John Kasich's Part-Time Job At Ohio State U. Pays $1,388.88 Per Hour: Average Cincinnatian Earns $21.37 Hourly Holding Down A Full-Time Gig

Wage Data For Cincy Area

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Former Wall Street investment banker John Kasich, the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio, makes more in a year as a part-time lecturer at Ohio State University than most Cincinnatians earn in full-time jobs.  Kasich gets $50,000 for 36 hours of talking -- or $1,388.88 per hour.  He takes money for speaking to college classes, something many prominent Ohioans are glad to do for free.  Former U.S. Sen. John Glenn -- a Marine fighter pilot who became an astronaut and was the first American to orbit the Earth -- comes to OSU gratis.  Comparing paychecks to Kasich's, you will see that a cop in SW Ohio -- which includes the Cincinnati area -- makes $25.21 per hour.  A fast food worker makes $8.58.  A high school teacher earns $39.59 hourly -- that is an average for public, private, parochial and charter school wages (see accompanying chart).  Kasich's pay is 35 times as much per hour as dedicated teachers -- both union and non-union -- who spend their entire days in classrooms trying to prepare Ohio kids for college classes.  Kasich has had the OSU gig for the past seven years, so it is not like he is getting a fat one-time speaker's fee.  This is a part-time position on the state's biggest campus.  Kasich has not opened up his income tax records to public view.  He is the only candidate for Ohio governor since the mid-1980s who has refused to reveal his tax data.  The OSU payments are public record.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks hourly earnings for hundreds of jobs, and 63 pages of data for the Cincinnati metropolitan area is available (pdf) by clicking here. The Cincy metro covers a wide swath of SW Ohio, including Hamilton, Clermont, Butler and Warren counties. Employers rely on the stats to make sure the salaries they are paying their workers are in line with area norms. Payroll data for the Columbus metro area is available in this labor statistics report (pdf).  The per hour earnings reports for Cincinnati and Columbus are from October 2009, and its is the most recent data available.  The Daily Bellwether looked over the Cincinnati numbers for full-time workers and found some examples to compare to Kasich's $1389 an hour part-time gig:

Accountants and auditors -- $27.55 per hour.
Engineers -- $36.79 per hour
High school teachers -- $39.59 per hour
Post secondary teachers -- 36.85 per hour (this post would equate to Kasich's OSU job)
Registered nurse -- $36.61 per hour
Fast food worker -- $8.58 per hour
Janitors -- $11.99 per hour
Plumbers -- $26.83 per hour  
Machinists -- $25.14 per hour
Factory foreperson (supervisor) -- $23.39
School bus driver -- $18.66
Tractor-trailer driver -- $26.30

Across the board, the mean salary for all workers was just over $20 an hour.  For a part-time job, the pay was $12.27 an hour.  The Cincinnati area data covers about 940,800 workers.

In Columbus, the hourly pay data shows that post-secondary (college level) teachers earn $59.64 an hour.  But if the wage rates are examined closely, they show $35.33 an hour for college level instructors in the arts, humanities and communications.  Kasich has a political science contract, which is a comparable position.  He made nearly 40 times the average in the Columbus wage market.

Ohio Daily is wondering today if Kasich got a sweetheart deal. Ohio Daily has gotten info from an e-mail circulating recently among faculty members on the Ohio State University campus:

"In an Oct. 19th email, Gunther said he and other faculty members were pressured to keep inviting Kasich back, and said he called Kasich’s salary 'obscene,' especially when compared to other part-time faculty. From the email:

"Let's look at this from another perspective. According to his own official report, Kasich was paid an average of $1,389 per hour for these occasional lectures. Instructors at OSU who are simply hired to teach a course (i.e., they are not regular faculty, but they often included Emeritus faculty) were paid between $2,500 and $5,000 for an entire 10-week course. That works out to something ranging from $63 to $125 per hour of lecture time, and that does not include the additional time required for grading and holding office hours with students. Even a full professor making $100,000 per year would be paid only about $200 for a 2-hour lecture (when research, grading and office hour requirements are factored in). Kasich’s pay, which averaged about  $2,778 per lecture, is simply obscene."

Fake Ohio Hunter Pictured In John Kasich Mailer: Buckeye Firearms Association Shoots Down Fraudulent Photo

Kasich Hunts For Votes With Fake Ohio Hunter

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The pro-gun Buckeye Firearms Association says John Kasich, Republican candidate for Ohio governor, has stooped to using a photo of a fake Ohio hunter in his campaign literature. It calls him a gun-rights phony.  Or, as Ken Hanson, the group's legislative chair put it today, "Kasich is finding religion like a nervous whore in church on Sunday."  Hanson said the picture of a hunter in a recent mailer wasn't from Ohio -- the hunter depicted is aiming a scoped rifle.  But hunting with such weapons is illegal in Ohio.  Rifle slugs can travel too far from open fields and stray into populated areas.  So the scene was staged.  Or it was purloined from some other state.  Either way, it proves that Kasich knows nearly nothing about hunting or guns.  In other ads this year, Kasich has used a fake steelworker and a fake journalist. Here's Hanson on the latest Kasich scam:

"Fast-forward to late October, when the race is a statistical dead heat, and all of a sudden Kasich is finding religion like a whore in church on Sunday.  Exhibit A is a recent mailing targeting gun owners.   Note the picture on page 2 of the mailer.  A hunter in blaze orange in the middle of a field with a medium bore, scoped rifle.  Tell us, Sportsman Kasich, what is this sportsrman hunting in Ohio, since rifle hunting of that sort is not legal here?"

Kasich is firmly opposed by pro-gun groups from the NRA on down.  They frequently back Republicans, but this year are enthusiastic for Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, who hails from rural Ohio (Scioto County) and has been a gun rights supporter all his life.  Strickland talks about the days when his family had to hunt for food when times were hard.  The Buckeye Firearms Association says Kasich's mailer has another distortion -- it claims Kasich has NRA support.  Hanson said the endorsement was moldy, from 20 years ago in a Congressional race, ancient and not pertinent to the 2010 race for governor of Ohio.  Does Hanson have cred on pro-gun issues?  Check out his bio:

"Ken Hanson is a gun rights attorney in Ohio. He serves as the Legislative Chair for Buckeye Firearms Association, and is the attorney of record for Buckeye Firearms Foundation, which filed friend-of-the-court briefs in the Heller and McDonald Supreme Court cases. The National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) has awarded him with its 2008 Defender of Justice Award and 2009 Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year Award. He is the author of The Ohio Guide to Firearm Laws, a certified firearms instructor and holds a Type 01 Federal Firearms License."

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources hunting regulations (online here) are clear that rifles are not a among the types of firearms allowed for deer hunting. Shotguns and muzzleloaders and some handguns can be used -- but none of them would need a scope gunsight to put a deer in the crosshairs.

UPDATE: 2:10 pm -- At Ohio Daily Blog, which has linked to The Daily Bellwether, Kasich's hunter photo is being compared to a golfer teeing off with a putter.  Only idiots would try to play like that.  And only the Kasich campaign would try to fool sportsmen with an idiotic photo.  Says Ohio Daily:  "There are numerous reasons why Ohio sportsmen reject John Kasich. First, is his F rating from the NRA. That's right. I said it. F! F! F! The Ohio Elections Commission today dismissed Kasich's claim that somehow he didn't receive an F. He did. And we're repeating it in case you skimmed over it. F!  Second, Kasich forgets that many of Ohio's sportsmen and sportswomen are hard-working, blue collar, union-workers. And John Kasich just called those people 'thugs' earlier in the week.  Third, Kasich forgets that many of Ohio's sportsmen and sportswomen are residents of rural areas. They don't go hunting as part of some junket paid for by some lobbyist that starts with mimosas & eggs benedict and ends with strippers & cigars. They go hunting to provide for their families. And John Kasich's campaign mocked those same Ohioans, with humble, rural roots, in a statement a few months ago."

My senses tell me that Kasich's problems with accuracy in his campaign literature date back to his stint on Wall Street as managing director of Lehman Brothers, the bankrupt investment house.  Truth is, the Wall Streeters bent information to meet their purposes.  Lehman said it was solid.  Fact is, it was hollow.  The Wall Steeters would pump stocks, pump bonds, pump mortgage markets and derivatives.  Numbers would be strung together.  In that culture, two minus  two could come out equaling 4,000,000,000 plus.  Carnival barkers and Bigfoot hunters had as much credibility as Lehman's balance sheet. Kasich lapped it up like mimosas and eggs benedict.  Hand 'em a putter so he can tee off.  Fore.  

Republican John Kasich Didn't Bother Signing Letter Pledging To Support Law Enforcement: No Time For Ohio's Cops





CINCINNATI (TDB) -- GOP candidate for Ohio governor John Kasich snubbed Ohio's Fraternal Order of Police earlier this year.  He didn't send a personal letter expressing support of law enforcement -- a form letter from a campaign worker was all Kasich mustered.  That's an odd lapse at best, an insult at worse.  Meanwhile, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rob Portman says he enthusiastically supports law enforcement.  Portman is playing up his endorsement from the Ohio FOP, which represents 26,000 cops (active and retired) around the state, including Cincinnati. Another Republican at the top of the GOP's statewide ticket this year, Maureen O'Connor, also is reveling in FOP support as she runs for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Jay McDonald, president of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, has written letters to Ohio newspapers praising her as a top-notch administrator and judge.  But the cops are backing Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, in part because Kasich wouldn't give them the time of day.  Usually, the FOP's support is coveted.  The FOP's newsletter had this to say about Kasich's snub:

"Mr. Kasich did not interview with the political screening committee, he did not attend the conference to make himself available to our members and answer their questions in person, as Governor Strickland and every other candidate for statewide political office did.  A letter was sent expressing Mr. Kasich's support of law enforcement, but that was not even signed by Mr. Kasich, it was signed by a campaign worker.

"Without the participation of Mr. Kasich, we were left to press reports to get his political platform, which includes the abolition of the Ohio Income Tax and the privatization of public employees, both issues opposed by the FOP.  Also, Mr. Kasich's running mate has suggested to municipalities that they consider contracting out their law enforcement work to the Sheriff in her current role as Auditor of State."

FOP state president McDonald -- a Marion, Oh., police officer -- points out that the organization is non-partisan -- four Dems and four Republicans got its support this year.  McDonald has been on the road, where he notes that Kasich is pushing policies that would devastate public safety.  And McDonald said Kasich wants to privatize police and fire jobs.  In Lima last week, McDonald said about Kasich:

"He has repeatedly said if you can find it in the phone book, you can privatize it.  For-profit companies should not decide who goes to jail, who stays in jail, or be guarding the people in jail.  For-profit prisons are a detriment to public safety."

John Kasich's New Ad Features 'Journalist' Who REALLY Screwed Up: Misused Nazi Phrase Emblazoned Over The Gates Of Auschwitz

Mytheos Holt Admitted He Was A Dolt

 CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The star of Republican John Kasich's latest television ad apologized to his entire college campus for comparing the extermination camp's "Arbeit Macht Frei" -- the phrase millions passed while being herded to the gas chambers -- to Obama's "Yes we can."

Mytheos Holt publicly had to retract his words, which appeared in a column in the Wesleyan Argus not quite two years ago.  Now Holt -- who openly admitted he was a dolt -- is going to pop up in a John Kasich TV spot that attacks Gov. Ted Strickland for false and misleading ads.  Holt claimed in his apology that he wrongly thought "Arbeit Macht Frei" was simply a German campaign slogan.  His knowledge gap proved offensive and disgusting -- it's a phrase forever associated with murder, starvation, slave labor, brutal experiments on children, and ovens, those awful ovens, the soul stealers.  The Daily Bellwether has the apology here:

Holt apologizes

By Mytheos Holt

"A few hours after my column ran this Tuesday (“Mytheology: Wesleyan Viewed from the Right: It's a Brand New Day,” Nov. 11, 2008, Volume CXLIV, Number 19) I received an angry e-mail from a friend about my usage of the slogan “Arbeit Macht Frei.”

I was under the impression that he was reacting against my implied comparison between two arguably totalitarian slogans, so I replied back snappishly, but he then informed me that it had been written over the gates at Auschwitz. I was shocked and horrified to learn this, and so I apologize for using that phrase. I had intended it merely as a reference to what I thought was an oft-used campaign slogan in Nazi Germany, NOT to imply that Obama was on the verge of committing genocide.

I realize that I was wrong not to research the phrase. If anyone should have done so, it would be a half-Jewish student whose mother's side of the family was fortunate enough to escape Europe before Hitler could get to them.  This was an extreme comparison, and I am deeply sorry to anyone who was offended by the column.

Anthony Fossacecca at Ohio Daily Blog says Holt is a rookie partisan Hack who has been in journalism only since the Spring. Fossacecca didn't know about the death camp furor, which The Daily Bellwether discovered after reading Holt's columns in a campus newspaper.  Here's Fossacecca:

"Republican Gubernatorial Candidate John Kasich is about to launch a new ad later today attacking Governor Ted Strickland for running false and misleading ads. In the spot, the Kasich campaign cites one source for their attack on Strickland : National Review blogger Mytheos Holt. And Holt is hardly a credible source. Until last spring, the poor kid was writing for The Wesleyan Argus in an ultra-conservative column called "Mytheology" before he graduated and grabbed a desk at NRO. He's also grabbed coffee for folks at Accuracy in Media and shadowy Bush group, Freedom's Watch.
With a crack resume like that, it's no wonder Team Kasich swooped in to use him as the only credible journalist willing to shill for the team.
In the spot, he's quoted calling Ted's spots "blatant misrepresentation of the truth.... ridiculous... not one sentence in context."
With youthful exaggerations like that, perhaps he should have run for State Treasurer."

University of Cincinnati's Latest Ohio Poll: Kasich's Lead Is Overwhelming IN SW Ohio

Kasich Behind In Central Ohio, Up in SW Ohio

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Today's Ohio Poll shows Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland trailing GOP nominee John Kasich statewide, with 51% of likely voters picking Kasich. The poll puts Strickland at 43% statewide with less than three weeks to Election Day. But when the numbers are broken down by geographic region, Kasich is only winning big in one section of the state, the Cincinnati area. According to the University of Cincinnati pollsters, Kasich holds a gigantic 29-point edge in the Cincinnati area -- Strickland is at 33% and Kasich 62%.  Other than that, the contest appears tight across other chunks of Ohio.

SW Ohio traditionally has been a Republican bastion and if the poll numbers are accurate it could be the region whose votes give Ohio a Republican governor over the next four years.  There is another interesting geographic wrinkle in today's Ohio Poll -- Kasich trails Strickland by an ever so tiny margin in the Columbus (Central Ohio) region. Kasich served as a Congressman from the Columbus area, and he is a well known politician there.  Kasich was also a state senator. Central Ohio is Kasich's political base, yet Strickland leads there , 49% to 48%.  Strickland's lead is razor-thin and within the poll's margin of error.  Logically, Kasich ought  be blowing Strickland out in Central Ohio because that is his backyard. But the poll suggests that Ohioans who know Kasich best -- he served as an officeholder in Central Ohio for a long time in the 1980s and 1990s -- aren't thrilled about his comeback, nor are they supporting him in droves.

Here's the geographic breakdown as reported by the Ohio Poll, which has a 3.7% margin of error. (The poll says the geographic data could fall outside the margin):

Northeast Ohio -- Strickland 47%; Kasich 49%; Don't Know 4%.
Northwest Ohio -- Strickland 39%; Kasich 45%; Don't Know 12%; Other 4%.
Central Ohio -- Strickland 49%; Kasich 48%; Don't Know, 3%.
Southeast Ohio -- Strickland 47%; Kasich 45%; Don't Know 8%.
Southwest Ohio -- Strickland 33%; Kasich 62%; Don't Know 5%

Strickland, who is from Scioto County on the Ohio River in Southeast Ohio, holds a slight lead in what is traditionally known as the Appalachian portion of the state. But the pollsters cautioned that their sample of likely voters was not large enough to ensure the results are reliable for the region.  Strickland represented the area in Congress before his election as governor in 2006. Still, it should give some comfort to Dems that the poll suggests the governor holds a slight lead in his backyard and that he also holds a slight lead on Kasich's home turf in Central Ohio.

UPDATE: 1:03 pm -- Strickland campaign manager Aaron Pickrell says the Ohio Poll has a solid reputation, but takes issue with a few of its underlying assumptions today:

"In this poll - Governor Strickland and Congressman Kasich each get 86% of their respective party's vote and Governor Strickland is winning independent voters by 1%, yet Congressman Kasich has an 8% advantage overall.  This is based on a sample that is 49% Republican, 42% Democratic and 9% Independent.  The poll conducted in September had a sample of 45% Republican, 42% Democratic and 12% Independent.  We strongly dispute a 7% Republican advantage in the turnout of this election.  If you did an apples to apples comparison of the sample used in September and the percentage of the vote each candidate receives - it would be Kasich 48% to Strickland 46%.

"Yet, even those polling numbers belie what we are seeing in early voting. Despite the so-called "enthusiasm gap," Ohio Democrats are turning out in greater numbers than Republicans. The investments that we have made in recent years in the Ohio Democratic Party have resulted in the creation of one of the strongest state parties in the nation. While the Republicans have virtually no turnout operation, the Ohio Democratic Party has a truly statewide get-out-the-vote operation that is identifying and turning out our supporters weeks before the November 2nd election.

"No one pretends this is going to be an easy election - but today's Ohio Poll does not offer an accurate snapshot of the race.  Governor Strickland is ahead by a couple of points in this race and with the superior early vote and GOTV operation - there is no question he will be successful on Election Day."

Ohio's Economy Finally Climbing Off The Mat: Data Shows Job Growth No Longer Flatlined For 2010

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- There are jobs being created in Ohio this year -- 36,200 have been added in the private sector to date.  A meager recovery, but a recovery nonetheless.  Some 600,000 jobs have disappeared in the last decade -- including nearly 400,000 during the Great Recession that started in December 2007 -- but new jobs are slowly returning to Ohio.  The economic crisis was worsened by Wall Street's collapse and the burst mortgage bubble.  The year-to-date trend line for jobs in Ohio is finally beginning to tick in the correct direction.  Meanwhile, state budget officials are reporting glimmers of other positive economic signals, including an uptick in tax revenues that reflects the current flow of Ohio's economy.  They also said state spending is down, an indication that Gov. Ted Strickland is holding the line.  The monthly financial report prepared by Ohio's Office of Budget and Management went out two days ago.  It said:

"During the month of September, Ohio's General Revenue Fund (GRF) tax receipts totaled $1.494.4 million [$1.5 billion], $56.2 million (3.9%) above the monthly estimate.  General Revenue Fund tax receipts for the year-to-date total $3.9997.7 million [rounded to $4 billion] and are $248.2 million (6.6%) greater than the same point a year ago.  For the second month in a row, Ohio has seen better-than-expected performance across most tax sources, and as a result, tax receipts for the first quarter of the fiscal year are $107.0 million  (2.7%) above estimate."

"September fiscal year 2011 GRF spending totaled $2.182.3 million [$2.2 billion] and is $173.2 million (7.4%) below estimate for the month.  On a year-to-date basis, total GRF disbursements are $33.8 million (0.4%) under estimate.  This variance is attributable to under-spending in nearly every category of GRF disbursements."

The full-text of Ohio's latest monthly financial report is available on the OBM website. It is the document dated Oct. 12, 2010.

Republicans Dig Up Dirt On Phony Steelworker In John Kasich's Latest Campaign Ad: Florida Actor With Interesting History

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Even Republican are aghast at John Kasich's latest campaign ad that uses a Florida actor to pose as an Ohio steelworker. They've noticed that the actor, Chip Redden, has a colorful [ed. note: I'm using a polite description] past. Right Ohio, the GOP leaning Ohio blog operated by Matt Naugle, a conservative who worked in Ken Blackwell's 2004 campaign, is taking Kasich apart today. Kasich's GOP campaign has promised to put Ohioans to work.  It seems he's delivering paychecks to Florida offenders.  Here's what Naugle has learned:

"Poor Chip… a local actor making a few bucks on the side and now he becomes a target of the Ohio Democrat Party machine.
I’m surprised they didn’t point out he has a MySpace page, with this being my favorite picture of Chip:

And although he is an Ohio-based actor, he has lived in other states where he has committed crimes. Here are all the ones I could match to his addresses, including a 1996 charge in Florida for battery!

Offender information
Name: REDDEN III, EUGENE V
Address: 225 CHADWORTH DR
KISSIMMEE, FL 34758-3041
OSCEOLA COUNTY
Case Number: CM 9500MM 003428
Case Filing Date: 01/02/1996
County: Osceola
Race: White
Sex: Male
Offenses
Case Filing Date: 01/02/1996
Court Case Number: CM 9500MM 003428
Court Offense: BATTERY
Court Disposition Date: 01/02/1996

And lots of traffic violations. Here are a few examples:

Offenses
Case Filing Date: 11/15/1995
Court Case Number: C 9500TC 037940
Court Offense: ATTACH LICENS PLATE NOT ASSIGN
Court Level/Degree: Traffic Criminal
Case Filing Date: 05/11/1995
Court Case Number: C 9500TT 017335
Court Offense: 51/35 SPEED: POSTED ZONE (MUNI
Court Disposition: VOLUNTARY PAYMENT – ADMIT GUIL
Court Disposition Date: 06/08/1995
Court Level/Degree: Traffic Citation

And at various times in Alaksa, he committed forgery, theft, driving without a drivers license, and driving drunk:

Offender information
Name: REDDEN III, EUGENE V
Address: AK
Case Number: 4FA-93-00439CR
Case Filing Date: 02/22/1993
DOB: 02/1969
Offenses
Case Filing Date: 02/22/1993
Court Description: Fourth District – Fairbanks
Court Case Number: 4FA-93-00439CR
Court Statute: FORGERY II
Court Disposition: No Contest Plea
Court Disposition Date: 10/12/1993
Court Level/Degree: Felony
Offenses
Case Filing Date: 11/12/1999
Court Description: Fourth District – Fairbanks
Court Case Number: 4FA-99-03631CR
Court Statute: NO VALID OL
Court Disposition: No Contest Plea
Court Disposition Date: 12/16/1999
Court Level/Degree: Misdemeanor
Offenses
Case Filing Date: 10/20/1988
Court Description: Fourth District – Fairbanks
Court Case Number: 4FA-88-02951CR
Court Statute: THEFT/FRAUD
Court Disposition: No Contest Plea
Court Disposition Date: 07/17/1989
Court Level/Degree: Misdemeanor
Offenses
Case Filing Date: 03/13/1989
Court Description: Fourth District – Fairbanks
Court Case Number: 4FA-89-00627CR
Court Statute: ALCOHOL
Court Disposition: No Contest Plea
Court Disposition Date: 07/17/1989
Court Level/Degree: Misdemeanor

There are a few other issue minor infractions he committed, but the point is he doesn’t have a clean record and in this tough political environment the Kasich campaign has opened themselves up to this attack.
And before you feel like starring in a political TV ad, prepare yourself to be embarrassed."

Here's more from Plunderbund, which wonders why Kasich couldn't find an Ohio steelworker to wear and hardhat for the ad attacking Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland.

Ohio Gov. Candidate John Kasich Says He Brought Google To Wall Street: Maybe He Was a 'Little Shriveled Walnut' On the IPO

Walnuts or Wall Street?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- GOP candidate John Kasich holds a shriveling lead in the race for Ohio governor, and he also may lead in giving himself a pat on the back for putting Google on the NASDAQ stock market.  But a former Google exec who oversaw the company's initial public offering calls the big Wall Street firms where Kasich worked "little shriveled walnuts"  who didn't truly comprehend the technology industry.  She contends Wall Street's hunger for fees and profits left growth companies SOL.  Google became a public company in August 2004.  A team of 21 investment banks, including now defunct Lehman Bros., where Kasich worked as a managing director, helped prepare Google's initial public offering.  Although Kasich does not mention his Wall Street ties in his official campaign biography, Kasich did say in the Sept. 14 debate with Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland that he had a hand in Google's success.  A link to a tape of the debate is available here. The Daily Bellwether found Kasich talking about Google at the 21:48 mark:

"I was part of the team that took Google public. We know what Google means."

Yes, we all know what Google means.  What we don't  know is what Kasich means.  Does he mean he was an important investment banker at Lehman Bros., the Wall Street company whose collapse in September 2008 helped pull down the U.S. economy?  Did he mean he was a player?  There is just not much information available about Kasich's role.  We do know that Lise Buyer was the investment banking guru at Google who was charged with taking the company public. She would have known Lehman Bros. and Kasich's role. I've not been able to contact her, but I do know she has a low opinion of the investment banks, and said firms like Lehman "emulated Audrey, the man-eating plant from 'Little Shop of Horrors,' demanding ever larger revenues to sustain their mass . . ."

Here's what Lise Buyer said about the investment banks on Feb. 9, 2009 in a column for All Things Digital:

"2. The demise of investment banks is good for IPOs. Today, we lambast investment banks because they earned it. Formerly sure-footed firms ran full speed into a bog they didn’t understand. Those whom Tom Wolfe once christened “Masters of the Universe” and “BSDs” have morphed into LSWs (little shriveled walnuts).

"How does this help the IPO market? In the heyday, technology IPOs were shepherded by boutique investment banks focused on, and economically aligned with emerging growth companies. Those banks didn’t invent, sell or swap CDOs or SIVs. Rather, in the 1990s, following the wisdom of the day, they sold out to diversified, theoretically better-capitalized, larger banks. Those acquiring banks emulated Audrey, the man-eating plant from “Little Shop of Horrors,” demanding ever larger revenues to sustain their mass, leaving new issuers who generate small fees with little IPOs, an acronym of their own; SOL.

"Now, with large investment banks hanging with the pterodactyls, there’s an opportunity for boutiques to rise again, a turn that could be very good for the IPO market."

Chinese Imports Worrying John Kasich's Invacare: Fighting Shanghai Knockoffs To Save U.S. Jobs In Florida

  

Invacare complaint to save Florida jobs

  CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Documents filed with the International Trade Commission in DC suggest John Kasich backs the fight to save an Invacare factory in Florida threatened by Chinese knockoffs.  The documents were prepared by Invacare's lawyers last month.  Ohio's  Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland has been hammering GOP challenger Kasich for serving on the board of directors of Invacare, a Cleveland-area company that moved more than 200 Ohio manufacturing jobs to China.  The loss of those jobs -- and Kasich's role in sending them overseas -- has been a hot issue in a state where globalization and imports have hit the factory economy hard.  The Daily Bellwether learned that Invacare is singing the unfair trade blues, claiming it's being victimized by patent-infringing Chinese imports.  Kasich has been a proponent of foreign trade agreements.  But trade deals can haunt U.S. companies, and Invacare is now fighting [see accompanying document] a legal battle to save 240 jobs at its factory in Sanford, Fla.  A Chinese government owned manufacturer is among the foes.  Inquiring minds might wonder:  Has Kasich fought harder to save jobs in Florida than Ohio?

In early August, Invacare filed a formal complaint with the International Trade Commission against Shanghai Shunglong Physical Therapy Equipment Co., Ltd.  Invacare contends the Chinese are making knockoffs of adjustable height beds used for home health care.  It says the beds are being illegally imported and sold in the U.S.   Here is some language from Invacare's complaint against the Chinese:

"Invacare has made significant investment in plant, tools and equipment devoted to developing, manufacturing and testing the Invacare beds.  Invacare manufactures the Invacare beds at a manufacturing plant that it owns in Sanford, Florida ('Florida Plant') and has been doing so ever since the Invacare Beds were first produced in 2003.  Invacare purchased the Florida Plant in 1994, most of which is designated for manufacturing.  The Florida plant is divided into two different spaces, one dedicated to beds, and the other dedicated to respiratory products.  The Invacare Beds make up a large portion of the beds manufactured in the Florida Plant."

The complaint also states:  "Shunglong manufactures abroad and, directly and through authorized agents, sells for importation and/or imports the Accused Products into the United States.  Invacares's employees have purchased the Accused Products in the United States after importation."

Invacare says the Chinese manufacturer sells to a New York based importer, who then offers the products to dealers and medical providers across the nation.  It said a knockoff bed from China was purchased in Cincinnati at the Queen City Medical Mart on Reading Road.

Earlier this month, the ITC voted to investigate Invacare's complaint.  The full text of the 42-page Invacare unfair trade complaint is available here (pdf). An International Trade Commission press release announcing it would investigate the Chinese beds is available here.

Ohio Dem Polling Gives Kasich 'Important' Edge: Voters Think GOP Candidate Can Create New Jobs

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Democratic Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland is underwater in all polls, including his own. His pollster, Diane Feldman of The Feldman Group Inc., warned in an internal memo late last week [see document] that the race appears to be turning on Ohioans' views about who can create jobs. At the moment, Republican John Kasich has the edge on that score. Feldman wrote: "Virtually the only positive trait where Kasich leads is an important one -- that he will create jobs. The Strickland campaign must close that gap."

With Ohio's unemployment rate near 10 percent, with foreclosures battering all 88 counties, with recent college grads moving back in with their parents, with all the grim economic news, it is hard to see how Strickland can overturn the current perception that Kasich might be able to solve the state's job woes. Is it time for Ohio Democrats who work in the Strickland administration to have separation anxiety about their owns jobs? If Kasich wins, they'll be looking for work. Feldman isn't all gloom and doom -- she says Ohioans consider him honest and trustworthy and think he has the best interests of the middle class at heart. That is something to work with. And she offered some potential tactical guidance to Strickland's campaign: Tell voters more about companies that are adding jobs in Ohio, get the word out. Feldman said: "Voters who have heard about companies in their area expanding in the last six months support Strickland by 58 percent to 36 percent; those who have not heard of new or expanding industries in their area give Kasich a majority. We are not there year, but have a clear path to victory."

To help out, The Daily Bellwether is going to reprint this press release about a $5 million plant expansion now taking place in Cincinnati. An Italian company is adding jobs:

"Eurostampa North America (Eurostampa N.A.) will begin construction of a new, 70,000 sf modern commercial printing facility on a 6.8 acre site at 1440 Seymour Avenue in the Roselawn neighborhood. Eurostampa is a family-owned Italian printer of high quality labels for major and international companies in the following sectors: spirits, wine, chocolate, foodstuffs, beer, and water. The new facility will be the company’s North American headquarters and will serve their customers throughout the US, Mexico, and Canada. A few of their clients include names such as: Bacardi, Nutella, Bertolli, and Guinness.Eurostampa has a current employment of 49 and the company is projecting to employ a total of 79 people by the end of 2014. The company plans to invest approximately $5 million into the new facility.The company’s existing facilities are also in the Roselawn neighborhood. The new location will allow Eurostampa to centralize 3 existing leased facilities and remain in a familiar neighborhood for their employees and customers. The site also offers the company future opportunities for expansion by an additional 40,000 to 50,000 sf.Eurostampa purchased the site from the City of Cincinnati. The City had acquired the land from the Ohio Department of Mental Health for the purpose of business development. The company has received a Job Creation Tax Credit and a LEED CRA on the building from the City and the Ohio Department of Development as incentives to remain and grow their business within the City."

John Kasich's Ohio Debate Gaffe: 'We Haven't Lost Jobs to China.'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- There really is no doubt about it. Ohio jobs have moved overseas -- thousands to China. By one count, some 66,100 Ohio jobs had been shifted to China by 2007. And Republican John Kasich was dead wrong to claim in a gubernatorial debate against Ted Strickland last night that the jobs haven't disappeared. Kasich said, "We haven't lost jobs to China."

Workers who made Eljer plumbing fixtures in Salem, Ohio would be surprised to learn their manufacturing jobs didn't go to China.
People who made Etch A Sketch, the toy that draws on a screen using two knobs, and let's you erase it and start all over again, saw their life's work leave its small town Ohio home after 40 years. CBS News reported: "To save labor and production costs, Ohio Art Company is closing its Bryan, Ohio plant and moving production to China. The company announced its decision last month. Thirty workers are affected by the move - a lot for a town of 9,000 people. The Ohio employees made their last Etch A Sketches on Friday, three days before Christmas." The new plant that replaced the operation in Bryan, Ohio (in NW Ohio) is in Shenzen, China. By the way, Bryan is in Williams County, which nearly has the state's worst unemployment rate. Almost 14% of the county's workers are jobless.

And here's Malachi Mixon, chairman of Invacare Corp., near Cleveland. Kasich is on Invacare's board of directors. The company moved Ohio jobs to China, a fact that Mixon confirmed in a Jan. 31, 2008 inveterview with The Plain Dealer:

"Q: How difficult was the decision to move production to China?Invacare CEO Mixon: 'It wasn't difficult because it's about survival. [and] We realized we simply couldn't compete from America. You can take virtually any product made in Cleveland, make it in China, ship it back here and pay the freight for probably about 25 percent lower cost.' Invacare CEO Mixon said his Ohio labor costs were about $14 an hour; "And China, 50 cents."

UPDATE 3:09 PM -- Data published earlier this year by Policy Matters Ohio, a Cleveland think tank that is largely supported by labor, shows 10 companies in Ohio shifted production to China between May 2009 and May 2010. All told, there were 1,294 Ohio jobs lost. Kasich said there were none. Policy Matters Ohio gathered its data by analyzing records compiled by the U.S. Labor Department under the Trade Adjustment Act. Here's some of what the think tank said in its July report:

". . . by far, the largest number of Ohio jobs that have been shifted abroad and certified under the trade assistance program have been going to Mexico [4,668 jobs]. Each of the three largest certifications involving production shifts -- Ford Motor Co.'s Cleveland cast plant, Wal-Mart's eyeglass plant in Lockbourne and Avon's cosmetics plant in Springale (near Cincinnati) -- saw production go to Mexico. The vast bulk of the jobs shifted to Mexico, as with China, are manufacturing jobs."

Get Ready For Costliest Governor's Race In Ohio History: $40 Million Plus Likely On Kasich v. Strickland

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Democrats expect to raise more than $20 million for Ted Strickland's reelection campaign. Republicans have been tossing around similar numbers for GOP challenger John Kasich. Strickland's 2010 campaign manager Aaron Pickrell, who was just on the phone with The Daily Bellwether, confirmed that he's sure the contest will set spending records: "This is going to be an extraordinarily expensive campaign." He said the governor's reelection budget will be at least $3 million more than the $17 million spent defeating Cincinnati's Ken Blackwell four years ago. Pickrell said the money is necessary for television ads, new media and to "build a massive field operation" that can send volunteers door-to-door spreading the governor's message.

While early polls show Strickland trailing Kasich, Pickrell said the data is not discouraging. He said the economy trumps all issues. "People are angry, they're blaming anyone that is currently in power." But the data also shows, "People trust the governor and people like him. Those are things you cannot buy." And, "There is no question this is going to be a tough political year." Pickrell sees early polling suggesting the race -- at this point in time -- is Strickland facing the economy, not Strickland facing Kasich. That will change over time as voters begin to focus on Kasich, a former congressman and Lehman Bros. investment banker who is largely unknown statewide.

GOP's John Kasich: He Owns 45,000 Shares ($1.2 Million) Of Corp. Praising Ohio's Tax Climate 'As Better Than Ever'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- John Kasich, the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio, serves on Invacare Corporation's board of directors and owns 45,000 shares of stock in the Elyria-based medical products manufacturer. (See the April 2009 proxy statement above.) Kasich's company -- which has made him rich -- loves the state. And while Kasich is campaigning on a theme that Ohio's tax climate is miserable for business growth and entrepreneurs, Invacare is taking part in a national advertising campaign that says "Ohio's business climate is better than ever." While Kasich claims Gov. Ted Strickland's administration has been chasing jobs out of the state, Kasich's company sees Oho as "an ideal location." Indeed Invacare's (IVC:NYSE) version of Ohio is poles apart from Kasich:

"From its early beginnings in 1885, Invacare has called Oho home. Here, they've found an ideal location, a skilled workforce, an excellent transportation infrastructure and government leaders will to work as partners with industry . . . And now Ohio business climate is better than ever. Major tax reforms have shifted policy from taxing capital investment , profits and wealth creation to taxing gross receipts. The result is greater incentives to invest in innovation and productivity and more support for entrepreneurial activity."

All that is from an advertisement that goes on to quote A. Malachai Mixon III, Invacare's Chairman and CEO, as saying Ohio has been a great location for his company: "From our headquarters in Ohio, Invacare has become a world leader in home medical products. The state's new tax laws will help us continue to grow."

Kasich has been on Invacare's board of directors since 2001. The latest proxy statement shows him with 45,018 shares. Just after noon today, those shares were worth $26.46 each -- or $1,1919,762. Kasich seems to have done well financially in a state whose tax and business climate he is ripping on the campaign trail. His Invacare holdings have made him wealthy. You can find the a link to the Invacare ad here and a brochure(pdf) that lists Invacare among several corporations that are effusive about their Ohio business locations.

CNBC's Larry Kudlow's Absurd Political Acrobatics: Kudlow Has Donated $31,827 To GOP Candidates

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Sham journalism has gotten a foothold in Ohio politics, and it arrived via national television. Cable TV economist Larry Kudlow -- who writes checks to Republican candidates -- interviewed the Ohio GOP's candidate for governor during his CNBC show Thursday. Their sit down now appears more about political theater than substantive business news, which is supposed to be CNBC's stock in trade. There were no sparring words. By today the interview has become a means for John Kasich to produce a political advertisement without spending any campaign cash -- the interview tape is on Kasich's official website. What's really shameful about the incident is that Kudlow has his money riding on the Republican party; he's actually a donor posing as a business journalist. It is not likely that he would frame his inteview with challenging questions, or fire anything tough squarely at his fellow Republican. Kudlow threw softballs at John Kasich, who posted the tape of his CNBC appearance on his campaign website late last night. Thus, the Kudlow interview had the tone of a political advertisement from the start -- and that is what it has become. Kasich delivered his stump speech -- he never strayed from being on message -- and Kudlow pretended it was news. Kudlow should have forcefully mentioned that he's an active Republican who has written checks for dozens of his political party's candidates. As recently as last May, Federal Election Commission records show Kudlow gave $1,000 to Connecticut's Christopher Shays, who used the money to pay off debts left over from his 2006 loss. Worse for Kudlow is that Shays in on the board of CIT, a financial giant that specializes in business loans. CIT filed for bankruptcy last year and is seen as part of the Wall Street mess.

Kudlow is a former Bear Stearns economist; Kasich is a former Lehman Bros. managing director. Newsmeat has a list of Kudlow's political donations over the years. The interview/ad is making the rounds of political websites in Ohio including Kasich for Ohio. Matt Naugle has a copy of the tape at RightOhio. There is a clip at American Conservative Values.

Plunderbund, a Democratic blog also has the tape and notes that Kasich's appearance echoes much of what Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has been saying about rebuilding the state's economy. Kudlow seems not to have noticed. The take at the Daily Bellwether is that Kudlow and CNBC owe equal time to Strickland. Kudlow is a Republican activist -- and there are Federal Election Commission records to prove it.

Strickland Gets Big Win on Jobs Front: 1,339 Averaging $70,192 Moving To Cincinnati

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Kentucky got shut out, and Ohio gets a new corporate headquarters for its growing medical research industry. An incentive package that locks Medpace Inc.'s corporate headquarters into Ohio was approved Monday by the state Controlling Board. Medpace, founded in 1992, is an expanding pharmaceutical research company that plans to have 1,339 employees on its new corporate campus in Cincinnati by 2014. It will be adding more than 800 new jobs to its workforce. Public records available in Columbus show the company considered moving into Kentucky. But incentives from from Ohio and Cincinnati cut its estimated tax load by about $7.5 million over the next 8 years. Officials estimate $41.7 million in corporate and income taxes will be generated for Cincinnati and the state. Gov. Ted Strickland's administration helped nail down the deal. His GOP opponent, John Kasich, spent Tuesday claiming Ohio was killing jobs with red tape, high taxes and an unfriendly business climate. Kasich didn't mention Medpace, and may not even know about the state's efforts to snag the corporate headquarters from Kentucky.

Medpace's new campus will be on 29 acres that had been the site of Nutone Inc., a manufacturing company that closed and left the property. The state's aid package includes $3 million in Clean Ohio funds for remediation. The packet submitted to the Controlling Board for approval Jan. 11 shows:

"Upon completion of remediation, the currently vacant 29.14-acre site will be turned into the development at Red Bank and Madison [a major intersection on Cincinnati's east side]. Medpace, a drug research company, will relocate and expand its operations on the project property. The redevelopment will result in the creation of 800 new jobs and retention of 535 existing jobs by 2014. The development plan also includes 430,000 square feet of mixed use space, 50,000 square feet of retail space, and eight to 10 towhhomes. The project plans are in alignment with the GO Cincinnati plan. The development partner, RBM Development Company LLC, will contributed $6, 543,686 in matching dollars for prior expenses, acquisition and remediation activities."

Ohio Governor's Race: Is Ted Strickland Writing John Kasich's Stuff?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Republican candidate for governor of Ohio has diagnosed the mental condition of his own political party. John Kasich says it has an insane batch of officeholders. His actual words are "some Republicans lost their minds." He pinpointed the insanity bout as starting in 2002. He did not offer any names of those afflicted, but said those who lost their minds wrecked the economy. Kasich rendered his opinion in November during a campaign swing in Marietta, and liked it so much he has posted it on his blog. This is the link: http://blog.kasichforohio.com/?p=1024 In case it disappears, the Bellwether will print the verbatim text:

Kasich pointed to his service as chairman of the U.S. House Budget Committee in the mid-1990s as an example of the fiscal leadership he has provided.
“We balanced the budget in 1995 (Fiscal 1996), with a large surplus,” he said. “And between 1995 and 2002, before some Republicans lost their minds, the country was pretty prosperous, people had money to spend.”
He said that changed when politicians began spending the surplus monies on pet projects for their own districts.

Kasich's flub was to blame the Republicans for the fact that the country isn't prosperous these days, and that the party's fiscal insanity is the true reason for the economic mess Ohio and the nation are facing. As he runs for Ohio governor in the months ahead, how can Kasich possibly pin responsibility on Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, who was elected in 2006? Kasich says he knows the cause -- Republicans who lost their minds. He should start revealing the names. One is led to wonder: Could Rob Portman be among them? Portman is running for the GOP U.S. Senate nomination in Ohio, and served in the House until 2005 representing OH-02 near Cincinnati. Portman gave up the OH-02 seat to join the George W. Bush Administration as trade rep and budget director.

Ohio Governor's Mansion Set For $267,536 Garden Restroom: Five New Unisex Potties

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Yes, multiple crappers. The state Controlling Board is scheduled to approve spending for the new bathroom Monday, and has the item on its March 9 agenda. The project has been in the works since 2007 and is an addition to an existing carriage house. But the timing of the final approval process might look bad for Gov. Ted Strickland. He's been begging for billions in stimulus funds from Washington, citing the state's lousy economy. He's also had to slash state spending while pink slipping and furloughing state workers. Also, Ohio has thousands of homes in foreclosure, and countless families face homelessness as the statewide unemployment rate heads toward 10 percent. So the construction of a new five-hole restroom in the garden of the Ohio governor's mansion in Bexley carries the risk of raising a bit of a stink. It has the air of the French monarchy when Marie Antoinette said, "No bread, let them eat cake."

Here's some of what the budget request on the Controlling Board's agenda has to say:

"Administrative Services requests Controlling Board approval to release $267,535.70 for the Governor's Residence Heritage Garden Education Center project, Bexley, Franklin County. (SAO Project NumberDAS-070013).

"The Governor's Residence was designed in 1923 by Columbus architect Robert Gilmore Hanford. Construction was completed in 1925 on three acres in the City of Bexley. The Residence is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"This project is an addition to the existing carriage house that will replace the current garden groundskeeper building. The new structure will include ADA-compliant restroom facilities for over 10,000 visitors annually and a gift shop where Ohio arts and crafts could be promoted and generate funds in support of the Residence and Heritage Garden. The goal of the project is to create a certified "green" building that will properly store flammables, support horticultural projects and the Heritage Garden, and utilize alternative energy sources, including solar panels and geothermal piping.

"On October 3, 2007, DAS received OBM Director approval to release funds to the State Architect's Office to hire an Associate Architect for the design of the education center.

"This request is for the construction of Phase One which entails modifications to the carriage house to add five new unisex ADA restrooms, a new geothermal heating system, new water and sanitary services, and new entrance doors. "

"ADA capital funds will be used for the cost of the General and Plumbing contractors because the construction of the restrooms and entrance doors will be ADA accessible and eligible for the use of these funds."

From The Ohio Poll: GOP Loses State's Evangelicals; Strickland Gets Lowest Marks In SE Ohio

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Data buried deep in the University of Cincinnati's latest Ohio Poll could give pause to both Republicans and Democrats. The random sampling of 1,340 adults between May 16 and June 4 shows Protestants have turned against President Bush -- Ohio's Catholics rate Bush higher in the job approval department than Protestants. And Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland gets a lower approval score (55%) in Southeast Ohio, the section of the state he calls home and long represented in Congress. For some reason, rural Ohioans in Appalachia seem to be downshifting their opinions about the guy who comes from the hills in Scioto County.

Ohio's Protestant evangelicals were at the heart of Bush's support in 2000 and 2004, and in Ohio they were a force that carried carried W into the White House. But the new statewide poll shows 34% of Catholics approve of Bush's overall handling of the presidency compared to 31% of Protestants. On foreign affairs, 39% of Catholics give Bush high marks versus 29% of Protestants. On Iraq, it is a dead heat at 32%. On the economy, 27% of Protestants approve compared to 25% of Catholics. Religious preference didn't make much difference on the overall disapproval rate --it stood at 64% of Protestants and 65% of Catholics. So Bush is in the dumper with Protestant voters like himself, and there has been a split with the Republican brand which so depends on Protestant evangelical voters at the polls.

For the Democrats, Strickland's lowest job approval percentages are in Southeast and Central Ohio, the places that know him best. He's at 55% there compared to 61% statewide. The governor's highest approval number, 75% is in Northwest Ohio. And cracks have appeared in a key pillar of Strickland's political base -- Ohio's union members. Just 48% approve of his handling of the economy, while 46% disapprove.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland: Obama Is My Guy

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- With the primaries over and his gal Hillary finally out of the Democratic presidential race, Ohio's guv says that Barack Obama has his "wholehearted and and enthusiastic support" from today forward. Strickland comes late to the Barack bandwagon. He never deserted Clinton, his friend, until he was sure the New York senator was completely out of the race. The governor released his statement through the Ohio Democratic Party:

"Earlier today I talked with Sen. Hillary Clinton. I thanked her for her friendship and the strong effort she put forth in this historic campaign. I pledged wot work with her to unify the party and to make sure that Barack Obama wins the presidency. Ohioans have suffered as a result of the failed policies of the Bush Administration, including job loss as a result of rising fuel prices. Ohioans desperately want real, meaningful change. And I believe that Barack Obama will bring that change."

Ohio's State School Supt. Susan Tave Zelman: A Dyslexic Psychometrician Granny

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- Gov. Ted Strickland wants to jettison the state superintendent of public instruction. She has let it be known she's a grandmother afflicted with a reading disorder. The governor has another word for her -- "psychometrician," a word that had some Ohioans running for their dictionaries.

Susan Tave Zelman told Ohioans earlier this year she suffers from dyslexia -- a mild case, of course. Zelman, who's been the state's top education official since 1999, holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan. She discussed her learning disability during brief remarks earlier this year to the statewide special education leadership conference in Columbus:

"As the first mother and grandmother who is superindentent of Ohio's public schools, I share your hopes and goals for the success of our children, I hope you share mine. As someone with mild dyslexia and the mother of children with mild disabilities, I understand."

Strickland wants the dyslexic superintendent gone so he can take responsibility -- and greater control -- over Ohio's schools. He's not a fan of Zelman:

"But she's not a leader, she's not an advocate, she's not a good manager. She's an academician, a psychometrician, a statistician."

Dyslexic is a fairly common word nowadays. It means that someone has a tendency to mix up or confuse letters in words while they read -- "Susan" might be seen as "nuisance." As for "psychometrician," that means somebody who uses tests to measure aptitude or personality. It does not mean a nutjob addicted to the metric system of weights and measures. There is more about psychometrics here and here. And if you want to take a psychometric test, this British Web site will measure your personality profile.