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!

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Bee's Buffet owner gets year in prison

Asylum-seeker could be deported for harboring illegals

from the Cincinnati Enquirer

The owner of Bee's Buffet in Fairfield must spend one year in prison for harboring illegal immigrants who worked in his restaurant.

U.S. District Judge S. Arthur Spiegel also ordered Jing Fei Jiang to forfeit the restaurant and the property it stands on within 30 days unless he can pay $100,000 in fines.

Jiang, who is not a U.S. citizen, faces deportation after serving his sentence.

The 37-year-old restaurant owner was arrested last year after federal prosecutors accused him of "inducing, transporting and harboring" illegal workers.

He pleaded guilty to that charge in January.

Federal authorities seized Jiang's business, his 2004 GMC Yukon XL and about $400,000 in cash. Some of the money was in a safe in his house and the rest was in a safe deposit box and bank accounts.

Prosecutors say Jiang illegally employed immigrants at his Chinese restaurant since at least October 2005. They say he housed them in his home in Fairfield and drove them to and from work.

Jiang's lawyer, Hal Arenstein, could not be reached Tuesday. But he previously has described his client as a hard-working businessman who spent about 70 hours a week at his restaurant.

Jiang has continued to live in the United States for at least 10 years since he first was ordered deported, prosecutors said.

He has claimed he was at Tiannanmen Square and has applied for asylum in the United States.

Raid at Fairfield Business - Koch Foods - Nets 161

Suspected illegals arrested; Some try to hide in freezers during raid

as reported in the Cincinnati Enquirer

Federal agents raided a poultry packaging plant Tuesday in Fairfield and arrested 161 suspected illegal immigrants who were working there.

The raid, among the largest of its kind in the country this year, is part of a two-year investigation into the hiring practices at Chicago-based Koch Foods Co.

Immigration officials described Koch Foods as an "egregious violator" of U.S. immigration laws, which means that the company is suspected of knowingly hiring undocumented workers.

Local and federal authorities said they would pursue criminal charges against company officials if they find evidence of fraud, falsification of documents or other crimes.

"We're going to look wherever the evidence takes us," said Brian Moskowitz, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for Ohio and Michigan.

"No one gets a free pass."

Butler County Sheriff Rick Jones, an outspoken advocate for tougher immigration enforcement, said he hopes the raid sends a message to other employers.

"If you come to this county, you can't come here and commit a crime and go unscathed," he said.

'GOVERNMENT WON'T WORK WITH ME'

Workplace raids such as the one in Fairfield are on the rise across the country because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has made them a priority, stirring debate about the fairness of immigration laws.

More than 3,600 suspected illegal aliens have been arrested nationwide in the past year, about three times as many as in 2005. The raid in Fairfield is the largest in Greater Cincinnati this year and one of the 20 largest nationwide.

More than 300 local and federal law-enforcement officers swept into the plant on Port Union Road about 10 a.m. Tuesday, sending several employees scrambling for the exits.

Moskowitz said some workers tried to hide in a subzero freezer and had to be rescued by ICE agents. He said a few were treated for hypothermia, but no one was seriously hurt.

Company officials in Chicago declined to comment, but a spokesman for the Fairfield plant said he has tried for several years to weed out undocumented workers. He said federal authorities have offered him no help.

"The government won't work with me," Monte Lobb, the spokesman, said.

He said the raid put such a dent in his work force of about 600 that the company could lose as much as $100,000 in chicken because no one was there to package it.

Lobb said the company does its best to determine whether the workers it hires are here legally.

"I'm against illegals," he said. "I'm not going to do anything to break the law, but people get false papers."

Authorities declined to comment on any conversations they might have had with Lobb or others at Koch about illegal workers. When asked about the company's claims, Moskowitz cited the number of arrests at the plant Tuesday.

"We identified 180 people for questioning, and 161 turned out to be illegal," he said. "I think those numbers speak for themselves."

'THESE RAIDS ARE AN OUTRAGE'

Advocates for immigrants said the raid was an arbitrary and unfair action that hurts immigrant families and does nothing to solve fundamental flaws in American immigration law.

"We're looking for them to be not so aggressive with workplace raids until we get a comprehensive reform bill passed," said Jason Riveiro, president of the League of United Latina American Citizens of Cincinnati.

"The problem persists," he said. "It's going to get larger and more difficult to solve."
About a dozen sign-toting protesters briefly interrupted federal officials Tuesday at the start of a news conference to discuss the raid.

"These raids are an outrage," said Dan LaBotz, a member of the Coalition for the Rights and Dignity of Immigrants. "These are working people. These are family people, and they're paying taxes."

Moskowitz tried to head off criticism by touting efforts to evaluate the workers detained Tuesday to determine whether they have family or children who rely on them for care. If they do, he said, they might be released pending deportation proceedings.

Butler County children's services officials also were at the plant to make sure no children were left without supervision because a parent or guardian was arrested. Officials said no children had been taken into the county's custody as of late Tuesday.

Koch Foods has processing and packaging centers in several states, including Georgia, Illinois and Alabama. According to Forbes magazine, the company was founded in 1973 and had revenues of $1.4 billion in 2005.

The magazine listed Koch last year as the 274th-largest private company in America.

Butler County changing voting precincts

Thirty-eight precincts being realigned, two being split and one deleted.

I find the line "there was no political party input in the realignment" (paragraph 5) interesting since the Board of Elections is made up of local party leaders. And let's not forget that the Director of the Board is determined by the party affiliation of the current Secretary of State.

But I digress ...

Here's the story as reported by the Journal-News

HAMILTON — The Butler County Board of Elections on Tuesday approved realignment of more than 10 percent of its precincts for the November election.

Betty L. McGary, director of the board, said 38 precincts were being realigned with two being split and one being deleted in an effort to better spread out the voters. Realignment typically occurs on odd years to level out changes in population, she said.

The changes result in Butler County having 298 precincts instead of 297.

"The entire goal is to prevent any lines from forming in next year's presidential election when we expect a very high turnout," McGary said.

McGary said there was no political party input in the realignment. She said the new precincts were based on turnout in the last two November presidential elections and the number of registered voters in the precincts. Future development is also taken into consideration.

For instance, two precincts in Fairfield had 1,149 and 896 voters, respectively. Realignment will split the voters more evenly between the two districts.

"It's not an easy puzzle to assemble," said board Chairman Thomas Ellis.
Two especially large districts in the county were split.

"When you can't realign, you split," Ellis said.

The changes affect eight municipalities. The city of Fairfield has the most precints being aligned with nine. Middletown is the only municipality deleting a precinct.

McGary said polling places would not change, but some residents may have to vote in a different place. "Voters will be notified individually once realignment occurs," she said.

The board of election unanimously approved the realignment at its meeting Tuesday. McGary said the realignment will be used in this November's election.

Precinct Sampling
Fairfield: Realign 9 precincts
Hamilton: Realign 6 precincts
Middletown: Realign 8 precincts, delete 1
Fairfield Twp.: Realign 2 precincts, add 1 precinct
Liberty Twp.: Realign 2 precincts
West Chester Twp.: Realign 2 precincts

Monday, August 27, 2007

Ex-Kevorkian Atty Charged Over Edwards Donations

Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, best known for representing assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, was indicted on charges of conspiring to make more than $125,000 in illegal contributions to the 2004 presidential campaign of Democrat John Edwards.

read about it HERE

BREAKING NEWS - US Attorney General Gonzales Resigns

After enduring relentless attacks from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has resigned.

Read about it HERE

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Hamilton Mayor & associates want to sell land to the City of Hamilton for a HUGE Profit!


Hamilton Mayor Don Ryan, and his "investment associates" are poised to make over $440,000.00 selling a piece of property that they bought just 5 short years ago.

The buyer - none other that the City of Hamilton! Questions are being raised as to whether Ryan had a "heads up" on the city's interest in the property.

read the story HERE

When you pile this on top of recent allegations that Ryan received approval for a special loading zone and valet parking zone for a public street for his pub (other businesses have asked for similar zoning and been rejected) - it makes you wonder.

Can anyone say "Appearance of Impropriety"?!

Friday, August 24, 2007

Candidates file for Nov. 2007 Election

For a complete list of candidates, click the following links.

Butler County

Hamilton County

Warren County

Clermont County

Resurfacing Works Starts on SR4 bypass

Thanks again to Fairfield City Councilman Tim Meyers for this information.

Beginning Monday, August 27, two-lane resurfacing work on SR 4 Bypass, between the SR 4 intersection and the Symmes Road intersection, will start. One lane of traffic will be maintained with flaggers between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. There will be no lane restrictions during the day although there could be shoulder restrictions during the day. Scheduled completion for this project is the end of October, 2007.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Snow to leave White House

Finances lead to early departure


WASHINGTON - White House press secretary Tony Snow said Friday he'll leave sometime before the end of the Bush presidency because of financial pressures.

The 1973 Princeton High School graduate declined to say when he would depart, but that, "I'm going to stay as long as I can."

Snow, 52, father of three children, earns $168,000 as an assistant to the president, but made considerably more as a conservative pundit and syndicated talk-show host on Fox News Radio. He was named press secretary on April 26, 2006.

The White House has been shaken by the resignations of some of President Bush's closest aides. Political strategist Karl Rove announced Monday that he would leave at the end of the month.

Longtime Bush adviser Dan Bartlett and chief of staff Andrew Card left earlier.

Bush's term ends on Jan. 20, 2009.

"I will not be able to make it to the end of this administration, just financially," Snow said.

"This job has been such a pleasant surprise in how much I like it. I love it."

Snow has been undergoing chemotherapy after doctors discovered a recurrence of colon cancer in March. On Monday he will have a CAT scan to evaluate his progress.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Lane Restrictions at I-275 and S.Gilmore/Winton

Thanks to Fairfield City Councilman, Tim Meyers for this information.

This is to inform you that this morning Monday August 13, 2007 ODOT started an overlay of the overpass at I-275 and S.Gilmore/Winton. There are lane restrictions in all directions. The inspector told me that weather permitting the process will be 30 days.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The Secret Al-Qaeda Connection


It all makes sense now!

South Carolina Inmate Hits Michael Vick With '$63,000,000,000 Billion Dollar' Lawsuit Alleging Al Qaeda Ties

Embattled NFL quarterback Michael Vick, facing federal charges related to his alleged participation in dogfighting, has been hit with a "$63,000,000,000 billion dollar" lawsuit filed by a South Carolina inmate who alleges the Atlanta Falcons star stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy "missiles from Iran," FOX News has learned.

Read the rest if the story here

Speaking of Judges in the News - Dog-returning Judge Targeted

from the Cincinnati Enquirer

Controversy over a Butler County judge's decision to return a dog to its neglectful owner has generated nearly 600 e-mails to the judge, attention from a national animal-rights group and a protest by activists set to begin at noon Thursday in front of the courthouse on High Street in Oxford, where the decision was made.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has posted on its Web site an "urgent" call for action in the case of a dog named China, whose collar became embedded in her neck because she was left tied outside so long and so tightly.

The Web site urges polite letters of protest to be addressed to Butler County Area I Judge Rob Lyons.

On Aug. 2, Lyons ordered returning the dog to her owner, Otis Clark Jr., 48, of Somerville, in Butler County, with numerous conditions.

Clark was found guilty of animal cruelty and other charges five months after the dog underwent emergency surgery for its injuries and a severe staph infection.

Clark was ordered to pay fines and fees exceeding $2,800.

RELATED
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070805/NEWS01/308050016/-1/all

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070806/NEWS01/708060394/-1/all

http://www.wlwt.com/news/13826440/detail.html

Mason Judge George Parker - the saga continues

Judge's lawyer asks for leniency - Cites mental condition

Here's the latest from the Cincinnati Enquirer

MASON - Judge George Parker's lawyer is asking the Supreme Court to reduce - or even eliminate - a proposed yearlong suspension of Parker's law license, saying much of his bizarre behavior can be blamed on a personality disorder that is now being treated.

But a close associate of Parker filed a statement offering the Ohio Supreme Court a different explanation for the judge's actions.

According to George D. Jonson, the Cincinnati lawyer handling Parker's case, the court should impose no suspension as long as Parker continues to undergo treatment and meets other conditions that the Supreme Court's Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline recommended

"The object of a sanction is to protect the public, not punish the lawyer," Jonson wrote in a 32-page brief, released Monday by the court.

Parker has acknowledged that some of his conduct was inappropriate and violated some rules.
But Jonson argued that Parker deserves leniency because of his mental condition.
However, in a 36-page brief, William Scherpenberg, a clerk in Parker's court, casts doubt on the diagnosis of the judge's disorder.

"It is my understanding that George Parker personally paid an independent physician," said Scherpenberg's brief, which was also released Monday.

"... (And) this physician's findings do not agree with the board's physician," he added.
Scherpenberg also claims local officials conspired to vilify Parker because they didn't like his unconventional approach to justice when he replaced a longtime judge who retired.

From 1972 to 2001, David K. Batsche presided over the court, which handles misdemeanors and traffic cases for Mason and Deerfield Township in Warren County.

The apparent conflict over Parker's condition is the latest development in a saga that began when Parker "self-reported" his alleged misconduct to the Supreme Court's disciplinary arm in 2004.

That complaint launched a lengthy investigation, which found that Parker routinely belittled people in his courtroom and sometimes overstepped his judicial bounds.

Examples included misuse of 911 to summon an officer to his chambers to order the arrest of a woman who raised her hand to ask a question in court.

A disciplinary board in June recommended that Parker's law license be suspended for a year for violating rules of conduct for judges and lawyers. Another six months could be imposed if he fails to continue treatment or other conditions, the board recommended.

Any suspension of Parker's law license would render him ineligible to serve as a judge. It's unclear when the Supreme Court will decide Parker's punishment.

Parker's efforts at re-election also remain in question. He has requested that the Supreme Court order the Warren elections board to place his name and those of two other would-be candidates on the Nov. 6 ballot. The elections board previously ruled that Parker, formerly elected as a Republican, and two others did not meet required criteria to be considered independent candidates.

The court has not indicated when it would decide the ballot issue. Batsche's son, D. Andrew Batsche, is running as the Republican nominee for Parker's seat.

Parker was evaluated by Dr. Douglas Beech, a psychiatrist in Columbus, at the board's request in September 2006. Beech concluded that Parker suffered from narcissistic personality disorder.

"Because persons with narcissistic personality disorder have grandiose self-esteem, they are vulnerable to intense reactions when their self-image is damaged," he said. "They respond with strong feelings of hurt or anger to even small slights, rejections, defeats or criticisms."

Beech said he thought that public exposure of Parker's problem could force a positive change in his behavior. But he concluded, "Parker's condition does present him with ongoing vulnerabilities in his ability to consistently practice (law) in a safe and responsible manner."

Jonson says Parker was not accused of unlawful activity, had no previous record of alleged disciplinary infractions, and exhibited no dishonest behavior that directly harmed others. Rather, he said, Parker is accused of "intemperate judicial conduct" and "poor judicial judgment."

Dungy Receives Presidential Appointment

When you get sick of those like Pac Man Jones and Tank Johnson littering the world of professional sports, remember that there are still some genuinely good guys out there. Take a look at this.


TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — Tony Dungy has a Super Bowl title, a best-selling book and now a presidential appointment. On Tuesday, President Bush announced his intention to appoint the Indianapolis Colts coach to the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation.
The term runs for two years.

After the announcement in Washington, Dungy told reporters at training camp he was first asked about taking the position when the Colts visited the White House in April, a traditional honor for Super Bowl champions. Indianapolis beat Chicago 29-17 in February, winning its first title since moving from Baltimore in 1984.

"You have to fill out a lot of paperwork, and they have to do some checking, that sort of thing. That came through OK," Dungy said. "It's a great honor, and it's something we always talk about with our team — how to serve your community and make your community better."

Dungy, a devout Christian, has said most of the proceeds from his No. 1 selling book "Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life," will go to charitable organizations. He has not, however, identified which charities would receive money.

Since joining the Colts in 2002, Dungy's community work has included the Baskets of Hope, a program that benefits Riley Hospital for Children; a faith-based program called All-Pro Dad; and Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Clubs.

In Tampa, Fla., where he coached for six seasons before moving to Indy, Dungy helped start Mentors for Life, a program that provided Buccaneers tickets to area youth and their mentors, and participated in the Prison Crusade Ministry. Dungy's wife, Lauren, volunteered at a shelter for abused women and children in Tampa, too.

So when Dungy was given a chance to make a national impact, he took it.

"I think it's something where I can share some ideas and a little expertise, and maybe use it as a platform," he said.

But he insisted the new position will not distract him from his full-time job of coaching football. Nor will it lead to a political career when he's finished coaching.

"Not at all," Dungy said.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

"Sagging Pants" law to take effect in Mansfield, Louisiana

Not that I disagree with the intent, but c'mon ... isn't this a bit extreme?!

from the Shreveport Times

MANSFIELD — “Pull ‘em up or pay up.”That’s Police Chief Don English’s interpretation of a new law that takes effect in Mansfield on Sept. 15Anyone caught wearing sagging pants who exposes his or her underwear will be subject to a fine of up to $150 plus court costs, or face up to 15 days in jail.Mansfield aldermen voted unanimously at today’s 4:30 p.m. meeting to enact the new law.

The law makes it illegal to found in a “state of nudity, or partial nudity, or in any indecent exposure of his or her person or undergarments, or be guilty of any indecent or lewd behavior.”City attorney Richard Z. Johnson Jr. said he used a similar law in Delcambre as a guideline in creating Mansfield’s ordinance. Several municipalities and parish governments in Louisiana have enacted similar laws in recent months.

Just the Response you'd Expect from the Guy who Finished Almost Last!

McCain: Iowa Poll 'Meaningless'

from Newsmax

Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday shrugged off his 10th-place finish in the Iowa straw poll this past weekend, calling such contests meaningless. The Arizona senator, starting a two-day swing through early voting South Carolina, skipped the Iowa straw poll along with Rudy Giuliani and all-but-declared candidate Fred Thompson.

Mitt Romney easily won the Republican-run contest, with Mike Huckabee a distant second and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback third.

McCain, who garnered 101 votes, said he was surprised to get that many.

"I thought it would be zero," McCain said after talking to about 350 members of the Columbia Rotary Club. "I think straw polls are meaningless and that's all. I understand that it's a great way for the party to get money. I haven't engaged in any straw polls either here in South Carolina or Iowa or New Hampshire or anywhere else."

McCain, who was in New Hampshire over the weekend, said missing the straw poll does not affect his strategy to win primaries in all three early GOP primary states, including Iowa.

The rotary club's president, Jack Van Loan, spent time in a Vietnamese POW camp with McCain. Van Loan told the crowd he saw North Vietnamese officers go to McCain's cell and heard him yell that he wasn't going home even though he was badly injured.

"He's telling them, 'Hell, no, I won't go home early.' And I prayed that night to God that if the situation was reversed that I would have the same degree of courage," Van Loan said. "Our speaker today has courage in spades."

McCain talked about curbing spending for special highway projects and said he favors giving governors discretion over spending federal gas taxes on projects.

"Eliminate the waste and pork-barrel spending and let's give it back to priorities that the states have. I would trust the governor in the state of South Carolina to decide where the gas tax money goes a lot more than some congressman from Alaska," McCain said.

In Case You Blinked - the Iowa Straw Poll results are in

If a Straw Poll is taken and no one hears the results, does it make any noise?

If it wasn't for campaign press releases and the Iowa Republican Party, I doubt that anyone would care. So far (and I do realize that it's still very early), none of the candidates seem to be energizing the base.

Here are the results anyway.

1. Mitt Romney - 4516 votes - 31%
2. Mike Huckabee - 2587 votes - 18.1%
3.Sam Brownback - 2192 votes – 15.3%
4.Tom Tancredo - 1961 votes – 13.7%
5. Ron Paul - 1305 votes – 9.1%
6. Tommy Thompson - 1,009 votes - 7.3%
7. Fred Thomson with 231 votes
8. Rudy Giuliani with 183 votes
9. Duncan Hunter with 174 votes
10. John McCain with 101 votes
11. John Cox with 41 votes

Rapping Rove - a tribute to "the Architecht"

In case you haven't seen Karl Rove's performance at the March 29, 2007 Correspondents Dinner, I have the You Tube link here.
enjoy,
- Scott

Rove resigning from Bush administration

from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0807/5353.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration.

A longtime member of Bush's inner circle, Rove was nicknamed "the architect" by the president for designing the strategy that twice won him the White House.

Bush was expected to make a statement Monday with Rove.

"Obviously it's a big loss to us," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said. "He's a great colleague, a good friend, and a brilliant mind.

He will be greatly missed, but we know he wouldn't be going if he wasn't sure this was the right time to be giving more to his family, his wife Darby and their son. He will continue to be one of the president's greatest friends."

Since Democrats won control of Congress in November, some top administration officials have announced their resignations. Among those who have left are White House counselor Dan Bartlett, budget director Rob Portman, chief White House attorney Harriet Miers, political director Sara Taylor, deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch and Meghan O'Sullivan, another deputy national security adviser who worked on Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was forced out immediately after the election as the unpopular war in Iraq dragged on.

Rove is expected to write a book after he leaves.

"He's been talking with the president for a long time - about a year - regarding when might be good to go," Perino said. "But there's always a big project to work on, and his strategic abilities - and our need for his support - kept him here. He said there's never a good time to leave, just the `right' time."

Friday, August 10, 2007

Fischer Price Toy Recall - LEAD PAINT WARNING!

The list at this link Fischer Price web site (go to #4, view & print), lists toys imported from China that may be contaminated with lead paint.

Please review this list if you have young children at home. Also, forward this information to anyone you know who may have cause to be concerned!

Friday, August 03, 2007

Democrats Hijack Congress - U.S. House Erupts Over Stolen Vote

Republicans erupted, chanting "shame, shame, shame," and then walked out in protest. Today, House Republicans plan to further take Democrats to task by making "tsk, tsk" noises while waggling their fingers.

Read the complete story at

newsmax.com

politico.com

Another example of Fiscal Discipline by Democrat Leaders


Alternate Heading: What the heck - It's not their money!

Ohio Democratic Chair, Chris Redfern, says he didn't want anyone to accuse him of getting a "freebie". So he paid Kim Redfern (his wife) $4,500 OUT OF HIS CAMPAIGN FUNDS for the cost of the home that they shared.

This on top of the $12,800 dollars (ALSO CAMPAIGN FUNDS) for rent and utilities on his apartment in 2006. The icing on the cake may be the $4,000 IN TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENTS that he also took in 2006.

Certainly no "freebies" here for the Chairman of the Ohio Democrats. Nothing like leading by example Chris!


Ohioan used campaign cash for rent

Saying he didn't want anyone to accuse him of getting a freebie -- even from his future wife -- Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern used campaign funds to pay Kim Redfern $4,500 in May for the cost of living with her earlier in the year.

They were married in March and bought a home that month in German Village. But before that, said Redfern, also a state representative, his fiancee was talking about becoming a lobbyist.

"When you're under the microscope, you have to make sure you're not doing things like staying and not paying rent," said Redfern, also a state representative from Catawba Island.

"There's always rumors that people stay in the houses of lobbyists or other Statehouse folks and don't pay rent. We didn't want to do that."

Lawmakers have found a variety of ways to spend campaign cash, on which there are few restrictions, as newly filed reports show. But few if any use it to pay for their digs in the capital city.

Redfern used another $12,800 in campaign funds to pay rent and utilities for an apartment in the Columbus Brewery District throughout 2006. The rent was $975 a month, and he wrote himself a $2,739 check in January to cover utility costs from the previous year.

As minority leader, Redfern made about $80,000, not including his salary as state party chairman. He also got more than $4,000 in travel reimbursement from the House in 2006.
Ohio law regarding how state officials can spend campaign money often boils down to whether the expense is related to the job. In Redfern's case, the law asks whether he would have to stay overnight in Columbus if he were not a legislator.

A Dispatch analysis this year of 2006 campaign-finance records found that state candidates spent campaign funds on a variety of items, such as flowers, club memberships and Ohio State football tickets.

A number of legislators have houses or apartments or share hotel rooms in Columbus, especially when staying overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday session days. Patrick Gallaway, spokesman for the Ohio secretary of state's office, said experts there saw no legal problem if Redfern paid for staying with his fiancee or not.

"Obviously, he was trying to keep separate worlds going and he didn't want it to look like he was free-lancing," Gallaway said, adding that the issue was more about perception than the law.
Lawmakers can use campaign money for rent, but not to buy land, Gallaway said.

Gov. Ted Strickland, meanwhile, reported more than $300,000 in expenses on his semi-annual report, although much of that amount went to pay bills from his 2006 campaign, said Randy Borntrager, spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party.

The expenses since then include nearly $29,000 for Dayton consultant Erik Greathouse to help raise money toward Strickland's re-election campaign in 2010, as well as more than $3,900 in moving expenses to put campaign furniture and other equipment in storage, Borntrager said.

The $89,150 that Strickland reported raising during the first six months of 2007 includes $10,000 from the Ohio Ready-Mixed Concrete Association Political Action Committee, a combined $7,500 from three other construction-related PACs and $5,000 from DaVita Inc., a PAC that bills itself as the largest provider of dialysis services in the United States for kidney patients.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Mike Fox named Director of Children Services Board

In a surprise move, Butler County Commissioners appointed former County Commissioner and State Representative Mike Fox as Director of the Butler County Children's Services Board.


(In case you can't sense the sarcasm in the text above - please re-read knowing that I was choking back tears of laughter when the following news articles proclaimed this as "Breaking News")




Read more on this at



the Journal-News



the Cincinnati Enquirer