MEMO: Republican Candidates And The Debt Limit
To: Interested Parties From: Rodell Mollineau, President American Bridge Date: 8/5/11 RE: Republican Candidates and the Debt Limit This past week we witnessed the Republicans and their Tea Party allies play a dangerous game of chicken with our nation’s economy. They drove the economy right to the brink threatening to let our nation fail to pay its bills for the first time in history. And while eventually the Republican leaders came to their senses and agreed to raise the debt ceiling, what was truly frightening was how Republican candidates for both President and the Senate ran to the far right advocating either default or the dangerous economic policies, deemed “cut cap and balance,” that would have sent our economy right over the cliff.
Background:
All respected economic experts agreed we had to raise our debt ceiling and instituting the “cut, cap, and balance” would be a death knell to our economy.“This would be an unprecedented event in American history. A default would inflict catastrophic, far-reaching damage on our Nation’s economy, significantly reducing growth, and increasing unemployment… Default would not only increase borrowing costs for the Federal government, but also for families, businesses, and local governments – reducing investment and job creation throughout the economy.” [letter from Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, 5/13/11]
Plain Dealer editorial: Josh Mandel's opportunism
The Plain Dealer editorialized on Josh Mandel's opposition to the debt deal. Mandel's position may appeal to the Tea Party…
Plain Dealer: Josh Mandel would have voted against debt deal, blasts Sherrod Brown
Steve Koff at the Plain Dealer reports: U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel, who's currently the Ohio treasurer, would have voted…
Toledo Blade: Senate candidate misses financial filing deadline
On June 20, 2011, the Toldeo Blade reported:
Republican Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel has missed a deadline by more than 30 days in which to file his personal financial disclosure statement as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Josh Mandel On Voting Rights
2009: Mandel Voted Against Online Voter Registration And Other Voting Reform Measures. In 2009, Mandel voted against HB 260. The bill would allow online voter registration and absentee ballot requests, eliminate the requirement that a voter’s identification show the voter’s current address, expand from one to four the number of locations early voting can take place in a county, and automatically register people to vote upon graduating high school, updating information at certain agencies or updating driver’s license information. It would also create a formula for boards of elections to determine distribution of voting machines, eliminate the requirement that a person must reside in the precinct in which the person votes, require changes of address made to driver’s licenses to serve as notification of change of address for voter registration, and allow people who have moved within a county to cast a regular (not a provisional) ballot. It would require notification be sent if a board of elections does not accept a person’s voter registration or absentee ballot application and allow that person up to 15 days before an election to correct the voter registration application, allow people to request absentee ballots once for the entire calendar year, allow certain county-wide elections by mail, reform financing of elections and revise language on ballots and voter registration forms. The bill passed 52-46. [H.B. 260, 11/18/09]
Josh Mandel On Housing
Mandel 1 Of Only 5 To Vote Against Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption. In 2008, Mandel voted against S.B. 306. The bill would expand eligibility for the homestead property tax exemption, the 2.5% “rollback,” for residents of housing cooperatives by reducing the number of units a housing complex must contain to qualify as an eligible housing cooperative from 250 to 2. The bill passed the House 90-5. [S.B. 206, 12/17/08]
Josh Mandel On Health Care
Mandel Voted Against $209,035,021 For Medical And Health Programs, Including $10,020,403 For Hospitals. In 2010, Josh Mandel was one of only 18 legislators in both the House and the Senate (out of 129 legislators) to vote against House Bill 462, the capital re-appropriations bill. The bill included $209,035,021 for medical and health programs, including $10,020,403 for hospitals. [H.B. 462, 3/16/10]
Josh Mandel On The Environment
2009: Mandel Voted Against Requiring Buildings Constructed With State Money To Adhere To Energy Efficiency Standards. In 2009, Mandel voted against HB 7, “to require a building or structure constructed using state capital budget moneys to adhere to certain energy efficiency and building standards.” The bill passed 55-43. [H.B. 7, 12/16/09]
Josh Mandel On Education
Mandel Voted Against Over $660 Million In K-12 Education Funding. In 2010, Josh Mandel was one of only 18 legislators in both the House and the Senate (out of 129 legislators) to vote against House Bill 462, the capital re-appropriations bill. The bill included $668,512,112 for primary and secondary education. [H.B. 462, 3/16/10]