Campaign Kickoff Event in Lebanon: Bring Friends!

Paid for by Friends of Anne K Howard, 12 E Warren St Lebanon OH 45036, Chris Howard Treasurer

Independent Voters Rock!

Last night I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of Independent voters in my district. These individuals had a very refreshing approach to politics. They did not adhere to any "party line" just for the sake of sticking with the label. Rather, they thought for themselves and were not afraid to go against the mainstream on issues. They also had a healthy skepticism of the media, and the barrage of emotional messages that come at them 24/7 from various news channels.

What impressed me so much about this group was its desire to vote for the leader, not the label. The individuals had a history of voting for both Republican and Democrat candidates in their respective pasts. They did not get caught up with labels, but took the time to get to know the local leader and what he or she stood for. One woman said that in the last election, she had an Obama sign in her yard right next to a (Republican) Mike Turner sign. She felt that Mike Turner had done a lot for her district and was the best choice at that time. She frankly did not care what her neighbors thought. Now that's the American spirit!



The issues facing our country and our state are often extremely complex. To remain Independent shows a thinking and questioning mind; a person who understands that many issues are not black and white, and cannot be neatly framed in a 30-second sound bite. That person also understands that no one party has all the answers. Moreover, neither party is "the enemy." Both parties are designed to keep our system in balance, and each party has beliefs and ideas that are worthy of respectful consideration.

Just over 20% of Warren County voters call themselves Democrats. Just over 30% call themselves Republicans. About 45% of Warren County voters call themselves Independents. I believe that the Independents will vote me into office in November. I have absolute faith in their ability to see that I am a competent woman who will listen to the people she represents and support legislation that will  bring prosperity and balance to the 67th District. If you know an Independent voter in Warren County, please give them my information. No doubt about it, Independent voters ROCK!

Q and A

Question: Can a Democrat EVER win an election in Warren County?

Answer: With your support, I will be elected on November 2, 2010 for State Representative of the 67th District.

Here’s why I stand a chance:

As a responsible moderate business person in Lebanon, I have a passion for bringing significant job growth to Warren County. This is the ONLY way to increase the tax base. 

The new jobs that must come to District 67 should be in lucrative areas like IT, healthcare, and renewable energy. I hear what the voters are saying: NO new taxes or tax increases! Our home values have plummeted and many of us have experienced job loss, or reduction in income since the recession began. 

Question: Can a Democrat lead District 67 as a fiscal conservative?

Answer: This one will.

House Democrats in the Ohio General Assembly have reduced spending by $4.3 billion over the past three years. A $296 million shortfall is expected in Ohio's mid-year, 2010 budget. This means that deeper budget cuts must occur. Big government does NOT mean better government.  

Question: Does this mean you want to cut out vital services?

Answer: Absolutely not.

By cutting back on government waste and aggressively offering tax incentives for IT and energy-related businesses in the 67th District, we can protect vital services such as desperately needed road repairs, help for the elderly and disabled, and education. A community is only as strong as its middle class and its local industry. More jobs, better jobs = a stronger tax base to fund essential services.  

I cannot win this election without YOUR support. Please contribute as generously as you can to my campaign. To contribute, write check to "Friends of Anne K Howard" and mail to 12 East Warren St., Lebanon, Ohio 45036. Also, I would love to see you at my Campaign Kick-Off Event at Gourmet on Broadway, Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 7PM. 

Save the Middle Class!

Yesterday the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous 7-0 vote to put Libertarian candidate, Robert Waters, back on the ballot. (Waters had made an error in completing his filing petitions, which the Ohio Supreme Court determined was not fraudulent or misleading in nature). The race for State Representative of the 67th District is now three-way.

I am personally very pleased that the public will get a real choice in the voting booth this year. For too long in Warren County, the only choice was the one ruling party. Many times, I would vote for a Republican candidate simply because there were no other options. In November 2010, the choices are much clearer: myself, a responsible moderate business person who has a real concern for the health of our communities and our people; a truly conservative working person with a libertarian approach who had to fight just to get on the ballot; or one more of the string of the same tired politicians who have kept our county and state under their rigid control for years. 

I have been connecting with many voters in recent weeks- through the Internet, and at local functions. The political climate is exciting and volatile, to say the least.  Many feel that the very survival of the middle class is at stake in November. Like most Americans, the residents of Warren County are under tremendous stress. They are working harder for less and giving up comforts like eating out and cable TV. Those with jobs feel lucky just to have work. Those without jobs are growing anxious and depressed by the day- wondering when the local job market will improve.

   

In this climate, people cannot even contemplate tax increases. Their home values have plummeted (if they have not foreclosed), and the days of using credit cards to "supplement" one's income, paying for unexpected car repairs, medical treatment, or vacations, are over. The people that I am meeting with in Warren County are going back to the basics. They are doing without, and trying to rebuild their net worth by saving more and spending less.

This frugal approach must be practiced in our state's government, as well. As much as Republicans like to talk about fiscal responsibility, the reality is that Democrats are better at handling money. Our governor, Ted  Strickland, inherited an astronomical deficit from the overspending of the Taft administration. Governor Strickland and the Democrats in the Ohio General Assembly have done an admirable job in the last two years at chipping off two billion dollars of that deficit.

Historically, Republican presidents have built the deficits during their administrations much higher than Democrats with exorbitant military spending and no plans to pay for such grandiose endeavors. Need I even mention the wasteful spending of Bush's War in Iraq, which led to a monstrous deficit inherited by the current administration? Many complain that the Health Reform bill that recently passed will drive up our deficit. In fact, stats from other countries show that health reform actually drives down health care costs and premiums. The Congressional Budget Office projects that the bill will cost $940 billion over the first 10 years and reduce the deficit by $130 billion during that period. Between 2020 to 2029 it will reduce the deficit by $1.2 trillion.

On the local level, many Republican leaders in Warren County felt the Federal Stimulus was a mistake. But look at the facts: this nation and its states were on the verge of a Great Depression and that Stimulus prevented further disaster. Those same Warren County Republican leaders went on to accept stimulus funds for the county and use the money to improve roads, courts, and offer jobs to local citizens. So much for holding on to principle! When push came to shove, they realized that they needed that money to assist the middle class of Warren County.

There is still so much work to do to ensure the financial well-being of our communities, and I believe that I am the best person for that job. A $296 million shortfall is expected in Ohio's mid-year, 2010 budget. This means that deeper budget cuts must occur. It also means that our legislature must work overtime at bringing new and better jobs to Ohio to build the tax base. A grown adult should not be standing in line at a Kings Island Job Fair looking for a minimum wage job to feed his or her family. The jobs that must come to Warren County should be in lucrative areas like IT, healthcare, and renewable energy- REAL jobs that provide for entire families. 

Many Independents in our district have told me that they will vote for me because they wish to vote for the person, not the party. In these stressful times, competent and fiscally responsible leadership is imperative. I will bring that leadership to the district, and focus all of my efforts on saving our middle class.    

More film production = More JOBS for Warren County

Sometimes government gets it right. Last July, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation that offered almost $7 million in motion picture tax credits to encourage companies to make movies in Ohio. As a result, four movies are currently being filmed in the Buckeye State, and are expected to employ nearly 3,000 Ohioans as part of the production crews and extras. Even better, the films will bring about $25 million in economic activity to Ohio with production crews utilizing restaurants, hotels, and other businesses.

As your elected State Representative, I would aim to put Warren County on the map for film production. Lebanon is a prime site for movies requiring a certain historic ambiance. Hollywood realized this in 1977 when it utilized the lofty brick structure of Berry Middle School for the sitcom, Harper Valley PTA. In 1994, historic downtown Lebanon and its quaint Ice Cream Parlor came to life on the big screen in Milk Money, starring Ed Harris and Melanie Griffith.

We have so many more sites to offer film crews wanting unique, "all American" settings for their stories. Think about the authentic Civil War mansions along Cincinnati Avenue, the harness racing track on Broadway, and Fort Ancient's 18,000 feet of earthen walls built 2,000 years ago by Ohio's Hopewell Indians, to name just a few. A city like Franklin would be a perfect site for an independent film wishing to depict a familiar blue collar world. And let's not forget the residuals of increased tourism that film production would bring to our district. People from out of state will plan their summer vacations around visiting the Glendower Museum and exploring its Greek Revival architecture, or eating at Ohio's oldest inn, The Golden Lamb, as (hypothetically) portrayed in a hit HBO mini-series the year before.

A common complaint of the unemployed is the anonymity of the job seeking process. An individual gets on the Internet, sends out hundreds if not thousands of resumes to faceless employers, and never hears anything in response. The reality is that networking for jobs is usually a face-to-face endeavor. People need to get out into their communities and connect. Local film productions would enable the unemployed of Warren County to do just that. If you read in The Western Star that a film is soon to be shot at Kings Island, hurry down to Great Wolf Lodge as the hotel will need extra staff for the summer. Granted, most film jobs are temp jobs, but these can lead to permanent jobs, and there is also something to be said for simply having ANY job that pays the bills right now.

As your State Representative, I would push for MORE tax credits for Ohio film production.

It's all about prosperity and vision

The year was 1987 and I was in Nova Scotia, Canada, meeting my future husband's family and friends for the first time. Their economy was in crisis due to the gradual collapse of the fishing industry. It was comparable to the  loss of Ohio's manufacturing rust belt in the last twenty years. Times were changing, and the main enterprise was now outdated and could no longer provide jobs.

I was startled by the attitude of many locals. They were mad at the government.  They wanted more subsidies to assist the fishermen who were out of work, and had been for years. They also wanted more money for the industry itself. In short, they wanted to cling to the old way of doing things, putting the expense on the back of an over-sized, deficit-ridden government, rather than changing and finding new, forward-looking industries to support the economy.

In a private moment of frustration, I said to my husband, "It's like everyone around here views the government as a wealthy corporation, and not an entity created by taxpayer money. The government is not some rich grandfather in the sky!"

That's when I realized that my father's thinking had rubbed off on me more than I previously thought. He was a self-made dentist; a Reagan conservative with a military background; the sole provider in a Catholic family of seven where hand-me-downs and left-overs were a way of life. "Got a cold? Get off your lazy arse and get to school." There was no tolerance for whiners in my family, or attitudes of entitlement.

I am a fiscally conservative Democrat. My main complaint about the liberal end of my party is its unrealistic sense of entitlement. Often, liberal Democrats want more and more funding for social programs without being honest about rising deficits on both state and national levels. When they don't get that money, they whine and complain. "Why is the government so heartless and stingy?" (That said, it's not as if the Bush and Taft administrations represented responsible spending, either!)

The reality is that social programs should only be funded by money that actually exists. That's why we need to focus on bringing new businesses to Warren County through small business incentives, and urge green innovation such as windmills, solar power, and the development of cutting edge IT and financial services. In so doing, we will not have to raise taxes. Rather, our growing prosperity will be able to fund vital programs for the disabled, the elderly, public transportation and education, and local food cupboards.

I cannot talk about funding social programs in the 67th district without addressing a dangerous and, I feel, unChristian attitude that has been at work in this county for a long time. Sadly, our local  Republican leaders frequently voice sentiments to the effect that individuals relying on social programs are all lazy, or weak. Granted, there will always be fraud in the system that must be weeded out. There are lazy and entitled "takers" out there, no doubt about it. We need to put an end to that. But to label all social programs and the people that use them in a derogatory manner is hateful and ignorant.

Our social programs and their workers provide an enormous service to our communities in the 67th district. They deserve our respect and support. Thousands of elderly, disabled, and unemployed residents benefit from the work of our local MRDD, Health and Human Services, and the Warren County Mental Health Center, to name just a few. And let's not forget our police force, public school teachers, libraries, courts, roads and infrastructure. We must honor these public services and their servants by continuing to build a prosperous district that can adequately fund such vital programs.

In sum, it's all about money, and money cannot be spent until it is first earned.   As a House Representative, I will listen to and lead the voices of this county in the same way that I run my law practice. I personally know that these are not easy times for small business owners and their employees in Ohio. Our top priority must be MAKING money, and A LOT of it, and designing an annual budget based on what money is actually in the pot. Governor Ted Strickland  and our Democratic House have practiced this principle by successfully trimming the prior Republican Adminstration's deficit by billions in the last two years, and bringing innovative energy to Ohio.

I am happy to say that my husband recently returned from a trip to Nova Scotia, Canada with good news. The economy is doing quite well. It took twenty years, but the government got over the fishing crisis by strategically targeting companies in defense, aerospace, financial services, advanced manufacturing, and energy. There is a vibrancy on the streets, and much needed social programs are adequately funded.

I will say it a lot throughout my campaign. It is not about being Republican or Democrat. It's about being smart. Please share with me your ideas on how to make Warren County a prosperous and compassionate place to live.

Let's Quit the Partisan Fighting and Solve the Problems!

In my early days of practicing law, I represented divorce clients. There were always the parties that resembled Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner’s characters in The War of the Roses. Nothing was good enough. Each party always wanted more than what they could realistically expect. Even after the judge issued orders from the bench and the divorce decreed was filed, these people were still fighting and blaming their problems on everyone but themselves.

It seems to me that the state of our government resembles an antagonistic divorce right now. Neither of the parties are listening to each other, let alone respecting one another. There are a lot of hateful words to go around, and no one is in problem solving mode. The voters resemble the children in cantankerous divorce battles. We’re sitting on the sidelines saying, “Hey, stop your selfish fighting and think about our needs! We’re hurting, here.” The middle class is getting squeezed by the day; health care premiums are rising (for those lucky enough to have health care); job loss continues with salaries stagnating; and retirement savings are a luxury for most Americans. The Democrats say it’s all the fault of the Republicans and the overspending and easy-money of the Bush administration. Republicans say that the time for blaming the Bush Administration is long over. They are sick of the rising deficits and feel threatened by the prospect of larger government which will inevitably lead to higher taxes.

If we don’t get our act together, this angry environment will get angrier and the public will suffer the most. My favorite Bible verse comes from Isaiah, 1.18: “Come let us reason, says the Lord.” This verse has guided me throughout my life, and inspired me to become an attorney. Only through reason and focusing on the facts can problems truly be solved. Earlier this week, an example of that reason prevailed in the Senate, and it gave the people hope. The Jobs Bill, which involves tax credits for small business and highway construction, passed on the Senate floor in a vote of 62-30. A handful of Republicans (including newly elected moderate Republican Scott Brown) voted with the Democrats because they wanted jobs for the people in their districts. We need more of this bipartisan effort on state and national levels.

Sadly, most politicians are focused only on winning their next election from the day they take office. Gridlock results because they do not want to take a stand on any issue that will end up coming back to bite them in their future campaigns. The American people are fed up with this mindset. More voters are leaving party labels and becoming Independents due to their cynicism about the two-party system.

I am running on the Democratic ticket for the 67th District House Representative seat. I hear what the people of Warren County want: no more taxes (they are strapped enough); no big government (we can’t afford the one we have); strong public education and affordable healthcare (the bill that ultimately passes may not please everyone, but we need to make some kind of improvement).

I realize that there are only elected Republicans in Warren County, and I will be perceived in this race as the underdog (The last Democrat who ran for this seat gained 38% of the vote, and I have the audacity to expect victory! )I also realize that at this junction, party label is not what it’s all about. It’s about getting beyond the name calling and serving the common good.