Fairfield Republicans

I am maintaining this blog page in an effort to provide information on activities and events to conservatives in Fairfield, Ohio and surrounding areas. This page will feature items of interest and links to information from the Butler County Republican Party and from the City of Fairfield. It is my hope that by utilizing this forum, we will be able to share ideas and information that will make our Party, our City, and our Neighborhoods better than ever!

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Senate Blocks Immigration Legislation!

If you ever wondered how effective "Grass-Roots" politics could be, here's your example. It seems that from high on their mountain, members of the U.S. Senate heard the cries of their constituents and voted to block the ridiculous Immigration/Amnesty Bill - AGAIN!

Following are links to the roll call vote and a few stories. Let's enjoy the victory and thank those who cast their votes to reflect common sense and the will of almost 70% of Americans!

Senate Roll Call vote
46-53, immigration bill goes down in defeat
Bush facing GOP mutiny over immigration

Keep a sharp eye out. I have a feeling that some might try to sneak this through again in the dark of night.

Audio - Voinovich humiliates himself in shamnesty debate with Hannity

Special thanks to our friends at the Weapons of Mass Discussion blog site (see the link in the column to the right - friends of the show) for providing information on this audio link. Click the following to listen to Senator Voinovich's embarrassing meltdown on yesterday's Sean Hannity radio show!

Hannity/Voinovich audio link

Senator Voinovich is an Embarassment to Ohio!

Yesterday, I was fortunate to be able to listen to a radio interview of Senator George Voinovich on the Sean Hannity program. The interview started off cordially, but it was soon obvious where the discussion was headed.

Hannity first asked if Voinovich supported the "Fairness Doctrine". For those not familiar with this proposal, it essentially amounts to censorship of conservative talk radio (See the following link for additional information - Why the Fairness Doctrine is Anything But Fair). The Senator's response was - sure I support it. we should all be fair. Once Hannity explained what the proposal was, the Senator quickly did an about-face.

The discussion then turned to today's vote on cloture for debate on the Senate's proposed Immigration (Amnesty) bill. Hannity asked a few tough questions and after Senator Voinovich admitted that he had not read the bill or even all of the executive briefs and that the Senate had not done an economic impact study on the effects that the proposed legislation would have on our economy, social services, education or health care systems (for answers to these questions, see the following link - The Real Costs of Amnesty) - the Senator couldn't get off the phone quick enough.

Senator Voinovich ended the interview by hanging up on Sean Hannity because he couldn't answer the tough questions!

I've sent a request to the Sean Hannity radio program asking that they post the audio from this interview on their web site. If they do, I will place a direct link here.

Meanwhile, if you would like to contact Senator Voinovich to express your opinion on the debate - you can reach him using the following links.

* Voinovich office locations
* Voinovich e-mail

note: I'd suggest using the e-mail contact form since the phones in ALL OF HIS OFFICES HAVE BEEN BUSY ALL DAY!

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Strickland takes the Fifth

Appearing in Cleveland today, Gov. Ted Strickland dodged one of Cuyahoga County's hottest topics: the commissioners' proposed sales tax increase, which would boost the sales tax by a quarter percent without a vote of the people.

After bragging in a speech at the City Club about his fiscally conservative budget and its provisions to cut taxes for elderly homeowners, he was asked about the proposal.

But Strickland refused to weigh in, obviously aware of the political implications of either supporting a tax increase or rejecting his fellow Democrats' proposal.

"I have my hands full dealing with the state," he said. "These local folks and local leaders and local citizens will obviously reach a local decision about that."

from the Cleveland Plain Dealer
http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Lakota School District is victim of Identity Theft

One of the state of Ohio's largest school districts reports that it was a victim of identity theft.

This is reported to be a direct result of Governor Strickland's administrative blunders (see June 17th posting - Another Team Strickland Failure)

following is the story as it appeared in the Journal News
http://www.journal-news.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/06/26/hjn062607lakboe.html

WEST CHESTER TWP. — Treasurer Alan Hutchinson said Lakota was a victim of identity theft.
Earlier this month a state government backup data tape with personal information on more than 400,000 Ohioans was stolen from an intern's car.

On that tape were bank account numbers for the Lakota Local School District, Hutchinson said.
"It was very disconcerting and obviously something that we had to take quick action with," he said.

He said he found out about the glitch last Wednesday and has since worked with the bank to ensure no breach to security has occurred. The bank already has safeguards and filters in place, but Hutchinson said he felt it was necessary to review the accounts.

Also this week, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation disclosed another case where a laptop has been stolen with information on 439 injured workers. No Lakota employees are affected by this theft, Hutchinson said, and information will go out to district employees to reassure them.

14 want Butler Children Services job

from the cincinnati enquirer
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070626/NEWS01/706260350/1056/COL02

HAMILTON - A former county commissioner, children services directors in other counties, a minister who works at Panera, an accountant, a prison social worker and others with backgrounds in social services want to be the next children services director in Butler County.

Fourteen people applied for the job by Sunday's deadline. County commissioners hope to have the position filled by Aug. 1. They are expected to discuss how to proceed, at Thursday's regular meeting, probably in closed session, Commissioner Greg Jolivette said.

"We possibly will boil it down to three, four or five (candidates). There's quite a disparity between some of them, so that would eliminate them right away," he said.

Commissioners began a search for a new executive director after dismantling the independent children services board in May in the aftermath of 3-year-old Marcus Fiesel's death in foster care.

The developmentally delayed Middletown boy was bound and left in a closet while his foster parents, Liz and David Carroll Jr., left for two days in August to attend a family reunion in Kentucky. The Carrolls are serving life sentences for murder.

The fallout also sparked the termination of Executive Director Jann Heffner, who made $125,000 a year. Commissioners then merged the agency with the county Department of Family Services.

Candidates competing to replace Heffner are:

Betty Kirk, of Franklin, senior audit manager for the Ohio Auditor's Office since 1991; certified public accountant with master's degrees in accountancy, social and applied economics and a bachelor's degree in sociology.

Carolyn Harvey, of Clayton; former school and hospital social worker who worked for two private foster-care agencies; currently laid off from an Indianapolis firm that offers tutoring and educational materials; master's degrees in social work and education with a bachelor's degree in social work.

Tanya Coffey, of Hamilton; director of community outreach and human resources for the Butler County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities; master's degree in agency and community counseling and a bachelor's degree in rehabilitation counseling.

Ronald Mitchell, of Hamilton; a Church of God minister now employed as an associate at Panera at Bridgewater Falls; master of divinity degree and bachelor's in sacred music and religion.

Timothy Stolitca, of Liberty Township; executive director of Highland County Children Services since October 2005; worked in children services at Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services starting in 1991; bachelor's degree in public service administration.

Patricia Yost, of Wilmington; director of Clinton County Children Services from 1987 to 2002; interim supervisor of the children services unit in Madison County; bachelor's degree in social work.

Ross Chaban, of Sylvania; vice president of clinical services since 1999 at COMPASS Corporation for Recovery Services, a drug and alcohol treatment company; master of education in rehabilitation counseling and a bachelor's in educational studies.

Rose Marie Pryor, of Wyoming; care manager at Amerigroup Corp., a company that offers health-care coverage to poor families; has worked in social service jobs in Georgia and Cincinnati; master of social work and a bachelor's degree in psychology.

Tiffany Stewart, of Springfield; career coach at Henkels & McCoy construction and engineering firm; formerly worked in nonprofit job placement and education programs; bachelor's degrees in criminal justice and sociology.

Christine Loehrke, of Perrysburg; development specialist for Innovative Support Services, which offers home services to people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities; former executive director of a battered women's shelter in Ashtabula; bachelor's degree in psychology.

Quinton Osborne, of Middletown; program coordinator at Dayton Correctional Institution and former psychiatric social worker at Warren Correctional Institution; social program work at the Veterans Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Job Corps; master's degrees in psychology and community health administration with a bachelor's degree in sociology.

Dean Sparks, of Sylvania; executive director of Lucas County Children Services since 1997; former executive director of children services in Allen County; various management jobs at Montgomery County Children Services; pastor at Independence Christian Church in the 1970s; master's of social work degree and bachelor's of religious studies.

Hugh Yeary, of Middletown; manager handling investor relations and contracts for National City Mortgage; bachelor's degree in business management.

Mike Fox, of Fairfield Township; resigned as county commissioner after almost 10 years to pursue the children services job; state representative from 1975 to October 1997; bachelor's degree in social studies/political science and attended Capital University Law School in Columbus.

Monday, June 25, 2007

MORE INCOMPETENCE!

On the heels of reports detailing how Governor Strickland's administration lost a disk containing detailed personal information (Names, Addresses, Social Security Numbers, Telephone Numbers, etc.) on more than 400,000 Ohioans, comes this report of another theft of personal data.


How many more Ohioans will Governor Strickland put at risk in the next three and one half years?!

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Another Team Strickland Failure


Personal information of Thousands of State Employees (including Names and Social Security Numbers) stolen from Intern making $10.50/hr!

In another display of incompetent oversight and mismanagement, I give you the following stories from the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Columbus Dispatch.

These stories give details on how almost 140,000 people are now be at risk for a variety of credit and identification thefts. This the result of the Strickland administration's decision to allow an intern in his Office of Management and Budget to keep this information tucked securely away IN HIS CAR!

In true democrat fashion, Governor Strickland's response is to spend more money - over $700,000 on consultants and credit protection services.

Here's a suggestion. Try to follow this because I tend to be an "outside the box" thinker on things like this.

How about issuing a directive that personal and confidential information like this be kept in the office instead of the car?

Maybe even going so far as to say that when this type of data needs to be transported or e-mailed, we spend $50 on encryption software so that when the next intern loses almost 140,000 social security numbers the victims can rest assured that the information is useless to the punk who broke in a car looking for loose change and CD's!

Strickland campaigned that he would bring the most ethical administration ever to Columbus. When does incompetence figure into the equation?

Enquirer Link:

Dispatch Link:

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Another Strickland Scandal being swept under the rug!

As summed up by the Whistleblower ...

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher announced Monday that he had accepted the resignation submitted by Frankie Coleman, assistant manager of Workforce Development at the Ohio Department of Development, effective Monday. Coleman had been under fire over questions on whether she had worked the hours she had submitted on her time sheet. Frankie Coleman is the wife of Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman (D). Yeah, Ted— the most ethical group of people ever. The manager who reported this fraud was fired the next day. She has extensive e-mail files showing she was communicating the facts to the personnel department for weeks over No-Show Frankie. The question remains, will Frankie Coleman be prosecuted for fraud on her false time sheet? Only Inspector General Tom Charles can tell us that. The investigation is still ongoing.


Read the full story at the following link

Nix wins appointment to Butler County Treasurer post


Former Middletown Vice Mayor new Butler County treasurer

Nancy Nix beats out two competitors to garner 81 of 156 votes.

FAIRFIELD — Former Middletown Vice Mayor Nancy Nix is the new tax collector in town after winning the Butler County Republican Central Committee's appointment as county treasurer in a three-way race Tuesday night.

Nix, 38, garnered 81 votes of 156 total votes cast Tuesday night to replace Carole Mosketti, who retired May 31 amid an ethics scandal.

Nix's competitors, Don Spurlock, owner of Spurlock Insurance in West Chester Twp., and GOP Executive Secretary Donna DeFazio fell short of the majority vote needed with 52 votes and 23 votes, respectively.

Nix will serve until September 2009. However, if she wants her own full term, Nix must run for election in November 2008. The job pays $66,440 annually.

As certified public accountant, Nix, of Middletown, is currently the assistant vice president and private banking manager for US Bank in Hamilton.

She served on Middletown City Council from 2001-05 and was vice mayor for two of those years. She also is the fourth vice chairwoman of the county Republican Party's Executive Committee.

Nix is married with a daughter and two sons.

New County Treasurer Nancy Nix
Age: 38
Residence: Middletown
Salary: $66,440 annually
Term: Until September 2009, but must run in November 2008 to win a full term
Duties: Collect county real estate taxes, invest county revenue and assist county prosecutor in filing foreclosures against delinquent property owners

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

U.S. Envoy Says Iran Is Arming Taliban


If NATO was anything more than a soap-box for 3rd world dictators, additional sanctions against Iran would already be in place.
- Scott


Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:19 PM EDTThe Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — A senior U.S. diplomat accused Iran on Tuesday of transferring weapons to Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan — the most direct comments yet on the issue by a ranking American official.

Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, speaking to reporters in Paris, said Iran was funding insurrections across the Middle East — and "Iran is now even transferring arms to the Taliban in Afghanistan."

Iran's possible role in aiding insurgents in Iraq has long been hotly debated, and last month some Western and Persian Gulf governments charged that the Islamic government in Tehran is secretly bolstering Taliban fighters.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, U.S. Army Gen. Dan McNeill said Taliban fighters are showing signs of better training, using combat techniques comparable to "an advanced Western military" in ambushes of U.S. Special Forces soldiers.

"In Afghanistan it is clear that the Taliban is receiving support, including arms from ... elements of the Iranian regime," British Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote in the May 31 edition of the Economist.

Iran, which is also in a dispute with the West over its nuclear program, denies the Taliban accusation, calling it part of a broad anti-Iranian campaign. Tehran says it makes no sense that a Shiite-led government like itself would help the fundamentalist Sunni movement of the Taliban.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Monday June 18th
Village Green Park
“Swingin’ on the Green Series”

Presents
A Salute to the Standards
With
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole
and many more. Bring your lawn chair.
Show starts at 7pm
The show is free and food will be for sale.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Immigration Bill Suffers a Big Setback


WASHINGTON (AP) - A broad immigration bill to legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully suffered a stunning setback in the Senate Thursday, costing President Bush perhaps his best opportunity to win a top domestic priority.

read the rest of the story at


Conatact Senators Voinovich and Brown and let them know your thoughts!

Voinovich contact info:

Brown contact info:

Tonight - Groovin' on the Green: Robin Lacy & Dezydeco

They're a really fun & interactive group. Great music - come by and give a listen!

Who: Robin Lacy & Dezydeco (http://www.robinlacy.com/)

When: Thursday June 7, 2007 7:00 p.m.

Where: Village Green Park Amphitheater 301 Wessel DriveFairfield, OH 45014 View map

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Bulter GOP fills Commission vacancy - Treasurer position to be filled at meeting on June 12th

The Butler County GOP appointed Don Dixon to fill the unexpired term of retired commissioner Mike Fox. Dixon won the appointment on the first round of balloting in a three way race with State Rep (53rd district) Shawn Webster and former West Chester Township Trustee Jose Alvarez.

see the following links for additional details
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070606/NEWS01/706060345/1056/COL02

http://www.journal-news.com/hp/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/06/06/hjn060607gopcommissioner.html

The Butler GOP Central Committee will meet on June 12th to appoint a County Treasurer to fill the unexpired term of Carole Mosketti. Mosketti retired last month after being convicted of an ethics violation for hiring her granddaughter.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Jury Indicts Jefferson in Bribery Probe - FINALLY!


from the associated press


WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was indicted Monday on federal charges of racketeering, soliciting bribes and money-laundering in a long- running bribery investigation into business deals he tried to broker in Africa.

The indictment handed up in federal court in Alexandria., Va., Monday is 94 pages long and lists 16 alleged violations of federal law that could keep Jefferson in prison for up to 235 years. He is charged with racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money-laundering, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Jefferson is accused of soliciting bribes for himself and his family, and also for bribing a Nigerian official.

Almost two years ago, in August 2005, investigators raided Jefferson's home in Louisiana and found $90,000 in cash stuffed into a box in his freezer.

Jefferson, 63, whose Louisiana district includes New Orleans, has said little about the case publicly but has maintained his innocence. He was re-elected last year despite the looming investigation.

Jefferson, in Louisiana on Monday, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Two of Jefferson's associates have already struck plea bargains with prosecutors and have been sentenced.

Brett Pfeffer, a former congressional aide, admitted soliciting bribes on Jefferson's behalf and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Another Jefferson associate, Louisville, Ky., telecommunications executive Vernon Jackson, pleaded guilty to paying between $400,000 and $1 million in bribes to Jefferson in exchange for his assistance securing business deals in Nigeria and other African nations. Jackson was sentenced to more than seven years in prison.

Both Pfeffer and Jackson agreed to cooperate in the case against Jefferson in exchanges for their pleas.

The impact of the case has stretched across continents and even roiled presidential politics in Nigeria. According to court records, Jefferson told associates that he needed cash to pay bribes to the country's vice president, Atiku Abubakar.

Abubakar denied the allegations, which figured prominently in that country's presidential elections in April. Abubakar ran for the presidency and finished third.

The indictment does not name Abubakar. But it describes Jefferson's dealings with an unnamed "Nigerian Official A" who was a high-ranking official in Nigeria's executive branch who had a spouse in Potomac, Md. One of Abubakar's wives lived in that Washington suburb.

Court records indicate that Jefferson was videotape taking a $100,000 cash bribe from an FBI informant. Most of that money later turned up in a freezer in Jefferson's home.

In May 2006, the FBI raided Jefferson's congressional office, the first such raid on a sitting congressman's Capitol office. That move sparked a constitutional debate over whether the executive branch stepped over its boundary.

The legality of the raid is still being argued on appeal. House leaders objected to the search saying it was an unconstitutional intrusion on the lawmaking process. The FBI said the raid was necessary because Jefferson and his legal team had failed to respond to requests for documents.
Some but not all the documents seized in the raid have been turned over Justice Department prosecutors.

Realted Stories

Friday, June 01, 2007

Bugs Phalen 1st Annual Memorial Golf Scramble

I just received this e-mail. It looks like a wonderful event in memory of a wonderful man who contributed tremendously to our community.

On behalf of the daughters of Bugs Phalen, Jill, Jeannie and Jo Beth, we would like to announce the first annual Clarence "Bugs" Phalen Golf Scramble to be held Sunday, September 16, 2007 at the Fairfield South Trace Golf Course.

As you remember, our father loved the game of golf and played into his later years of life before passing this past December only 3 weeks after his wife. One of his true accomplishments was a Mayor of Fairfield helping in the acquisition of the current Fairfield Golf Course.

To honor his love for golf and recognition of growing the youth of our city, the daughters of Bugs Phalen will be hosting a Memorial Golf Scramble. All proceeds from the scramble will go to a memorial fund for on going contributions to charitable organizations and youth scholarships.

On behalf of our family we wish to thank you for your contribution that we hope will continue to impact the lives of many groups.

Jill, Jeannie and Jo Beth

Check out the "In the News" additions!

I've posted links to some great new articles under the "In the News" heading (right side of the page) - check them out!
- Scott