To the editor:
Aug. 8 will prove to be a very important day in Ohio history. The results of that day's special election will determine how Ohioans are granted power at the ballot box. What happens on that day will determine if 40 percent of the state's population will dictate to the other 60 percent of the population how we should govern ourselves and live our lives.
Issue 1, which will be the sole issue on the Aug. 8 ballot, basically states the following: Any voter initiative must receive 60 percent support in order to pass. That is a monumental number to get to if you want to pass future voter initiatives. Current Ohio law only requires a simple 50 percent-plus-one majority, and that is the most basic concept of democracy -- the side with the most votes wins. Issue 1 will take that away from all of us, regardless of one's political affiliation.
Aug. 8's special election is also costing Ohio taxpayers between $15 million and $20 million. That money could be spent on dozens of other worthy and needed projects as opposed to forcing boards of elections around the state to put together a snap election with notoriously low August election turnout.
Aug. 8's special election is nothing more than a power grab by the current Legislature in Columbus, including our current state Rep Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, and state Sen. Frank Hoagland, R-Mingo Junction, both of whom voted in favor of forcing this special election upon us, even though they both voted at the end of last year (Ohio House Bill 458 -- December) to eliminate August special elections.
In addition, every living former Ohio governor, regardless of party, strongly opposes Issue 1, which indicates there is seasoned wisdom that Issue 1 is a bad idea.
We must all, regardless of political party, vote no on Issue 1 on Aug. 8.
Eddie Abdalla
Chairman
Jefferson County
Democratic Party