Southern Ohio GOP Endorses John Kasich

The Vinton County(Ohio) Republican Party met August 12 at the VC Community Building to plan events for the fall election season. Final touches for an election headquarters are taking place, with a grand opening at a downtown McArthur location slated for September 18 at 10 a.m. Local, regional and perhaps statewide candidates will be making an appearance and addressing the crowd - refreshments will be served.

A myriad of comments concerning Republican candidate for governor, John Kasich's stance on the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) funding have been bantered about in recent media reports. The economically deprived area of southern Ohio receives a multitude of grant funds from this agency for needed infrastructure projects. A spokesman from the John Kasich for Ohio campaign, Rob Nichols, said the statements which have been made that Kasich will "chop" ARC funding are nothing but politicals as usual.

"Saying that John is against ARC funding couldn't be further from the truth. He put multiple entitlement and grant programs under the microscope to make sure the money was being spent properly, in the most efficient manner possible and was accounted for. Nothing more - nothing less. John is from a little town outside of Pittsburgh that experienced its' own set of financial hardships, he would be the last person not to recognize the importance of helping impoverished areas," Nichols stated.

During the GOP meeting, Commissioner, Mike Bledsoe detailed the projects the ARC has funded in Vinton County, and how crucial continued access to those funds are to projects which enhance the quality of life for local residents. "ARC funds have made numberous projects possible throughout the years. We could not have expanded water service to many of the areas that we have without those grant funds. Getting clean drinking water to all Vinton County residents has been a top priority at the Commissioner's office."

While the majority of voters in this southern Ohio county consider themselves conservative/Republican, current Ohio Governor, Ted Strickland gained a hundreds of votes from this traditionally "red" region. Strickland had served the community for many years during the early stages of his political career. Many of the people of southern Ohio consider Strickland one of their own. Although an affinity for Ted Strickland still exists among Democratic party faithful, support has slipped among independent and conservative voters. For decades rural regions of the state have felt neglected and under-represented and saw Strickland as a beacon for hope. As hard it may seem to believe, there are areas in the state which still do not have clean or adequate drinking water and sanitary sewer systems. Infrastrucutre issues and the need to complete access to broadband services to attract business are major issue for Ohioans living in rural areas.

The beautiful geography of the Hocking Hills region of Ohio has proved to be a monumental obstacle with securing broadband services for the area. Ecotourism is a massive and growing industry in the region, with high-speed Internet access heralded as one of the primary means of attracting visitors. Literally hundreds of luxury cabins, lodges, chalets and cottages house thousands of visitors annually to the Hocking Hills State Park, Lake Hope State Park, Moonville Rail Trail and the Lake Alma State Park. Promoting the lodging options as well as the cultural and entertainment attractions has been possible by the increased access to broadband services. Area residents stated their approval for Kasich's views on increasing rural access to broadband. Such access has caused early success for the multi-million outdoor facility, Hocking Peaks Outdoor Adventure Park.

A Lincoln Day dinner is also being planned for October, with door prizes, speeches from candidates complete with a social hour and catered meal. More information will be announced as the detail continue to take shape. Republican party members in Vinton County who would like to volunteer their time staffing the headquarters are urged to contact central committee member, Tami Smith. The Vinton County GOP now has a presence on facebook, so local residents can interact and stay abreast of upcoming events and candidate information. Party Chair, Patty Napier discussed Republican candidates and their views on issues of importance to the area.

"It was great to see the local party pull together and provide so much support for organizing community activities," Vinton County Auditor, Cindy Owings said, in reference to the large turn-out at the meeting and amount of community events which which are being planned for the fall.