Candidates quizzed by citizens on data centers, school funding, war in Iran, corruption in Trump administration – BG Independent News

Candidates quizzed by citizens on data centers, school funding, war in Iran, corruption in Trump administration – BG Independent News

By JAN McLAUGHLIN BG Independent News Even the most polished politicians were challenged by the Candidates Round Table held in Wood County last weekend. The League of Women Voters format was the modified “speed dating” process – with one candidate sitting at a table with up to eight citizens, answering questions for eight minutes before moving on to the next table with the next group of voters. That meant eight-minute campaign pitches – 17 times. (More in depth stories on the candidates in Wood County will be posted at a later date in BG Independent News.) A handful of the Republican candidates, and one Independent candidate were no-shows at the voter round table event. Failing to attend were Republicans Bob Latta for U.S. House District 5, Derek Merrin for U.S. House District 9, Edward Schimmel for Ohio House District 44, Michael R. Goulding for Court of Appeals Judge District 6, CJ Kamm for Court of Appeals Judge District 6, and Independent Lyndsey Stough for Ohio House District 44. The questions were wide-ranging, depending on the makeup of each table. Citizens sought answers on funding for public education, data centers and non-disclosure agreements, runoff polluting Lake Erie, the war in Iran, and corruption. One voter expressed concerns about his grandson serving on a carrier in the Middle East, who has lost 28 pounds since deployment and no longer wants to make the military his career. Journalists were asked by the Perrysburg League of Women Voters to not move from table to table during the event. So following are comments made by the 17 candidates at one table populated by five voters from Bowling Green and one from Grand Rapids. U.S. House District 9 candidate Marcy Kaptur Kaptur, who again finds herself in a new gerrymandered congressional district over 11 counties, talked about her priorities if re-elected. The long-serving Democrat expressed concerns about the “undeclared” war against Iran, the economy, the administration’s refusal to release the Epstein files, the unconstitutional use of money, and the illegal actions of the Trump administration including the president’s family profiting from his presidency. “The mess that’s going to be left for the next generation, I can’t imagine,” she said.  As a lead member of the defense appropriations committee, Kaptur expressed frustration over the administration’s refusal to identify where the $1 trillion requested for the Iran war will be coming from. “We’re flying blind,” she said. And she expressed anger about the lack of information on two Ohio military members killed in the war. Kaptur said she will “absolutely” pursue criminal charges being brought against President Trump. U.S. House District 9 candidate Kathy McKinstry Independent candidate and Marine veteran Kathy McKinstry was a Republican until two years ago. “I don’t like what I see from the country,” she said, explaining her party switch. “They don’t care about any of us.” McKinstry talked about technology giants taking over large swaths of land for data centers. “They are carving up the farm fields,” she said. And she expressed concerns about U.S. military members being forced to act on illegal orders, such as bombing fishing boats off the coasts of Central America based on suspected drug smuggling. “That’s illegal,” said McKinstry, who served nine years in the U.S. Marines. If elected, McKinstry said she would support criminal charges against the administration. “Impeachment – I’m for it,” she said. “They need to answer for it.” U.S. House District 5 candidate Brian Shaver Democratic candidate Brian Shaver, a classroom teacher for 27 years in Fostoria, has spent his career teaching about the U.S. Constitution, including the checks and balances that he sees as lacking by this Congress. “I feel the very fabric of our nation is in trouble,” Shaver said. “We have to hold people accountable.” As president of the Fostoria City Council, he knows the value of relationships and mourns the loss of the collaboration between the U.S. and Canada. “Canada will probably never be a trusted trading partner again,” he said. Shaver also expressed concerns about the affordability crisis in the U.S., and talked about his common sense approach and his commitment to a non-partisan approach to problems. U.S. House District 5 candidate Michael Veloff The Libertarian candidate for Congress, Michael Veloff, shared his distrust in the Trump administration’s mission for ICE, which is deporting far more than the “worst of the worst” immigrants in America.  The talk from the administration about putting ICE members at polling places on Nov. 3 is particularly disturbing, he said. “That’s not the America I want to live in,” with masked and armed ICE members patrolling polls, he said. Veloff, who has an English degree and experience with crypto currency, has not held a public office. He expressed his view opposing property taxes the way they are currently structured, his concern about the increasing state budget surpluses, and his belief that the U.S. Department of Education should be preserved. Ohio House District 75 candidate Haraz Ghanbari The Republican incumbent, Haraz Ghanbari, was asked about his support for House Bill 96 and its expansion of school vouchers.  Ghanbari explained his initial support of vouchers as a method to give lower income students access to better performing schools. But now the vouchers are available to any families regardless of their ability to pay for private schools themselves. “I believe the vouchers expansion has gone too far,” he said. “We need more checks and balances on vouchers.”  Ghanbari also voiced his concerns about private schools turning away students with disabilities. Public schools serve all students regardless of their special needs. “We have a constitutional obligation to make sure our public schools are funded,” he said. Ohio House District 75 candidate Richard Rettig As a public school teacher and counselor starting in 1993, Richard Rettig, of Perrysburg, has some pretty strong feelings about school funding and vouchers.  Public schools in Ohio have lost $1 billion to vouchers for private schools, he said. “I was a government cheese kid and a Pell grant student,” Rettig, a Democrat, said. But the vouchers aren’t for low income children, and often subsidize families that are already paying for private school on their own.  And as a Perrysburg City Council member and president, Rettig has definite feelings about accountability. So the use of non-disclosure agreements between elected officials and data center companies does not sit well with him. “That can’t happen anymore. It’s not fair,” he said about NDAs being used to keep the end user hushed until deals are made. “And they need to be taxed the same as us,” Rettig said about data centers. Ohio House District 44 candidate David Fournier David Fournier, a Democratic attorney from Whitehouse, decided he needed to run for state representative to bring some balance to the statehouse. “You need people from both sides to hold a dialogue,” he said. One-party control by Republicans has resulted in higher utility bills and tax cuts for businesses – at the expense of public schools, he said. Ohio is currently ranked at No. 1 for starting a business, but No. 42 for quality of life, Fournier said. A priority for Fournier is sustainable funding for public schools, rather than the current system of underfunding public education in order to subsidize vouchers for families who don’t need the financial assistance. Wood County Commissioner candidate Joseph DeMare The Independent candidate for county commissioner, Joe DeMare, refers to himself as “the anti-data center candidate.” “The county commissioners need to step in and prevent them,” the candidate from Bowling Green said, without offering any specifics. The county should be focused on making county buildings more resilient to climate changes, with the use of geothermal heating and solar. The county buildings should be able to shelter people in the event of climate disasters, he said. DeMare also believes the county should have a dedicated tech security department focused on avoiding such incidents as the cyber attack of 2024. “We still don’t know how this attack happened.” He is opposed to the state cutting funding to local governments at the same time that it builds a $1.7 billion surplus. “I’m stubborn and I’m a fighter,” he said, noting his efforts to get Bowling Green to end its fees on rooftop solar systems. He is beholden to no party, he added. “As an independent, I can make a fuss.” DeMare said the commissioners should invest in the aging Wood Haven Health Care facility. “I think we’re the carer of last resort.” Wood County Commissioner candidate Ryan Lee When Ryan Lee was selected to run as a Republican to replace Doris Herringshaw on the ballot, it represented another opportunity for Lee to serve the public.  While in high school in 1993, Lee trained as a volunteer firefighter – a role he still performs today. He later became a member of Jerry City Village Council, followed by him being elected as mayor when he was in college. Lee went on to be elected four times to serve on the Elmwood Board of Education.  He currently serves as assistant superintendent at Penta Career Center – a job he would leave if elected commissioner. Serving as mayor during the era of Jim Carter, Tim Brown and Alvie Perkins as county commissioners, Lee said he learned a lot from the bi-partisan board. “I am genuinely interested in what your needs are,” he said. Lee said large surplus rainy day funds should be examined, especially when the county needs for road and bridge repairs, and nursing home renovations are so great. Wood County Commissioner candidate Brenna Reynolds The Democratic candidate for county commissioner, Brenna Reynolds, would like to make the office more accessible to constituents – something she has worked on as a Rossford City Council member, hosting community conversations with residents. Since the vast majority of county commissioner meetings take place during the day, Reynolds said she would look into having the meetings livestreamed then posted for people who work during the day. “Service has always been a part of who I am,” and she is a big believer in bipartisan collaboration, said Reynolds, who recently earned her masters degree in public administration.  If elected, she would focus on how funds are appropriated in the office. She has concerns that too much money is being carried over each year, despite more than 100 roads and bridges in the county being rated in poor condition.  Reynolds doesn’t believe county commissioners have any business signing NDAs. As for data centers, she stated “not all are the same,” adding that hyperscale centers like the one being built in Middleton Township should not receive tax abatements or NDAs. Wood County Judge of Common Pleas candidate Paul Dobson The Republican candidate for county common pleas judge, Paul Dobson, believes victims sometimes get lost in the justice system. After 28 years in the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office, 18 as the prosecuting attorney, Dobson said he understands the value of a definitive decision. “His experience is not as a trial attorney,” he said of his opponent.  “They are feeling more and more lost in the system,” Dobson said of victims of crime. “They should know their voice was heard. That has driven me to run for judge.” Dobson noted his office’s creation of the Addiction Response Collaborative, which serves as a diversion program for defendants with drug addictions. He pointed out that unlike other counties, Wood County’s Common Pleas courts have no “specialty courts”  dedicated to cases involving defendants with drug and mental health issues. Wood County Judge of Common Pleas candidate Joel Kuhlman The Democratic incumbent for Wood County Common Pleas Judge since 2021, Joel Kuhlman, has handled an average of 350 civil and 270 criminal cases a year. When Kuhlman took over the judgeship, a case ruled on by the court was overturned every three months. Now that happens an average of 23 months. His focus has been on giving complex cases more time. “The quality of decisions has gone up,” he said. As for creating a special drug court, Kuhlman said the three common pleas judges in Wood County have talked about adopting that process. He added that he is not opposed to specialty courts. “I’m not the ‘no’ vote on that,” he said.  “I take my job very seriously,” he said. “I think about the community I want to live in when I’m hearing cases and employing the law. It’s important that people have faith in the system in Wood County.” Wood County Probate and Juvenile Court Judge candidate Megan Newlove The Democratic contender for the juvenile and probate judgeship, Megan Newlove, spent much of the early part of her law career practicing in juvenile court, performing state administered adoptions and working on guardianships for people with disabilities. Newlove, of Bowling Green, has served other public roles including president of Bowling Green City Council and on BGSU Trustees. She believes she has the temperament needed for the job. “These are the most emotionally charged cases you’re going to see,” when families lose a loved one or children are in trouble, she said. The challenges facing the courts include more litigation in probate court, and the growing mental health needs in juvenile court. As judge, she would work to link families with resources in the county. “In juvenile court, there’s a lot of opportunity to change the direction of someone’s life,” she said. Wood County Judge of Probate and Juvenile Courts candidate Doug Ruck The Republican contender for judge of the juvenile and probate courts is Doug Ruck, a lifelong Pemberville resident. One of the challenges Ruck sees for the courts is the need for more staffing and volunteers for the Court Appointed Special Advocates in juvenile court, and volunteer guardians in the probate court. Ruck has been practicing law for 28 years in Pemberville and Perrysburg. “I’ve been mostly focused on representing families,” he said. “The things these courts do, I know all about that.” A challenge Ruck has identified in the courts is the increase in caseloads at the same time there is a decrease in resources. “That’s going to be the biggest challenge – fighting for budgets,” he said. Wood County Auditor candidate Matthew Oestreich The Republican incumbent in the county auditor race, Matt Oestreich, began his career in the auditor’s weights and measures division in 2000, and took over as head of the office in 2017. He has watched as estate taxes and personal property taxes went away, and new software was employed to make the office work more efficiently.  Over that period, the auditor’s office has gone from 21 to 14½ employees. While other county office’s payrolls grew, Oestreich said the auditor’s office has remained the same – with his employees handling more responsibilities. Oestreich does not support the abolishment of property taxes in Ohio. Through property taxes, Ohio collects $96 million from businesses and utilities that otherwise would pay no taxes in the state, he said. He predicted that AI will one day be employed to help with property reappraisals, to help make them less expensive and more accurate. However, Oestreich added that he will still want a licensed human appraiser in the field.  Wood County Auditor candidate Mark Wongrowski The Democratic challenger for auditor, Mark Wongrowski of Bowling Green, would like to add more transparency to the office. Though the office website provides local residents with real estate information and ways to factor the effect of levies, it should be easier to obtain the data, he said. “You have to go through layers. It’s a poorly designed website,” Wongrowski said. “I want to bring in modern tools for people to access how their money is being used,” he said. Wongrowski grew up on a cattle farm in the Eastwood area, worked at Jeep, Libbey Glass, and now at First Solar in supply chains and capital expansion. “My focus is to bring in new ideas with a continuous improvement mindset,” he said. Wongrowski believes the state needs to hold up its end of school funding. With the current funding structure, “the community’s only recourse is to implement a levy locally,” he said. Court of Appeals Judge District 6 candidate Myron Duhart The Democratic incumbent, Myron Duhart, previously practiced in common pleas court. The appeals court allows judges to spend more time on cases, he said, comparing it to an “instant replay” of a sports competition. The appeals court has a panel of three judges. “It’s always good to have more than one set of eyes,” he said.