Sunday Spotlight: The Taxpayer

Today's Sunday Spotlight shines on the taxpaying citizens of Hamilton County and across the country. The beleagured taxpayers.

I decided this would be the topic for today's blog after writing my check to the U.S. Treasury and to the Ohio Treasury this morning for my 2008 taxes. Some checks are harder to write than others and those checks are among the hardest.

People are rightly sick and tired of government wasting their precious tax dollars on unnecessary things. More often than not--but not often enough--our Party has stood with the taxpayer and the future of the Republican Party is to stand firm with those who sensibly are frugal with taxpayer dollars.

Today, a couple of weeks before "tax day," we should dedicate ourselves to standing with taxpayers as Democratic government officials from the White House to Cincinnati City Hall to the Hamilton County Commission waste your money.

Thursday Update

We have really seen a rush of enthusiasm for the G.O.P. and for conservative values in the last few months. The number of people approaching me and our party to get active has increased and that is great news. You also see conservatives charged up in the Tea Party movement and with the tremendous growth of C.O.A.S.T. Conservatism is alive and well and that is great news for the Republican Party and for America.

And...

I laughed this morning at a headline in Politicker OH that quoted Republican Steve LaTourette as using the word "sphincter." Republicans can be funny, too. Check out the article and video by clicking here. Rep. LaTourette is a great Republican leader in the Congress.

And...

We're very close to rolling out our candidate for Mayor. I'm excited about offering the citizens a conservative, common sense alternative to the current leadership at City Hall. Stay tuned.

And...

Attorney Pat Fischer has agreed to chair our "Precinct Power Program" (P3). P3 is designed to train, energize, motivate and empower key precincts in Hamilton County to help Republicans get elected everywhere. We have a strategy and a plan to move forward. We welcome your input at maggien@hc-gop.org.

And...

Our new website is up and running with some kinks: http://www.hamiltoncountyrepublicanparty.org/. We're working them out. We "went live" with the website so that the fine citizens of the universe would not be deprived--for even one more minute--of the chance to see ME deliver a video introduction.

And...

A person commenting on a blog posting recently described what we write here as "vapid drivel." My public school education meant I had to go to Dictionary.com. Vapid means: lacking or having lost life, sharpness, or flavor; insipid; flat. Drivel means: childish, silly, or meaningless talk or thinking; nonsense; twaddle. Thanks for keeping us thinking even though you think what we say is "twaddle." Oh, the haters.

And...

I was disappointed to see that Commissioner Greg Hartmann did not get any Democratic support when he tried to defend property rights in Green Township. Greg's motion to pass a resolution supporting the development of the Green Township Legacy Place development failed for lack of a second at the most recent commissioner's meeting. Any surprise the Democrats played games with Greg's motion and failed to defend the will of the voters in Green Township? No. Ideology always trumps democracy with the liberals and our commissioners are no different. The voters of Green Township ought to know that their vote in support of Legacy Place over 2 years ago is being held up because of a liberal environmental agenda that now seems to be supported by the two Democrats on the County Commission. Is this how to spur economic development? Read the resolution and the resulting excuses offered by the Democrats, here.

And...

How socialist is the Obama agenda? It is so socialist that even the Europeans are calling it a "road to hell." Check out the story here.

And...

Rob Portman will be the next U.S. Senator from Ohio.

And...

Go Muskies! I am a Xavier man down-the-line.

And...

Have a great Thursday.

Obama's Press Conference Last Night - What do you think?

Were you able to watch Obama's press conference last night? I am guessing it had high viewer ratings since it took the time spot of American Idol ;)

A few of my initial thoughts are that he didn't really present anything new. I had already heard or read almost everything he discussed.

I do believe it is difficult for the President to continuously encourage "bipartisan" efforts when he spent a lot of time attacking the Bush Administration and current Republicans Congressional leaders.

What are your thoughts?

Check Out Our New Website!

Please take a few seconds to check out our new interactive website!

www.hamiltoncountyrepublicanparty.org

It is currently under construction so please be patient and check back often!

The Obama Mess, Etc.

Any objective observer can see that the Obama presidency is off to a very rocky start. This crew is not ready for prime time and not ready to govern. The British publication, The Telegraph, published the top 10 video gaffes of this administration. Check it out, here: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/toby_harnden/blog/2009/03/20/top_10_gaffes_by_barack_obama_and_joe_biden_.

And...

President Obama's quip about Special Olympics was a gaffe that offended lots of people. It promotes a stereotype of special needs people that is hurtful to them and to their families. What he said was childish and totally inappropriate. President Obama rightly apologized. The one statement, taken in isolation, should not be overblown. Lord knows that many public figures, Republican and Democrat, can say dumb things that they shouldn't say. However, for me, it is part of a pattern of non-presidential behavior exhibited by this administration. President Obama is not ready for prime-time and does not respect the office of the presidency. Statements like the one he made on the Tonight Show diminish the office and the man.

And...

I am having many "told ya so" moments with friends who supported President Obama in the 2008 election. Some people that I know bought the "change" argument and were taken by Obama's charisma. Now, several of them are regretting their decision because they are seeing what we Republicans have been telling them all along. President Obama and Speaker Pelosi (sorry, Sally) are "changing" the country by re-distributing wealth, spending our great-grandchildren's money, and moving the country sharply to the left. America is not ready for this kind of move to the left.

And..

Good conservatives (i.e. Michelle Malkin) who are explaining AIG executive bonuses are well-meaning and make sense with some of their arguments. Read Malkin's thoughts, here.

And...

In addition to Facebook, I'm Twitter-addicted now. The trick with Twitter is to follow the right people and news sources. If you do that, you can get a steady stream of news and information in a short period of time from sources you like and trust. Check out my Twitter presence at: https://twitter.com/chairmanalex.

Other people worth following:

https://twitter.com/limbaugh
https://twitter.com/NRO
https://twitter.com/BobbyJindal
https://twitter.com/politicalticker
https://twitter.com/weeklystandard
https://twitter.com/KevinDeWine

These are just a few people worth following on Twitter. There are LOTS more.

And...

Have a great weekend.

Republicans and Poverty

This is the percentage of people below the government's poverty level:

1. Detroit , MI 32.5%
2. Buffalo , NY 29.9%
3. Cincinnati , OH 27.8%
4. Cleveland , OH 27.0%
5. Miami , FL 26.9%
6. St. Louis , MO 26.8%
7. El Paso , TX 26.4%
8. Milwaukee , WI 26.2%
9. Philadelphia , PA 25.1%
10. Newark , NJ 24.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey, August 2007.

What do the top ten cities (over 250,000) with the highest poverty rate all have in common?

Detroit, MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961;
Buffalo, NY (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954;
Cincinnati , OH (3rd)...since 1984;
Cleveland , OH (4th)...since 1989;
Miami , FL (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;
St. Louis , MO (6th)....since 1949;
El Paso , TX (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;
Milwaukee , WI (8th)...since 1908;
Philadelphia , PA (9th)...since 1952;
Newark , NJ (10th)...since 1907.

Einstein once said, 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.'

The following quote, sometimes inaccurately attributed to President Lincoln, was made by conservative commentator and motivational speaker, William J. H. Boetcker and has never been more true:

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

It is time for a change in city government.

*This information was passed on to me by a loyal conservative and Republican. Thank you.

Obama and Strickland - Approval Ratings Drop in Ohio

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - Tuesday, a new Quinnipiac poll was released displaying lower approval ratings for Democratic leaders.

In just one month, President Obama's approval rating in Ohio slipped ten percentage points to 57%. The numbers fell the most among independent voters.

Governor Strickland's approval rating is currently the lowest it has been since he took office in 2006. His numbers slipped drastically from 63% to 56%.

Ohioans are losing faith in current leadership to improve the economic trends and the education system. Although the numbers are generally still high, the trend is downward. You can view the poll by clicking on the following link: http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1322.xml?ReleaseID=1277


ALSO, TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO FILL OUT YOUR NCAA BRACKET TO WIN LUNCH WITH CHAIRMAN TRIANTAFILOU! Fill your bracket out by clicking on the following link: http://hamcogop.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?referrer=MKTG_BM_INVITE Password: elephant

Happy St. Patrick's Day - A Few Things You Didn't Know About Ireland

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

1. You probably thought Ireland drinks the most Guiness...wrong! The U.K. is first and Ireland is third.

2. The harp is the official emblem of Ireland - NOT the shamrock

3. Technically, it is an offense to be drunk in Ireland; however, the law is not enforced.

4. Genuine Irish Pubs often refuse to serve Irish car bombs (a shot made with Guiness, Irish Cream and Whiskey - DON'T TRY THEM UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED!) because the drink references the terrorist car bombings by the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

5. Only 2 members of U2 were born in Ireland

6. In the summer of 2007, it rained in Ireland for 40 days straight. (I might reconsider ever visiting if they receive that much rain!)

7. Do you know what the shamrock represents? The cross and blessed trinity

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

NCAA Tournament and the GOP

The Hamilton County GOP is hosting an online NCAA bracket challenge.

You will need to establish a CBS Sportsline account with your OWN User ID and Password. Once passed that, you will be prompted for a password to get into our bracket. That password is: elephant.

Join in the fun at: http://hamcogop.mayhem.cbssports.com/e?referrer=MKTG_BM_INVITE

This is being done for entertainment purposes only. The winner will be invited to lunch with Chairman Triantafilou!

Cincinnati Tea Party

Join us at the Cincinnati Tea Party today, Sunday, March 15 at 3:00 p.m. on Fountain Square!

To learn more about the Tea Party, click here.

I hope to see you on the Square and bring your tea.

Comments Back On

Now that Maggie Nafziger will be taking an active role with this blog, we have turned back "on" the comments.

The usual rules apply. We encourage constructive dialogue and even fair criticism of party operations and candidates. You will be wasting your time if you attack Republicans because nobody will ever see your comment. We exist to support and promote Republican candidates and our blog will not be used to smear them. That ought to be obvious.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Birthday, Mitt Romney!

Today is Mitt Romney's 62nd birthday! Happy Birthday, Governor!

With today being the Xavier Musketeers first game in the Atlantic 10 tournament, I thought it would be an opportune time to share our "just for fun" NCAA bracket hosted by the Hamilton County Republican Party. (Yes, Bearcat fans, you can still participate.) You have until Thursday, March 19th to fill out your bracket. The winner of the bracket will win a lunch date with the Chairman! Check back to this blog for further information.

This morning I was picking up my regular morning coffee at the nearby coffee shop (I should really cut that habit and the cost) and couldn't miss one of the other morning regulars making a sarcastic announcement to the entire shop about an article in the USA Today announcing the world's billionaires are now "only millionaires" due to the current economic crisis. He sarcastically mentioned how sad he is for their losses. I bit my tongue and he is lucky because it was early in the morning and I was about to give him an earful. After reviewing the top 10 wealthiest people in the world, I recognized that most of these men are self-made individuals that should be commended for achieving their success.

What my quick-to-judge friend didn't consider this morning is the number of non-profits around the world that are suffering right now due to big donors tightening their belts. Do you know that non-profits derive 75% of their funding from just a small number of big donors?

And as if charities weren't already suffering enough financial heartache, President Obama's new tax plan includes a provision that will reduce charitable tax deductions for households earning $250,000 plus in income annually. Under this plan, a donor in the highest tax bracket would save $280 on a $1,000 charitable deduction, instead of currently receiving $396. Now I am clearly not a big donor or even a tax guru, but I do recognize that those are substantial number differences. Is that really the change voters were looking for?

A New Addition to the Blogosphere!

When Chairman Triantafilou took over the Party last March (his 1 year anniversary is next week), he made it a priority to improve communication to Republicans, voters on the fence and even critics! The purpose of this goal is to open up a dialogue with you on what we need to do better, where we need to be focusing our efforts and what we are hearing about current events and politics. This blog is one of the numerous outlets he initiated to increase our communciation and so far I believe it has been extremely productive!

After months of begging ;), the Chairman finally provided me access to add blog entries. If you don't know me, I am the Executive Director of the Hamilton County Republican Party. I started here in 2002 as an intern while I attended Xavier University (Go Muskies!). As the Executive Director, I take on a wide range of tasks from helping elected officials organize fundraisers to helping Debbie Flammer (our Office Manager) answer phones when needed. I am excited to be able to tell you more about what we are doing and I hope I don't disappoint!

As for today, I encourage you to check out the following detailed article on 2010 congressional races and how Republicans have reasons to be hopeful! http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/the_eighteenth_brumaire_of_bar.html

Lastly, look out for CASINOS in Ohio to be back on the ballot this November! Proponents need to acquire 400,000 signatures to place the issue on the ballot. If it passes, a casino could be placed right here in Cincinnati! Voters have turned down the casino proposal four times since 1990.

Have a great Wednesday!

Tuesday, Early

The tragic murder of Esme Kenney has rocked our community. There is true evil in this world and the animal that killed Esme Kenney is an evil and bad person. I am pleased to tell you that after years of working in the justice system, this type of truly heinous person is rare. But, they exist. No punishment can be too harsh and swift for a person so vile and disgusting. Pray for Esme and her family. To make an online donation in her memory, click here.

And...happily back to politics...

Our Committee 2010 met last night to put great brains together to find a way to promote candidates from our outlying townships, cities, and villages into higher office. The first meeting was well-attended and I hope to meet again to discuss this important topic. Thanks to all who participated and believe in the future of the GOP.

And...

Our efforts at fundraising continue at HQ this week (and always). A strong local party is good for every candidate and every campaign. Consider an online donation by clicking "Donate" on the right side of this blog.

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Two great Republican Trustees kick-off their fundraising this Wednesday. David Linnenberg and Tracy Winkler will host a fundraiser tomorrow, 3/11/09 at the Queen City Club. For more information and to buy a ticket, contact Maggie at maggien@hc-gop.org.

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Do you know about the Cincinnati Tea Party scheduled for this Sunday, 3 pm - 5 pm, at Fountain Square? Check out http://www.cincinnatiteaparty.org/ for more information. I'll be there and I hope to see lots of Republicans there. We are sick of what is happening with our money in Washington and across government.

And...

I made a little unintended news last week with my blog when I predicted a "crime wave." Making news was not my intention. But, I have too many friends who work in the justice system talking to me about the state of criminal justice in this county to not have that opinion. Even low level crimes need to be punished so as to deter more serious offenses. That is not happening. I remain concerned.

And...

On Sunday, I posted a video of Milton Friedman explaining the most basic concept of capitalism in 2 minutes. I have received tremendous feedback on this. It seems that too many in our country have forgotten what made us great and that clip is a quick and very convincing reminder of what did.

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Did you see where former WCPO I-Team Reporter Laure Quinlivan is running for council as a Democrat? I've met her before and she seems nice enough. Knowing what you know about her career, was there any doubt that she was a strident Democrat? When Republicans complain about media bias, I sometimes cringe. But, we're proven to be right most of the time. Stop and think about this: wouldn't you be shocked had she come out as a Republican? Of course.

And...

The Enquirer story about our "short slate" for council almost made it sound like we only had five candidates ask for our endorsement. It is not so. There are several Republicans who approached us about an endorsement. A decision to go with a "short slate" was strategic.

And...

From across the river, it seems the jury made the right decision to convict Cheryl McCafferty of homicide. We can't know enough about the evidence to know whether manslaughter was the right call, but she certainly appeared guilty of something. A respect for life includes prosecuting those who take life without justification. The law contemplates very few instances where one human can justifiably take the life of another. And, so it should be.

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Have a great Tuesday.

In Memory of Esme Kenney

To make a donation in memory of this young lady, click here.

Sunday Spolight: Capitalism

Democrat(ic) Money Burn: Attorney's Fees

Should the Cincinnati Public Schools be paying the fees for the attorneys who sue them? Strange, huh? You get sued and you pay the attorney that sues you. Can this be real?

For the Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education, it just might be.

Today's Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the newspaper has taken legal action to force the School Board to turn over the resumes submitted to it for the position of school superintendent. Those resumes are sitting in a P.O. Box controlled by the Board that will presumably go unchecked until the Board decides to check it. The resumes are not being made available for public inspection until the Board decides to open the P.O. Box they control and, right now, they are not allowing access to its contents. They are doing so in an effort to control the dissemination of this information. Eventually, the Board will divulge the information on their own schedule.

This legal action should come as no surprise to the people (both of them) who read this blog. One month ago, I predicted that legal action could ensue from this scheme devised by the Democratically controlled Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education.

Once these resumes are in a P.O. Box controlled by a public entity, they are in the control of that public entity and they are a public record. I strongly believe that this scheme devised by the Democratically controlled school board is illegal and violates the public's right to access public records.

If the judge hearing this case agrees, then the law is equally unambiguous about who pays the lawyer who sued the School Board: YOU. The law says, "[I]f the court issues an injunction (i.e., if the public body loses), the court shall order the public body to pay all court costs. In addition, the court shall also order the public body to pay the filing party its reasonable attorney fees."

Now, I'm not brand new. There are great lawyers defending the School Board and they have rightly pointed out that the law may be unclear on this specific question. I have no doubt that the lawyers for the Board would have explained this to their client. But, the client presumably made the decision after getting clear legal advice.

The Democratically controlled School Board is risking YOUR tax dollars by engaging in this silly scheme to hide from public view that which the public is entitled to see and now it will result in a costly legal fight. If they win, they will have paid legal fees to defend a questionable legal scheme. If they lose, your tax dollars will pay for the Enquirer's attorney and all the costs associated with the litigation. That's the law.

All seven School Board members endorsed the Democrat running for President in 2008. The Democrats are in charge of the schools in Cincinnati. We need a change on the School Board.

Thursday

I remember when I used to like Keith Olbermann. Early in his career on ESPN, he was funny and engaging. Wow, has that changed. Now, he is a hater and left-wing apologist who offers very few things that are funny and offers nothing new to the public discourse. I watch lots of left-leaning shows (Daily Show, Colbert) and find them humorous and entertaining. Olbermann is neither and his ratings prove it.

And...

I will be attending a fundraiser for State Senate candidate Michelle Schneider this evening. That event is from 5:00 p.m - 7:00 p.m. at the Kenwood Country Club. To join us, contact Maggie at maggien@hc-gop.org.

And...

There is an interesting article in Politico.com about Rush Limbaugh and the Democrats' effort to demonize him. Read it here. Rush Limbaugh is a great voice for the conservative movement.

And...

I am planning a conference call with our judicial screening committee to discuss several things. First, Judge Painter's departure from the First District Court of Appeals will leave us with a campaign to maintain that seat. Second, Judge Panioto cannot run again. These races are set for 2010, but it is never to early to plan.

And...

I'm happy to read that several Democrats in the Senate (Bayh, Feingold, Menendez, Nelson) all may oppose this $400+ billion omnibus budget bill that has over 9,000 pork barrel earmarks. The Democrats may not have the votes to pass this ridiculous, out-of-control spending bill. The Obama administration has been "ho-hum" about it and have essentially declared it "last year's business" and are not working to clean it up. The Republicans in the Senate were stymied in their efforts to amend the bill to eliminate this outrageous waste of your dollars. The Democratic money burn continues.

And...

Our community is less safe today than it was a year ago and it will be less safe one year from now. As much as I hate to predict this, we are in for a long, hot summer of crime. Why? Because budget cuts have gutted the Sheriff's office, destroyed the ability of government to incarcerate criminals, and have endangered our community. We are entering a very dangerous and uncertain period. We need more jail space.

And...

Has President Obama shown you anything yet? I am wholly unimpressed. He has allowed Speaker Pelosi (sorry, Sally) to control the agenda in Washington.

And...

I turned off the ability to comment to this blog and I'm damn glad that I did. The "haters" are many and they offer nothing productive and they typically hide behind "anonymous." This blog is designed to support Republicans. If you want to be a hater, go to another blog. If you want to change the Republican Party, be a productive voice to do so by supporting candidates and issues you believe in.

And...

I have been watching the County Commissioner meetings on Wednesdays. Democrat Commissioner Portune needs to talk less...that's all I'm sayin'...

And...

Have a great Wednesday.

Guest Blog Post: Ron Mosby

Republican activist and member of the Hamilton County GOP non-judicial screening committee, Ron Mosby, submitted the below article for publication on this blog. Ron's thoughts about the state of our economy and the future of our capitalist democracy are thoughtful and well-reasoned. Thanks to Ron for submitting this article.

****************

Words to consider

There is an old saying, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” This is especially true with today’s government.

President Obama’s proposed tax increases on the wealthy are being met with skepticism by both Republicans and Democrats alike. His call to reduce taxes on lower incomes and increase taxes on the higher incomes is reminiscent of Robin Hood – robbing from the rich to give to the poor. Yet, the government does not exist to determine who succeeds and who does not. That is because the government cannot determine what success is. For many, success has nothing to do with monetary gain. But for those who do consider the earning of a high wage to be successful, what incentive will there be for those individuals to seek to improve their standard of living if they know that the reward will be for the government to expiate their success by compensating the indolent? The result will be the exact opposite of what was intended. Those people will not work to their full potential out of fear or resentment, and as a consequence, join the ranks of the indolent. This, then, becomes the unintended consequence of the government interfering in a capitalistic economy. Because the purpose of taxation is not to improve one’s standard of living at the expense of another. The purpose of taxation is to provide services that are common to all who live in a society.

What is interesting is that this line of reasoning is nothing new. Carter G. Woodson warned of this philosophy nearly 80 years ago in his book “The Mis-Education of the Negro.” First, he describes a particular class of people, “highly educated Negroes,” as those “who have studied economics at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Chicago.” Mr. Woodson then goes on to describe how these educated individuals will seek to remedy the inequalities of capitalism:

"The impatient, 'highly educated' Negroes, therefore, say that since under the present system of capitalism the Negro has no chance to toil upward in the economic sphere, the only hope for bettering his condition in this respect is through socialism, the overthrow of the present economic regime, and the inauguration of popular control of resources and agencies which are now being operated for personal gain. This thought is gaining ground among Negroes in this country, and it is rapidly sweeping them into the ranks of what are commonly known as ‘Communists.’"

Upon first glance, one may be taken aback by such strong language. But, when we look at the recent action that the government has taken, such as a 36% stake in Citigroup, it is clear the direction that our country is headed. It is naive to think that this is not the beginning of nationalization. Why else would investors be fleeing the equity market like roaches scrambling to hide when the light is turned on? They understand that the moment public money is introduced into the private sector, the potential for growth for that business is severely diminished. Once the floodgates are opened, it is difficult to close them. Ultimately, the uplifting of our society as a whole will never come through government intervention. It will come through the volition of responsible individuals across the economic spectrum that desire to preserve the spirit of this nation, that all people are created equal, and that each human being has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What people do with that right is their choice.

Ron Mosby

Congratulations Judge Painter

Longtime Republican endorsed Judge Mark Painter received a very prestigious appointment to a newly created United Nations appeals court. Judge Painter is one of seven judges selected in a worldwide search. To read more about this new position for Judge Painter, click here.

Congratulations to Judge Painter!

As Republicans, we will be ready to win this seat back in 2010!