On the Issues

Economy

Our state budget reflects our priorities. When we give millions back to millionaires while cutting the funding for children, after-school programs, health services, police & firemen, and a host of other vital local services, that speaks more clearly and loudly about our priorities than any campaign sound bite.

Under Republican leadership for the past decade, Ohio's economy has suffered. More than 200,000 jobs have been lost, mostly in manufacturing, and Ohio ranks 49th in the nation in job creation. Also alarming is the fact that personal wealth for our citizens is $1,500 below the national average.

Ohio must adapt to new economic realities if we want to be a national leader. Our state continues to rely heavily on manufacturing and agriculture, the foundation of Ohio's economy, and we must remain committed to these legacies and to the labor unions and other organizations designed to fight for our citizens.

However, it is important to diversify our economy. And that's why I pushed to develop and expand Ohio's high-tech industry, while advocating for job retraining programs designed to assist citizens switching careers.

---

Education

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled on four occasions that the way our state chooses to fund schools violates the rights of taxpayers, parents and students. Instead of fixing the system, Bob Taft and his friends in the General Assembly have made a conscious effort to ignore the Court's ruling. The schools in our state have fallen behind in educating our children because the Bob Taft and the General Assembly has not fixed the system and taxpayers are being asked to approve more and more property tax issues as a result of this inaction.

Ohio's Constitution clearly states it is the responsibility of the state to provide a "thorough and efficient" system of schools in our state and the answers to the funding woes of our school districts must come from our General Assembly, but our legislators aren't listening. Not only is the General Assembly ignoring the school funding problem, it continues to make it worse by giving increased amounts of money to charter schools. Although test results clearly show the charter school experiment to be a failure, one-party rule continues to promote charter schools as the solution to our school funding problems.

Ohio needs legislators who are dedicated to reforming the unconstitutional system of school funding that Bob Taft and his friends have refused to fix.

---

Healthcare

I believe that health care is a right for all people, not a benefit for some. I think it is immoral for seniors to have to choose between living costs and prescription drugs, and that the low-income families who work hard and play by the rules should not be denied vital healthcare services.

Keeping healthcare costs low is just good economics - small businesses are suffering now trying to provide care to their employees. I believe the state has a responsibility to look after the sick and the elderly, the poor and the disabled, and those who cannot look after themselves.

---

Living Wage

When the Republicans that control the state recently raised Ohio’s minimum wage to match the federal rate of $5.15, there was little cause for rejoicing. The federal minimum wage has not been increased since September 1997. Five fifteen an hour comes out to $10,700 annually, to support oneself or family. There’s a statewide initiative that I support that will raise Ohio’s minimum wage to $6.85 and increase the income of one in seven Ohio workers. An estimated 297,000 workers in Ohio make less than $6.85 an hour, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Another 423,000 people would be affected by a “spillover” effect that would cause their slightly-above minimum wages, but less than living wages, to rise. In all, an estimated 730,000 workers, 58% of them women, would benefit from higher wages if the $6.85 an hour initiative goes through.

To learn more about Ohio's proposed minimum wage increase please visit: www.rasiethewage.org