Money pouring into campaign coffers

COLUMBUS — While the rest of us are struggling to find enough mislaid quarters to buy bread and milk for our young’uns, the powers that be are rolling in dough to support their efforts to remain the powers that be.

That’s according to the latest campaign finance disclosure reports, filed by candidates last month with the secretary of state’s office (and available online at www2.sos.state.oh.us).

The contributions are in stark contrast to the economic realities facing the Ohioans whose votes will decide which candidates are elected. Consider:

While 662,000 Ohioans were pounding the pavement looking for work last month, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland was stuffing his $4 million campaign coffers to support his re-election run next year. His Republican opponent, John Kasich, raked in half a million dollars in the month or so since he entered the race.

While upward of 1.3 million Ohioans were relying on food stamps to keep their households fed, Democratic Attorney General Richard Cordray managed to collect $1 million in contributions, bringing his campaign total to more than $2 million. His biggest name Republican opponent, Mike DeWine, is just getting started but likely will post comparable totals as November 2010 approaches.

Both parties

While Ohio food pantries struggle to keep pace with the growing number of residents who don’t have adequate incomes to buy groceries, state legislative leaders were able to convince supporters to donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep them in office. That includes Democratic House Speaker Armond Budish, who collected more than $546,000, and his minority counterpart, Medina Republican Bill Batchelder, who took in about $226,000.

While about 60,000 Ohio households were joining the foreclosure ranks, Republican secretary of state candidate (and current state senator) Jon Husted managed to collect more than $800,000, bringing his total balance to about $1.3 million. One of his Democratic challengers, state Rep. Jennifer Garrison, told reporters she expects the campaign will cost $1 million to $2 million.

And while thousands of Ohioans struggle to pay medical bills or skip needed health care because they can’t cover the costs, Democratic state Treasurer Kevin Boyce found more than $511,000 for his race. Republican challenger Josh Mandel collected nearly $1 million.

Isn’t it comforting to know that there are still enough fat cats out there with expendable income to back commercials and campaign slogans that will bring hope to the rest of us as we try to make ends meet?

X Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. E-mail him at mkovac@dixcom.com.