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LWV League of Women Voters of Ohio

Smart Voter
Hamilton County, OH November 7, 2006 Election
Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
State Representative; District 30


The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and LWV Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Redistricting, Qualification, Priorities, Oversight Charter Schools, Foreclosure

Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest.


1. Both parties have called for redistricting reform. What three top criteria should be used in redrawing legislative districts? (150 word limit)

(No candidates submitted answers to this question)


2. What are your Qualifications for Office? (50 word limit)

Answer from William Seitz:

Partner, Taft, Stettinius & Hollister law firm; 3-term Ohio House member currently serving as Assistant Majority Whip and previously as Chair of Civil & Commercial Law Committee; previously elected to Cincinnati School Board and two terms as Green Township Trustee; past president of Hamilton County Township Association, Western Economic Council, and Westwood Civic Association.


3. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit)

Answer from William Seitz:

  • Allow more levy millage to grow with property inflation; do not impute to local districts money they do not collect; and give fixed-income homeowners an income tax break if their school property taxes exceed a specified percentage of their annual income.

  • Voters should approve the Learn & Earn initiative on the fall ballot, and the Legislature should implement it faithfully. This will provide hundreds of millions of dollars in college scholarship and local economic development monies, and stop the outflow of Ohioans' dollars to neighboring states that already allow slot machines.

  • Continue to work out the "bugs" in the Commercial Activities Tax.


4. What changes would you recommend for improving public oversight of charter schools? (150 word limit)

Answer from William Seitz:

I support this nation-leading program, piloted in Cleveland and now expanded statewide. Children trapped in failing (academic emergency/academic watch) public schools should have other choices if the parochial and private schools will serve them. Research shows that (at a minimum) children in these alternative settings perform no worse than their public school counterparts, but the cost of educating them is far, far less. If two cars perform equally well, but one costs $20,000 and the other $10,000, which one would you buy?


5. Ohio has the highest foreclosure rate in the nation. What actions would you support at the state level to address this crisis? (150 word limit)

Answer from William Seitz:

This year we enacted a comprehensive predatory lending bill, which I voted for. This bill was hailed by consumer groups as among the nation's most comprehensive, so it should be given a chance to work. What we now need to do is to infuse the teaching of economics, money management, and financial literacy into our K-12 school curriculum. I am working to amend the pending legislation that strengthens Ohio's core curriculum to improve high schoolers' college readiness. My amendment will add "financial literacy" to the curriculum, so tomorrow's homebuyers will better understand how debt financing works and learn how to borrow wisely.


Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.


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Created: January 4, 2007 09:48 PST
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