League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
	Hamilton County, OH November 4, 2008 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues State Representative; District 34

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Pressing Issues, Implementation, Infrastucture, Health Care Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What are the two most pressing issues you will face if you are elected? (50 word limit) Answer from Jeff Sinnard: When Mother Teresa was asked how she dealt with the overwhelming poverty around her she said, "You do the thing that's in front of you." Right now the most pressing problems appear to be the foreclosure crisis resulting from questionable mortgage lending practices and the persistent problem with education. 2. How will you address each of those issues? (100 word limit) Answer from Jeff Sinnard: I will work with the Governor to implement the recommendations of the Foreclosure Prevention Task Force and support the Save the Dream foreclosure effort in Ohio. We need to create incentives to modify loans rather than foreclose and continue to engage governmental and private sector partners. A "thorough and efficient system of common schools" is a constitutional guarantee of every Ohioan. Nearly 2 million children attend Ohio's schools, with only 200,000 in non-public schools. I am open to discussion on tax credits or vouchers for private school tuition, but any plan must emphasize our shared responsibility to the public schools. 3. What role should the state play in updating Ohio's aging infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and transit services and equipment, in order to promote economic revitalization? (100 word limit) Answer from Jeff Sinnard: The state has a key role to play but federal funding is needed. First Ohio needs to receive its fair share of the federal gas tax revenue from the highway trust fund. Ohio is traditionally a donor state receiving just $0.85 on the dollar while Alaska, already awash in oil tax revenue, nets $5.81. Spending federal and state dollars on essential infrastructure is the single best way to benefit American workers. With minimal "Buy American" incentives it is certain that money invested in local infrastructure projects goes directly into local economies. These projects benefit local workers, suppliers and contractors. 4. What role do state legislators have in reforming health care in the U.S.? (100 word limit) Answer from Jeff Sinnard: Health care reform is primarily a federal issue, but since access to adequate health care is a basic human right the state must be willing to take up the cause if necessary. Providing quality, affordable health coverage for all Ohioans will keep our families healthy, our businesses competitive, and our state strong. We need to be moving toward universal health care. When my son was born, the size of the medical bills was tremendous. Thank God he was healthy and came home quickly. One can only imagine the devastating impact of a chronically sick child on a struggling family. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. The answer must not exceed 100 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.