OH-16: Freedom's Watch Smear, Fear and Lies!

ACTION ALERT: Attacking Me for Schuring's Gas Tax

Dear Friends,

You may have heard of “Freedom’s Watch” – they’re a group of former Bush administration officials who plan to spend billions of dollars in 2008 to send more George W. Bush-style Republicans to Washington.

They’re also confused. They’ve just started sending phone messages to local voters attacking me for the Ohio state gas tax that my opponent, Kirk Schuring, voted to increase in 2003. I voted against it.

Schuring voted for Governor Taft’s transportation bill, which imposed $580 million in new taxes on Ohio families. Because of him, families in our state will pay more than a quarter of a billion dollars in extra gas taxes this year alone.

Why is Freedom’s Watch telling people to call me about a gas tax I opposed? Shouldn’t they be asking voters to call Kirk Schuring instead? And why are big-money Washington groups dumping cookie-cutter attacks on our district while Schuring himself hasn't said a word about his energy plans?

Clearly, Freedom's Watch doesn't actually care about your high fuel costs. They're just coming in to help out one of George Bush's biggest backers in Ohio – but they didn't do their homework, and now this stunt will backfire. I applaud the Canton Repository for repudiating third party attacks like this one. And I thank Freedom's Watch for the opportunity they've provided to talk with constituents about my opposition to the gas tax increase. Now its time for Senator Schuring to explain his vote to raise the gas tax.

Gas tax gimmicks won’t ease our pain at the pump. I’ve been talking about serious, substantive energy solutions for weeks. All we’ve heard from Kirk Schuring is silence – while Washington hired guns do his negative campaigning for him.

It’s time for Kirk Schuring to speak for himself. It’s time for him to answer to voters directly about his support for higher gas taxes.

Today, I am challenging Kirk Schuring to stop hiding behind third parties and agree to a public debate with me about our energy future – one on one, in a neutral forum, before the voters of our community.

I need your help to make sure he hears the challenge. Here’s what you can do:
If you get a phone message from Freedom’s Watch, record it or save it on your answering machine. Then give us a call at 330-754-0534.

Write a letter to your local paper. Set the record straight about Schuring’s gas tax hike, and extend your own challenge to Schuring to publicly debate me on energy issues.

Call Kirk Schuring and ask him why he voted to raise your gas taxes: 330-455-9199.

Sincerely yours,

John Boccieri