Double dose of bad news for Dick Lugar; Mourdock surges

The Indianapolis Star has the story this morning.

First, the American Action Network, a PAC that is dedicated to protecting moderates in Congress (yuck!) and has already spent $645,000 to defend Dick Lugar is pulling out of the race just days before the election.  Second, conservative firebrand Sarah Palin has endorsed conservative challenger Richard Mourdock.  In 2010, the Palin endorsement provided the necessary surge for several Tea Party challengers to overcome incumbents.

So, COAST now predicts with some confidence (it is always an uphill battle to defeat an incumbent) that Dick Lugar's days of piling on misery for U.S. taxpayers are quickly coming to an end.

And, oh by the way, let us remind COASTers once again just why Dick Lugar is poison for America: He voted "yes" on TARP, he voted "yes" on both of Obama's liberal Supreme Court Justices, he voted "yes" on auto bailouts and he voted "yes" on Cap and Trade.  'nuf said.

Mourdock up 5 on Lugar in IN!

The Tea Party is definitely alive and well in Indiana, despite the multiple premature announcements of its demise in the Mainstream Media. 

• Today, Politico reports that upstart conservative challenger Richard Mourdock is leading the 6-term Senator by a whopping five points only weeks before the Republican primary.
• Of course, only a few weeks ago, Indiana bravely became a right-to-work state, throwing off their mandatory and anti-competitive union shackles.

So, you go Indiana, and blaze a trail for Ohio to follow!

Conflict of interest? SORTA Board member Jim Tarbell buys two properties right next to Streetcar stop. Hmmmm.

Cincinnati.Com has the story here.  They forgot to mention Tarbell sits on the SORTA Board that 's working with the City on Streetcar construction.   Someone should call B.S. to this, and COAST is just the someone to do that.

Didn't the Ohio Ethics Commission already rule that this is a no-no?

Update: Enquirer has updated its story with COAST's challenge and new info.  Sounds like they will chase some of this down by morning.  Good.  Shine a spotlight on this turd.  It appears the opposition is scrambling to justify the unjustifiable and that the profiteering of the few, the powerful, the insiders has begun!

This could be a new avocation of COASTers: figure out who has their hand in the $125 million Streetcar cookie jar.  I am sure we would find many of Cincinnati's crisp, bright, shiny leaders with some chocolate chips under their fingernails, maybe even someone with their mug painted on a prominent downtown building.

Chris Littleton: If not for Ohio's Political Class...

“Policy is just something they discuss between leadership votes and elections.” Read blog HERE.

Fallon Research: Majority supports Arts tax

The Enquirer reports that the push for a County-wide Arts tax has support in Hamilton County.  That's bad news.

The good news is that it does not stand a snowball's chance in hell of getting to the ballot, or passing if it did.  Until our City fathers get off the jag of wasting money on every flashy new idea that comes down the pike (Streetcars, Underground Transit Centers, NURFC and a $4.4 million glass atrium atop City Hall), the voters aren't going to give them any more money.

Mayor Mallory, Roxanne Qualls and the "progressives" on City Council are actually doing more damage to their big-government objectives than advancing it, as their choices for expenditures have been so consistently poor.

We want Cincinnati and Hamilton County to succeed, but we don't accomplish that by chasing wild geese with our scare resources.

George Will: Illinois is running out of time and money

This man is consistently insightful and delightful to read. 

Here he analyses the grinding fiscal problems in Illinois that appear almost un-fixable.

In 2011, when States really first had to grapple with the economic downturn, many states (Ohio included) opted to down-size state government to reflect the new revenue realities.

Illinois was the exception, raising the corporate and personal income tax rates 30% and 67%, respectively.  Well, Will analyses the result of that decision, and it is not pretty.

It's worth your time to review this piece.

Vicky Zwissler takes on waste in Wyoming

Read the guest column, "City gives away too much to developer" here.

How it really works: Judge saves Court reporters so he can have sex with them

It's sort of hard to understand why it's so hard to replace human stenographers and stenography machines that were invented in the 1860s with cheaper, faster and more accurate audio and video recording devices that have roven their effectiveness...

until that is you read this story. 

A Court reporter in Butler County has sued a Common Pleas Court Judge claiming that he reassigned her from his courtroom when his wife learned of their affair.

Then read this:

She said Sage had a habit of boasting about “how his friends and various attorneys accused him of sleeping with half of the court reporters,” because he had taken measures to protect their jobs in 2003 when other judges were talking about terminating the county’s court-reporting program.

Now, perhaps, you see what COAST, and the taxpayers, are up against when they try to ferret out waste, fraud and corruption in government.

Once again, in Hamilton and Butler Counties: replace the Court Reporters with more efficient, more reliable, cheaper recording devices, and do it now!

John Edwards' criminal offense is same as Jean Schmidt's. Will Eric Holder charge her as well?

COAST co-founder Chris Finney has spoken and written extensively about the ethics charges against Jean Schmidt and his opinion that there are significant criminal acts committed in association with her acceptance of nearly $500,000 in legal fees paid by the Turkish Coalition of America.

The most obvious criminal offense according to Finney is the same thing Ted Stephens and Duke Cunningham were charged with, lying about gifts they had accepted on their annual financial disclosure form, in Schmidt's case with the House Clerk.

But arguably another violation was failing to report the gift on her campaign finance reports.  The gifts were given because she was a candidate for federal office and to advance her election to Congress.  She hid the gifts by failing to report them (even to this day) on her Federal Elections Commission reports filed at least quarterly for three years while and after accepting the gifts.

John Edwards' trial started today on felony charges for exactly the same offense -- in this case hiding gifts intended (even more indirectly in the John Edwards case) to advance his Presidential campaign.  Schmidt and her campaign manager/Chief of Staff Barry Bennett have both admitted that the monies were advanced to help her campaign.

The New York Times today has a detailed piece on the start of the John Edwards trial.

[In fairness to Schmidt and Edwards, there is a legitimate question that Edwards intends to explore at his trial, as to whether the federal election law is intended to reach to gifts this far removed from campaigning.  Even Melanie Sloan of CREW has commented that she does not think the criminal law should reach that far.  But if Edwards loses on this issue, it establishes the precedent that Schmidt must also have committed the same crime.]

So, Jean Schmidt, Bruce Fein and Don Brey are likely watching the John Edwards trial closely, as his crime is her crime.  And his prosecution may become Jean Schmidt's prosecution.

Stay tuned!

It's time for Charlie Rangel to go as well

The NYT has the background here.

A key mark of success of any political party, movement, and people (and profession for that matter) is the ability to self-cleanse.

In a largely Republican district for example, the ability of the local parties and constituent groups, to oust a corrupt, unethical leader, shows the confidence, strength, and moral fortitude to make good decisions going forward -- about who will be their leaders and what decisions they will make.

Thus, the ability of the voters of the Second Congressional District of Ohio to oust Jean Schmidt in the middle of her corruption scandal in Congress and in the Courts, was an indicator of the strength of character of the local voters and GOP-affiliated organizations to overcome the inertia and figurative fortresses that surrounded the scoundrel.  And they threw the bum out!

Well, since the official censure of Charlie Rangel in the well of the House of Representatives by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi in December of 2010, the voters of New York's Congressional District centered in Harlem have not had their say.  In June they will.  And as the linked Times article shares, there are three eminently qualified candidates challenging Rangel, two African American, and one Hispanic.  As the district now tilts Latino, the article posits, the Hispanic candidate has the edge.

COASTers are largely Republican, with a few libertarians sprinkled in.  Still, we hope for the best for the Congress, and for Democrats, that they can clean the dirtiest out of their system, and restore some honor to this Country and the Congress, even when we disagree.

Respectfully, despite whatever good he has done, and how folksy and friendly he is, Charlie Rangel has dishonored this nation and the Congress and needs to go.  We wish our Democrat friends the best in booting him from the Congress.

If they can, the twin defeats of Rangel and Schmidt will send a signal to Republicans and Democats that, even though the House Ethics Committee is a toothless, pathetic whitewash Committee,  unethical shenanigans in Congress will not be tolerated by voters.

And that fear, if nothing else, will temper the more outrageous manifestations of their corruption.

Sheriff Leis personally causing County's budget woes

The Enquirer has the story here.

Everyone (but COASTers) is afraid of the local buffoon and bully, Sheriff Si Leis, but it's time someone took him on.  And, no, we can't just wait until January when he officially retires to start to fix all the problems he has created.

Neither candidate to replace the Sheriff has articulated a solution to the problems.  Democrat candidate Jim Neil has said he will retain the Township patrols, but has no earthly idea how to pay for that.  Sean Donovan, to what we know, has been mum.

We think the County should not be subsidizing the relatively more wealthy townships.  The Cities and villages in Hamilton County pay for police patrols; wealthier township residents should foot the bill for their own patrols.  The solution is so obvious, it's hard to understand why County and Township leaders are having such a hard time getting this done.

Anyway, the day of Si Leis' retirement will not come too soon for COAST.

Catholic Bishops Take on Obama

We think Obama loses that fight.

The Weekly Standard has it here.

Cillizza: Is the tea party still relevant? We'd suggest you ask Mean Jean, Orrin Hatch and Dick Lugar

Predictable, the WaPo is at the leading edge of coverage of the demise of the most important movement of the 21st Century.  So far at the leading edge, that they are wrong.

The news media, which consistently has been behind the curve in terms of the ascent of the Tea Party is consistently trying to get ahead of the curve in terms of its descent.

They can't wait -- just can't wait -- until the Tea Party implodes, is betrayed by one of its leaders, is disillusioned by the failure of its agenda, or just dries up and blows away.

Still, they quote a GOP pollster accurately:

“The tea party clearly is not as successful in 2012 as in 2010, but it still plays a huge role in GOP primaries,” said Republican pollster Glen Bolger.

The bottom line is that the Tea Party has, continues to, and prospectively will have a strong say in the direction of the national, and some state and local GOPs.

If you're still not sure, we recommend asking Jean Schmidt if the Tea Party means anything, still.

Utah voters force Orrin Hatch to Primary election: chance to change course

Despite a concerted fight by U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch to avoid Republican voters, today Utah caucus-goers, led by Tea Partiers, forced him into a June 26 primary election. 

It would have been better if the Utah process had knocked out Hatch entirely, but this gives conservative Utahans the chance, just a chance, to rid themselves of this man who governs far to the left of his constituents.

Instead of 11 opponents at the caucus, only Hatch and contender Dan Liljenquist will face off to learn if Hatch will advance to the general election for his 7th (and he claims final) term.

NYT has it here.

Shadowy super PAC spent big in March

Politico has it here.

The Campaign for Primary Accountability, a super PAC that has targeted incumbent members of Congress, raised more than $645,000 in March, federal documents show....

So far, CPA is running a lean operation. It payed only $6,167.00 in payroll to staff, $3,200 in accounting fees, and $2,141 in credit card processing fees for donations.

We know from those reports that they spent a grand total of $139,000 of their funds to  dispatch Jean Schmidt.  That was a bargain compared to the $220,000 they spent in the Manzullo race.

 

Of course, the candidates actually tried in the Manzullo race, compared to Ms. Schmidt who elected to do almost nothing.

More on the rejected Arts Sales Tax Hike

We have previously reported on the proposed Sales Tax increase for the "arts" that was being floated by some local civic leaders. Most recently, we covered the announcement that the Hamilton County Commissioners quickly rejected this tax, and also prohibited the County Administrator from directing any county resources towards this proposal.

Since then, I have acquired the email communications of the Commissioners discussing this topic. Key highlights:

- Commission President Greg Hartmann states his opposition to an arts Sales Tax hike
- Hartmann opposes a property tax increase to "fully finance" the Union Terminal renovation. He lays out other funding options that must be pursued.
- Hartmann believes that the County Administrator should not expend county resources advocating for proposed cultural preservation efforts, and must remain focused on managing the budget and delivering core county services
- Monzel concurred with Hartmann's thoughts
- Portune was willing be slightly more lenient. He supports allowing the Administrator to share guidance and expertise, but isn't comfortable with anything more than that.

Below is a copy of each email from the three Commissioners:

On Apr 17, 2012, at 11:24 AM, "Hartmann, Greg" wrote:

Chris and Todd:

As discussion about the financial needs of Union Terminal advances, and seems to be expanding to include other cultural facilities, I believe it is necessary to clearly communicate my position on this issue and provide my recommendation on the role of County Administration in these evolving discussions moving forward.

First, I want to be clear that I do not support a sales tax to fix the Museum Center or any additional cultural facilities. As one of our primary sources of revenue as a County, I believe the responsibility granted to County Commissioners through our sales tax authority should be guarded and preserved for only our highest and most urgent revenue needs. I submit that we have public safety needs more urgently suitable for consideration related to our sales tax authority before we ever discuss cultural arts facility rehabilitation wish lists.

As stated previously, I also do not support a property tax as the vehicle to fully finance Union Terminal facility improvements. I have repeatedly communicated my position for the Museum Center to, first, pursue and implement a more aggressive business model, more robust and sophisticated private fundraising effort, recruit private developer financial support as a beneficiary of improvements planned surrounding the Museum and secure capital contributions from the City of Cincinnati, the owner of the facility.

I believe discussions regarding our cultural facilities are now at a point that requires the Board to address whether County Administration should be involved in any further advisory or technical support role. I recommend that no further County resources be expended in association with cultural facility preservation efforts as these discussions advance. The focus of the County in these tough times must specifically be on our core functions and managing our budget.

I would like your feedback on this recommendation and any thoughts you would like to share on this subject.

Greg

From: Monzel, Chris
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 4:23 PM
To: Hartmann, Greg
Cc: Portune, Todd; Sigman, Christian
Subject: Re: Cultural Facility Taxation Efforts

I concur.

Chris

From: Portune, Todd
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2012 6:09 PM
To: Monzel, Chris; Hartmann, Greg
Cc: Sigman, Christian
Subject: RE: Cultural Facility Taxation Efforts

Greg:

Thank you for your request for our input into these important matters.

As I understand what Christian has been asked to do, it should not take up an extraordinary amount of his time or effort. I have no objection to Christian offering his occasional guidance on topic or sharing his own vast array of knowledge and expertise on such matters so long as his ever-increasing duties and responsibilities to core county functions are not compromised. In addition, the policy Resolution we adopted some years ago calls upon the county to provide a measure of support around these kinds of capital discussions.

Accordingly, I do not support taking steps that work to prohibit his involvement completely. If he can offer technical support and guidance that works to keep the Museum Center group on target and within the Board’s general policy framework I am comfortable with his providing such a limited role. Anything more goes beyond my level of comfort.

Todd

Taxes, taxes, taxes on their way

We have been warning our faithful readers for sometime that the chickens are coming home to roost.

You can only eat three Big Macs a day so long before your arteries clog.  You can only drink a fifth of gin a day so long before you get cirrhosis of the liver.  And you can spend and take on debt for so long before either your national economy collapses or you have to raise taxes.

We are reaching that point.

• Now, yesterday's Enquirer is reporting that someone is pushing for a property tax increase in the City of Cincinnati, this being, of course, the first of Mayor Mallory's tax increases for his Streetcar.  (Apparently that urban foreclosure rate is not high enough for them yet.)
• Here, we told you of SORTA's proposed tax increase for their trolley deficit.
• And on Tuesday, a COASTer got a phone poll asking about a number of topics, including about a tax for the Cincinnati Museum Center (that's been shot down several times already, guys).

The presidential campaign election in November, for which the DNC, and other leftie organizations will be working their turn-out machines on overdrive, generating a loads of new voters who don't pay taxes, and thus have no problems voting for them.

We also know the City is working on a massive earnings tax increase proposal, it's just a matter of time before CPS takes another stab, the "arts" tax won't go away, and the stadium fund problem is far from resolved.  And in his State of the City address, which everyone ignored and promptly forgot, Mayor Mallory is already shilling for an expanded Streetcar system, and a light rail system as well.  (That has a $2-3 billion price tag, for anyone paying attention).

(Of course, we could have passed S.B. 5 and the Streetcar ban and avoided all of this!)

So, hold on to your wallets.  They are coming for more.

And COAST is there to stop them every single time!

NYT features battleground Ohio

It will be like nothing we have ever seen before.  Brace yourselves.

NYT has it here.

France poised to take a sharp left turn: Some people never learn

The one thing we think we have to save us is that eventually people realize that socialist policies don't work, and turn to free market solutions.

Unfortunately, we don't see this in urban areas where, like in Cincinnati, decades of liberal leadership has decimated City cores across the country, and yet the voters return the scoundrels year after year.

In France, it appears the same is true.  Unable to see the consequence of socialist policies in Greece, Spain, Italy and elsewhere, French voters are poised to reject Nicholas Sarkosy this weekend, and return to the hard-left policies that mired France in riots that almost consumed Paris years ago.

But as with the voters who have destroyed America's great cities, the French will have to live with the consequences of their decision.

Calling all COASTers: Help Tea Party take out Dick Lugar in Indiana May 8

Senate candidate Richard Mourdock aims to be the Tea Party's first major upset on May 8 in the Republican primary election to unseat 6-term Senator Dick Lugar who, very simply has been around way too long.

COAST is calling on its members to call any Hoosiers they know before the May 8 primary election and remind them how pivotal they can be in effectuating change in the U.S. Senate by voting for Richard Mourdock.

Lugar was a "yes" vote for TARP, was a "yes" vote for Stimulus, was a "yes" vote for the auto bailouts and was a "yes" vote for cap and trade.  He voted to continue pork barrell earmarks, when the rest of the Congress was banning them.  We have a name for Senators like that: "Democrat."

This Senator is part of the ossified, old GOP.  It's time for him to go for many, many reasons.

Fortunately, Hoosiers have a conservative choice in Richard Mourdock.  Read Club for Growth's synopsis of the race here.

And get motivated -- tell your Indiana friends and co-workers, to vote on May 8 in the Republican primary and vote Mourdock!   

Zwissler takes on pork in Wyoming

It's not just the City of Cincinnati that seems to delight in crony capitalism, picking the winners and losers in the "free market," forcing taxpayers to pick up the tab, but also our supposedly more conservative suburban brethren.

In the Village of Wyoming, the town fathers are planning on subsidizing a local bistro to the tune of $713,000.

This is Wyoming's own version of Solyndra.  Why the hell is the Wyoming City Council in the business of subsidizing a restaurant? It's not like this residents of this affluent community can't afford their own brie and Chardonnay.

Read it in the Enquirer here.

Council member Vicki Zwissler is taking the lead in opposing the spending.

However, if the Village persists in this wasteful expenditure, local taxpayers will take comfort in knowing that “the design is intended to be light, open and airy, and feel as if it’s an extension of the park,” according to Community Development Director Terry Vanderman.


COAST says: Zwissler has this one right.

And COAST intends to name names when the final vote is taken.

Greg Hartmann nixes County "Arts" tax

It's nice when our principled elected officials do our work for us!

The Enquirer has it here.

Greg Hartmann not only has placed the kibosh on the idea of the County levying a new cultural tax benefiting the likes of Music Hall, Memorial Hall, the Zoo and Museum Center, he has asked that the County administration cease all assistance to the project.

“The focus of the county in these tough times must specifically be on our core functions and managing out budget,” Hartmann wrote.

Chris Monzel concurred.  Mr. Portune, ever the tax and spender, wanted the initiative to proceed.

That's some good news today!

Here's some more good news: Dick Lugar on the ropes!

Hope springs eternal!

Read it here.

National Review also has endorsed Mourdock.

Would be nice to wish Dick Lugar "farewell" in his well-earned retirement!

Steve Chabot endorses Rob Portman for Vice President

Read it here on Steve's blog. 

It's so nice having folks in positions of power we can trust.

COAST is excited Mandel Senate campaign is hitting the airwaves

Read about it here.

COAST wants very much to help out in this important, critically important, race.

Ad is here:

Pretty compelling stuff

COASTer Chris Finney featured in Dayton Daily News profile of Red Light Cameras

Read it here.

Schmidt did post-election poll

This is kind of weird, but Jean Schmidt paid $5,700 for a poll with TelOpinion Research on March 16, ten days after her crushing defeat at the polls.

(The funny thing is, one of our COASTer's got the poll, and the poll mistakenly identified Lt. Col. Dr. Brad Wentrup as "Ben Wenstrup," so we are not sure how reliable their data is going to be.)

Why would she do this?  Preparing for another run?  To do a proper post-mortem?  Or was this payment for a pre-election poll, just after the election?

You can read it here.

Update!
As if this could get any more ridiculous, the homepage for TelOpinion Research hasn't been updated since November, 2009!  In which they brag about their "intensive involvement with Presidential candidate John McCain last year."

Check out their homepage here.

Gee, do you think maybe somebody on Jean's staff should have noticed that before paying for a poll that misidentified her opponent? But based on how up to date their website is, we're surprised the poll didn't ask voters if they were going to vote for Jean or Debbi Alsfelder!

An inexcusable orgy of spending; a culture of non-accountability

Read it and weep.

Think Progress Blog: GOP Lawmakers furious with Cantor. Good!

ThinkProgress has a short piece on it here.  It all stems from his $25,000 donation to the Campaign for Primary Accountability, which may well have gone to unseat Jean Schmidt.

COAST thanks Rep. Cantor for his vision and principle in that donation, and encourages more of that!

Read it here.

Houston Chronicle has a nice piece on Campaign for Primary Accountability and SuperPACs in general

Story is here.

....so many stories bringing a smile to our faces these days.

Also, COAST's own Brian Shrive, a campaign expert of monumental proportions, is quoted therein.

Schmidt campaign finance report is, like her campaign, unbelieveable

Late last night, Jean Schmidt filed her post-primary campaign finance report.  We got a few good chuckles out of it.  

You can read it here.

Highlights include:

• Schmidt spent a whopping $633,976 in the 18-month cycle from the 2010 election to today to lose her seat by six points.
• She ended the cycle with only $3,867 in the bank, but she paid herself back old loans in the amount of $40,000.  (That's on top of the $50,000 she paid herself since the first of the year.)
• In the closing days of the campaign, she received $49,359 in campaign contributions, including $28,146 from PACs and $21,213 from individuals.  It looks like most of the PAC contributions dealt with committees on which she served, such as the Agricultural Committee (Poultry PAC, Pork PAC,  Soybean PAC, United Egg PAC, and on and on and on! -- can you say "currying favor"?).  This woman has no shame!
• She finally started paying her own legal bills, paying a little over $1,000 to Chester, Wilcox & Saxbe.
• She dropped $66,000 on T.V. ads and more than $33,000 for campaign mailings in the closing days of the campaign (seems like she finally knew she was in trouble).
• She spent $15,500 for a poll in February.  We think she should ask for her money back on that one!

In all, Jean Schmidt spent $17.14 per vote she received in the primary election.  That compares to only $7.64 per vote that Lt. Col. Dr. Brad Wenstrup expended ($322,000). 

Some other tidbits:

1. Schmidt took in $49,359.85 between February 16 and the March 6 election; and $0 after the election (sounds like fundraising for that legal expense fund might be slim pickin's). 
2. For the second straight quarter, Wenstrup out-raised Schmidt among individual contributors – even in just the period before the primary.

We just can't get enough of this story -- and there's more to come!

WSJ Online explains why Cincinnati streets have potholes

Story is here.

The answer is unprincipled politicians squandering your highway dollars, the ever-present unions wasting money, and bureaucrats in D.C.

Honest civil servant admits doing no work at all for 14 years!

Remarkable, the honesty we mean!

The gipper explains it.

http://youtu.be/3h8O7V-WxWQ

[Click on that link.  I can't seem to make the embed work.]

Sunday, 3 PM, Fountain Square -- Join thousands for Tea Party Rally for a U.S. Balanced Budget Amendment

Cincinnati Tea Party Chairman George Bruneman and COAST Board member Dan Regenold are heading Sunday's Tax Day Tea Party rally on Cincinnati's Fountain Square at 3 PM.

We need a strong turnout, and that means you, your family, friends, and neighbors.  Bring a carload to protest reckless spending in Washington by Democrats and Republicans.

The event will be headlined by 2nd District Congressional Candidate Lt. Col. Dr. Brad Wenstrup, along with WKRC Radio talk show host Brian Thomas, State Auditor David Yost, and Cincinnati Tea Party founder and State Representative candidate Mike Wilson.

It's been a while since our last rally, so it's important to have a strong turnout.

Please join us.

Justice Yvette McGee Brown makes the case why Sharon Kennedy should be on the Ohio Supreme Court

"She will swing this Court hard right."

Talk about making the Court political. Oh. My. God.

Vote Sharon Kennedy. End of story!

"Words matter" launches new website, project

COAST friend Jennifer Gratz, on the national scene for conservative change for years, has a new project that we are pleased to share with you: www.Wordsmatter2012.Com.  We recommend you check it out, distribute it to your lists, and post it on your own web sites and blogs.

The site is non-partisan and is designed to remind voters of the promises of their politicians, and compare those promises to their actions in office.

Check out this video:



Congratulations, Jennifer, and please, everyone, go and spread the word!

Obama pays female employees far less than men

President Barack Obama claims to support equal pay for women. Except in the White House.

The average male White House employee makes $71,000/year. The average female employee makes $60,000. There is indeed a war on women, and it's being orchestrated by Barack Obama against his own female employees.

WaPo: Eric Cantor has some 'splaining to do. Bullshit: Stand tall Majority Leader

Eric Cantor is taking some heat for sending $25,000 to help the Campaign for Primary Accountability clean up the mess in Congress according to the Washington Post.

So what?

Our founding fathers took heat, our soldiers on the battlefield throughout the history of this great nation took heat, and activists like COASTers and Tea Partiers throughout this great nation have taken heat for their activism.  The scorn of establishment Republicans in Congress who have spent and borrowed this nation into a hole is well earned.

So, COAST encourages you to stand tall, Majority leader Cantor, and to donate another $25,000 to the PAC to make an impact!

Cincinnati media has history of misunderestimating Tea Party -- this Sunday they can get the story!

March 15, 2009, more than 5,000 Cincinnati-area residents gathered on Fountain Square to protest the borrow-and-spend policies of President Obama and the Democrat Congress.  And not a single television camera, radio microphone or Enquirer reporter was present.  In fact, it was to that date the largest Tea Party gathering in the nation, and the birth of a movement.

And the media missed the story.

Fast forward to March 6, 2012, and the Tea Party endorsed candidate for Congress, Lt. Col. Dr. Brad Wenstrup becomes the first (and to date only) non-incumbent to defeat an incumbent in the nation.

And the media missed the story.

Now, April 15, 2012, the Cincinnati area Tea Parties and dozens of other groups are gathering on tax day (Sunday, April 15) to launch a major national initiative, the drive for a balanced budget, headed by none other than COAST's Dan Regenold.

Will the media miss this story as well?

Come and see, and come and be a part of history: 3-5 PM, Fountain Square, Sunday, April 15. 

Do big political expenditures respond to and manipulate stupid (ignorant) voters? Yes, of course.

As the Presidential election in November 2012 approaches, we marvel at the amount of money raised and spent to influence the outcome of elections across the land, Presidential, Senate, and Congressional, all the way down to County Judges and County Commissioners.

Yet, at the same time, it is amazing that an educated populace, with every opportunity to follow the news and legislative actions of their elected officials and the positions of candidates are so easily manipulated by a candidate who has "X" to spend to run for office.

For example, in the March election, Tom Brinkman, Jr. was undoubtedly more qualified and more in tune with his district's priorities than Peter Stautberg, but because Stautberg had the resources of the House Caucus at his disposal, he handily defeated "Tax Killer" Tom Brinkman.

Who are these people whose vote changes based upon radio and television ads and mailings into homes?  Now, think about that moreso in the Presidential contest, where everyone could be fully informed, for free (using, say, the Internet), and has had years and years to consider their positions.

These gullible saps, who are swayed by slick advertising productions, cause the scramble for campaign dollars, which would be entirely unnecessary if they would just read and discern for themselves.

And what effect do these folks have on our democracy?  They, the easily swayed, both cheapen our democracy by making votes a commodity to be bought and sold, rather than earned, and simultaneously make it more expensive by forcing politicians to pander to those who write checks (obviously, in exchange for legislative favors).

If voters informed themselves, and did not allow themselves to be swayed by slick advertising, campaign money would be unneeded.

So, the voters, once again, have no one to blame but themselves.

Love us or hate us, COAST serves increasingly important role

COAST has its many supporters, as members or those who will heed our calls to action, and advice on direction.  We also have a few detractors.  We accept that and occassionally appreciate their imput.

But as traditional media diminish in size and sophistication and increasingly show a reluctance to take on government waste, fraud and corruption, COAST is serving an ever more important role as "watchdog" of your tax dollars.

Using public records requests, the power of e-media, COAST's massive e-mail list, and good research and writing, we have uncovered scandal after scandal, story after story that traditional media have missed.

COAST, for example, covered the Wenstrup/Schmidt contest and the Schmidt ethics scandal blow by blow.  Other than a few stories and blog entries by the Enquirer, and a great piece by Jack Atherton at WLWT, the race was basically ignored by both the traditional media and the blogosphere.

With the latest round of layoffs at the Enquirer, including their most seasoned political reporter, the role COAST plays in calling our errant politicians and bureaucrats is more important than ever.

Stay tuned for more breaking news and hard-hitting perspectives, from an irreverent and punishing perspective, that only COAST can bring you.

CPS wastes $4.7 million on school plans never used

Hey, it's not their money.  Thus, they really don't care.

As the Enquirer reports, CPS has wasted $4.7 million on unused rennovation plans for schools.  Money gone, and completely wasted.

But, remember, it's all about the kids!

Read it here.

Wilkinson, Cooklis departures from Enquirer

We recently picked up a paper copy of the Enquirer, something we rarely do, and were shocked at how skinny it was.  Pages of a paper are a direct reflection of purchases by advertisers, and by the size, it was apparent to us that the Enquirer is simply deteriorating in the income side.  This has to affect coverage painfully.

This observation colors our thoughts on the departure from the paper of political reporter Howard Wilkinson and editorial page editor Ray Cooklis.

Let's address Cooklis first.  By all accounts, he was a serious editorial page writer with conservative values, but like the two or three before him really has had his wings clipped by Maggie Buchanan, whose bizarre ed page policy has colored her tenure at the paper.  Regardless of the reason (Cooklis' fault or under Buchanan's thumb), the ed page was pathetic during his tenure as editor.

The paper would write maybe one ed a week, or maybe it is one per month, essentially abandoning its role as "conscience of the community."  Exhibit A of this failure, is their completely ignoring the Schmidt ethics scandal, that made national headlines but couldn't be condemned, much less mentioned, by the Grand Lady.

Then, of course, with the Schmidt primary endorsement, the paper marginalized and excused her behavior, without even the slightest attempt to understand or explain her mis-deeds.

So, Cooklis will not be missed any more than the three or four revolving door ed page editors that preceded him.  We expect nothing good from that page while Maggie Buchanan remains in charge.

On to Howard Wilkinson.  A crotchety old fellow, he had a liberal streak that manifested itself over the years, but seemed to write competent and balanced pieces regularly.  He assisted in the coverage of the burgeoning Schmidt ethics scandal, and was somewhat knowledgeable about it.

The Metro page missed entirely the earthquake whose epicenter was Cincinnati, Ohio with the 6-point crushing defeat of Jean Schmidt in March by Lt. Col. Dr. Brad Wenstrup.  The paper did not write even one real story about the contest in the last 60 days of the race.  In fairness (i) skinny paper and (ii) they had a presidential primary to cover, but still....


Ultimately, the proof's in the puddin' with both of these guys.  They both missed the biggest political story to hit Cincinnati in a decade.  But, both are respected.

Eric Cantor goes rogue and funds PAC that helped defeat Jean Schmidt

John Boehner and the National Republican Congressional Committee have cut off the Campaign for Primary Accountability, threatening their donors and vendors not to support the upstart PAC that had the temerity to fund primary opponents to weak-sister Republicans who have been there too long.

Now, Roll Call has the story the House Majority leader Eric Cantor gave the PAC $25,000, along with $25,000 from Rep. Aaron Schock. 

That means $50,000 more that was available to defeat Mean Jean Schmidt.

Sweet!

The story just keeps getting better.

In case you had any doubt what a Presidential battleground Ohio is going to be

Ohio, usually the focus of Presidential contests, has come into the spotlight a month after our own primary and seven months before the general election.  President Obama and his SuperPAC are already running ads in Ohio.  The Enquirer has it here.

Washington Examiner: Even government workers say they are lazier than private sector workers

It's sort of stating the obvious, but even government workers admit -- by a margin of 46% to 32% -- they are lazier than private sector workers, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports.  Read it here.

Kevin DeWine out..major Taftie eliminated

The intrigue at the Ohio Republican Party has reached a climax, with the resignation of Kevin DeWine as Chairman last night.  The Dispatch has it here.

We do not want to minimize this accomplishment as DeWine and his co-conspirator to undermine conservative values, John Husted, are a pox on the GOP in Ohio.  Typical of the moderate Republican who poses as a conservative, DeWine and his posse on the GOP Central Committee campaigned as having "Tea Party Values," but having no idea what that actually means.

While serving as a state legislator, DeWine was a slavish vote for the Bob Taft, high-tax agenda.    As Party Chairman, he made a conscious decision to exclude Tea Party reformers from the ranks of GOP leadership, thus alienating this important and energized constituency.

So, before the squabble starts over the next Chairman, we want to take a breather to thank Governor Kasich for ridding Ohio of Kevin DeWine and the corrupting influence he has had upon Ohio and the GOP.  

GSA head resigns in spending scandal: Look no further than this article to see why big government does not work

The Washington Post has it here.  Sickening!

Hamilton County Commissioners reject new tax for Museum Center

You have to hand it to the leaders of the Cincinnati Museum Center: They don't give up!

Well, neither do COASTers, especially Jeff Capell, who has doggedly persisted in opposing the CMC's proposed $150 million tax for Union Terminal renovations.

Fortunately, the Commissioners are unanimously opposed to this new tax.  The Enquirer has it here.

OSU Shocker: Seven OSU Employees receive bonus payments of $1 Million Each!

COAST is dismayed at the waste of money displayed by this orgy of self-serving spending at OSU.  The Dayton Daily News reports:

Ohio State University paid out $25.6 million in bonuses last year, including seven of more than $1 million each....

Governor Kasich, please put a stop to the abuse of tax dollars at an apparently unaccountable OSU.

Read the whole story here.