Candidates for State Senate Focus on Foreclosures, Employment and Education
Candidates for Ohio State Senate’s 30th district are focusing on foreclosures, employment and education funds more than anything else.
Current Democrat member Jason Wilson opened the debate. Channel 27 FirstNews and Morning Journal sponsored the forum. The idea was to create a strong business environment that gave top priority to job creation. Also on the agenda were discussions on clean coal mining taking note of the fact that the area was sitting on 200 years supply of coal. He added, “We’ve been through wars; we’ve been through depressions, and we’ll get through this too.” He was referring to the foreclosure related economic slump.
Tim Ginter, the Republican challenger also started by speaking about employment saying that Ohio’s position was 37th in the nation as regards having the right environment for business. His answer to the economic woes was doing away with the estate taxes and even distribution of school funds. He strongly opined, “Unfair regulation is choking business.”
Wilson was of the opinion that it was the unemployment that was largely responsible for the increasing number of foreclosures in the region. He added that he had tried many times to help those facing foreclosure by taking an individual approach. He had sat at the kitchen tables with them and tried to open communication lines through churches and other agencies. He has also been active with other state leaders through Save Our Homes Task Force. He was focusing on increasing financial literacy and wanted the leaders in the government to set examples for others to emulate.
Ginter was also of the opinion that it was the job issue that has created the foreclosure imbroglio. As an immediate solution he wanted financial bodies and government sectors to come together so as to identify those facing imminent foreclosure and help them to pay off their debts. He emphasized, “Somehow we’ve got to release the pressure off the homeowners.” Ginter humbly admitted that he did not have the answer to all the problematical questions. He was of the opinion that the government should lower taxes so as to create the right atmosphere for job creation. Tax increases on a certain section of the population should be avoided. The way must be cleared for business was his view. He also wanted that business should diversify itself. Concentrating only on coal could lead to a collapse similar to what happened to iron and steel.
