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NOW TO DECISION 2012..
THE RACE IN THE NEWLY CREATED
TENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
PITS A POLITICAL NEWCOMER
AGAINST A SEASONED LAWMAKER.
DEMOCRAT SHAREN NEUHARDT IS
A GRADUATE OF DAYTON PUBLIC
SCHOOLS, AND A CORPORATE
LAWYER WHO LIVES IN GREENE
COUNTY. SHE HOPES TO USE HER
EXPERIENCE IN THE COURTROOM TO
REACH ACROSS THE AISLE IN
CONGRESS.
I ASKED HER ABOUT HER
BACKGROUND, AND WHERE SHE
STANDS ON SOME OF THE KEY
ISSUES IN THIS RACE.
"SHAREN NEUHARDT, YOUR NAME IS
POLITICS. TELL US A LITTLE
ABOUT YOURSELF, AND WHAT
EXPERIENCE DO YOU BRING TO THE
REALM OF PUBLIC SERVICE.""I
WAS BORN IN DAYTON. MY DAD WAS
A CITY OF DAYTON POLICEMAN. MY
MOM WAS A SALES CLERK AT ELDER
BERMAN'S NORTHWEST. I GREW UP
IN NORTHWEST DAYTON AND WENT
TO DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I
WAS THE OLDEST OF FOUR GIRLS
AND THE FIRST ONE ON EITHER
SIDE OF MY FAMILY TO GO TO
COLLEGE. I WENT TO
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY AND
THEN GEORGETOWN LAW SCHOOL,
AND THEN I CAME HOME TO
PRACTICE LAW IN DAYTON BECAUSE
I WANTED TO BE HERE IN MY
COMMUNITY WHERE I GREW UP. I'M
A BUSINESS LAWYER BY
BACKGROUND. I PRACTICE, I'M A
PARTNER IN THOMPSON HINE - ONE
OF THE LARGEST LAW FIRMS IN
DAYTON. OTHER THAN A 2-YEAR
TIME WHEN I WAS GENERAL
COUNSEL AT NEXUS-LEXUS, I'VE
BEEN PRACTICING BUSINESS LAW
MY ENTIRE CAREER.""JOBS AND
THE ECONOMY ARE THEMES CENTRAL
TO THIS ELECTION,ESPECIALLY
HERE AT HOME. SO, HOW DO YOU
PLAN TO BRING NEW JOBS TO THE
MIAMI VALLEY? NEW JOBS.""ONE
OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO TO
START OUT WITH IS TO ACTUALLY
TAKE A VOTE ON THE PRESIDENT'S
JOBS BILL. MORE SPECIFICALLY,
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON
ELIMINATING TAX BREAKS FOR
COMPANIES WHO ARE SENDING JOBS
OVERSEAS AND OUT OF THE MIAMI
VALLEY. WE NEED TO PROVIDE TAX
INCENTIVES SO THAT COMPANIES
WHO WANT TO BRING JOBS BACK
INTO THE MIAMI VALLEY CAN DO
THAT ON A TAX-ADVANTAGE BASIS.
AND, OF COURSE WE NEED TO BE
LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE
BASE. IN THIS NEW OHIO TENTH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, THE
BASE IS SQUARELY WITHIN THE
NEW DISTRICT. THE BASE IS THE
LARGEST SINGLE-SITE EMPLOYER
IN THE STATE AND ACCOUNTS FOR
5% OF OUR STATE'S GDP. SO, WE
NEED TO WORK REALLY, REALLY
HARD TO WORK TO PRESERVE,
PROTECT AND EXPAND THE MISSION
OF THE BASE. BUT WE ALSO NEED
TO REMEMBER NOT EVERYONE CAN
WORK AT THE BASE. IN THE LAST
10 YEARS MIKE TURNER HAS BEEN
IN OFFICE, THE MIAMI VALLEY
HAS LOST 50,000 JOBS. AND I
WON'T REST UNTIL WE SEE THINGS
LIKE THAT GM MORAINE PLANT
THAT'S HERE CLOSE TO YOUR
STUDIOS, BE FILLED WITH GOOD
PAYING JOBS AGAIN.""WHAT
BUSINESS SECTOR DO YOU SEE
THRIVING HERE AT HOME IN THE
FUTURE?""THERE ARE A LOT OF
THINGS THAT CAN STILL BE MADE
HERE IN THE MIAMI VALLEY. BUT
OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT
WHAT THE MIAMI VALLEY HAS TO
OFFER, WHO ARE OUR LARGEST
EMPLOYERS ANY MORE... YOU'VE
GOT THE AIR FORCE BASE, THE
HOSPITAL SYSTEMS, AND YOU'VE
GOT THE UNIVERSITIES AND WE
NEED TO DO A GOOD JOB OF
STRENGTHENING AND PRESERVING
THOSE INSTITUTIONS SO THEY
CONTINUE TO FEED JOBS IN.
ANOTHER THING I WILL SAY, WE
NEED TO DO A MUCH BETTER JOB
OF PROVIDING THE BASE WITH THE
INFORMATION IT TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT OHIO COMPANIES WE HAVE
RIGHT HERE THAT CAN COMPETE
FOR DEFENSE CONTRACT DOLLARS.
THAT'S REALLY, REALLY
IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THE HUGE
PROCUREMENT DOLLARS THAT ARE
SPENT OUT OF WRIGHT-PATT EACH
YEAR, OHIO COMPANIES GET A
REALLY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF
THAT. AND WE HAVE SOME VERY
FINE COMPANIES HERE THAT CAN
COMPETE. ONE OF THE THINGS I
WANT TO DO FOR THE BASE SIDE
IS WORK ON PARTNERSHIPS WITH
THE BUSINESSES TO MAKE SURE
THEY COMPETE FOR THE FEDERAL
DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE OUT
OF THE AIR FORCE BASE."
NEUHARDT ALSO TOLD ME SHE
WOULD'VE VOTED FOR THE
SAID IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT A
GOOD FIRST STEP.
MY SPECIAL REPORT ON THE
TENTH DISTRICT RACE CONTINUES
AT SIX. HEAR FROM THE
INCUMBENT... REPUBLICAN MIKE
TURNER.. COMING UP NEW, IN
ABOUT 45 MINUTES..