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Lt. Gov Candidate Pepper speaks on Ramaswamy’s potential effect on Ohio

By Sophie Wheeler 5 min read

MARIETTA - Candidate for Lt. Gov David Pepper and candidate for State Representative 94th district Wenda Sheard spoke in Marietta on Monday morning.

Corey Sampson, a Washington county resident, spoke on his concerns regarding injection wells, rising energy costs, and the impact of data centers on local communities.

"Many things come to mind when we think of our pleasant corner of the state, but for me, I always circle back to the word: community."

Sampson alleges "Injection wells threaten our precious resources, causing many to lose their home heating source due to a well flooding as we near cooler weather. Living data center deals only increase local fears."

He said, in his opinion, "How are small town people supposed to trust that Vivek (Ramaswamy) will have their best interests, when he hasn't been truthful about his heavy investments in this industry."

Sheard spoke on the supposed risks posed by injection wells and alleges that state leadership has failed to protect public health and safety, referencing a letter from ODNR Attorney Hallie Brownfield Watson released by Buckeye Environmental Network.

"In this letter, (ODNR) admits that an injection well in Washington County is leaking, the toxic radioactive fracking waste has risen to the surface and has been released, poses a public health and safety risk, (ODNR) was drafting an order to suspend the operation of the well, and they did not issue the order. ... They didn't issue the order because they said it was the division’s understanding that DeepRock, the injection well company, did not want any such order issues. ... We desperately need a change in government in Ohio," she said.

Geneva Cech, a Marietta resident, spoke on her perspective as a young Ohioan and her belief that high costs of living and limited job opportunities are driving youth away from the state.

"Ohio's young people are no stranger to the rising cost of living. ... It's more difficult than ever to get a solid foundation and support ourselves and our families," she alleges, "So many of my classmates and friends have moved away because they felt like there were better opportunities for them outside of Ohio."

Cech believes "Young Ohioans are ready for a change, but that's not what Vivek Ramaswamy is offering."

Pepper spoke on the cost of living in Ohio and alleged a lack of governmental funding for public schools and childcare affected Ohioans. He also spoke on how Ramaswamy's plans would purportedly raise costs in Ohio.

"Most Ohioans are working harder than ever, and whether it's gas prices, grocery prices, but so many other costs, (that are) just far too high in Ohio," he alleges, "We’ve seen a spike in property tax because 'they' won't fund public schools. We are seeing energy bills (that) have gone up faster in Ohio in the last six months."

According to Pepper, Ohio has the highest child care cost in America. "Many families in Ohio take their kids over the border to West Virginia and Kentucky to get affordable childcare, and then they return to Ohio to work."

He alleges "Ramaswamy is not just doubling down, but going further on ideas that would raise costs even more. ... He wants to be one of the only states in the county that also gets rid of the capital gains tax. Who's going to pay for that, ... we are. Ramaswamy is doubling down on what 'they've' been doing to our public schools, so property taxes. He's promising to somehow cut them."

Pepper alleged "(Ramaswamy) has said Medicaid and Medicare are mistakes. He wants to dismantle them. What's that going to mean? Higher healthcare costs for everybody, or no insurance at all."

Pepper spoke on Ramaswamy's stance on data centers and his opinion that the policy is driven by monetary gains.

"Data centers; we know that people are already worried sick, and we're seeing it happen that electric bills, utility bills are spiking because of data centers," he alleged, "No candidate in the United States running for office has been more for data centers than Ramaswamy."

Pepper said "On our side, (Acton) from day one is going to start doing everything in our power to make things cost less, so people who are working hard in Ohio can feel like they have some breathing room to make the most of their lives and not feel overwhelmed."

Pepper spoke on the decrease of young Ohioans in Southeastern Ohio supposing that a high cost of living and a lack of quality jobs pushes young people to move away from the area.

He said "There's a lot of work we have to do around housing, so young people feel like they can live here and even rent here affordably. We also need to really make sure we're getting good jobs, not just in some of our bigger cities, but all around the state. ... Good quality of life, good jobs, and affordability, I think will really help keep young people here."

Sophie Wheeler can be reached at swheeler@newsandsentinal.com.

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