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Mandel: Delay in oil drilling costs jobs  
November  25, 2011 

Ohio Treasurer and Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel is stepping into the debate over whether Ohio’s federal lands should be used for oil and gas exploration. 

Mandel, who hopes to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, in next year’s election, last week called on Wayne National Forest Supervisor Anne Carey to reverse her decision to temporarily seal off federal lands from oil and gas exploration, saying, “I believe this Washington bureaucrat is standing in the way of thousands of new jobs for the state of Ohio.” 

He said oil and gas exploration in eastern Ohio would mean “affordable energy and jobs to the people of Ohio,” adding that “Ohio has been kicked in the gut over the past decade or so, and this potential of oil and gas exploration in the state would be a great opportunity to rejuvenate the manufacturing base in our state. He called on Brown to weigh in on the issue. 

“Sen. Brown supports responsible domestic energy production,” said Brown spokeswoman Meghan Dubyak. “His priority is making certain that fracking negotiations result in good jobs for Ohioans, a fair deal for landowners, a safe local drinking water supply, and sustainable, long-term economic growth for Ohio communities. 

Mandel’s comments come after Carey put on hold a plan to lease more than 3,000 acres of the Wayne National Forest for oil and gas drilling after hearing concerns from both environmental advocates and local government officials. 

Carey, however, defended her decision, saying earlier leasing agreements were for more shallow drilling. She said officials want to review the impact of deep drilling before moving forward. “We asked to do a pause,” she said, saying it’ll likely be a six-month review. 

Carey also said she’s never worked in Washington in her life, and just moved to Ohio from southern Indiana. She said she had “nothing to say” about political attacks against her. “I’ve worked pretty much on the ground level for 30 years of my career,” she said. 

GOP HQ phone calls questioned 

A Dayton-area Republican has complained to the Montgomery County Republican Party chairman about the use of the party headquarters’ phones on behalf of one of two possible Republican candidates for Congress. 

Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, is currently set to oppose Rep. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, in a primary election next year. The two, who now represent neighboring districts, were put in the same district under a redistricting plan that passed the Ohio General Assembly earlier this year. 

Dave Landon, a local Republican in the district, said the Montgomery County Republican Party has yet to endorse a candidate in that race. So he said he was surprised to be invited to a Turner event from a phone line from the Montgomery County Republican Party headquarters. 

Landon, who supports Austria in the race, said he was worried that because the calls came from local party headquarters, it might appear that the party has endorsed Turner. 

“Nobody has been endorsed,” he said. “So party resources really shouldn’t be used for one candidate.” 

Party chair Greg Gantt said the calls were made from a volunteer for Turner. He said he urged the campaign to make future calls from cellphones or from home. He said it’s not unusual for party resources

to be used on behalf of Republican candidates, including some that the party has not endorsed. He said the complaint “seems pretty trivial to me.” 

“I understand that these guys are in a battle,” he said. 

Tom Crosson, a Turner spokesman, said Turner “is the sitting congressman for Montgomery County.” 

“He is proud of the support he receives from the volunteers for the Montgomery County GOP,” he said. 

Ex-Dem Rep. joins Vorys Advisors 

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Zack Space of Dover has joined consulting group Vorys Advisors LLC, an affiliate of Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease. 

Space, who was ousted from his 18th Congressional District seat in 2010 by Republican Bob Gibbs, is joining a consulting group that is led by former U.S. Rep. David L. Hobson, R-Springfield. Space’s joining of Vorys was announced this morning in a Vorys news release. 

According to the news release, Vorys is “now the only firm that employs two former Ohio members of Congress, one from each political party.” 

“For more than a century, Vorys has served as an integral and important partner to many Ohio businesses and institutions at the highest levels,” Space said in the release. “I am looking forward to working with Congressman Hobson and Vorys Advisors to help Ohio businesses and organizations achieve their goals and objectives.” 

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