State auditor candidate talks about his platform

KALIDA - David Pepper is concerned about the next apportionment board and how they will redraw legislative districts.. He would like to see this board make draw the lines so the state would have real races and not just for political purposes.

Pepper (Dem), is running for state auditor in 2010. He spoke during the Putnam County Democratic fundraiser on Sunday at the Kalida Fish and Game Club.

Pepper said he chose to run for auditor because he believes the position is a job that can make a difference in Ohio if done in the right way. “We’re in a tough competition economically, for every job and every business. We need to get government working well at all levels efficiently. The auditor is one job that actually touches all governments from the villages to the county to the state.”

Pepper said he has spent his time at the city council and county trying to get government to work better by cutting budgets and cutting waste. He said the auditor job could do a lot of that work.

With a background of balancing budgets and making touch decisions, Pepper believes he is a better candidate for the job than his opponent incumbent Mary Tayler (Rep).

Pepper said he feels good about the race for the office, stating the auditor’s role has often been very narrow and very politicized. “I want to take the job and make it much broader and more relevant to the citizens of Ohio.

“I think people will feel good about what a difference the auditor can make for the citizens.” He said the job could be used more proactively that it has in the past.

Speaking of auditors in other states, Pepper said this office could be used as a partner with whoever the governor is and give a top to bottom look at the ways government runs, where the waste is and where are the deficiencies.

“Now the job is done in a much more narrow way,” Pepper commented. “I would be going beyond the narrow road of just doing the financial audits,”

He said during the recent budget dispute in Columbus if the auditor had done the job right she could have made recommended savings for the budget. ‘The auditor could help quarterback this. I would like the auditor really champion ways we could be more efficient.”

Referring back to the apportionment board, Pepper said he is concerned how the districts are drawn. “They’ve been drawn in a way so you don’t have elections,” he commented. Pepper believes he is a better official for having to run in very-contested elections.

“We should try to create a system that is more of what democracy is supposed to be, a battle of ideas in contested races in districts that are fairly drawn.” He said as a member of the apportion board he would work to have districts more fairly drawn.