By Melody GustafsonAside from various open council, school board and trustee seats in the townships, villages and municipalities, citizens will consider five local fiscal questions and three state issues. The links here go to The Vindicator web site at http://www.vindy.com/politics/races/2009/ and Columbiana County Board of Elections (BOE) web site at http://www.columbianacounty.org/BOE/index.htm where its easy to explore all the issues and candidates before voting.
The Ohio Board of Elections web site describes in detail identification required to vote. A state-issued photo ID must be current with proper address, and a military ID is acceptable. While the notification card mailed to a voter isn't a valid form, utility bills, including cell-phone bills, bank statements, paychecks and government checks listing the voter's name and current address are.
The passing of Issue 1 will allow the State of Ohio to issue up to $200,000,000 of bonds to veterans of Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq conflicts who were Ohio residents before deployment. The benefits extend to kin of the eligible fallen or missing. The bill will expire after 2013. Assuming the state has the funds to provide to the Ohio veterans, this can be thought of as an economic stimulus package for Ohio in the form of a reward for military service and an incentive to enlist. But, since Ohio is BORROWING the money to fund this bill, Issue 1 is a bad joke, the most irresponsible legislation shoved in the face of victim taxpayers for a while.
Issue 2 will create an Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board comprised of 13 experts in various relevant disciplines who will "prescribe standards for animal care, well-being, and disease prevention" according to the Board of Elections web site. Interestingly, agricultural and animal groups oppose the amendment, claiming that passage of this measure will create and perpetuate heinous treatment practices for animals that benefit the business interests of "Big Ag," or corporate farms that "cut corners" for a bigger bottom line at the expense of food quality and animal rights. Check out The Humane Society web site for arguments opposing Issue 2 --
http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/ballot_initiatives/ohio_issue_2.html .
Here is a link to an article that claims that the opponents of Issue 2 are employing "trickery" that is effective to "end consumption of animal protein" in the U.S.- http://ourohio.org/index.php?page=yes-on-issue-2. The main contention is that by supporting the measure, citizens can preserve the freedom to eat the meat, milk and eggs they love.
Issue 3 will add an amendment to the Ohio constitution that will allow four casinos to do business only in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo. Of each casino's gross revenue, 33 percent will go to the state coffers as a tax.
The amendment earmarks 51 percent of the casino revenue tax money for distribution among all the 88 counties based on population size. Cities with the highest population in any given county with more than 80,000 people will get half that county's share. Columbiana has no cities with 80, 000 people so all the casino money will go to the general fund.
For those who fear a state population given to hopeless gambling addiction, rethink individual responsibility and common sense. The mere availability of a vice does not create problems. If the presence of a casino makes gambling addicts, then the citizenry of Ohio would all be a group of lascivious, obese alcoholics, and this isn't true as much as the presence of a church makes everyone on its street devout in worship.
It's always a good idea to open the land up to new businesses that will bring jobs and money into the state. Oh, and the licensed operators have to pay a one-time $50,000,000 tax just to set up shop. If all four casinos spring up within the next 4 years, that revenue is exactly what Ohio needs to award to the veterans according to proposed Issue 1. Be sure to check out the earmarked percentages for doling out the money generated from the legalization of gambling at the BOE site. This amendment looks like a win-win for anybody who gets to party on the slush fund created by the 6 percent of the casino money that goes to the ambiguous-sounding "Ohio casino control commission and the State racing commission." That is how politicians legally siphon tax dollars into private pockets- paychecks and bonuses to commission members....
UNLESS a voter supports casino gambling in Ohio, yet doesn't like the details of the proposition, don't cast a vote in favor. The argument against Issue 3 provided at this link addresses not the gambling itself, but dissatisfation with the language and the monetary return to Ohioans. Perhaps voters should reject this draft for a better one. Click here: http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/ballotboard/2009/3-official_argument_against.pdf
Call early to find out the hours of operation for the polling station near you.
