As an elected official and someone at least one half generation removed from totally understanding blogs, I am an unlikely choice to start Coinsforchange. However, it has become clear to me that a need exists to create a "go to" site for the latest developments the in broadening corruption scandal that is gripping Ohio's government. I also hope that this becomes a place to explore ideas for how we can lead Ohio in the future if we are able to rid the state of elected officials who put the interests of their campaign contributors ahead of the interests of the State of Ohio.
In my short time in the State Senate ( I was appointed to replace Congressman Tim Ryan in 2003 and elected last fall) I have been astounded by impact of the "pay to play" environment that controls the making of public policy in Ohio. Good legislation is stymied if no monied constituancy exists to promote it. Special interest bills fly through the legislature sometimes with only days between introduction and enactment.
But, the tacit corruption that controls the flow of legislation in Ohio pales in comparison to the open corruption that envelopes the executive branch.
While I have tried to explain this phenomenon to my constituants and supporters, it has been difficult to do so without sounding like a sore loser, or worse paranoid.
The silver lining in the Scandal involving Worker's Compensation Investments is that it creates a vivid picture of how "pay to play" in Ohio has become "Pay to Steal".
This is a work in progress. I'm interested in creating a dialogue that will go beyond looking at problems in Ohio Government to looking at how by creating an ethical and accessible government we can bring Ohio out of our economic dispair and move it forward to a brighter future. Ending our culture of corruption will hopefully create a culture of innovative government that focuses on the investment in human capital and economic innovation that will recharge our faltering economy and once again make us competitive with the rest of the world. Let the debate begin.
The Ohio Ethics Commission has a big job: get to the bottom of the biggest scandal in Ohio history.
Please call David Freel, the executive director at
(614) 466-7090 and ask him to be aggressive, not back down, and don't cut any deals with Governor Taft.
Ohioans deserve the Ohio Ethics Commission to step up to the plate and do its job.
It won't be easy. They'll be under a lot of pressure. They need the support of every Ohioan who cares about clean government.
Posted by: Steve Fought | July 07, 2005 at 07:50 PM