Ohio's 8th district (Dayton, Kent, Washington: unemployment, public school, university)

[601halfdozen0theother]

"Ohio's 8th District includes all of Butler, Clark, Darke, Miami, and Preble counties, and the southernmost part of Mercer County". The Congressman for this district is John Boehner.

Does John Boehner really represent the point of view of the people of the 8th district of Ohio?

How? Why? Who are you people?

You're going to have to accept responsibility for the collapse of the American economy and the destruction of the Republican Party.

[Ohio Hello]

I know you're not a troll because I've liked and repped many of your posts before. So, I guess I'll bite.

Originally Posted by 601halfdozen0theother

Who are you people?

You're going to have to accept responsibility for the collapse of the American economy and the destruction of the Republican Party.

Thanks for lumping us all together, as if we're personally patting him on the back and thanking him for a government shut down. Never mind all the other representatives from other districts and states who are supporting him. Or all the other Fox News watching conservative tea party voters who supported their representatives. I guess I'll mention that I'm liberal and vote Dem most of the time, am absolutely disgusted with Boehner, and am personally affected by the shutdown. Just for full disclosure.

I live in the Dayton area -- just right outside where the district dips down into Montgomery county.

Some of the people in this area are military or work for the government and are struggling to feed their families. One of the food pantries actually moved its location temporarily to the base so that base workers could visit in order to feed their children. My dad, who served 22 years in the Air Force, now works as a gov't employee on Wright Pat AFB. During the shutdown he's working without a paycheck and is uncertain if he'll get backpay....and this is just as the sequester ended where he was furloughed w/o pay for many days. Before that he lost his job working for the auto industry, which went belly up around here after GM shut down their local plant during the recession. But yeah, no one around here is struggling or frustrated with the shutdown. I can assure you that many are suffering severe consequences from this.



I used to live in District 8 while I was in college in Butler county. The district is made up of mostly suburbs, small cities, and rural areas. I voted against Boehner, but my university had a healthy population of republicans for being a public school. Now I live a few miles east of the district boundary, but my congressional district is also represented by a republican.

The economy, job creation, and lower government spending/lower taxes are the number one issues around here.

SW Ohio, in general, is one of the most conservative parts of the state. It's moderately religious, has typical Midwestern family values, and is influenced just a bit by our Kentucky neighbors to the south and the families who migrated from Appalachia to this area for work. It seems that everyone around here is connected, or knows someone who is, to the military or to manufacturing. Like I mentioned, there are many people around here who have been greatly affected by the sequester, government shutdown, the recession, factories shutting down (especially those connected to the auto industry), the poor economy, the bailouts, and job loss/unemployment. They've voted based on who they think can give them the best chance of having a job or getting relief through lower taxes. I know one of the big issues with Obamacare is that enrollment is mandatory for the uninsured, and the monthly fee will really hurt families who are struggling just to survive currently, albeit sans healthcare. There are people on the fence in every election, but money, or specifically the lack of it, drew a lot of people to the republican party.

Around here we're all suffering just as much as the rest of the country, even those of us who did not vote for Boehner. So no, we're not going to "accept responsibility" for this. This is about grown men and women in Washington, still getting paid and with excellent healthcare mind you, who can't get their heads out of their @sses long enough to help the people they represent. Stop throwing the blame to the people in this area, some of whom are working without pay at the moment, and place it where it really belongs -- with an imperfect system of government and self serving politicians who are locked in a no win game of chicken.

[jbcmh81]

He does represent a very conservative part of the state, probably one of the most conservative, actually. However, I think it's a bit unfair to place so much blame on Boehner for what's happening in Congress. He's a VERY weak Speaker, and that is an issue, but the much bigger problem is the tea party nuts who so despise the ACA and anything Obama-related (or government related for that matter), that they're willing to burn down the global economy to destroy a specific law they don't like.

And yeah, the GOP is going to take a big hit from this even if the US manages to avoid default (which is looking less likely by the day).

[Townes Van Zandt]

The way "democracy" works means that there will not be perfect representation of every American citizen in congress. (This is true of the American democratic system as well as it's European counterparts, perhaps just less so in the latter case.)

I'm sure there a lot of non-conservative (liberal or libertarian) oriented people living in southwest Ohio. The issue is that they are outnumbered by a lot of the conservative voters in places like district 8. You have to remember that these counties are pretty close to places like Kentucky and southern Indiana. It isn't as if state lines mark some drastic "shifting point" in politics. These are areas which would totally go for moderate Republican candidates like Boner.

[601halfdozen0theother]

Excellent, thoughtful posts, Ohioans!

What are we all to do with the frustrations we feel about what is going on in Washington?

I don't believe that "guvmint" is separate from us as individuals. We as individuals ARE responsible for the actions of those for whom we have voted. If you didn't vote for the person currently in office, you are still responsible for communicating your opinions to the person who represents you in Congress. As strongly as possible, for the benefit of the rest of us.

I just really wanted to know what is going on in the 8th district of Ohio. Why did someone like Boehner get elected? (Thanks for some of your explanations of the demographics of the district.) Are the citizens of the 8th district communicating with Boehner? What is the local news media there (newspapers, tv, and etc.) reporting about their representative?

[Townes Van Zandt]

So how did Boner get elected? Easy, Boner was elected by Boner-lovers. Rural America loves Boner.

Oh, and the idea that farmer Fran in nowheresville, Ohio is "communicating" with his elected congressmen is..quaint. You're talking about one of the most powerful men in the world who spends most of his time yucking it up at cocktails with lobbyists somewhere inside the beltway. The only thing he has in common with his electorate is the fact that he too had the misfortune of being born in some god awful stretch of god's country.

He was smart and conniving enough to appeal to the dull sensibilities of an electorate he knew very well. Not unlike like 99% of all other successful politicians.

I'm not sure what else you're looking for here.

[601halfdozen0theother]

So you're just going to sit on your bttt and do nothing because you're cynical about government?

Then I do accuse you people of Ohio of being responsible.

Stand up! Get some air and electronic time and make a stink! Put a face to the people of Ohio who disapprove of Boehner!

Are you Buckeyes or are you cynical, whiney, "I'm not responsible" losers?

[Townes Van Zandt]

Originally Posted by 601halfdozen0theother

So you're just going to sit on your bttt and do nothing because you're cynical about government?

At no point did I explain what I was going to do about it.

But you're right. Damn kids these days with their skepticism of large bodies of authority and its leeches--err, I mean leaders. This is democracy. You either like it or you can geeet out.

Don't take my view of things to be representative of the average 8th district residents. It's not. Don't even take my perspective as representative of the average Ohioan. It's not.

Still not sure what you're shooting for with this thread.

[Townes Van Zandt]

On second thought, thanks to 601halfdozen's friendly encouragement, I've decided to get off my bttt.

I'm going to write Mr. Boner a personal, handwritten letter. No need for ball point pens, either. This task will require a quill pen and some quality ink.

Edit: On second thought, does he have a gmail address? Democracy can't wait on the USPS.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by ksu sucks

The way "democracy" works means that there will not be perfect representation of every American citizen in congress. (This is true of the American democratic system as well as it's European counterparts, perhaps just less so in the latter case.)

I'm sure there a lot of non-conservative (liberal or libertarian) oriented people living in southwest Ohio. The issue is that they are outnumbered by a lot of the conservative voters in places like district 8. You have to remember that these counties are pretty close to places like Kentucky and southern Indiana. It isn't as if state lines mark some drastic "shifting point" in politics. These are areas which would totally go for moderate Republican candidates like Boner.

Gerrymandering has also helped to create districts that avoid pockets of liberals altogether. While the GOP overall will very likely be hurt in upcoming elections from all of this, many of the very people most responsible are probably safe because they represent very specifically drawn districts that include as many people as possible that are as crazy as they are.