The Observer, October 6, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 6
Meet the 2006 Gubernatorial Candidates
The Republican Party offers a candidate with experience in state politics. Ken Blackwell has been Ohio's Secretary of State since 1998. Formerly the mayor of Cincinnati from 1979-1980, he also has experience in national politics as a part of George H.W. Bush's administration.
Blackwell is an ardent supporter of the state's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. He is also pro-life and believes in a citizen's right to bear arms. In education, Blackwell is part of the effort to enact the "65 cent solution," requiring Ohio school districts to spend 65 cents of every dollar on in-the-classroom instruction.
His plans for bringing around Ohio's flailing economy are ambitious. Blackwell wants to return Ohio to a 5 percent sales tax rate, repealing the recent 20 percent increase in sales tax. He proposes the privatization of the Ohio Turnpike to bring in revenues upwards of $6 billion. This money will be used to create the Jobs for Ohio Businesses (JOBS) Fund, which will be used to develop more opportunities for workers in this state, without increasing tolls or reducing maintenance to the turnpike. Blackwell and his running mate, state representative Tom Raga, have been campaigning hard to keep Ohio Red.
The Democrats are pushing hard for their own candidate. Ted Strickland, a Congressman from Ohio's 6th district, won the primary by an overwhelming majority: 80 percent. Strickland was elected to Congress in 1992 to represent an area including Marietta and Steubenville. In 1994, he was ousted by Republican Frank Cremeans, but regained his seat in 1998 and has held it ever since. With his running mate, ex-Attorney General Lee Fisher, Strickland's campaign centers on "Turnaround Ohio."
His official website describes the program as a "plan to create and keep jobs in Ohio by investing in Ohio's strengths, such as energy production and entrepreneurship, while bringing us the jobs of the future by making sure that we have the most educated workforce possible." This plan focuses on improving education in Ohio to keep higher-paying jobs in the state.
Strickland would also like to implement a Knowledge Fund to help pay for post-secondary education. On the health care front, Strickland seeks to partner with insurance companies to provide more affordable health care to Ohioans who do not have insurance benefits through employment. Turnaround Ohio also spotlights the opportunity that Ohio has to bring in more jobs by encouraging research on clean energy alternatives.
The Libertarian candidate is Case's own professor emeritus of economics, Bill Peirce. Though he doesn't have any formal political experience, he has served in civic groups including the Cleveland Manpower Planning and Development Commission and the Netherlands-Ohio Business Council. Peirce's plans for "a prosperous Ohio" include implementing the tax cuts planned by the current legislature as well as adding new tax cuts such as halving the sin tax on alcohol (except spiritous liquor) and decreasing the cigarette tax by $1 per pack.
He plans to eliminate the tax on improvements to private property, encouraging development and keeping homes and businesses from looking run down. Peirce wants to introduce personal choice and responsibility into medical care through Medical Savings Accounts and reducing the cost of Medicaid. He also wants to allow parents to choose where their children go to school, offering a $3000 grant to whichever school a child attends. This grant will be given without regard to religion, race, ethnicity, or any other factor, allowing parents free reign to give their children the education they feel is best.
