Memo To Jack: The Right Thing

The ethics case against University of Akron trustee and Summit County Board of Elections chairman Jack Morrison is over, at least the first round. There will be appeals of his misdemeanor conviction relating to the sale of a building by his son but this argument isn't about the law, it centers on perception.

Politics is an odd game. Substance often doesn't matter, but perception can be everything. Think of the great managers perceived as incompetent boobs, or the smiling hand-shakers who barely understand the words someone else writes for them. The history of politics is full of 'em.

In the case of Jack Morrison and his continued service to the University of Akron as well as the Summit County Board of Elections, the perception is now everything. The name of the board members themselves -- trustees -- invokes the image of men and women serving the public interest, entrusted with our full confidence to do the right thing.

In this case, the right thing to do is for Jack Morrison to step down from his position as a Trustee of the University of Akron. He should consider doing the same from the Board of Elections.

Summit County, like any other collection of government agencies, has a history of leaders snared in ethical lapses. Party affiliation doesn't matter; ideology isn't a defense.

Remember a few years ago; Summit County Elections Board member Wayne Jones was caught in a scheme using false records to hide a smear campaign targeting County Probate Judge Bill Spicer. At that time, then-Secretary of State Ken Blackwell suspended Jones for six months from his position on the BOE but did not remove Jones, even though the hardball political strategy went to the very heart of rules and regulations governing the elections process Jones was entrusted to uphold and support.

Blackwell later argued it wasn't up to him to impose a political "death penalty" on Jones. Blackwell's take was it was our job to clean up our local problem. But the perception and admission by Jones was enough for him to find a solution where Jones would pay a price for his transgression. Jones served his suspension, returned to lead his party and even serves on the Board of Elections -- even as chairman last year.

Fast forward a few years, when it was GOP leader Alex Arshinkoff's time in the box. Now-Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner removed him from the Board of Elections, largely on the folder of evidence provided by Jones. Consisting mostly of newspaper articles targeting Arshinkoff as obstructionist, the Secretary of State ordered Arshinkoff's removal. No law broken, no regulation ignored -- the perception and how it impacted the reality of the Board of Elections was enough to pull the trigger.

While other actions by Brunner were later reversed on appeal by the Ohio Supreme Court*, Arshinkoff continues to guide his side of the debate, including a triumph over his harshest critics when challenged for leadership of the Summit County Republican Party.

Now we have the situation of a sitting trustee and a guardian of the very foundation of our democratic process convicted of two ethics misdemeanors. Morrison's lawyers argue his appeal, on legal grounds that insider knowledge which benefited his son and ultimately himself as shown by forgiving a loan.

That's the legal argument. This is the political: does the University of Akron and Summit County deserve better than splitting hairs over the perception of "here we go again" behavior by individuals charged with rising above the rest of the pack?

We see this play out on Wall Street. Million-dollar bonuses awarded the captains of sinking business ships draws continued outrage, and more anger at a system which doesn't seem capable of checking itself. We note it from Washington, where the same politicians serving oversight on financial and housing institutions also belly up to the trough of VIP-club mortgage deals and campaign funding paid for by the architects of the wave of real estate greed responsible for plunging the strongest economy on the globe into crisis. We see it in ourselves, even as we cry for leadership that accepts responsibility for their actions but remain in power because we won't vote.

Apathy wins because we perceive our voices and votes don't matter.

Jack Morrison has given much to our community; his years of service on behalf of the GOP on the Board of Elections has been spirited. While his opponents may not have appreciated his strategies, he has been an able public servant.

The University of Akron is a much better institution because of the leadership and dedication shown by trustees such as Morrison, and the community is well-served by individuals who pay their own way forward with their time, passion and hard work to keep the wheels turning.

But passion to serve the public doesn't trump conviction of ethical lapses. Summit County has a next generation of leaders on both sides of the political aisle capable of carrying forward the work to be done.

Just as local and statewide political institutions have survived scandal in the past, so will not only Jack Morrison and his family but the University of Akron and Board of Elections without him under a cloud.

The right thing is respecting the business of the people, and understanding that perception matters.

*Editor's note: to clarify, the Supreme Court decision involved the appointment of Brian Daley by the Summit County Republican Party to replace Arshinkoff. Daley's appointment was challenged as well but the state's high court ruled the appointment was the local party's to make, removing Brunner's appointee Don Varian from the Board of Elections.