Public Policy Advocates

• Two Gulf Oil Spill cleanup workers have died, and the rate of oil gushing into the Gulf has increased. [MSNBC]
• Ohio Senate President Bill Harris plans to push legislation eliminating the “double dip” loophole with Ohio’s pension system. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Ted Strickland’s running mate, Yvette McGee Brown, laid out her policy agenda if she is elected to serve as Ohio’s Lieutenant Governor. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]
• State Rep. Matt Dolan,  candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive, pledged to create a non-profit development agency if he’s elected. [Associated Press]
• New home sales dropped 33% in May, to a record-low level. [New York Times]

• President Obama warned health insurance companies to avoid raising premiums before the new health care law takes effect. [New York Times]
• President Obama’s Budget Director, Peter Orszag, has decided to step down from his post. [New York Times]
• Several officials from the Department of Development embarked on a trade mission to China this week. [Columbus Dispatch]
• The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review approved a new rule yesterday to expand sick-leave and bereavement benefits to unmarried state workers with live-in partners. [Columbus Dispatch]
• The GOP Governor’s Association released a new TV ad this week, attacking Gov. Ted Strickland’s record on jobs. [Dayton Daily News]
• Former Senator John Glenn came out in opposition to President Obama’s plan to scrap NASA’s space shuttle program. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

• President Obama is visiting Ohio today, to talk about jobs and the economy. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Ohio’s Unemployment rate fell from 10.9% to 10.7% in May, on the strength of 17,100 jobs added.  This news comes a month after Ohio led the nation in the number of new jobs added in April with 37,000, the biggest jump in 22 years.  However, Ohio’s unemployment rate is still well above the national average of 9.7%. [Columbus Dispatch]
• BP CEO Tony Hayward testified before a very angry House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday. [New York Times]
• The Medicaid expansion included in the Federal Health Care Reform is projected to cost Ohio taxpayers $1.45 billion between 2014 and 2019. [Columbus Dispatch]
• The United States Supreme Court ruled on employer monitoring of cellphone, computer conversations yesterday. [Washington Post]

• Gubernatorial Candidate John Kasich has taken in more small-dollar donations than rival Gov. Ted Strickland.  However Gov. Strickland maintains a $2 million overall fundraising advantage. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Meanwhile, one of Mr. Kasich’s campaign operatives finds himself in some hot water, as e-mail records show he tried to give the Public Employees Retirement System unsolicited advice on how to explain certain pension fund losses. [Cincinnati Enquirer]
• Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher has replaced his campaign manager for the second time in his race for the United States Senate. [Columbus Dispatch]
• President Barack Obama will be in Columbus tomorrow to emphasize the beginning of a road construction project which will be paid for with Federal Stimulus money. [Toledo Blade]
• The U.S. Justice Department has charged more than 1,200 people to date in relation to mortgage fraud. [Washington Post]
• BP has agreed to put $20 billion in an escrow account to cover claims associated with the Gulf Oil spill. [Washington Post]

• Former 13-term Toledo Congressman Lud Ashley passed away at age 87. [Toledo Blade]
• Governor Ted Strickland renews an attack on challenger John Kasich regarding his tax returns. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Senate Candidate Rob Portman wants to repeal the Federal Health Care Reform law. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Development company makes pitch for Medical Mart in Cleveland. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]
• In his first Oval Office address, President Obama outlined the latest containment efforts for the Gulf Oil Spill, and called for a renewed focus on safe, alternative energy sources. [New York Times]
• Housing starts dropped 10% in May, the first month after the expiration of the Home Buyer Tax Credit. [Wall Street Journal]

Mark Tucker has written an excellent article regarding the recent decision handed down by the Ohio Supreme Court regarding Ohio’s Prevailing Wage Law.  To read the article, please click here.

Doug Pinkham, President of the Public Affairs Council, wrote an article recently outlining several tips on how to improve CEO performances before Congressional Committees.  These pieces of advice transfer to testifying before any legislative body, whether it’s Congress, the Ohio General Assembly, or even your local City Council. 

Mr. Pinkham writes, “In recent months, we’ve seen CEOs marched before Congress to explain their roles in the housing crisis, the auto crisis, the Wall Street crisis and - now - the oil spill crisis. Some have performed better than others, but most have made mistakes that tarnished their reputations or created political fallout for their companies. ”

To read the complete article, click here.

Stuart Rothenberg reports today that the Federal Elections Commission has ruled to allow Members of Congress to accept “soft money” contributions to use on redistricting activities.  For more information on how this ruling will affect the upcoming redistricting efforts, visit The Rothenberg Report.

The Washington Post’s David Broder has an excellent column this morning regarding the political implications of the ongoing United States Census.   Mr. Broder points out that the demographics in this country have changed immensely since the 2000 Census, and the consequences will be felt when redistricting occurs. 

He writes:

At the same time, the metro areas have become more diverse. The study suggests that we have to think about replacing old categories such as the Sun Belt or the Rust Belt with a seven-way categorization of the places where most Americans live — depending on overall growth rates, diversity, and levels of income and education.

As the report notes, “viewing metropolitan America through this lens offers a more nuanced view of the country and its variable challenges than conventional regional generalizations. The South, for instance, counts at least one member in each of the seven metropolitan categories, as very different demographic destinies confront Atlanta versus Augusta, or Miami versus Palm Bay.”

Washington is one of only nine metro areas where the decade’s population growth, diversity and educational attainment all have exceeded the national average. The other eight are all west of the Mississippi, concentrated in Texas and found also in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, California and Washington state.

At the other end of the scales are the 18 low-growth, low-diversity, low-educational areas centered on the old industrial cities along the Great Lakes and spreading into the Northeast and the Southeast.

The report suggests that future political conflicts may well develop along the lines of demarcation between the growth areas and those lagging in population. But it also uncovers political struggles between the aging populations, ill-accommodated in many suburbs, and the young populations expanding into those same suburbs.

For Mr. Broder’s full column, please click here.

Today is Primary Election Day in Ohio.  Voters statewide will go to the polls today to decide several statewide and local issues, in addition to choosing candidates for the November General Election.  Some key races to watch include Issue 1, the Third Frontier Bond Issue, Issue 2, the Casino Relocation Issue, the Republican Primary for Auditor of State, and the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate.

• The state program which allows inmates from state prisons to work at the Governor’s Residence has become too lenient under Gov. Strickland, according to a report by Inspector General Tom Charles. [Columbus Dispatch]
• Meanwhile, the falling out over a “sting” operation at the Governor’s Residence continues, with Gov. Strickland dismissing a recent Inspector General’s report. [Columbus Dispatch]
• U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is calling for stricter regulation of Wall Street, despite resistance from the Obama Administration. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]
• Desperate to stop the oil leak which is already washing up on the Southern coast of the U.S., BP has proposed a new plan of action. [New York Times]
• At least 28 deaths have been reported in severe flooding in Tennessee and other parts of the South. [Washington Post]