>Regardless of what community you live in there is probably an election happening that will impact you and that you can have an impact on.
I normally don't discuss politics but I feel pretty strong about a couple issues. Vote YES for 40 and 4!
The Dayton Metro Library and Five Rivers Metroparks are two of our greatest community assets and need our CONTINUED support.
Voters need to be informed. Follow the link for the League of Women Voters Guide that appeared in the Dayton Daily News.
Not that anyone needs to be told how to vote but here's a link to the Dayton Daily News Endorsements (of issues and candidates).
Here are my thoughts on Issues 1, 2, 3:
1 - Our veterans sacrificed alot to protect our freedom. We should make sure we take care of them. Did you know that many of military and their families live at or below the poverty line because their income is that low!?!
2 - Some people are saying this is driven by agri-business and parties outside Ohio. I've heard presentations by people For this issue and they want to create a mechanism specifically to prevent outside interests from telling Ohio farmers how they should conduct their business (small family farms have endorsed this). I think there's something to be said about homegrown food, industry self-regulation, animal welfare, etc. but I don't think we need measures added to the Ohio constitution. I also hear that it's not really needed even though animal rights activitists and agri-businesses intend to target other states in the future. Additionally, there is no money in the state budget for the implementation of a new "board."
3 - Casinos - Yes, money leaves Ohio. Yes, jobs could be created and money retained if Ohio had its own casinos. Will the jobs be zero-sum? They might be new positions but they'll pilfer from already existing positions. That's not new jobs. And will they be part-time jobs with no benefits? And what about the fact that among the jobs being counted are construction jobs that will be over when the buildings are built. On top of all that, who decided what 4 cities could have casinos? What about the rest of the state? What about Dayton? Finally, why not a law to allow gambling in Ohio rather than a constitutional amendment that dictates where gambling can happen? Such a change shouldn't be in the constitution.
I know I've over-simplified the above and I may also not have the facts. I have a few more days to sort it all out. And if you haven't started, you should too!
Now, candidates. I'm not saying who I'm voting for but these are some of my thoughts:
Rhine McLin didn't create the situation Dayton is currently in. There are also things that have happened that are beyond her control and would have happened regardless of who was mayor. She, and the current commissioners, have also had small successes. The question is whether those successes are enough. How much of the city's recent failures were due to inadequate staff versus inadequate leadership (or is one reflective of the other?). Upon news of NCR's departure there was a flury of press and in the Dayton Business Journal business leaders basically voiced "no confidence" in Dayton's leadership. Worth noting is that Dayton's strength is actually in its city manager, not in its mayor. The mayor should provide vision, help shape policy and get out of the way so that the city manager can do his/her job. The mayor and commissioners should also provide appropriate benchmarks and evaluation to assure that their designate is meeting their expectations.
Gary Leitzell would be new to politics although he's not new to political processes. He's been a neighborhood champion for years and has led the Walnut Hills Neighborhood Association and the Southeast Priority Board. He has strong views about the role of city hall being more customer service focused. As an entrepreneur he also presents himself as someone who would interact well with business leaders. Both of these are characteristics that many say is lacking in the current leadership. Gary is independent but has the endorsement of the Montgomery County Republican Party. I think Gary is a good leader and knows how to motivate people. One caution is whether he's too naive about what it really takes to be on the other side of the fence.
Nan Whaley and Joey Williams are incumbent commissioners. Much of what has been said about Rhine Mclin (above and in the community) can also been said about the commissioners. In other areas, however, Nan Whaley has made neighborhoods a priority, particularly through her involvement in dealing with foreclosed, vacant, abandoned, blighted properties. Williams, a bank president, has focused on the city's finances, youth, and efforts toward regional cooperation.
Commission competitor David Esrati is a community activist who has run for other offices. Esrati is very much about strong neighborhoods and transparency in government. He'd be a risk-taker and would be willing to try new things rather than conduct business as usual. He has his thumb on the pulse of what is happening in other cities our size and he has both good ideas and some crazy ideas. My only observation is that he's perceived as a loose canon. As a "renegade" one has to wonder whether his presence on commission would light a fire under some of the other commissioners or start a war that would prevent business from getting done.
I linked all of their names. Make sure you check the content of their websites and decide for yourself who is right for the city.
