'Election antics' draw criticism

•••Editor’s Note: This is the final story of a four-part series dealing with campaign strategies.•••

by Matt Hutton
State Senior Writer

Most voters are looking for results from candidates. The most concrete evidence that a candidate is working for the people is legislation addressing voters’ concerns. Knowing this, candidates often scurry to propose legislation on the eve of an election. And often legislation proposed right before an election is questioned by opponents.

Accusations of “election antics,” have come from Sen. Leigh Herington, D-Ravenna, who is running for attorney general against State Auditor Jim Petro.

Herington said the Sept. 17 draft of the Taft-Petro Cooperate Responsibility Act has suspicious timing.

“We’ll have to see if they’re serious,” Herington said. “See whether or not they do anything to make this become law instead of just talking about it and not doing anything.”

Herington said he doubts Gov. Bob Taft’s sincerity in helping consumers because he has done a poor job protecting them during the Enron scandal, based in Houston, and the closing of LTV Steel, based in Cleveland.

“It’s not an election antic,” said Joe Andrews, a Taft spokesman. “We did it for a purpose — it’s in response to what’s going on nationally. It has nothing to do with elections or politics it’s about protecting people.”

John Hughes, a Petro adviser, said the timing of the legislation was simply a matter of researching and putting together data to draft the bill.

“To call this an election stunt is just preposterous,” Hughes said. “We need to move forward to do what we can, no matter when, to protect the tax payers.”

While Herington blasted the timing, he believes the government has a responsibility to protect consumers.

“Obviously there has been a major problem with a lot of these large corporations,” Hughes said. “The purpose of the bill is twofold: to make penalties stronger for the thieves and to offer up government assistance.”

The proposed reform act would increase the penalty for white collar crime, lengthen the statute of limitations for defrauded investors, limit loans to corporate insiders and give the Ohio Department of Commerce the authority to seek restitution for defrauded investors, Hughes said.

Sen. Kevin Coughlin, R-Cuyahoga Falls, said Taft approached him a month ago to sponsor this legislation in the senate.

“I share the governor’s concern and the people’s uneasiness about this subject,” Coughlin said. “There needs to be a cop on the beat enforcing this stuff and adequate penalties.”

Coughlin said the final draft of the bill was being worked out but he does not know when he will have it in his hands.

“(Taft and Petro) are ironing out all the technical rules. It could be done tomorrow or in three weeks,” he said.

Jeffery Manning, Rep. R-North Ridgeville, will sponsor the bill in the Ohio house.