Dems attack John Kasich's record in rural Ohio

Local Democrats took to the Ross County Courthouse steps Wednesday afternoon because they said they need to defend rural Ohio from Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich.

County Auditor Steve Neal drummed up support for current Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, who he said understands the needs of southern Ohio.

"This is not a Democrat or Republican issue," Neal said. "One candidate understands southern Ohio and the other doesn't have any clue on how we live."

Neal said he particularly was offended by a statement made in June by Rob Nichols, Kasich's press secretary.

"Not until Ted Strickland feared needing their votes did he give urban Ohioans a second thought," Nichols said in response to a speech by Strickland's running mate, Yvette Brown, on urban issues. "Having grown up in a chicken shack on Duck Run, he has all but ignored our cities' economies and their workers."

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Neal was joined by State Rep. Ray Pryor, D-Chillicothe, who said Strickland has been active in working with southern Ohio in the interest of developing infrastructure and finding jobs.

"Ted Strickland has been a very hands-on governor for us here in southern Ohio," Pryor said. "He's worked with us to help bring much-needed development here."

Both pointed to development projects made possible through the Appalachian Regional Commission. The ARC was created in the mid-1960s by state leaders of Appalachian states to address poverty issues in Appalachia. Today, the board is a state-federal partnership with governors from 13 states serving on the board and a federal co-chair appointed by the president.

"Many of our villages would not be able to take on development projects without the ARC funding," Neal said.

Local projects that received help from the ARC included a water storage improvement project in Bainbridge and a sanitary sewer and wastewater treatment center in Richmond Dale. Neal pointed out that the ARC can help provide gap funding for projects that are ready to go but still require some extra funds.

"Just in these last 10 years we've received about $2 million in ARC funds, but it represents more than $10 million in development and investment," Neal said.

Neal said he and fellow Dems are concerned about Kasich's record with regard to support for the ARC. Neal pointed out when Kasich served as a state representative in 1995, he proposed to eliminate the ARC entirely in a budget proposal.

"We're concerned about his record and that he might attempt to once again do away with the ARC," he said.

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