Posts Tagged campaign
Kasich Investor in Company that Plugs Ohio as ‘Better Than Ever’ for Business
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Politicians on February 8th, 2010
February 8, 2010… Republican Gubernatorial candidate John Kasich holds 45,000 share of stock in company that says “Ohio’s business climate is better than ever.” Oops.
The revelation came in a blog by former Plain Dealer reporter Bill Sloat in his meaningful blog out of Cincinnati.
Read the story here:
CINCINNATI (TDB) — John Kasich, the Republican candidate for governor of Ohio, serves on Invacare Corporation’s board of directors and owns 45,000 shares of stock in the Elyria-based medical products manufacturer. (See the April 2009 proxy statement above.) Kasich’s company — which has made him rich — loves the state. And while Kasich is campaigning on a theme that Ohio’s tax climate is miserable for business growth and entrepreneurs, Invacare is taking part in a national advertising campaign that says “Ohio’s business climate is better than ever.” While Kasich claims Gov. Ted Strickland’s administration has been chasing jobs out of the state, Kasich’s company sees Ohio as “an ideal location.” Indeed Invacare’s (IVC:NYSE) version of Ohio is poles apart from Kasich:
“From its early beginnings in 1885, Invacare has called Oho home. Here, they’ve found an ideal location, a skilled workforce, an excellent transportation infrastructure and government leaders will to work as partners with industry . . . And now Ohio business climate is better than ever. Major tax reforms have shifted policy from taxing capital investment , profits and wealth creation to taxing gross receipts. The result is greater incentives to invest in innovation and productivity and more support for entrepreneurial activity.”
All that is from an advertisement that goes on to quote A. Malachai Mixon III, Invacare’s Chairman and CEO, as saying Ohio has been a great location for his company: “From our headquarters in Ohio, Invacare has become a world leader in home medical products. The state’s new tax laws will help us continue to grow.”
Kasich has been on Invacare’s board of directors since 2001. The latest proxy statement shows him with 45,018 shares. Just after noon today, those shares were worth $26.46 each — or $1,1919,762. Kasich seems to have done well financially in a state whose tax and business climate he is ripping on the campaign trail. His Invacare holdings have made him wealthy. You can find the a link to the Invacare ad here and a brochure(pdf) that lists Invacare among several corporations that are effusive about their Ohio business locations.
Posted by Bill Sloat at 2/08/2010
Cimperman Jumps Out on Cuyahoga County Executive Quest
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Politicians on November 27th, 2009
November 27, 2009… Joe Cimperman started his campaign to be the first Cuyahoga County Executive today. If you don’t think so, you don’t know the ambitious Joe Cimperman.
Cimperman at a meeting with MMPI’s Mark Falanga a week ago asked Falanga if he would commit to having four meeting on the Medical Mart and Convention Center. Cimperman asked at a Council meeting. It appeared to me that he meant Falanga would appear before Council for more questioning. Of course, Falanga – holding on to a deal valued at $425 million – said, why sure, Mr. Councilman.
It was a mutual admiration society.
Anyone listening would have considered the offer and acceptance meant a meeting before City Council members. It was at such a meeting that the two exchanged agreement. And it made some sense since Falanga had determined the shortness of the meeting by scheduling an early flight back to Chicago.
Now, however, the scheduling of the four meetings appears to be outside the boundaries of City Council. The structure of four meetings has one each on planning, economic impact, architecture and the Mall site. Each meeting will have an already chosen facilitator, none Council members.
So Council is left OUT. Cimperman’s campaign, however, is indeed very much IN.
Cimperman has four meeting in which Cimperman can play the leading part. Council has been iced out.
The County Executive job opening was created by the vote for Issue 6, a constitutional amendment that calls for Cuyahoga County to dump its three commissioners for an elected chief and 11-member elected district county council.
Cimperman came to Council in 1997, playing a young sincere activist with energy to make change. He quickly became a young man on the make, taking as much money as he could from downtown movers and shakers.
“This project has to move forward. It’s too critical for the region, for the economy. We just gotta put our heads down and get this thing done,” Cimperman told The Plain Dealer.
And I need a platform from which to run for higher office, something I’ve always wanted. Cimperman didn’t have to utter those words.
You may remember that Cimperman’s ambitions caused him to run against the sitting Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich in 2007. Cimperman got some 35 percent of the vote in the 10th Congressional District race. Kucinich got 52 percent.
Cimperman would like to be Mayor but that seems out of the question. He likely would have run for County Commissioner had Issue 6 failed. Now, he’s left with the one opening.
So Cimperman is about to scratch that ambition itch again. Never too early to start. The $175,000 position begins in January 2011. Here we go!