news

Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) joined House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and other republican members of Ohio’s Congressional Delegation today reacting to a recent news report from Columbus’ WCMH-TV highlighting a Strickland administration decision to use Ohio’s federal “stimulus” dollars to create jobs in Central America.  As several suggested, this is exactly why the Ohio members have urged Gov. Strickland (D) to establish a bipartisan, independent panel to oversee Ohio’s “stimulus” expenditures.

“As President Obama and Governor Strickland continue to tout the ‘success’ of the ‘stimulus package’ in the face of record high unemployment, this story only confirms the fact that independent oversight is long overdue, which we called for last year,” Congressman Latta said.  “It is beyond comprehension that not only was this project outsourced to another state, but that these jobs would eventually end up overseas.”

"The White House, with the support of Governor Strickland, pledged that the ‘stimulus’ would create jobs immediately in our state, yet more than 100,000 Ohioans have lost their jobs since this trillion-dollar bill was enacted,” Congressman Boehner (R-West Chester) said.  “Gov. Strickland owes Ohio families asking ‘Where are the jobs?’ an explanation as to why ‘stimulus’ funds allocated by his administration were used to create jobs in Central America, and why he has repeatedly refused to establish an independent, bipartisan panel to prevent this misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

NOTE:  Ohio Republican Members of Congress first urged Gov. Strickland to establish a bipartisan, independent oversight panel made up of government officials and members of Ohio’s Certified Public Accounting and auditing communities within weeks of the enactment of the “stimulus.”  Signed copies of the March letter, and a November follow-up can be accessed here and here.