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Gov. Strickland reports back to Faith Vote Columbus

Dec. 3, 2007 - As the November 2006 election day approached, hundreds gathered for rallies and events to hear where candidates stood on issues important to them as multi-denominational believers.

While no one at the Faith Vote Columbus events mentioned hot-button issues like abortion or same-sex marriage, everyone was talking about how candidates, if elected, would bring about change on issues like health care, education, pension security, and job loss.

Organizers, including OCSEA Board of Directors member Derek Collins (above), last year asked the candidates to return to give progress reports.

And, that's just what Gov. Ted Strickland did Sunday evening before a packed house of more than 500 people.

Just past the halfway point between Strickland's gubernatorial victory and the approaching presidential election, the Columbus Dispatch reported that the group, for the most part:

...liked what they heard — even though Strickland acknowledged that he hasn't offered a school-funding plan or resolved problems with health care and jobs.When Strickland spoke at the coalition's pre-election rally on Oct. 22 last year, he committed to pursuing the group's platform: maintaining retirement security for government workers, creating "living-wage jobs," fixing Ohio's unconstitutional school-funding system and protecting Medicaid recipients from additional health care cuts.

expanding public preschool, freezing tuition at state colleges and universities for the first time in a decade and increasing parity aid for needy public school districts.

Strickland reiterated his commitment to expand coverage for children despite President Bush's veto of the proposal. He said his administration will bring legal action against the federal government to "force coverage for our children" if Bush's intransigence continues.

Collins (above right) MCed last night's forum hosted at the Trinity Baptist Church on St. Clair Avenue.

The events have drawn in 200 - 500 people per event from more than 30 local churches, community groups, and labor unions, including members and staff from OCSEA and other AFSCME affiliates.