Nothing 'Grand' about this 'Old Party'

You've got to hand it to those Ohio Republicans. In the past five years, they've followed the Obama Political Playbook to the proverbial T.

Wait. That can't be right, can it? We're talking Midwest Ohio Republicans, here. Obama is a Chicago Machine Democrat/Socialist. Why would Ohio Republicans be following Barry?

You tell me.

I'm just a Casual Spectator – with absolutely nothing to gain – either way, in these political maneuverings.

Consider: When Obama clearly did not have bipartisan support for the cornerstone of his presidential legacy – the (un)Affordable Health Care Act – he relied on the liberal House and Senate leadership to push through his mandate, and further relied on a dubious – and divided – Supreme Court ruling to enforce his clearly unconstitutional authority to force Americans to buy something.

Following the OB1 POTUS Playbook, Ohio's Republican Governor John Kasich ignored the will of the Republican majorities in the Ohio House and Senate and used the state's seven-member Controlling Board to appropriate federal funds for Medicaid expansion, an action which the Republican majority in the General Assembly clearly opposed.

As reported here on Oct. 29, The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions said that the Controlling Board lacks the lawful authority to approve Kasich’s request.

"Ohio law limits the authority of the Controlling Board to actions that are consistent with the legislative intent of the General Assembly – not the intent of the governor," the Buckeye Institute said. "The overwhelming weight of the evidence makes clear that the General Assembly intended to reject funding for Medicaid expansion."

To make matters even more obviously political, the House speaker removed two Republican members of the Controlling Board – one of whom supposedly represents Highland County – in order that they wouldn't have to face this partisan conundrum: "Do I support my conservative base and insult my Republican governor?" Or, "Do I insult my Republican governor in order to gain favor with my conservative base?"

Of course, the House GOPers did not have to make such a gut-wrenching decision.

House Speaker Bill Batchelder excused state Reps. Cliff Rosenberger and Ron Amstutz from the potentially controversial vote. In other words, they got a free pass.

According to reports, Rosenberger and Amstutz are possible successors to Batchelder as House speaker. (Apparently, no one else wants the job.)

But why all the controversy within the Grand Old Party?

If you go online to your taxpayer-funded website at: www.ohiohouse.gov/william-g-batchelder/press/medicaid-expansion-pre-dat…, you can read Batchelder's Oct. 22 story that insists: "Medicaid Expansion Pre-dates Ohio Controlling Board Action."

The House speaker says: "Existing law gives the director of Medicaid the ability to set Medicaid eligibility levels without legislative approval. This had already been done by Governor Kasich’s administration prior to yesterday’s vote."

No … kidding?

If that's the case, Mr. Speaker and all of your fellow Republicans, please explain why the Controlling Board vote was even necessary. Furthermore, please explain why Reps. Amstutz and Rosenberger were given a free political pass.

The speaker also said: "It is important to recognize that the Controlling Board’s action was not a vote in favor of or opposition to the federal healthcare law or Medicaid expansion. The board does not have that authority. It was simply a move to ensure the solvency of the state’s Medicaid program following the governor’s decision to expand the program."

Once again, if that's the case, Mr. Speaker and all of your fellow Republicans, please explain why the Controlling Board vote was even necessary. Furthermore, please explain why Reps. Amstutz and Rosenberger were given a free political pass.

Some of us might like to know. (Of course, some of us already know.)

Let's face it: You guys like to talk like conservatives on the county-fair campaign trail. Once in office, however, you are as much in favor of big government as your Democrat counterparts – as long as it furthers your personal agendas.

Quick question: Whose last budget was higher, Ted Strickland's or John Kasich's? If you picked the Republican, move to the head of the class.

Robert Alt, president of The Buckeye Institute, said “The General Assembly flatly rejected Kasich’s request to fund Medicaid expansion. The governor’s attempt to short-circuit the ordinary legislative process to reverse a decision of the General Assembly that he dislikes is too cute by half, and is foreclosed by Ohio law.”

Once upon a time, Ohio Republicans loved the Buckeye Institute. Not so much, these days.

As always, The Highland County Press extends an open invitation to Representative Rosenberger to explain to voters his opinions on:

• Medicaid expansion in Ohio.

• The governor's actions related thereto.

• And his dismissal from the Controlling Board vote.

Hello?

* * *

So, what's a voter to do?

Glad you asked.

For starters, don't look for an honorable third-party candidate.

Ohio's Republican majority can't have that.

Thus, we have Senate Bill 193. Some people call SB 193 the GOP's "re-election protection bill."

It is.

According to an online report at www.plunderbund.com, "Ohio’s Republicans have been in a hurry to pass SB 193 … to provide election law for so-called 'minor' parties in Ohio. The bill passed out of the Senate two weeks ago and the House is planning to hold hearings this week. SB 193 would change Ohio election rules for minor parties nine months into a two-year election cycle – but rules for Republicans and Democrats would remain the same."

The report, by Dennis Spisak, 2010 Green Party candidate for governor, added:

• SB 193 would remove minor party access to the 2014 ballot immediately, erasing the months of work candidates have already put in organizing the campaigns and collecting signatures to get on the ballot.

• SB 193 would erase the party registrations of thousands of Ohioans who voted for minor party candidates in 2010 and 2012 and severely restrict any chances any minor party would have to participate in future elections. This bill would punish minor party candidates and supporters.

• SB 193 would require minor parties to gather at least 60,000 valid signatures to be on the ballot for statewide office. Republicans and Democrats would still only be required to obtain 1,000 valid signatures to place a candidate on the ballot for any statewide office.

While Republicans seem to like Glenn Beck and The Blaze when it (they) suit their political agenda, they probably won't like this from www.theblaze.com: "Gary Daniels, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, told a state Senate committee last week that the proposed petition requirements are onerous for third parties and that the changes come too close to the 2014 election, especially for candidates who are collecting signatures for office."

“While there may not be a perfect time to implement these types of changes, it appears many of the proposed changes in Ohio law would ultimately harm those they are intended to help, at least for the 2014 election cycle,” Daniels said.

Ya think?

When asked about SB 193, Highland County TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party President Barb Cole replied: "Since when is it lawless to allow people to vote for whom they choose?

"(This) sounds a little like the 'Professional Politicians' are getting a little shaky over the election next year and some folks with new ideas.

"According to a poll released by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, people want to replace their current representative. When asked whether their representative deserved to be re-elected, only 29 percent of respondents responded in the affirmative — while a full 63 percent said they'd rather give a new person a chance.

"I kind of like the thought of being more like the wild, wild west…they were responsible for themselves, they could protect themselves and men like John Wayne rose to the top."

* * *

And then, of course, there are the local GOP shenanigans. There are many. But as election day 2013 is just a few days away, let's just focus on the city of Hillsboro.

Yesterday afternoon, the Hillsboro City Council finance committee entered into an executive session.

According to the Hillsboro mayor's office, the executive session was (verbatim) for the following reason:

"The City of Hillsboro Finance Committee will meet on Friday, November 1 at 3:00 p.m. in the Hillsboro Fire Department Community Room at 204 N. East Street, Hillsboro, Ohio. The purpose of the meeting is to meet in Executive Session to discuss the IAFF budget proposal. Peter Pence, Committee Chair."

According to my latest copy of the Ohio Sunshine Law's from the Ohio Attorney General's Office, "budget proposals" do not appear as legitimate reasons for an executive session.

Be that as it may, I would, with all due respect, suggest to the three members of the Hillsboro City Council Finance Committee – Pete Pence, Bill Alexander and Dick Donley – that prior to any action related to the future of the Hillsboro Fire Department, they ask the mayor these five simple questions:

• Please explain, to the citizens and taxpayers of Hillsboro, in what capacity you represented them while attending an executive session in 2012 of the Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District Board.

• Please explain why Hillsboro City Council President Lee Koogler and other members of council stated that they had no knowledge of your meeting with the Paint Creek board.

• Please explain how it came to be that you sold your property – at a considerable profit – to the Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District not long after meeting with that board in a Saturday morning executive session.

• Please explain why there is not an appearance of a conflict of interest should city council endorse your negotiations with this board for local fire and EMS coverage.

• Please reveal all the public dollars you have received since moving to Highland County, including taxpayer-funded salary, taxpayer-funded grants, taxpayer-funded lease agreements and any other taxpayer-funded dollars to your benefit.

Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press.