Valley residents lash out at Cafaro

If the opinions of Mahoning Valley residents count for anything, Democrats in the Ohio Senate will find a way this week not to appoint millionairess Capri Cafaro to the seat being vacated by Sen. Marc Dann of Liberty Township, D-32nd. Dann is on his way to becoming state attorney general in January.
Reader reaction to last Sunday's column in this space headlined, "Cafaro's candidacy prompts questions," makes it clear that her bid for Dann's position is going over like a lead balloon. The general feeling of those who discussed the column in Vindy.com, The Vindicator's web site, is that she hasn't earned the right to be senator.
And yet, several residents conceded that Democrats in the Senate will be all too willing to ignore her lack of credentials -- when they're compared to those of the other two candidates under consideration, state Rep. Sandra Stabile Harwood and former state senator and state representative Anthony Latell.
Why wouldn't there be an objective evaluation by the Democratic caucus? Because the Cafaro wealth -- it was created by the late William Cafaro, one of the pioneers of the shopping center industry, and left to his children and grandchildren -- is turning state politicians into lemmings.
But the senators are forewarned that if they appoint Capri Cafaro, the backlash from the voters in the 32nd District will be enormous. With electability being the key consideration for the filling of such vacancies, the state Democratic Party would be foolhardly to ignore political realities.
Web site postings
Here's a sampling of the comments posted on Vindy.com in response to last week's column, which can be accessed on the web site:
"She will move anywhere in Ohio or the USA where there is a State, or Congressional seat open with either no opposition or awaiting appointment from the local minions, or morons, take your pick.
"I'll bet she always has her suitcase packed and Daddy's jet warmed up just to dash off and buy a seat in some legislature. Truly pathetic, however, the local Dumbassocrats will probably appoint her to Dann's open seat. And you wonder why this area is the laughing stock of the country??????
"Qualifications????? Pleeeeese. I've got stuff in my refrigerator older than she is, and smarter too. She has ZERO qualifications to run ANYTHING, let alone represent us in the Statehouse or Congress." -- Politico.
"Personally, I will resist the temptation to throw the mud. All I will say is that she is 0-2 in general elections, meaning voters in 2 cases decided she is NOT fit to represent them, no matter the money she is associated with.
"SSDD here in the Mahoning Valley. Grease enough palms and you get what you want.
"The funniest (or most pathetic) aspect to this whole story is Dann's own campaign signs: 'HE WILL END THE CORRUPTION!'
"Yeah, right." -- Fed up.
"Want to see something hilarious? Go to Capri's web site and watch her video. She has an 'audience' and takes questions. The questions are obviously being asked by her minions and geared to answer her detractions.
"One 'questioner' is shown posing with her in a photo on a different day at another function." -- Slinger.
"I think that the column that Bert wrote is right on target. The quotes that he uses should be used against her if she seeks (an) appointment. If she runs and gets elected, then that is fine. She should not get a appointment by the party." -- Marauder.
Decision time
Democrats in the Ohio Senate are scheduled to meet this week to name Dann's successor. The outgoing senator has endorsed Cafaro, as has Sen. Bob Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, who will be moving back to the House of Representatives as a result of his being term-limited out of the Senate.
But Dann and Hagan, who in the not- too-distant past were persona non grata with the Cafaro family, insist that they did not sell their support for so many pieces of gold.
Indeed, Democratic leaders in the Senate have taken exception to the suggestion that Cafaro money has caused them to throw political caution to the wind.
Last week's column not only raised the issue of Capri Cafaro's father, J.J., who has been campaigning aggressively for his daughter's appointment, pleading guilty to bribing former Congressman James A. Traficant Jr., but pointed out that 10 years ago, Capri Cafaro was a registered Republican.