Jobs/Economy/Taxes: 
These three are so intertwined that they are a single issue.

While Ohio's unemployment picture has improved since last year, we still have quite a way to go.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for March 2012, Ohio ranks 28th in the nation, meaning that 27 states have lower unemployment rates than us.
 
We MUST make Ohio attractive to new businesses by lower taxes, municipal income tax reform, eliminating
unnecessary regulations, and repealing laws that prevent free markets and competition.  This includes making Ohio a right to work state.

We should avoid the "windfall tax" mentality, which could dampen energy-industry growth by giving up Ohio's competitive tax advantage in this area.

We should reduce tax and regulatory burdens and constraints on Small Businesses:
 - Small business owners create jobs, and stabilize communities.  They should be thanked, not taxed. 
 - Small business owners are the ones who do actively improve our communities. 
  - Small business owners want their community to be healthy, because without a healthy community, their businesses struggle.  We should not over-regulate those who are actively fighting to help their community.

Education: 
Ohio desperately needs education reform.  The property
tax burden on our home and landowners is to the breaking point.  This is evident by the number of school levies that failed in recent years.  

Too much reliance has been put on the Federal and State governments to
educate our children.  Our education system is upside-down.  The responsibility for educating our children begins with the parents, then the local communities and school districts.  Simply put, it is not the job of the federal and state governments to educate our children.  If we, the taxpayers, were not giving a huge slice of our hard-earned money to support bureaucracies we would have more money available to support our local schools.  It should not be up to the government to dictate the curriculum that we want taught to our children.  They are our children and, with input from our teachers and school boards, it should be our choice on what they are taught.

Education, like any other service, is best provided by the free market,
achieving greater quality and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Schools should be managed locally to achieve greater accountability and parental
involvement. Recognizing that the education of children is inextricably linked to moral values, we would return authority to parents to determine the education
of their children, without interference from government.  In particular, parents should have control of and responsibility for all funds expended for their children's education.

Government Spending:
The Ohio Budget, while balanced, did not attack the problem of continuous growth of Government Spending, but continued the status quo.

We need to address the size of state government.  The most recent budget was "balanced" on the backs of local governments (counties, township, municipalities).  The current plan included no net tax cut (it potentially replaces personal income tax with new taxes from the energy industry), thus continuing to feed government spending at the same pace.

To set the stage for serious tax reductions, we need to first reduce the size of government and its associated spending.

Federal Over-reach of Power: 
The tenth amendment of the US
Constitution is short and simple, yet it is probably one of the most
abused.  It states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States
respectively, or to the people.”  

The most important function of the government of Ohio is to protect its
citizens.  The greatest threat to our liberty is the over reaching power of
the federal government, and every member of the state legislature should actively resist  its encroachment on freedom.  

We should work to nullify all unconstitutional federal laws (as Virginia did regarding the NDAA), forbid federal  officials from enforcing these laws in Ohio, and to sequester those federal taxes that don’t fund constitutional purposes.  

Nullification is a responsible and peaceful way to resist federal encroachment without submission on one hand or aggressive confrontation on the other. 
 
As a representative I will work toward creating a peaceful, sovereign, free,
and prosperous Ohio.