Issues
Unemployment – Our current situation on high unemployment is devastating to our economy but more importantly to our families. Here in Ohio we are feeling it hard and especially in the 86th district where we are the three highest counties in the state. First let me address this issue by saying it is not the governments position to create jobs. The only jobs that the government will create will cost the tax payers more money out of their pockets. It is the government’s job to create an environment in which small business and corporations want locate their facilities in this state. Ohio is not creating a good environment for these companies to start business or even continue business here. Ohio ranks 47th in the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index. Ohio needs to work on this problem in order to bring employers back to this great state. I know the people of Ohio and they do not want to sit around and depend on the government for handouts, give them jobs and they will work. Ohio government needs to work on getting it tax code in line to bring companies to the hard working people here.
Abortion – The Declaration of the United States says the following;
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Since the time this was written, we have now included women as equal to men. Therefore, men would refer to all citizens of the United States. I look at this and say all people (men, women or child, born or unborn) are entitled to the rights that our Founding Fathers felt appropriate to be included in this powerful document.
Gay Marriage – in 2004 the people of Ohio voted in the following amendment to the Ohio Constitution:
Only a union between one man and one woman
may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state
and its political subdivisions. This state and its political
subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal
status for relationships of unmarried individuals that
intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance
or effect of marriage.
I voted in 2004 in the 86th district, and I stood along with the 71.65% of the voters that supported this amendment. I voted no on this issue because I was not given the opportunity to vote to get the state out of the marriage business in the first place. I do not support the state having any involvement in marriage to any extent. Marriage is a personal issue that should happen between the couple and the marrying official.
Gambling in Ohio – When I look at this issue, I see we already have approved gambling in the form of bingo halls, horse racing and the Ohio lottery. I feel that we should leave this issue up to the individual voters of each county to decide whether they want casinos in their county or not. Governing is done best at the lowest form of government. For example, I don’t see it fair that the people of Wood County could vote to have a casino built in Clinton County. The people of the county know what is best for their county.
Now that issue 3 has passed we have the situation I feared would happen. Issue 3 was a state wide issue that if passed would allow casinos to be built in only four cities of Ohio. The voters of Franklin County voted down the issue, but Ohio as a whole passed the issue. Now that issue 3 passed Franklin county will now be one of the counties that a casino will be built. This is not a representation of government at it lowest level and is not fair to the residents of Franklin County.
Gun Rights – The United States Constitution grants all citizens the right to bear arms. I am a proud gun carrying member of the NRA. If any vote comes up while I am on watch I will fight to make sure all law abiding citizens able to keep their current firearms as well as spend their own money on getting new ones if they so chose. |
