Melissa Cropper

Jan 16, 2025 | ohiocapitaljournal.com | Melissa Cropper

by Melissa Cropper, Ohio Capital Journal January 16, 2025 Social Security is not an entitlement program or a handout, it’s an earned benefit paid into by workers and their employers. When we retire, we expect to receive the full share of Social Security that we are entitled to based on our payments and our work history. But for decades, millions of public employees with pensions — including more than 100,000 Ohioans — have had their earned Social Security benefits stripped from them.

Dec 29, 2024 | barnraisingmedia.com | Wendell Berry |Melissa Cropper |Stephanie Woodard |Matt Barron

Wendell Berry responds to “White Rural Rage” and Paul Krugman. “Those of us who speak for the country (‘rural America’) must never give up” by Wendell Berry The president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers explains why Vance’s extreme agenda runs counter to the rural culture of helping one’s neighbors.

Aug 9, 2024 | couriernewsroom.com | Melissa Cropper

J.D. Vance can spin a lot of things about his life, but we can see who he really is by examining the core values that animate him, and in that respect, J.D. Vance doesn’t look like the people I know from home. During the 2022 midterm elections, when Vance was running against Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan for an open U.S. Senate seat, I had plenty of conversations with members of my union, the Ohio Federation of Teachers, throughout rural Ohio.

Aug 8, 2024 | barnraisingmedia.com | Roger Kerson |Stephanie Woodard |Bennet Goldstein |Melissa Cropper

Garner, the veteran actress who most recently appeared in this summer’s Hollywood blockbuster Deadpool vs. Wolverine, grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. In previous campaigns, she’s raised funds for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. This year, she brought her star power to an August 6 “Rural Americans for Harris” Zoom call.

Aug 4, 2024 | barnraisingmedia.com | Melissa Cropper |Nina Elkadi |S. Nicole Lane |Matt Barron

Growing up in Georgetown, Ohio, a small rural town on the edge of Appalachia, I learned that there are certain values you’re likely to see in most rural Ohioans. We respect authenticity and can spot a phony when we see one. We take pride in our communities. We believe in the dignity of hard work, yet we also understand that circumstances can force us into situations where we need a little help, and we are always willing to help our neighbors without judgment.