Leadership, not Partisanship, required to Move Ohio Forward

Ohio families, businesses, and communities achieve success by working together.  They work with their neighbors, other businesses, and members of their community, and succeed through healthy competition.  They recognize their futures are interdependent and do not bash other members of society, or blame them for their problems. 

This spirit of cooperation and healthy competition is an integral part of our communities.  Ohio leaders consistently recognized the interconnectedness of our society and worked hard to create an environment of success.  Great leaders worked across party lines.  They understood success could not happen if a large segment of our society was left behind or ignored.  The overall health and well being of the citizens and solving problems was more important than bashing members of the other political party.  This leadership and cooperative spirit allowed many of the advances that have propelled Ohio and our country forward in the last century.  It provided a basis to create infrastructure, technology, and educational systems that were the envy of the world.

Unfortunately, the ideals of strong leadership and cooperation have been replaced by ugly partisanship.  The partisanship that has stagnated Washington is now affecting State government.  Solving problems and working to improve our society has been replaced by political posturing, trying to smear the other party, and blaming others for problems.  The sad reality of this situation is that through gerrymandering, fear, and the power of incumbency, the partisan legislators that have demonstrated no ability to lead, cooperate, or accomplish anything continue to be reelected.  It is time for a change.

Playing political games and failing to address problems should have consequences.  Incumbents should be accountable not only for what they have done, but what they have failed to do.  Making excuses and blaming the other party for poor performance is not acceptable.  Our legislative incumbents have demonstrated a lack of leadership skills and the inability to cooperate with others to get the job done.  Our legislators in Washington have ignored energy issues, the exploding deficit, and the impending social security and Medicare shortfalls.  They simply blame the other party when a crisis develops and then go back to business as usual as soon as the crisis fades from the headlines.  This same pattern is developing in Columbus.  The quality of Ohio public schools and an equitable way to fund them has been an issue for years.  Our legislators have failed to lead on this issue and have failed to cooperate with others to develop a long-term solution.  They have played political games and publically stated that they are waiting for the Governor or somebody else to propose “something.”  Waiting for somebody else to do something is not leadership; the citizens of Ohio deserve better. 

It is not realistic to reelect the same legislators and expect different results.  It is time to provide our incumbent legislators with the opportunity to seek full-time opportunities in the private sector.  Ohio needs new legislators with political courage and leadership skills to: 1) address major issues, 2) propose, discuss and debate new ideas, and 3) cooperate with others to develop and implement policies to move Ohio forward.  It is time to elect legislators that will lead on tough issues and work with others to get things done to improve the lives of Ohio families and communities.

We must end petty partisan politics and provide leadership that will work in a cooperative manner to solve Ohio problems.  I pledge to work with Governor Strickland and members of both parties to address the problems facing Ohio.