OH-16: A Local Citizen's Endorsement for Sen. John Boccieri

I spend an incredible amount of time at this keyboard. Just ask my wife and she will tell you, but once in awhile, I can come across gems that make the whole process of reaching out to the netroots community a pleasure. She understands the magnitude of the fight for change that we are engaged in across America and accepts the task I have taken upon my shoulders.

Today, I happened to stumble upon one of those beauties in The Canton Repository's, "Letters to the Editor":

Boccieri knows needs of soldiers, veterans
Thursday, June 26, 2008

In our time of war, ill treatment of war veterans and the ongoing threat of terrorism, it is paramount that we elect someone to Congress who doesn't just talk about defending our country but who also has risked his own life, serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as an aircraft commander. That person, who is still a major in the Air Force Reserve, is John Boccieri (pronounced Bo-Cherry) of Alliance.

John also understands that this nation must stop sending our young men and women into battle without proper training and equipment. Furthermore, John recognizes that conditions such as those at Walter Reed Army Medical Center must be reversed by fighting for full funding of veterans' health care, so that our soldiers have access to the support and services they need and deserve.

Already in the Ohio Legislature, John has been a strong supporter of our veterans and military families. Most recently, John sponsored the Military Injury Relief Fund bill, a tax check-off program that gives Ohioans an opportunity to help our injured soldiers transition back into civilian life, and to assist with their medical expenses.

As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan drag on, it becomes even more vital that we elect members to Congress who fully understand the hardships and dangers of maintaining this great nation's independence. And that is why John Boccieri is right for Congress.

DAVID B. MCCOY,

PERRY TOWNSHIP

That's all it takes! One single "Letter to the Editor" and Mr. McCoy has reached out to the entire world and I tip my hat to him. Every concerned citizen in our great Nation has an opportunity to be heard and no voice should ever go unheard. This is exactly why I do what I do; to show this District, nation, and the entire world why Senator Major John Boccieri is a "must win" candidate for "OH's Fighting 16th District!".

OH-16: Senator John Boccieri on Flag Day

Senator Boccieri Encourages Ohioans to Honor the Flag throughout "National Flag Week"

Today State Senator John Boccieri, candidate for Congress in Ohio's 16th District, encouraged Ohioans to celebrate Flag Day.

On today's date in 1777 the Continental Congress approved the design of our national flag. In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing June 14 as Flag Day, and the national holiday was officially declared by an Act of Congress in 1949. In 1966 Congress established the week of June 14 each year as National Flag Week.

During National Flag Week, Americans are called to display our flag to celebrate national unity and express gratitude for the blessings of liberty.

"I encourage Ohioans to fly the flag this week in honor of our servicemen and women both past and present who have sacrificed so much to preserve our freedom." ~ John Boccieri

OH-16: State Senator Major John Boccieri Rises Above the Fray!

It didn't take long for "shots to get fired from all directions", after Schuring's(R) comments about Canton, Ohio. His self-described hometown to boot. I, personally, only know one person in Ohio's 16th Congressional District that has put their life on the line for the country we all love...America. His name is Major John Boccieri. Let me clear, that does not detract from every man and woman from our District who served with honor and courage, especially, those that gave all. We love you all!

Senator Boccieri immediately pointed out how devisive this type of speech has become in our toxic political enviroment.

The Politics of Division is Wrong for America

"While my opponent comments publically about his preferred constituency, I would be proud to serve in the Congress on behalf of every man, woman, and child in the 16th District regardless of geography, age, race, gender, or religious affiliation.

"Senator Schuring's partisan comments are the type of political ideology that is dividing our nation. At the end of the day the race for this seat, shouldn't be about Democrats, Republicans or Independents, red states or blue states, conservatives or liberals, but about America. Our nation needs strong leadership to help turn around our failing economy, bring our troops home safely, honorably and soon, and move away from our dependence on foreign oil.

"As for my campaign, we will have rallies, town hall meetings, and events in every corner of this district, not only where it is politically comfortable, but in every region. It is important that we all come together to help change America."

According to a recent Canton Repository article, Schuring claims it was all just "a joke"(wink-wink-nudge) and you can listen to him try to explain it away in a WHBC Radio PodCast here. This writer happens to respect the opinions of Canton Councilman Thomas West, D-2, who represents downtown Canton:

"The remarks by Senator Schuring were very offensive, if not demeaning. These aren't the type of jokes you make about our community especially at a time when there is violence in our community."

Councilman West knows downtown Canton, he admits there is violence, but he also says Downtown is safe. All one needs to do is physically visit Arcadia Place on a Friday night in the Summer and it's obviously safe. See a street musician, get a fresh slice of pizza, or stop by Primo's for a drink; you'll make it out alive!

Call me crazy, but you are not going to pick up votes for the 16th Congressional District at "the Canal Boat Captains' Ball at the Radisson Hotel in Akron Saturday evening." Honest...I don't make this stuff up! It was in the Akron Beacon Journal. What kind of message does that send? I'll go to downtown Akron(out of the District), but if you go to downtown Canton..."Democrats aren't too fond of Republicans in Canton." Gosh, Kirk! I wonder why? Then again, Stark County did give Mr. Bush a "free-pass" in 2004. How lucky do you feel in 2008?

Seriously, Kyle Kutuchief at politics.ohio.com gives us a "through the looking glass" opinion on this situation as the fires burn on:

"Schuring, though he has not served in the military or as a law enforcement officer, I guess deserves credit for braving gun fire as he goes to his Congressional Campaign office, which is located in downtown Canton.

Part of what a Congressman should do is to serve as an advocate for the people in his district. Ohio's 16th Congressional District is going to need someone to help develop the economy of the district. Canton is a city that has been hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs, the housing foreclosure crisis, and a variety of other factors. The people of Canton need elected officials who will work to turn things around and not kick them when they are down. This is more than just a bad joke at a picnic. Scaring citizens from going to Canton is the exact opposite of the kind of advocacy the city needs to get things back on track."

So, as of today, Major Boccieri raised himself above the fray. The Canton Repository asked him, again, for an editorial piece about Schuring's comments. (This stuff sells a lot of newspaper, obviously.) State Senator Major John Boccieri simply stated it was, "most unfortunate."

As I sat perusing today's online edition of The Review, an Alliance newspaper, I stumbled upon an article that represents one of the real issues facing our districts voters in the years to come.

"Marlington school board tours schools and assesses conditions"
No man, woman or high school shop student should be expected to run machinery with missing safety guards! Marlington schools are under-funded by a State system that has been ruled unconstitutional four times and Sen. Schuring has been promising School Funding Reform for 14 years. This is where Senator Boccieri stands on Education:

A Sound Education for Our Children

A well-rounded education is the key that unlocks the doors of economic opportunity and security.

John will work to ensure every child in Ohio gets a fair start and a solid educational foundation, beginning with our youngest children and extending through K-12 and college. He will make sure that our students have the most qualified, well-trained teachers and the preparation to pursue higher education. And he will work to provide all Ohioans with the means to afford higher education, regardless of income or family history.

In order to bring jobs to Ohio, we must have a skilled workforce that is competitive with the rest of the country and world. John knows that as jobs adjust and advance, our workers – both young and old – must be ready for the changes. John strongly supports training and development programs for our adult workforce, so that as the economy continues to evolve, our workers have the resources to keep up.

It's time for change, not empty promises.

OH-16: Senator John Boccieri Thanks You!

Friends,

Thank you for supporting our campaign in Senator Russ Feingold's recent Pick a Progressive Patriot competition.

As you know, there were nine other candidates vying for a $5,000 donation from Senator Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund. The competition was fierce, and the vote totals were overewhelming.

Although we may not have captured first place, your efforts were so convincing that the Progressive Patriots have agreed to send our campaign a $1,000 contribution!

This is great news and confirms that our campaign continues to gain momentum.

So we march on!

We need your help to continue spreading the word about our campaign to every corner of the 16th Congressional District. Please stop by our office at the Metropolitan Center at the corner of 6th and Cleveland Ave. NW in downtown Canton. We need your help with mailings, house parties, phone banking, canvassing and more! Or give us a call at 330-754-0534 anytime to get more information about upcoming campaign activities.

Thanks again for your support,






John Boccieri

John Boccieri for Congress
Campaign Headquarters

The Metropolitan Center
601 Cleveland Ave., NW
(corner of 6th & Cleveland)
Downtown Canton

Visit our website for more information on how you can help change direction in Ohio's 16th Congressional District.

-- Paid for by John Boccieri for Congress --

OH-16: State Senator John Boccieri(D): "Fix the illegal immigration problem in Ohio"

I just received a press release from Ian Walton, Sen. John "Bo" Boccieri's Campaign Manager. It was odd timing, because I was just getting ready to e-mail Ian. He had asked me to commit to being their "resident blogger" last night, so, here we are!

Ian Walton reports:

Today, State Senator John Boccieri(D), Candidate in Ohio’s 16th Congressional district offered an amendment on the Senate floor addressing the illegal immigration problem in Ohio. The amendment was adopted unanimously and has become a part of SB 260 – Immigrations Violations Bill. Here is his statement:

Finally, a man that will implement a bold solution. "Bo's" Statement:

"The immigration issue is deeply personal to my family and me. My grandparents are first generation Americans who came to this great Nation with little more than the clothes on their backs. They came to America to pursue the great promise of the American Dream and to try to make a better life for their children and future generations. My grandparents, like millions of others, immigrated to this country and do so safely and legally.

"Illegal immigrants come to this country for the same reasons my grandparents did so many years ago. They come looking for jobs, to be reunited with family, and a better way of life. Many put their own lives at risk just to pursue opportunities.

"Today, the current immigration system in the United States is broken. By all best estimates there are about 12 million undocumented immigrants living and working in the US today. Illegal immigrants represent about 5% of the nation's workforce.

"Ohioans are also impacted by the illegal immigration problem. The US Census reports that nearly 72 percent of the population increase in Ohio over the last ten years is directly attributable to immigrants.

"The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that in 2005 there were an estimated 75,000 to 150,000 illegal aliens living in Ohio and we rank 20th in the nation among illegal alien populations in the United States.

"Illegal immigration is a serious problem facing our nation, our state and our families. We are in need of leadership and few, if any, solutions have been offered.

"That's why I proposed an amendment on the Senate floor today that would hold businesses that break the law and engage in hiring illegal immigrants accountable.

"More and more states across the country are adopting similar pieces of legislation. Just as we hold individuals who break the law accountable, we can no longer afford to ignore punishment for those businesses who also engage in illegal activities. It is not fair to law abiding businesses. It is not fair to our workers. And is it not fair to the taxpayers in this state to allow this practice to go unchecked any longer.

"Ohio jobs and our economy are under duress. More and more businesses here are shipping jobs overseas. Now businesses are breaking the law to hire illegal workers who take jobs from suffering Ohio working families.

"The immigration system is broken and we must do more to bring this problem under control. My legislation provides this leadership and I look forward to engaging in this conversation in the weeks and months ahead."

John made it very clear, on Sturday, that undocumented illegal immigrants are making it even harder for those immigrants taking the legal pathway to obtain their citizenship. We have to have some very "tough" debate on this topic. Fences won't fix this problem and straight-out amnesty, with the exception of political dissidents, will not solve the problems. Let's put some ideas down and fix this mess once and for all.

Keep an eye on John Boccieri(D) as he brings bold Progressive Change to an Ohio District that has been under Republican control for...count them, 60 long years!

I hope that the 16th District will "Stand up!" Sen. Maj. John Boccieri as he moves us forward in our fight against Rep. Ralph Regula's(R) "heir apparent", Kirk Schuring(R).

Meet Major John Boccieri and Ohio's Fighting 16th District!

Originally posted at EENR Blog on March 25, 2008!

After winning Ohio's 16th District Democratic Congressional Primary on March 4th, 2008, by more than 64% of the vote, Ohio State Senator Major John Bocceiri said:

"The people of Northeast Ohio need a representative in Congress they can trust to stand up for their interests. They need to know the person they send to Washington will fight for positive change on the issues affecting them every day. We must fix the unfair trade deals that send our jobs overseas, expand accessibility to affordable health care, find a solution to the foreclosure crisis, ensure our veterans have the services and support they have earned and bring our troops home from Iraq safely, honorably and soon."

Now, Canton, Ohio's, City Council President Allen Schulman invites you to come and meet State Senator John Boccieri and his friends!

"As we look forward to the general election, this is a truly exciting time in our district, our state and our nation. Our party is energized, we are hungry for a change, and after last night--more so than ever before-it is clear that we WILL elect the 16th District's first Democratic representative to Congress in 60 years!" ~ John Boccieri, March 4th, 2008

Please Join:

Allen Schulman & Associates

At an fundraising reception for:

State Senator John Boccieri
Democrat for U.S. Congress (OH-16)

March 27th, 2008 – 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm

Senator Boccieri will be in attendance

Allen Schulman & Associates
236 Third Street
SW Canton, OH 44702

$250 – Friend
$500 – Sponsor
$1,000 – Co-Host

RSVP to Jenna Slosson at (202) 320-4554 or
email at jenna@jsconsultingdc.com

If you are not able to join us, feel free to Act Blue!

The original comment thread was left intact at EENR. Feel free to start our own HERE!