State of the Union

The Hsu (Shoe) Fit and Brunner Wore It

The Associated Press reports that scandal-tainted Democratic fundraiser, Norman Hsu (pronounced “shoe”), has been convicted in federal court for his campaign finance law violations.  Hsu was found guilty of allegations that he reimbursed his business colleagues for their political donations (same federal crime committed by Ohio’s own Tom Noe).

Hsu gained notoriety as a prominent fundraiser for Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential bid as well as many other prominent Democrats.  The Associated Press also reports that, just days ago, Hsu pled guilty to 10 counts of wire and mail fraud and cheating investors out of $20 million in a Ponzi scheme.

One thing that the Associated Press, or the rest of the national media for that matter, will fail to mention: Hsu once had his scandalous eyes cast toward helping Ohio’s Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, in her 2006 election.

According to the Columbus Dispatch’s August 31, 2007 account of the issue, Brunner actually traveled to New York to speak at Hsu’s home:

“Brunner isn't certain whether the $3,000 she got from Hsu on Nov. 9, 2006, came from a campaign fundraising letter or through a Democratic National Committee appeal, spokesman Jeff Ortega said. But Brunner did speak at Hsu's New York home on June 27 this year at the request of the Twenty-First Century Democrats, which held a fundraiser there, he said.”

This was just another example of out-of-state ideologues trying to inject someone to do their bidding into the Ohio Secretary of State’s office to tilt the playing field in 2008.  Unfortunately, they succeeded.

The Cost of a New Home Just Got More Expensive… Thanks Ted Strickland

According to the Columbus Dispatch environmentalists have warned that Ohio could lose out on millions of federal stimulus dollars if we don’t adopt stricter environmental building codes set by the federal government. Gov. Strickland, all too gleefully, promised the feds that Ohio would adopt those standards.  So we can rest assured that we are getting more of our one-time handout. 

The catch, however, is that home builders estimate that these changes could add as much as $5,000 to the cost of a new home. 

So when Ohio is in the midst of Ohio’s “unprecedented economic challenges,” Ohioans will have to pay more for their homes.  When you purchase your next home and you seen those additional costs, thank Ted Strickland and his inability to tackle tough issues in the face of being handed short-term dollars and more bureaucracy from his pals in Washington.

The Sign Says It All

Citizen for Pepper

A campaign committee is just that, a committee.  It is supposed to be an independent entity of people showing broad-based support to help elect a candidate.  This is why you see such committee titles as “Friends of Bob Smith,” or “Citizens for Bob Smith.” 

So why then does newly announced Auditor of State candidate David Pepper only have one person supporting him? 

On Pepper’s campaign website he lists his Paid for by information as “Citizen for Pepper.”  That’s right “Citizen” singular, not plural.

Strickland’s Office Banks on the Economy Going Backwards

In Sunday’s Columbus Dispatch, Strickland spokeswoman, Amanda Wurst, tried to rebut the astute analysis that Strickland’s education plan is not sustainable and his numbers are grossly miscalculated. So, her brilliant response: who knows what will happen to the economy down the road, “[w]e could very well see deflation in the next 10 years.”

Does this mean that the governor’s office is banking on a shrinking economy to reduce the costs of its education plan?  Wouldn’t deflation also mean that with the reduced costs of his education plan, there would be a relative reduction in the state’s budget?

The last time we checked, deflation, or a general reduction in the economy, is considered a bad thing.

This is just another example of Strickland’s people showing their lack of understanding for basic economics and accounting?

Bold Education Reform! (So long as it doesn’t anger my supporters)

Critics have pointed out Ted Strickland’s plan to hold an education rally with US Education Secretary Arne Duncan that was blatantly planned around the Ohio Education Association’s Columbus meeting:

“Some critics of Gov. Ted Strickland's education plan are accusing the governor of holding a rally Friday in support of his plan with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan outside the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State because the Ohio Education Association also is holding an event there this week.

“The critics point out that the OEA, which supports the governor, is promoting the rally on its Web site and even is holding a recess from its Spring Representative Assembly for members to participate in the rally. The suggestion is that Strickland is trying ensure a big, friendly crowd.” [Columbus Dispatch’s The Daily Briefing Blog, 5/5/09]

Strickland’s latest political ploy to promote his education plan shouldn’t come as a surprise.  This is just another instance where Strickland bows to organized labor when making his “bold” decisions.  As Tom Suddes aptly pointed out in a recent editorial, Strickland’s education plan for change “doesn’t really rankle teachers’ unions.” 

“In fairness, Strickland's plan does offer some real change, but it'd be change that doesn't really rankle teachers' unions. That speaks volumes.” [Editorial by Thomas Suddes, 4/12/09]

Going back through the archives one easily finds more evidence of Strickland’s slobbering, bought-and-paid-for, love affair with the teachers unions.  Strickland once told the Ohio Education Association “there’s no way” we would have remained in Congress had it not been for them:

“Earlier yesterday, Mr. Strickland addressed the Ohio Education Association in Columbus at the organization's statewide representative assembly. Mr. Strickland, a former member of the organization, said the group was key in several of his congressional elections. ‘He said point blank: There's no way he would have been able to do it for 12 years in Congress had it not been for us,’ said Deidra Reese, the association's director of government services. ‘We helped him win, we put him over the top in several elections. He's very committed to us.’” [Toledo Blade, 5/6/06]

In his political, Strickland has received more than $162,000 through teachers unions.

Strickland Praises GOP on Education Funding

On Monday, Gov. Ted Strickland gave praise to the GOP who worked hard over the last several years to pragmatically correct Ohio’s school funding mess. 

In his remarks to the Columbus Metropolitan Club about his school funding plan, Strickland pointed out that education funding in Ohio had increased by 47 percent from 1999 – 2008 (years of a GOP-controlled legislature and governor’s office).  Strickland followed up his point by admitting that his plan won’t match that same funding-level increase – noting that his plan will only increase funding over the next decade by 45 percent.

“In fact, from 1999 to 2008, the state increased its investment in primary and secondary education by 47 percent. With the plan before the legislature now, we will build on those investments by making a commitment to increase funding by an additional 45 percent in the decade ahead.” (Remarks by Gov. Ted Strickland, Columbus Metropolitan Club, 5/4/09)

Who Really Cares About Future Budgets? Well, at One Point Strickland Did

If Doc Brown pulled up in front of the statehouse, driving his souped-up time-traveling DeLorean, and offered Ted Strickland a glimpse at Ohio’s budget future – would he take it?

Probably not. 

In this week’s Columbus Dispatch, Strickland said that we need to be focused on the here-and-now and wonders why there is “such incredible interest in the 2012-2013 budget.”

“‘I am puzzled that there is such incredible interest in the 2012-2013 budget when we ought to be focusing on trying to deal constructively with the problems that exist now,’ the governor said last week.”

This was not the case when Strickland offered up his first budget two years ago.  The, then curious, governor provided four year budget projections, which his budget director gloated about:

“Two years ago, state Budget Director J. Pari Sabety bragged to lawmakers that ‘for the first time in Ohio history, this executive budget has projected revenues and expenses for the next four years.’ Republicans have noticed that the four-year projection does not exist in this budget -- further fueling speculation that the budget can be sustained only for the next two years, just enough to carry Strickland through re-election in 2010.”