<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">To the Editor:<br><br>The election this Tuesday, November 2d, is crucial for all Ohioans,<br>including current and future students. Governor Ted Strickland<br>(Democrat) has kept costs down for students by freezing tuition at all<br>public colleges and universities for two years straight (unlike any<br>other state in the USA), making Ohio’s tuition growth the lowest for<br>any four-year period since the 1960s. Strickland made it easier for<br>students to transfer credits between Ohio’s colleges and universities,<br>so they can start their BA degrees at low-cost community colleges.<br>Strickland’s “evidence-based” K-12 school funding approach is expected<br>to dramatically raise the state’s share of education costs, thus<br>equalizing the highly unequal quality of Ohio’s schools. This year,<br>Ohio’s education system ranks 1st in the Midwest and 5th in the<br>nation, according to Education Week’s 2010 annual rankings; three<br>years ago, it ranked 27th in the nation. With the help of state<br>legislators like Debbie Phillips (Democrat) and others who have worked<br>to improve Ohio’s education system, Strickland has accomplished huge<br>improvements for Ohio.<br><br>Strickland’s Republican opponent, John Kasich, says that if he’s<br>elected he will roll back school reforms including the new approach to<br>school funding. This would be a big step backward for Ohio, harming<br>students and limiting their chances for good future opportunities.<br>Kasich also has proposed increasing the costs to students of their<br>education loans. Why? Apparently he has different priorities and<br>values.<br><br>Bloomberg Business Week has named Ohio one of the top states for<br>recent college graduates, based on job openings and affordable living.<br> Ohio’s unemployment rate has dropped for five consecutive months. A<br>report by the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank for the 2d quarter of<br>this year has ranked Ohio’s economy the 6th fastest-growing in the<br>nation. Southeast Ohio in particular has benefited from Strickland’s<br>efforts to help small businesses, especially companies involved in<br>clean, advanced, and alternative energy, such as Third Sun Solar and<br>Global Cooling. Strickland has helped small businesses throughout<br>Ohio and has improved the state’s business climate: in 2006, Ohio was<br>ranked 38th in the nation and 7th in the Midwest; now, according to<br>the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, its overall business<br>climate ranks 11th in the nation and 1st in the Midwest.<br><br>Make sure to vote Monday or Tuesday! The Athens Board of Elections is<br>next to the Court House.<br><font color="#888888"><br>Alyssa Bernstein<br>Athens, Ohio</font></span><br><br>Nate Hall<div>President, OU College Democrats</div><div>Vice Commissioner for City and County Affairs, OU Student Senate</div><div>Professional Programing Chair, OU Phi Alpha Delta</div></div></body></html>