State Rep. Todd Book Defends Rural Ohio

Ohio’s 89th District Representative Todd Book (D-McDermott) hosted a press conference in Portsmouth on Thursday to criticize current GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich’s past attempts to cut funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission, and further describe the former Congressman as being opposed to rural and Appalachian Ohioans.

Kasich is a former U.S. Congressman from Ohio’s 12th District, which includes Westerville and parts of Columbus. He left his seat in Congress in 2001. In November he will challenge the incumbent Democratic Ted Strickland for Governor.

Two weeks ago, a spokesperson for Kasich’s campaign criticized Gov. Strickland for growing up “in a chicken shack on Duck Run” in Scioto County and ignoring the problems facing urban cities...

Since the comment was made, state Democrats have continued to fire back at Kasich pointing at his past ties to Wall Street and the failed investment firm Lehmen Brothers.

Standing on Second Street next to a giant mural of famed cowboy Roy Rogers on Thursday, Book noted that Rogers also grew up on Duck Run. Branch Rickey also grew up on Duck Run, and later helped integrate major league baseball by recruiting Jackie Robinson in 1945.

“While rural Ohioans should be insulted by these glib remarks, the insensitivity of these comments underscore what I consider to be a larger problem. Throughout his entire career, Congressman Kasich fought for policies that benefitted Wall Street while selling out the interest of rural Ohioans. Then he cashed out on those policies for eight years as a managing director for Wall Street investment firm Lehman Brothers, and we all know its history,” Book said.

Book said the “chicken shack” comment paired with Kasich’s record of trying to slash funding to the ARC illustrate Kasich’s opposition to rural and Appalachian Ohioans.

According to its website (www.arc.gov), the ARC was established by an act of Congress in 1965 to be a regional economic development agency representing a partnership of federal, state, and local government. Governors from 13 states make up the Commission’s Board, along with a federal chair appointed by the president.

“Despite facing difficult budget situation, Ted has invested in the businesses and people of our Appalachian region, and understands the critical importance of the ARC,” said Allison Kolodziej, spokesperson for the Strickland campaign.

The ARC funds projects that meet the four goals of its strategic plan:

• Increase job opportunities and per capita income in Appalachia to reach parity with the nation,

• Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia to compete in the global economy,

• Develop and improve Appalachia’s infrastructure to make the Region economically competitive; and,

• Build the Appalachian Development Highway System to reduce Appalachia’s isolation.

“If you look at statistics over the last two decades, 90 percent of all growth has been along interstate and highway systems. We’ve been completely dealt-around when if comes to the interstate system so this program was put in place as a way to try to help that. So to think about trying to cut that doesn’t seem very supportive of rural areas and Appalachian Ohio,” Book said.

According to Book, Kasich submitted a budget plan in 1993 that would have frozen spending on the ARC; and in 1995 he submitted another plan to eliminate the program entirely. The budget that was later passed in 1996 cut funding in half for the ARC’s anti-poverty programs. Book said Kasich called the ARC-funded programs “pet projects” and “marginally successful” in 1997.

“Congressman Kasich’s attempts to slash funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission, as well has his campaign’s degrading comments about Ted’s upbringing on Duck Run, just show (how) out of touch Congressman Kasich is with rural Ohioans,” Kolodziej said.

The campaign also accused Kasich of turning his back on Ohio families.

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Book said the ARC funds 400 projects every year to help the Appalachian region remain economically competitive. Among them was the purchase of new equipment for the Family Health Care Center, in Portsmouth, and Southern Ohio Medical Center’s Cardiac Center in 2008.

“Now SOMC is the only facility able to provide open-heart surgery in Scioto and surrounding counties,” Book said.

In 2009, the ARC funded 34 Ohio projects for a total investment of $6,050,693; many sewer and water system upgrades, distance learning and workforce training programs. Book said Kasich has likened them all to “weeds in a garden that need to be uprooted.”

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