As retirees, we have the time to support local music, whether jazz at a brewery, singer/songwriters at any number of venues, or, as with last night, the blues at our local Irish pub. We met the excellent young guitarist, along with his mom, after his set, and soon found out he was not only energized by his music but also by his work for Jan Materni’s campaign for State Representative for our district.
I first met Jan many years ago as a member of Peace Lutheran Church. She was welcoming and down-to-earth, with interesting insights during our book club meetings. As one of the few women who has spent a career driving heavy equipment for the Ohio Department of Transportation, she knew what it was like to be a woman facing discrimination in what was perceived as a “man’s world.” Jan faced breast cancer during that time, and like me and so many women and men, knows well the journey to becoming a cancer survivor. When her son graduated, Jan proudly stood behind his decision to join the Navy. Jan’s states on her Facebook page Jan Materni for the Ohio State House, “Over the course of my life I have worn many hats; EMT for my hometown volunteer fire department, certified auxiliary sheriff deputy for the Wood county sheriff department, substitute teacher, 30 year career at ODOT to just name a few. But the one I am most proud of is mom.”
Jan is one of us. She will fight for what is right for our district and for Ohio. She will fight for the rights of women—and men—to control our own health care. She will fight for family farms because, as Jan says, “they are feeding Ohio families.” She will fight for small businesses, because “they are proof Wood County is strong.” She will work for clean energy, supporting Wood County’s economic and environmental push for solar, and against First Energy’s H.B. 6, that props up coal plants in Indiana and along the Ohio River. Jan will fight for our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors to ensure that their rights are protected. She will fight to conserve our environment and waterways. As an ODOT retiree, Jan knows the importance of investment in our bridges, roads, and infrastructure. Jan will fight to keep teachers in our schools and guns out of our schools. Jan will work tirelessly to end unfunded mandates handed down from the statehouse. Jan’s campaign has been funded by small donors, not big money— she knows she will be beholden to each and every voter, not just to the corporations whose dollars were taken out of worker’s pockets. That’s why Jan is endorsed by AFSME Ohio Council of the AFL-CIO, UFCW 75, UAW REGION 2B, and the Ohio Environmental Council.
A committee of four Republicans against two Democrats rejected the bipartisan vote from Ohio Citizens to create Fair Districts— flaunting FOUR rejections of their gerrymandered maps by the Ohio Supreme Court AND refusing to allow the several maps presented by the Fair Districts coalition to be presented. Due to Republican delay tactics, Jan didn’t even know who she would be representing until after time to start her campaign! This is not how democracy works— by rejecting voter & court decisions. Gas prices will come down— the war in Ukraine will end, OPEC will decide to pump more oil. Inflation will end— the supply chain will normalize, we will no longer be in pandemic mode. We need JAN MATERNI as our State Representative to fight AGAINST corporate greed and FOR our democracy!
Jean Geist
Chris Geist
Bowling Green
