Republican scandals, no jobs, high tuition, and a culture of corruption.

In the eyes of the Ohio Democratic Party, these issues are like threads woven into a giant web of problems in Ohio’s government.

The GOP Bad Apple Tour, presented by the Ohio Democratic Party, made its stop in Bowling Green at the Simpson Park Building last night and discussed various problems it has with Ohio’s governmental system.

“We want to gel Democrats together and give them a tutorial about the Republican scandals and mismanagement of money, lost money,” said Gabrielle Williamson, the party’s spokeswoman, who believes College Democrats are really starting to come together. “We want to get some momentum on how Democrats can be better leaders and manage the states better than Republicans.”

The tour’s slogan, “Bad Apple,” signifies the statement made by Republican Chair Bob Bennett, who said that the recent thievery of public funds and ethical lapses are misdeeds committed by a few “bad apples” and that his party would “weed them out” – which Democrats believe hasn’t been done yet.

“We have yet to see the Republicans get rid of their bad apples,” Williamson said.

Among the speakers at the meeting was Senator Marc Dann (D-Liberty Twp.), who believes Ohio’s political future is in trouble.

“In this time of crisis … we need to rise up and rise to the occasion,” Dann said. “What we have found over and over again is that the government is for sale in Ohio.”

Dann spoke about how the state wanted more students to attend college, and Taft’s response was to raise college tuition.

“I’m not sure Bob Taft has enough to lead this state,” said Dann, adding that he thinks Ohio’s school systems are getting worse, people can’t afford to pay property taxes, Republicans are turning their heads away from scandals and problems, there aren’t enough jobs, and that the state needs to step in.

“We’re creating a business environment that is driving jobs out of Ohio,” he said.

The second speaker was Chris Redfern, minority leader in Ohio’s House of Representatives, who fired up the audience with blunt statements about Lucas County businessman Tom Noe’s recent money scandal, and the political environment that fosters this corruption.

“It’s like picking on low hanging fruit when you pick on Tom Noe,” said Redfern, while dangling a green apple in front of him. “So I will.”

Redfern believes that Democrats will push for solutions, and keep pushing for reforms until things change.

“It is imperative how we move our state forward, how we lift people up,” he said. “We need to rebuild the public trust today, we don’t have time for anymore tomorrows … and at the end of the day, we must elect a Democrat as the governor of Ohio.”

Following Redfern’s heated footsteps was Judge Peter Sikora, running for Supreme Court of Ohio, who believes Ohio has disintegrated in many ways over the past 16 years.

“It’s embarrassing and it makes me mad,” Sikora said. “I’m committed to doing everything I can to turn it around.”

Believing that the majority Republican legislation is corrupt in the way they spend their money, Sikora thinks change is essential.

“[The legislation] is more interested in funding campaigns than our childrens’ education,” he said.

Among other issues mentioned by Sikora were the idea that the lack of jobs, the crime rate, and the lack of better education for children is economically rooted and that a good system of checks and balances is significant to the state.

“We don’t have an affective system of checks and balances,” Sikora said, adding that nothing works when the system is bad.

Sikora also wishes to dedicate himself to get more juveniles in child services into permanent homes.

“I’m trying to get people to think about adoption differently,” he said, explaining that most people expect an infant, but many of the estimated 4,000 children in Ohio waiting for permanent homes are usually eight years old and above and they just need a good natured, loving family to give them a chance.

“We need to step up to the plate … we need to do better,” he said.

Among the many people who watched and agreed with the speakers was College Democrats President Maria Khoury.

“I agree that there is a lot of corruption going on in the Ohio government and that it needs to be fixed,” Khoury said.

She was also taken by the energy the speakers emanated to the audience.

“I love the fact that people are so willing and so ready to present themselves in such an energetic fashion.”