a Public Option on the Table/. Mr. Kucinich (D-OH) has twice run for U.S. President, both times citing universal health careas the preeminent issue motivating his campaigns, saying, "no injustice is greater in this country than the fact that 30 million people go without health insurance in this, the richest nation in the world." As one of the most vocal advocates for publicly-financed health care, he is currently galvanizing support on Capitol Hill for an amendment to House Resolution 3600. If it passes, this resolution would allow for individual states to adopt single-payer health care systems if they so choose.


The address will be an overview of the health care debate from Mr. Kucinich's perspective as well as a legislative update on his amendment (which currently has 86 cosponsors). He will speak for 30-40 minutes to be followed by a question/answer session.

Help State Sen. Grendell STOP Corrupt Public Employees from Further Fleecing OH Residents

The one State Senator willing to stand for something and the one we can continually count on as truly being a voice for OH residents down in Columbus is again fighting to protect our best interest.

A strong supporter of the Cleveland Tea Party Patriots & our friend, State Senator Tim Grendell, unlike many other elected officials, see's a problem or something wrong and he acts. Grendell wants to close the loophole in OH law allowing some elected officials & public employees convicted of corruption from collecting thier pensions.

State legislators passed the pension forfeiture law last year following a series of public scandals ranging from Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and Coingate to an embezzling downstate sheriff. The crimes triggering forfeiture include bribery, a pattern of corrupt activity and theft in office.

But it appears most of the eight public employees found guilty so far in the federal probe have jobs that do not fall within the scope of the state forfeiture law. Only J. Kevin Kelley could be affected -- and only because of his role as an elected Parma school board member, not in his position with the Cuyahoga County engineer's office.

Convicted employees must hold jobs of sufficient importance to lose their pensions. Positions include elected officials, members of boards or commissions appointed by the governor or attorney general, public employees required to file disclosure statements with the state, prosecutors and law directors, as well as local and state police.

"You're trying to get the guys who can improperly benefit from the use of public funds," Grendell said. (Cleveland.com)

Speaking on the Bob Frantz Show the other evening, Senator Grendell urged everyone to contact your State Senator and ask they join him in sponsoring this legislation.

You can find your State Senators contact information by clicking here.

Ohio’s politicians certainly receive a lot of campaign contributions from SEIU.

This letter was recently sent out from SEIU’s President to their rank and file.

http://www.seiu.org/2009/09/working-women-and-men-will-not-be-silenced-by-right-wing-attack-dogs.php

Working Women and Men Will Not Be Silenced by Right Wing Attack Dogs; We Will Win the Change America Needs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Published September 18, 2009 1:33 PM
Michelle Ringuette: (202) 341-7057

Statement of Andy Stern, President of SEIU
WASHINGTON DC--Andy Stern, President of the Service Employees International Union, issued the following statement today regarding recent attempts of right wing extremists to silence working families by attacking progressive individuals and community organizations:

"This is a moment of profound change for this country--from kitchen tables to town halls to the floor of the Senate, this nation is engaged in a vigorous and heated debate about how we rebuild our economy, solve our national healthcare crisis and restore the American Dream.

"As has always happened when progressive change is in the air, the backlash gets fierce, ugly and anti-American. This time is no different. Right now, there is an insidious and coordinated effort on the part of the extreme right to target individuals and grassroots community groups as a way to silence the voices of women and men who have suffered the most under 8 years of right wing policies.

"These extremists will attempt to shut down and shout down anyone with a different point of view.

"Let's be clear who we are talking about--call them attack dogs, call them Teabaggers, call them Glenn Beck--these are the same folks who cheered the policies that crashed our economy. Who make up lies about death panels to try to kill healthcare reform. Who scream about democracy while denying workers a voice on the job. Who target anyone who poses a threat to a status quo that for too long has rewarded greedy CEOs while leaving people who work out in the cold.

"This is not the America we believe in.

"Their lies, their stunts and their smears will not silence us. Glenn Beck, FOX News and their pals have demonstrated that they don't care about what janitors, security officers, nurses, teachers, and other hardworking Americans go through each day trying to give their kids a better future. But make no mistake--these hardworking women and men will not be the next casualty of the cruel and cheap attempts of a loud and venomous minority to silence people who want to restore the American Dream.

"We are going to make sure healthcare is affordable and accessible for every man, woman and child in this country. We are going to demand transparency and accountability in the financial industry. We are going to create a fair and just path to citizenship. We are going to make sure workers get a voice on the job. And we will protect our democracy by calling out those extremists who would silence the voices of women and men who work each day."

The Service Employees International Union is an organization of 2.1 million members united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide. SEIU is dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society.


A review of campaign contributions from the 1990-2008 election cycles (info from www.opensecrets.org) shows that Ohio politicians received the following amounts from SEIU:

Jones, Stephanie Tubbs (D-Ohio) $50,500
Strickland, Ted (D-OhioJ) $48,500
Brown, Sherrod (D-Ohio) $40,750
Kucinich, Dennis J (D-Ohio) $40,000
Kilroy, Mary Jo (D-Ohio) $25,000
LaTourette, Steven C (R-Ohio) $21,500
Kaptur, Marcy (D-Ohio) $20,700
Space, Zachary T (D-Ohio) $20,000
Sutton, Betty Sue (D-Ohio) $20,000
Boyle, Mary O (D-Ohio) $15,000
Glenn, John (D-Ohio) $15,000
Wulsin, Victoria Wells (D-Ohio) $15,000
Wilson, Charlie (D-Ohio) $13,200
Sawyer, Tom (D-Ohio) $12,500
Coyne, Thomas J Jr (D-Ohio) $12,000
Ryan, Tim (D-Ohio) $11,000
Boccieri, John A (D-Ohio) $10,000
Cranley, John (D-Ohio) $10,000
Driehaus, Steve (D-Ohio) $10,000
Hyatt, Joel (D-Ohio) $10,000
O'Shaughnessy, Maryellen (D-Ohio) $10,000
Qualls, Roxanne (D-Ohio) $10,000
Burch, Robert L (D-Ohio) $8,000
Longabaugh, Mark P (D-Ohio) $6,500
Ney, Bob (R-Ohio) $6,000
Oakar, Mary Rose (D-Ohio) $6,000
Stokes, Louis (D-Ohio) $6,000
Bowen, William Francis (D-Ohio) $5,000
Carne, Rick (D-Ohio) $5,000
Didonato, Greg L (D-Ohio) $5,000
Fingerhut, Eric D (D-Ohio) $5,000
Hagan, Robert F (D-Ohio) $5,000
O'Neill, William M (D-Ohio) $5,000
Ruccia, Cynthia L (D-Ohio) $5,000
Shamansky, Bob (D-Ohio) $5,000
Weirauch, Robin (D-Ohio) $5,000
Hall, Tony P (D-Ohio) $4,500
Gaul, Francis E (D-Ohio) $4,000
Turner, Michael R (R-Ohio) $3,500
Boehner, John (R-Ohio) $2,500
Regula, Ralph (R-Ohio) $2,500
Luken, Charles John (D-Ohio) $2,000
Valenta, Frank J (D-Ohio) $2,000
Pryce, Deborah (R-Ohio) $1,500
Cordray, Richard (D-Ohio) $1,000
Mann, David S (D-Ohio) $1,000
Neuhardt, Sharen Swartz (D-Ohio) $1,000
Pease, Don J (D-Ohio) $1,000
Traficant, James A Jr (D-Ohio) $1,000
Rhodes, Virginia L (D-Ohio) $500



Have these politicians, who were elected by you, the citizens of Ohio, represented YOUR concerns/needs or, the concerns/needs of SEIU and their deep pockets?

Brown & Voinovich vote to keep the “pork” flowing!

Senate Amendment 2410 would have limited the use of tax payer dollars for a big pork project in Pennsylvania. Mr. Brown and Mr. Voinovich voted “no” to stopping the wasteful spending of our money. We will be contacting both Senator’s offices to ask them to explain their vote.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00284

For Immediate Release
September 16th, 2009

http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Print&PressRelease_id=c3d36739-b101-55d6-5de4-b199e7dda3a6&suppresslayouts=true

- Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Steering Committee and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee, announced he will offer an amendment to end taxpayer subsidies for the John Murtha Airport, a little used 650-acre facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that has received at least $200 million in taxpayer funding. U.S. Congressman John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania), who the airport was named after, has personally directed $150 million in federal funds to the facility even though it only has 3 flights daily to one destination: Washington, D.C. In May, the House failed to halt funding to Murtha’s airport by a vote of 263-154.

“This is a test to see how serious we are about stopping wasteful spending. If we can’t stop this ridiculous abuse of taxpayer funds for a deserted airport, we can’t stop anything,” said Senator DeMint. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans just marched on Washington to protest out-of-control spending and debt. Millions of Americans are speaking out, but are we listening? This airport -- where the staff and taxpayer-funded buildings outnumber the passengers -- is a national embarrassment.”

“Congress must earn back America’s trust, and we can begin by drawing a line here. No more tax dollars to wasteful boondoggles that serve as monuments to politicians. Enough is enough. Sadly, the House failed to stop this, but the Senate has a chance to stand up for taxpayers. How can any of us justify to our children and grandchildren that we increased their taxes and debt to fund this waste?”

MORE INFORMATION ON MURTHA AIR-PORK

• Named the John Murtha Airport, 650-acre state-of-the-art facility in Johnstown, PA
• Received $200 million in federal funds over 20 years, $150 million steered by Murtha himself, who uses the airport for campaign stops
• Only 3 flights daily, to only one destination: Washington, D.C. (Dulles airport)
• Averages 20 passengers daily
• Received $800,000 in stimulus funds this year to repave a backup runway, even though the airport manager says there are no safety issues with the current runway.
• Has an $8.5 million radar system paid for by taxpayers, that remains unstaffed and unused.
• Airport passenger count has fallen by 50% in the past 10 years, as federal funds continue to pour in
• Federal funds subsidize every flight into the airport, an average of $100 per passenger on each flight