OHIO GOP LEADERS TRADE LOCAL CONTROL FOR CASH: Remember way back when "conservatives" were against big government imposing its will on local communities? Yeah, I know, they were for balanced budgets then too. It's amazing how being in power -- and having access to all those corporate checkbooks -- changes your perspective.

Tasha Flournoy's excellent story in today's PD follows the money trail that led to the passage of Ohio House Bill 278 and the elimination of communities' authority over gas well drilling within their municipal limits. Of course the trail leads straight to the proud conservative leadership of the Statehouse GOP, including House Speaker Jon Husted.

Cleveland's legendary entrepreneur-mayor Tom L. Johnson used to campaign on the slogan "Home rule and just taxation". Ohio Democrats, take note.
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