Sunday, March 17, 2002
Many people weren't even sure who is in the Trumbull County commissioner race.
By STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Enron, the war on terrorism, local layoffs and the downward slide of the Mahoning Valley were political topics of great concern to shoppers lingering on benches in Eastwood Mall on a weekday afternoon.
The upcoming Democratic primary election for Trumbull County commissioner was not.
None of the dozen shoppers polled had strong feelings about either candidate in the race, which pits one-term Commissioner James G. Tsagaris against David C. Cook of Warren, who is not working.
"I'll vote," said Shirley Fraser, 53, of Warren.
But at this point, she has no idea for whom.
The May primary will determine who gets the $67,363-a-year job, since the lone Republican candidate dropped out of the race last week.
"I don't even know who they are," said Dr. Divino Ugto Bustamante, a physician from Howland. "If I like their platforms, I might vote."
Same reaction: Retirees relaxing at a suburban branch of the Warren-Trumbull County Public library, men waiting for a haircut at Ron's Barber Shop in Cortland and students killing time between classes in a lounge at Kent State University Trumbull Campus all gave more or less the same story.
"I don't even know who is running for county commissioner," said Ron Miller, the barbershop proprietor.
Harlan Bowser, one of the men waiting to get his hair cut, said he had not had the chance to form an opinion yet.
"You listen to what people are saying about them," he said. "That is the only way you can form an opinion about them."
"I haven't heard too much, really," he said.
Incumbent: Tsagaris, 69, a former car salesman and construction executive, campaigned for office four years ago on a promise to take a quarter-percent off the county sales tax.
He said he would campaign for re-election on that and other accomplishments during his four-year tenure.
"As long as you do your job, they don't care about who you are," Tsagaris said. "Putting your name out there is not as important as doing your job."
"I'm not really sure of his accomplishments, but I think he and Commissioner [Joseph] Angelo and Commissioner [Michael] O'Brien have done a pretty good job of running Trumbull County," said Steve Stevens, 61, a retiree living in Newton Falls.
William Griffith, a 61 year-old Copperweld Steel retiree living in Cortland, disagrees.
"I don't like Tsagaris," said Griffith, looking up from his crossword puzzle in the Cortland Branch of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library. "I've heard a lot about him, and I just figure he is someone looking for an easy job."
Griffith thinks commissioners are doing a "pretty good job" overall but hasn't really liked any of the people who have held the job since the 1950s.
Alan Adair, 57, who sat nearby surfing the Web, holds a different opinion.
"I haven't paid much attention, to tell you the truth," the retired Ohio Education Association staffer said.
"The most I remember about Jim [Tsagaris] is he clammed up when he was running the last time. To me, it was a poor reflection on him that he didn't help present information to the voters about him, like his beliefs, his ideas, etc."
Not happy: Adair is not particularly pleased with the job commissioners have been doing overall.
"I returned here from Columbus 26 years ago, and in 26 years they have done very little in improving the economy of this region," he said.
Tsagaris' challenger in the primary, David Cook, 56, takes issue with the job commissioners have been doing to keep industry in the Mahoning Valley.
"I'm tired of seeing things going wrong, and the county commissioners aren't doing anything to help out," he said.
Cook, who is on disability, is probably best known for his attendance at Warren City Council meetings.
He said his petition to run for council in November was rejected by the board of elections because of errors in the way it was filled out.
"I'm not going to be a 9-to-5 commissioner," said Cook, who does not have a telephone.
"I'll work 24 hours a day."
siff@vindy.com