With only 55 days until voters cast their ballots in the Buckeye State, President Barack Obama will travel to Ohio today to tout his reckless plans to raise taxes, increase spending, and continue driving up our nation’s record $13 trillion debt.
During a previous visit to Ohio last month, Obama kicked off his so-called “Recovery Summer” and claimed that America’s economy is “moving in the right direction, we’re on the right track.” But despite the President’s empty rhetoric, Ohioans continue to suffer from high unemployment, lagging home sales, and out-of-control government spending that continues to fail to spur the state’s struggling economy.
Meanwhile, Ohio’s failed jobs czar and Lt. Governor Lee Fisher (D-OH) has remained silent about the President’s proposal to enact a second costly “stimulus” spending bill after the first $787 billion debacle fell short of the promised recovery. Fisher has also remained silent about the President’s plans to enact a massive tax hike that would burden Ohio’s families and small business owners.
Fisher wholeheartedly endorsed the first stimulus bill and claimed that it was working and caused many “positive things,” despite the fact that the costly legislation paid for numerous wasteful non-job related projects, including a study to determine how monkeys react under the influence of cocaine, a multi-million-dollar analysis of exotic ants, cell phones to help people stop smoking, a computerized choreography program, and advertising devoted to the promotion of the stimulus legislation itself.
“As President Obama travels back to Ohio to tout more spending and higher taxes, when will failed jobs czar Lee Fisher finally say ‘enough is enough?’” asked National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Press Secretary Amber Marchand. “Ohio has already lost nearly 400,000 jobs on Fisher’s watch as Lt. Governor, yet he continues to sit idly by as the President proposes a massive tax increase and a second ‘stimulus’ bill after the first one paid for cocaine for monkeys and yoga for menopausal women. Ohioans cannot afford President Obama and Lee Fisher’s reckless spending agenda in Washington, which is why they will elect a fiscally responsible leader in Rob Portman this November.”
Background Information:
In June, Obama Went To Ohio To Kick Off The Failed “Recovery Summer”
President Obama Kicked Off The “Recovery Summer” In Columbus, Ohio At The Site Of The Stimulus’ 10,000th “And today I return to Columbus to mark a milestone on the road to recovery: the 10,000th project launched under the Recovery Act. That’s worth a big round of applause.” (President Barack Obama, “Remarks on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Projects in Columbus, Ohio,” 6/18/10) Infrastructure Project Just Three Months Ago.
The President Touted The Progress That The Economy Was Making. “Our economy, which was shrinking by 6 percent when I was sworn in, is now growing at a good clip, and we’ve added jobs for 6 out of the past 7 months in this country. We were losing 700,000 jobs a month; for the last–6 out of the last 7 months, we’ve increased jobs here in the United States of America, in part because the policies that these Members of Congress were willing to step up and implement.” (President Barack Obama, “Remarks on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Projects in Columbus, Ohio,” 6/18/10)
Lee Fisher Claimed That The First $787 Billion Stimulus Is Working
Fisher Said He Sees The Stimulus Working. “Fisher said that despite that trend and the climbing unemployment rates both locally and statewide, he sees the stimulus working, pointing to the most recent national jobs report.” (James Pilcher, “Workforce Exec,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 8/12/09)
Fisher Said The Stimulus Has Caused Many “Positive Things.”The Columbus Dispatch, 10/18/09) ‘“But I do know positive things that already have happened,’ Fisher said.” (Joe Hallett, “Stimulus Legacy Less Tangible Than WPA,”
- Fisher: “I Know It’s Helped Us Balance Our (State) Budget.” (Joe Hallett, “Stimulus Legacy Less Tangible Than WPA,” The Columbus Dispatch, 10/18/09)
- Fisher: “I Know It’s Saved A Lot Of Jobs, Teachers’ Jobs And Police Officers’ Jobs.” (Joe Hallett, “Stimulus Legacy Less Tangible Than WPA,” The Columbus Dispatch, 10/18/09)
Meanwhile, The $787 Billion Stimulus Bill That Fisher Endorsed Lavished Taxpayer Dollars On Outrageous Wasteful Projects
A New Report On The Economic Stimulus Shows That The Democrats’ $787 Billion Government Spending Program Has Led To Job Losses And Lavished Taxpayer Dollars On Outrageous Wasteful Projects. (CNBC, 08/03/10)
According To The Report, Small Businesses Across The Country Experienced A Decrease In Business Due To Stimulus-Funded Road Construction Projects And Other Unintended Consequences.
The Report Also Found That Taxpayer Dollars Are Being Thrown At Dubious, If Not Outrageous, Projects, Including:
- $2 million to capture and study exotic ants
- $71,000 to study how monkeys react under the influence of cocaine
- $750,000 to develop a computerized choreography program that could lead to a YouTube-like “Dance Tube” online application
- $554,000 to replace windows at a Washington visitor center with no plans to reopen the visitor center
- $54 million to develop a building for the Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut that will also serve as a practice facility for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun women’s professional basketball team
- $300,000 to study whether Integral Yoga can be an effective method to reduce hot flashes in menopausal women
- $194,000 to study people’s perceptions of federal stimulus spending. (Sens. Tom Coburn and John McCain, “Summertime Blues: 100 Stimulus Projects That Give Taxpayers The Blues,” msnbcmedia.msn.com, 8/10)
As Lt. Governor, Fisher Has Lost Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs On His Watch
Since Lee Fisher Assumed Office In January Of 2007, Ohio Has Lost Nearly 400,000 Jobs. According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio has lost 386,600 jobs from January 2007 until June 2010, the most recent numbers available. (U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics Website, http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?sm+39, Accessed 7/26/10)
- From The First Quarter 2004, When Movement Of Work Data First Became Available, Through The Fourth Quarter Of 2006, Ohio Lost 2682 Jobs To Other States, Or 223.5 Jobs Per Quarter. (Ohio Department Of Jobs And Family Services, Ohio Labor Market Information, Mass Layoff Statistics Quarterly Reports, http://lmi.state.oh.us)
- From The First Quarter 2007 Through The First Quarter Of 2010, The Most Recent Available Data, Ohio Lost 5,215 Jobs To Other States, An Average Of 401 Jobs Per Quarter. (Ohio Department Of Jobs And Family Services, Ohio Labor Market Information, Mass Layoff Statistics Quarterly Reports, http://lmi.state.oh.us)
Ohio’s Department Of Development Has Allowed A Texas Company That Outsources Jobs To Central America To Run An Ohio Government Program
“A State Program Designed To Stimulate Ohio’s Economy Created Jobs In Texas And Central America Instead.” (Patrick Preston, “Ohio Rebate Program Created Jobs In Texas, Central America,” www2.nbc4i.com, 7/27/10)
Ohio’s Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program Has Handed Out $7 Million Of Federal Funding. “The Ohio Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program rewards consumers with rebates for purchasing energy efficient refrigerators, dishwashers, clothing washers, and water heaters. Ohio has handed out $7 million out of more than $10 million allocated for the federally funded program.” (Patrick Preston, “Ohio Rebate Program Created Jobs In Texas, Central America,” www2.nbc4i.com, 7/27/10)
“Ohio’s Department Of Development Contracted With Texas-Based Parago To Run The Appliance Rebate Program For Roughly $500,000.” (Patrick Preston, “Ohio Rebate Program Created Jobs In Texas, Central America,” www2.nbc4i.com, 7/27/10)
“Howard Said ODOD Stands By Its Choice Of Parago, But It Turns Out Parago Did Not Hire Americans To Operate Its Rebate Call Center Program.” (Patrick Preston, “Ohio Rebate Program Created Jobs In Texas, Central America,” www2.nbc4i.com, 7/27/10)
FLASHBACK: Lt. Gov. Fisher Was The Director Of The Department Of Development From January 2007 Until February 2009. “Strickland, who takes office Jan. 8, has tapped the following people for his administration: Lt. Gov. – elect Lee Fisher as director of the Ohio Department of Development, succeeding former Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson.” “Fisher announced that although he will remain as Lieutenant Governor, he was resigning as director of the Ohio Department of Development because it requires full-time attention and he wanted to avoid any potential conflicts because of his dealings with business as director.” (“Strickland Finalizes Cabinet Nominations,” Dayton Business Journal, 1/3/07; Joe Hallett and Mark Niquette, “2 Democrats Seek Voinovich’s Seat,” The Columbus Dispatch, 2/18/09)
After Lt. Gov. Fisher Resigned As DOD Director, Fisher Said He Was Continuing To Focus His Attention Solely On Economic Development, Saying That He Left A Capable Leadership Team In Place. ”It was clear to me that the daily responsibilities of running an agency with a billion dollar budget and managing over 450 staff, along with my responsibilities as Lt. Governor, was not consistent with also being a candidate for US Senate. In consultation with the Governor, I made the personal decision to continue as Ohio’s Lt. Governor, focusing my attention solely on economic development and left the management of the Department to the capable Leadership Team I put in place. As Lt. Governor, I will continue to work relentlessly to save, create, and attract jobs and to grow Ohio’s economy.” (Lee Fisher, “Why I’m Running,” Buckeye State Blog, 3/16/09)
