Crisis Averted? Hardly...

Been reading a lot recently on the "What Would Jesus Do?" string, primarily aimed at how the budget crisis in Washington (and yeah, it's still a crisis when you spend $1.40 for every dollar taken in) impact those who need the help the most.

It's a very legitimate question, with two driving forces:

• Unless you want to wind up like Czar Nicholas II of Imperial Russia or King Louis XVI of France, it's helpful to make sure most people have the basics;
• It's also the right thing to do. The measure of a society isn't always found in the grand monuments it builds. The true, enduring legacy is how it treats those in the underclass, and their ability to find opportunity to improve their lot in life.

It's the latter point most use to describe America; this idea that regardless of political, social or economic station anyone, from any family, can lift themselves to achieve greatness. This romantic version of the individual winning through hard work and dedication is a beacon that still attracts millions from around the world who seek a better life.

King Louis XVI oversaw the demise of the bloated French aristocracy because the government spent like there was no tomorrow -- and the payday for the upper class was not pretty, thanks to Monsieur Guillotine. Nicholas II and his family didn't realize their royalty also made them responsible for the peasant class, when when there was no bread left the fires of October 1917 consumed them to the point where they were wiped off the face of the earth.

On a recent trip to New York, I had a great conversation with a cab driver. Not a surprise -- New York cabbies say the most interesting things -- but this talk came with a man from Liberia who fled that nation's civil war, landed in Dallas, won a green card, moved to New York and drove it's streets to make ends meet. Why, he wondered, did he have this opportunity as a mere immigrant and why weren't ordinary Americans taking advantage of this opportunity to earn for their families? He says it's why so many taxi drivers, hotel maids, construction workers and service employees experience the American dream thanks to a green card. Here, he can work. And save. And raise a family without worrying about his children pressed into an army at gunpoint to kill their cousins.

In all the talk the past weeks, we've missed the point this is still a great country, with a great message. We've let what passes for leadership in America portray the 2011 version of the dream. We've become paralyzed by the divisive politics the power-brokers and their consultants practice on a daily basis on talk radio, talk television, and op/ed pieces. We seem more interested in what divides because, like reality shows so cheap to produce, it's the most efficient way to draw ratings.

America's public leadership is turning into "The Amazing Race" only with our money and our futures tied into the outcome.

The numbers are so daunting; the public journalism site ProPublica recently posted a by the numbers piece titled Our Sputtering Economy and it isn't pretty:

• Annual rate at which the GDP grew this year: 1.3 percent between April and June, 0.4 percent between January and March
• Average annual GDP growth from 1998-2007: 3.02 percent
• Total jobs lost since January 2008: 8.7 million
• Total jobs recovered since January 2008: 1.8 million
• Recession technically ended: over two years ago, in June 2009
• Current unemployment rate: 9.2 percent
• The "natural unemployment rate": 5 percent
• Months that the unemployment rate has been around 9 percent or more: 28
• Number of unemployed people in June 2011: 14.1 million
• Growth in number of unemployed people since March 2011: 545,000
• Number of long-term unemployed people in June 2011: 6.3 million, or 44.4 percent of the unemployed
• Pace at which jobs were added throughout the late 1990s: 350,00 per month
• Jobs that were added in June: 18,000
• Jobs the U.S. needs to create to 5 percent unemployment rate: 6.8 million, as of January 2011
• Years it will take to get back to an unemployment rate of 5 percent: four years if we're adding jobs at 350,000 per month; 11 years if we're adding jobs at the 2005 rate of 210,000 per month
• Unemployed workers per job opening: 4.98
• Number of people who weren't in the labor force, but wanted work, as of June 2011: 2.7 million
• The last time the labor force participation rate was lower than it is now: 1984
• The amount of state budget spending that comes from the federal government: about 1/3, or $478 billion in 2010
• Increase in before-tax corporate profits in the first quarter of 2011: $140.3 billion
• Percentage of Americans' total personal income that comes from federal funds: almost 20 percent
• Spending cuts in the proposed budget: at least $2.3 trillion over a decade from 2012-2021
• How long you can currently receive unemployment benefits: up to 99 weeks
• The number of those weeks funded to some extent by federal aid: up to 73
• People currently relying on federal unemployment benefits: 3.8 million
• How long you'll be able to receive unemployment benefits if you lose your job after July 1, 2011: 20 to 26 weeks, depending on your state
• Recovery-funded jobs reported by recipients, according to recovery.gov: 550,621
• Amount of stimulus money left to be spent: $122.8 billion of the original $787 billion

To break this all down to simple math you use everyday when running your own house, here's the state of the United States on a balance sheet the bank would ask for:

• Annual spending (est.) for 2011 $3,800,000,000.00
• Annual revenues (est.) for 2011 2,173,700,000.00
• Total: -1,626,300,000.00

Let's add in the estimated federal debt: $15,476,000,000.00

Making it easier to relate to, drop all those zeros and imagine it's the kind of money you make. Your annual salary is $21,737 a year. That might be what you would make in your first job, fresh out of high school. But you are spending $38,000 a year. You're already $16,263 in the hole.

But wait, there's more.

In addition to already being in the hole, you are already in debt and owe lenders $154,760.

How much of that salary do you think will go to paying the debt more than seven times what you make each year? During the height of the easy housing money craze, banks were lending money to folks who no way, no how could make those kind of payments back. They didn't care. In the short-term, it looked like there was a lot of business in moving houses. Lots of bonuses, too. And the housing bubble burst and left millions in foreclosure, or in homes they can't afford, and the rest bailing out the ones who lent the money or created the government programs to begin with.

When President Obama talks about balance, he's absolutely right: we all know, deep down, that a system bailing out managers so ready to take risks with other people's money is crazy. Too big to fail, however, changed the equation on private businesses paying for their own mistakes. But the answer is not in the type of class warfare that paints the rich as ripe for the taking. That's the type of thinking that left blood on the streets of Paris and Moscow, those grand revolutions.

I'd prefer the revolution of an America where the tired and huddled masses came to build a new future.

The question shouldn't be how to fix this budget mess as cold accountants would suggest, because those decisions have no heart and have no justice. The bottom line doesn't care who it hurts, only that the bottom line finishes in the black rather than red. Conversely, truly helping build an opportunity society that can lift people out of poverty without bankrupting those making the social investment also means respecting those paying the bills. And at this rate, Washington has demonstrated it has little respect for those it expects to pay for it's mistakes.

Recent studies have noted poverty rates haven't budged much since the Great Society's War on Poverty started in the 1960s. It enables a society to expect someone to provide the fish dinner rather than encourage, in the biblical, to teach one how to fish. Our leadership talks innovation, but in the long run they are as dependent on the vicious infighting over pennies when arguing over tax policy than the dollars found in encouraging growth.

Our leaders need to stop thinking small. They need to show the testicular fortitude to think big and risk going home when we voters, consumed by self-interest, punish them for seeing a larger picture. This is only going to get worse as the swell of the Me Generation baby boomers hit Social Security and Medicaid age, and if politicians thought the AARP lobby was powerful now wait until they get a load of the constituency expecting their payday the next 15 years.

Thanks, Mayor Plusquellic!

And Warner Mendenhall. And Paul Hlynsky. And Mike Williams. And Kelley Williams-Bolar. And LeBron James.

We've been blessed here at the Rubber City radio ranch to have forward-thinking and community focused leadership that not only allows but encourages us to practice broadcast "old school" news coverage. We still think the basics, such as issues before city and county councils or school boards. This type of news matters, even when it isn't sexy.

We see the fruit of our labors annually when journalism groups -- such as Ohio's Associated Press Broadcasters -- recognize those in our profession. This past weekend, the news department of AkronNewsNow.com, WAKR-AM, WONE-FM and WQMX-FM were honored with awards (Marcy Pappafava and Joe Jastrzemski, at left) for Outstanding News and Sports Operations, Best Continuing Coverage (for following the City Hall-FOP year-long drama in 2010) and Best Reporter and Anchor kudos to Joe Jastrzemski.

These awards reflect a lengthy string of recognition for building a website -- and rebuilding a broadcast news outlet -- that will question authority, ask questions and work to present alternate views on public issues. It's what citizens should expect from the media, even during economic downturns and the tumult coming with the media transition seen when institutions (such as the press) are forced to respond more to the demands, or neglect, from their audience.

That said, we couldn't have done it without our readers and listeners. We couldn't have done it without the rich editorial content Akron seems to provide, either.

Whether it was the ongoing battle between City Hall and Akron's police union (2010), the recall fight between the Mayor Plusquellic and Change Akron Now critics (2009), or even going back to Tina Kaufmann's national-award winning investigative work on Akron's Hot Spots (2009) or coverage of the 2008 Elections, 2007 storms and flooding, even the 2003 Great Blackout, the news tapestry depended on many larger-than-life figures and events. Including larger-than-life egos and agendas.

Akron deserves vigorous debate on public issues; it's citizens deserve more than perfunctory coverage often provided by news organizations who don't call this place home. It deserves the next generation of talk show hosts, reporters, editors and news anchors who understand our audience isn't the person behind the podium but the person in front of the screen who reads, watches and listens to their world around them.

Last week, the Mayor took on bloggers who, as "total freaking idiots" post to the web "sitting in their underwear, in the mom's basement.". He was careful to note he wasn't painting that mental picture in our minds, just repeating what others have said. He was responding to critics when announcing new jobs for Akron. It was meant to be dismissive, but in point of fact it shows just how powerful the First Amendment can be.

Just as the Mayor is free to express his opinion using the bully pulpit of his public office, anyone -- sitting in their underwear or wearing a tie at their desk -- has the same right.

So thanks to Don, Warner, Paul, Mike, LeBron and the rest of the gang for award-winning times last year. Here's to Kelley and Edward -- Don, Mike and LeBron again this year, too -- for getting us off to such a good start in 2011. Thanks Governor John and Ohio Democrat boss Chris for keeping the wildfires burning in Columbus. Many thanks, President Barack and Speaker John, for keeping hope and debate alive in Washington.

At times it's soap opera, but it's always real. Your passion keeps our keyboards busy. The media would have a hard time staying relevant, topical and entertaining without you. I suspect you would have a hard time, too, without the stage set for the roles you play in the public drama.

Our uniquely American penchant to speak freely without fear of stormtroopers kicking down our doors couldn't have done it without you.

The Party Boys

Maybe this was the conversation in your house: "Really? He didn't know? He didn't tell her until seven years later?" Another politician, another scandal. Why don't they learn?

Unless it's a really, REALLY large rock you've been living in the past few days the big news isn't about war, the economy, the environment, or even the NBA Draft.

It's all about Arnold and Maria. The Terminator and a blood-line link to Kennedy legacy and royalty. And infidelity.

Rich Hollywood Star (RHS) allegedly targeted by woman who works for him; they have unprotected romps (you know what that means) around the house when wife and family are away. Worker becomes pregnant but RHS allegedly thinks it's her husband's child. She stays in the employ of RHS family, eventually retiring after 20 years of service. Word gets out after RHS -- who then became GOC (Governor of California) eventually faces the music after he's out of office. Wife of RHS devastated, separation ensues, nation natters on, cable television has something other than Casey Anthony to obsess over.

Add Schwarzenegger to the list of political notables sullied and soiled, along with Eliot Spitzer, Marc Dann, David Vitter, Jon Ensign, Wayne Hayes, Bill Clinton -- for their treatment of spouse and family. Their word to love and honor meant little. Should it matter to us?

Anyone who thinks public officials are superhuman and exempt from the same temptations and stupid behavior we see in our own families has another thing coming. But should it be something to consider, or even hold high as a determining factor, when it's time to hit the ballot box?

You choose to pay for movies or watch television programs with these fallen stars; it's hard to turn on the TV on any given weekend and not come across an action flick with Arnold battling human and alien enemies. You need only switch on CNN at night to check out Spitzer as pundit-reformed-disgraced politician. Dann, Vitter, Ensign and Hayes are Washington examples of Boys Gone Wild, and despite Clinton's status as the king of such scandals in our lifetime he's now largely revered as the President who actually managed the government without leaving us drowning in debt.

Does the personal foible translate into the professional weakness? What's worse, the slip or the silent cover-up? Or are we voters tiring of these scandals to the point where we realize it might be unrealistic to expect better of our leaders?

What's more important, electing them based on remembering where the money in their wallet came from or them remembering where they dropped their pants?

What Don Doesn't Want To Hear

The story of the City Hall shuffle this week -- Communications Director to Chamber of Commerce liaison, Assistant Law Director to Communications spot, Chamber of Commerce liaison to Economic Development -- is very inside politics. It does raise a few questions, however, on just who had the ear of the person who made all this happen.

Those following the inside soap opera of inside politics, and not just the Plusquellic Administration but any political organization, quickly get used to seeing faces come and go. The bureaucracy of government is where you'll find those with long service records; political operatives, however, come and go. It's true for the White House. It's true for the Statehouse. It's true for City Hall.

The key question in any reshuffling, however, is whether it makes the operation of the office and mission of the organization stronger. To that end, any shuffling in the Communications end carries with it some gambling. Those who serve as go-between for politicians and the media usually find themselves in no-win positions. Advocate blindly for the boss and reporters will quickly grade your credibility accordingly. Advocate for the reporters and the boss will question your loyalty.

The reporter side aims to reveal, question and confront; the political side aims to set direction, accomplish the mission and protect the boss. There is always tension between both, and it's that tension that distinguishes the American style of governing from most other countries. It isn't always pretty, but it establishes up front how the people's business is still up to the people.

Mayor Plusquellic faced a conundrum: insiders tell me he didn't have faith his message was getting out. He didn't have confidence his agenda was the agenda. Someone had to pay that price, and it wasn't going to be him. Frankly, that requires a level of introspection even the hardiest of politicians don't attempt. Leaders need a straw man to knock about, a punching dummy to exorcise frustration on. In most political offices, that winds up being the communications person. In this political office, that was what Mark Williamson did.

But unlike political offices in far-away Washington or Columbus, where the communication liaisons change frequently, Williamson is different. He's not the faceless spokesman, or the contact-du-jour you find at the offices of the Representative or Senator. His was a face the community was familiar with, for decades on television and nearly as long from City Hall. Williamson himself, as with Plusquellic, has become a local institution of a sort. Despite the Mayor's misgivings, giving such an institution the outright boot holds far more political headache than finding a place for him elsewhere.

Out of sight, out of mind. J. Edgar Hoover used to do this in the F.B.I. with agents who disappointed, famously sending them to Billings. Josef Stalin sent his to Siberia. Not to belittle the public servants who toil for us in far-off regions, but it's reasonable to note military officers who fail but can't be canned ought not be surprised when they are reassigned to a radar installation overlooking the Bering Straits. In private industry, it may be some department close to the restrooms where an offending executive is banished to do little harm. This is the price when the boss loses faith.

It is entirely within the purview of the boss to make sure the team in place serves the needs of the boss, especially if that boss faces one of the more challenging re-election bids just four months away. This the reason civil service doesn't extend to political at-will positions such as Deputy Mayor, or Chief of Staff, or even Communications Director. This Mayor -- and ones to follow, regardless of the outcome in September -- deserve the right to choose his own leadership circle. Moving those pieces like those on a chessboard not only comes with the territory, it helps keep the rest of the team on their toes and often brings in renewed focus and energy.

But in this case, there's one aspect the Mayor should be thinking about which may escape the ego of office: do you still have someone close to you, someone you trust, someone who can close the door and speak frankly about your decisions and actions? Is there a member of your circle with the fortitude to call you out, and your leave to do so, in the same kind of language and approach you employ with others? Who is your sounding board, someone who has credibility and wisdom to not only affirm when you are on the right path but also point out the wrong direction?

Legend has it that triumphant Roman leaders, hailed as conquerors, would have a slave with them in the chariot as the thousands heaped adulation. The slave would whisper "Look behind you, remember you are only a man" or "Remember that you are mortal." Every leader needs that critical element of someone who doesn't buy the hype, someone who knows the value of no often eclipses the ease of yes, someone who understands metal for the sword is stronger after the hammering and out of the forge.

Bill Clinton had his James Carville. George Bush had his Karl Rove. Barack Obama has his David Axelrod. Who plays that role with Don Plusquellic? His confidants in years past have moved on to other positions in the community, and while they may still be close enough to be considered "inner circle" are they close enough for the daily whispering required? Joel Bailey, Joe Kidder, Ray Kapper, even Tom Sawyer provide wisdom and alternate viewpoints, but they are advisers and not everyday actors. In the heat of the moment when decisions are made, are those other voices in the second floor Mayor's suite of offices strong enough to assume that role, taking with it the abuse that comes from being the bearer of bad tidings?

Those who know Don Plusquellic's hard-driving personality know this is neither an easy nor pleasant job.

With a plain-spoken Williamson out of sight, Plusquellic must make sure he still has someone by his side, not only willing but with the credibility and freedom to be able to cut through his sometimes acerbic personality and go beyond the toxic antics of politics.

Akron's Water Gets Kosher

The campaign season is upon us -- before the campaign season even opens.

It's been a busy week for the news release writers at Akron City Hall -- and the week wasn't even halfway over yet.

Seven news releases. Even considering two of them were weather-related due to Monday's blustery blizzard-like conditions that left a stretch of I-76 from Norton to the Medina County line more like Jacknife Alley than interstate highway, but it's still an impressive showing of media might coming off South High Street.

The five remaining non-weather items since Monday:

Israeli Company in Akron Contracts With City -- all about the water service, it turns out. Hey, at least it provided an opportunity to post an eye-catching headline;

City to Offer Free Parking -- just in time for post-holiday sales time; it gives us all 65 minutes of freebie time to do business in the City;

City Brings More Housing Downtown -- the key to downtown prosperity clearly shows it needs to be a neighborhood, and there's no neighborhood without neighbors;

Mayor to Deliver State of the City Address -- it's the 24th, just in case you are keeping count;

German Manufacturing Firm Picks Akron -- as any politico will tell you, the road to political support clearly runs through the economy first.

What will Thursday and Friday hold?

This burst of news energy from the Mayor's office shouldn't come as any surprise.

2011 is a municipal election year, and the Mayor has already announced he is running for re-election. In his bid for a seventh term, Don Plusquellic will have company on the ballot; Council-at-Large representative Mike Williams will toss his hat into the primary ring on Monday evening, about an hour prior to the next City Council meeting.

Don't be surprised if others announce a run; from a political strategy position, a more crowded field generally benefits an incumbent but others may see opportunity for themselves if the two biggest names on the ballot target each other.

The tone of the election is likely to hinge on the tone both Plusquellic and Williams decide will forge their campaigns. One has shown himself to be a strong leader, with a sometimes strong personality that can be as off-putting as it is charming. The other has shown himself unafraid to challenge the conventional political stance, with questions sometimes raised regarding his work ethic.

A recent Akron Beacon Journal commentary by Steve Hoffman noted voters weren't deciding if they wanted a beer with Don -- there is far more at stake than whether we personally like the person running the City. Those behind the 2009 recall made the Mayor's personality an issue, and the electorate clearly wasn't biting. Their efforts resulted in more than three-quarters of those voting to keep the Mayor.

One thing is for sure: just as with the Mayor's re-election campaign four years ago, and the recall election where he rolled to a dominant win, there will be an impressive push to build an atmosphere of momentum. A rule of politics is to avoid having your opponent define you or your campaign, and the first lesson is staking out the media landscape yourself before the other side has a chance to do so.

Swearing Over Swearing In

Update 3:45 p.m. The Governor-elect will now allow folks "in the house" for the ceremony. I'm told his staff was working on this before the yelping started Tuesday, but it sure makes the media feel like it won one...

All my friends in the media are having a conniption (meaning: tantrum) over Governor-elect John Kasich's desire to keep his private home private, even as he's sworn in with a midnight technicality ceremony. My first question is: why is his house now considered public? This really isn't about the First Amendment or government transparency. It's about politics, silly

Kasich's decision to remain at home in a Columbus suburb -- providing stability for his family while he works his "day job" in the Governor's office -- tosses a monkey wrench of sorts in the land of government transparency.

Is this really at the same level as the swearing-in of LBJ with widow Jackie Kennedy by his side, at left, with the slain JFK in the hold below?

Prior Governors who called the Mansion home lived in a building owned by the state; the expenses of running the place, records of phone calls, all considered the people's business and therefore open to examination by friend and foe alike. That's the price one pays for serving their fellow citizens.

But Kasich's decision to stay at home and use the Bexley Governor's Residence for ceremonial purposes adds a wrinkle to how the people's business gets done. When he's living in his house, it's not the "people's house" but his private residence where his family lives. I think most of us, when pressed, would sympathize with his desire to offer as normal a life as possible for his family.

Which brings us to being sworn in as Governor at midnight, a largely technical exercise ahead of the more ceremonial inaugural bash set for January 10th in Columbus. It's to legally allow Kasich to act as Governor in the event of an emergency before the public show.

We're told there's plenty of precedent in modern Ohio political history to have the moment captured on film. At least that's the argument offered by the Associated Press and other journalism organizations, equating coverage of the act as a show of transparency in government. They want to be there to capture the moment, and make a good argument it is part of the people's business and should be open press.

But this isn't taking place in a state-owned building; it's in someone's personal, private residence. If "a man's home is his castle" is a dictum you embrace, then it stands to reason the homeowner decides who to admit to their home and is not bound to do so because that's the way others have done so in the past. I doubt many of us would consider giving up the privacy of our own homes as a price to be paid for serving our fellow citizens and neighbors. The Kasich home is still the Kasich home, regardless of what he does for a living, so long as the taxpayers aren't footing the bill.

And no, just because he's Governor doesn't mean we're footing the bill for his family's home. That would be like saying your employer has a right to inspect and enter your house on demand.

This "midnight swearing ceremony" may be part of history, but other public officials here and across the country have similar ceremonies without having a news photographer on hand. Even when new statehouse lawmakers were sworn in this week, I doubt every newspaper was lined up to have photos of the official event. Fact is, the candidates themselves usually send the media a photo. It's no different than life behind the curtain at the White House; it's not always an AP photographer snapping history. Some of the most iconic photos of our Presidents are taken by the official White House photographer, a surrogate for the press corps.

I'm not inclined to buy in to the outcry over transparency for a ceremony taking part in Kasich's private residence, and think it highlights for every potential public servant a good reason to think twice before putting their name on a ballot. A balance should be struck, and in this particular case a technical ceremony in an official's private home at midnight doesn't exactly rise as a litmus test of transparency for me.

That said, there are compelling reasons why the Governor-elect and his advisors should heed the protest letters likely to come from media and critics alike. Those reasons aren't in defense of open government; they are offered here because of the politics.

Governor Kasich, you have far more on your agenda than wasting time fighting over this. The most important times in any politician's career are those moments building support to get elected, and then the message you send on your first steps in office. What you will be doing in Columbus over the next four -- or eight -- years begins with how you project your leadership these next few weeks.

Your fellow citizens are far more concerned with how you intend to plug up to a $10 billion dollar shortfall -- that's $10,000,000,000.00, approximately $909 and change for every man, woman and child in Ohio -- in the budget without raising our taxes or cutting off our services. We're far more interested in the reforms you and your team will try to push through the Legislature while every Tom, Dick and Harry special interest squeals like a stuck pig and pulls out all the stops to protect their way of life. It matters more to Ohio how you get us and our neighbors working again, with jobs that make a difference to our community and provide a real future for our families without packing up the moving van and heading to Texas.

It starts with being on the up-and-up and building trust. Yes, it's your house. Yes, the histrionics from both sides over whether they'll get a picture of you swearing the oath before going to bed at midnight seems silly. But this is politics and the media, both of which you are all-to-familiar with.

Use some common sense: let the AP or a pool photographer enjoy a brief moment of hospitality in your home to take a photo for posterity. If you absolutely protect the privacy of your own home (I'm with you on that one, by the way) see if the local city hall or library if they mind you using their building to be sworn in at midnight. Get the Ohio State University's official photographer to snap away and send the images to the media. It was good enough for John F. Kennedy; it should be good enough for John R. Kasich.

You accepted the transition of private citizen to public leader when you filed the papers to run for Governor. Leadership is knowing when to pick a fight, and this small potatoes isn't worth the time, energy and political capital as you prepare to undertake the hardest job in Ohio.

Frat House Political Ads

I've been going over the swamp of political mailings -- I admit it, I'm a masochist and actually save this garbage through the election season. One thing screams at me: there's got to be a better system than allowing fraternity houses during "beer night" to develop ad campaigns for politicians.

Updated from Nielsen 4:32p: TV viewers in the Cleveland market were exposed to the highest proportion of political TV ads (23.4%) over the last month. Ohio’s capital city Columbus placed a very close second in the ranking with an estimated 23.37% of paid ads bought by political entities. Columbus, Portland, Sacramento, and Seattle rounded out the top five.

We need more grown-ups in the process. Ones who understand there's life after an election and flaming the crap out of an opponent only destroys the process because it makes voters want to vomit.

It's time to hold the frat boys (and girls) who dream up these stupid campaigns accountable. In some sense, that's what happened Tuesday in at least two of the Summit County state representative races.

Brian Williams is and has been an honorable, thoughtful community leader and politician. So has Lynn Slaby. Kristina Daley Roegner cares about her community and wants to work to make it better. So does Mike Moran.

So why can't they articulate the vision instead of spending all their resources to re-define their opponent?

Case in point: the ads targeting Lynn Slaby as pro-NAFTA, can't-wait to unload American jobs overseas, and frothing at the mouth to layoff 40,000 teachers.

The problem with these Columbus-originated attack ads -- remarkably in line with the aggressive personal slash-and-burn "f-bomb" style of Ohio Democratic Party chief Chris Redfern -- is that Summit County voters were already familiar with Slaby. It was common to hear voters both Democrat and Republican observe that the Summit County Prosecutor and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals had little to do with NAFTA when it was passed seventeen years ago.

This would have been the time for an adult to step up and remind the out-of-town creative advertising geniuses that voters really aren't that dumb, and they were going after someone people had voted for before, not a blank slate where "defining your opponent" would work.

Do negative attack ads work? Sometimes. Governor Strickland, handicapped by the worst economy in generations, had little choice but to present Congressman Kasich as a Wall Street insider. Where that strategy went astray is when Kasich re-defined the definition by pointing out the Lehman office wasn't on Wall Street but Columbus -- and then hammered his positive "morning in Ohio" message while standing at a crossroads.

Josh Mandel correctly earned the scorn heaped upon him for the despicable ads against Kevin Boyce in the campaign for State Treasurer, misleading voters to think Boyce was Muslim. The outrage -- across the board, mind you -- put Mandel on the defensive personally but he coasted in the election. Did he need to stoop so low to win against such an underfunded competitor? I worry that Mandel -- who led the statewide executive offices with the more than two million votes and the widest margin of victory -- won't heed the danger of just how much he hurt himself in the eyes of people who expected better. The electorate has a long memory when it comes to judging personal character, and in Mandel's case he's already disappointed and demeaned himself in a cakewalk. What would he be like when the contest is truly competitive? Mandel won, but at a cost of defining himself as a candidate who couldn't control his own message at a time when he didn't need to muddy himself or his opponent.

Here's the take Mandel had on the ad in October:



Look to the U.S. Senate contest. Rob Portman didn't need to attack Lee Fisher on a personal level, and set a higher standard in his advertising. Highlight Ohio's job creation record under Fisher was fair game because it reflected on policy and the record. Fisher himself, far behind with nothing to lose by going extreme negative, instead took a higher role even in defeat by staying on issue, tying Portman to trade policies that two years ago would have worked. But he remained on message and even employed humor in the closing days. Lee Fisher may have lost the race, but at least he could look at himself in the mirror the next morning with honor intact.

Would the three Akron issues that lost -- 11, 16 and 17 -- have had a better chance if supporters, funded mostly by Akron's corporations, concentrated not on getting even with opponents but presenting their reasoning to reasonable people? Or has the political discourse sunk to the level where only personal attacks and vituperative rhetoric cuts through the clutter of the voter's mindset to set the issue?

According to their campaign finance filing, Citizens for Akron spent money that came largely from Akron's corporate interests -- led by FirstEnergy, GOJO, Goodyear, Roetzel and Andress, Brouse McDowell, Thomarios -- amassing $86,000 to get that message across. There's an irony that increasing campaign spending limits was helped largely by a campaign funded almost exclusively by corporate campaign contributions.

I can't imagine any of those companies using a similar strategy marketing a new product or service to their customers. In the realm of community service and public debate, however, they willingly underwrote the smear strategy targeting the usual group of critics. Think this type of campaign is employed by these companies when their own names are on the ad?

The Beacon Journal was right, in it's "Covered In Mud" editorial of November 1, to point out:

"It is most disappointing, then, that Citizens for Akron, a group promoting the amendments, has chosen the very low road of personal attacks. In a mailing, ''Busted,'' it dishes dirt on a group of opponents dubbed a ''gang of scoundrels.''

In a political season that has produced its share of tripe and worse, ''Busted'' ranks among the lowest. It is classless. It is cheap. It is irrelevant to the pros and cons of the issues at stake. It does not advance the worthy cause it seeks to promote.

We in the media need to do a better job of holding the political ad fraternity to task for these ads. Voters need to do a better job of holding the candidates and political parties -- and yes, the companies and individuals who write the checks used to slime somebody accountable for smear strategies.

AFTERMATH: WTH Comes Next?

All the screaming, crying, kicking, mud-slinging, lying, shading the truth, spinning the facts and trying to drown out other viewpoints is over.

Now comes the hard part.

The campaigning itself isn't evil -- it's just what people do with it. Millions upon millions spent on vapid commercials, mailbox stuffers, pre-recorded phone calls got us to November 2.

Now it's November 3, and time to figure out just where the hell we go now with a deficit in the billions (yes, Billions with a B) forecast in Columbus and the ongoing deficit in the trillions (yes, Trillions with a T) in Washington likely to dominate every public policy discussion for at least the next five months.

Why five months? Because between now and swearing-in January, politics is about the transition, measuring office space, sending out resumes for political appointments if you've got an R tagged to your name and sending out resumes for real jobs if you've got a D tagged to your name.

Give both sides a couple more months to puff and fluff and do the positioning dance, then they'll be ready to start doing business by the time spring baseball season starts. So how exactly does one go about doing the right thing with the wounds of that hatchet in the back still fresh?

By taking the high road, of course, and following the advice of more seasoned hands who've both won and lost before. Put it behind us. Be true to who we are, but re-introduce the respect we expect from others into our dealings with our political enemies -- remembering people with differing viewpoints are still our fellow citizens, even friends, likely neighbors and certainly interested in making life in Ohio and America better for us, ours, you and yours.

I liked this email that came out of yesterday's election results. Brian Rothenberg heads up Ohio's Progressives -- they go further than the standard Democrat positions. He rightfully doesn't apologize for what he believes, but he does at least dial back the usual hyperbole pre-election and helps set the tone for what a loyal opposition should be doing: respecting the process the owners of the country use to set a direction, while still making sure their voices and observations are part of the debate.

Well done, Brian.

- - -

Over the haze of coffee this morning, surveying the news and election results, I did find someone who had it worse:

A Zimbabwean has been killed by a pride of lions while he was showering in a camp in the country's north.

So, fellow progressives, there were winners and losers yesterday, but we live another day. The guy in Zimbabwe had it much, much worse.

We'll leave analysis to others for now. Instead we ask our new Governor-elect to help answer these 10 lingering questions we have, as we move forward as Ohioans, Americans and citizens:

10. Redistricting: Many leaders, including Chairman Kevin DeWine and Secretary of State-elect Jon Husted, have long championed a fair and balanced approach to redistricting. Now that the GOP has control of the Apportionment Board, will you and Secretary Husted advocate for those issues in a consistent manner?

9. Reaching Out: Much was made about the tone of the campaign. Victory however was both narrow and sweeping. Will you reach out to the minority caucuses in the legislature? Will you reach out to ideological opponents? In short, will you govern to bring Ohioans into the room or perpetuate the politics of exclusion that has permeated Washington, D.C.?

8. Presidential Politics: Obviously there is now split government between Ohio's Statehouse and the Obama White House. Will the coming presidential campaign interfere with solutions in the face of national politics?

7. Higher Education: Much has been made of the Third Frontier Program and the work of Universities and private businesses in creating jobs. Will you continue the Third Frontier? Will you create measurable goals? Will you provide adequate ethical and administrative oversight of job development money in the University structure?

6. Primary Education: You've indicated we'll be increasing the role of charter schools in the state. Will you keep the Race to the Top money? Will you keep or increase the oversight of charter schools, particularly for-profit schools, in order to protect the usage of our state money? What other education issues are your

5. LGBT Rights: You have long been open as a conservative to some social issues. Will you continue the Governor's executive order about LGBT discrimination in executive departments? And will you champion legislation in this area to provide LGBT anti-discrimination provisions in Ohio code?

4. Business-Friendly: Ohio is now 'open for business.' What does that mean? What ethical and legal parameters will you put in place to make sure that being business friendly doesn't veer off into Noe-land?

3. Renewable Energy: You have indicated support for Governor Strickland's renewable energy programs after first expressing concerns. However, you've also come out for drilling in Lake Erie. Do you see Ohio being a leader in the clean energy field? What, if anything, will you do to emphasize job development in that sector?

2. Privatization: You have hinted at privatization. What exactly are we selling/leasing/shedding? Can you assure us these aren't one-time fixes that will cost us more in the long run? Which leads us to'¦

1. The Budget: Ok, you've said there will be no new taxes to fill the $8 billion budget hole. Now that the election is over, we need to know, how are you going to fix it?

Will individuals continue to bear so much of the tax burden compared to businesses? Will you use one time funds, including federal funds? Will you maintain needed services at the state level and not just shift government and tax burdens to the local level?

You are now in the same boat as Barack Obama was two years ago. You've won a long, difficult campaign and have large majorities in both bodies of legislature. Unemployment, the budget, education, and all of the other problems facing our great state lie squarely at your feet.

We stand ready, willing and able to work with you.

Where we disagree with you, it is our right and our duty to voice our concerns. Where we can find common ground for the good of our State '“ and yes there will be moments of common ground '“ we will seize those moments.

In the end we are all Ohioans who live breath, work and dream together. Let our role be a productive one, and let us hope for all of us, that advocacy and understanding can lead to a better place for all of us.

Brian Rothenberg
Executive Director, ProgressOhio.org

Working Together On That Democracy Thing

When is it appropriate for hard-fought competitors to team up? How about when the right thing matters -- like helping voters gain a better understanding of just who will make decisions in their name.

The germ of this came in a conversation with Bruce Winges, editor of the Akron Beacon Journal. We've discussed areas where it made sense for both of our media organizations to collaborate rather than simply compete.

Contrary to perception, there are plenty of such opportunities.

I am reminded of a Town Hall forum organized by the League of Women Voters of the Akron Area where Mike Douglas, the Beacon Journal's editorial page editor, acted as the moderator for a live stream on our website. It was informative, interesting community service and using our facilities together to spur thought and discussion is a mission shared by both WAKR and the Beacon Journal.

Our discussions with the candidates -- not quite the normal give-and-take one might find in an editorial board meeting with newspaper editors and reporters ahead of endorsement, but more than the Q&A sessions one would normally hear on WAKR's Ray Horner Morning Show.

LINK to AkronNewsNow video interviews with candidates Frank Comunale and Frank LaRose for the 27th District State Senate

Having interviewers from other media isn't unusual; Steve Hoffman proved that point a week ago as one of those participating in the U.S. Senate debate held in Cleveland between Lee Fisher and Rob Portman. What is unusual in this case is the ability to make these interviews available not only on the air or in print but also on both Ohio.com and AkronNewsNow.com as well as on Time Warner Cable.

Bill Jasso, who's journalism and community service chops date back to the glory days of WHLO and now works as vice-president for communications for Time Warner Cable locally, thought it was a good idea too.

Thanks to Bruce, Doug Oplinger, Mike Douglas, Steve Hoffman and Rick Armon for their work on this project.

We all still compete -- including for ad dollars -- but it makes sense for competitors to come together in public service. We're proud to be part of this outreach and endeavor and will look for other opportunities to work with our rivals to help make Akron and Summit County a better place to live.

Even when we still want to get the story first. Just as they do.

The Quote

Scrolling comments can be time-consuming and sometimes unpleasant -- there's a reason why scrolling can also be called trolling -- but occasionally it leads to an enlightening moment.

Tuesday's Wall Street Journal has an opinion piece weighing the pros and cons of extending unemployment insurance. Beyond the political of helping those in need matched by finding the money rather than just printing it, the piece challenges jobless benefits as actually extending and growing unemployment.

You'll decide on your own if the argument makes sense, but in the list of comments on the story there's a quote attributed to "18th century historian Alexander Tytler"; for those dismissive of Wikipedia as a source, the Wiki does include some of blogger Loren Collins' more extensive challenge.

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury.

"From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

"Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage."

Sounds real enough, doesn't it? But there's a great piece by Loren Collins -- a Georgia attorney and political hopeful running as a member of the Bull Moose Party -- first posted in 2004, now updated. He challenges the source of the quote, and debunking the "18th century historian" view of Tytler.

It's a nice reminder of how words can ring true whether or not there's truth behind them. At the very least it is thought provoking beyond the smoke and mirrors we're hearing from both sides in Washington these days.

Snowed Under but TGFJ

That's Thank God For Jake. Love the job Jake Tapper did on This Week this morning; on a day when Washington, D.C. was more worried about digging out than digging deeper into the issues, Jake keeps the focus on the issues. And bless Peggy Noonan!

Feeling Light Headed?

I guess I should be honored. After all, it isn't every day a national political figure reaches out with a "personal" letter. Let there be Light!

You may have seen the Cleveland Plain Dealer's coverage of "Ellie Light", the prolific letter writer published in dozens of newspapers, all listing local addresses.

Wow, now I'm on the list. Lucky me, I guess.

Ellie's took folks at Gannett in the Dairyland to task for apologizing for publishing her letter. Not even getting into discussion over the content, is it fraud to use false pretenses when using a local address?

- - -

My name is Ellie Light, and Gannett Wisconsin Media has officially apologized to Fox News for publishing my letter. Michele Malkin's website, based in Washington DC, had objected to my letter's publication in Wisconsin media, because it wasn't written by a Wisconsin resident.

Here is the letter I wrote that Gannett felt so ashamed for running:

"A year ago, if we had read in the paper that employers were hiring again,
that health care legislation was proceeding without a bump, that
Afghanistan suddenly became a nice place to take your kids, we would've
known we were being lied to. Back then, we recognized that the problems
Obama inherited as President wouldn't go away overnight.

During his campaign, Obama clearly said that an economy that took eight
years to break couldn't be fixed in a year, that Afghanistan was a
graveyard of empires, and would not be an easy venture for us. Candidate
Obama didn't feed us happy-talk, which is why we elected him. He never
said America could solve our health care, economic and security problems
without raising the deficit. Instead, he talked of hard choices, of
government taking painful and contentious first steps towards fixing
problems that can't be left for another day.

Right after Obama's election, we seemed to grasp this. We understood that
companies would be happy to squeeze more work out of frightened employees,
and would be slow to hire more. We understood that the banks that had
extorted us out of billions of dollars, were lying when they said they
would share their recovery. We understood that a national consensus on
health care would not come easily. Candidate Obama never claimed that his
proposed solutions would work flawlessly right out of the box, and we
respected him for that.

But today, the President is being attacked as if he were a salesman who
promised us that our problems would wash off in the morning. He never made
such a promise. It's time for Americans to realize that governing is hard
work, and that a President can't just wave a magic wand and fix
everything."

As you can guess, it wasn't the letter's origin that got under the big Fox's skin. I'd say it was the content. What do you think? Anyway, feel free to publish or post it as you see fit. If further verification is required, feel free to call me at XXX XXX XXX. If you Google "Ellie Light," you'll be told all kinds of things about me. Or, you could just call.

- - -

Now back to me.

Whatever "Ellie" wants to write is fine by me; there's a great (recent) history of bloggers and commenting from anonymous folks or those choosing a different handle. Does anyone really believe locations listed on Topix? Newspaper letters to the editor, however, supposedly require a bit more since the print edition stakes credibility on publishing public opinion from real people, not automated or "astroturf" campaigns.

Whatever Ellie thinks, fine -- but does lying about who and where you are mean you lie?

Thoughts?

Most Wanted: An Investigation

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...Akron's version of the political Great White Shark swims back along the beachfront. In this case, the shark description doesn't point to an individual -- I'd like to make that clear from the outset. It describes what has become the norm, the style, the tone of political discourse in Akron magnified by the latest chapter from the Mayor's office.

What we need is more investigation

From a media perspective, the weekend story of Don Plusquellic's interaction with Akron police, sparked by a 9-1-1 call about his driving, was fading from view after exploding Monday with the first word from 19 Action News and subsequent reporting from all media outlets. As the news cycle progressed, the story basically began to focus more on fact than speculation and by Wednesday morning it appeared to have exhausted itself. Most public response, pro and con, seemed to have moved on.

Plusquellic's news conference Wednesday re-ignited the story with his extraordinary charges he was targeted by a thousand dollar bounty offered APD officers by disgruntled members of the Akron Fire Department for dirt. Specifically, a grand incentive to sit outside clubs waiting for the Mayor, Fire Chief or deputy fire chiefs to exit under the influence to be stopped and arrested when driving under the influence.

This afternoon, the head of the Akron Firefighters Union IAFF Local 330, Phil Gauer, held his own news conference to respond to the Mayor's charge of a bounty on his head and the role an AFD Lieutenant played in this past weekend's 9-1-1 call. Gauer raises questions on the conduct of the mayor and his use of a city vehicle. In the same story, FOP Lodge 7 President Paul Hlynsky, representing police officers, says APD members would not hesitate to enforce the law on the mayor or anyone else but worry about retaliation.

The news cycle beast is fed again, and this will be the week we'll remember either as "the Drive" or "the Set Up" depending on your point of view.

To note such a bounty is offensive is beyond words. It paints a picture of Akron as Iron Curtain, with a Stasi-like secret police mentality turning friend against friend, neighbor against neighbor, worker against manager, all using the most vile methods such spy agencies are rightfully reviled and hated for. In this case, it's people we trust to protect us turning spymaster using some of the other people we trust to protect us against the people we choose to lead us.

I am no fan of the Mayor's personal style, but I do respect his leadership -- both good and bad. In this case, I respect the courage in making this public even as it saddens me his remarks add more fuel to the fire of Akron's desperate and despicable political underbelly. That we have reached this point is sad, but can any one of us say we are not surprised we've sunk to this level?

- - -

Mayor Plusquellic's revelation is being dismissed as paranoia by his detractors, but have no doubt there are those operatives on both sides of the political discussion who are comfortable and willing to play this game exactly as he describes. It is serious enough to not just let lay unanswered by people in this community who care deeply that Akron is better than this, and that respect and decency in the public marketplace of ideas and issues is something we have a right to demand and expect.

It's why we shouldn't just move forward and chalk this off to the latest colorful politics. If the Mayor's charge and observations are correct, does this rise to the level of bribery or obstruction of justice? Is it criminal or just bar talk from angry city workers, spawned on a bar stool of their own? Do we really want to keep walking past this car wreck of a cornerstone of what we expect from our political system -- the ability for all of us to express ourselves while still respecting the views of others, especially those who disagree with us? Haven't we reached the point of putting our foot down and saying "enough" yet when elected leaders are so brazenly not only stalked but openly hunted like Bambi before Thanksgiving?

- - -

The safe thing to do is wring our hands, make commentary and move on. This isn't one of those times, because this attacks the core of our political system. This is an attack on all of us, because if it's Don Plusquellic this time is it Russ Pry next? Don Robart? Chris Grimm? Bill Roth? Matt Patrick? Howie Chizek? Me? You?

The right thing to do is treat this as it is: assault on all of us. If indeed Mayor Plusquellic is the target of head-hunting video vigilantes pining to corner him in an embarrassing moment or, worst yet, fabricate such an incident, then it is something that should be fully investigated and prosecuted. This isn't about the free-flow of ideas, it is about protecting our public discourse and sending a clear and convincing message that such poli-paparazzi tactics won't be tolerated in our free and open society.

Prosecutor Walsh and Sheriff Alexander are in a unique position to fully and fairly investigate the allegations the Mayor is making. Representing both Democrat and Republican parties, both have earned the public trust to get to the bottom of this. Mayor Plusquellic should turn over the information he has, whether anecdotal or factual, for an independent investigator to research and weigh. If there is wrongdoing, it should be exposed. If it is criminal, it should be prosecuted. Those involved should be held accountable.

- - -

Finally a word to those in the spotlight.

In a story which won recognition and national awards for investigative journalism, KOAA-TV in Colorado Springs was getting repeated tips that a local prosecutor, in charge of prosecuting DUI cases, was in fact living a double life. They decided to see for themselves and investigated the prosecutor, even taping several bar trips and drinking habits. The prosecutor was understandably outraged that his conduct would be on such public display, disputed the drink count and has promised voters he isn't drinking again while using a county-owned car. According to recent news accounts, he is in a tough fight for re-election. At least one local newspaper, when endorsing the prosecutor's opponent, admits the scandal is big enough for voters to consider but only in examining the total operation of the office.

In this particular report by the Colorado Springs TV station, reporters followed the public official in question multiple times before assembling the report they eventually aired. I think there is a big difference in a journalism enterprise undertaking such an investigation as opposed to a general public shadowing of a public official. Such reporting by the television station brings to the case legal reviews and the standards reporters observe in compiling investigative work. The standard is higher than simply following someone.

The Colorado case isn't the same as this latest event involving the mayor and public safety forces in Akron. There is no credible evidence the mayor was impaired; a police lieutenant determined Plusquellic's demeanor, appearance or behavior did not trigger further investigation. If there was any lapse on the part of the mayor it is his heavy foot on the gas pedal, something he is well-familiar with and admits.

That said, in today's age of instant publication (including video) it should serve as a not-so-subtle warning to all public officials and public figures that they are not invisible. More than ever, their actions make them more accountable to those who put them in office or place them on a pedestal. Like it or not, the public spotlight comes with a sharp price to pay in the loss of privacy and sometimes perspective.

Putting their names before us and asking us voters to choose them to lead is still public service, not a public waiver. It bears repeating: if it's something you wouldn't do with everybody watching -- don't do it.

Is A Little Quiet Asking Too Much?

With three weeks to go before elections impacting city council seats across the region; school board races determining the direction local education of our kids should take; whether or not we can bet on Ohio or even assure that lump of chicken on our plates was treated humanely -- what is it we're talking about?

What kind of driver is Mayor Plusquellic?

We're at war on two fronts, with our best and brightest putting life and limb on the line seeking to establish toeholds of democracy on the shores of radical Islam; we're striving to figure out if the way we provide and pay for health care can be upgraded; we're well over a trillion dollars in debt, and growing.

We're not talking about these issues, either.

Akron just laid off 39 firefighters and temporarily staved off deeper layoffs of police officers until the end of the year. The City is now locked into spending tens of millions of dollars to shuttle what we flush away from the drainage when it rains. The County and cities in greater Akron are slicing into shrinking budget pies while we insist on the same, if not more, government service.

Those aren't the topics of the day.

It's whether Mayor Plusquellic is treated differently than the rest of us, whether he was set up by more than circumstance, and if he was suffering behind the wheel from after-party effects of a night out with friends. His fiercest critics are now scrambling to shout this proves everything they've ever said about him.His most vocal defenders decry the atmosphere where a guy can't even go to a birthday party at a local restaurant without being stalked by people out to get him.

Welcome to Akron politics.

This morning, "Melanie" was on WHLO's Matt Patrick program, discounting critics who say the stalking of the Mayor was a setup. She maintains she was acting in the public interest by calling to warn police of Plusquellic behind the wheel, even to the point of following him from the Firehouse Grille and Pub on Tallmadge Avenue (anyone else get the irony of the location, given the recent fire department layoffs?) on to Memorial Parkway before recounting what it's like traveling in Don's wake to Hickory Street.

We're in question mode on Akron's political version of "Speed Racer":

- The Mayor was driving fast and allegedly swerving -- so how it is "Melanie" and her boyfriend were able to keep up without breaking the law themselves? Plusquellic claims their chase car was also driving fast and erratic in hot pursuit;

- "Melanie" now admits she knew all along it was the Mayor behind the wheel, from the point where they admittedly followed him from the Firehouse Grille and Pub down Tallmadge and on to Memorial Parkway. His critics claim to have video of him peeling out of the parking lot. Doesn't that fuel charges this might be political in nature? If I thought someone was following me at one in the morning, I think I'd be tempted to get away from them;

- The owner of the Firehouse says she specifically talked with Plusquellic, said he looked fine. She told us she asked him if he was O.K. to drive. She noted the mayor backed off any legal beverages for the last hour of the party and was drinking ice water. Mayor Plusquellic says he was attending a party full of cops, including the police chief. Would they all let him drive off if he were intoxicated? Forget for a moment they are police officers (both current and retired, sworn to uphold the law) -- they're his friends. Would you let your friend drive drunk, especially knowing his a high-profile friend in the crosshairs of political enemies? It is a classic rule: just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

- at least four APD units responded to the call at Highland Square; they decided just one would make the determination the Mayor's appearance and behavior didn't trigger asking for further testing to determine impairment. "Melanie" gave the dispatcher a very specific report, even down to the license plate. Why no walking the line, or blowing into a breathalyzer? Would you or I get that kind of gentle treatment, especially from police officers now trained with zero tolerance of drunk driving?

- - -

All said, one still has to wonder if there's somebody, anybody, bending Don Plusquellic's ear that there might be better places to spend his time after midnight. Maybe you have the same gut reaction from those of us after-50 types at the radio station when first hearing the story: shouldn't adults over 30 be in bed for hours at the time the Mayor was driving home? Is this guy a magnet for this kind of trouble, or what?

As I noted in an earlier blog following the August story when the Mayor and friends found themselves witnesses to a street fight, not much good comes after midnight.

The police treatment of the Mayor should come under scrutiny as it should when dealing with any public figure. That's the nature of public figure and public official that goes with the territory. It is a double-edged sword, this part of being public. It opens doors and places us at the front of the line, most of the time. It also means our business when out and about is everybody's business, and anyone in public life should understand life under the magnifying lens both illuminates and burns at the same time. Celebrity and public life mean never being invisible. People will and do take notice.

In the case of the Mayor, the political environment in Akron clearly exists against a backdrop of backbiting, finger pointing, "gotcha" and personal attacks. This game is played by both sides, even to the point of explaining 1:00 a.m. traffic stops, 2:30 a.m. 9-1-1 calls after bar fights, verbal scuffles with parking lot attendants, critics of overspending with huge back tax liabilities, questioning the motives of those just asking questions, or vituperative attacks on those with opposing viewpoints. The comment pages on AkronNewsNow.com and Ohio.com are full of some of the most hateful, disrespectful posts one could imagine. Free speech isn't necessarily nice speech.

Anyone with political aspirations be warned: Akron's political environment can be poison laced with the personal. You have to have skin the thickness of a brick to make it in this world.

This isn't to say Don Plusquellic isn't entitled to live his life as he sees fit. He's a person who seems either hard-driving, passionate, hard-edged or always angry depending on what side you come across at any given time. He's entitled to enjoy a night with friends, he's allowed to enjoy a drink, he's allowed to croon with the karaoke machine to his heart's content (we're waiting for that video, by the way) and all without hurting another soul. It appears to me that's exactly what happened this past weekend, except those intentions crossed over to the intersection of the political.

I find it hard to believe "Melanie" went to all the trouble of leaving the same time, following the Mayor and then calling him in as pure citizenship. Akron's political environment simply raises too many red flags to believe such circumstance exists in a town where the "get" is such an important political trophy.

If his only crime is enjoying some good times with friends, then by God all of us should be so lucky to be committing the same crime.

- - -

Just last week, the Beacon Journal covered a poll which showed more than half of our neighbors no longer cared about the neighborhood. Most of Akron wouldn't recommend Akron to others. They've tuned it out; being part of the community doesn't matter anymore. One has to ask if one reason might be the community doesn't seem to want them anymore. We've become so invested in tearing down that we've forgotten how to build up. One wonders if this environment is beyond cleaning up.

Political Sainthood?

Maybe it's just me on a rainy, chilly Thursday morning...but does anyone else wonder why the photo editor at the Akron Beacon Journal decided to pick the photo of Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner that shows her with a halo? I mean, I'm betting the Beacon isn't a big fan of Jack Morrison to begin with -- but graphically deciding it's Dragon Jack versus St. Jennifer?

My apologies for not having a cleaner photo; taken with the mobile phone camera. The ABJ's story is here and you'll find other coverage, including Morrison's letter, here on AkronNewsNow.com. There's additional links on the ANN version in case you need help getting up-to-date.

Jack doesn't look like a happy guy in this photo while Jennifer's coming off like Joan of Arc.

For the record: I still think Morrison should step down from the University of Akron Board of Trustees and this case also raises enough question for local republicans to look for other leadership to represent them on the Board of Elections.

Jack Morrison may very well win the legal arguments of this case. The political decision, however, is one of appearance. In politics it is the perception that serves as currency, and the perception now is Morrison is a distraction and liability. It doesn't diminish his service both to University and party, which has been considerable. Contrary to the partisan calls for his removal I don't think it permanently tars Morrison's reputation, but it is a reminder of how appearances matter in the public arena.

Ultimately judges will decide the legality of Morrison's case; the jury now is the political public, and that ought to be more of a consideration.

Looking For Voter Direction

Halfway through the September 8 city primary day there's one bit of wisdom voters seem only too happy to part with: having an election day right after a holiday may not have been the brightest idea.

Of course, you made it to the polls already through that absentee/early vote, right? About five-thousand Akron voters reportedly asked for the E-Z Vote (wish I'd trademarked that one...) form to do their patriotic duty, but only three-thousand turned in their ballots so far.

Unlike past years where a big absentee vote was an indicator of interest, however, this may just be a sign that voters have finally figured out voting early means no longer being tied to a Tuesday.

When we checked in around mid-morning the best planning for the long day by elections officials seemed to be packing books or cards -- the non-partisan kind with kings, queens, jacks and aces along with the numbers. I'd note you could shoot a cannon off in the place, but that would assume there were enough people around to light the fuse.

This election bears closer watching than your normal Akron turnout because it's the first real test of political clout by both sides following the June Recall. Mayor Plusquellic's team won handily then, and the Citizens for Akron Committee boldly moved ahead in attempting to solidify the Mayor's already tight grasp on Council by trying to sweep out those few dissenting voices to be heard with a discouraging word.

But a negative campaign mailer slapping a scarlet "R" on Council's Mike Williams, John Conti and even Bruce Kilby may have backfired. These incumbents tell me it really served to fire up their supporters based on the reaction they get in face-to-face campaigning as opposed to political discourse through the mailbox.

Does Don Plusquellic get his way with the Citizens for Akron-endorsed slate? Is the push from official Akron enough to propel the experienced ticket of Terry Albanese, Jim Shealey and Jeff Fusco past Williams, Conti and another player such as Linda Omobien, Joe Finley or Kelly Mendenhall among others? Just what impact did the shenanigans of David Reymann and Ernie Tarle in Wards 6 and 7 have on those local races?

Punditry aside, nobody's plunking down money on this. Too many variables, including the weather (rain today) and turnout (very light) which benefit either side depending on who you may be talking with. It is a test, however -- a challenge to see if the alliances forged during the recall election both for and against the mayor remain strong enough to focus on what is the next step in Akron's political infighting: either consolidation of power or a new way to do business.

Joe Finley's performance head-to-head against the mayor two years ago was enough to provide a scare, and what anti-Plusquellic forces felt was a chink in the political armor. Now Finley is on the ballot again, but on his own and not running against someone. There is a Mendenhall on the ballot but it isn't Warner, it's wife Kelly. The two most powerful anti-Don brands Akron may not even be the most potent at-large vote-getters.

Whatever the results tonight, this election provides a useful glimpse into whether there truly is a political machine operating at the behest of the Mayor -- or the strength of the political muscle flexed by Plusquellic's most vocal opponents.

Respect v Genuflect

Folks watching NewsNight Akron on Western Reserve Public Media (yeah, that's the old PBS 45/49 for those of us not following at home) will hear continuing conversation on the Vietnam Memorial Park's bench.

It's been a banner week here with plenty of discussion over the role we give our elected officials. In Akron, it was sparked by the Akron Beacon Journal's Bob Dyer, first to point out the tasteless granite bench Akron provided for the Memorial Park in Clinton.

In the event you missed it, Bob's original story. In summation, Akron sent a bench with a quick toss-away line and Mayor Plusquellic's name while every other participating city took it as an opportunity to inspire and thank rather than extend the political brand.

Eric Mansfield, Phil Trexler, M.:L Schultze and I follow suit. I'll likely take some heat for comparing the rush to slap a politician's name on anything that doesn't move to a dog's desire to mark their territory. The thought stayed with me while driving to Akron this morning, coming through Macedonia (where Mayor Don Kuchta's name is on signs) through Cuyahoga Falls (where Mayor Don Robart's name is on signs) into Akron (where Mayor Don Plusquellic's name is on signs) and the studio.

Does anyone think we need the name of elected officials splattered on cars, park entrances, city limits, state lines or even gas pumps?

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Some of this thinking plays out in my thoughts on President Obama's plans to address school kids next Tuesday; this webcast/cablecast comes the day before he addresses the rest of us on the subject of health care. Fox Television already says they won't carry the address, opting for entertainment instead. Here at Rubber City Radio, WAKR will carry the address thanks largely to the Indians having a night off. Otherwise, we would stream it.

When the President of the United States asks for time to talk directly to voters -- after all, we're the ones who decide who manages the country every four years -- we should clear the time. But in today's fractured media landscape one or two networks skipping the speech isn't the end of the world, although it does call to question that network commitment to helping the public stay informed. Between NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, CNN Headline, CNN Financial, CSPAN123, Fox News Television, radio and web I can't imagine anyone who wants to listen or watch is being denied.

Having landed in favor of airing the address, however, I do believe it's important to note why and accept others won't make the same call. Just because the President wants the time doesn't mean they should get the time. We established early on that America is a nation built on the concept of all of us are created equal (not just the men, by the way), and while it's taken us a long time to fully embrace that concept it really does mean ALL. That includes Presidents, Governors, Mayors, Senators -- all the way down the list. It is appropriate to ask we respect the office, even respect the person -- but to take it to the next level seen by politicians to splatter their name, image and cause in every aspect of our lives makes me uncomfortable.

We have a right to object to bowing down to any man (or woman) who expects it just because we elected them to manage our affairs. We've allowed the political class to use our parks, road signs, post offices and public buildings for their own personal branding for far too long, but until Dyer's column showcased the logical extension of that mindset it was easy for us to dismiss the cult of personality seemingly driving today's politics.

On Facebook recently I noted schools can't allow God through the door -- anybody's God -- so why is it acceptable for politicians to waltz right in? Seems to me kids should be learning how to read, and don't really need the President (or Governor, or Mayor) to get in their faces and remind them why they're in school.

A good friend weighed in that the President should get the chance because he's the President. That works when he's addressing a joint session of Congress, but to pull kids out of class to watch him on television? There's a uniquely American question to be asked when authority is used as an excuse: so what? Is that really enough of a reason to turn elementary school into another place to spread the political personal brand?

On Schools and Political Cults

There's a simple phrase liberal activists like to use when rallying their troops: "no justice, no peace." Can we amend it to include "no God, no politicians?"

I'd like to say I find amusing the current flap over plans by President Obama to follow in the footsteps of...wait for it...George H.W. Bush. On Tuesday, President O is supposed to address students across the nation just like President 41 did nearly two decades ago.

This White House even had lesson plans ready to go; at first, students were asked to write an essay on how they could help the president. Now the geniuses in Washington realize how creepy that sounds, so they're asking our little skulls-full-of-mush to just write how they can realize their own dreams and goals.

Why should this creep all of us out? Because, deep down, we all have good reason to fear what happens when hero worship turns to just plain worship. Check out this video aired in a Utah school district where Hollywood stars giving their "pledge" go a bit over-the top:



Hey, just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me. I've always wondered just how so many people march in lockstep (or goosestep) in the cults of personality that inevitably lead us astray.

Back when H.W. did it folks on the left weren't happy; using the system for politics, they said. Now the folks on the right are squealing with the shoe on the other foot. They're both political pigs.

The irony here is school across the nation won't let God -- anybody's God, even talk of it -- in schools.

Why then do we even entertain the thought of exposing kids to politics?