(From The Archives)OH-02 GOP Jean Schmidt: Pooh-Poohs Poop As Pollutant

This originally was posted last July. It's been updated and reappears today because it seems timely with the House primaries nearing.
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio Congresswoman Jean Schmidt has stepped into a long-running battle between health officials, environmentalists and farmers about poop. Specifically, the debate is over how animal manure should be regulated by the government -- either as a hazardous substance or not.

Schmidt, a Republican who represents Ohio's 2nd Congressional district that begins in Cincinnati and heads east up the Ohio River to Portsmouth, has decided poop isn't hazardous. She is one of 131 co-sponsors of H.R. 1398 a measure that declares "manure shall not be considered to be a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant."

The bill legally defines manure as "digestive emissions, feces, urine and other excrement from livestock." It is entitled the Agricultural Protection and Prosperity Act of 2007, which is a good way to hide its true purpose -- to legalize piles of crap from big factory farms.

[UPDATE: 2/18/08; 8:23 AM -- Schmidt's opponent in the OH-02 March 4 primary, State Rep. Tom Brinkman, has environmental cred. He's been endorsed by by the League of Conservation Voters for his solid record as a lawmaker who favors clean air and water in Ohio. The manure issue has a potential to raise a stink for Schmidt because Ohio has about 1.5 million pigs on 4,000 farms. They produce a lot of manure and urine that can contaminate drinking water sources and streams. Nationally, the swine farms use 1.4 billion bushels of corn and 283 million bushels of soybeans as feed. What goes in, must come out.]

Agribusiness interests have been seeking such a measure from Congress for years. They are worried about environmental lawsuits that accuse large factory farms raising hogs and cattle of contaminating surface and groundwater. These huge operations produce massive amounts to manure, which stink up the countryside and can pose health risks. In 2004, Waco, Tex., officials sued in federal court saying big farms were ruining the city's municipal water supply, and the case was a landmark leading to efforts to overturn any attempts to find that animal poop is an environmental contaminant.

Congress' interest in declaring manure not to be a pollutant hasn't gone far yet. Three other Ohioans have signed on as co-sponsors -- Republicans John Boehner and Jim Jordan; and Democrat Zack Space, who sees the issue as critical to helping farmers in his district.

Take a detailed look at the running dispute. Schmidt, whose 2nd district is populated by mostly by urban and suburban residents, probably should have stayed out of this fight. She will face opposition in the Republican primary next year, and she has opened herself to being portrayed as a politician who thinks poop isn't a pollutant. That's a stinky spot to be in. Just imagine the attack ads with people holding their noses.

OH-02 Steve Black: Newly Minted Dem Receives Labor Support

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A labor union that represents thousands of retail workers across southern Ohio's 2nd Congressional District is backing Steve Black in the March 2008 Democratic primary. It's a bit of a stunner because Black had been a Republican until he switched parties to make the race. Black's campaign received a $5,000 check from the United Food and Commercial Workers, along with a letter that wishes him good luck and promises future assistance. Federal Election Commission records show the check was deposited in the Black campaign account two months ago.

Black's camp is now portraying the union's support as an "endorsement." He was with UFCW Local 1099 at a rally earlier this week in downtown Cincinnati. About 11,000 members of the union are employed by Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. in SW Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana, and they have a midnight strike deadline. Kroger is threatening to hire replacement workers. The union has about 1.3 million members across the U.S.

Black is challenging 2006 OH-02 Democratic nominee Victoria Wulsin, who is running again. By backing Black financially in a contested primary, the UFCW seems to have signaled it has accepted him into the Democratic fold and believes he has stronger chance of ending GOP control over OH-02 than Wulsin.

The seat is now held by U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Clermont County, who has an opponent in her own party, Phil Heimlich, R-Cincinnati. The UFCW's Local 1099s letter told Black it has "trust" he would be a voice for working families. It arrived a week before he got the $5,000 donation from the national union. The letter says:

"Your active support of the right to bargain collectively, the fight against Wal-Mart, and the quest for better lives for working families will surely be an asset to our members. Best of luck in the coming months, we look forward to helping you take back this seat."

Joel Coon, Black's campaign manager, said the candidate met with the union and filled out a questionnaire before nailing down the union's support. Coon said it should allay concerns among Ohio Democrats that Black -- a partner in a downtown law firm with a corporate clientele -- is still tied to his Republican roots.

"I think it does. We're not free traders here. We need fair trade. They've been giving away the bank," Coon said, adding that Black has made economic justice a central theme of his campaign.