Free Republic

In these hard times, the campaign for the Metro Parks levy is facing a financial crunch. The campaign's original goal was to raise $400,000. So far, contributors have given $130,000. Metro Parks said American Electric Power, Grange Insurance and the law firm of Squire Sanders & Dempsey are among the businesses endorsing the levy. To save cash, the campaign doesn't plan any TV ads. It does plan to use its network of supporters to blast e-mails and has discussed using social-networking sites such as Facebook to get the message out, Executive Director John O'Meara said.