Let's Send Them Packing

BY BILL O'NEILL

You’re not going to believe this, but President Bush was in the district yesterday under the guise of doing something to fix our economy.  What he actually did was headline a fundraiser thrown by Steve LaTourette and his biggest donor. I think we all know that he didn’t  ask anyone at the fundraiser about energy alternatives, or how the price of gas has affected them.

With three out of four people thinking the president is doing a bad job, who are these people going to these fundraisers?

The truth is these people are Steve LaTourette’s best friends and they are helping Congressman LaTourette by being loyal to President Bush, just like Steve LaTourette always has been. Loyal to the tune of $570,000 from 110 people, or over $5,182 a head.

Even though our economy is in disarray because of the Bush administration’s policies, there will always be hordes of special interests ready to pad the Republicans’ pockets.

This is the fight we are up against. And I have no intention of losing.

Let’s send a message George Bush and his good friend Steve LaTourette that Northeast Ohio wants change. Please help us raise 5,182 online in the next 48 hours, the price of one admission to the George Bush/Steve LaTourette party.

Click here to donate today, or click the big donate arrow on the side of your screen.

Thank you for all that you do,

-Bill

Coming to a Town Near You

by Bill O'Neill

Just thought I would update you on the events the campaign has planned for this weekend.

On Saturday, July 26^th, we will be canvassing two neighborhoods, one in Ashtabula and one in Stow. Canvasses are great opportunities to get our name and message out to the general public, while building support in the district. For both canvasses, we’ll meet at 10:30 a.m. See the links for Ashtabula and Stow for details.

Not in your area? Don’t worry; we have an action packed Sunday as well.

On Sunday July 27^th, we’ll be starting off the day with the Solon Home Days Parade. The parade steps off at 11:30 am from Orchard Middle School. Look for the big hybrid O’Neill mobile and our group of volunteers. Later in the day, I’ll be the guest speaker at the Geauga County Democratic Party’s Annual Picnic. The picnic runs from 1-5pm. Go to the Picnic link for details.

If you would like to help out at one of the events this weekend, or can’t make it but would like to help in the future, click here to become an O’Neill for Congress volunteer. You can also call our office at (440) 943-2897 to sign up or get the answers to any questions that you may have.

Have a great weekend.

-Bill

Thank You!

by Bill O'Neill

Good News! Thanks to your generosity we just had our best fundraising quarter of the campaign. I owe that to each and every one of you who has helped me over the last three months – and since the beginning of this campaign a year ago.

Since then, we’ve set a record – we have now raised the most money of any candidate my opponent has ever faced. We have more than 1,000 contributors – another record for this district.

And I have you to thank. My supporters and friends like you make this campaign go. You believe as I do that change is needed in Washington. I’m proud to say that together we’ve built a grassroots campaign of hard working families from Northeast Ohio, not one bought and sold by corporate lobbyists and Washington insiders.

For all you have done already, and for all you will continue to do, you will always have my utmost thanks and appreciation. But you may not know that there are many ways to help other than writing a check. I’d like to tell you about a few of them:

Host a House Party: Gather some of your friends and neighbors for an informal meet and greet, where everyone can get to know me and ask questions about our campaign and our country. While donations at these house parties are certainly accepted, I like to think of these more as “friend-raisers.”

Volunteer: There are any number of ways you can volunteer for the campaign. You can participate in one of our many door-to-door canvasses, help out at a phone bank, put up yard signs or bumper stickers, or just come on in to the office, where there’s always plenty to do.

This race is just getting started. In the coming months, it will only get closer and more exciting. Stay tuned, and thanks again!

Let's Get to Work on Commuter Rail

by Bill O'Neill

As of this week, we are officially up and running in the new Wickliffe office, and I encourage all of you to stop by and take a look around. With our new office comes new ideas, and I’d like to take this opportunity to share one of them with you.

This morning I held a press conference in Willoughby where I proposed an investment to bring back commuter rail to Northeast Ohio. I was honored to have State Representative Kenny Yuko, Mentor City Councilman Ed Walsh and other friends at my side as we stood in front of an abandoned rail station and made the case for the rail lines that we both want and need.

This is about getting to work. It’s about creating new jobs, and it’s about finding a cheaper, easier way to get to the ones we have.

In a world where gas is $4 a gallon, our highways are congested and there is no relief in sight, we need forward-thinking solutions from our leadership in Congress. Regional commuter rail for Northeast Ohio needs a champion in Washington, and when I’m elected, I will be that champion.

What most people don’t know is that we already have the blueprint for this proposal. In 2001, the Northeast Ohio Area-wide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) commissioned a feasibility study that proposed two lines, one from Tower City to the east, through Mentor, Painesville, Ashtabula and Conneaut; and one to the southeast through Solon, Aurora and Hudson. NOACA estimates that, on the first day, these lines would each take about 7,000 cars off the road per day.

Commuter rail just makes sense. Send me to Congress, and I’ll get to work!
-Bill

Listening Tour Rolls On

By Bill O'Neill

Just thought I’d give you an update on the latest from the campaign trail.

Every Saturday, I travel to one or two cities in the district for my old fashioned listening tour, or as we’ve nicknamed it, the “Meet Bill” tour. I buy you a cup of coffee and we sit down in a small group to discuss the issues that are most important to you.

It’s been a big hit and a lot of fun for me personally. It’s not often I get to sit down in a one on one setting with so many of the great people of Northeast Ohio. This Saturday, I’m making stops in Ashtabula and Geneva. Make sure to check the calendar for all the details, and to find out when I’m coming to a town near you.

-Bill

P.S. I want to offer my most heartfelt congratulations to Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for President. This is both an exciting moment in our nation’s history, and an exciting time for our party. Both his and Hillary Clinton’s campaigns have made me more proud than ever to call myself a Democrat, and I look forward to being his running mate in Ohio come November.

Something Has Got to Give

by Bill O'Neill

I couldn’t be more pleased with how our event at the pumps went yesterday. It was extremely well received by everyone I talked to: from teenagers to seniors, from hardworking moms and dads to retired veterans. I was moved by the sense of resolve I saw in the eyes of the people I talked to as they put their hard earned dollars into another $75 tank of gas. Something has got to give.

People are smart. They know that giving them back $1.13, while a welcome discount off a tank of gas, was not the whole message we were sending yesterday. What voters saw was a candidate for Congress who will stand up for their interests, not the special interests in Washington. Unlike my opponent who has funded his campaigns with their help for a decade, I have never taken a dime from Big Oil and Big Energy.

Now my opponent has already shot back, disputing the amount of money OpenSecrets.org reports that he has taken from Big Oil and Big Energy,while admitting he actually gets a whole lot more from other special interests.

I guess it’s this simple: There is one person in this race who takes thousands upon thousands of campaign contributions from Big Oil, and one who will never take a dime.

It comes down to whose side you’re on.

And my opponent has been very clear about whose side he’s on. He wants to use the same-old playbook and look for new places the oil companies can drill. I think it’s time we invested in new ideas. In Northeast Ohio we have enormous potential to make these critical investments – from wind, solar and geothermal energy to non-food-based ethanol to light rail.

My opponent had the opportunity to take back the tax breaks for Big Oil and invest them in alternative energy right here in Northeast Ohio. He said no.

I say that these are not just energy solutions; these are job solutions. Yesterday, we sent a message loud and clear: Send me to Congress, and there will never be any question about whose side Bill O’Neill is on.

I'm Pumping Gas!

by Bill O'Neill

I thought that there would be no better way to kick off "Bill on the Trail" than to share with you the inside scoop on what the campaign is doing this week. Tomorrow at 1 p.m. at a local gas station [map], we're standing up against Big Oil and Big Energy.

The price of gas when Steve LaTourette was elected to Congress was $1.13. And when he was last re-elected in 2006, it was $2.24.

As we now know all too well, gas prices have risen to over $4 a gallon. But while our wallets have taken a hit, my opponent's wallet has continued to get fatter. In the time he has been in Washington, Steve LaTourette has taken $275,720 from Big Oil and Big Energy, and in turn, he has been a vote they can count on to ensure that gas companies earn record profits – even when we’re paying record prices.

The people of Northeast Ohio deserve a congressman who stands up to these special interests – and stands up for you.

Tomorrow, the first 113 people will get the first $1.13 of their fill-up on me. And they’ll also get this souvenir check, from Big Oil to my opponent:

It’s hard to stand up to Big Oil and Big Energy when they’re helping fund your campaign. So let me be very clear: I have never taken a penny from Big Oil, and I never will.

And when you send me to Congress, I will never forget who I’m representing.