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Congressman known for work on Cuyahoga Valley park, Ohio & Erie canalway, NEOUCOM, Stark State College and other local projects prepares to retire after 36 years on Capitol Hill.
By Stephanie Warsmith
and Bob Downing
Beacon Journal staff writers
Published on Sunday, Sep 21, 2008
BETHLEHEM TWP.: In the 36 years on Capitol Hill that have made him the longest continuously serving congressman in Ohio history, U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula never appeared on a Sunday political talk show.
That's just not ''Ralph,'' as many fondly call him.
''I've always maintained a low profile,'' he said. ''I was not interested in making a big splash.''
Regula, a Republican, may have shied from the limelight, but he made his mark in the 16th Congressional District and across Ohio. He did so by working with people on both sides of the aisle and — as he likes to say — not worrying about who got the credit.
Regula, 83, helped create what is now the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, was the father of the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway, and played a key role in starting the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM) and Stark State College.
Positioned as No. 6 in congressional seniority, Regula is preparing to retire in January. And Northeast Ohio's going to miss him.
By a conservative estimate, Regula, who has served for 34 years on the House's powerful appropriations committee, has funneled $450 million to parks, highways, hospitals and universities in his district and beyond. That made him, in a sense, Northeast Ohio's congressman.
Being on that committee enabled Regula, in his words, ''to become a player.''
''It's been a wonderful experience,'' Regula said during a recent three-hour interview with him and his wife, Mary, at their Stark County farm. ''There's been a lot of opportunity to do good things for people. That's what it's all about.''
Calling himself ''a conservative on spending, a progressive in programs,'' Regula gained a reputation as a shrewd, thoughtful, practical and hardworking elected official.
He cast a vote on 99.5 percent of the congressional votes in his 36 years.
He is repeatedly described as a person who has not forgotten where he came from and for whom he works.
Regula gets praise from both political parties.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat who represents the neighboring 17th District, described him as irreplaceable and a role model for other politicians.
''Anything we do is going to be building on a
ey-strapped parks. He did that by letting parks that charge admission keep the fees for park maintenance, rather than turning the money over to the federal government.
Regula teamwork
As Regula looked back over his long career, his wife sat by his side.
When he veered off topic, she steered him back. When the phone rang, she answered. And she added her own insight to his recollections.
This is characteristic of the Regulas, who are known to function as a team.
''She was a real asset for Ralph,'' Arshinkoff said. ''They were a hell of a team.''
Mary Regula had a desk in her husband's Washington office and organized tours of the Capital for constituents. Every two years, when Regula ran for re-election, she handed out pocket-size cookbooks.
State Sen. Kirk Schuring, the Republican vying for Regula's seat, said of the Regulas: ''They are one of us. They have always been one of us.''
Some might consider the money Regula has funneled into the district political ''pork.'' He was accused of this, for example, when he helped secure $1.2 million for his wife's pet project, the National First Ladies' Library in Canton, which opened in 1997. The library, which chronicles the contributions of first ladies, has been paid for with public and private funds.
''I could not have had the opportunity had Ralph not been in Congress,'' said Mary Regula, who got to know seven first ladies and is the library's president.
Ralph and Mary Regula have remained accessible — with their home number listed, even paying to have it in the Ashland, Medina and Wayne County phone books.
''To enhance the quality of life — that's been our goal,'' Ralph Regula said. ''I do not want to sound like we're heroes. We do what's the right thing to do.''
Doing different things
Regula suffered a rare setback in his career in 2005, when he lost a three-way race to chair the appropriations committee, leading some to speculate that he might retire then.
But he on until last October, when he announced that his 18th term would be his last.
''I want to retire while I still have the health and energy to do different things,'' he said.
Regula isn't sure what ''things'' he'll be doing. He's not permitted to make definite plans until he leaves Congress and won't be able to contact any congressional members for a year. He hopes to teach at local universities to encourage young people to go into public service and eventually would like to write his autobiography.
But he will not be sitting in a rocking chair or playing golf. In fact, his golf cart is a John Deere tractor, Mary Regula joked.
Congress returned Sept. 8, but Regula doesn't expect much to happen in his final months. He's worried that the federal budget bills won't be passed by Oct. 1, which would mean funding would continue at last year's levels. This could put the pet projects he has in the bills in jeopardy.
He has other members of Ohio's delegation lined up to take over some of his projects, including Ryan and U.S. Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Copley Township.
His retirement has led to a fierce battle to capture his seat, garnering national attention and bigger money than ever was spent in any of his campaigns.
Together, Boccieri and Schuring probably will spend more on the campaign than Regula spent in 18 congressional races, Regula said with a wry smile.
Those familiar with Regula say that whether Boccieri or Schuring wins, he will have a tough time filling Regula's shoes.
''In some sense, you really can't replace him because of his unique experience and personal virtues,'' said John Green, director of the University of Akron's Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. ''Either would do well to use him as a model.''
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Bob Downing can be reached at 330-996-3745 or bdowning@thebeaconjournal.com.
BETHLEHEM TWP.: In the 36 years on Capitol Hill that have made him the longest continuously serving congressman in Ohio history, U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula never appeared on a Sunday political talk show.
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Comments
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Tallmadge, Oh
Posted 05:36 PM, 09/21/2008
Happy retirement, Ralph. Remember Mount Union College: Go Purple Raiders.
