http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:42:33 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Some campaign adviser committed a major gaffe; an actual idea has entered the presidential race. Good on John McCain for at least nodding at the idea of breaking the health insurance-employer link. There's no good reason to tie insurance to employment, apart from the obvious one that it's the easiest place ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2008/04/30/whack-a-mole/ Cheers to 19 state representatives who have proposed to eliminate altogether Ohio's individual income tax, applicable also to trusts and estates. No committee assignment yet and no formal analysis of the bill has been prepared by the Legislative Service Commission -- a dollar says those things won't happen -- but credit ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2008/04/28/the-ohio-19/ The Ohio Rail Development Commission is using $50,000 of your tax dollars to subsidize biodiesel for railroad companies. Liberty Fuels of Ohio will receive this corporate welfare to purchase equipment to improve its ability to move and/or load and unload train cars, according to the release. By utilizing existing ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2008/03/20/biodiesel-boondoggle/ As part of the debate over the Congressional budget resolution, Ohio Senator George Voinovich introduced an amendment to curb "emergency" spending. Trying to eliminate the abuse of this type of spending is long overdue. The federal budget process is a complicated one. If Congress wants to spend money, it must comply ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2008/03/13/curbing-emergency-spending/ AP and others are reporting that the Capitol Square Review & Advisory Board is seeking $200,000 immediately and another $800,000 eventually for upgrades to the 96 security cameras state troopers use to keep tabs on people in and around the Statehouse in Columbus. The CSRAB said: "We need to protect the governor, ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2008/01/22/while-were-on-the-topic/ In light of Ohio's current budget issues, the Columbus Dispatch had an interesting story about how one agency hasn't been paying its bills: Some employees at the Ohio Department of Development got a surprise when they tried to leave the City Center parking garage with state cars late last year: Their ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2008/01/15/dept-of-development-doesnt-pay-bills/ The federal government has launched a website, www.usaspending.gov, detailing a myrad of details about apparently every federal contract issued. I've spent just a short few minutes on it, but it appears to be a revealing look into the line-by-line transactions in a large part of the national treasury's checkbook. ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2007/12/18/whats-good-for-the-goose/ According to Gongwer News Service: Governor Ted Strickland should urge federal environmental regulators to revise proposed air quality rules that could bring about devastating impacts on the state's economy, a manufacturing industry leader said Tuesday. Former Michigan Governor John Engler, now president of the National Association of Manufacturers, asked Mr. Strickland during ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2007/12/05/nam-meets-with-strickland-on-ozone/ In light of all the issuess facing Ohio policymakers -- weak economic growth, an unfriendly tax climate for business, health care, to name a few -- what do 22 of your Representatives think is a pressing need? Whether or not cable companies carry the Big Ten Network and the NFL ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2007/11/02/government-aid-for-big-ten-network-and-nfl/ The Cleveland Plain Dealer had an article yesterday exposing millions of dollars in waste at Ohio's nursing homes. It seems that nursing homes are approving care for patients who do not need it and who do not qualify for it, and the are sticking taxpayers with the bill through the ... http://www.eyeonthestatehouse.org/2007/10/22/nursing-homes-defraud-medicaid/