Now, we along with our communication’s company, Fast Horse, have been nominated for Public Affairs Campaign of the year by PR Weekly!

At Jefferson Action, our mission is to create more informed voters. We tried to answer some of these questions in our July Citizen Election Forum. Here’s John Begala, executive director for the Center for Community Solutions explaining what the fiscal cliff means in less than two minutes:

Click here to view the embedded video.

According to the experts the “fiscal cliff” is a term used to describe the provisions of the Budget Control Act that will go into place at the end of 2012. Without a solution to the federal deficit (cutting it by $1.2 trillion over the course of 10 years), there will be “sequestration”–across the board cuts in federal spending on the domestic and military side. Additionally, 2001-2003 Bush era tax cuts, along with the Obama era temporary reduction in payroll taxes, will expire at the end of the year.

So, the cliff means less spending and more taxes, which will solve our deficit problems. As you can see, according the the Congressional Budget Office (graph to the right, from the Jefferson Center’s Citizens Jury on the Federal Deficit in May) following the Budget Control Act is projected to bring the country partially out of debt, and it would do so relatively quickly.

The problem, according to many, is that it would do so too quickly. The Congressional Budget Office also predicts that raising taxes and reducing spending that drastically will pull enough money out of the economy to cause a recession (decline in GDP).

Our July panel of ordinary citizens recognized the importance of this dilemma — they chose the federal deficit AND weak economic growth as two of the top three economic issues that demand policymakers’ attention.  In September, our participants grappled with this question; what do you think the solution should be?

After spending billions of dollars, what did we solve? We’ve chosen who will represent us, but the big issues still remain: unemployment, the federal deficit, Medicare, Social Security, trade with China, the “fiscal cliff,” the Middle East, the plight of the middle class, the war in Afghanistan, difficult social issues, energy independence.

And that’s just the federal government — the list can go on and on.  An election doesn’t fix problems, it only selects the people who might fix them.  The responsibility to face the tough issues comes to our representatives, but it also comes to the people they represent.

With your help, Jefferson Action and its partner the Jefferson Center, will do its part.

The Jefferson Center is developing the next Citizens Juries on tough policy questions.

Jefferson Action is looking for the next race that needs a Citizens Election Forum.

Both methods reveal what a representative group of people believe when they have the time and information to make thoughtful recommendations.  These methods are more representative than a Town Hall Forum, and more in-depth than an opinion poll. They have a decades-long record of being fair and effective ways to evaluate policies or candidates.

This election is over, but citizens need to stay informed and stay involved.  Please sign up for updates.  Follow us on Twitter.  ”Like” us on facebook.  And support citizen-based solutions of the Jefferson Center and Jefferson Action.

U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci was leading U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton in the hotly contested 16th Congressional District race Tuesday night with about 52 percent of the vote, according to the unofficial election results.

“I am deeply humbled by the opportunity that voters in the 16th District have given me to serve again as their voice in Washington,” Renacci said in a news release. “Throughout this race, and again tonight, my thoughts have remained with the millions of Americans who are out of work and who continue to struggle through deeply difficult times.

“As I have always said, this race was about them, not about partisan politics, and I look forward to getting back to work on behalf of the district and doing the heavy lifting that is needed to repair our broken economy.”

Renacci congratulated Sutton “on her service to the people of Ohio and on running a very strong campaign.”

A win by Sutton, D-Copley Township, was the only shot Summit had for keeping a representative from within its borders. All of the other congressional candidates, including Renacci, in Tuesday’s election live outside Summit.

The newly drawn congressional boundaries put Sutton and Renacci, R-Wadsworth, in the same district and carved Summit into four districts, up from three.

Sutton led with the reporting of absentee votes, the first to be reported, but Renacci began creeping up in later results. Totals as of about midnight showed Renacci leading with about 52 percent of the vote. About 77 percent of the precincts in the expansive district had reported.

This would be only the second time in 80 years that Summit County has been without a congressional representative. The last time was a short stint after Tom Sawyer lost his congressional re-election bid in 2002.

Renacci and Sutton were locked in one of the mostly hotly contested and expensive races in the country and one of only two that featured congressional incumbents.

Their campaigns spent just under $4 million, while outside groups had poured almost $10 million into the race, with a nearly equal amount being spent against each candidate. This is the second most spent on a campaign by outside groups, according to the most recent data on the Center for Responsive Politics’ website.

Both Renacci and Sutton were out campaigning on Election Day, vying for votes in the district that now consists of all of Wayne County and parts of Stark, Summit, Portage, Medina and Cuyahoga.

James Slepian, who headed Renacci’s campaign, was buoyed when the campaign heard that people had to wait in line four hours to vote in Rocky River, a Republican stronghold in Cuyahoga County.

“That was encouraging to have that high of turnout,” he said.

Renacci had his election night party at the Galaxy restaurant in Wadsworth, while Sutton’s was at a union hall in Parma.

“It makes sense that she would be in a place that represents working people,” said Steve Fought, who ran Sutton’s campaign, noting her strong union support.

Renacci and Sutton only agreed to one debate during the campaign, and it was in Cleveland, which isn’t in the 16th District. Both proposed other potential debates, but couldn’t agree on any inside the district.

The race garnered the attention of several outside groups, including Jefferson Action, a Minnesota nonprofit that works to raise citizen involvement in the political process. A group of voters from the 16th District assembled by Jefferson Action deemed Renacci to be better positioned to tackle the economic challenges facing the district.

Sutton led in Summit and Cuyahoga counties; Renacci led in the district’s other counties.

The other area congressional races appeared to lack any big surprises. They showed:

• 11th District: U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Warrensville Heights, had no opposition in her newly formed district that starts in Cleveland and has a small sliver that extends down to pick up part of Summit County.

• 13th District: U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, easily beating Marisha Agana, a Republican from Warren, for re-election. This district includes part of Portage and Summit counties.

• 14th District: David Joyce, the Geauga County prosecutor and a Republican from Novelty, defeating Dale Blanchard, a Democrat from Solon. The Republicans chose Joyce as the party’s nominee when U.S. Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township, announced he was retiring. Blanchard, who has run for the seat several times, refused to step aside to allow the Democrats to pick another nominee. The district includes parts of Portage and Summit counties.

• 7th District: U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Lakeville, prevailed over Joyce Healy-Abrams, a Democrat and small-business woman from Canton. Gibbs’ redrawn district now includes most of Stark County, which formerly was mainly in the 16th District, and about half of Medina County.

Alex Arshinkoff, the longtime Summit GOP chairman, says this is the first time since the 1970s that the Republicans have held half the congressional representatives in Summit County. He downplayed the significance of Summit possibly no longer having its own member.

“I always thought Wadsworth was part of Greater Akron,” he said, chuckling. “It’s not Cleveland.”

People are angry, afraid, and some are in denial – blaming others – for the problems they face.

But a lot of those emotions are understandable.

Even before George W. Bush was sworn into office in 2001, the economy had begun to weaken. Then the Sept. 11 attacks occurred.

Household income never recovered from the 2001 recession before the crash of 2008.

That’s nearly 12 years of financial stress. That has taken a toll on our psyches.

A polarized people

More than 20 focus groups and polling in the Akron area this year showed that people in our community are angry with their leaders for failing to solve problems, and instead polarizing America.

They also blamed the media, saying cable television, talk radio, bloggers and traditional news outlets were adding to the polarization by airing disrespectful, or uncivil, exchanges among politicians while paying little attention to the experiences of the people.

What’s interesting is that when asked to name other groups responsible for the incivility, people placed themselves last on the list.

Really?

Empowering people to demand change

The Akron area is becoming the focus of attention. The question is, are the people willing to take action?

The Akron area faith community, the Beacon Journal and three universities led by the Bliss Institute at the University of Akron have been working together since late 2011 to do the following:

*       Find out what emotions are out there.
*       Understand the reasons for those emotions.
*       Help the community understand that people have different life experiences and different needs.
*       Figure out how people who may be radically different can talk about their differences respectfully so that — and here’s the key — they can also find where they agree and take action.
*       To identify ways regular folks can model good behavior and demand the same of their leaders.
*       To provide engagement projects for people who want to make a difference.

On this web site, you’ll see the stories, the tools and the opportunities to make a difference.

People and organizations behind this project

The Ohio Civility Project - This is a consortium led by the Bliss Institute at the University of Akron, in collaboration with the Ralph Regula Center for Public Service at Mount Union University and the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. The project began in 2010 as an exploration of polarization and incivility, and recently devised civility guidelines to help people with different opinions to have respectful, productive conversations. John Green is the director of the Bliss Institute.

Akron Beacon Journal/Ohio.com - The news organization is publishing the America Today series, which illustrates the different life experiences of people in the community, and the sources of tension. They also are covering aggressively the work by The Ohio Civility Project, citizen engagement projects and recent work by Jefferson Action. The newspaper is a member of the community steering community, sponsored most of the focus group work and helped with formulation of the civility guidelines.

Alice Rodgers - She is a focus-group facilitator who returned to Akron from retirement in New Mexico to donate hundreds of hours planning and facilitating more than 30 discussions in 2007 and 2012. She facilitated discussions for the Beacon Journal in 1993 exploring race relations in the community, a project that won the Pulitzer Prize for community service.

Love Akron Network - The interfaith organization is led by Pastor Mark Ford. Ford, who was troubled by the angry exchanges on radio, television and in public, brought together the initial group that conceptualized the project. He sits on the steering committee and helped formulate the civility guidelines.

Heart to Heart Communications - Led by Fr. Norm Douglas and attorney Larry Vuillemin, the group has a history of problem-solving and building communication in difficult situations. They sit on the steering committee.

The Civic Commons - This is an online site fostering open, moderated conversation of difficult issues in Northeast Ohio and the nation. Dan Moulthrop and Daryl Rowland of the organization have worked with the steering committees and the Beacon Journal in the development of engagement opportunities and the civility guidelines.

Round River Consulting - The public-engagement consulting firm, based in Akron, is headed by Sue Lacy. She has done work with AmericaSpeaks, which helps citizens discuss difficult issues, and has worked with the University Park Alliance in convening public forums. She is a member of the project steering committee and facilitated the first Ohio Civility Project community meeting.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation –  The foundation, formed by the late  Beacon Journal editor John S. Knight and his brother, James, sponsored the focus groups, polling and provides support to the Civic Commons.

Taylor Institute - The marketing research institute at the University of Akron provided the focus-group facilities and logistical support for more than 20 sessions over four weeks.

Jefferson Action - Because of the ongoing civility project in the Akron area, this Minnesota-based organization brought its form of public engagement, known as citizen juries, to the 16th Congressional District. The organization enlisted panels of citizens to study the issues in the district, interview the campaigns and candidates, and score the candidate on the top issues.

Americans have died abroad to defend our democracy, and have been jailed, attacked or killed here to expand the vote to citizens who didn’t originally have it.  Please take a few minutes to get informed on the issues and the candidates, and vote on Tuesday, November 6.

BTW:  ”How Can I Participate (part 1)”, is here.  Part 3 coming soon.

Photo from flickr.

Some of the candidates running these ads will win on Election Day.  When they go to Congress, what will their mandate be?  To avoid marble showers and ice luges for their Jagermeister?  OK, but then what?

No wonder the government is in gridlock — to quote one of the ads in our quiz: “What a waste, all that money down the drain.”    The joke is really on us — we’re spending a lot of money to parody our own democracy every two years.  In the five real races highlighted in our quiz, campaigns and candidates have already spent more than $77 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

It doesn’t need to be this way.  As Congressional scholar Norman Ornstein recently pointed out, Americans can change the system if they start putting their money where their mouth is.  Or as columnist John Rash concluded in his assessment of Jefferson Action: “it’s easy to be skeptical. And yet the reform has to start somewhere. And it has to be led by voters:  Many enjoying the spoils of the political-media industrial complex have only sought to solidify the system in place.”

This year, 45 randomly-selected voters led the way by agreeing to be part of a Citizens Election Forum that focused on issues.  They demanded that candidates talk about how they’d strengthen the economy — not just blast the other person.  They made informed and honest evaluations of the candidates on the three economic issues that voters say are most important.  No wonder both candidates had praise for the process.

We’d like to see Citizens Election Forums become as common as debates, but it will only happen if Americans follow Ornstein’s advice.  We can mock outrageous ads…or we can spend a tiny fraction of the money to get fair and citizen-led evaluations of candidates.  Will you be part of the solution?

Ned Crosby speaking to a Citizens Jury organized by the Jefferson Center in 1993.

Meet Ned Crosby, who founded Jefferson Action (previously known as Promoting Healthy Democracy) in 2003. It’s a 501c4 nonprofit sibling of the Jefferson Center for New Democratic Processes, which Ned founded in 1974. Ned earned his PhD in Political Science from the University of Minnesota in 1974, and developed the Citizens Jury method shortly after.

Ned, a descendant of the founders of the food company General Mills, likes to joke that at birth he had the foresight to choose wealthy grandparents. But his dedication to improving American democracy is no joke, and it has been his lifelong mission.

Ned Crosby thanks a participant at a Citizens Jury in May 2012, with his wife Pat Benn (right) and Jefferson Action Executive Director Jim Meffert (center) looking on.

Ned is retiring this year — the Reclaim November Ohio project is the last one he is funding. Now others need to pick up this mantle and expand this work so that we can Reclaim November with projects across the country in 2014, 2016, and beyond.

We need the support of anyone who wants voters to make the best-informed choice they can on Election Day, and who knows we aren’t getting what we need from the status quo’s negative ads and mudslinging.

Millions are spent to distract and manipulate; for about one dollar per voter, Ned Crosby has provided people in Ohio’s 16th District a fair, citizen-based process designed to inform. What happens next is up to you.

One way is to recognize the damage caused by outside groups who have plenty to say as they seek to influence voters in Ohio’s 16^th District.  As we noted in a recent blog post, negative ads produced by these outside groups are overwhelmingly negative – by a ratio of 30 to 1 – fuelling hostility and distrust in our leaders and democratic system.  Voters in Ohio are cringing every time they see what others have to say about their current members of Congress.

A second way to read the subject line is to see the power of a Citizens Jury-based process to promote respectful discussion of tough questionslike unemployment and the federal debt.  Everyone who participates says it gives them a better understanding of what others have to say, even when they don’t change their positions on the issues.  They also say that such discussions were rare in their lives before the Citizens Election Forum; sadly, we’ve all gotten used to political conversations ending in argument and anger.

A third way to read the subject line of this email is to point out what others have to say about the Reclaim November Ohio project.

The participants were sometimes moved to tears as they shared what it meant to be a part of the Citizens Election Forum.  John, a retired printer from a Cleveland suburb, got a lot of nods from the group when he said, with great emotion in his voice, “This is what the country’s supposed to be, what we’re doing here.”

The candidates praised it publicly – both Congessman Jim Renacci andCongresswoman Betty Sutton said they’d like to see the process repeated in other Congressional races, and used after the election to help the winner stay connected to the views of ordinary citizens in the District.  A spokesperson for one of the campaigns noted that “The unique process drew widespread media attention this year and it sought to foster an honest evaluation of the candidates by well-informed voters, outside the filter of the endless political advertising that has saturated Ohio’s airwaves for months.”

And the media continues to give us favorable coverage.  The Columbia Journalism Review cited coverage of Reclaim November as one of the main ways that newspapers are giving voters substantive analysis of the policy positions of the two candidates.  Others agreed:

• “Members of the forum did get a far more detailed look at the two candidates than the average citizen could ever hope for in today’s style of campaigning, where debates are few and 30-second attack ads the weapon of choice.”– Steve Hoffman, Akron Beacon Journal
• ·“This is democracy in action.” – Daniel Moulthrop, Huffington Post

However you read that email subject line when you clicked “open”, we hope you’re enjoying our work — an oasis of substance and informed discussions in the midst of a campaign-fuelled barrage of negative ads, partisan pundits and internet hysteria.

If you do appreciate this, we need to hear what YOU have to say.  For about one dollar per voter – a fraction of the money being spent by campaigns and special interests – we’re proving there’s a better way to help citizens make informed decisions in the voting booth.   Please considerdonating, because every dollar tells others about the change needed in political races around the country.  Thank you.

In his speech, he argued that our political system has gone beyond partisanship — which has historically allowed room for common ground or compromise — to “tribal politics.”  In such a system, “it’s not the ideas that matter anymore,” citing major examples in which members of Congress voted against bills they sponsored rather than allow the opposing “tribe” to get credit if the country’s situation improves.

Voters are desperate to find a way to “get accountability into the system.” Unable to do so, they’ve swung back and forth in the last couple elections, blaming whomever they see as responsible for the current situation.

Campaigns and outside interests have noticed, and elections have become destructive wars of negative advertising to get voters angry at the other side.  ”Boy do I feel sorry for the people in Ohio” and other swing states, said Ornstein.  ”They’re like geese being force fed for the foie gras.  I tell them to get the most powerful TiVo they can.”

But more seriously, he said we need to change a system “in which lying and bile give you benefits,” and in which the best response to being caught in a lie is to “double down” and repeat it more forcefully.  It’s happening because interest groups or SuperPACs have targeted policymakers, issuing millions of dollars in “bounties” if they aren’t extreme enough in their positions.

Many Americans are sick of this system, he concluded, but “We have to have people who will put their money where their mouth is” in order to offset the money that pushes candidates to the extremes.

We agree, and urge you to consider Jefferson Action’s Reclaim November projects as a response to Ornstein’s challenge.  Can you contribute $5, $25, or $100 today to restore accountability and the voice of ordinary citizens into our elections?

photos by Scott Hvizdos

Here’s to binders — we couldn’t Reclaim November without them!

And if you’d like to see what was in those binders, most of it is available in the summary of the three CEF weekends, here —  look for presentations, bios of presenters, notes on issues, and more in the Daily Summaries.

A recent New York Times article noted that the candidates in our Citizens Election Forum (Reps Jim Renacci and Betty Sutton) can’t get their messages out because of the barrage of  spending from outside groups.  These groups often use the same messages and materials in different areas, stressing ideological perspectives or special interests instead of local concerns.

And spending by outside groups  is overwhelmingly negative.  

Click here to view the embedded video.

What about media stories?  The Columbia Journalism Review recently published an article analyzing the substantive discussions surrounding the Renacci-Sutton race.  It cited coverage of the Reclaim November Ohio project as one of the main ways that newspapers in the District have received solid information and analysis on the policies and proposals of Congressman Renacci and Congresswoman Sutton.  But it also noted the shortcomings of the newspaper coverage.

Of course, you don’t need to rely on a commercial or a media story.  The information is you need to make a comparison is here: in the video of the sessions with the candidates, the Voters Guide, and the Issues Guide.  Check it out, and see if you come to the same conclusions that our participants did.

The contest is between Democrat Betty Sutton and Republican Jim Renacci, who were pitted against each other after redistricting. But there are many other players involved, too. An Oct. 2 Politico article pegged spending by outside groups and national party committees at $4.2 million. A week later, when The Plain Dealer’s Sabrina Eaton took a look at the money in the race—in a post that smartly linked directly to the Sunlight Foundation’s excellent Follow the Unlimited Money page—that figure had risen to $4.4 million. And that was not counting a $1.4 million ad buy announced that day on Renacci’s behalf, or a separate buy of more than $400,000 supporting Sutton. (Sutton’s support comes primarily from public- and private-sector unions, while Renacci’s major backing comes from the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC linked to House Speaker John Boehner, and the National Republican Congressional Committee. The vast majority of the outside money has gone to negative ads.)

It’s a situation that could be a poster child for a concern The Washington Post’s Ezra Kleinraised back in April, and that CJR cited at the time—which is that outside cash could have its greatest influence in House races, where voters tend to have less information about the candidates. In Ohio’s 16th, both sides actually have ample cash coming in to help spread their message. (Sutton has an edge in the money race to date, while the new district’s lines slightly favor Renacci.) But voters need independent news coverage, not just a dueling ad war.

Fortunately, the district spans the territory of three local newspapers: The Plain Dealer of Cleveland, the Akron Beacon Journal, and The Repository of Canton. A review of coverage from these three outlets shows they have, to varying extents, offered close surveillance of the role of money, the rhetorical sparring, and the substantive differences on display in the campaign. But there is also room for additional substance and enterprise in the reporting.

One coverage opportunity occurred on Wednesday, when Sutton and Renacci met at the City Club of Cleveland for the only debate of the campaign. (The venue was actually outside the boundaries of the new district.) But readers of The Repository didn’t learn much from the event. In an email, City Editor David Sereno wrote Thursday that the paper “did not cover the debate.”

Asked to explain why, Sereno added: “No one reason. Covering a similar event days earlier, distance, and having Robert [Wang] focus on another story about how the presidential candidates haven’t yet stumped in our county, which was an A1 hit.” Sereno added that the paper might run The Plain Dealer’s debate story in Friday’s edition, though a search for debate coverage on the paper’s site Friday morning didn’t turn up anything.

The paper’s thinking is understandable. The 16th district includes only some areas in the northwest and a slim finger of territory projecting into Stark County, where Canton is the county seat; the paper also has two other House races in its area. The “similar event” Sereno referred to was an Oct. 6 voter symposium in nearby Akron, organized by a nonprofit group that strives to promote civil, substantive political discussion. Reporter Robert Wang wrote a clear, easy-to-read story about the event with bullet points that highlighted each candidates’ position on various issues, though it would have been better not to relegate a good bit of analysis on how Sutton and Renacci dodged various questions to the bottom of the article. Wang and The Repository also followed up several days laterwith a look at how participants in the symposium viewed the candidates. (Renacci had the edge across the board.)

A few weeks earlier, meanwhile, The Repository ran in-depth profiles of both Renacci andSutton. Both stories were long and detailed, if a bit difficult to wade through at times, especially the Renacci piece.

So The Repository has hardly neglected the Sutton-Renacci campaign, and the race does have to share space with other political stories on the paper’s agenda. Still, it was surprising, and a little disappointing, to see the paper skip the debate.

The strongest debate coverage came from the area’s biggest paper, The Plain Dealer.Reporter Henry J. Gomez dryly noted in his lede that Renacci’s closing statement—“This race is about two polar opposites”—was at least one comment that reflected truth.

The rest of Gomez’s account captured the candidates’ broad-strokes portrayal of themselves, with enough details to flesh out the pictures. On the newspaper’s web site, the story carried video links to each candidate’s opening statements, a nice touch. Gomez also did well by attempting to bore into a claim made by each candidate: Sutton’s assertion that Renacci supports tax loopholes for companies that outsource jobs, and Renacci’s contention that the 2009 Cash for Clunkers program failed to save jobs or boost sales. Unfortunately, his on-the-spot digging did more to raise questions than offer conclusions;The Plain Dealer should keep at it and follow up.

The Plain Dealer’s earlier coverage includes plenty on polling and the back-and-forth bickering between the candidates, but also a long August article by Eaton about Sutton and Renacci introducing themselves to voters in their new district. That story focused on the horse race, but it contained some solid factchecking and offered a clear sense of where the candidates stand (basically, in the mainstreams of their parties). The PD took a softer, more feature-style look at the voter symposium, but did link to a PDF summarizing the candidates’ views and grading their performance in that process. And the newspaper’s fact-checking operation, Politifact Ohio, has been building up files about Renacci and Sutton. On the whole it’s solid coverage, and a good foundation for the remainder of the campaign.

The House district’s other paper, the Akron Beacon Journal, doesn’t have the resources ofThe Plain Dealer, but even so it has made some choices that leave its coverage weaker than it could have been. Reporter Stephanie Warsmith dedicated the first five paragraphs of her debate story to an argument between the candidates on redistricting, a source of partisan bickering that is unlikely to affect many votes in this campaign.

Further down, the article notes the role of outside money and identifies eight “weighty topics,” giving readers a quick but helpful look at the differences between the candidates. But the bottom of the piece recounts “poignant stories” told by Sutton and Renacci, quotes from supporters, and the candidates’ reviews on how well they did, all information of relatively little value. (The story did provide a useful link allowing readers to view the debate.)

The ABJ’s earlier coverage stands out for being especially focused on the voter symposium, a months-long process organized by the Minnesota-based group Jefferson Action. It’s an interesting initiative, with ABJ’s accounts along the way often offering some detail on the candidates’ views. And in his account of the culminating event, editorial writer Steve Hoffman smartly noted that “many of the candidates’ assertions went unchallenged,” while offering one or two challenges of his own.

But the ABJ’s emphasis on the process behind the citizen’s forum—along with a variety of shorter stories on the campaigns’ bickering, ads, and poll results—have left it doing little, if any, of its own digging into the role of money, the facts beneath the candidate’s rhetoric, or other underexplored stories. Readers would be better-served by more enterprising coverage in the weeks to come.

This is a volatile race, one that is not likely to grow any quieter in the next few weeks. Given the substantial amount of money being thrown in from both sides, voters will continue to be inundated by attack ads, some of them misleading or worse. It’s essential that local reporters bear down, wade through the mud, and rise above the clamor of interest group ads to inform their audiences about what these candidates stand for and what’s at stake on Election Day.

The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, based in St. Paul, Minn., assembled a 23-member Citizens Election Forum to meet with the candidates this past Saturday in separate, back-to-back sessions, each lasting about 75 minutes. The following day, the group issued a voter’s guide that assessed how well the candidates tackled three issues: weak economic growth, unemployment and the federal debt.

While the format — identical questions posed to each candidate, with four- and two-minute time slots to answer — kept things focused on those issues, Renacci and Sutton never strayed far from answers well-rehearsed after months on the campaign trail.

Members of the forum did get a far more detailed look at the two candidates than the average citizen could ever hope for in today’s style of campaigning, where debates are few and 30-second attack ads the weapon of choice. The candidates were careful not to criticize each other directly, and members of the forum did not invite attacks.

Renacci, a Wadsworth Republican finishing his first term, and Sutton, a three-term Democrat from Copley Township, were put in the same district when the state legislature redrew Ohio’s congressional map, reducing the number of districts from 18 to 16. It is one of only two districts in the country where incumbents of opposing parties were put in the same district.

Although the auto industry bailout and Obamacare, issues on which the candidates have deep differences, went largely unmentioned, it was clear by the end of the day that they have sharply divergent views on how to handle economic issues. (Sutton supported the auto bailout and Obamacare; Renacci, who lost an auto dealership in Wadsworth, is critical of both the auto bailout and Obamacare.)

Many of the candidates’ assertions went unchallenged, among them Renacci’s claim that the oil and gas industry is the “only driver” of economic growth in Ohio today (ignoring the auto industry). And follow-up questions sometimes failed, with Sutton evasive on how she would bring down the budget deficit and national debt, top concerns for several of the more vocal forum participants.

Renacci, who adapted well to the format, focused on cutting tax rates, cutting spending and reducing regulations to spur business growth and jobs and to solve the deficit. Sutton bravely attempted a far more nuanced approach of increasing taxes on the wealthy, cutting taxes on the middle class, targeting some programs (such as tax breaks for oil and gas companies) for oblivion, while continuing to make investments in programs that support the middle class.

Unprepared for the format, Sutton was repeatedly cut off by a moderator banging a small set of chimes. In their ratings, the citizens panel dinged Sutton, giving her lower marks for the quality of her proposals and the likelihood of their success.

While Renacci, a businessman and CPA, relentlessly criticized government spending, Sutton made it clear that she views job creation as the top priority in the short run, with deficit reduction something to be tackled in the long term.

Within the confines of the hotel ballroom where Renacci and Sutton appeared, Jefferson Action achieved limited success, keeping the candidates focused on the issues the sample of citizens wanted to talk about and steering clear of attacks.

That said, pushing experienced politicians such as Renacci (a former Wadsworth mayor) and Sutton (a former member of the Barberton City Council, the Summit County Council and the Ohio House) much beyond their talking points was an extremely difficult task for the forum participants, even with the benefit of background briefings on the issues.

So far, the only debate between the two candidates, held Wednesday at the City Club of Cleveland, took place outside the wandering confines of the 16th District. It appears unlikely that any more will be held, depriving voters of the opportunity to see the candidates for themselves in a setting that allows for a direct comparisons and at least some questions from the audience.

Sadly, into that void will be dropped more televison ads, mailers and robocalls.

Hoffman is a Beacon Journal editorial writer. He can be reached at 330-996-3740 or emailed at slhoffman@thebeaconjournal.com.

Renacci and his Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton of Copley Township, each addressed the panel for about 75 minutes at a forum Saturday in Copley Township. Jefferson Action earlier this year sent out invitations to about 30,000 registered voters in the district, asking them to apply to be on the panel. The Minnesota group said it then selected a diverse group balanced between Democrats, Republicans and independents, which deliberated on ratings of the candidates Saturday and Sunday.

Each of the 23 panelists issued a rating of 1 to 5, with 1 being the weakest and 5 being the strongest. What helped Renacci is that 10 or 11 of the panelists gave Renacci a score of 5 in each category. They said that his work with a bipartisan congressional group he helped organize made a favorable impression on them.

Here were the average scores:

Weak Economic Growth

� Quality of proposals: Renacci 3.74, Sutton 2.78

� Feasibility of proposals: Renacci 4.00, Sutton 3.00

Unemployment

� Quality of proposals: Renacci 4.09, Sutton, 3.00

� Feasibility of proposals: Renacci 3.91, Sutton 2.87

Budget Deficit

� Quality of proposals: Renacci 3.91, Sutton 2.65

� Feasibility of proposals: Renacci 3.78, Sutton 2.70

Campaign Conduct:

� Renacci 4.39, Sutton 2.26

Panelists from Stark County included Bernard Dale Shaffer, 47, of Lake Township, a truck driver; Brenda Hamas, 48, of Lake Township, an operations administrator for Goodyear; Heather Thomas, 26, of North Canton, a management analyst; and Janet Hansen, 75, of Perry Township, a retired teacher.

Hamas, who said she’s an independent who leans conservative, said she was impressed by Renacci�s business and finance background, his desire to cut wasteful federal spending, his support for a moratorium on new regulations until unemployment drops and his promise to preserve Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

�I think Congresswoman Sutton has done a lot of good things for Ohio, but I think he has a better plan right now for us going forward,� she said.

To download the complete report, go to:

The other part of it that has me changing my tune is being witness to some real efforts at meaningful, deliberative citizen engagement that really reveal how people are making up their minds in Ohio. There are two you should know about — one I wish I’d been able to attend and one I was in the middle of.

If you pay attention to competitive congressional races, you’ll know that Ohio’s 16th is one to watch. In the recent round of redistricting, Ohio lost two seats, and among the new map’s many gerrymandered districts is one that stretches from Cleveland’s western suburbs south through three counties, buttonhooks around Akron while reaching south for a certain important sliver of Canton and stretches into rural Portage County, cleanly avoiding Kent State University. It appears custom-made for Republican Jim Renacci of Wadsworth, who rode to Congress on the Tea Party wave. He’s running against incumbent Democrat Betty Sutton of Copley and Cash for Clunkers fame, whose former district was essentially eliminated by the new map. These are night and day. Austerity on one side, bailouts and aid on the other. The campaign has become heated, and both sides have opened the money faucets.

Into the fray steps the Jefferson Action Forum, who recruited 24 Ohioans from across the economic, social, and ethnic spectrums in the district, gave them a days-long crash course in public policy and unleashed them on the candidates.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is democracy in action, and, frankly, it’s far more worth watching than this week’s VP debate. (If the vice presidency isn’t worth a bucket of bodily fluid, what’s the vice presidential debate worth?) I wish I’d been able to participate in the forums in some way, but I’m settling for watching the videos.

But honestly, the VP debate will give us something: the face of Romney’s domestic policy versus the face of Obama’s foreign policy. I’d say that’s still worth 90 minutes of our time. I plan on spending it the same way I spent the first presidential debate — having a civil, civic-minded backchannel conversation with intelligent Democrats and Republicans. Last week on the Civic Commons, we extended an open invitation to join us in conversation while the debate took place. The rules of engagement are simple: be transparent (no anonymity), be civil, be credible. We listen, we respond, we check facts, and we enjoy the conversation and exchange of ideas. And it turns out, much as the Jefferson Action Forum’s efforts, it provides a pretty good window into what Ohioans are thinking about.

So, tonight, as Biden and Ryan shake hands on stage at Centre College, consider joining the conversation at The Civic Commons.

Jefferson Action’s Reclaim November Ohio! project completed its third and final Citizens Election Forum October 5-7, and here’s what you’ll want to check out on our website:

•    The Voters Guide, written by the participants, featuring a summary of each candidate’s proposals to solve the issues of weak economic growth, unemployment, and the federal debt and deficit.
• The full video of the sessions with the candidates –Congressman Jim Renacci, and Congresswoman Betty Sutton – who are running against each other because of redistricting.  You can also check out the sessions with James Slepian of the Renacci campaign and Anthony DeAngelo of the Sutton campaign.
• The follow-up videos in which both Renacci and Sutton praised the process.
• News coverage from six different outlets so far, with more coming soon.

What’s amazing about all these reports, video clips and media is what you won’t see.  Instead of mudslinging and horse race analysis, you get substantive discussion of policies, driven by ordinary citizens.  We’ve changed the conversation, just as we said we would, and we are grateful to Reps. Sutton and Renacci, their campaign staffs, and the ordinary voters who took a chance on this process.

We think this is what a campaign should look like.  If you agree, please help us.  Share this email with people.  Follow us on Twitter and facebook. And please consider donating, so that we can repeat this across the country in as many races as we can afford.

Rep. Betty Sutton (D) and Rep. Jim Renacci (R) met on Oct. 6 for 75 minutes each with a randomly selected group of District 16 citizens who had spent a week studying and discussing three key economic issues: weak economic growth, unemployment and the federal deficit.

“I think the forum was fantastic,” Sutton said. “I think it was a wonderful opportunity to have some real discussion about how things work. And also to get the input, through the questions, of the folks in the room. … So, it was a great format and I really appreciated the opportunity.”

View Sutton’s entire statement at 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Said Renacci: “I’m ecstatic. I think it was a great forum. I think it’s the type of thing we need to do not only in this district, but in 434 other districts.”

View Renacci’s entire statement at 

Click here to view the embedded video.

The group rated both candidates on the quality of their solutions, the likelihood of success and how well they communicated about the three key economic issues during their campaigns.

The Voters Guide issued by Jefferson Action’s Reclaim November Ohio! project is available at http://jeffersonaction.org/what-we-do/current-projects/october-citizens-election-forum/voters-guide/.

About Jefferson Action

Jefferson Action is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to returning democracy to the people. Our mission is making the informed voice of everyday citizens heard and giving the people important information to help them in their voting decisions.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Jefferson Action uses the Citizens Election Forum process to bring together randomly selected citizens to consider important issues. The citizens are educated by experts representing a wide range of viewpoints. The group then recommends a course of action.  Jefferson Action lets the public know if the politicians are addressing the important issues – or simply firing attack ads at one another. Learn more at www.jeffersonaction.org.

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But by the time we spoke at a Fairlawn hotel this weekend, Johnson was very glad she had taken a second look at the mailing with the Minnesota postmark and the silhouette of the third president. Thanks to the letter, she was deep into her work as a “citizen-juror” — one of 23 voters recruited to take a clear-eyed, objective look at the red-hot contest in Ohio’s newly created 16th Congressional District — and the self-described independent was taking it very seriously.

“I think so many people just listen to what’s said on television and let that guide them,” said Johnson, 54, a substitute teacher who lives in Norton. “Here you get to ask the questions. It’s not somebody else putting their spin on things.”

She and her colleagues had just spent the morning grilling two incumbent House members — third-term Democrat Betty Sutton and first-term Republican Jim Renacci. The pair were thrown together by redistricting and ever since have been whacking each other with verbal 2-by-4′s. The cacophony registered 765 miles away in St. Paul, Minn.

Jefferson Action’s parent group — the Jefferson Center for New Democratic Processes – was started in 1974 by Ned Crosby, who then had a newly minted Ph.D. in political science, an idealistic faith in participatory democracy and some very deep pockets: He’s an heir to the General Mills fortune. Crosby and his organization have spent almost four decades trying to improve political discourse and give average folks a voice. Their vehicle of choice is the “citizens jury.”

The idea is pretty simple: Bring together a representative group of citizens around a particular issue, immerse them in solid information and policy options from all angles and then let them develop solutions, often in dialogue with public officials.

Over the years, communities have invited the Jefferson Center to help them work through thorny questions around land use, taxation and education. After the bitter 2008 Senate race in Minnesota — and a recount that wasn’t resolved until the following summer — both political parties asked Crosby’s group to convene a citizen’s jury to suggest better rules for elections. Most of its recommendations are now state law.

In the 1990s, the Jefferson Center dabbled a few times with juries in election campaigns, trying to keep the candidates focused on issues. Results were mixed, but this year, executive director Jim Meffert decided to try again. Looking for the right lab, he zeroed in on the new 16th Congressional District, which snakes through Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark, Portage, Medina and Wayne counties. It had everything: two incumbents, a relatively close partisan split, a big chunk of the district that was new to both candidates and tons of money being spent on negative ads. Besides, he added, “it’s Ohio.”

During the summer, Meffert’s group contacted 30,000 voters — Johnson among them — inviting them to participate. From the 500 who agreed, Jefferson Action assembled two demographically representative panels. The first met in July to identify three key issues. They settled on long-term economic growth, short-term unemployment and the federal fiscal mess. The second jury came together last month for a crash course from local college professors on those issues and an array of policy options.

“I was really surprised after the first day that they didn’t try to sway us in a certain way,” said Johnson. “The whole point was to arm the group so we could ask questions of the candidates.”

The jurors finally met the candidates separately for 75 minutes each.

Both politicians stuck close to their favorite talking points. Renacci emphasized his business background and the need of employers for “predictability and certainty. ” He called for tax reform with lower rates and fewer deductions and for less government spending. Sutton constantly returned to her “Cash for Clunkers” legislation from 2009 and her work to help seed a regional anti-corrosion industry. She stressed a “balanced” approach to deficit reduction, including higher taxes on the wealthy.

When the jurors graded the candidates after lengthy deliberations Sunday, the verdict clearly tilted in Renacci’s favor. They thought he’d answered their questions more clearly and convincingly.

Before they departed Saturday, both candidates praised the format and said they’d be willing to meet with similar juries if elected. That delighted Meffert, who is already looking for ways to bring politicians together with “people who aren’t the usual suspects.”

For her part, Hilary Johnson said that the opportunity to learn, question and evaluate was wonderful: “It was very nonpartisan. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Click here for Jefferson Action’s final report.

The project is called Reclaim November Ohio, and it’s designed to give voters an alternative to the normal fare of campaign events and advertising that typically bombard voters – especially this year.  Jim Meffort is executive Director of Jefferson Action, a Saint Paul, Minnesota based non-profit group whose stock and trade for 20 years has been assembling what he calls “citizens juries” to tackle tough issues.

“We’re capturing and allowing people who are frustrated with what they see on TV with attack ads, what they see from outside spending, which is just attacking somebody, distracting from real important discussions that need to take place.  We’re providing an alternative to that.”

The panel of 24 was carefully chosen to demographically represent a cross section of the 16th congressional district.  Before hearing from the candidates on Saturday the panel, with the help of more than half a dozen university university professors , boned up on such topics as economic growth, the debt and deficit and unemployment.

Renacci met first with the group, and focused largely on a theme of cutting taxes and regulations to stimulate job growth.  Asked by a panel member about how to get back jobs that were offshored, Renacci said the problem starts at home – he cited figures from the National Manufacturers’ Association to make his point that the United States isn’t competitive as a place to manufacture products.

Renacci:  Excluding payroll, it’s 20 percent more expensive to do business in the United States of America – EXCLUDING PAYROLL.

Renacci said 10 percent of the difference is in tax rates, the other ten percent is regulations.

Renacci:  Let’s look at that 20 percent, let’s get our tax rates back to where they’re competitive with a global market, let’s get our regulations to a point where we still have them, they’re just not excessive – and we now save 20 percent.  I guarantee if you talk to companies that have sent jobs overseas, they’ll tell you if we could save that 20 percent, we’d be right back here.

Betty Sutton took a markedly different approach to growth and jobs.  She told the group she wants smart cuts, AND smart investments – that is, government support – in targeted business growth strategies.  She cited the bailouts of GM and Chrysler as one such investment, and her own signature program – the cash for clunkers bill that gave a tax credit for trading in an old car for a more environmentally friendly new car.

Sutton:  That’s a perfect example.  I was looking at multiple goals.  How can we, if we’re spending money, do so so that we can get the most that we can out of it?  If we’re cutting, is it a smart cut or does it cost us more in the long run?

Sutton shuns cuts in government spending that result in job losses, which she says said increases payouts in unemployment, food stamps and other services for people whose resources become exhausted.  As for taxes, Sutton says said the wealthy should pay a little more, and that tax BREAKS that provide an incentive for offshoring jobs should be ended.

The different policy positions Sutton and Renacci offered to this group differ little from what they tell audiences – mostly handpicked – at events they’ve organized.  Each spent 75 minutes with the Jefferson panel.  Then, the panelists spent another day and a half rating and scoring candidate responses. In the final tally – released late Sunday – Renacci fared better than Sutton .  We spoke after that by phone with panelist Richard Baker, a construction worker from Suffield, in Portage County.

Baker:  Overall I think that Renacci did receive higher scores, and a lot of that was we felt that we could relate to what he was saying better.  Renacci did a better job of making his case to us.

Bruce Herron of Wadsworth, a technology project manager, agreed that Renacci had the edge among the group, although he said it was no landslide.  He said Sutton was shorter on specifics in her answers, which hurt her.  But he also said the choice of subject areas were more in line with Renacci’s campaign message.

Herron:  Congresswoman Sutton has other issues that are high priority for her, and had we discussed taking care of seniors or veterans, or women’s issues, health care costs, I think the result could have been pulled a lot stronger in her direction.

Jefferson Action, the non-partisan sponsoring group, claims the Reclaim November Ohio program is an advancement in dialog over the big money negative ad campaigns and tit for tat talkfests on the cable news channels.  But how much impact a conversation with 24 people in a small town will have with voters across the 16th district – is an open question.  Director Jim Meffert says the effort is a work in progress.

AKRON, OHIO, Oct. 8, 2012 – After an extraordinary effort involving 45 citizens, 10 days and more than 2,200 hours of study and discussion, the Citizens Election Forum sponsored by Jefferson Action released its Voters Guide for Ohio’s 16^th Congressional District.

The 16^th District is considered the most closely watched congressional race in a battleground state. Rep. Jim Renacci (R) and Rep. Betty Sutton (D), both incumbents, were pitted against one another in redistricting.

The full Voters Guide is available at http://jeffersonaction.org/what-we-do/current-projects/october-citizens-election-forum/voters-guide/.

For each of three key economic issues, the guide summarizes the policies of each candidate and assigns two number ratings from 1-5 (weak-strong): quality of solution and likelihood of success. The candidates also received a single number rating on how effectively they addressed economic issues in their campaigns.

“We thank this group of committed citizens for their hard work and thoughtful consideration of the important issues facing Ohio and our nation,” said Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action. “And we applaud Congressman Renacci and Congresswoman Sutton for their willingness to engage in a substantive discussion of issues with a group of real people from the 16^th District.

“This is the first of what we hope will be many Citizens Election Forums across the United States in the years to come,” Meffert said. “The candidates and the citizens of Ohio have contributed to an experiment that will provide valuable lessons both to our organization and to others that are working to put the voice of the people back into politics.”

Guided by a professionally moderated process designed to yield an unbiased, non-partisan result, a group of 23 ordinary Ohioans spent a full week learning about and discussing economic issues and solutions. The participants were chosen at random from registered voters and were representative of the district in age, gender, race, education and political affiliation.

They heard presentations from economic experts from Oberlin College, the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, Wooster College and others. The current Citizens Election Forum session built upon the work of a previous group of 22 citizens, which met in July and chose three topics for the candidates to address: weak economic growth, unemployment and the federal deficit.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, both Renacci and Sutton each met separately with the Citizens Election Forum for 75 minutes, answering questions about their economic policies.

“Our goal is to cut through the toxic fog of attack advertising and encourage real communication about important issues,” Meffert said. “Our Citizens Election Forum is an important step toward restoring the voice of real citizens to the political process.”

About Jefferson Action

Jefferson Action is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to returning democracy to the people. Our mission is making the informed voice of everyday citizens heard and giving the people important information to help them in their voting decisions.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Jefferson Action uses the Citizens Election Forum process to bring together randomly selected citizens to consider important issues. The citizens are educated by experts representing a wide range of viewpoints. The group then recommends a course of action.  Jefferson Action lets the public know if the politicians are addressing the important issues – or simply firing attack ads at one another. Learn more at www.jeffersonaction.org.

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That’s the conclusion of an in-depth evaluation undertaken by 23 Akron-area voters this weekend under the leadership of Jefferson Action, a Minnesota nonprofit that works to raise citizen involvement in the political process. The group got a chance to separately interview both Renacci and his opponent, U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, and then dissected and evaluated the candidates’ positions on the issues of weak economic growth, unemployment and the federal deficit and debt.

The evaluations weren’t unanimous, and on some issues the participants diverged widely. But on average, the group scored Renacci higher than Sutton on the ability to provide real solutions to the issues and on the likelihood of success in each area.

The evaluations were the culmination of a long process shepherded this summer by Jefferson Action, which sought to elevate the political discussion in what has been a contentious campaign.

The process started in July, when Jefferson Action brought together a different group of voters to identify the most pressing issues facing the district. Then last month, it convened a second group and prepared those voters to face the candidates by giving them a crash course in such areas as economics, policymaking and campaign tactics.

This weekend, the second group came back together for three days at the Radisson Hotel Akron/Fairlawn to hear presentations from representatives of both campaigns, interview the candidates and evaluate what they’d heard.

The process was rigorous. The participants were required not just to score each candidate, but to back up their numbers with rationale.

Many members of the group believed Renacci was more specific than Sutton in his answers and ideas. In addition, several cited his business background and acumen as qualifying him to deal with economic issues.

Sutton, on the other hand, earned positive marks from several participants for her actions to boost the economy, particularly her initiation of the “Cash for Clunkers” car-rebate plan.

Renacci’s campaign also scored higher than Sutton’s, largely because many participants thought his campaign chief addressed the issues they identified more specifically than Sutton’s did.

Among the other positions that won Renacci high marks were his desire to reform the tax code, his ideas for bringing predictability to the marketplace so employers will be comfortable hiring, his support for oil and gas exploration and his ability to work with members of both parties.

Sutton was applauded for supporting a combination of austerity measures and economic stimuli, supporting policies that strengthen the middle class and promoting new industry, among other actions.

Even though the participants often disagreed, the process was noteworthy for its civil tone — a goal of the Jefferson Action organizers.

Learning about candidates

Jim Meffert, the nonprofit’s executive director, said the effort was intended to help the participants and the public learn where the candidates stand. That runs counter to the negativity that permeates many campaigns, an approach Meffert said is intended to turn voters off so they’ll be less likely to vote.

A summary of the group’s findings will be published online in the hope it will benefit other voters, he said. The Jefferson Action website is www.jeffersonaction.org.

“This is what people heard. This is what they understood. This is what they want to tell other voters,” Meffert said.

The participants called the process positive. After the session, Jim Leetch, a 72-year-old retiree from Wadsworth, told a reporter that the process even led him to change his mind about which candidate he will vote for, although he declined to say whom he supports.

Brenda Hamas, a 48-year-old Goodyear employee from Uniontown, conceded that some people will always vote along party lines. But she said she hopes the group’s findings will help others who want to identify the person who will do the best job, regardless of party affiliation.

Several of the participants admitted a new appreciation for the complexity of the issues and the work members of Congress put into addressing them. And several were buoyed by the group’s ability to differ without animosity.

“My faith in this country’s been restored over this,” said one participant during the group discussion, whom organizers identified only as a 74-year-old retired printer from Parma Heights named John. (The Jefferson Action officials did not release a full list of names during the process.)

He noted that the group represented a cross section of society, and yet the members treated one another with respect.

“There’s hope,” John said.

Redistricting by Ohio’s GOP lawmakers shifted the bounds of the 16th Congressional District from one centered on Stark County to one sprawling further north and west. It now includes pieces of Summit, Portage, Medina, Stark, Cuyahoga and Wayne counties, pieces that have fallen largely into two districts: one represented by Republican Jim Renacci for the last two years and the other by Democrat Betty Sutton for the last six years.

And that’s led to one of the most expensive, negative Congressional races in the U.S.

Which, in turn, led Reclaim November to choose the new 16th for a forum of voters discussions with political experts and deliberations on economic issues.

Reclaim’s two gatherings in Fairlawn over the last three months were sponsored by the Minnesota-based non-profit Jefferson Center. Participants were an almost even mix of men and women, and of Republicans, Democrats and independents.

At the first forum in July, they delivered a report to the candidates that said voters don’t want mudslinging; they want answers on the federal deficit, unemployment and job growth.

Both Renacci and Sutton attempted to follow up this weekend with answers to some two-dozen participants.

Cutting costs; talking tax
Sutton said she wants to rein in the deficit by cutting oil company subsidies and letting high-income tax cuts expire.

Renacci cited just one program specifically for cuts – National Public Radio. But he cited two areas for reform.

“We need to make sure Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are solvent. We need to do some reforming of those. We need to look at our costs in defense. But I gotta tell you, we can’t make our military go back to 1940 standards. I don’t think we cut pay. I don’t think we cut equipment. If we’re gonna send people to war, we have to make sure they have the ability to protect themselves and all the equipment they need. At the same time, when they come back, we have to take care of them.”

When she heard that, Dana Robinson of Norton said she was hoping for more specifics.

“I was hoping that Congressman Renacci would have expounded some more on what type of things he would like to do in reforming it. Because it kind of scares you when someone wants to start changing things and you don’t know how the outcome will be.”

Who they are
Renacci made millions through small businesses including nursing homes and a car dealership – which he lost in the aftermath of the auto rescue. He has condemned the bailout and the health-insurance overhaul, along with the healthcare overhaul, and opposes eliminating Bush-era tax cuts for wealthy people — saying that would hurt small businesses and jobs.

Betty Sutton – once a labor lawyer and state lawmaker – was a big supporter of the auto bailout. And like President Obama, she says the tax cuts on higher incomes should expire to help cut the deficit and to support other programs to bolster the middle class.

“I think when the middle-class goes out and spends money at the pizza shop, that small businessman, or woman, gets to stay in business. I think that, when the middle class is doing well, those at the top are also doing well.”

Still too vague
That was too vague for Dan Carvill, a sales engineer from Brimfield.

“I want details. If you tell me you’re gonna cut something, tell me what you’re gonna cut, how much you’re gonna cut, and what’s the overall result or benefit gonna be.”

Common ground
The candidates shared some common ground. They agreed that employers should get incentives to train employees. And each claimed they had a record of bi-partisanship: his evidenced by vice-chairing the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee; hers by her sponsorship of “Cash for Clunkers.”

That was a big plus for Carvill.

“I mean you’ve got a House with 435 representatives. They have their own party lines and party leaders they have to follow. But the truly courageous ones will step across the aisle. They will gather consensus. ”

An odd race
The race for Ohio’s 16th District is one of only two in the country to pit incumbents of opposite parties. No outside polling has been released in the race.

The Sunlight Foundation says outside groups have spent nearly $4.2 million on the Renacci/Sutton contest, second only to a congressional race in California.

With the candidates’ answers limited by the format to one to four minutes, they both explained their accomplishments, philosophies and proposed policies related to the economy and federal deficit, demonstrating their drastically different views of the role of the federal government.

Jefferson Action, a nonprofit group based in St. Paul, Minn., said it recruited the residents as part of a pilot project to trigger a focused, substantive discussion of the issues in a competitive congressional race in a swing state. The panelists, who ranged in age from 18 to 74 and had a variety of backgrounds, were set to deliberate on grades for the candidates Saturday and today.

Among Renacci’s points:
• Renacci favors a bill that allows companies to bring their profits abroad back to the U.S. tax-free as long as they invest in factories, plants or payroll. He said once government creates an environment with “certainty and predictability,” such as by revamping regulations and prohibiting new regulations until the unemployment rate drops  to 6 percent, businesses will create more jobs.
• Increasing employment by more than 250,000 jobs a month will increase tax revenue, decreasing the deficit. That along with the Ryan budget plan would move the country toward a balanced budget in 25 years along with a revamping of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to preserve the programs.
• Renacci hopes to address the gridlock in Congress by expanding his bipartisan legislative discussion group from its current eight Democrats and eight Republicans.
• Top tax rates for corporations and those with high incomes should be lowered from 35 percent to 25 percent and the loss of revenue should be offset by modifying deductions to allow those businesses to compete with those abroad.
• Raising taxes on “business owners who produce jobs” will make them less competitive. The federal budget is like a bucket with leaks. “The answer to the deficit is not throwing more water into it. It’s fixing the bucket.” Businesses are better suited to stimulate the economy than the government.
• The federal government should only spend money if it’s worth borrowing the money from China, even it means possibly cutting a great program such as Alzheimer’s research.  He said he voted to cut the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency budget by 30 percent, but he opposes cuts to troops’ pay and equipment.

Among Sutton’s points:
• “We have to make smart investments while we’re also making smart cuts. … at worst, it’s dangerous, at best it’s irresponsible to approach budgeting like every expenditure is waste and every cut is an efficiency. … if you’re taking away the jobs of the firefighters, that means the job is gone. He’s now on unemployment. … and we have less services. … I think the middle class are job creators. When that middle class (person) goes out and spends money, that pizza (restaurant) gets to stay in business.”
• “We can’t afford those deep tax cuts for those at the very top. That’s a cut I would make. A cut in those cuts.”
• She touted her Cash for Clunkers legislation in 2009 as a model of how she got people of different parties and interests to reach a consensus and to provide a “timely, targeted, temporary and effective” stimulus to car sales that she says created or saved 60,000 jobs.
• The federal government by encouraging advances in mitigating corrosion in military equipment and infrastructure can stimulate significant job growth.
• The best way to address the long-term deficit is to improve the economic situation of the middle class rather than through budget cuts and tax hikes that hurt the middle class. She said getting China to stop manipulating its currency and providing an advance manufacturing tax credit also would boost the local economy.
• Examples of smart cuts include cutting the middle men out of Pell Grant funding and student loans and cutting tax breaks for oil companies and companies that send jobs overseas. A possible way to raise revenue would be a “miniscule” tax on rapid stock trading.
• While regulations that don’t make sense shouldn’t exist, she said she backed a law that gave the Food and Drug Administration the authority to require recalls of tainted food.

The candidates often reverted to their talking points, at times didn’t directly answer the panel’s questions and at times didn’t give specifics.  When Renacci was asked about how he would address underemployment, he talked about how he got a program passed into law that allows a state to pay unemployment compensation money to an employer to hire an unemployed person who would have gotten those unemployment benefits. But it’s not clear how the program would help someone who has a job but desires a higher paying job that’s more suited to that person’s education and skills.

When a panelist, a 55-year-old Rocky River man, asked Sutton what federal policies were working to address weak economic growth, Sutton talked about the anti-corrosion program.

“With all due respect, congresswoman, you didn’t answer the question,” the panelist said.

FAIRLAWN — The campaigns of Jim Renacci and Betty Sutton, along with outside groups supporting them, have peppered voters in the 16th Congressional District with print, radio, TV and Internet ads. Too much, many say.

But on Saturday, nearly two dozen voters from the district were given a chance to pepper both candidates with questions about the weak economy, unemployment, the deficit and debt as part of the Reclaim November Ohio project at the Radisson Hotel. The event was sponsored by Jefferson Action, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes engagement by citizens in the elections process.

Renacci, a Wadsworth Republican, and Sutton, a Copley Township Democrat, addressed the group’s concerns during different question-and-answer sessions. Among the group were three from this area: Abby Carney, Bonnie Nair and Wanda Steiner.

After receiving a letter in the mail, Nair checked it out to make sure Jefferson Action was a legitimate group. Once she discovered it was, a friend, with whom she has friendly political debates, encouraged her to get involved.

“It’s really intensive,” said Nair, who is working on a business management major and fine arts photography minor. She likened it to taking college classes for eight straight hours.

Carney, at 18 years old, was the youngest participant. The Hillsdale graduate, who lives outside of Wooster, said she wanted to make sure her generation was represented.

Steiner, who now lives in Orrville, had been active in politics in Stark County. When she saw her calendar was open on the weekends the group was scheduled to meet, she figured, why not.

“Our elections are so messed up, we need to do something to get them in line,” Steiner said.

Nair was pretty confident she understood the issues heading into this election, but she learned a few things in the process, she said. “The things we learned, all voters should learn, like how the economy works and the reason behind the high debt,” she said. “People hear this stuff on the news, but they don’t necessarily understand how it affects their lives.”

Carney, on the other hand, said she came into the project not knowing what the issues would be. But, in working with the others and discussing a variety of topics, Carney said she feels like she is a lot more informed.

“I did not learn any of this in my senior year of high school,” Carney said. “I am glad I participated; it made me more informed on the issues. I listened to the (presidential) debate the other night, and I understood what they were talking about.”

For Steiner, she was surprised health care did not emerge as one of the top issues in the election.

All three said they were glad they participated.

“It was a good, beginning-level starting class on the three issues (economy, unemployment and deficit),” Nair said.

“I wish more people would get involved in something like this,” Steiner said.

A former Rittman resident, Jacqueline Kelo, was also involved with the project. Kelo, who has a master’s degree in political science and has worked at the Ray C. Bliss Institute for Applied Politics at the University of Akron, served as the Ohio field coordinator.

“It has been amazing to watch,” Kelo said of the process, likening to watching a newborn baby develop. The enthusiasm of the participants has been nice to see, she added.

Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action, said the group learned they did not have to put up with the deceit, sound bites and anger of politics and can come together to discuss the issues with those of differing viewpoints.

The group, started with 24 people, seven who leaned Democratic, seven Republican and 10 independents. There were 23 present to question the candidates.

Ohio’s 16th Congressional District was chosen for several reasons, Meffert said. Because of redistricting, the race features two incumbents, which provides for a level playing field, he said. It is also a new district with a large percentage of people who were not represented by either one. There is also a close index of registered Democrats and Republicans.

“And, it is in Ohio, and, as everyone knows, in election years, Ohio is the most relevant state,” Meffert said.

Sutton told reporters after her q-and-a session she was not surprised by the questions asked. She said they reflected the interests of people she hears from around the district.

The citizens forum was appropriate and helpful to sort through the positions of the candidates, Sutton said.

Renacci said the event was a great idea and likened it to about 100 public meetings and town halls he has had during his first term in office. These types of events need to be held in every district, he said.

“We need to hear what the people’s concerns and questions are,” Renacci said. The best thing to happen now is for the participants to go out and tell others what happened, he added.

This is the second weekend the group has met to discuss the issues facing the voters of the district and to prepare questions for the candidates. They are scheduled to meet again today in Fairlawn to evaluate how each candidate performed.

For more information about the project, visit www.jeffersonaction.org. Upcoming editions of The Daily Record will highlight the candidates’ positions on the three topics discussed.

But 23 waded into the fine points of economic stimuli, gross domestic product and tax policy.

Participants in the nonpartisan Jefferson Action forum had the rare opportunity to question two Congressional veterans vying to represent the new 16th District in Northeast Ohio.

Democrat Betty Sutton and Republican Jim Renacci hammered home their disparate views in separate closed-door meetings with the panelists.

The project seeks to help panelists understand the complex policy that undergirds campaigns.

“Remember our ground rule: Stay in learning mode,” advised a handwritten poster on the wall of the Radisson Inn.

The nonprofit Jefferson Action, based in St. Paul, Minn., chose the Renacci-Sutton race for the forum because the congressional race is one of the most closely watched in the country.

Sutton’s district was eliminated in the last round of redistricting after the census. Rather than retiring, she chose to go after Renacci’s seat in the 16th District, which now is made up of all of Wayne County and parts of Summit, Stark, Medina, Cuyahoga and Portage counties.

The two candidates represent stark differences in philosophy: She voted for the 2010 health law, for example, and he wants to repeal it.

The candidates also have sparred over where and when to debate, although both were so interested in the Jefferson Action project that they chose to extend their individual interviews with the panelists from 60 to 75 minutes.

They did so before potential voters who were perhaps unusually well prepared.

Last month, Jefferson Action led the panelists through a crash course in public policy to decide what questions to ask Renacci and Sutton. On Friday, panelists met with the candidates’ campaign managers.

Candidates face panelists

On Saturday, the rubber met the road: The 12 female and 11 male panelists asked the candidates the same questions about economic growth, unemployment, the federal deficit and debt.

“What is the process that you personally use to evaluate proposed policy to determine your vote?” “What is the impact of underemployment here in our district?” and “How will you bring Congress together to actually get these proposals implemented?” were among the questions.

Renacci emphasized what he said was his acumen in job development.

In private business for 28 years, he said he created more than 1,500 jobs and employed 3,000 people.

He said local business owners tell him they won’t expand their work force until they have some certainty that taxes, health care and other costs are in check. The marketplace needs certainty and predictability, he said.

He also pointed out several times that he and fellow Congressman John Carney of Delaware, a Democrat, assembled what came to be a 16-person bipartisan work group.

He wants that group to grow to undermine some of the deadlock in Congress, he said.

His solutions: reduce tax rates, reduce regulatory burdens and control health-care costs.

Sutton emphasized her sponsorship of the Cash for Clunkers Act to rev up the auto industry. She said the legislation led to the sale of 700,000 cars, saved 60,000 jobs and generated revenue for local governments.

She also emphasized her influence in making Northeast Ohio a center in the fight against corrosion, which she said costs the country $400 billion a year in repairs to bridges, military tanks and the like.

She helped the University of Akron to gain funding for the National Center for Education and Research on Corrosion and Materials Performance.

These are examples of the innovative policy she advocates to jump-start economic growth, she said.

She would take a multifaceted approach to decrease the budget deficit, but there’s no “magic bullet” that will solve the country’s problems, she said.

Jefferson Action’s approach to the race brought kudos from at least one bystander.

“I really think this is the best way to evaluate candidates,” said Copley Township trustee Helen Humphrys, one of the few outsiders to watch the interviews in person.

Identities kept private

As for panelists, they took notes on the presentations but made no personal comments. Little is known about them right now — just, in most cases, their first name, age, occupation and hometown.

Jefferson Action has kept their identities private to reduce the risk that they might be contacted by the public or the campaigns themselves. The panelists’ names will be released today when the exercise is complete.

However, the retirees, students, truck driver, customer service representative and sales engineer, among others, won’t determine who “won” the exercise — just who had the best-prepared and most workable responses to the questions.

They will compile a voters’ guide to help other voters understand the issues.

The candidates sometimes found it hard to wade through the issues themselves, at least in the compact amount of time allotted by Jefferson Action.

Organizers sounded a chime 14 times to tell Renacci he had exceeded his time limit. It sounded 23 times for Sutton.

Transcripts of both candidates’ presentations are available at www.jeffersonaction.org.

Kyle Bozentko, Jefferson Action’s Director of Policy and Research, prepared a glimpse into the race between Ohio District 16 candidates Jim Renacci and Betty Sutton.

CEF3 Glimpse of Campaigns KBozentko

Check it out for some amazing information:

• How much are outside groups spending for and against the candidates?
• What are the most common words that the campaigns use?

Our 24 randomly-selected participants are analyzing this information now and will meet with the campaigns’ communications directors today.

The larger the word, the more it was used by one of the campaigns.

A nonprofit group based in St. Paul, Minn., called Jefferson Action is organizing the event.

The Citizens Election Forum, which is open to the public, will be held at the Radisson Akron Fairlawn at 200 Montrose West Ave., near the interchange where state Route 18 (Market Street) meets Interstate 77 in Summit County.

U.S. Rep. Renacci of Wadsworth, the Republican candidate, will address the group from 9:25 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. U.S. Rep. Sutton of Copley Township, the Democratic candidate, will make speak between 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

John Reinan, a spokesman for Jefferson Action, said the organization, which seeks to increase citizen involvement in politics, mailed out solicitations for volunteers for the pilot project to about 30,000 registered voters in the 16th District. More than 600 replied, and organizers selected a panel with Democrats, Republicans and independents that reflected the demographics of the district, said Reinan.

He said Jefferson Action’s parent organization, the Jefferson Center for New Democratic Processes, which was founded by political scientist Ned Crosby in the late 1970s, has used citizen panels to decide contentious issues facing governments.

This is the first time it’s employing the panels for an election involving candidates.

Reinan said Jefferson Action chose the 16th District contest because it was the most competitive congressional race in a swing state.

A separate panel of 16th District voters decided in July on the topics for the event. Reinan said the panel that will question the candidates spent this week attending seminars by policy experts.

According to a list provided by Reinan, one panel member has a postal address in Canton, two members have North Canton addresses and one has a Uniontown address. Jefferson Action is paying the panel members $90 a day for their participation. The group will not identify the panel members until Saturday so someone doesn’t try to sway them before the forum.

Besides a debate Wednesday afternoon at the City Club of Cleveland, neither candidate has agreed to take part in other debates. Sutton has declined to face off against Renacci at a Repository-sponsored debate this month at Kent State University Stark Campus. Her campaign spokesman says Sutton will participate only in debates that are sponsored by a neutral organization, and The Repository’s editorial board could endorse a candidate.

It’s the third and final weekend of the Reclaim November Ohio project.

Reps. Jim Renacci (R) and Betty Sutton (D) – running against each other in the redrawn 16^th District of Ohio – will meet with 24 randomly selected voters to talk about the three issues.  The participants are looking for real and workable solutions, and will later issue a Voters Guide with ratings on both candidates.

Ohio-based and national media are coming to report the results, but you canfollow all the action for yourself at www.jeffersonaction.org.  Here are some quick links:

• A schedule for the weekend is available here.
• You can watch some portions of the event live here, or check on YouTube here when we post the complete footage of the candidates and their campaign staff talking with the voters.
• An Issues Guide – created two weeks ago when the Forum participants discussed the issues with 9 experts from 7 different institutions – is available here.
• When the Voters Guide is available late Sunday – with a “report card” for both candidates – you’ll find out first if you follow us onTwitter or facebook.

Don’t miss a minute, and share this emails with others — it’s a “too good to ignore” approach that will influence a close race in a swing state, and could revolutionize the way voters evaluate candidates.

• missteps, like Gerald Ford’s “There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe” statement in 1976.
• KO punches, like Lloyd Bentsen’s “you’re no Jack Kennedy” slam in 1988.
• body language, like the Al Gore sighs that were considered condescending in 2000.

Not surprisingly, the news media reports that Governor Romney has been practicing possible “zingers” with staff since August.

If you judge debates the same way you watch your favorite football team, counting zingers and missteps a good way to watch them.

But if you want to get better information, try watching them a different way.  Prepare a set of questions you’d like to see answered.  Think about the issues that are most important to you, and ignore the “points scored” on the less important questions.  Specify the policy solutions you think would work best, and see who comes closest to  those positions.

In short, prepare the same way that 24 randomly-selected voters prepared for their time this weekend with Reps. Renacci and Sutton.  Control of the U.S. House of Representatives is at stake, and our country can’t afford to have this decision made lightly.  That’s why the participants spent four days getting informed and taking notes to prepare themselves for these conversations.

Check out the Issues Guide they crafted.  Use it, or draft one for yourself as you watch the campaigns in these critical last weeks.  Voting is one of the most important duties we have as citizens; people have died to protect and expand this right.  Do your best to honor this by going beyond soundbites and partisan spin.

Cartoon: Tom Toles of the Washington Post.

AKRON, OHIO, Oct. 1, 2012 – The Citizens Election Forum sponsored by Jefferson Action will host U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R) and U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton (D) on Saturday, Oct. 6, for an intensive discussion of economic issues. At the candidates’ request, their time with the forum has been extended to 75 minutes each from the originally scheduled 60 minutes.

Event schedule is below. Rep. Renacci will be the first to meet with the forum, beginning at 9:25 a.m. Renacci and Sutton, both incumbent members of Congress, are in a closely contested race for the seat in the newly drawn 16^th Congressional District. It’s one of only two congressional races nationwide that pits two incumbents against one another.

“The citizen participants will be well-prepared and ready to ask tough questions about the options for solving Ohio’s – and our nation’s — economic problems,” said Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action. “After a full week of discussions with experts from all points on the political spectrum, the Citizens Forum members have a deep understanding of the issues and the actions that may be needed to address them.

“We’ve told the candidates to be prepared to offer real answers and real solutions. Slogans and soundbites won’t fly with this group.”

At the conclusion of the forum on Sunday, Oct. 7, the citizens will issue a report card grading each candidate on their proposals for addressing three key issues: weak economic growth, unemployment and the federal deficit. They’ll also grade the candidates on how well they addressed those issues in their campaigns.

The three issues were chosen by an earlier Citizens Election Forum that met in July. Both installments of the forum consisted of ordinary Ohioans, drawn randomly from registered voters in the 16^th District and representing an accurate demographic mix of age, education, gender, race and political affiliation.

The Citizens Election Forum is the polar opposite of the typical campaign-season town hall meeting, where candidates field softball questions from a hand-picked audience and respond with canned stump speeches.

“This group of typical Ohioans has devoted more than a week of their time to studying the issues and preparing for an in-depth discussion with the candidates,” Meffert said. “It’s the embodiment of Thomas Jefferson’s belief that ordinary Americans, given good information and sufficient time, can be trusted to make sound decisions in our democracy.

“We thank Reps. Sutton and Renacci for their willingness to take part in this unique and important event.”

About Jefferson Action

Jefferson Action is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to returning democracy to the people. Our mission is making the informed voice of everyday citizens heard and giving the people important information to help them in their voting decisions.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Jefferson Action uses the Citizens Election Forum process to bring together randomly selected citizens to consider important issues. The citizens are educated by experts representing a wide range of viewpoints. The group then recommends a course of action.  Jefferson Action lets the public know if the politicians are addressing the important issues – or simply firing attack ads at one another. Learn more at www.jeffersonaction.org.

###

SCHEDULE

Location: Radisson Akron Fairlawn, 200 Montrose West Ave., Akron

9:25 a.m. – Rep. Renacci meets with the forum
10:40 a.m. – Break
11:15 a.m. – Rep. Sutton meets with the forum
12:30 p.m. – Candidate appearances end

Seating and floor space are limited. We advise media to arrive by 9 a.m. or earlier, especially broadcast media.

The goal of the weekend is to give the participants information they need to evaluate Reps. Renacci and Sutton when the two incumbents meet with the group in October.  In four, day-long sessions, the participants will go in-depth on the three economic issues chosen by the first group of Reclaim November participants in July:

• Weak economic growth
• Unemployment
• Federal Deficit and Debt

Putting the “Informed” into “Informed Voice of the People”

In addition to introductory sessions on economics, policy analysis and campaign strategy, the participants will spend one full day on each of the three issues.  Each day will look roughly like this:

1.  A general overview of the issue:

a.       Key concepts and definitions

b.      Why this issue is significant

c.       Trends, figures, and other important notes

d.      What are considered reliable sources of information for this issue?

2. The range of policy options, including:

a.       The rationale behind that proposed solution

b.      The anticipated results

c.       What evidence supports this option?

d.      What are possible tradeoffs?

The group will have time to ask questions of at least 7 expert presenters scheduled to appear, and to work together to prepare for the conversations in October with the candidates.

Follow along

A thoughtful discussion of the issues is possible, even in the midst of a heated campaign!  Go to www.jeffersonaction.org to watch the sessions, which will be live-streamed.

Also: the full July archives are now available on our website; check them out!

Tell others!

More than 2500 new facebook “likes” in less than a month!  Help us grow!

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/ReclaimNovember,

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ReclaimNovember,

Donate: http://jeffersonaction.org/how-you-can-help/

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you had a chance to talk to politicians about this, what would you ask?  How do they make this decision?

We’ll find out next week, when Reps. Renacci and Sutton sit down for more than an hour each with 24 randomly-selected voters, who will evaluate their answers and issue a guide to help others make an informed choice.

Information on the Reclaim November Ohio project is available here. Information on how you can get involved is available here.

So joked Bobbie, a participant in the July session of Reclaim November Ohio. She was using a humorous remark to make a serious and often-overlooked point about democracy.

In a democracy, one person has many opportunities to express his or her opinion – by writing a letter to a political leader, responding to a survey, or just speaking freely over the fence with a neighbor.

But getting a group of people to work out an answer, together, is hard work. The challenge of democracy is figuring what to do when millions have different ideas  – and everybody figures they’re right.  It’s pretty easy for this to turn into full-blown argument — as anyone who has ever gotten into a  political discussion on the internet knows.  Even conversations with friends and family can get testy.

There are already enough places to engage in shouting matches about politics.  We’re interested in combining different views to get the best solutions. So at the beginning of our Citizens Election Forums, Jefferson Action moderators present a set of Rules for Discussions that we use to organize the conversation. The rules make it possible for all the participants to express their opinions, but keep the group on track so they can make decisions. Some of the rules:
• Keep focused on the issue at hand
• Speak clearly and briefly and share “air time”
• Disagree positively

It’s basic, common sense kind of stuff, but it’s critical for getting things done. Democracy is an acknowledgement that we won’t always get our way.   And it’s based on the belief that we’re wiser together than any one of us is individually – that when we include many voices in a focused and constructive way, we’ll find a better solution than any one of us would come up with.  Or at least, a better solution than what we get by arguing endlessly.

photo of  tigers fighting by kristovf, via flickr.

Its been 55 days since our the last Citizens Election Forum.

Back then the election seemed far away.  Our focus was figuring out what we wanted the politicians to talk about.

A recap of that event can be found here.

Now we’re pushing forward and about to begin an even more exciting process.  We have another representative group of 24 citizens who are ready to start evaluating the candidates on the issues that matter most.  This will mean carefully listening to a diverse group of experts, meticulously discussion the issues and hearing from the candidates themselves.

There are two distinct goals embodied within the Reclaim November project.

First, we want to improve the quality of public discussion.  By forcing the candidates to address the issues that matter most, and discussing these  issues using a non-partisan process we hope to achieve this goal.

Second, it is our goal to help the people of the 16th District make an informed decision this November.  We don’t favor either candidate and we are confident that this process will help citizens determine which candidate offers the strongest solutions.

We hope you will join us.  If you are in the area, come watch the event live.  If that’s not possible, tune in to the livestream, check out pictures on facebook or check back here for daily updates.

The forum will be in session from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Monday, Sept. 21-24. The location for all events is:

Radisson Akron Fairlawn, 200 Montrose West Avenue, Akron
(330) 666-9300

The full archives from the July Citizen Election Forum is available here.

We spent a lot of time and effort making these archives available. As the Citizen Election Forum tries to change campaigns from mud slinging to substantive debates on issues, it is important that the general public can observe all of our work.

You don’t have to take our word that we’re not partisan, that we try to present all sides equally, and that we allow the participants to think for themselves–you can observe the proceedings for yourself. We’re committed to bring the voice of the people back into American Politics. That starts with the 24 randomly selected people who participate in the Citizen Election Forum, then it grows to the voters of Ohio’s 16th District, and then to the nation as a whole. We have big problems with the nature of campaigns in this country. Watch how the first part of our process has the capacity to change that.

Then tune in next Thursday when the second Citizen Election Forum convenues. Observe how a group of randomly selected Citizens can become informed on the issues and then demand specifics from the candidates. Watch the debate change.

This isn’t a surprise — campaigns are important, emotional events, with a lot at stake.  The candidates and their supporters — who are most likely to think the very survival of the country is at risk if their candidate doesn’t win — understandably get emotional and talk about the election in the starkest terms.  It’s a way to get motivated to work harder to get your favored candidate elected.

That hasn’t changed in more than 200 hundred years, and it’s not going to change this year.

But there needs to be more.  In a close election, there needs to be a way to discuss the real solutions and make informed choices.  If we get too caught up in the hype, the gaffes, the mudslinging, the horse race, we forget that the election is about the future of the country.

We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen.  The Citizens Election Forum is a way for ordinary citizens to structure the conversation so that there will be a place for candidates and voters to focus on real solutions.   No set-up for a “gotcha” sound bite, no need to rile up the base — just an intelligent discussion about the future of the country.

Jefferson and Adams didn’t have the chance to participate in a Citizens Election Forum.  But others have – including Senate candidates in Pennsylvania and candidates for Governor in Minnesota.  Now Reps. Renacci and Sutton in Ohio do, and we are thrilled that they have both agreed to participate in the Citizens Election Forum, even as they struggle to agree on terms for debates.  

We think more candidates and voters should have this chance to step away from mud-slinging.  If you agree, help us Reclaim November.

We grabbed drivers’ attention with this provocative image:

and a week later revealed our website:

where Jefferson Action offers a solution. Politicians spend too much time on attack ads and too little time listening to the people. Special interests have hijacked the debate and steered it into the gutter.

Our Citizens Election Forum is a remarkable tool with a track record of satisfying the voting public’s hunger for action and accountability.

The billboard got the media’s attention; outlets like the Akron Beacon-Journal and WKYC (Cleveland) have included it in their coverage of Reclaim November Ohio. This is just one way we’re publicizing our work, and reaching those who want to Reclaim November from attack ads.

We need your support to reach more ordinary citizens who want to Reclaim November.  Share this email with others, or get updates from Twitter or facebook.

If you want to see what we could accomplish if we could Reclaim Novemberaround the country, please

So it’s not a surprise that many others ask “How can I be part of this?”

The method for selecting participants is one of the unique strengths of the Citizens Forum process. It is designed to represent the entire community, and not just those people with vested interest (ideological or otherwise) in the issues in question.

To get a good cross-section of the community, we send an invitation to thousands of people from a randomly-generated list of registered voters. Of the hundreds who provide complete information, we develop the final group of 24 (we don’t even use names when choosing the final group – only the information provided by the potential participants, entered into a database).

So although you can’t ensure that you will ever be a participant in a Citizens Election Forum, there are two ways in which you can increase your chances:

• First, make sure your voter registration is up-to-date.
• Second, if you are invited, make sure to send in your questionnaire as soon as possible.

If you don’t get invited, there are still important ways to make a difference, which we’ll cover in a future blog post.

The beginning of the national political conventions, or prime time shows, continues to make me wonder why anyone believes anything that comes out of a politician’s mouth. This week in Tampa we hear how anything that gets in my way is un-American. Next week in Charlotte we will hear how our problems are their fault. Both sides demonizing the other. What are we to believe?

How about if we put both sides to the test? Let’s bring a group of regular people together and ask representatives of both perspectives to put some facts and real data behind what they say. Let’s give these people the tools and time to ask tough questions and hold the politicians accountable.

Perhaps part of the answer should be to get them to stop talking about anyone else. No blaming the other side, no statements starting with “what they really want to do…” The politicians can only talk about what they will do and why. Novel? Perhaps.

This is the basic premise for Reclaim November Ohio.  And it’s a premise the July participants embraced.  They want solutions, not finger-pointing.  They made their expectations clear, and gave the next group of participants a strong set of standards by which they can evaluate Reps. Renacci and Sutton when they meet with them in October.

The conventions will spend millions of dollars battling over “Who’s the real liar?”  We think a better question is: “Who’s got the real solutions?”  If you think so, too, help us spread the word.

It’s not just quantity — the reviews are in, and they’re fantastic:

• The  Canton Repository  calls this: “an idea too good to ignore.”
• In Cleveland, WKYC’s co-anchor couldn’t restrain her enthusiasm: “What a fabulous approach”
• The Editorial Board of the Akron Beacon Journal called on the candidates to participate: “Saying yes should be a no-brainer.” (Both candidates have agreed.)
• John Rash of the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) added his support: “it’s easy to be skeptical. And yet the reform has to start somewhere. And it has to be led by voters.”

“This is What Makes America Work”

The media reports are glowing partly because the citizen participants from the July session were so positive in their feedback.  If you haven’t checked it out yet, take two minutes to watch a sample of the ending comments from the July session.  It’s a powerful confirmation of Thomas Jefferson’s vision – that ordinary citizens want their democracy to work better, and will do their best to make informed decisions for the good of the country.

Beyond Two Million

The 2012 campaign is the story of one gaffe-inspired firestorm after another:
• “I like to fire people.”
• “You didn’t build that.”
• “They want to put you back in chains.”
• “Legitimate rape.”

In the right context, a single statement or mis-statement can spark a rich discussion of important issues. But they mainly spark an endless flow of attack ads and simplistic emails, as each side tries to gin up outrage at the other.

At Jefferson Action, we’re betting that Americans want more.

Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post wants more: “I’m against politicians who believe, or act as if they believe, that this tactic can substitute for substantive campaign discussion.“

Ramesh Punnuru of the National Review wants more, as he mocks both sides by showing where the never-ending outrage leads us: “Your side is full of much worse people. I can’t even stand seeing them on television…. It’s nothing personal. I just hate people like you.”

And Charles Peck of Ohio – one of the participants in the July session of Reclaim November Ohio — wants more: “I’m tired of being treated like an idiot.”

This is why we called our project Reclaim November; it’s meant as an antidote to attack ads and the manufactured outrage that currently dominates the discussion. We want an election to be a choice about who has the best solutions for the country, and we’re working with ordinary citizens to get the information voters need to make truly informed decisions.

It’s catching on. In just a few weeks, about 20 media stories have been published, reaching 2 million people. This number will increase, since Reps. Jim Rennaci and Betty Sutton have both agreed to participate in our October session.

We will grow faster as more people join us. Sign up for updates. Share our results. Donate. Reclaim November.

UPDATE: Another gaffe-related story, but with a telling detail.  In a piece about a Mitt Romney joke at a campaign stop, a small business owner in the audience is quoted as saying: “[I]t wasn’t relevant to what I wanted to know. I want to hear about his vision for the future.”

An ordinary citizen, making time to attend a campaign event in hopes of getting information.  She doesn’t get it from the event, and she doesn’t get it from the article, which continues on with more reactions to the joke and an analysis of the horse race.   To make intelligent decisions about our future, Americans want more.  We need to Reclaim November.

Wiry, energetic and loquacious, the 75-year-old has advocated for citizens juries through the St. Paul-based Jefferson Center for New Democratic Processes, an organization he started under a different name in 1974. A citizens jury convenes a randomly selected group of individuals to hear different sides of a contentious issue and then vote on a series of recommendations or a preferred solution.

Jim Renacci wants to debate in Wooster, at the only proposed location that’s actually within the new 16th district. But it’s sponsored by the local chapter of the Chamber of Commerce, which has become increasingly partisan – and to the right – in recent years.

Betty Sutton wants to spar in Medina County and North Canton, both within the current 16th — but just outside the new boundaries — because she says those events will be non-partisan.

But the only event the pair has agreed to is the City Club of Cleveland, the center of Northeast Ohio’s TV market.

The University of Akron’s Bliss Institute of Applied Politics had offered to sponsor the Medina County event, at the university’s branch campus about a half-mile outside the line for the new 16th. A statement from Renacci cited geography as his reason for saying no. But Bliss political scientist Dave Cohen says Renacci could be avoiding Medina for a very simple reason.

That’s Dave Cohen with the University of Akron’s Bliss Institute for Applied Politics.

Renacci won the 16th district two years ago by beating one-term incumbent Democrat John Boccieri. But the seat had been held for about six decades by Republicans.

Sutton has represented Ohio’s current 13th District since 2007, but Ohio’s GOP lawmakers drew most of her district out of existence last September.

In addition to the City Club event on October 10, each candidate will spend an hour separately with the Jefferson Action forum on October 6.

No stronger case against the GOP-tortured handiwork can be made than in northern Ohio.

The new 16th district, for example, pits two sitting congressmen, Republican Jim Renacci and Democrat Betty Sutton, in an absurdly-drawn district that might have been the work of an entry level cubist. It stretches – I can’t make this up, folks – from all of rural Wayne County to urban areas of Cuyahoga and Summit Counties, with Stark, Portage and Medina Counties perhaps along for good GOP company. Old-fashioned political chemistry with your congressman? That’s a joke, right?

As a personal note, I should tell you that having lived for more than 40 years in the 14th District, I was surprised to see a yard sign for Cleveland Congresswoman Marcia Fudge in a neighborhood yard. The Board of Elections informed me that I now live in Democrat Fudge’s 11th District. At least the last time I looked.

A voter project for the 16th District by the Minnesota group, Jefferson Action, determined that many voters either don’t know the name of their congressperson and are unaware or their new district. The study group is hoping to isolate the voters from the babble of politics – a daunting enterprise to say the least – to hone in on civil discussion about important issues. It has invited Sutton and Renacci to meet in a final session in the district to talk about the issues. Sutton has agreed; Kyle Bozentko, Jefferson’s director of policy and research, says Renacci has yet to accept the invitation. More about this later.

Talk about confusion! In populous Summit County questions remain about where early voters can go in the final days before the election – still one more deadlock at the Board since County Republican Chairman Alex Arshinkoff was reappointed to his seat by Secretary of State Jon Husted. (Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat, had booted Arshinkoff from the board for bad behavior.)

Citing economic pressure, the board has also cut the number of precincts in Summit County from 475 to 294, which will add to the headache index. Still unresolved are the location of weekend voting before the election and whether there will even be weekend voting now that Husted has ruled against it. The decision is being challenged by the Department of Justice.

The issue of gerrymandering will appear on the November ballot to replace the current system with a new means of creating congressional boundaries, say with appellate court judges choosing a commission to draw them. The ballot issue’s proponent, Voters First, say the current system is unworthy because politicians tend to feather their own congressional nests. On the other hand comes now the State Bar Association to argue the proposed system is wrong because it would still involve judges. Wow. Is there anyone left to trust these days?

Meantime, I would like to invite the brass at the Bar Association to come to our neighborhood and explain why a congresswoman from Cleveland, who may be commendable and all that, should be representing our district rather than a hometowner. In the scheme of things voters have become abstractions in decisions made on high – or low. Right now, we’d settle for a new road or two.

(Paul Tople/Akron Beacon Journal)

A political billboard sponsored by JeffersonAction.org located on Rt. 18 just west of Medina-Line Road in Medina County.

A public interest group that is attempting to bring civility to a hotly contested political campaign is using pointy horns to make its point.

A billboard on state Route 18 near the Summit-Medina county line went up more than a week ago showing devil’s horns on actors posing as candidates and shouting “My Opponent is a Liar.”

Late last week, the sign was modified to ask the question: “Lost faith in Democracy? Reclaim November, Ohio. Get involved JeffersonAction.org.”

“It was really meant to be an attention getter,” said Jacqueline Kelo, spokeswoman for Jefferson Action, a nonpartisan group from Minnesota. “It was sort of an ‘aha!’ moment trying to grab people’s attention and to spark conversation.”

Jefferson Action is interested in Ohio’s 16th Congressional District race because it creates a rare situation in the country. As a result of redistricting, two incumbents, U.S. Reps. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, and Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township, are running against each other in a politically divided area.

At the end of September, the group will begin an “intensive, seven-day exercise in learning and discussion focused on economic issues” involving 24 citizens. That will finish with a Citizens Election Forum on Oct. 6 in which the candidates will answer questions from the group.

The organization explains the effort in a YouTube video that goes by the name: “My opponent is a liar.”

STRONGSVILLE — Retired autoworker Charles Peck is tired of shallow and nasty political campaigns.

“I’m getting tired of being treated like an idiot… I’m getting tired of voting for the lesser of two evils. I decided maybe somebody can do something about it,” he said.

He is one of 22 citizens recruited by a good government group to hold candidates’ feet to the fire in the new 16th district.

The Minnesota-based non-profit Jefferson Action targeted the race between incumbents Democrat Betty Sutton and Republican Jim Renacci. The project’s called Promoting Healty Democracy.

It’s one of just two races pitting incumbents against each other. It’s getting lots of attention and lots of money.

“This was the typical potential mudslinging campaign,” said Jacqueline Kelo, Ohio coordinator for Jefferson.

The group sent 20,000 voters questionnaires and picked its sample to relect the district’s political, racial, economic and age make-up.

Kelo said, “Average people can make good decisions if given information.”

The group spent 3 days deciding it’s top three topics for Sutton and Renacci and Sutton to propose solutions for and discuss.

They are: weak economic growth, unemployment and the federal budget’s impact on the national debt.

Sutton and Renacci have both agreed to meet separately with the group.

The panel will no make an endorsement. There will be a report card made available in voters’ guides.

There are two more scheduled public forums.

Both are at the Radisson Hotel in Fairlawn.

They are September 21 through 23 and October 5 through October 7.

There is more information about the project at jeffersonaction.org

Peck has some advice for Congress and campaigns about tactics that worked for the diverse group in decision-making.

“Cut the bull. Sit down and talk to each other about the facts,” he said.

If this project gets lots of attention and raises the level of debate, the Jefferson group hopes it can be replicated in other races.

But there is one basic problem. Citizens must make an effort to get informed.

And Jefferson found only a little more than 20 percent of district voters can name the candidates running.

There is also a Libertarian candidate, Jeffrey Blevins.

In the age of partisan gridlock, attack ads and a Congress that seemingly gets nothing done, it’s easy to throw up your hands, and declare it’s the other guy’s fault. Then, it’s easy to go back to ignoring politics or only talking to those who agree with you.

But there is another way.

We brought in 23 voters from Ohio’s 16th Congressional District from all parts of the political spectrum: Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to discuss economic issues. The participants came in knowing very little about the process and even less about each other. By the end of the first day, after they realized we weren’t going to tell them what to do, or what to think, they opened up and started working together on how to discuss the issues with an open mind.

The process showed participants that they could discuss politics, even with total strangers, in a civilized way. See what they said about the process when interviewed by the Canton Repository here. Also check out what the participants said in their closing comments:

Ernest’s final comment is as moving as it is insightful. In this critical time in American politics it isn’t time to throw in the towel, because the debate isn’t over. Americans from the entire political spectrum can still come together to discuss the important issues without fighting. Our process proves that despite the gridlock and bickering in Washington, the hope for the future–what really “makes America work”–remains with ordinary citizens discussing the issues and coming together to find the solution that works best for the whole group.

Change can still happen. Join us.

Well, no.

Had she left her number, I could have explained that Ohio’s congressional district boundaries won’t change until January.

Until then, Renacci will represent Stark County in the 16th District, while Gibbs will represent the 18th District, which includes Tuscarawas, Carroll and Holmes counties.

This confusion has been going around since Stark County was carved up like the Thanksgiving turkey in the last redistricting. Come January, parts of Stark will be in the new 7th, 13th and 16th districts.

The new 16th District will include northwest Stark County, all of Wayne County and parts of Ashland, Cuyahoga, Medina, Portage and Summit counties.

The confusion about who’s running in the Nov. 6 election to represent new 16th District is so widespread that it might be the most interesting issue covered in a new poll commissioned by Jefferson Action, the Minnesota-based think tank that’s sponsoring citizens forums in the new 16th District this summer and fall.

Of the 600 registered voters in the new 16th District who were contacted by pollsters, only 24 percent could name any of the three candidates who want their vote in November.

And only 7 percent could name either Republican Renacci or Democratic Rep. Betty Sutton, even though both get plenty of press because they’re already serving in Congress. Libertarian Jeffrey J. Blevins also is running.

“Normally, when you get two people together, let alone 25, and talk about economics and politics, the claws come out,” Lee said. Instead, “it was awesome that we were all able to get along. There was no quarreling, no bickering.”

Lee, a 27-year-old Jackson Township resident and full-time student at Stark State College, describes himself as politically conservative. He and the 21 others at the citizens forum, or citizens jury, sponsored by Jefferson Action, a nonpartisan Minnesota-based think tank, ran the political gamut.

They spent three full days studying 10 economic issues, which included hearing presentations by economists and academics. Then they chose the three issues they think are most important in the new 16th District.

Why do this? To tell the candidates who want to represent the district these three things: Make these issues your priority, give us your ideas for dealing with them and keep your campaign civil.

CROSS-SECTION

The new 16th District is so far-flung that the cross-section of forum participants included residents of North Canton and Strongsville, Wooster and Westlake, Canal Fulton and Granger Township (Medina County).

The process of choosing the 22 participants began with a letter from Jefferson Action to 20,000 residents of the new 16th. The think tank sorted through the approximately 300 responses to come up with a group that reflects the district in income, education, age, gender, race, political affiliation and geography.

The group was “a true microcosm of regular people,” according to Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action. The forum members don’t represent groups, he said; they “offer a personal perspective.”

The Stark Countians also included Michele R. Vogt of Canal Fulton, a 42-year-old student at the Kent State University Stark Campus who was formerly employed and is now a stay-at-home mom. As an independent, she votes only on issues in primaries but is “liberal on issues,” she said. She found the forum experience “incredible.” The group’s common desire is to “change government, to change the way they do debates — no attack campaigns, to tell us how to solve problems instead of attacking each other.”

Does she think the forum can improve the tone of the 16th District campaign? “That would be a true miracle,” she said. “It will take a lot of change.”

MOSTLY SPIN

Another forum participant, 18-year-old Cory Auvil, a Lake Local High School senior who works as a hotel housekeeper, said the fact that the group was able to agree on so much showed that there is “a definitive middle ground, with everybody being right.” And that, he said, shows that political campaigns are mostly spin that’s encouraged by the media.

Auvil thinks the forum can “set an example that could be large-scale,” a sentiment echoed by another participant, Aziz Ahmed of Lake Township, a retired steel plant manager. He believes that if the forum results in “spinoffs in various districts and states, it will have a positive impact.”

The two incumbents were placed in the same district when new congressional lines were drawn after the 2010 census, which required going from 18 House districts in Ohio to 16.

The forum is sponsored by the Jefferson Action project and will follow six days of meetings by citizens working to form questions for the candidates.

Renacci, a Wadsworth Republican, and Sutton, a Copley Township Democrat, will not meet face to face. Each will answer questions from the citizens for an hour.

A spokesman for the group said the public and media will be welcome at the event, but there will be no live coverage to prevent one candidate benefiting from knowing what the other one has said. A video stream will be available after both candidates complete their sessions.

The project will randomly select 24 people for an “intensive, seven-day exercise in learning and discussion focused on economic issues.” Those citizens will then meet and ask questions of the candidates at the Radisson Hotel Akron/Fairlawn the morning of Oct. 6. A time has not been set.

Topics will be weak economic growth, unemployment and the federal budget deficit and debt.

Sutton agreed to participate Monday and said through a news release: “Ohio families have faced tough economic times and I look forward to discussing the choices we face and the potential we have.

“At the height of the recession, some people said we should do nothing and let our auto industry collapse, but I took action to provide a vital boost to thousands of Ohio families because I believe in Ohio’s workers. We have a long way to go, but Ohio’s workers are proving us right for believing in them.”

Renacci agreed Friday and said through his spokesman Bill Novotny: “Looking at the preliminary documents that the group produced, we were very pleased that it focuses on the most important issues to voters in Ohio and that is jobs and the economy. We hope that tone continues throughout this process and they are focused on how the campaigns are communicating on economic issues rather than personal attacks.”

AKRON, OHIO, August 10, 2012 – U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci (R) today agreed to participate in a unique exercise in democracy: the October Citizens Election Forum sponsored by Jefferson Action in Ohio’s 16^th Congressional District.

Now both major-party candidates in this high-profile race have agreed to join an in-depth discussion with voters about their stands on economic issues and the way they’ve addressed those issues during the campaign. U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton (D) previously had agreed to take part in the forum.

“Our goal is to create a context for the candidates to provide voters with real substance during this important campaign,” said Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action. “We’re delighted that both Rep. Renacci and Rep. Sutton are willing to take part in a process that gives ordinary Ohioans a chance to directly and deeply address issues of concern.

“Voters in this district can consider themselves fortunate to have two candidates willing to engage with citizens in an honest discussion of the issues, free of soundbites and personal attacks,” Meffert said.

Ohio’s 16^th District is one of only two Congressional districts in the nation in which incumbent Representatives are running against each other. Renacci and Sutton were put into the same district when Ohio’s districts were redrawn to reflect the 2010 census.

The Citizens Election Forum is the cornerstone of a Jefferson Action project called Reclaim November, Ohio! The forum will gather 24 randomly selected residents for an intensive, seven-day exercise in learning and discussion focused on economic issues. Renacci and Sutton each will appear separately on Day 6 (Oct. 6) for an hour-long exchange with forum participants about economic issues.

In July, a previous Citizens Election Forum met and asked the candidates to focus on three economic issues throughout election season: weak economic growth; unemployment; and the federal budget deficit and debt.

After the October event, the citizen participants will report to the public on how well each candidate addressed the issues, and whether they’re campaigning on the issues — or basing their campaigns on attacks and negative soundbites.

About Jefferson Action

Jefferson Action is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to returning democracy to the people. Our mission is making the informed voice of everyday citizens heard — and making sure elected officials and politicians address the issues. Our Reclaim November, Ohio! project aims at making the voice of the people heard by candidates in Ohio’s hotly contested 16^th Congressional District.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Jefferson Action uses the Citizens Election Forum process to bring together randomly selected citizens to consider important issues. The citizens are educated by experts representing a wide range of viewpoints. The group then recommends a course of action.  Jefferson Action lets the public know if the politicians are addressing the important issues – or simply attacking one another. Learn more at www.jeffersonaction.org.

How extraordinary were the citizen participants who took place in the first weekend of Reclaim November Ohio? In addition to crafting strong justifications of the three economic issues they chose, they also drafted a clear set of expectations for Representatives Renacci and Sutton.

In their five-point statement to the candidates, they asked them to focus on the issues, stay positive, and give voters ways to get more involved. The document establishes a set of benchmarks that this fall’s group of Citizens Election Forum participants can use to evaluate the candidates’ campaigns.

But this isn’t just a call to the candidates. Campaigns get shallow and negative because conventional wisdom says that’s what wins elections. The Reclaim November statement is also a call to voters. Mudslinging won’t work if we don’t let it. Negative campaign ads won’t work if we demand better.

You can help. Share this blog post with your friends so they’ll see the statement written by the participants. “Follow” or“like” us on Twitter and Facebook. Donate – because every contribution is the strongest possible proof that voters won’t tolerate politics as usual.

In other words, maybe the citizen participants of Weekend One weren’t really that amazing – given the chance, ordinary citizens will do extraordinary things. This is what Thomas Jefferson and the other Founders knew more than two hundred years ago, and this is the call that the participants of the Citizens Election Forum issued to the voters of District 16: The candidates will respond if the citizens lead. It’s time to Reclaim November.

Here is a link to the original story, and here’s where you can post your thoughts.

At Jefferson Action, we’re always interested in the voice of the people, including feedback on our work.  What do you think people in Canton should hear about the Reclaim November Ohio project?

There are a lot of interesting related questions:

• Does changing the tone of one congressional race matter?
• What are ways that our impact could be magnified?
• If our goals are too “pie-in-the-sky”, does that mean democracy is too ambitious in this age?

In other words – what will it take to truly “Reclaim November”?

The Repository will publish some of the best comments this Sunday, so get your thoughts in now.

pie image created from http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-5571161291

Only one in three voters knows who’s running for the 16th Congressional District, according to a poll released Monday by Jefferson Action, a nonpartisan Minnesota group that is focusing on the race.

Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci has better name recognition than U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, his Democratic opponent. More voters thought U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is actually defending his Senate seat, was the Democratic candidate in the 16th District rather than Sutton, the poll found.

More voters — 24 percent — said they were undecided than those who said they’d vote for Renacci (22 percent) or Sutton (21 percent). A third of voters said they’d choose to vote for someone else or sit out the election if it were held the day they were questioned.

Jim Meffert, who heads Jefferson Action, was somewhat surprised by the dismal name recognition for the two congressional incumbents, who were thrown into the same race by redistricting and must duke it out in the Nov. 6 election. He said the results support his group’s decision to focus on the race, which is expected to be one of the most closely watched and expensive in the country. Jefferson Action is hoping to guide the race away from mudslinging and into a discussion of the most important economic issues.

“Neither candidate made an impression,” Meffert said. “They have a lot of work to do to get their name identification out. … It really reaffirmed that we’re at a place where the project can help people understand what the candidates think about economic stuff.”

The poll, conducted by the Center for Marketing & Opinion Research in Akron, surveyed 600 registered voters in the new 16th District from June 13 to 27. It had a margin of error of 4 percent.

Jefferson Action is using a citizen jury process to identify the most important economic issues for voters in the 16th District and then evaluate how well the candidates address those topics. A representative group of 22 voters that convened July 27 to 29 identified the economy, unemployment and the federal budget deficit as the key issues.

The poll also reflected those priorities, showing:

• 91 percent chose economic and budget issues as most important.

• 8 percent picked social or national security issues as the key topics.

• Unemployment, cost of health care, federal budget and debt, and weak economic growth ranked highest, identified by those surveyed as either “very important” or “extremely important.”

Jefferson Action will take its next steps in September and October, when jurors will convene to grade the candidates on how well they’ve addressed the issues identified by the group. The jurors will report their recommendations on whether either, both or neither of the candidates has sufficiently tackled the topics on Oct. 7.

Sutton, of Copley Township, has agreed to participate in an event the group will have Oct. 6. Renacci, of Wadsworth, has not yet signed on, though Meffert said his group has been in contact with the campaign. He thinks Renacci also will agree to take part.

“Hopefully, we have created a context for the campaigns to quit barking at each other and start talking about things that matter to people,” Meffert said. “We will be watching and providing information to people in the fall.”

Complete poll results, including the wording of the questions, are available at www.jeffersonaction.org.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter (@swarsmith).

AKRON, OHIO, August 7, 2012 – Jefferson Action today welcomed the decision of Rep.
Betty Sutton to attend its October Citizens Election Forum on economic issues in Ohio’s
16th Congressional District. Sutton, a Democrat from Copley Township, is completing her
third term as representative from Ohio’s 13th Congressional District.

“We appreciate Rep. Sutton’s willingness to engage in an in-depth discussion with
informed voters,” said Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action. “By
participating in this process, she’s setting an example we hope many candidates will
emulate, in Ohio and elsewhere.”

The Citizens Election Forum is the cornerstone of a Jefferson Action project called
Reclaim November, Ohio! The forum will gather 24 randomly selected residents for an
intensive, seven-day exercise in learning and discussion focused on economic issues.
Sutton will appear on Day 6 for an hour-long exchange with forum participants.

In a news release, Sutton said she welcomed the opportunity for a conversation with
Ohio voters on economic issues.

Jefferson Action also has extended a forum invitation to Sutton’s opponent, Rep.
Jim Renacci, a Republican completing his first term representing the 16 th District.
Redistricting has pitted the two incumbents against one another in a newly drawn 16 th
District.

“We’ve had good discussions with the Renacci campaign, and we fully expect Rep.
Renacci to participate in our October forum,” Meffert said. “Our goal is to turn this
campaign away from sensational attacks and toward a calm discussion focused on the
important issues faced by Ohioans – and, indeed, by all Americans.

“The candidates in Ohio’s 16th District have an opportunity to model a better kind of
political campaign – one that relies not on slogans and soundbites, but on a meaningful
exchange of ideas on important issues,” Meffert said. “The citizens don’t want empty
words. They’re sending one of these candidates to Washington to do an important job.
They have a right to hear real ideas and concrete proposals from the candidates, not
sensational attacks from TV advertisements.”

About Jefferson Action
Jefferson Action is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to returning
democracy to the people. Our mission is making the informed voice of everyday citizens
heard — and making sure elected officials and politicians address the issues. Our Reclaim
November, Ohio! project aims at making the voice of the people heard by candidates in
Ohio’s hotly contested 16th Congressional District.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Jefferson Action uses the Citizens Election Forum process to
bring together randomly selected citizens to consider important issues. The citizens
are educated by experts representing a wide range of viewpoints. The group then
recommends a course of action. Jefferson Action lets the public know if the politicians
are addressing the important issues – or simply attacking one another. Learn more at
www.jeffersonaction.org.

• Time’s cover this week has a Photoshopped for-sale sign on the White House lawn (asking: $2.5 billion) with the headline “How to Buy the White House.”

• By court order, starting this week network affiliates in the top-50 markets are required to post political ad spending. But smaller markets — many in swing states being carpet-bombed by campaign ads — are exempt until 2014.

• And in July, Senate Republicans, on a strict party-line vote, blocked the DISCLOSE Act, which among other provisions would have required politically active groups to reveal the identities of funders funneling more than $10,000 to candidates or causes.

Just these three manifestations of Washington’s political-media industrial complex are enough to keep some voters home.

Actually, that’s the point, said Jim Meffert, executive director ofMinneapolis-based Jefferson Action, which bills itself as a “nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to returning democracy to the people.”

“The campaign structure’s and candidates’ motivation is not to inform or engage — it’s in a voter suppression mode,” said Meffert, who should know. He was the Third District’s DFL congressional candidate in 2010 but lost to Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen. “You want to turn off your opponent’s base, and turn on your base so you have control over who turns out and what they do,” Meffert added.

Like Jefferson Action, Meffert’s analysis isn’t partisan: He blames Democrats, Republicans and Beltway consultants. “Both parties are off the cliff,” he said. “Having seen the inside of one, and watched closely what the other one does, there’s no difference.”

Meffert, founder Ned Crosby and others at Jefferson Action are trying to keep voters from falling off the cliff, too. So they’ve launched an innovative project in the closely contested congressional race in Ohio’s 16th District, where redistricting resulted in a race between incumbents Jim Renacci, a Republican, and Betty Sutton, a Democrat.

Late last week, a group of 22 voters with a variety of political perspectives took part in an intensive three-day forum. They identified the three key issues needing specific solutions: weak economic growth, unemployment, and the federal budget deficit and debt. Participants issued a detailed, data-driven “Statement to the Candidates,” asking them to display not only an understanding, but “provide real solutions (legislation, policies) and show how they have been accountable to voters on these issues.” Additionally, Renacci and Sutton were asked to stay in a “learning mode, listen with care, keep focused on the issue at hand, and disagree positively.”

The candidates were queried on what they would have done differently in hindsight on the three issues, and were asked to swear off negative or misleading ads. Finally, they were asked how voters can stay involved and help address the issues. Additional forums will assess whether they effectively addressed the questions.

Sound like any campaigns you know? Didn’t think so.

“You’re seeing us try to create a construct, a set of expectations that puts a framework in place that allows candidates and campaigns to talk about what really matters to people in an organized manner,” Meffert said.

It’s the participants “being willing to listen to other perspectives, being willing to challenge” that’s crucial, he said.

Those aren’t common descriptions of another modern media malady that Jefferson Action takes into account. “Talk radio and TV reinforces our pre-established notions of what should be done. You start with the assumption that ‘I have the right answer, and I am going to surround myself in a vacuum with people who agree with that.’ … It’s extremely damaging, dangerous and toxic.”

Jefferson Action’s work may be more admirable than scalable. Meffert wishes he could afford 15 districts. But even 15 falls far short of November’s 435 congressional contests.

So despite the earnest, honest approach, it’s easy to be skeptical. And yet the reform has to start somewhere. And it has to be led by voters: Many enjoying the spoils of the political-media industrial complex have only sought to solidify the system in place.

“The volume, both in breadth and the actual shouting volume [of the ads] — the frustration of the public is increasing exponentially,” Meffert said, adding, “They know what Citizens United is doing.

“It’s absolutely optimistic, and a bit Pollyanna, but there is an audience for it.”

• A deep desire to bring more substance and civility to politics.
• A plan.

Crosby’s brainchild, called the citizens jury or citizens forum, is playing out this year in Ohio’s new 16th U.S. House District.

Of all the congressional races in the country, Crosby’s think tank, the Jefferson Center, has been most intrigued by the high-profile race in the 16th, which pits two current members of Congress, Republican Jim Renacci and Democrat Betty Sutton, against each other.

Following Crosby’s outline, ordinary citizens representing a cross-section of the district, which includes a small part of Stark County, are meeting in weekend forums this summer and fall to define the most important issues facing the 16th District and to encourage the candidates to address the issues in a detailed, civil way.

“We’re not pushing an ideology. We don’t care who wins,” says John Reinan, director of media relations for Jefferson Action, the nonpartisan, non-profit offshoot of the Jefferson Center that’s presenting the forums. “We just want to change the conversation.”

HONEST DEBATE

Meanwhile, Kilmer has focused his passion on one part of the political conversation: debates.

His goal is a series of monthly debates, televised in prime time, in which political leaders talk in detail about their own ideas rather than reciting their party’s talking points and attacking their opponent.

Kilmer is a former Democrat who got out of party politics after seeing “our national politics descend into meaningless name-calling,” he says on his website, youdefendit.com.

He put his idea for debates that replace “fear and blame with focus and reason” into practice for two years as host of a radio call-in show about national issues called “You Defend It.” The show’s rules, he says in his LinkedIn profile, required participants to “directly answer question on topic, and make your point without referencing any other person, political philosophy, etc.”

Syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts recently wrote about Kilmer, who told Pitts that the regularly televised debates he envisions would play out this way: “You have to show up with a solution and defend it. You’re going to be asked follow-up questions. Your statements are going to be fact-checked in real time and appear on the screen.”

In contrast, Pitts wrote, the debate process that Americans endure now “takes on the flavor of twice-chewed gum, the players playing their prescribed roles in which interviewers pretend to believe they will get straight answers and politicians pretend to believe they have given them.”

To read Pitts’ column, go to http://tinyurl.com/cwkjf78.

JEFFERSON ACTION

Why Jefferson? Crosby’s think tank and the citizens forums are named for Thomas Jefferson because he “had such faith in the wisdom of the American people,” Reinan says. Jefferson Action is “committed to bringing the voice of the people back into politics and getting politicians to turn away from destructive, toxic campaigning.”

The organization’s employees have been monitoring campaign ads and mailings in the Renacci-Sutton race and “measuring how they talk to the public,” according to Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action. (Libertarian Jeffrey J. Blevins also is in the race.)

The first of two groups of 16th District residents — 22 people, including six from Stark County — met in Akron in July to decide on the three most important issues the candidates should address.

A second group will meet in September and October to explore these issues and review how Renacci and Sutton are talking about them. The candidates have been invited to spend an hour with the citizens forum in October. If they accept, they won’t meet with the group at the same time because “we don’t want any gotcha moments,” Meffert says.

Before the Nov. 6 election, this second group will issue a sort of report card on the campaigns but won’t endorse a candidate.

PRIORITIES

The July group wrapped up its three days of discussions with a statement to the candidates that asked them to “show an understanding of the three issues we have selected, provide real solutions (legislation, policies) and show how they have been accountable to voters on these issues.”

That might be the easy part for Renacci and Sutton, given what else the statement asks of them:

• “Disagree positively.”
• “If you were given the opportunity to go back, tell us what you have learned and would do differently on these three issues.”

Jefferson Action’s Facebook page is facebook.com/ReclaimNovember.

The story described Minneapolis political scientist Ned Crosby’s “citizen juries” or “citizen forums,” including one now taking place in Ohio’s new 16th U.S. House District, in which a cross-section of ordinary citizens settles on the most important issues facing a congressional district or other political entity; monitors the tone and content of the candidates’ campaigns; meets with the candidates, if they’re willing; and issues a report card of sorts before Election Day on how the candidates have addressed the key issues, without endorsing a candidate. The story also explained an idea of Robert Kilmer, a lawyer in Binghamton, N.Y., for monthly televised debates by national politicians, in which they’d have to talk about their own ideas for solving problems, not recite party talking points or put down their political adversaries.

Here’s a link, in case you missed the story:

www.cantonrep.com/opinion.

What do you think of these ideas? Too pie-in-the-sky?

If that was your first reaction, as it was ours, isn’t that sad?

It is all too easy to give in to cynicism these days, to give up on the political system. In fact, it has always been easy to do this because it’s a free country. No one has to vote, or run for public office, or support candidates or causes with their time or money.

We can tune it all out if we wish, leave it to someone else.

And the country will be worse for it, of course.

There’s no denying practical obstacles, such as the long odds that civil political debates could hold their own with prime-time TV audiences against reality shows and sports. Or that a couple dozen residents of a congressional district can wield more influence than vicious multimillion-dollar ad campaigns.

But there’s already one place for people who want to put some distance between themselves and the swamp of partisan politicking without bailing out of the system. More and more of them have become

independent voters. The independent part rightly worries the politicians; we’re cheered by the voter part. So who’s to say that either or both of these ideas can’t gain enough traction to be influential in some context?

We’ll share more information about the 16th District citizen forums in Your Voice this coming Sunday. Let us know what you think. Is this an idea whose time has come?

General Election Matchup

J. Renacci  22%
B. Sutton   21
Other       12
Not vote    21
Undec       24

First, the economy is far and away the most important issue in the minds of voters. When we gave people a choice between economic/budget issues, social issues (like abortion and same-sex marriage), and national security issues, 91 percent said economic and budget issues were most important.

That should tell the candidates what voters want to hear them talking about.

We found that very few voters were familiar with the candidates in District 16 – even though both Jim Renacci and Betty Sutton are incumbent members of Congress currently representing portions of the district. Only 24 percent could name either candidate, and only 7 percent could name both candidates.

Both candidates certainly have ample opportunity to let the voters know who they are and what they stand for.

And they’ll probably do it via television – because we found that 61 percent of voters said they get most of their campaign news through TV. The Internet and newspapers were a distant second and third.

This is a wide-open race. Many voters have not settled on a candidate. With our Reclaim November, Ohio! project, we hope to encourage the candidates to run the kind of campaigns that will give voters real information with which to make their choice – not scare tactics and smears.

The race, which has attracted national attention, got off to an especially nasty start. What the group of citizens is trying to do is to get the candidates to stop the attacks and focus on the problems that matter most to voters.

This past weekend, the participating citizens, selected to match the district’s demographics, took up the task of deciding which problems are most important. They were brought together by Jefferson Action, a Minnesota nonprofit formed to promote a more rational democratic process.

It should be no surprise that a group in Northeast Ohio placed highest priority on weak economic growth and unemployment. The third issue involves the federal budget deficit and national debt, sources of frustration because of Congress’ failure to make fixes for long-term stability.

The citizens will resume their work in the fall to see how the candidates are addressing the problems they have identified. Jefferson Action has asked the candidates to meet with the group on Oct. 6 in separate, one-hour meetings.

Saying yes should be a no-brainer. Renacci and Sutton owe respect to citizens seeking a productive discussion. They should show up on that Saturday prepared to make a positive contribution.

The group of 22 citizens who participated in a three-day citizens forum called Reclaim November, Ohio! issued its report and statement to the candidates Sunday evening. It was a project of Jefferson Action, a Minnesota nonprofit that is devoted to promoting a more rational approach to democracy.

When congressional district boundaries were redrawn, two sitting representatives, Republican Jim Renacci of Wadsworth and Democrat Betty Sutton of Copley, landed in a head-to-head contest for the 16th District. The contest has been marked with attack ads by both sides.

The goal of the weekend forum was to allow a diverse group of people from the congressional district to discuss and decide three issues they consider most important. Jefferson Action presented the issues to both sides and will challenge them to address the topics during the campaign. The group intends on holding two more citizen election forums in the fall to examine the candidates’ stands on the issues and assess whether they have addressed them effectively.

Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action, said the weekend’s results exceeded his expectations since the group “really got to the core of the challenges facing our economy.”

“It always amazes me when you get people in a room and give them time to have a conversation with each other and interact and demonstrate how you can actually have a civil discussion and learn from each other,” Meffert said.

The full results and report are on the group’s website,www.promotinghealthydemocracy.org/results.

Meffert said 23 people began the forum Friday, which was streamed live on the Web. One person did not return on Saturday, but 22 remained for all three days. Meffert said the group has not been able to reach the person who did not return to know why.

The top three issues the group wanted the candidates to address were:

• Weak economic growth: “There is clear evidence of out-migration and job loss at a time when we need to be creating more economic growth in order to support an aging population, education and attract companies to do business in Ohio,” the group said.

• Unemployment: “We need higher paying full time jobs, because part time jobs are the majority of jobs available and they don’t provide health insurance or a decent living wage. Addressing underemployment is also one way to begin addressing unemployment.” The group also said working people pay the taxes that fund other programs, and when they spend, it creates more jobs, which strengthens communities. The group also said funding, portability and availability of accredited job training and vocational programs are insufficient.

• Federal budget deficit and debt: “We need to begin reducing our debt so that we can start growing our economy and avoid further negative impacts on future generations,” the group said.

Meffert said representatives from both campaigns met with Jefferson Action staff before the event. Neither side made any commitments about what they would do with the results, Meffert said.

Renacci’s campaign had a representative at the event on Friday and Sunday. Sutton’s campaign did not have anyone at the event, but was watching it via the live streaming, Meffert said.

When reached Sunday evening, representatives for both campaigns said they had reviewed the group’s statements.

Said James Slepian, Renacci’s campaign spokesman, via e-mail: “For months, Jim Renacci has implored Betty Sutton to cease hiding her record behind false personal attacks and to finally join him in a serious and substantive debate on our economy, jobs and the debt crisis. The report issued by the citizens forum serves as both an indictment of the gutter politics that have defined Betty Sutton’s campaign and as a clear signal that Ohioans want and deserve precisely the type of issues-based campaign Jim Renacci is calling for. At a time when we face the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, voters are rightfully incensed over the failed economic policies that are crippling our country and they will no longer tolerate candidates who seek to mask their voting record behind the politics of personal distortion and destruction. We can only hope this will serve as a wake- up call to Betty Sutton, but given her track record, we’re not holding our breath.”

In a telephone interview, Anthony DeAngelo, communications director for Sutton’s campaign, said the issues brought up by the Jefferson Action group “are the same issues Betty Sutton has been a leader on and will continue to focus on, not only during the next 100 days, but beyond. She certainly looks forward to hearing from all of the voters and what they care about between now and November.

“We’re going to continue to focus on drawing the clear distinction between Betty and Congressman Renacci.”

When asked to comment about the group’s desire for fewer attack ads, DeAngelo said: “Both of these candidates have a vision for where they want this district, state and country to go. I think that voters are going to be looking to see what that vision is.”

The group also suggested that the candidates show an understanding of the three issues and how they have been accountable to voters on the issues; stay in learning mode and maintain a positive attitude; refrain from negative or misleading ads; tell how they have learned and what they would do differently on the three issues, if given an opportunity to go back; and let voters know how they can be involved and help more in addressing the three issues, such as more citizen juries or town hall meetings.

Click here to read the full story at Ohio.com

Congressional redistricting is pitting two incumbents against each other in the race for 16th District. Voters in Medina, Stark, Ashland and Wayne counties are being deluged with negative ads. But over the weekend, a non-partisan microcosm of the voters Jim Renacci and Betty Sutton are trying to reach drafted a report to the candidates about what matters to them. WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia has more.

The 22 people participating in “Reclaim November Ohio” in Fairlawn were selected from a random pool of 20,000 voters to represent the demographics of the 16th district. Among them: a church secretary, a high school senior, a retired autoworker and a financial planner.

Varying ages and political opinions were checked at the door for what wound up as three days of intensive, civil discourse… not on HOW to fix Ohio’s problems, but how to tell Republican Jim Renacci and Democrat Betty Sutton to focus their campaigns on three issues: cutting the federal deficit, lowering unemployment and boosting economic growth.

No bickering
Retired truck driver Ernest Thacker didn’t know what to expect when the project started on Friday.

“I thought there’d be a lot of bickering, but we’re trying to work out a consensus between the whole group that the politicians should be doing… sitting down and working things out, instead of doing absolutely nothing. You’ve gotta have people in office that care about their constituents, and will quit the fighting and be more in line with what the people want.”

Issues may not be addressed
Same goes for Donna Curnoe of Medina.
“I’ve always voted, I always sent back questionnaires. I have written my congressman, I have written my senators. They read these handwritten letters. I thought, ‘Well, I’ll go to this and see what I can do to help.’ I want them to know, I have issues that maybe they have not addressed, and I want to make sure they address them.  Maybe I’m a representation of what everyone should be.”

Microcosm of the 16th
State lawmakers redrew the 16th District to stretch further north and west than the district that was dominated by Stark County for a century. And the participants were a surprise to church secretary Erica Penick.

“I came in with a perception, because of how it’s redistricted, that they would be suburbanites who were affluent and who were mostly conservatives. And I found that to be quite the opposite. So I was surprised, pleasantly so.”

Watching Ohio from Minnesota
The Fairlawn gathering was sponsored by the Minnesota-based Jefferson Action, a think tank formed in 1974 by civic leaders. It has hosted similar forums nationally since 1984, designed to let citizens tell candidates exactly what they want to hear discussed during election season. The group wants candidates to sling ideas at the public, not mud at each other.

Executive Director Jim Meffert says Ohio voters are most concerned about the economy, but are hearing the least about it from candidates. The group chose Ohio’s 16th district for this year’s first forum due to the unusual nature of the race.

“You’ve got two incumbents running against each other. We’ve got some polling data that shows it’s a pretty even race. The candidates are not particularly well-known in the district. There’s a whole lot of new area to the district also. Everyone’s paying attention to Ohio this election cycle, so we want to see how we can get the voice of the people out in a place where people are really watching, and in a congressional race that the nation is watching, frankly.”

Unemployment down, but not out
The nation’s woes are usually echoed or amplified in Ohio. But in the past year, the state’s unemployment rate has consistently been running lower than the national average. Those glimmers of hope are encouraging, but Robert Dodaro of Wooster wants to make sure his representative does more.

“I think that we have incorporated the fact that Ohio is doing statistically better in certain areas. But we also recognize that 7.8 percent unemployment does not incorporate the people who have stopped looking for work. And the problem is actually bigger than what that number represents. Not to discredit what’s been done, but just to say that more needs to be done.”

Dodaro is a financial planner. When people don’t have jobs or money, they don’t invest.

It’s about jobs
And jobs seemed to be the underlying catalyst for many participants, like high school senior Cory Auvil from Uniontown.

“I believe in the saying, ‘It takes money to make money.’ And I disagree with things like outsourcing, which is extremely common. We need to bring back all of our major industries back into the United States. I’m hoping maybe this group, if anything, will also start to get people more involved and to start learning the issues so that we can make educated decisions when we vote. And once we start doing that, politicians will stop saying things that aren’t really relevant to the situations that are going on.”

Sitting nearby, Charles Peck of Strongsville agreed. After retiring, he saw his former workplace – the Ford foundry — demolished, and the jobs shipped overseas.

“This is getting ridiculous. These people want to talk about anything except what is wrong with the country. And if somebody doesn’t fix it, we ain’t gonna have one. That’s pretty simple.”

That’s why he’s here — to put together a simple report that will get the attention of Renacci and Sutton, complete with bullet points, colorful graphs and requests for a quarterly report card for those in office.
The consensus is that candidates’ ads should focus on policies, not opponents.

Just the beginning
Reclaim November will hold two more meetings in September and October with different panels discussing how Renacci and Sutton responded to the document drawn up this weekend. Both candidates have been invited to speak at the October event, as well. Interested observers are welcome to attend the meetings, which are being live-streamed online.

Click here for the full story

AKRON, OHIO, July 30, 2012 – Weak economic growth, unemployment and the federal budget deficit are the most important issues in this fall’s Congressional campaign, according to a representative group of Ohio District 16 residents.

A three-day Citizens Election Forum sponsored by Jefferson Action also called on congressional candidates Jim Renacci (R) and Betty Sutton (D) to “refrain from using negative ads or misleading attacks.”

“The message from the people couldn’t be more clear,” said Jim Meffert, executive director of Jefferson Action. “They want the candidates to address the important issues facing Ohio and our nation. They’re tired of negative ads that poison the political atmosphere and actually work to suppress voting.

“The economy is the No. 1 issue in this year’s election,” Meffert said. “The candidates in District 16 — both incumbent members of Congress — have said they want this campaign to be about the economy. We are giving them a chance to do just that: talk about their economic policy ideas. Now it’s up to them to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The 24 members of the Citizens Election Forum were chosen at random and were demographically representative of the overall population of District 16. The group spent three full days learning about, discussing and deliberating on economic issues.

THE STATEMENT TO THE CANDIDATES

The forum participants issued this statement to candidates Sutton and Renacci on the citizens’ expectations for the campaign.

Statement to the Candidates

Between now and November, the candidates of the 16th Congressional District of Ohio should…

• Show an understanding of the three issues we have selected, provide real solutions (legislation, policies) and show how they have been accountable to voters on these issues. (For instance, in the form of a quarterly report with specific goals and metrics).
• Stay in learning mode, maintain a positive attitude, listen with care, keep focused on the issue at hand, and disagree positively.
• If you were given the opportunity to go back, tell us what you have learned and would do differently on these three issues.
• Refrain from using negative ads or misleading attacks.
• Let us know ways we can be involved and help in addressing these three issues, such as more Citizen Juries or Town Hall Meetings.

THE PANEL’S FINDINGS

Following are the three economic issues selected by the participants as most important for the candidates to address, along with the panel’s reasoning in selecting them.

ISSUE #1 We believe it is important that Weak Economic Growth be discussed in the campaign for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District for the following reasons:

Reason #1: There is clear evidence of out-migration and job loss at a time when we need to be creating more economic growth in order to support an aging population, education, and attract companies to do business in Ohio.

Reason #2: There are several economic indicators pointing to a weak economy.

Reason #3: When the economy is healthy we can focus on other important issues.

ISSUE #2 We believe it is important that Unemployment be discussed in the campaign for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District for the following reasons:

Reason #1: We need higher paying full-time jobs, because part-time jobs are the majority of jobs available and they don’t provide health insurance or a decent living wage. Addressing underemployment is also one way to begin addressing unemployment.

Reason #2: Working people pay the taxes that fund other programs we need and spending their income creates more jobs, adding value to their lives and strengthening their communities.

Reason #3: Funding, portability, and availability of accredited job training and vocational programs are insufficient.

ISSUE #3 We believe it is important that the Federal Budget Deficit and Debt should be discussed in the campaign for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District for the following reasons:

Reason #1: The total current federal debt is $16.3, trillion making the current debt- to-GDP ratio 100 percent. We need to begin reducing our debt so that we can start growing our economy and avoid further negative impacts on future generations. (Source: Office of Management and Budget).

Reason #2: As of 2011, the annual federal budget deficit is $1.3 trillion. Congress has not passed a budget in three years. It is the job of Congress to show leadership on budgeting revenue and expenses to reduce the deficit and debt. (Source: U.S. Treasury Department)

Reason #3: In 2011, the U.S. government spent $227 billion on interest for public debt. This is more than we spent individually on many federal departments, including Agriculture, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. (Source: OMB)

Additional forums to come

The July forum was the first of three that will be held in District 16 as part of the Jefferson Action project Reclaim November, Ohio! In September and October, a different group of citizens will assess whether the candidates have effectively addressed the designated economic issues.

Jefferson Action will monitor both the Sutton and Renacci campaigns and let the public know whether the candidates are talking about the issues that matter to the people. Given knowledge of how the campaigns are addressing the issues, the people of District 16 can hold the candidates accountable.

About Jefferson Action Jefferson Action is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to returning democracy to the people. Our mission is making the informed voice of everyday citizens heard — and making sure elected officials and politicians address the issues.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Jefferson Action uses the Citizens Election Forum process to bring together randomly selected citizens to consider important issues. The citizens are educated by experts representing a wide range of viewpoints. The group then recommends a course of action. Jefferson Action lets the public know if the politicians are addressing the important issues – or simply attacking one another. Learn more at www.promotinghealthydemocracy.org.

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The group is participating this weekend in Reclaim November, Ohio! It is a three-day citizens forum intended to influence the way the candidates, Republican Jim Renacci and Democrat Betty Sutton, conduct their campaigns.

The sponsoring organization, Jefferson Action, hopes the effort will steer Renacci and Sutton away from mudslinging and toward a civil, thoughtful discussion of issues that are important to the district’s residents.

Renacci and Sutton, both sitting representatives, were forced into a head-to-head contest when congressional district boundaries were redrawn, landing them in the same district. The contest is already marked by attack ads by both sides.

The hotly contested race caught the attention of Jefferson Action, a Minnesota nonprofit devoted to promoting a more rational approach to democracy. It identified a group of 22 voters that represents the district’s demographic diversity and invited those people to participate in three days of presentations, exercises and discussions at the Radisson Hotel Akron/Fairlawn.

The forum is designed to educate the participants about issues and help them identify the three they consider most important. Jefferson Action will present those three issues to Sutton and Renacci and challenge them to address the topics during the campaign.

On Friday and Saturday, the participants worked to winnow a list of issues, which included such concerns as unemployment, weak economic growth, medical costs and government regulation of private enterprise. They listened to presentations by economic policy experts who are advising the group, reviewed public opinion polling and heard from policy advocates representing a range of political views.

Today they’re expected to agree on three key issues and prepare a report explaining their choices, along with either a general statement about the process or a statement directed to voters in the 16th District.

Meetings stay civil

If the forum was intended to promote civil discourse, it appeared to be working — at least among the participants.

Anger was noticeably absent from the discussions Saturday, even though the participants varied in age, economic circumstances, political affiliation and a number of other characteristics.

Participants said they took to heart the forum’s ground rules, which encouraged them to keep an open mind and ask questions.

“We haven’t had one argument yet,” noted Charles Peck, 67, a retired auto worker from Strongsville.

Bob Harper agreed. “We’re taking the politics out of it,” said Harper, a 45-year-old machinist from Canal Fulton.

Peck said he was hopeful the forum would help turn the race from what he called “a catfight” into an intelligent discussion of the problems facing the district.

Mixed expectations

The forum was so important to Granger Township resident Kathie Gaebelein that she took a day of vacation from her job as a clinical systems analyst to participate.

She said she finds political ads aggravating and welcomed the opportunity to learn more about issues in a nonpartisan environment. Still, she wondered what impact the forum would have.

“This is a very good and very expensive exercise,” said the 66-year-old Gaebelein. “… This is a good start, but how does it get moved to the next levels?”

Erica Penick, 36, had similar doubts. She said she participated to make sure what she called her sector — low-income African-American women — was represented.

“I have very low expectations that anything actionable will come out of it,” said Penick, a church secretary from Strongsville. While she said she believes the forum’s organizers have good intentions, she doesn’t expect the candidates to heed the participants’ recommendations.

Jefferson Action intends to gauge whether they do. The organization plans two more citizens election forums in the district in the fall to examine the candidates’ stands on the issues that were identified by the participants and assess whether they have addressed those issues effectively.

Click here to read the full story at Ohio.com

Instead of promoting healthy debate and engaging citizens in the important issues we face, campaigns are doing nothing but relentlessly attacking and tearing down their opponents. Filling the airwaves and the Internet with attack ads, they only create more fear and mistrust.

Voters get even more disgusted and turned off of politics. Voter participation drops and people withdraw from civic engagement.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The campaigns know this, and they count on it. The fewer people who vote – the fewer people who pay attention – the easier it is for the candidates to avoid talking about their real views and what they’ll do if elected. They also know that if fewer people vote, they have a better chance of controlling the outcome (more on that later).

And now, with the recent Supreme Court decision overturning campaign finance reform, unprecedented amounts of money are pouring into politics. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on elections – and it won’t be spent talking to voters about solving anything. It will be spent creating a political climate so toxic that voters will flee the arena.

When voters check out, the process is wide open for domination by those who would use our government to advance their own narrow interests, rather than what’s best for all.

At Jefferson Action, our mission is to end that – to stem the toxic tide that threatens to engulf our democracy. Like our namesake, Thomas Jefferson, we believe in the informed voice of the American people.

We have a unique process for engaging and informing ordinary Americans. We bring people together, giving them time to learn about and discuss important issues in a non- partisan way.

When the people decide on a course of action, we bring that to the politicians – and make sure they pay attention.

We’re now putting our process to work in one of the nastiest, hardest-fought Congressional races in the nation: Ohio’s District 16. Follow our progress as we seek to turn back the toxic tide of attack politics, one race at a time.

At Promoting Healthy Democracy — which is being renamed Jefferson Action –  we find solutions by asking a randomly-selected group of Americans to do what we wish we all could do: Look at the evidence to see what really works.  Consider all points of view.  Bring in the real-world experience of ordinary citizens.  Work together for the good of our country.

Promoting Healthy Democracy (PHD) uses the Citizens Jury method to discover the solutions to America’s toughest challenges.  In this website you’ll see how a Citizens Jury works…learn about our past successes…and see how the Reclaim November Ohio project in the 16th Congressional District of Ohio will improve the political and economic health of our country.

Reclaim November Ohio provides a way to get the informed voice of the people — a representative group of ordinary citizens who talk to background experts and hear from all sides of the debate, then work together to recommend wise solutions.

Along the way, they model how we want our democracy to operate — with respect for different opinions, a focus on solutions, and a refusal to win simply by shouting down others.

The result is a healthier democracy, and a healthier economy.

David Walker, a former U.S. comptroller general, will hold a town hall meeting Sept. 15 in Brunswick that will be part of a national bus tour to call attention to the need to address the federal debt and other economic issues.

“We’re going to address the American people on issues of critical importance at a time that matters and in places that have a disproportionate impact on the presidential election,” Walker said Wednesday in a phone interview.

Walker, who heads the nonprofit Comeback America Initiative, announced his “$10 Million a Minute Tour” Wednesday that is aimed at highlighting how much the country’s financial hole grows — $10 million deeper every minute, according to the group.

The tour will begin Sept. 7 in New Hampshire and travel through 16 states — most of them swing states — hitting 20 cities, including Columbus on Sept. 13 and Cleveland on Sept. 14. The venues for the Columbus, Cleveland and Brunswick stops have not been finalized. The Brunswick town hall meeting will be from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

This is the second national group to announce stops in the area because of the 16th District, which features a matchup between U.S. Reps. Jim Renacci and Betty Sutton. They were thrown into the same district because of a redrawing of congressional boundaries.

Promoting Healthy Democracy, which was just renamed Jefferson Action, will begin its citizen-jury process this weekend at the Radisson Fairlawn/Akron aimed at determining what 16th District voters think are the most important economic issues and how well the candidates address them.

It is also the latest of several local efforts to promote civility and positive political discussion on difficult issues.

Walker’s town hall meeting in Brunswick, which will be different from the other stops on the tour, shares that goal. The event will bring together a demographically representative 300 voters from the 16th District and surrounding areas. They will listen to a panel discussion on financial issues facing the country, be given potential solutions and use hand-held devices to vote on which steps they think should be taken.

“We want to focus campaign conversations to real solutions and real options out there — away from the things we’d rather not see in elections anymore,” said Sue Lacy, an Akron consultant working with America Speaks, a Washington, D.C.-based group that will recruit and screen participants for the Brunswick event.

Renacci, R-Wadsworth, and Sutton, D-Copley Township, will be invited to the Brunswick event, as will U.S. Senate candidates and the presidential and vice presidential candidates. Walker said the candidates who attend will be given the chance to address the crowd briefly, outlining their plans to address the economy, jobs and fiscal responsibility.

“That’s what we need to hear,” Walker said. “Substance and solutions.”

Walker said the group decided to have a special event in the 16th District because most pundits call the race a toss-up and millions of dollars are expected to pour into it from both sides.

The tour’s stops in other cities will be held at universities and other venues, with some open to the public and others geared to a particular group. Details of the Cleveland and Columbus events will be posted on www.10millionaminute.com when they become available.

The group will bring its U.S. Financial Burden Barometer on the tour, which replaced the National Debt Clock and is said to be a better measure of the country’s financial situation because it includes total liabilities and obligations to entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. The barometer will start ticking on the tour at around $70 trillion and increase by $10 million a minute, according to a Comeback America news release.

The group already has numerous supporters for its tour, including former Chairmen of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker, former presidential candidate H. Ross Perot Sr., and former Lockheed Martin CEO Norm Augustine.

Walker, who calls himself a political independent, doesn’t think either President Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, the presumed GOP candidate, have “laid out a plan specific enough or adequate enough to restore fiscal sanity.” He urged voters to become informed and involved and “vote based on who they think will do the best job on the issues.”

“They need to confront the candidates with tough questions,” he said. “Let their voices be heard.”

Click here to read the full story at stow.ohio.com

AKRON, OHIO, July 23, 2012 – The race for Congress in Ohio’s 16th District is already so nasty that one leading newspaper says the candidates have “jumped into the gutter.”

Jefferson Action intends to change the dynamic of this race with Reclaim November, Ohio! The first in a series of three intensive Citizens Election Forums will be held July 27- 29 at the Radisson Fairlawn/Akron.

Redistricting has pitted two incumbent members of Congress against one another in the 16th District: Republican Jim Renacci and Democrat Betty Sutton. Political observers nationwide are watching this race, expected to be the most hotly contested Congressional contest in a traditional battleground state. Hoping to hold their seat, both candidates have raised millions and are already running attack ads in heavy rotation.

This week’s event kicks off a three-month project that will use Jefferson Action’s unique Citizens Election Forums to engage ordinary Ohioans in the political process, educate them about important issues and bring their opinions to the candidates.

Jefferson Action will monitor both campaigns and let the public know whether the candidates are talking about the issues that matter to the people – or just firing shallow attack ads at each other. Given knowledge of how the campaigns are addressing the issues, the people of District 16 can hold the candidates accountable.

“Special interests have hijacked the political process,” said Jim Meffert, executive director of Minnesota-based Jefferson Action. “Money pours in and the candidates use it to wage relentlessly negative campaigns. The public gets turned off and voter participation actually decreases.

“We’ve chosen Ohio’s 16th District as a national model of what can happen when the informed voice of the people is brought into the political process – and the candidates are forced to pay attention. We’re giving the people of Ohio a platform for holding the candidates accountable.

“We’re challenging the Renacci and Sutton campaigns to rise above the mudslinging and deal with the issues that really matter,” Meffert said. “They have a chance to set a standard that could raise the level of politics throughout America. If they’re unwilling to take that challenge, the people of Ohio will know.”

The first in a series of three Citizens Election Forums will get under way Friday, July 27 at the Radisson Fairlawn/Akron. A group of 24 District 16 residents, randomly selected and demographically representative, will meet for three days and identify three economic issues they want the Renacci and Sutton campaigns to address.

In September and October, additional Citizens Election Forums will examine the candidates’ stands on the economic issues already identified and assess whether the candidates have effectively addressed those issues in their campaigns.

“The people of District 16 have a chance to show America the impact that ordinary citizens can have – if they’re given credible information and the time to carefully discuss the issues with one another,” Meffert said. “Both candidates have said they want this campaign to be about the economy. We are giving them a chance to do just that: talk about their economic policy ideas. Let’s hope they take advantage of this opportunity.”

About Jefferson Action Jefferson Action is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to returning democracy to the people. Our mission is making the informed voice of everyday citizens heard — and making sure elected officials and politicians address the issues.

Based in St. Paul, Minn., Jefferson Action uses the Citizens Election Forum process to bring together randomly selected citizens to consider important issues. The citizens are educated by experts representing a wide range of viewpoints. The group then recommends a course of action. Jefferson Action lets the public know if the politicians are addressing the important issues – or simply firing attack ads at one another. Learn more at www.promotinghealthydemocracy.org.

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Renacci opposed the federal health care legislation, which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld as constitutional in a landmark decision last week, while Sutton supported it.

“While we clearly disagree on the health care law as a matter of public policy, it is beyond question that both the public debate over this law and the obligation of lawmakers to participate in that debate is anything but over,” Renacci wrote in his two-page letter.

He suggested five possible dates between now and early August and said he secured a venue in Strongsville, which is in Sutton’s 13th district, to hold the event.

Sutton’s campaign told the Canton Repository, though, that she’s willing to debate Renacci, but closer to the election.

Renacci said in his letter that ”countless constitutent groups and media outlets in Ohio have publicly clamored for a policy-based debate of the issues between their congressional leaders as we head into the fall election.”

The Beacon Journal, in collaboration with several other groups, is among those leading the effort for more constructive public discourse through a year-long project focused on civility. Promoting Healthy Democracy, a non-profit group, plans to use a citizens-jury process to evaluate the most important issues in the 16th District race and how well Renacci and Sutton do in addressing them.

Renacci, R-Wadsworth, and Sutton, D-Copley, will battle for the 16th District after a redrawing of the Congressional boundaries put them in the same district.

Click here to read the full story at Ohio.com

But three groups in the Akron area and an organization coming here from the Twin Cities aren’t willing to accept this.

They hope to improve the level of discourse in politics.

“We are here for the common reason of being frustrated with sound bites and how to move beyond that,” said Jim Meffert, who heads up Promoting Healthy Democracy in St. Paul, Minn.

His group has chosen one U.S. congressional race for a special citizen involvement experiment — the Betty Sutton-Jim Renacci race in the Akron-Canton-Cleveland area.

Locally, a complex civility project is under way that will involve three universities, the faith community and the Beacon Journal.

“We would really like to change the tone of political debate,” said John Green, executive director of the University of Akron’s Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, which is part of the Ohio Civility Project.

Three of four Ohioans think incivility in Ohio politics is either a very serious or somewhat serious problem, according to a poll by the Ohio Civility Project, a collaboration of UA, Cleveland State University and the University of Mount Union.

Led by Green, the Ohio Civility Project currently is in the process of developing a civility code that will be used in the November election to gauge whether statements made in the presidential race live up to these standards.

In conjunction with the Civility Project, the Beacon Journal is publishing the America Today series illustrating that area residents are deeply divided because of their variety of experiences in the brutal recession. The stories attempt to give citizens unfiltered opportunities to express themselves.

Building on the university and newspaper efforts will be a community group that includes local pastors who will challenge local residents and political campaigns to live up to the civility guidelines. The group also may urge area television stations not to accept advertising that runs afoul of the civility standards.

“I would be willing to lend my name to doing that,” said the Rev. Mark Ford of Love Akron, who is part of this community-led effort.

The faith leaders also include Akron attorney Larry Vuillemin and the Rev. Norm Douglas at Heart to Heart Communications.

Separate from the local effort, though related in its goals, is Promoting Healthy Democracy. The nonpartisan group plans to use a citizens-jury process to gauge the most important issues in the 16th Congressional District, which will pit two congressional incumbents against each other and is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races this fall. The jury of registered voters will judge how well the candidates address key issues.

Meffert thinks the fact that the Akron area has so many efforts focused on improving the tone of public discourse is “pretty amazing.”

“We’re glad to be a small part of that,” he said. “Hopefully, if we do this right, people will be clamoring for it.”

Developing civility code

The Ohio Civility Project began in March 2010 as the first collaboration among three Northeast Ohio universities — UA, Cleveland State and Mount Union. The group decided to explore the issue of how to improve public discourse, bringing together a panel of experts in May 2011 who concluded a lack of civility was a major problem in Ohio politics. This was supported by a survey of registered voters last summer.

The project is now in a new stage, which involves developing a civility code and using it in the fall to evaluate the presidential campaigns.

Green and several others, among them Ford, Beacon Journal editor Bruce Winges and Dan Moulthrop, curator of conversation at the Civic Commons, are in the process of developing an initial draft of the code. They are crafting questions that could be asked about a campaign statement. One question being considered is: “Does this statement contain derogatory comments about other people?” An affirmative answer would mean the statement was uncivil, while a negative response would mean it would pass at least one test.

The questions will be turned into statements that will make up the code. To test the code’s validity, the group will use polling in the Akron area and two focus groups being coordinated with the Beacon Journal in late July — one with younger citizens and another with older citizens.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has provided funding for some of the research.

Evaluating candidates

The group also will seek feedback from the community, leading up to a large community meeting in early September, just before the presidential race really heats up.

“We want standards a lot of people are behind,” Green said. “Our hope is that the expectations are widely recognized. If someone violates them, this will be recognized.”

The final version of the code will be used to evaluate the civility of various statements by the presidential candidates. The results will be shared on a website, where the public can weigh in, and also published in the Beacon Journal.

The group is still deciding a few key issues, including where the campaign statements will be drawn from — campaign ads and statements in news stories are being considered — and whether inaccurate statements should be considered uncivil.

Green is hoping the civility code will be successful in the same way that political fact checks are now being done by many newspapers and will be replicated for races at the local, state and national levels. He thinks raising the level of civility won’t make problems go away but will mean there’s a better chance of resolving them.

Coming together

Ford became concerned about civility after the 2008 presidential election.

He was troubled by what he heard on talk radio and saw in blast emails that bashed President Barack Obama.

“That’s not the way Jesus behaved,” Ford said. “He did not call people names. I don’t think he would say Barack is a socialist or communist.”

Ford voiced his concerns at a meeting of Summit County pastors about a year and a half ago, leading a prayer for unity.

Ford then read about the Ohio Civility Project in the Beacon Journal and arranged a meeting with Green, whom he hadn’t met before. He coordinated a roundtable of local faith leaders to talk to Green.

Ford and Green put together a group of community leaders, inviting Doug Oplinger, managing editor of the Beacon Journal, who was crafting a civility project based on discussions in the newsroom.

Since then, Ford, Green and Oplinger have become part of a core group, made up of community leaders with different backgrounds, involved in a yearlong effort focused on civility.

After the civility code is developed, groups of citizens may be tasked with taking the code to candidates and campaigns and asking them to abide by it. Those involved also have discussed asking television stations only to accept political ads that meet the code.

“I know negative advertising works,” Ford said. “I hope people will no longer tolerate this stuff. It’s making the culture hostile.”

Congressional race

The local effort focused on civility was one of the reasons Promoting Health Democracy chose the 16th Congressional District for its citizens-jury process.

“There was already an energy behind how to help things recover and move ahead,” said Kyle Bozentko, a policy analyst for the group.

The 16th district race was also interesting because it features two incumbents — Renacci and Sutton — thanks to the redrawing of district lines that put both in the same district. The new 16th includes all of Wayne County and parts of Summit, Stark, Portage, Medina and Cuyahoga counties.

“This is one of the congressional races that is a tossup,” said Meffert, who heads Promoting Health Democracy. “We want to see how we can get the discussion back to the important issues the voters want to hear about.”

The group sent a letter to 20,000 randomly selected, prospective jurors in the 16th district last week, explaining that Promoting Health Democracy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses the citizens-jury method to “give a cross-section of the public an opportunity to learn about and report on important policy issues.” The jurors will be paid for their time.

From those who agree to participate, the group will select 24 jurors who reflect the makeup of the 16th district based on factors such as party affiliation, age, education and race. The jurors will meet in late July when they will learn the results of a survey that identifies what voters see as the most important issues in the district. The jurors will decide, based on these results and their discussions, what policy issues they think should be the focus of the congressional race.

“We’re hoping that sets the context for the campaign — gives the public something to measure what’s being discussed over the summer,” Meffert said.

A second group of jurors, drawn from the same pool, will meet in September. They will talk to Renacci and Sutton and evaluate how well each candidate is focusing on the issues prioritized by the first jurors. The jurors will convene one last time in early October to measure how the candidates to this point have addressed the key issues.

Promoting Health Democracy will give voters a firsthand view of its process through its website, www.promotinghealthydemocracy.org/. The group has reached out to Renacci and Sutton, inviting them to be involved.

In the end, the jurors will report to voters whether the candidates have done a good job of addressing the most important issues. Bozentko said the decision will be up to them.

“Regardless of the outcome, we will communicate the results,” he said. “They may like one, like both or say they don’t like either.”