McKelvey to co-chair issues opposition campaign

One issue places limits on campaign contributions.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Opponents of four proposed initiatives on the November ballot that backers say will reform Ohio's election system have chosen the Democratic mayor of Youngstown as one of their co-chairmen.
Ohio First, the largely Republican-connected group opposing the measures that will be known as Issues 2,3,4 and 5 on the November ballot, introduced Youngstown Mayor George M. McKelvey on Tuesday as the group's co-chairman, joining former Ohio Senate President Richard H. Finan, a Cincinnati Republican, in that capacity.
"I value my vote," McKelvey said. "I think we have the best form of government in the world, and we keep it that way because we have an opportunity to vote for those who represent us and throw them out if they don't represent us."
Reform Ohio Now, a group that has ties to organized labor and other groups, has gathered enough signatures to place on the ballot proposed constitutional amendments that would:
UIssue 2: Allow Ohio voters to vote early without specifying a reason.
UIssue 3: Reduce individual campaign-contribution limits to $1,000 for a state legislative candidate and $2,000 for a statewide candidate.
UIssue 4: Create a five-member commission to draw what RON said would be competitive state and congressional districts.
UIssue 5: Give the secretary of state's elections duties to a nine-member state panel to oversee Ohio's voting system.
McKelvey blasted all of the proposals.
How he sees it
Talking about the proposal to allow no-fault absentee voting, McKelvey said: "When you relax the rules of oversight of absentee balloting, you increase the probability of voter fraud. That is a fact."
Speaking of the proposal to create a commission to draw competitive state and congressional elections through a mathematical formula, McKelvey said he preferred the current method in which publicly accountable officeholders are involved.
Currently, a state apportionment board -- made up of the governor, state auditor, secretary of state and one member each of the major political parties selected by legislative leaders -- redraws the 99 Ohio House districts and 33 Ohio Senate districts after each decennial census to reflect population shifts.
State lawmakers -- through legislation -- draw congressional districts every 10 years to reflect population changes, under the current system.
McKelvey said he'll actively campaign for the defeat of the proposed constitutional amendments and will donate personal funds as well to that effort.
Last year, McKelvey bucked his party to endorse President George Bush, a Republican. McKelvey said Tuesday he's not fearful of any political repercussions by fellow Democrats because of his opposition to the proposed amendments.
Keary McCarthy, a RON spokesman, says his group stands for true reform.
"My first impression is whenever you have reform opposed by members of both political parties, that's when you have true reform," McCarthy said.
As for the opposition to the no-fault absentee voting, McCarthy noted that several other states do some form of early voting.
McCarthy said there has not been widespread allegations of fraud in those states.
"That allegation is made to scare voters and that's it," McCarthy said. "There's no basis." Voters go to the polls Nov. 8.