What People Say?Different people with different perspectives

Recently, Thom Collier, former state representative and candidate for state senate in Ohio’s 19th district, was awarded the “Watchdog of the Treasury” award by the United Conservatives of Ohio for the 127th General Assembly.  This award is given to a small number of legislators who stand up for fiscal responsibility and elimination of government waste.  This is the second time Thom Collier has received the “Watchdog of the Treasury” award.

“I am proud to receive the ‘Watchdog of the Treasury’ award.  When I was voted into the state legislature, I made saving taxpayer dollars a priority in Columbus,” Thom Collier stated.  “During a time when Ohio and the nation are facing record budget deficits and out of control spending, it will be crucial that citizens have state legislators that take a stand to reduce the government burden on the average taxpayer.”

As a fiscal conservative, Thom Collier also won an overwhelming endorsement from the Knox County Republican Party when he garnered 75% of the vote.  His belief that state spending must be reined in, and his concern for fiscal responsibility, or in other words, his view that the state government should operate within its means, was surely part of this endorsement victory.

As a state representative for 8 years, Thom Collier built an impressive conservative record.  His bold tax policies included introducing legislation to eliminate the Ohio income tax, helping eliminate the corporate franchise and tangible personal property tax, and cutting the income tax of every Ohioan by 21 percent.

The award was presented the morning of February 24, 2010, in Columbus by the United Conservatives of Ohio, which stands for responsible spending of taxpayer dollars, reducing government waste, and supporting a free market-based economic system.

Thom Collier first decided to enter public service several years ago after an incident when municipal leaders casually dismissed his requests for help with a simple drainage problem.  Thom and his wife, Diane, have been married 17 years and have two daughters, Cathern, 15, and Natoli, 10. Thom Collier is a leader in his church and has also been a small business owner for 27 years.

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Paid for by the committee to elect Thom Collier, Kelly Schermerhorn, Treasurer, 607 East High Street, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050. For more information about Thom Collier, visit http://www.electcollier.com.

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About the Author:
Matthew D. Parker is the President and Founder of Front Porch Strategies, a national voter contact firm based out of Columbus, Ohio. Prior to forming Front Porch Strategies in 2006, Parker worked as a senior account executive at BrabenderCox, an award winning political, media, and marketing firm. He has also served as a top congressional aide, campaign manager, and a White House intern in the Office of Political Affairs. A native of West Virginia, Matthew holds a degree in Economics with a minor in Political Science from Marietta College.
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It is absurd to portray M.F. Husain as a martyr and a fearless fighter of artistic freedom

This whole controversy about M.F. Husain, his exile and his citizenship of Qatar has been so convoluted that ordinary Indians are confused. One big reason for this confusion is that the whole debate around M.F. Husain and his paintings has raised so many questions about Hinduism, Islam, tolerance and secularism that simple facts are being ignored. Let me start by pointing out some things our so called liberal journalists and intellectuals are afraid to admit. The fact is: many Hindus have, and will fi nd some of the paintings of M.F. Husain quite offensive. Showing grotesquely nude portraits of Hindu deities is bound to offend many Hindus. And I think, so called intellectuals who call these offended Hindus bigoted and intolerant are actually even more blindly bigoted and intolerant. How can you defend the right of M.F. Husain to offend and deny the equal right of some people to feel offended?

There is yet another valid point that many offended Hindus have raised. And the point cannot be ignored even if it is politically incorrect. What would have been the fate of M.F. Husain if he were a citizen of Pakistan or Saudi Arabia and claimed that he – as an artist – has the intellectual freedom to portray revered historical and mythical figures of Islam in a manner that deeply offends devout Muslims? In fact, the question to be asked is: would M.F. Husain would have invoked artistic freedom and done what Salman Rushdie did when he wrote ‘The Satanic Verses’? Let me go further and offend our so called intellectuals: Would M.F. Husain – now that he is a free citizen of Qatar – behave like an iconoclast artist and offend the Muslim citizens of that country? We all know now – at least going by media reports of his love for some finer things of life – that he is not a devout Muslim the way that term is (mis)understood nowadays. We also know what his fate would have been in Saudi Arabia.

So, I personally think it is absurd to portray M.F. Husain as a martyr and a fearless fighter of artistic freedom. He is just about a normally good artist who with the media hype happening at the right time made it big and immediately learnt the tricks of marketing his paintings well. From branding his paintings with help of a recognisable logo i.e. the horse to walking barefeet- he did everything cleverly and rightly. His sense of colors makes his paintings bright but as with most modern art, its hardly much to write home about when compared to the art say for example from the renaissance period, that is really worth emulating. And yet, I think his exile and citizenship is actually a big loss for India. And for the Idea of India.

Let me start with the least important reasons why! For centuries, Hindu temples, monuments and literature have portrayed the erotic as one more manifestation of the so many paths towards spirituality and salvation. The fact is: Konark, Khajuraho, Ajanta and others are proof that eroticism was celebrated by at least a section of Hindus. We revere Lord Krishna and yet celebrate his interaction with the Gopis. In sharp contrast, Islam and Christianity have always been far more puritanical when it comes to their deities. You will not find any temple, scripture, painting or anything that would portray Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed in the manner that Hindus sometimes portray Lord Krishna. To that extent, you can argue that M.F. Husain was merely repeating what many Hindus before him have done.

The second reason I would add is the fact that India claims to be a democracy where people have the right to free speech and artistic expression. This line of thought argues that Indians have the right to offend and that a democracy should be large hearted enough to absorb such provocations. After all, did not B.R. Ambedkar ‘offend’ Hinduism so many times before and after he converted to Buddhism? Was not Periyar of Tamil Nadu, a leader and thinker who delighted in insulting symbols of Hinduism? How about the slogans of Bahujan Samaj Party sometime ago, which went like: “Tilak, Taraazu aur Talwaar; Inko Maro Joote Chaar”? What about the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. Karunanidhi allegedly insulting Lord Ram during the Sethu Samudram controversy? The logic is: if so many have been ‘insulting’ Hinduism, why single out Husain and target him for the same?

Personally, I would leave such reasons to our so called intellectuals to debate and congratulate each other over their so called commitment to secularism, free speech and democracy. I think the persecution of M.F. Husain and his exile from India are bad for the country because of a more important reason. India has always been the land that gave shelter to the persecuted who sought relief, succour and a place to practice their faith. This has not only saved the ‘refugees’ from death and persecution, it has also enriched India. The best example of this is the history of Parsis in India. India – through ages – has been a land where different ideologies, faiths and creeds have co-existed. More importantly, India has withstood repeated onslaughts to smother this celebration of diversity.

I am again being politically incorrect. But despite the best efforts of Mahmood Ghaznavi who destroyed the Somnath Temple – apart from God knows how many other temples – the temple, and the faith, survive in tact. Despite the best efforts of Christian missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries, the ‘heathen’ Hindus managed to keep faith in their rituals, deities, festivals and celebrations. Please remember: India is the only major nation in the world which has been ruled directly by propagators of Islam and Christianity, yet not succumbed to their lure – either through sword, ideology or bribe. The only other major nations of the world who has retained their ancient spiritual heritage are China and Japan. And the two were never conquered and ruled by ‘outsiders’ the way India was.

That is the India I love so passionately. It is the India that has the capacity and power to absorb all ideas – even if they seem to insult Hinduism. I have heard of people who crave for their deities and prayers in Saudi Arabia because that country simply does not allow you to practice any faith other than Islam. It is just that today’s intellectuals are so cowardly and timid that they fail to highlight this simple fact. I urge all fellow citizens of India to welcome back M.F. Husain with open arms and allow him to paint whatever he wants. He will probably enrich our civilization, than damage it with some childish paintings!

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MARCH 26, 2010

This Week in Health Care Reform     

Health care reform legislation passed the House this week on a party-line vote. Late Sunday night, House Democrats approved the Senate health care reform package, sending the legislation to President Obama for his signature. On Tuesday, President Obama signed the underlying bill into law, yet the House has yet to finalize the package of “fixes” that will alter the final implications of the legislation.

Health Care Reform Negotiations

House Democrats Pass Health Care Reform Package: The House of Representatives approved the Senate health care reform bill Sunday night by a vote of 219 to 212. The vote marks the climactic finale to a year-long debate over health care reform. In the final vote, 34 Democrats joined all House Republicans in voting against the measure. Shortly thereafter, the House also passed a package of “fixes,” by a vote of 220-211, that was sent directly to the Senate for its approval through reconciliation. On Tuesday, President Obama signed into law the Senate health care reform bill, called the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”

Republicans Force Senate to Send the Reconciliation Bill Back to the House: Shortly after the President signed the Senate bill into law, Senators began deliberations on the reconciliation bill. Reconciliation protocol restricts Senators to 20 hours of debate on the measure, but it does not limit the number of amendments that can be filed. In an expression of opposition to the bill, Republicans filed 29 amendments to the reconciliation package.

After 10 hours of continuous debate, Republicans were successful in eliminating two provisions related to college financial aid in the non-health care portion of the bill. The Senate parliamentarian ruled early Thursday morning that those two provisions violated the chamber’s rules, sending the legislation back to the House for a new vote. As a result, on Thursday afternoon, the Senate voted on the reconciliation bill without those two provisions and sent the bill  back to the House for a vote on final passage. The House vote will likely come Thursday evening.

What Does This Health Care Reform Legislation Mean: While the health care reform bill extends insurance coverage to 32 million more Americans by 2019, the legislation has other far-reaching implications that will be phased in sooner, during a multi-year implementation period.

Several features of the new health care overhaul bill that would take effect in 2010 under the measure passed Sunday include:

* New product requirements beginning 6 months after enactment, including:
o Coverage for dependents up to age 26
o No lifetime maximum benefit limits
o And no cost sharing on preventive care for certain policyholders
* Temporary federal high risk pools;
* Tax credits for small employers; and
* Prohibition on pre-existing condition exclusions for children (beginning 6 months after enactment).

Most Americans will have until 2014 to purchase insurance or pay a penalty. Other elements of the bill that will not take effect until at least 2014 include insurance marketplaces called “exchanges”; rules requiring insurers to accept all applicants regardless of pre-existing conditions, and an expansion of state Medicaid programs.

A number of experts question whether health care reform will really drive down insurance premiums. America’s Health Insurance Plans ( AHIP), the trade group representing health insurers, outlines a series of concerns related to the legislation including a lack of provisions that address underlying health care costs, improve quality of care or ensure a stable risk pool. In addition, AHIP expressed concerns regarding new taxes on health coverage, which will likely increase premiums.

Additional Activities

Obama’s Executive Order on Abortion Funding: On Sunday afternoon, prior to the final House vote on health care reform, President Obama agreed to issue an Executive Order that would uphold the ban on federal funding for abortion . In so doing, he secured about a half-dozen votes from anti-abortion Democrats, led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), who previously opposed the legislation. On Wednesday, President Obama signed the Executive Order banning the government from spending federal money to pay for abortions through plans offered on the insurance exchanges created under the measure.

States Filing Lawsuit to Fight Provision of Health Care Reform Bill: In response to the new health care reform legislation, states across the country have filed lawsuits asking the courts to declare the law unconstitutional and to bar its enforcement. On Monday,Attorneys General in 13 states, led by Florida, filed a joint lawsuit claiming that the new health care reforms violate state government rights in the U.S. Constitution and will force massive new spending on hard-pressed state governments. Joining Florida in the suit are Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Washington.

At the same time, the Attorney General in Virginia filed a separate suit contending that Congress has exceeded its power in mandating that people buy health insurance. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli argues that the new law’s requirement clashes with Virginia law that exempts citizens from federal fines imposed for not having health insurance.

Senate Voting to Extend COBRA Until May 5:  Senate Democrats plan another short-term extension of unemployment aid this week, setting up a face-off with Republicans, who are vowing to fight the extension if the $10 billion cost isn’t offset with spending cuts. The bill, currently set to expire on April 5, would extend a series of emergency programs - including funding for unemployment insurance benefits and COBRA health coverage for the jobless  - and would hold off a deep cut in reimbursement rates for doctors who serve Medicare patients. The long-term extension has already passed in both the House and Senate, but the two measures are not expected to be reconciled and sent to the President’s desk until after the Easter recess.

President Obama Heads to Iowa to Speak on Health Care: President Obama headed to Iowa on Thursday to increase support for his health care legislation. This was President Obama’sfirst trip out ofWashington since signing health care reform legislation earlier this week. He spoke at the University of Iowa, in the city where he first announced his health care proposal during the Presidential campaign.

Public Opinion

Most Americans Want Republicans to Fight Health Care Reform Bill: In a recent CBS News poll, 62 percent of Americans said they want congressional Republicans to continue challenging the bill, while 33 percent said they should not. Disapproval of the bill has remained steady, with 46 percent saying they disapprove, including 32 percent who “strongly” disapprove. A majority of Americans continue to say that they find the bill to be confusing and do not understand what it means for them or their family.

American’s Split on Health Care Reform Passage: In a recent USA Today/Gallup poll, 42 percent of Americans said they were angry or disappointed with the recent passage of health care reform legislation. When asked to reveal party affiliation, 79 percent identified themselves as Republicans.

Polling Shows Support for State Lawsuits Against Government: National polling reveals significant opposition to the individual mandate. In a newly released Rasmussen report , 53 percent of those polled oppose the new mandate requiring every American to buy or obtain health insurance. Further, 49 percent of voters are in favor of their state suing the federal government to fight the mandate. Fifty-one percent say individual states should have the right to opt out of the health care plan entirely.

Looking Ahead

After this week’s final health care reform vote, President Obama plans to travel the country in the next few months to discuss the new law. Republicans have begun their own discussions of the law, with an eye towards the November elections.

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We all r aware about the political role of Kcr in building the party for the sole purpose of getting Telangana by forwarding the injustices caused this region by the Andhra rulers and the puppet ministers of Telangana in the last 55 years by keeping the careful interest of his own future in all the ways whatever he have in his hands like a tricky and seasoned politician in Andhra Pradesh

 The fast unto death was really mobilizing point of the minds of the people on global level towards himself and on his Trs party through the demand of Talangana state. Both in parliament and out side in India have been concentrated sympathy towards himself and on his cause. The high level chasings, arrest, and agitations to release the Kcr from Khammam hospital all were the developments in favor of Telangana and Kcr were taken place.

 The breaking point was seen in all the channels in which the the Kcr was received the glass of juice eagerly with the extending hand more largely than the length of offering person’s hand, that is only the thing to generate the alternative zeal and strength of the students in Ou and Ku. In very seconds of the developments at the hospital, the students declared that they themselves alone would lead the movement without any hesitation. And moves onwards from that time with the discontentment on the Kcr, were initiated on very next day. The Andhra Jyothi news paper published with caption on titling kcr as k chi r. This is the turning point of the emergence of alternative force on the demand of the Telangana state under the different commands of the students Jac at Ou , Au and in other universities in Telangana districts. Keeping in view of the deteriorating health of Kcr, and on the pressure of the other political parties and the agitations of the Telangana people, the union home minister had announced that the process of Telangana would be initiated, and further he said that the appropriate bill will be moved in the state assembly.

 During the parliament session, Sushma Swarj publicly told that they will support the bill if it is produced in the parliament. Off course it is not the point here to take her words into confidence about the Telangana bill and the formation of Telangana. In accordance with the statement of the union home minister, the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh convened the all party floor leaders meeting and got all party leaders signatures on the resolving the Telangana issue. Very next day the tdp chief reversed his voice on the Telangana issue, and gave rise to its Andhra leaders to agitate for the united Telangana on the name of Samaikyandhra. Since then he is living in the dark with the blots of the cheating the Telangana people on his face.

 He did not make available himself to any independent national media, and off course the etv,etv2,tv9,abn,sakshi,tv5,tv1,zee,teja,maa,TV5 etc, in Ap.all were failed to see, and meet the Tdp chief, Nara Chandra Babu Naidu. All these channels could not catch the Tdp chief for his clarification on the Telangana issue. Off course the sex scandals and Maoists Kishanjee are the easiest issues for them to catch in their cameras, except Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, because he lives in the bunkers like a Saddam Hussain who caught by the coalition forces, and got him and killed, but the Tdp chief, Nara Chandra Babu Naidu is hiding in the Afghanistan hills and all the world is looking for his clarification on the Telangana issue. A blotted and black face has no dare to face the Ou Jac, Nagam and others were sent to check the intensity of the anger of the students in Ou. We have seen the case in all channels of the Tdp chief; Nara Chandra Babu Naidu .Meaniwhile the political jac was took shape and conducted a public meeting under the command of Kcr during the agitations of all Jacs in Telangana. At that time Prof. Kodandram has seen as the convener of the political jac and acted him accordingly, as it was come to know that the Kcr was declared him as the Convenor of the political Jac

 The political Jac was in action by taking the congress, Tdp, Cpi, Trs with all other groups who are active in the movement, soon after, the continuation of the political activities of the students Jac, public jacs, professional Jacs in Jelangana , the demand was raised for resignation to the elected posts of public representativ4es, at that time the congress ministers  and Mlas took lead role in mobilizing the political programs in the Telangana. The congress leadership in Telangana also decided unanimously to back the support of Telangana in the light of unity of Andhra leaders, who broke out all barriers of the political interests, the Praja Rajyam, Cpm, and Lok Satta took the Samikyandra side. And remaining cpi, congress, and tdp declared that they are committed to their words of their past. Cpi’s Narayana was and he is very clear about his stand on Telangana issue, and moving in the same line in support of Telangana

 While leading the Jac at state level, the trs raised to demand congress and tdp mlas to resign to the posts of public representatives. Sensing the demand in depth consequences, the high command called the active leaders to Delhi, and asked to shun the active part in the movement on the ground that the Tdp and Trs is in conspiracy to dislodge the government in state under the leadership of sri Roshaiah, who is the figure in the hands of the congress high command to keep y.s jagan factor out from the fold of the state politics on the cause of the satisfactory conduct of himself other than the son of late Shri. Y.s Raja Shekhar Reddy

 The state congress leadership was sensed the contention of Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, and kcr, who are contested in last assembly elections unsuccessfully in the race of power in the state and decided themselves not to resign to their posts of Mlas in the interest of the congress party’s rule in the state. Consequently, the foxy, tdp chief took an opportunity to lead the movement of Telangana with coordination of Kcr, and Kadandram’s Jac against the congress party, like a thief crying on the kotwal , as thief, thief,

 Very lately political Jac of Kodadram took a decision to expel the Tdp from the political Jac. Meanwhile, the union home minister announced the names of the committee and declared its terms of reference with working period of Sree Krishna commission. On its formation some told it is waste committee and claimed it serves nothing but consummation of the time. And the people of Telangana and the students are turned on their regular activities of their lives. I have no exact figure of the immolations, suicides, hangings and other form of deaths of the people of Telanagana, on the doubt of the formation of the state. In order to prove their commitment to the t-state, all the trs Mlas were resigned and at the same time 2mps who sent their resignations to the speaker of the parliament in the improper form, and declared rejected. At the same the big game was played by all players including the congress chief and chief minister, in rejecting the resignations of the Andhra Mlas, and Telangana Mlas successively

  And the present chief minister has gained enough strength to dominate the arrogant mlas and the followers of Jagan factor in the state. The people and the professionals are busy with the routine and in submitting the pleas to Sree Krishna commission in favor of t-state. Now from the time of eagerly receiving the glass of juice in the hospital while the Kcr’s fast unto death program, from the hands of the offer, he has the guilty feeling in his mind that the movement was slipped from his hands and went out to the hands of the students and the public.

 On the issue of the film of junior Ntr his daughter has expressed different opinion on that film from deviation of the general opinion of the Jacs after the declaration of the junior Ntr about the release of the film. During these developments, several film settings were burn down. And the quarrels among the film personalities were exposed.. now the political Jac under the command of Kodandram, which was pushed forward by the Kcr, who was in alliance with Tdp, both are now hiding from the people have been taken the responsibility, of leading the movement, on the betrayal of the kcr, and his party and now he is busy again to go to the elections. Off course, I hope this time he will not dare to play double or triple gains card in the fray of assembly elections, and the people will definitely elect them again, if the kcr would never betray them from back side

 The vows of Kodandram, is I think unbearable in leading the masses on the t-demand. Kcr whose mind and his intention is to make the t-people to feel that the t-state would never be possible without his role. And Kodandram is at the search of another alternative to the t-jac for bearing the expenses of the movement. Off course, he is looking at the Gaddar-like popularities, to lead the movement. He does not know about his intentions in leading the movement. Movements will never build with the stage performers. But artists are essential in building the movements.

 On the other hand Manda Krishna Madiga, who is still now out side and are attending the important programs. In essence the political leaders would never build a social movement on the popular demands of the people, for which the leaders should shun their greed in gaining money, at the sometime the social leaders would never become political leaders, just because they do not know plays to play before the players. There are other leaders too outside the movement and observing the developments in the issue of leadership of the t-movement. However, these are not good and I hope the Kcr would understand the aspirations of the people, for which whatever he has in his mind about the students Jac, be set a side from his mind in the interest of the t-state as well he would come back in memory of those who died with a dream of t-state. Kcr, Plz come out. And get Nara Chandra Babu Naidu, out of his den to the people

.Ayub Mohammed

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/political_analysts/

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Former State Representative Thom Collier (R-Mount Vernon) recently announced his candidacy for the 19th State Senate District.  The 19th Senate District is being vacated by Senate President Bill Harris due to term limits.

Thom Collier stated, “I am running for the State Senate to serve.  Ohio is losing jobs and people at an alarming rate.  I cannot stand on the sidelines and watch as Ohio loses companies and people to states with a better business climate.”  

“While there are many important issues facing state government, perhaps none is more important right now than jobs,” Thom Collier stated. “The unemployment rate in Ohio recently surpassed a staggering 11%.  This is why I have chosen to announce my candidacy here at an Ohio business.  The Ariel Corporation started small but through diligence and sweat equity the folks here have built a fantastic organization.  However, if things keep going the way they are going in Ohio, companies like Ariel might be forced to relocate in a more business-friendly state.”

By “business-friendly state,” Thom Collier has in mind a key difference shared by states such as Texas and Florida: These states do not have an income tax.

“I was blessed to serve over 8 years in the Ohio House.  During my time in the House, I introduced legislation to eliminate Ohio’s income tax.  When I entered the legislature Ohio had one of the most unfriendly business climates in the nation, we made significant strides in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work left to do.  Residents are fleeing south to states like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee that do not have an income tax.  Unfortunately we were not able to get this monumental reform passed and I want to go the Senate and work extremely hard to eliminate this job killing tax.”

The Thom Collier campaign platform also includes a vital concern over state fiscal responsibility, which has been a key issue in Collier’s past service as a State Representative, and one that built Thom Collier an impressive conservative record and led to him receiving the Watchdog of the Treasury Award by the United Conservatives of Ohio.  

At a time when unemployment has skyrocketed and deficit spending by the federal government is mind-boggling, Thom Collier’s straight forward approach to cutting taxes to favor business and job growth, along with reducing state spending, is really winning favor among constituents in his district.

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Paid for by the committee to elect Thom Collier, Kelly Schermerhorn, Treasurer, 607 East High Street, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050. For more information about Thom Collier, visit http://www.electcollier.com

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About the Author:
Matthew D. Parker is the President and Founder of Front Porch Strategies, a national voter contact firm based out of Columbus, Ohio. Prior to forming Front Porch Strategies in 2006, Parker worked as a senior account executive at BrabenderCox, an award winning political, media, and marketing firm. He has also served as a top congressional aide, campaign manager, and a White House intern in the Office of Political Affairs. A native of West Virginia, Matthew holds a degree in Economics with a minor in Political Science from Marietta College.
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