Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Run Again!

Mr. Noll,

I read your letter to the Lancaster Eagle Gazette and personally appreciate what you are doing.

Hopefully, you will reconsider and throw that ''R'' behind your name and run again.

The entire county needs responsible, honest, concerned, productive, and ethical people in our county office, regardless of their politic's.

And today the ''R's'' have it.

Thank you Mike,

Tim Bryant

Bob Harding's Question


Bob,

Thanks for reminding me that I did not answer your question here about the levy committee contributions.

Yes, $6685 of the $10,500 builders' donations went into Gail Oakes' pocket.

Yes, here are your campaign donors:
Dominion Homes - $1,000.00 9/5/02
Rockford Homes - $1,500.00 9/11/02
Centex Homes - $2,000.00 10/16/02
Homewood Corp. - $1,000.00 10/16/02
Trinity Homebuilders, Inc. - $1,000.00 10/16/02
Homewood Corp. - $2,000.00 10/21/02
M/I Schotenstein Homes - $500.00 10/28/02
Donley Homes - $1,500.00 8/29/02

And, here are your campaign expenses:
Capitol Citicom, Inc. - $4,700.00 10/21/02
Capitol Citicom, Inc. - $1,985.00 4/24/02

Thanks, Bob, for asking the question again about the levy finances. So there you have it -- builders donations went into Gail Oakes pocket. Reading This Week in Pickerington it appears another elected official is being bought by home builders too. Maybe, Bob, you may want to educate us on that one too (since you like to discuss people's whose last names start with 'S')

Let's talk profit


Mark - What you failed to mention is the profit implications to the contributors & Gail Oakes.

Gail Oakes profit = $0 - all $'s went to Levy Sign costs

Builders, however, subsidized the levy so they conld continue their uncontrolled building practices & leave ''Pickerington Schools'' on their signs.

If you notice all the builders use it. However what they don't use is:

Overcrowded Schools

Your child will have an extremely good chance to be shuttled

Heat is turned down to save money so we can educate an inordinate & unplanned, excess # of new students each year - courtesy of the Pickerington City Council & the BIA

Pickerington Schools didn't cut sports - however, Kindergarten, Middle School Foriegn language, Teaching positions & materials are at record lows - we do more with less & less & less - unless of course it's the new Jr/High School Complex.

This again is attributed to the high rate of residential housing developments in our community. These homes are of low value & crammed into lots so the taxes they do eventually bring are no where what's needed for children they produce.

What's the profit per house these builders make & what's their contribution to the community?

And what's their investment?? A few bucks to fund a levy to cause others to pay for the school needs they create, Sports programs for one year. They need to build a school, or two, or three.

You want to harp on someone pick someone who didn't turn around & spend all the money on the sign materials.

Builders are who are costing the School District dearly.

Gail Oakes & Levy Signs


I am amazed at the number of postings here that seemingly know all about Gail Oakes' business and whether or not it incurred a profit or a loss on a particular piece of business.

However, the size of profit Oakes' business made doing the levy signs taking donations from the PTOs and home builders is irrelevant to the compliance with the Ohio Ethics Law.

The fact is Oakes' bill was $1200 over budget. And, she must prove by an objective standard that the levy signs were unobtainable elsewhere at the same or lower cost. She must prove that no one else was willing to donate the signs. That's the law. The Ohio Ethics Law does not discuss size of profit, it specifically states same or lower cost -- that's the legal standard.

In fairness to Oakes, you all should want the Ohio Ethics Commission to provide a confidentially investigation to clear up the matter once and for all. Anyone can asked the Ohio Ethics Commission to investigate and your request will remain anonymous forever.

Like on this website, just provide them a tip and you'll remain anonymous. That's probably the best way to restore Oakes' integrity.