Common Cause/Ohio wants to congratulate Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner for her efforts to "Get it Straight in 2008," at least in Ohio.  She promised to work for open, fair and honest elections, and having implemented one of the most extensive testing programs in the country, she has bravely taken on vendors and election reform activists alike.  Her recommendations released last week brought compliments for her efforts, but also some criticism for the substance.  

Last spring Common Cause released a report entitled "Under the Influence."  The study showed how, by making almost $900,000 in political contributions, the Wholesale Beer and Wine Association of Ohio used the state's most recent campaign finance "reform" law, quadrupling contribution limits, to buy influence in the Ohio legislature.

That influence won out again, in late September, when the Association lobbyists were able to cut a deal, behind closed doors, to persuade legislators to put a ban on direct shipments to Ohio consumers from large out of state wineries, convincing legislators they just were trying to protect Ohio's wine industry.

Akron Beacon Journal's Dennis Willard, last Sunday, referred to Ohio's campaign reform efforts as resembling the mythological figure Sisyphus who was condemned to an eternity of doing the meaningless task of rolling a boulder uphill then watching it roll back down again.

This imagery could stem from Ohio Election Commission Chairman Martin Parks' comment to William Todd, the lawyer representing the defendant in the latest campaign finance challenge before the commission, that his organization faces an "uphill climb."

John Fund is a sophisticated journalist, so it surprised me that in his commentary yesterday on Opinion Journal he confuses the issue of "voter fraud," a minute problem, with the more massive problem of "election fraud," which was the actual issue brought before Congress on Jan. 6, 2005 because of the contested Ohio elections.

Although he cites some examples of alleged voter fraud that have come to light recently, I doubt many of those phony registrants were able to actually vote because of the transparency of the system of checks and balances which catches most of the errors in registration before election day.

On the other hand, as he is aware, there was extensive evidence of anomalies from Florida to Ohio and New Mexico in the 2004 election.  But because of the non-transparency of the voting machines and the lack of checks and balances on that system, and because of not-so-subtle voter suppression, we may never know the extent of the criminality in the 2004 election.  However, there are cases still pending in court, that if allowed to go forward, will prove significant fraud in that election.  Who was responsible remains to be seen.

We just passed the summer solstice--the longest day of the year--so here's hoping that you're staying out late, enjoying the sunshine, and then ending your day with this, the latest Common Cause news from around the country...

• State organizations hold broadcasters accountable for inadequate election coverage
• Clean Elections on table in Madison, winning early support
• Common Cause Maine to hold training workshop for FCC hearing
• One step closer to voting rights in D.C.
• Impeach Gonzales!

SB 117, Ohio's "state video franchising reform" bill is yet another business friendly scheme borrowed from Michigan.  A previous effort was the successful "buying" of (through illegally funded "issue ads") a business friendly supreme court.  This time telco giants are spending large amounts of money through their phony "astroturf" front groups to advertise and lobby to "buy" legislation favorable to their shareholders, with no regard for their obligation to provide diversity of information and service to all of the people.

SB117 would take away long standing local control of "cable franchises" to establish service standards and provide funding for public, educational and government (PEG) access channels.  Whether communities will retain public access channels will depend upon a "use it or lose it standard," rather than having it available for communities to use when they need it.  Control will now go to the state level Ohio Department of Commerce which promotes commerce not the public interest.  With no oversight these giant corporate interests will be able to redline services, and erode "Home Rule" protections of municipalities.

Intrigue builds as the latest in the Brunner vs Bennett story unfolds.  After the third member of the Cuyahoga Board of Elections, Sally Florkiewicz, a Republican, resigned last week, Robert Bennett, chairman of the BOE, and also chair of the Ohio Republican Party, is the lone holdout, refusing to step down as Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner has requested.

In further defiance Bennett filed suit against Brunner for violating his constitutional rights and saying that her accusations against the board are vague.  Friday's Cleveland Plain Dealer further states that the suit argues the definition of misfeasance and nonfeasance are not clear in Ohio law, that Brunner cannot remove Bennett for actions that happened before she took office, and that she wanted to remove him because he supported her opponent in the 2006 election.

Monday, SOS Brunner placed the Cuyahoga County BOE under administrative oversight "because it is without enough members to muster a quorum required to conduct business."

Ohio's new Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, promised to restore trust in Ohio's elections. Having made many constructive changes in her few short weeks in office, last week, in a dramatic move, she has decided to clean house at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.  

Prompted by the many scandals and irregularities that have marked that county's elections, especially the recent conviction of two Cuyahoga County election workers and their sentencing to 18 months in prison for rigging a recount in 2004, Brunner took the bold move last week of asking for the resignation of the two Democrats and two Republicans on the Cuyahoga Board of Elections.

As of today, the two Democrats have resigned, but the two Republicans, Sally Florkiewicz, and Robert Bennett (who acts as the BOE chair, while at the same time serving as chair of the Ohio Republican Party) have resisted. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Bennett blames the voting machine vendor for the problems in 2006, and says that County Prosecutor, William Mason, was at fault for the 2004 problems, claiming Mason knew about procedural problems and did not correct them.  It has been reported that Mason has asked for an investigation of Cuyahoga BOE's conduct in the 2004 election.