BY MICHAEL HAWTHORNE
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
COLUMBUS -- It has been more than 30 years since Ray Cadwallader served in the Ohio General Assembly, but the experience may come in handy during his new job as a government watchdog.
Mr. Cadwallader, a lifelong resident of the Cincinnati area, recently moved to Columbus to become state executive director of Common Cause, a group that pushes reforms such as curbing the influence of money in political campaigns.
In a recent interview, Mr. Cadwallader described himself as an outsider and skeptic even during his tenure as a Republican member of the Ohio House from Terrace Park from 1964 to 1968.
"A few politicians I've met up with lately are wary of me because I've been there and done that as a former legislator," he said. "But I don't have any problems with people as long as they're honest."
His arrival fills a void left when Janet Lewis, the group's former executive director, left in 1996. She was instrumental in the passage of legislation that placed limits on campaign contributions and required candidates to list the employers of large contributors.
Mr. Cadwallader said the group's efforts will be needed more than ever as voter-approved term limits start taking effect. The lack of legislators familiar with the often arcane process of making laws will give unelected lobbyists more power, he said.
One of the proposals Common Cause supports in Ohio is a measure by Rep. Jeff Jacobson, R-Brookville, that would expand disclosure requirements for lobbyists and consultants, a major source of campaign contributions and input on important policy decisions.
The emerging influence of consultants came to light recently when The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Ohio Edison, an Akron-based electric company, paid its consultants $9.3 million last year. Among those hired was Sen. Roy Ray, an Akron Republican who received $124,000 from Ohio Edison, then sponsored deregulation legislation favorable to the company and other utilities that want to recover billions of dollars in investments in nuclear power plants.
Moreover, a consulting firm headed by Paul Mifsud, Gov. George Voinovich's former chief of staff, received at least $453,700 from Ohio Edison during the past two years.
Since the two men aren't considered "lobbyists" under state law, the consulting payments weren't listed on disclosure forms filed with the state. And yet, Mr. Cadwallader and other critics say, consultants play an important role in drafting laws.
After public disclosure of the consulting fees, which are listed in federal energy department records, Mr. Ray announced he would not vote on any electric deregulation bills pending in the General Assembly. He also disclosed a 1995 opinion from the Joint legislative Ethics Committee that said a consulting contract between a legislator and utility company was proper, within certain guidelines.
Critics say the payments showcase the power of political connections in the state capital, the weakness in Ohio's ethics laws and the high stakes involved as Ohio lawmakers wrestle with the complex issue of deregulating electric companies.
"We need to get a handle on this before there are some serious problems," Mr. Cadwallader said.
During the years following his time in the House, Mr. Cadwallader stayed involved in civic issues, leading a campaign to extend I-74 to the east coast and the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a group that helps build low-income housing.
Ms. Lewis, his predecessor at Common Cause, cautioned that the job of government watchdog is "taxing" but greatly needed.
"If he can use his legislative experience to understand how the system works and help change it for the better," she said, "It will benefit all of us."
