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LWV LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

Smart Voter
Hamilton County, OH November 7, 2000 Election
State Representative; District 31

Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.

See below for questions on Health care, Racial Profiling, Housing

Click on a name for other candidate information.


1. What specific measures do you support to increase equal access to health care in Ohio?

Answer from Joanne S. Kemmerer:

I would encourage private medical savings accounts through employee paycheck deductions for the future elderly population. The current elderly poor must have access to health care now. But I do not support socialized medicine, especially for those able bodied individuals who do not choose to allocate a portion of their income for health insurance.

Answer from Catherine L. Barrett:

The measuers I would support to increase equal access to healthcare in Ohio is to allow individuals to buy into the State Medicaid Program. Those individuals who meet the 200% of Federal Poverty. We have the Working Poor and the Retired individuals who are not eligible for Medicare that are among the uninsured and underinsured. Let's offer a Long Term Care Program for low income and the Elderly Ohioans.

Answer from Autumn Mueller:

Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide Health Care to their employees. Support a patient's right to sue his/her HMO and right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care and insurance reforms.


2. What are your views on legislation to study racial profiling by law enforcement?

Answer from Autumn Mueller:

Racial profiling does happen and it is discriminatory. It is imperative that we make our criminal justice system as color blind as possible.

Answer from Catherine L. Barrett:

Ohio legislators should have a study done on racial profiling in Ohio. Being stopped by police myself I was victimized of racial profiling. I had not violated any laws when the Officer realized there was no alcohol on my breath after getting in my face. His excuse was he thought he saw my car touching the white line. He simply told me to drive home carefully. I was stopped for driving while Black.

Answer from Joanne S. Kemmerer:

Racial profiling is wrong. But if a victim has just described the suspect as being white or black and he may still be in the area, police must focus on people matching the description. I oppose legislation allowing policemen to stop drivers whom they suspect are not using seatbelts partly because it could encourage more racial profiling. I support Ohio lawmakers determining patterns of racial profiling through hearings and reports.


3. What stable funding source do you support for the Ohio Housing Trust Fund?

Answer from Autumn Mueller:

Typically, legislation or an ordinance is passed that increases an existing revenue source, like taxes, fees or loan repayments. I prefer not to raise taxes - I wish to lower them. Therefore, I am unsure of an exact program to help stablely fund the Housing Trust Fund.

Answer from Joanne S. Kemmerer:

Government low interest loans could enable lower income families to exit slums offsetting future costs associated with crime and drug dependency etc. However, while the state of Ohio is under the judicial thumb regarding education funding, we will have to wait and solve that crisis first before we can address funding for housing.

Answer from Catherine L. Barrett:

The Ohio Housing Trust Fund funding should be stabilized with Federal Funds (HUD), State funding from the operating and capital budgeting and partnerships with Banks, and Businesses. Operating Budget funds be used to subsidized rents for the Mentally Ill and Mentally Retarded and the Disabled Individuals. The Capital Budget fund be approved for building new low income homes for the Disabled and the MRDD.


Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League, but formatted for Web display. Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits for answers are 75 words for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.


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Created: January 25, 2001 02:41
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