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, September 27, 2007

Dems Can't Make Guarantee on Iraq Troops

WHAT?! I can't have read this correctly!

According to this Associated Press article, the very same Democrats who have taken every opportunity to criticize President Bush, General Petraeus, and countless others for not bringing U.S. troops home from the middle east - will not promise to bring troops home from the middle east!

Folks, the hypocrisy meter is off the charts today!

While they wouldn't make commitments regarding the "war on terror" and the single greatest threat to U.S. national security today, items that candidates embraced include ...

* government run health care & socialized medicine
* tax increases
* raising the retirement age for social security eligibility
* lowering the drinking age to 18

Talk about misplaced priorities!

Disgraced Democratic fund-raiser Norman Hsu raised big money for Hillary Clinton supporters

Of all places, would you believe I found this at the Boston Globe?!

Disgraced fund-raiser Norman Hsu did a lot more than just pump $850,000 into Hillary Clinton's campaign bank account: He also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local, state, and federal candidates who have endorsed Clinton or whose support she courted.

A major fund-raiser for Democrats since 2003, Hsu became one of Clinton's biggest bundlers - gathering scores of individual checks and sending them to her campaign. But since revelations last month that Hsu was a fugitive in a 15-year-old California fraud case, Clinton has said she would return the $850,000 she has taken from him and his associates.

In at least some cases, Clinton or her aides directly channeled contributions from Hsu and his network to other politicians supportive of her presidential campaign, according to interviews and campaign finance records. There is nothing illegal about one politician steering wealthy contributors to another, but the New York senator's close ties to Hsu have become an embarrassment for her and her campaign.

Last fall, as the Nevada governor's race was heating up, Clinton agreed to help raise money for Democrat Dina Titus, a prominent party leader in a state that holds a key early presidential caucus. Clinton arranged for Hsu, at the time a little-known New York apparel executive with no apparent reason to take interest in Nevada politics, to give Titus $5,000 on Nov. 3, according to a person with knowledge of Clinton's fund-raising.

And in February, when former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack ended his own White House bid, he was about $450,000 in the red. A month after dropping out, Vilsack endorsed Clinton, and Clinton agreed to help him retire his debts. (Both insisted there was no quid pro quo.)

Over the next few months, some of Clinton's biggest fund-raisers gave Vilsack checks, including Hsu, who kicked in the maximum allowable contribution, $2,300, on May 3 after attending an event organized by Clinton's campaign, Newsweek reported this month. An associate of Hsu's, Paul Su, chipped in $1,000 on the same day.

In other cases, Clinton helped direct Hsu's money to influential politicians who have yet to endorse her but hail from key presidential primary states. Clinton raised at least $6,000 from Hsu and his network last year for Governor John Lynch of New Hampshire, according to Lynch aides. Lynch has no plans to endorse anyone before the state's crucial January primary, aides said.

And at least some of the $17,000 that Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan collected from Hsu and his associates in 2005 and 2006 stems from a Nov. 29, 2005, fund-raising reception for her hosted by Steven Rattner, a New York investment firm executive and major Clinton donor seen as a candidate for US Treasury secretary if Clinton wins. Granholm's office said she has not made an endorsement decision.

Clinton's campaign acknowledged that they urged Hsu to give to fellow Democrats.

"We frequently encourage supporters of ours to donate to other Democrats - Mr. Hsu was no exception," Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson said in an e-mail.

Federal prosecutors in New York unsealed a separate criminal complaint against Hsu on Thursday, charging him with breaking campaign finance laws by giving to Clinton and other candidates in other people's names and with running a "massive" Ponzi scheme to defraud investors out of more than $60 million.

Clinton's critics have said that her relationship to Hsu dredges up memories of the fund-raising scandals that dogged her husband, Bill, in the White House in the 1990s. Hillary Clinton has sought to limit the damage by vowing more thorough background checks on major donors.
A spokesman for Hsu, Robert Emmers, declined to comment.

Campaign finance records show numerous contributions from Hsu and his associates to Clinton supporters.

In New Hampshire, Senate President Sylvia Larsen's Democratic Caucus committee received $5,000 from Hsu in September 2006; Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan collected more than $20,000 from Hsu and his associates; Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas took in about $11,000; and Senator Dianne Feinstein of California received at least $17,000.

Hsu and his network also gave nearly $50,000 to Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. Harkin has not endorsed anyone, but his wife, Ruth, is a major Clinton backer.

In addition, Hsu and his associates have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to state and local Democratic Party organizations and candidates around the country, including more than $100,000 to Governor Eliot Spitzer of New York and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of New York, both of whom have endorsed Clinton. On Feb. 21, Hsu dipped into Chicago city politics, giving $3,500 to Alderman Danny Solis, the brother of Patti Solis Doyle, Clinton's campaign manager.

Hsu is hardly the only "Hillraiser" - donors who raise at least $100,000 for Clinton - to have spread his or her largesse in key primary states. For example, Elaine Schuster of Chestnut Hill, one of Clinton's biggest supporters in Massachusetts, gave $5,000 in October 2006 to Chet Culver, then a Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa. Culver is now governor but has not endorsed anyone in the presidential race.

Clinton said in a National Public Radio interview last week that Hsu's past was "a rude awakening to all of us - I mean, not only in my campaign, but the dozens of campaigns going back to, I guess, 2003 and '04 who, you know, took contributions. None of us caught this and we all ran searches."

But the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month that a California businessman had warned the campaign about Hsu in June and that a Clinton aide dismissed the concerns. "I can tell you with 100 [percent] certainty that Norman Hsu is NOT involved in a ponzi scheme. He is COMPLETELY legit," Samantha Wolf, Clinton's former West Coast campaign finance director, wrote in an e-mail to a California Democratic Party official, the Times reported.

Other Democratic presidential hopefuls have collected money from Hsu and his network, including Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, and Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. But Clinton has been by far the biggest beneficiary of Hsu, who was reportedly trying to establish himself as one of her elite fund-raisers by pulling in more than $1 million.

Most recipients of his contributions have said they will return the money or donate it to charity.

Commentary:
Yeah, sure they'll give it back or donate it. I'll believe that when I see the charity receipts!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Butler, Warren officials chosen to lead Auditor's Advisory Board

as reported by the Journal-News

CINCINNATI — Seven officials in Butler and Warren counties have been chosen to serve on a state auditor advisory board.

The Southwestern Ohio Regional Advisory Board — one of eight groups recently created by Auditor of State Mary Taylor — is charged with improving interaction with the auditor's office.

Board members represent every type of local government, according to the auditor's office.

Among those chosen from Butler County:

• Butler County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette;
• Liberty Twp. Trustee President Christine Matacic;
• Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix;
• Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers.

Among those chosen from Warren County:

• Warren County Auditor Nick Nelson;
• Warren County Commissioner Patricia Arnold South;
• Hamilton Twp. Fiscal Officer Jackie Terwilliger.

Fairfield to Upgrade Municipal Building

Architects show plans for $2.4M renovation

as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer

FAIRFIELD - The city plans to pump more than $2.4 million into renovating its U-shaped municipal building to extend the life of the structure while making it easier to navigate.

The project will include improved security, and new entrances for the economic development services and building and engineering divisions, according to plans outlined Monday by architects Rick Tripp and David Sweeney with Michael Schuster Associates Inc.

Bids will be sought this year, with the project expected to be complete by December 2008. No decision has been made about where city offices may relocate during renovation.

Interior renovations are planned for council chambers, Finance, Economic Development and the Building/Engineering departments. The building will also get a new roof, new front columns and other exterior treatments to reduce long-term maintenance expenses.

"I like the plan," said Councilman Steve Miller. "It's needed. I like to see the enhanced safety features. ... I don't like the fact that people can waltz in and nobody knows."

Under the plan, about 15 seats would be added to council chambers. The solid wall at the chamber entrance would be replaced with a half-glass wall. The chambers also would get a new video presentation screen.

Councilman Tim Meyers said he was concerned about the cost.

"We're going to spend a lot of money and we're only going to get 10-15 additional seats," Meyers said.

A receptionist station would be relocated in front of council chambers. A conference room would be relocated to the front of the building that could accommodate 42 visitors and space for 12 at a table.

That room also could hold spectators at council meetings that draw large crowds.
"We could also allow the community to use the conference room," said Councilman Mitch Rhodus. "That's another real good use of the room."

UPDATED - SEWARD ROAD CLOSURE FOR RAILROAD CROSSING WORK

Thanks again to Fairfield City Councilman Tim Meyers for this update!

MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED THAT THE CSX RAILROAD CROSSING LOCATED ON SEWARD ROAD (BETWEEN STATE ROUTE 4 AND PORT UNION ROAD) WILL BE CLOSED FOR AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO TWO WEEKS. THE ROAD WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC FOR FIVE (5) DAYS BEGINNING AT 9 A.M. ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2007, TO ALLOW CSX TO REPAIR THE CROSSING.

WORK ON THE CROSSING IS WEATHER DEPENDENT.

DURING THE CLOSURE A DETOUR WILL BE POSTED DIRECTING THROUGH TRAFFIC AROUND THE CLOSURE VIA STATE ROUTE 4 AND BY-PASS STATE ROUTE 4 AND PORT UNION ROAD. AN ADDITIONAL DETOUR WILL BE VIA STATE ROUTE 4 AND MUHLHAUSER ROAD AND PORT UNION ROAD.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Missing: Fiscal Conservatism - If Found, Please Return to Hamilton County!

Admittedly it's been a while since I was in Sr. Marietta's math class, but someone PLEASE help me figure THIS ONE out!

There has been a big push in Hamilton County to build a Much Needed jail. I do agree that a new structure is needed and that responsible long term planning should also include staffing the facility.

Anytime a story or conversation comes up about the "Jail Tax" the focus is on the need for the structure. A need that most agree with. Here's the rub ...

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, If Issue 27 is approved, the county sales tax would increase in 2008 from 6.5 percent to 7 percent for eight years. It would then drop to 6.75 percent for seven years, then revert to the original 6.5 percent.

The tax would generate more than $736 million and fund the safety plan for 30 years.

It would pay for construction of a $198 million, 1,800-bed jail in Camp Washington; new treatment and rehabilitation programs; an expanded juvenile detention center and juvenile programs; and expanded sheriff's patrols in Over-the-Rhine. Old, aging jail buildings would close with the exception of the main jail downtown.

WHOA - Hold your horses!!!

$736 million (Tax generated) - $198 million (construction costs) = $538 million

If the NEED is the physical structure, then WHY does OVER 70% of the tax revenue go somewhere else?!

A detailed breakdown of exactly where taxpayer dollars will be spent (specific line items, not a generic listing like $100 million on rehabilitation services) would go a LONG WAY to gaining support for this tax increase - assuming that after closer scrutiny it merits support.

OKI seeks local input

Here's a great opportunity to give your suggestions and to help establish local transportation priorities!

from the Journal-News

First of four public meetings will be held in Liberty Twp. this week.

LIBERTY TWP. — Butler County residents can voice comments about the region's transportation needs Tuesday at a public open house.

The forum is one of four being held throughout the region this month by the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments to launch the OKI 2030 Regional Transportation Plan Update.

The plan is a long-range, comprehensive transportation planning document for the region.
"It's a practical way of looking at things for our future," said Christine Matacic, OKI board president and Liberty Twp. trustee. "I think it's important that people attend to see what's happening and register their comments and concerns now versus later."

The forum will allow for public input following a presentation of transportation proposals for the region, said Bob Koehler, OKI deputy director.

"We're not at the point where we have specific projects we're recommending," Koehler said. "We're first trying to get our minds around the problems and the potential solutions."

Open house
When: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Butler Tech Regional Public Safety Education Complex, 5140 Princeton-Glendale Road, Liberty Twp.

Even the Hamilton Journal-News Doesn't Think This One Passes the "Smell Test"!

from the Journal-News

In their own words ...

In '02, Ryan's company bought building from IP as city was trying to buy it to store coal.

HAMILTON — Mayor Don Ryan most likely knew the city wanted property on North Third Street when his company bought it in 2002 — the sale was finalized nine days after Hamilton had taken the previous owner to court to acquire a portion of it.

But, he said at the time, it was not until after purchase negotiations began that he learned of the city's interest as well.

The story begins in February 2002, when Ryan and business partner Kurt Robinson filed papers with the Ohio Secretary of State's office to create Kumardovic LLC, a real-estate investment and holding company.

Ryan, a former plant manager with Diebold, and Robinson, a former plant superintendent with Western States Machine Co., had recently gone into business for themselves.

For three years, they'd been leasing space at the Hamilton Tool Co. building on Hanover Street, Robinson said.

The two created Kumardovic to begin looking for a larger space to sustain their growing business, which now includes Fabridigm, Mulcahey and Thompson Metals & Tubing, all contract manufacturing companies.

The 85,000-square-foot empty building at 530 N. Third St. — then owned by International Paper — seemed perfect.

"We needed this building desperately in order to function," Robinson said.

But IP owned about 10 acres along North Third Street between Black and Vine streets — including a 134,000-square-foot building at 550 N. Third St. — and refused to sell just one piece. The company told Kumardovic it would sell it all or nothing, Robinson said.

The larger building was older — built in 1891 — but with wide bays and concrete floors, it was well suited for storage and heavy machinery. "There was tremendous risk (in buying it all)," Robinson said.

At about this same time, Hamilton officials had approached IP about purchasing the larger N. Third Street building and a parking lot just south of the city's power plant. The city wanted the building for coal storage.

But the paper company sang the same tune: it would not sell the lot in pieces, City Manager Mark Brandenburger said.

In a memo dated May 28, 2002, IP cut off negotiations with the city, saying the property was no longer for sale. It was only then Ryan learned of the city's interest in the property, Brandenburger said, and he immediately removed himself from all discussion of eminent domain proceedings — the legal process by which a city can force an owner in court to sell property needed for the public good.

Councilman Ed Shelton defended the mayor Wednesday against any inference that he purchased the property for any reason other than to use it.

"He bought that building as a businessman to run a machine shop, not as an entrepreneur to sell it," Shelton said.

Knowing IP was wanting to sell the whole 10 acres — including both buildings — the city decided to use eminent domain to acquire just the north parking lot.

"We weren't going to force business out of town (by taking the 550 N. Third St. building), whether it was International Paper in there or new business," Brandenburger said. "That's why we went for the parking lot only."

The city filed suit against IP Sept. 11, 2002, to acquire the 2.6-acre lot for $141,500. Nine days later, IP sold it all to Kumardovic for $1 million, according to Butler County Auditor records.
The court ruled in favor of the city, and Hamilton paid Ryan's company $141,500 for the parking lot.

Since then, Ryan and Robinson have invested millions of dollars in equipment, maintenance and upgrades to the two buildings, and more than 100 people work in the space, Robinson said.

Kumardovic also has purchased property at 235 and 241 High St. where Ryan plans to open a restaurant.
And last October, Kumardovic purchased the old SOS building on Fox and Belle avenues to expand operations. The company already has moved half of its equipment from the 530 N. Third St. building to the new site.

Hamilton officials — who have remained interested in acquiring the 550 N. Third St. building — believe the new space can hold the equipment and employees that would be displaced and feel now is the time to take action, Brandenburger said.

Last September, the city hired Beck Consulting to appraise the property.

The appraisal for the property — now almost a year old — places the value at $582,000.
City council on Wednesday voted to begin eminent domain proceedings to acquire the property.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

OJ - again!

Here's the latest from Breitbart.com

Also - in case you forgot why this guy is a "flight risk" - check this link!

Former American football star O.J. Simpson has been charged with eight offences, including kidnapping and armed robbery, court documents showed Tuesday.

Simpson, an iconic sports star who was dramatically acquitted of brutally murdering his ex-wife and her friend 12 years ago, is to appear in court in Las Vegas on Wednesday for an arraignment hearing.
The charges against Simpson and three other men were detailed in a criminal complaint filed by Nevada prosecutors in Clark County on Tuesday, following the fallen icon's arrest on Sunday in connection with an alleged armed robbery.

Simpson and the men have been charged with seven felony offences: conspiracy to commit kidnapping; conspiracy to commit robbery; first degree kidnapping with use of a deadly weapon; burglary with a deadly weapon; robbery with a deadly weapon; assault with a deadly weapon and coercion with a deadly weapon.

The four men have also been charged with the misdemeanor offence of conspiracy to commit a crime.

If convicted on the most serious charges Simpson would face several years, possibly decades, in prison.

The charges stem from an incident at the Palace Station casino on Thursday, when a gang of gun-toting men that included Simpson is reported to have stormed into a hotel room and snatched sporting memorabilia from two dealers.

Simpson is currently behind bars in Las Vegas in connection with the alleged robbery. In interviews with US media prior to his arrest he denied robbery, saying he was only recovering items that had been illegally stolen from him.

One of the most famous American football players of his generation during the 1970s, Simpson was the prime suspect in the 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman.
Simpson, who has always vehemently denied the killings, was acquitted of them after a racially charged Los Angeles trial in 1995, a verdict that was greeted with widespread outrage across America.

Simpson was subsequently found liable for the deaths in a 1997 civil suit and was ordered to pay damages to the victims' families totaling 33.5 million dollars.

WTF? - you may need proof of health insurance, but not proof of citizenship to work in the U.S.?!

This AP interview brigns to light how far left of the Mainstream the Democrats Really Are!

WASHINGTON - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that a mandate requiring every American to purchase health insurance was the only way to achieve universal health care but she rejected the notion of punitive measures to force individuals into the health care system.


"At this point, we don't have anything punitive that we have proposed," the presidential candidate said in an interview with The Associated Press. "We're providing incentives and tax credits which we think will be very attractive to the vast majority of Americans."

She said she could envision a day when "you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview — like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination," but said such details would be worked out through negotiations with Congress.

Clinton unveiled her health care plan Monday in Iowa, promising to bring coverage to every American by building on the current employer-based system and using tax credits to make insurance more affordable.

She told the AP she relished a debate over health care with her political opponents, including Republicans "who understood that we had to reform health care before they started running for president."

On Tuesday, Clinton began airing a 30-second ad statewide in Iowa and New Hampshire promoting her new health care plan. The ad reminds viewers of her failed effort to pass universal health care in the early 1990s, trying to portray a thwarted enterprise as one of vision.
"She changed our thinking when she introduced universal health care to America," the ad's announcer says.

The ad also highlights her support as senator for an expanded Children's Health Insurance Program and for more affordable vaccines.

Her health care plan would require every American to buy health insurance, offering tax credits and subsidies to help those who can't afford it. The mandatory aspect of her proposal, however, gets glossed over in the ad.

"Now she has a health care plan that lets you keep your coverage if you like it, provides affordable choices if you don't, and covers every American," the ad says.

The ad also continues her campaign's effort to appropriate the mantle of change away from rivals Barack Obama and John Edwards. The word change or its variations appears four times in the ad, which ends: "So, if you're ready for change, she's ready to lead."

Though her ads are airing in major markets in both states, they are appaearing with greater frequency in Iowa. Polls of voters in New Hampshire show her with a double digit lead over Obama and Edwards, but polls in Iowa show the three of them clustered together.

Check 'n Go Sues 'Whistleblower'

as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer

I guess when you charge annual interest rates of almost 400%, you'd rather keep it a secret. Here's the story as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

WASHINGTON - Mason-based Check 'n Go filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of Washington, D.C., on Tuesday against a former employee who spoke out against the company's business practices at a news conference in Washington last week.

Michael Donovan, the company's former director of operations for the District of Columbia, told reporters last week that Check 'n Go encourages its employees to recruit low-income and minority customers and try to keep them from paying off their loans.

Check 'n Go offers so-called payday loans, which are short-term cash advances meant to help people make it from paycheck to paycheck. The interest rates and late or rollover fees on these loans are typically much higher than what banks charge.

"The average Check 'n Go customer in the District (of Columbia) is continuously in debt to the company for at least a year, and it's not uncommon to see customers trapped for several years," Donovan had said. "The repeat borrower is vital to our business model.

"Check 'n Go alleges in its lawsuit that Donovan stole confidential business information about the company in violation of an agreement he signed not to disclose such information. The lawsuit also alleges that Donovan misled the company into hiring him by using a false Social Security number and lying about his criminal history.The company is seeking unspecified damages from Donovan.

Donovan did not return a phone call seeking comment on Tuesday.In a press release, the company accused Donovan and two other former employees who also spoke at last week's news conference, of conspiring with the Center for Responsible Lending to tarnish the company and the entire payday loan industry.

"We are outraged at the attacks on Check ‘n Go by the former employees and the CRL. It’s unfortunate we have to take this route, but we cannot allow fabrications like this to go unchallenged, " said Doug Clark, Chief Operating Officer for Check ‘n Go.

The Washington, D.C., City Council was expected to vote Tuesday on a bill to cap payday loans at 24 percent, the same rate charged by banks and credit unions.

The Ohio Coalition for Responsible Lending is pushing similar legislation in Ohio.

Keep Tiffany's Killer Jailed

as reported by the Enquirer

HAMILTON – A year ago, after Marcus Fiesel died in foster care, then-commissioner Mike Fox was quick to blame Butler County’s Children Services for the deaths of several children who were supposed to be watched by caseworkers.

Tiffany Hubbard, who was 3 when she was raped and fatally beaten by her father in 1986, was on that list.

Now, as the agency’s new executive director, Fox is taking a different approach
Tuesday, Fox teamed up with the child’s mother, Sherrie Jackson, in a campaign to stop the man who killed Tiffany from being released on parole.

In a first for the agency, Fox wrote a letter to the Ohio Parole Board opposing parole for Jeffery Hubbard, 43, who has spent 21 years behind bars for the sexual abuse and systematic beatings that killed Tiffany.Fox said he plans to write similar letters every time someone who hurts a Butler County child tries to get out of prison early.

Hubbard is incarcerated at Chillicothe Correctional Institution and was classified as a sexual predator in 2003. His parole hearing is supposed to be Monday or Tuesday, according to state corrections officials. So far, the parole board has received four letters and a petition with 750 signatures to keep Hubbard in prison, spokeswoman JoEllen Lyons said.

“Every part of this poor child’s body was bruised, battered and scarred outside and even inside, because of the perverted sexual molestation that Jeffery Hubbard committed against his own child,” Fox said.“She spent the last hours of her days on earth on a cold bathroom floor where the adults in the home literally stepped over her to use the bathroom. Twenty-one years should not obscure the horror or the violence Jeffery Hubbard inflicted on Tiffany.”

Tiffany died Sept. 30, 1986, from gangrene when the wounds she suffered from continuous beatings became infected. She had been living with her father for 27 days. Butler County Children Services had taken the child away from Jackson alleging poor living conditions.

Butler County Juvenile Court Judge David Niehaus placed Tiffany with Hubbard even though a psychologist’s report cautioned against it, and despite Hubbard’s juvenile conviction at 17 for molesting a 7-year-old.

A caseworker tried to visit Tiffany a few days before her death, but didn’t insist on seeing the child when she was told Tiffany was sleeping.Jackson, who initially sued children services, the juvenile court judge and caseworkers shortly after Tiffany’s death, contacted Fox within the last two weeks about helping keep Hubbard in prison.

She also enlisted the aid of Madge Burton, an Oxford resident who started the support and advocacy group Victims United when her two daughters and a grand daughter were stabbed to death in 1984.

Jackson said she hoped Fox’s position might help persuade the parole board.“I want him to stay behind bars,” the 38-year-old mother of five adult children said. “He shouldn’t be allowed to roam the streets. He didn’t give Tiffany a chance to roam the streets. He didn’t give her a chance to grow up.”Burton also said Hubbard shouldn’t be given a second chance.“He showed all of Butler County the real face of evil,” she said.

related: Group opposes convict's parole

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Democrat Fundraising Questions Continue to Swirl

Hsu Steered Major Fundraiser to Obama
Campaign Acknowledges Link to Democratic Donor Who Is Now Under Arrest

More information on a story that the "Mainstream Media" continues to sweep under the rug.

Hsu is reported to have given loads of money to Clinton, Obama, and our very own Senator Sherrod Brown. Click on the link for the latest as reported by the Washington Post.

GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel Plans to Retire

This just in from the "It's about time!" department.

It seems that RINO Senator Chuck Hagel has finally finished reading the writing on the wall regarding his presidential ambitions and his waining support among true conservatives.

Don't let the door hit you in the back-side on the way out Senator.

Here's the story as reported by Newsmax.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, a harsh critic of the Iraq war, plans to retire and will not seek the Republican presidential nomination next year, a source said on Saturday.

Hagel, 60, who had been considering a White House run, planned to announce on Monday he will not seek a third Senate term in 2008, the source said, confirming reports in two Nebraska newspapers, the Omaha World-Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star.

Hagel's retirement would leave another Republican U.S. Senate seat without an incumbent in the November 2008 general election as the party seeks to overcome the Democrats' 51-49 majority.

Last week, Republican U.S. Sen. John Warner of Virginia said he would not run for re-election.
Hagel will announce "he will not seek re-election and doesn't intend to be a candidate for any office in 2008," a source close to Hagel in Washington said.

Hagel, who earned two Purple Hearts as a combat soldier during the Vietnam War, has been a harsh critic of the Bush administration's Iraq strategy. In January, he denounced President George W. Bush's plan for a U.S. troop buildup in Iraq as "the worst foreign policy blunder since Vietnam -- if it's carried out."

Hagel has been among a handful of Senate Republicans supporting legislation that would set an April 30, 2008, deadline for U.S. troops in Iraq to begin withdrawing.

He said his experience in Vietnam and views on the politics of that war influenced his stand on Iraq, which he has visited several times since the 2003 U.S. invasion.

Hagel also showed his maverick side in May by calling for the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who said last month he would step down in September, and by saying the Republican Party had been "hijacked by a group of single-minded, almost isolationist insulationists, power-projectors."

Hagel left political observers bewildered in March when he called a news conference in Omaha to discuss a possible presidential bid. Instead of announcing his candidacy, as widely expected, he said only that he would reveal his plans later.

The race for his Senate seat likely will draw a crowded field. Possible candidates include former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey and former Republican Gov. Mike Johanns, the current U.S. Agriculture secretary.

Hagel is a member of the Senate's Foreign Relations, Banking and Select Intelligence committees.

Hagel, a native of North Platte, was elected to the Senate in 1996 and re-elected in 2002. Before politics, he co-founded Vanguard Cellular Systems, which became the second-largest independent cell phone company in the nation.

He also worked as a radio newscaster and talk-show host, an investment banking firm executive and deputy administrator in the Veterans Administration. He served on the staff of Nebraska Republican Sen. John McCollister in the 1970s.

Golf Scramble to fund Phalen memorial

The family of the late Clarence Phalen is planning a fall golf event as a memorial fundraiser. The family is in the process of establishing a website for the event at phalenmemorial.com. Once up, the site will provide more details about the scramble and other news about the memorial fund.

Mayor Phalen died December 28 at the age of 82. His wife had passed away only weeks earlier.

Serving as Mayor from 1976 to 1980, Phalen is credited with playing a major role in attracting Mercy Hospital, and establishing a public swimming pool and recreation center. He also is credited with establishing the City’s first golf course, now known as the South Trace Course, where the fundraiser will be held.

When: Sunday September 16, 2007 12:00 a.m.
Where: Fairfield Greens South Trace2200 John Gray RoadFairfield, OH 45014 View map
Contact: phalenmemorialfund@yahoo.com.

click here to download a registration form

ODOT Traffic Advisory - Work Starts on SR4 Bypass

Thanks to Fairfield City Councilman Tim Meyers for this Advisory Update...

Beginning Monday, September 10, milling and paving will start on SR 4 Bypass in Fairfield. Project limits are from the SR 4 intersection to the Symmes Road intersection and work will be performed between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. During these hours, one lane of traffic will be maintained using flaggers; there will be no lane restrictions during the day, although shoulder restrictions are possible. The anticipated completion date for this project is the end of October.

Friday, September 07, 2007

DEFINITION OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

A good friend sent the best definition of political correctness that I've ever read.
I had to share :)
- Scott

The following is the winning entry from an annual contest calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. This year's term was Political Correctness.

"Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Lawmakers and other Elected Officials Arrested in New Jersey Corruption Sting



from the Associated Press & the NJ Star-Ledger

The roundup included three sitting mayors, four current councilmen and a police commissioner.

Two other Democratic state senators, Wayne Bryant of Lawnside and Sharpe James of Newark, are among others facing pending corruption charges.

More than 100 public officials in the state have been convicted on federal corruption charges in the last five years.

Here's the link to the story as the Associated Press writes.



Also, the link to the same story as reported by the New Jersey Star-Ledger

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Obama Fundraiser Has Tie to Crime Figure

More questionable fundraising by Democrats. I'm sure that this will lead the evening news!

Here's the story as reported by Newsmax

Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign will benefit from a Wednesday night fundraiser hosted by an Illinois official whose family’s bank helped finance a Chicago crime figure.

Alexi Giannoulias, who became Illinois state treasurer last year, has pledged to raise $100,000 for the Democratic hopeful’s White House bid.

Giannoulias was his bank’s vice president and chief loan officer when the bank gave millions of dollars in loans to Michael “Jaws” Giorango, who was twice convicted of bookmaking and promoting prostitution, the New York Post reports.

Giannoulias was not charged with breaking any laws. But he is “so tainted by reputed mob links,” according to the Post, that several leading Illinois Democrats, including the state’s party chairman, refused to endorse him even after he won the Democratic nomination with Obama’s help.

Ohio Rep. Paul Gillmor Found Dead in his Wahington, D.C. Apartment

from the Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ohio Rep. Paul Gillmor, a Republican whose political career covered four decades, has died, party officials said.

"Born, raised and educated in our home state of Ohio, Paul never lost sight of the reason he came to Congress — to serve this great institution and his constituents with dedication and distinction," House Republican Leader John Boehner, also of Ohio, said in a statement.

"With the passing of Paul Gillmor, the people of northwest Ohio have lost a favorite son," said House Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam, R-Fla.

The body of the 68-year-old congressman was found by staff members who went to his apartment Wednesday after he failed to show up for work, according to a Republican aide who spoke on condition of anonymity pending an official announcement.There was no immediate word on the cause of his death.

Gillmor's office did not respond to a reporter's call.

Gillmor had been in Ohio last week to attend a series of town meetings and tour areas of the state that were hit hard by flooding. "His sudden passing is a shock to us all and he will be greatly missed," Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted said in a statement.

Gillmor, who represented Ohio's heavily Republican 5th District in the Bowling Green area, was first elected to Congress in 1988.

He served as a Vietnam War-era judge advocate in the Air Force after graduating law school, won a seat in the Ohio state senate in 1966, and served there for 22 years, rising to the senate presidency. After an unsuccessful run for governor in 1986, Gillmor was elected to the U.S. House in 1988 after eking out a 27-vote victory in the primary.

As a House member he was a little-known but solid Republican vote, a reliable conservative on social issues, and a strong proponent of the military.

He led legislative efforts in such areas as cleanups of commercially contaminated sites known as brownfields and enacting financial service reforms. He was also a strong advocate of a constitutional amendment to ban unfunded mandates on the states.

He is survived by his wife, Karen, and five children.

Craig Reconsiders Decision to Resign

Well why the heck not? After all, he pled guilty to disorderly conduct charges after being caught in a sex sting at the Minneapolis Airport - and he "reconsidered" his guilty plea after it became newsworthy. Seems like the only thing consistant about soon to be ex-senator Craig is that he "reconsiders" a lot of things.

I guess you could say he changed his position on the issue, but that opens up a whole new avenue of jokes :)

Here's the AP story ...

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — One of Sen. Larry Craig's lawyers said Wednesday the Senate has no business looking into the conduct of one of its own following Craig's guilty plea in connection with an airport men's room sex sting.

An unbroken line of precedents dating back 220 years makes clear the Senate does not consider misdemeanor private conduct to be a fit subject of inquiry, Washington attorney Stan Brand asserted after aides to Craig said the senator is reconsidering his decision to resign.

"We ought to seek to have the committee dismiss this outright," Brand said of a Senate ethics panel's investigation. "The Republican leadership called for an ethics investigation that had nothing to do with his office," Brand said on NBC's "Today" show.

Craig says he may still fight for his Senate seat, a spokesman says — if the lawmaker can clear his name with the Senate ethics panel and a Minnesota court.

The Republican lawmaker, who has represented Idaho for 27 years, announced Saturday that he intended to resign.

"It's not such a foregone conclusion anymore that the only thing he could do was resign," Sidney Smith, Craig's spokesman in Idaho's capital, told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

"We're still preparing as if Senator Craig will resign Sept. 30, but the outcome of the legal case in Minnesota and the ethics investigation will have an impact on whether we're able to stay in the fight — and stay in the Senate," Smith said.

Craig, 62, pleaded guilty Aug. 1 to a reduced charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct following his June 11 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. But he contended throughout last week he had done nothing wrong and said his only mistake was pleading guilty.

Smith said a telephone call Craig received last week from Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., urging him to consider fighting the guilty plea — and for his seat — affected Craig's decision to reconsider his resignation.

Dana Perino, White House deputy press secretary, said Wednesday she'd heard news reports that Craig was reconsidering his resignation. "I don't think that our views have changed," she said, "but of course this is the senator's decision, the senator's seat."

Craig has hired a high-powered crisis management team including Billy Martin, the lawyer for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in his dogfighting case, and Brand.

Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper in Washington, reported in its editions Wednesday that it obtained a voice message from Craig left inadvertently to a wrong number less than an hour before his news conference Saturday.

"Yes, Billy, this is Larry Craig calling. You can reach me on my cell. Arlen Specter is now willing to come out in my defense, arguing that it appears by all that he knows that I've been railroaded ...," Craig is recorded as saying. "...We've reshaped my statement a little bit to say it is my intent to resign on September 30."

The call was apparently intended for Martin, an aide to the attorney said Wednesday. In it, Craig asked him to hold a news conference later Saturday and "make as bold a statement as you are comfortable with."

"I think it would help drive the story that I'm willing to fight, that I've got quality people out there fighting in my defense, and that this thing could take a new turn or a new shape — has that potential," Craig said.

Martin later Saturday issued a written statement on Craig's behalf but did not hold a news conference. His aide said Martin did not receive the senator's voice mail.

Roll Call said it obtained the voice message from the person whose number was apparently misdialed. The newspaper did not identify the recipient but said it was a Washington, D.C., resident who is not involved in politics.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's spokesman and the senatorial campaign committee had no immediate comment on Craig reconsidering.

On Tuesday, Specter, senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, suggested Craig's GOP colleagues who pressured him last week to resign should re-examine the facts surrounding his arrest.

"The more people take a look at the situation, there may well be second thoughts," said Specter, a former prosecutor. If Craig had not pleaded guilty to a reduced charge and instead demanded a trial, "I believe he would have been exonerated," Specter said.

Before Craig announced his intent to resign at month's end, McConnell called Craig's actions "unforgivable" and Senate colleagues John McCain of Arizona and Norm Coleman of Minnesota said Craig should resign.

Republican Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has not named Craig's successor and hasn't said when he will.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Top Democratic Fundraiser Faces Grand Theft Charges (Pt. II)

Hsu says that he also gave to Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)


Washington -- Sen. Sherrod Brown will donate to charity $1,500 from California contributors linked to a Democratic donor in the midst of a political fund-raising controversy, his office said Thursday.

The donations of $500 each from three individuals raised questions because of ties to Norman Hsu (pronounced "Shu"), a New York-based Democratic donor and "bundler" who uses his influence to get other wealthy individuals to donate. Hsu was to co-host a fund-raising event for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign next month, but she and other Democrats started distancing themselves from him after the Los Angeles Times reported this week that he was wanted on a warrant from a 1991 fraud case in California.

Clinton's campaign announced it would give $23,000 that Hsu donated for her Senate, presidential and political action committees to charity. Other Democratic politicians, including Barack Obama, another presidential aspirant, and John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, are also getting rid of Hsu contributions, their spokesmen said.

Brown's ties to Hsu appear to be minimal. But Hsu brought them to light by telling the Wall Street Journal in an e-mail that he donates to political candidates he believes in. He listed several, including Brown.

Federal Election Commission records examined by The Plain Dealer, however, show no evidence of Hsu donating to Brown. They do show donations from three people -- William and Vivian Paw and Stanley Lim -- with reported ties to Hsu. While it would be legal for Hsu to ask them to donate, it would violate federal law if he were the actual donor or reimbursed them for their donations.

The Wall Street Journal this week reported on ties between Hsu and the extended family of William Paw, a postal clerk who lives near the San Francisco airport. Hsu once listed the Paws' address as his own, and Paw family donations of $213,000 since 2004 closely tracked those given by Hsu, the Journal reported.

FEC records list William and Vivian Paw as donating $500 apiece to Brown's election campaign Oct. 31, and Stanley Lim -- who has used the Paws' address but whose exact relationship to the family could not be determined Thursday -- as donating $500 the same day. The phone number at the Paws' home was busy during repeated calls Thursday.

Hsu's attorney, Lawrence Barcella Jr., did not return calls or an e-mail seeking an explanation for why Hsu told the Wall Street Journal that he donated to Brown when no such donation appears to exist. But Barcella has told newspapers this week that Hsu did not provide money that the extended Paw family donated to various politicians.

Regardless, Brown decided Thursday to give half of the $1,500 to Jobs with Justice in Columbus and half to the Lorain Free Clinic.

"Neither the senator nor his campaign director knows Mr. Paw, Mrs. Paw, or Mr. Lim," said Brown spokeswoman Bethany Lesser. "In the last election cycle, Sen. Brown's campaign received more than 10,000 donations of $200 or more from a broad range of individuals.
"According to the FEC Web site, which only provides data from the past four years, Sen. Brown has not received any money from Norman Hsu. Given the questions that have surfaced, Sen. Brown will donate the Paw and Lim contributions to charity."

That makes ONE of us!

Matt Drudge reports on a "Vanity Fair" article with a headline "TIPPER GORE WOULD SUPPORT AL '08"

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Sen. Craig Resigns Over Sex Sting

from the Cincinnati Enquirer

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- In a subdued ending to a week of startling political theater, Sen. Larry Craig announced his resignation Saturday, bowing to pressure from fellow Republicans worried about damage from his arrest and guilty plea in a gay sex sting.

"I apologize for what I have caused," Craig said, his wife Suzanne and two of their three children at his side with a historic Boise train station as backdrop. "I am deeply sorry."

Craig, 62, said he would resign effective Sept. 30, ending a career in Congress spanning a quarter-century.

Making no specific mention of the incident that triggered his disgrace in his remarks, he spoke for under six minutes and took no questions.

Among those attending was Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, who will appoint a successor for the remaining 15 months of Craig's term.

It was a relatively quick end to a drama that began Monday with the stunning disclosure that Craig had pleaded guilty to a reduced charge following his arrest June 11 in a Minneapolis airport men's room.

Craig at first tried to hold on to his position, contending in a public appearance on Tuesday that he had done nothing inappropriate and that his only mistake was pleading guilty Aug. 1 to the misdemeanor charge. But a growing chorus of leading GOP leaders called for him to step down to spare the party further embarrassment and possible harm in next year's elections.

Otter said Saturday he has not chosen a replacement, although several Republicans familiar with internal deliberations said he favored Republican Lt. Gov. Jim Risch.

Otter called speculation that he has made a choice "dead wrong" and declined to say when he would fill the seat.

Craig said he would remain in the Senate until Sept. 30 in hopes of providing a smooth transition for his staff and whoever is chosen as his successor.

President Bush called Craig from the White House after the senator's announcement and told him he knew it was a difficult decision to make, said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

"Senator Craig made the right decision for himself, for his family, his constituents and the United States Senate," Stanzel said.

Craig was arrested June 11 in a police undercover vice operation. The arresting officer, Sgt. Dave Karsnia, said in his report that the restroom where he encountered Craig is a known location for homosexual activity.

Craig has faced rumors about his sexuality since the 1980s. He has called assertions that he has engaged in gay sex ridiculous.

"I am not gay. I never have been gay," Craig said defiantly after a news conference Tuesday. He said he had kept the incident from aides, friends and family and pleaded guilty "in hopes of making it go away."

Other lawmakers embroiled in sex scandals also have resigned from Congress, albeit usually at the end of scenarios that took longer to play out than the one that claimed Craig.

Former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., quit last fall over sexually explicit Internet communications with male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill.

Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Ore., resigned in 1995 amid allegations he had made unwanted sexual advances to 17 female employees and colleagues and altered his personal diaries to obstruct an ethics investigation.

On Saturday, Craig said he would pursue legal options to clear his name. He has retained Billy Martin, a Washington lawyer who represented Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick in his dogfighting case, to pursue his legal options. Washington lawyer Stan Brand will represent Craig before the Senate ethics committee, said spokesman Dan Whiting.

"The people of Idaho deserve a senator who can devote 100 percent of his time and effort to the critical issues of our state and of our nation," Craig said. "I have little control over what people choose to believe. But clearly my name is important to me, and my family is so very important also."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Craig "made a difficult decision, but the right one."

"It is my hope he will be remembered not for this, but for his three decades of dedicated public service," McConnell said. McConnell had been one of Craig's harshest critics, calling his actions "unforgivable."

Some Idaho residents who attended Craig's public resignation said it felt like a "political funeral."
Bayard Gregory, from Boise, said Craig should have been more forthright after his arrest.

"It's a horribly embarrassing experience to go through," Gregory said. "But if it were me, and I had done nothing wrong, I wouldn't have pleaded guilty."

Craig spokesman Sidney Smith said he did not know whether Craig would return to Washington on Tuesday, the start of the post-Labor Day congressional session.

"We haven't decided that yet, whether he's going to return or not," Smith said.

Craig represented Idaho in Congress for more than a quarter-century, including 17 years in the Senate. He was up for re-election next year.

Republicans, worried about the scandal's effect on next year's election, suffered a further setback Friday when veteran Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia announced he will retire rather than seek a sixth term. Democrats captured Virginia's other Senate seat from the GOP in the 2006 election.

Craig opposes gay marriage and has a strong record against gay rights. He was a leading voice in the Senate on gun issues and Western lands. Craig chaired the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and was a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, where he was adept at securing federal money for Idaho projects.

A fiscal and social conservative, Craig sometimes broke with his party, notably on immigration, where he pushed changes that many in his party said offered "amnesty" to illegal immigrants.

Much of the impetus behind Craig's push to ease bureaucratic hurdles to immigrant farm workers stemmed from his background as a rancher and the state's large rural, farming community.

Top Democratic Fundraiser Faces Grand Theft Charges

from Newsmax

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- A top Democratic fundraiser wanted as a fugitive in California turned himself in Friday to face a grand theft charge.

San Mateo County Superior Court Judge H. James Ellis ordered Norman Hsu handcuffed and held on $2 million bond. A bail hearing was scheduled for Sept. 5, at which the judge will consider reducing his bail to $1 million.

Hsu appeared in court accompanied by a lawyer and publicist, both of whom declined to say whether the New York apparel executive would immediately post bail. A warrant was issued for his arrest after he skipped the sentencing for a 1991 grand theft charge.

In the ensuing years, Hsu became a top donor to numerous Democratic candidates, including presidential contenders Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

After reports surfaced this week of Hsu's fugitive status in California, Clinton joined other candidates in returning thousands of dollars he raised, but the allegations distracted her campaign just as it prepared to ramp up for the intense post-Labor Day stretch.

The campaign announced Wednesday it would return $23,000 in contributions that Hsu made to her presidential and senatorial campaigns and to HillPac.

On Thursday, Obama's campaign said he would give to charity the $2,000 Hsu contributed to his 2004 Senate campaign and the $5,000 Hsu gave to his political action committee, Hopefund.

Hsu's $43,700 in donations to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $2,500 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also will go to charity, both groups announced Thursday.

Hsu, who has an apparel business in New York and was a trustee in the city's New School, was a benefactor for many other Democratic candidates and office holders. Several also began to shed their ties to him, giving away his past donations to charity or returning them.

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