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November 2008

Butler County’s plan to combat foreclosure, blight

By Josh Sweigart | Friday, November 28, 2008, 10:38 AM

Butler County has submitted a plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to use a $4.2 million federal grant to combat neighborhood blight and foreclosure.

Central to the county’s plan is an untested initiative to keep people in their homes by buying foreclosed homes from banks and helping homeowners refinance them.

County commissioners campaigned for this to be part of the plan and HUD agreed, though it’s not what the grant was intended for, said county Development and Planning Director Michael Juengling.

Do you think this effort will work? Is there anything else that needs to be done?

Here is the plan submitted to HUD:

(Click on the upper right corner to enlarge)

NSPAmendment

The analysis:

Butler County has budgeted $1.2 million for the foreclosure prevention measure described above. This will be enough to help 10 families initially, said Development Director Donna Everson.

“Once they get financing to get them back in the home, it immediately revolves back,” Everson said. “If we can get this rolling, who knows how many we can help?”

To qualify, a household must have an income between 50 percent and 120 percent of the area median income (AMI), which is $66,200, and must be able to obtain financing.

The county will also spend $2.1 million buying abandoned or foreclosed properties, fixing them up and selling them to low- and middle-income families. Seven homes will be resold to families making less than 50 percent AMI, and eight will go to households up to 120 percent AMI.

The county will use $500,000 from the federal grant to buy and demolish 50 abandoned buildings deemed beyond repair. The county will then sell or donate the parcels to eligible families.

The federal grant also includes $10,000 to provide housing counseling to eligible homeowners $403,742 for the county to administer the program.

The county is focusing on parts of Trenton, Fairfield and New Miami, and the townships of Hanover, Lemon, Madison and St. Clair. These areas were identified as having the most need, Everson said.

The county is in talks with mayors and trustees from these towns and townships to identify specific properties for purchase. Residents wanting input in the process should contact their local government, county officials said.

Hamilton and Middletown have their own federal grants, together totaling $4.5 million, and have outlined plans to demolish or improve blighted properties.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: County Commission

Any message for Sen. Voinovich?

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, November 27, 2008, 07:30 AM

Butler County residents will get the ear of their U.S. senator Tuesday, Dec. 2, when representatives from Sen. George Voinovich’s office visit for a “connecting with communities” session.

The meeting will be 1:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 6th floor of the Government Services Center, 315 High Street, Hamilton. No appointments are necessary.

District representatives will assemble comments and concerns and take them directly back to the Ohio senator, according to a statement from Voinovich’s office.

What message would you relay to Voinovich, if you had a chance?

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County

Analysis of voter fraud, final vote count

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 03:31 PM

We have two stories this week looking back on the Nov. 4 election.

First, this story looks at the only two reported cases of someone trying to vote twice. Both of them look like accidents, election officials say, and they won’t be prosecuted.

What do you think about that? Does it surprise you there were only two incidents, despite all the hype about voter fraud before the election?

Story two:

At the final count, no victors became losers in any local races after the Butler County Board of Elections added provisional ballots into the total votes in the Nov 4 election.

The 7,821 provisional ballots did boost this year’s voter turnout above the 2004 total, but far below the 80 percent turnout some local officials predicted.

There were 174,058 votes cast in this year’s presidential election, up from 168,976 in 2004.

But after a surge in new voter registration — bringing the total from 238,022 in 2004 to 260,694 this year — the percentage turnout was only 67.2 percent this year. Turnout was 71 percent in 2004.

“I was one that thought with all the hype…I thought we would be right at that if not better (than the 2004 percentage) in the final analysis,” said Board of Elections President Tom Ellis.

“On a percentage basis, one could make the argument some were suffering from election fatigue,” he said.

The provisional ballots couldn’t be counted until they were verified by the Board of Elections. These ballots are issued when a voter’s name isn’t listed in the precinct’s poll book. This most often happens when a voter changes addresses.

Board of elections staff found 1,127 provisional ballots that weren’t valid. The vast majority of them were either not registered voters or voted in the wrong precinct.

The provisional ballots that were verified changed the final split in most races by less than 1 percent, keeping large margins of victory in nearly all local races.

The closest ballot issue was whether the Monroe City Council should permit alcohol sales in city-owned parks. The “no” vote held by a margin of 50 after the provisional ballots were counted.

You can download the final results here.

Any thoughts about this?

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Board of Elections

Mike Fox carving Children Services budget like Thanksgiving turkey

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 09:46 AM

The e-mail below went to all Butler County Children Services employees from agency director Michael Fox. It’s about Fox’s effort to cut the agency’s budget by 12 percent.

I wrote about that previously here.

Like any conversation with or e-mail from Fox, it’s very long. So I’ll put my questions at the top:

What do you think of Fox’s performance since stepping down from the county commission dais and taking the helm of Children Services? What do you think of his drastic budget cuts? Prudent? Over-reaching?

Here’s the e-mail:

Good news!

Yesterday you received an email from Linda Peters giving you an update on the latest monthly report on our placement costs. I want to thank those of you who have taken on the task of helping to reduce the cost of placements. :

Our placement costs have once again gone down. In case you did not see Linda’s email here it is. She wrote:

“Attached please find the per diem analysis as of 11-13-08. As you will see, we have 320 children in custody and decreased our per diem costs from $22,293.74 to $21,513.75, from October to November - 3.50% reduction.

In total, from our baseline in August, 2008, children in custody dropped from 369 to 320! A drop of 13% (49) in the number of placements. Per diems have decreased from $25,484.78 to the $21,513.75 - or a reduction of 15.58%.

This truly represents a reduction in the number of children in custody AND per diems—the cost of care.”

This is good news for all of us. We are only about 4.5% away from reaching our goal of at least a 20% reduction in placement costs. There is no question that this goal is within reach and can be achieved.

What does this mean to you and other employees and how does this affect our over all budget circumstance and fit into our 2009 budget? Here’s how.

There are six issues that are driving the circumstances of our budget at the moment. They are:

  1. Unspent FY 2008 TANF funds that were lost to our agency at the end of the fiscal year totaling $2 million.
  2. TANF fund allocation to agency moving forward.
  3. “Court Kids” issue.
  4. Title IV-E optimization.
  5. Reduction in cost of placements.
  6. Having reliable budget projections that are on target.

All six of these factors will determine our ability to bring our spending in line with our revenues in 2009. Historically, our agency has had an annual growth in spending of about 8.3% in the last six years. Over the past 20 plus years the annual increase in spending has risen over 11% annually.

Our proposed Calendar year 2009 budget is a 12% reduction in spending from our 2008 budget. This has never happened before—-reducing the agency’s spending in a succeeding year. When compared to historical growth this is a swing of 20% on the low end and 23% on the high.

We have done a number of things to reduce our costs. For example, since August of 2007 and through the end of the next budget cycle (2009) we will reduce personnel costs by $1.8 million dollars.

These reductions in staff have not only resulted in over a million dollars in hard cash savings, but have also enabled us to free up funds to reduce caseloads by increasing the number of caseworkers, increase the amount we are spending in direct service to children and families, increase the amount we are spending on family preservation and assistance, provide 24 hour seven day a week on-site coverage of caseworkers to assist in after hour investigations and emergencies, and establish an Investigative Resource Unit to provide the most sophisticated and thorough background checks available to any child welfare agency anywhere.

Here is the latest information available about each of the factors that will have the biggest impact on our ability to bring our spending in line with our revenues. The budget is still in a state of flux and no one factor will “solve” our problems.

1. Unspent FY 2008 TANF funds that were lost to our agency at the end of the fiscal year totaling $2 million.

Here is the report I received from Barb Fabelo this afternoon:

“As a follow up to our conversation, let me take this opportunity to recap what has been recoded and reported to ODJFS Fiscal Services.

Approximately, three weeks ago I prepared a review of four quarters of cost that PCSA assigned to “LOCAL”, and through the use of the methodology that was presented to Dennis Blazey and ODJFS Staff, I was able to determine, that a portion of that local cost could be recoded to TANF. Attached, is the documentation prepared to support the calculations.

Also, a list of PCSA contracts was reviewed to determine if they met the TANF purposes. From the list reviewed, and review of scope, it was determined that 9 contracts met those purposes and could be recoded to TANF.

Two quarters of the calculation was submitted to ODFJS Fiscal Supervisor for review. The quarters of July-Sept 07 and Oct-Dec 07, which represents the two quarters that JFS and CSB were fiscally merged. The Fiscal Supervisor acknowledge the review by responding, Looks good to me!

Four quarters and 9 contracts provided us with a total TANF/Child Welfare activity cost of 2,242,179.65, which represented more than the available unspent TANF balance. In an effort to maximize our TANF funding for SFY08, a recoding of $2,000,000 of Local cost adjustment was submitted/uploaded to ODJFS using the financial reporting period of Sept. 08.

The next step is to wait for the final reconciliation of quarter. The coding adjustment will be reflected on the PA side. The funds are received through the annual closeout process, and this may be mid to late January 09.

This is where we are with this issue.”

Simply put this means that we are going to get somewhere between approximately $1 million (last two quarters plus money spent on TANF eligible contracts in last two quarters) and the full amount, $2 million, as we requested. The outlook for getting all of it (the full $2 million) is very positive although not absolutely certain.

State officials from ODJFS have been outstanding in their assistance to us. We are grateful for their support and help. To Governor Strickland, Director Helen Jones-Kelley, and all their great people we owe a big “thank you.”

2. TANF fund allocation to agency moving forward.

This issue has had a positive outcome as well. Moving forward we can draw down TANF funds through both the RMS process and through allocated TANF eligible contracts.

After reviewing the requirements of accessing TANF funds through the RMS process we believe that we can indeed meet the coding requirements and avoid having to contract out our family preservation functions as previously discussed.

We will have to monitor our performance continuously and make sure that we pay attention to details. If we do we should be able to code our way to draw down the $901,000 required to cover the 14 positions we identified in family preservation and related areas. This will avoid layoffs in these positions. We will be able to test our coding and service performance in the ensuing quarters and thereby determine if we are capable of getting our TANF funds in sufficient amounts to cover our costs of these programs. This covers us for budget year 2009. If at the end of that period we find that we are unable to access sufficient TANF funds through the RMS process we will look to other options in 2010 and 2011.

In addition to accessing TANF funds through the RMS process we will also be able to draw down TANF funds through agency contracts. Our goal is to access a total, including the $901,000 for family preservation and related positions, of $2 million in TANF funds annually in years 2009, 2010, and 2011.

We are confident of our ability to access these funds in each of these years, assuming there are no changes at the state or federal level on eligibility for such funds and the county’s annual allocation of TANF funds.

3. “Court Kids” issue.

This issue is one of our toughest to tame. In the budget we presented to the Commissioners when we last met with them we assumed that we could hold these costs down to $500,000 in budget year 2009. This will mean a significant reduction in costs.

Those reductions in costs can only come from: (1) putting those children who are eligible to receive Title IV-E reimbursement on the program for reimbursement and draw down our 50 to 60% refund, (2) reducing the number of kids in care and the number of days in care, (3) moving kids from expensive care to less expensive care through “level of care” reviews, (4) setting a limit on the amount we are willing to spend on “Court Kids,” (5) setting up a process similar to the old “Cluster” to spread responsibility for funding to other agencies, and accessing funds from other sources like Social Security Disability to help defray the costs of caring for the children.

This year (2008) Juvenile Court shifted approximately $1.1 million in expenses to our budget for children ordered into out-of-home care placement by the court that are not in the custody of Children Services. The 2008 expenses are 200% more than the, $543,642 paid for Court Kids in 2007.

Brenda Duncan estimates that unless we get these costs under control they will cost our agency approximately $1.3 million in FY 2009. As you can see, this level of spending is $800,000 more than we initially budgeted for and if we don’t reign in spending in this area our budget will be unmanageable.

We are working through this problem, but it is one of our most challenging budget problems and will require intense management oversight. By utilizing funding available through Title IV-E for these children and implementing a new pre-authorization process we can control our costs and potentially increase our revenues by $396,000 in our 2009 proposed budget. As I get more information on the estimated effect of the combination of tactics we intend to employ to bring the costs under control I will keep you updated. Unfortunately, at this time the problem looks rather daunting.

4. Title IV-E optimization.

If you’re wondering what’s going on in room number one here’s your answer—-an intense hunt for lost and forgotten Title IV-E treasure. Thanks to Linda Peters, Holly Foutz, and Mike Gustin we discovered that the agency may not have been drawing down all of the Title IV-E funds to which we are entitled.

The bulk of the problem arose when our agency was switched from the “old” system to the “new” SACWIS system. When this happened the funding for a lot of our kids was left floating in a Title IV-E black hole. Linda, Holly, Mike and their hardworking team are trying to pull the funding pieces together to make sure we get every dollar to which we are entitled. It is too early to tell but this project could potentially yield up to or over $1 million.

Don’t get your hopes up this is such a mess that no one really knows what our full potential may end up being. The good news is that, as a result of their work, our agency will capture hundreds of thousands of dollars that would have otherwise been lost.

They have also identified other payments that we have made for various services and assistance for children and families that are eligible for Title IV-E reimbursement.

Through our work with our Title IV-E consultant we have identified other areas where we may be able to access Title IV-E funds as well. Take the prosecutor’s office for example, if we enter into a service agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office to provide services to abused, neglected, and dependent children we can receive Title IV-E reimbursement for the costs of the prosecutors who work on our behalf. This could be as much as $250,000.

Presently, the cost of the prosecutors’ salaries is being paid out of the county’s general fund. We are told that 11 prosecutors work in the Juvenile Division of the prosecutor’s office on our cases. They do not represent us all of the time, but those hours that are spent on our agency’s behalf are reimbursable at a rate of 60% of costs. Other costs associated with their services to our agency are also reimbursable. The county used to take advantage of these funds, but for some reason stopped doing so several years ago.

5. Reduction in cost of placements.

As stated at the beginning of this memo we are having great success in the reduction of our placement costs. The 15.58% reduction in costs since August is outstanding. If we can hit our target reduction of 20% by the first of the year and maintain that level throughout 2009 we will save at least $660,000 in the 2009 budget. I want to thank all of you who are making this work. Let’s keep at it and remember that you have family assistance and support resources available.

6. Having reliable budget projections that are on target.

Jeff Centers is doing another budget work up that will summarize our best guess as of this point as to how we will make our budget come together. So far Jeff says that there are no other issues hanging out there that might adversely affect our ability to align revenues with spending. Aside from the five factors mentioned above we seem to be on track with other estimates of spending and revenues. I will keep you informed as information become available. The frustration that we are all feeling at the moment is that this is a moving target.

Budgets are an exercise in managing uncertainty. One piece of good news is that we now have our budget issues narrowed down to things that staff can influence and “control.” Obviously, we are unable to control the caseload demands and I expect that for the foreseeable future that agency financing will continue to be a difficult challenge.

I understand that “not knowing” about your future is unsettling and creates a tension filled work environment. I want to attempt to allay some of your concerns and fears regarding your job security. While I cannot make a blanket commitment that guarantees there will not be layoffs in the future I can tell you that the budget looks much better than it did a few weeks ago and except for this issue of the Court Kids I don’t see anything on the financial horizon that cannot be handled. The only thing that makes the Court Kid issue difficult is that we just don’t have the information we need to get a good handle on it. That information will be available soon and when it is I will pass it on to you.

Bottom Line

Here’s the good news. Based on what I know about our finances right now everything is manageable through budget year 2009. We would like to promise you that we can make it through 2009 with no layoffs, but I cannot. I can tell you that I believe that we can maintain our staff at current levels and we have no plans to layoff anyone at the moment.

This observation is based on my belief that the issues discussed in the above paragraphs will come together favorably. This is NOT a promise or irrevocable commitment but it is a solid estimate based on a good base of information.

Simply put, as we approach the Thanksgiving Season you have much to be thankful for. Your jobs should be stable at least through the end of 2009. I will do everything possible to maintain our staff at current levels.

Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment | Categories: Children Services

Reynolds prepares for swearing-in after final count

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 07:30 AM

Press release from GOP:

Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds will officially be sworn in for the remainder of this term as Auditor on Thursday, December 4th.

Retired Common Pleas Judge John Moser will administer the oath to Reynolds at a ceremony at Symmes Tavern on the Green, 500 Wessel Drive in Fairfield at 5:30pm on December 4th.

After the oath of office, a celebration/fundraiser to help pay off campaign debt will be held at the Green. There is no set cost; the suggested donation is $50.00

For more information, please call Butler County Republican Headquarters at (513) 893-5292.

The final vote

I stopped by the Board of Elections today to pick up the final vote totals in the election after more than 7,000 provisional ballots were added in. In this race, Democrat Jack Zettler’s margin of loss went down a teeny bit. The final vote:

Reynolds - 88,434 / 55.94 %

Zettler - 69,645 / 44.06%

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: County Auditor

County budget increases largely union driven

By Josh Sweigart | Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 10:05 AM

Personnel accounts for 94 percent of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office budget, finance director Vickie Barger said when I asked her about the agency’s requested $1.9 million increase. How can government offices cut their budgets as revenues drop when they say their hands are tied by union contracts?

Here’s the story:

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is looking to increase its budget $1.9 million next year as county commissioners look for creative ways to balance the books and avoid layoffs.

Nearly all the increases in the sheriff’s office’s proposed $33.9 million budget are for union-negotiated pay increases, according to Vickie Barger, sheriff’s office finance director.

The sheriff’s office has two unions, one representing law enforcement officers and another for everyone else except for management. Non-union employees are not budgeted to receive pay increases.

“The commissioners asked us not to put that in until we see how the county is going to be (financially) as a whole,” Barger said.

County officials are sharpening the budget knife as requests continue trickling in from officeholders and departments.

County Administrator Tim Williams said revenues will likely drop slightly with the economy next year, so they may have to trim $4 million from the submitted budgets to make it work.

And while commissioners have already voted to eliminate several positions through attrition and layoffs, they’re trying to avoid using the axe.

Commissioner Gregory Jolivette suggested during a meeting Monday, Nov. 24, that the county consider closing on days that aren’t busy and giving staff an unpaid day off.

“We’re looking at a hole right now in the budget,” Jolivette said. “This is one way of trying to fill that hole without doing layoffs.”

Commission President Charles Furmon has floated the idea of cutting staff hours to 35 hours a week.

“We want to look at all possibilities right now,” Furmon said. “As opposed to layoffs, I would like to consider something like that if it’s a possibility. Everything is in the ‘what if’ stages right now.”

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County

Dynus trial pushed back

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, November 24, 2008, 04:48 PM

Orlando Carter, former president of Dynus Corp, has had his trial date pushed back — way back.

Instead of being due in court Jan. 12, Carter will now appear in U.S. District Court May 1, 2009.

Carter pleaded not guilty in June to an 11-count grand jury indictment with charges including making false statements to secure more than $10 million in loans and lines of credit for personal real estate and the operation of his business.

This includes a line of credit Carter’s business, Dynus Corp, allegedly took out in Butler County’s name without the county’s approval for a pending fiber optics contract.

Former county auditor Kay Rogers resigned from office after pleading guilty to bank fraud in March for her role in helping the company secure the loan. A sentencing date has not been set for Rogers, or former Dynus employees James Smith and Karin Verbruggen who pleaded guilty to related charges.

Conventional wisdom is that pushing back the Carter trial will likely stall any sentencing date for Rogers, if the feds are counting on Rogers testifying against Carter and want a something to hold over her head.

What are you hearing about this case?

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Dynus

Local park gets state grant

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, November 24, 2008, 12:09 PM

Press release from state Sen. Gary Cates, R-Butler County:

COLUMBUS — State Senator Gary Cates (R-Butler County) announced today that a popular Butler County park will receive more than $42,300 through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ NatureWorks grant program to make several important upgrades to their facility.

The Hanover Township Memorial Park, located at the intersection of Morman Road and State Route 130, will use a $42,324 NatureWorks grant to help replace the gravel surface surrounding the park’s 12,000 square-foot children’s playground area with a new 6-inch soft, rubberized safety surface. In addition, the township, which will provide matching funds for the project, plans to install a new handicap-accessible swing set in the park.

“With a wealth of recreational space, beautiful scenery and a monument honoring area veterans, the Hanover Township Memorial Park is a tremendous resource for families throughout Butler County,” said Cates. “The development and growth of the park has been accomplished through a successful partnership with Butler County and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and it is essential that this relationship continues for years to come.”

The NatureWorks grant program provides financial assistance to townships, villages, cities, counties and other local government subdivisions for the acquisition, development and renewal of recreational areas. Since 1995, the program has funded more than 1,300 projects across the state, totaling more than $72 million.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: MetroParks

State: Taxable property values accurate, a little low

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, November 24, 2008, 09:23 AM

Ohio Tax Commissioner Richard Levin responded to Butler County Commissioner Donald Dixon’s strongly worded letter asking for an extension in this year’s property values reappraisal.

In short, Levin said no. He said the appraisal is done and is within the acceptable range of market value. This is essentially the same thing he told Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds when Reynolds made the same request.

The full letter from Levin is below.

But first, some background.

We ran a very comprehensive story this weekend on this year’s controversial tax appraisal:

Letter from the tax commissioner

(Click on the upper right corner to enlarge)

LevinToDixon

Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

What do you think?

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: County Auditor

Sheriff to Obama: Keep an eye on immigration

By Josh Sweigart | Friday, November 21, 2008, 10:46 AM

In a letter to President-elect Barack Obama, Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones is urging the new administration to keep illegal immigration foremost on its mind as it takes office amid numerous immediate challenges.

Jones, a Republican, has long been an advocate of immigration reform. He even took out an advertisement in a local newspaper when Sen. John McCain was visiting the area during his campaign criticizing McCain for what Jones saw as a lack of attention to immigration issues.

The following is the text of Jones’ letter:

The Honorable President-Elect Obama:

Congratulations on your successful campaign for President of the United States of America.

This letter is in regard to illegal immigration, illegal drugs and violence. The past eight years have seen an increase in drugs coming from Mexico to the United States. The violence on the Mexico - United States border has increased to the point of United States citizens being kidnapped, taken into Mexico and held for ransom.

The drugs coming from Mexico to the United States is out of control and it appears we have no policy to control any of these serious problems. I believe they need to be addressed by the new President.

Sir, I realize you have a great number of issues to address as you take office. Please give consideration when addressing the issues I have mentioned. Hopefully the members of Congress, Senate and Representatives can come up with a policy that will save this country from the mire before the conditions get worse.

We all know that it will take compromises from all sides. When planning policy for these issues, please consider the needs of the front line law enforcement agencies, jails and prison systems.

Again, congratulations on your election to the Office of President of the United States of America. Thank you for your time.

Richard K. Jones

Sheriff - Butler County, Ohio

Permalink | Comments (45) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County Sheriff's Department

Combs reels in property tax plan

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, November 20, 2008, 03:12 PM

State Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton, has scaled back a plan proposed earlier this month to provide a statewide, 10 percent exemption on property values. The reason: it would cost the already ailing state budget roughly $800 million.

Instead, Combs is pushing legislation that would freeze all property taxes at this year’s levels, nullifying any increases or decreases resulting from this year’s re-appraisal. The General Assembly would then decide in subsequent years whether to extend the freeze.

Any county that conducted a re-appraisal that put values lower than this year’s would get the lower of the two values, Combs said.

But this is still going to cost school districts and other governments money, many of whom are well into planning their budget for next year. “If they’re counting on increases, they’ll be disappointed,” Combs said.

Combs said governments better get used to it, because the taxable value drop is going to catch up with the market eventually and, “the pain now is going to be less than the pain then, when it shakes out in three years.”

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Statewide issues

Bill would stiffen animal cruelty laws

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, November 20, 2008, 09:59 AM

Press release from state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton (it’s well-timed after the success story of Bella):

COLUMBUS— State Representative Courtney Combs (R- Hamilton) today announced the Ohio House voted to approve his House Bill 418, legislation he co-sponsored with State Representative Brian Williams (D-Akron) which would increase the penalty of animal cruelty, require mandatory psychological evaluations for minors who torture or abuse animals, and allow the inclusion of pets in the court protection orders issued by a judge in domestic violence cases.

“The current penalties for animal abuse in Ohio are no more than a slap on the wrist and do nothing to punish the abuser or prevent future acts,” Combs said. “In addition, current law does not connect the dots between children abusing animals and the potential for future violence.”

Currently a person convicted of animal cruelty is guilty of a 2nd degree misdemeanor and is so for each subsequent case. Under House Bill 418 the first conviction is still at 2nd degree misdemeanor, but each subsequent conviction will be a 1st degree misdemeanor.

House bill 418 would require any child under 18 convicted of animal cruelty to undergo a mandatory psychological evaluation and if individual or family counseling is recommended by the evaluation it would permit the court to require the child to attend counseling.

This legislation will allow judges to include any companion animal that is in the complainant’s or alleged victim’s residence in the protection order. Five different studies determined that up to 71 percent of battered women reported that their pets have been threatened, harmed, or killed by their partners. Many battered women do not leave a dangerous situation because they fear for their pet’s safety. “Public outcry and calls for increased penalties from officials across the state have led to this demand for change. This bill would go a long way towards reducing and preventing cases of animal abuse here in Ohio,” said Combs.

House Bill 418 was approved by the Ohio House and now moves to the Ohio Senate where Representative Combs hopes for quick action and for the bill to be on Governor Strickland’s desk for signature by the end of the year.

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Dog Warden

Boehner’s remarks in closed door session

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 12:26 PM

House Republicans voted this morning to keep U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., as House minority leader. The following is an excerpt of Boehner’s argument for re-election and vision of the future of his party, as prepared for the closed door session:

“This election is about leadership. You know the kind of leader I am, and the kind of leader I’ll be. I’ll always listen to your ideas. I’ll always be straight with you. I’ll lead by example.

We have an unprecedented opportunity ahead of us. We’ve been given a chance to break with the mistakes of the past and redefine ourselves as the party of reform.

In recent years Americans lost faith in us; stopped believing we are what we claim to be. There are various views on why. Some blame President Bush. Others blame Congressional Republicans and our own actions during our 12 years in the majority. While there are many views on why Americans lost their faith, we’re unanimous on one thing: it’s time to win it back.

What do I mean by “opportunity?”

America needs us to be the party of reform again. We have a chance to pull together and be the party America needs us to be.

I wasn’t born a Republican; I grew up in a working class family of Kennedy Democrats. I didn’t know I was a Republican until I looked up one day and realized Washington was at odds with everything I believed.

If history is any guide, millions of Americans will have a similar experience in the coming months as President-elect Obama and the Democrat Congress move their agenda. Our job is to make sure those Americans find a proud home in the Republican Party.

I ran for Congress to fight for smaller, more accountable government. This is what drives me. I think we have a unique chance to renew that fight. From the Northeast to the Deep South, there is a distrust of Big Government that will only intensify in the months ahead.

This is an opportunity we haven’t had in years. We have to seize it - together. If I’m the Leader, this will be my focus. We win the majority by winning the issue and building a majority coalition together one issue at a time.

Energy this year was the model. We need to take the same approach to the other big issues. We saw a problem that Americans cared about. We crafted a solution that united our Conference and brought together your best ideas. We were relentless and relentless and relentless in communicating that message. We had an outside echo chamber and grass-roots support. And we won the issue.

Ideas are vitally important. We need your solutions, rooted in our enduring principles. We need to be bold. But we have to figure out how to be bold together. The “same old same old” won’t cut it. BUT we have to be willing to work w/ each other and reach consensus on how to do it.

I want to challenge you: bring your ideas to the table. I promise: if you bring ideas to the table, I’ll listen. If it’s an idea that’s relevant, that touches a constituency, that seizes the initiative, I and my team will make it a priority. We can’t slip into the mode of “comfortable minority” or “angry, bitter minority.” We have to engage in the battle of ideas.

Tone is important, too. Mike Pence always says, “I’m a conservative, but I’m not angry about it.” This is the tone we want. Respect our opponents; fight for our principles. Relish the battle of ideas.

Most important: being a team - at every level. Show up at hearings and markups. Carry our message. Support your colleagues.

Let’s seize the opportunity to be the party of reform again. And let’s do it together.

I know we can do it. I ask for the honor of your vote so I can lead this effort.”

What do you think about Boehner keeping the job?

Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Republican Party

Boehner keeps leadership post

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 12:09 PM

U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-Butler County, held onto his post as House minority leader in a closed door vote among House Republicans today, Nov. 19, the Associate Press is reporting.

This means the conservative crusader from West Chester Twp. will keep the party’s top post in the 111th Congress, despite carrying the party banner through devastating losses for the GOP in 2006 and 2008.

Boehner’s sole challenger was California Rep. Dan Lungren.

Lungren pushed for the closed door session so the lawmakers could have a frank discussion about leadership and the future of the party after recent losses to Democrats in the legislative and executive branches.

“The months ahead will present Republicans with an unprecedented opportunity to renew our drive for smaller, more accountable government and present positive solutions to the challenges facing the American people,” Boehner said in a prepared statement. “We have to seize this opportunity, and seize it together. I’m deeply honored my colleagues have placed their faith in me and the newly-elected members of our team to lead this effort.

“To rebuild the party, the energy has to come from us. And I will challenge all of you.”

The Republican caucus under Boehner will look a little different this year, with 20 fewer members after the November election and some new leaders.

The AP is reporting the the Republican leadership team under Boehner will shift somewhat to the right with the addition of two members of the party’s conservative wing. Eric Cantor of Virginia will become Republican whip and Mike Pence of Indiana will be the new chairman of the Republican Conference.

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The fate of John Boehner

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 11:18 AM

The U.S. House Republican Conference is behind closed doors in Washington D.C. right now discussing whether to keep Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., as House minority leader or to elevate California Rep. Dan Lungren to the post.

Here’s an interesting overview from the National Review:

Lungren’s Run

For House Minority Leader, there’s really no contest.

By David Freddoso

“I am not here to be part of what I call the coalition of the comfortable,” Rep. Dan Lungren (R., Calif.) said on Monday. “We should be very uncomfortable right now.”

This was one of many rhetorical images that Lungren provided in a 40-minute conference call this week with conservative reporters and bloggers as he discussed his challenge to Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio) for the position of House Minority Leader. Lungren told stories and provided such rhetorical images, but he failed to contrast himself with Boehner on any major issue or criticize any of his significant leadership decisions. He failed to do so despite repeated attempts from reporters to elicit such a contrast.

The main selling point Lungren offered for his candidacy was that he wanted to hold an extended debate over the party’s vision before leadership elections take place on Wednesday. “If we’re afraid of debating amongst ourselves, I can’t see how we can make the case to the American people to look to us for leadership,” he said. Boehner, who had initially greeted the debate idea coolly, finally agreed to it yesterday. It begins this morning at 8:30 A.M., and will be conducted entirely behind closed doors.

Lungren’s single specific criticism of Boehner’s leadership was the decision by House Republicans to adopt the slogan “Change You Deserve” in the run-up to this year’s election. The same slogan had been used by a pharmaceutical company marketing an anti-depressant, a fact that was amusingly exploited by House Democrats.

On policy, Boehner and Lungren are largely indistinguishable. Both men have voiced the need to return to conservative principles. Boehner’s voting record (ACU lifetime rating: 94) is just slightly more conservative than Lungren (ACU lifetime rating: 92.5).

Lungren made precisely the same case against the automotive bailout that Boehner has been making. “If we bail out Detroit, there is no end in sight,” he said. When asked to critique Boehner’s conduct in helping pass the Wall Street bailout, Lungren instead defended Boehner, objecting even to a reporter’s use of the term “bailout” to describe it. “I don’t criticize him for the approach he took on the Wall Street bailout, as you put it — the Wall Street recovery plan,” he said. If Republicans were excessively reactive in that debate, he went on, “I don’t put that on John Boehner, I put it on all of us.”

On Capitol Hill, members are keeping their cards close, but no one really seems to view Lungren’s candidacy as anything beyond a protest vote. “I’m sure that my boss will vote for Lungren on the first ballot, but that’s really just a protest vote,” said a staffer for one conservative member.

“There are a lot of people who don’t want Boehner,” said another aide. “But there isn’t much of a choice. There is no visible support for Lungren.” Even Rep. John Shadegg (R., Ariz.), who has called on Boehner to step aside voluntarily, has not endorsed Lungren. Lungren said in his conference call that he did not want to have a “coronation instead of a competition,” but he may only be providing the appearance of competition.

A lack of competition in this race does not necessarily mean that no lessons have been learned from the last two elections. Most people do not fault Boehner for the bad outcome. But with the number two and three House Republicans — Adam Putnam (Fla.) and Roy Blunt (Mo.) — stepping down from their leadership positions after the election, House Republicans look a lot like the football team that fires all of its assistant coaches and keeps the head coach after two consecutive losing seasons. Their fortunes may suddenly improve, but they may instead be putting off a rebuilding year that they cannot avoid forever.

What do you think? Can Boehner be blamed for recent Republican losses?

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Park fees going up, and a VOA update

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 10:30 AM

The Butler County MetroParks board announced yesterday that they’re hiking entrance fees at local parks for next year.

Annual passes for 2009 go on sale Dec. 1 and will cost $7 per vehicle, up from $5 this year. Starting Jan. 1, daily park access will cost $5 per vehicle, up from $2 this year.

MetroParks officials said they’re encouraging transferable hangars over daily passes. The window hangars will stay at $10, can be moved from one vehicle to another and are good all year.

Access to local parks is still free on bicycle or foot. The cost of fishing passes hasn’t changed.

Here is more on that.

And here is an update on Voice of America Park in West Chester Twp. From the story:

Butler County officials told trustees Tuesday, Nov. 18, they were one step closer to adopting the final plans for the enhancement of Voice of America Park.

A $20 million, 10-year Park Enhancement Plan, which was presented to trustees Tuesday, includes 23 multipurpose playing fields — for soccer, lacrosse, football or other sports — softball and baseball complexes, play structures, restrooms, concession stands and even an amphitheater and several picnic shelters, according to John Granville, MetroParks executive director.

Here is what the park is planned to look like in 10 years, with all the improvements (click on the upper right corner to enlarge):

VOAEnhancementPlan Web 1

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What do you think of these plans?

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Sheba finds a home, and other animal news

By Josh Sweigart | Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 06:01 PM

Remember her?:

Bella Before.jpg

Well, this is her now:

Bella After.jpg

Her name is now Bella. It means beautiful.

Bella, a 2-year-old Doberman pinscher, was Sheba when she was found running loose in August. The Doberman pinscher was neglected and weighed 28.5 pounds, according to Butler County Dog Warden Julie Holmes.

Back then her owner was Reita Huff, who has been charged with two counts of cruelty to a companion animal, failure to confine and failure to obtain a county license. Huff’s pretrial is scheduled for Dec. 1 in Middletown Municipal Court.

But that was back then.

Now, Bella weighs 49 pounds and has a new home in Millville with an owner who showers her with love — and sweaters and sunglasses, according to Meg Stephenson, director of Animal Friends Humane Society, which helped care for the dog.

“Her personality started to shine and she gobbled her food less, as she realized we were going to love and provide for her,” said a volunteer who helped rehabilitate the dog. “We are so happy she is in an amazing forever home.”

In other animal news, progress is now visible on the new animal shelter.

The steel skeleton of Butler County’s new animal shelter rising over a small field on the edge of Hamilton is a welcome sight for animal lovers like Nancy Bender.

Bender, from Fairfield Twp., is a volunteer at the Animal Friends Humane Society. She walks dogs, picks up animal waste and scrubs water bowls. But she calls the current shelter in Trenton “a dilapidated little building that’s falling apart on a daily basis.”

“I’m praying they will rip this up as quickly as they can,” she said. “We can’t get it done fast enough for the animals…and the staff.”

Good news for Bender and her furry friends: The project, funded with a $3.8 in levy funds is on budget. And, after delays dogged the project for more than a year, it’s on its revised schedule.

“It appears that it should be completed by the second week of April,” said County Commission President Charles Furmon. “We spent a long time getting here and we’re very frustrated, but we’re very happy to see it moving.”

Furmon’s frustration was largely with the project’s architect, Robert Treadon, who repeatedly submitted designs that would cost more than the county has to build.

After reducing the building’s scope, it will now house 139 dogs and roughly 70 cats. The Trenton shelter has room for 96 dogs and roughly 30 cats.

At roughly 22,000 square feet, it will also be more than three times larger than the Trenton shelter. The size of the surgical area will double, allowing more animals to be spayed and neutered. There will be new areas for people to get acquainted with the animals and a room for grooming.

Currently, the dogs and cats are in steel cages. The dogs only get outside when a volunteer walks them. Most of the runs at the new shelter will have access to the outside.

“I just think that service is going to amplify and really improve,” said Meg Stephenson, director of Animal Friends Humane Society, which will run the shelter. “These animals have already been through a lot, most of them have been living outside…it’s just going to make the care of these animals so greater and so much better.”

Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Dog Warden

Road rage

By Josh Sweigart | Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 03:00 PM

Received a complaint from a man today about an intersection in Butler County:

“I am calling about the intersection of Liberty-Fairfield Road and Ohio 4. When will someone do anything about the left-turn lane going north at Liberty-Fairfield Road? At times there are up to 40 cars waiting to turn left … Now they’ve put a left turn in for the new auto parts store, which is going to make it much more dangerous.”

Do you know this intersection? Does it seem dangerous to you?

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A winter weather warning

By Josh Sweigart | Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 12:00 PM

With a dusting of snow greeting us all this morning when we stepped out of the house, it seems handy to remind everyone of some warnings issued Nov. 14, when workers from agencies across the county assembled for a unique “snow summit.”

A main focus of the summit was a salt shortage that could cause slicker than normal roads if this winter is severe.

Ohio Department of Transportation Assistant Administrator Diana Clonch blamed the shortage on a late snowstorm last winter drying up supplies, which scared some states into increasing their orders up to 50 percent.

This sent prices up 46 percent in Ohio. ODOT paid $136 per ton for salt in Hamilton County, well above the $62 statewide average.

Because of budget limitations, the state ordered just less than 500,000 tons. This is enough for an average year, Clonch said, but the state has used 700,000 tons on average the last 5 years.

“Are we going to have enough salt this year? Well, a lot of it depends on whether we have a bad winter this year,” Clonch said.

Butler County Engineer’s Office Operations Deputy Scott Bressler said the county is in a better situation than some others.

“We do have a full barn, so we currently have enough on contract and we should have enough to get through the season,” Bresslar said. “There are some counties…I’m not even sure they’re going to get salt this year.”

With elevated safety concerns this year, the summit also included talk on emergency preparedness.

In the past 8 years, a Butler County sheriff has ordered a Level 3 weather emergency three times, according to sheriff’s office Capt. Richard Greer.

For that to happen, “the devil has to be coming to Butler County,” Greer said.

Once was during the Sept. 14 windstorm that knocked out power countywide, and the other two were snow emergencies.

The windstorm taught local officials that few Butler County residents follow emergency preparedness guidelines and have a 72-hour plan, with medicine, food supplies and a heating source to last up to three days, according to Emergency Management Director Bill Turner.

The storm also highlighted the importance of having numerous emergency shelters with backup power throughout the county.

During and immediately after a heavy snowfall, Turner said it’s safer and gets the roads cleared faster if motorists stay inside.

“If you don’t have to be out where the snowplows are running, stay off the roads,” he said.

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Local girl makes it big in Butler County

By Josh Sweigart | Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 10:15 AM

Just stumbled across this story in the Hannibal Courier-Post in Missouri. They are very proud of Nancy Nix, our county treasurer and formerly their Nancy Ravenscraft of Palmyra:

Butler County, Ohio — Nancy Nix, formerly Nancy Ravenscraft of Palmyra, was recently elected treasurer of Butler County, Ohio. Nancy is a CPA with 15 years financial experience in accounting and banking, and was appointed as county treasurer by the Butler County Republican Party in June 2007. Nov. 4 was her first countywide election.

While she had no opposition, Nancy still garnered 116,000 votes.

Butler County is the eighth largest county in Ohio, with 360,000 residents. The Treasurer is responsible for collection of real estate taxes and the investment of county funds.

Nancy is the daughter of Bob Ravenscraft, Palmyra, and Doris Nichols, Hannibal. Nancy graduated from Palmyra High School in 1987 and from Truman State University in 1992 with bachelor of science degrees in marketing and accounting. Nancy and her husband, Dan Nix, also of Palmyra, live in Middletown, Ohio, where they are raising their three children.

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PSAs or political ads?

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, November 17, 2008, 10:52 AM

Liberty Twp.-based Murray Multimedia Resources, LLC produced those cable political ads that helped Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds tout his short record of reform and win election this month.

But it appears that’s not all they do. Right next to Reynolds’ political ads on YouTube are two public service announcements apparently produced by Murray for Butler County Prosecutor Robin Piper and Treasurer Nancy Nix. While Reynolds’ video was political, thus paid for out of his campaign coffers, the PSAs are paid for with county funds.

Both Nix and Piper were re-elected this year, and neither had anyone run against them.

Here is Piper’s ad about the importance of paying child support:

Here is Nix’s ad about help available for people who can’t pay their taxes:

These ads were produced before the election, but by officeholders who were guaranteed to win. Are they indeed PSAs? Or do these look like political ads to you?

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County

Obama on Butler County issues

By Josh Sweigart | Saturday, November 15, 2008, 07:30 AM

Now that he is poised to take over the country, I thought those who haven’t heard it might find interesting my interview with President-elect Barack Obama back during the primaries.

To hear the interview, click on the audio file below. Click here for the article than ran at the time.

In this seven-minute interview, Obama answers the following questions:

  1. Butler County has historically been a conservative county. We have a huge number of independents who have leaned conservative in previous elections. What part of your platform or message do you believe would appeal to these voters?

  2. Butler County’s sheriff has advocated for the power to arrest illegal immigrants who haven’t committed a local crime. Do you believe local law enforcement should have that power?

  3. If you were elected president, how would your actions improve the lives of residents specifically in southwest Ohio?

  4. Many polls put your opponent, senator Clinton, ahead in Ohio by a slim margin. How do you plan to make up this difference with only two days left before the primary? ,

,

Obama then lost Butler County in the primary by about 10 percent of the vote and lost the general locally by an even wider margin. What do you think of his answers to these questions? About him being elected?

(And thank you poster “Matt Hurley” for pointing out that one of the questions indeed had a problem. I fixed that on the list above but, to be honest, I don’t remember how I phrased it in the interview)

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Boehner, Lungren vie for leadership post

By Josh Sweigart | Friday, November 14, 2008, 04:19 PM

Since I posted the letter by U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., on why he should stay minority leader in the 111th Congress, it’s only fair that we hear from his challenger, California Rep. Dan Lungren, as well.

Here is Lungren’s letter to his House colleagues (See Boehner’s response below):

LungrenLetter

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So far, Boehner has released only the following statement:

“Dan Lungren is a respected member of our conference and a man deeply committed to the principles that have defined our party since the beginning.”

What do you think?

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Boehner challenged for leadership post

By Josh Sweigart | Friday, November 14, 2008, 03:54 PM

California Rep. confirmed rumors today, Nov. 14, that he will seek to unseat Butler County’s own John Boehner as U.S. House minority leader.

The vote will take place Wednesday, Nov. 19, when House Republicans will meet to vote on party leaders in the 111th Congress.

Lungren said that in light of this month’s election results, which gave Democrats the White House and congressional majorities, the GOP could not stick with the status quo, according to the AP.

Lungren has represented California’s 3rd Congressional District since 2005, a region that stretches from the Sacramento suburbs to the Sierra foothills. Before that, he served as attorney general and ran unsuccessfully for California governor.

Boehner, who lives in West Chester Twp., took the party’s helm in 2006, just in time to lead the party through an election that cost them the Congress. This year, the picture worsened; the GOP has now lost control of the legislative and executive branches.

This led the second and third in command of the party to announce they’re not running for re-election next week.

But Boehner sent the following letter to fellow lawmakers the day after the election asking for their support:

Dear House GOP Colleague,

The 2008 election turned out to be every bit as tough for Republicans as we thought it could be. The American people have spoken. We respect their choice.

Some of our opponents aren’t likely to settle for that. They want us to surrender. They want to see us raise the white flag and concede that our principles of freedom, responsibility, and smaller government no longer speak to the hopes and dreams of American families. They want us to stand aside for the next two years, abandon our principles, and give the new administration and the Democratic leaders of Congress a free pass.

It ain’t gonna happen. It must not happen.

America remains a center-right country. Democrats should not make the mistake of viewing Tuesday’s results as a repudiation of conservatism or a validation of big government. Neither should we. Instead of throwing in the towel, as our opponents demand, we must redouble our efforts to develop forward-looking solutions to the challenges Americans face - solutions rooted in the enduring principles of reform that define us as a party. We need to focus on winning the issues, one by one, and presenting principled, superior alternatives that reflect the center-right priorities of the American people, rather than the self-serving priorities of Washington.

There is no failsafe formula for winning a majority. But there is a proven formula for American leadership. It requires standing up for the principles Americans believe in, offering better alternatives, and fighting as hard as we possibly can day in and day out, issue by issue, until we’ve won the trust of the people. By standing up for the American people - and “doing the right things for the right reasons,” as you often hear me say - we make the best possible case for a lasting Republican majority.

That’s why I believe that amid our disappointment in Tuesday’s outcome, there is opportunity. We fought a spirited battle in the face of overwhelming odds and some disadvantages we couldn’t control. We now have a chance to focus on our future, apply lessons learned, and unshackle ourselves fully from the errors of the past.
We can rebuild our majority by winning the issues one by one and moving the American people to our side one issue at a time. The Democrats’ agenda will give us regular chances to do this and draw deep and meaningful contrasts on the challenges facing our country.

During the 110th Congress, we learned how to roll up our sleeves and fight until we’d won an issue. We fought successfully to lift the ban on offshore energy drilling. We supported the Petraeus surge, it worked, and now our troops are coming home after victory rather than defeat. We blocked billions of dollars in proposed new spending by Democrats. We learned that when we stand together as a team on principle for the American people, there’s little we can’t accomplish.

The energy protest started by Mike Pence, Tom Price, Lynn Westmoreland and others last August was an historic event that gave Americans perhaps the most vivid glimpse of our potential. While Democrats were on vacations and book tours, we stayed in town demanding a vote, defying expectations and putting the country’s interests ahead of our own. We showed Americans we stand with them.

If history is any guide, we will have many opportunities to show them again in the months ahead. And we must. We have not yet convinced the American people that Republicans have returned to our roots as the party of reform. We haven’t yet earned their trust. But we will.

Therein lies our opportunity. Rise or fall, Congressional Republicans in the next two years will be judged on our own record, our own vision, and our own agenda - and our willingness to hold Washington Democrats accountable.

I’m deeply disappointed by the outcome of Tuesday’s election. But I’m equally committed to building a lasting majority on the reform principles that define us and inspire our citizens. For this reason, I’m writing today to announce my candidacy for Republican Leader in the 111th Congress, and to request the honor of your vote.

As your Leader, I’ve worked tirelessly for our team, and tried to lead by example. I’ll always be straight with you, and I’ll always be open to your ideas. You deserve nothing less. I can’t ask for the best from you unless I’m willing to give it myself.

Winning the majority and rebuilding our party will require the best from all of us. But this is not unfamiliar territory. We’ve faced and overcome these challenges before, and working together as a bold, unified, and energetic team, we’ll do it again.

I’m ready to get started today. I’m confident you are too. I look forward to speaking with you in person and outlining our plans for the future. It’s time for the losing to stop. And my commitment to you is that it will.

I humbly ask for your support and the privilege of serving as House Republican Leader in the next Congress.

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Combs wins passage of county recorder bill

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, November 13, 2008, 04:23 PM

Press release from state Rep. Courtney Combs, R-Hamilton:

State Representative Courtney Combs (R- Hamilton) today announced the Ohio House voted to approve his House Bill 525, this legislation would establish a standardized format requirement for any future documents that need to be recorded by the county recorder.

“I feel these standards will allow the county recorders documents to better streamlined, easier to read, and allow the recorders the space to add their stamps and notarizations,” Combs said. “This bill makes a much cleaner document that the consumer can utilize and ensure that documents can be legally clear and binding in court.”

House Bill 525 would standardize print size, paper size, color, and margins for documents that need to be submitted for recordation. The bill would exclude any documents that are authorized to be recorded that orientate in any court or taxing authority and any federal or state agencies.

“This is something the Recorders Association has been working on for years and we will be happy when this becomes law,” said Butler County Recorder and President of the Ohio Recorders Association Danny Crank. “This bill will allow our offices to be more efficient, make documents easier to track, and provide a major time saving measure. This would not have been possible without the instrumental help from Representative Combs and his legislative aide, Pat Tully.”

House Bill 525 was approved by the Ohio House and now moves to the Ohio Senate where Representative Combs hopes for quick action and for the bill to be on Governor Strickland’s desk for signature by the end of the year.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Statewide issues

Commissioner warns state of ‘taxpayer led revolt’

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 05:00 PM

Butler County Commissioner Donald Dixon is asking the state of Ohio to postpone this year’s property value appraisal or possibly face “a full-fledged taxpayer led revolt.”

In a Nov. 3 letter to Ohio Tax Commissioner Richard Levin, Dixon asked for a one-year extension to allow the county auditor to include 2008 sales in the appraisal.

What do you think? Do you agree with Dixon?

Here is the letter:

Dixon Letter

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What now for John Boehner?

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 11:40 AM

So now that Democrats have wrested control of the U.S. House, Senate and the White House, what happens to Butler County’s own John Boehner, U.S. House minority leader and congressman from West Chester Twp.?

Will he be the scapegoat?

Boehner announced last week his intention of holding his party leadership post. And Butler County Commissioner Gregory Jolivette is working to mount a grassroots campaign to keep Boehner right where he is. Here is a letter from Jolivette to local Republicans:

JollyBoehner

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But Boehner’s days are numbered, according to NPR political analyst Ken Rudin:

Minority Leader John Boehner and Whip Roy Blunt somehow managed to survive the loss of their majority in 2006 with their leadership posts intact; it’s hard to envision a repeat performance.

But not so fast, reports CNS News:

Sources on Capitol Hill told CNSNews.com that despite “widespread discontent” among rank-and-file Republicans, it is unlikely that House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) will even be challenged for his position in the new Congress.

What do you think?

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County engineer to host snow summit

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, November 10, 2008, 03:00 PM

Press release from the Butler County Engineer’s Office:

The Butler County Engineer’s Office has organized and will host a Regional Snow Summit for public safety and snow and ice control officials this Friday. Those in attendance will be management teams and supervisors who play a role in winter weather operations for the County, cities, townships, and various other agencies, including the Red Cross, Police and Fire Chiefs Associations, representatives from local school districts, and even a few from outside of Butler County who have heard about the Snow Summit and want to attend.

The Summit’s objective is to provide an opportunity to learn, discuss, and better organize winter operations, policies, and procedures. Some of the topics on the agenda include snow emergencies and how they are called, dispatch and notification procedures, and how to facilitate better organization among all agencies.

“Our goal is to ensure that everyone is on the same page,” said County Engineer Greg Wilkens. “We hope to build a more efficient model for Countywide snow and ice control based on intra-agency cooperation and saving tax dollars. There may be some crossover of responsibilities among agencies or there may be some gaps that need to be covered. We want to explore everything.”

An open forum discussion will follow a series of short presentations by various speakers, including:

  • Greg Wilkens, Butler County Engineer
  • Scott Bressler, BCEO Operations Deputy
  • William Turner, Director, Butler County EMA
  • Captain R. A. Greer and Bonnie Short, Butler County Sheriff’s Office
  • Richard St. John and Phil Clark, Police / Fire Chiefs Associations
  • Diane Clonch, Ohio Department of Transportation
  • Jim Hamblin, Butler County Red Cross

The Summit will be held this Friday, November 14, 2008 from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Butler County Engineer’s Office, 1921 Fairgrove Avenue (State Route 4) in Hamilton.

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Priorities for Butler County’s future

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, November 10, 2008, 10:58 AM

The results are in for the Agenda 360 survey of what local residents think are the most important priorities in planning for the Greater Cincinnati region, including Butler County.

The results of the survey are below. It’s interesting that one of the top priorities listed for Butler County is transportation, though local residents have historically opposed any tax for public transportation.

Here’s a summary of the findings:

Agenda 360

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And here’s an overview of Agenda 360 from the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce:

What do you think?

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How Butler County voted - Precinct map

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, November 6, 2008, 05:02 PM

Below is a map of every precinct in Butler County. As usual, the ones colored red voted for Sen. John McCain and the ones colored blue had the majority vote for Sen. Barack Obama.

Does anything surprise you about this pattern?

(Note: Click on the top right corner to enlarge the image)

Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

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Acceptance and racism answer Obama win in Hamilton diner

By Josh Sweigart | Thursday, November 6, 2008, 11:29 AM

Just stumbled across this story from the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

HAMILTON, Ohio - Some in this town in McCain-red Butler County are trying to make the best of the unavoidable: Barack Obama’s sweeping victory in Tuesday’s presidential election.

“I knew he was going to win. What could you do about it?” said Angela Senters, a waitress at Ohio Lunch, a diner on the main drag in this 60,000-resident southwest Ohio town.

But other reaction in Hamilton to Obama’s win included unabashed racism, grudging admiration and relief at no longer being subjected to political ads.

Ohio Lunch has been open since 1927. It says so on the front window, along with local announcements about a house for sale for $12,500 and an upcoming spiritual concert at First St. John’s Church. Inside, there’s a long counter, tables with thick vinyl maroon tablecloths and booths along the back wall. The specialty at Ohio Lunch is the homemade chicken and dumplings, which costs a fiver and change. No one ever goes away hungry, and it draws a wide collection of downtown workers.

While Senters was philosophical about Obama’s win, she said her boyfriend had a different reaction to the election of the nation’s first black president.

“My boyfriend is so upset, he said he’s going to go over to Kentucky and join the Ku Klux Klan,” Senters said. “My boyfriend said now the world is going to end in 2012 and that Obama is the antichrist.”

Retired steel worker Carl Brinegar was at the counter sipping his refill on a soda.

“Last night on Fox News they said now the blacks have no excuses,” he said. “Obama has proved that if you go to school and work hard you can be anything you want to be.”

Marcia Frazier has worked at Ohio Lunch for seven years as a short-order cook. She voted for McCain.

As Kansas’ song “Dust in the Wind” played on the diner’s radio, Frazier said she wasn’t disappointed in the election’s results.

“I’m just happy now that I can turn on the TV and not see all those commercials,” she said. “I’m ready for some good Bud Lite commercials.”

Across the street, Mayor Don Ryan, a Republican now in the third year of his second four-year term, welcomed a visitor to his new downtown Irish pub, Ryan’s Tavern.

The city, about 35 miles from Cincinnati, is the seat of Butler County, in which nearly 60 percent of residents voted Republican in the presidential race. The county is close to 90 percent white, with a median household income of about $49,000, according to the U.S. Census’ latest numbers.

Ryan said he was not surprised or particularly sad about Obama’s victory.

“When you’ve run for office, you can’t help but be impressed with the kind of campaign he ran,” Ryan said. “I have to admit I enjoyed hearing him speak.”

Ryan said the key to Obama’s success was running on the platform of change.

“He was just a guy who had a lot of initiative and had a lot of fresh, new ideas. Now I can’t say I agree with all his positions. I don’t like the idea of government-run health care. And this ‘spread the wealth’ thing — people need to work. “

Ryan was magnanimous about the Democratic victory.

“Obama is our president now, and we all have to get behind him,” Ryan said. “He needs to do something definitive very soon, something with real impact to impress the country. He made a lot of big promises.”

Of course, the mayor, who intends to run for a third term, can afford to be big about the Democrats’ presidential win.

“All of our local Republican candidates won last night,” he said with a smile.

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Local races unchanged after late count

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 06:06 PM

UPDATE: The Butler Count Board of Elections finished counting the paper ballots last night. Here is the story. The final count didn’t change any races.

Previous blog:

With roughly 20,000 ballots still being counted in Butler County and an estimated 8,000 provisional ballots set aside to be counted later, local election officials say it’s unclear whether the winners and losers in any local races could change.

Here are the results to date for several local fire, EMS and school levies (vote total/percent):

Issue 9 MONROE PROPOSED ADVISORY

  • NO: 2818/ 50.80%
  • YES: 2729/ 49.20%

Issue 10 FFTWP TAX LEVY-FIRE

  • FOR THE TAX LEVY: 5926/ 61.87%
  • AGAINST THE TAX LEVY: 3652/ 38.13%

Issue 11 MORGAN TWP-TAX LEVY EMS

  • FOR THE TAX LEVY: 1443/ 57.70%
  • AGAINST THE TAX LEVY: 1058/ 42.30%

Issue 12 ST. CLAIR TWP FIRE

  • FOR THE TAX LEVY: 1071/ 63.30%
  • AGAINST THE TAX LEVY: 62%/ 36.70%

Issue 13 WAYNE TWP FIRE

  • AGAINST THE TAX LEVY: 1054/ 52.62%
  • FOR THE TAX LEVY: 949/ 47.38%

Issue 14 FAIRFIELD SCHLS TAX LEVY

  • AGAINST THE TAX LEVY: 14160/ 51.96%
  • FOR THE TAX LEVY:13092/ 48.04%

Issue 15 ROSS LOCAL SCHLS

  • FOR: 3064/ 52.75%
  • AGAINST: 2745/ 47.25%

Issue 16 TALAWANDA SCHLS-BOND ISSUE

  • FOR: 6465/ 51.84%
  • AGAINST: 6007/ 48.16%

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Votes still being counted in Butler County

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 05:43 PM

Counting continues into the night at the Butler County Board of Elections building, where workers are scanning roughly 20,000 ballots paper ballots uncounted Election Day.

On Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 5, more than 50 bleary-eyed election workers separated envelopes; opened them by hand; unfolded and stacked them; then ran them one-by-one through 20 scanning machines.

Meanwhile, they set aside roughly 8,000 provisional ballots to count later.

It was slow progress.

“Butler County is simply not equipped…to handle this type of volume of optical scan ballots,” said Board of Elections Director Betty McGary.

The problem is that Butler County is set up to vote on machines, and has a $6 million system that would have had all results tabulated by 11 p.m., McGary said.

But Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner issued an order this year requiring all counties in the state to allow voters to use paper ballots if they wish. This followed concerns with the reliability of voting machines, including a glitch in the March primary that initially left some votes uncounted.

McGary reported no problems with machines Tuesday, Nov. 4, but said many people opted for paper ballots because of long lines to use machines.

This was also true in in-office early voting, where election officials estimate 12 percent of voters opted for paper ballots. This includes Clifford Heidorn, 51, of Fairfield Twp., who said he did it “because the shorter line.”

Elections officials started receiving and sorting the paper ballots early Wednesday morning, and counted several thousand before reaching the staff’s human limits, McGary said.

The sent workers home at 6 a.m. and had them report back by 1 p.m. They’re expected to finish by 9 p.m.

“We were so overwhelmed with paperwork and the staff was so tired, they’d been there 24 hours from 5 a.m. to 5 a.m…. they were worn out,” said Deputy Board of Elections Director Lynn Kinkaid. “We will stay (today) for as long as it takes to finish up.”

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County to refund some of senior levy

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 04:50 PM

Press release from the Butler County commissioner’s office:

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS TO REDUCE REAL ESTATE TAXES

The Butler County Board of Commissioners will reduce real estate taxes by temporarily lowering collections from the Elderly Services Levy. By lowering levy collections by approximately one-third in 2009, Butler County citizens will realize an approximate $5 million in tax savings.

The Board of Commissioners is taking this action in response to a previous projection of excess dollars from the Elderly Services Levy. The Council on Aging (COA), which administers the delivery of services to elderly clients in consultation with the Elderly Services Committee, expects an accumulation of Elderly Services Funds based upon the current programs in place and estimated client levels over this current levy horizon.

“The Board will continue to monitor program participation by our elderly population until October 2010 to determine if this reduction in collections should continue, if participation has changed or if additional programs are needed,” said Butler County Administrator Timothy Williams.

Due to the expected surplus, the temporary reduction in 2009 taxes will not create a financial shortage assuming the current level of clients served and programs administered remain the same. In addition, the Elderly Services Committee and the COA are studying new programs worthy of addition to the services. The county will review new programs before implementation to ensure they do not become an unwarranted burden on future levy levels and they demonstrate a strong likelihood of success.

The Board strongly supports the levy’s purpose of providing services that enable the elderly to remain self-sufficient in their own homes. The Board also supports the protection of the elderly from persons who subject them to abuse, neglect, unsafe or unhealthy conditions and predatory mistreatment.

Here’s the numbers, from the staff recommendation given to commissioners:

SrLevyRefund

Get your own at Scribd or explore others:

Here’s the background on the levy surplus.

What do you think?

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McCain, Republicans win Butler County

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 10:52 AM

Voter turnout was far from the 80 percent elections officials were predicting Tuesday, Nov. 4.

In fact, the local results in the presidential race were similar to those in 2004.

According to the above story, turnout was 67 percent Tuesday compared to 70.99 percent in 2004.

Sen. John McCain carried Butler County with 90,356 votes, or 60.36 percent. Barack Obama, now president-elect, trailed with 57,068 votes, or 38.12 percent.

In 2004, Sen. John Kerry walked away with 56,234 votes, or 33.71 percent, in Butler County.

The results were very different on the state and national levels. This made for mixed emotions at the Butler County GOP headquarters last night. Said Butler County McCain Campaign Chairman Scott Owens:

“Obviously the voters have spoken on a national level and wanted a message of change…Butler County can again be proud to deliver a strong vote for the Republican nominee.”

And despite the tears and anguish I observed at the Republican office, there were also cheers as Republican held onto all but one local seat.

Said Tom Ellis, Butler County GOP chairman:

“We may not have brought Ohio in for McCain, but it was not for lack of trying and staying strong. While we may not have been successful on that level, we were certainly successful on the local level.”

What are your thoughts on these results?

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Romans succeeds where Zettler failed

By Josh Sweigart | Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 10:41 AM

Despite a vitriolic campaign and a state-funded war chest, Hamilton attorney Jack Zettler wasn’t able to become the only Democrat elected to countywide office by winning the auditor’s race. Roger Reynolds will keep that job.

But Judge Kathleen Romans will keep her post at Butler County juvenile judge. She is now the second Democratic judge in the county (Hamilton Municipal Judge Dan Gattermeyer is a Democrat), and the only Democrat elected countywide.

Why do you think she was able to pull it off? Did her campaign do something different or better than Zettler, or does it simply come down to her being an incumbent after being appointed by the governor and not having a “D” next to her name?

Do you think there’s any significance to this power shift? Judges don’t make policy, so they’re generally low-key as far as politicking goes, but they come in handy when it’s time to raise money.

What do you think?

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And the winner is…

By Josh Sweigart | Tuesday, November 4, 2008, 05:30 AM

It’ll be all hands on deck in the newsroom today from the time the polls open at 6:30 a.m. to when they close at 7:30 p.m. Then, it’ll be a rush to get the results out as quickly as humanly possible.

There won’t be any posts today, as our main mission will be updating stories on our paper’s main page.

And to do this, we would like to hear from you. Tell us about your experience at the polls on Election Day, report any problems or delays with voting. Send a quick comment on our Web site or e-mail us at Butlercountynews@coxohio.com.

A few other things you might find useful:

Have you voted yet? How did it go?

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Volunteers take to doors, phones to get butts into ballot boxes

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, November 3, 2008, 04:22 PM

If you’re an avowed supporter of Sen. John McCain and you don’t vote by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, expect a phone call. If you’ve pledged to vote for Sen. Barack Obama by absentee ballot but haven’t mailed it in yet, there’s a good chance you’ve had a knock on your door.

Armies of local volunteers are mobilizing to deliver supporters of their presidential candidate to the ballot box on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

This requires passion, and some cutting edge technology.

McCain and Obama each have three campaign offices in Butler County. On Wednesday, Oct. 29, both candidates’ local headquarters were humming.

The McCain strategy

At the McCain nerve center in Fairfield Twp., four long tables are lined with 12 phones each. The shifts are written on the walls, and that afternoon, 15 people were making calls.

This included Colleen O’Kane and Lauren Anderson, both 21. O’Kane called 1,426 homes on Oct. 7 alone.

“It’s a lot of hard work, but I think it’s very worthwhile,” she said. “We’ll be able to see when we watch the returns … the impact of all the phone calls we’re making.”

The numbers they dial come from voter rolls and polling data. They call only Republican supporters or independents they think they can win over.

“We basically have a very good understanding of who you are, what you are, how you think, based on your previous voting record,” said Butler County McCain campaign chairman Scott Owens.

If you tell a volunteer you’re undecided, they push a button on the phone that orders the campaign in Washington, D.C., to send you some materials. If you tell them you’re behind them, they push another button that puts you on another list.

That second list is pulled out on Election Day when, at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., volunteers go to every one of the hundreds of polling places in Butler County. They’re called “flushers” and they check who hasn’t voted.

Then they go back to one of numerous “host homes” in the county and call Republicans who haven’t voted yet. This involves hundreds of volunteers working quickly.

“It’s an unbelievable operation,” Owens said.

While they concede the Obama campaign outnumbers them in paid staffers, Owens said they have more volunteers on the ground.

“There’s a difference between a paid staffer, shipping someone here, and a local volunteer who understands the geography,” Owens said. The Obama strategy

The technology is improved, but the tactics for the McCain campaign are unchanged from the ones that delivered victory to President Bush in 2004.

The Democrats are trying something completely different.

Unlike the failed campaign of Sen. John Kerry that focused only on key, big cities in Ohio, Obama has deployed resources in every corner of the state — even Republican strongholds like Butler County.

The campaign has 89 offices in Ohio, and they will be hubs of activity on Election Day.

“We’ve opened twice as many offices as the Kerry folks were able to in 2004 because of our commitment to grass roots organizing and I think that’s paying dividends across the state,” said Obama campaign spokesman Isaac Baker.

This is the strategy that worked for Gov. Ted Strickland and Sen. Sherrod Brown, both Democrats. And Baker said these two big-hitters also bring some fundraising and rallying ammunition Kerry never had.

At the regional Obama office in Middletown Wednesday, a dozen volunteers were on computers and phones and building signs. Hand-colored posters adorned the walls and the floor was littered with remnants of literature.

Eileen Heaney, 18, and Rachel Eve Ginter, 22, packed up some fliers and drove out to Auburn Street in Middletown to knock on doors.

“This is the type of thing that will be in the history books when my kids are grown,” Heaney said.

In addition to Election Day turnout, volunteers are focusing heavily on early voting, which they think benefits their campaign.

“We’ve been very pleased to see tens of thousands of people turn out across the state to cast their ballot for Barack Obama,” Baker said.

Obama is leading in Ohio in national opinion polls. But the election will be decided based on who can get their supporters to actually vote on Election Day.

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Schools in Butler County urged to close for election

By Josh Sweigart | Monday, November 3, 2008, 01:04 PM

The Butler County Board of Elections decided this morning to ask the state to close all schools in Butler County for Election Day.

Says the resolution to Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner:

“We have extreme concerns about heavy congestion at the polling places, and concerns about the safety of the children in the schools which are used as polling locations.”

Board of Elections Director Betty McGary said she is most concerned about schools in Hamilton and Middletown where, based on early voter turnout, she predicts “a tsunami of voters all across this county tomorrow the same way we’ve seen vast crowds overwhelming our building.”

In a press conference that just ended, Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones agreed the schools should close, worrying that parking and congestion could lead to problems.

Said Jones:

“The eyes of the country are going to be on the state of Ohio, we need to make this as smooth of a process as possible.”

None of the five school districts that are open for classes tomorrow — Cincinnati Christian, Hamilton City, Madison Local, Middletown City and Ross Local schools — plan to close. They say they have it under control.

Do you think they should close?

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