Author: Scott Pullins

Wadsworth, Ohio – National conservative activist Scott Presler will make a stop in Mount Vernon, Ohio on Sunday, October 10, 2021 at 6pm.  The event will take place at the Woodward Opera House meeting rooms at 107 S. Main Street, Mount Vernon, OH 43050.  The Presler Persistence Tour will include 7 events over 8 days in 3 states.  Former Congressman Jim Renacci will appear in a number of these stops with Presler.

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which is the largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world, honored Scott Presler with its Ronald Reagan Award on Saturday, February 27, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.  The Ronald Reagan Award was established to honor the often unnamed or overlooked conservative activists who work in the political trenches day after day to advance conservative ideas, policies, and candidates.

Scott Presler was given the award by CPAC because of his extensive work in organizing and helping to clean up parts of inner cities riddled with trash and abandoned property. Presler also engaged in political speeches and get-out-the-vote efforts — on the streets and online — to help campaign for Donald Trump in 2020.  For more information, please visit www.scottpresler.org.

Jim Renacci is a business owner that ran sixty businesses, created 1,500 new jobs, and employed over 3,000 people across Ohio. He served four terms in the U.S. Congress and was the 2018 Republican Nominee for the U.S. Senate from Ohio. He is challenging Mike DeWine for Ohio Governor in 2022. For more information, please visit www.jimrenacci.com.

Scott Presler and Jim Renacci will talk on topics such as CRT, mask and vaccine mandates, running for local office, and other important conservative issues.  A donation of $5 or more is requested at the door to help cover the costs of this event.

To make your reservations online, please click here.

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Neil S. Clark was a legend in Ohio political and lobbying circles.  Go read his life story and learn about what really happens in Ohio’s statehouse.

You can buy the electronic version here and help support this site at the same time.

The plan calls for approximately half a billion in state income tax cuts along with a phased in new school funding plan.  All of the details that you would ever want or need can be found here.

After several polite and reasonable requests we have reposted the two Joe Blystone articles.  They can be found below on our page.

I took some time to think about this and despite the numerous threats, profanity, false ratings, and attempts at extortion from Blystone supporters I think it is important for you to be able to read these stories.  In my opinion, and that’s why I have kept this site alive to express my opinions, Mr. Blystone is unsuited to be in any public office anywhere.  He and his supporters only strengthen that opinion by their unhinged daily conduct.

I will also not be making any apologies.  I didn’t make a mistake, the Franklin County Board of Elections did, and we uncovered it.  Additionally, I don’t make apologies under duress.

Tim Inwood, Clinton County GOP Chairman, asked us to pass on this important message. Tim is in FB jail for an unrelated matter. Apparently Mr. Blystone does not believe in apologies:

I spoke to Joe Blystone in two phone calls this evening. One 14 minutes 54 seconds and the second (because the signal dropped) was 2 minutes 19 seconds. I tried to give him good advice and I also asked for an apology.  In the course of the conversation I was told I was a tyrant and a dictator like DeWine, I was told I was a liar.  He said he was sorry he hurt my feelings but no apology and I should put on my big boy pants.

Folks we are not dealing with someone who should be running for any office.  In my opinion he is a self destructive, loose cannon who gladly goes out of his way to make enemies where he had someone willing to help give advice and listen to his platform.  Be warned that is what we are dealing with here.

 

UPDATED:  We were just informed by the Franklin County Board of Elections that there was a glitch in their system and that Mr. Blystone voted in the 2020 general election.  He failed to voted in the 2020, 2012, 2010, and 2008 primary elections.  

As conservative grassroots activists we have to be on constant guard against fraudsters, grifters, hucksters, and outright fakes.  This is especially true for those who are either new or were brought back to this movement by President Donald J. Trump.

Enter Joe Blystone.

Ole Joe got my attention recently when I heard that while on a call with Ohio pro-life leaders, he said that passage of the Heartbeat Bill was “crap”.  Ok.

He then doubled down.

Instead of apologizing he began to attack former State Representative Candice Keller as a “fake patriot.”  When I wrote about the importance of the Heartbeat Bill and Ohio’s pro-life movement he and his handful of minions personally attacked me.

So I took a deeper look at Mr. Blystone.  But first I decided to give him one last chance to explain himself.

Sadly, he decided to dig a deeper hole.

A search of the online voter history for the Franklin County Board of Elections shows that Mr. Blystone failed to vote in either the 2020 GOP primary or the 2020 general election.

           

The most important election in our lifetimes and Mr. Blystone didn’t vote either in the primary or general for President Donald J. Trump?  Or any other Republican candidate?  Really?

So I emailed the Franklin County Board of Elections for confirmation and they provided me with a printout of his entire voting history.  A link to that pdf is here.

A supporter of Mr. Blystone is now claiming that Mr. Blystone, his wife, and his son actually voted but that the records somehow have disappeared.  If so, then the conspiracy must run deep, because the official records show that he also failed to vote in the GOP primaries in 2012, 2010, and 2008.

This conspiracy must also run to the federal government. Records from the Federal Elections Commission showed that Mr. Blystone never made a contribution to President Donald Trump until AFTER he lost his re-election campaign.  Wow.

It is very, very difficult to beat an incumbent Republican Governor in a primary.  To do so, Ohio conservatives must unite around a single, solid, well-vetted, well known, and well-funded candidate to even stand a fighting chance.

Most importantly, we simply cannot be fooled by someone who slaps on a cowboy hat and calls himself a patriot.  The stakes are too high in 2022.

As we have long predicted, Amy Acton announced today that she will not run for the U.S. Senate from Ohio.  Here’s all we have to say to that.

Jim Renacci

Last May, like you I watched horrified as what began as a peaceful protest in downtown Columbus quickly escalated into a full-scale riot.  That riot then spread to Ohio’s historic Statehouse where thugs broke 28 windows, burned American flags, and ultimately caused over $158,000 in damages to the people’s house.

The damage to downtown Columbus businesses was even worse.  According to WBNS TV, rioters broke the windows of numerous storefronts and looted a local convenience store.  Store owners spent weeks cleaning and repairing the mess.

The cost to taxpayers was also significant.  According to the City of Columbus, cleanup costs totaled nearly $150,000.  Meanwhile, the Columbus police stated that they spent approximately $2.7 million in overtime connected to these protests.

Enough is enough.  It is long past time to begin restoring law and order in Ohio. That is why I am happy to endorse passage of Ohio House Bill 109 (HB 109) sponsored by Butler County State Representative Sara Carruthers and Hamilton County State Representative Cindy Abrams.

According to the sponsors, HB 109 would do the following:

• • Increases the penalty for rioting and create the offenses of riot assault and riot vandalism.

• • Increase the penalty for disorderly conduct when the offender hinders the movement of people if the violation occurs during a riot or illegal protest.

• • Expand Ohio’s corrupt activity laws to encompass those who organize people to commit a riot or provide material support or resources for those individuals.

• • Supports law enforcement and our first responders by creating the offense of bias motivated intimidation which prohibits a person from harming a person or property based on the victim’s status as a first responder.

• • Gives peace officers who suffer harm due to persons committing a riot offense, filing a false complaint or an abridgment of the officer’s civil rights a cause of action against those responsible, including any organization that provided material support or resources.

Democrat elected officials, along with some liberal Republicans, have coddled these criminals for too long.  Peaceful protest is always welcome in a free society.  But those who smash storefront windows, throw bricks, and set things on fire should be punished and punished severely.

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Jim Renacci is a business owner that operated 60 businesses, created 1,500 new jobs, and employed over 3,000 people across Ohio.  He served four terms in the U.S. Congress and was the 2018 Republican Nominee for the U.S. Senate from Ohio.  For more information, please visit www.jimrenacci.com .

 

 

From the great folks at Friends of Coal:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. ─ A new study on the economic impact of West Virginia’s coal industry shows that even when facing the worst regulatory pressures in history, the mining and coal-fired power generation industries still generated nearly $14 billion in economic activity for the Mountain State.

“Coal and coal-fired electric power always has been a major driver behind West Virginia’s economy, and this study clearly demonstrates that not only is coal the bedrock of our economy, it’s a key component of our future,” said West Virginia Coal Association President Chris Hamilton. “Even following years of decline, the mining and coal-fired power generation industries remain one of the largest economic generators in the state.”

The study, commissioned by the West Virginia Coal Association and conducted by the West Virginia University Bureau for Business and Economic Research (BBER), shows that the mining industry alone spends more than $2.1 billion on wages and coal operators generated approximately $9.1 billion in economic activity in 2019, far more than the entire general revenue budget of state government.

What’s more, the combined economic impact of coal mining and coal-fired electric power generation was approximately $13.9 billion, meaning the industries supported 17 percent of the state’s total economic output or one out of every six dollars generated.

Dr. John Deskins, BBER director, said the total economic impact of coal mining does not end at the mine – it goes far beyond the portal and upstream through the business economy.

“Despite production declines in recent years, coal remains a very important part of West Virginia’s economy, as illustrated in our research,” Deskins said. “Coal continues to support a sizeable share of the state’s economic output and thousands of high-paying jobs.”

Hamilton noted that West Virginia’s eight coal-fired electric manufacturing facilities are among the most modern and efficient electric generators found anywhere in the world. ”Not only are these facilities responsible for a big piece of our economy, they continue to provide low cost, uninterrupted power to millions of consumers in West Virginians and our surrounding states. Given the results of this study and the contribution of these plants to grid security and resiliency, and homeland security, it’s inconceivable that extreme environmental groups and other organizations, similar to the Biden Administration, want to see these facilities close prematurely or transition away from the coal. “

The coal industry acknowledges the build out of renewable energy forms as well as West Virginia’s vast reserves of shale gas but asserts that we should not be trading one energy job for another or unnecessarily shortening the life of these foundational contributors to our economy and industrial job base.

Highlights from the report include:

• Coal mining and coal-fired electric power generated approximately $13.9 billion in total economic activity in the state of West Virginia. For context, total economic output for the state (GDP) was around $77 billion.
• Coal mining and coal-fired electric power generation supported nearly 33,000 jobs in West Virginia.
• Coal mining and coal-fired electric power generation provided around $2.8 billion in employee compensation.
• Coal mining posts the highest average annual wages among all other industries in West Virginia.
• Coal mining and coal-fired electric power generated nearly $611 million in select state and local tax revenue for West Virginia and its local governments.
• West Virginia coal exports consistently make up a large share of U.S. coal exports – nearly one-third of the nation’s total economic export value.

For information or to request a copy of the full report, please contact Chris Hamilton at the West Virginia Coal Association, (304) 342-4153.

Those of us in and around the political process are used to the utter lack of shame and hypocrisy of the political left.  But sometimes the hypocrisy is simply so ridiculous that it requires us to speak out a little.

Take the Ohio Capital Journal.  Just last week, they ran a blistering headline and story entitled Lack of Sunshine in Political Money Fuels Corruption.  Here’s Proof.

Their story is obviously about the HB 6 indictments and its fallout along with similar investigations in other states.  In each of their examples, some right-wing GOP politician has gotten themselves in trouble because of their involvement with some group that is engaged, usually legally, in the political process.  Interestingly enough, they fail to report that former Illinois House Speaker and Democrat Party Chairman Michael Madigan was ousted from office after a much more serious bribery investigation that included the indictment of the former CEO of utility giant Commonwealth Edison.

So, where is the hypocrisy you ask?  Let me explain.

According to Open Secrets, which they cite, “Dark Money” refers to spending meant to influence political outcomes where the source of the money is not disclosed.”

Sound familiar?  Let me explain further.

The Ohio Capital Journal is not an incorporated nonprofit entity in Ohio.  It does not file tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service, nor does it list its donors publicly.

Instead, it is the Ohio affiliate of a 501(c)3 charitable organization now called the States Newsroom.  And according to the States Newsroom, they are nonpartisan, nonprofit, and independent.

Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.

As the Capital Research Center has reported, this group is simply “an activist network of left-wing websites based in Washington, DC that feeds Americans propaganda pretending to be news.”

And where does their funding come from?  It is hard to tell.  But there is lots of it.  In fact, the group raised nearly $7 million in their first year of “independent operation” according to their IRS 990.

We do know that the group was originally founded and funded by the Hopewell Fund.  Hopewell is part of a massive, left wing dark money network that dwarfs whatever is spent by conservative organizations according to a groundbreaking report from the Capital Research Center.

States Newsroom proports to list all their donors that have given over $500 and promises that they will not take donations from foreign governments or corporations.  However, their donation information page is highly misleading.

For example, they fail to report that they received $250,000 in 2019 funneled through the Hopewell Fund, a fact that can only be determined by either visiting the Influence Watch page or scrolling through Hopewell’s 81 page tax return.  Of course, the Hopewell Fund does not disclose all its donors either.  They also disclose an “Undisclosed Virginia Foundation” as a donor but refuse to identify it or say anything about it.

They also fail to explain how their policy against taking corporation donations permitted them to take one or more donations from Google LLC, one of the world’s largest corporations.

States Newsroom spent nearly $1 million of this dark money on just three prominent left wing consulting groups. According to their IRS form 990, $500,000 was spent on advertising & audience development to Precisions Strategies LLC. According to their website, Precision Strategies LLC was formed by Stephanie Cutter, the Deputy Campaign Manager for the Obama Biden 2012 campaign and Teddy Goff, the digital director for the 2012 Obama Biden campaign.

States Newsroom spent $285,000 with ActionSprout Inc., a company that helps left wing nonprofits manage their Facebook activity.  Not surprisingly, their first CEO, Andrew Bernard, is now a parttime advisor to the Facebook Social Impact Team.

States Newsroom also spent $162,500 on finance, HR & Operations with the DC based Capitol Operations.  According to their website, Capitol Operations was founded by Hailey Arends, the Budget Director on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.

And what about the nonpartisan status of their staff?

Let’s start with their Ohio Editor David C. Dewitt.  On his bio page, he fails to list the fact that his job immediately before being hired as Editor was as the Deputy Director for Communications for the Ohio Democrat Party.

And on June 2, 2020 he posted a Black Lives Matter logo around his then profile photo on his personal Facebook profile.

On his Twitter follows, I couldn’t find more than a handful of center right elected officials that he follows.  He does, however, follow Rick Wilson and the disgraced Lincoln Project along with every left of center group, politician, or fake journalist to be found.

Susan Tebben is a writer and a former journalist that worked primarily in the Athens, Ohio area.  Not surprisingly, public records indicate that she has only voted in Democrat primaries.  On Twitter she primarily follows left of center candidates, journalists, causes, and elected officials.  On Facebook she has posted video and pics of a Black Lives Matter protest that she attended in downtown Columbus, Ohio.

Tyler Buchanan is a statehouse reporter and former journalist that worked primarily in the Athens, Ohio area.  Like Susan, he has only voted in Democrat primaries.  Unlike his colleagues, he follows a vast number of figures on Twitter from across the political spectrum.  Meanwhile, his Facebook page is relatively closed, although it does reveal that his spouse is a Bernie Sanders supporter.

Martin Schladen, who sometimes goes by Marty Schladen, is also a longtime former reporter who apparently has spent most of his career either attacking Republicans or utility companies. Unlike his colleagues, however, he doesn’t appear to ever vote in primaries.

Nonetheless, his political views can be easily determined by his Facebook likes on his relatively open personal page.  Those likes include Democrat State Representative David Leland, Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, the ACLU, and the Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition.  On Twitter, he follows a handful of center right elected officials, but most of his follows are for left wing officials, journalists, causes, and organizations.

Then there’s Jake Zuckerman.  We were unable to find any public records that clearly indicated Jake’s voter registration information.  We suspect that Jake isn’t his actual name.

At the same time, it’s not too difficult to determine where he stands on most issues.  In fact, old Jake got so under the skin of West Virginia’s GOP Governor Jim Justice, that Justice called him out by name in a recent news conference.  The problem is that Jake hasn’t even covered West Virginia for nearly 18 months.

So why is this all important?  Let me explain.

The Ohio Capital Journal has long advocated that nonprofit groups that engage in any form of politics be required to fully disclose all of their donors.  In fact, in their recent article on dark money they discuss how HR 1 may help put a stop to this dark money corruption.  What they don’t tell you is that passage of HR 1 would actually lead to the criminalization of most kinds of speech, including much of their own speech on the Ohio Capital Journal.

The difference between leftists like the Ohio Capital Journal and States Newsroom and similar conservative leaning outlets, which includes this site, is that conservatives don’t want to put their political opponents in jail for exercising their freedom of speech.

Those of us on the right believe that the answer to left wing outlets like States Newsroom is more speech, not less.  And its sad that the leftists over at States Newsroom and their affiliates cannot say the same.

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Unlike the leftists at the Ohio Capital Journal, this site isn’t funded by DC dark money.  If you would like to see this type of research and content continue, then please consider making a donation online here via PayPal.