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Michael D. Pitman reports about Butler County, Ohio, politics, county government, countywide issues and Butler County people just like you for Cox Ohio Publishing (including the Hamilton JournalNews, Middletown Journal and several weekly papers in Butler County). He wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment for him here or e-mail Michael at Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2010 > January
January 2010
Derickson named to state commission on fatherhood
Press release from the office of state Rep. Tim Derickson, R-Hanover Twp.:
Rep. Derickson Named by Speaker to Vacancy on Ohio Commission on Fatherhood
Local State Representative to Serve on Bipartisan Commission That Aims to Improve Quality of Fatherhood for Ohio’s Children
COLUMBUS— Representative Tim Derickson (R-Oxford) has been appointed by Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) to serve on the bipartisan Ohio Commission on Fatherhood. The appointment process was finalized last week in the Ohio House.
The Ohio Commission on Fatherhood was created by the General Assembly in 2000 and reestablished in 2007 by Governor Ted Strickland. The commission defines its mission as, “Enhancing the well being of Ohio’s children by inspiring and supporting diverse groups and communities to improve the quality of fatherhood.” The OFC’s statutory obligations include building the parenting skills of fathers; providing employment-related services to low-income, non-custodial fathers; preventing premature fatherhood; providing services to fathers who are inmates or have just been released from imprisonment in a state correctional or in any other detention facility, so that they are able to maintain or reestablish their relationships with their families; reconciling fathers with their families; and increasing public awareness of the critical role that fathers play.
“If you’re blessed with children, there’s not a higher calling than to love and influence them to become responsible adults,” Derickson said. “The need has never been greater in our state and country for fathers to teach responsibility to their children and play an active role in their lives.”
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TweetCounty commission agenda
Below is the agenda for Monday’s Butler County commission meeting.
Anything look interesting to you?
(Click on the top right corner to enlarge)
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TweetDems name Board of Elections nominee
Press release from the Butler County Democratic Party:
The Butler County Democratic Party voted last night (Thursday, Jan. 28) to recommend Frank Cloud to the Ohio Secretary of State for the Democratic Board Member to the Board of Elections. If appointed, Cloud would replace Matt Von Stein, whose term expires on February 28th. Cloud had no opposition for the position.
“I am deeply honored to have been nominated for this seat and look forward to serving the best interests of voters in this important role,” Cloud said after the election.
The Board is made up of two Republicans and two Democrats and each serves a four year term.
If appointed, Cloud’s term would end in 2014. Cloud was recently elected to serve as Chairman of the local Democratic Party’s Executive Committee. He also is the Business Manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union, Local 648.
“The Democratic Party in Butler County is fully united and working together to find the best candidates to run in this year’s important races,” Cloud continued. “We plan to build on our successes in 2009 and work to end the one-party rule in Butler County that has bred corruption and abuse of power.”
The Butler County Democratic Party meets regularly on the third Thursday of the month at the IBEW Hall at 4300 Millikin Road.
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TweetTreasurer bows out of commission race - See Nix’s letter
Butler County’s treasurer and front-runner in a contentious county commission race this year has backed out of her bid for the seat.
Treasurer Nancy Nix made the announcement in a letter dated Jan. 28 sent to Butler County Republican Party central and executive committee members. She said she plans to remain treasurer.
Here is her letter:
(Click on the top right corner to enlarge)
Analysis:
“In the capacity of treasurer, amidst such unpredictable economic times, I can continue to bring stability and professionalism to Butler County,” Nix wrote. “We need fiscal conservatism in county leadership, with a return to our traditional Republican philosophy: small government, less spending and strong reserves.”
Nix received the most votes from party leaders at an endorsement meeting in November, beating out incumbent Republican Commission President Gregory Jolivette.
But she did not win the endorsement, which is what she had hoped for in order to run in the May primary, she said in an interview Saturday, Jan. 30.
It remains a crowded contest. Six people are still seeking Republican support for the seat, including the county clerk of courts and a former West Chester Twp. Trustee — both of whom were also closer than Jolivette to getting the party’s endorsement.
Jolivette faces an uphill re-election battle while he remains under investigation by the Ohio Ethics Commission for voting on the hiring of his son and daughter in 2004 and 2005 as county employees.
Democrat Lester “Butch” Hubble, a retired police officer who has run before, has also filed petitions for the seat. And Hamilton attorney Mark Hardig has pulled petitions for that party’s primary.
Nix wouldn’t rule out making another run in the future, and said she isn’t endorsing any of the remaining candidates. “I just look forward to the voters sorting it out,” she said.
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TweetCounty commission agenda
Below is the agenda for today’s Butler County commission meeting.
Anything look interesting to you?
(Click on the top right corner to enlarge)
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: County Commission
TweetSheriff: Loan for new EOC a “suggested tax increase”
Butler County’s top public safety official today, Jan. 27, came out strongly against a proposal to take advantage of a low-interest loan to build a new Emergency Operations Center.
“In a perfect world or perfect time, which this is not, it would be a great concept,” Sheriff Richard K. Jones said in an open letter to commissioners. “But, we are experiencing the worst recession in my lifetine, the Butler County unemployment rate is over 10 percent and our local homeless persons count is at approximately 1,300.”
Here is a copy of Jones’ letter:
(Click on the top right corner to enlarge)
Analysis:
This puts Jones opposite Commissioner Charles Furmon — himself a former Hamilton police officer — who is urging his fellow commissioners to use a federal stimulus backed loan for up to $3 million to move the EOC out of its cramped office in downtown Hamilton.
Commissioner Donald Dixon is opposed to the plan as well, citing the county’s existing debt. Commission President Gregory Jolivette has said he’s on the fence, but a decision must be made this week.
Jones and all three commissioners agree on the need to move the EOC — the county’s nerve center in an emergency — from a tiny back office in the Government Services Center that doesn’t get cell phone coverage to the county’s Princeton Road campus. The building is also planned to house the sheriff’s emergency dispatchers.
The issue is timing, and with the county recently laying off deputies and other workers to address a budget awash in red ink, “The last thing we need is to spend $3 million and make loan payments for the next twenty years to pay for this facility,” Jones wrote. “My grandkids will be paying for this. Enough is enough.”
Furmon has argued that this is a rare opportunity. County finance officials say interest rates are expected to only go up from this 3.34 percent interest loan, and county finance officials say construction costs are historically low because of recession.
“We are laying police officers and firemen off,” Jones wrote. “People are losing their jobs and are in fear of losing health care benefits. To even consider this proposal is in no way helpful to their plight.”
Jones then called the proposal paramount to raising taxes.
“Let’s try a novel idea,” he wrote. “Let’s try to pay off the current debt.”
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TweetAuditor: $2.3 million collected from taxpayers illegally
A mistake that had gone unnoticed for 13 years led to Butler County property owners being illegally assessed on their tax bills more than $2.3 million, according to Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds.
Reynolds questions the legal foundation of an assessment created by county commissioners in 1996 that funds the Miami Conservancy District’s Aquifer Preservation Subdistrict.
On advice from the county prosecutor’s office, Reynolds said commissioners had the legal authority to create a tax, but not an assessment. As such, they have no legal right to collect the assessment, he said.
Here is the rest of the story on our Web site, with comments from readers.
Here is a press release from the auditor’s office:
Butler County taxpayers will benefit a minimum of $200,000 this year following an auditor review of a conservation assessment that has inappropriately collected more than $2.3 million from property owners since 1996.
Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds questioned the legal foundation of a resolution first passed in 1996 by the Butler County Board of Commissioners - and renewed each year thereafter - that levied an assessment on county homeowners to pay a county general fund obligation to the Miami Conservancy District.
The county Prosecutor’s Office concurred with the auditor that the language of commissioners Resolution No. 08-09-1545 has no basis in law and therefore the assessment cannot be collected this year. Refunds from the inappropriate collection of past assessments may also be warranted, Reynolds said. The assessment has collected more than $207,000 each year since 2005 and averaged $161,408 in the years prior to 2005.
“The implementation of more stringent internal controls led us to this discovery,” Reynolds said. “Since taking office in 2008 I have emphasized a heightened review of policies and empowered the staff to question past practices. I must admit that when I found the error, I was stunned that this was assessed so long without review. It is certainly not the way to conduct the people’s business.”
According to the Prosecutor’s Office and a review of Ohio Revised Code Section 6101, when the board of directors of the conservancy district certifies its annual levy, including an assessment against a political subdivision, the governing body of the political subdivision is required to 1) include the amount of the assessment in its tax budget for the ensuing year; and 2) levy a tax (not an assessment) at a uniform rate upon all of the taxable property within the political subdivision to provide sufficient funds to pay the amount of the assessment against the political subdivision.
The Board of Commissioners has the authority to levy a tax to pay its obligation to the conservancy district but no such tax has been enacted, Reynolds said. As such, the commissioners have no right to collect this assessment directly from taxpayers.
“Government needs to keep working to find ways to save taxpayer money, instead of ways to spend it,” Reynolds said. “I have requested a legal review from the Prosecutor’s Office regarding refunds of the previous collections and I’m pushing for the maximum refund allowed by law.”
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TweetButler County roundup - Sheriff sued, jobless rate up, police chief dies
In today’s paper, first we have this story:
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones was in federal court Tuesday, Jan. 26 facing charges that he violated an illegal immigrant’s constitutional rights.
Local unemployment rates increased again last month, with an additional 900 people reportedly out of work in December.
On a more somber note, Ross Twp. Police Chief Carl Worley died yesterday:
Area safety forces Tuesday were mourning the death of Ross Twp. Police Chief Carl Worley.
“We worked side by side every day,” Ross Twp. Fire Chief Steve Miller said of Worley. “He will be sorely missed. Ross is a pretty small community and he had a good handle on everything that was going on here and he knew everybody.”
Police Officer Gary Vaughn called the death of Worley Tuesday, Jan. 26, “A tragic loss to our department and to the citizens of Ross Twp.”
Any thoughts on any of this?
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TweetLocal judge president of state judge association
Press release from the Supreme Court of Ohio:
Common Pleas Judges Elect 2010 Officers
Butler County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael J. Sage will serve as president of the Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association this year. He was among a slate of nine officers elected for leadership positions at the group’s annual winter conference.
Judge Sage, who has served on the Butler County bench since 1991, was named chair of the Supreme Court’s new Advisory Committee on Specialized Dockets in October. For the past 10 years, he has administered a Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Docket that addresses felony-level offenders with a primary diagnosis of both a severe mental health disorder and drug dependency. From 1982 to 1987, Judge Sage served as an assistant prosecutor in Butler County. He received his law degree from the University of Dayton.
“It is a great honor to serve as the president of the Ohio Common Pleas Judges’ Association,” said Judge Sage. “In this time of difficult budgets and expanding case loads, I look forward to being a voice for all trial judges in Ohio. Ohio has had a long tradition of dedicated and respected judges who work hard to preserve the integrity of the third branch of government. As the president of the OCPJA, it is my job to nourish that tradition and keep it alive.”
The other judges elected to leadership positions in the association include:
- Summit County Judge Patricia A. Cosgrove, president-elect
- Montgomery County Judge Michael T. Hall, first vice president
- Hancock County Judge Reginald J. Routson, second vice president
- Trumbull County Judge Peter J. Kontos, third vice president
- Scioto County Judge Howard H. Harcha III, fourth vice president
- Wayne County Judge Mark K. Wiest, secretary
- Champaign County Judge Roger B. Wilson, treasurer
- Warren County Judge James L. Flannery, past president
The common pleas judges association’s membership includes all general division judges of the state’s common pleas courts, and its mission is “to improve the law, the legal system and the effective administration of justice.”
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TweetToday’s county commission work session
In addition to discussion on whether to issue a bond for a new Emergency Operations Center, here are the issues discussed at today’s Butler County commission work session (Prepared by the county administrator):
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TweetShould county take out loan for EOC? It’s up to Jolivette
It now falls to Butler County Commission President Gregory Jolivette to decide whether to jump on a low-interest financing opportunity for a new Emergency Operations Center, or if the county is already saddled with too much debt.
There’s $3 million in the balance, and less than a week to make the decision.
Commissioner Charles Furmon favors the loan, which has an interest rate of only 3.34 percent because it’s backed by the federal stimulus program.
The county had decided to build a new EOC in coming years anyway, he argued at a work session Monday, Jan. 25, so why not do it while interest rates are low and construction costs are cheap?
“You don’t think about the importance of being prepared until the need arises,” he said, referencing the failure of the current EOC to activate after hurricane-force winds battered the county in 2008.
Many — including the cramped EOC in a back office of the Government Services Center in Hamilton — were without power after the storm.
“Just imagine a larger catastrophe, like a terrorist attack of some kind,” he said.
Commissioner Donald Dixon agreed on the need for a new EOC, but said the county is already “mired in debt.”
“I just don’t think it fits in the plan right now,” he said, arguing for the county to devise a long-term capital improvement plan.
He laid blame for much of the confusion after the 2008 windstorm at the feet of the former Emergency Management Agency director, who resigned months later.
Here is an analysis of the plan by county finance officials:
Analysis:
The loan would cost the county $43,339 this year — which would have to be pulled from reserves — and roughly $210,000 a year for the next 20 years. But county officials estimate it would save the county on interest, with rates possibly reaching 5.57 percent by 2012.
Work has already begun to renovate the building on Princeton Road that would house the new EOC, as well as dispatchers for the county sheriff’s office. Because of that and construction costs being driven down by the economy, county officials estimate they could finish it for $2.5 million.
“You’re probably not going to get this bid any cheaper than now,” said county Management and Budget Director Pete Landrum.
Commissioners have until the end of the month to make a decision, meaning Jolivette must decide by the Thursday, Jan. 28 meeting.
“I can see where these two guys are, I’m not sure where I am,” Jolivette said.
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TweetProperty tax bills coming out soon
Press release from Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix:
Property Tax Bills set for Mailing February 11 - Due March 3
Butler County property owners can expect to receive their first half 2009 real estate tax bills by the third week of February. Treasurer Nix explains, “The tax calculation process required additional time this year due to the Auditor’s voluntary property re-valuation and Board of Revision adjustments; therefore, we anticipate placing tax bills in the mail February 11”. Payments for first half 2009 real estate taxes are due March 3, 2010. Property tax bills are now available for viewing on the Treasurer’s office website at www.butlercountytreasurer.org. From the home page, select “View My Tax Bill.” Or, taxpayers can contact the Treasurer’s office at (513) 887-3181 to obtain tax bill amounts.
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TweetCounty commission agenda
Below is the agenda for Monday’s Butler County commission work session.
Anything look interesting to you?
(Click on the top right corner to enlarge)
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: County Commission
TweetThe ‘State of Poverty’ in Ohio, Butler County - See the report
The sad thing is that the news was bad, but not surprising, according to a local advocate for the poor. In fact, he expects it to get worse.
The State of Poverty in Ohio report released Friday, Jan. 22, said roughly 11.9 percent of Butler County residents — or about 41,421 people — live in poverty.
But Jeffrey Diver, executive director of Supports to Encourage Low Income Families in Butler County, points out that number is from 2007.
“That adds additional concern for me when I think about how many people were in poverty in 2009, when Butler County was feeling the full crush of the recession,” he said. “It’s scary out there.”
Here is the report:
(Click on the top right corner to enlarge)
Analysis:
More than 39 percent of Butler County’s students are “economically disadvantaged” and nearly 20 percent of households have a net worth of less than $15,000, Additionally, more than 12 percent of adults between ages 18 and 64 have no health insurance.
And while the percentages are up, so is Butler County’s total population.
But this county fared better than many others. Athens County, home of Ohio University, had a poverty rate of nearly 30 percent.
“We’re not unique in facing those hardships, and there are some counties that are suffering a whole lot more than Butler, but that’s no consolation to the people in Butler County who are suffering,” Diver said.
The report was released by the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, which advocates the growth of jobs with benefits. The group also pushes for educational opportunities, affordable housing and reliable public transportation.
“These are longer-term needs that must be met for people to climb out of poverty,” OACAA Executive Director Phil Cole said.
At the same time, short-term “safety net” programs are needed, he said.
SELF provides some services, but Diver said the need outweighs the resources. Already this winter, home heating assistance requests are up roughly 20 percent from last year — which was a record year, he said.
And the county’s public transportation system is still mostly non-existent, Diver said.
The report “confirms something we have felt and known for some time,” he said. “The number of people in need is growing, the depth of that need is growing, and the resources…(are) not available to help all needs.”
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TweetNew program helps elderly with depression
As people age, their world can close in on them, experts warn. Their spouses sometimes die, their children move away, their health declines.
“These things all kind of compound,” said Jim Beiting, executive director of Community Behavioral Health. “There’s that certain amount of loneliness that can breed into depression.”
In all, mental health experts estimate one in five senior citizens suffer from mental health issues.
Making matters worse, many senior citizens don’t have transportation and see a stigma attached to asking someone for mental health help.
Working together, the Butler County Mental Health Board and Council on Aging of Southwest Ohio are trying to address these issues with two new programs. The programs are administered by Community Behavioral Health, which is reporting an overwhelming response.
One program puts a therapist in doctor’s offices frequented by senior citizens in Oxford, Middletown, Hamilton and Fairfield — “every corner of Butler County,” Beiting said.
That way, the resident’s primary care physician can walk down the hall and get someone if they have a patient showing signs of depression: including problems sleeping or eating, or listlessness.
The other program brings therapists to people’s homes to provide counseling.
Council on Aging CEO Suzanne Burke said the effort was based on a successful pilot program.
“We learned that it was possible to bring mental health services into seniors’ homes and alleviate mental suffering among those who couldn’t seek help on their own,” Burke said.
Launched in the Fall with $600,000 annual funding from the two local agencies — helping cover the cost for people who don’t have insurance or Medicare — the program has already had 55 referrals and is treating 40 people.
To be eligible for the program, someone must be over age 65 and impaired in daily activity, or a client of the Elderly Services Program.
“We’re really excited about the numbers we’ve gotten,” Beiting said. “I think there’s several thousand people in Butler County that could take advantage of this program.”
Mental Health Board officials said this is the only program of its kind in the state, and could be a model for helping elderly people stay in their homes.
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TweetCounty commission agenda
Below is the agenda for today’s Butler County commission meeting.
Anything look interesting to you?
(Click on the top right corner to enlarge)
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TweetLocal politicos share thoughts on Mass. Senate upset
The Democratic Party’s fall from favor in a Massachusetts Senate race this week sent shock waves through political circles as far away as Butler County.
Republicans see it as a referendum on the Democratic agenda, particularly extensive health care reform.
Sen.-elect Scott Brown’s “victory is a clear sign that voters are screaming ‘Stop!’ at the Democrats’ job-killing agenda, even in the bluest of blue states,” said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp.
Democrats acknowledge it’s a “wake-up call,” in the words of local Democratic Central Committee Chairman John Holcomb. But he doesn’t see it as a wholesale rejection.
“I think voters know that we have a terrible health care crisis in this country, but they’re just not satisfied with the bills that passed” the House and Senate, he said.
Winning election Tuesday, Jan. 19, to the seat held by Ted Kennedy for 47 years, Brown became the first Republican to win a Senate race in Massachusetts since 1972. He did so largely by promising to become the 41st vote needed to block proposed health care overhaul measures.
“We got out-hustled,” Democratic Central Committee member Tony Klimek, said of what happened in Massachusetts.
But the vote is about more than national politics and health care reform, local Republicans say. There are also ramifications for statewide and local elections this year, such as a governor’s race, the Ohio Senate seat up for grabs and a contested county commission race.
Butler County GOP Chairman Tom Ellis said this is the kind of thing that motivates volunteers, which are crucial in local and state races. It gives momentum, he said, to all Republicans.
“It generates interest that something’s happening, not unlike what was happening on the other side in the 2008 election,” he said. “The tide may be turning, and surprisingly in such short order.”
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TweetRadio host to speak to Tea Party
Press release from the West Chester Tea Party:
The West Chester Tea Party is extending a cordial invitation to the public to attend a speaking engagement featuring 55KRC radio personality Brian Thomas. The event is scheduled for Thursday, January 21, 6:30 p.m. at the Lakota West Freshman School Auditorium, 5050 Tylersville Road, West Chester, Ohio 45069.
Mr. Thomas, a staunch advocate for expanding freedom and limiting government, combines his legal background and rapier wit with broad insight to the ongoing dialogue over government spending and regulatory excess. The evening will focus on a discussion of several key issues on the legislative agenda. There will be an opportunity for questions from the audience following Mr. Thomas’ remarks.
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TweetDems to hold conference on political organizing locally
Press release from Change Butler Political Action Committee:
Political Conference to be held in Butler County
Change Butler and other progressive organizations in Butler County will co-sponsor a “Southwest Ohio Candidate and Activist School Conference” on Saturday, January 30, 2010. The conference will be held at the Wilks Conference Center on the Miami University - Hamilton Campus at 1601 University Boulevard in Hamilton, Ohio from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
The conference will include speakers from national, state, and local levels and will provide training on candidate campaigning, issue advocacy, and organizing at a grassroots level.
Confirmed trainers for the candidate school include:
- State Senator - Eric Kearney
- State Rep. - Connie Pillich
- Ohio Democrat Party (ODP)Chair - Chris Redfern
- ODP Field Director - Daniel Gray, and
- America Votes Director - Bentley Davis
Invited keynote speakers include Governor Ted Strickland and Senator Sherrod Brown.
The conference is for progressive candidates, potential candidates, volunteers, and activists that want to make a difference and learn basic campaign and organizing skills. More information is available at www.changebutler.org.
This conference is part of the Southwest Ohio Progressive Movement Project and is co-sponsored by: Greater West Chester Democratic Women’s Club, Butler County Progressive PAC, Butler County Democratic Party, Middletown City Council Member AJ Smith, and ATS Logistics.
Change Butler is a Butler County based political action committee dedicated to bring progressive change to Butler County. More information about Change Butler is available on the website at www.changebutler.org.
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TweetIt’s official: Eaton businessman challenging Boehner
Press release from Manfred Schreyer for Congress (See previous post on this challenge - including lots of comments from readers - here):
Longtime Eaton-area resident and businessman, Manfred R. Schreyer, has formally announced his campaign bid for the Republican seat in this spring’s primary race for the 8th District of Ohio. This seat is presently held by longtime incumbent, John Boehner.
“The people of the 8th District of Ohio did not send John Boehner to D.C. to become the professional fundraiser for the rest of the Republican Party. We sent him there to represent the people of the 8th District,” says Manfred, “We all have friends who have lost their jobs and been forced to tighten their belt because of the economic crisis.”
Manfred believes that without a fundamental challenge to the guiding philosophy behind the leadership in the 8th District, Ohio will continue to suffer. He states, “Boehner has presented a conflict in his leadership. He made some early commitment to not bring any earmark investments back to our district from D.C. in protest of the political system.”
“But, in September of 2008, Mr. Boehner stood in solidarity with Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank by voting to bail out the bankers with our tax dollars, and then Boehner went further to publicly scold other conservatives who refused to go along with the scheme by saying ‘Now is not the time for ideological purity’,” states Manfred.
Manfred asks, “What is ideologically pure about Mr. Boehner telling other Republicans to agree with Pelosi by voting to give our tax dollars to the bankers, but then refusing to work to help bring jobs back to the people in his district?”
Schreyer states, “I realize that Mr. Boehner still enjoys some support in the GOP. However, the primary vote is when we define the direction of the party, and I believe that stubborn refusal to compromise with our neighbors has brought us to this era of extremist views. It might be working for West Chester, but it’s not working out very well for the rest of the 8th District.”
Manfred’s campaign committee is being finalized and he has launched a campaign website at http://www.imwithmanfred.com.
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TweetTea Party to host ‘Truth About Energy/Climate’ conference locally
Press release from the Cincinnati Tea Party (Note the event is in Middletown):
The Truth About Energy/Climate: Sponsored by the Ohio Liberty Council
The Ohio Liberty Council cordially invites the public to hear the truth about climate change and meeting America’s energy needs at the Ohio Energy and Climate Conference, Saturday, February 6, at Miami University’s Middletown campus, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Guests from the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, and the Institute for Energy Research will discuss current and future policy, the science of climate change and energy sources, and practical applications of energy sources with a focus on nuclear energy.
The Ohio Energy and Climate Conference is sponsored by the Ohio Liberty Council, including member organizations Cincinnati Tea Party, Cincinnati 9/12 Project, and Dayton Tea Party.
Location
- Miami University Middletown
- Dave Finkelman Auditorium
- 4200 North University Blvd.
- Middletown, OH 45042
- Local: (513) 727-3200
- Toll free: (800) 662-2262
Tickets
Only 750 tickets will be sold. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at http://americanjunto.org/ http://americanjunto.org/ . The full ticket price is tax deductible (American Junto is a 501(c)(3) organization).
Ohio Liberty Council Members
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TweetHelp available for home heating costs
Press release from state Rep. Tim Derickson, R-Hanover Twp.:
With 9.4 percent unemployment in Butler County, the frigid winter temperatures mean that many of our neighbors will struggle to pay their gas and electric bills. Utility bills are typically about three times higher in the winter months, so I would like to notify you of some important programs offered by the Ohio Department of Development.
Properly preparing your home for the winter months is the first step in reducing your heating costs. Ohio’s Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) is a low-income energy efficiency program to reduce household energy use and make bills more affordable. Services include insulating your basement, walls or attic, reducing air leakage, repairing or replacing your heating system, and conducting health and safety testing and inspections. After weatherization, households with natural gas heating reduced consumption by approximately 25 percent, and those with electric heading reduced consumption by 13 percent.
Another vital program is the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), a one-time federal program that assists low-income individuals in heating their homes. For those who are eligible for HEAP, the amount of benefits depends on how many people reside in your household, the total household income and the type of fuel you use to heat your home. There is also an emergency HEAP Winter Crisis Program (WCP) to assist households that are at risk for utility disconnection or have a very limited supply of oil or propane.
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) is an extended payment program that allows individuals to make payments to their utility companies based on a percentage of household income. To be eligible for this program, an individual must receive their heat from a company regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, have a total household income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, and apply for all energy assistance programs for which they are eligible.
For more information about programs offered through the Department of Development, please contact Supports to Encourage Low-Income Families (SELF), located at 1790 S. Erie Hwy, Suites A-C, Hamilton, OH 45011. You may also call (888) 432-7022 or visit their web site at www.selfhelps.org. You can also visit the Department of Development’s web site at www.development.ohio.gov.
With Ohio’s coldest winter months quickly approaching, I hope you find this information useful for your family and any of your neighbors in need. If you have any questions about heating assistance programs or other state issues, please contact my office at (614) 644-5094 or by mail at Representative Tim Derickson, 77 S. High St., 11th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215-6111. Or email me at District53@ohr.state.oh.us.
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TweetButler sheriff to lead coalition for Portman
From the campaign of Rob Portman for U.S. Senate:
Richard K. Jones of Butler County and Betty D. Montgomery of Franklin County will serve as the statewide co-chairs of the Portman for Senate Law Enforcement Coalition.
“Betty Montgomery and Richard Jones are long-serving members of Ohio’s law enforcement community, and I am grateful for their support,” Portman said. “The safety of our families and our communities has to come first, and every law enforcement professional throughout Ohio should be commended for their selfless dedication to our communities.”
The Law Enforcement Coalition will work to build support for the campaign among the people who are on the front-lines of fighting crime and upholding our laws. The coalition will continue to recruit law enforcement officers and prosecutors over the coming months, adding members from all corners of the state and will be active in communicating with voters.
“I’ve known Rob Portman for many years, and he understands the sacrifices of the men and women who work for public safety,” Montgomery said. “I know that Rob Portman will make a difference in the U.S. Senate on Day One, and I look forward to helping his campaign.”
“Rob Portman understands that we are a nation of laws and that fighting crime requires efforts at all levels of government,” Jones said. “I am proud to support his campaign for U.S. Senate.”
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Tweet‘Putting America in debt’ sign graces West Chester roadway
If the economy is indeed sick, and laughter is the best medicine, you should check out this recent post on the West Chester News and Issues blog.
An excerpt (Go to the blog for a picture):
So I’m driving along Tylersville Road Wednesday, and I noticed an addition to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act sign, which notifies drivers that local construction is being paid for through stimulus dollars.
The sign’s located on the south side of Tylersville, right across from Wetherington.
It reads: “Putting America in debt” instead of “Putting America to work,” and includes the same digging figure, but with a ball and chain wrapped around his leg.
Haven’t been able to find out who’s responsible (Perhaps a local Tea Party-er?), but it’s clearly a statement against the federal stimulus.
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TweetWong move - Trustee learns he can’t run for commission after all
Fellow reporter Dave Greber has an update to the story about West Chester Twp. Trustee Lee Wong pulling petitions to run for Butler County commission — marking what may be one of the shortest political campaigns in recent history:
A county policy will keep West Chester Trustee Lee Wong’s name off the ballot for commissioner this spring.
Less than 24 hours after leading his first meeting as president of the trustee board, Wong pulled a petition to run for commissioner and began collecting signatures at a Butler County GOP meeting Wednesday evening.
However, because Wong works in the county’s probation department, he is not eligible to run.
“It was my mistake for not checking the Butler County employee policy,” Wong said in an e-mail Thursday, Jan. 14. “As a county employee, I am prohibited to run for the county commissioner job.”
Wong said he wasn’t aware of the guideline before pulling a petition from the Board of Elections Wednesday afternoon.
“Therefore, I would have to make a choice to be a candidate for county commissioner, or keep my present job,” Wong wrote. “I love to serve the public, but my family is my top priority and it is my responsibility to make sure they get the support for a good quality of life.”
By statute, Butler County’s three commissioners each made $76,976 last year.
Wong, who would have joined an already crowded Republican race for the county seat, was reelected to his second term on the West Chester board in November, besting eight other candidates and securing more votes than the other incumbent winner, Catherine Stoker. Wong took 23 percent of the ballot on Nov. 4, compared to Stoker’s 20 percent.
Wong said Wednesday he fully intended to file his petition with the Board of Elections, saying the timing was right.
He also said he was confident in such a crowded race because of his track record in West Chester.
“I’m battle tested and I came out the strongest,” he said. “It’s a big field, and I led the ticket in the last race (for trustee), which was the most crowded in the township’s history. With my accomplishments and my credentials and West Chester being financially solid, I stand a good chance.
“We are financially solid because of excellent leadership,” he added.
Seven Republicans have pulled petitions; so far, Alvarez and county Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter are the only two who have filed. Two democrats had pulled petitions as of this week. Lester Hubble is the only person to have filed.
Commission President Gregory Jolivette has yet to pull a petition to run for reelection, but has said more than once he intends to fight for his seat.
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TweetTownship trustee may enter crowded county commission race
Fellow reporter Dave Greber has more on West Chester Twp. Trustee Lee Wong pulling petitions for county commission:
Less than 24 hours after leading his first meeting as president of the West Chester Twp. Board of Trustees, Lee Wong pulled a petition to run for county commissioner.
Wong, who is joining an already crowded Republican race for the county seat, was reelected to his second term in November, besting eight other candidates and securing more votes than the other incumbent winner, Catherine Stoker. Wong took 23 percent of the ballot on Nov. 4, compared to Stoker’s 20 percent.
Wong said he fully intends to file his petition with the Butler County Board of Elections well in advance of the Feb. 18 deadline for the May primary.
“No question about it,” Wong said Wednesday, Jan. 13. “The timing is right.”
If and when he does, Wong will be going up against another popular West Chester figure in former Trustee Jose Alvarez.
“I’m battle tested and I came out the strongest,” he said.
Seven Republicans have pulled petitions; so far, Alvarez and county Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter are the only two who have filed. Two democrats had pulled petitions as of this week. Lester Hubble is the only person to have filed.
Commission President Gregory Jolivette has yet to pull a petition to run for reelection, but has said more than once he intends to fight for his seat.
Wong said he was spurred by the confidence West Chester voters showed in him in November, and that he made the decision shortly after seeing the results of the election.
“It’s a big field, and I led the ticket in the last race (for trustee), which was the most crowded in the township’s history,” Wong said. “With my accomplishments and my credentials and West Chester being financially solid, I stand a good chance.
“We are financially solid because of excellent leadership.”
Wong said he could do a better job than current commissioners, especially amid the county’s continuing financial woes.
“A lot of it is management and managing our money and resources properly,” Wong said of the commission post. “I think there is always money there, but it just needs to be managed properly. I think they (commissioners) have overestimated the revenues and expenditures in the past few years.
“I think as a commissioner, you really need to tighten your belt instead of throwing more money at the problem.”
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TweetCounty GOP chairman holds onto party support
Butler County Republican Party Chairman Tom Ellis fended off a challenge from within his party and won a vote of support Wednesday, Jan. 13, cementing his post on the local elections board.
In a closed door meeting at Tori’s Station in Fairfield Wednesday night, roughly 210 members of the party’s Executive Committee voted recommend to the Ohio Secretary of State that Ellis serve his second term on the Butler County Board of Elections.
Attendees said Ellis secured 124 votes. His challenger — Chris Wunnenberg, director of development at Schumacher Dugan Construction in West Chester Twp., — reportedly received 86 votes.
The elections board seat pays $16,480 per year and is generally held by the party chairman, which is an unpaid position. Wunnenberg said he was challenging Ellis in preparation of taking him on for party chair when the party reorganizes after the primary.
Go here for more background on this issue.
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TweetBoehner faces possible GOP challenge from Eaton
The Preble County Board of Elections is confirming that Eaton businessman Manfred Richard Schreyer has pulled petitions to challenge John Boehner in this year’s Republican primary.
This is the second possible challenge to mount against U.S. House Minority Leader Boehner, R-West Chester Twp. The first came from Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones last year, but Jones bowed out before filing.
I’m told Schreyer is a preacher, and owns Taffy’s of Eaton, a popular coffee shop, restaurant and pub in the Preble County seat.
Do you think someone like Schreyer could threaten Boehner, one of the most powerful Republicans in the country?
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TweetCounty GOP chairman faces challenge
from today’s paper:
After being sued by his own brother and criticized for taking a cut of the sale of GOP headquarters, Butler County Republican Party Chairman Tom Ellis will find out Wednesday night whether he will keep his post on the local elections board.
The Republican Party’s roughly 525-member Executive Committee meets Wednesday, Jan. 13, at Tori’s Station in Fairfield to vote on who to recommend for the Butler County Board of Elections. The recommendation will then go to the Ohio secretary of state, who will fill the post before the end of February.
Each party holds two seats on the elections board, and Ellis’ is the only Republican seat up for appointment this year.
Ellis faces a challenge from Chris Wunnenberg, director of development at Schumacher Dugan Construction in West Chester Twp.
Wunnenberg has never held an elected post outside the party, but he’s not new to politics. He has been a major backer of numerous local campaigns, and has been making rounds recently, drumming up support.
He said he is going for the elections board seat in anticipation of challenging Ellis for the chairmanship, which comes up for vote after the May primary.
Historically, the same person holds both posts, though the party’s bylaws don’t require it. The party chairmanship is an unpaid position, and the elections board pays $16,480 a year.
“(Chairmanship) is not a position I seek. It’s one that needs to be filled,” he said. “I think the party needs to have different leadership and move in a different direction than what we’ve been doing in the last four years.”
The local party’s image has taken a drumbeat of blows in recent years, including the indictments of one officeholder and a former officeholder; allegations in court of kickbacks and bribery of party leaders; and two ethics investigations into nepotism claims against Republican county commissioners.
The party controls all countywide elected seats except one juvenile judgeship.
And Ellis had a rough year of his own in 2009. His brother filed a lawsuit claiming Ellis defrauded him and their mother out of more than $500,000; the suit was settled in October. And some within the party found fault with Ellis, a Realtor, taking a roughly $25,500 cut of the sale of the party’s Farifield Twp. headquarters in August.
Ellis could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
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Tweet‘If you’re naked, you can’t get shot’
Just heard over the police scanner, Butler County Sheriff’s Office:
Initial reports were two men jumped out of a pickup truck armed with water guns in the 3000 block of Nichols Road near Hamilton. They were reportedly naked. A deputy was dispatched.
But the homeowner was reached, and advised the sheriff’s office that it is just her son and his friend playing “Nerf wars.” Said the dispatcher (attempting heroically to stifle her laughter): “He advises one of the rules is, if you’re naked, you can’t get shot.”
The call was canceled. No word on whether a Nerf gun is considered a dangerous weapon when the low temperature is 8 degrees, and you’re naked.
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TweetState treasurer, supreme court candidate to visit Oxford
Press release from the Butler County Progressive PAC:
Ohio State Treasurer Kevin Boyce and Ohio Appeals Court Judge Mary Jane Trapp will be the Guests of Honor at the Inaugural Re-Celebration Gala of the Butler County Progressive Political Action Committee, PAC President Don Daiker has announced.
The Gala, which commemorates the anniversary of Barack Obama’s becoming America’s 44th president, takes place from 7:30 to 11 p.m. on Wednesday, January 20. It will be held at Oxford’s lovely and historic White Garden Inn, 6194 Brown Road.
Boyce was named Ohio State Treasurer in December 2008 by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, succeeding Richard Cordray, who became Ohio Attorney General. Before his appointment as treasurer, Boyce served on the Columbus City Council as President Pro Tem and Chair of its Finance and Zoning Committees.
Boyce has been Chief of Staff for the minority caucus of the Ohio House of Representatives and was the leader of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Toledo and a Masters degree in public administration from Central Michigan University.
Mary Jane Trapp is the Presiding and Administrative Judge of the Ohio Court of Appeals, Eleventh Appellate District, in Northeast Ohio. She is a candidate for the Ohio Supreme Court in the November 2010 election.
Judge Trapp is a past President of the Ohio State Bar Association. She is currently an Ohio State Bar Association delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. She graduated from Mount Holyoke College, cum laude, and she earned her law degree from Case Western University.
Special Guests at the Gala include Montgomery County Treasurer Carolyn Rice and Butler County Juvenile Court Judge Kathleen Dobrozsi Romans. Local office holders and candidates for county and state legislative elections in 2010 will also be in attendance.
“We look forward to celebrating a year of President Obama’s steady and decisive leadership,” Progressive PAC Vice-President Bill Gracie said. “We believe that the passage of health care reform will be the most important piece of social legislation since the Social Security Act of the 1930s. That in itself will be a great reason to celebrate!”
Tickets for the Gala are $40 per person, $75 per couple. Gala sponsorships are also available: $500 = Platinum; $250 = Gold; and $100 = Silver. Sponsorships include two tickets, acknowledgment in the printed program, and recognition at the Gala.
For reservations, tickets, or sponsorships call Marilyn Elzey at 765-732-4819 or email her at melzey1013@netscape.net. Checks should be made out to the Butler County Progressive PAC and mailed to Marilyn Elzey, 15122 Liberty Pike, Brookville, IN 47012.
The Gala is co-sponsored by the Change Butler PAC, the Greater West Chester Democratic Women’s Club, the Hamilton-Fairfield Democratic Alliance, and the Preble County Democratic Party.
In addition to Daiker, Elzey, and Gracie, the Gala Planning Committee includes John Alexander, Rick Bailey, Clyde Brown, Pete Carels, Eric Carman, John Harman, Valerie Hart, Donna Mollaun, and Edward Wagner.
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TweetBackground on county jail contracts
After recent stories broke about more than $1 million Butler County may save by bidding out work at the county jails, and a settlement agreement with Resolutions, Community Solutions, a couple people asked me why we haven’t looked into this issue more.
The answer is: We have.
Here is a series of blog posts I did walking readers through an investigation into the agency that provides services at the county jails, and the no-bid work they did on the Court Street jail. The resulting stories can be accessed here and here.
Is there more to this issue that you think needs to be explored?
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TweetJolivette perhaps no lame duck after all
It may have been cold outside, but the discussion was heated in the Butler County commission chambers this morning, Jan. 7.
Commissioners Donald Dixon and Charles Furmon faced off — which is becoming an increasingly frequent occurrence — leaving the issue of whether to continue with a pay study up to Commission President Gregory Jolivette.
When revelations surfaced about Jolivette voting for the hiring of family members, many in the media and elsewhere started calling him a “lame duck.” But as animosity has increased between the other two it has literally left Jolivette in the middle (he sits in the middle of the dais). This has made Jolivette the swing vote on more than one issue, including this one.
Here’s the full story:
Butler County Commissioner Charles Furmon blasted a plan today, Jan. 7, to study the county’s pay structure. He called it as a waste of money being railroaded through by a fellow commissioner.
The study by Columbus-based firm Clemans, Nelson and Associates would look at job descriptions and pay ranges across county government. It would take up to a year and cost up to $107,900.
But Furmon said the project was never bid out. Furthermore, he said it was done before, in the 80s, and the findings of that study were ignored.
“Five large binders containing that study are taking up space on storage shelves with the pages turning yellow and the binders disintegrating,” Furmon said. “Thousands of dollars were spent then and thousands of dollars more will be spent now if we don’t stop this.”
“It appears the only reason this is being done is because Commissioner (Donald) Dixon does not like the step process we currently employ,” he said.
True, Dixon said, he does not like the current system. He said it gives too many automatic “step” increases — sometimes four or five a year, he said — in some cases quadrupling someone’s salary in four years.
He said Furmon opposed the study because, “I’m proposing to take the hiring away from the political process in the commissioner’s office.”
“Our job descriptions have been written for people they want to give jobs, to justify what we pay them,” he said. He described people being “moved around the county like dominoes and chess pieces” to keep their jobs.
But the study would do little to take politics out of the process, Furmon countered. And if step increases have gotten out of hand, he said that can be addressed in union negotiations, and by directing supervisors to be more frugal.
He turned Dixon’s mantra that every county project should be bid out against him. “It seems we want to be able to pick and choose what contract go out to bid and what doesn’t,” he said.
While there was no advertised request for proposals, Dixon said the county did talk to three agencies before awarding the work. And he said the county prosecutor’s office signed off on the work not needing to be bid.
Commission President Gregory Jolivette didn’t comment on the issue during the meeting, but said afterward he wants the study to move ahead, citing concerns he has had about pay increases getting out of hand.
“Let’s see what the end product is,” he said. “I thought we were all three in agreement for it to move forward.”
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TweetCounty offices closing early
Butler County offices closed at 2:30 p.m. today because of inclement weather.
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TweetRuscigno gets probation, fine
Joseph Ruscigno — former GOP operative and nightclub owner, and husband of former Butler County commission candidate Rawnica Dillingham — was sentenced to two years probation and a $2,500 fine in federal court in Cincinnati this morning.
Ruscigno pleaded guilty in April to federal tax obstruction charges. He admitted to fudging the books of West Chester Twp.-based court reporting business Fitch Reporting Inc., to justify lowering weekly payments of back taxes to the IRS. Read more background on the case below.
U.S. Judge Herman Weber said in court today that the charges carry a maximum sentence that includes three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
But, because Ruscigno pleaded guilty to his crimes and cooperated with federal prosecutors “in prosecution of other defendants,” the judge said he lowered the sentence.
He did not say who those other defendants were.
When asked if Ruscigno had any statement to make, he quietly said he was 60-years-old and never been in trouble before. “I’m just terribly, terribly sorry this incident happened,” he said.
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TweetRuscigno sentencing today
Former Butler County GOP operative and husband of failed commission candidate Rawnica Dillingham is due in federal court today for sentencing on tax charges.
Here is the background from a former story:
Hamilton nightclub owner and former GOP politico Joe Ruscigno pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday, April 29, to tax obstruction charges.
Ruscigno admitted to fudging the books of West Chester Twp.-based court reporting business Fitch Reporting Inc., to justify lowering weekly payments of back taxes to the IRS.
The statement of facts to which Ruscigno pleaded guilty said he submitted a false profit and loss statement to the IRS in 2007. Ruscigno owned the company with his ex-wife, Jane Fitch, who was not named in the charges.
Ruscigno also signed a plea agreement offering him the possibility of a reduced sentence if he pleads guilty and cooperates with law enforcement “regarding his activities and those of others in relation to the offense charged…and all other criminal activity of which he is aware,” including, “participating in covert law enforcement activities.”
The charges against him carry a maximum penalty of three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and a $100 assessment.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Aug. 25. It was originally set for Aug. 5, but U.S. Judge Herman Weber moved the date when Ruscigno said that was his and wife Rawnica Dillingham’s wedding anniversary.
The two own V’s Nightclub in Hamilton, which may lose its liquor license after police raided the business and claim exotic dancers there were violating the city’s adult entertainment ordinance.
The two used to be active in Butler County Republican Party politics, with Ruscigno serving as party finance chairman.
But they had a falling out with the party, culminating in a failed run by Dillingham for county commissioner in the GOP primary last year without party endorsement.
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TweetButler County roundup - The year ahead, street justice with sheriff Jones, the Big Count
Sorry. I admit, I got a little bogged down over the holidays and the blog suffered. My New Years resolution: blog early and blog often.
Here’s what’s new in Butler County these days:
Jolivette elected commission president, looks to the future (Read the full story here)
Holding together Butler County’s ailing budget will be the number one priority this year, said county commissioner Gregory Jolivette, who was elected board president today, Jan. 4 by his fellow commissioners.
To do this, Jolivette called for renewed discussions on consolidating services with other jurisdictions.
He led an effort in mid-2009 to find areas for possible collaboration. Leaders from cities and townships across the county came together with ideas — consolidated purchasing, health departments, area and county courts — but the initiative fizzled.
As for the budget, county officials say it’s balanced, but barely. It counts on the assumption that the economy — and thus county revenues — will improve this year.
Jolivette’s election to commission president is largely ceremonial. Commissioners rotate the post, taking turns presiding over meetings and serving on several boards, and it’s his turn.
But it also gives him the podium in a year when the veteran politician faces one of his toughest re-election bids to date. A half dozen people have pulled petitions for that seat. These include the county treasurer, county clerk of courts and a former West Chester Twp. Trustee — all fellow Republicans.
Jolivette said he’s ready for the challenge, and plans to take out petitions soon.
Sheriff Jones breaks up street fight (Read the full story here)
As the Butler County’s top cop, Sheriff Richard Jones spends much of his time worrying about budgets, procedures and politics these days.
Not today, Dec. 31. Jones was an honest to goodness crime fighter when he broke up a fight at about 3 p.m. in the middle of Main Street.
Jones said he was driving through the city after a workout at the YMCA when he saw a man jump over the fence from the Walgreen’s drug store and into the street approaching a pickup truck stopped in traffic.
“I thought at first he was just waving at the guy in the pickup. But the door opened and the fight was on. They were fighting like hell right there in the street,” Jones said.
Dressed in civilian clothes, Jones whipped his unmarked car around, blocking traffic and the ruckus.
“I pulled them apart and identified myself as a law enforcement officer. That’s all it took,” Jones said.
One of the men recognized him as the sheriff, and pulled a photo of Jones out of his wallet that was a promotional card from years back.
The census is coming (Read the full story here)
The raw data produced by the U.S. Census Bureau this year will paint a picture of Butler County that steers business, government and social services for years to come.
At stake is representation in federal government, and local communities’ share of $400 billion awarded annually based on census data.
And census officials say you can do your part for your community in only 10 minutes.
The questionnaires that will start hitting mailboxes across the county in mid-March will consist of only 10 questions, pared down considerably from earlier forms six times that size.
The reason: People weren’t answering the 60-question census form used in 2000. “They felt that it was too long. They felt that it was too intrusive,” said Donna Marsh, regional spokeswoman for the census.
So this year’s census will only ask how many people live in each home, whether the home is rented or bought, and each person’s age, race and name. The other info is collected in the American Community Survey, released every three years.
But the 2010 census’ scaled-down size doesn’t diminish its importance. It decides how many representatives each state gets in the U.S. Congress. Early estimates suggest Ohio may lose two seats to faster-growing states.
Numerous programs will rely on the 2010 census when awarding federal funds, which is why local governments and non-profits are urging people to cooperate.
“We all benefit from having good, complete, reliable data,” said Bruce Jewett, currently both interim Butler County administrator and president of the Butler County United Way board. “Nobody has an interest in having people under-counted or specific populations under-counted.”
Marsh urges people to fill out the mailed forms and send them back by April 1. In addition to saving taxpayer dollars — $80 million for every 1 percent of the population that mails the form back — it saves residents a hassle. Workers called “enumerators” will start going door-to-door in late April visiting homes that didn’t return the form.
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