Ohio

Ohio Democrats
by Gerry Johnson

            Ohio is called the first truly American state, because it established statehood first out of the northwest territory of 1787. Ohio developed a powerful heavy industry economy, that benefited both Republicans and Democrats over its(Ohio)200+ years of existence. Ohio is a strong state in the Union and Presidential elections must rally the party for their electoral votes on a consistent basis. This essay focuses on the Ohio Democrats and their stands on the issues from social policy to campaign finance.
            Ohio has a population of approximately 11.2 million people in 1996, with a median age of about thirty-five years young. The median household income is higher than the national average at 34,589, but this requires two income earners to achieve this goal. The state is over eighty-five percent white, ten percent black, one percent Latino and one percent all other nationalities. The immigrant population is low at a little over ten thousand people. Most of the people are native to Ohio and seem to remain there most of their lives.
            Ohio's economy has impressively rebounded in the 1990s with manufacturing leading the way. Service industries and retail are the next largest employers with government workers fourth on the list. Agricultural comprised 111,000 jobs in 1995 and rural dwellers are approximately 2 million people. Union membership is a little less than a million people, down from the heyday of the 1950s when US steel was king of the mountain. People living at or below the poverty line is approximately 12.8% over the three years of 1994-1996.
            Education in Ohio is higher in some areas and lower in others. The majority of residents have finished high school, but a sizable portion have less than high school education. College graduates and beyond comprise about 22 percent of the population. Twenty five percent of high school graduates took the SAT with average scores of 1100. In 1995, half million students were enrolled in college and 49,588 people graduated college in that same year.
            For the three years starting in 1994, marriages declines steadily from the high point of 92, 787 to 82,844 in 1996. Divorces, similarly, have declined since 1994 with a high point of 49,968 in that year to 44, 638 in 1996. This suggests a trend against the national average as marriages have been on the rise in the 1990s due to the changing social climate. The housing situation is more homeowners than ever before by party literature, but the statistics indicate mostly renters. In 1995, approximately 8 million people were employed with an employment rate of 4.8% for all people, 10% for African-Americans and 16% for young people.
            Ohio is the state of Presidents, because eight men have been elected from there to the nation=s highest office. There are twenty one electoral votes in Ohio forcing tough campaigning for those votes in general elections. At present, the Republican party hold all the power broker positions in the state: senate, 11 of 19 representatives in the house, governor, and majorities in both state houses. The Democrats were stronger during the Franklin Roosevelt years, but times have changed in this state and the country, too.
            Ohio Democrats are middle of the road in their stances on the issues from social policy to any other policy making points. The Ohio Democrats do not claim the mantel to liberal government in the same manner as before Ronald Reagan. Instead, they(Ohio Democrats) prefer the Clintonian model of democratic politics, which is pragmatic in the political world around us today. The issues espoused reflect this situation and follow in more detail here, starting with social policy.
            Social policy is the one major difference between the parties on the national level and that situation follows here. On the issue of health care for the poor, meaning anyone at poverty level or below, Ohio Democrats want a system of health coverage and are advocating this position in their general assembly this term and the next. Education is the biggest issue on the Democrat plate. The Democrats advocated and got twice the amount of money on this issue. The Democrats fully support head start and are pushing hard for more money to the program over the next several years.
            Ohio Democrats want more money for college education, a big issue in this country today, and are pushing hard for the resources to make college affordable for middle class families. Abortion in the state has been a subject of extremes, but the Democrats support a woman's right to choose. Crime is a sore subject in the state, too. The Democrats report a 16% drop in crime over the last several years and seem to support tough gun control laws. They support more police on the streets and want criminals dealt with in the toughest terms possible. On the welfare front, Ohio Democrats support a program of school training for those who must work for benefits. They want the schooling programs to increase from one year(presently on the books) to two years.
            Ohio Democrats claim prominently to be very equality minded in their outlook. For instance, the delegate selection plan for the 2000 election requires set numbers of delegates from minority groups and women. The Ohio Democrats support equality in pay for equal work and support minority advancement, but not at the expense of other groups. In general, they support the democrat line on women, minorities and other disadvantaged groups. The Democrats support programs for the advancement of women in many ways and have a sizable portion of women representatives in government pushing the agenda forward.
            Economic issues are the most talked about by the Ohio Democrats, other than education, and most are considered positive steps. First, the Democrats claim to support fiscal responsibility with a balanced budget. The Democrats, clearly, want a balanced budget and no irresponsible additions to the process that Republicans may advocate over time. The Democrats advocate tax breaks for families that primarily help the middle class. On the environment, the Democrats are concerned about old plants that have fallen into the category of disuse. The Democrats advocate stringent regulation on the Abrown field problem. This situation arose after the massive closing in the late 1980s and the early 1990s.
            Ohio Democrats support the business boom of the 1990s with financial help, where necessary to make jobs available to a large working populace. They support union activity, but know reality of this state is declining membership. They support programs that allow people to buy their own home. Indeed, the Democrats boast of a high home ownership rate(about 71%). The inference is middle class achievement important to democratic success. On the whole, though, economic issues are important to them, because economic advancement helps seal loyalty to the party.
            On foreign policy, Ohio Democrats support defense engagement on a limited basis only. They want a strong country, but want care of those back home to be the highest on the list. In general, foreign policy needs analysis on a case by case basis and they are comfortable with Clinton policies and his defense/state department teams. Foreign assistance and humanitarian aid are not top on the Ohio democratic agenda, but this situation can change with time. Foreign policy plays a small role in the make up of the negotiated policy arena, because it is national in scope and Ohio is most concerned with the issues that affect them the most.
            Lastly, Ohio Democrats did not address campaign finance reform and at this juncture it is very hard to determine a stand on the issue.