Report: Frequent political donors land more contracts (Ohio)

[Ohio Dem]

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Companies that donated to a political fund controlled by Gov. Bob Taft won 89 percent of unbid design and construction management contracts for rebuilding Ohio's schools, a newspaper reported.

The Ohio School Facilities commission, created in 1997, has awarded $166.5 million in contracts that didn't go through a competitive bidding process. A computer analysis by The Columbus Dispatch showed that 19 companies that made political contributions landed nearly $148 million of those contracts. Architects and managers that didn't donate received about $18.5 million in contracts, the newspaper reported Sunday.

"There is no correlation between soliciting donations and the awarding of school-construction contracts," said Orest Holubec, Taft's spokesman.

The facilities commission run by a Taft appointee administers $3 billion worth of school construction contracts overall.

more here.

Sound familiar?

I've always said that Taft was like a mini-Bush. Eyes too close together, has his job because of his name, steals money for his corporate buddies. He's Bush without the wars.

[shirlden]

1. I voted against him because of his name.

Not everyone believes Taft is a "good" name.

Ohio has had some really great politicos, however,none of them were in the Repug party.

Right now we have two who will be the ruination of our beautiful state. One is Taft, the other Blackwell.

:bounce:

[AP]

2. An Ohio school district was the first customer for Neil Bush's

no doubt worthless educational software.

That's what happens when you have one party run the state. Why even create a pretense of fairness? Just tax the middle class, and give the money to your cronies.