The
Becker Report
Volume
III, Issue XXIV
February 14, 2010
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
Did this newsletter get sent to you by someone other than me? If so, please let
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are available at: www.BeckerGOP.com/TheBeckerReport.htm.
Disclaimer
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
Former Clermont County Chairman and Retired State Representative, Rose Vesper,
has not been well and needs our prayers.
Brown County’s Rick Eagan was seriously injured and needs prayer. He is
currently in Deaconess Hospital in rehab.
Ohio
Personhood Initiative
I’m excited to report
that Ohio’s constitution may be amended. The language that may appear in the
future is as follows:
Article 1, Section 1 shall be amended to read: All PERSONS are, by nature, free
and independent, and have certain inalienable rights, among which are those of
enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing, and protecting
property, and seeking and obtaining happiness and safety.
Insert: Article 1, Section 1(b) Person defined: The word “person” or “persons”
applies to all human beings from the beginning of the biological development of
that human being, including fertilization.
John
Becker in the News
The
February 3rd print edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer discussed
the Ohio GOP and the Tea Party.
Tax
Talk
Many thanks to all of
you who donated to my State Senate campaign. Please remember to claim the
credit on line 55 of your 2009 Ohio IT 1040.
The Ohio Marriage Penalty continues to live on. You can easily calculate how
much Ohio’s progressive income tax penalizes taxpayers for being married. (What
is wrong with this picture?) I have an information page for more details or you can go
directly to the marriage penalty calculator that I developed.
When you file your Federal 1040 and your Ohio IT 1040, please remember the
check-off box to contribute $3 and $1 respectively to the major political
parties. The Ohio and county Republican Parties will benefit.
Now
is the time to get involved
The Republican Party
is always in need of good people (preferably conservative) who want to get
involved. Contact your county’s Board of Elections to find out about running
for the office of Precinct Committeeman. Most counties require that you get
five people in your neighborhood to sign a petition to put your name on the
ballot for the May 4th election. The petition filing deadline is
February 18th. Your Board of Elections can provide you with
everything you need and answer all of your questions. You may want to check out
this database of voter information
by county. Call me and/or see What is a Central Committee for more information.
Video
Central
America Explained Part 1 of 3
Political Spectrum (7
minutes)
America Explained Part 2 of 3 Capitalism
Fascism Communism Socialism
(6+ minutes)
America Explained Part 3 of 3 Every
American Must Watch This
(5+ minutes)
This 1948 cartoon should also be required in schools.
It is almost 10 minutes.
A
Preview of the 2010 Statewide Races
US Senate
Rob
Portman is endorsed
by the Ohio Republican Party.
Tom
Ganley is also a
candidate.
Governor (Apportionment Board Office)
John
Kasich is endorsed by
the Ohio Republican Party.
Mary
Taylor has joined the
Kasich campaign.
Auditor of State (Apportionment Board Office)
Dave
Yost is endorsed by
the Ohio Republican Party.
Seth
Morgan is also a
candidate and possibly Rob Montgomery.
State Treasurer
Josh
Mandel is endorsed by
the Ohio Republican Party.
Secretary of State (Apportionment Board Office)
Jon
Husted is endorsed by
the Ohio Republican Party.
Sandy
O'Brien is also a
candidate.
Attorney General
Mike DeWine and Steve Christopher are candidates.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice
Justice Maureen O'Conner is endorsed by the Ohio Republican
Party.
Ohio Supreme Court
Judith
Lanzinger and Paul Pfeifer are endorsed by the Ohio Republican
Party.
Charles Miller is challenging the ultra-liberal Paul
Pfeifer.
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 2010 legislature will redraw the US House districts.
Congress
Jean
Schmidt is endorsed
by the Clermont County GOP.
Debbi
Alsfelder, Bryan Hawkins, and Mike
Kilburn are also
candidates.
Richard Stobbs is a candidate in the 6th Congressional District.
Clermont
County Commissioner
Batavia Township Trustee, Archie Wilson, is challenging Scott Croswell. Archie is endorsed by the Clermont
County GOP.
Clermont
County Common Pleas Court
Ric Ferenc is running
for the two-year unexpired term of Judge Ringland. Ric is endorsed by the
Clermont County GOP.
Woody Breyer and Tom Herman are running for the six-year term of the retiring
Judge Walker.
Clermont
County Domestic Relations Court
Kathleen Rodenberg is
running for Domestic Relations Court Judge. She is endorsed by the Clermont
County GOP
12th
District Court of Appeals
Robin Piper and
Rachel Hutzel are running for separate seats. They are endorsed by the Clermont
County GOP
7th
State Senate District
Michelle Schneider is challenging Shannon Jones
for State Senate
Becker
for State Senate
The 2012 Primary Election is 26 months away. I’ve raised about $8,500 and
expanded my donor base to about 120 people. Donation size has ranged from $20
to $110.
Past
Events
February 13, 2010
I made my third guest appearance on Matt Hurley’s blog/radio show. Upon my
arrival, I expected them to offer me a blindfold and cigarette (I don’t smoke.)
while my three hosts prepared their ammo and adjusted their sites. The evening
went much better than I feared. I guess I’m getting better at defending the
Ohio GOP and our candidates. I’m not sure if this is good or bad, but I have
been getting a lot of practice lately.
February 12, 2010
Former Senator Mike DeWine and I met to discuss his voting record and plans for
the office of Attorney General. It was a great meeting. I was impressed by the
Senator’s honesty and candor. He confessed that there are a number of votes in
his past that he would like to take back. He would not give me any examples.
When we talked about gun control and his “election year conversion,” I pressed him
again for any votes he would like to take back. I asked him about his Brady
campaign endorsement. He defended his vote to outlaw gun show purchases without
background checks. I pointed out that we are free to buy, sell, and trade guns
with our neighbors. “A gun show is simply our neighbors in the same place at
the same time. It’s the slippery slope argument, Senator. If you ban non-dealer
sales at gun shows, why not ban them in my neighborhood as well? The next step
is registration like with automobiles,” I explained. He seemed to get the
point. During the “Gang of 14” discussion, I asked him about Miguel Estrada,
Charles Pickering, Carolyn Kuhl, and Fourth Circuit Court nominee Terrence
Boyle. He defended and explained his position. Although he firmly believes that
he did the right thing, he confessed that a number of nominees “got thrown
under the bus.” I then asked him about oil and gas exploration and production
within Ohio. He attempted a quick answer by stating that he would follow the
law and has no control over what the law is. I challenged him be stating, “I
would expect that Senator, but there are plenty of A/G opinions that get issued
within the gray areas of the law. Do you have any philosophical concerns with
oil and gas exploration and production throughout the state including
underneath Lake Erie?” He gave me a mixed answer. He does not have a
philosophical problem with exploration and production outside of
non-controversial areas. He made it clear that he was not in favor of drilling
under Lake Erie and had concerns about state parks. He did agree that
environmentally safe exploration is possible. The last thing I asked him about
was his relationship with Kevin DeWine. He described it as a “business
relationship.” He explained that their grandfathers were brothers and that he
and Kevin are in two different generations and have had little contact
throughout their lives. Kevin is the same age as Mike’s oldest son. “For years
I’ve heard that there may be bad blood between you and Kevin possibly due to a
statement that you may have made regarding ‘not wanting to have two DeWines on
the ballot’ when Kevin expressed an interest in running for Secretary of State
in 2006,” I inquired. He denied any bad blood and denied making any statement
about ‘two DeWines on the ballot.’ However, he did state that having two
DeWines on the ballot at the same time would be bad. We closed our discussion
on the pro-life topic. I was encouraged to hear him talk about how he would
exercise the power of the A/G’s office to enforce restrictions on abortion
clinics.
February 11, 2010
The Brown County GOP met to consider endorsements for local and statewide
candidates. The big news was the upset victory for Seth Morgan (75%) over Dave
Yost (13%) for State Auditor. I’ve never heard Seth Morgan speak before. It is
becoming clear to me why the Tea Party people and other conservatives are
firmly in the Morgan camp. After hearing both of them speak, I found myself
agreeing with the Brown County GOP that Morgan won that evening’s debate. Yost
looked tired and just didn’t seem to be at the top of his game. On the other
hand, Morgan came across as more energetic, more confident, and more
convincing. This is shaping up to be the race to watch on May 4th.
February 10, 2010
About 100 people attended the Anderson Twp (Hamilton County) Tea Party meeting.
I spoke to the group about how and why I got involved in politics, the
Apportionment Board, and the controversy regarding Mike DeWine, Kevin DeWine,
Dave Yost, and the Ohio Republican Party. I presented my understanding of the
facts. Afterward, I received a few e-mails suggesting that I may have gone too
far in my defense of the Ohio GOP and Dave Yost.
February 6, 2010
About 140 people attended an NRA dinner and fundraiser auction at the Eastgate
Holiday Inn. Many officials were there including Tom Herman, Ed Humphrey, Joe
Uecker, Tom Niehaus, Jean Schmidt, Archie Wilson, and Danny Bubp.
February 5, 2010
About 160 people braved harsh weather conditions to attend the Clermont County
Lincoln Day Dinner. It was great to meet Tea Party founder Mike Wilson and
Supreme Court candidate Charles Miller. He is challenging the ultra-liberal
Paul Pfeifer. Additionally, it was a pleasure to meet and chat with Seth
Morgan.
February 5, 2010
State Senator (and Secretary of State Candidate) Jon Husted was the featured
speaker at the Government Strategies Group “First Friday” luncheon. Jon talked
about the $8 billion shortage that will be in the next state budget, the
Apportionment Board, and more.
February 2, 2010
Another large crowd attended the Union Twp (Clermont County) Tea Party meeting
at the Civic Center. They are fired up and determined to be influential as GOP
insiders.
February 1, 2010
The Ohio Republican Party State Committee met to endorse Dave Yost for State
Auditor. Sixteen committee members were in the room and 40 were on the phone.
Two votes were held. The first vote was to suspend the rules. It required 44
votes and it passed. I voted NO. The second vote was to endorse Dave
Yost for Auditor. It required a simple majority of those present (including via
telephone). I voted NO again. During open discussion, I stood before the
committee and made the following statement:
“I want my colleagues to know what I think of Dave Yost. I think Dave Yost is a
great man. I was pushing hard for him for Attorney General for multiple
reasons. I understand his reasons to switch to the Auditor’s race and I believe
them to be honorable and I respect his decision. However, I am disappointed
with the change and I am not comfortable moving forward with an endorsement at
this time.”
Prior to the meeting, I was excited to find about 30 protesters demonstrating
in front of ORP HQ. I introduced myself to several of them and we had a nice
chat. One of them vetted me for re-election to the SCC. (I hope I passed.) They
were all very respectful and courteous. I thanked them for coming and
encouraged them to continue their activism.
Why would I encourage the Tea Party protesters in front of ORP HQ? I
love the activism. They have heart. Frankly, they remind me of me 20 years ago.
I was spawned out of the pro-life movement. I spent many hours picketing
outside of Planned Parenthood and attending several of the January memorial
marches in Washington DC. After Bill Clinton got elected in 1992, I concluded
that I needed to do more than just vote. That is when I got involved in Party
politics.
It is a similar passion that drives the Tea Party movement today. I am doing
what I can to encourage, help, and educate them regarding Party operations and
other issues. The protesters have valid concerns about Mike DeWine, Kevin
DeWine, and Dave Yost. The ORP needs to hear and does hear those concerns. It
is up to me and my colleagues to explain the facts of what is going on and why.
At the end of the day, we may disagree, but we all need to have the facts
before making that decision.
What are the facts? Kevin DeWine did not recruit or encourage Mike
DeWine to run for Attorney General. Mike DeWine exercised his right to use his
millions of dollars to run for the office of his choice. I respect that. And
only the voters can stop him. Kevin DeWine’s vision for the ORP is newer and
younger faces. All of our endorsed statewide candidates fit that description.
Please notice that the A/G race is the only statewide office that does not have
a candidate endorsed by the ORP.
Did Kevin DeWine lure Dave Yost out of the A/G race to clear the field for
“cousin Mikey” and pit two good conservatives against each other? Mike
DeWine finished the year with $1 million in the bank. Dave Yost had $27,000.
From the beginning, I said that Dave Yost did not have to match Mike DeWine’s
money. Dave simply needed enough money to get his message out. Although Dave
had grass-roots support, he did not have enough financial support to be
competitive. (How many of you sent Dave a check?) The ORP does not raise money
for candidates. The candidates are responsible for their own funding. Now that
Dave is running for Auditor, the “big money” people are starting to pitch in
and he now has a real chance to succeed.
What about Seth Morgan? Seth and I discussed the situation at the
Clermont County Lincoln Day Dinner. Seth Morgan is impressive and a rising star
in the Party. Everything I hear about him is very good. My colleagues on the
State 
Committee
considered the fact that Seth has only served about 13+ months in the
legislature. They don’t believe that he has the experience or the statewide
connections and respect that Dave Yost has earned over the past year or so.
Additionally, they don’t believe that the issue of ”who got in first” is a
valid factor in considering who the best or most qualified candidate is.
What about the CPA credential? It’s a great credential. I’m impressed by
it. However, internal polling shows that it consistently ranks last in what
voters care about. Mary Taylor was losing the Auditor’s race in 2006 until
Barbara Sykes was caught on video bragging about supporting Bob Taft’s tax
increases. (Disdain for Bob Taft was one of the few issues that Republicans and
Democrats agreed on.) If that video hadn’t aired, the CPA issue would not even
be discussed and Mary Taylor would not be our current Auditor.
What is the relationship and history between Mike and Kevin DeWine? They
are second cousins and share the same last name. The similarities end there.
Kevin DeWine is conservative. Mike DeWine’s “moderate” voting record has been
well documented. For many years, I’ve heard that Mike and Kevin are cordial to
each other but have never been close. Additionally, rumors have swirled
regarding some “bad blood” between them. I don’t have the facts, but I have
reason to believe that Kevin does not owe “cousin Mikey” any favors.
January 30, 2010
I attended my first ever NE Hamilton County Pancake Breakfast. About 400 people
were there. It also gave me a chance to follow-up with Dave Yost to get a few
things clarified. It was great to see Tom Brinkman’s announcement that he is running for
Hamilton County Auditor.
Event
Calendar
February 15, 2010
Scioto County Central Committee and annual pie auction at 7:00 pm in New Boston
February 18, 2010
Filing deadline for May Primary
February 22, 2010
Scioto County's Lincoln Day -- Social 6:00 pm and Dinner 6:30 pm at the SOMC
Friends Community Center, 1202 18th Street, Portsmouth
February 24, 2010
Woody Breyer event at Eastgate Receptions for $100 from 4:30 to 6:30 pm
February 26, 2010
Hamilton County Annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner featuring Michele Bachmann
Social at 5:30 pm and dinner at 7 pm at Paul Brown Stadium Club East
February 27, 2010
RNC Regional Women's Summit at Hyatt on Capitol Square from 9 am
to 5 pm. Contact (202) 863-8545 or email gopwomen@gop.com
March 1, 2010
Union Twp (Clermont County) GOP Central Committee meeting at 7pm at the UT
Civic Center
March 1, 2010
Rob Portman will be the keynote speaker at a
COAST fundraiser at 7 PM at the Glendale Lyceum. Call 513-240-4996 for more
info
March 3, 2010
Anderson Twp GOP Club at 7850 Five Mile Rd. Social at 6:00 pm and Business
Meeting at 7:00 pm. Mary Taylor will be the guest speaker
March 5, 2010
Government Strategies Group will host a “First Friday” luncheon featuring David Pepper
March 5, 2010
Ohio
Right to Life will
host Sarah Palin at the Aladdin Shrine Center at Easton Columbus, Ohio. Doors
open at 5pm and the event starts at 7:15pm for $40
March 5, 2010
Tom Cooney and Crystal Faulkner will be hosting a $500/person
reception for John Kasich from 6 pm to 8 pm. Call 513-768-6796 for more
information
March 9, 2010
Scioto County Central Committee at 7:00 pm in New Boston
March 13, 2010
Kasich/Taylor fundraiser at the Bailey House in
Georgetown for $75 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm
March 13, 2010
Brown County Lincoln Day Dinner for $30 at the Georgetown Eagles Hall at 5:30
pm. Contact BrownCountyRepublicans@gmail.com
or call 937-444-2988
March 18, 2010
Ohio
Christian Alliance
Freedom Banquet at Villa Milano (Columbus) at 6:30 pm
March 24, 2010
SW Ohio Candidates Night Debate at the Crown Plaza on Pfeiffer Rd at 7 pm.
(513-793-4500)
March
26, 2010
Adams County Lincoln Day Dinner at Cherry Fork Gym in Cherry Fork for $20. Eric
Deters I the featured speaker. Contact Stephen Caraway at 937-515-1939.
April 2, 2010
Government Strategies Group will host a “First Friday” luncheon featuring Josh Mandel
April 5, 2010
Voter Registration deadline
April 9, 2010
State Central Committee meeting in Columbus
April 19, 2010
CCV Annual Spring Banquet at the Cintas
Center at 6:30 pm
April 13, 2010
Scioto County Central Committee at 7:00 pm in New Boston
April 17, 2010
Southern Ohio GOP County Chairs Association
May 4, 2010
Election Day
May 11, 2010
Scioto County Central Committee at 7:00 pm in New Boston
May 14, 2010
ORP Candidate Training Seminar (Day 1)
May 15, 2010
ORP Candidate Training Seminar (Day 2)
June 8, 2010
Scioto County Central Committee at 7:00 pm in New Boston
June 19, 2010
State Central Committee meeting in Columbus
June 19, 2010
Ohio Republican Party Headquarters Open House
June 19, 2010
ORP State Dinner at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus
September 7, 2010
CCV Community Cup Golf Classic at
Glenview Golf Course at 1 pm
September 10, 2010
State Central Committee meeting in Columbus
September 10, 2010
ORP Leadership Summit
Paid
for by Friends of Becker, John Becker, CTP, MBA,
Treasurer, 925 Locust Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45245-1313