Feb. 21–Graham Veysey, a Democrat who is running in the primary for the 9th District Congressional seat, left, speaks with Antonio Allen, right, who lives in the neighborhood, outside of the Northgate Community Church during the daily food pantry on Tuesday. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT Enlarge — Photo Reprints

Cleveland area businessman Graham Veysey, the newcomer in the race for the 9th Congressional District, campaigned in one of Toledo’s most impoverished neighborhoods to make the point that his opponents haven’t done enough to break the cycle of poverty.

Mr. Veysey on Tuesday said U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo and Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland, his Democratic opponents in the March 6 Democratic primary, have maintained the status quo in existing federal assistance programs and have failed to fix problems that could help lift the poorest people out of out poverty.

He cited a 2011 Brookings Institution report that said the number of poor people in Toledo living in extremely poor neighborhoods more than doubled. The same study found the number of people living in extreme poverty in suburban Cleveland neighborhoods grew faster than anywhere else in the country.

“We have got a system that has let these people down. We can talk about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the war on poverty is being lost. I want to be the new soldier in that fight,” Mr. Veysey said while talking to reporters at Bush and Huron streets in North Toledo.

The congressional hopeful introduced himself to residents as they moved through the food pantry in Northgate Community Church, 1401 N. Ontario St.

Antonio Allen, 20, told Mr. Veysey that he has two jobs, but is struggling to make ends meet. He said hopes to some day go to college so he can make a better life for himself and his 2-year-old daughter.

“We want to have your back,” Mr. Veysey assured him.

By pure coincidence, the campaign stop in the poverty-stricken neighborhood was made within a block of where Toledo Police Detective Keith Dressel lost his life during a shootout with a 15-year-old boy on the same day five years ago. Detective Dressel, 35, who was undercover, was shot once in the chest by Robert Jobe, who lived nearby on Ontario.

Mr. Veysey called for improvements in early childhood education programs to get youngsters the developmental help they need before they enter kindergarten and as well as assisting adults with post secondary job training to improve their chances at getting jobs.

He said the “Band-aid approach” taken by his opponents during their time in Congress has left one in four people “suffering in poverty.”

“I don’t think they will come and stand on the corner in the neighborhoods that have been ravaged by poverty,” he said. “I can tell you we can do better. We will do better, and I will have your back in Washington.”

Steve Fought, Miss Kaptur’s campaign manager, said she has dedicated her life and her career in helping people in Toledo in eradicating poverty.

“Anybody who knows Marcy knows that. Graham is from Cleveland. He doesn’t know Marcy and he doesn’t know her history. People in Toledo know Marcy Kaptur,” Mr. Fought said. “She has dedicated her life to making things better in this city.”

Mr. Kucinich, through a spokesman, said excessive spending on two wars has shortchanged the United States.

Andy Juniewicz said Mr. Kucinich has consistently voted against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“You cannot adequately address the issue of poverty or unemployment or education, health care, or our crumbling infrastructure if you continue to spend half a trillion dollar on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Mr. Juniewicz said. “Imagine if we had that $500 billion to spend here, instead.”

Congressman Kucinich voted against the original Iraq war resolution and every war expenditure measure since then, he said.

Contact Mark Reiter at: markreiter@theblade.com or 419-724-6199.