What does Righetti offer?

Shortly after she won the Democratic nomination for Mahoning County commissioner, Carol Rimedio-Righetti went on television Tuesday night and declared that one of her priorities is to bring all the parties involved in government to the table for a … Kumbaya moment (this writer’s characterization.)

As she spoke, there was a vision of the crew of the Titanic sitting around a table sharing ideas soon after the passenger liner hit the iceberg.

There is a time for talk and a time for action.

Rimedio-Righetti, a Youngstown councilwoman for the past seven years with limited knowledge of the inner workings of county government, obviously does not comprehend the enormous challenges confronting Mahoning County. If she did, she would have taken advantage of her surprise victory in the primary over 12-year Commissioner David Ludt to list the steps she believes should be taken to reduce spending.

Her can’t-we-all-just-get-along approach to governance is troubling because it lacks a sense of urgency. Mahoning County government is like the Titanic. It has hit an economic iceberg.

Deep roots

But expecting the Democratic nominee for commissioner — she was the party’s endorsed candidate — to take a hard line is to ignore a salient fact about her: She is a professional public employee.

On The Vindicator’s candidate questionnaire submitted by her, she lists the city of Youngstown as her current place of employment. And for past employment? The Mahoning County Board of Elections.

In other words, her entire working life has been spent feeding at the public trough. She joined the board of elections in July 1970 when she was 18 years old. She retired with a two-year buyout on August 1999 — at age 47 with a full public pension and benefits.

By contrast, Ludt has operated a successful business for more than two decades, has served as Poland Township trustee, and is completing his 12th year as commissioner.

Yet, Democrats in Mahoning County decided that the incumbent should be replaced by someone who is the ultimate government insider.

Not to demean Rimedio-Righetti’s work experience, but her service as a deputy clerk at the board of elections and a part-time ward councilwoman does not inspire confidence.

Indeed, because of her public-sector roots, she will be hard-pressed to do anything that would be perceived as threatening the jobs of so many county employees she knows personally.

At a time when private-sector taxpayers are demanding smaller government through the elimination of positions and consolidation of services, Mahoning County will have a commissioner whose entire work life has been spent on the public payroll.

Will she be able to demand sacrifices from county workers? Will she support an increase in the co-payments on premiums for taxpayer-funded health insurance? Will she push for across-the-board layoffs if the county’s financial condition does not improve anytime soon? Will she insist that the board of elections find a cheaper way of conducting elections?

How will she react when the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber asks her to embrace a reorganization plan for county government that would result in the elimination of the board of county commissioners and most of the administrative offices?

Prisoner surcharge

And, how will Rimedio-Righetti, a resident of Youngstown, respond when the battle ensues over the city’s paying a surcharge on its prisoners in the county jail? Will she maintain her opposition to the surcharge being extended? She told Vindicator writers that she believes a flat surcharge is fair, which means every community in the county with prisoners in the county jail would have to pay.

In the November general election, the Democratic nominee will face Republican Don Manning, who was unopposed in the primary.

It is a sad commentary that the Mahoning County Republican Party did not have a contested primary for commissioner.

Rimedio-Righetti will win the general election in November in this predominantly Democratic county and will take the oath of office in January.

And then, Mahoning County workers will have an ally at the highest level of government — and it will be same-old, same-old.