Ashland County, Ohio is, and will be for the foreseeable future, a conservative city. We have more farmland than city and more small, country schools than large.
Despite our smallness, we have a tradition of large hearts and the people who live here care about their community.
Sure, we have some of the same problems of discrimination as any small town, but that is more the exception here than the rule. In my perspective, we embrace each other’s differences.
In contrast to Ashland’s caring soul, Representative Miller’s actions in the Ohio House of Representatives do not match the persona she projects.
Instead of a moderate Republican, she has entrenched herself in the ranks of other far right members. She has even going as far as signing a letter declaring she would oppose the State’s constitution.
Isn’t her job to defend our constitution? It is the embodiment of the people’s will and serves as our protection against radical government.
A far right piece of legislation coming is Senate Bill 34. SB34 will require the posting of a list of documents in every classroom that includes the 10 commandments.
I believe that we have greater local needs than a mandate on classroom wall decor. I would expect the Ohio House and Rep. Miller to focus on actually increasing our education.
Ohio ranks an embarrassing 30th in education. I do not see how posting the 10 commandments in our math classes will help this.
We would be better served by studying what states with top scores have done, than proposing regressive policies.
When asked for her position on SB34 I was told by her aide that she had not yet reviewed the legislation. Performative legislation like this does not help Ashland.
Is our representative wasting Ashland’s seat at the table by backing extreme legislation with no hope of helping the average citizen?
I can only assume our needs have taken back seat to Rep. Miller’s personal agenda.
Ashland deserves a voice that brings unity and cooperation, not the same self-serving attitude we see in so many other politicians.
Michael McQuillen
Ashland, Ohio