Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Article published Jun 9, 2006
Democrats elect committee members
By CARL BURNETT JR.
The Eagle-Gazette Staff
cburnett@nncogannett.com


LANCASTER - Fairfield County Democrats re-elected the leadership that recruited new blood into party, allowing it to take control of the Lancaster City Council for the first time since the 1970s.
Dale Graham got another nod as chairman of the executive committee, while Susan Bloom was elected chairwoman of the central committee.
The executive committee is in charge of the daily operations of the local party. The other executives elected were:
Jerry Woodgeard was elected vice chairman. Annie Deitz was elected secretary, and Peter Kukla was re-elected treasurer.
''I think they've done a good job,'' said Betty Arent, a central committee member from Lancaster . ''They were able to take over city council in the last municipal election, and we need to get more candidates elected.''
She said the biggest challenge in the future is to find ways to provide more jobs in Fairfield County.
''All of my children drive out of the county for their jobs,'' Arent said. ''One of my daughters drives to Dublin every day, and it costs her $50 a week in gas. We've got to find ways to bring better-paying jobs into Fairfield County. But I think we are on the right track; Dale's done a good job.''
The Fairfield County Democratic Central Committee members are elected by local democrats in the primary. The central committee then elects its executive officers and the executive committee.
In the central committee, Karl Stalter was elected Bloom's vice chairman and Sue Tooill was elected secretary.
Dave Benson, a central committee member from Bloom Township, said he also has been pleased with the leadership of the party over the last couple of years.
''I think the leadership has done a good job attracting new people into the party,'' Benson said. ''And they've got good candidates to run in the November general election.''
Benson said the biggest task facing Democrats is getting information about their candidates to the voters.
''The state of Ohio has to address the public school funding issue,'' Benson said. ''The government can't place school funding on the backs of property owners. They've got to do something about it.''
Graham said the Democratic Party is growing in Fairfield County. The May 30 reorganization meeting was standing-room-only, he said.
''We know it is still tough to run as a Democrat in Fairfield County, but there is a lot of excitement with the statewide and national races,'' Graham said. ''A lot of people are coming out to support Ted Strickland's gubernatorial race.''

The Fairfield County Democratic Central Committee voted for members of its executive committee May 30.
The members are:

Dyke Andrews
Susan Bloom
Mary Kern
Alice Nicolia
Leota Robbins
Dave Bornino
Jerry Woodgeard
Ron Bezouska
Harry Hiles
Ruth Andrews
Rudy Touvell
Tim Mangan
Tony Barletta
Tom Thornton
Ray Stoneburner
Mike Oatney
Ilo Bradley
George Hallarn
Andrea Watts
Kay Watts
Hugh Schaffner
Bob Muckenstrum
Paul Blackston
Sue Tooill
Larry Blair
Jay Snipes
Leah Holden
Marvine Judy
Melody Bobbitt
Fred Strawser
Karl Stalter
Peter King

Mary Green will be appointed to the executive committee at the June meeting.
If you want to get involved with the Fairfield County Democratic Party, call Executive Committee Chairman Dale Graham at 740-653-3129.

Eyes Wide Open

Time to look at the other side of the coin here in good old Fairfield County. We hear endlessly about all the Republicans and their antics. Frankly, I am tired of the same old crap regarding how wonderful all these people are when I know so many of them personally and know they are definitely not wonderful or some are not even what I could consider good people.

I am inviting the Democrats to start posting to this site. I know a couple of the people listed in my posting above are from Pickerington and I would like to know what you have to say. I am a Republican but will not, under any circumstances support a person of such hypocritical behavior such as Blackwell for governor. For me it?’s Strickland all the way. I would like to offer up this forum for you Democrats to begin to enlighten this predominately Republican forum on your candidate.

I invite any of the usual posters to this site to tell us about any of the people they know from the Democratic Central Committee and Executive Committee. I?’ll start. I know Tony Barletta. Tony has been a staunch supporter of the efforts to change the leadership in the Pickerington area. I have always found him to be honest, hard working, ethical and a good neighbor. Tony is a good family man and stands by his word. It?’s only too bad that some of the people he has supported in Pickerington didn?’t follow his example.

Curiously, a name I expected to see on this list but didn?’t is Mr. Patrick Bowen. Pat is a card carrying Democrat, a consummate politician and member of the Republican Club of NW Fairfield County. If not a dues paying member he certainly is in the leadership of this club. He is always at meetings with the leadership of the club, especially the closed meetings or strategy sessions or whatever they call them so the actual dues paying Republican members are not ever invited to attend. Pat is credited with running the wildly successful campaign of Republican Heidi Riggs for Pickerington City Council. Remember, Heidi got the most votes for a council candidate ever cast. ?–Ever! Pat also ran the successful campaign of Keith Smith for council. Keith is a sometimes Republican, sometimes undeclared person depending on what he needs to be to get what he wants. Sort of like Terry Dunlap. Pat also taught us a valuable lesson about the use of a slate in an election. The lesson is ?“screw your buddies?”.

Most importantly is Pat the Democrat?’s running of the partisan county commissioner race for Steve Elsea. Pat, Steve ?– what the heck happened?? You lost big. How could you have let this happen? Losing is one thing but losing this big? What did you do or not do? I guess this doesn?’t bode well for what we presume will be your running of the Blackwell campaign in the county. I mean Riggs and Elsea are big players in the Blackwell county campaign and if it is convenient for Smith to be a Republican in this race he?’ll be a player. Blackwell must be at risk for losing the county. How can he carry the state if he can?’t carry this crucial county?

And Pat, I heard you were also more than a little involved in the Farmer for Rep campaign and wasn?’t Shaver relying heavily on you for his judicial campaign? Are you just spread too thin or have the ?“real?” Republicans opened their eyes a little at a Democrat so deeply involved in partisan Republican issues?

Who do you know? Tony, do you read this? Are you willing to begin to open our eyes to something in life other then the county Republican Party? I hope so.

Democrats Rising

I thank the previous poster for the invitation. My involvement with the party started a couple of years ago, when Ohio unfortunately caused George the Lesser to be elected president. While opinions between Republicans and Democrats differ on some issues, if you take exception to Ann Coulter's advice and Talk to a Liberal, you'll find a wide spectrum of agreement. The first thing we can agree on is we want qualified candidates running for office. For Clerk of Courts we have Peter Kukla. Peter is a information systems professional. Experienced in data security. Peter would be a great improvement over the current office holder. Personally, I like a candidate I feel represents my interests, rather than those of a special interest. My family and children are most important to me. I had the opportunity to hear Ted Strickland talk about his priorities for Ohio. Of local interest are the school funding issues that have been ignored by our current Republican majority government. A route to a solution is to look at what neighboring states have done, pick the best solution and tailor it for Ohio. Ted is not against local control. I believe he would give us the tools we need to get the funding we need, as opposed to nothing but hot air. There is a great slate of candidates across the state, and in the local races. If you'd like to read more about the candidates, the website for the fairfield county democratic party is http://www.ffcdp.net/.

Totally agree

I usually vote for the candidate, not necessarily the party, although that is impossible to do in the primary due to declaring your party affiliation. The GOP from the ''W'' down to Taft down to local politics has largely been ineffective,prone to scandal,and a complete disaster for the economy. I would also like to hear some views from local Dems and see that party better publicized.

By lin