Yesterday I wrote here about campaign funding for state representative candidates Hottinger and Hill. The information came from the Advocate web site and turned out to be incomplete.
Keith W. Hare of Granville caught the errors and made corrections in the comments section, so if you're interested in the details, please go read what he said at this link.
Michael Shearer, Advocate editor, also commented to the effect that the newspaper's database had been brought up to date as of yesterday, but it still doesn't jibe with figures provided by Mr. Hare who got his from the Ohio Secretary of State.
Mr. Hare reports campaign expenditures of $13,059 for Hill; $169,410 for Hottinger. So the presumption I used - that nobody owns Howard Hill and many have purchased Jay Hottinger - has been shot down.
Even so, the point by Mr. Hare - that the top seven of Hottinger's donors kicked in $72,680 and that they are all from out of state - says something about whether Jay has been - and will if elected - exclusively represent the interests of folks in Licking County as should be the case.
I still think Howard will do a better job for the Licking County commoner if he is elected.
Showing posts with label Howard Hill. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Howard Hill. Show all posts
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
I'm with Howard Hill and here's why
This may be the toughest race Jay Hottinger, Licking County's state representative has ever run, even if it weren't for the stench hanging on Republicans because of President Bush. It will be tough because for the first time in my memory Jay will be running against a school teacher with a working man's perspective - and common men and women will indeed get out to vote this year. Jay's opponent is the son of political servant of great stature - Don Hill, whose many years of service to local citizens earned him wide respect and his name on the county government building. Don served with ability and honesty and likely his son would serve us equally well.
This contest pits Howard Hill, the commoner, against Jay Hottinger, the business establishmentarian. Nobody owns Howard, many have purchased Jay. Their contributors are listed at the Advocate's data base:
Howard Hill: Balance on hand: $150;
Donations By Contributor: No records found.
Jay Hottinger: Balance on hand 10/23/08: $103,900;
Donations by Contributor: Charles Dolan, Eva Dolan, Helen Dolan, Larence Dolan - each donated $10,670 (Charles Dolan is described by The Museum of Broadcast Communications as "one of the least known but most powerful moguls in the modern cable television industry in the United States.")
Then there is David Brennan of Akron who gave $10,000 and who runs Ohio's largest charter school company, according to The Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Ann A. Brennan, also of Akron, who donated $5,000.
An Ohio Federation of Teachers report prepared in cooperation with the AFL-CIO union, “... shows clearly that David Brennan has been allowed to circumvent numerous state laws, and that profit, not helping children learn, is the primary motive,” said OFT President Tom Mooney."
The report states that David Brennan built his education empire on public dollars enabled by favorable legislation adopted after enormous campaign contributions to legislators. In one two-month period alone, November and December 2001, while the House was deliberating HB 364 (which significantly relaxed regulations on charter schools), the Brennan family contributed $162,500 to GOP members of the House, all in $2,500 checks (the maximum per cycle at that time) ... Brennan’s charter school operations have faced little scrutiny from regulators, including state auditors, who were also the recipients of his political contributions.
Also contributing to Jay's campaign funds:
Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes - $10,000
William L Lager - owner of "A complete learning management system providing educational services; namely, classroom instruction, primarily on-line, for grades K through 12"
Oil and Gas Association - $5,000
Then there's First Energy, plus First Energy PAC, plus Gary Leidich, president of First Energy, each donating $5,000 to Jay's campaign, plus Gib Reese, Jerry McClain, Les Wexner, Dan Delawder, Marathon Oil, Meijer PAC, - and the list just goes on and on for ten web pages of special-interest donors who have staked a claim for favorable votes by Jay Hottinger.
Owing a piece of any legislator is exactly and precisely what's wrong with government. Jay is worth less as a representative of the common working stiff by $103,900; Howard has maintained his full value. I'm with Howard.
This contest pits Howard Hill, the commoner, against Jay Hottinger, the business establishmentarian. Nobody owns Howard, many have purchased Jay. Their contributors are listed at the Advocate's data base:
Howard Hill: Balance on hand: $150;
Donations By Contributor: No records found.
Jay Hottinger: Balance on hand 10/23/08: $103,900;
Donations by Contributor: Charles Dolan, Eva Dolan, Helen Dolan, Larence Dolan - each donated $10,670 (Charles Dolan is described by The Museum of Broadcast Communications as "one of the least known but most powerful moguls in the modern cable television industry in the United States.")
Then there is David Brennan of Akron who gave $10,000 and who runs Ohio's largest charter school company, according to The Ohio Federation of Teachers, and Ann A. Brennan, also of Akron, who donated $5,000.
An Ohio Federation of Teachers report prepared in cooperation with the AFL-CIO union, “... shows clearly that David Brennan has been allowed to circumvent numerous state laws, and that profit, not helping children learn, is the primary motive,” said OFT President Tom Mooney."
The report states that David Brennan built his education empire on public dollars enabled by favorable legislation adopted after enormous campaign contributions to legislators. In one two-month period alone, November and December 2001, while the House was deliberating HB 364 (which significantly relaxed regulations on charter schools), the Brennan family contributed $162,500 to GOP members of the House, all in $2,500 checks (the maximum per cycle at that time) ... Brennan’s charter school operations have faced little scrutiny from regulators, including state auditors, who were also the recipients of his political contributions.
Also contributing to Jay's campaign funds:
Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes - $10,000
William L Lager - owner of "A complete learning management system providing educational services; namely, classroom instruction, primarily on-line, for grades K through 12"
Oil and Gas Association - $5,000
Then there's First Energy, plus First Energy PAC, plus Gary Leidich, president of First Energy, each donating $5,000 to Jay's campaign, plus Gib Reese, Jerry McClain, Les Wexner, Dan Delawder, Marathon Oil, Meijer PAC, - and the list just goes on and on for ten web pages of special-interest donors who have staked a claim for favorable votes by Jay Hottinger.
Owing a piece of any legislator is exactly and precisely what's wrong with government. Jay is worth less as a representative of the common working stiff by $103,900; Howard has maintained his full value. I'm with Howard.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Howard Hill is a serious contender
With the pot boiling over the sucker punch delivered to voters by Newark School District in the recent election, this is a good time to reflect on the candidacy for the Ohio legislature by Howard Hill.
He promises to make educational funding a priority, if elected, and work toward relief from "constant taxation and request of levies from the schools," while recognizing the state's unfunded mandates to schools are part of the problem, as I reported 2/8/08.
In a recent news release, Howard has pledged that he would use all "campaign donations for purely campaign-related expenses." This is his response to "recently publicized use of campaign dollars to purchase OSU football tickets, meals, gas, automobiles, tickets to cultural events, and even a tuxedo!”
He said "although these people’s actions were legal, I do not believe that they were an ethical use of campaign funds ..."
I really like his campaign motto: "common people putting forth uncommon effort in order to do public good." There never was a time when that's needed more than it is today.
He promises to make educational funding a priority, if elected, and work toward relief from "constant taxation and request of levies from the schools," while recognizing the state's unfunded mandates to schools are part of the problem, as I reported 2/8/08.
In a recent news release, Howard has pledged that he would use all "campaign donations for purely campaign-related expenses." This is his response to "recently publicized use of campaign dollars to purchase OSU football tickets, meals, gas, automobiles, tickets to cultural events, and even a tuxedo!”
He said "although these people’s actions were legal, I do not believe that they were an ethical use of campaign funds ..."
I really like his campaign motto: "common people putting forth uncommon effort in order to do public good." There never was a time when that's needed more than it is today.
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