Last Thursday, July 13th, we overcame our July inertia and traveled over to University Circle, to the Arabica on Juniper, to meet State Representative Lance Mason, now a candidate for the state senate in the 25th District. We usually try to avoid being too judgmental, one way or the other, but it’s hard not to describe this guy as “a winner� after spending an hour with him. Listen to the podcast and find out what we mean.
Names that crop up in our talk are those of Dick Celeste, Mary Boyle, Jane Campbell, Eric Fingerhut, Peter Lawson Jones, David Lynch, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Chris Redfern, Bob Spada, Ben Espy, C. J. Prentiss, Shirley Smith, Ed Jerse, Kenny Yuko, and Justice Louis Brandeis.
Places, firms, and institutions mentioned include the College of Wooster, the US Department of Agriculture, University of Michigan Law School, Baldwin-Wallace College, and the law firm of Newton D. Baker, Baker Hostetler.
A few of the ideas and catchphrases are “why use one eye instead of both eyes?� when talking about making both parties work for the common good at the state level; gerrymandering; education and affordable healthcare; core values; “invest in renewable energies;� “the fruit prosecutor;� the critical distinction of really wanting the job in the 25th District; reexamining charter schools & accountability; less reliance on property taxes; the importance of relaxing HB 920; phantom revenue; mentoring and economic development; the “sustainability of a trained, skilled workforce;� the correlation between 3rd-graders test scores and planning for the future prison population; federal education testing, No Child Left Behind, and the “unfunded mandate from the top�; Brandeis’ “laboratories for liberty;� parity aid, and the cost-of-business factor; terms limits exacerbating problems, a lack of “institutional knowledge� in the legislature; diversity and choice as assets; and people and businesses going where they’re welcome.
We covered a good amount of ground and did it with an affable, likeable young man who has a great laugh and sense of humor, but be sure to notice that he probably has a better grasp of the problems and the solutions than most we’ve spoken to this past year. He listens. He speaks intelligently. His experience as a county prosecutor, as a government employee at the federal level, and as assistant to Congresswoman Jones make him uniquely suited to serve. He has already introduced an uncommon and exceptional amount of legislation as a representative at the state level; he knows how to get things rolling. Listen for yourselves; hear the future of Ohio and of this country.
Pieces of Lance’s past and some of his credentials are listed here. His vision for the proximate future will be at his newly developed campaign site, here. The Ohio Senate’s 25th District encompasses Cleveland’s Wards 11, 1, 2, 3, and 4, Euclid, South Euclid, Maple Heights, Garfield, Warrensville, Bedford and Bedford Heights, Shaker Heights, Woodmere, Orange, and Beachwood.
Part 1. Time: 12.39
Part 2. Time: 17.05
Part 3. Time: 14.27
Part 4. Time: 14.57
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