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Consider the mayor's strong record, and the hollow case against him
Published on Sunday, Jun 14, 2009
Mendenhall botched the chance. The point isn't that he could have won the trust of Don Plusquellic, or all of his council colleagues. He might have become constructive in his criticism. Instead, he became a caricature of a rebel, albeit well-versed in initiatives and referenda. Now, years later, Mendenhall barely has grown. He has orchestrated a hollow and wasteful campaign to recall the mayor. He and his allies hurl empty charges. They distort the record.
Most telling, they have revealed little understanding about what it takes to run a city in this time and place. They lack credible proposals of their own.
A typical voter may be exasperated with the antics, and prone to ignoring the noise or laughing in response. Don't make the mistake of failing to take seriously this election. Go to the polls on Tuesday, June 23, and vote against the recall.
Even those who quarrel with much of Plusquellic's 22 years in office should recognize the abuse. The mayor won re-election in November 2007. What has he done since to warrant a recall?
Nothing.
A recall should be a grave matter, an elected official engaging in misdeeds so serious that immediate removal must be sought. That may involve a profound loss of public trust, or reflect actions that bring disgrace to the office. If nothing else, requiring a high threshold for petition signatures provides a way for conveying broad dismay or disgust. As it is, Mendenhall needed a mere pittance of signatures, a provision of the city charter due for repair.
Proponents of the recall tout their devotion to the democratic process. They should appreciate then that voters spoke 20 months ago, and their decision deserves appropriate respect.
What is the Mendenhall case against the mayor?
One of the three loudest complaints is that the mayor has been extravagant in his travels. Stephanie Warsmith, a Beacon Journal staff writer, examined the travel and credit-card charges of the mayor during 2007 and 2008. She discovered the mayor charged $79,500 to his city-issued credit cards. He took 27 trips at a cost of $50,000. He spent $1,850 dining in area restaurants. Subtract a $9,500 trip to China, Japan and Germany (three countries of strong interest to Akron), and the mayor traveled at $1,500 per trip. Hardly excessive. Even less than expected.
Certainly not scandalous.
Some pointed with alarm at $3,140 for dinner in Tampa. It was part of the All-America City competition. FirstEnergy eventually paid the bill.
The second charge against Plusquellic is that he has steered the city into reckless levels of debt. Again, Stephanie Warsmith looked closely at the accusation. She found the city under the debt limits established by the state. Akron doesn't even have the highest debt burden of the eight largest cities in Ohio. (It is second or third, depending on the calculation.) Cast a wider view, and Akron ranks in the middle when comparing the debt burden of other cities in this part of the country.
Once more, not the stuff of a scandal — or a recall.
Make no mistake, the mayor has been more aggressive in using debt as a tool for development. He acted creatively and strategically in tapping the city's borrowing capacity to cover the local portion of the school reconstruction project (the debt paid through an increase in the city income tax). He has positioned the city financially to develop downtown, its essential central core (while still routing the bulk of capital dollars into neighborhoods). If anything, he might pursue a bolder path, some experts arguing that cities are too timid in making such investments.
The third complaint can be put simply: The mayor is a jerk. At times, the description fits. Of late, the mayor has been much better at controlling his temper. His outbursts are a tiny matter in comparison to his larger reputation. His voice is respected at the White House and the Statehouse, on Capitol Hill, in boardrooms and among his fellow mayors.
Recall proponents contend the mayor embarrasses the city. Actually, the embarrassment comes in trying to explain how the city arrived in the ridiculous position of conducting a recall election of one of its most successful mayors, arguably one of the most effective leaders in the state.
That deserved reputation bears attention in this recall campaign. If Warner Mendenhall has fallen far short in making his case, Akron voters must be alert to the need to send a decisive message. The argument for rejecting the recall involves more than exposing the flimsy contentions of its proponents. The moment has a positive element, affirming the outstanding leadership the mayor has shown.
The point isn't that the mayor has been flawless. He makes and admits mistakes. This newspaper has criticized his words and actions. He encountered a recent bumpy patch, voters rejecting an income tax increase and a plan to lease the city sewer system in exchange for college scholarships.
All that said, Akron has faced two challenges, in particular, the past two decades: improving the quality of education and navigating a harsh economic transition, from an industrial to a knowledge economy. The mayor has been relentless in addressing both. Consider his championing of the city schools, pressing for improvement and campaigning for new resources. Or his pursuit of business opportunities, crafting deals with FirstEnergy, GOJO, Sterling, Goodyear and Bridgestone. Or the push for a biomedical corridor and the connection to the high-tech realm in Israel, the city seeing the future and seeking to build on its strengths.
A city must deliver effective services, the mayor's quarrel with the police department stemming largely from his pushing best practices, seeking ways to make the city stronger. So, weigh the record, the willingness to make hard choices, to act in the city's larger interests. It should provide more incentive to head for the polls and reject the recall.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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stow, ohio
Posted 03:55 AM, 06/14/2009
There is nothing left to say VOTE NO ON THE RECALL!!!!!
Akron, OH
Posted 08:54 AM, 06/14/2009
Well, certainly it is a day when the ABJ writers put their collective minds together and prose editorials in favor of the city hall hero. Good job gang, and when are all of y'all movin' back within' the city limits?
{{{Some pointed with alarm at $3,140 for dinner in Tampa. It was part of the All-America City competition. FirstEnergy eventually paid the bill.}}
Hmmm, the competition was over, this was for the 20 minute ceremony. And when exactly did First energy pay for the meal?? Before or after the question was raised?? No ones ever said or produced the cancelled check as proof.
And what about the trip itself for the 40 people?? Odd there's no mention of that. We know the city hall hero put it on the city credit card.
{{{This newspaper has criticized his words and actions}}}
((chucklin')) I keep lookin' for that part, but it's difficult to see it with all of the accolades the ABJ has been givin' out.
Nicely done ABJ staff. Unfortunately, any-buddy with a lick of sense can see y'all carefully stepped around unanswered issues, so as to present a pretty picture.
Oh, and to Stephanie. China, Germany and Japan have a strong interest in Akron??? Considerin' the city hall hero has made multiple trips to those locations over several years, when can we exactly expect this interest to blossom??
I keep thinkin' about Tim Davis, and all those trips to Germany, and none of the alleged jobs ever came to Summit County.
stow, ohio
Posted 10:24 AM, 06/14/2009
@betamax....look at it this way ...when the recall goes down in flames you will have something to whine about until the next election....I mean what else would you do?
Akron, OH
Posted 10:32 AM, 06/14/2009
@fargoz - I've been pointin' out the flaws of the city hall hero long before the recall, and will continue to do so should he not be recalled.
And since I've decided the anti-recall folks aren't the brightest candles on the cake, I'll continue to iterate that I have not now, or have I ever in the past, stated that the city hall hero would be recalled. But it certainly would be a benefit to Akron, should it occur.
I'll leave the whinin' to the pro city hall hero folks. Since the inception of the recall, all they could do was whine about Mendenhall, because they, as well as the city hall hero, could not ever produce a single shred of evidence that refutes any allegation posed by the recall folks.
Happy whinin'.
Tepplin, DC
Posted 11:53 PM, 06/14/2009
Beta, the only one doing any "whinin'" here is you. Until you can provide productive solutions to the problems you go on and on about, ad nauseum, your so-called "City Hall Hero" will likely continue to hold office.
I guess getting off your duff and actually putting your money where your mouth is would be too expensive, right?
Posted 12:56 AM, 06/15/2009
How nice that reporter Stephanie Warsmith analyzed the mayor's travels and spending. Where is the analysis of what that travel and spending yielded for Akron? Just HOW MANY PRIVATE-SECTOR JOBS have direct actions taken by Plusquellic created? Where are the lower taxes that would foster greater and MORE EFFICIENT, EFFECTIVE PRIVATE investment in businesses in Akron? Why does Akron have a ton of deputy mayors and department directors for a city shrinking in size? Where is evidence that Plusquellic is willing to cut his own executive budget in response to an economic downturn? In short, this is yet another Beacon Journal editorial long on opinion and lacking informative facts.
akron , oh
Posted 11:35 AM, 06/15/2009
oh my gosh, enough already. how many pro mayor articles can one flippin newspaper print? stay out of it. you are simply to report the news not try and influence the outcome. and I don't care if this was on the opinion page, write one article and move on. even your front page news stories are biased. you put the mayor's name in the headline and refer to warner as "the attorney". come on already. this is just ridiculous.
Posted 06:12 PM, 06/15/2009
Mendi...just go away!
