Don’t confuse Issue 1 with ‘Proenergy’ scam
For over a century, Ohio’s state and local governments have provided citizens with the power of the initiative.
Since 1912, Ohioans have been empowered to initiate laws and state constitutional amendments by gathering signatures on petitions to place issues on the statewide ballot.
Since 1914, the Columbus City Charter has granted similar powers. By petition, Columbus voters can place issues on the city ballot to initiate charter amendments or city ordinances.
For the most part, the power of the initiative has served Ohio and its cities well. Its mere presence in the Ohio Constitution and in hundreds of city charters reminds lawmakers of where ultimate authority resides.
However, in recent years Ohio has witnessed the emergence of some self-dealing opportunists, intent on using the initiative not in the public interest, but to enrich themselves.
In Columbus, this new breed of scammer is best represented by John Clarke, prime mover behind an opaque entity calling itself Proenergy LLC.
Proenergy has submitted petitions with the Columbus city clerk, the first step in an attempt to qualify for the 2021 city ballot a proposal that would, if approved by city voters, divert $87 million in taxpayer funds to accounts controlled by Clarke and any coconspirators he may have.
The petitions now being circulated by Proenergy agents purport to create programs to reduce electricity costs for Columbus residents by providing subsidies in support of renewable energy sources.
The reality is that, if this proposal qualifies for the ballot and were to be approved by Columbus voters, there is no guarantee it would result in a single penny of savings for consumers.
The only guarantee is that the Columbus city auditor would be mandated to transfer $87 million in taxpayer funds to accounts “designated by the official representative of the majority of the committee of petitioners filing this petition.” Any guess on who that “official representative” might be? Yes, indeed: John Clarke.
The city’s elected officials, each of whom must answer to voters every four years, would have absolutely no say in where the money would go or how it would be spent.
“I don’t know who these folks are,” said Councilman Rob Dorans, chair of the council’s public utilities committee.
In the 106-year history of the Columbus City Charter, our city has not witnessed as brazen an attempt to prostitute the purpose of the initiative power for an individual’s self-enrichment.
To qualify for the ballot, Clarke and any collaborators must gather at least 5,121 signatures of registered Columbus voters – a number equal to 5% of the number who voted in the 2019 municipal election.
Clarke’s agents have been seeking signatures at the Early Vote Center at the Franklin County Board of Elections, 1700 Morse Road.
The Dispatch strongly encourages voters to refuse to sign the petition. It’s a forgery. Its promise of a green-energy renaissance is a ruse.
The only legitimate green-energy ballot initiative in Columbus is Issue 1, a City Hall-backed proposal to authorize an electricity aggregation plan whose goal is to supply all of the city’s power needs with renewable energy by 2023. The Dispatch supports Issue 1.
In the near future, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and city council should consider proposing a charter amendment to establish a barrier against misuse of the initiative for self-enrichment schemes.