Jon Husted Says Families are Key to Nation Staying Strong

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted said Ohio has come a long way in changing its business culture, and now should join the rest of the nation to create "a culture where we care for children and prepare them for life."

Husted, speaking at the Strongsville Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday, talked about overseeing the upcoming general election, but also touched on issues facing the entire country.

Some key points of his speech:

• Voters may be able to register online soon, but he doesn't foresee Internet voting for two reasons: It would be expensive to set up, and people don't trust it.

• Americans need to take responsibility for the $16 trillion debt by being willing to make personal sacrifices. "As a nation, we cannot continue to borrow and spend our way to prosperity."

• Education is one of the biggest problems in the country, but said the fault does not lie with the schools and teachers, but with families that fail to prepare children for life. "When we lose the idea of personal responsibility and discipline . . . then we have lost our way."

• "Ohio is seeing more and more people wanting to do business here," he said, noting the 60,069 companies that started here so far in 2012 is on track to outpace last year's 82,601 full-year tally. Husted credits changes in Ohio's culture to become more business-friendly.

• While arguments continue about early voting, he said Ohio already makes it much easier to vote than other states by allowing early ballotting and sending vote-by-mail applications to every registered voter. "No person can say any voter in Ohio is being denied reasonable access to the polls," he said.

Husted was elected to the state legislature in 2000, serving as Speaker of the House from 2005-2008. He then served in the Ohio Senate before being elected Secretary of State in November 2010.