Pubdate: Thu, 17 Oct 2002
Source: ThisWeek (OH)
Edition: Clintonville
Copyright: 2002 ThisWeek
Contact:  http://www.thisweeknews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1298
Author: Michael Racey

Three Battle for Ohio House Seat

The three candidates vying for the Ohio House 22nd District seat agree on 
one thing: The average Ohioan is paying too darn much in taxes.

It's an odd bond among three men who clearly represent different points 
along the political spectrum.

"That's what they're telling me about," said Jim Hughes, the Republican 
incumbent, referring to recent conversations with constituents. "People are 
telling me 'We can't have our property taxes raised. I can't afford to pay 
for this stuff.'"

Hughes, a Clintonville resident, has solid conservative credentials but is 
also tight with the more moderate party leadership of the state's 
legislative and executive branches.

The 38-year-old currently represents the 27th District, the boundaries of 
which will change next year. Redistricting efforts by the General Assembly 
resulted in the newly formed 22nd District, which will encompass 
Clintonville, Dublin and, roughly, the southwestern half of Worthington.

In his first term, Hughes has already built a reputation for holding 
bureaucrats' feet to the fire when it comes to answering queries about 
their budgets.

Hughes doesn't discuss specifics about what taxes should be reduced, 
deferring instead to the Select Committee on Taxation, which is supposed to 
report recommendations for tax-code changes at the end of the year.

One of his competitors this year, Democrat Ken Schweickart, is probably 
best known for his advocacy of legalizing marijuana for medical and 
industrial uses, although that isn't an issue he raises in this campaign.

Schweickart, 32, is development director for the Ohio Patient Network and 
is focusing his campaign on changing the state's tax code and eliminating 
Ohio's dependence on fossil fuels. "I want a trickle-up economy," he said, 
adding he would support lowering personal, death and inventory taxes, if 
elected.

Schweickart also wants Ohio to offer tax breaks to technology companies and 
businesses pursuing clean energy sources.
"Ohio was the leader of the industrial revolution and I want it to be the 
leader of the post-industrial age," he said.

Schweickart is also critical of recent tuition hikes by state colleges and 
universities and the legislature's decision to remove caps on the 
percentage of tuition increases.

The third candidate in this race is listed as an independent but actually 
represents the Green Party.

Alan Amstutz, 52, is a Dublin resident and ran an unsuccessful campaign for 
Dublin City Council last fall. A self-employed painter, Amstutz has, 
perhaps, the most aggressive ideas when it comes to tax reform. He believes 
the state should do away with property taxes and focus on a value-added, or 
sales tax-based system.

"The mishmash of what we have now is not effective," Amstutz said.

He also favors gun-control legislation and a single-payer, or state-run, 
system of health insurance in Ohio. For obvious reasons, both

Amstutz and Schweickart criticize the one-party dominance that has existed 
in state government for the last eight years.

Amstutz said he worries about what he perceives as the over-dependence 
Republican candidates have on their leaders, such as

House Speaker Larry Householder and Gov. Bob Taft. "They're not the 
candidates," he said. "I think there's a fear factor there. What if the 
party's wrong? What do you do?"