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LWV League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund

Smart Voter
Hamilton County, OH November 2, 2004 Election
Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
Clerk of Courts; County of Hamilton


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 Qualifications, Top Priority, Pressing Issues

Click on a name for other candidate information.   See also more information about this contest.


1. What are your qualifications for office?

Answer from Greg Hartmann:

As a prosecutor I represented Hamilton County in hundreds of cases where I fought for the public interest. I actively practiced law in the courts which I now serve as Clerk. As Clerk of Courts for the past 18 months, I have continued to act in the public's best interest. I seek election on a record of proven integrity, accomplishment, and experience in office.

Answer from Martha Good:

20 years of community leadership & service: work as a court mediator, judicial law clerk, attorney, PTA President & Board member, Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra Parent Board President & Auditions chair. Educator: 15 years experience teaching US Government(high school, college, law school). UC Law: graduated #1, Law Review, Human Rights Fellow, Order of Coif. Mother of three Walnut Hills students.


2. How would you implement your top priority?

Answer from Martha Good:

Rather than posting all documents filed in Court on the Internet unedited, I would institute a system to safe guard private information (Social Security, driver's license, credit card, bank account numbers) while also creating safeguards and monitors for obtaining access to Court files.

Answer from Greg Hartmann:

I have formed a bi-partisan Privacy Task Force to serve as a watchdog for citizens' privacy. The Panel seeks to balance privacy in the internet age with my legal obligations as Clerk to maintain and provide open access to public records.


3. What do you see as the two most pressing issues you would address if elected? What plans do you have relative to those issues?

Answer from Martha Good:

1) Ensure Privacy: make Court documents accessible without sacrificing privacy -- protect private information (driver's license, Social Security, bank account, credit card numbers) from public Internet posting and create safeguards for access to Court files.

2) End Patronage: institute open and competitive hiring for Clerk's Office jobs to end patronage; advertise jobs publicly so all may apply; hire the best applicants regardless of political or social connections.

Answer from Greg Hartmann:

Protecting citizens' privacy consistent with my legal obligations as the keeper of the public record is my foremost obligation as Clerk of Courts. In that regard, I formed a Privacy Panel to insure the office of the Clerk of Courts is a watchdog for the public interest. As Clerk of Courts I have been vigilant in watching the expenditure of taxpayer funds. In my first year in office, we returned over $300,000 to the taxpayers through budget savings.


Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. The answer must not exceed 75 words. Direct references to opponents are not permitted.

The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.


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Created: December 15, 2004 13:40 PST
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