Why are Development employees hosting anti-union movies?

By On May 18, 2011 · 15 Comments

The Plain Dealer reported yesterday that John Kasich is planning to show the pro-charter school/anti-teacher union movie “Waiting for Superman” around the state. According to the paper the screening “is by invitation only, is co-sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Cleveland Partnership.”

Well guess who got an invitation?

Me!

But I didn’t get it from the Governor’s Office or the Chamber, nope. I got it from the far-right, anti-union, Koch Brothers-funded group Americans for Prosperity – a group that has been working in Ohio trying to push through Kasich’s anti-union agenda.

Kasich using his far-right cronies to push his agenda is not surprising – but I am kind of amazed that he is using Governor’s office AND Department of Development staff to help them out.

Can someone please explain how tasking these Development employees – who are supposed to be focused on business development in Ohio – to help host a movie night for Kasich’s pro-charter school, anti-union pals is NOT a complete waste of taxpayer dollars?

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  • Anonymous

    Of course it is a waist of taxpayer money.  Since when did John Kasich ever worry about ethics.  His philosophy is: “my State, my workers, my money”!  He will continue to run the state into the ground until some of those pirates in the legislature grow back their manhood, and that’s not going to happen until we get them all out of office.

  • Charles In OH

    It was my understanding that Michelle Rhee has been discredited.  Her claims have not been corroborated by her former administraters.  But, hey, why let a good lie go to waste?

  • Fotogirlcb2002

    Why isnt some one challenging this — I dont believe its against ethical policies for this.
    State people can not take tickets to any sports events –yet he was seen at the Reds over the weekend in the owners private box.( did he pay for tickets ?? no one knows )
    This isnt a state event or training–  its private so shouldnt he be paying for this.
    How much did it cost to print invitations ? How much to rent these places?
    all of those listed as co-sponsors cant not be paying for all of this.
    ahhhh  are they getting a tax break to show this movie?
    Time for more letters to your congressman !! ask them how this is happening
    Notice theres no actual dates — afraid the state people will show up with signs — again !!  

  • SouthEverette

     I just spoke to one of the employees in the governor’s office who is listed as the RSVP contact for Cleveland on the AFP invite. She affirmed that she was a state employee — not a political appointee. She further affirmed that her taking the rsvps was not in any way facilitating a political event and was not partisan since it was cleared by “attorneys in the Ohio Chamber of Commerce,” among others. She argued that the issue was being blown “out of proportion.” When I mentioned that a scanned copy of the AFP invite was on the Plunderbund blog, I heard an audible snit.  She seems to not like this blog.

  • So did she give you tickets for the event? 🙂

  • Ohio Lover

    Sure hope you’re going to take them up on their offer and attend. Can’t wait to hear what’s said at it and by whom. Please go and share back 🙂

  • Anonymous

    Maybe I should have said “common decency” since I don’t know for certain that it violates State Ethics laws (or rules, if there are any).  Evidently the state legislators and governor get to decide what defines ethics during their term since they clearly have shown in creating JobsOhio that it is to be a back room, by invitation only operation funded by selling off state properties at their discretion and spending the “proceeds” (or plunder) as they see fit.

  • Of course she can do what she wants on her own time – but they published her phone number at the Governor’s office and her Governor’s office email address so obviously they are expecting her to help out their political event on the clock.

  • Any organized protest in Cleveland planned today?

    I’m going down there regardless since it’s just down the street from where I work

  • dlw

    “Kasich using his far-right cronies to push his agenda is not surprising –
    but I am kind of amazed that he is using Governor’s office AND
    Department of Development staff to help them out.”

    I’d like to say that I am also amazed by this… but I’m just not. Unethical… shoot, I would think it’s outright illegal. This is totally a partisan/political event. State workers can’t be doing all the work.

    But… we live in Kasich’s world now. And this is all okay in his world.

    Bah.

  • Actually, the other way around. Kasich specifically asked them NOT to promote it, according to the Plain Dealer.

  • Actually, the other way around. Kasich specifically asked them NOT to promote it, according to the Plain Dealer.

  • Actually, the other way around. Kasich specifically asked them NOT to promote it, according to the Plain Dealer.

  • Gee it would be a damn shame if a bunch of community activists got wind of it and marched around  CSU chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, John Kasich’s got to go.” and then went up to the 3rd floor and chanted it during the live webcast. 

    Just sayin’. 😉 

  • guest

    Yes, doing political fund raising on state time is strictly prohibited by state employees. There may be a loophole here though. First, it’s advertised as free, so it could be argued that it is not a fund raising event, despite it being sponsored by a PAC. Second, all the employees would have to do is claim they only took calls about the RSVP’s on scheduled unpaid lunches. The policy mostly prohibits using state resources for the purpose of specifically endorsing a certain candidate or party in an election, but there’s some vague language about using state resources supporting “issues” that would concern or have an effect on the work the employee does. The policy is just vague enough on this kind of thing where I don’t think anyone would be able to make an issue of it in court unfortunately. The PDF file on political activity policies: http://das.ohio.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=3US5JGWR09s%3d&tabid=342

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