2007 brought out the worst in many

Take a quick look around and chances are you’ll come across a year in review or an awards show.

I combine the worst of both.

Read on, if you dare.

Worst Political Hire: Attorney General Marc Dann had a few worthy nominees in this category. But the worst was hiring a convicted killer as his deputy security director. A background check by Dann’s office uncovered a 1976 involuntary manslaughter conviction for David L. Nelson, who was subsequently fired.

Smartest Reversal: When Mahoning County Treasurer John Reardon resigned in January to take a job with the Gov. Ted Strickland administration, Democratic precinct committee members got to appoint his replacement. After some hesitation, party Chairwoman Lisa Antonini, Reardon’s right-hand woman in the office, announced she would run. A slam dunk victory for her because the people voting on Reardon’s replacement were essentially the same group that elected her as county chair. That didn’t initially deter George M. McKelvey, a former county treasurer and Youngstown mayor, from announcing his candidacy. Yes, the same McKelvey who angered Democratic loyalists in 2004 by crossing party lines and endorsing Republican President Bush. After finally figuring everything out, McKelvey wisely backed out of the race the day before the vote.

The 4th Time is the Charm: Mark Belinky unsuccessfully ran for Mahoning County recorder in 2000, lost a 2004 county commissioner race, and failed to get appointed earlier this year as recorder by Mahoning Democratic precinct committee members. But he didn’t quit. [Think the red-headed Little Engine That Could.] Belinky was appointed by Strickland to the vacant probate court judicial seat. Belinky doesn’t have much time to enjoy the appointment as he will run for the seat in the March primary, and, if successful, the November general election.

Come and Listen to a Story ‘Bout a Man Named Jed/JEDD: (Tie) U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan and Steven C. LaTourette for the third time got the U.S. House to pass legislation to make Mahoning and Trumbull counties part of the Appalachian Region, a vote that will most likely die in the Senate as it has twice before. Also, an ambitious economic development plan by Youngstown involving a tax on suburbs was supposed to be unveiled sometime in 2007. The city postponed the release of the Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) plan so many times this year that I lost count. Mayor Jay Williams said it will be released in early 2008. Seeing is believing.

You Can’t Always Get What You Want: Ex-state Rep. Sylvester D. Patton Jr. needed a job. He wanted a seat on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio board or to serve as director for the state’s Department of Transportation District 4. He didn’t get either. But Strickland named Patton to a seat on the state Unemployment Compensation Review board. The job pays more than $73,000 annually and requires Patton to work in Columbus three days a week. His qualifications? “My hard work and dedication to the Democratic Party and the Strickland campaign,” he said.

Eyesight to the Blind: Among his more curious appointments, Strickland selected ex-Youngstown Councilman James E. Fortune Jr. as a member of the Ohio Optical Dispensers Board. Fortune probably knows nothing about opticianry and ocularisty, but, like Patton, he’s a loyal Democrat. At least we’re only paying about $1,000 a year in tax dollars for Fortune’s salary.

Destination Location: If you’re a politician looking for a place in the Mahoning Valley for a photo-op, join the many who visit the Youngstown Business Incubator. In just this past year, the incubator has received visits from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, presidential candidate John Edwards, Gov. Ted Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher.

The Ryan: This one is given to a young political newcomer such as state Sen. John Boccieri or U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, for whom the award is named. It goes this year to U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, a freshman congressman who represents Lawrence County and a portion of Mercer County in Pennsylvania. Altmire passed more legislation and amendments in his first year in the U.S. House than most do in a political lifetime. He also obtained nearly $60 million in federal pork for his district.