Some background follows if you haven't been following the story.
Governor Kasich appointed Mark Kvamme (Kwah-mee) to be his Director of the Department of Development. Kvamme has been successful at attracting companies to California and agreed to do the same for Ohio for a annual salary of $1. Kvamme brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in business development to the state.
Liberals and Democrats, pouring over every opportunity to launch a political attack against the governor, immediately found something. There is a portion of the constitution that says any appointment to the governor's cabinet must be a resident of the state.
Kvamme commutes between Ohio and California, so they argued that Kvamme was not a valid appointment since he wasn't a resident. Oh, they had him now! They started petitions and called for Kvamme to be sent back to California.
Of course, once again, it was all about politics. They were more interested in embarrassing the governor than that we had obtained a major talent in developing business to the state. They basically found a technicality and exploited it to get the maximum amount of attack on Kasich that they could.
So, today, Governor Kasich announced that Kvamme was no longer the Director of the DOD. Liberals win, Kasich loses, right?
Not quite.
Today Governor John R. Kasich announced that he has appointed Mark Kvamme to serve as Director of Job Creation in the Office of the Governor. Kvamme will help oversee job creation policy statewide, work with regional economic development partners to enhance job creation strategies and help state agencies maximize the economic benefit of their operations. Kvamme previously served as director of the Department of Development.So... you may be wondering, if Kvamme can't be the Director of DOD, how can he be "Director of Job Development"? Because the residency requirement only applies to appointments to the governor cabinet. Director of DOD is a cabinet position, but Director of Job Creation isn't.
Also, Kasich announced that James Leftwich will serve as director of the Department of Development. For the past six years Leftwich has worked at the Dayton Development Coalition, and has served three years as President and CEO.
So what really happened here? Kasich turned their technicality against them!
I was frustrated when some tried to raise roadblocks to his eligibility to serve based on his residency, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by anything in politics. I’m confident we could overcome those objections, but job creation is too important for distractions and this change allows us to move forward and stay focused on Job One—creating jobs.Kvamme is still part of the governor's office, and no doubt will be executing the same plans for bringing jobs to Ohio that he had all along.
The only downside? They cost the state money, because no one else, including Leftwich, was going to agree to take the Director of DOD position without a real salary.
You didn't get rid of Kvamme, libs, and you cost the state money in pursuit of your political attacks. So your grand plan to embarrass the governor turned into one, giant FAIL.
I told you before. This governor has a plan to fix Ohio, and has the actual leadership to execute his plan. I think you just got run over by that bus.
Bytor on Twitter
Kasich violates the constitution, gets called on it, denies it for two months, and then essentially admits that he was wrong the whole time, and the LEFT has egg on its face? You seriously could be a propaganda minister for a third-world dictator.
ReplyDeleteYou link to my post saying that this whole thing was about politics... except there's nothing in the post that supports that proposition. Quite the opposite.
And by linking to my post, you reveal one of the other major fallacies of your diatribe: the NONPARTISAN Legislative Service Commission concluded Kasich was violating the constitution with Kvamme appointment. It was a constitutional issue, not a partisan one (except to partisan folks like you who just cannot comprehend that Kasich is capable of doing anything wrong... kind of like being duped in giving millions to American Greetings and Bob Evans although there was no real risk they'd leave the State.)
So we have egg on our face because Kasich cares SO much about giving his maxed out donor venture capitalist friend inside information about Ohio that he's willing to create ridiculous reduncies in Ohio's government simply to keep him? Okay, dude, whatever.
I agree, Kasich's handling of the Kvamme situation was a GIANT FAIL. He violated his oath of office the moment he took it.
You can spew all the bravado you want, but check the public opinion polls, Kasich's getting run over by his own incompetence.
Aww.
ReplyDeleteHe was obviously unaware of the constitutional issue when he made the appointment. Yet, you simply cared about embarrassing him with the goal of firing Kvamme.
The issue is now resolved and you end up looking petty. How many times did Ted Strickland violate the constitution by not having his appointments confirmed by the Senate? Seems like that was more than one appointment and it went that way for FAR longer than 2 months, didn't it?
The way I see it the Dems wanted to prevent a very capable businessman from helping create and maintain jobs in Ohio. Personally, I think that is a bunch of crap.
ReplyDeleteIf Kvamme had been appointed to a cabinet position by Strickland, with express instructions to increase union numbers in Ohio, does anyone think Democrats would have complained?
One party asks another party to play by the rules. The second party decides not to. members of the second party point out the rules, question privately and publicly if the rules should be followed. Finally, the rules are followed and instead of the rule breaker being appropriately embarassed and saying, "My bad," it's the people that pointed out the rules who are the evil doers?
ReplyDeleteI guess you missed the "politics" in the RGA advertisements that BBQd Ted for the outsourcing of a rebate program? But outsourcing an ENTIRE DEPARTMENT against Constitutional rules, that should just be swept under the table.
You should have left this one alone. The measure of a man is not necessarily his mistakes, but how he admits and ammends those mistakes. People have far more respect for someone who owns up rather than blaming a tattle taler. You either respect the Constitution of Ohio, as you are SWORN TO DO, or you don't. You don't get to whine when you get caught breaking rules. No matter who you are.
JungDem,
ReplyDeletehe removed Kvamme from his cabinet, therefore he fixed the situation and abided by the Constitution.
I'd advise the folks on your side to follow your advice when they whine about Strickland's appointments whom Ted never submitted for Senate confirmation.
For the record, your defense is that Kasich can be excused because he doesn't know Ohio's constitution? Wow.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was dumb that Strickland's Cabinet secretary never submitted the paperwork to the Senate for their consideration. She should have been fired for it.
But again, this wasn't about being petty. It was about enforcing the constitution.
Kasich's press statement disputes this. But you just admitted to it. Kasich violated the constitution. Your defense is that Kasich can't be expected to know the basic constitutional provisions to the appointments he makes? Even with a team of lawyers in his office? Really?
OakieDokie-
ReplyDeleteTaking your own hypothetical, would you and this site not complain if Strickland had made such unconstitutional appointments?
Kvamme's qualifications are overstated. He apparently wasn't savvy enough to avoid being scammed by American Greetings and Bob Evans.
Strickland violated the constitution. Your defense is that Strickland can't be expected to know the basic constitutional provisions to the appointments he makes and submit them for confirmation? Even with a team of lawyers in his office? Really?
ReplyDelete