Kevin DeWine Owes Apology to Yvette McGee Brown and Social Workers
Submitted by Jennifer Brunner on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 6:11pm.
Editor's Note : Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner is a candidate for the U.S. Senate (if you didn't already know that). This op-ed is promoted from the Forums section of OhioDaily
Rhetoric has always been a part of politics.
But Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine’s statement about Yvette McGee Brown, whom Gov. Ted Strickland has named as his lieutenant governor candidate for reelection, moved from rhetoric to reckless.
DeWine called Judge Brown, “merely” a “social worker with no experience in public finance or state government.” Judge Brown is a highly respected former judge. As the catalyst for the startup of the nationally acclaimed Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, she now manages that organization.
Unfortunately, Mr. DeWine was not content to just demean an individual. His comments belittle the work of social workers everywhere who work with families and children dealing with serious issues.
In a statement, the Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers recently said: “ … Mr. DeWine used the title ‘social worker’ in an attempt to discredit Judge Brown’s competence for the position of Lieutenant Governor. In doing so, Mr. DeWine demeaned the profession by declaring social workers unfit for public service.”
“For over 100 years, social workers have been active in shaping public policy at the local, state, and federal government levels. Social workers are qualified to hold public positions through their training and experience,” the Ohio NASW said.
DeWine’s histrionics aside, Judge Brown’s service to the public is well known. Before I was elected Secretary of State I served on the Franklin County Common Pleas Court bench with her. When she courageously left to pursue her passion of helping families and children in Franklin County, many felt the loss of her service, because she is a tireless advocate.
Mr. DeWine’s assertion that she has no experience in “state government,” is flatly wrong. Judge Brown served as legal counsel for two state agencies, served as a member of the Ohio Elections Commission in 2008 and 2009 and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of Ohio University.
Kevin DeWine should apologize to Yvette McGee Brown for misrepresenting her record and to social workers everywhere for his dismissive and demeaning characterization of social work as a profession not worthy of state service.
Jennifer Brunner
Democratic Candidate for the U.S. Senate
Kevvy DeWhiney
is a puny little crybaby. He thinks "She's just a social worker" is going to score point with anyone? Please. Added to the fact of course that she's NOT EVEN a social worker, so he's just lying. This is truly pathetic.
Brunner's Demand for an Apology: Exactly my sentiments!
In a meeting of Cleveland social workers this morning, I expressed the view that there really needs to be a public apology by DeWine and the Ohio Republican Party. I would ask the same thing of any Democrat or Green or whatever who attacked the social work profession. The statement of the GOP was issued here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/ye7esu3
In stating, "...the best he could come up with in the face of an unprecedented fiscal emergency is a social worker with no experience in public finance or state government," DeWine implied that social workers have no such experience. Social workers in the hundreds serve in all sorts of capacities in state, county and local government. My own dissertation was related to local public finance (a study of the property tax exemption in Ohio's urban areas). Social work education at both the BSW and MSW levels incorporates two courses on social welfare policy at the federal, state, local and voluntary sector levels. All learn policy practice advocacy skills at the foundation level, and advanced macro students learn advanced policy analysis and advocacy skills.
However, DeWine's statement was more than a quite inaccurate criticism of Brown's excellent qualifications, which include leading an agency which pioneered the use of a family life course approach to intra-familial violence including child abuse and domestic violence. It came across as an attempt to demean the skills of social workers generally, as is shown by his second statement: "He might need a social worker to counsel him through that failure, but Ohio needs a governor with the backbone and experience to make bold, visionary choices."
This implies social workers do nothing but counseling, and moreover social workers in general have no backbone and can't make bold, visionary choices. This sounds as if it is not only anti-social work but a sexist attack on women in general.
The last time a candidate tried to heap scorn on an opponent was when the 2008 Republican ticket criticized President Obama for the first item on his resume: that of community organizer. That tactic backfired, as I think this will. I strongly suspect that DeWine is hearing from many social workers, including Republican social workers (yes, there is political diversity in our profession) about his statement.
By the way, community organizer was the first item on my resume, social worker the second, and I'm still proud to be a social worker 35 years later!
Thanks, Secretary Brunner, for your defense of our profession!
- Michael A. Dover, MSW, Ph.D.