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.

What A Moron

The news from Chicago today was just stunning, even by the bloated history of Illinois political corruption. Governor Rod Blagojevich -- his name caused just about every TV pundit to choke tonight, with CNN's Lou Dobbs offering the most comical mispronunciations during a quickie promo advance round with Wolf Blitzer -- wanted to sell off his appointment of a U.S. Senator to replace the White House-bound Barack Obama.

Also on the hit parade: trying to get newspaper editorial writers fired for daring to question him (hey, at least they aren't parking attendants; our mayor in Akron actually pulled that one off)...holding back millions for a hospital serving sick children to force a CEO to pay up on a $50,000 campaign contribution; and plenty of other slick deals involving road improvements, hi-rise construction and other public works projects. This from the "reform" candidate to lead Illinois from the dark days of political scum.

What is with these idiot politicians so clearly without the ability to look back at all the others who've already plowed this fertile ground? Illinois is especially a textbook case with four past governors moving from executive office to the slammer. The man Blagojevich replaced -- George Ryan -- is actually still serving time on racketeering.

Going back on the national stage: Dan Rostenkowski, the Chicago pol who also did time after big-shotting his way to prison from Congress; Youngstown's Jim Traficant, who used his influence shakedowns to try and fix his boat moored in the Potomac River; Richard Nixon's fall from grace and grand exit via Chopper One from the White House lawn after All the President's Men already did their various perp walks to prison or grand jury appearances.

Let's not forget the poster boy: Gary Hart, the Colorado Senator who famously told reporters to go ahead and follow him after they asked about reports of his infidelity. Ironic since Blagojevich did the same, telling reporters the whole world should listen in on his phone calls.

In case you aren't old enough to remember the story that signified the National Enquirer as legitimate outlet for political news (see at left) the reporters took Hart up on that tossed gauntlet and led to more pictures of the Senator and Donna Rice aboard the aptly-named Monkey Business charter boat. History.

Poor, stupid John Edwards of North Carolina forgot that lesson despite his trip to a national candidacy aboard the John Kerry express in 2004 with his recent visit to a former paramour and her child in the dead of night at a Beverly Hills hotel.

Man, was he surprised when the Enquirer popped up with reporters and photographers in tow, sending Edwards to seek solace in a basement men's room until hotel security could bail him out.

I've had the unique experience of seeing this kind of thing from a key vantage point, thanks to a view from the inside thanks to prior life working in politics. These things always come down to one person in power forgetting the journey and those around them afraid to stop kissing butt and point out the obvious. It isn't pretty to watch the downfall, regardless of how much they've got it coming to them after the excess of arrogance leads to the humbling in the witness dock.

In days gone by the Roman emperor would return home to Rome, fresh from conquest, with the spoils of war leading the way past the adulation of the crowd. The wise leaders at the time made sure to have a slave accompany Caesar on the chariot, whispering all the way that fame was fleeting and those adoring crowds wouldn't think twice about ripping him to pieces when he failed.

If only more of America's leaders made sure someone was riding shotgun.

Ethics Question: When Is It Enough?

Quite a bit of discussion this morning in the newsroom on the graphic testimony from Dr. Lisa Kohler, the Summit County Medical Examiner, on the condition of Jessie Marie Davis' body when it was discovered after nine days of exposure. This is coverage you will not hear on our radio stations, and that's our choice.

The audio from today's testimony in Stark County Common Pleas Court in The State v Bobby Cutts, Jr. is very specific and not at all atypical of what any Medical Examiner or Coroner would testify to on the condition of a body and resulting autopsy procedure; anyone who's watching any of the CSI programs can figure that out. The difference is real versus Hollywood, and whether it really matters that those of following the Cutts case through broadcast reports (radio and television) should hear this testimony.

We will not use the graphic, disturbing autopsy audio on our broadcast reports. This material (condition of organs, viewing of Jessie's unborn child, etc.) doesn't leave much to the imagination and for the purposes of the official court record that's a good thing. For the purposes of reporting the case to the general public outside the courtroom, however, I'm not sure it is appropriate.

The testimony, while necessary for the jury, can be paraphrased for the sake of an audience that doesn't have the ability to control whether or not they hear or see it. If you are monitoring the case through online reports, you are in control of listening; when you are in the car a "...this graphic audio may be disturbing..." with a two-second warning to hit the switch offers little if in fact no choice at all for the listener.

The key issue in Kohler's testimony is not the condition of the body; we get that. If you don't, wait until summer and perform your own experiment by leaving dinner outside for nine days. The key issue is just why it has been so difficult for the experts to pinpoint the exact cause of death, and those questions can be answered in a fashion that doesn't require us to have advanced medical degrees or a lust for the excessively disturbing. It's a criminal trial, not another episode of the SAW movies.

Bottom line: if you want to hear it, you choose to click on the link; if you are in the car, washing the dishes, or listening at work we don't need to invade your space with the nitty-gritty. The content depends on the context it is presented in this case, and our judgment is to err on the side of the listener.

That difference of control is paramount.