To the editor:
This is an important election year in Ohio's 6th Congressional District. Although four candidates have announced plans to run for this congressional seat, I believe it will be a contest between our current congressman, Republican Bill Johnson, and the man he unseated in the last election, Democrat Charlie Wilson.
When Wilson announced his plans to run, he made the following statements: "Our area needs so much help, and I'm concerned about the trade policy they've approved in Washington. The last thing we want to do is send more jobs out of the valley, and I want to stand up for that. I want to go back and fix things for our areas. Our priorities are out of sync. We need to listen to people more." (Herald-Star, Dec, 1.)
Let's analyze Wilson's statements and compare them to his record. How much did he fight for jobs in our area? What happened to the steel industry while he was in office? What is he going to fix? The last time he was in office he voted for the stimulus bill that was supposed to fund non-existent shovel-ready jobs and the health care bill that had to be passed so that we would know what was in it. How does he plan to listen more to the people? He didn't do such a great job when he represented us before, which has been previously documented by me.
What will Wilson do if he gets re-elected? Will he vote to stop the EPA from closing local coal-fired power plants that will cost hundreds of local jobs? Will he support gas drilling? Is he going to vote to repeal the health care bill? How will he create local jobs? How is he planning to listen to people more?
Johnson has been in office for one year. He has listened to the people in our area and he is supporting job growth in our area. He has held both face-to-face and telephone townhall meetings and has had special meetings for groups such as our local veterans. He communicates via e-mail to inform us about the projects upon which he is working. When you call his office, you speak to knowledgeable persons who relay your messages to him. In my opinion, Johnson has done exactly what he promised for our area and he needs more time to continue his good work.
We will have a choice in November. We can vote to keep Bill Johnson as our 6th District congressional representative and let him continue the work he has started, or we can vote to return Charlie Wilson to Congress. We all know Wilson's record and his loyalty to members of congress, where he voted along party lines even when it was not what the people of his district wanted. Keep watching the news, read what the candidates say as opposed to their records, and vote for the best candidate to represent the 6th Congressional District in Washington.
Michalene King
Wintersville
