A hard line on political races

Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras had quite a bit to say election night, much of it having to do with The Vindicator’s hard line on endorsements in a couple of key races.

Admittedly, Betras’ verbal assault was triggered by this writer’s snarky comment about the Democratic Party. Here’s the exchange via cell phone text:

Writer: Your party is dead nationally. Republican has won governor’s race on [sic]Kentucky running against Obama and Obamacare.

Betras: Thank you. Love you too. Now go write an article about how terrible I am. Bc tomorrow morning I will love my life and you will hate yours. Ur beloved Blank btw LOST meaning u ------ that up

Writer: When you lie with dogs you get fleas. We (sic) just tired of the flea- infested dogs in the Democratic Party in the Mahoning Valley. Get out while you can

Betras: We won races. Stick that in your flea infested pipe. Mayor Franklin say it!!! Mayor Thomas say it!!!

Writer: You’ve just given me an idea for my column Sunday

Betras: Great tell the world how horrible I am. U have the pen I don’t. It just kills you to give an iota of credit. Doug Franklin is a good man. U were wrong.

Writer: And Strabala is a paragon of virtue.

Betras: Ban the box. With you there’s no forgiveness.

WARNING

The Democratic chairman then followed that text exchange with a call to this writer, during which he warned that The Vindicator was on a “slippery slope” with the Editorial Board’s decision not to make an endorsement in the race for mayor of Struthers because all three candidates in Tuesday’s election were flawed, and not to endorse Warren Mayor Doug Franklin for re-election because of his ties to political consultant Harry Strabala, who has a criminal record.

In the Warren mayoral race, The Vindicator endorsed Independent candidate Dennis Blank, a political newcomer, after learning of Strabala’s close association with the Franklin campaign.

Strabala made headlines recently when he admitted in open court that he has been an informant for the FBI for the last 10 years and had worn a wire to secretly record conversations with officeholders and political candidates in the Mahoning Valley.

The goal was to help the FBI in its long-standing campaign against government corruption in the region.

But it wasn’t Strabala’s undercover work that prompted the newspaper’s Editorial Board to reassess its support of Mayor Franklin. Rather, it was the political consultant’s criminal record.

2002 CONVICTION

As has been detailed in this space, Strabala was convicted in 2002 of stealing $33,000 from a special fund that had been set up to finance the construction of a playground at Ipe Field on Youngstown’s South Side.

Strabala was involved in the project and had famously told volunteers that there is a special place in hell for people who steal from children.

He was subsequently convicted by Common Pleas Judge R. Scott Krichbaum – after repaying the money – served time in jail and was placed on probation. He blamed his criminal actions on his addiction to gambling.

The Vindicator had concerns about Mayor Franklin’s judgment in permitting someone with a criminal history to be so actively involved in his campaign for elected office.

Given the ever growing list of politicians in the Valley who have gone over to the dark side of corruption, the Editorial Board decided that voters have a right to judge candidates for office and officeholders by the company they keep.

Hence, in the race for mayor of Struthers, all three candidates, Mayor Terry Stocker, who ran as a write-in after saying he was not seeking another term, Danny Thomas Jr., the Democratic nominee, and Richard DeLuca, a retired city employee, failed to pass the newspaper’s sniff test.

We thus advised the voters in Struthers that “none of the above” was the best bet in the race.

The editorial was published Oct. 22 with the headline “Mayoral race in Struthers features dicey candidates.” It details what Stocker, Thomas and DeLuca each did to earn the newspaper’s rejection.

It is instructive that Democratic Party Chairman Betras sees The Vindicator’s decision in the mayoral races in Warren and Struthers as a “slippery slope” rather than a necessary rejection of the political status quo.

The argument has been made by him and others that Thomas and Strabala broke the law years ago and are, therefore, deserving of forgiveness – and a second chance.

Men and women of the cloth are in the business of forgiveness, while there are a lot of private-sector employers who believe in second chances.

Given the FBI’s ongoing investigation of government corruption, even the hint of a scandal must be avoided by candidates for office and officeholders.