TOLEDO, Ohio — With Super Tuesday looming and the Ohio primary just a couple of weeks out, we get a northwest Ohio and Buckeye State perspective at the Democratic race for president when the outgoing chair of the Lucas County Democratic Pary joins us.
Why is he outgoing? We'll find out.
Also ahead, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency amazingly discovered that thing down its back is a spine and used it to at long last beef up efforts to clean up Lake Erie. But are the lake advocates buying it? A leader of the "Lake Erie Bill of Rights" effort joins me and, by the way, where does that Bill of Rights stand?
Toledo City Councilman Sam Melden
But up first, his first time in the chair since being elected to Toledo City Council from District 5. West Toledo Sam Melden, Democrat, my guest.
West Toledo, so many traditional family neighborhoods, so much commercial activity — think Westgate, the Secor corridor, and a few businesses have hung out shingles on Monroe Street, where there's also a mall.
Yet when a developer came calling with a plan to clear up an abestos-laden, big-box shell that used to be Elder Beerman, city council, with Mr. Melden's support, overwhelmingly rejected tax breaks for the developer.
Chair of the Lucas County Republican Party Kurt Young
We elect a president once every four years, so when that year rolls around why the rush to by January or February to declare nominees or, at least, "odds-on winners." So, South Carolina has its say this weekend, then a delegate explosion takes place on Tuesday.
Ohio weighs in two weeks from that date.
While some pundits now question the veracity of this statement, I'm telling you the road to the White House still runs through Ohio. I'm joined by the outgoing chair of the Lucas County Democratic Party, Kurt Young, to examine how the race shapes up here.
Lake Erie advocate Markie Miller
I said that it appears the Ohio EPA has finally grown a spine. That may be harsh. I mean, it's only been five and a half years since hundreds of thousands of you had toxic tap water. But that's looking back.
RELATED: Toledo water crisis, 5 years later: Mayor says improvements at treatment plant ensure safe water
I want to look forward to what this new, tougher, long-overdue approach by the EPA may mean. And I also need to get an update on one of the more creative and controversial ways some are approaching the lake cleanup. The Lake Erie Bill of Rights.
At my table to help us to that is Markie Miller, lake advocate, organizer of "Toledoans for Safe Water," bill of rights supporter.
