Welcome to The Portage County Ohio TEA Party

www.house.state.oh.us/index.php

PORTAGE COUNTY TEA PARTY CANDIDATE SURVEY:

Candidate Name: _______Stephen Dyer________Office being sought: ___State Representative 43rd
District____________________2010____
Previous/current offices held: ______State Rep. 2007-
current__________________________________________________________
Contact Information: Include address and internet sites; ___4362 Ridge View Drive, Uniontown, Ohio 44685;
www.stephendyer.com_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Please answer the following questions. Please feel free to expand on your answers.
1. What makes a good _________State Representative__________? I believe someone who keeps in mind
the people of their district first and foremost. Someone who listens and takes action on their
behalf. Someone who isn’t afraid to tackle big issues. Someone who won’t turn their back on
their constituents.

2. Why do you want this job? I want this job for the same reason I wanted it in 2006; I’m sick of the state
ignoring the people. For too long, the special interests have received benefit after benefit from the
statehouse. It’s time for the people to be represented. Take the school funding issue, for example. An
entire generation of kids went through an unconstitutional school funding system. That infuriated me as
a reporter with the Akron Beacon Journal – that a state legislature would be so utterly inept. So I ran in
2006 saying I would fix school funding. My opponent told me to get my head out of the clouds. Well, I
spent two years developing my own system. Then, when I became a member of the majority party, the
Governor introduced his plan to overhaul the school funding system. I was the chairman of the
subcommittee that handled that plan and played a significant role in shaping that. Two months later, we
had the first plan in the history of this state that actually would provide much-needed property tax relief
all while allowing kids access to a world-class education, regardless of where they live. It was endorsed
by the group that sued the state in 1991. I want to continue that work and now take that can-do attitude
and attack the economy and our deficit problem. I have never wanted to run for anything else. I have
never run for anything else. I wanted to change the direction of this state. The best place to do that is the
statehouse. It is the statehouse where I feel I belong.

3. What are your qualifications for the office you seek? I have a BA in English from Tufts University, an
MA in Journalism from Kent State and a JD from the University of Akron. I was a reporter with
the Akron Beacon Journal for about 10 years before I got fed up with the legislature’s ineptitude
and ran for State Rep in 2006. Since then, I have introduced several bills that would open up
state transparency, protect folks from taxation without representation, keep the federal
government from regulating our local businesses, shrunk the state government to the size it was
in the Reagan Administration, turned around our state’s school funding system, cut the state
income tax by about 17% with another 4% coming next year, eliminated several onerous
business taxes and voted to cut my own salary. No state legislator has held more town hall
meetings than I have. Because of those meetings, I was able to stop the EPA from instituting
their onerous new wood-fired boiler rules and halted the effort to force septic users to tap into
county sewer lines. I have helped scores of residents and businesses overcome obstacles from
government bureaucracy to losing their jobs and homes. My office is among the most
responsive and successful at overcoming these challenges at the statehouse.

4. Do you (or have you ever) own any businesses, or hold a greater than five-percent stake in any? On
what corporate boards do you or have you served? I own my own legal business.

5. Have you ever failed to pay taxes or have you ever been penalized, fined or cited by the IRS?
□ Yes XNo

6. What county do you live in, and how long have you lived there? What other counties have you lived in,
within Ohio? I live in Summit County. I have lived in Summit County for 25 years. I lived in Portage
County for 5 years. My dad grew up in Hiram. My mom grew up in Firestone Park.

7. To what charities, causes or civic organizations have you contributed more than $200 over the past 5
years? The Green Veterans Memorial Park. The Green Schools Foundation. Green Little League. The
Salvation Army. Goodwill. Kick for the Cure (breast cancer). I have also donated to several school
organizations, but not over $200.

8. Describe your economic philosophy and economic goals for the nation, state, county, or city? My
economic philosophy is I believe everyone in this state has a right to achieve the American Dream. We
need to ensure that there are economic opportunities for everyone to be able to provide for their family,
and live a comfortable retirement. As such, we need to ensure that more people can afford to go to
college, and for those who don’t go to college, allow them to acquire the skills necessary to succeed. We
need to stop shipping jobs overseas and instead provide incentives for Ohioans to purchase Ohio-made
goods. Our economy in this state is among the largest in the world. With the proper incentives, we can
help spur our great economic future. I believe government should be a partner with businesses in
growing our economy. However, businesses must also accept and engender a civic responsibility as
well. Businesses must realize that a successful community is good for business. And they must play a
role in making that community successful.

9. Do our rights as American citizens emanate from the federal government? □ Yes X No
Our rights, as enumerated in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, emanate from our
Creator. We are simply the only country that has put those rights to
paper.

10. Have you read the Constitution of the United States since you graduated from High School?
When? I read it in law school and refer to it nearly every day as a state
representative X Yes □ No

11. Have you read the Constitution of the State of Ohio? X Yes □ No
Why or Why not? I’m a state representative, so it’s my job to be familiar with the State Constitution. It
is much, much, much longer than the US Constitution, though. Perhaps if more legislators had read the
part dealing with education we could have properly addressed that issue before an entire generation of
kids went through an unconstitutionally funded system.

12. Do you think it’s important to complete the border fence between the United States and Mexico?
XYes □ No

Have you ever been convicted of, pled no contest to, or placed in a diversion program for a crime, other
than parking or minor traffic offenses? (Possession and/or a DUI is not a minor offense.) No.

13. What, in your opinion, is one the most important amendments to the U.S. Constitution and why? The
14th Amendment because it applied the Bill of Rights to the states. I believe the Bill of Rights is among
the most important expressions of Human Rights ever constructed by human hands. I will defend those
rights to the end, including the Second Amendment. I have received the endorsement of the Buckeye
Firearms Association my last two elections, and received an A rating from them this year. (NRA has yet
to grade this year)

14. How do you plan on communicating with the electorate once elected? The same way I have been, with
newsletters, emails and lots and lots of town hall meetings.

15. What is the basic foundation of strength for our nation? Our strength is our people and their enduring
faith, freedom and liberty.

16. What role should the federal government have to enhance the lives of the average American citizen? It
should be limited to the powers enumerated in the constitution. In general, it should be there to protect
folks who can’t protect themselves and work with its citizens, businesses, charities and civic
organizations to help ensure a great and prosperous nation.

17. What is the federal and state governments’ role in education and how would you deal with education
funding issue in Ohio? When the Land Ordinance of 1785 laid out the Northwest Territory (including
Ohio), it set aside the central plot of every township for a public school. Its central location meant that it
would be as easily accessible as possible for everyone in the township to reach. One of this country’s
great innovations was the idea that our path to economic prosperity begins in the classroom. Education
is the great equalizer. It allows anyone, regardless of humbleness of birth to achieve anything. That’s
why I believe it is, especially in Ohio (one of the states in the Northwest Territory), a fundamental duty
of this state to ensure every Ohio child can access a world-class system of education. The Ohio Supreme
Court has ruled four times the system of education in this state is primarily a state obligation. The Ohio
Constitution says the state needs to provide a thorough and efficient system of public education.
Unfortunately, for 20 years, Ohio Republicans ignored that section of the Constitution. Within a month
of gaining control of the Ohio House, Ohio Democrats, led by the Governor and me in the House,
crafted a new system that fundamentally provides a thorough and efficient system of public education. It
ensures smaller classes, better teachers and more opportunity for our kids. And it also, for the first time
in the history of this state, provides the promise of less need for property taxes to pay for school. When
the plan is fully implemented, the need for property taxes will drop by about one-third. Unfortunately,
Ohio House Republicans still don’t get it. Their response has been a risky tax scheme – sponsored by
their entire leadership team – that would increase the need for property taxes by at least 20 percent. So
you see why I am fighting so hard to see this plan through. The group that sued the state supports this
plan. It gave me the only legislative excellence award it has ever given. And all it requires is that we
commit an extra one percent of the state budget each year for 10 years. I am committed to seeing this
through, and I will fight like a dog to make sure the state follows through on this historic promise.

18. What is the role of local government? To provide for the safety and health of the local community.

19. What is the United States international role? To be the great hope of the world by being its exemplar of
freedom, liberty, truth, hope and justice.

20. What role does religion play in our history? Our future? Religion has always been a great moral voice
for justice and charity in this country, and our country’s free expression of one’s religious beliefs is the
envy of the world. I expect it will continue to play that important role.

21. Are there laws on the books that should be altered or repealed? Which ones (generally or specifically)? I
have authored several. One is how Mosquito Abatement Districts are formed. Right now, judges can
raise your taxes to pay for these things. My bill, which passed out of the Ohio House, would have the
people decide that. Another is current law doesn’t force property owners to disclose to subsequent
owners that a meth lab used to be located on the property. My law, which passed the Ohio House, would
change that. Another law left open the door for federal regulators to take over our state’s insurance
industry. My bill, which was signed by the governor, prevents that. I believe Ohio legislative committee
meetings should have detailed minutes (the only public entity in the state not to do so by the way), so I
authored a bill doing that. I have authored 16 bills this session, all because I believe we need to change
laws currently on the books. I encourage you to go to my website to look at them. In general, I believe
the Ohio Revised Code needs a total overhaul. It’s too dense, long and cumbersome. It keeps lawyers
employed, but doesn’t keep the public easily informed.

 

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