I've been meaning to do a Jennifer Brunner diary for a while. The last couple of days I've been seeing Lee Fisher ads, I was even robocalled by his campaign this afternoon. I already sent in my primary ballot (ah, the joys of voting absentee), but I decided to check out their websites and see the difference between the two candidates (I mean outside of the fact that Jennifer actually posts on DKos fairly regularly, and even responds which is great considering she IS still Ohio's Secretary of State).
First up, the Economy/Jobs:
Brunner:
My jobs platform includes jump-starting the rebuilding of our infrastructure with stimulus funding, easing health insurance costs and credit for small businesses so that they can create more jobs, creating local job-creation task forces, permitting the jobless to take on part-time work without forfeiting their unemployment benefits, and protecting pension and health care plans for retirees.
Fisher:
I support common-sense economic principles: fiscal discipline, living within our means, rewarding hard work, investing in our people, and growing a strong middle class. In the Senate, I will fight to reduce the deficit and support pay-as-you-go budget rules to make sure Congress lives within its means. I also will fight to implement tax policies that reward work, support middle-class families, and encourage investment and job creation.
I freely admit I'm biased, but Fisher's plan sounds a lot like a Republican plan which is to cut spending and taxes. His page doesn't even MENTION the Stimulus package. Also, Brunner's website has waaaaay more detail on what she wants to do with jobs.
For me, one of my biggest issues outside of the economy is Education.
Brunner:
Fair and equal educational funding is required by Ohio's state constitution, and federal regulation and funding of education must be sensitive to this.
As the daughter of a teacher of special needs children, I am acutely aware of the need to provide mainstream public educational opportunities to those children on both ends of the spectrum, with physical or cognitive disabilities and challenges, and with gifts that will aid our society for the future.
[snip]If our public educational systems can operative as supportive environments rather than punitive environments, we will better be able to instill in our children a love for learning so that lifelong learning takes place beyond our educational systems for lifelong achievement.
[snip] [E]ducation should be more child-centered with more individual attention. Preschool education should be available to every child, and teachers and other school professionals should be afforded significant, quality opportunities for continuing education and professional development, not just on educational methods, but also on the subject matter areas they are teaching.
Fisher:
* [snip]Lee believes there is an unbreakable link between educational attainment and economic prosperity: a quality, affordable and accessible education is necessary to the development of a skilled, highly-educated workforce.
* Lee supports increased accountability for all charter schools and state and federal support for innovative, high-performing charter schools.
* Lee has worked with Governor Strickland to lead state efforts to fairly fund and improve our educational system, such as providing for early childhood education, improving teacher training, developing innovative ways to reward teachers who are doing a great job, lowering class size, making college affordable and accessible, and reducing our over-reliance on local property taxes to fund our public schools.
* Lee believes it is important for the federal government to live up to its promise to fully fund 40 percent of the cost of special education. He also feels it is vitally important to find ways to make college affordable to those that aspire to attend.
I don't like charter schools. I don't think charter schools are doing anything that couldn't be done in public schools. That's my personal preference. I'd like to see the money going to public schools that need it instead of to charter schools. Brunner's page didn't mention charter schools. Fisher's page only mentioned public schools when talking about how he didn't want them to rely so much on property taxes. I do agree with Fisher on that because when schools rely on property taxes for funding schools in less affluent areas won't have as much money which means each child won't have access to a quality education. Something both candidates seem to agree is the right of every child.
Next up, the Environment/Green Jobs:
Brunner:
I support a plan to facilitate the transition to a clean energy economy – including a clean auto industry, wind and solar power, and smart grid implementation – making use of Ohio’s idle factories and well-trained workforce. Ohio’s skilled trades workforce, exceptional work ethic of its people, extensive transportation network and history of innovation had already moved it forward in the development of technology in wind turbine and solar energy production as well as the marrying of agriculture and industry as a pioneer in the production of clean burning diesel fuel from agri-waste. Already Ohio is developing a smart grid in regions of the state that will help conserve energy as it is distributed.
While we build smart grids, institute new methods of generating energy, better insulate our homes and buildings and cultivate higher-yielding farm crops, we must apply such technological efficiencies to resource consumption and disposal for sustainable growth. Harnessing and using energy so that it is available for consumption with less concern for costs and consequences should be part of our comprehensive goal for energy independence.
Brunner(she also had a separate page on Climate Change, I suggest you go read the whole page, there's a lot of info on there):
Flawed trade policies have distorted the benefits of America’s tax, environmental and labor laws, and have perpetuated an artificial dilemma that economic prosperity and a sustainable environment are mutually exclusive. The commercialization of conservation, efficiency and renewable energy technologies and products in a way that contributes to greater community economic and environmental well-being, is the goal of clean energy legislation. A strong and concerted movement in this direction by our state’s leaders in government, manufacturing, business, labor, nonprofit and civic organizations offers an extraordinary opportunity to the Midwest, and especially Ohio, to revitalize economic development while enhancing environmental protection and preserving the quality of life in Ohio for generations to come.
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in June 2009, is a triumvirate of clean energy legislation that addresses energy efficiency, renewable energy distribution, and climate change.[1] This legislation will reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil by 2 million barrels a day in 2030, or the equivalent of what we now import from the Persian Gulf.[2] This important legislation will protect the human environment, promoting a better quality of life for future generations while stimulating the manufacturing base of the American economy.
You have probably seen the commercials by now that describe cap-and-trade as a "jobs killing energy tax." Climate legislation will have its costs; the U.S. EPA’s analysis of ACES suggests that annual household costs will range from between $98 and $140 per year, or roughly the cost of a postage stamp per day.[3] However, what the oil and coal lobby doesn’t tell you is that the cost of inaction is much greater.[4]
Brunner
(turns out she had three separate pages. LOL) There is just a LOT of info on this page, I suggest you go read the entire thing if the Environment is one of your big issues, I can't even pick something to cut here. She goes down a list of exactly what she supports as far as potential legislation.
Fisher:
* As Ohio’s Director of Development and Chair of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission, Lee worked to ensure federal and state stimulus and economic recovery monies were used to create new clean energy jobs in Ohio — jobs that cannot be outsourced to countries like India and China.
* As Senator, Lee will strongly support energy policies that reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil, reduce pollution, and help usher in a vibrant, clean energy economy.
* Lee believes policies that spur the development of a new, clean energy economy will open the door to new economic growth. With the right leadership, we can and must make Ohio a hub of energy production, putting thousands of Ohioans to work creating sources of clean, advanced energy like wind turbines, solar panels, fuel cell-powered cars, and clean coal technologies.
Jennifer went into waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more detail. Fisher didn't even mention the words "climate change" and Jennifer had an entire page (a loooooooong page full of info) dedicated to Climate Change, I was pretty impressed. Based on the websites, it seems like Jennifer has put more thought into this issue and would probably be better on it than Fisher.
Civil Rights
LGBT rights:
Brunner:
I support Marriage Equality as a matter of civil rights. Simply put, people should be able to love and legally commit with full rights to a person they wish.
I will push for marriage equality, as I have supported it for decades, even when it was not popular to do. I see this not only as an issue of civil rights but as a way to strengthen families and keep talented citizens here in the United States.
Civil rights, including marriage for same sex and transgendered couples, and protections in equality regarding employment, housing and equal protection under the law must be specifically guaranteed for persons who identity as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered. These are human rights. People of LGBT identity and their families must be specifically guaranteed equal rights, so that they can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. I have already supported state legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of LGBT in housing, employment, and accommodation and will continue to support and sponsor it in the U.S. Senate.
I will not only support but sponsor legislation for the repeal of the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy in the U.S. military. I have already supported state legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of LGBT in housing, employment, and accommodation and will continue to support and sponsor it in the U.S. Senate.
Fisher:
Lee Fisher supports marriage equality. Believing in equal protection under the law, Lee believes that government has no business preventing Americans from entering into committed relationships and denying them basic rights, such as hospital visitation. Lee also supports the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of sexual orientation. Lee campaigned against the amendment to the Ohio Constitution that denied marriage equality, and as a member of the U.S. Senate, he would oppose any attempt to amend the U.S. Constitution to discriminate against or deny rights to any group of people.
Looks like there's no difference between them when it comes to LGBT rights
Abortion:
Brunner:
I support a woman's right to choose and to make her own health care decisions. I support each individual's right to make informed, independent decisions about sex, health, and family planning.
It is critical to promote policies that help prevent unintended pregnancies and make abortion less necessary, but the right to safe, legal abortion must be protected. When it has been banned, abortions do not stop, they occur under unsafe and medically inappropriate conditions that jeopardize the lives and health of women and teens.
Fisher:
Lee has long been a leader in the fight to ensure that women are able to access safe reproductive health care, and he is committed to upholding the rights guaranteed in Roe v. Wade. As a state legislator, Lee sponsored a resolution "deploring acts of violence against reproductive health care facilities" and "exhorting law enforcement agencies to vigorously investigate such acts." As Attorney General, Lee filed suit against anti-abortion counseling centers accused of deceptive advertising, and sponsored a resolution adopted by the National Association of Attorneys General encouraging the enactment of a federal law prohibiting force, physical obstruction or intimidation to deny patients access to clinics performing abortions. In November 2009, Lee called the anti-choice amendment to the health care reform bill before the U.S. House "discriminatory language far beyond existing law in restricting a woman’s right to choose," and urged the U.S. Senate to reject similar language in its health care reform legislation.
On the actual issue of abortion, they don't seem to differ based on what's on their websites. With that being said, I give extra points to Jennifer for not only focusing on the abortion and the right to choose, but also on preventing unwanted pregnancies.
I suppose the last big issue is Foreign Policy/The Wars:
Brunner:
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the major contributor to our growing national deficit. Much of the gain at American taxpayer expense has been for private contractors, both domestic and foreign, and this often contributes to instability in the very country in which the U.S. seeks to bring stability and hunt down harmful terrorist activity.
At a point where we have paid for two wars with debt and now have bailed out large banks and financial institutions that continue to show profits and pay out large executive bonuses, there is a call for deficit reduction focused on curbing 'entitlements." Likely targets are to be government provided Medicare, Social Security and unemployment compensation.
The foreign nation building that will be required in the lengthy endeavor that is Afghanistan should begin now both in Afghanistan and at home. A wait of years while we continue to accumulate debt that we have no real way to pay for as we attempt to root out terrorists in a country that has never taken well to foreign occupation is a prescription for failure abroad and at home.
We can and must work smarter in Afghanistan by gaining the trust of its people away from the Taliban with a multi-faceted approach that employs humanitarian aid and education for its citizens while protecting the United States against terrorist attacks germinated in this and other countries.
Brunner(Middle East policy):
I support a Jewish democracy for the State of Israel and will be a stalwart defender of Israel's security. I believe that reaching a sustainable Israel-Palestinian two-state solution, including a sustainable, peaceful, contiguous, and democratic Palestinian state with the 1967 borders as a guideline, is the best way to ensure the long-term security of the State of Israel and is also in America's best interest. Iran's development of nuclear weapons represents an existential threat to Israel and is an unacceptable outcome for the long-term strategic interest of the United States, and targeted sanctions designed to hinder Iran's ability to develop these weapons are needed. I support an immediate freeze on the construction of new Israeli settlements, but I believe it is necessary to recognize realities on the ground for some of the more established settlements and I recognize Israel's right to construct a security barrier. The United States should pursue a policy of engagement of the Muslim world without an anti-Islam bias.
She also wrote a blog post here about the wars.
Fisher:
* Lee supports the Obama Administration’s efforts to responsibly end the war in Iraq and defeat al-Qaeda and other terrorist networks around the world. He believes that instead of sending additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan, we should focus our efforts on training tens of thousands of new Afghan forces and encouraging the development of a broad-based coalition government with the legitimacy to lead. US efforts to stop Iran and North Korea from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons are a top priority for Lee. He also backs the Obama Administration’s efforts to strongly support the security of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.
Actually, they pretty much agree on the war as far as bringing troops home. Lee doesn't seem to have an opinion on settlements, but he DOES say he supports the Obama administration's policy, and Obama's against settlements. But Lee seems to be a bit more to the Right when looking at the language he uses.
Oh, I almost forgot Healthcare:
Brunner:
for 6 years while judge and secretary of state.
Many people have asked me if I support "single payer" (government insured health care, like Medicare for all) and the answer is "yes," to the degree that it is an option for Americans and Ohioans to choose, among employer-provided plans, Medicare or other plans they may already be covered under or are satisfied with. I believe that a public option and eventually single payer coverage is something to work toward as Americans begin to see the benefit of universal health care, which I believe is a right, not a privilege.
Forces against equal access to health care have advertised on television about isolated health care incidents in countries like Canada, attributing these calamities to any type of government provided health insurance system, by confusing it with health care through socialized medicine. Under socialized medicine the government owns and operates health care facilities, while health insurance supplied by the government is simply a financing mechanism. The government collects and allocates money for health care but has little to no involvement in the actual delivery of services. Forces against the choice of a government health insurance program seem afraid to criticize the largest and most successful government health insurance system now in use in our country—Medicare.
Fisher:
Reform must guarantee consumers their choice of doctor and health plan. Those who like their coverage and/or their doctor should be guaranteed the right to keep them. To ensure that private insurers compete to offer the best mix of cost and coverage, there should be numerous health care choices available to Ohioans. A public health insurance option should be one of the choices available and should compete alongside private insurers, holding them accountable, providing families more choices and helping to hold down overall health care costs. Health care rationing and long waiting periods are unacceptable, and patients should be deciding their care in consultation with their doctors, not having it dictated to them by bureaucrats.
I only did the public option stuff because that was a big deal around here. They both supported one, but Fisher doesn't seem to support Single Payer (I don't know how important that is since no one thinks it'll ever be feasible in the US).
Other tidbits, I found it interesting that Fisher had a "Rural Development" plan while Jennifer only had a "Urban Agenda". What you can only do one or the other? LOL, but as I live in one of the big cities in Ohio, the Urban Development stuff appeals to me more.
So there you have it, some of the biggest issues and what each candidate had to say. If you want more info just click the links after the topic on the person's name, most of them have additional information at the link. If I didn't get your particular issue, it's not because I don't think it's important, it's because I'm getting tired now ~lol~ Overall I found that Jennifer had a LOT more information to go through, so if you want more detail check out her website.
Note: I just realized I only did two civil rights issues, both had more civil rights issues on their pages, so if you didn't see a civil rights issue you're interested in check out their websites in the links below :o)
And now I'm going to take this opportunity to promote Jennifer Brunner because that is who I support in this race. I have nothing against Lee Fisher, and I will vote for him in the general if he gets the nomination because they really aren't THAT far apart. With that being said, I think Jennifer would work well with Sherrod Brown, and I think she will also keep us informed about what's going on and why she's doing what she's doing. She's not being supported by the Democratic Party machine here in Ohio, and we can use all of the support we can get on this primary. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not CURRENTLY a volunteer on her campaign, but I do intend to do so in the near future.
DONATE: Jennifer Brunner Act Blue
Jennifer Brunner DKos account
JenniferBrunner.com
Oh, and to be fair:
Lee Fisher For Ohio
Lee Fisher DKos account (note the difference in participation. LOL)