Local Dem chair voices reservations about ballot issues

Phillips, Jim. The Athens News. Athens, Ohio: Oct 17, 2005.

Abstract (Summary)
"Are we not essentially turning the elections over for nine years to the Republicans?"
Gwinn asked. "I just don't see how we get anything from that."

"Should we really be putting dollar amounts in the Constitution?" she asked. "What will a
dollar be worth in 10 years, or 15 years?"

Under the current national leadership, [Jeffrey M. Woollard] complained, the United
States has become "the greatest debtor nation in all of human history," and has a crying
need for legislators "who will stand up to the plate, who will tell it like it is."

Full Text
(715 words)
Copyright Athens News Oct 17, 2005

Though some backers of four statewide ballot issues are touting them as a corrective to
one-party Republican rule in Ohio, the head of the Athens County Democratic Party last
week expressed misgivings about all but one of the measures.

Issues 2,3,4 and 5 are being promoted as election-reform measures by a coalition called
Reform Ohio Now.

Party Chair Susan Gwinn told an audience at the party's fall dinner that one of her bigger
concerns is with Issue 5, which would turn control of state elections over to a bi-partisan
board of supervisors. The Ohio Secretary of State currently oversees elections.

"(Issue) 5, quite honestly, I don't get it," Gwinn said. She pointed out that if the measure
passes, the new nine-member elections board would have four members chosen by the
governor, four chosen by legislators from the other major party (i.e., not the governor's),
and one by the Ohio Supreme Court.

In today's political landscape, this would mean four members chosen by a GOP governor,
and one by a GOP-dominated Supreme Court.

"Are we not essentially turning the elections over for nine years to the Republicans?"
Gwinn asked. "I just don't see how we get anything from that."
Likewise with Issue 4, which would create an independent board to oversee the
redrawing of legislative districts. The board would accept public input, and would be
directed to try to achieve competitive districts.

"I still have some concerns about it," Gwinn said of Issue 4, though she did not elaborate.

Of all the four, Gwinn identified Issue 3 as " the one I really have some concerns about."
This ballot issue would put limits on individual campaign contributions of $2,000 for
statewide candidates and $1,000 for legislative candidates, ban corporate contributions,
and require full disclosure.

Gwinn noted that the League of Women Voters is not endorsing Issue 3 or Issue 5.
(They're neutral on 3 and oppose 5.) Among her concerns about the measure, she said, is
that it would enshrine absolute dollar amounts as contribution limits in the Ohio
Constitution without considering inflation.

"Should we really be putting dollar amounts in the Constitution?" she asked. "What will a
dollar be worth in 10 years, or 15 years?"

She also questioned whether limits as low as those specified in Issue 3 won't starve
county parties of cash, and what "impacts they are going to have on the political
structure."

The only measure of the four to which Gwinn gave unqualified support was Issue 2,
which would allow voting by mail 35 days before an election, with the voter not required
to state any reason for voting early.

"There is probably nothing we need more than absentee voting without a reason," she
argued.

DURING THURSDAY'S DINNER, county Dems also got to have a look at a party
member who wants to unseat U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, a Republican who represents Ohio's
18th House District including the northwestern corner of Athens County.

Jeffrey M. Woollard, an automotive engineer from Lowell, admitted that he's never run
for elective office before, but presented this as a plus.

"I have absolutely no experience in running up $4.5 trillion of unfunded debt," he said.

Woollard launched a broadside attack against the current Congress, declaring that the
legislative body "has failed us miserably... The federal government is not your friend."

Arguing that the current balance of payments and debt levels are highly dangerous for
U.S. economic health, Woollard warned that "we are on an imprudent and unsustainable
path that threatens our future. We have lost control of our destiny, because we are relying
on others to fund our consumption... All indicators are flashing red, and it's not clear that
anyone wants to do anything about it."

Under the current national leadership, Woollard complained, the United States has
become "the greatest debtor nation in all of human history," and has a crying need for
legislators "who will stand up to the plate, who will tell it like it is."

Though the GOP likes to claim a monopoly on God, family values and patriotism, he
added, he fears no Republican on these issues. In his view, he said, "Sunday is reserved
for God, the rest of the week is for America, and every day is for liberty and justice for
all."

Article copyright The Athens NEWS.

Indexing (document details)

Subjects: Elections, Political parties, Politicians, Politics, State
government
Author(s): Phillips, Jim
Document types: News
Publication title: The Athens News. Athens, Ohio: Oct 17, 2005.
Source type: Newspaper
ISSN: 08828695
ProQuest document 924155261
ID:
Text Word Count 715
Document URL: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=924155261&sid=1&Fmt=
3&cli entId=3960&RQT=309&VName=PQD

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