Coins For Change: Returning Trust to Ohio

No One Could Read Today's Blade Story and Still Vote Against Issues 3 and 4

The history of the Ohio Republican Party take over of the apportionment board and the crucial role that big dollar fund-raising plays to lock in a system designed not to lead or govern but to perpetuate more fund-raising is detailed in Today's Blade .

It is the combination of  the  big money money (issue 3) and the lack of accountability of members in currently gerrymandered legislative districts (issue 4) that creates the permanent culture of corruption in Columbus.

Toledo Blade Connects the Dots AGAIN; Bush Pioneers and Rangers reap millions from Ohio State Government

Just when you think the corruption in Ohio and at the Federal Government level is not as bad as you think, the Toledo Blade does a piece of journalism that reminds you that its worse then anyone could ever have imagined.

Ohio has become the poster child for "transactional government".

A business that wishes to do business with the State of Ohio must write checks to the party in power (for the last 14 years in Ohio the Republican Party).

Not only is this wrong, it is draining the state of the funds needed to make key investments in Job Creation, Higher Education and rescuing our broken system of school funding.  Everything the state buys costs more or the goods or service provided are substandard so that state contractors have enough money not only to make a profit but to write the checks to State and apparently according to today's Blade Federal candidates for office as well.

The pay to play that I've been talking about throughout Ohio over the past few months is not a simple matter of politicians occasionally doing "what they can" to help out their friends after their election. It is a well organized system of trading Public Benefits in the form of governmental contracts and legislation for Private Benefits in the form of campaign contributions. Contributions are solicited before doing business and often paid after the contract is awarded, using as in the case of the rare coin dealer Tom Noe, the state's our money.

The Blade series brings this system into brighter focus.

Democrats Must Do Better

What this means for Democrats is that we have to find a way to run for office and to hold office that does not require us to shake down contractors and those interested in legislation for campaign contributions.

If we run and win on the same model that the Republicans have perfected over the past 14 years it will not make one bit of difference to the people of the State of Ohio.  We cannot come out of the 2006  elections as prisioners to the same state contractors and special interests that own our Republican opponents.

Bob Taft is unable to lead because of all contracts and legislation that he and Bob Bennett and Jim Petro and Betty Montgomery and Ken Blackwell and George Bush and Mike DeWine and George Voinovich had to promise to the special interests who paid the bill to elect them all to their jobs.

It would be a travesty if Democrats allowed ourselves to be put in the same position.

Blade Story Details Indictment

Blade details the indictment.

Reaction from the RON campaign:

Noe Indictment Makes Ohio First in Corruption!

 

Columbus, Ohio - The indictment of Tom Noe, Governor Taft's political crony, by a federal grand jury today, proves that a culture of corruption exists in Ohio.  And in the wake of this indictment, Reform Ohio Now wants to know: Does Governor Taft still think State Issues 2, 3, 4 and 5 are a "solution in search of a problem"?

A few months ago, Governor Taft defended Mr. Noe and, to this day, still defends the status quo.  Even after his conviction on criminal ethics violations, Governor Taft has continued to strongly oppose reforming state government.  He claims there is "no problem" and, as recently as yesterday, says there is sufficient accountability in state government.

The indictment of Mr. Noe proves otherwise and shows that Governor Taft is wrong on all counts. He was wrong to defend Mr. Noe and he is wrong to oppose State Issues 2, 3, 4 and 5. Tom Noe might be the most prominent player in the culture of corruption, but he is not alone. The problems run much deeper.

 

Currently, there are 16 other local, state and federal agencies spending millions investigating the larger issue of corruption in the State of Ohio.  This culture of corruption is a direct result of a political system out of control, where politicians are unaccountable and special interests have a monopoly on power.

Earlier this year, Reform Ohio Now collected more than half a million signatures from Ohio voters who want clean government. Since then, over 11,000 volunteers have signed up on our website to help to make these reform a reality.

Today's indictment demonstrates that reform is urgently needed in Ohio.  We are confident Ohio voters will say YES votes on State Issues 2, 3, 4 and 5 as a positive response to the scandals, investigations and indictments that are plaguing our state.

Marc Dann's Response to Noe Indictment

“Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of the culture of corruption that has afflicted our great state and its people for far too long. I applaud the Federal Prosecutors for doing their job.

My hope is that the Federal Court will compel Governor Taft, Brian Hicks, Jim Petro, Betty Montgomery and Ken Blackwell to take responsibility for the pay-to-play, now pay-to-steal system and to finally tell the truth about how Ohio has been sold off piece by piece to Tom Noe and other big campaign contributors. I'm totally confident the U.S. Attorney and the Federal Courts will not tolerate the types of plea deals cut in the earlier cases involving Taft and Hicks.

I am waiting with great interest as Tom Noe has an opportunity to finally tell the whole story of this sad chapter of Ohio History. He's apparently the only person that has told the truth so far.”

BREAKING NEWS: NOE TO BE INDICTED

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/news-story.php?story=143606&chck=t

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051027/BREAKINGNEWS/51027023

Dispatch gets to the Heart of Issue 3; Balance is Desperately Needed in Contribution Limits

The Dispatch analysis of Issue 3 hits the nail on the head:

"By lowering individual contribution limits from $10,000 to $2,000 for statewide candidates and to $1,000 for legislative hopefuls, Issue 3 attacks the pay-to-play culture at the Statehouse, where big campaign donations too often translate into favors or state contracts, issue backers say. "...

"Edward "Ned" Foley, an Ohio State University law professor and election-law expert, said lawmakers made mistakes in their campaign-finance overhaul in December 2004, such as raising the limits too high.

Campaign-finance laws should strike a balance, he said, allowing a candidate to raise enough to run an adequate campaign while not allowing huge contributions that can win donors political favors.

"You don’t want a contribution to say ‘Whoa, that’s someone who I need to treat with a special favor,’ " Foley said. The $10,000 cap "was more than what was necessary, and they failed to show an empirical record of why they needed that much."

Issue 3 is critical to taking back control of our government.

Strip Club Bill Stalled but So Are Investment Reform and Consumer Protection Bills

The Stripper bill was pulled from committee yesterday but that apparently did not clear room on the Senate's agenda to take on predatory lenders or the pay to play system that still envelops state government.

SB 199: OHIO HOMEOWNER PROTECTION ACT - SPONSOR TESTIMONY

Chairman Carey and members of the Senate Finance Committee, I would like to thank-you for the opportunity to present testimony on Senate Bill 199.  The problem of predatory lending has been permitted to grow for far too long, so I am encouraged that this committee is holding hearings on bills designed to address the problem.

Senate Bill 199 is narrowly tailored to provide meaningful relief to predatory lending victims in the least controversial way possible.  The bill does two things. First, it removes the Consumer Sales Practices Act exemption for “dealers in intangibles,” which includes non-depository mortgage lenders.  Second, the bill removes the public records exemption for complaints filed with the Ohio Department of Commerce against mortgage brokers.

The closest thing we have to a silver bullet solution to the predatory lending crisis is removing the consumer protection exemption for mortgage lenders.  The CSPA is modeled after the Federal Trade Commission Act and prohibits unfair, deceptive, or unconscionable acts or practices in consumer transactions. Every state in the country has a law that prohibits unfair or deceptive practices.  Ohio is one of only 2 states that exempt mortgage lenders.  Passing SB 199 would bring Ohio in line with 48 other states and federal regulations.

Bills to Clean Up Corruption, Create Jobs, Reform Education and Protect Homeowners from Predatory Lenders Stalled; Stripper Bill Set for a Vote

In case you've been wondering whether or not the Ohio Legislature has its priorities straight:

Bills to do the following will not be moving this coming week:

1. Toughening the Bribery Statute to stop public officials from trading public contracts for private benefits.

2. Placing a mortorium on Private Charter Schools.

3. Allowing the Attorney General to sue Mortgage Lenders.

4. Stopping the revolving door from high government positions to lobbying.

5. Reducing contribution limits for campaigns.

Bills that will be moving:

A bill to keep strippers six feet away from their customers

The Consequences of Corruption

Today's Columbus Dispatch takes a close look at David Brennan's for profit charter schools. Unfortunately, the Dispatch buries the lead.

Deep in the story we learn two critical facts that undermine the portrayal of Brennan as the savior of education in Ohio:

1. The schools are failing. Scores at Brennan's schools fall below all urban districts in the state.

2. Brennan's contributions, not his political philosophy are driving the windfall the state has provided to his company