Training and Experience
Secondary English Teacher, Union Rep, Department Chair, Coach, Advisor, Precinct Committee Person, Executive on the Central Committee, Campaign Volunteer
Volunteer/Community Service
Campaign Volunteer, Stevens Park (Niles) Clean Up, Warren Italian Festival Committee Volunteer
If elected, I will propose the following changes to the Ohio legislation: Draw up new election districts which are both fair and constitutional, pass anti-discrimination laws, safeguard reproductive rights, increase the minimum wage, maintain and secure collective bargaining rights, increase school funding, facilitate economic development, train Ohio’s workforce to meet the skill demands of 21st century businesses, and guarantee, protect, and defend free and fair elections that reflect the will of the people.
Ohio’s election bill disenfranchises minorities, senior citizens, people with disabilities, the poor, and college students. The photo ID requirement discriminates against 11% of Ohio voters who do not have access to them. Ohio’s election policy shortens the window of time for mail-in ballots to arrive, from 10 days to 4 days after the election. College students who are away from home have IDs that do not match their residential address. Drop boxes are limited to 1 per county. Each of these new policies disenfranchises voters. We must expand access to voter registration, add additional voting locations and drop boxes, increase the number of early voting days, and distribute voter registration and vote-by-mail ballot application forms.
We must spur economic growth by adopting strategic education reforms to better train workers, prepare them for the demands of 21st century employers, and relieve short-term labor shortages. Labor and human capital are scarce. For both to be used efficiently, workers must acquire knowledge, skills, and capabilities that employers need in our current economic times and knowledge-driven economy. Funding programs to train workers, is an investment that will pay for itself. We must attract high-skilled workers to help reverse population declines, make future labor market adjustments less painful, and increase the standard of living across the state. The jobs must pay a living wage, and provide health care and pensions as incentives to workers.
As an educator of 36 years, I have witnessed firsthand how the local, state, and federal governments have underfunded public schools and burdened property owners to pick up the tab. I believe in properly-funded public education that includes personalized learning for all students, quality teaching by highly trained educators, flexible curriculum designed to meet every student’s needs, high standards, and learning powered by state-of-the-art technology in modern and safe facilities. In Ohio, we must provide every teacher and student with the resources necessary to ensure that each and every student has access to a quality education. Teachers must also be free to make curriculum decisions in collaboration with school administrators.
State assistance is vital to the health and welfare of every citizen. Funding healthcare and education improves the quality of life for people. State investments in transportation, housing, and infrastructure, facilitates economic growth and prosperity both locally and statewide. The current and past governors have cut the budgets of cities and villages, forcing each municipality to raise taxes to fund police, safety services, and other services once subsidized by the state. These costs have been passed down to citizens. Likewise, a reduction in educational funding to public schools has caused school boards to place levies on the ballot, further burdening property owners. We must restore these funds to municipalities and school districts.
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and all citizens must have access to affordable healthcare. The Affordable Care Act is a good start. Since its inception, the rate of uninsured individuals in Ohio has decreased by over 48%. We could provide health care not only for all Ohioans, but also for all Americans, if corporations would pay their fair share in taxes. Moreover, we should use the lottery proceeds to subsidize insurance for Ohio citizens and to better fund public education. Ohio would reap the benefits of having a better educated, healthier population, which would, in turn, create more jobs, grow the economy, and reduce the cost of health care premiums. There is nothing more important than the health and welfare of our society.
We must all be good stewards of our planet. Our government must act responsibly by enacting policies to save our planet. We must develop a detailed action plan with clear accountability. We must incentivize the market, and mandate change, boost innovation through increased funding, and improve the design and delivery of green initiatives. We must promote a whole-of-society, people-centered approach. We must rely more on renewable energies such as solar, wind, and geo-thermal; walk, bike, carpool, or take public transportation. We must reduce, reuse, repair and recycle, throw away less food, plant native species, and choose products from companies who use resources responsibly and who are committed to cutting their gas emissions and waste.
Government must do everything in its power to deter and eliminate discrimination. First, it must study the many root problems, and establish antidiscrimination laws. A common government strategy to deter discrimination is to publicize the law and communicate potential penalties for violations. Then it must enforce the penalties against those who discriminate against others. First offenders should be required to take sensitivity courses on the root causes of discrimination for the specific type of discrimination that he or she has exhibited. It is always better to educate than to punish. But if an offender repeats, or commits a hate crime, we must prosecute, according to the law. We must do everything we can to deter discrimination.
