Gooch is the best choice for state rep

Letter to the Editor,

Two people are candidates to be Wayne County’s representative to the Ohio House beginning in January. One candidate, Democrat Mark Gooch, has lived in Wayne County for nearly 40 years and has established himself as a positive, hard-working member of our community. The other, Republican Meredith Craig, just recently moved into Wayne County.

I am proud to urge my fellow citizens to elect Mark Gooch as our state representative. Mark may be best known for his many years of work with the Boy Scouts, Kiwanis Club and his church. I am impressed with his knowledge of the main issues facing Ohio and his understanding of his role as our representative.

Hearing Ohio’s Republican leaders talk about cutting the state income tax while they are giving state funds to religious schools that are not part of the public school system alarmed me and Mark. Meanwhile, these leaders are doing nothing to halt ever-increasing pleas to increase real property taxes because state funding of public education is inadequate to cover costs in this expanding technological era.

Mark wants to keep our schools well funded, and he understands reducing the state income tax reduces funds for public schools and other services. He is opposed to reducing state funds for schools because that means more must be raised locally for schools by increasing the real property tax. Mark will work to prevent the need for greater real property taxes and to create legislation to reduce reliance on those taxes.

Mark also is aware of the need to improve the nearly 50-year-old CAUV to help today’s farmers. He also will work to improve Ohio’s mental health services and economic development.

I sincerely believe Mark Gooch will serve us well as our state representative.

John E. Johnson Sr.

Orrville