Most of you don't know much about this prick (Dann), but one of his first acts after taking office was to rule that places like VFW halls weren't exempt from the smoking ban, even though the language of the law said private clubs were exempt. He also during his first year in office saw that many OheilOans were prosecuted for tax evasion for buying smokes on the internet.



Ohio Dems talking impeachment after AG refuses to resign
AP on Yahoo ^ | 5/5/08 | Julie Carr Smyth - ap



COLUMBUS, Ohio - Risking impeachment, Ohio's attorney general on Monday refused demands from the governor and other fellow Democrats that he resign over a sexual harassment scandal in his office and an affair with a subordinate.

Gov. Ted Strickland told reporters that Democrats will begin drafting an impeachment resolution against Attorney General Marc Dann right away. Republican House Speaker Jon Husted said Monday that his chamber — which takes the first step in any impeachment — was already reviewing the process.

Virtually every state-level Democratic officeholder urged Dann to resign in a letter late Sunday after Strickland tried twice during the day to persuade him to leave office.

A sexual harassment investigation uncovered an atmosphere in Dann's office rife with inappropriate staff-subordinate relationships, heavy drinking and harassing and threatening behavior by a supervisor. On Friday, Dann admitted to an extramarital affair with a subordinate after the investigation threatened to reveal the relationship.

"I would hope the Attorney General will understand that his effectiveness as an attorney general has been so diminished that in my judgment he can no longer effectively serve in that office," Strickland said Monday. The governor and Dann were among many Ohio Democrats swept into office in 2006 in the wake of a Republican scandal over state investments.

"I think it's important for Democrats to send a very clear message that we will clean our own house," Strickland said.

For impeachment proceedings to go forward, Dann must have committed a wrong act, according to the state constitution. Strickland declined to say what act or acts Democrats planned to name against Dann in the proceedings.

"The work of the Office of the Attorney General matters more, and is far more important, than any one person," Democrats said in their letter to Dann. "In many, many cases it is all that stands between the people and the powerful. Sadly, we no longer have even the most remote hope that you can continue to effectively serve as Attorney General and that is why we are asking for your resignation."

Dann had previously conceded that his own behavior contributed to an atmosphere in the office that permitted two junior staffers to be harassed and threatened by Anthony Gutierrez, a friend he hired as an aide.

However, Dann insisted he is still capable of working as the state's lawyer and top law enforcement officer.

"I am in the office, have rolled up my sleeves and am working on behalf of the people of State of Ohio," Dann said Monday in a written statement to his staff. In the statement, he apologized to them for putting them in a tough position but added, "our work is too important to do anything but our jobs today."

A message seeking further comment was left Monday with Dann spokesman Ted Hart.

Strickland said that in his failed attempts to persuade Dann to resign, "he told me that he does not believe that he has done anything that would justify his leaving office, that he feels that he was elected by the people and he will continue to do his best to remain in office," Strickland said.

Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern said the party plans to vote Saturday on whether to rescind its endorsement of Dann and pull all party resources from him, which would make him "essentially an independent." He said Dann will find it difficult to be effective.

"We will distance ourselves both figuratively and literally from the Attorney General until he makes the decision that is best for the people of the state of Ohio, and that is to step down," Redfern said.

Gutierrez was fired Friday after an internal investigation found his treatment of two 26-year-old employees violated sexual harassment policy. Communications Director Leo Jennings, who was accused of asking a co-worker to lie under oath, also was fired. Ed Simpson, Dann's policy chief, resigned; investigators said he failed to address inappropriate behavior in the office.

Dann, who is married, apologized to his wife and supporters Friday for having an affair with an employee he refused to name.

Dann's scheduler, Jessica Utovich, 28, resigned last week without explanation. In his testimony during the investigation, Dann said Utovich sometimes spent the night at his apartment but declined to talk about his relationship with her specifically.

Dann had lived with Gutierrez and Jennings at an apartment during much of his first year in office and some of the alleged harassment by Gutierrez occurred there.

Strickland said, as a congressman, he opposed former President Bill Clinton's impeachment. But he said the two situations are "dramatically different." His request for Dann to resign is not based substantially on his extramarital affair, Strickland said.

"It goes well beyond that. It involves many, many factors that are much more complicated than that," he said.

Are there any Democrats in office who don't cheat on their wives? Damn.

Republicans are pretty boring. LOL

Our press release came out at 10:47 this morning and has already
had 76 media hits in less than an hour!!!!!

http://www.sunherald.com/447/story/543578.html

Press Releases: PR Newswire Posted on Wed, May. 07,2008 text: It's Time for Truth in Ohio. Opponents of Ohio Bans Weigh In.
By Opponents of Ohio Bans

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 7 --Shelly Kiser, advocate for the American Lung Association, stated she doesn't think the smoking ban has lowered
liquor sales and that there may be an orchestrated campaign to allege receipts are off 30%. She further stated "hundreds and hundreds of studies" show there's no harm to liquor sales or the economy from smoking bans.

It has become clear that smoking bans do harm Ohio business.

When state government acknowledges that truth, anti-smoking advocates predictably cry "liar."

The smoking ban in Ohio is hurting businesses. -- In 2006,
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services projected a 10,000 job gain for the hospitality and leisure industry for 2007.

The first 12 months of the smoking ban saw 5,400 lost jobs for that industry.

-- Data obtained from Ohio Division of Liquor Control: both wholesale and retail (home consumption) sales from 2003 - 2006 had a steady
growth in number of bottles sold. However 2007 presented a different picture, wholesale sales declined sharply. Factoring in the growth the
industry had been experiencing, permit holders lost a potential of $67,441,632 in sales in 2007.

Before these numbers are blamed on a bad
economy,consider that retail had a whopping increase of 1,384,148 bottles sold
from 2006-2007.

People who smoke resent businesses that do not
allow smoking and many stay at home.
-- The above losses imply that there has been a $4,264,446 decline in sales and use tax from bars and restaurants.

-- One large beer distributor reports a 5% loss in sales.
-- The coin machine industry, including juke boxes and pool tables, is down 20 to 30 percent in liquor pouring establishments.

-- The trickle down effect includes the loss of income to musicians,karaoke vendors, snack vendors, and costs to the State of Ohio
for enforcement of the ban.

"Ohio is not unique. Bar owners and clubs across the U.S. are crying foul. Pubs in Germany, Ireland, the UK are closing.

Hospitality business owners in Germany are angry because they were told their
pubs had nothing to fear from the smoking ban and how commercially successful bans have been in Ireland, the UK and the USA, where bars
were allegedly teeming with 'new' customers," said Debi Kistner,Opponents of Ohio Bans.

"If hundreds and hundreds of studies show there's no harm to businesses, why would business owners complain? Why would they fight
the smoking ban? Why would they want smoking if their businesses were doing so well without smoking?" Kistner asked.

"Voters were misled when they voted for Issue 5. They voted for a ban they were told would not harm businesses. Therefore, Issue 5 should
be declared invalid and overturned. Put up a sign warning of the presence of tobacco smoke, and allow businesses to reap the benefits
of a true economic stimulus package," said Pam Parker, Opponents of Ohio Bans.

Related Web site: www.opponentsofohiobans.com

SOURCE Opponents of Ohio Bans

quote:

Originally posted by gkayser30:
Our press release came out at 10:47 this morning and has already
had 76 media hits in less than an hour!!!!!

Keep us updated.

I'm going to spread this one around