To the Editor:
Republican candidates for Governor, Attorney General, Treasurer, and Secretary of State have refused to
participate in public debates with their General Election opponents. This is consistent with the recent
trend of Republicans weakening the transparency of our State Government. The watchdog agency Public
Interest Research Group gave Ohio a D- in transparency for 2014. Josh Mandel, Jon Husted, Mike Dewine,
and John Kasich all prefer to hide behind campaign commercials instead of submitting themselves to
unbiased questions in a public setting.
In Wood County, we have a tradition of all candidates submitting themselves to the public at League of
Women Voters Candidates Forums. Candidates who refuse to show up there lose points, rightfully so, with
voters. I refuse to vote for any candidate who fails to submit himself or herself to voters in public
debate. In my mind, Mandel, Husted, Dewine, and Kasich are either arrogant or cowardly. What are they
afraid of?
Mike Zickar
Perrysburg