ELECTION 2004 - OHIO Races for the Ohio statehouse Ohio 8th Senate District Ohio 14th Senate District Ohio 28th House District Ohio 29th House District Ohio 30th House District Ohio 31st House District Ohio 33rd House District ELECTION 2004 - KENTUCKY Battling for a seat in Frankfort Kentucky 17th Senate District Kentucky 23rd Senate District Kentucky 61st House District Kentucky 67th House District

Terry Weber: There are many issues addressing the citizens of the 31st district. They include the decaying infrastructure, feeling unsafe in your own neighborhood, job loss and decaying neighborhoods. The state needs to aid the district in first providing help with the growth been seen in western Hamilton County County and the need for state funding to provide infrastructure development. The State needs to all development of areas for improvement and not place undue restrictions on them. The state needs to encourage job development by allowing these areas to be made safer and more livable by those that seek to improve them.

Steve Driehaus: The Legislature needs to enact serious housing legislation in order to halt the decline of our housing stock that leads to reduction in home ownership and destabilization of our neighborhoods. This includes prohibitions against predatory loans, licensing of appraisers, protections against scam lease-option contracts and greater accountability of public housing authorities.

The voters of my district also expect and deserve a state government that is efficient, accountable, and responsive to their concerns.

How do you think the next legislature should deal with the state's continuing budget deficit crisis?

Terry Weber: The obvious answer is that the state has to tighten its belt even more than it has. More of its programs have to be cut but what programs are chosen? That is a careful selection. School programs are essential to our children. But there are still some areas of social service programs that must be observed. I also support both casino and slot machine gambling as a way to relieve the deficit. I believe that it is a viable concept for the tax deficit.

Steve Driehaus: Thoroughly audit the Medicaid program eliminating fraud and waste; implement House Bill 240 requiring the state to engage in performance audits for all state programs; enact House Bill 110, which would require evaluation of the effectiveness of all 140-plus tax breaks granted by the state of Ohio (at a cost of more than $9 billion in Fiscal Year 2003) and require those that are no longer achieving the highest public purpose to be eliminated.