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The Becker Report
Volume
IV, Issue IX
June 28, 2011
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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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?
Becker Signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge
During
the June 10th Center-Right Coalition meeting, I signed the Taxpayer Protection
Pledge and handed it to Grover Norquist, Americans
for tax reform.
Kudos
to Jean Schmidt
Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has
again been named a Defender
of Liberty for 2010 by the American Conservative Union.
The Award is given to Members of Congress who scored a perfect 100 percent on
issues of concern to grassroots conservatives.
New
staff at the Ohio GOP
Welcome
to Bruce Tague. He is our new Political Director. Bruce comes to the Ohio GOP
most recently from the Council of Governments in Northeast Ohio, where as
Executive Director he worked to promote shared services to maximize
productivity among local government. Bruce originally hails from the state of New York, where he served as Director of Political Mail and Outreach for the New York
Republican Party. In this position Bruce oversaw political mail for elected
officials, and directed extensive grassroots mobilization and coalition
building across New York State. Bruce received his Bachelor’s Degree from the
State University of New York at Albany, and also studied at the Rockefeller
College of Public Affairs and Policy.
Who
is running for US Senate in 2012?
The
following are candidates who have declared, or will likely declare, their
candidacy: Captain Rusty Bliss, Kevin Coughlin, Eric Gregory,
and Josh Mandel.
Video
Central
Eat
the Rich (9+ minutes)
Beckerism
A
friend of mine who works at a local Kroger store wanted to introduce me to one
of her colleagues. He made it clear to me that he doesn’t like Governor Kasich
and doesn’t like tax cuts for the rich. “SB5 is bad and Kasich doesn’t do
anything to help poor people,” he asserted.
To set the stage, this man was black, in his 40s, a Democrat, and a long-time
union member. He is arguably a core constituent of the Democrat Party. He was
also very sincere about his position. The conversation continued as follows:
“SB5 may not be perfect legislation, but let’s talk about its purpose. A lot of
public sector salaries and benefits are much higher than for similar jobs in
the private sector. You and I pay that premium in higher taxes. SB5 aims to
correct that disparity and will eventually make public sector compensation
competitive with the private sector. That’s why I support it,” I explained.
“That makes sense now that I understand it,” he said.
I continued, “Let’s talk about tax cuts for the so-called rich. I’d like to see
the Ohio income tax phased out. Of course that will help the rich. It will help
them so much, that they’ll move here, bring their businesses here, and/or expand
their existing businesses in Ohio. That means more jobs will get created which
will help out the working poor that we both care about. This is also part of
the Kasich agenda to create an environment for businesses to thrive and drive
economic growth. Would you be willing to support abolishing the Ohio income
tax?”
“Yeah, that does sound good,” he responded.
(By this time, I was on a roll.) “I’d also like to see the federal income tax
abolished and replaced with a national sales tax. The rich will always pay more
taxes than the rest of us. They spend more money.
“Do you remember the millionaires’ tax that was enacted during the Clinton administration? It was a soak the rich scheme. If I’m remembering correctly, it
was a federal excise tax on expensive cars and boats. Do you remember what
happened? Rich people didn’t like being targeted. In response, they stopped
buying expensive cars and boats. A lot of people like you and me lost their
jobs. Think of the sales staff, mechanics, and the people who clean cars and
boats. The millionaires’ didn’t get screwed. The working class did. It turned
out to be a money loser for the federal government and they eventually repealed
it.
“Another tax I’d like to see repealed is the corporate income tax. Take Kroger
for example. I think they pay a 35 or 40 percent corporate income tax. Who
really pays that? You and I do every time we’re at the cash register. That tax
is simply passed down to the consumer in the form of higher prices on goods and
services. Let’s say that tax got repealed. Kroger would then have a lot more
money to expand facilities, hire additional people, reduce prices, and increase
salaries. Does that sound like a plan that you’d be willing to support?”
“Yeah, I like that too,” he said.
It appears that I have a new friend. I’m not sure that he’s willing to start
voting Republican, but I am sure that he now understands a lot of things that
he hadn’t thought about before.
Becker
for 2012 Ohio House of Representatives
The
2012 Primary Election is 9 months away and only 7 months until early voting. I’ve
raised more than $20,700 and expanded my donor base to over 250 people!
Donation size has ranged from $5 to $250. For only $251,
YOU could be my largest contributor. All contributions have been
from individuals only. I’m Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, Pro-Limited Government and Lower
Taxes. Please see the following brief videos regarding my candidacy:
|
Introduction (38 seconds) |
Second Amendment (36 seconds) |
|
Taxes (49 seconds) |
Energy (55 seconds) |
|
Pro-Life (42 seconds) |
Creation Science and Evolution (42 sec’s.) |
|
State Government Spending (45 seconds) |
Donate (50 seconds) |
|
State Government (37 seconds) |
|
Past
Events
June 27, 2011
About 25 people attended the reorganization meeting of the Loveland Republican
Club. Brent Zuck was unanimously re-elected as club president. Featured
speakers included Jean Schmidt and Joe Uecker. Other attendees from Clermont County
included Ed Humphrey, David Bednar, Jeff Hardin, and Jennifer
Black. It was also great to see Debbie Terhar and Mike Wilson.
June 26, 2011
David Uible sent me the following:
The Clermont County Republican Party had their annual summer picnic at the Batavia Township Community Park. Approximately 120 attended, comprised of Central Committee members, family, friends, and candidates. Current office holders who attended were: County Commissioners: Bob Proud, Ed Humphrey, Archie Wilson; State Representatives: Danny Bubp and Joe Uecker; Representative Jean Schmidt, Clerk of Courts Barb Wiedenbein, Treasurer Bob True, Auditor Linda Fraley, Judge Ric Ferenc, Prosecutor Don White, and State Central Committeeman John Becker. Live blue grass music was performed by East Fork Junction.
June
24, 2011
The Republican State Central Committee met in Columbus for our summer meeting.
Bea Lyons and John Fairweather were sworn-in to replace Mary Swain and Brian
Williams respectively. Paul Hoag's resignation was also announced. His
replacement will be determined at the next meeting.
Much of the meeting was spent in executive session discussing SB 5. During
regular session, I moved that the Ohio GOP endorse SB 5 and join the defense
team. The motion passed unanimously. Info on SB 5 is as follows: BetterOhio.org, SB5Truth.com, 10 Myths, and 5 More Myths.
Chairman DeWine outlined a five-point winning strategy for 2012. He also
announced that a presidential straw poll will occur at the state dinner in Cleveland. Kay Ayres discussed our endorsement policy. And a screening committee will be
formed to consider an endorsement for Ohio Supreme Court. Special guests at the
meeting included Judge French and Judge Kennedy.
June 22, 2011
Governor Kasich hosted a conference call to discuss the budget process and to
encourage the State Senate to pass it.
June 21, 2011
About 15 people attended the Values Action Team (VAT) meeting in Columbus. Topics of discussion included SB 5, the heartbeat bill, casinos, and more.
Afterward, I enjoyed lunch with the ubiquitous Joe Forkin.
My afternoon meeting was a one-on-one with Matt Huffman. He seemed to be very impressed with
my fundraising abilities and the work that I've been doing for the Party. He
encouraged me to set up a meeting with Speaker Batchelder during July.
June 20, 2011
Rob Portman hosted a conference call to provide updates on several topics
including his jobs plan, national debt, spending cuts, regulatory reform, the bitter
DC partisanship, the Lima tank plant, and more. He also mentioned the debt
ceiling and compared it to "raising your credit card limit without
addressing the underlying problem". A Q&A followed.
June 16, 2011
Joanne Kemmerer and I met with Sharon Kennedy to discuss her qualifications and
candidacy for the Ohio Supreme Court. I quizzed Judge Kennedy on the same
issues that I had previously quizzed Judge French on. (See June 1st
post.) I am pleased to report that Judge Kennedy impressed me as much as Judge
French. Voters are in a win-win situation with these two candidates.
June 15, 2011
About 60 people attended the Clermont County Central Committee meeting in
Batavia. Special guests included Bruce Tague. He is the new Political Director
for the Ohio GOP. He was accompanied by the ubiquitous Joe Forkin. Joe is the
Ohio GOP Field Rep. Sharon Kennedy also addressed the crowd. She is a candidate
for the Ohio Supreme Court.
June 10, 2011
State Treasurer Josh Mandel and Grover Norquist, of Americans
for tax reform, were
the featured speakers at the Center-Right Coalition meeting. Mr. Norquist
discussed several issues including the federal and state budgets. I took the
opportunity to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and personally handed it to
Mr. Norquist.
June 8, 2011
A conference call was held to discuss the budget process and provide a status
update. SB 5 was also discussed. Several helpful web sites were mentioned
including:
http://www.kasichforohio.com/site/c.hpIJKWOCJqG/b.6590169/k.C124/Get_Involved_Today.htm
http://www.youtube.com/governorjohnkasich
http://governor.ohio.gov/Teachers.aspx
http://betterohio.org/
June 7, 2011
More than 100 people attended the Clermont County Tea Party meeting in
Eastgate. The only elected officials I saw was Don
White and Sharon
Kennedy. However, several candidates were circulating throughout the crowd
including George Pattison,
Vince Faris, David Uible, Tina Sanborn, and Lloyd Acres.
June 6, 2011
Jennifer Bond was elected to the position of Secretary at the Union Twp (Clermont County) Central Committee meeting. Jane Brandt announced that 350,000 signatures
have been gathered for the Health Care Amendment petitions. George
Pattison, Don
White, and Vince
Faris addressed the committee.
June 3, 2011
Dave
Yost was the featured
speaker at the First Friday Luncheon sponsored by Government
Strategies Group.
He spoke about financial and performance audits. He also presented the
advantages of combining counties and/or townships to create efficiencies and
reduce costs. Q & A followed. A few of the elected officials in attendance
included Joe Uecker,
Bill Seitz, Debbie Terhar, and my SCC colleague Christa Criddle.
June 2, 2011
The Frontier Days parade was another great success for the City of Milford. I participated this year with my F150 4x4 Supercrew decked out with magnetic
signs and a magnetic mounted lighted sign for the roof. Many thanks to about 15
of my friends who walked with me in the parade. They handed out information as
I greeted spectators along the parade route. Also, special thanks to Joe
Uecker for loaning me
an inflatable 8-foot tall GOP elephant for the back of my truck. It was a huge
attention getter and a big hit.
June 1, 2011
I had a one-on-one meeting with Ohio Supreme Court candidate Judi French. I
quizzed her on a number of issues including, obscenity, abortion, gun control,
gay rights, education, the size and scope of government, and more. We also
talked about her philosophy regarding the US and Ohio Constitution. I’m not
sure that I got straight answers on every topic, but I was impressed with her
background, credentials, and her commitment to conservative ideals.
Additionally, I found her to be a very pleasant person.
June 1, 2011
Mike Jordan emceed the Anderson Twp GOP Club meeting. About 25 people gathered
to hear about some of the presidential candidates. Andrew Ciafardini stumped for
Tim Pawlenty. Courtney Laginess presented Mitt Romney, and Dan Clark discussed
Michelle Bachmann. Other speakers included Tom Brinkman and Tim Kappers.
May 25, 2011
About 30 people attended George Pattison’s breakfast fundraiser at the Eastgate
Holiday Inn. Some of the elected officials that I saw included Matt Beamer,
Linda Fraley, Ed Humphrey, Bob Proud, Bob True, and Archie Wilson.
Event
Calendar
July 1 - 2
Ohio
Christian Alliance is
hosting the We the People Convention at the Columbus Convention Center
July 5, 2011
Clermont County Tea Party meeting at the Eastgate Holiday Inn at 7pm
July 9, 2011
Anderson Twp Tea Party junk sale fundraiser
July 14, 2011
Miami Twp Tea Party meeting at the Civic Center at 7pm
July 16, 2011
Southern Ohio GOP Chairs Assn. meeting in Jackson at 9:30 am
July 22, 2011
State Dinner in Cleveland featuring Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
July 24 – July 30
Clermont County Fair
July 28, 2011
Anderson Twp Tea Party meeting at Anderson High School at 7pm
July 29 – July 31
Anderson Days
August 2, 2011
National Night Out at Veterans Park in Union Twp (Clermont County) at 6pm
August 2, 2011
Clermont County Tea Party
meeting at the Eastgate Holiday Inn at 7pm
August 11, 2011
Miami Twp Tea Party meeting at the Civic Center at 7pm
August 19, 2011
Anderson Twp GOP Club picnic
August 24, 2011
Clermont County Central Committee meeting at HQ in Batavia at 7pm
August 25, 2011
Anderson Twp Tea Party meeting at Anderson High School at 7pm
September 2, 2011
First Friday Luncheon sponsored by Government
Strategies Group at
12pm
September 21, 2011
Clermont County Central Committee meeting at HQ in Batavia at 7pm
October 13, 2011
Evening for Life at the Kolping Center at 5:30/6:30 pm
October 19, 2011
Clermont County Central Committee meeting at HQ in Batavia at 7pm
November 16, 2011
Clermont County Central Committee endorsement meeting at the Eastgate Holiday
Inn at 7pm
August 27 – 30, 2012
Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida
Pro-Life | Pro-Gun | Limited Government | Lower Taxes
Paid for by Friends of Becker | John Becker, CTP, MBA, Treasurer | 925 Locust Lane | Cincinnati | Ohio | 45245-1313