|
| Economic
Development
Ohio is ranked as 49th out of
50 states for business climate by the Tax Foundation. The
only state ranked by the Tax Foundation to be ranked worse
than Ohio is Rhode Island. It is no secret that Ohio and the
Dayton region specifically has been challenged in this
category for the last decade.
There are some great ideas
for how to stimulate an economy but some basic principles
have to be true for an economy to truly grow over the
long-term. Some of these principles include:
- restraint in government
spending
- taxes that are as low as
possible and levied fairly across the board
- the opportunity for
individuals to benefit from their own hard work
- an educated and prepared
workforce
- regional cooperation for
economic development incentives
RETURN TO INDEX
|
Sherwin-Williams
ribbon cutting ceremony.
Seth Morgan 2006 recipient of
the 40-under-40 award from the Dayton Business Journal |
Values
America has two very foundational
concepts that has made this Country great. Freedom is one of those
foundational concepts. The other is the moral commitment of the
people that has defined that freedom.
 The debate rages as to whether
government should "legislate morality". In fact there is
no legislation without morality. Law, or legislation, by
definition, is a reflection of what we believe as a society.
America and Ohio must be free and that freedom must be protected
from those who do not respect that freedom by law.
Obviously over time, this delicate
balance calls into question some very sensitive issues.
I believe that life begins at
conception and that our one of our most important founding
documents, The Declaration of Independence recognized that life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness were inalienable rights
granted by God. As such, I believe that life should be what we
always choose as a society and that the life of the unborn is not
a category that should be excluded from our society's commitment
to life.
I also believe that marriage has
always been, and should always remain defined as one man, and one
woman. Deviation from this basic definition only provides
confusion and is counter-productive to developing and maintaining
the most basic form of government our Country has-the family. This
definition is not an attempt to define what happens in the
personal bedroom-rather it is an attempt to protect an institution
that started from the beginning of time and which, upon its
weakening or dissolution would have a profound negative impact on
the very fabric of the society of our State.
RETURN TO INDEX
The Relationship of Government
and Personal Responsibility
Ohio and America operate best when
individuals are empowered to act and benefit from their own
actions, free of government intrusion. Government should not
replace personal responsibility and consequences.
Additionally, government generally
is a less-efficient solution to problems. Accordingly, the
expansion of government should be limited to areas where clearly
the public interest is at stake and where the public interest
cannot be reasonably satisfied through private initiative and
ingenuity.
RETURN TO INDEX
 Education
Ohio's education system needs
accountability. To that end, I support expanded competition and
openness in the education system. I believe that if taxpayers are
paying the bill, which they are, they should be allowed to pick
the type of education their child receives. I believe by working
to make the educators more competitive with each other, the
taxpayers will be the benefit of increased efficiency and choice
in their education system.
The current formula for funding of
Ohio schools must be simplified. The heavy reliance on real estate
taxes to provide for the funding for our schools must be changed
as well as this makes for an unfair burden on our youth and more
aged land owners.
RETURN TO INDEX
Taxes
 The new Commercial Activity Tax
(CAT) for business was a bold step to tax reform that principally
helped to create a more broad based tax system for Ohio. However
its impact has not yet been fully felt as the CAT has not yet even
been fully implemented. The way we tax in Ohio, needs continued
reform in order to lessen the reliance our system has on real
estate taxes. Additionally, spending in Ohio needs to be reduced;
thereby enabling Ohio to reduce the tax it imposes on its
residents.
RETURN TO INDEX
 Healthcare
Healthcare reform is a complex and
difficult issue. However, at its core, I believe that greater
competition in the healthcare arena is the answer to making the
healthcare system again responsible to the true customer of the
system -you and me. Insurance companies should be a third-party of
interest to the transaction between you and your favorite
healthcare professional-not the Doctor's customer. Healthcare and
insurance for healthcare should look more like the current auto
insurance industry and less like the current entitlement mentality
healthcare system.
RETURN TO INDEX
|
