The
Becker Report
Volume
III, Issue XVIII
August 26, 2009
Published
by:
John Becker
Republican State Central Committeeman and Candidate for State Senate
Ohio's 14th Senate District
Clermont, Brown, Adams, Scioto, and Lawrence Counties
513-753-6440
www.BeckerGOP.com
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Distribution:
Tim Rudd, Clermont County GOP Chairman
Paul Hall, Brown County GOP Chairman
Harty Wallingford, Adams County GOP Chairman
Dr. Terry Johnson, Scioto County GOP Chairman
Ray “Moose” Dutey, Lawrence County GOP Chairman
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Disclaimer
Nobody
asked me to include this, but it seems like a good idea:
This newsletter is not sanctioned by the GOP, ORP, or any organization, or
affiliation. I am fully and solely responsible for its' content. Although I
strive for accuracy, this is not "The Gospel according to John."
Additionally, I don't necessarily try to be "fair and balanced."
After all, I didn't get into politics to be a news reporter. My agenda is to
influence public policy consistent with Southern Ohio conservative values. For
more information on my motivations or how to get involved, see: What
is a Central Committee?
Prayers
Needed
Brown County Clerk of Courts Tina
Meranda continues to
appreciate all prayers.
Former Clermont County Chairman and Retired State Representative, Rose Vesper,
has not been well and needs our prayers.
Congratulations!
Congrats to Shannon
Jones for being selected for the 7th District State Senator. She is
replacing the deceased Bob Schuler.
Congrats to Karen Folzenlogen who has been recently appointed to be the NRA-ILA Elections Volunteer Coordinator for
the 2nd Congressional District. Karen can be reached at 513-677-1182
(h), 513-582-6047 (m), and KarenFolzenlogen@cinci.rr.com.
News
from Scioto County
The good news: Dr. Terry Johnson has announced his
candidacy for the 89th District Ohio House of Representatives. Terry is a Doctor of Osteopathy,
county coroner, and the Scioto County GOP Chairman.
The bad news: For the first time in the history of the state of Ohio, a county has been declared in a state
of fiscal emergency.
Is it just a coincidence that all three of Scioto County’s commissioners are
Democrats? Or is fiscal emergency the ultimate destination for Democrat
policies?
Ohio’s
Budget Battle and the Expansion of Gambling
Many on both sides of
the gambling debate do not believe that Gov. Strickland's plan to place up to
17,500 video slot machines at Ohio horse race tracks without a vote of the
people is legal. Go to www.LetOhioVote.org for more information.
Video
Central
Vince Tonero was on the Rush Limbaugh
show.
Global Cooling (This is a 27 minute audio clip.)
Stop the “Obama Care” abortion mandate.
Health Care
Government
101 (This is almost
11 minutes but should be required in school.)
State
Ballot Issues for November 3, 2009
Issue 1: Veterans benefits
Issue 2: Creation of the Livestock Care Board
Issue 3: Authorizing casinos in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland &
Toledo.
Slots for Tots
Jimmy Tingle
Local
Races for 2009
Tim Rudd is being
challenged for the office of Municipal
Clerk of Courts. Tim
is also the Clermont County GOP Party Chairman. He has served
honorably in both roles.
Bob McGee and Tim Donnellon are being challenged for the office
of Union Twp Trustee (Clermont County). They are both good men. They have
established policies that have made Union Twp more transparent, more efficient,
and more effective.
Jo Ann Beamer is running for re-election for the
West Clermont School Board. She is a great lady, loyal Republican, and has
unparalleled institutional knowledge.
A
Preview of the 2010 Statewide Races
US Senate
Rob
Portman is endorsed
by every member of the Ohio House and Senate caucus. He is also endorsed by
nearly every GOP county chairman and State Central Committee member.
Bob Paduchik is Rob’s campaign manager. Anyone interested in helping with the
campaign should contact Christa Criddle at 513-476-5707.
Tom
Ganley has also
announced his candidacy.
Commentary: I can’t say enough good things about Rob Portman. He is
truly larger than life. Mr. Portman has no enemies. He is respected by both
major Parties and revered by all Republicans regardless of ideology. Rob is a
gifted individual. He never forgets a name and is very friendly and
conversational to all. These are some of the reasons that I used the words “no
brainer” to argue in favor of Party endorsement for Mr. Portman.
Governor (Apportionment Board Office)
Todd
Kritzwiser has
withdrawn from the race.
John
Kasich is running
unopposed and is considered to be our challenger to Gov. Strickland.
Commentary: John Kasich is a strong conservative. He is, perhaps, best
known for his fiscal conservatism and the “Kasich budget” that he produced
while a member of congress. Republicans, in all corners of the state, are
excited about his candidacy for governor. I am particularly excited about his
commitment to abolish the Ohio income tax and death tax. Unfortunately, there
is one notable exception: Controversy continues to swirl regarding Mr. Kasich’s
vote in support of the 1994 Clinton
Gun Ban while he was
a member of congress. (It passed 216 – 214.) The gun lobby argues that he has not yet renounced,
apologized, or expressed regret for his vote. Additionally, Mr. Kasich has not
indicated in what way, if any, that he would support issues important to gun
owners. In his defense, Mr. Kasich has made a number of statements since 1994
expressing support for gun owners and placing the blame for crime on criminals
rather than on guns. Furthermore, he sent a letter explaining his support for
the Second Amendment.
Additionally, State Representative Ron Maag wrote a letter comparing and contrasting the
Obama/Strickland position on guns versus John Kasich’s.
I found the following at http://www.ontheissues.org/OH/John_Kasich.htm.
· Cool off before making new gun laws after Littleton. (May 1999)
· More parenting better than more gun laws. (May 1999)
· Voted YES on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)
More
detail can be found at: http://www.ontheissues.org/OH/John_Kasich_Gun_Control.htm. It
is in this document that they mention that he voted for the failed Clinton gun ban in
1994.
Auditor of State (Apportionment Board Office)
Mary Taylor is (so far) the ORP’s only endorsed
candidate for 2010.
Commentary: Mary Taylor is well liked, very smart, and quite attractive.
She is, arguably, the female version of Rob Portman. Mary will likely run for
US Senate in 2012. Additionally, I expect to see her in national politics
before the end of the next decade.
State Treasurer
Josh Mandel has announced his candidacy and
appears to be running unopposed in the primary. He has a great announcement
video.
Commentary: Josh Mandel is a rising star in the Ohio Republican Party.
He is a young guy, and a very hard worker. Josh is highly respected and revered
in conservative circles.
Secretary of State
(Apportionment Board Office)
Jon Husted and Sandy O'Brien have announced their
candidacies.
Commentary: On a personal level, it’s hard not to like Sandy O’Brien.
She is a very sweet lady with an infectious smile. She is looked up to by conservatives
as a heroine for defeating Jennette Bradley in the 2006 primary
election for State Treasurer. Sandy has reportedly loaned her campaign
$95,000
for the Secretary of State’s race.
Jon Husted had been Speaker of the House from 2005-2009. He currently serves as
a State Senator. He has a
conservative voting record and is well known for his ability to raise large
amounts of campaign dollars. According to his campaign staff, he has also been
generous with sharing the wealth. “During his time as a State Representative
& as Speaker of the House, Speaker Husted contributed a total of
$4,338,000.00 to the Ohio House Republican Campaign Committee. This is well
over the combined contributions of any other State Representative or candidate
for State Representative to date.”
Attorney General
Dave Yost has announced his candidacy. Mike DeWine is planning to make Mr. Yost fight
for it.
Commentary: Dave Yost is a very conservative Delaware County Prosecutor.
He is right on the issues, a nice guy, and a rising star in the GOP. Dave has
also worked very hard at winning the hearts and minds of Ohioans. He has
attended 46 Lincoln Day Dinners, visited over 60 counties and is endorsed by
more than 70 percent of Ohio’s GOP county prosecutors.
Former Senator Mike DeWine is much more controversial.
Mike DeWine’s favorables:
· Pro-Life Stalwart
· Served our state and nation with honor and dignity
· Served admirably as John McCain’s Ohio campaign chairman
· Good early polling numbers
· He may be the best candidate to challenge Richard Cordray and force him to focus on re-election rather than allowing Cordray to promote the entire Democrat slate.
Mike DeWine’s negatives:
· Failed to support drilling in Alaska (ANWR). Domestic energy exploration is critical to national security and the economy.
· Failed to support 2nd Amendment rights (Endorsed by the Brady Campaign.) And named to the top 10 list of anti-gun senators by Human Events.
o Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)
o Voted NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence. (Mar 2004)
o Voted YES on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
o Voted NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations. (May 1999)
o Voted NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
o Voted NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
· Failed to support conservative judges by joining the gang of 14 who supported the Democrat filibusters. Several conservative appellate court nominees “got thrown under the bus” (Miguel Estrada, Charles Pickering, Carolyn Kuhl, and Fourth Circuit Court nominee Terrence Boyle).
· Failed to recognize that his support for the McCain–Feingold Act would lead to the creation of left-wing monsters such as Moveon.org.
· Failed to recognize that his support for Hate Crime legislation makes “wrong thinking” and real criminal acts, crimes.
· Failed to recognize that his support for a federal minimum wage hike would lead to higher unemployment.
· Failed to support repealing the federal 55 MPH speed limit.
· Failed to retain his US Senate seat.
· Failed to keep up in the fund raising race with Dave Yost. (DeWine $39,500; Yost $42,727)
Other concerns with Mike DeWine’s candidacy:
· The Ohio Republican Party had been rebranding itself. Arguably, we are a Party renewed with new and younger faces, new ideas, and a focus on younger and more diverse voters and new media. Mike DeWine is the antithesis of all of that.
· With John Kasich vulnerable on the gun issue and Mike DeWine’s long and entrenched history favoring gun control, the Democrats will turn history on its’ head and try to argue that we are the Party of gun control.
· Party regulars and conservatives are nearly unanimous in their belief that Mike DeWine should be enjoying a long and comfortable retirement.
· As Ohio’s Attorney General, how will he influence concealed carry reciprocity?
· How will he influence oil and gas exploration and production?
· In what ways will he be siding with liberals?
· Which “election year conversions” will the voters believe?
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice
Former
Attorney General, Jim Petro, is planning to run
against Justice Maureen O'Conner. It is important to
note that if Justice O'Connor wins, she would have to resign and Gov.
Strictland would appoint a Democrat.
Commentary: They are both good people. Jim
Petro may be slightly to the left of Maureen O’Conner, but I like him
personally.
Ohio Supreme Court
Judith Lanzinger and Paul Pfeifer will run for
re-election.
Commentary: I like Judith Lanzinger.
What is the Apportionment Board?
The
Board consists of the Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor, and a
Republican and Democrat selected from the Legislature. Control is important
because the Board redraws the State House and State Senate districts based on
the 2010 national census. The Party redrawing the district lines will have a
huge advantage in determining control of the legislature in 2012 and beyond.
The legislature redraws the US House districts.
Becker for State
Senate
The
Primary Election is 32 months away. I've been meeting with people, getting
ideas, and raising money.
Past
Events
August
13, 2009
Bob McGee held a fundraiser at the Eastgate Receptions. I especially enjoyed
learning about JEDDs and TIFs from Union Twp Administrator David Duckworth.
August 3, 2009
Ohio Republican Party Chairman, Kevin DeWine, hosted a conference call. The
topics included the RNC meeting in San Diego, the Democrat health care plan,
and the Sept. 19th Leading Ohio Dinner. Additionally, Chris McNulty
gave an update on targeted congressional districts, the health care debate, and
talking points.
August 1, 2009
Tom Brinkman and I attended the huge Tea Party in Columbus. Within the crowd, I
spotted Berry Sheets and Richard Stobbs. We were all enjoying the many guest
speakers and enthusiastic patriots.
July 25, 2009
The American Majority (AM), in conjunction
with Citizens for Community Values (CCV), sponsored a
Candidate and Activist Training Seminar at the Xavier University Cintas Center.
Amongst the 40 or so attendees were Tom Brinkman, David Miller, Laura Hoyer,
and Charlie Winburn.
Event
Calendar
August
27, 2009
Brown
County GOP Club at 7:30 pm at the Fairgrounds GOP booth
September 2, 2009
Union Twp (Clermont County) Central Committee meeting at 7:00 pm
September 4, 2009
Anderson Twp GOP Club picnic at Veterans
Park at 5:30 pm featuring Josh Mandel
September 8, 2009
Scioto County Central Committee at 7:00 pm in New Boston
September 8, 2009
Citizens for Community Value’s Annual Golf Classic
at Glenview
September 11, 2009
State Central Committee meeting in Columbus
September 11th – 13th
Taste of Clermont at the Eastgate Mall
September 12, 2009
Rob Portman at Ruthven House at 12:10 pm in Georgetown
September 16, 2009
Clermont County Central Committee meeting in Batavia
at 7:00 pm
September 17, 2009
Family First Annual Dinner featuring Christine O’Donnell
September 19, 2009
ORP Leading Ohio Dinner at Great Wolf Lodge in Mason for $100. Call 614-228-2481.
http://blog.kasichforohio.com/?p=513&msource=JK082009EM
September 28th – October 3rd
Brown County Fair in Georgetown
October 4, 2009
Clermont County Life Chain from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm in front of Planned
Parenthood in Withamsville. Call 575-0138.
October 5, 2009
Voter registration deadline
October 7, 2009
Anderson Twp GOP Club at 7850 Five Mile
Rd.
Social at 6:00 pm and Business Meeting at 7:00 pm
October 8, 2009
Evening for Life featuring Shawn Carney at Xavier University for $45
Registration at 5:30 pm; Dinner at 6:30 pm; Call 728-7870
October 13, 2009
Scioto County Central Committee at 7:00 pm in New Boston
October 17, 2009
Southern Ohio GOP County Chairs Association
October 18, 2009
Peter Bronson at Evening for Life at XU Schiff Conference Center. Call
513-728-7870x207
November 3, 2009
General Election
November 10, 2009
Scioto County Central Committee at 7:00 pm in New Boston
December 8, 2009
Scioto County Central Committee at 7:00 pm in New Boston
December 11, 2009
State Central Committee meeting in Columbus
January 9, 2010
Southern Ohio GOP County Chairs Association
February 5, 2010
Clermont County Lincoln Day Dinner
April 17, 2010
Southern Ohio GOP County Chairs Association
Paid for
by Friends of Becker, John Becker, CTP, MBA, Treasurer, 925 Locust Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45245-1313