Vote for Weirauch

by Cynthia Baron

published October 11th 2006

The race between Paul Gillmor and challenger Robin Weirauch (BGSU Cen-ter for Regional Development) should be taken seriously by everyone in the 5th District.

Gillmor's record as an 18-year incumbent shows he promotes the interests of oil companies – not people in Northwest Ohio. This summer, the Energy and Commerce Committee he chairs passed H. R. 4591, which allows the feds to pre-empt state and local restrictions on the use of toxic chemicals. In 2005, he voted for the sale of public land to mining companies, for tax breaks for oil companies, and for taxpayers to cover costs refineries incur in complying with mandates.

Weirauch is committed to public health, energy independence, and states' rights. She is already providing leadership in sustainable, locally produced, and environmentally sound energy – the retired ambulance that is her campaign van runs on bio-diesel fuel refined in Defiance from soybeans grown in North-west Ohio and sold by a station in her hometown of Napoleon.

Gillmor's calls, e-mails, and mailings in August were a reminder that when there isn't an election coming up, he just phones in his job. The mailing also provides evidence for voting him out of office. (1) Our tax dollars paid for it – even though it is campaign material. (2) It uses political sleight of hand – the photo of Gillmor at a hydrogen fuel pump mimics a photo used in Weirauch's campaign to promote bio-diesel fuel. (3) Gillmor does not read the material his aides prepare and/or (4) He does not know what he votes for – when someone at a Bucyrus town meeting asked Gillmor about his support for legislation to penalize gouging at the gas pump, Gillmor could not identify the bill even though his mailing featured "his comments" about the legislation.

We deserve better representation. We deserve Robin Weirauch.

Cynthia Baron
Bowling Green