Ohio Talking Points

Bush is coming to the Shriner's Temple here in Columbus this Thursday for an "Ask the President" dog-and-pony show. I just wrote a letter on the subject to the Columbus Dispatch. I'd encourage you to write your own version to the Dispatch and other local papers like Columbus Business First, This Week Community Newspapers, Suburban News Publications, and OSU's Lantern.

Looking for more information? Check out the Resource Links I've provided over to the right. And don't forget to follow my ten letter-writing tips. (Don't like mine? Look at the John Kerry Media Corps tips.)
-----------

To the Editor:

George W. Bush is coming to Columbus on Thursday to hold an "Ask the President" event. Here are a few questions I'd like to ask:

• Do you think the 1300 workers who were laid off from the Timken Company a few weeks after you campaigned there would have any advice for the 300 workers who were just laid off when Techneglas closed its Columbus plant?

• Last month, the Dispatch reported that "Ohio has 231,700 fewer jobs today than when President Bush took office - including 173,300 fewer manufacturing jobs." When do you anticipate that Ohio will see the 485,000 jobs that were supposed to be created here from your tax cuts?

• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 100,000 Ohioans have lost their health insurance since you took office. That brings us up to more than 1.2 million Ohioans who lack health insurance , a ten percent increase since 1999. Given all that, why haven't you proposed a real plan to bring down health care costs?

• According to the EPA, Ohio is the #1 state for air pollution in the entire U.S. and #2 state for levels of toxic mercury. Why are you gutting the Clean Air Act and making it easier for polluters to poison our kids?
  

I'm sure the Dispatch and its readers can think of other questions that ought to be posed to Mr. Bush when he comes to town.