The Becker Report  
Volume I  
Issue IV  
May 17, 2004

Distribution

If I have their e-mail addresses, all names mentioned get copied on these communications.  
Please provide me names and e-mail addresses for anyone else that would like to receive this.

Southern Ohio Chairman’s Conference  
I was happy to attend the Southern Ohio Chairman’s Conference on May 1, 2004 in Jackson.  
It was a privilege to meet many important people including, but not limited to:

Betty Montgomery discussed a number of issues including registering new voters and concentrating on absentee ballots.  
She also reminded us that we all have a circle of influence.

Jeff Hardin attended the meeting with me.  
Jeff asked me to attach a document to this newsletter, that he authored, regarding the Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign. The document name is: TheCupHalfFull.doc. 

Meeting with Jeff Eichhorn
Jeff and I had a meeting at Starbucks (4th & Vine, Cincinnati) on May 3, 2004.
Jeff was very convincing about what a great guy Jim Petro is.  
We discussed a number of topics that are important to me and other conservatives.
We agreed on many issues.  
Jeff Eichhorn did a great job supporting his boss.

The Buckeye Institute and The Heritage Foundation at the Queen City Club
On May 3, 2004, I was fortunate to be sitting at the same table with Ken Blackwell, Tom Brinkman, and Dan Unger (from Family First PAC).
Jeff Hardin attended (but was at a different table). I also saw and spoke with Senator Schuler.

The keynote speaker was Dan Mitchell from The Heritage Foundation.
Amongst other things, I learned that Ohio is the third most expensive state for local and state taxes.
Mr. Mitchell discussed many economic issues including how taxes are detrimental to growth.
In my opinion, listening to his speech (or reading the transcript) should be mandatory for all elected officials.
(If that had been the case, we may have avoided a 20 percent sales tax increase.)

Party for the President  
Suzanne Winn sponsored the first one that I attended. It was in Georgetown.
The other party that I attended was at the home of Steve and Thea Shoemake in the Polo Fields (Union Twp).
Fun was had by all at both events.
It is always good to get together with like-minded Republicans.

Ohio Family Lobby Day on May 4, 2004
The event was not well attended due to the Presidents visit.
During my half day of attendance, I chatted with Senator Schuler and briefly met Larry Householder.

President Bush visited the Cincinnati Gardens on May 4, 2004
The visit was good, bad, and ugly.
It was good that the President had a very large crowd of loyal supports.

Unfortunately, thousands of ticket-carrying supporters were denied admission due to overcrowding.
Therefore, I would like to offer apologies on behalf of the Ohio GOP to those people.
Also, the Bush/Cheney team would like a list of names and addresses of those ticket holders who were denied admittance.
Please send your list to Brent Sanders.
That was the bad part.

Two aspects of the visit qualify as ugly, in my opinion.

  1. A few dozen protesters stood across the street.
    Most of them looked like 1968 revisited.
    To there credit however, they were well behaved and I only saw one sign with profanity on it.
    (If you’ve ever gone toe-to-toe with Act Up, you’d think these protesters were relatively normal people.)
  2. Governor Taft was strongly booed (and in his hometown).
    I’m disappointed, but not surprised, by the Governor’s popularity (or lack of).

Candidate Training Seminar
It was held on May 8, 2004 in Mason at the Kings Island Golf Center.
In my opinion, this seminar should be mandatory for every Republican candidate.
I learned a lot and enjoyed Mike Allen’s lunchtime speech.
It was good to see Danny Bubp and Denis Murphy at the event.
I was also pleased to see that Kay Ayres has safely returned from Mexico.
In addition to Mike Allen, the list of presenters were as follows:

Event Calendar
Phone Banks: Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning May 18 through June 1 at 6:00 PM and Saturday May 22 at noon

Contact Debbie Siegroth 513-528-0670

Southern Ohio Chairman’s Conference Strategy Meeting June 5, 2004 at Lewis Family Restaurant in Jackson at 9:00 AM

Contact Rodney Barnett 740-778-2110

Voter Registration Drive for Clermont County – Week of June 12, 2004

Contact Jonathan Gormley 614-228-2481

Flag Day Luncheon – June 16, 2004 from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at the Batavia Armory

Contact Debra Shebesta by June 2, 2004 at 513-732-7712 (work) or 513-752-7791 (home)

Voter Registration Drive for Brown, Adams, Scioto, and Lawrence Counties – Week of June 19, 2004

Contact Jonathan Gormley or P.J. Wenzel at 614-228-2481

Fundraiser for Don Oda for Warren County Court Judge June 23, 2004 at 6:30 PM

Contact Linda Oda 513-934-2112 or LindaOda@OdaForJudge.com or http://www.odaforjudge.com

Southern Ohio Chairman’s Conference Regular Meeting July 10, 2004 at Lewis Family Restaurant in Jackson at 9:00 AM

Contact Rodney Barnett 740-778-2110

Annual DeWine Ice Cream Social – June 27, 1:00 – 5:00 in Cedarville

Contact Barbara Schenck 937-376-3080

Republican National Convention – August 29, 2004 through September 3, 2004 in NYC

Contact Ohio GOP 614-228-2481

Yard Signs and Banners
We have the opportunity to purchase a bulk quantity of Bush/Cheney 4x8 banners and/or yard signs.
The more that the 14th Senate District can purchase, the better the unit price.
Jason Mauk, Communications Director, estimated the banners would cost about $80 to $85 each.
Please let me know, by the end of this month, how many banners and/or yard signs that your county would like to purchase.

Web Sites
Drew McKenzie, Web Master for the Hamilton County GOP, explained their operation to me.
They are using Fuse as their web host and regularly update the Events page.

According to Jason Mauk, Communications Director, we cannot list federal candidates on our web site unless the site is paid for out of a federal account.
He also walked me through how to update free county web sites that are accessed through http://www.gopcountyparty.com/ 

Jason Mauk, or an individual from your county, can update your county GOP information.
Let me know how you would like to move forward with this.

Boards and Commissions Appointments
Chairman Bennett sent me a list of state level vacancies for the period of July 2004 through December 2004.
Contact me for additional information and details of how to apply. 

Larry Householder vs. Ken Blackwell
Ken Blackwell’s office sent me a 109-page document that was created by Larry Householder’s office.
In addition to that epistle, they also included numerous newspaper articles from across Ohio.
The document details a plan to politically destroy Ken Blackwell, and his effort to repeal the 20 percent sales tax increase, while promoting Larry Householder.
You can read the document and learn more at http://www.repealthetax.com

The Becker Report on the Web
This issue and all back issues are now available at: http://home.fuse.net/jbecker/TheBeckerReport.htm

As always, please provide me with feedback including any corrections to this report.
 _________________________________________________

John E. Becker
Republican State Central Committeeman
Ohio's 14th Senate District
Clermont, Brown, Adams, Scioto, and Lawrence Counties
513-345-7105 (day)
513-753-6440 (eve)
http://home.fuse.net/JBecker