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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Fisher nabs another endorsement
U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-Bridgeport, Wednesday, Aug. 12 announced that he, too, is backing Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate.
He joins the likes of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan in making the announcement.
“Lee Fisher has been there for the people in my district during these tough economic times, no matter how small the project,” Wilson said in a release sent by the Fisher campaign. “Lee has led economic development efforts throughout Appalachia, and I know he will wake up every day as our next Senator focused on creating jobs for Ohioans and working to rebuild our economy.”
Wilson’s district includes all or part of Scioto, Gallia, Meigs, Athens, Washington, Monroe, Noble, Belmont, Harrison, Jefferson, Columbiana and Mahoning Counties. Fisher faces Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in the Democratic primary to replace Sen. George Voinovich, who will retire at the end of 2010. Republicans Rob Portman, a former U.S. congressman from the Cincinnati region and northeast Ohio businessman Tom Ganley are also running.
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TweetDetails for state issues on veterans, livestock approved for Nov. ballot
The Ohio Ballot Board did the easy stuff on Wednesday, Aug. 12, approving the language for state Issues 1 and 2 on the Nov. 3 ballot. Action on language for the four-casino proposal, Issue 3, will have to wait until at least Tuesday, Aug. 18, when the board meets again.
Approval of Issue 1 would authorize the state to issue bonds to pay bonuses to veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
Approval of Issue 2 would create the Ohio livestock care standards board to establish and implement standards of care for livestock and poultry.
Issue 3 calls for putting casinos in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo.
Check out the language and proposed language for the issues here
Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner chairs the Ballot Board. The Aug. 18 board meeting is at 2 p.m. in the second floor North Hearing Room of the Senate Building at the Statehouse.
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TweetSparks fly at Sen. Brown health care forum
Verbal sparks flew at U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s forum on overhauling the health care system.
The forum, lasting nearly two hours, was held on Wednesday, Aug. 12, in Columbus at Ohio State University’s Biomedical Research Tower.
Mike Neutzling, 56, a nurse at the Ohio State University Medical Center, blasted plans by President Barack Obama, Brown, D-Ohio, and others to overhaul the system. He said 80 percent of Americans are satisfied with he health care they have now.
Neutzling said “the whole concept of limited government is being tossed out the window.”
The nation’s founders “understood that when you have unlimited government you have unlimited tyranny,” he said.
Jeff Davidson, 58, a retired accountant from Dublin, strongly disagreed, urging Brown and Obama to come up with a plan to provides coverage for uninsured Americans.
“I want you to raise my taxes,” said Davidson. “I can afford it.”
The current system is “immoral,” he said.
Brown for the most part succeeded in keeping the discussion civil and interrupted several times to silence hecklers on both sides of the issue.
“This has been very helpful,” he said to the 150 people in the center. Hundreds more were in overflow rooms, according to event officials.
Brown set the tone for the forum with a blast at the current system.
“…Americans are paying more and more for their insurance and getting less and less,” said Brown, the son of a physician.
After the session, he told reporters he didn’t think the discussion was one-sided.
“If it was stacked, I’m not sure which way it was stacked,” said Brown.
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TweetSen. Brown holds health care forum
Joe Heitz, a construction worker, and Jeff Davidson, a retired accountant, came to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s forum on health care in Columbus on Wednesday, Aug. 12, with different perspectives.
Heitz, 43, of Columbus, is hostile to any increased involvement by the federal government in health care. He wore a t-shirt that said “Tar, Feathers, Rail, Politician (Some Assembly Required).”
“They’re bankrupting our country,” Heitz said.
“I want to raise my taxes to help pay for the 47 million people who don’t have it (health care),” said Davidson, 58, of Dublin, who said he benefited from low taxes under former President George W. Bush.
Some town meetings on health care, including one on Tuesday in Pennsylvania, have become raucous but Heitz said he hoped this one would be civil.
“We can all sit here like adults and have a nice discussion,” said Heitz.
The meeting room at the Ohio State University’s Biomedical Research Tower was packed to capacity with about 150 people and hundreds of others were placed in overflow rooms before the forum’s scheduled start at 10:15 a.m.
No signs were allowed in the meeting but outside the signs held by supporters and opponents of health care overhaul told part of the story.
“Health Freedom Not Socialized Medicine,” said one.
“Health Care is a Basic Human Right,” said another.
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