Join with State Representative Jarrod Martin to welcome John Kasich and Mary Taylor to Greene County on Thursday May 13th. Gates open at Shawnee Park in Xenia at 11:30AM. Event will begin at 12:15 PM.
Posted in election 2010, events, news, Ohio, politics, Xenia
Tagged campaign, governor race, lt. governor race
The Ohio Right to Life Pac candidate endorsements mostly align with endorsements by the Ohio Republican Party. This is not surprising since Republicans tend to favor pro-life issues, and Democrats support pro-abortion.
Why is an Ohio RTL Pac endorsement of any importance? The Pac claims because it makes a difference to about half (maybe more) of the voting population. The Pac provides user-friendly access to information about the candidate experience, views and voting record on abortion and pro-life issues. Beyond that, RTL’s endorsement of pro-life candidates assists voters identify those who will likely honor their oath of office by upholding the constitutionally protected right to life.
With that in mind, let’s see who those candidates are.
STATE
Jarrod Martin, who seeks a second term in the 70th Ohio House District, received the Ohio RTL Pac stamp of approval. Tea Partiers seem to like him as well as the Ohio GOP. His campaign website is at www.electjarrod.com
U.S. Representative John Kasich has the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life endorsement. He is not only favored by the GOP but also by Tea Party members and many of the who’s who is local and state politics. His campaign website is at www.kasichforohio.com
Jon Husted, Speaker of the Ohio House of Representative and native of Dayton, is running for Secretary of State. He has also received the Ohio RTL Pac 100% pro-life stamp of approval. But, I recently received information from a friend who lives in northern Ohio that casts some doubt about Husted’s support of both pro-life and pro-faith causes, which I will cover later. His campaign website address is www.hustedforohio.com
Mike DeWine is no stranger to local politics. He is local lawyer, previous County Prosecutor, state representative, senator, and U.S. Congressman. He is running for Ohio Attorney General with GOP approval and the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life endorsement. His campaign website is at www.mikedewine.com
State Representative Josh Mandel is another dynamic young politician with the Ohio RTL Pac’s 100% pro-life stamp of approval along with the GOP and Tea Party endorsements. His campaign website is at www.joshmandel.com
I’m not 100% certain but I think Ohio only allows one Auditor of State. However, Ohio RTL Pac as well as the Ohio GOP endorses two. They are David Yost and Seth Morgan.
David Yost is among the select few picked by the Ohio GOP. His repertoire includes his current position of Delaware County Prosecutor and the previously held position of county auditor. Posted on his blog is an endorsement by the Darke County Tea Party as well as the most of the big press and entrenched GOP politicians. Yost’s campaign website address is www.davidyost.com
Ohio Representative Seth Morgan is among select few running for accounting position of State Auditor who actually is actually a certified public accountant (CPA), which should be one of the requirements for holding that office. Just ask Mary Taylor. The Huber Heights native currently serves as Secretary of Finance and Appropriations Committee, Finance and Appropriations Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education, Ways and Means Committee, and as Chair of the House Republican Caucus Policy Committee, among others. Every where I look, Morgan is receiving honorable mentions and endorsements from the Associated Builders and Contractors to the Citizens for Community Values, not to mention the Ohio Tea Party. His campaign website is at www.sethmorgan.org
NATIONAL
U.S. Representative Steve Austria is running for the 7th Ohio Congressional District for a second term, He has received the distinction by the Ohio RTL Pac as a 100% pro-life candidate. Austria not only a Beavercreek native but is favored by the GOP as well. The Tea Parties I have attended Austria has not been among the favored representatives or candidates.
Robert Portman is running for U.S. Senate with the endorsement of the Ohio RTL Pac. He has effectively served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Trade Representative, and as U.S. Congressman for 12 years. Although favored by GOP leaders, Portman has not been favorable received by some Ohio Tea Party groups, according to reports. His campaign website address is www.robportman.com
As mentioned earlier, an added benefit of the above candidate list is their GOP endorsements. The Ohio GOP stamp of approval tells us that the Party regards those members as the most qualified, the most charismatic, and/or the most faithful to party policies.
It should be remembered that the Democratic Party also chooses its candidates on the same basis. As pointed out during the last national election by Dennis Kucinich, one of the most important factors to Party endorsement is faithfulness to the pledge. Here, the pledge is not to the Ohio or U.S. Constitutions, dear comrades, but to the Party.
The above-mentioned qualities that are required by both Parties are also the same characteristics of career politicians, which in turn is part of the ever-increasing problem produced by party politics. As evidenced by the current regime of Democrats, progressive regression back to the Revolution era issues of big government social and economic tyranny is a serious problem that came in the name of change. Liberals claim the same thing happened when the GOP was in charge.
That is why the other non-career track candidates are worth considering. Some of them promise to defend the right to life as well as other conservative issues of constitutional importance.
One such candidate is Lt. Col John Michel (Ret.) who is running against incumbent Rep. Steve Austria for Ohio’s 7th Congressional District. Michel is definitely a pro-life candidate. He believes “the Constitution protects human life from conception to natural death.” His position on most other important issues like the economy, health care, immigration, war on terror, and the like reveals a well-reasoned and articulated conservatism, which is another reason to put him into office. His views on the issues can be read by going to his website at www.reformcongress.com
Sandra O’Brien is running against Jon Husted for Secretary of State. She is definitely a consist defender of the right to life and liberty. She is a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau, a veteran schoolteacher, past county auditor, and current adjunct professor at Leland Community College. In 2006, she defeated her pro-abortion opponent in the Republican primary for Auditor of State. Jon Husted supported her pro-abortion opponent, which demonstrates his wavering commitment to the constitutional issue of the right to life. Moreover, my friend from the North also pointed me to letter by Diana Fessler addressed to the Ohio Liberty Council in which tells how Husted lying to the public about his saving prayer in the House. While Speaker of the House, Husted attempted to forbid the mention of Jesus’ name in all prayers offered at the opening session of the Ohio House. It was she who saved prayer with the help of the Alliance Defense Fund litigators. Fessler assures us that Sandra O’Brien is the real conservative candidate for Auditor of State. O’Brien’s campaign website is at ohio.sandraobrien.com
On Thursday, April 22, church leaders, pregnancy center directors, community leaders and students met in Xenia, Ohio to address the most critical issues of our time: abortion. Reverend Arnold Culbreath, the Urban Outreach Director of Life Issues Institute in Cincinnati, presented the staggering truth about abortion in the African American community and provided insight about what we can do to help end this form of genocide. Greg Koukl, Founder and President of Stand to Reason in California, gave a wonderful presentation on the simple and reasonable explanations as to why abortion is incorrect and unacceptable.
After lunch, Carl Hayes of the High Impact Leadership Coalition in Washington D.C., addressed many critical issues that are threatening our families and our nation. Carl outlined the practical steps that we can take in our own communities to address these issues. At the end of the day there were small group discussions and a Q & A session with the speakers and additional pro-life panelists. This gathering was a step towards achieving a better understanding of the impact that abortion has on our communities, specifically the African American community.
Ohio Right to Life was proud to have helped plan this event and even produced the toolkit that was distributed to all who attended. This toolkit will be used to help church leaders start pro-life ministries in their communities; it will also soon be available for Ohio Right to Life supporters to use in the future. Through more events like Life Solidarity 2010 and an increase in dialogue about the issue, we hope that we can remove the barriers that restrict us from achieving real change.
On Saturday April 24, the first Tea Party began at 4 pm on the steps to the historic Greene County Courthouse. As historic as justice is for all within the walls of that symbolic building was the success of first local Tea Party in Greene County. It was fitting that it took place in Xenia, the seat of Greene County governance.
If memory serves, the first Tea Party held in Boston Massachusetts initiated the successful resistance to corrupt government, its many threats and usurpation to both the inherent and positive rights of our British colonial ancestors, and finally to the independent sovereign statehood as well as our national compact consisting of both social contract and divine covenant.
Xenia Tea Party was a rally for the restoration of principles upon which the sovereignty our state is secured and federal governance is limited. That is, it was a rally for the restoration of the rule of Constitutional law and of making elected representatives and unelected officials accountable to it for the good of all citizens.
Xenia Tea Party also was a platform to those seeking election to local, state, and federal offices. As a platform without due coverage by the media, ordinary citizens with extraordinary abilities and determination presented their qualifications, ideas, and/or positions on issue. Of course, everyone I heard wants to represent the rest of us in the effort to bring about real change: the restoration of strict Constitutional governance, fiscal responsibility, and personal liberty. The Tea Party also provided stump for representatives of organizations like Ohio Freedom Alliance, Ohio Open Carry rights organization, and Stop Xenia Tax, all of which are working with state and local officials to the same ends.
The candidates included John Mitchel, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives against incumbent Steve Austria. Mitchel spoke briefly about the continued corruption of our current federal government and a pending investigation of Steve Austria. His priorities are government reform to control earmarks and spending, tax reform for fair and equitable taxing, and imposing term limits.
Scott Rupert is running for Ohio Senate. He is an independent from Northern Ohio. He represents people who value a commonsense approach to resolving societal and political issues rather than party agendas. In other words, Rupert is not a elitist who is out-of-touch with ordinary hard working people. One good reason to vote for him–he says he won’t seek to impose entitlements on us by means of trillions more in taxes and spending. In return, fewer families will likely face bankruptcy and maybe even retain more of their hard earned income.
One of the speakers not campaigning for office was Mickey Denin. In his speech entitled The United States Has Become The Nation It Rebelled Against, he made the following comments:
The colonists’ vision of limited government, taxation without representation was a problem, but so was representation without taxation—that is, voting by those who were at the mercy of the wealthy and thus easy to bribe. Colonial leaders quoted the English jurist Blackstone’s accepted view that if those “in so mean a situation as to be esteemed to have no will of their own” were given the vote, they would be tools of the powerful. Colonists discussed the right level of property qualification, one that would exclude the dependent while encouraging voting by all those with a “stake in society.
Yet in our society today we have large burdensome government, with career politicians who essentially hand pick their successors through the party system. These career politicians have figured out how to bribe the poor to earn their vote. Now nearly half of all Americans pay no federal income taxes and the only stake they have in society what they receive from society not what they contribute to society.
Maybe that is why many liberals are so intent on taking away our guns.
After his discussion about the progress of the movement in Ohio for the right to openly own and carry guns, Josh Diaz of Ohio Concealed Carry gave a rather lengthy talk on why Americans must elect representatives who will at least reduce, if not end, the tax burden imposed by all levels of government.
John Anderson is a libertarian running for Congress. He had a more detailed plan that is worthy of consideration, which can be read by going to johnandersonforcongress.com
While Anderson was the first speaker, Andy Myers of the Ohio Freedom Alliance was the last. He briefly shared the various bills the Alliance has either been passed or are in the legislative process, all of which can be seen at the Ohio Freedom Alliance website.
Not last and not least was the host of the first successful Tea Party in Xenia, Virgil Vaduva, who is also running against incumbent Alan Anderson for Greene County Commissioner. Vaduva has been proving his dedication to upholding and enforcing our laws. For instance, the election laws Xenia officials were violating. His ability to get things done is another of his abilities. For more information about him and his campaign, go to Virgil Vaduva for Greene County Commissioner.
Posted in economy, election 2010, events, Greene County, news, Ohio, politics, taxes, Xenia
Tagged Constitution, fiscal responsibility, freedom, political candidates, rule of law, Xenia Tea Party
A community MEET THE CANDIDATES, DISCUSS THE ISSUES event to be held at Express Yourself 78 E. Main St on Saturday the 24th in the morning from 10-noon (or so). The public is cordially invited to come and listen and participate. Any and all candidates and spokespersons for local issues are invited to take part in a free wheeling and civil conversation about the issues of concern to the voters. RSVP if you are a candidate and wish to attend. EY is 372-7446
Posted in election 2010, events, news, politics, Xenia
Tagged ExpressYourself, Meet The Candidates, Xenia
The Greene County Democratic Party (GCDP) candidates hosted Maryellen O’Shaugnnessy at the GCDP Headquarters at 87 E. Main Street in Xenia on Tuesday 4/6/10. O’Shughnessy is unopposed Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State in the May 4th primary election.
Pictured left to right with O’Shaughnessy are party Executive Committee members Mike Watters, GCDP Chair Don Hollister, Doris Totty, Jean Nixon, Mike Gardner, O’Shaughnessy, Jan Goodwin, Don Brezine, and GCDP Vice Chair Bill Conner. Watters is a candidate for the Ohio Legislature, Hollister for Ohio Democratic Central Committee, and Conner for U.S. Congress.
Posted in events, Greene County, news, Ohio, politics, Xenia
Tagged Democrat Party, Maryellen O'Shaugnnessey, May primary, Ohio Secretary of State candidate, photo op
As reported by the Dayton Daily News, Ohio leads the nation with 274 sewer projects being funded by stimulus dollars. Ohio also ranked third with 62 drinking water projects.
“All told, 700 jobs are being created or retained with the work, officials said. A little more than $279 million in stimulus funds are matched with $196.1 million of low-interest loan money for the projects.”
The inference here is that it takes a little over $678,000 to keep 700 water works and construction workers employed. The report did mention for how long.
At one point, City of Xenia officials thought they might be able to get stimulus funds to repair a retaining wall at Shawnee Park. I’m sure that would also retain a few workers as well.
I must confess the recent repair of the big hole in front of the sewer on my block was appreciated. If it were not for the multi-billion dollar tax bill at the stimulus gold rush I would hope it was paid for by Obama and Company. It’s that bankrupting stimulus repayment that is too frightening to garnish any confidence in a genuine financial recovery.
The very first meeting of the Advocates for Liberty and Xenia Liberty Group (a chapter of the Dayton Tea Party) will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6:00 PM at the Xenia Library in the upstairs meeting room.
I want to encourage everyone to attend, connect and become involved with our community at a grassroots level. The Tea Party liberty groups are non-partisan groups; we don’t endorse or sponsor particular candidates nor do we carry water for the Republican Party. We simply want to promote the Constitutional principles of freedom and liberty for all, something which seemingly both parties are failing to understand.
The Feb. 25 meeting agenda includes:
– Rob Scott, founder of Dayton Tea Party, who will discuss the Tea Party movement and goals.
– Ron Alban, will discuss and take signatures for his effort to abolish the Ohio Estate Tax; we also need help with signature petitions in Greene County and this is your opportunity to help abolish this obscene tax in our state.
– Virgil Vaduva will be discussing the proposed 35% increase in Xenia city income tax; there will be a measure on the May 4 ballot and we need your help to defeat this proposal and keep our private property away from the reaching hands of government bureaucrats.
Being our first meeting, we are also looking for leaders and people willing to become involved and be part of our board. If you want to participate, feel free to contact us at any time (info@advocatesforliberty.com).
For more information you can go to http://www.advocatesforliberty.com
Posted in events, issues, Ohio, politics, Xenia
Tagged Dayton Tea Party, May tax levy, Ohio Estate Tax, Rob Scott, Ron Alban, Virgil Vaduva
The dreaded tax day soon approaches. Do you have your records in order? Have you received your W-2s, 1099s, and other related reports your smiling IRS agent will looking for when you are audited?
Have you received a 1040 booklet and forms or your 2009 tax preparation software? Of course, you may still be waiting on an appointment date from your accountant.
April 15th cometh soon. The day of gloom and IRS doom. For some it might even be a day portending a bright glimmer of anticipation for a large refund. Whatever the case, the taxman cometh soon.
America is particularly blesses to have a paternal sugar daddy on Capitol Hill who promises at least a small refund of our collective taxes that were forced from our paychecks at the point of the big guns of Congress’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Think of the IRS as comparable to the Secret Service i.e., CIA, FBI, etc.
There are some unfortunate saps who Mr. Sugar Daddy doesn’t like. They include those who earn more than $250,000. If you are among that group, Mr. Sugar Daddy intends to keep all of your taxes money that your lawyers and accountants can’t find loopholes in which to hide it. (Hint: His associates in the Big Parlor on the Hill included.)
That reminds me: How can Mr. Sugar Daddy and his officious associates pontificate from the very place where Thomas Jefferson attended service every week in honor of God, truth, morality, and justice while dishonoring our nation’s Provident God, deceiving the public with every other unread bill, legislating immorality, and robbing the poor and not-so-poor.
Anyway, you are fortunate if you live in Xenia. Even though 60+ percent of local taxes go to education (which some say is less than adequate), the tax rate is relatively lower than most neighboring communities. At least that is what some elected official say. After May, that status may change. Nevertheless, Xenia is still known as a community with a low tax rate and low housing costs. Those are among the reasons Xenia was known place to get a start in life.
You are also fortunate to live in Xenia because the city offers tax preparation and paying information and tools to assist citizens pay the right amount on time. I can assure you, the city is dedicated to helping you to contribute to the city tax funded services. If paying on time is not possible, the City offers an extension.
You can find the City’s helpful information and tools at City of Xenia Income Tax Division webpage.
I almost forgot. As the City’s webpage reminds us, your Xenia Community School income tax filings and payments are made directly to the State of Ohio, not locally. The reason behind it is two-fold: (1) In a semi-socialist state, dollars flow to the central government and is disbursed in accordance with state dictates, which sheds some light on what slice of the equality pie education serves the semi-socialist state. (2) Dollars flow to power, and public education serves to indoctrinate the people according to the dictates of the State; in this case egalitarian socialism or statism as some call it. That also is why separation of religion and state (or church and state as it is also called) is so important a dogma.
The Ohio School Income Tax webpage is http://tax.ohio.gov and the Federal income tax forms, instructions, and payment methods are at http://www.irs.gov.
Posted in news, Ohio, politics, schools, taxes, Xenia
Tagged April 15, filing deadline, income tax, IRS, Ohio Tax Divivion
At the Xenia City Council meeting on January 28, 2010, Auditor of State Mary Taylor’s office presented City of Xenia officials with the “Making Your Tax Dollars Count” award for their fiscal year 2008 audit. Fewer than five percent of all Ohio government agencies are eligible for this award.
“I commend the City of Xenia for its commitment to fiscal accountability. Congratulations on your hard work and for being trustworthy stewards of taxpayer dollars,” said Taylor.
Certain criteria must be met to receive the “Making Your Tax Dollars Count” award. Standards include:
Finance Director Mark Bazelak also announced at the meeting that the City has received its 26th consecutive Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its 2008 CAFR, which is awarded by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of the United States and Canada. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
The Mayor and City Council praised the Finance Director for the achievement. Mr. Bazelak stated this is truly a Citywide effort. He acknowledged the other Appointed Officials, Division and Department heads and staff, and most especially, the Finance Department staff.
Finance Director Mark Bazelak said this morning, “This award demonstrates the City’s commitment to ensuring the safety of taxpayer dollars and implementing financial policies and procedures to operate the City more effectively and efficiently. This is especially important given the current economic outlook of the City and the need to ask the community for additional revenue.” City Council will vote on February 11, 2010, on whether to place a .5% income taxincrease on the ballot on May 4, 2010.
If you would like to review the 2008 CAFR, a copy is available on the City’s website at www.ci.xenia.oh.us. Go to the City Government tab and select City Administration / Finance Department.
