Is Antonini a political liability for Dems?

If there is anything Don L. Hanni Jr. proved during his tenure as chairman of the Mahoning County Democratic Party it is that being a political lightning rod is not good for party discipline. And without such discipline, turmoil and disarray become the order of the day.

Lisa Antonini, who was elected chairwoman in 2002 — she succeeded David Ditzler, who took over from Michael Morley, a political novice who defeated Hanni in 1998 — will find that out next year.

Besides being the party chair, she also is county treasurer, selected by the precinct committeemen and women this past March after John Reardon resigned to take a job with the state. She was the only one who sought the appointment.

However, Antonini will have to run next year for a full four-year term and that’s when she will find out just how much of a lightning rod she has become.

And it isn’t just because of her political avarice. Not only did she grab the brass ring for herself — rather than seeking the best and the brightest for the $66,000-a-year position — but she neutralized two potential opponents by putting them on the public payroll.

Dan Yemma, who has a master’s degree in public finance, had announced he would be seeking the appointment as treasurer, but then withdrew his name from consideration.

Yemma is now the chief deputy and earns $50,003. Another potential challenger, Atty. Mark Belinky, was retained as the lawyer for Lien Forward, the land bank program managed by the treasurer’s office, around the time Antonini was being appointed treasurer.

Political allies

As chairwoman, Antonini has also shown a willingness to use the public payroll to elevate political allies. She maneuvered the appointment of Michael Sciortino as county auditor, and recently created a position in her office for Jamael “Tito” Brown, the Democratic nominee for the 3rd Ward Youngstown council seat and a member of the Youngstown Board of Education.

It isn’t just any position. Brown has been given the highfalutin title of director of operations and is being paid $50,000 a year.

Then there is her testimony in the recent trial regarding the relocation of the county Job and Family Services offices from the McGuffey Mall, owned by the Cafaro Co., to Oakhill Renaissance Place (formerly Southside Medical Center) owned by the county.

The Cafaro Co. filed a taxpayer lawsuit to block the relocation of the JFS, and several Mahoning County officials were found to have communicated regularly with individuals in the Belmont Avenue headquarters.

Between August 2006 and March of this year, Antonini said her cell phone records showed 28 calls made or received between her and the Cafaro headquarters. She testified under oath that she never spoke to Anthony Cafaro, president of the company, about the Oakhill Renaissance situation.

So, why so many calls? She undoubtedly will have to answer that question when — if? — she runs next year.

Since details of the timeline of telephone calls involving Antonini, Reardon, Sciortino and Commissioner John McNally were highlighted in this space, the rumblings about going after these individuals have been growing louder.

The question involving Antonini isn’t whether she will have a challenger next year, but how many challengers.

And that becomes a problem for Antonini in her role as Mahoning County Democratic Party chairwoman.

Important player

Ohio’s importance in the presidential election has been well established, and for the Democrats, northeast Ohio is a key region. Mahoning and Trumbull counties will be expected to give the Democratic nominee a huge margin of victory over the Republican, and therein lies the dilemma for the Democratic leadership on the state and national levels.

Can they risk having as the head of the Mahoning County party an individual who has heavy political baggage and, thus, could be a liability?

State and national Democratic Party leaders cannot ignore the fact that it was under her watch that the Democratic nominee for mayor of Youngstown, Robert Hagan, a veteran politico, lost to an independent candidate — who had never held political office.

Jay Williams’ victory was historic in that he is the first black to serve as mayor of Youngstown.

It is only a matter to time before state and national party leaders talk to Antonini about giving up her position as party chair — if they haven’t already.

There’s too much at stake in 2008.