OHDems

COLUMBUS, OH – Republican Congressman Mike Turner has a simple message for Ohioans as he continues to vote for the reckless war with Iran that is raising Ohioans’ gas prices: “No comment.” While Turner doubles down on his support for the war with Iran, and gas prices in Ohio have reached $5.00 a gallon in recent weeks, Kristina Knickerbocker and Ohioans in Ohio’s 10th congressional district are calling him out for it.

“It’s simple why Mike Turner is refusing to comment on his support for the reckless war with Iran that is sky-rocketing Ohioans’ gas prices – he can’t defend his out-of-touch votes,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “While Turner clearly doesn’t think he’s accountable to Ohio families and doesn’t seem to care that with every vote he is further raising Ohioans’ costs, Ohioans are rallying behind Kristina Knickerbocker who will oppose this reckless war with Iran and actually lower costs for families in Ohio’s 10th congressional district.”

Read more about how Ohioans are slamming Mike Turner for his votes to raise costs – and how Turner can’t even be bothered to comment.

Journal-News: Congressional candidate rebukes Turner’s vote on war powers resolution

• “Mike Turner continues to vote for this war, which means it’s a vote for the Miami people to work harder, to suffer more and to not get their basic needs met,” Knickerbocker said.
• Adam Miller, former state representative and current chair of the Ohio Democratic Party Veterans Caucus, joined Knickerbocker’s criticism of Turner’s vote in his opening remarks.
• Miller described Turner’s actions in Congress as a sign of “gross negligence” and said that “Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon today because of Mike Turner’s failure.”
• Knickerbocker claims that Miami Valley residents face the impact of military actions in Iran through the rising cost of living.
• “It is time we have a representative in office that understands the cost we are facing every single day, from rising gas costs to childcare that is completely unaffordable,” Knickerbocker said.
• Turner’s office declined to comment.

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COLUMBUS, OH – Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell is running for Auditor with experience pulling a city out of a fiscal emergency, uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse and addressing those issues to get Maple Heights back on track to grow communities. Blackwell also touts her commitment to working across the aisle, as the Akron Beacon Journal notes she has “done numerous times as mayor.”

In case you missed it, read more on Annette Blackwell’s message to Ohioans about how she “would focus on problem-solving, advising and relationship building,” including to catch corruption, mismanagement, and fraud early if elected Auditor:

Akron Beacon Journal: Maple Heights mayor seeks Ohio seat, focuses on helping cities in crisis

• When Blackwell became mayor of Maple Heights 10 years ago, the city was struggling with finances.
• The city entered fiscal emergency in 2015, before she became mayor, when it failed to make payments on three loans for sewer projects, Ideastream reported. Four years later, the city was released from the emergency.
• Blackwell said this was one year early. It took a lot of effort to turn things around, but that effort came with little help from the auditor’s office.
• Blackwell recalled having a “war room” in her home full of papers and documents. There, she found many problems. The city was paying for health care for retired or dead employees and overpaying for a reduced law department, for example.
• If elected as the auditor, Blackwell said she would focus on problem-solving, advising and relationship building. The latter, she said, could help prevent corruption and mismanagement before it spirals. It also means catching fraud.
• She said her time working with the auditor’s office as mayor and her time as a consultant separate her from LaRose. She’s also willing to work across the aisle with Republicans, which she has done numerous times as mayor.
• “I don’t mind being the first person to cross the aisle, because we do our best work together,” she said.

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COLUMBUS, OH – Following the Ohio Democratic Party State Central Committee meeting in Columbus today, Chair Kathleen Clyde issued the following statement:

“Ahead of this critical midterm election, Ohio Democrats are united behind a strong Democratic ticket and a clear mission: lowering costs and ensuring every Ohio family can thrive. While Republican corruption in Columbus and Washington has driven up costs and left Ohioans falling behind, Democrats are focused on delivering the relief and opportunity families deserve. 

“I look forward to continuing to Chair the Ohio Democratic Party and serve alongside incredible leaders throughout our state as we work together to elect Democrats up and down the ballot who will lower costs, protect our freedoms, and get our state back on track.”

Official business at the State Central Committee Meeting included: swearing in members to the Central Committee and voting on Ohio Democratic Party Chair.

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COLUMBUS, OH – Newly unearthed video is shining a light on what Republican candidate for Congress Eric Conroy actually thinks of Ohio voters who don’t share his political beliefs – with Conroy comparing them to terrorists. Conroy’s comments saying, “sometimes, terrorists are easier to talk to than Democrats,” come at a time when division, dangerous rhetoric, and political violence have become all too common in American politics.

“Eric Conroy should apologize to the Ohioans he’s comparing to terrorists,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “Conroy is proving every day that he only cares about Ohioans if they support him. Ohioans want leaders who will put the people they serve above partisan politics, not extremist politicians who would just be a rubber stamp for the policies that are devastating Ohio families of all political backgrounds, like Washington Republicans’ dangerous healthcare cuts that are ripping care away from Ohio families, their devastating tariffs that are hurting Ohio small businesses, and their reckless war with Iran that is sky-rocketing Ohioans’ gas prices.”

In case you missed it, watch Eric Conroy’s message to Ohioans: 

Heartland Signal: Eric Conroy said “sometimes, terrorists are easier to talk to than Democrats”

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“I don’t think we can emphasize enough what the impact of changes coming to SNAP could mean for hunger and economic stability in Ohio”

COLUMBUS, OH – Leaders at Ohio food banks are sounding the alarm on what Washington Republicans’ budget bill could mean for Ohio families as costs continue to rise across the board and there’s an increased demand for food assistance. While Washington Republicans gutted SNAP in order to pay for more tax breaks for corporations and special interests, Ohio food banks are making clear that families could suffer because of it – and the state will be left to foot the bill as the federal government leaves states out to dry to handle the costs of critical food assistance.

Cleveland.com: Ohio’s food banks grappling with high demand that just keeps climbing with economy woes and aid cuts

• “What we have been seeing for the last several years is an increase in people coming,” Mid-Ohio Food Collective spokesman Mike Hochron said. “It’s a tough reality that a lot of our neighbors are one crisis away from not being able to put food on the table.”
• Food banks across Ohio say runaway inflation hurt household budgets, but even after it cooled, prices never came back down. Rent remains high. Utility bills and gas costs are climbing.
• Most people think of SNAP as a program that helps low-income Americans buy groceries. But when benefits get cut, the effects don’t stop at the checkout line. Food banks fill the gap. Local grocery stores lose revenue. And in rural counties like Adams, where one in five residents receives benefits, that can shake the local economy.
• “I don’t think we can emphasize enough what the impact of changes coming to SNAP could mean for hunger and economic stability in Ohio,” Hochron said.
• The cuts don’t stop with recipients. For the first time, Ohio is also on the hook for a portion of the program’s costs.
• Under the new law, the federal government cut its share of Ohio’s SNAP administrative costs in half — a gap of about $70 million the state had to fill. The federal share drops again in October, and Ohio will have to find more money to cover it.
• “Republican and Democratic Governors alike are warning they cannot pick up the new cost share coming down the pike,” U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, said in an April floor speech. “That means more cuts. More hunger. More harm.”

Read more HERE from Cleveland.com on how the impacts of Washington Republicans’ budget bill “don’t stop at the checkout line,” as “food banks fill the gap. Local grocery stores lose revenue. And in rural counties like Adams, where one in five residents receives benefits, that can shake the local economy.”
 

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