Corruption in Valley’s genetic code

Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras wasn’t about to let this writer’s condemnation of the Mahoning Valley’s acceptance of public corruption go unchallenged.

“What about Cuyahoga County and Dimora?’ Betras fired back, as a bemused Edward Fitzgerald, county executive of Cuyahoga County, looked on.

Betras had brought Fitzgerald to The Vindicator Wednesday for a get-to-know-you session with the paper’s editorial writers. While his point about the conviction of former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, who had chaired the county Democratic Party, former county Auditor Frank Russo; Michael Gabor, Dimora’s driver and friend; and several other friends on racketeering and a slew of corruption-related charges was well taken, there is a major difference.

In 2009, Cuyahoga County residents said “Enough!” as federal indictments of public officials were unleashed. The residents made their feelings known at the ballot box.

See no evil

By contrast, residents of the Valley, by and large, stuck their heads in the sand when 70-plus public officials, mobsters and others in Mahoning County were convicted of government corruption — and haven’t pulled their heads out yet. Indeed, even after a prosecutor, sheriff, judges, other officeholders and Mafiosi went to prison, there was another class of scofflaws in 2010 and last year.

Thus, when Betras tried to draw a parallel between Cuyahoga County and the Valley, County Executive Fitzgerald, a symbol of the contrast, had every reason to be bemused.

In 2010, Fitzgerald, a former FBI special agent, former assistant county prosecutor and former mayor of Lakewood was elected county-wide to manage a new form of government, one that down- plays partisan politics and emphasizes ethics, professionalism and qualifications for county employees.

Gone is the smoke-filled back room where Dimora wheeled and dealed as the all-powerful county commissioner and Democratic Party chairman.

In the fall of 2009, the voters of Cuyahoga County, tired of the corruption, tired of the inefficiencies inherent in the traditional government setup and tired of one-party domination, adopted a charter that creates the elected positions of county executive and 11 county council members representing 11 districts. The only other elected position is that of prosecutor.

The county executive, with council confirmation, appoints the fiscal officer, medical examiner, clerk of courts, director of public works, law director, treasurer and sheriff. They answer to the executive.

The first election under the new charter was held in 2010 and Fitzgerald, a Democrat, won over a Republican candidate who had the support of the GOP and some in the business community, and a very wealthy independent.

He took office in January 2011 and will serve a four-year term. In the past year and four months, Fitzgerald and council have adopted a code of ethics for county employees that’s stricter than the state’s code. They also created an independent office of inspector general staffed by a former federal agent.

Job cuts

The county executive has thus far cut 400 jobs and is conducting a review of all the departments to determine how they function.

The preamble of the charter approved by the voters reads:

“We, the people of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, desire a reformed County Government to significantly improve the County’s economic competitiveness. With it, the taxpayers of Cuyahoga County can have: (1) focused, effective and accountable leadership; (2) job creation and economic growth as a fundamental government purpose, thereby helping the County do a better job of creating and retaining and ensuring necessary and essential health and human services; (3) collaborative leadership with Cleveland, suburbs and others within the public and private sectors; (4) an improved focus on equity for all our communities and citizens; (5) long-term regional and global competitiveness; and (6) significant taxpayer savings by streamlining and eliminating unnecessary elected offices.”

There have been attempts to implement that charter form of government in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, but the response has been tepid at best. Why? Because corruption is in the Valley’s genetic code.