IN THE NEWS
Cincinnati Enquirer —
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Community Press & Recorder —
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Anderson home to 3 House hopefuls
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
BY STEVE KEMME of THE ENQUIRER
Three Republicans who describe themselves as bedrock fiscal conservatives are competing in the March 4 primary election for their party’s nomination for the Ohio 34th House District seat being vacated by Tom Brinkman.
All three candidates – attorneys Greg Delev and Peter Stautberg and business consultant and current Anderson Township Trustee Russell L. Jackson Jr. – live in Anderson, the largest community in the district.
The GOP winner will run in the November general election against Democrat Jeff Sinnard, who is running unopposed in the primary.
Brinkman, who has been a state representative since 2000, is being term-limited out of office. He’s seeking the Republican nomination in the March primary for the 2nd Congressional District.
The Ohio 34th House District includes Anderson Township, Fairfax, Hyde Park, Madisonville, Mount Lookout, Mount Washington, Newtown, Oakley, Terrace Park and parts of Columbia Township, East Walnut Hills and O’Bryonville.
Of the three candidates, Jackson is the only one who has served in an elected office. But Delev and Stautberg say their lack of experience in public office wouldn’t be a detriment to becoming effective state representatives.
Delev cited his work as an attorney, his service on the Hamilton County Mental Health Board and other community organizations, his tenure as an officer of the Ohio National Guard and his work for the state legislature in Columbus during his college days all contribute to making him a qualified candidate for the Ohio House.
“Politics is about building consensuses and compromises,” Delev said. “You’re using things lawyers use every day to settle cases.”
Stautberg touted his work as an attorney and his strong educational background in business and economics.
“I have experience in the business world and the legal world which I think prepares me quite well for having the vision and leadership to drive the state forward on some thoughtful policies,” he said.
On the other hand, Jackson said his work as an Anderson Township trustee for the past 12 years sets him apart from the other two candidates.
He said he has worked to maintain the township’s high quality of life. One of the biggest projects during his tenure is the development of the new Anderson Center complex on Five Mile Road, which includes a building that will house township administration offices and a performing arts center, a Metro bus shelter and park-and-ride lot and a park-like setting with a man-made lake.
“I have pretty solid credentials,” Jackson said. “I’m proud of all we’ve done here in Anderson.”
He said he can supply leadership, which will be in short supply in an Ohio House that will have more than a 30 percent turnover this year.
“If we can get people thinking outside the bureaucracy,” Jackson said, “we have a shot at changing some things.”
Stautberg said his priorities as a state legislator would be to encourage business and job growth and eliminate wasteful spending.
“We need to keep lowering taxes so we can have an attractive business environment and stop losing businesses and talented young people to other states,” he said.
Delev, who has been involved in a number of anti-tax organizations over the years, said complex issues such as school funding, crime and poverty require the thoughtful collaboration of legislators across party lines.
“Our state government has become stagnant and somewhat non-responsive,” Delev said. “The solution they’ve tried is to throw money at problems without meaningful reform. We have to reinvent the way our government does business.”
Copyright 2008, Enquirer.com
Four vie for 34th House District
BY JEREME SIMMONS of the Community Press & Recorder
ANDERSON TWP.- Three Republicans and one Democrat have entered the contest for the state's 34th House district seat, according to the unoffical candidates' list released Jan. 4 by the Hamilton County Board of Elections.
Tom Brinkman is vacating his seat due to term limits. All four candidates are from Anderson Township.
The Republican contenders include recently elected, 13-year Anderson Township Trustee veteran Russ Jackson, attorney Greg Delev and attorney Peter Stautberg.
Democratic candidate Jeff Sinnard is a civil engineer who dropped his initial hopes for a 2nd Congressional District bid to ensure that the 34th state house district did not run unopposed.
Jackson is the only Republican in the field to have held elected office. Sinnard ran unsuccessfully for the 2nd Congressional District in the special election of 2005 and in 2006.
According to Sinnard, Republican candidates are still facing the aftershocks of the Democratic resurgence that swept away the Republican majority in both houses of the national legislature.
"I am blessed with the prosperity that came from Bill Clinton and the bi-partisan way of working that comes with Ted Strickland," Sinnard said.
Sinnard, a practicing Roman Catholic and pro-life activist, believes that Republicans no longer hold the patent on religion in politics. He sees faith as being an important part of the equation in Ohio politics.
"I would like to see a broader conversation on what it means to be a person of faith in politics," Sinnard said.
Jackson believes his close working relationship with outgoing representative Tom Brinkman and other officials both in Hamilton County and Columbus make him the natural choice to represent the district.
"When we get down to it, it is about leadership and relationships. I have spent a lot of time in the last eight years working directly with members of the state legislature on matters that pertain to our citizens. I have had success getting things done and have developed some wonderful relationships," Jackson said. "...I think those relationships will pay off for the benefit of Hamilton County."
According to Jackson, another important consideration is his ability to focus on his role as a legislator full time. Jackson points out that he is retired from business and that he is a grandfather who no longer has the pressure of being a full-time father.
"I can devote my full efforts to what is going on up there. That is important to the voters of the 34th District," Jackson said.
Stautberg has been active with the Republican Party for the last few years and sees himself as a strong mix of both a social and fiscal conservative.
"I believe not only in limiting spending, but eliminating much of the spending that currently goes on. I am very aware that generally speaking the state government grew in excess of the rate of inflation, which means it grew too fast," Stautberg said.
Stautberg said he would like to see the private sector begin to take on more of the non-essential services that are currently delivered by governmental agencies.
"I think first and foremost on my mind is keeping families first," Stautberg said. "We need to protect our families and lessen the tax burden on our families. ...I am optimistic with creative collaboration and leadership at the state level we can turn around the economy and turn Ohio around"
Delev is the son of a Bulgarian immigrant who grew up under the restrictions of communism. He credits his father's tireless appreciation of democracy and freedom as his inspiration to become involved in politics and the promotion of American values.
Delev is a McNicholas graduate who served in the Army both full time and in the reserves. Although he hasn't held elected office, he worked in the campaigns of Ronald Reagan, George Bush the first, Sen. Michael DeWine, Jim Petro and Betty Montgomery to name a few.
"We have to find creative ways to provide the services that people need but not infringe on people's rights or taxes," Delev said.
Delev said he is "dismayed" by the erosion of citizen rights by things such as the recent plan to place cameras at area red lights. In fact, he said one of the very first things he would do in Columbus would be to work to outlaw these cameras.
"This to me is 'big brother.' This is what has gone wrong with America. We have constitutional rights and they should be protected. We are going too far...They are telling us what to eat, how to act, etc.," Delev said.