Press

September 3, 2010

As Boccieri Plays Hide and Seek From the 16th, Renacci Continues Town Hall Tour

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 3, 2010

CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN

AS BOCCIERI PLAYS HIDE AND SEEK FROM THE 16^th, RENACCI CONTINUES TOWN HALL TOUR

Canton, OH—After failing to show up at the previously scheduled town hall meetings in Wayne and Ashland Counties last month, John Boccieri has yet another opportunity to join with Jim Renacci at a town hall meeting this coming Tuesday, September 7^that 7PM at the North Canton Civic Center. Although John Boccieri has so far refused to attend any town hall meetings or one-on-one debates with Jim Renacci, hope remains that Mr. Boccieri will finally own up to his record in Congress and answer to his constituents in person for the job-killing votes he’s been casting in Washington. While Mr. Boccieri was formally invited to the North Canton town hall meeting several weeks ago, it unfortunately comes as no surprise that he has not yet committed to the event. Jim Renacci has also confirmed that he will appear at a Medina County town hall scheduled for Monday, September 13^th.

“As our unemployment rate continues to climb and the residents of our district continue to suffer under John Boccieri and Nancy Pelosi’s reckless fiscal policies, it is deeply troubling to see that our current Congressman is so ashamed of his record that he refuses to face his own constituents in an open forum and listen to their mounting questions and concerns about his policies. I greatly look forward to meeting with voters at the Stark County town hall on Tuesday to discuss a wide range of issues, and I hope that John Boccieri can summon the political courage to join me,” Jim Renacci said today.

In addition to the upcoming town hall forums, on Wednesday, Jim Renacci announced that he will participate in a debate in Wayne County on September 20^th. Although earlier in the week the Boccieri campaign inexplicably attempted to mislead both the public and the press by announcing that a Stark County debate hosted by the Canton Jaycees had been set for October 12^th, no such agreement had ever been reached—in part due to organizational failures, including lingering issues related to sponsorship of the debate.

On Thursday, the Canton Jaycees formally notified the campaigns that negotiations with the two major media outlets who had been proposed as the debate’s sponsors had failed and have since been terminated. Although it is now official that Jim Renacci and John Boccieri will not face off on October 12^th, Jim Renacci remains hopeful that John Boccieri will join him at the upcoming town hall meetings in Stark and Medina Counties, as well as at any of the other potential debates that are currently being considered.

September 3, 2010 at 11:51 AM in Press Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 24, 2010

Jim Renacci Launches First General Election Television Ad
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 24, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@Renacciforcongress.com JIM RENACCI LAUNCHES FIRST GENERAL ELECTION TELEVISON AD Canton, OH—Today, the Jim Renacci for Congress campaign began airing its first television ad for the fall campaign, highlighting Jim Renacci’s record as a job creator and calling for an end to the reckless deficit spending and job-killing policies that are destroying Ohio’s economy. A 27-year resident of northeast Ohio, Jim Renacci built a business from the ground up, creating over 1,500 new jobs and employing over 2,500 Ohioans. As Mayor of Wadsworth, Jim brought his business background to local government and successfully balanced his city’s $80 million budget and converted its deficit into a surplus, without raising taxes. “While John Boccieri remains in hiding, refusing to discuss the issues that matter to voters—like our double digit unemployment rate or his votes for the cap and trade energy tax, ObamaCare and the Obama-Pelosi stimulus plan, I am proud to campaign on my low-tax, low-spending, pro-growth principles that our state and our country so desperately need,” Jim Renacci said today. Since John Boccieri was elected to Congress, the unemployment rate in the 16^th district has doubled while he cast votes in Washington for trillions of dollars in new taxes and deficit spending. Voting with Nancy Pelosi 94% of the time, John Boccieri has supported every major component of the Obama-Pelosi agenda, including cap & trade, ObamaCare and the economic “stimulus” plan. ###
August 24, 2010 at 12:02 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (1)

August 19, 2010

Jim Renacci Blasts Boccieri and Union Bosses for False Ads, Files Defamation Lawsuit Against AFSCME
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 19, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@Renacciforcongress.com 330 618 2412 JIM RENACCI BLASTS BOCCIERI AND UNION BOSSES FOR FALSE ADS, FILES DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST AFSCME Canton, OH—Today, Jim Renacci filed a defamation lawsuit against the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees union, in response to the patently false and purely fictional allegations contained in the advertising campaign that AFSCME has initiated on behalf of Congressman John Boccieri. After AFSCME’s gross distortion of Jim Renacci’s views on tax policy were debunked last week, union bosses have now launched a second round of attacks, falsely accusing Jim Renacci and his wife of criminal conduct. As was reported last week by Politico, union bosses at AFSCME are running the ad campaign on behalf of John Boccieri as a “thank-you to the Democrat for supporting top party agenda items” including Cap & Trade, ObamaCare and the Obama-Pelosi stimulus plan. “In a desperate attempt to hide from his record of support for every component of Nancy Pelosi’s agenda in Washington—including Cap and Trade and rampant fiscal recklessness that has crippled our economy and wiped out our jobs, John Boccieri and his allies are engaged in a scorched earth assault on me, my family and the truth. I may have grown up poor and powerless but I’ve been a fighter all my life, and if John Boccieri and his Washington special interest friends think I will sit idly by as they defame me and my family to distract from the damage Mr. Boccieri’s done to our community, they have misjudged me as badly as they have mismanaged our country,” Jim Renacci said today. After running their initial false ad against Jim Renacci to distract voters from the $1.4 trillion in tax increases that John Boccieri has supported in the last 12 months alone, AFSCME followed up with an even more egregious perversion of reality by alleging that Jim Renacci and his wife “cheated” on their taxes and “avoided jail time” by paying back taxes to the state. As was previously reported here, Jim Renacci and his wife never hid income on their joint tax return and have never been subject to any kind of criminal charge or criminal investigation of any kind. Rather, when the Ohio Tax Commissioner attempted to unilaterally and retroactively impose state income taxes on small business trust accounts, which had only been subject to federal income taxes, Jim joined with over 1,000 other Ohioans as petitioners who appealed the Commissioner’s retroactive tax assessment. The matter resulted in two split decisions by the Ohio Supreme Court, which ultimately clarified the law and any tax liability that was owed. “John Boccieri and his Washington allies have accused me of everything short of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and at this rate I’m sure that’s probably next. It’s sad that our Congressman is so frightened to face the voters and answer for his own record in Washington, that he’s taken to hiding behind his friends as they spread his lies about my record and my family. Our district, our state and our country deserve much better than that,” Jim Renacci added. ### A copy of the complaint filed today can be found here.
August 19, 2010 at 4:26 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (3)

August 17, 2010

Cook Political Report Boosts Odds of a Renacci Victory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 17, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@Renacciforcongress.com COOK POLITICAL REPORT BOOSTS ODDS OF A RENACCI VICTORY *Top Analyst Shifts Race Rating from “Lean Democrat” to “Toss Up”* Canton, OH—Today, the Cook Political Report, one of the nation’s most well respected independent political analysts, announced that it was shifting its rating on the congressional race in Ohio’s 16^th district from “Lean Democrat” to “Toss Up”. Cook’s rating shift in the direction of a Republican pick-up in the 16^th district is the latest in a string of indicators that John Boccieri’s prospects for re-election are collapsing. Jim Renacci now joins Steve Stivers and Steve Chabot as the three Ohio Republican challengers running in “Toss Up” rated races, according to the Cook Political Report. “If John Boccieri thinks he can win re-election by continuing to hide from voters and deflecting attention from the crushing job losses, higher taxes and exploding deficits that have defined his career, it seems the only person he’s fooling is himself. Jim Renacci’s record as a proven job creator and his commitment to lower taxes, a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility is clearly resonating with the voters in this district who have grown tired of John Boccieri’s unwavering loyalty to Nancy Pelosi’s bankrupt agenda,” Renacci spokesman James Slepian said. The Cook Political Report is not the only independent analyst who has shifted this race in the direction of a Renacci victory. Earlier this year, Real Clear Politics shifted the race from “Toss Up” to “Lean Republican”.
August 17, 2010 at 8:43 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (0)

August 16, 2010

Jim Renacci Statement on the Construction of a Mosque at Ground Zero
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 16, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@Renacciforcongress.com JIM RENACCI STATEMENT ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MOSQUE AT GROUND ZERO Canton, OH—Today, Jim Renacci released the following statement in response to Barack Obama’s comments on Friday in support of the construction of a mosque at ground zero. By interjecting himself into the debate, the President has now made this a national issue and Jim Renacci felt compelled to respond to the President’s irresponsible position and disrespectful words. "The religious freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution are among the greatest and most fundamental rights that we share as Americans. However, this debate is not about the rights that we have, but rather how we choose to exercise them. Just because we may have the right to do something, doesn't necessarily make it right to do it. This is about tolerance, respect and sensitivity towards the 9/11 victims and those who lost friends and loved ones in those horrific attacks. I was deeply disturbed to see that President Obama is again turning a deaf ear to the thoughts and concerns of a majority of Americans by supporting the construction of a mosque at ground zero. I hope that John Boccieri will join me in opposing the construction of this mosque and in condemning the President for his lack of sensitivity and respect for the memory of the thousands of Americans we lost that day.”
August 16, 2010 at 1:21 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (0)

August 10, 2010

Ready, Fire, Aim: Union Bosses Misfire with Bogus Tax Hike Claim
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 10, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@Renacciforcongress.com READY, FIRE, AIM: UNION BOSSES MISFIRE WITH BOGUS TAX HIKE CLAIM After Lining Serial Tax-Raiser John Boccieri’s Pockets, AFSCME Launches False Attack on Committed Tax Cutter Jim Renacci Canton, OH—Yesterday, union bosses at AFSCME, who have already donated $20,000 to John Boccieri’s congressional campaign committee, launched a grossly inaccurate ad campaign designed to smear Jim Renacci and distract voters from John Boccieri’s dismal record on taxes, spending and the economy. Although the ad falsely asserts that Jim Renacci supports adding a “23% national sales tax” to the tax code, the fact is that Jim Renacci has never raised taxes and has not only called for further tax cuts but has also pledged to oppose any net tax increase on the American people. In the past year alone, while the unemployment rate has doubled on his watch, John Boccieri has voted for over $1.4 trillion in higher taxes and has promised to support additional hikes in the future. “Evidently, the first casualty in John Boccieri’s failing re-election campaign is the truth. Boccieri and his allies are desperately lying about Jim Renacci’s record on taxes because Jim is telling the truth about the double-digit unemployment, crippling deficit spending and trillions in higher taxes that have defined John Boccieri’s record in Washington,” Renacci spokesman James Slepian said. In the ad, AFSCME cites Jim Renacci’s comments on the “Fair Tax” concept, a proposed consumption tax that would replace the federal income tax, as their basis for the claim. Although Jim Renacci, a C.P.A., has said that a consumption tax in lieu of an income tax could potentially simplify and reduce fraud in our tax code, he has also consistently voiced serious concerns over the implementation process of a consumption tax and said that he would only consider supporting it if those issues were resolved and it stood as a replacement rather than a supplement to the income tax. Jim Renacci has a clear record of opposing any net tax increase on the American people. “Even though the unemployment rate has doubled since he was elected, John Boccieri has kept his hand fixed in taxpayers’ pockets, voting for more than $1.4 trillion in higher taxes in the past 12 months alone—including an $850 billion Cap & Trade tax and $500 billion in new ObamaCare taxes. In stark contrast, Jim Renacci, who has created over 1,500 jobs and balanced Wadsworth’s $80 million budget, has never raised taxes and has pledged his commitment to oppose any tax increases when he goes to Washington. If the union bosses at AFSCME are so concerned about tax increases, they should focus their ire on John Boccieri whose tax and spend policies are eviscerating jobs and crushing middle-class families,” Slepian added.
August 10, 2010 at 2:52 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (3)

August 6, 2010

Labor Department Reports 131,000 Jobs Lost In July
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 6, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@Renacciforcongress.com LABOR DEPARTMENT REPORTS 131,000 JOBS LOST IN JULY *For the Second Straight Month, U.S. Slashes Jobs—Boccieri Calls it “Progress”* Canton, OH—Following crushing job loss numbers in June, the Labor Department announced a second straight month of losses today, reporting that the U.S. economy shed 131,000 jobs in July. Although many analysts were predicting an anemic report from the Labor Department, the loss of 131,000 jobs in July was far worse than most had anticipated—painting an even bleaker picture of the prospect for recovery under the Obama-Pelosi agenda. “As John Boccieri continues to insist that our economy is making ‘progress’ and is ‘on the right track’, hundreds of thousands of Americans are losing their jobs each month, joining millions more who have been laid off since he was sent to Washington. How many more Americans will have to lose theirs before John Boccieri recognizes that impoverishing his constituents while bankrupting our country is not a formula for economic recovery? Unfortunately, John Boccieri has made it clear that he’s more interested in serving as a cheerleader for Nancy Pelosi rather than a leader for the 16^th district, and we are all suffering for it,” Jim Renacci said today. While the 9.5% unemployment rate remained unchanged since June, economists say the number reflects a drop in the overall labor force as discouraged workers gave up searching for work or expired unemployment benefits, as opposed to any positive indicators about stabilization or growth in the job market. “I know what job creation looks like—I’ve created 1,500 of them, but right now we have a Congressman who apparently can’t tell the difference between job growth and job losses, and that is deeply troubling. As more jobs disappear and more debt piles up, it’s become more clear than ever that we literally cannot afford to send John Boccieri back to Washington,” Renacci added.
August 6, 2010 at 1:02 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (0)

August 5, 2010

Newt Gingrich Endorses Jim Renacci For Congress
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 5, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@Renacciforcongress.com NEWT GINGRICH ENDORSES JIM RENACCI FOR CONGRESS Canton, OH—Today, former Speaker of the House and General Chairman of American Solutions, Newt Gingrich, endorsed Jim Renacci for Congress in Ohio’s 16th district. Renacci, who has been named one of the top Republican candidates in the nation by the National Republican Congressional Committee, is challenging freshman Democrat John Boccieri in a race that is widely viewed as one of the best pick-up opportunities for Republicans in the upcoming November election. “With three decades of experience as a small business owner who has created over 1,500 jobs in the region, Jim Renacci understands how government policies can both help and hinder job growth and knows what it will take to re-start our nation’s economic engine. As a Mayor, Jim brought a common sense, business-based approach to government and successfully balanced his city’s budget and converted its deficit into a surplus, without raising taxes. At a time when Democrats in Washington are driving our economy off of a cliff and sinking us into a deadly sea of debt, Jim Renacci is precisely the type of leader we need in Congress to restore accountability, responsibility and the pro-growth policies our country so desperately needs. I am proud to endorse Jim Renacci for Congress in Ohio’s 16th district,” Newt Gingrich said today. “Newt Gingrich has a striking record of accomplishment and stands as one our nation’s most dynamic and well respected leaders in political thought—I could not be more honored to have earned his endorsement. As I continue this fight to restore common sense and accountability to Washington, I remain humbled and energized by the constantly growing support for our campaign,” Jim Renacci said today.
August 5, 2010 at 3:01 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (0)

August 4, 2010

Boccieri's House of Cons Begins to Fall
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 4, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@RenacciForCongress.com BOCCIERI’S HOUSE OF CONS BEGINS TO FALL *While Boccieri Clings to Their Cash, Another Donor Indicted and Two More Under Federal Investigation* Canton, OH—For the third day in a row, new information has surfaced about John Boccieri’s deep ties to a corrupt network of individuals who have played a major role in financing his political career. Following last week’s news that John Boccieri is refusing to return the nearly $70,000 he has taken from New York Democrat Charlie Rangel, who is facing 13 counts of ethics violations, Boccieri’s financial ties to three other individuals who were recently indicted on corruption charges were unearthed on Monday and Tuesday. Today, Michael Sciortino, Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo join Anthony Cafaro Sr., John Reardon and John McNally as the newest names on a rapidly growing list of John Boccieri’s corrupt contributors. Like Reardon, Cafaro and McNally, Mahoning County Auditor Michael Sciortino was recently indicted on corruption charges, which include bribery, perjury and filing false financial disclosures with the state. Meanwhile, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and County Auditor Frank Russo have been targeted in a separate federal investigation centered around allegations that the two took bribes in the form of prostitution in exchange for securing a multi-million dollar construction contract. In total, Sciortino, Dimora and Russo have given John Boccieri $1,940, none of which has been returned. As was previously reported, Boccieri has also taken and held on to $69,829 from Charlie Rangel, $12,600 from Cafaro and $2,500 from McNally and Reardon. Despite countless calls for Boccieri to follow the lead of many of his Democratic colleagues and clean out his financial coffers, he has thus far refused to part with the tainted cash. “While it’s clear that Nancy Pelosi broke her promise to ‘drain the swamp’, her protégé` John Boccieri is doing his part to rapidly fill it up. Actions speak much louder than words, and as new light is shed each day on the depth of John Boccieri’s ties to corruption, his defiance in refusing to part with these tainted donations speaks volumes about his character and his comfort with a culture of corruption,” Jim Renacci spokesman James Slepian said.
August 4, 2010 at 3:25 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (0)

August 3, 2010

More Indictments for Boccieri Boosters
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 2010 CONTACT: JAMES SLEPIAN James@Renacciforcongress.com MORE INDICTMENTS FOR BOCCIERI BOOSTERS *While Still Refusing to Return Rangel’s Money, Two More Boccieri Donors Indicted for Corruption* Canton, OH—Following yesterday’s news that John Boccieri’s network of corrupt donors expanded beyond Charlie Rangel to include Anthony Cafaro Sr., who was indicted last Thursday on corruption charges, FEC reports show that Boccieri also took thousands of dollars from John Reardon and John McNally—both of whom were also indicted last week. Reardon, the former Mahoning County Treasurer, was indicted on a slew of corruption charges including perjury, conspiracy and filing false financial disclosures with the state Ethics Commission. Mahoning County Commissioner John McNally was also indicted on a string of corruption charges including bribery, perjury and conspiracy. Throughout his career, Boccieri has accepted nearly $2,500 from McNally and Reardon, $1,750 of which was donated to Boccieri’s congressional campaign committee. News of Reardon and McNally’s financial ties to Boccieri comes on the heels of numerous media reports detailing Boccieri’s refusal to part with the $69,829 he took from embattled Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y), who was charged with 13 ethics violations by a House panel last week. The discovery of a growing pool of corrupt contributors and criminals with ties to Boccieri’s political operation—combined with his failure to return any of their donations, is raising new questions each day about Boccieri’s own ethics. While dozens of Boccieri’s Democratic colleagues in the House have already returned Rangel’s donations and called on him to resign, so far Boccieri has refused to do either. “While John Boccieri takes a sledge hammer to our economy and our district suffers through double digit unemployment, he has been lining his own pockets with nearly $100,000 in corrupt cash. In the past 7 days alone, John Boccieri has been tied to four deeply corrupt financial supporters—three of whom are under indictment, yet he continues to ignore calls to return their money and condemn their conduct. At this point the people of the 16^th district realize that John Boccieri won’t ever cut his strings from Nancy Pelosi, but they do expect and deserve him to cut his ties to the criminals that are financing his campaign,” Jim Renacci said today.
August 3, 2010 at 2:26 PM in Press Releases \| Permalink \| Comments (1)