The Becker Report – September 2019

Beckerisms

Becker Announces for Clermont County Commissioner

Transitioning out of 14th Senate District race

When I decided to run for Senate, there were only two circumstances where I would reconsider my candidacy: 1) I become physically incapacitated; 2) Senator Joe Uecker resigns early and the Senate caucus appoints someone other than me. Well, the latter has occurred.

After much prayer and multiple discussions with my family and supporters, it became clear that the best path for me and the people of Clermont County was to run for Commissioner. That office is currently held by the retiring Ed Humphrey. The primary election will be held March 17, 2020.

Q: Why didn’t you simply announce for Commissioner months ago rather than State Senate?
1) Although my qualifications for Commissioner are unparalleled, my personal preference (as well as that of my family and supporters) is to be a policy maker for the State of Ohio. I like having a seat at the table supporting the Christian conservative values of Southern Ohio.
2) At that time, Doug Green was the only other likely candidate and it was just a matter of me being the more conservative and better able to represent those Christian conservative values.

Q: Why not stay in the Senate race and fight it out?
1) That was a tough decision for me. I said all along that, “If God wants me in the State Senate, then that’s where I’ll be. If He wants me somewhere else, then that’s where I’ll be.” As stated above, after much prayer and consultation with my family and supporters, the decision to move in a different direction became obvious.
2) Being as Clermont County is nearly 60 percent of the 14th Senate District, I was more afraid of winning than losing that race. I say that because my wife and I would have made a substantial personal financial investment that would not have ensured victory. Then we asked ourselves if winning would be worth it? How effective would I be at advocating for the people of Southern Ohio as a marginalized State Senator on the outs with the Senate caucus who just spent perhaps $1 million and lost, supporting the incumbent?
3) I’m a believer in term limits. After what will be eight years in Ohio’s General Assembly, was God telling me that it was time to move on?
4) Being Pro-life and supporting the 2nd Amendment are two of the most important issues for me and my constituents. The incumbent is great on both of those issues.

Q: Why Clermont County Commissioner?
1) I have the fiscal and management expertise, education, and background for the position. Although it wasn’t my first choice, it certainly is a very good and close second choice and area of interest for me.
2) Being as the highly respected and long-time Commissioner Ed Humphrey is retiring, the challenge to attempt to “fill his shoes” has presented itself. I’m hoping that the voters have the confidence in me to “fill those shoes” and live up to the high standards that he has set.

Q: You previously mentioned your “unparalleled” qualifications for Commissioner. What are they?
Budgeting and fiscal analysis are the most important roles for a commissioner. Those were my responsibilities as a Finance Officer for Provident Bank in their downtown Cincinnati corporate office tower. I was promoted multiple times to positions requiring higher levels of responsibility, including being selected to serve on the National City transition team. My responsibilities included coordinating, maintaining, and reporting the capital budget, fixed assets, depreciation, occupancy, salaries, benefits, FTEs, and other expenses for budgeting and forecasting. I designed templates and models using VBA for Excel. Furthermore, I used Oracle Financial Analyzer (OFA) to analyze, track and report results for $316 million of net interest income, $845 million of non-interest income, and $900 million of non-interest expense.”
That job description represents about eight years of my 30 year career in business. The other 22 years were in manufacturing (Floor Supervisor/Production Control/Resource Analyst/Planner), managed healthcare (Manager of Healthcare Information Systems/Regional Financial Analyst), retail banking and financial services (Assistant Vice President/Senior Financial Analyst/Senior Business Analyst), and education (Treasurer).
Additionally, I earned my bachelor’s degree in business management (organizational track) with a minor in Psychology from Northern Kentucky University, an MBA with an emphasis in taxation from Xavier University, Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) from the Association of Financial Professionals (AFP), school district treasurer’s license, and graduated from the Union Township Citizens Police Academy.
All of that is in addition to what will be eight years in the Ohio General Assembly. Those are the qualifications and experiences that I will leverage for the people of Clermont County as a Commissioner.

Q: What is your agenda for Commissioner?
I’m currently in the process of meeting with the people who have (or have had) high levels of responsibilities in the government of Clermont County including current and former Commissioners. I’ve also met with the County Commissioners Association of Ohio (CCAO). I’m having these meetings to help me connect the dots and learn as much as I can so that I can hit the ground running in January 2021 when I would take office.
As a Commissioner, I intend to focus on a fiscally conservative and balanced county budget. Public safety (sheriff/courts/jail), economic development (infrastructure), and the Clermont County Transportation Improvement District (CCTID) will be among my highest but not only priorities. Above all will be my commitment to ethics and to act on any additional corruption that may exist or might be discovered. (I don’t know of any that hasn’t already been made public nor have any reason to suspect any. I’m not on a “witch hunt.”)
Clermont County has a nice balance of industrial, commercial, residential, and rural. I will preserve, protect, and promote our quality of life.

Q: Being as Joe Uecker and Lou Terhar have recently resigned from the Senate, are you planning to resign from your position in the Ohio House of Representatives to run for Commissioner?
No. I am in my fourth and final two-year term that ends on December 31, 2020. I have no interest in doing anything other than finishing my term as a State Representative and running for Clermont County Commissioner.

Becker Donates Controversial Pay Raise to Community Organizations

For more information, see the January 2019 edition of The Becker Report.

January 2019 – The Cincinnati Nature Center received my personal check for $154.69.
February 2019 – Ohio Concerns of Police Survivors (Ohio C.O.P.S.) got my on-line donation for $154.69.
March 2019 – I delivered a personal check for $313.73 to the Goshen Township Bicentennial Committee. The increase in the amount of my donation is because of my promotion to be chairman of the Federalism Committee. It reflects the net portion of the controversial pay increase that was included in my chairmanship increment.
April 2019 – My wife and I presented our $313.73 donation to Days of Wonder. Based in Batavia, they are a school for homeschool kids.
May 2019 – The Promont House Museum in the City of Milford was the recipient of my personal donation of $313.73. Promont is a Victorian mansion circa 1865 and the former home of John M. Pattison, Ohio’s 43rd Governor. It is currently owned and operated as a museum by the Greater Milford Area Historical Society.
June 2019 – The Adams County Humane Society and the Adams County Fair spilt my June donation and received $156.87 each. The animal shelter will use the funds for animal care supplies. The Fair will use the money to purchase new flags.
July 2019 – People Working Cooperatively (PWC) was the recipient of my $313.73 for their project house in Owensville. The money will be used for an accessible bathroom renovation.
August 2019 – The Scioto County Right to Life received my personal check for $313.73. They will use the money to fund billboards along US 23.
September 2019 – I presented my personal check for $313.73 to Clermont Senior Services at their annual fundraising banquet. They’ll be using the funds for elder care.

Becker Bills in the Ohio House of Representatives

HR 55 – Build the Wall. This resolution urging congress to fund a physical barrier across the southern border has been assigned to the Transportation Committee.
HB 39 – Replica Vehicles. This is a bill I’m doing with John Patterson to create a special category for these unique vehicles. It is in the Transportation Committee.
HB 153 – Working Officials Requirements Key (WORK) Act. This bill requires county elected officials to show up at their office at least five times every 30 days. It is in the State and Local Government Committee and has had its first hearing.
HB 176 – Convention and Visitors’ Bureaus. This is a bill I’m doing with Tom Brinkman. It requires open records.
HB 182 – Abortion Insurance Coverage. The bill stops insurance companies from paying for abortions. It does not apply to self-insured private companies nor does it prevent any company from directly contracting with an abortionist. It has been assigned to the Insurance Committee and has had its first hearing.
HB 219 – Sunday Alcohol, Liquor, and Especially Spirits Act (SALES). I’m doing this bill with Representative Jim Hoops. In short, HB 219 removes the Sunday option. All businesses currently allowed to sell alcohol during the week will also be allowed Sunday sales. Voters retain the option to vote their precinct dry. It has been assigned to the Commerce & Labor Committee.

Video Central

How the Government Made You Fat (6 minutes)
Do Americans Trust the News Media? (4 minutes)
Goodbye, America (4 minutes)
Why Is Modern Art so Bad? (3 minutes)
Reconstruction: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (6 minutes)
Is an Eagle Egg More Valuable Than a Baby? (3 minutes)
AJ+ Is Al Jazeera (5 minutes)
Students Share Why the Bible Is Important (3 minutes)
Is College Worth It? (5 minutes)
Would You Save Your Dog or a Stranger? (4 minutes)
Greta Thunberg: The Progressive Use and Abuse of Teen Climate Activist-Actor (13 minutes)
What’s the Deal with the Green New Deal? (6 minutes)
Things Social Justice Warriors Say (2 minutes)
Why Can’t America Fill a Pothole? (5 minutes)
Exposing the Truth About Republicans (3 minutes)

Event Calendar

October 3
Trump 2020 campaign volunteer meeting at GOP HQ in Batavia from 7 – 8 PM. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trump-victory-maga-meetup-clermont-county-oh-tickets-73467548415

October 7
Union Township Republican Central Committee at the Union Twp Civic Center at 7 PM.

October 16
Clermont County GOP at HQ at 7 PM.

October 17
Cincinnati Right to Life annual banquet at the Sharonville Convention Center beginning at 5:30 PM.

October 23
Milford-Miami Twp Chamber Business & Community Awards Gala at the Oasis beginning at 5:30 PM.

October 24
Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, Larry Householder will be at the Kenwood Country Club from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM for a fundraiser supporting Jean Schmidt for State Representative.

October 28
Meet the candidates night beginning at 6:30 PM at the Newtonsville municipal building.

Becker for State Senate – Vetted, Tested, and Proven!

“Clermont County State Rep. John Becker, one of the most conservative members of the Ohio House…” according to Cleveland.com (August 2019).
Becker wins “Sponsor of Liberty” award by the Republican Liberty Caucus of Ohio (October 2018).
“Becker has a legitimate claim as the state’s most conservative legislator,” according to The [Cleveland] Plain Dealer (September 2017).
“Rep. John Becker, suburban Cincinnati Republican… [holds] the unofficial title as the General Assembly’s most conservative lawmaker,” proclaimed the Columbus Dispatch (September 2015).
Becker wins prestigious William Wilberforce Leadership Award (April 2015). “GOP Ohio House freshman Becker is no shrinking violet,” headlined the Columbus Dispatch (December 2014).
“Becker…is arguably the most conservative member of the Ohio House,” said The Cincinnati Enquirer (January 2014).
Ranked as a top tier “most archconservative” by the Columbus Dispatch (September 2013).

If the above Donate button does not work, use the button at www.BeckerGOP.com.  

Did this newsletter get sent to you by someone other than me? If so, please let me know at John@BeckerGOP.com and I will add you to my distribution list. That will ensure that you get it in a timelier manner. You may also forward this to your friends.

Let me know if you would like to unsubscribe. This issue and back issues are available at: www.BeckerGOP.com.

Disclaimer
Nothing in this newsletter constitutes legal advice. I am not an attorney and do not play one on TV. This newsletter is not sanctioned by the GOP, ORP, or any organization, or affiliation. I am fully and solely responsible for its content. Although I strive for accuracy, this is not “The Gospel according to John.” Additionally, I don’t necessarily try to be “fair and balanced.” After all, I didn’t get into politics to be a news reporter. My agenda is to influence public policy consistent with Southern Ohio conservative values. For more information on my motivations or how to get involved, see: What is a Central Committee?