Chris Redfern must be living in that bizarro world I was talking about the other day.
Columbus- House Democratic Leader Chris Redfern pitched a plan Tuesday to give his party a stronger voice in investigating a burgeoning state investment scandal.Redfern, of Catawba Island, said Republican support for his proposal couldn't hurt in swaying pivotal Democratic votes for Gov. Bob Taft's stalled Third Frontier initiative.
House Chief of Staff Scott Borgemenke said Democratic votes are "extremely important" to getting the governor's high-tech bond proposal to November's ballot - and Republicans are listening.
He said that Redfern and Speaker Jon Husted, a suburban Dayton Republican, have had "several productive discussions" and that he hopes to negotiate a compromise before lawmakers return in August.
Redfern's bill would create a joint legislative committee evenly split between the two political parties to review the investment practices of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. The plan also would give a Democratic co-chair the same subpoena power normally reserved for a GOP-appointed chair.
Good idea, but it's got no chance of every seeing the light of day.
Redfern said his committee proposal would signal to Ohioans that lawmakers want true reform."It's one-party rule that has really created this environment," he said, noting that every statewide elected official involved in the Noe investigation is Republican.
Senate President Bill Harris, an Ashland Republican, said a committee of two Republicans and one Democrat from each chamber is already in place - and he sees no need to change its makeup. [...]
"It's hard to accept sometimes, but the electorate voted Republicans in by the majority and, by being in the majority, we are in charge," Harris said.
Exactly. This is why the BWC scandal and coingate will flow like molassess through state legislature investigations. Only an active local press and a reactive citizenry will get the GOP bums out of office. Don't expect those who live in glass houses to ever throw stones. Or is it the one about cutting off your nose to spite your face?
This is why we have to Grow Ohio.