Events Calendar
In This Section
Region makes way for latest batch of snow; cancellations rise
Falls approves sale of former plaza site
Road crews making room for more snow
Group recommends merging Akron, Summit County health agencies
Jewell Cardwell: LeBron fans cooking up fundraiser
Energy upgrades for Summit, Stark
Downtown Akron restaurants serve up 79,000 pounds of cardboard for recycling
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Complaints against officer keep coming
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Police: Man tries to buy crack with credit card
Woman rescued after falling through rotting floor in house
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Zips favored on road against MAC West leader
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Five local gridders to play in Big33
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Law, Love and Chocolate
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Plusquellic wins 53 percent of vote to claim sixth term. Rival Finley not conceding
By John Higgins
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic claimed victory Tuesday night with 53 percent of the vote, acknowledging that the election was closer than many expected.
But retired school teacher and former Ward 2 Councilman Joe Finley, who took 47 percent, isn't giving up yet.
''We thought we were going to win, in fact, that's why I'm not conceding,'' Finley said.
He said some Republicans who tried to switch to the Democratic Partywere told by poll workers that they would have to wait a full year to switch back and some walked out without voting. They actually would have had to wait just until the next primary election to switch and would have received a full ballot in November.
''We're going to make sure we document all the incidents,'' Finley said. ''We'll be on the case tomorrow.''
Republicans did not field a candidate for the November election, which means the primary winner will be the mayor.
Plusquellic told supporters at Gus' Chalet restaurant that a narrow win was still a win and suggested that his support for an income tax rate increase during an election year Issue 17 on the May ballot cost him votes.
The increase would have raised $18 million a year for economic development, additional law en forcement and other services.
Voters trounced Issue 17 by a ratio of 2-to-1, despite Plusquellic's passionate and personal campaigning at ward meetings throughout the city.
''I'm not ever going to apologize for it because it was the right choice to put before the voters for Akron, to give them the choice on what the future of this city was going to be,'' Plusquellic said. ''They turned it down and I paid a hell of a price today. But I will say to them for the rest of my life, I gave them a choice and it was honest before the election, not afterward sneaking something through afterward and if they don't appreciate that, you know what? Shame on them.''
Finley's campaign had hoped to make the primary election a referendum on Plusquellic, believing the voters' rejection of Issue 17 was a rejection of the mayor's economic development policies.
Finley argued that the city has dug itself too far into debt and favors the mayor's friends with economic development projects.
Plusquellic said throughout the campaign and at their only debate that Finley has no accomplishments to show for his four years as the Ward 2 councilman. He said voters would catch on that Finley was all talk and no action.
Finley said that he served his ward so well that in the 2003 primary, he won 83 percent of the vote. In 2005, he gave up the seat to run for a citywide council position which he also hoped would be a referendum on the mayor and hasn't won an election since.
Just as Plusquellic began his victory speech, he had to take a congratulatory phone call from Japan.
It was Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who is leading a delegation of nearly 50 business and economic development leaders including Akron Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert Bowman.
The delegation is in Japan hoping to nurture relationships that will lead to new jobs and investments in Ohio.
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792, 800-777-7232 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic claimed victory Tuesday night with 53 percent of the vote, acknowledging that the election was closer than many expected.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
