It has been reported that HB6 (Ohio House Bill 6) coal/nuclear bailout supporters have purchased $1 million in advertizing on television and radio. The first anti-petition television ad began airing in late August 2019. The petition would put the issue on the November 2020 ballot in Ohio, to let voters decide yea or nay on bailing out dirty old coal plants in OH (including one in Indiana!), and dangerous old atomic reactors on OH's Lake Erie shore, namely Davis-Besse and Perry.

Remarkably, incredibly, it claims HB6 opponents are pawns of Red China! Quite to the contrary, they include the corporate competitors to nuclear and coal (including renewables and efficiency), as well as AARP, ratepayer advocates, environmentalists, etc. Ironically, HB6 is pure corporate socialism, benefitting FirstEnergy Nuclear, an atom splitter and coal burner. So much for capitalism -- FirstEnergy seems to oppose the concept of competitive capitalism with a level playing field, embracing rather a nuclear and coal version of robber baron, crony, monopolistic capitalism, at the expense of its competitors, as well as the public.

The ad campaign even also goes after anti-HB6 petition gatherers directly. In this sense, the HB6 supporters behind these ads are, yet again, directly attacking Ohio democracy, enshrined in its constitution. The ad could be at least in part responsible for the first documented case of physical violence perpetrated by an anti-petition canvasser, against a pro-petition canvasser. Other pro-petition canvassers have been stalked, intimidated, and harassed, by anti-petition canvassers, as well. The ad calls on the public to phone a 1-800 number to report pro-petition canvassers spotted in their town or neighborhood, so they can go there immediately and block their efforts (anti-petition canvassers are called blockers).

Some Ohio newspaper editorial boards have already lambasted the ad for its preposterousness.

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