RELATED: Kasich stands by pick for jobs chief
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
Calling it a “historic day,” Gov. John Kasich signed into law legislation establishing a new private nonprofit that eventually will take control of the business-incentive and job-creating functions of the Ohio Department of Development.
House Bill 1 was the first legislation to reach Kasich’s desk, and he signed it quickly — just two days after lawmakers in the Ohio House and Senate gave their approval.
“It will allow us to move at the speed of business,” Kasich said during a signing ceremony at the Statehouse, where he was joined by Republican leaders of the House and Senate. “And it’s important that we move at the speed of business for one reason: People need jobs; with jobs comes hope.”
He added later, “Today is a day that is a very big step in restoring the vibrancy of our state.”
House Bill 1 passed with support of Republican members of the Legislature, plus most of the Democratic members of the Ohio Senate and two Democrats in the Ohio House.
Supporters have said the bill is a first step in the process of moving the economic-development programming of the Ohio Department of Development into the private nonprofit JobsOhio, which they say will be better suited to react to businesses thinking about expanding.
JobsOhio would be overseen by a nine-member board, including Kasich and eight other individuals he will appoint.
He told reporters Friday that Mark Kvamme, a longtime friend and current director of the Ohio Department of Development, would be one of the board members.
Additional legislation will have to be passed by lawmakers later this year to complete the transfer of state programs to the new nonprofit.
As a private entity, JobsOhio would not be subject to the state’s open meetings and records laws, ethics and conflict of interest rules or other requirements that generally affect state agencies.
The setup prompted concern from the Ohio Newspaper Association and other public meeting and records advocates. But Kasich tried to quell those concerns Friday.
“To the members of the media, there’s no trapdoors or secret programs,” the governor said. “You will have access to what happens in JobsOhio. We want to maintain privacy when it is appropriate only from the standpoint of being able to do a successful negotiation, to create jobs and not put ourselves in a position to compete against ourselves.
Comments
"JobsOhio would not be subject to the state’s open meetings and records laws, ethics and conflict of interest rules or other requirements that generally affect state agencies."
Okay, first he's funding his buddy in this deal with millions... second, theres a reason for open meetings, records, ethics and conflict of interest laws... this sounds like he's going to appoint his buddies to set themselves up in business using state funds..
Don't believe that media comment ! Time will tell. And my guess it won't go any where.
OK, red flags are going up. King John is already setting things up so as to avoid all those nasty, inconvenient laws he doesn't like.
And, there are some things, such as the entire service field, that cannot be run like a business. But that's OK, "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." (Santayana) I just hope Ohio is still in one piece when we're finally done re-learning that.
Why call it a jobs bill? It is a get rich scheme for business con artists.
shall we just crown him Emperor Kasich and be done with it? no need for open meetings or rules of ethics for a government agency to conduct business. and while we're at it, let's appoint friends to the board and only pay them a dollar a year. that way they'll be justified in taking hundreds of thousands or maybe even a couple of million in kickbacks from the companies they do bring in. but yet, public employees do not have the right to collective bargaining because that right holds government hostage and is unfair to taxpayers. what a bunch of horse manure.
More like ROBSOHIO. Similar plans have failed miserably in each and every state they have been tried.
"JobsOhio would be overseen by a nine-member board, including Kasich and eight other individuals he will appoint."
Does this mean that Kasich is going to be getting another income besides the bucks he's making as governor? I'm not being ignorant, I just don't know and would like to know.
This is what you voted in !!!!! LIVE WITH IT . Did you think he was only going after the poor black in Ytown ???? FOOL
Well, it can't be worse than the old Dev guys, who were giving away tens of millions of dollars to foreign firms which turned around and hired students from their home country educated at US colleges and universities.
When I saw the words: "As a private entity, JobsOhio would not be subject to the state’s open meetings and records laws, ethics and conflict of interest rules or other requirements that generally affect state agencies," I froze! This all seems so shady and backroom, I can almost smell the cigar smoke now!