As the former Ohio state director for the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Office, I can tell you from experience that state and federal partnership is critical if we are to make much needed investments in rural Ohio. Barack Obama has two comprehensive and complementary plans that will move rural Ohio in the right direction. Senator Obama has a vision for rural America and a health care plan for the nation that will enable our communities to thrive and our citizens to have access to affordable and quality healthcare.
When it comes to health care, Obama clearly has a better plan. He has made a bold commitment to accessible, quality and affordable healthcare, which will save most Americans an average of $2,500. And, if you are happy with your current plan and provider, you do not have to change a thing and you will still reap these savings. To make sure we have doctors where we need them, Obama will create a student loan forgiveness plan for physicians and nurses who are willing to work in our rural and underserved communities. This action is long overdue.
Senator Obama knows the unique demands of agriculture and is a strong supporter of the 2008 Farm Bill, which makes historic investments in conservation, renewable energy, and rural infrastructure and provides a safety net to family farmers. Numerous innovations in the 2008 Farm Bill will directly affect rural Ohio, including a micro-enterprise program for small businesses and entrepreneurs, farmland preservation, and expanded access to fresh fruits and vegetables for our school children, which helps our youth and our farmers alike.
We are lucky to have a Presidential candidate that stands up for rural Ohio. There is no other candidate with a detailed rural agenda, and a comprehensive health care plan that will benefit all Americans. The candidate for rural Ohio is clear, and that candidate is Barack Obama.
Linda Jones Borton
Ottawa
Reader Comments Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2008
Article comment by:
Arthur D. Lewis Jr.
To the editor:
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Linda Jones Borton’s letter “Obama understands rural America”. This is the same Obama that while giving a speech to the elite in San Francisco and commenting on small towns in Pennsylvania and a lot of small towns in the Midwest (Sounds like rural America right?) said, “So it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations”. Even fellow Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton stated, “Senator Obama’s remarks are elitist and they are out of touch”. Borton’s editorial that was over 300 words in length could have been shortened to: As the former Ohio state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development Office, I think you should vote for Obama because he supports the 2008 farm bill. It should be noted that if he was a supporter of the Farm Bill he did NOT vote FOR the Farm Bill. As he has over 300 times before he merely voted “present”. However you chose to vote this November please do so based on your own fact gathering and not on all the malarkey that shows up as purported truths. Obviously, Barack Hussein Obama will NOT be getting this rural Americans vote.
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