Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Tag: Cassie Mattia

Ohio SOS gives yet another reason to make it a lot harder for voters to amend Constitution

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Secretary of State Frank LaRose announces the referral of 117 cases of alleged voting and voter registration fraud stemming from the 2020 elections. Photo courtesy The Ohio Channel.

BY: MARTY SCHLADEN – Ohio Capital Journal

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Wednesday offered another rationale for making it much more difficult for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution. Now he’s saying it’s needed to fight a possible power grab like one that grew out of a massive bribery and money-laundering scandal.

But LaRose didn’t mention in his op-ed that his name came up repeatedly in a criminal trial related to the scandal and that he appeared to be in close communication with some of its central figures.

Nor did his office respond when asked whether LaRose ever spoke out against the corrupt utility bailout before the FBI started arresting people in July 2020.

Slippery explanations

The secretary of state — who is said to be eyeing a run for U.S. Senate next year — has been pushing to increase the portion of votes needed for a citizen-initiated amendment from 50% to 60%. As he and his allies have, they’ve given a shifting set of reasons for why that’s needed.

Last November, during a lame-duck session of the legislature, LaRose and state Rep. Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, held a press conference saying that the change was necessary to prevent wanton amendments to the Ohio Constitution by monied special interests. But they didn’t point to any examples of how that had happened in the past.

Many suspected an ulterior motive.

LaRose sat on a Republican-dominated redistricting commission that last year ignored seven Ohio Supreme Court rulings saying that the legislative and congressional maps the commission produced violated anti-gerrymandering amendments overwhelmingly approved by Ohio voters. That prompted Maureen O’Connor, the outgoing Republican chief justice, to urge Ohioans to pass new, more-tightly written amendments this year.

Ohio was also roiled when a highly restrictive abortion law took effect last June just after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and horror stories poured out of abortion clinics and hospitals. An effort quickly started to get an amendment on the ballot protecting abortion rights after other protections easily passed in other states.

But at last year’s presser, LaRose denied that his goal was to block anti-gerrymandering or abortion-rights amendments. The constitutional change he was advocating was a long-term, fundamental one that he didn’t seek to block such short-term disputes, he claimed.

Just weeks later, however, Stewart, LaRose’s sidekick at the presser, sent a letter to his GOP colleagues in the House explaining the real reasons for making it harder for Ohioans to amend their constitution: to stop abortion-rights and anti-gerrymandering amendments that appear to be favored by strong majorities of Ohioans.

[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUzRSUzQ3AlMjBsYW5nJTNEJTIyZW4lMjIlMjBkaXIlM0QlMjJsdHIlMjIlM0VIZXJlJTI2JTIzMzklM0JzJTIwdGhlJTIwZnVsbCUyMGxldHRlci4lMjBJdCUyMGFsc28lMjB0aWVzJTIwdGhlJTIwaXNzdWUlMjB0byUyMHJlZGlzdHJpY3RpbmclMjByZWZvcm0lMkMlMjBhbmQlMjByZXNwb25kcyUyMHRvJTIwdGhlJTIwb3JnYW5pemVkJTIwbGFib3IlMjBncm91cHMlMjB0aGF0JTIwcmFsbGllZCUyMGF0JTIwdGhlJTIwT2hpbyUyMFN0YXRlaG91c2UlMjB5ZXN0ZXJkYXkuJTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnQuY28lMkZpbGhXTFBpV00wJTIyJTNFcGljLnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGaWxoV0xQaVdNMCUzQyUyRmElM0UlM0MlMkZwJTNFJTI2bWRhc2glM0IlMjBBbmRyZXclMjBUb2JpYXMlMjAlMjglNDBBbmRyZXdKVG9iaWFzJTI5JTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGQW5kcmV3SlRvYmlhcyUyRnN0YXR1cyUyRjE2MDMxMzAzODQ3NDQ1MzQwMTYlM0ZyZWZfc3JjJTNEdHdzcmMlMjU1RXRmdyUyMiUzRURlY2VtYmVyJTIwMTQlMkMlMjAyMDIyJTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRmJsb2NrcXVvdGUlM0UlMjAlM0NzY3JpcHQlMjBhc3luYyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGcGxhdGZvcm0udHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZ3aWRnZXRzLmpzJTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The attempt to rush a bill through lame duck last year failed.

Now Stewart, LaRose and their allies are trying to pass it through Ohio’s now-unconstitutionally gerrymandered legislature. If it passes, it would put the measure requiring 60% of the vote to amend the state constitution on the ballot. And, since the vote would be under the existing rules, it would require just 50% of the vote to pass.

Also on the pile of accusations that it’s a naked power grab is that LaRose, Stewart and their allies want to put the measure on the ballot in a low-turnout August election. They’re doing so just months after passing a bill that had LaRose’s support to eliminate such elections as costly and unnecessary — and three months before the abortion amendment is expected to hit the ballot.

A new reason

While he’s being accused of attempting a power grab, LaRose says he’s trying to stop them.

On Tuesday, The Columbus Dispatch published an op-ed in which he furnished yet another reason to make it harder for voters to change the state Constitution. He cited an attempt by former House Speaker Larry Householder to pass an amendment changing the state’s term limits so Householder could stay speaker for another 16 years.

It was part of a breathtaking scheme in which Householder and his allies took more than $61 million from Akron-based FirstEnergy and other utilities, used the money to make him speaker in January 2019, and then pass and protect a $1.3 billion ratepayer bailout that mostly went to FirstEnergy.

Fresh off the passage of the bailout, Householder raised millions in early 2020 from FirstEnergy and AEP for his scheme that would allow him to stay longer in office. But it died with his arrest that July.

It might seem ironic that LaRose would use a corruption scandal to gut a 1912 reform measure that was aimed at curbing corrupt, unresponsive government, but that’s what he argued. He said all it takes to change the Constitution now “is a well-funded, dishonest political campaign and a simple majority vote.”

LaRose added that Householder planned to call his tenure-extension scheme “Ohioans for Legislative Term Limits, a deceptive name for a constitutional amendment that would more than double his term in office. It should come as no surprise that FirstEnergy Corporation, the company at the center of Householder’s racketeering scandal, agreed to bankroll the amendment campaign.”

Significant omissions

While he accused his opponents of “hysterical hyperbole” as he tries to make it 20% harder for voters to succeed in the already difficult process to amend the Ohio Constitution, there were some important things LaRose didn’t say in his Op-Ed.

For starters, FirstEnergy didn’t only bankroll Householder in 2018 as the now-convicted former speaker elected a team of lieutenants who would hand him the speaker’s gavel. The utility also bankrolled LaRose to the tune of $25,000 that year as he ran for secretary of state.

It was part of nearly $50,000 that the energy company — which signed a deferred prosecution agreement in the Householder scandal — has given LaRose, the campaign-finance tracker FollowTheMoney.org reports.

And while LaRose is decrying the bailout now that there have been arrests and convictions, there was reason to know there was something wrong with it well before they took place.

Insiders knew that somebody was burying Capitol Square in cash throughout the 2019 passage of House Bill 6, the corrupt utility bailout. That was especially true as FirstEnergy dumped what the FBI later determined was $36 million into a blatantly-dishonest-but-successful fight to beat back a repeal.

Because the funds were non-disclosable 501(c)(4) dark money, it was impossible for the public to know exactly where they were coming from until the feds stepped in and used subpoenas and other special powers to find out.

But HB 6 was such bad legislation and the campaign to stop the repeal so over-the-top that there was plenty of reason to suspect that somebody was being bought off to pass it. It was a massive corporate bailout that Householder and others were trying to officially declare a tax. Republican lawmakers who didn’t want to cast such a damaging vote described withering pressure from House leadership.

Former friends

LaRose’s office didn’t answer Wednesday when asked if the secretary of state ever spoke out against HB 6 before the FBI started making arrests.

In the Cincinnati corruption trial that ran from late January to mid-March, federal prosecutors presented several communications to the jury that might indicate that LaRose was actually sympathetic to the effort to pass and protect the corrupt bailout.

On July 23, 2019, as the repeal effort got underway, text messages flew between two prominent figures in the scandal: Matt Borges, the former Ohio Republican Party chairman who was convicted along with Householder; and Juan Cespedes, a lobbyist who pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors.

Borges told Cespedes he had received “a message from the secretary of state on the ballot-measure issue.”

The men were hoping for help from LaRose. He’s chairman of the Ohio Ballot Board, which, along with Attorney General Dave Yost, has to approve the language of constitutional amendments before they’re circulated for the hundreds of thousands of needed voter signatures — and before they’re placed on the ballot.

In the case of the HB 6 repeal, Yost initially sent the language back for revisions, then he and the ballot board approved it. But that wasn’t before the original 90 days opponents had to gather the signatures was whittled down to 53.

In the end, time ran out before opponents could gather them. But at the beginning of the effort, Borges seemed to be talking to LaRose about what LaRose needed in exchange for his help.

“LaRose is expecting us to be publicly supportive of him,” Borges said. “Apparently petitioners (for the repeal of HB 6) are going to call on him to step down from the ballot board because of ‘conflicts.’ He can be our friend in this process, so let’s be prepared to speak for him.”

Continuing communication

Later in the repeal fight, FirstEnergy’s two top executives discussed asking LaRose’s help with Yost. In addition to hamstringing the petition effort, supporters of the corrupt bailout wanted to have it officially declared a tax, and thus legally exempt from repeal.

“I’ve been asked by (subsidiary FirstEnergy Solutions) to call Frank LaRose to get Frank to call Dave Yost,” Vice President Michael Dowling texted CEO Chuck Jones, according to messages put into evidence by prosecutors. “If Frank tells Yost that he believes HB 6 is a tax, Yost will come out publicly and say it, which (FirstEnergy Solutions) thinks helps with the Supreme Court. Frank is reluctant to make the call. I have a call in to Frank and I will ask him to do it.”

LaRose may have been reluctant about making that call. But he apparently wasn’t reluctant to keep talking to the people who funded the scandal he’s now condemning and using as a reason to make it harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution.

In October 2019 — shortly before the repeal effort failed — Jones sent a text to John Kiani, the chairman of the FirstEnergy subsidiary that was to receive $1 billion of the bailout. It indicated that both LaRose and Householder had been providing the FirstEnergy CEO with “private” information on the repeal effort.

“For what it’s worth, LaRose and Householder think it’s game over,” Jones told Kiani. “But that is a private conversation unless they’ve told you the same thing. And Householder has a ‘quick fix’ anyway.”

And then in November 2019 — just after the repeal failed — other messages indicated that LaRose wanted to cement a relationship with Kiani, the hard-charging former Enron executive whom Cespedes testified stood to make $100 million off the sale of FirstEnergy’s bailed-out nuclear and coal plants.

Borges texted Cespedes that LaRose, “told me he wants to get to know Kiani, and I said, ‘Are you sure about that?’”

Cespedes replied, “He will live to regret that.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

____________________________________

MARTY SCHLADEN

Marty Schladen has been a reporter for decades, working in Indiana, Texas and other places before returning to his native Ohio to work at The Columbus Dispatch in 2017. He’s won state and national journalism awards for investigations into utility regulation, public corruption, the environment, prescription drug spending and other matters.

MORE FROM AUTHOR

Apr 15, 2023
Loveland Goodwill reopens soon

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Loveland, Ohio – Although she could not give a definitive reopening date, the Ohio Valley Goodwill store in Loveland may open it’s doors again in the next few weeks said Sharon Hannon the marketing director. “Maybe next week, fingers crossed.”

There is a construction meeting today.

Hannon said customers should see noticeable improvements as they virtually “gutted” the interior. New lighting is being installed, fresh paint and interior graphics, new restrooms, five new changing rooms, and a new office. The drive-thru donation center has received much attention also. Top to bottom with newly painted ceilings throughout the entire store.

Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries has described it as their “Flagship Design, and the Loveland location will feature Goodwill’s new “signature colors.” Construction delays affecting most commercial construction projects set back their anticipated March reopening, however, the “retail elves” are busy restocking the shelves.

“Bells and whistles” are promised for the reopening day with giveaways and sales coupons.

Here is a sneak peek of what customers can expect…[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_gmaps link=”#E-8_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”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Apr 14, 2023
Ohioans can still use abortion drug mifepristone, but that could change

Loveland, Ohio and Columbus

Since Roe v Wade was overturned last summer, abortion medication has been under fire as the abortion drug mifepristone is the subject of a federal lawsuit and some states are attempting to restrict access by threatening legal action against retail pharmacies and suppliers of the drug. (Adobe Stock).

BY: MEGAN HENRY – Ohio Capital Journal

An abortion drug remains legal in Ohio at the moment, but the legality of mifepristone hangs in the balance after a Texas federal judge suspended the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone last week.

Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk stopped the FDA’s approval of mifepristone, the first in a two-drug regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol taken 24 to 48 hours apart to terminate a pregnancy. The FDA first approved the two-drug regimen in 2000.

“This is a very direct and targeted attack on a very specific drug for a very specific reason,”said Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Public Policy Director Danielle Firsich.

Mifepristone was used for 9,891 abortions in Ohio in 2021, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The drug was used the most in Franklin County (2,806), Summit County (2,008), and Cuyahoga County (1,643).

Mifepristone and misoprostol

There is an alternative regimen for patients who wish to have a medication abortion that involves just the abortion drug misoprostol.

“It’s still a safe and effective regimen, it’s just not as patient-convenient or patient-centric as the current regimen,” said Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Adarsh E. Krishen.

The mifepristone and misoprostol regimen gives patients more predictability with regard to when a pregnancy is going to end, he said.

“With the misoprostol regimen, there’s more variation in terms of the timing of when that pregnancy may end, as well as there’s prolonged bleeding after the use of the medication,” Krishen said. “If you are a person who needs to work or do other things in your life, it will be much more complicated and complex for you.”

With the misoprostol-only regimen, bleeding can last up to one to two weeks after taking the medication, the pain lasts longer, and patients tend to be more nauseous, Krishen said.

Bleeding stops within a few days, or sooner, with the mifepristone and misoprostol regimen, Krishen said.

Cramping occurs with both regimens, he said.

“If you are someone who is seeking abortion care or miscarriage … you will be able to continue to receive the same kind of care with the misoprostol only option,” Firsich said. “The only difference is the frustration, the chaos, and the confusion that decisions like these make.”

She said decisions like these make patients more hesitant to access abortion care and not understand the rights they have to care.

“It may make physicians more hesitant to provide certain types of care because they are afraid they may be doing something illegal or something they don’t have the authority to do now because of variations in state, local and federal laws,” Firsich said.

The Texas federal judge is not targeting misoprostol.

“(Misoprostol) has many other medical applications far outside of abortion care, so it would be very difficult to target misoprostol in the same way they are mifepristone,” Firsich said.

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

The United States Department of Justice filed an emergency stay motion with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and is asking the 5th Circuit to respond to its request for a stay by noon on Thursday. Kacsmaryk’s ruling would take effect Friday unless the 5th Circuit puts it on hold.

“This is notoriously the most conservative appellate court in the country,” Firsich said.

She believes this ruling will eventually go to the United States Supreme Court.

Within hours of the Texas ruling on Friday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice, ruled mifepristone should continue to be available in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Ohio is not one of those 17 states.

What Ohio lawmakers, Ohio Right to Life is saying

Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, condemned the Texas federal judge’s ruling.

“The FDA, a trusted federal agency, has determined it is safe for women to use this medication for their health care,” Russo said. “As lawmakers, we should ensure our policies reflect the expertise of trusted medical professionals.”

State Rep. Beth Liston, D-Dublin, said mifepristone has been proven safe and effective.

“A woman’s medical decisions should be left between herself and a medical professional. Not a judge in Texas,” said Liston, who has a medical degree.

State Rep. Anita Somani, D-Dublin, said maternal mortality will increase by taking away access to mifepristone.

“This ruling opens up the door to other medications like contraception becoming politicized and taken off the market. It is a dangerous precedent and hurts the FDA’s ability to do their job in a nonpolitical fashion,” said Somani, who is an OBGYN at OhioHealth.

Firsich shares those fears and said “this could lead to an incredible dangerous slippery slope.”

Ohio Right to Life is praising Kacsmaryk’s ruling.

“As a young woman carrying a child, I look forward to the day when such rulings are no longer necessary—declaring whether or not human life deserves to be protected,” Ohio Right to Life’s spokesperson Elizabeth Marbach said in a statement.

Abortion is currently legal in Ohio up to 22 weeks.

Follow OCJ Reporter Megan Henry on Twitter.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

MEGAN HENRY

Megan is a reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal.

MORE FROM AUTHOR

Apr 13, 2023
Ohio School Safety Center announces keynote speakers for the 2023 Ohio School Safety Summit
Registration coming soon!

Tuesday, July 25, 9 a.m.

Dr. Dewey Cornell, Professor at the University of Virginia and developer of the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines, (CSTAG), will present on School Threat Assessment as a Safe Fair, and Effective Practice in Ohio Schools, which will describe how to implement best practices and resolve student threats, while maintaining a fair and equitable manner.

Tuesday, July 25, 2 p.m.

Dr. Amanda Nickerson, Professor and Director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York, will speak about Bullying Prevention and Intervention, including solutions, strategies, and resources to promote a safe school climate.

Wednesday, July 26, 9 a.m.

Sgt. William Chapman, a member of the Newtown, Conn. police department, uses his experiences as a Sandy Hook first responder and School Resource Officer to help school districts and law enforcement to develop best practices and will present on Navigating the Unthinkable: A First Responder’s Perspective.

Wednesday, July 26, 2:45 p.m.

Dr. Scott Poland, Professor and Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at Nova Southeastern University, will discuss School Crisis and Liability, including issues involving obtaining parental consent, failure to notify parents, and legal consequences of inadequate threat assessments in schools.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

CONTACT

The MISSION of the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) is to support all Ohio schools and first responders in preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety. Using a cross-disciplinary approach, the OSSC will provide resources to schools to enhance their strategies for safety, security, and emergency plan development.

Our goal is total commitment in supporting all schools in ensuring the safety of students, employees, and visitors through effective policies and procedures, training, and community and interagency involvement.

There are four main components to our goal:
- Prevention/Mitigation: Schools can take action to increase the safety and wellbeing of their staff and students. To create a safe and supportive learning environment, schools may institute policies, positive behavior intervention supports, and prevention programs to improve the culture and climate of their building.
- Preparedness: School leaders should be equipped with all the vital resources, information, and expectations to create a comprehensive safety plan and response protocols for any emergency situation, including natural disasters, violent incidents, and terrorist acts – before, during, and after the event.
- Response: Assisting schools with the development of their all-hazards response plan is a key element of our goal. Safety and well-being in an emergency depends on how prepared students and staff are and on how everyone responds to a crisis. By being able to act responsibly and safely, school administrators will be able to protect students, staff and facilities. Our office will strive towards ensuring updates on school safety regulations, directives, policy, and deadlines will be communicated on a regular basis so schools can revise and implement the most current criterion and respond accordingly.
- Recovery: The primary objective of recovery is to provide a caring and supportive school environment so that staff and students can return to teaching and learning as quickly as possible. Creating a system of supports with community social service agencies and local first responders can reinforce the cycle of safety planning and restore the social, emotional and environmental needs of students and staff.
Apr 13, 2023
Calling all ladies to the Chamber’s LinkedUp Loveland

Loveland, Ohio – Calling all the ladies! Join us for LinkedUp Loveland on April 26 featuring a wonderful lineup of panelists. Lunch, networking, and professional development!

Ladies, Join Us this Spring
Connect with local women, resources and friends

Register now! http://business.lovelandchamber.org/…/linkedup-loveland…

Join other business women from the greater Loveland area in a friendly networking atmosphere that will focus on personal and professional growth.

Our Spring 2023 Panel will feature local women leaders in business:

“Finding your Personal Brand”
“How to Maximize Social Media for Your Business”
“Women’s Professionalism: Putting Your Best Self First”Panelists are:

• Tammy Vilaboy, Tat2Marketing

• Meshell Giblin, BusinessDNA Group

• Mary Starvaggi, The Etiquette Advantage

AGENDA:

11:15-11:30 a.m.: Registration & Open Networking

11:30 a.m.: Welcome

11:45 a.m.: Lunch and panel begins

1:00 p.m.: closing

This event is presented by:

Promoted Post

Apr 13, 2023
Ohio tax breaks adding up, watchdog says

Loveland, Ohio, and Columbus

Part of the incentive package offered to Intel by the state of Ohio. (Screenshot from Ohio Dept. of Development presentation)

BY: MARTY SCHLADEN – Ohio Capital Journal

A new analysis says that 15 new tax breaks — many benefiting wealthy people and corporations — are coming online in Ohio.

That will swell the total cost of tax breaks in the state to $11 billion a year, equal to 37% of the state’s annual revenue, the report by Policy Matters Ohio said.

The new breaks will cost the state an additional $450 million a year as the state has ended a process to review the worthiness of its tax breaks, the report said.

“Tax breaks are ballooning with little oversight,” Zach Schiller, Policy Matters’ research director, said in a written statement. “The General Assembly should restore a tax expenditure review committee, eliminated in the state budget two years ago, and rein in unproductive tax breaks that reinforce inequality in our state.”

A big portion of the new tax breaks will go to Intel as part of a $2 billion incentive package in exchange for an investment of at least $20 billion to build a chip plant in New Albany and create at least 3,000 jobs. The new jobs are good news for Ohio, but some economic research indicates that in all but a fraction of cases, businesses would make the same location or expansion decisions regardless of the tax incentives they’re given.

Meanwhile, the poorest Ohioans shoulder a disproportionate share of the state and local tax burden and House Republicans are proposing to make that burden heavier with House Bill 1, which would flatten that state income tax.

The Policy Matters report said too many Ohio tax breaks favor people and corporations that need them the least.

“While some tax breaks are well-directed, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, which provides needed aid to low and moderate-income working families, a host of them should be repealed or cut back,” it said. “The business income deduction, also known as the LLC loophole, disproportionately rewards a small number of high-income individuals and costs an estimated $1 billion a year with negligible economic impact. Owners of data centers such as Facebook, Amazon and Google are receiving a sales-tax exemption worth more than $250 million over two years, though these facilities employ few workers.”

The report also called out huge tax breaks to drug wholesalers Cardinal Health, McKesson and AmeriSource Bergen. The companies got those breaks even as the state sued them over claims that they fed and profited from Ohio’s opioid epidemic.

“Suppliers to big drug distributors including Cardinal Health don’t have to pay much or any Commercial Activity Tax, though this was exposed as a tax dodge by the Kasich Administration’s budget director six years ago,” the report said. “Big retailers like Wal-Mart and Target are profiting from the discount on sales tax they collect, as then-taxation department commissioner Joe Testa testified years ago.”

The report also called on lawmakers to resume evaluations of how effective tax breaks are at achieving their stated purpose. While many of Ohio’s tax breaks have been sold as job creators, the Buckeye State had the third-worst job growth of any state between February 2022 and February 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Some tax breaks, such as Governor (Mike) DeWine’s proposed low-income housing tax credit, can be beneficial,” Schiller said. “But the General Assembly should set up a mechanism to rigorously scrutinize the tax breaks we have and cut back on unproductive exemptions and deductions that are proliferating in our tax code.”

___________________________

MARTY SCHLADEN

Marty Schladen has been a reporter for decades, working in Indiana, Texas and other places before returning to his native Ohio to work at The Columbus Dispatch in 2017. He’s won state and national journalism awards for investigations into utility regulation, public corruption, the environment, prescription drug spending and other matters.

MORE FROM AUTHOR

___________________________

Apr 13, 2023
Our Loveland Story – The Colletto Family

by Kim and Dan Colletto

Loveland Schools are worth fighting for! Keeping our school district strong in turn will keep our beloved Loveland community thriving, protect our home values and make our neighborhoods enticing to outside buyers. We, as proud Lovelanders, will stand behind the #yesforloveland movement. This is our family’s story and why we are so passionate about supporting the Loveland School District.

Our family relocated from Orlando, Florida to Cincinnati in the summer of 2016. This change was met with a lot of resistance by myself and our girls, who were 12 and 8 at the time. We were faced with leaving the community we loved and the only home our girls had ever known. Getting the move right was essential, to set our family unit up for success in our new home. Where did we start? The area school districts.

In Orlando, our girls had grown into a young school district and a developing area, with one elementary and middle school to choose from. After 10 years in the area, our school district had grown to encompass three elementary schools, two middle schools, and a new high school. My husband and I sat on community growth committees, held school PTA board positions, and volunteered countless hours in the classroom, at fundraisers and community events. We assisted in the effort to make our neighborhood one of the best in the Orange County School District. We knew what a successful educational community looked like and we felt it was essential to make the right choice for the future of our girls in our relocation.

In researching the Cincinnati area, we toured every surrounding school district. The final school on our list was Loveland. We feared that the opportunities and programs would be lacking, as it was a smaller school district. Boy, were we wrong.

In Loveland, we were greeted by enthusiastic administration and teachers who took the time to talk directly to our girls and answer their questions. We had top-notch tours and even had a sit-down meeting with the superintendent, assistant superintendent, and the person who would be our daughter’s high school counselor. The girls instantly felt like they would feel safe and welcomed in the Loveland schools. The district’s forward thinking mindset, focus on growth, and developing a well rounded, competitive student was supremely impressive.

We knew Loveland was the right choice when we left that meeting. Not only were there educational opportunities here, including a thriving gifted program and course options such as foreign language and college prep courses, but the district had top-notch music and arts programs which were of very high importance to both our girls. Loveland was providing music programs from the elementary level up. The high school arts programs were known as some of the best in the Cincinnati area. These opportunities solidified our decision.

We wanted to get a sense of the Loveland community as well. We explored the quaint downtown, enjoyed the local restaurants, and toured a dozen homes before we ended up buying in a beautiful, homey neighborhood where we were instantly greeted by welcoming neighbors. We had found our home and a place where we felt confident our girls would thrive and above all, be happy. And they have flourished here. Each of our girls had different needs in the classroom and they were both met with phenomenal teachers and support. They each threw themselves into drama, music, and show choir. They were exposed to and tried new things including runners club, intramural sports, student government, and volunteerism.

Our oldest has now graduated and was set up to enter college with 32 hours of college credit classes allowing her to easily double major in two rigorous programs. The Loveland High School experience gave her the tools to enter into the world confident and prepared. Anna was exposed to a broad range of activities, including music, art, student media, Showchoir, and student leadership groups in addition to a multitude of course options from financial planning to AP and College Credit Plus opportunities. And she took advantage of it all. She had a remarkable high school experience and was set up to get into highly competitive college programs.

Our youngest is now a junior and is in the college preparation stage. While her high school experience began during the COVID-19 pandemic, she continues to have a wonderful high school life in her classes and extracurriculars including athletics, music, and show choir. We are so thankful for her dedicated school counselors and teachers and for the arts programs that have given her hope and comfort in spite of the challenges of these last couple of years due to the pandemic and unfortunate cuts in the Loveland schools. She has grown immensely into a hard-working student, performer, athlete, and a Tiger through and through. At Loveland, Avery has learned resilience through compassionate district leaders, teachers and mentors.

Even while navigating the challenges of failed levies, Loveland has kept excellence and the dedication to their students at the forefront. No matter what challenges the district may face, the foundation of community and excellence prevails. The opportunity for students to experience a vast, well-rounded education is there. But the reality is that many of those beloved, winning programs our children have been blessed with are now on the chopping block.

We have hope that the community will step up and value the importance of a strong school district and how important it is to set our children up for future success.

Our children in the younger grades should have the same opportunities to enter their years after high school prepared, motivated, and competitive. It’s up to each of us to fight for our schools and to keep Loveland thriving.

We are Lovelanders now and we won’t give up on our schools or this community. I hope you will join in the fight to keep Loveland strong and get out and vote #yesforloveland.

____________________________________

Kim and Dan Colletto live in the Miami Trails Neighborhood

Apr 11, 2023
“Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” [Video Interview]

by David Miller, Loveland Magazine’s Managing Editor

Loveland, Ohio – “I am super excited about this sip and shop and I know it will be a great event to support Loveland Schools and these small businesses,” said Loveland High School Senior Kate Krabacher.

Kate is a student at Loveland High School and is a member of Tigers Inc. Kate said that she and Tigers Inc are excited to be co-hosting the “Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” with Lemons and Limes Boutique owner, Wendy Knight. The event will be on April 22nd from 11 AM until 4 PM at the Landing Event Center on the bank of the Scenic Little Miami River in Historic Downtown.

Lemons and Limes is a local small business boutique with locations in Loveland and Mason. Tigers Inc is a nonprofit organization run by a selective group of business-oriented student leaders at Loveland High School.

Kate is also an intern at Lemons and Limes and Wendy said she has been in charge, from “start to finish” of the planning for the Mother’s Day event from day one. Kate reached out to business vendors in the area and persuaded them to be involved, and purchase a space at this event. Wendy said that one of the most important things she wants the community to know is that this is “truly a student led event”

The venue will be set up as a small business market and each vendor will have their own space for a pop-up shop or display.

Last year the event was run by an employee at the Landing Event Center, but she is no longer there, so Tigers Inc took on the responsibility of organizing the event with Wendy at Lemons and Limes.

Kate said that it was a great success last year for all vendors and they are hoping to grow the attendance, even more, this year.

Besides supporting Tigers Inc, this year, the event is supporting a Loveland Elementary School Capital Campaign to fund new tables for the LES cafeteria.

Wendy said that shopping at the Sip and Shop is an excellent opportunity to support local small businesses by buying Mother’s Day gifts, birthday presents, something for yourself, or a graduation gift. She said there will be many items to buy for men and boys as well.

There will be a map provided to attendees that will encourage shoppers to visit the other shops in Historic Downtown and Wendy encourages shoppers to buy a meal at a local restaurant.

The fashion show will feature local “elite celebrity” models you will recognize, teachers, school administrators, and local moms and students. Most of the fashions come from the selection of clothing and accessories found at Lemons and Limes.

Learn more about Kate and Wendy and their excitement about “Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” in this newest episode of LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV.

Please “Like” and become a “Subscriber” to our YouTube Channel!

Do you want to join the fun and become a vendor? Email Wendy or Kate.

Here is the LINK if you want to become a vendor.

Find out more about the “Sip and Shop: Mother’s Day Edition” on Facebook

Tigers Inc on Facebook.

Learn more about Lemons and Limes Boutique.

The Landing Event Center on Facebook.

Apr 10, 2023
Flying Pig Marathon adds 10K Handcycle Division and Para Athlete Division for 2023

Cincinnati, Ohio – Flying Pig Marathon Weekend, one of the largest and most popular running events in the United States, has announced the addition of two new divisions for 2023: a 10K Handcycle Division and a Para Athlete Division. These new divisions will provide opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities to showcase their athletic abilities in a “supportive and inclusive” environment during Flying Pig Marathon Weekend, which is scheduled for May 5 through 7.

While planning to add these new divisions, the Flying Pig Marathon partnered with The Bridge Adaptive Sports and Recreation, a non profit dedicated to breaking down barriers to sport and recreation for people with disabilities in the Greater Cincinnati area. The Bridge has worked with the race to ensure the new divisions will be safe and accessible for all participants.

The Toyota 10K Handcycle Division will allow handcycle athletes to participate in a timed 10K race on Saturday, May 6th. Handcycles are specially designed bicycles powered by the user’s arms rather than their legs. The top three male and female 10K Handcycle division athletes will be recognized with awards.

The Para Athlete Division will offer opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities to participate. This division will include a range of events, including the 5K, 10K, and full and half marathons. The top three male and female Para Athletes in each event will receive an award.

“We are thrilled to add these new divisions to the Flying Pig Marathon Weekend,” said Iris Simpson Bush, CEO of the Flying Pig Marathon. “We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to participate, and we are excited to provide that opportunity to handcycle athletes and para athletes. We hope that these new divisions will inspire more people to get involved in our race experiences while making the Flying Pig Marathon Weekend even more diverse, inclusive and accessible.”

Registration for the 2023 Flying Pig Marathon Weekend is open, and athletes interested in participating in the new 10K Handcycle Division and Para Athlete Division can sign up by reaching out to registration@flyingpigmarathon.com

What is the Bridge?

We are a diverse group of professionals who envision a community where people, regardless of ability, can fully participate in competitive and leisure activities.

Our mission is to increase awareness and promote opportunities for individuals to participate in adaptive sports and recreation in order to improve their quality of life.

Understanding the challenges to doing this alone, we are bringing together the community to share, collaborate, create and redefine adaptive sport opportunities as we know them.

We are bridging the gap from clinic to community by connecting people with disabilities to adaptive equipment & existing adaptive sports programs – and by creating what does not yet exist. Learn more…

The Flying Pig PigAbilities is a movement for inclusion that supports our families and friends who live with disabilities. Our one-mile event is designed for participants (and supporters of participants) to run, walk or roll at their own pace so they can cross the official Flying Pig Marathon Finish Swine, just like everyone else.

Download PigAbilities info here

Participant Amenities

All registered participants will receive a shirt, finisher medal, limited-edition poster, and a Flying Pig bag.

Apr 8, 2023
AI chatbot designed more for flattery than accuracy

by Mark P. Painter

When the new ChatGPT was released to the public a couple weeks ago, I decided to try it out. To test its accuracy, I queried it on facts I knew. At least I thought I knew about my own life.

Turns out the Artificial Intelligence bot came from a different universe. It did seem to know I existed, and that I had been − or was still − on the Ohio First District Appellate Court. But the dates it gave varied widely.

The first time I asked about Judge Mark P. Painter I received this answer:

“Judge Mark P. Painter was a distinguished lawyer and judge from Cincinnati, Ohio. He served as a judge on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals from 1995 to 2009, and was appointed to the United Nations Appeals Tribunal in 2009, serving until 2013. During his time on the bench, Judge Painter authored over 800 judicial opinions and was highly regarded for his expertise in judicial ethics and reform. After retiring from the bench, he continued to write and speak about legal issues and mentored many lawyers and judges. Judge Painter passed away on March 5, 2019.”

Just like Twain (and later Tom Wolfe), the death report is somewhat exaggerated. Other parts are slightly inaccurate, except the complimentary ones. I tried again the next day, and asked for a longer bio. This is it, with factual corrections:

“Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Judge Painter graduated with honors from Elder High School in 1966 [Sycamore ‘65] having achieved the rank of Eagle Scout [Not]. He proceeded to the University of Cincinnati where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969 [‘70], and his Juris Doctorate in 1971 [‘73]. He began his law career working for a prestigious Cincinnati firm, but it was his subsequent service in the public sector that defined his later career path.

In 1975, Judge Painter was appointed to the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas [Not, would have been 28] where he built a strong reputation as a competent and steady adjudicator. He served with distinction on the court until 1983, when he was elected to the Cincinnati City Council [Not]. He was re-elected to the council four years later before taking a position as a Hamilton County Commissioner in 1992, where he served with distinction until 1996 [Not, Not].

In 1997, Judge Painter returned to the legal profession and worked as an attorney at Bricker & Eckler LLP [Not], specializing in government law and business-related cases. He then moved to Keating Muething & Klekamp LLP [Not] in 2001 and was made partner in 2004.

Judge Painter was tapped by Governor John Kasich to join the Ohio First District Court of Appeals in 2013 [Not,; elected in 1994]. As an appellate judge, Painter is a respected member of the court and an innovator when it comes to legal decisions. He has a developed a reputation for efficiently resolving complex motions, rendering decisions fairly and expediently, and on the occasions when the court is split in its opinion, his thoughtful analysis and judicious reasoning often proves to be the tipping point.

. . . [Four more Nots]

Outside of his professional life, Judge Painter enjoys music, playing the organ, baseball, fishing, and golf [None]. He and his wife are the proud parents of two adult children who are both lawyers [Not].

Mark Painter is an esteemed trailblazer and respected member of the legal system. His unwavering dedication to justice, fairness, and the rule of law have made him an indispensable member of the Ohio First District Court of Appeals and a figure of admiration and veneration for the legal community.“

It also said that I was married to a person I never heard of. But Sue Ann Painter has been my only wife, and we have been married 37 years. It also told me my parents were people it apparently made up, as I could find no mention of them anywhere else, as with my four non-existent siblings (I have one).

My Parents were John Phillip (Phil) Painter, a WWII veteran and plasterer (later contractor) and Marg Painter, a homemaker. But ChatGPT has given me at least two different sets, neither of them my real parents. This is one set:

“Doris Mae (Rix) Painter and Curtis Earl Painter are the parents of Judge Mark P. Painter, a respected judge on the 1st District of Ohio Court of Appeals. Doris Mae (Rix) Painter was a homemaker and Curtis Earl Painter was a U.S. Highway Inspector. They were both born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and were married in 1950.“

My parents were married in 1941. I was a Boomer (born 1947) after my dad came back from the war.

Am I living in a parallel universe? I couldn’t find any link to these other people. No one named Painter was on City Council, the County Commission, or either law firm those dates − or probably ever. But in the AI universe all that happened.

After all the above, I tried once more:

“Judge Mark P Painter of Cincinnati, Ohio was a United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio from 1997 to 2016. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1983 and was a senior partner in the Cincinnati law firm of Jardine, Logan & O’Brien LLP prior to his appointment to the federal court.“

Even weirder universe. I did graduate from UC Law, but in 1973. Never been a federal judge. And I had never heard of that law firm, but it does exist. In Lake Elmo, Minnesota.

Despite all the totally bogus segments, ChatGPT evidently likes me. Many of the words were just heaping general praise. It even made up many non-existent awards that I allegedly earned. Maybe it’s nice to everyone. To check that theory, I asked it to write short bios of the two worst judges that I knew. Both came back as having “served with distinction.”

So it must be designed for flattery rather than accuracy.

_________________________________

Mark P. Painter served as a judge for 30 years. He is the author of six books including “Write Well” and “The Legal Writer.”

_______________________________

Apr 8, 2023