Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I hated to post this because it pushed ''Digging up Bones'' off the front page, but cest-la-vie.

So we seemed to have agreed on a Mayoral candidate for November. Now, as soon as someone asks him we'll see how it pans out. I suppose his supporters will wait to see the vote tally tonight before proceeding. I mean if Issue 9 fails, there will be no city left to support. Fix and Weltlich will have bought it, lock, stock and barrel. I am sure some council candidates will pop up that might work out with the right mentoring. My concern lies with the offices of trustee and school board member.

I think it is time that we get candidates from the city to sit in these offices. I am the Mayor?’s bane. I am a stay at home Mom and housewife. I am not stupid. I have an advanced degree. I study issues, ask questions when I don?’t understand, make informed decisions and network with my peers to share the information. I think we city residents are grossly underrepresented in the offices I mentioned. Can someone tell me the last time a city resident sat on the trustee board? Also, can someone tell me when the last time was that a city resident sat on the board of education?

I don?’t want to see either office turn into a city versus the world scenario with the addition of a city resident, but at least we would have some assurance that our rights are being represented and considered. I get the feeling that the trustees act like the only time the city is considered part of the township is for votes and our money. They act like everything else is us versus them. The school board claims all the growth is in the township (isn?’t it nice to hear that instead of only the city is growing??) so they build all the new schools in the township. Don?’t you think that given the much higher quality of service the city police department is capable of providing to Central that the schools would say ?“We need that at North, too?” and petition the city for annexation of that campus? Does the school board ever look at the city for anything but opening their wallet each and every election cycle?

I have a family to raise right now and can?’t run for office. What I would ask, though, is that any of you people reading this website that are city residents, please consider representing our city on the board of trustees or the board of education.

Thank you.

Competing PAC

I think what we here in the City have done for some time is to allow ourselves to be control by the outside. I believe, I remember when we had the Rickets in both the council/Mayor (Rita) and a Township Trustee (John). I am not sure things went smooth then or not. I believe the last City resident to serve on the board of Trustees was Mary Hartman. She didn?’t do the city much good or protect the city residents and she was replaced by Mr. Weltlich.

I will say that even back 15 to 20 years ago our single biggest scourge has been candidates that want to go on for higher office. Those are the candidates that have a national political party behind them and their single most concern is that National Party and its candidates. Many times these local candidates backed by the national party can be highlighted with the political machine behind their campaign. Many times they end up being the top vote getters because of that machine.

Let?’s review the past few top vote getters: Mayor David Shaver (council race in 2001, 2003), Councilperson Heidi Riggs (2003), Councilperson Jeff Fix (2005), and former councilperson Brian Fox (2000).

I voted for all of these candidates but if they ran today I would not. I have been very disappointed in all of them.

One of the reasons a person runs is a sense of responsibility and they want to give back to the City. If the reason is that they want to build their political resume then they are bad for us in the City and we should know that up front. Only after the fact did we realize that Mayor Shaver had a ?“Life Long Dream to be a Judge.?” That was only two years into his term for Mayor. The question remains where is Heidi and Jeff heading. Certainly they are more than willing to give away the city?’s right in exchange for township votes for an obvious higher office.

I understand that PACs can be formed to support independent candidates. Those that are only interested in the City and will devote their time and energy in that pursuit. It could be made up with Democrats, Republicans and Non-partisan members.

At one time the NW Republican club was riding high with the ?“best interest?” of the community in mind. Then came the governor?’s race and that blew the wheels off the fruit cart. They had a convicted crook in office and an evangelist running. Many were turned off and those that are the top vote getter are oblivious to its outcome. They still think they can ride the club to victory in their next level of their political career.

Instead of all of this pie in the sky talk about generating millions of dollars in tax revenues in yet unnamed JEDDs let's try to take of the needs of the City first. If we have a strong Pickerington then we will have a strong community.

If we could form that non-partisan PAC then we could promote and recruit those members of the City willing to step forward and actually serve the city voters. Yes we do need to see people from the City serve on the school board and the township board of trustees. But to do that we will need a support group in place first to make that move. It will need to be a cross section of the City population not some elitists group. I am hoping they step forward soon before it is too late.