As a class project in my Election Law class, two of my students prepared a brief, nonpartisan "Elizabeth and Clarissa's Handy Dandy Summit County 2008 Election Guide." (I have changed their names to protect their anonymity.) They were dismayed to find how difficult it was to find information about various candidates and issues. They recommend such websites as Project Vote Smart, the League of Women Voters, the Summit County Board of Elections, and the Ohio Secretary of State. Their guide, with sources noted, is after the break.
The following is not a political advertisement, and nobody approved it.
Elizabeth and Clarissa's Handy Dandy Summit County 2008 Election Guide!
(Made in Association with Rock the Vote and Professor Lee's Election Law class)
Disclaimer: There are the issues according to our interpretation. All of our sources are listed. If you would like more information, you can look it up yourself. However, if you feel that we have blatantly misrepresented an issue or candidate . . . whine about it in your blog.
Happy voting!
Representatives
13th District Court Congressional Representatives
David S. Potter
Bio:
- worked for Johnson and Johnson, Proctor and Gamble, and Cardiva Medical.
Issues:
- Supports Energy Independence – reducing our reliance on foreign oil, but using our own resources.
- Promotes exploration of alternative energy sources including nuclear power plants
- Will give tax breaks to companies using better energy sources.
- Increase efficiency of Medicare and Medicaid system, reducing government spending in these areas.
- Supports legislation to reduce illegal immigration and opposes any legislation that will offer more amnesty programs.
- Supports continuing the war on terrorism
- Supports increasing funding to intelligence agencies.
- Wants to widen I-71
- Implement Free Choice Flat Tax, Eliminate Death Tax and Capital Gains Tax
- Set single income tax rate at 17% for everyone. Information gathered at
Source: http://www.potterforcongress.com/issues.html
Betty Sutton
Bio:
- member of the House Rules Committee and the House Judiciary committee
Issues:
- Work toward keeping Oil prices down.
- Three part plan to revitalize the economy
- Support Ethics regulations
- Support Entreperneurial Innovation
- Supports better education oppertunites
- Supports increasing veteran benefits.
- Dedicated to fighting corruption
- Would allow reimportation of drugs from Canada and other countries and supports legislation to set prices on prescription drugs.
- Supports protecting pension and retirement benefits, improving acess to health care and increasing the minimum wage.
- Supports legislation that would encourage small business.
14th District Congressional Representative
Steven C. Latourette
Bio:
- Served Seven Terms in the House of Representatives
- Graduated from the Cleveland Marshall College of Law
Issues:
- Support legislation to prohibit the funding of abortion and would allow abortions if the mother's life is in jeapordy
- Supports decreasing Taxes
- Eliminate Inheritance taxes
- Supports constitutional amendment that would define marriage at between a man and a women
- Supports increasing funding to the war on drugs
- Supports strengthening environmental control standards
- Supports Oil Drilling in Alaska
- Opposes time lines in Iraq
- Supports legislation to provide healthcare to the uninsured
- Help support legislation to fix Ohio roads.
Source: Information found at http://votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=21798
Bill O'Neill
Bio:
- Vietnam veteran
- Appellate judge until he ran for congress
Issues:
- Supports reducing the number of troops in Iraq and Increased veteran benefits
- Supports reducing imports from China until they meet labor and environmental regulations
- Supports expanding healthcare to all Americans and expanding Stem Cell research
- Opposes the No child Left behind act
- Supports increasing Pell Grants and Reducing Interest on Student loans.
- Supports reducing greenhouse gas emissions and clean energy standards.
Source: http://www.oneill08.com/homepage
David Macko
Issues:
- Never vote to institute a draft
- Never vote to increase taxes or regulations
- Promises to always support his constituents unless it violates the above principals
17th District Congressional Representative
Duane v. Grassell
Bio:
- Math teacher
Issues:
- Supports balancing the budget and reducing the nations debt
- Supports imprisoning illegal immigrants living off welfare
- Opposes income tax
- Supports separating Medicare and Social Security from the general treasury, so that it can only pay out what goes into it
- Opposes funding for abortions and stem cell research
- Supports local government over federal government
- Opposes earmark legislation
- Opposes federal regulation of education – Supports State funded education
- Opposes any legislation that spends federal money to fight Global Warming
- Increase funding to the nation's intelligence agencies
- Supports reducing medical malpractice suits to drive down costs of healthcare
Source: http://www.grassellforcongress.info/
Tim Ryan
Bio:
- Stuff
Issues:
- Supports eliminating public funding for abortions
- Supports increasing funding to public health services and universal healthcare
- Opposes the national missile defense program
- Supports campaign finance reform
- Supports measures to increase crime prevention and criminal rehabilitation
- Supports increasing funding to education programs
- Supports strengthening environmental regulations
- Supports improving the area through rivers, museums and amphitheaters
Source: http://votesmart.org/npat.php?can_id=45638
28th District State Senator
James R. Carr
- No Information available
Thomas C. Sawyer
Bio:
- Ohio House of Representatives 1977-1983
- Mayor of Akron 1984-1986
Issues:
- Voted ‘yes' on ‘Gambling Restrictions' Bill in 2007
- Voted ‘no' on ‘Lethal Force Against Intruders' Bill in 2008
- Voted ‘yes' on ‘Short Term Loans' Bill in 2008
Source: http://www.votesmart.org
Attorney General
Richard Corday
Bio:
- State Treasurer since 2006
- Previously worked in Attorney General's office
- University of Chicago Law School
- Clerked for 2 U.S. Supreme Court Justices
Issues:
- Wants to "enforce legal standards at charter schools that receive state funds."
- Advocates for stricter disclosure laws for lending companies when giving loans to students to pay for college.
- Target on prosecuting online predators, scam artists who target the elderly, white collar criminals.
Source: www.cordrayforohio.com
Mike Crites
Bio:
- Former United States Attorney
- Vietnam veteran
- Ohio Northern School of Law
- Experience as a federal, state, and local prosecutor
Issues:
- Streamline procedures for consumer complaints against companies.
- Expanding new criminal justice technologies to help law enforcement.
- Restore credibility to the AG's office.
Source: www.critesforohio.com
Robert M. Owens
Bio:
- County Prosecutor
- Clerked for U.S. District Court Judge
- Capital University Law School
Issues:
- Opposes "overreaching bureaucratic regulation being imposed by government agencies on small businesses and government managed free trade agreements which favor large corporations and special interests over small businesses and consumers."
- Make more AG's office activities available online for the public to review.
- Eliminate the "slush fund" system at the AG's office
- Expand law enforcement training of conceal and carry laws.
- Supports the choice of parents to home-school children.
- Enforce legal restrictions on abortion according to ORC §2919
- Reduce judge activism
Source: www.owens2008.com
Justice for the Ohio Supreme Court
Maureen O'Connor
Bio:
- Magistrate in Summit County 1985-1993
- Summit county Prosecutor 1995-1999
- Lieutenant Governor 1999-2003
- Ohio Supreme Court Justice since 2003
- Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Judicial Philosophy:
- Interpret the law as written, not based on personal beliefs
- Importance of Separation of Powers
Source: www.oconnorforjustice.com
Joseph D. Russo
Bio:
- Cuyahoga County Common Please Court Judge, 2001-present
- Case Western Reserve School of Law
Judicial Philosophy:
- Restore philosophical and political balance to the Supreme Court.
- Reduce the influence of cash contributions to judicial elections.
Source: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080928/NEWS09/809280322/-1/NEWS
Justice for the Ohio Supreme Court
Peter Sikora
Bio:
- Judge for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas
- President of the Ohio Association of Juvenile and Family court Judges
- Graduated from Case Western Reserve University of Law
Judicial philosophy/endorsements:
- Believes in protecting voter confidence by lessening favorable judicial decisions for large campaign contributors
- Supports increasing affordable legal help
- Recommended by the Ohio State Bar association
- Supports Scared Straight program for female offenders
Source: http://www.sikoraforjustice.com/About.html & http://www.lwvohio.org/pdf/LWVOEF%20Fall%202008%20Voter%20Guide.pdf
Evelyn Stratton
Bio:
- born to missionary parents in Bangkok Thailand
- Graduated from The Ohio State University College of Law
Judicial Philosophy/endorsements:
- Voted favorable to large campaign contributors 55%, and against 45%
- Encourages affordable legal help
- Led efforts to streamline appeals in adoption cases
- Helped form the Supreme Court of Ohio Advisory committee on Mental Illness – dedicated to mental health initiatives in the court system
- Won award for her leadership on behalf of abused and neglected children
- Supported by the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio
Source: http://www.strattonforsupremecourt.com/?page=about_justice_stratton & http://www.lwvohio.org/pdf/LWVOEF%20Fall%202008%20Voter%20Guide.pdf
9th District Court of Appeals Judge
Eve Belfance
Bio:
- Member of the Akron Human Society
- Member of the League of Women voters
- Helped develop the Akron Court's DUI Court.
Judicial Goal:
- Interested in ensuring public safety, securing neighborhoods and families, and a fair judicial system.
Source: http://judgebelfance.com/home.aspx
William Wellemeyer
Bio:
- Graduated from the University of Akron School of Law
- Currently the assistant prosecuting attorney for the Summit County Prosecutor
Issues:
- Supports an impartial and restrained judiciary
- Member of the NRA and Sons of the American Legion
- Endorsed my May Taylor, CPA, Ohio Auditor of State
Source: http://wellemeyerforjudge.com/_wsn/page2.html
Summit County Executive
Jim Laria
Bio:
- Clerk of Akron Municipal Court since 1997
- University of Akron graduate
- Bailiff for Judge Spicer 1979-1980
Source: www.electjimlaria.com
Russ Pry
Bio:
- Summit County Executive since 2007
- Kent State graduate
- University of Akron School of Law graduate
Issues:
- Job creation as #1 priority
- Open-door policy of interaction between political groups and public interest groups.
- Stressed importance on regionalism, economic development, tax incentives.
Source: www.russpry.com
State Issues
State Issue #1 : Change deadline for submitting signatures on initiatives from 90 days pre-election to 125 days pre-election.
Pro:
1) "ISSUE 1 PREVENTS WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
In 2007, taxpayers paid more than $300,000 to advertise information about a ballot issue that ultimately did not qualify for the ballot. Additional expenditures were incurred by local boards of elections to verify signatures. Issue 1 helps prevent this wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars from occurring in the future by establishing firm deadlines for the administration of state ballot issues and resolving legal challenges.
2) "ISSUE 1 HELPS MAINTAIN VOTER CONFIDENCE IN ELECTIONS.
Only statewide issues that qualify for voter consideration should be printed on the
ballot. During the last two general elections, however, litigation had not concluded at
the time ballots had to be printed so voters considered issues that were ultimately not
counted. Issue 1's new deadlines helps maintain voter confidence in elections by
preventing this waste from occurring.
3) "ISSUE 1 PROMOTES EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE ELECTIONS.
Issue 1 establishes clear timelines for filing and reviewing statewide issues petitions, and for filing legal challenges to those petitions. This helps ensure smoother and more
efficient elections."
Source: Ohio State Representatives Jon Peterson and Dan Stewart, the group appointed by the Ohio General Assembly to prepare the argument for Issue 1
(http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/ballotboard/2008/1ArgFor.pdf).
Con:
1) "Issue #1 creates delays in new laws taking effect.
The Constitution reserves to the People the power to propose laws, amendments to the
constitution, and to approve or reject laws passed by the legislature. Issue #1 creates earlier filing deadlines which can cause a referendum petition to effectively delay for months the effective date of a law passed by the legislature. This is because the deadline for filing a referendum petition depends on when the law being referred to the voters was passed by the legislature. If the deadline to file the petition is after the new proposed deadline in the Constitution, the law referred by the petition won't be able to be on the ballot until the next election, which could be over a year away.
2) "The immediate effect of the filing of a referendum petition is to stop the law from going into effect until voters decide the issue at the ballot. State Issue #1 gives people with the money to circulate petitions for hundreds of thousands of signatures increased power over the state legislature to delay laws passed from going into effect for months or even more than a year.
3) "Issue #1 means More Expensive State Issue Campaigns.
The delays caused by Issue #1 can be expensive. Putting the issues off so long may mean that large amounts of money will have to be spent to get the attention of voters. Millions of dollars are already being spent for issues that are fresh in the voters' minds. More money is likely to be spent to inform voters when the issue is stale. With these powers reserved to the People, this proposed amendment makes it even more expensive and difficult for ordinary citizens to undertake the efforts to speak through the state initiative and referendum process."
Source: Prepared by the Ohio Ballot Board in the absence of any submission in opposition, as required by Ohio Revised Code Section 3505.063(B)
(http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/ballotboard/2008/1ArgAgainst.pdf).
State Issue #2: Borrow $400 million for environmental conservation, preservation, and revitalization purposes.
Pro:
1) Voting YES for Issue #2 l "protects clean water, creates jobs, conserves natural habitat, preserves family farms and does not raise taxes.
Source: Ohio State Representative Barbara Sears, Ohio State Senators Mark Wagoner and Sue Morano, the group appointed by the Ohio General Assembly to prepare the argument for Issue 2 (http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/ballotboard/2008/2ArgFor.pdf).
Con:
1) "Issue #2 Would Authorize the Government to Spend More in Bond Money.
The economy is in bad condition. When times are hard, this is when we must tighten our belts and spend only what is necessary and only what we can cover with incoming revenues. Issue #2 authorizes the government to take out more debts to pay for environmental revitalization and conservation. While this may be worthwhile, the State of Ohio should not be going into further debt.
2) "Passing Issue #2 Means Taxpayers Will Have to Pay Back These Bonds.
Issue #2 authorizes $400 Million Dollars in debt to be used for conservation purposes. You and your children will have to pay this money back. This money could be retained by taxpayers for their own purposes or used for other plans and directly helping people in need."
Source: Prepared by the Ohio Ballot Board in the absence of any submission in opposition, as required by Ohio Revised Code Section 3505.063(B)
(http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/ballotboard/2008/2ArgAgainst.pdf).
State Issue #3: Creates constitutional amendment protecting property rights along with the passage of the Great Lakes Water Compact.
Pro:
1) Voting ‘yes' on Issue #3 "protects the private property rights of Ohioans, safeguards
Ohio's natural resources, and maintains the stability of Ohio's jobs and economy by
recognizing and protecting property interests in ground water, lakes and watercourses."
Source: Ohio State Senators Timothy J. Grendell and Capri Cafaro, the group appointed
by the Ohio General Assembly to prepare the argument for Issue 3
(http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/ballotboard/2008/3ArgFor.pdf).
Con:
1) "Issue #3 is an unnecessary addition to the Ohio Constitution.
The Supreme Court of Ohio already determined that private property owners have rights to the ground water underlying their land and to the watercourse flowing on and through their land.
2) "Issue # 3 makes changes to the Constitution so specific that they mention legal doctrines that are not contained in the Constitution.
What if those legal doctrines change by court rulings? Parts of our Constitution would no longer be relevant. That is not appropriate for our Constitution, which is supposed to be the voice of the People.
3) "Issue #3 does not give an accurate picture of a private property owner's rights.
Property owners do not actually own the water beneath their land. They have a right to a reasonable use of that water, but the state always has the power to regulate how it is used and take it for just compensation. Issue #3 gives private property owners the false sense of security that their land cannot be taken away at a later date.
4) "We do not know what the future will hold.
We should not limit ourselves by passing this amendment.
Source: Prepared by the Ohio Ballot Board in the absence of any submission in opposition, as required by Ohio Revised Code Section 3505.063(B)
(http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/ballotboard/2008/3ArgAgainst.pdf).
Issue 5: Referendum on legislation making changes to check cashing lending.
- Caps Interest rate payday lenders may charge at 28%.
- Limit borrowable amount to 25% of their monthly income, not to exceed $500.
- Limits barrowers to four loans per year.
- Minimum of 30 day period for barrower to pay back loan.
A YES vote will cap the annual interest for payday lenders only at 28%.
A NO vote will not put the issue into effect
Pros:
1) Lenders may currently charge up to 391% interest.
2) It breaks the "cycle of debt" many customers are trapped in.
3) Helps insure that customers only barrow what they can pay back.
Cons:
1) Payday lenders say they will be forced out of business by this law
2) Will take away access to emergency assistance loans that are cheaper (if repaid on time) then overdraft fees
3) Limits barrower options. Each barrower has the right to choose the terms of their loans and what they do with their money.
Issue 6: Constitutional amendment to allow for a casino near Wilmington in southwest Ohio.
- Authorizes a privately owned casino in Clinton county that will be taxed 30% of its Gross Casino receipts.
- The tax allocation would be used to:
- Fund a gaming regulatory committee
- Up to 1% would be used to support programs for gambling addicts
- 10% of the tax would go to Clinton County. The remaining proceeds would be distributed to the remaining counties.
- Casino operator must make an initial investment of 600 Million dollars in a casino resort, including hotel and other amenities.
- Licensing fee caped at $15 million, which will be credited against the tax on the gross receipts.
- The state may not limit the amount of wages or hours of operation of the casino.
- If another casino enters Ohio, this Casino will pay the same tax rate as that casino.
A YES vote allows the Casino Amendment
A NO vote does not allow it.
Pros:
1) Keep competitive with the other 38 states that have casinos, instead of losing money to other states.
2) All counties in Ohio could receive some tax revenue from the casino.
3) Casino will create jobs and stimulate the economy with hotels, restaurant and other business.
Cons:
1) Will increase the number of Gambling addicts in Ohio and the allocated money for treatment of such problems may not be sufficient.
2) If an Indian Casino that is tax exempt enters Ohio, the casino may not pay at all.
3) Amendment reads more like a business contract with one Casino. It is not appropriate for a constitutional amendment.
Source: http://www.lwvohio.org/pdf/LWVOEF%20Fall%202008%20Voter%20Guide.pdf
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thanks for posting this, Professor Lee. Clarissa and Elizabeth did a great job…and I love that they did NOT identify the candidates by their political parties.