EDITOR:

EDITOR:
If a stunning ignorance of the facts and the willingness to flat-out lie at the drop of a hat were the primary qualifications for the office of Mahoning County Democratic party chair, then Don Hanni III would undoubtedly be the hands down favorite in the contest for the post which, according to Vindicator political writer David Skolnik, the former school board member will seek next year.
Fortunately, those characteristics, possession of which Mr. Hanni amply demonstrated in his letter to the editor of may 27, almost certainly - and reassuringly for the community - doom him to finish the race for chair where he belongs: in the gutter.
Of course, I'm not surprised by the fact that Mr. Hanni would engage in a scurrilous attack against me and current Democratic party chair David Ditzler - after all, we've been beating the living daylights out of Hanni-backed candidates for the past three years: Rick Durkin and Joe Rafidi whose overtly racist campaigns against Sarah Brown Clark were nothing less than a disgrace; Debbie Taylor and her regressive view of county government; Sam Moffie and Kathy Miller who teamed up in a ridiculous, but typically Hanniesque attempt to steal a commissioner's seat, along with others too numerous - and distasteful - to mention. I was surprised, however, that Mr. Hanni would choose to lie about something, ie. that I have been paid handsomely by the Mahoning County Democratic Party after every election, that is so demonstrably false.
The fact is, and the Party's campaign finance reports will show, that I've never received one penny from the Party for any of the work I've done since Mr. Ditzler became chairman. I've provided my services free of charge in large part to ensure that talented, caring, ethical Democratic candidates defeated the ragtag crew of so-called Democrats, Republicans, and Independents Mr. Hanni and his cohorts have supported in recent primary and general election. I am gratified by the small role I have played in helping the Party elect what may well be the most outstanding group of officeholders to ever serve our county. And I was never less than impressed by Chairman Ditzler's hard work and commitment to the party and its candidates. Mr. Hanni and others seeking the chairmanship will undoubtedly continue to lie about Mr. Ditzler's record between now and the election of the next party chair, but those who know and study the party's performance will recognize immediately that the existing leadership has amassed an impressive record of electoral success.
Finally, I would urge all concerned Democrats, as well as every citizen of Mahoning County, to summarily reject Mr. Hanni's quest to gain control of the party. The last thing we need in this community as we stand on the verge of ridding ourselves of the most visible and troubling symbol of our dysfunctional political system is a return to the racism, sexism, regressively, and tolerance of corruption that were hallmarks of the Democratic Party the last time someone named Hanni sat as party chair. Hopefully, this Hanni's willingness to lie will end his campaign before it begins.
LEO A. JENNINGS III
Canfield