Friday, April 22, 2011
Mayoral insight: Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams will speak at a Wednesday forum in garden-spot Gary, Ind., about that area’s efforts to revitalize that struggling Rust Belt city.
“Williams was chosen because he has received national attention for rethinking the way investments are made in urban communities. He is expected to share his region’s challenges and successes and apply lessons learned to Northwest Indiana,” according to an article in the Northwest Indiana Times.
Thanks, congressman: The 60 Plus Association, a conservative senior-citizen organization, is airing radio ads thanking U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Poland, R-6th, for “protecting Medicare during the recent budget debates.” The group also launched a direct mail campaign this week praising Johnson, who voted in favor of the House budget proposal.
It should come as no surprise that Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, who took over that position in January, is already looking to leave it.
Mandel is likely to run next year in the Republican primary for U.S. senator against incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown.
But based on the past, very few people elected treasurer want the job, which has an annual salary of $109,986 since 2008.
Voters elected Democrat Richard Cordray as treasurer in the November 2006 election. He served for less than two years. Cordray won the November 2008 special election for attorney general to fill the unexpired term of Democrat Marc Dann, who resigned under pressure earlier that year.
Even if Dann hadn’t resigned, Cordray had and still has his eye on higher office; governor to be precise.
For Cordray, treasurer was a nice stepping stone on his way to higher office. He got tripped up last year losing a very close attorney general’s race to Republican Mike DeWine.
Before Cordray, voters elected Republican Joe Deters as treasurer in 1998 and 2002.
Like Cordray, Deters viewed the treasurer position as a way to get into statewide office and then move up the ladder.
In 2002, Deters said he had no interest in seeking re-election to treasurer. He wanted to be attorney general.
But Deters backed down after striking a deal with then-state Auditor Jim Petro. Petro agreed to serve one term as attorney general and then run for governor in 2006. That would have allowed Deters to seek the attorney general position in 2006.
But Deters resigned as treasurer in 2004, returning to his old job as Hamilton County prosecutor. He still holds that position.
A criminal investigation led to the convictions of his former chief of staff and former campaign fundraiser. Deters was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Before Deters, Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell was elected treasurer in 1994, leaving the position four years later to become secretary of state. Blackwell also was looking at higher office even while serving as treasurer. He unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2006, and wanted to seek that job in 2002.
Blackwell was appointed treasurer in February 1994 to replace Democrat Mary Ellen Withrow, who quit the job after 11 years to become U.S. treasurer.
Mandel said during the campaign that he’d serve all four years of his term, and while many elected Ohio treasurers really don’t want to hold that position, none have served as little time as Mandel before looking to move on to their next political job.
Mandel raises a lot of money and wins elections by wide margins, but there’s little that’s impressive in his political background.
He served three years as a Lyndhurst city councilman, and four years in the Ohio House.
During his Oct. 6, 2010, endorsement meeting with The Vindicator, Mandel touted his record in the Legislature.
But during further questioning, he admitted he was the lead sponsor or main co-sponsor on only four or five bills, none of which were ever enacted into law.
“When you’re in the minority, you don’t get many of your bills passed,” Mandel said even though there was a Republican majority during his first two years in the House. “I’ve gotten a lot done, but I haven’t been the lead guy or the one in front of the cameras.”