By Heather Taylor-Miesle, President of the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund PAC
The Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund PAC proudly announces an endorsement for Richard Cordray for Ohio governor. Cordray exhibits the kind of character and passion Ohio needs in order to make real progress on environmental issues in our state.
Cordray has made energy a key part of his campaign and understands that Ohio is falling drastically behind on the clean energy revolution. We not only are missing out on thousands of new jobs but billions of dollars in tax revenue that we could be using for much needed improvements in our communities.
Up until now, Ohio has largely ignored and even worked to halt progress on clean energy development. Once in office, Cordray has promised to invest in solar power to create more local jobs, starting with AEP’s proposal for a 400 MW facility in Appalachian Ohio, one of the most underserved regions of our state.
We need a governor who will take drinking water issues seriously. Ohio cannot afford another crisis like the Toledo Water Crisis in 2014 when 400,000 people were left without useable water. Hospitals, schools, and businesses were shut down for three days while we desperately waited for answers. The toxic algae bloom that caused this crisis could have done so much more damage and it is likely to happen again this year if we don’t put immediate pressure on our lawmakers to instill regulations on agricultural runoff, the lead cause of algal-blooms.
Cordray is devoted to the one in seven Ohioans who are employed by the agriculture industry and the Action Fund PAC believes we can work with him to find a positive solution for farmers and those who depend on Lake Erie for drinking water. With the right steps, algae blooms can be eradicated.
Clean air, water, and land are the building blocks of a healthy environment and economy, which is why we need a governor like Cordray who will take these issues seriously and make sure they do not go unnoticed for another four years.
Please join us in telling Cordray he has our vote.