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Hidden Charges: What’s on Your Electric Bill?
By Kathiann M. Kowalski Ohioans’ electric bills charge for more than the cost of making and delivering the electricity. With different utilities serving specific parts of the state, Ohioans’ electric bills and the tariffs that govern them vary. But they all have one thing in common: They’re hard for many people to understand. And the…
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Why Did Utility Bills Go Up As Electricity Prices Went Down?
A look at how affiliate arrangements, subsidies and riders led to higher electric bills in Ohio — even as power prices declined By Kathiann M. Kowalski In a residential neighborhood south of downtown Cleveland, a decorative lamppost provides a stark illustration of what critics say is an abusive system of surcharges that have created billions…
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Q&A: Experts Discuss How to Find Undisclosed Campaign Donors
On Tuesday, a panel of top researchers, policy experts, and legal minds discussed lessons learned from the 2018 election and how groups- both liberal and conservative- have gotten better at hiding the source of campaign messages. (See video below.) PANEL 1: Following dark money trail through 2020 Michael Beckel, Issue One, Manager of Research, Investigations…
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How do the issues affect Ohio voter choices?
Ahead of the election this week, Eye on Ohio took a quick look at how major issues could sway voters still on the fence. “Even though the election is Tuesday, there are still a lot of undecided voters. We are fairly certain that Democrat Sherrod Brown will win the U.S. Senate race in Ohio, but…
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The ~$4,500 student fee flying under the radar this election
The largest and growing college fee remains an issue for students, but not on the campaign trail. By Karl Idsvoog
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Q & A: Why is Lake Erie’s algae bloom growing again?
GIBRALTAR ISLAND, Ohio — Four years ago, Lake Erie algae wreaked havoc on the Toledo water system, affecting 400,000 residents in Ohio and Southeast Michigan. Known as harmful algal blooms, the deep green ooze grows by the mile each year, fed by phosphorus-rich runoff from farm fields. Though not always toxic, the eyesores gunk up…
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Ohio Attorney General faces legal action after Eye on Ohio story
Columbus— A new complaint before the Ohio Elections Commission alleges that the Ohio Attorney General’s practice of hiring debt subcontractors violates state law. J. Whitfield Larrabee, a left-leaning activist, filed the complaint Thursday, citing a recent article by the Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism as exhibit A. The article noted that under current Republican Attorney…
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Sidebar: The Lobbyist Impact
The Ohio Attorney General’s office disputes the notion that campaign contributions influence how it awards debt collection work. But another factor – hiring a lobbyist – has had a big impact.