Poll: Economy on voters’ minds

By Michael Edwards
Contributing Writer
Columbus Post

The playbook has changed at the Ohio Senate. Last week, just halfway through the 2007-08 session, Democrats, with 12 of the 33 Senate seats, decided Toledo’s Teresa Fedor wasn’t calling the right plays. They made long-time, popular Columbus Senator Ray Miller their quarterback, electing him minority leader.
With an overwhelming total of 11 votes from the dozen members, and evidently to the surprise of Ohio Senate Minority Leader Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus voted to remove Fedor from her post, along with her assistant Sen. Tom Roberts (D-Dayton). Replacing Fedor is current minority whip Sen. Ray Miller (D-Columbus), with Sen. Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) replacing Roberts as assistant minority leader. Sen. Lance Mason (D-Cleveland) moved up one rung to minority whip and Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) replaced Mason as assistant minority whip.
The Senate minority leader schedules floor actions on bills and helps guide the party’s legislative program through the Senate. Similarly, members of both the majority and minority party elect a Whip who is responsible for building support among the party’s members on key issues. When the respective Senate Party Leader cannot be present on the Senate floor, the Majority Whip often serves as the acting floor leader.
Miller’s finesse and popularity allowed him to crest over damaging headlines that surfaced within hours of the announcement. It is alleged that Miller has repeatedly failed to file required finance reports for his campaigns and reports linger from when The Joint Legislative Ethics Committee’s penalized for political work House aides did in 2004. The Associated Press also reported how Miller owes a remaining balance of $26,000 for a banquet for his National Progressive Leadership Caucus held at the Hyatt Regency Downtown in 2006.
“ The secretary of state’s office has filed three complaints against Miller since 2002 with the Ohio Elections Commission, saying he failed to file the required reports. A fourth complaint may be prompted by his failure to file additional reports since 2005,” said Jeff Ortega, a spokesman for Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. Miller said he is confident the paperwork would be cleaned up before the hearing scheduled for Feb 28. He said he has since removed his campaign treasurer, and his personal accountant is handling the campaign funds.
The intent of the Senate leadership shakeup is to improve the Democrats’ chances of picking up additional seats in the upcoming critical election year. Concerns had been circling that Fedor had failed to focus money on key races in the last election to tip the scale. Democrats last held the majority of the Senate in 1984. More than half of the Senate’s seats are up for grabs this November.
Additional issues put forward concerned Fedor’s ability to hold the caucus together on important votes. Fedor had held the spot since being chosen by her colleagues in November 2006.
“ With only 12 Democrats within the Ohio Senate there is no reason for surprises related to the direction the party will vote or our legislative agenda,” said Miller. “It’s just too easy for all 12 members to quickly gather around a table and meet.”
Fedor has withheld direct comment.
“ I am proud of the distinguished record that I have achieved as the Senate Minority Leader,” said Fedor in a written statement to the press. “I wish my successor well and look forward to continuing my most important work in the Senate: serving the citizens of the 11th district and all of Ohio.” Fedor goes on to say: “I am proud of the leadership I have provided as Senate Minority Leader. Over the past year, I have had the honor of advancing important legislation, raising over $191,000 in a six-month period, recruiting strong candidates for 2008 and working with one of the finest Governors in our nation.”
While Fedor touts her fundraising records, her colleagues are not so pleased.
The Senate Democratic Caucus’ most recent report shows $257,460.69 cash on hand, almost all of it from members of the caucus. By contrast, the Senate Republican caucus has almost $1.4 million.
“ It is easy to see how the unanimous groundswell for leadership change occurred if Democratic senators feel they are bearing the entire burden of filling the coffers and they aren’t seeing the best results for their money,” said Jeff Coryell, a writer for the Ohio Daily Blog.
Susan Truitt, founder of the election reform group, CaseOhio, believes the reason for the shake-up isn't a matter of fundraising. "Her removal is a serious blow to election reform in Ohio," said Truitt. "Senator Fedor was sounding the alarm regarding the unsafe nature of touch screen voting machines (DREs) years before most people had ever heard of them," Truitt maintains. CaseOhio has begun a letter-writing campaign to Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern demanding that he addresses the question.
The Columbus Post was unable to reach Redfern, for comment prior to press time. Staffers said he was out of town on a fund raising junket.
Fedor said she will work with Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to address the current election system and work on "efforts with Governor Ted Strickland to create an education-funding system that provides an equal opportunity for all of Ohio's children."
Miller recognizes that he has an uphill battle for the Democrats to gain the majority in the Senate but intends to target seats where "we have the best chance of winning." Miller says the biggest difference the party will see in his leadership is more public forums occurring outside the Statehouse on key issues, including reducing the cost of healthcare, alternative energy creation as well as the jobs they could create. Miller also states a priority is to build a stronger coalition between the Ohio House and Senate with key newly-elected democratic leaders. "We have a democrat as Governor, a democrat as Attorney General, a democrat as Secretary of State, a democrat as State Treasurer and numerous other key democratic offices around the state – it's time we build on the consensus to make Ohio even greater," said Miller. "Senator Fedor ran the first leg well and has passed the baton, and we plan to run even faster," he added.
Miller first came to the Statehouse in 1972 as a legislative intern and has since served several terms as a State Representative (1981-1993, 1998-2002). His current term as Senator expires December 2010 and he is ineligible to run for another four-year term. Miller has reportedly expressed an interest in running for the U.S. Senate in 2010 against Sen. George Voinovich.

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