by Policy in Practice on February 8, 2010
From the Governor’s office:
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today appointed Steven Lesser as a commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for a five-year term beginning April 11, 2010 and expiring April 10, 2015.
Lesser, of Bexley, is currently the chief of staff at the PUCO, a position he has held since September 2007. In this role, he directs the daily operations of the agency and advises agency staff on policies to follow in cases, rulemaking and enforcement action.
“Steven has served the PUCO in numerous capacities for the past 30 years. He is well-regarded by his colleagues and he understands the issues facing utilities and customers in Ohio,” Strickland said. “Steven’s deep knowledge will continue to be an asset to the PUCO in his new role as commissioner.”
As chief of staff, Lesser has also been critically involved in the implementation of the new electric regulation bill, smart grid initiatives, and the implementation of “green” rules, which includes means for encouraging the development of alternative energy businesses in Ohio.
Lesser has served PUCO in numerous roles since 1979, including attorney examiner/administration law judge from 1979-1986, deputy director of the transportation department from 1986-1998, and assistant director of the legal department from 1998-2007.
In these roles, Lesser has supervised field staff and established a civil forfeiture and enforcement section at the PUCO. Additionally, he has worked on consumer protection and safety legislation in the transportation division, developed national standards for hazardous material safety, created natural gas conservation programs, established minimum standards for the water industry and mediated both consumer and industrial complaints.
“I have enjoyed the opportunity to work within several areas at the PUCO during my three decades at the commission,” Lesser said. “I look forward to building on these experiences and continuing my work in this new capacity.”
Lesser received a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1975 and a law degree from Capital University in 1978.
by Policy in Practice on February 6, 2010
Sarah Palin, the former Vice Presidential nominee who quit her post as governor of Alaska to host a television show on Fox News, has become a money magnet in recent months, pulling in $100,000 per speaking engagement and millions in book sales for a recent autobiography. And now, Palin is sharing the wealth.
More precisely, Palin’s PAC, which has been selective in giving money to political candidates, has funneled dollars to 17 Republicans nationwide. And four of them hail from Ohio: John Kasich, Rob Portman, Jean Schmidt and Mary Taylor.
Kasich, whose ties with Fox News may have endeared her to the current gubernatorial candidate, received $5,000 from Palin’s PAC. Portman, a former member of the Bush Administration and the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate, accepted a check for $3,500. Taylor and Schmidt both received checks for $1,000.
A GOP source familiar with Palin’s thinking said most of these candidates solicited Palin’s support. “She feels there is a real chance to turn the tide in Ohio,” said the source.
“It makes sense to me that she may be looking to a future where Ohio matters to her, and if she’s building support, I think it’s great,” said Alex Triantafilou, the GOP chairman in Cincinnati’s Hamilton County.
by Policy in Practice on February 5, 2010
With today’s news that the unemployment rate dipped from 10 to 9.7% and the pace of job losses continuing to slow, many lamented that the recovery has been slower than the Administration had promised it would be after the installation of a massive stimulus bill nearly a year ago.
And yet, more positive signs that a more conspicuous recovery is on the way are being identified from economists, and the key appears to be manufacturing:
> Manufacturing added 11,000 jobs in January, the first positive growth in that sector since 2007.
> Temporary workers increased by 52,000
Indeed, global manufacturing is enjoying a rebirth, with increases in output and new orders.
The sharpness of the rebound, reflected in the indexes created by the Institute for Supply Management in the United States, and recreated in many other countries by Markit, could indicate that the American economy is not in line for another slow recovery, as happened after the two most recent downturns, in the early 1990s and the early 2000s.
That strength was also reflected in the gross national product estimate for the final quarter of 2009, with an annual rate of growth of 5.7 percent, the fastest for any quarter in more than six years.
“Surprisingly, given the predominant sentiment the United States is in a sub-par recovery, the current recovery in real G.D.P. has been right in line with the strong recoveries which took place in the past,” said Jim Paulsen, the chief investment strategist of Wells Capital Management, an investment arm of Wells Fargo, pointing to the recoveries in the early 1980s and the mid-1970s.
by Policy in Practice on February 3, 2010
President Obama and his Education Secretary Arne Duncan are on the cusp of dramatically moving the U.S. away from testing-centric education to competition-centric education, explains The New Republic’s Seywad Darby:
The really big news about the proposed budget isn’t how much is–or could be–in it; it’s how the new money would be spent. Instead of channeling new funds to states and school districts based on pre-existing formulas, the department wants to reward progress. “Almost all the new money coming to the budget is competitive,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told reporters on Monday afternoon, referring to a full $3 billion in the department’s proposal. “We’re absolutely philosophically and strategically moving more money, a lot of money, into a competitive basis.”
This represents an unprecedented shift in the way the federal government decides how to dole out education dollars. And, if Congress approves the budget as-is, it would build on ground-breaking work this education department has already undertaken–namely with regard to Race to the Top (RTTT), the competitive grant program that will soon distribute stimulus funds to states that have demonstrated plans for major reform. The budget proposal includes a $1.35 billion expansion of RTTT, as well $500 million for the Invest in Innovation program, also created through the stimulus, which “makes competitive awards to develop and expand innovative strategies and practices.” The roughly $1.1 billion leftover for competitive funds would be used, among other things, to improve teacher quality and effectiveness, develop charter and other autonomous schools, and turn around the country’s lowest-performing schools.
by Policy in Practice on February 3, 2010
The New York Times reports:
Emboldened by the response to President Obama’s face-off with House Republicans last week, the White House is intensifying its push to engage Congressional Republicans in policy negotiations as a way to share the burden of governing and put more scrutiny on Republican initiatives.
Top aides say Mr. Obama intends to follow through quickly on his State of the Union proposal for bipartisan White House brainstorming sessions. Republicans will also be invited to the White House this weekend to watch the Super Bowl, as well as to Camp David and other venues for social visits.
The outreach represents a marked shift in both strategy and substance by Mr. Obama and his allies at a time when Democrats are adapting to the loss of their 60-vote supermajority in the Senate and the president has been losing support among independent voters.
by Policy in Practice on February 2, 2010
Maryellen O’Shaughnessy, whose long-time work in Columbus helped earn her the endorsement of Governor Strickland, has emerged as the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State. She will be running against a formidable foe in Republican Jon Husted.
“I get one shot to do this thing, and I’m going to do the best I can with every minute I have,” O’Shaughnessy told the Dispatch. “I’m bullish on this race. I’ve never been afraid of a challenge.”
And as The Dispatch noted, O’Shaughnessy’s first challenge will be fund-raising. Husted, a well-liked Republican across the state, has a well-financed campaign up and running. As such, O’Shaughnessy has some catching up to do. She is determined to do just that, however, and to keep the office of Secretary of State in Democratic hands.
“Maryellen is a prolific fundraiser. In her 2000 campaign for Congress, she raised $1.3 million. We’re very confident that she has the heart and the work ethic to raise the necessary funds to defeat Jon Husted in November,” a spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party told The Dispatch.
by Policy in Practice on February 1, 2010
The first major legislative act of the Bush Administration, long assailed by critics in education, was the “No Child Left Behind Act.” And now, President Obama is proposing some dramatic changes to the law that has magnified the importance of testing in the classroom.
Obama, according to the article, “will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.”
by Policy in Practice on January 30, 2010
Mary Jo Kilroy, the incumbent U.S. Representative for the 15th District, raised $70,000 more than her challenger Steve Stivers in the 4th quarter of 2009, and has nearly $200,000 more cash on hand, as well. Kilroy outdueled Stivers in a tight race in 2008, and Republicans have targeted Kilroy’s seat as being susceptible this time around.
Republicans are also eyeing the 18th District, where Zack Space holds a seat in a traditionally conservative area. However, Space has a whopping $1.2 million on hand, whereas his challenger has but $157,000 available.
In the high-profile gubernatorial race, John Kasich, whose fund-raising picked up as 2009 wore on, still trails Governor Strickland in cash on hand by $2 million.
by Policy in Practice on January 29, 2010
Ohio is more than just the birthplace of flight. Today, the state is home to more than 600 private aerospace and defense companies, making it the premier location for industry success.
In Ohio, we are building upon our storied history and taking off as a national leader in aerospace and aviation. In addition to our rich aerospace heritage and broad industry presence, the state’s success in aerospace can be traced directly to numerous unique assets:
- A skilled workforce consisting of more than 66,000 civilian employees – nearly double the national average;
- More than 450 centrally located aeropropulsion and power manufacturers and suppliers;
- 10 aerospace-related doctoral programs at Ohio universities;
- A world-class research environment, with two dedicated federal aerospace laboratories, including the NASA Glenn Research Center, a national center focused on aerospace technology and the only NASA Center in the Northern United States; and
- A location within 1,000 kilometers of 62 percent of North American manufacturing capacity – giving companies in Ohio quick and easy access to partners across the country.
It aIl adds up to an unbeatable location for companies to start, grow, or relocate their business in a state leading the way in aerospace and aviation innovation.
by Policy in Practice on January 29, 2010
Exceeding expectations by a full percentage point, the U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in six years.
The Wall Street Journal reports that “businesses drew less from their stockrooms and stepped up purchases of equipment and software. Exports surged and consumers spent more.” However, this pace of expansion is not expected to continue, though continued growth likely is.
“It was an excellent report, but it’s not clear how sustainable this pace of growth is,” John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics, told the New York Times. “We need numbers like this for the next two years, and I just don’t think we can achieve that.”
The Times continued:
Without the benefit of similarly sharp inventory changes, many economists are expecting tepid growth in the quarters ahead. Ian Shepherdson, chief United States economist at High Frequency Economics, expects output to expand by a mere 1 or 2 percent, at an annualized rate, this quarter and next.
The biggest challenge going forward is the job market.
“Our focus must remain on getting Americans back to work,” Christina Romer, chairwoman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, said in a statement. “That G.D.P. rose strongly in the fourth quarter of last year while employment fell and the workweek increased only slightly emphasizes the need for policy actions designed to help spur private-sector job creation.”
