Politics

We have had an encouraging year with a drop in the unemployment rate and successful results in the arena of job creation. We are moving in the right direction after a series of very financially difficult and unstable years. While the pain of the financial crisis is still able to be felt, the wound is beginning to heal for Ohio. The key to keeping job creation and economic recovery headed in the right direction is developing legislation that is both innovative and resourceful. It is in the spirit of innovation and resourcefulness that I introduced House Bill 18.

H.B. 18 is a bill that accommodates future growth by using resources that Ohio already has in its possession. In recent years, economic hardship has forced businesses both large and small to leave Ohio, abandoning their operating buildings in urban, suburban and rural settings. These buildings sit vacant in areas that are full of citizens that need jobs and are ready to work. Areas with high percentages of vacant properties are also areas that have high unemployment rates.

Congressional boundaries have changed significantly on the westside of Cleveland. Depending on where you live, you may have a new congressman. Due to declining population reported in the 2010 census, Ohio lost two Congressional seats requiring Ohio’s U.S. Congressional districts to be redrawn.

The new districts have now been set and most of the Westshore is primarily in the 16th U.S. Congressional District. The new 16th District added Fairview Park, Middleburg Heights, North Olmsted, North Royalton, Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township, Parma Heights, Strongsville and Westlake, and parts of Berea, Parma, Rocky River.

The House District 16 campaign for Democratic candidate Todd LeVeck kicked off over the holidays with a stirring event in Rocky River on Dec. 29.  

A Westlake resident, born and raised in Cleveland, Todd is a Cleveland Public Schools teacher and a member of the Naval Reserve, as well as a husband and father. Surrounded by family, friends, co-workers and supporters, Todd shared his reasons for running and his passion for change.

As 2012 begins, I thought this would be a good opportunity to re-cap what has been accomplished in the first half of the 129th General Assembly. Our focus from the beginning has been creating jobs and improving the state’s economy. Here is a taste of what we’ve accomplished thus far:

• State Operating Budget: Through the passage of the biennial budget, we filled the state’s $8-billion budget deficit without raising taxes, while retaining many vital public services that citizens depend on.
• Personal Income Tax Reduction: Annually since 2006 – excluding 2010 – four percent each year of the collection of income taxes has been reduced. In that time, Ohio went from being the seventh-most-taxed state to the 16th.

State Representative Nan Baker announced her candidacy for representative of the 16th Ohio House District during the 130th General Assembly.

As a small business owner and chairwoman of the House Economic and Small Business Development Committee, Rep. Baker understands that creating an environment to retain, create and bring jobs to Ohio is a number-one priority. In addition to supporting a budget that filled an $8 billion budget hole without raising taxes, she also supported measures to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses, make Ohio’s job-creation efforts more effective with the establishment of JobsOhio, and offer incentives to businesses that have received out-of-state offers in an effort to keep them in Ohio. Keeping American Greetings in Ohio and locating in Westlake is an example of that effort.

On Monday, April 11, I filed petitions with the Board of Elections to continue my service as councilman for Bay Village's Ward 1. With your help, this will be my fifth term of office.

I began my first term as Ward 1 councilman in 2002. Ward 1 is located in eastern Bay. The ward begins at the Rocky River border and goes west to Parkside Road.

I'm particularly proud of the semi-annual Ward 1 meetings I started during my first term in 2002.  These meetings were the precursor and were responsible for City Council’s current Town Hall Meetings of today.

Longtime Bay Village resident Bob Ziebarth is actively campaigning for the Ward 3 City Council seat being vacated by current Ward 3 representative Scott Pohlkamp, who has opted to run for an At-Large seat in the upcoming fall election. Mr. Ziebarth is a licensed Professional Engineer in 15 states, including Ohio.  

“The Code of Ethics for a licensed Professional Engineer is to be dedicated to the protection of the public’s health, safety and welfare; and these are the same principals I will bring to this position,” Ziebarth stated.

With a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Valparaiso University and a specialty in Fire Protection, Mr. Ziebarth would bring a unique skill set to the city that fits well with many of the issues we are currently facing. Some of these issues include storm sewer improvements to help reduce basement flooding, upgrades and maintenance to many of the aging city-owned buildings, and the need to still remain fiscally responsible with regards to the city’s budget.

Bay Village resident and Planning Commission member Clete Miller is actively campaigning for the Ward 2 City Council seat vacated by longtime Ward 2 representative Paul Koomar, who has opted to run for President of Council.  Miller has served on the Bay Planning Commission since 2005 and views his candidacy as a natural progression of his interest in serving the community.  “I’ve really enjoyed serving on the Planning Commission.  It has given me a strong foundation to take my commitment to the city and its residents to the next level,” Miller stated. 

Ward 2 is unique in Bay Village in that it contains most of the city’s businesses as well as schools and family dwellings.  Miller’s professional experience translates well to Ward 2. In addition to his current role with the planning commission, Miller is employed by the architecture firm Weber Murphy Fox since 1999 as a project manager. Miller is a Pennsylvania native, relocating from State College, Penn., in 2002 to assist in expanding Weber Murphy Fox’s Cleveland office.

State Representative Nan Baker (R-Westlake) recently introduced legislation that, when enacted, will help unemployed Ohioans find gainful employment and revitalize Ohio’s economy.

House Bill 17 authorizes a $2,400 income tax withholding credit for an employer who hires and employs a previously unemployed individual. Originally proposed by Rep. Todd Snitchler (R-Uniontown) during the 128th General Assembly, this bill is a component of the “Future of Ohio” Economic and Small Business Development Initiative.

In November, 2009, Cuyahoga County residents voted to restructure our County government to an Executive - Council form of government.  For the first time in county history, on November 2, 2010, voters will choose the Cuyahoga County Executive who will lead the new government, and elect their own County Council District Representative. Bay Village and Westlake are part of the newly-formed District 1, along with Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Olmsted Township, all except Precinct D.

The League of Women Voters is presenting two nonpartisan forums of particular interest to Bay Village and Westlake residents. Citizens are encouraged to attend.

First, the District 1 County Council Candidate Forum is set for Monday, September 20, 2010, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at Westlake Performing Arts Center, 27820 Hilliard Blvd. (located behind the high school). In partnership with the Westlake City School District.

Many readers are aware of the puppy mill problem in Ohio, where over 11,000 dogs spend their entire lives in small crates strictly for the purpose of breeding and generating income for those who view them only as a cash crop. Daily they suffer, with little or no vet care, no air conditioning, no heat, and often not enough food and water.

Yet many are not aware that at the dog auctions in Farmerstown, Ohio, these dogs are bought and sold in the same manner as livestock. The auctions are the economic engine for the continued sale of these poor animals to pet shops (as has been seen in various TV and newspaper reports) and to each other – the puppy-millers themselves – for the sole purpose of keeping the "breeding stock" and the money flowing in. Many buyers and sellers who attend this auction have long-standing, repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act and/or have been convicted of animal cruelty.

Since 2004, the Ohio Dog Auctions have grown into anything but run-of-the-mill. Breeders who participate in these auctions are raising large numbers of dogs and puppies with profit as the primary motive for existence.

Many of  them are found to be unhealthy, not screened for genetic diseases, do not show resemblance to the breed standard and lack good temperament. 

Participating breeders at this auction travel from many surrounding states, including some, such as Pennsylvania, where public dog auctions are illegal.

Fairview Park Councilwoman Peggy Cleary announced her candidacy for the Ohio State Representative 16th District – an area representing Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake.

Cleary, 54, is a life-long resident of Lakewood and Fairview Park. She has served on the Fairview Park City Council since 2005, where she is a member of all three standing city council committees, and currently serves as the Chair of the Finance Committee, responsible for the oversight of a $23 million dollar municipal budget. 

She has sponsored and supported legislation that reduced city expenses; supported focused economic development; and facilitated municipal collaboration and consolidation within the West Shore District. 

Fairview Park Councilwoman Peggy Cleary was sworn in as an officer of the Northeast Ohio City Council Association (NOCCA) at its February dinner meeting at the Embassy Suites in Independence. 

Cleary, a candidate for State Representative for the 16th District (includes Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake) has been an At-Large member of the NOCCA Board since 2008. She will serve as Secretary to the eleven-member board through February 2011. 

Bay Village resident and activist Rosemary Palmer formally announced today that she will be a candidate in the 2010 Democratic Primary for the Ohio House of Representatives' 16th District.
 
Palmer, a former Statehouse journalist, entrepreneur and teacher, has made sustainability and the green economy cornerstones of her campaign.
 
"Times have changed. It's no longer acceptable to have part-time representatives in Columbus working on yesterday's problems. The people of Bay Village, North Olmsted, Rocky River, Fairview Park and Westlake need a full-time representative focused on tomorrow's economy and helping to create a climate where innovative, new industries can take root and grow our region," said Palmer.

Barbara Anne Ferris, Founder and President of the International Women's Democracy Center (IWDC), is the featured speaker at the next League of Women Voters public meeting set for Thursday, March 4, 2010, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at Trinity Commons at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. It is open to the public free of charge, with free parking behind the Cathedral off Prospect Avenue.

The International Women's Democracy Center was established in 1995 to ensure that women worldwide have the necessary tools and skills to participate in politics, policy and decision making within their own democracies. Its offices are in Washington D.C., Ohio, Botswana, Northern Ireland, and Tajikistan.