Legislators avoid jeopardy by snubbing Chamber plan

By any measure, compeTITION for state dollars for local capital projects is intense and, yes, political. After all, elected officials in Columbus decide how the billions of dollars are to be spent in the two-year fiscal cycle.

Thus, if a region can speak with one voice that is apolitical, the chances of getting its fair share of the money are much improved.

Recently, it appeared that Mahoning and Trumbull counties had found the voice of reason when state legislators and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber joined forces to develop and prioritize the list of local projects for submission to the state.

In 2014, $2.4 billion was allocated for capital improvement projects, with Mahoning and Trumbull counties receiving $17 million.

But as we’ve seen over and over again in the Mahoning Valley, good intentions have a way of turning bad.

Thus today, the Chamber-lawmakers partnership on this matter has ended. The reason: a decision by Chamber Chief Executive Officer and President Thomas Humphries to solicit $5,000 each from arts organizations in the area in exchange for its lobbying state government for capital money for fiscal years 2017 and 2018.

That solicitation put area legislators in a legal bind: They are prohibited from being part of any scheme in which payment is sought for going after state dollars.

In the words of Tony Bledsoe, the Ohio legislative inspector general, “Reasonable people can conclude this is an inherent conflict of interest.”

Bledsoe was asked by local legislators to render an opinion about their participation in the chamber’s pay-to-play plan.

State Sens. Joe Schiavoni, D-Boardman, the minority leader in the Senate; and Capri Cafaro, D-Liberty Township; and Reps. Michele Lepore-Hagan, D-Youngstown; Sean J. O’Brien, D-Bazetta; and Michael O’Brien, D-Warren, have said they were not told by Humphries or anyone else at the Chamber that arts entities were being asked to pay $5,000 each in what clearly is a lobbying fee.

When they found out about the scheme, they notified the Chamber that they would no longer regard the organization as a facilitator or evaluator of capital money requests.

“This was considered a necessary step to restore public confidence in the capital bill process in the Mahoning Valley,” Bledsoe, the inspector general, said in his opinion sought by the lawmakers.

It should be noted that Bledsoe did not say that the Chamber is prohibited from lobbying and that the arts entities are not permitted to pay for such lobbying efforts.

He simply made it clear that elected officials should not participate in such an arrangement.

THE BROADER ISSUE

There’s a broader issue that this controversy has unearthed: Why does the Chamber seek payment for what would appear to be a natural role – namely advocating for the region?

After all, at its most basic, the Chamber, a private, nonprofit organization with 3,000 members, mostly businesses, seeks to promote economic growth of the Valley.

A key ingredient in achieving such growth is the area’s quality of life, as defined by such things as the arts.

For the Chamber to charge entities for lobbying on their behalf adds a new dimension to this organization’s long history in the Valley. It’s a simple proposition: In order to persuade new businesses to locate in the region, or those that are here to expand, the Chamber must make the case that there are qualified, experienced workers, a comparatively low cost of living, excellent school systems and a strong arts and entertainment presence.

The public and private sectors must work together for the future of the region. That’s not only our opinion, but the opinion every governor going back to the late Republican James A. Rhodes, who was in office when the Valley’s steel industry collapsed.

Republican and Democratic governors have urged the region to speak with one voice, especially when seeking state or federal discretionary dollars.

The reason: There’s strength in numbers.

Such strength was evident in the Chamber-lawmakers joint effort for the capital funding requests – until Humphries’ actions made it impossible for the legislators to continue their involvement.

That’s a shame because the Valley could ultimately be the loser.