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 Times were changing, and the main enterprise was now outdated and could no longer provide jobs.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