|
You might not be the kind of person who tells other people what to do. But if you don't take action, there are plenty of people lining up to tell you what to do.
It's called politics, and this year's elections are pivotal in the future of Cincinnati, Hamilton County and Ohio.
The voting won't take place until November, but this summer is when the real work of persuasion gets under way: circulating petitions, distributing literature, making phone calls and knocking on doors. If you want a say in who runs the state — and how — get involved.
Here's what's at stake:
· Do you like to smoke while having a drink at a bar? Do you hate secondhand smoke while you're in a restaurant? Two groups — with competing goals — hope to put measures on the statewide ballot. One, advanced by Smoke Free Ohio (www.smokefreeohio.org/oh) would ban tobacco use in any business or office in the state. The other, proposed by Ohio Licensed Beverage Association, would do the same thing but exempt bars, bowling alleys and restaurants containing smoke-free areas.
· Would you like to gamble without driving to casinos in southeastern Indiana? Efforts are underway to put on the ballot two separate amendments to the state constitution. One, by the Ohio Earn and Learn Committee, would permit slot machines at the state's seven horse-racing tracks, including River Downs in Anderson Township and Lebanon Raceway in Warren County, as well as downtown Cleveland. Under this proposal, 30 percent of revenue would go to college scholarships and grants, 8 percent to local governments and 1 percent for problem gambling services. The other proposal would allow slots at the racetracks, Cleveland and in downtown Cincinnati.
· Do you believe people in Cincinnati should have equal access to jobs and housing without regard to their sexual orientation? City council does; that's why it passed an amendment to the city's Human Rights Ordinance earlier this year, banning discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered persons. But now a group of homophobes is trying to rescind the amendment. Organized by Citizens for Community Values (www.ccv.org) — the anti-porn, anti-gay group that's worked to get CityBeat banned in local stores — opponents of equal rights collected enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot. Working to protect legal equality is Equality Cincinnati (www.equalitycincinnati.org), the grassroots group that successfully led the 2004 effort to repeal a discriminatory section of the city charter.
After all the attention it received in the 2004 presidential election, Ohio has become used to being a key state in national politics. There is no presidential election this year, but political observers around the nation are watching to see how the Buckeye State decides two top offices — its governor and one of its two U.S. senators.
· U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Cedarville) faces a challenge from U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Lorain). The race pits a progressive Democrat (www.sherrodbrown.com) against a stalwart of the Bush administration (www.mikedewine.com).
· Ohio is the only state in the country led by a governor convicted of a crime. With term limits forcing Gov. Bob Taft out of office, the Republicans hope their "religious values" candidate, Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, can keep the governor's mansion in GOP hands (www.kenblackwell.com). The Democrats, long locked out of statewide office, are pinning their hopes on U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Portsmouth), who says Republican corruption in Ohio demands a new slate of leaders (www.tedstrickland.com).
· The terms of the debate won't be quite as ugly in the race for the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. But if former Cincinnati City Councilman David Pepper wins (www.davidpepper.com), it will be the first time in 40 years that the Democrats have a majority on the three-person board. For that to happen, Pepper will have to unseat County Commissioner Phil Heimlich (www.philheimlich.com), a former assistant prosecutor who built his political reputation by opposing taxes.
· With the Bush administration's approval ratings hovering in the range of 35 percent, Democrats see an opportunity to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Two House seats are at stake in Greater Cincinnati. In Ohio's 1st Congressional District, City Councilman John Cranley (www.johncranley.com) is challenging U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Westwood). Although comfortably re-elected each time he has defended his seat, Chabot (www.steve-chabot.com) faces the most serious challenge of his career.
In the 2nd Congressional District, Jean Schmidt (R-Milford) survived a primary contest in May that was, most observers agree, the best chance to unseat her. Lampooned on Saturday Night Live and booed on the House floor, Schmidt (www.jeanschmidt.com) now faces largely unknown Democratic candidate Dr. Victoria Wulsin (www.wulsinforcongress.com). ©
