Ohio was once the nation's capitol for industry, corporate leadership, and education. Today, unemployment in Ohio is surpassed in only four other states, and our leading exports - once steel, agriculture, and automobiles - are now our children, fleeing a failing state economy for higher incomes in Nevada, California, and Washington State.

Ohio is made great by its citizens; losing our brightest young minds to the sunshine belt hurts all of us, and in a very real way diverts the tax dollars Ohio has scrupulously invested in university educations to other states.

Government has the responsibility to safeguard the investments of its citizens, both human and financial. I look forward to the opportunities to pursue our state interests in Columbus: to bring industry back to Ohio through market specific targeting programs, to make sure that every child has the opportunity to learn in middle schools and high schools, and to work with colleges and universities to retain the ability the we create at Oberlin, Case Western, Ohio State, Cleveland State, LCCC, and the literally dozens of other Ohio colleges.