RH Jones on candidate Bryan Flannery

From RH Jones

Dec. 3, 2005

To all:

The Beacon, today, Saturday, 12-03-05, Front & page A5, staff writer Stephen Dyer concerning writes: "To really get Flannery talking, don't talk pigskin, talk education -- specifically the way Ohio funds its public school system. It's a funding system the Ohio Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional four times, yet one that remains essentially the same -- dependent on local property taxes.

Flannery, a democrat who lost a bid for secretary of state in 2002, has been a school-funding hound since 1999, when as state representative he offered a $1,000 reward to any resident who could fix the system.

Since then, he has pushed for a constitutional amendment to change the system. Efforts have fallen short, although he expects to get the measure on the ballot for November.

He said when his 5-year old was born, he made a pact with his wife that the system would be fixed by the time their child attended school.

Flannery's plan calls for property taxes to fund 30 percent -- rather than the current 53 percent -- of public schools budgets.

'People are sick of teachers having to be fund raisers, not teachers,' he said, adding that taxpayers also want relief from new levies every year or two." --

"Flannery's passions get roiled over more than education. The health care consultant also wants to make health insurance cheaper, better and more accessible. He said that can be done not through universal coverage, but smarter coverage." --

"Yet it's not football (He played for Notre Dame.) cliche that Flannery uses to stress education's importance. It's another Irish example he cites as a cure to Ohio's ills. When Ireland joined the European Communities -- the precursor to the European Union -- in 1973, it was one of Europe's poorest nations.

Then the country started to invest heavily in education, Flannery said. Now, according to EU data, Ireland is the EU's second-wealthest member.

'Education is a great equalizer,' Flannery said." --

" Flannery touts 'The three Es' as important to his campaign: ethics, education and economy. He says he would emphasize honesty in government, would reform the way Ohio funds its public schools, and would bring labor and business together to make Ohio work." (End Beacon quote)

The writer Stephen Dyer can be reached at 330-996-3523 or sdyer@thebeaconjournal.com

My thoughts on OH Gov. Candidate Bryan Flannery: He seems to have the best plan for OH with his "Three Es", by putting ethics first, education second, and economy third. As a consequence of ethics and educ., the economy will follow naturally, and will thrive. Of this, He gave as an example of Ireland. Also, he seems to be of the same opinion as I. In a previous writing, as you may remember that I mentioned public education in East India, Japan, China and S. Korea a stimulus to their economies. And that we need to change our culture of disrespecting educ. and the consequential under funding of it.

My only wish is that I would have liked for him to have commented on charter schools. Public schools are sometimes confused with charter, for profit, schools. Draining public tax dollars intended for public schools into the pockets of private entrepreneurs needs to stop immediately. However, all said and done, he seems to be on the same page as CORE. I think reasonable thinking people will support him, as I do.

This message is rather long in relation to the other candidates; but, Flannery emphasized education the most.

RHJones