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 Times were changing, and the main enterprise was now outdated and could no longer provide jobs.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.

Miracles happen, even in the world of politics.

The call came on my cell phone early Wednesday morning from the Ohio Democratic Party in Columbus. As I drove back from a Social Security Disability hearing in Cincinnati, I was informed that the man who intended to run on the Democratic ticket for the House Representative seat in the 67th District had decided not to run after all. The spot was now vacant, and the Ohio Dems were desperate for a candidate. The deadline for filing was 4:00 PM the next day, and I was the only prospect on their list.  I told the caller that I would give it serious thought and phone her back with my decision in a few hours.

By then I had entered Warren County, the red zone. The 67th District covers most of Warren County, a beautiful and relatively prosperous region of Ohio with 100% of its elected leaders wearing the Republican brand. When George W. Bush was getting flack over the torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison and the questionable existence of WMD's during his re-election campaign, he visited the county seat of Lebanon and was greeted like a king. Likewise, when McCain chose Palin as his running mate, one of the early stops was Lebanon because it was such a great PR opportunity. Throngs of supporters cheered in the streets surrounding The Golden Lamb, Ohio's oldest inn, and I had a firsthand view of it from the second story window in my law office. The enthusiasm and commotion in the streets below would leave anyone with the impression that Obama was doomed come November.

And that's the way it is in Warren County, Ohio. To the Democrat, it feels like the whole world is Republican and to challenge that label is nothing short of laughable. To run as a Democrat with serious hopes of winning is also laughable. And yet, at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, February 17, I called back the Ohio Dems and said "I'm in." Ironically, it was the recent upset in Massachusetts in which moderate Republican Scott Brown seized Ted Kennedy's former senatorial seat that pushed me over the edge. In that election, Martha Coakley shared the same kind of "resting on your laurels" complacency of most elected Republican officials in Warren County. As a Democrat in blue territory, Coakley obviously thought the Republican Scott Brown didn't stand a chance, and thus she put little effort into her campaign. This gave Brown the underdog advantage. One should never underestimate the opposing party, no matter how improbable the climate for victory.

According to Wikipedia, "A miracle is an unexpected event attributed to divine intervention." A moderate Democrat can win as state representative in Warren County, but only with the assistance of God. And I'm not talking a little comfort along the way; a few prayers heard during the campaign. I'm talking Moses and the burning bush kind of grace. Jesus turning water into wine. This begs the question: why should God grant us a miracle?

The answer is simple: God loves balance. Look at the seasons: hot, cold, dry, wet. The same holds true in the world of politics. One party rule is NEVER a good thing. To have 100% of the elected officials in the 67th District wearing red caps means that a big chunk of people (Democrats being a little over 30%) are not being represented. That said, the logical conclusion remains that there is no way for a candidate to win with a little over 30% of the ticket. That's where the Independents of the 67th District figure into the equation. The good news is that the MAJORITY of voters in the 67th District are neither Democrat or Republican, but call themselves Independents. These people vote for the person in each election, not necessarily along party lines.

And so, through this blog, I want the Independent voters of Warren County to get to know me, and also the Republicans who are open to crossing party lines. And I will get to know all of you. Personally, I have always believed that one must vote for the person, not the political label. I have voted for local Republican officials in previous elections in Warren County because I knew they would make good leaders. We as a nation and as a county need to get beyond partisan lines and hostile gridlock and elect people who can competently serve. Let's talk about real solutions to real problems. Please send me your questions and concerns!