FortifyGeauga

Fortify Geauga President Tiffanie Broadbent interviews Charles & Susan Johnston of Ashtabula county. Charles is a disabled veteran who ran for State Central Committee in District 32. Charles and Susan describe House Bill 254, Regarding Homestead Exemptions for Disabled Veterans. More at www.FortifyGeauga.org

Fortify Geauga President Tiffanie Broadbent interviews Mr. Chris Alusheff, Zoning Inspector for Claridon and Chester Townships, on recent developments in the Ohio Senate Select Committee on Housing. The Committee has published a report that describes township zoning authority as a detriment to meeting Ohio's housing needs. How will this development, and the anticipated legislation it will inform, impact Geauga County? Timestamps: 0:32 Background: structure of townships, differences between townships & cities 2:25 Differences between zoned & unzoned townships, affect of zoning on daily life, property values 4:28 Residential, commercial and industrial zoning 5:21 Minimum lot sizes 5:58 Zoning referenda and appeals 7:35 Discussion of proposed (unsuccessful) zoning amendment in Chesterland in 2022 9:27 Current moves by the Senate Select Committee on Housing to override township zoning 10:08 Building industry groups & lobbyist pitting describing township zoning authority as a detriment to fair housing 11:32 Senate Select Committee proposing statewide action based on the needs of a few Columbus-area counties 12:18 (The Senate Select committee on Housing) has identified …township zoning laws as the enemy to their large housing development plans. So what are they proposing to do? 13:40 Elimination of community input with zoning boards gone, difficulty of one-size-fits-all, state-directed zoning policies 17:32 What can people in Geauga County do who are worried about this? 20:06 Regular citizens keep our local government working 20:44 Geauga county townships vulnerable to state control and developers 21:56 State control of zoning regulations will invite more federal involvement due to infrastructure dollars being ties to zoning reform

Fortify Geauga President Tiffanie Broadbent interviews Representative Jennifer Gross (R-45) about House Bill 210, which aims to close Ohio's primary elections. Timestamps: 00:46 Could you give us a little bit of background on how our primaries are run right now and why you think that should be changed? 4:33 Can you tell us about … House Bill 210, exactly what it proposes to do? 6:19 We also see the case of people who … change their party affiliation right before they run…How would this bill affect that process? 7:38 Discussion of House Bill 437, nearly identical to House Bill 210 9:37 Is there an argument against closing the primaries? 12:36 Why specifically 90 days (requirement int HB 210 for switching parties before a primary), not 60 or 30 or something else? 13:08 Impact of HB 210 on Independent or Non-Affiliated voters 14:56 Discussion of a runoff provision for closed primary bills 17:56 What can citizens do to support House Bill 210 and closing our primaries? 18:42 Representative Gross discusses the necessity of closing primaries, Republicans expanding government, and protecting our votes as Republicans 21:08 Other bills of note: Ohio Votes Count (HB 472), Dave and Angie Patient & Provider Protection Act (HB 73), Truth in Taxation (pending)

From the Foundational Science Consortium, presented by Jim MacNeal and Sam Horowitz: Is CO2 really the monster it's made out to be? Or is just an easy scapegoat, used as an excuse to tax and control everything from agriculture to industry to transportation and housing? Are the methods used to measure and evaluate this problem sober and reasonable? Are the dire predictions and radical solutions justified? Watch this fact-filled presentation to finally hear a scientific explanation of the issue that is not influenced by government, the main stream media, or anyone with a financial interest in furthering the climate panic narrative we have all been fed and discouraged from questioning. Topics covered include: Man-made CO2 and greenhouse gasses science, Benefits of CO2, Greenhouse gas theory and global warming, Temperature measurement, data, and trends, Glaciers, ice sheets, polar bears, and sea level rise, Scientific consensus, Politics, The media, Education vs indoctrination

Fortify Geauga President Tiffanie Broadbent interviews former Geauga County Commissioner and current candidate, Skip Claypool. Resources mentioned in this interview: Ohio Revised Code describing the powers of the Board of County Commissioners (https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/chapter-307) Fortify Geauga NOACA resources (https://fortifygeauga.org/noaca-all/) www.NOACA.info www.neoscc.com Skip Claypool's Campaign website: www.skipclaypool.com Timestamps for interview questions and topics: 0:00 Introduction 1:39 Background (time in Geauga county, professional experience, history of public service) 2:22 Mr. Claypool describes his accomplishments in office 4:52 Mr. Claypool describes why he is running for Commissioner 5:45 What do you think the next term will hold and what would your plans be (if elected)? 9:04 Mr. Claypool describes the duties of Commissioners and misconceptions about the role 13:09 What (is) the proper or most effective role for citizens to be engaged and informed of things that are going on in the Commissioner’s office? 14:45 Mr. Claypool describes his passionate, questioning nature and interacting with constituents and colleagues 16:18 Mr. Claypool discusses recent developments with the Geauga County Board of Public Health (March 15th meeting, budget issues, transparency, and new agreement with Lake County) 19:22 There’s been a lot of talk about officially recording Commissioners meetings and I want your opinion on that… would you support professional recording of Commissioners meetings in the future? 24:36 What governs the role of Commissioner? What puts limits on what you can and can’t do? 26:06 What you describe as passion other people describe a little bit differently. You have critics who say you are opinionated, headstrong…contrarian…do you think they’re right about that and do you think those are good or bad qualities for a Commissioner? 30:38 Why is the Commissioner’s position a partisan…race? How does your belief in conservativism…impact your decisions as a Commissioner? 33:03 What are people getting if they elect you as Commissioner? What are (your) values? 36:18 You’ve been a Republican for a long time and you’ve seen a lot of people come in and out of the party. Can you give us your take on what’s happening in the party right now? (Mr. Claypool describes differences in Central Committee and division within the party) 40:07 How do we restore to the Republican party grassroots conservative values? 41:26 Mr. Claypool describes his history with the Republican party and how voting has changed 43:28 (Regarding NOACA) Do you think … we should come up with more clever ways to get what we can out of it or do you think the only solution is to get out of it and is that realistic? 48:58 What can Commissioners do to help Geauga maintain our sovereignty and maintain our rural character? 52:27 (Why should people) vote for you? 54:15 Wrap up and final thoughts

Fortify Geauga President Tiffanie Broadbent interviews Geauga County Commissioner and candidate for reelection, Ralph Spidalieri. Timestamps for interview questions: 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Tell us about yourself (years in Geauga County, other jobs, history of public service) 03:06 What would you say are some of the accomplishments that you have from your time at the Commissioner’s office? 11:10 What are the challenges that you foresee for (the next) term or things that you are specifically…looking out for, or really want to work on? 14:11 What is it that you or any Commissioner can do to help alleviate the tax burden and the other expenditures that are going on for our residents? 17:20 Can you give me a quick rundown of day to day or week to week what the duties of the Commissioner are and…how much time that takes and how you balance that with the other things that you do? www.fortifygeauga.org

Fortify Geauga President Tiffanie Broadbent interviews Geauga County Commissioner and candidate for reelection, Ralph Spidalieri. Timestamps for questions: 0:00 So you have been exposed to many different people working alongside you as Commissioners…In your opinion, what makes a Commissioner successful or unsuccessful – what qualities? 04:01 The word that keeps coming to mind as you describe (the Commissioner’s job) is management – managing relationships, managing resources, managing departments…What would you say is…your philosophy of management when it comes to the Commissioner’s role? 5:41 My last question is …about NOACA. It’s a hot topic for lots of people….I was wondering what you’re envisioning, where you think relationship is going to go…What are you thinking? 13:34 If…the citizens in Lake County and the government in Lake County…started to see reason about how unfairly balanced that NOACA board is, if they were willing to entertain forming another MPO…would you be open to it? 14:21 Wrap up and final thoughts www.fortifygeauga.org