This week, you may have read messages from my husband, Rick, and from my campaign manager, David Dettman, telling you about our ambitious goal of 500 new contributors to our campaign by the end of the year (that is--midnight tonight).
I'm delighted to tell you that the response has been overwhelming! Over the past few days, 367 people have joined our campaign by donating here. The timing could not be better. We must file our December 31st report shortly, and we are just 133 people short of our goal of 500 new donors. I need your help. Now is the time to step up, and here's why:
I have great hope for Ohio, and I believe you do, too. I am willing to do more than hope, though, and I believe you are, too. I'll continue to put myself on the line for a better Ohio and for the kind of campaign we all can be proud of--not bound by or beholden to special interests that squelches real change for greed and at any cost. Ohioans--and Americans--are a generous people, and I believe in them. I will fight for them every day I'm in the Senate.
In order for us to win, we must show Ohioans from every walk of life that our campaign for the United States Senate is about the issues at the center of their lives--like good, living-wage jobs, health care for all of us, affordable child care, good education, respect for the environment and human rights. We have to talk about the things that will make our families happier and healthier and allow more of us to participate in meaningful ways in shaping our future.
We've seen the influence of irresponsible and greedy corporate interests and their Washington power brokers in the financial meltdown and more recently in the health care debate--and it's hurting our country. People have stopped believing in the proposition that government can be a force for good because too few in Washington are talking about things that really matter. Lobbyists, corporate interests, and political consultants have created a self-perpetuating system in which elected officials are so beholden to those who fund their campaigns that they can no longer see what's really important. So many people have become disillusioned--with government, with the media, even with people genuinely trying to make a difference, that they have turned off and tuned out.
They thought they could believe in 2008, but the power brokers keep pushing--and they're wearing us all down--almost.
The great thing about the American spirit is that it is indefatigable--it doesn't give up--that's what made us great, what created the American dream. And none of us wants to give that up. There's still hope that maybe someone, and then maybe some more, will come along who understand that government can be a force for good, if only our leaders have the courage to work for it. Jennifer Brunner is that kind of leader because she understands what public service really means, and that's why I work for her.
I work for Jennifer Brunner because she is a leader, not a follower. She's a fighter, not a poll-tested politician. When it came time to speak up for the rights of all Ohioans to marry, she spoke up early and forcefully. She made national news when she asserted that she would oppose any health care reform package that would restrict a woman's freedom of choice. And Jennifer came out with strong and clear arguments against the latest surge in Afghanistan declaring that it was time to bring our troops home.
I'm Jennifer Brunner's husband, a native of Columbiana County, Ohio, an attorney in Columbus, and a huge fan of classic rock-and-roll. In the late 1970s, the rock band, The Doobie Brothers, had a popular song called "Takin' it to the Streets." While many have appreciated the great sound and driving beat of the song, the message of the song is about fighting for social and economic justice.
That's what Jennifer's campaign for the Senate is all about, and thousands of Ohioans agree with this fight. Over the past few weeks, volunteers in our campaign's "Brunner Brigade" have been hitting the streets all over Ohio. Thanks to contributions of $10, $25, $50, $100, and more from everyday Ohioans like you, more than 100 canvassers have been sponsored in 18 counties from Lorain to Washington, Lucas to Hamilton, and Trumbull to Montgomery. We're already knocking on thousands of doors and we're just getting started. We're "Takin' it to the Streets" for Jennifer's fight for Ohioans like you and me.
Jennifer has been criss-crossing the state talking to everyday Ohioans about jobs, small business, clean energy, health care, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hearing from them their cares, their hopes, and their dreams for their families and their state. She and I care deeply about our state, and she wants to do something about it. She's already returned Ohio's election system to the voters of Ohio and her work for our state has just begun.
For the next four months, we will continue running a grassroots campaign to win this election. Our opponents are raising money from the political establishment--corporations, banks, insurance companies, Wall Street types--the ones who got us into this economic mess. The only way to beat them is to join together and work hard. In the words of the song, "I ain't blind and I don't like what I think I see." We need you to help us take this campaign to the streets. Won't you join us?
You have been receiving e-mails from Jennifer's campaign, so you know that she's never been afraid to tell us where she stands and she won't be afraid to fight for us. We know this is a tough campaign, but as I've always said, nobody is going to out-work or out-fight my Jennifer.
A flawed health care reform bill—lacking a public option and unacceptably restricting women’s access to reproductive health services—is set to pass in the U.S. Senate in a few days.
Let me be clear at the outset: I’m glad the Senate got something done, but it could have done so much more for the American people. While some may be disgusted at all the pork that was doled out to get the 60 votes needed to prevent filibuster under the current Senate rules, I figure that’s politics—nothing really new. When I read the recap of all the pork that was sloshed around, I had to smile that Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) managed to get $10 billion for community health centers in the country—nothing specific for his state, just more help for people in need—that’s what it took to get his vote. Wish all the rest could be so straightforward and dedicated to the public interest.
The Senate bill moves us forward but still leaves much to fix and improve, even though we can consider the bill an historic first step. Overall, it provides much needed relief to people suffering under the ever-declining status quo for access to quality, affordable health care.
In my race to become the first woman US Senator from Ohio, I rely very heavily on the Internet and e-mail to communicate with voters and to raise critical funds for a winning campaign. We spend a great deal of time and thought writing to you about important issues and asking you for your support. I've been overwhelmed by the generosity that I've seen from all across the state and country, both in time and talent and in generous monetary donations.
During the holiday season, though, I'd like to ask you to give your time and money to your favorite charity, instead of giving it to my campaign.
Personally, of the charities I support, these three stand out. The first is Mental Health America of Franklin County. This organization is near and dear to me because I have just finished two terms serving on its board and believe strongly in its advocacy role for mental health parity in health care. When I was a judge, its ombudsman helped defendants through my court when their reason for being charged with a crime often arose from untreated mental illness. It's a worthwhile cause.
Another charity I strongly support is the Arbor Day Foundation. Did you know you can have trees planted in memory or celebration of a loved one? After I lost my dad, it meant a lot to me to plant trees in his memory. He and I had planted a tree together when I was a child. While we prepared the ground and pruned the tree, he talked to me about how we could shape it when it was young to influence its beauty as a mature tree. When the Arbor Day Foundation planted trees in his memory, I wondered how many birds would be sheltered in their branches and how his trees and the 8 million planted in honor of so many others would make our air cleaner.
And a third is the National Parks & Recreation Association. After taking our children to Independence Hall in Philadelphia, to Gettysburg, to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and later to Muir Woods north of San Francisco, I realized how much these and other national parks preserve our special heritage as a country and help bring families together in meaningful ways.
May your holiday season be filled with peace, joy, love, and hope.
The first rule of politics is you never just tell the truth.
The truth makes people uncomfortable, and sometimes it hurts -- so politicians avoid it, even when it seems nonsense to do so. Why speak your mind when you can hire political consultants to coach you on a safe "message"? Why go with your gut when the political establishment wants you to stick to the party line?
I say that the first rule of politics is what's wrong with politics. That's why I won't follow it.
We've all seen where a lack of candor in politics gets us. Leaders who promise one thing but do another. Insiders making deals that seal their careers but sell out the public. Politicians acting against their better judgment because they think staying in office is how to make things better for the people they serve.
My parents raised me to be honest and work hard. I would rather call things they way I see them, even when it doesn't please powerful people. When cleaning up Ohio's elections called for tough stances, I took them -- and even when my and my family's safety was threatened. When I was compelled to rule on the residency of the Republican politician now seeking my current office, I applied the law to the facts exactly as I saw them -- knowing that the GOP would denounce me for doing it, but knowing I had to make an honest appraisal and follow the law.
Maybe you're tired of being expected to support candidates you don't really want. Maybe you're tired of voting for candidates you aren't sure you can trust. Maybe just once you wish you could take a stand for a candidate who sometimes gets in trouble for speaking the truth, but who knows that we can't afford to play it safe much longer.
Maybe you should take a chance just this one more time and join our campaign. Help me become Ohio's next U.S. Senator who will have the courage and determination to speak the truth, even when the truth hurts, because this fight for progress for our country is too important to lose.
Ever since big insurance companies were allowed to make a profit on covering health care, women have been treated worse and worse by them. It's beginning to look like being a woman has become a pre-existing condition.
As I have held Women's Forums all over Ohio this month for my U.S. Senate campaign, I'm amazed and saddened by the stories I've heard. Believe it or not, treatment for rape has been called a pre-existing condition. Women pay more for coverage, but they receive less covered care. How could this be in what we trusted was the land of freedom and equality--after years of rhetoric about "family values?"
Last week, the U.S. Senate passed an amendment to the still unpassed health care reform bill that guarantees access to critical preventive tests - tests that will lower overall health care costs but, more importantly, save lives. The amendment requires coverage for cervical cancer screenings, heart disease tests, and mammograms at no additional cost.
Now, you and I both know there's a heavy health insurance lobby that fears change. They are afraid that a public option will take away their business or cause them to cut their CEOs' bonuses. They want to keep making profits at your and my expense. But this sure doesn't seem to bother some of those in Congress (like our retiring Senator Voinovich) who voted with the insurance companies against this important amendment.
Remember the old adage your grandmother told you, "a stitch in time saves nine?" That's what preventive health care is all about. Whether it's prostate or cervical cancer screenings or mammograms or heart disease tests for women and men, preventing it or catching it early costs less in dollars, anxiety, lives and suffering. It's a no brainer, and it sure beats those tests doctors and hospitals perform to make sure they can beat a malpractice lawsuit.
Thanks to Google Maps technology, here is a map showing the eight stops so far in Jennifer's highly successful Innovation Tour for Ohio Jobs. Click on the colored thumbtacks for information about each stop:
Jennifer's campaign initiative to highlight innovative enterprises across the state continues to gain widespread attention and enthusiastic support, as reflected in this television coverage of her stop at Dayton Tactical LLC ("DayTac") on Wednesday:
Please join Jennifer for a Women's Forum Panel Discussion in Chagrin Falls this evening at 7:30 pm, to be held at the Chagrin Falls Library, 100 East Orange Street (Map). The event will focus on issues involving women's health care, elder care, and child care.
The series of Women's Forums continues next week in Cincinnati on Monday 12/14 at 7:30 pm, in Steubenville on Tuesday 12/15 at 7:30 pm, and in Columbus on Thursday 12/17 at 7:30 pm.
Please click here to read a complete list with locations and other information, and to register to attend the event nearest you.
UPDATE: There is some snow falling in the Cleveland area today, but the event in Chagrin Falls will go forward as planned.
Created in 2004, the BBDC is an innovative partnership of the City of Beachwood, Cleveland State University's Nance College of Business Administration, and the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce. The BBDC promotes entrepreneurial growth of local and international early stage companies by providing an array of resource, support, and business development services, drawing on the area's vibrant bioscience, technology and academic centers. In 2006, clients of the BBDC raised over $20,000,000 in investment capital and had sales of over $7,000,000.
Jennifer recognizes that public-private partnerships are a key component to jump-starting job growth in new industries. "This is the role of government—to work for the betterment of people’s lives," she wrote recently, praising the cooperation between government, academia, and private business that resulted in a recently announced $20 million federal grant to fund the Red Lion biodiesel refinery in Toledo.
Jennifer will visit Dayton Tactical LLC ("DayTac") on December 9th for the seventh stop on her highly successful Innovation Tour for Ohio Jobs, which continues to shine a spotlight on examples of projects and enterprises whose ingenuity is spurring job growth all across the state.
Ohio-based DayTac designs and develops innovative tactical equipment for both law enforcement and military use. The company holds a patent for its LHG series light holder/grips for various weapon systems. It has now filled a critical need experienced by military, police, and first responders by creating a rapid deploying evacuation system. This system is based on a flak jacket with self-contained mesh panels that can be used as a stretcher, allowing evacuation of injured personnel from hostile or dangerous areas to more quickly render immediate life saving measures. A patent application is pending for this unique new product.
Founded in 2004, all members of DayTac have either military, law enforcement, or government/military sales experience. The company's mission is to "bridge the gap between what equipment is really needed and what is currently available."
The sixth stop on Jennifer's highly successful Innovation Tour for Ohio Jobs is set for the afternoon of December 8th in Toledo, where she will visit the venture-backed photovoltaic module manufacturer Xunlight Corporation.
Xunlight Corporation is an advanced technology company founded in 2002 that specializes in high-performance, flexible, and lightweight solar cells. It was established to commercialize solar technology developed at the University of Toledo by company co-founder Dr. Xunming Deng. The company’s principal products utilize various thin film silicon-based alloys, including amorphous silicon (a-Si), amorphous silicon germanium (a-SiGe), and nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si). Among other innovations, Xunlight employs a highspeed roll-to-roll manufacturing process. The company expects to be in full production of solar energy modules by the second half of next year.
Along with other Ohio-based solar energy companies and the University of Toledo, Xunlight has been an active supporter of efforts by the non-profit business-trade association Ohio Advanced Energy to make this state, and particularly Northwest Ohio, a worldwide leader in solar energy technology and manufacturing.
Today I had the remarkable experience of touring a new kind of biorefinery. Imagine taking ground-up corn cobs, wood chips, weeds, ground up tree limbs, and rice or wheat hulls and turning them into ready-to-use diesel fuel—without using combustion! That is what Red Lion Bio-Energy LLC has developed in Toledo, Ohio.
This $25 million bio-refinery near the University of Toledo’s Health Science Campus in South Toledo is receiving a $20 million federal grant. Today, it received the personal attention of the Obama administration with the visits of two cabinet secretaries to the plant, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (former governor of Iowa) and Energy Secretary Steven Chu (a Nobel Prize winner).
To the untrained eye, the inside of the plant looks a bit like a giant “still” with a lot of pipes, closed metal closed and colorful tubing, all carefully reflected in a large computer screen map to monitor the progress and stress testing of the system toward commercialization. To think that this elegantly simple process is just waiting for the thousands of farm operations in Ohio to turn their bio-waste to fuel is astounding.
This momentous confluence of federal stimulus funding and innovation is the result of the joint enterprise of Red Lion Bio-Energy LLC., of Toledo, and the Renewable Energy Institute International and Pacific Renewable Fuels, both of Sacramento, California, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy and the University of Toledo. The process has been developed in California and brought to Toledo through the efforts of Red Lion Bio-Energy LLC, headed by Alex Johnson.
This afternoon Jennifer will make the fifth stop in her Innovation Tour for Ohio Jobs as she visits EMEGA Biopolymers in Lancaster, Ohio.
The Innovation Tour is designed to promote the creation of jobs and prosperity through innovation and entrepreneurship in Ohio. Jennifer recognizes that the brightest hope for our Ohio's toubled economy lies not with huge multi-national corporations and Wall Street behemoths but with new enterprises right here at home that are fueled by creativity, ambition, and hard work. "There are many great examples of fast-growing enterprises creating new jobs all across the state, and I am thrilled to be able to bring attention and encouragement to them through this initiative," Jennifer recently said about the Innovation Tour. "We're going to celebrate the next generation of American innovation right here in Ohio."
EMEGA Biopolymers manufactures sustainable and energy efficient building insulation from renewable American-grown soy beans. Until recently, most polyurethane products utilized only petroleum or petroleum derivatives, but now soy-derived products offer an environmentally-friendly alternative. Among its best features is that it expands to 100 times its volume to completely fill every space and void, creating a barrier and thermal seal. EMEGA's soy-based spray foam insulation retains its structural integrity for the life of the home or other building, and is not affected by moisture, mold, insects or rodents.
Read more about the Innovation Tour and submit nominations of businesses or projects to be included by clicking here.
Created in 2004, the BBDC is an innovative partnership of the City of Beachwood, Cleveland State University's Nance College of Business Administration, and the Beachwood Chamber of Commerce. The BBDC promotes entrepreneurial growth of local and international early stage companies by providing an array of resource, support, and business development services, drawing on the area's vibrant bioscience, technology and academic centers. In 2006, clients of the BBDC raised over $20,000,000 in investment capital and had sales of over $7,000,000.
Jennifer will visit 