Ohio House District 81
No. to be elected: 99 | Salary: $68,674 | Term: 2 yearsResponsibilities: To represent the people of the district and the State of Ohio in dealing with matters not allocated to the federal government.
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David Swanson
(Dem)
What changes would you make, if any, to voting and elections policy?
What type of tax reform, if any, would best serve Ohio?
How would you address concerns about the rising cost of living?
What are your priorities for K-12 and higher education?
How would you reduce hyperpartisanship and promote civility?
Training and Experience
I founded a medical device manufacturing company (Daavlin) in 1981 and built it into a company doing business all over the world and in every state of the union. The company employed over 130 people.
Volunteer/Community Service
Board of Trustees of the Williams County Community Hospital and the Chairman's Circle of Advisors at the Johns Hopkins Hospital Dermatology Department.
Voter fraud has never been proven to be a results changing problem. Therefore, I would work to preserve mail-in balloting and to make ballot receipt boxes as convenient as possible. I would work against any effort to restrict voting rights, such as requiring proof of birth in English or requiring that a person's current ID match their birth certificate. I would resist any effort to remove the responsibility for elections from local hands. I would resist any effort to curtail early voting and any policies that effectively result in a poll tax.
I am NOT in favor of eliminating Ohio property taxes. It is estimated that sales taxes (which hurt lower income families far more than upper income families) would have to be raised to at least 20% in order to maintain services such EMS, fire departments, libraries AND schools. The economic devastation would be greatest in areas close to state borders as citizens drove across state lines to make household purchases.
I believe that any tax policy that unleashes the economic might of the middle class is good policy as opposed to "trickle down" policies that rely on the largess of the wealthy for our state's economic strength.
Food, shelter, healthcare and education are the fundamental foundations for an aspirational life. Incentivize the latest advances in agriscience that would enable us to reliably grow our food, year around. Why import tariff laden food from Mexico and water-scarce California when it can be grown here inexpensively? Banks won't loan to small building contractors because of legal and governmental funding impediments. Establish a fund that would co-sign loans to small contractors who could replenish the housing supply and stabilize prices if not bring them down. Incentivize everyone to buy health insurance so the insured pool is diversified and large, bringing down health insurance premiums. End the voucher program so public schools need not ask for special levies.
Ohio has a constitutional obligation to fund public schools, not private schools whose purposes may be mercenary or focused on indoctrination more than education. Find ways to cultivate the in-born resources of every child, not just the stars.
Be a decent human being. Listen. Don't try and win every argument. Give a little here and there. Find common ground. Understand that everyone's life is foremost in their universe and that each of us has a lifetime of different experiences that inform who we are. Respect that. There are always different ways of doing things; diversity of thought and experience is a valuable asset. Open one's mind to differences. Treat people well and maybe most important of all, be honest.
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