BY PAUL BARTON
Enquirer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Ted Strickland's financial disclosure form is relatively easy to decipher.
He lists just two sources of unearned income with neither of them worth more than $50,000, if that much. He lists no stock transactions, no gifts provided to him and no debts.
Mr. Strickland's form is in stark contrast to several other members of the Cincinnati-area delegation -- especially Sen. Mike DeWine and Reps. Rob Portman and John Boehner -- each of whom on Friday disclosed assets valued at several million dollars.
Glenn report delayed
Sen. John Glenn, D-Ohio, is also known to have many multimillion-dollar investments, but he received an extension from the Senate Ethics Committee and will not be releasing his form until next week.
Family finances for all members of Congress started in 1997 with a salary of $133,600, which this year will increase to $136,673. The financial disclosure forms members have to file annually reveal investment assets and income in broad ranges only.
Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Nashville, Ind., lists his biggest asset holding as $101,000 to $265,000 in Sears stock.
Mr. DeWine's office volunteers information about his tax return as well, showing that in 1997 the Ohio Republican had adjusted gross income of $272,969.
The overwhelming majority of Mr. DeWine's wealth continues to be in two family-related enterprises -- The Ohio Twine Co. and DeWine Enterprises Inc. Both have assets valued between $1 million and $5 million.
Together, they produce dividend income of between $100,000 and $200,000 a year, capital gains income of $65,000 to $150,000 a year and interest income of $5,000 to $10,000 a year.
Mr. Portman, R-Terrace Park, continues to list his biggest asset as a $1.191 million holding in Portman Equipment Co., started by his father. He receives annual dividends between $50,000 and $100,000 but uses those to pay his share of the firm's income taxes. Mr. Portman also has two assets valued at between $250,000 and $500,000. One of them is the Golden Lamb Trust, related to an inn in Lebanon established by his grandfather.
The other is a share of the Peavler Partnership, a family-related real estate venture in Cincinnati and Erlanger, Ky.
Among his dozens of other asset holdings, Mr. Portman lists seven with values of between $50,000 and $100,000.
Mr. Boehner, R-West Chester, lists three holdings related to Nucite Sales Inc. -- the plastics and packaging firm he operated before being elected to Congress -- that together are worth between $1.75 million and $6.5 million.
His stock in Nucite alone produces annual income of between $100,000 and $1 million.
Bunning's autographs
Rep. Jim Bunning, R-Southgate, reacted to his recent introduction into baseball's Hall of Fame by establishing the Jim Bunning Foundation last year, which his office said is designed to channel money he makes off his Hall of Fame status to charitable causes.
The foundation listed total assets of $37,515 at the end of 1997. Mr. Bunning had what was among the most unusual sources of outside earned income of anyone in Congress -- $18,000 from appearing at autograph sessions.
His major asset continued to be an Equitable Life Assurance pension -- stemming from his baseball career -- that is valued at between $500,000 and $1 million.
Chabot diversified
Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati, had holdings last year valued at between $1,000 and $15,000 in 23 investment funds, almost all described as mutual funds.
He also listed stock holdings of $1,000 to $15,000 apiece in firms such as Wendy's, Viacom, Disney, Applebees, Cintas, Coca-Cola, Sara Lee, Interstate Bankers and Pepsico.
The largest investment assets of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., were a Nuveen Flagship Kentucky Municipal Bond Fund and a Merrill Lynch Tax Exempt Fund, both valued at between $100,000 and $250,000. The biggest assets of Sen. Wendell Ford, D-Ky., involve National City Bank of Owensboro, BankOne of Owensboro and Owensboro National Bank. Holdings in each bank are valued at $250,000 to $500,000.
