Legislative candidates’ full answers to questions about poverty

In response to The Athens NEWS' series on poverty in Athens County, several questions about the issue were sent to various local politicians and candidates for office. Below are the questions along with their full responses.

Questions:

1. Oftentimes anti-poverty advocates, education people and health care people end up competing over the same pool of money for resources. With the lobbyists for education and the health care industry much better organized, abundant and well-funded, direct aid to alleviate poverty is often on the losing end. However, all of these components -- direct help, education, and healthcare -- are all necessary to alleviate generational poverty. What can be done to make sure that the necessary resources are being allocated in the right amounts to address poverty adequately and provide resources to these areas equitably?

2. Over 40 years into the war on poverty, U.S. Census figures this week show that there are more poor people than ever. In your opinion, what needs to be changed at the policy level to actually have an impact?

3. Many anti-poverty advocates and caseworkers in the area have said that there is a bad employment problem in Athens County, with most people working in low-wage, no benefit service industry jobs. Many have suggested that the thing that would truly help this poverty situation is if the government put people to work doing public works projects. However, they say there is no political will for this and they really can't see it ever happening. What do you think?

Answers:

Ohio Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland statement on poverty:

"During hard economic times, the need for services grows while resources shrink. I believe my responsibility as governor is to provide steady leadership by balancing the short-term needs of our most vulnerable citizens, especially children living in poverty, with the long-term goal of lifting citizens permanently out of poverty by providing education and job opportunities. That is why, when working through two state budgets, I tried to maintain basic social safety net services for those in need and continued to invest in education and Ohio's economic growth."

Strickland spokesperson Amanda Worst added the following statement addressing the food stamp cuts to pay for the teachers' jobs bill:

Food security is the most pressing issue for too many Ohio families. The Governor will work with other governors and with Congress to ensure that those Americans who rely on SNAP/food stamp benefits receive a benefit that is robust enough to provide them with a daily, healthy diet.

(Strickland opponent John Kasich's campaign has been contacted and presented with the questions, but has not yet responded.)

Ohio's 18^th District U.S. Rep. Zack Space, a Democrat from Dover:

1. I've traveled all over Ohio's 18^th District, volunteering at food pantries and soup kitchens, so I've seen firsthand the impact that poverty has on families throughout Southeastern Ohio. Part of the reason why poverty is such a difficult issue to tackle is because it's caused by many factors all coming together - lack of access to education, infrastructure, and quality health care, just to name a few. All of these factors are monumental challenges on their own, and when, the problem becomes much, much worse.

So we need to do everything we can to begin to tackle these challenges. We can't pretend like it will be easy, but it can be done. One of the biggest issues that we face is a "digital divide," where rural areas aren't up to speed technologically with urban areas - further contributing to the poverty crisis. There is hope, however. The $66 million that I recently brought to Southeastern Ohio to provide broadband will make a serious step in the right direction toward modernizing our infrastructure. Broadband will help to bring our schools and colleges in Southeastern Ohio up to speed, making critical steps toward addressing many of our educational needs. It will help to increase access and quality of health care. And it will help to create a climate that is business-friendly, enabling Southeastern Ohio to lure the businesses - and the jobs they create -- to our region.

2. Poverty in our region is a full-blown crisis, and it's one that has gone on for far too long. To begin to solve it, we have to get our neighbors back to work in good, sustainable jobs. So many jobs in Ohio have been outsourced because of reckless trade deals like NAFTA, and we have to stop the bleeding before we move forward. That means repealing NAFTA, and I'm cosponsoring legislation that would do just that.

We also have to train our workforce here in Ohio to be able to fill the jobs that are becoming available today. Right now, Appalachian Ohio is at a very serious crossroads. We have all of the ingredients that we need to create a boom in our economy - hard workers, an abundance of inexpensive land, and a wealth of natural resources. Even more than that, we know that in the very near future, tens of thousands of jobs are going to be created in the health care and energy sectors alone. If we as a region don't get in front of these growing sectors, someone else will. We can create the jobs right here, we should create the jobs right here, and the only thing standing in the way is our lack of infrastructure. That's why we absolutely must make critical investments in our region like my Connecting Appalachian Ohio Broadband Plan. One thing is for sure, though - we can't afford to put our region through 40 more years of this economic hardship.

3. We've already done this. In addition to billions of dollars in tax cuts, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provided massive funding for transportation and other public works projects, putting our neighbors back to work. And nowhere is this better evident than on the Nelsonville Bypass, the largest Recovery-funded transportation project in Ohio. This project is going to create short-term construction jobs while making a key investment in our region's infrastructure that will open us up to further economic opportunity. That - along with Connecting Appalachia and many of the other construction projects going on here in Ohio - is exactly the kind of project that we need.

Opponent state Sen. Bob Gibbs, a Republican from Lakeville:

1. The most important aspect that needs to be addressed is jobs. We need to promote policies that will restore confidence in the private sector to create jobs. We also need to focus our efforts on job training programs and financial education that will help create full time, ready to work employees. We need programs that provide people in need a hand up instead of a handout. If we can focus on these principles then, long-term, more people will have jobs and opportunities and therefore have less people be in poverty.

2. As the question states the current policies of our federal government are not working. We need, first and foremost, to turn this economy around. We do this by reducing our deficit spending, cutting taxes, and shrinking government. These initiatives will restore confidence and employers will hire and create new jobs. We cannot keep funding programs that obviously don't work; we need programs that help to get people out of poverty. It is inexcusable for one generation to the next to be trapped in poverty. We need to create incentives for people to go back to school or learn a trade instead of encouraging them not to look for work. Finally we need to instill the importance of education to our younger generation and make sure they are able to achieve the best opportunities available.

3. I do not believe creating public work projects is the long term sustainable answer to our skyrocketing unemployment problem. Congress needs to reduce the costs for businesses to operate and be competitive in the global marketplace. We have the second highest corporate income tax in the world and a very burdensome regulatory structure that makes it difficult for our businesses to be competitive. However, Congressman Space voted to pass the Cap and Trade the national energy tax legislation which would cost Ohioans over 100,000 more jobs and financial hardship for families especially those at the lower income level and has lead to our unemployment rate doubling under his watch.

Ohio's 6^th District U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, a Democrat from St. Clairsville:

1. The third party political organizations and money that you allude to can definitely create an unbalanced situation. That's why I work hard to represent the interests of my constituents - no matter what the issue or the opposition. I have lived in Appalachian Ohio my entire life and I will never forget where I came from and what is important to our area.

To your point, we can't tackle the root causes of poverty without addressing the issues of education and health care, and those are exactly the issues on which the current Administration and this Congress have focused. But, as we work on the root causes of poverty, we must help alleviate the immediate pain poverty causes. That's why I voted to increase food stamp funding through the Recovery Act and to extend unemployment benefits to those struggling to find work in this tough economy.

2. The latest U.S. Census figures are further evidence of just how painful this recession has been to so many of our working families. To me, those numbers make a strong case for why we must do everything we can do to turn this economy around. I believe government has a positive role to play in helping our economy, though we cannot do everything alone. Our government should help small businesses create more jobs in our communities, while cracking down on big corporations that have been rewarded too long for shipping jobs overseas and ducking their responsibilities here at home.

3. There is no question that the best anti-poverty program is a job. I have repeatedly voted to close loopholes that make it possible to ship good American jobs overseas. In addition, we must recognize that the majority of the jobs created in the U.S. are created by small business. That's why I'm pleased that Congress has already enacted eight measures that cut small business taxes thus encouraging small businesses to hire more. In addition, under the Affordable Care Act, Congress has made it easier for small businesses to provide affordable health benefits or allow their workers to shop for their own health insurance. These are good starts to eradicating poverty, but more needs to be done.

Opponent businessman Bill Johnson, a Republican from Poland:

1. Poverty is an important issue, especially here in Ohio's 6th District. Unemployment here is among the highest in the state, and this leads to impoverished families. We must focus on job creation in order to create opportunities for good jobs with pay levels that will allow families to grow and prosper. If people are not working, then we cannot expect to have a healthy, vibrant economy. The answer is not having government solve the poverty issue - instead, the answer is to remove barriers so that small businesses and the private sector can grow. Only by providing sustainable job growth can we create opportunities for better lives for all Ohio families. Common sense reforms to issues such as education and healthcare will allow families to save more of their hard earned money, and to spend it as they choose.

2. We cannot rely on government to solve our nations' poverty issues. We must focus our efforts on reducing the size and cost of government, creating a competitive economy, and creating jobs so that all families can have the ability to make a good living. Unemployment in the 6th district has nearly doubled in the last four years, AND THIS has a profound impact on the number of impoverished families. We need to focus on lowering healthcare costs through common sense reforms such as tort reform, and by ensuring that healthcare coverage is portable from job to job and state to state. Changes such as these will help give underprivileged families a break. The answer is not creating more debt or more federal spending. The private sector holds the key to solving our nation's poverty issue. We must allow the private sector freedom to rev up our national economic engine and give citizens freedom from a cycle of poverty.

3. More government spending means more spending and more taxes for all. More government taxes and spending also mean less money in the hands of families that earn it. We need to make the 6th district a more business friendly place so that businesses and industries want to locate here, and so that those businesses can create more good paying jobs. This is not done by creating additional tax burdens for citizens or businesses by over-regulating the businesses where they work. Public works projects are just band-aids to the overwhelming issue of poverty, and they do not create lasting jobs. They are temporary fixes with long term negative consequences. I intend to lower the unemployment rate by helping to create an economy with good paying private sector jobs that will promote long term, sustainable economic growth. Just as we know you cannot dig your way out of a hole, I believe that a large expansive government is NOT the answer to our poverty problem.

Ohio 92^nd House District state Rep. Debbie Phillips, a Democrat from Athens:

1. In balancing the current biennial budget, we worked hard to protect the most vulnerable people and invest in those things that position Ohio for recovery from the recession, such as education. As you state in your question, we must carefully consider all uses of public funds. It is important to protect vulnerable people, help people develop needed skills to help them find jobs, and ensure a good education system. Our education system must include an effective pre-K through 16 system, career-technical education, and smart workforce development.

2. First, we need to evaluate the indicators that are used to measure poverty. Many anti-poverty advocates believe that the indicators are outdated, and may be underestimating poverty counts because of the increased costs of housing and medical care. Secondly, we need to work on programs that are individually targeted, so that people are able to get appropriate education and training, while basic needs are met. Thirdly, programs must allow for a rational transition off of assistance. Too often, if an individual starts to earn money, they lose benefits to the extent that they are unable to continue their education or their job (child care, medical care, etc.). Policies should encourage efforts toward self-sufficiency.

3. We need good jobs in our region, which is why we have to keep working on economic development. Some people are working on public works, through stimulus-funded projects in the region. The Nelsonville bypass is one, and the weatherization program is another. Community Action agencies in the area have been able to hire additional people to do this work, and those people are earning a paycheck, and learning marketable skills at the same time.

Opponent former Ohio State Patrol Athens Post Commander Mike Hunter, a Republican from Athens:

1. No amount of figuring will ever make any of the advocates believe that they are getting "their" share of the pot. Examples: we hear that education needs more money, but since 1970 the cost of education has risen fourfold in real dollars while students have only increased by 9%. Are our students being educated nearly four times as well as students in 1970 (the year I graduated from high school)? In the last ten years Ohio spending on healthcare has risen by more than 30% adjusted for inflation. Encouraging dependence instead of self-reliance is harming our country and contributes to generational welfare and poverty. We must examine our system, decide what our government should and should not do, and then adapt a new model accordingly.

2. The good news is that the numbers of poor as a percentage have not increased dramatically. After more than 13 trillion dollars have been spent on the war on poverty, poverty is still with us however. So let's examine what we have.

First there is the definition of "poor". For most of us, the word "poverty" suggests destitution or the inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. The U. S. government, however, measures only one thing - income. Some people living off their stock portfolios, with homes already paid for, are considered poor, even though they are not. This, of course, is not about them, but it shows how statistics can be skewed to achieve an agenda. This should be changed.

The Census estimate shows more poor people than ever, but it fails to say that most poor people do not remain poor. People may move into the poor category as they leave home for the first time and join the workforce at entry level. With ever greater population, it would correlate that there would be more in the poor category at least briefly. An example is my son who was "poor" by the census standards last year. A recent college graduate who did not initially find a job in his field, he worked part time jobs until hired as a "seasonal" worker. Several months later after proving his worth, he was hired permanently. His salary now plants him squarely in the middle class.

This does not mean that none of the poor are truly poor. Each year, immigration (both legal and illegal) adds many new persons to the nation's poverty count. According to the government, first-generation immigrants and their minor children account for nearly one-fourth of all poor people. Many of the people who earn only the minimum wage are students working part time jobs and immigrants.

Many of the poor are single women raising children. According to the government, nearly two-thirds of poor children reside in single-parent homes. Ideally if poor mothers married the fathers of their children, almost three-quarters would not be in poverty any longer. This is probably an unreasonable expectation and cannot be legislated, but a healthy marriage culture encourages adults to live so that children are raised and nurtured by both parents. Anti-poverty programs should encourage marriage when feasible. Popular media often glorifies promiscuity with little regard for its effects.

The welfare system encourages idle dependence (instead of work) and rewards single parenthood while penalizing marriage. While work and marriage help people step out of poverty, the welfare system seems unfriendly to both. Major programs such as food stamps, public housing, and Medicaid should require work (or at least preparation to enter the workforce with training or education) and at least encourage marriage.

3. I think that the advocates are correct in that there is no political will for such a thing. The big question would be: Who is going to pay for it?

People who work in low-paying service industries (and stick with it) gain experience, discipline, and a rsum. Many large service corporations identify people for long range employment and provide opportunity for advancement and benefits. Millions had their first employment at McDonalds and now work in much better jobs. Employers look for people with a job history. Job history in low-paying jobs counts and can show an employer that a worker comes to work reliably, can work in a variety of positions, and is able to work with others, making him or her employable elsewhere.

Ideally, new jobs could come to the area, but the local attitude against industry hurts the chance. Manufacturing and industry bring money from other places - the places that buy the products produced. Local service industries, while providing something people want as well as jobs, merely recycle money that is mostly already in the community. People who work to keep industry out condemn many of the poor to remain poor (unless they pick up and leave for another place that encourages industry, business and entrepreneurs). Rather than relying on government funds to solve all problems, government should get out of the way and allow the market to bring the jobs that are needed.

State Sen. Jimmy Stewart, a Republican from Albany (Stewart is not up for re-election):

1. In light of Congress and the Obama Administrations recent decision to take money away from food stamps and give it to schools your question is timely and on the mark! I never thought I would see the day when an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress and Democratic President would take money directly away from food stamp recipients at a time when unemployment hovers near 10%. With that said, about all you can say is that if this issue is important enough to you then hold your elected officials accountable for decisions like this. Seek out and support candidates who support these causes. Look at incumbent legislators voting records as a whole and decide for yourself who you think deserves your vote.

2. The State of Ohio spends nearly 50% of its budget on education (K-12 plus Higher Ed.) Ohio spends nearly 40% on Medicaid. Clearly this enormous investment in education helps in fighting poverty and I have no doubt poverty would be considerably higher if we did not offer free public education through the twelfth grade. Obviously the best way to lower the poverty rate is to create jobs and get the economy moving. While there are many different facets to doing this well out of the control of state government, I truly believe that targeted needs based financial aid for higher education reaps a sizable return on investment and would ideally like to see additional resources targeted in that direction.

3. There are plenty of public projects that need attention in Athens County. At the same time I question the wisdom of such public works projects that compete against our existing taxpaying businesses, individuals and contractors here who do the same kind of work. If there are appropriations made to do these types of needed infrastructure projects then these private entities would hire additional employees as necessary. Government can and does play a big role though through adult education programs in the construction related industries (Vocational Education/Hocking Tech. Construction Management Program, etc).