For Patton, Carano, consolation prizes are gold

"You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you might find you get what you need." -- The Glimmer Twins
You've got to feel for former state Rep. Sylvester D. Patton and state Rep. Kenneth A. Carano.
Patton, a Youngstown Democrat, wanted a seat on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio board. If he couldn't get that, he wanted to serve as director for the Ohio Department of Transportation's District 4, which includes Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
He also wanted then-Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican, to give him a cozy state job last year. After all, Patton says, he works well with Republicans and his term in the state House ended Dec. 31, 2005, so he needed employment.
It's not like Patton didn't try to get to get a government job that didn't require a gubernatorial appointment. He wanted to be Youngstown mayor, but lost the 2005 Democratic primary for that seat.
So Sly had to settle for a job on the state Unemployment Compensation Review board.
The job pays more than 73,000 a year and requires Patton to work in Columbus three days a week.
It was his third pick, but Patton is still happy with the job.
His "hard work and dedication to the Democratic Party and the [Gov. Ted] Strickland campaign" were the main reasons he cited for earning the post.
It's somewhat ironic that Patton failed to get a number of other government jobs yet he will now determine the fate of thousands of unemployment appeals cases each year.
During his nine-plus years in the state House, Patton did work well with Republicans. But he was also known for his honesty, which leads to what most people know about him. Patton says some of the most embarrassing things you could imagine.
I don't have enough space in this column or in two columns to list them all. The previously mentioned "hard work" quote and that the unemployment board was his third choice are good examples.
Who could forget last year's classic about not submitting a written request to include 2 million for the Chevrolet Centre in the state capital budget?
"In hindsight, I should have checked to see if it was in the budget ... This was a very, very busy, busy election year and the capital bill wasn't on anyone's radar."
Carano found himself in a situation similar to Patton. Carano, an Austintown Democrat, is serving his fourth and final term in the Ohio House. He can't run next year because of the state's term limits law so Carano's been on a job search.
Even during this past campaign, Carano made no secret that he was looking for another government position. It didn't hurt Patton, who said during the 2004 state House campaign that he was going to run for Youngstown mayor the following year.
If there was a Mahoning County commissioner vacancy, Carano said he'd be interested in that job. He also submitted an application to Strickland to be the head of the Ohio Lottery Commission's Mahoning Valley office.
Consolation prize
Like Patton, Carano was offered a consolation prize. Beginning next month, Carano will serve as Strickland's regional director. Carano will act as Strickland's adviser, representative, liaison, point-man and overall main man for the governor and state agencies on issues in the Valley.
Among the qualifications listed by the governor's office for appointing Carano is he once owned a painting company and was a "limited service instructor" at Youngstown State University.
Carano had to settle for a job that pays 70,000 a year.
I don't know about you, but I've never received such a nice consolation prize.
When that mouse runs into the wrong colored hole at the Canfield Fair, the carny feels bad for me and typically gives me Mardi Gras beads that break before I get out of the fairgrounds and not a 70,000-a-year job. Maybe I'm playing the wrong game.