A recap of our endorsements

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4:14 PM Friday, October 30, 2009

Nov. 3 is Election Day. As you prepare to go to the polls on Tuesday, here is a recap of our endorsements:

Middletown City Council, 1st Ward — Incumbent Jim Armbruster, first elected in 2005, is being challenged by Gary Barge for this ward seat. Given his experience and long involvement in civic affairs, Armbruster gets our endorsement in this race.

Middletown City Council, 2nd Ward — Frankly, the two hopefuls in this ward race aren’t of the caliber of candidate we would hope to see running for City Council. Because current 2nd Ward representative Leslie Ford failed to file valid petitions in order to seek re-election, voters will have to choose between John Soppanish and A.J. Smith on Tuesday. Given Smith’s tender age (he’s 20) and Soppanish’s long involvement in the Second Ward Community Council, we recommend 2nd Ward voters elect Soppanish.

Middletown City Council, 3rd Ward — Incumbent Anthony Marconi, first elected in 2005, is opposed by a smart and articulate newcomer, Joshua Laubach. Marconi has been a valuable member of council, earnestly looking out for constituents’ interests and keeping city administrators on their toes, so we believe 3rd Ward representatives would be wise to re-elect him. However, we hope that Laubach, if he loses Tuesday, stays involved in civic affairs. We believe he has a lot of good ideas to offer to voters, too.

Middletown City Council, 4th Ward — Local attorney Daniel Picard is the clear choice in this race. He and Paul Nagy are running to replace David Schiavone, who has represented the 4th Ward since the ward system started in the early 1990s. (He chose not to seek re-election.) Picard is smart, articulate and, most importantly, sharply focused on jobs — retaining existing jobs and bringing new jobs to Middletown. He will be an excellent addition to council.

Middletown Issue 26 (Issue 18 in Warren County) — We don’t like the questionable way that this issue — to abolish ward representation — was placed on the ballot by City Council after council members earlier had rejected it and a citizens’ initiative failed to get enough valid signatures. Supporters say that it will bring Middletown’s best minds to the council table; opponents say its passage will create a council less representative of all sections of the city. We also believe that eliminating the ward system could disenfranchise segments of the community because the deck will be stacked in favor of candidates who can afford a citywide, at-large campaign for council seats. We recommend that voters reject this charter amendment and that city leaders commence a more constructive discussion of this issue.

• State Issue 1 — We recommend its passage. The measure would authorize up to $200 million, financed by the sale of bonds, to offer modest — and well-deserved — bonuses to Ohio’s veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

• State Issue 2 — We urge its defeat. The proposal — a constitutional amendment — would create an Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board and give that group total authority over standards relating to the care of farm animals. If this year’s amendment passes, it would trump any future laws on livestock care that agricultural interests fear might be forthcoming. We don’t believe that agri-business should get this sort of constitutional protection.

• State Issue 3 — This proposal is another constitutional amendment that would allow the establishment of four casinos — in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Columbus — and was written by and for the very developers who would own the casinos, down to the details of what tax rates they’d pay. Even if you like to gamble and believe it should be legalized in Ohio, this plan is a bad deal for Ohioans.

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