Ohio Democratic Party Announces Certified Delegates for Democratic National Convention

COLUMBUS, OHIO- Today, the Ohio Democratic Party announced the members of the Ohio Delegation, as certified by the Democratic National Committee, for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. The Convention will be held September 3-6, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The demographic composition goals of Ohio’s Democratic Delegation were determined by using a combination of 2010 Census Data and the CNN National Exit Poll conducted in November, 2008, in which respondents indicated their vote for President. The Ohio Democratic Party exceeded its goals in almost every category. More information on the representation goals is available in the 2012 Delegate Selection Plan.

Ohio’s delegation to the national convention will include 65 African Americans, 26 Young Democrats (under age 35), 15 LGBT, 11 Hispanic Americans, 6 Asian Pacific Islanders, 4 people with disabilities, and 1 Native American.

The youngest members of the Ohio Delegation, as certified by the DNC, include Kevin Bloomfield (19) of Columbus, Therese Kilbane Myers (19) of Cleveland, Jake Young (19) of Columbus, Daniella Chambers (18) of Ada, and Dan Traicoff (20) of Cincinnati.

Ruby Gilliam of Minerva is the oldest member of the Ohio Delegation and attended the 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008 National Democratic Conventions.

The full list is available online as a download here.

The Ohio Delegation, as certified, is as follows:

Regina A. Collins

Drusilla Ice

Shawn Alan Robaszkiewicz

Therese Kilbane Myers

Matt Besser

Elizabeth Brown

Daniel R. Ramos

Mark Schneider

Kevin M. Bloomfield

James Bird

Charlene W. Allen

Jennie Rosenthal Berliant

Karen Aronoff-Holtmeier

Paul De Marco

Linda Mansour

David J. Betras

Donald H. Nguyen

Francine Lawrence

Baldemar C. Velasquez

Patricia Frost-Brooks

Valarie J. McCall

Lana Z. Moresky

Dennis R. Wilcox

Tim Burga

Albert Lin

John A. Lyall

Gary V. Martin

Karen A. Morrison

Penny M. Tipps

Isabel Framer

Christopher Alan Mabe

Nick “Sonny” Nardi

W. Craig Bashein

Jack Landskroner

Lourdes Barroso de Padilla

Thomas J. Grote

Melissa K. Hedden

Suzanne J. Scrutton

Rebecca Williams

John L. Frola

Dan Dodd

Ruby C. Gilliam

Kathy B. Bowman

Janet A. Carlisle

Brigid Kelly

Terry Penrod

Lakshmi Satyanarayana

Roberto Torres

Michael Wager

Lauren Michelle Kinsey

John A. Boccieri

Elizabeth Shirey

Jake Young

Gabriel Michel Fletcher

Alicia M. Reece

Sally B. Steagall

Dan Traicoff

Edward Wagner

Bernadette Watson

Alan Gregory Barlow

Alta Mae Beasley

Teresa Lee Montgomery

P.G. Sittenfeld

Russell M. Joseph

Marcia R. Knox

Gen Murphy

Thomas J. Ritchie Sr.

Johnny Givand

Mary P. Malone

Randy Weston

Daniella M. Chambers

Marcus Landon Sherrell

Beverly J. Spetz

Sandra L. Wise

Mike Zickar

Allyson P. Beard

Diane L. Conroy

Jeremy Eikenberry

Ed D. Good

C. Denise Leach

Spencer Christian Young

Edna Jean Harper

Steven W. Key

Teresa Ann Law

Leslie Howard Young

Steve Hightower

Stephen Hightower II

Cathina M. Hourani

Deloris Rome Hudson

Edna R. Brown

Michael Lewis Friedman

Yvonne Harper

Gary Johnson

Andrea L. Jones

Kathy L. Rollison

Ronald R. Rothenbuhler

George R. Tucker

Kurt M. Young

Nickie J. Antonio

Dona Brady

Mary L. Devring

Steven E Holecko

Dale Miller

Michael O’Shea

Angela Paige Shuckahosee

Dean DePiero

Matt Zone

John E. Barnes, Jr.

Louise Bryan Buchanan

Phyllis E. Cleveland

Yvonne Marie Conwell

Blaine Antoine Griffin

Anthony T. Hairston

Stephanie Howse

Jeffrey David Johnson

Pernel Jones, Jr.

Julian A. Rogers

Gigi Traore

Meredith Turner

Nina Turner

Robert A. Davis

R. Sean Grayson

Tracy Maxwell Heard

Mary Ann Howell

Niranhan Neil Patel

Tei Street

Mark Ballard

Michael D. Bauer

Nicholas John Hanek

Tamela Lee

Richard Romero

Mary H. Sobah

Margaret Stambaugh

Ann M. Tanner

Susan B. Brannan

Kevin David Malecek

Diana A. Nazelli

Tomas Stone

John Patrick Carney

Emerald Hernandez

Gretchen D. James

Larry L. Malone, Jr.

Edithia Spears

Michael Stinziano

Susie M. Camper

William J. Healy (II)

Roberta Jean Skok

Robert L. Thompson Sr.

Jaladah Aslam

Deborha Bindas

Capri S Cafaro

Timothy Callion

John Filak

George Freeman, Jr.

Robert F. Hagan

Tom BJ Letson

Sean Tyrone McKinney

Judith E. Puskar

Tara L. Samples

Taylor Beeler

David Kolbe

Mary C. Rugola-Dye

Sandra S. Shonborn

Eric H. Kearney

Chris S. Seelbach

Yvette R. Simpson

Nan Whaley

Debbie M. Phillips

Wade P. Kapszukiewicz

Edward Fitzgerald

Clayton R. Luckie

Barbara Boyd

Armond Budish

Michelle Mills

Sandra R. Williams

Joyce B. Beatty

Frances Strickland

Ted Strickland

Charleta B. Tavares

Wayne M. Jones

Chase M. Ritenauer

Vernon L. Sykes

Sara L. Drew

Michael B. Coleman

Kathleen M. Clyde

Richard C. Kerns

Marco Somerville

Larry Malone

Pam O’Grady

Gayle I. Horwitz

Karen Poore

Roland Winburn

Alan Melamed

Bill Mason

Geveva M. Bates

Amber Jacott

Alex Huguelet

Bill Leibensperger

Richard Lum

Kevin Baxter

Lauren Groh-Wargo

Melissa Cropper

Lupe Williams

Chris Redfern

Joe P. Rugola

Ron Malone

Mark Mallory

Jay Goyal

Fred Strahorn

Rhine McLin

Enid Goubeaux

Jocelyn Bucaro

CJ Prentiss

William P. DeMora

Kathy Malone

Veda Rugola

Lynnie Powell

Todd M. Rensi

David Wilhelm

Betty Sutton

Tim Ryan

Marcy Kaptur

Dennis Kucinich

Marcia Fudge

Sherrod Brown

From Monday, Sept. 3, to Friday, Sept.7 Ohio Delegation Call-In Radio Opportunities Available from Convention

 

COLUMBUS, OHIO – From Monday, September 3, to Friday, September 7, members of the Ohio Delegation will be in Charlotte, North Carolina to participate in the Democratic National Convention, and officially nominate Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for President.

 

Opportunities for call-in interviews with members of the Ohio Delegation are available Monday through Friday mornings of next week. For more information on the individual members of the Ohio Delegation, a media guide of headshots and short biographies is available for download here.

 

Morning interviews with members of the Ohio Delegation will be available next week, Monday through Friday, between 6:00 AM and 7:30 AM.

 

To schedule an interview with a member of the Ohio Delegation, please contact: press@ohiodems.org

 

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COLUMBUS, OHIO- Tonight, during his primetime speech at the Republican National Convention, Governor John Kasich again repeated his fairytale “Ohio Story” about balancing an “$8 billion dollar structural budget without raising taxes.”

But Ohioans know Kasich’s true story – taking a page from his protégé’ Paul Ryan’s playbook, Kasich slashed more than $1.3 billion from schools and communities, forcing layoffs, school levies, and tax increases across the state. In one instance, a small Ohio community, Uniopolis, even faced disincorporation in part due to Kasich’s cuts.

In response to the harmful Kasich policies that continue to hurt Ohio communities while Governor Kasich keeps telling his self-authored Ohio fairytale, Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern released the following statement:

“Governor Kasich continues to spin his preposterous tales about balancing Ohio’s budget without raising taxes, when in reality he slashed school and community budgets to the bone, forcing layoffs, school levies, and tax increases across the state. If you like Kasich’s policy of balancing budgets on the backs of the working class, you’ll love Paul Ryan’s budget that ends Medicare as we know it, turning it into a voucher system. Kasich, Romney and Ryan are truly peas in a pod.”

BACKGROUND

Kasich Budget Slashed Funding For Schools, Communities

Kasich Administration’s Budget Slashed Local Communities, Schools by more than $1.3 billion.  Kasich’s biennial budget cut funding for local communities by about $640 million. Kasich’s budget cut funding for schools by $700 million. [The Columbus Dispatch, 6/30/11]

Kasich’s Budget Hits Local Governments Hard.  Local government leaders are upset over John Kasich’s proposed budget, saying it affects their communities disproportionately.  “For Columbus, the state’s largest city, that would be a hit of about $5 million this year, $15 million in 2012 and $20 million in 2013.”  70 percent of that money goes to public safety.  [The Columbus Dispatch, 3/16/11]

Columbus City Schools To Lose $27.5 Million Under Kasich’s Proposed Budget. Columbus City Schools may need to cut programs and break levy promises due to John Kasich’s budget cuts.  The district will no longer “be reimbursed for the state eliminating taxes on business’ personal property and lowering utilities’ property taxes.”  [The Columbus Dispatch, 3/16/11]
Kasich’s Budget Abandons Ohio School Districts to Fend for Themselves.  John Kasich’s budget will contribute $1.8 billion less to Ohio schools than the previous budget.  In addition, Kasich refuses to use even a small part of the state’s new surplus of $350 million to fill the gap.  [Akron Beacon Journal, 5/9/12]

One Year Later, Many Schools and Communities Are Seeking Levies, Tax Increases, Layoffs

Due to Budget Cuts, Ohio community disbands. Despite already laying off police and maintenance, budget cuts forced Uniopolis to approve disincorporation. [Los Angeles Times, 3/4/12]

Centerville City Schools Lost Almost $7 million Thanks to John Kasich, now facing levy.  John Kasich’s Budget cut nearly $7 million in funding for Centerville City Schools, a district with an ‘Excellent’ rating on its state report card for the last 13 years.  The Centerville School Board decided to place a levy on the ballot in November to cover the budget deficit created by the Kasich Administration.  The district has cut over $10 million in the past three years.  [Dayton Daily News, 6/2/12]

Because of Kasich budget cuts, Vandalia-Butler to eliminate 32 jobs, seek levy.Representatives of the school district noted they were seeking layoffs, and a potential August levy, due to a budget deficit of $18.3 million caused by $10.5 million in Kasich’s state funding cuts and a $7.8 million loss in property taxes.

Monroe School District Forced to Make Up $2.2 Million Deficit with Levy.  Officials with the Monroe School District are attempting to close a $2.2 million deficit with an emergency property tax.  Holly Cahall, Monroe’s Treasurer, said, “We know we can’t count on anything more from the state […].  The state is saying ‘If you want your school, you have to support your school.’ … as long as the current governor is in power, we’ll have to try to do more with less money.”  [Middletown Journal, 5/30/12]

Northwest Local School District Puts Levy on November Ballot.  The Northwest Local School District Board voted unanimously to put a levy before voters this November.  The district cut 51 jobs and $3.2 million from their 11-12 budget, and will cut about 50 full-time positions and $3.44 million in the coming school year.  [The Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/10/12]

Dublin Schools Need Passage of Levy to Stave Off $15 Million in Cuts.  The Dublin School District is trying to garner more funding from residents with an almost $7 million operating levy and an almost $16 million bond issue this fall.  Without passage, administrators project cuts could include the layoff of 150 employees and alterations to various extracurricular programs.  [The Columbus Dispatch, 5/30/12]

Kasich’s budget slashed Sycamore Townships General Revenue Funding by 50%. In a video message, Sycamore Republican Township Trustee Tom Weidman noted that due to Kasich’s budget cuts, the community would lose 50% of its general fund revenue by 2013. [http://www.local12.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=3270521, accessed 6/2/12]

In Response to budget cuts, Sycamore Township Laid Off nearly 100 firefighters. In response to the state budget cuts, Sycamore Township was forced to lay off 70 to 100 part-time, and 14 full-time, firefighters. [Cincinnati Enquirer, 5/16/12]

Kasich Wants State to Prepare for Next Crisis While Ignoring the Problems Faced by Schools and Local Communities Now.  Kasich insists that the state’s rainy day fund should be replenished with new budget surpluses, despite the fact that schools and communities across Ohio are still suffering from state budget cuts, which resulted in “cutbacks in essential local services, hikes in local property taxes, and layoffs of teachers, police officers, and firefighters.”  [Editorial,The Toledo Blade, 4/29/12]

Centerville City Schools Lost Almost $7 million Thanks to John Kasich.  John Kasich’s Budget cut nearly $7 million in funding for Centerville City Schools, a district with an ‘Excellent’ rating on its state report card for the last 13 years.  The Centerville School Board decided to place a levy on the ballot in November to cover the budget deficit created by the Kasich Administration.  The district has cut over $10 million in the past three years.  [Dayton Daily News, 6/2/12]

State Budget Cuts Force Berea Schools to Cut $5.1 Million, Seek Levy.  Thanks to the Kasich Administration budget cuts, the Berea School District, rated “Excellent” on its state report card, will face a $2.5 million deficit if it fails to pass a levy this November. The district has already cut $5.1 million from their budget. [The Plain Dealer, 2/17/12]

And After Kasich Forced All These School Cuts, Taxes Have Already Gone Up

Groveport-Madison Local Schools, facing state cuts of $1.7 million, put levy on ballot.  Residents in the Groveport-Madison Local School District will vote on whether or not to approve a substitute levy of $7.7 million.  The district is attempting to deal with $1.7 million in cuts from the state government.  [Columbus Messenger, 7/31/12]

Groveport-Madison’s $7.7 million substitute levy passed.  Voters approved a substitute $7.7 million levy for the Groveport-Madison Local School District.  The levy will halt a potential $4.2 million set of cuts for 2013 and 2014.  [The Columbus Dispatch, 8/7/12]

Swanton Local School District put $4.45 renewal levy on ballot.  Voters in the Swanton Local School District will decide whether or not to improve a renewal for a $4.45 million levy.  Superintendent Jeff Schlade emphasized that, in addition to other problems, “state losses have made passing this levy more critical.”  [Toledo Free Press, 8/8/12]

Swanton Local’s $4.45 million renewal levy passed.  Residents in the Swanton Local School District approved a $4.45 million replacement levy.  [The Toledo Blade, 8/7/12]

Bethel Local Schools put renewal levy of $2 million on ballot, replacement levy of $7 million.  Bethel Local Schools residents will vote on a renewal levy of $2 million and a replacement levy of $7 million.  The district has already cut costs in the face of major state budget cuts.  [Troy Daily News, 7/29/12]

Levies for Bethel Local Schools passed.  Voters approved the passage of a both a $2 million renewal levy and a $7 million replacement levy for the Bethel School District.  [Dayton Daily News, 8/7/12]

Lake Local Schools put additional $6.75 million levy on ballot.  Lake Local School District, facing difficulties from state cuts and other issues, will ask voters to approve a $6.75 million operating levy.  [Toledo Free Press, 8/8/12]

Voters in Lake Local School District pass additional $6.75 million levy.  Residents of the Lake Local School District approved an additional $6.75 million levy.  The levy will generate $1.47 million annually.  [Sentinel-Tribune, 8/8/12]

After Facing Governor Kasich’s Budget Axe, Paul Ryan’s Budget Cuts Would Devastate Ohio Further

Nearly 2 million Ohioans could face devastating cuts to Medicare under the Ryan Plan. Today, 1.9 million Ohio residents – or 16 percent of Ohio’s residents – rely on Medicare.  Ohio seniors can’t afford Romney and Ryan’s reckless plans to voucherize Medicare. [Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed 8/11/12]

Paul Ryan’s Budget Could Cost More Than 1 Millions Ohioans Their Health Care Coverage. Because of Ryan’s plans to block grant Medicaid and slash its funding, between 479,000 and 1.15 million people with Medicaid in Ohio could lose their health insurance, including low-income children, seniors in nursing homes, and people with disabilities.  And that is on top of the 773,000 Ohio residents who would be deprived of the opportunity to gain Medicaid coverage under Obamacare. [Kaiser Family Foundation, May2011]

The Ryan Plan would devastate Young Ohioans’ ability to afford a college education. If cuts are made across the board, 356,000 Ohio students will see their college scholarships cut by an average of $830. [CBPP, 2/17/11]

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In His Republican National Convention Speech, Kasich Avoids His Failure to Support Most Significant Part of Ohio Recovery

 

COLUMBUS, OHIO- During his speech tonight at the Republican National Convention, Governor Kasich touted Ohio’s recovery that began nearly a year before he took office, while conveniently ignoring the significance of President Obama and Sherrod Brown’s auto rescue which put Ohio on the path to recovery in the first place.

 

While John Kasich regularly credits his Administration for their effort to “retain jobs,” it seems they feel the rules are different for President Obama and the nearly 850,000 jobs the auto rescue helped to protect. In response, Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern released the following statement:

 

“The American auto industry is helping to spur growth across Ohio because President Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown ignored the pundits and politicians like Mitt Romney and John Kasich and invested in American workers. Meanwhile, John Kasich said ‘we shouldn’t throw good money after bad,’ aligning himself with Mitt Romney, who famously believes we should have ‘let Detroit go bankrupt’. As we continue to hear more and more announcements from General Motors and Chrysler about the thousands of jobs being and created and retained by the auto supply chain in 80 of 88 Ohio counties, it’s clear that our state is on a path to recovery, despite Governor Kasich and Mitt Romney’s failure to support the most significant economic investment we’ve had.”

 

BACKGROUND

 

Kasich and Romney Failed to Support Auto Rescue That Protected Nearly 850,000 Ohio Jobs

 

• As a talk show pundit, Kasich failed to support the auto rescue.  As a guest host on the O’Reilly Factor, talking about the auto rescue, Kasich said, “if they’re not going to be viable, we shouldn’t throw good money after bad.”  [O’Reilly Factor, 12/9/08]
• On The Stump, Kasich Criticized Auto Rescue Efforts.  Speaking about Americans’ attitude towards politicians at the Lake County Republican Party Convention in August, Kasich said, “So we don’t trust the politicians then we find out there is bunch of them in Washington hatching up these schemes. They’re gonna run an automobile company, they’re gonna tell us which doctor we’re gonna go to.” [Lake County GOP Convention, 8/29/09]
• Kasich: Government Shouldn’t Run a Car Company.  At a September Tea Party event in West Chester, Kasich said, “What’s happening is there’s a handful of people who’ve taken control of things for too long who are now trying to be in a position to run our lives, that’s what we don’t want. They want to tell us how to run a car company. They want to tell us how to do medical care. They want to – and they’re bankrupting our children.” [West Chester Tea Party, 9/5/09]
• Mitt Romney believed that we should “let Detroit go bankrupt.” In a New York Times Op-Ed, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney advocated in favor of letting the American auto industry go bankrupt.  He told readers that “if General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye.”  [Romney Op-Ed, The New York Times, 11/18/08]

Auto Rescue Championed By President Obama Helped Protect Nearly 850,000 Ohio Jobs

• The rescue of auto industry helped protect 850,000 Ohio Jobs.  Politifact Ohio confirmed that 850,000 jobs are indeed tied to the auto industry in Ohio.  Without the auto rescue, these jobs may have been threatened.  [The Plain Dealer, 3/14/12]
• 1 in 8 Ohio jobs are tied to the auto industry. Politifact Ohio states that based on a report by the independent Center for Automotive Research, nearly 850,000 jobs are tied to the auto industry, which is “roughly 12% of the state’s workforce”. [The Plain Dealer, 3/14/12]

Jobs Created And Retained In 80 of 88 Ohio Counties

• While Kasich downplays significance of auto rescue jobs, he takes credit himself for “retained” jobs. Kasich regularly takes credit for “job retention” efforts for which he claims his Administration is responsible. John Kasich and his non-profit JobsOhio took credit for creating and retaining 82,785 jobs in the state of Ohio in 2011. [http://jobs-ohio.com/images/jobsohio_overview.pdf , accessed 6/3/12]
• Automobile industry jobs found in 80 of 88 Ohio counties. According to the Ohio Department of Development, auto industry jobs are present throughout 80 of 88 Ohio counties.  Half of all Ohio auto industry jobs are located in 10 counties.  [Ohio Department of Development, “The Ohio Automobile Industry,” February 2011]

• General Motors restarted additional shift at Lordstown plant for Chevy Cruze production; 1,200 jobs added. General Motors announced that it was restarting the overnight shift at their Lordstown facility near Youngstown.  The additional shift begins in anticipation of GM’s decision to build the Chevy Cruze at the Lordstown plant. [The Columbus Dispatch, 2/23/10]

• General Motors announced additional 400 jobs, $260 million investment in Toledo plant.Officials at General Motors made the decision to invest $260 million in and add 400 jobs at their Toledo Powertrain Plant.  Many of the jobs would consist of new hires, since GM has exhausted their list of laid-off employees from other plants.  [The Toledo Blade, 5/10/11]

• GM to add 30 new jobs at Toledo Transmission Plant. GM officials announced the decision to invest $83 million in the Toledo Transmission Plant for use in new Buick and Chevrolet models.  30 new jobs will be added because of the investment.  [The Toledo Blade, 7/13/11]
• DE-Cal, Inc. created 40 jobs, with possibility for 100 positions total, in Youngstown. DE-Cal,  Inc., a metal-fabricating company which supplies the auto industry, among others, opened a Youngstown facility with 40 full-time workers.  It could eventually employ 100 people, with a payroll of $6.2 million.  [The Youngstown Vindicator, 8/2/11] www.vindy.com/news/2011/aug/02/ready-to-hire/
  

• Chrysler announced plans to invest $72 million in Perrysburg Plant. Officials at Chrysler announced plans to invest $72 million at the Toledo Machining Plant in Perrysburg, OH.  The investment will allow the facility to retain 640 salary and hourly jobs.  [Associated Press, 8/23/11]
• Automotive plant announced plans to add 150 new jobs. Rieter Automotive, a carpet and noise-dampening material supplier for Chrysler, GM, and Ford, announced plans to invest $8 million at its facility in Oregon, OH.  The investment will create 150 new jobs in addition to the 300 existing jobs.  [The Toledo Blade, 10/8/11]

• Chrysler announced plans to create 1,100 new jobs in Toledo, $1.7 billion investment. Chrysler officials announced the addition of 1,100 new jobs on a second shift to its Toledo Assembly Complex starting in 2013.  The plant will begin producing four new vehicles, and the area will likely see between 400 and 500 additional new jobs for parts suppliers.  [The Toledo Blade, 11/17/11]

• Ford to move 1,300 jobs to Lorain from Mexico. Ford announced its intent to move 1,300 jobs from Mexico to its Ohio Assembly Plant.  While not directly receiving a portion of the auto rescue package, Ford benefits from the substantial auto supply chain on the ground in Ohio, which was aided by the auto rescue.  [The Toledo Blade, 12/7/11]

• Wrangler facility added 50 jobs in Toledo. In order to keep up with demand, the Toledo Assembly Complex added 50 employees.  The additional jobs will be added on the Wrangler line.  [The Toledo Blade, 2/28/12]

• GM announced new $343 million investment at transmission plant, $47 million at powertrain plant. GM officials announced a new $343 million investment at the Toledo Transmission Plant, which will be hiring for the first time in a decade, as well as a $47 million investment at the Defiance Powertrain Plant.  GM will add up to 650 jobs at its Toledo Powertrain Facility.  [The Toledo Blade, 2/28/12]
• GM converted 100 temporary employees to permanent employees. GM and UAW officials announced plans to turn 100 temporary employees into permanent employees at the Lordstown plant.  The announcement was made in light of good sales numbers for the Chevy Cruze.  [The Youngstown Vindicator, 4/25/12]

• Chrysler could add another 300 jobs at Toledo Assembly Complex. In addition to the 1,100 new jobs announced late last year, UAW officials projected that 300 additional jobs could be added to the previous total.  These jobs would be part of the new second shift at the Toledo Assembly Complex. [The Toledo Blade, 6/19/12]

• GM will build 2015 Chevy Cruze at Lordstown. GM officials announced their decision to build the next generation of Chevy Cruze at the Lordstown plant, making a $200 million investment to upgrade the plant.  They also announced the investment of $20 million to upgrade the Parma Metal Center.  Both investments will protect up to 5,000 jobs in the area.  [The Plain Dealer, 8/23/12]

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COLUMBUS, OHIO- Tonight, during his Republican National Convention speech, Governor Kasich patted himself on the back for his bi-partisan veneer and railed against the very type of divisive politics that he and his administration practice in Ohio.  In response to Governor Kasich’s utter avoidance of his attacks on working families that were supported “110%” by Mitt Romney, Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern released the following statement:

“It is absolutely hypocritical that John Kasich would decry the exact sort of divisive politics that he promotes here in Ohio, even after his attack on working class Ohioans with Senate Bill 5, which was so overwhelmingly defeated last November. Although Governor Kasich makes his best attempt to downplay the significance of Senate Bill 5’s historic defeat, Ohioans remember Governor Romney supported Kasich’s attacks ‘110%’. Later, Romney even down, adding that “[Obama] says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers… It’s time for us to cut back on government…”. While John Kasich stops at nothing to paint his illusion of “class warfare” on a national stage, it’s no coincidence that he failed to mention his own recent attempts at pitting Ohioans against each other.”

BACKGROUND

Kasich Attack Against Workers Rights Was Joined By Romney

·         Governor Mitt Romney said he was 110% behind Governor Kasich’s unfair attacks on worker’s rights. During a 2011 campaign stop in Virginia, Romney said he was unsure about other ballot initiatives in Ohio, but that he “fully supports” and was “110% behind Governor Kasich’s collective bargaining” bill. [Talking Points Memo, 10/26/12]

COLUMBUS, OHIO- In Governor John Kasich’s primetime Republican National Convention speech, he touted his so-called “Ohio story,” about Ohio’s economic comeback. Conveniently, Kasich left out the chapter about Ohio’s near continuous 30 month unemployment decline since January 2010, a full year before he took office.

In fact, Kasich often exaggerates his own record on job creation, sliding past the fact he failed to support the very auto rescue that helped protect nearly 850,000 Ohio jobs tied to the supply chain. Had Ohio followed John Kasich’s lead, or listened to Mitt Romney’s advice to “let Detroit go Bankrupt,” hundreds of thousands of Ohio jobs could have been at risk, including those at parts manufacturers in 80 out of 88 counties spread across the state. Because of President Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown’s bold rescue of the auto industry, these auto jobs remain firmly planted in Ohio, and more investment into Ohio in the Toledo, Lordstown, Parma, and Cleveland and across the state are announced every day.

Rather than protect the auto industry, Governor Kasich has chosen to shower his friends and supporters in corporate welfare, costing Ohio taxpayers millions. In response to Governor Kasich’s misrepresentation of Ohio’s recovery, Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern released the following statement:

“The real Ohio story is that our state’s unemployment rate has been in a near continuous 30-month decline since January 2010, starting a full year before Governor Kasich even took office. But rather than endorsing President Obama’s policies that have supported Ohio’s recovery, like the auto rescue that helped protect nearly 850,000 Ohio jobs tied to the auto industry, Kasich jumped onboard with Mitt Romney’s plan to “let Detroit go bankrupt” which would have harmed auto parts jobs in 80 out of 88 counties.

In fact, Governor Kasich wasted millions in corporate welfare to his friends, so it’s no surprise he’s a big fan of Mitt Romney’s plan to give taxpayer handouts to millionaires and billionaires while working Ohioans foot the bill. Truth be told, Kasich’s “Ohio story” is a fairy tale, and the Buckeye State is recovering in spite of Kasich, not because of him.”

 

BACKGROUND

 

Ohio Recovery Began Prior to Kasich Administration Thanks to President Obama, Sen. Sherrod Brown

 

• The Ohio job recovery began in January 2010, a full year before Kasich took office. Ohio’s unemployment rate began to drop steadily starting in January 2010 from a peak of 10.6%, thanks to the policies of President Obama, and Senator Sherrod Brown. John Kasich did not take office until January 2011.  [Bureau of Labor Statistics, Retrieved 6/2/12]

 

• Ohio has witnessed nearly 30 straight months of declining unemployment.  Under President Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown’s watch, Ohio’s unemployment rate has seen near continuous drops for 30 months.  [Bureau of Labor Statistics, Retrieved 8/26/12]

 

• Kasich Takes credit for Ohio jobs his administration did not create.  John Kasich took credit on Fox News for the creation of 45,000 jobs in Ohio since January 2011.  PolitiFact Ohio rated his claim as Mostly False, arguing that the governor’s policies have not had time to affect Ohio’s economy, and that those new jobs are due to an upswing in the business cycle.  [The Plain Dealer, 9/12/11]

Many of Kasich’s Development Efforts Have Fallen Short

 

• Ohio Third Frontier invests little of the money it has available to create jobs.  Members of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission have agreed that they need the ability to make significant investments in Ohio’s economy, which markedly “contrasts with the slow pace of the commission since Gov. John Kasich took office in 2011.”  Third Frontier ended the fiscal year on June 30, 2012, having spent only 20 percent of the $190 million it had on hand.  [The Plain Dealer, 8/24/12]

 

• Despite millions in state aid from Kasich, Bob Evans plans to move facility, jobs. Earlier this year, the Kasich Administration promised Bob Evans nearly $14 million in state development assistance to retain jobs and help the company move their facility from one Ohio city to another. Despite Kasich’s investment, Bob Evans announced this week plans to close two Ohio-based food production plants in 2013, affecting 110 workers.  These jobs will be sent to Texas. [The Columbus Dispatch, 3/10/11; The Columbus Dispatch, 5/30/12]

• Kasich snubbed Chiquita and they left Ohio, while his efforts to lure Sears fell short.  Kasich put $400 million in state aid on the table in incentives to convince Sears to move its corporate HQ from Chicago to Columbus, while simultaneously offering a pittance of $6 million to keep Chiquita from relocating to Charlotte, NC from Cincinnati.  Not only was Kasich unable to persuade Chiquita to remain in Ohio, Kasich failed to convince Sears to leave Illinois.  [The Cincinnati Enquirer, 12/1/11; The Charlotte Observer, 11/30/11; The Plain Dealer, 12/14/11]

 

• Despite $56 million in state aid from Kasich, Diebold plans to send 200 jobs to India. The Kasich Administration promised $56 million in state aid to Diebold to assist with the development of a new corporate headquarters in the Akron/Canton area.  Despite the agreement, Diebold still announced its plan to move 200 Ohio-based information technology jobs to India.  [Akron Beacon Journal, 4/12/11]

 

• Despite nearly $100 million in state aid from Kasich, American Greetings slashed 30 jobs.  American Greetings received $93.5
  million over 15 years in grants, loans, and tax rebates from the state. Notwithstanding state aid, Kasich was unable to stop layoff of 30 employees. [The Plain Dealer, 3/7/11; The Plain Dealer, 2/1/12]

Kasich Failed to Support Auto Rescue that Protected 850,000 Ohio Jobs

 

• The rescue of auto industry helped protect 850,000 Ohio Jobs.  Politifact Ohio confirmed that 850,000 jobs are indeed tied to the auto industry in Ohio.  Without the auto rescue, these jobs may have been threatened.  [The Plain Dealer, 3/14/12]
• As a talk show pundit, Kasich failed to support the auto rescue.  As a guest host on the O’Reilly Factor, talking about the auto rescue, Kasich said, “if they’re not going to be viable, we shouldn’t throw good money after bad.”  [O’Reilly Factor, 12/9/08]

 

• On The Stump, Kasich Criticized Auto Rescue Efforts.  Speaking about Americans’ attitude towards politicians at the Lake County Republican Party Convention in August, Kasich said, “So we don’t trust the politicians then we find out there is bunch of them in Washington hatching up these schemes. They’re gonna run an automobile company, they’re gonna tell us which doctor we’re gonna go to.” [Lake County GOP Convention, 8/29/09]

 

• Kasich: Government Shouldn’t Run a Car Company.  At a September Tea Party event in West Chester, Kasich said, “What’s happening is there’s a handful of people who’ve taken control of things for too long who are now trying to be in a position to run our lives, that’s what we don’t want. They want to tell us how to run a car company. They want to tell us how to do medical care. They want to – and they’re bankrupting our children.” [West Chester Tea Party, 9/5/09]

 

• As recently as May 2012, one of Kasich’s top advisors still expressed opposition to the auto rescue. Doug Preisse is one of Kasich’s top political advisors. In May of 2012, Preisse authored a letter to the editor in the Columbus Dispatch doubling down on Republican opposition to the auto rescue.  [The Cleveland Plain Dealer, 2/29/12; The Columbus Dispatch, 5/26/12]

 

 

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Unscripted Greatest Hits Include: “Idiot Cop,” SB 5, Parkinson’s Impression, Crying In Middle of Speech, “Wackadoodles,” Threat to Run Those that Oppose Him Over With a Bus

COLUMBUS, OHIO- Tonight, Ohio’s wildly unpopular Governor John Kasich will address the nation as one of a handful of “headline speakers” at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. The Governor is expected to continue his attempt to claim credit to the recovery that began in January 2010, nearly a full year before Kasich took office, when Ohio’s unemployment rate began a 30-month near continuous decline thanks to the policies of President Obama and Senator Brown.

In anticipation of what’s sure to be “must see” TV, Ohio Democrats have a few tips for the Governor, and hope he will draw upon some of his past public comments.


1. Modesty Is Respected: Remember, the Ohio Recovery Started A Full Year Before You Took Office. 

As Kasich highlights the “Ohio Story,” he’ll likely forget to mention he failed to support the auto rescue that helped protect nearly 850,000 Ohio jobs tied to the auto industry. Mitt Romney’s advice to “let Detroit go bankrupt” would have had a devastating impact not only on American auto manufacturers, but also on parts manufacturers spread out in 80 out of 88 Ohio counties.


Because of the auto rescue, and the many policies President Obama, Senator Sherrod Brown, and other Democrats have supported, Ohio’s unemployment rate has declined near continuously since January 2010, a full year before Kasich took office.


2. Start with a Personal Anecdote, One that Doesn’t Involve Calling a Police Officer an “Idiot Cop.”  

During a speech in January of 2011, Governor Kasich lamented about a traffic ticket he’d received for failing to follow one of Ohio’s safety laws protecting police officers and first responders, asking the audience, “Have you ever been stopped by a police officer that’s an idiot?”


With grace, the Governor continued, “I had this idiot pull me over on 315. Listen to this story. He says to me, he say, uh, he says you passed this emergency vehicle on the side of the road and you didn’t yield…”He’s an idiot! We just can’t act that way. What people resent are people who are in the government who don’t treat the client with respect.”

The Governor’s comments came during the debate over Senate Bill 5, the unfair attack on working families that had a particularly damaging impact on police officers. Kasich later apologized for his speech.


3. Catch More Flies With Honey: Don’t Bring Up That Long Standing Threat To Run Political Opponents Over With a Bus.

At all costs, during the convention speech, Governor Kasich must avoid displaying the same partisan, bully temperament that Ohioans know and expect from him. While it is catchy, Kasich should not repeat his most famous line, as reported by Bloomberg News:


“If you’re not on the bus, we will run over you with the bus,” he told them after the buffet. “And I’m not kidding.”


4. Highlight Your Similarities With Romney: Talk About SB 5, $1.8 Billion In Cuts to Schools and Communities, Tax Returns.

Part of the reason Romney invited Kasich to speak in primetime is because they both share a lot in common. In fact, less than a year ago Kasich and Romney stood shoulder to shoulder in their shared support for the unfair, mean-spirited Senate Bill 5 that alienated police officers, firefighters and Reagan Democrats. While Kasich slashed $1.8 billion from Ohio’s schools and communities, causing tax increases across the state, Romney supports the Paul Ryan budget that would have an even more devastating impact on the Buckeye State. And of course, Romney and Kasich are notoriously secretive about their finances, both refusing to comprehensively release their income tax returns.


5. Talk About Current Events, and Work in a Timely Angle: For Example, the Debate Over Ohio Voter Suppression Could Be An Interesting Topic.

As the debate in Ohio over Republican voter suppression efforts intensifies, Governor Kasich has been conspicuously quiet regarding the controversy. Kasich played a significant part in Ohio’s ongoing debate over voter suppression by signing into law the Republican legislature’s voting changes that eliminated the three days of early voting preceding Election Day, a period nearly 93,000 Ohioans utilized in 2008. Kasich has maintained his silence while Secretary of State Husted eliminated most non-work and all weekend voting hours, a period that nearly a quarter of a million Ohioans used to cast a ballot in 2008. Allegations of voter suppression have only increased since one of Governor Kasich’s top aids, Doug Preisse, stated the voting process should not be “contort[ed] to accommodate the urban — read African-American — voter-turnout machine.”

Governor Kasich’s convention speech could be a phenomenal opportunity for him to clarify exactly how he feels about the very debate over voter suppression in which he’s already played a central role.


6. Everyone Enjoys a Good Impersonation, But Maybe Run It By a Friend First. And that Urge to Jump Off the Romney Approved Teleprompter? Resist It.

Governor Kasich’s greatest challenge Tuesday night may be in resisting his urge to jump off the Romney-approved teleprompter.

During the Governor’s unscripted, rambling one hour and 23 minute 2012 State of the State speech, widely panned as “bizarre.” The Hill reported, “When referring to medical research in Ohio, Kasich mimicked someone with Parkinson’s.” According to the Huffington Post:

“During the address, Kasich imitated a Parkinson’s patient, cried, insulted the people of California, praised his “hot wife,” gave 14 shout-outs to the same person and played an awards show host while tearfully channeling a famously emotional fellow Ohio Republican, House Speaker John Boehner.

Roughly 70 minutes into the speech, Kasich discussed medical research and its impact on the Buckeye State’s economy. He was highlighting a deep brain massage program at Ohio State University to cure Parkinson’s when he started simulating the shaking actions that mark the disease as a means of highlighting what he and his cabinet saw when they visited the facility.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer also highlighted the Governor’s interesting State of the State speech with a front-page spread.

“Whether Governor Kasich takes the Ohio Democratic Party’s advice or not, if his speech is anything like those of the past, it’s certainly going to be ‘must see’ TV,” said Jerid Kurtz, Ohio Democratic Party spokesman.

 

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Mandel Said Coal Critics Would Succeed “Over Our Dead Bodies” While New Report Reveals Pepper Pike Company Told Mine Workers That Attendance At Mandel & Romney Event “Both Mandatory and Unpaid”

 

COLUMBUS, OHIO – Two weeks ago, Josh Mandel blew off work to join Mitt Romney on the campaign trail, and in front of a sea of coal miners – and using a fake, southern accent – he told Beallsville, Ohio residents that critics of coal (re: straw men) would succeed “over our dead bodies.” As it turns out, to Mandel & Co. the miners were mere political props. A new report by The Cleveland Plain Dealer has uncovered that the miners were told by their employer that their mine would close, that their attendance at the event would be “mandatory” and that they would go “unpaid.”

 

The Plain Dealer reports:

When GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited an Ohio coal mine this month to promote jobs in the coal industry, workers who appeared with him at the rally lost pay because their mine was shut down.

 

The Pepper Pike company that owns the Century Mine told workers that attending the Aug. 14 Romney event would be both mandatory and unpaid, a top company official said Monday morning in a West Virginia radio interview. …

 

“My whole point is that nobody should be pressured into attending anyone’s political event,” Blomquist told The Plain Dealer. “If they shut the mine down, why should they lose a day’s pay? There are some guys that just want to go to work, feed their family and go home.”

As the standard-bearer for Politifact Ohio’s “Pants on Fire crown,” Josh Mandel’s an expert at misleading Ohioans, but his decision to blow off work to campaign and pretend to care about coal jobs while taking part in an event that prevented coal miners from earning a living reeks of political hypocrisy.

 

“In yet another stunning act of hypocrisy, Josh Mandel blew off work to campaign with Mitt Romney and pretended to care about the coal industry while preventing the very coal miners whom he used as political props from earning wages,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Andrew Zucker. “For Josh Mandel to claim he will defend the coal industry to the death while indirectly shutting down a coal mine and forcing those workers to act as political pawns represents another low point on the Mandel campaign. He owes those workers more than an apology affords, and has once again demonstrated that he’s a politician who can’t be trusted.”

 

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Former Republican Chief of Staff Advises Husted; Recommends Firing of Democrats for Supportng Increased Poll Access

COLUMBUS, OHIO-Today, Jon Allison, former Republican Governor Bob Taft’s chief of staff, issued a formal opinion to Secretary of State Jon Husted that he should fire Montgomery County Elections Board members Tom Ritchie and Dennis Lieberman for supporting non-work and weekend early voting access. In response, Ohio Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern released the following statement:

 

“This ruling is no surprise – we didn’t need to wait a full week to learn that former Republican Governor Bob Taft’s chief of staff would side with Secretary of State Husted to further this ongoing pattern of voter suppression in Ohio. For more than a year, Governor Kasich, Secretary Husted, and the Republican legislature have done everything they can to game this election in their favor by changing the rules we’ve followed for the past few years, making it harder for minorities, seniors, students and low income voters to cast a ballot. Now, Husted is actually considering firing people for supporting non-work and weekend voting hours, the very access that nearly a quarter of a million Ohioans depended upon in 2008. Thanks to one of the Governor’s top advisers, we learned what this is all about when Doug Preisse declared, ‘we shouldn’t contort the voting process to accommodate the urban —read African-American — voter-turnout machine.’

 

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COLUMBUS, OHIO – Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern released the following statement today on Josh Mandel’s blistering attack on the auto rescue, less than a week after General Motors announced a $220 million investment in the Lordstown and Parma plants:

 

“After ducking the issue for more than a year, Josh Mandel’s wildly out of touch assault on the auto rescue that helped to protect nearly 850,000 Ohio jobs is a slap in the face to middle class families across our state. While Senator Sherrod Brown fought to rescue the American auto industry, it’s now clear that Josh Mandel wouldn’t have lifted a finger to help save those jobs. Just last week General Motors announced a $220 million investment in the Lordstown and Parma plants, an investment that likely would not have happened if politicians like Josh were in the U.S. Senate. Josh Mandel continues to paint a clear picture to Ohio voters that he is a politician who can’t be trusted and won’t fight for the middle class.”

 

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Paid for by the Ohio Democratic Party, Chris Redfern, Chairman