Columbus Dispatch endorses Danny O'Connor for Congress in Aug. 7 Special Election
Last edited Sun Jul 8, 2018, 01:54 PM - Edit history (1)
O’Connor calls for new leadership in Congress. “We need change on both sides of the aisle,” he says, and sees his youth and “fresher perspective” as a way to break the influence of special interests that are “dictating the conversation.” It’s why his campaign is not taking contributions from corporate PACs.
He favors rebuilding roads and bridges instead of a border wall (although he favors strong border security through enforcement), would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and work to assure access to health care. “If you’re willing to work 40 hours a week, you shouldn’t live in poverty.” He views Medicare and Social Security as earned social contracts and would not raise eligibility ages.
Calling for common-sense solutions to gun violence, O’Connor would support a “red flag” law to take guns away from those judged to be a threat, which Balderson rejects. O’Connor advocates applying the federal no-fly list to deny guns to those deemed too dangerous to board airplanes.
Balderson unabashedly supports President Donald Trump and declines to criticize other than to acknowledge not liking his tweets. He supports building Trump’s wall for border security, sees the tax cuts enacted this year as a “huge” positive and says, “I don’t have any heartache over his policy.”
A strong supporter of the Second Amendment, Balderson would not take guns even temporarily from licensed carriers in mental distress, although he calls for more mental-health services and would keep those who are mentally ill from acquiring guns in the first place.
On entitlements, Balderson did not support Ohio’s Medicaid expansion and would raise the age of eligibility for Medicare and Social Security. He favors repealing and replacing the federal health reform Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare, which he says has caused southeast Ohio to lose physicians. He would retain a requirement, though, for health insurance to cover pre-existing conditions.
Both candidates favor a pathway to citizenship for the Dreamers brought to this country illegally as children and would like another look at the North American Free Trade Agreement.
By all accounts, both O’Connor and Balderson are decent, successful men who would work hard for voters of the 12th District.
But one supports a reasonable, thoughtful approach to addressing the important issues facing Congress and our country, and the other supports a president who uses tactics and pushes policies that this Editorial Board has denounced. Our endorsement goes to Danny O’Connor.
http://www.dispatch.com/opinion/20180708/endorsement-for-12th-district-danny-oconnor-favored-for-open-seat
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