Vote No on Issue 7: Spineless Pro-Sinners

As we see many local elected officials & candidates cowering in fear of the Greater Cleveland Partnership if they do not support passage of the Sin Tax (Issue 7), it is nice to see some candidates showing the resolve and integrity to stand up to the same corporate cabal that has been fleecing Cuyahoga County residents since their inception in 2004.  

To date, City of Cleveland Council members Brian Cummins & Michael Polensek are the only elected officials brave enough to speak out against the Sin Tax.

Sadly, every single one of the current County Council members & County Executive Ed FitzGerald showed they were woefully lacking in the spine department when it came to Issue 7 when they unanimously, with minimal if any discussion of alternative funding avenues, voted for it to be placed on the May 2014 ballot.

In the contested races for County Council and the Democrat primary for County Executive, there are only 2 candidates that have shown they are willing to speak out against the status quo and have declared their opposition to Issue 7, the Sin Tax.

Challenging incumbent County Councilwoman Sunny Simon in District 11 is John Currid.  Besides wanting a plastic bag tax, Simon is a staunch supporter of  - and had no issues with immediately asking the voters to pay for - the Sin Tax.

In contrast to Simon, her challenger John Currid is very clear in his stance against Issue 7 the Sin Tax. He does not believe that the voters should again be burdened with the Sin Tax.

From John Currid --

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

February 18, 2014 

CONTACT: 

John J. Currid

(216) 502-0914

campaign@bestcuyahoga.com

WEBSITE:

http://www.BESTCuyahoga.com

Innovative Thinking and Fresh Ideas Needed; the Sin Tax Is a Failed Funding Scheme. 

South Euclid, OH – John J. Currid, Candidate for County Council, District 11 has come out against the renewal of the County Sin Tax and urges residents to reject the upcoming tax levy. Previous leaders for both the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County entered into agreements that were short sighted and placed a heavy burden on the residents of Cuyahoga County. The Sin Tax was established as a scheme to pay for the unfunded promises of Gateway and the Cleveland Browns Stadium. 

“I am running for County Council because the time is long overdue for leadership that provides unique ideas and innovative solutions that makes Cuyahoga County more attractive to young families and competitive businesses throughout the county” says Currid. 

If the Sin Tax is not renewed, the county and City of Cleveland are still responsible for the legal agreements made with each of the teams. With the announcement that United Airlines is pulling their Hub from Cleveland Hopkins Airport there is a distinctive opportunity to responsibly fund these obligations while making Cuyahoga County an inviting community for families to take root and competitive for businesses to prosper. 

Rather then burdening the residents with this continued tax Currid suggests, “The time has come to close Burke Lakefront Airport and immediately implement a redevelopment plan for the lakefront. Burke Lakefront is an unnecessary and rarely used luxury that we can no longer afford.” 

The benefits of a thriving lakefront support a BEST Cuyahoga; this is a responsible and achievable plan that makes Cuyahoga County more competitive and desirable for families and businesses to invest in the county while loosening the tax burden currently keeping the region down. To learn more about this and other plans that make up the BEST Cuyahoga (Business, Education, Safety, & Taxes) visit www.BESTCuyahoga.com. 

###

On the other side of the aisle, in the Democrat primary for County Executive, against the establishment supported front-runner Armond Budish, all but one of the candidates are Sin Tax supporters.

Democrat candidate Tim Russo has been the only County Executive candidate that has been vocal and actively working across the political aisle in trying to defeat the Sin Tax.  

County Council incumbents & Ed FitzGerald should all be ashamed for continuing with the same status quo, especially since the voters in Cuyahoga County spoke out against the status quo by passing the County Reform. Candidates and elected officials brave enough to stand up for the people in this county should be applauded!

Keep Cleveland Strong!

Vote No on Issue 7 

Good News: IRS Set to Water Down Newly Proposed Free Speech Regulation

Art credit: http://lutheranprof.org/

From Katie Pavlich at Townhall:

Shortly after former IRS Director of Tax Exempt Groups Lois Lerner admitted last year that her agency had been inappropriately targeting conservative organizations, a new set of rules were proposed that would make what the IRS did to tea party groups legal and would limit the free speech of tax-exempt groups across the political spectrum. The rules specifically define "candidate related activity" as voter registration, candidate forums and debates, distribution of voter guides, discussion of incumbent voting records, simply referencing the names of candidates during meetings and more.

During the public commenting period, a record breaking 150,000 people left comment strongly suggesting the rule be completely thrown out. Conservative groups like the Tea Party Patriots and liberal groups like the ACLU are both opposed to this type of regulation on the free speech of tax-exempt groups. [emphasis added]

Now, IRS head John Koskinen plans to rewrite the previously proposed rules and will open up another public comment period once they are finished.

He said the new rule would take into account backlash from conservative Tea Party groups as well as some liberal advocacy organizations that the agency's proposal – intended to address concerns that the tax-exempt groups were engaged in partisan warfare – would bar, even voter education and registration programs.

He was interviewed on the eve of Tax Day, the April 15 deadline for Americans to file their returns.

"I think we have to take all of that into consideration," Koskinen told the weekly video newsmaker series. "There are very thoughtful comments and concerns, and one of the questions that has evoked a lot of comment is, once you define what political activity is, to what organizations should it apply in the 501(c) context and how much of it should be allowed? All of that is going to be very important."

Last week Koskinen faced tough criticism [from] Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Orrin Hatch for failing to kill of the newly proposed rules faster. The new regulation has also prompted calls for tax reform on Capitol Hill.

 # # # 

Income Tax due today

File your income tax returns today. The only post office open late is the Orange Rd. main branch - open until 9pm. Map here. 

Truth in Campaigning? Not in the 9th District GOP Primary!

At this time of the year many people are being flooded with campaign literature through the U.S. Mail and are being bombarded with emails, tweets and facebook messages/posts from candidates in the upcoming primary races.

The primary challengers do their best to portray themselves as reflecting the views of the voters in the political party with which they are affiliated. And as we all know, incumbents facing a primary challenge will use the best spin doctors money can buy to redefine a poor voting record in attempts to make it appear they are line with the views of their political party.

Pretty much - GOP candidates & incumbents try to make themselves Ronald Reagan, and Democrat candidates & incumbents try to make themselves Bill Clinton or John Kennedy.

A case in point of candidates trying to mislead voters and create themselves as something they are not would be the GOP primary in Ohio's 9th Congressional District between Richard May and Robert Horrocks. The winner will face off against Democrat incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur this November.

Taking a quick look on the "About" page on Mr. Horrocks campaign website, in trying to portray himself as conservative, you immediately see the obligatory quote from Ronald Reagan on the right side bar. 

And at the top of the page, in an attempt to show voters he supports "Family Values," Horrock's has a picture of himself with his kids - and what he would want you to think is his wife...

And this is where we come to the integrity of candidates..... while attempting to portray himself with a wife and kids - at the very bottom of this webpage - Horrock mentions he lives with his partner in Lakewood and has shared parenting with his ex-wife.  Why no picture of Horrocks & his partner?

It is clear that by having a warm & fuzzy family picture placed boldly at the top of his webpage and the one sentence regarding his "partner" at the bottom - Horrocks is clearly trying to mislead conservative voters into thinking he is something he is not!

Make no mistake - this is not about Horrock's being gay - it is about Horrocks being deceitful and clearly trying to mislead voters. The question begs to be asked -- if he cannot be honest with voters in his primary race - how could one expect Horrocks to be honest if he is elected to office? 

Further advancing this farce would be the Plain Dealer, the local newspaper that supports all things liberal. The PD has recently come out and endorsed candidate Robert Horrocks over Richard May in this race. 

Taking issue with Richard May because he supports traditional marriage and doesn't "think a gay man can't represent the 'party of traditional values,'" in their endorsement of Horrocks the PD looks past his failures and questionable abilities as a previously elected official.... (emphasis added)

Horrocks, of Lakewood, is far from an ideal candidate. He couldn’t immediately explain how New Carlisle developed financial problems in 2002 when he was on city council. (Voters recalled him the next year). He's experienced foreclosure. May revealed that Horrocks removed, at May's request, links on his Facebook page to websites that included photos of scantily clad men.

Horrocks should have learned by now that the personal is political on the campaign trail. 

On balance, Horrocks appears to be a thoughtful, if flawed, candidate...

Thoughtful but flawed?!?!? How about lacking integrity, honesty, fiscal responsibility, etc...?

With our country facing a $17 trillion debt, the Plain Dealer supports a candidate, Horrocks, who was recalled by voters in New Carlisle over financial problems in the city that happened under his watch. But he is thoughtful!

The Plain Dealer clearly endorsed Horrocks not because of his qualifications or past performance as an elected official - but simply because of his being gay. This should not be about a persons sexual orientation or sexual confusion and should be about integrity of the candidates - and Horrocks has shown he has none!

In full disclosure - I have personally known Richard May for many years and have stood shoulder to shoulder with Richard in fighting against the RINO's in Cuyahoga County. 

As a group, the Cleveland TPP does not endorse candidates, but as an individual I can personally attest to the fact that Richard May is a conservative candidate that not only walks his talk - he truly lives by it.

Corporate Charlatan's Supporting Sin Tax (Issue 7) Dismiss Proposed "Fair Share" Facility Fee

The Coalition Against the Sin Tax held a press conference yesterday to offer up an alternative avenue of funding to replace the proposed Sin Tax extension.

This "Fair Share" Facility Fee would be $3.25 per ticket for events held at Progressive Field, Quicken Loans Arena & First Energy Stadium. This proposed fee would generate an amount roughly equal ($13 - $14 million per year) to what is raised with the current Sin Tax on cigarettes & alcohol.

The hypocrisy of the pro-sin tax crowd is priceless.  Without even looking at it -- they immediately dismiss the Fair Share plan of being hastily put together.

Really?  This coming from the same people that did not consider any alternative funding measures and came directly to the people at the first opportunity they could.

It is time to come together to put a stop to this corporate cabal of charlatan's - The Greater Cleveland Partnership - that have been fleecing this area for far too long.  

For those that may not remember - always having their hands in our pockets - the Greater Cleveland Partnership is the same group that pushed the forced sales tax increase for the Med Mart too.  And the same as they did then they are doing now - looking straight to the residents to pay for their projects.

Vote No on the Sin Tax (Issue 7)

Below is a copy of the Fair Share Plan from the Coalition Against the Sin Tax.

Fair Share Facility Fee proposal, a preferable alternative to the proposed 20-year $260 million Sin Tax up... by Andrea Torres

The Legacy of Obama's Illegal Alien Aunt Zeituni

From Michelle Malkin via Townhall --

Zeituni Onyango, President Obama's illegal alien aunt, died this week of cancer and other complications. I hope she rests in peace. America, however, should be up in arms.

Auntie Zeituni is an enduring symbol of all that is wrong with this country's immigration "policy" -- or rather, its complete lack of a coherent, enforceable system of laws and rules that puts the national interest first. She was a beneficiary of the welfare state run amok, enabled by bipartisan fecklessness. To the bitter end, she bit the hand that fed her with predictable ingratitude and metastatic entitlement.

Zeituni's 14-year illegal overstay is a reminder that our temporary visa program is an abysmal joke. Like millions of foreign students, business people and tourists to this country, Auntie Zeituni obtained a short-term visitor visa in 2000. It had an expiration date. She was supposed to go back to Kenya in two years after traveling here with her son, who had been accepted at a college in Boston.

But like millions of other "temporary" visa overstayers, Auntie Zeituni never went home. And despite billions spent on homeland security and immigration enforcement, no one ever went looking for her to kick her out of the country after her time was up.

Auntie Zeituni had no job skills, no special talent, no compelling reason to keep her here in America as an asset to our culture or our economy. She didn't value the American Dream. She was a dependency nightmare. She collected $700 a month in welfare benefits and disability payments totaling $51,000. Somehow, Auntie Zeituni also drummed up money to apply for asylum and finagled her way into both federal and state public housing in Boston.

She contributed nothing to this country. The only "work" she did was gaming the system, complaining about her lot and blaming everyone else for her problems while they subsidized her 14-year illegal overstay.

Auntie Zeituni's ridiculous asylum application and what happened afterward are reminders that our asylum and deportation systems are appalling jokes. Auntie Zeituni's bogus request was rejected by the immigration court system. A judge ordered her to return to Kenya in 2003. She appealed. She lost. A judge again ordered her to leave in 2004.

But Auntie Zeituni never went home. Like an estimated 700,000 other deportation absconders, she evaded the judicial order for nearly a half-dozen years and continued to feed at the government trough. When the Bush administration had the chance to put the pedal to the enforcement metal in 2008, they caved. Pandering to pro-amnesty forces, Bush officials issued a 72-hour cease-and-desist order to all fugitive apprehension teams to spare Obama embarrassment over his auntie right before Election Day.

As an Immigration and Customs Enforcement source told me at the time: "The ICE fugitive operations group throughout the U.S. was told to stand down until after the election from arresting or transporting anyone out of the U.S. This was done to avoid any mistakes of deporting or arresting anyone who could have a connection to the election, i.e., anyone from Kenya who could be a relative. The decision was election-driven." Such stand-down non-enforcement orders are standard operating procedure in Washington.

Auntie Zeituni's illegal activity and ingratitude were rewarded time and time again. She got multiple bites at the immigration court apple, where it ain't over till the alien wins. Despite twice being ordered to go home, the feds allowed her bogus case to be reopened. After breaking visa laws, campaign finance laws (she donated illegally to Obama three times), deportation rules and judicial orders, she was allowed to have yet another hearing. Her manufactured claim of a "credible fear of persecution" in Kenya made a mockery of every legitimate case for asylum or refugee status.

"If I come as an immigrant, you have the obligation to make me a citizen," Auntie Zeituni demanded. She griped that America had "used" her and then cashed in on a book about her travails called "Tears of Abuse." And then, after a decade of doing absolutely nothing to enhance the well-being of our country, she received a coveted green card in 2010.

Neither Republican nor Democratic leaders in Washington had the will to kick this trash-talking freeloader (or her drunk-driving, deportation-evading, amnesty-securing deadbeat brother Omar Onyango) out of our home. Auntie Zeituni's story is a disgraceful reminder that the only thing worse than the ingrates thumbing their noses at our immigration laws are the people in power on both sides of the aisle enabling them.

Hypocrite Ed FitzGerald (P.O. #14) Conducts his own "War on Women"

From the phony cries of racism and voter suppression and now the so-called GOP War on Women - nobody owns being a hypocrite like the Ohio Democrat Party & Cuyahoga County Executive and Democrat candidate for Ohio Governor - Ed FitzGerald (AKA - Public Official #14 in the Cuyahoga County Corruption Scandal).

And consistent with FitzGerald paying women less then men, as we posted back in 2012, the Democrats have been conducting a War on Women for some time.

From Third Base Politics --

You’ll hear Democrats squawking quite a bit today about equal pay today. They love to quote that women make only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes.

Today is National Equal Pay Day. Did you know women still make just .77 for each $1 a man earns? RT to stand w/us in the fight for #equalpay
— Ohio Dems (@OHDems) April 8, 2014

Of course, many of us know that that figure alone does NOT reflect men and women doing the exact same jobs. There are many factors that go into that 77 cent figure, and it is far more influenced by factors such as the careers that women go into compared to men, plus the fact that women often take maternity leave.

But let’s pretend that 77 cent methodology, taking all workers across all careers and job types, is a valid one to consider. Let’s do what the Democrats are doing, and NOT consider the type of work or career, and only look at raw numbers, even if it is comparing apples to oranges.

How would they fair in their own hiring practices?

Third Base Politics has acquired the salaries of Ed Fitzgerald’s county executive staff through a public records request. Below is what the county provided.

Ed Fitzgerald has 7 men and 5 women on his staff.

He pays the men an average of $94438.
He pays the women an average of $71011.

The women on Ed Fitzgerald’s staff make 75 cents for every dollar that the men on his staff do.

This is the same standard and methodology that Democrats are using when they claim that there is a “war on women” because women earn 77% of what men do.

Heck, in Ed Fitzgerald’s office, it’s even worse than Democrats are saying about the national average!

So, Ed. Why are you discriminating against women this way? We’ll be waiting for the Ohio Democratic Party to criticize the pay discrimination going on in Ed Fitzgerald’s office.