Tim Hagan Speaks
By Greg Walters

Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Tim Hagan wowed an audience in the West auditorium on Monday, bringing the crowd to a standing ovation twice and to sporadic applause more than a dozen times.
He got a few laughs, too.
“I’ve accepted George Bush’s point of view,” Hagan said, gazing at the audience with deadpan sarcasm. “If we can just burn down all the forests, we won’t have any environmental problems.”
Hagan’s talk ranged from the war on drugs to environmentally friendly energy sources to how one forms a “political philosophy.”
Mostly, though, he talked about what’s wrong with Ohio — and how he’s going to fix it when he’s Governor.
“The political structure of the state has continued to yield to corporate interest,” he said. “The system is corrupted by the money being contributed to political parties and campaigns… If you don’t take it back, then you deserve the country you have.”
Hagan pointed out that under Governor Taft’s watch, the cost of State University education has risen thousands of dollars.
Besides the moral imperative to offer affordable higher education, Hagan stressed that Ohio has to join the new economy.
“You can’t compete economically if you don’t have an educated work force,” he said. “Every state around us has passed us with respect to higher education, with respect to incomes.”
Hagan also stressed the compassionate element of his campaign and the Democratic party.“There are some in our society who believe in survival of the fittest,” he said. “This might be good in evolution, but it’s not a good description of what a government ought to be about.”
When Hagan brought up the author Margaret Meade while illustrating a point, tittering arose from the back of the audience.
Hagan paused, grinning. “I had no idea I would get a laugh out of Margaret Meade,” he said.
“You’re not on anything this evening, are you? I mean, this is Oberlin.”

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