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61-662: Established as the Columbus Thunderbolts and playing its home games at the Expo Coliseum , the team relocated to Cleveland after 1991 season in the Arena Football League in 1991 . Perhaps the highlight of the team's one year in Columbus was the play of quarterback Major Harris , who rushed for 429 yards during that season, an achievement given the predominance of passing in the play of

122-471: A 21% personal income tax cut over five years, a reduction of the sales tax by 0.5%, elimination of the corporate franchise tax over five years, and the elimination of the personal tangible property tax over four years. The legislation also included nominal tax credit increases, including $ 50 for personal and dependent exemptions, and $ 88 in deductions for deposits made into Ohio Medical Savings Accounts. In 2006, Taft signed Substitute House Bill 49, which provided

183-555: A 25% tax credit for historic rehabilitation projects. In 2001, Taft, along with other state leaders, met in Cleveland to unify in calling on the U.S. Congress to grant a funding request for the NASA Glenn Research Center , which was researching projects that included alternative and more efficient energy, and to designate NASA Glenn for the leadership role in biotechnology research. In 2005, Taft mandated that

244-402: A ban on executive-level government officials from accepting gifts of any amount from lobbyists. At the beginning of his governorship in 1999, Taft had an approval rating of 49 percent. His approval rating had reached 63 percent by November 1999, and 69 percent by November 2001. By May 2002, his approval rating had fallen to 59 percent, but by July it had recovered to 62 percent. Going into

305-565: A commander-in-chief of a National Guard should be. During his term he has stood strong with the National Guard." His wife, Hope, started the "On the Ohio Homefront" initiative, which is an online database of businesses and charities that provide discounts and services catered toward veterans. In 2003, Taft unveiled his "Jobs and Progress Plan", which was a $ 5 billion, 10-year agenda to improve Ohio's highways and roads. Among

366-632: A crime while in office. At his arraignment in Franklin County Municipal Court in Columbus on August 18, Taft pleaded no contest and was fined $ 4,000 plus court costs. Judge Mark Froehlich also ordered Taft to apologize to the people of Ohio as well as state employees. Taft was quoted after sentencing stating "I offer my sincere and heartfelt apology, and I hope the people will understand that these mistakes, though major and important mistakes, were done unintentionally, and I hope and pray they will accept my apology." During

427-477: A grant of 1.2 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity produced by wind energy. Taft called for a pilot program to create jet fuel from coal, moving Ohio's geological information on fossil fuel sources to digital formats, and reaffirming the state's commitment to FutureGen , a clean coal initiative. Between 1998 and 2007, Ohio's green industry sector grew at the fourth highest rate in the country, 7.3%. Taft spent considerable time during his administration promoting

488-602: A great grandson of President William Howard Taft . Taft was born in Boston and raised in Cincinnati . His first public office was representing the 65th district in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981. He then served as commissioner for Hamilton County from 1981 to 1990. Taft ran for lieutenant governor in 1986 but was unsuccessful. After that, he was elected Secretary of State of Ohio in 1990 and

549-451: A regional leader and had spun off four companies, conducted 51 clinical trials, treated over 250 patients with adult stem cells, and treated over 60 patients with other cell therapies. When the Taft administration took over, the state was faced with an education crisis as nearly half of students were failing mandatory tests and were attending failing districts. Taft's "Rebuilding Ohio Schools"

610-592: A statute of limitations. Taft then signed Ohio Senate Bill 80, introduced by Sen. Steve Stivers , into law in January 2005, which placed further caps on lawsuit awards in general. In December 2000, Taft signed House Bill 408, which designated Interstate 76 as the "Military Order of the Purple Heart Memorial Highway". In July 2001, he signed legislation to permit school districts to award high school diplomas to veterans of World War II from

671-628: A trust for his grandchildren. Son Jeff continued as the front office leader of the organization. Kuczek was ultimately convicted on one count of the indictment. The day before he was due to begin serving his sentence in February 1995, he committed suicide in a Salem, Ohio hotel room. Thirteen years after the Thunderbolts played their lone season in Columbus, the city would see the AFL return when

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732-489: Is an American politician and attorney who served as the 67th governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Taft political dynasty and Republican Party , Taft previously served in the Ohio House of Representatives , then as Hamilton County commissioner, and as Ohio Secretary of State under governor George Voinovich . Taft is a son of Senator Robert Taft Jr. , a grandson of Senate majority leader Robert A. Taft , and

793-525: Is on the board of directors for Battelle for Kids , a not-for-profit organization dedicated to moving education forward for students by supporting the educators who work with them every day. Taft is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One . The Taft family has been involved in Republican politics for over a century. Bob Taft's patrilineal great-great-grandfather Alphonso Taft

854-543: Is to help the university launch the Center for Educational Excellence, which encourages students to study science, technology, engineering, and math. "We've got to figure out how to get more students in college, and that's a challenge that I really look forward to." Thomas Lasley II, dean of the School of Education and Allied Professions, stated Taft was the first professional who refused his salary offer for being too high. Lasley

915-518: The 2002 gubernatorial election , Taft had approval ratings in the high 60s. Shortly after beginning his second term in January 2003, his approval rating fell to 40 percent, with disapproval at 48 percent. By May 2003, his disapproval rating grew to 50 percent, a level unseen for an Ohio governor in 20 years. Taft's sudden dip in approval ratings was likely due to Ohio's lagging economy and tax increases. In early 2004, Taft's approval rating showed signs of recovery at 47 percent. In early 2005, when

976-687: The Cleveland Crunch of the National Professional Soccer League . The team qualified for the playoffs in the 1992 season, but was relocated to Columbus after the 1994 campaign. Early in the T-Bolts short existence in Cleveland, John Kuczek was implicated in a federal securities fraud case in Florida. Prior to the team's second season in 1993, Kuczek divested himself of ownership in the club and placed it in

1037-467: The Coingate scandal was revealed, Taft's approval rating slumped to 34 percent, which was at the time the second lowest approval rating found for an Ohio governor. In late 2005, after his conviction for his involvement in the scandal, polls found the governor had an approval rating of just 15 percent—the lowest approval rating ever found for an Ohio governor. Other polls found that Taft's approval rating

1098-669: The Columbus Destroyers relocated from Buffalo and played five seasons (2004–2008) at Nationwide Arena . After a 10-year hiatus, the team was relaunched for the 2019 season . Cleveland was also without an arena football team for 13 years until the Cleveland Gladiators moved from Las Vegas in 2008. The team has been on hiatus since the 2018 season due to the renovation of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse . The following Thunderbolts players were named to All-Arena Teams: Note: Statistics are correct through

1159-616: The Columbus Stars and Columbus Chill ice hockey teams. The Barn was renovated in 2005 to include new scoreboards, the addition of shot clocks above the backboards, a fresh coat of paint, and new rest rooms. On July 28, 2010, the Coliseum was renamed to honor Bob Taft , the 67th Governor of Ohio. This article about a sports venue in Columbus, Ohio is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bob Taft Robert Alphonso Taft III (born January 8, 1942)

1220-508: The Ohio Department of Transportation use 1 million US gallons (3,800 m ) of B20 biodiesel and 30,000 US gallons (110,000 L) of E85 ethanol per year, while selecting flex-fuel vehicles for new purchases. ODOT had been using alternative fuels since 1999, and owned 193 flex-fuel vehicles when this announcement was made. Taft also mandated that ethanol tanks be constructed at all new ODOT facilities. Later in 2005, Taft urged

1281-781: The Ohio General Assembly removing the 'Plain Sight' provision from the state's concealed carry law. The bill would have also kept The Plain Dealer from publishing the names and home addresses of licensees. Nevertheless, this provision passed into law when the General Assembly overrode his veto, the first veto override in Ohio in over 30 years. Taft was criticized during his tenure for permitting state spending and state taxes to rise. Critics also argued that Taft

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1342-577: The "Michael A. Fox Highway" to the "Butler County Veterans Highway", and proclaimed November to be "Hire a Veteran Month" in Ohio. In 2005, Taft signed legislation creating the Military Injury Relief Fund, which allowed taxpayers to donate a portion of their tax refund to help fund grants for injured veterans. He successfully lobbied, along with others, in 2006 to have the Royal Netherlands Air Force join

1403-729: The 2006-2007 school year Ohio produced the most advanced percentage of 8th grade science students in the country. Taft signed legislation creating the Ohio Educational Choice Scholarship Pilot Program, which extended choice to students in failing schools, and the Ohio College Opportunity Grant, which extended grants to 11,000 new students. In January 2003, Taft signed Ohio Senate Bill 281 into law, which limited non-economic damages in medical injury lawsuits. The bill limited non-economic damages to $ 350,000 and imposed

1464-632: The AFL. His record was broken however in 2005 when Michael Bishop ran for 459 yards. The team was sold to John Kuczak and relocated to Cleveland. The Thunderbolts operated in the Cleveland area for three seasons, playing their home games in the suburban Richfield Coliseum , a considerable distance from downtown Cleveland , sharing it with the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association and

1525-632: The Central District Athletic Board opted to move games to Ohio Dominican University. During each fall and winter the Coliseum is also home to Columbus Ice Hockey Club (CIHC) and CCYHA youth hockey. It recently has been acquired by The Chiller and is used as a public rink for games and practices. It was also once home to the Ohio State University men's basketball team, Columbus Horizon CBA basketball team, Columbus Thunderbolts Arena Football League team, and

1586-638: The Great Lakes, which included lobbying the U.S. Congress for funding devoted to restoration projects, and signing pacts that included 8 Great Lakes states and 2 Canadian provinces to preserve the area. These pacts included " The Strategy to Restore and Protect the Great Lakes ", which called for a $ 20 billion investment, cleanup, and renewal of the lakes, " The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement ", which aimed to prevent new damage to

1647-896: The Ohio Air National Guard in training missions in Springfield. Taft signed numerous other pieces of legislation extending benefits to service members, and in 2006 was honored with the National Guard Association of the United States ' Charles Dick Medal of Merit , in which the press release stated "Taft fought to ensure that Ohio's Soldiers, Airmen and their families were cared for in all aspects of their service, and presided over an unprecedented expansion of state benefits for Guardmembers and their families." Ohio's adjuntant general Maj. Gen. Gregory L. Wayt stated about Taft that "he epitomizes what

1708-468: The Taft administration, as of 2009 was considered an enormous success in modernizing Ohio's 21st century economy. The program focuses on issuing funding for research, development, and commercialization projects to the biomedical, alternative energy, and the advanced propulsion industries and institutions, among others. Between 2003 and 2008 it dispersed $ 681 million, resulting in a $ 6.6 billion economic impact return and 41,300 jobs. During Taft's tenure, Ohio

1769-470: The U.S. Congress to extend tax credits to those who install fuel cell electricity stations. As part of the Ohio Third Frontier program, $ 100 million in grants had already been issued for the research of fuel cells. In early 2006, Taft announced his "Energy Action Plan", which included doubling the use of E85 ethanol in state fleets from 30,000 US gallons (110,000 L) to 60,000, increasing

1830-595: The United States who were called into service before obtaining their diploma. In November 2001, with the ensuing War on Terror set to begin, Taft signed Ohio Senate Bill 164, called the Military Pay Bill, into law. The bill protected the benefits of state employees called into full-time active service. In 2003, he signed Ohio Senate Bill 47, introduced by Sen. Steve Stivers , which provided additional time to soldiers on active duty to pay their property taxes, interest free. In 2004, he signed legislation renaming

1891-515: The employment positions truly lost to international trade. Taft presided over the reintroduction of capital punishment in Ohio . During his term, 24 people were put to death by lethal injection , which made Ohio the first outside the South by number of performed executions. Taft, however, granted one commutation . Taft was the subject of a federal lawsuit in 2005, NARAL v. Taft , over his decision to allow "Choose Life" license plates to be sold by

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1952-592: The end of the 1994 Arena Football League season . Taft Coliseum The Taft Coliseum is a 5,003-permanent seat multi-purpose arena located at the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio . It opened in 1918 and is nicknamed "The Barn". The facility hosted the 1929 NCAA Wrestling Championships . The Coliseum has become a legendary and traditional high school basketball venue. It hosted OHSAA central district and regional playoffs in boys' High School basketball until 2013, when

2013-514: The field for Voinovich and in trade, they would clear it for Taft in 1998, but both men denied any deal taking place. Taft won the May 5, 1998 primary to become the Republican nominee. He then defeated Democrat Lee Fisher , the former Ohio Attorney General , in the November 3 general election with 50 percent of the vote. He was sworn in for his first term on January 11, 1999. In January 2002, it

2074-521: The first Ohio governor charged with a crime while in office. He pleaded no contest to the charges and was fined $ 4,000. Despite his fallout from the conviction, Taft continued to serve as governor until his second term expired in January 2007. After leaving office, Taft worked for the University of Dayton , beginning August 15, 2007. Taft was born in 1942 in Boston , to U.S. Senator Robert Taft Jr. and Blanca Duncan Noel. Bob's paternal grandfather

2135-510: The governorship with an approval rating of only 16 percent. After Taft left the governorship, he and his wife made a trip to Tanzania in February 2007 where he had served as a Peace Corps volunteer. Taft said the trip was invigorating and that the buildings where he taught and lived 40 years earlier were still there. Taft joined the University of Dayton in August 2007 as a distinguished research associate for educational excellence. His job

2196-427: The issues in voluntarily triggering an investigation. On August 17, 2005, Taft was charged with four criminal misdemeanors stemming from his failure to disclose golf outings paid for by lobbyists , as well as some undisclosed gifts. The Associated Press reported the total value of at least 52 undisclosed gifts as about US$ 5,800, they included: This was the first time an Ohio governor has ever been charged with

2257-473: The notable projects were the $ 97 million Wilmington Bypass project, the $ 1 billion Cleveland Inner Belt project, and the $ 220 million Veterans' Glass City Skyway in Toledo. In 2003, Taft signed legislation enacting the largest tax increase in state history, a temporary two-year, 1% sales tax which generated $ 2.9 billion in revenue during the national recession. In 2005, Taft signed major tax reform, including

2318-836: The region, and " The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact ". In 2001, Taft agreed to "Annex 2001", an addition to the Great Lakes Charter . In 2008, he joined the Board of Directors of the Alliance for the Great Lakes to help promote effective implementation of the Compact. In May 2005, Taft signed House Bill 29, also known as Amy's Law into law, tightening restrictions on bond for suspects accused of domestic violence. In February 2006 Taft vetoed legislation passed by both houses of

2379-494: The requirement that the Ohio state government invest solely in bonds . Various fund managers and other brokers then scrambled to offer their services. During Taft's Tenure, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) invested hundreds of millions of dollars in high risk or unconventional investment vehicles run by Republican Party supporters who had made large campaign contributions to senior Ohio Republican officials. One

2440-499: The sentencing it was noted that Taft had a 30-year unblemished record as a public official. In addition to the criminal sanctions, Taft was issued a public reprimand by the Ohio Supreme Court on December 27, 2006 for accepting and failing to report gifts and golf outings worth more than $ 6,000. This reprimand was attached to Taft's license to practice law in Ohio. After the fallout from his conviction, Taft called for

2501-543: The state awarded $ 19.4 million for the creation of the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine . Taft personally delivered the award to the institution in Cleveland. The state awarded another $ 8 million in 2006 from their Biomedical Research Research and Commercialization Program, which the Taft administration contributed to creating through the Third Frontier program. By 2009, the center had become recognized as

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2562-645: The state to raise funds for pregnancy crisis centers and adoption centers. They were considered by the American Civil Liberties Union to be " viewpoint discrimination ", thus unconstitutional. The district court dismissed the ACLU's lawsuit, and they later withdrew their appeal from the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals . In 1996, the Republican-controlled Ohio General Assembly passed a law that struck

2623-488: The theft of $ 13 million from the fund, and of keeping a second set of books to cover for it. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) ultimately invested hundreds of millions of dollars in high risk or unconventional investment vehicles run by people closely connected to the Ohio Republican Party who had made large campaign contributions to many senior Republican party officials. Taft's conviction

2684-465: The three worst governors in the country. During 2006, Taft's final year in office, his approval hovered in the low-to-mid 20s. Taft's unpopularity contributed to major Democratic gains in the 2006 election, including the defeat of Republican Ken Blackwell by Democrat Ted Strickland in the race to replace Taft as governor. In polling conducted by Quinnipiac University in December 2006, Taft left

2745-475: The use of biodiesel in state fleets by 100,000 US gallons (380,000 L) annually, while mandating the purchase of flex-fuel only vehicles for the state fleet, and allocating $ 3.6 million from the Energy Loan Fund to make state buildings energy efficient. The plan also called for $ 25 million from the Energy Loan Fund to be set aside over five years for wind turbine producing companies, and to set aside

2806-566: Was Secretary of War , Attorney General , and an Ambassador. His patrilineal great-grandfather William Howard Taft was President and Chief Justice of the United States ; patrilineal great-grandmother Helen Louise "Nellie" Taft was First Lady. Paternal grandfather Robert Alphonso Taft, Sr. and father Robert Alphonso Taft, Jr. were both U.S. Senators . First cousin William Howard Taft IV acted as Secretary of Defense for two months in 1989. Uncle William Howard Taft III

2867-639: Was U.S. Senate Majority Leader Robert Alphonso Taft Sr. ; his patrilineal great-grandfather was U.S. President and Chief Justice of the United States William Howard Taft ; and his patrilineal great-great-grandfather was Attorney General and Secretary of War Alphonso Taft . He was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio , where he attended the Cincinnati Country Day School through the ninth grade and graduated from The Taft School . At Yale University , he

2928-630: Was a member of the Yale Political Union , and graduated with a B.A. in government in 1963. From 1963 to 1965, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer, teaching in Tanzania . He later attended the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University , receiving an M.A. in government in 1967. In 1976, he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law . Taft

2989-420: Was a rare coin investment fund run by Tom Noe which attracted particular scrutiny since two coins worth more than $ 300,000 were reportedly lost. Further investigation into GOP operative Noe revealed that coins backed by state investments worth $ 10–$ 12 million were missing and that only $ 13 million of the original $ 50 million invested could be accounted for. Tom Noe was convicted of running a criminal enterprise,

3050-584: Was an Ambassador. His patrilineal great-granduncle Charles Phelps Taft was a U.S. Representative from Ohio and, for a time, an owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. Patrilineal great-great-great-grandfather Peter Rawson Taft I was a member of the Vermont legislature. Other prominent relatives include Seth Chase Taft , Charles Phelps Taft II , Peter Rawson Taft II, Henry Waters Taft , Walbridge Smith Taft, and Horace Dutton Taft . Kingsley Arter Taft

3111-503: Was an ambitious project that would pour $ 10 billion over 12 years into new school construction. The Taft administration ultimately presided over the largest increase in education funding in state history. According to the U.S. Department of Education , Ohio student scores increased during Taft's tenure, including 4th and 8th grade math scores every period, with Ohio students scoring above the national average every period in every subject. The number of high school graduates increased, and for

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3172-497: Was awarded the Governor's Cup twice, in 2003 and 2006. The award, selected by Site Selection Magazine, is given to the state that attracts the most business developments over $ 1 million, creates over 50 jobs, or constructs over 20,000 new square feet of business area during the course of a year. The honor is deemed as being considered the best state in the country for business development, attraction, and capital investment. In 2003,

3233-406: Was elected as a Republican to the Ohio House of Representatives and served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981, and then was Hamilton County commissioner from 1981 to 1990. He ran for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio on the ticket with Jim Rhodes in 1986, but was unsuccessful. In 1990, he was elected Ohio Secretary of State , defeating incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown . He

3294-566: Was even lower at 6.5 percent, according to Zogby , giving him quite possibly the lowest polled approval rating ever by a United States politician. A SurveyUSA poll that same month gave Taft a rating of 18 percent. In a response, a spokesman for Taft told the Associated Press , "the governor doesn't govern by the polls, he governs by good public policy and making a difference for Ohioans". A late-2005 article in Time named Taft as one of

3355-543: Was grounds under the Ohio Constitution for impeachment and removal from office by the Ohio General Assembly ; however, impeachment proceedings did not occur and Taft remained in office until the end of his second term. In 2001, a ruling by the Ohio Ethics Commission made clear that any free rounds of golf paid for by lobbyists which were valued over $ 75 were to be disclosed. Taft stated he

3416-572: Was not aware of the opinion until 2005 after news reports surfaced about the Coingate scandal . In a 2003 questionnaire for a possible appointment to the Ohio Turnpike Commission , Thomas Noe , at the center of the Coingate investigation, indicated to Taft he was not doing business with the state, although he had been. Taft personally notified the commission of possible disclosure failures, and offered his cooperation in correcting

3477-561: Was quoted "I think the more people have gotten to know him [Taft] the more they realize he is a very ethical individual". In November 2008, he joined the Board of Directors of the Alliance for the Great Lakes to help advance Great Lakes education and policy initiatives, such as the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Water Resources Compact, started during his tenure as Chairman of the Council of Great Lakes Governors . As of 2017 , he

3538-417: Was re-elected in 1994, defeating Democratic candidate Dan Brady . In December 1996, Taft announced he would run for Governor of Ohio , becoming the first candidate to enter the race. He had been preparing for his run since 1995, raising money and securing the endorsement of term-limited incumbent George Voinovich . It was reported that a deal was made in 1990 that the state Republican Party would clear

3599-463: Was reelected in 1994. Taft won the 1998 Ohio gubernatorial election with 50 percent of the vote and became governor in January 1999. In his first term, he had high approval ratings and was easily reelected in 2002 , defeating his opponent by over 600,000 votes. In August 2005, as a result of the Coingate scandal , Taft was indicted with four misdemeanors related to him receiving undisclosed gifts and accepting illegal campaign contributions, making him

3660-443: Was reported that the governor had raised nearly 6 million dollars for his reelection campaign. Taft had high approval ratings going into the election (near 70 percent according to some polls), and experts predicted he would easily win. In the November 5 general election, Taft defeated Democrat Tim Hagan by nearly 20 points, 58%-38%. He was sworn in for his second term on January 13, 2003. The Third Frontier program, started under

3721-510: Was responsible for the lagging Ohio economy during that time period, despite federal trade policies that were out of his control, resulting in the loss of 13,432 employment positions to international trade alone in 2006, and 71,242 employment positions lost overall between 1995 and 2006. Those figures are based on the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program figures, which has stringent standards that do not count all

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