League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
	Hamilton, Warren County, OH November 2, 2010 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues State Representative; District 35

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Qualification, Priorities, Budget deficient, School finance, Tax structure Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What are your Qualifications for Office? (50 word limit) Answer from Marcia Garrison: A proven leader, a visionary and a public servant. As a State Representative I will be an elected official whose top priority is to serve as a liason between Constituents in the 35th District and state government. Education,community involvement and employment prepared me for the challenges of this office. 2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit) Answer from Marcia Garrison: 1] We have to provide employment training for our students as part of their academic curriculum, so when they graduate from high school or college they are prepared to compete successfully in the World. 2]Improving Ohio's economic development efforts through the establishment of a new innovative joint governmental and private sector corporation, allowing Ohio to more aggressively help existing businesses grow, expand and attract new businesses to Ohio, creating Jobs. 3] Raise expectations of all students by setting higher academic standards. Invest in students financially and expand the use of technology in the classroom. 3. Ohio is facing a huge budget deficit for the FYs ending in 2012 and 2013. What specific revenue increases would you support and what cuts would you make to balance the budget? (150 word limit) Answer from Marcia Garrison: First and Foremost I will support remedies to Fix not just postpone the budget problem. We can't afford to allow an 8 billion dollar deficit to hang over our heads or even to balloon. Every program and agency must be evaluated for its effectiveness and efficiency. Make certain that, if one-time funds are part of the budget, they are only used for one-time costs, not for recurring expenses. Find the most efficient way to operate our governmental agencies, utilize valuable assets, and have the courage to eliminate programs that are obsolete or ineffective. 4. What should be done to ensure that all community schools and nonpublic schools that accept state financial support (including vouchers) are accountable to the public? (150 word limit) Answer from Marcia Garrison: I believe all schools who accept governmental funding are accountable to the tax payers and should be held to the same standards and accountability measures. 5. What would you propose, if anything, to change Ohio’s tax structure? (150 word limit) Answer from Marcia Garrison: I believe the Ohio tax structure is fine, we need to get people working, and spending and the economy back on track. I understand the impact taxes have on the economy, businesses and families, which is why I would propose we need a blue ribbon commission to study the Ohio tax department and define ways to improve auditing, collections and enforcement. 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.