[LFC Comments: We found the statistics on the lobbying efforts in Ohio to be quite revealing. Interesting to us are the stats on number of engagements versus total expenditures. [$775,321.18 / 9,065 = $85.52 per engagement] That amounts to a dinner and a drink in a Columbus restaurant.

To us, this is like accounting for the pennies, while $61 million is funneled to non-profits. The whole report is designed to make the taxpayers think that our politicians are looking out for the taxpayers’ best interests. Sorry for being a cynic, but it appears to be all a scam! We will let our readers decide if the legislators are deceiving the taxpayers.

If our current lobbying laws could not thwart the H.B. 6 debacle, then obviously drastic changes are required in the lobbying laws. One suggestion: Not a dime should be spent on trying to influence our legislators. What is clear to us is that the corrupt nature of man will find ways to circumvent the laws, and they will “feather there own nest” to the detriment of the taxpayers.

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Excerpts from the annual report:

“Each year the Office of the Legislative Inspector General (“OLIG”) publishes a report of the previous year’s lobbying statistics. The OLIG is a non-partisan legislative office with two primary functions: (1) it administers Ohio’s lobbying laws, and (2) is the administrative office of the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee (“JLEC”)—a bipartisan legislative committee comprised of twelve members of the Ohio General Assembly.”

“Relative to lobbying, a majority of OLIG resources are dedicated to working with Ohio’s more than 1,500 lobbyists to ensure a transparent, accurate, and lawful lobbying process.”

Total Registrations
Lobbyists 1642
Employers 2074
Total Engagements 9065

Statewide Office Lobbied – Total Engagements
Governor 4042
Lieutenant Governor 2723
Attorney General 2542
Auditor of State 1644
Secretary of State 1513
Treasurer of State 1490

TOTAL EXPENDITURES $775,321.18 for 2019

The following individuals were on the 2019 Executive Committee for the JOINT LEGISLATIVE ETHICS COMMITTEE- Based on the ongoing F.B.I. case on H.B. 6, it makes us wonder if there should be another “oversight committee” watching over the Ethics Executive Committee. Rather than growing the government, we would rather see righteous men and women elected to office.

Committee:
Larry Obhof
Senate President, Chair

Kenny Yuko
Senate Min. Leader

Larry Householder
Speaker of the House,
Vice Chair

Matt Huffman
Senator

Sean J. O’Brien
Senator

Bob Peterson
Senator

Cecil Thomas
Senator

Emilia Strong Sykes
House Min. Leader

Jim Butler
Representative

Kristin Boggs
Representative

Robert Cupp
Representative

Paula Hicks Hudson
Representative

Staff
Tony Bledsoe
Executive Director

Categories: Corruption, Uncategorized

Tags: FT, OH Corruption