Jon "Tea Party" Husted draws loud rebuff

In today's Metro section, Republican secretary of state candidate Jon Husted got slapped around by one of our own. Mr. Husted, aka "Creator of Ohio's CAT tax", has been running ads claiming to be a Tea Party candidate.

Anybody with a small business can tell you that CAT is just another way for Ohio to have it's hand in your pocket. According to the Ohio.gov website, The CAT is an annual privilege tax measured by gross receipts on business activities in this state. This tax applies to all types of businesses.

A "privilege tax?" Don't make me laugh Jon.. With CAT's May due date looming, go find me a small business owner in this economy who feels "priveleged" to hand over more hard earned money.

The Tea Party stands by three very simple principles. Fiscal Responsibility, Limited Government, and Free Markets. Husted is going to have a hell of a time trying to convince anybody he's the furry little kitten candidate.

But Ralph King said it best in today's paper. "The only relation Jon Husted would have with the Tea Party is if he would have been driving the British ship into the Boston Harbor."

Contract from America signing at Cleveland Tax Day Tea Party

At the recent Tax Day Tea Parties hundreds of local Tea Party and limited government groups around the country joined together to announce the launch of the "Contract from America," a grassroots legislative blueprint for 2010 and beyond.

Grassroots activists from across the country visited the website to choose their top ten priorities from a list of 21 action items that committed Americans from all walks of life proposed. The top ten issues comprise the final Contract. After garnering nearly half a million votes in less than two months, the Contract from America has now been finalized into a blueprint that will serve notice to public officials about what the people want for their future.

Bob Frantz of WTAM/1100 led the unveiling of the Contract from America at our 2nd Annual Cleveland Tax Day Tea Party...


10th Congressional District candidate Peter Corrigan

13th Congressional District candidate Justin Wooden


Secretary of State candidate Sandra O'Brien


OH House District 7 candidate Tony Hocevar

OH House District 14 candidate Dave Morris was present, but was called into work immediately prior to the ceremonial signing. Mr. Morris has signed the actual Contract from America though.

We want to thank these candidates for attending and participating in our ceremonial signing of the Contract from America.

Understanding that this is not an endorsement and that the Tea Parties do not exist for candidates or political parties, but for "We the People", the Contract from America will be in front of many candidates and politicians running for reelection and asking if they support this grass roots crafted contract.

More information about each plank, including its full description and the name of the activist who first proposed it, is available at the Contract from America’s website (Click here).

Cleveland Tax Day Tea Party; Operation Pink Slip

At our 2nd Annual Tax Day Tea Party this past Thursday.... Thanks to member Tom Dzurko -- Operation Pink Slip -- was launched.

Joining Bob Frantz (WTAM/1100) on stage, Tom & Bob led the crowd in sending a message to Congress!


And boy did the crowd join in!

Cleveland Tea Party Patriots Candidate Forum (Video)

Below are the videos of the CTPP Candidates Forum held on April 7th, 2010 at Bedford Rec Center.

Candidates attending were:

State Auditor Race

Rep. Seth Morgan
(Opponent Dave Yost refused to participate)

Secretary of State

Sandra O'Brien
(Opponent John Husted refused to participate)

Congressional District 10

Peter Corrigan
Benjiman Franklin

OH House District 95

State Senator Tim Grendell
Walter (Skip) Claypool

#1 of #7

#2 of #7

#3 of #7

#4 of #7

#5 of #7

#6 of #7

#7 of #7

We want to thank the candidates for coming. We ask you best decide who represents your values and who will best represent our core values of, Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and the Free Markets.

We also want to thank Kat Palmer & Steve Christopher for doing a great jon at moderating the event and, Cynthea, Dave, Jason, Dan & everyone else that helped out. A special thanks goes to those who served in formulating the questions for the first part of the event and Grant McCallum of Cuyahoga County for Liberty for video taping the event.

The Lady (Video)

Tea Party Scam Alert: OH Elephant Clan on Parade as Tea Party Candidates!

Fellow Patriots

The Ohio Republican Party (Ohio Elephant Clan) and the chief clown leading their three ring political circus -- ORP Chairman Kevin DeWine, are up to their old "we can't do anything with integrity" tricks again!

In a direct mailing campaign for the ORP endorsed candidates, State Central Committee Candidates included, the Ohio Republican Party is including a Tea Party style logo (right) claiming they stand for "Tea Party Values."

The logo alleging that the ORP endorsed candidates share our values is nothing more than a cheap attempt at trying to fool voters into believing these candidates are supported by groups in the Tea Party movement.

This shows the Ohio Republican Party and their leader Chairman Kevin DeWine still does not understand that the Tea Party movement does not exist for the GOP or their handpicked candidates.

That's right the same Ohio Republican Party that has stated the Tea Parties & 9.12 groups are nothing without the GOP, the same Ohio Republican Party that called the police on Patriots protesting at their HQ over the sham state endorsements given out earlier this year are now pretending they have "Tea Party" values!

Make sure you let all your Tea Party & 9.12 friends know, that some of the candidates (Husted, Mike DeWine & Dave Yost) using the above GOP fabricated "Tea Party logo" -- refused to participate in several Tea Party candidate forums -- but now they supposedly share our values.

State Auditor candidate Dave Yost proposes taking away Independence of State Auditors Office

The Ohio Republican Party hand-picked & endorsed candidate for State Auditor, Dave "I was for being Attorney General before I was against it" Yost, in an over reaching attmept to politicize an office that MUST maintain its' independence is proposing a State Budget Commission to be made up of the State Treasurer, the State Auditor & State Attorney General.....

Republican State Auditor candidate Dave Yost today proposed creation of a State Budget Commission of the Auditor, Treasurer and Attorney General to improve state fiscal planning and increase accountability.

“Ohio counties have been well-served by county budget commissions made up of the county auditor, treasurer and prosecuting attorney, which designate a revenue total and then make regular updates,” Yost continued.

“A budget commission works for counties, it can work for the State, too,” Yost concluded. “By making these important calculations the responsibility of specific statewide elected officials, voters will know exactly where to look when the numbers are wrong or slow in coming.” (Dave Yost for Auditor)

With this proposed partisan move and as reflected in the above statement, Yost clearly affirms a lack of knowledge on the vastly different roles of a County Auditor and a State Auditor.

His opponent in the State Auditors race, Seth Morgan, counters Yost's proposal with this statement....

“This is a great example of the difference between having a CPA as Auditor of State and someone who served as auditor of county. A CPA like the Ohio Auditor both work to ensure independence and objectivity whenever issuing audit reports. A county auditor has no responsibility to issue such reports,” said Seth Morgan, CPA.

“To have the Auditor of State who is tasked with issuing an objective and independent financial audit report being involved with placing their credibility on the estimates of the revenue itself creates the appearance of a lack of independence in issuing that financial audit report. How does the Auditor of State first tell the citizens of Ohio what the revenues will be and then issue a report on the revenues themselves without being tainted by the fact that their credibility is already on the line?” said Morgan.

Additionally, the Governor’s role and the legislature’s role are to debate and enact the state budget. Seth Morgan has expressed major concerns in the past about the reliability of having the Governor issue the revenue estimates through his Office of Budget Management (OBM). (Friends of Seth Morgan Campaign)

Putting aside the comments from the candidates, Mary Taylor (current State Auditor and candidate for Lt. Governor), who has taken the State Auditors office to level of fiscal competency not seen in years, has some concerns about Yost's attempt at politicizing the office....

State Auditor Mary Taylor says an Ohio Budget Commission proposal unveiled this week by auditor candidate Dave Yost could create a conflict-of-interest problem for the office.

“We would be concerned that their might be an independence issue if the legislature were to approve legislation…that required the auditor of state to participate in any budgeting process, and then after the fact would be required to go in and audit,” Taylor said Friday during a taping of ONN’s Capitol Square, which will air Sunday at 10 a.m., noon, and 7 p.m. (Columbus Dispatch)

For more insightful comments on Yost's proposed Budget Commission here are a couple other posts made by two of the more competent and accurate bloggers in OH at Right Ohio (click here) and Bizzy Blog (click here).