Voinovich set aside politics in addressing area’s needs

As one of the most popular officeholders in Ohio’s history, Republican George V. Voinovich easily could have ignored the heavily Democratic Mahoning Valley.

But that wasn’t how Voinovich, an honest, principled politician, fulfilled his calling to public service. As he saw it, governments at all levels have a responsibility and an obligation to help individuals and communities in need.

Four decades on the political stage in Ohio gave him a keen sense of what had to be done to improve the lives of Ohioans.

That view of his role as governor and United States senator was evident in his unwavering commitment to the Mahoning Valley.

Voinovich died early Sunday in his home in Cleveland. He was 79.

According to his son, George, the former lieutenant governor, state representative, Cuyahoga County auditor, county commissioner and mayor of Cleveland died peacefully in his sleep.

In death, as in life, the family-loving, god-fearing man who was a part of Ohio’s political scene for more than 40 years, shunned drama. To use a well-worn phrase, during his time in office, he spoke softly but carried a big stick. He rarely raised his voice, but when he did people paid attention.

VOINOVICH GOVERNMENT CENTER

Voinovich long will be remembered in the Mahoning Valley, not only because the largest new office building in downtown Youngstown bears his name, but because General Motors’ Lordstown assembly plant and the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport owe their viability to him.

The George V. Voinovich Government Center on West Federal Street was built to house state agencies that the governor and his chief of staff, the late Paul Mifsud, had ordered moved from various locations throughout the area.

The development of the air cargo hub at the airport was the brainchild of Misfud, who envisioned it being part of the intermodal transportation system to serve the commercial needs of this part of the state. The King-Graves Road interchange and the 711 Connector also were designed with the Valley’s economic redevelopment in mind. There also were downtown projects in Youngstown and Warren and major funding for Youngstown State University and Kent State University at Trumbull.

As for GM Lordstown, the construction of a highway interchange at the plant was credited with persuading the auto company to keep the complex open for production of new compact car models, the Chevrolet Cobalt/Pontiac G5 and now the highly touted Chevrolet Cruze.

While the late governor’s interest in the Valley was triggered by its long struggle to recover from the closing of the steel mills more than three decades ago, the unprecedented support he received from Democratic voters when he ran for office thrilled him to no end.

He often talked about how he, as a long-standing Republican, was able to overcome the political hurdles that have made this region so uninviting to GOP candidates.

VISITS TO VINDICATOR

Voinovich visited The Vindicator Editorial Board quite often during his tenure as governor and senator, and invariably wanted to talk about the region’s children.

He would get tears in his eyes when discussing the challenges many youngsters in cities such as Youngstown face, and bemoaned the failure of the Youngstown City School District to prepare students for college and the workplace.

While we did not always support Voinovich’s agenda as governor – we often argued that some of his budget priorities harmed regions like the Valley – we had no hesitation in endorsing him.

His willingness to work in the Senate across party lines on issues of national and international importance set him apart from many others in his party.

For instance, in September 2010, as he was bringing his long political career to an end, Voinovich was only one of two Republicans to join Democrats in voting for a bill designed to open credit to small businesses and provide incentives to expand and hire new workers.

In true Voinovich fashion, he said he broke ranks with his party because he had received many calls of support for the measure “from Ohio’s small and medium manufacturers, most of whom are still struggling to recover from this recession.”

George V. Voinovich has left a legacy of public service that will not easily be matched by other elected officials.

Voinovich will be missed.