Don’t Interfere with Boards
I suggest that the greatest ignorance is reflected by those willing to sign such a nonsense letter.
Some of us make it a life-long goal to teach board members to take their role seriously. Being on a board means a duty of loyalty to whomever the constituents may be; whatever issues may be presented, they, ultimately, are the benefactors of each and every action — or inaction —taken by the board.
Yet, the number of head-nodding, rubber-stamping, feckless boards is overwhelming and often feels daunting. The people who approve of years of board meetings without a dissenting voice is equal parts bewildering and damaging, for they provide cover for (and tacit public approval of) boards that quite often decline to serve their constituents. The damage done by feckless “yes-men” serving on boards for which they have no particular skill or interest is well documented.
Asking tough questions of anyone presenting information to a board is not only expected behavior, it is a requirement of the job of board member. I believe it was Jim Dvorak who felt offended on behalf of a deputy sheriff because he, the deputy sheriff, a grown man, was asked tough questions by county board of mental health members in relation to the involvement of law enforcement in public schools’ anti-drug campaigns. The notion that a deputy sheriff cannot handle questions about the “D.A.R.E.” program is offensive political pandering, at best.
Critical thinking, in other words, coupled with a willingness to ask questions and learn all there is to know about any and all programs operating under the purview of a board is absolutely the prerogative of the board members. Anyone advocating for shirking such duties, as the 20 or so people who signed the ridiculous “Disunity, Antagonism, Ignorance” letter is actually calling for dereliction of duty; they are clamoring for our county mental health board not to do their job.
Whatever the matter at hand, a cost/benefit analysis is a must. This includes any and all issues, without exception.
Now let’s consider the programs in question…
In Mr. Dvorak’s case, the issue being considered pertained to taxpayer dollars going to pay for law enforcement (or related third-parties) to speak to children about drug use. So, our money is going toward putting yet another subject in front of children during their school day, in schools that are struggling academically. For any mental health board to ignore the issue not only abuses law enforcement, under-serves children, but ignores fiscal responsibility.
For my part, I insist that board members must be diligent stewards of our tax dollars and scrutinize every minute children spend away from education. Does the program work? We won’t know until we ask.
As for trying to load up child psychologists because some are needed; it’s pure nonsense. The board members are not uncaring; they simply realize that such resources exist in the private sector and that government is massively inefficient.
Boards serve a purpose. Don’t interfere!
Jonathan Broadbent
Newbury Township
A Strong Voice and Advocate
There is a second Ohio primary election coming up on Tuesday, Aug. 2 where voters will be deciding on partisan races in the Ohio General Assembly for their House Representatives and State Senators.
In Geauga County, there are no contested Republican races for the two House Representative seats and no State Senators are up for re-election this year.
However, there is an internal battle going on within the Ohio Republican Party for control of its State Central Committee (SCC). For each State Senate District (there are 33 total), the Democratic and Republican parties have a man and a woman who represent their respective parties in Columbus. Some groups who have recruited people to run for Republican State Central Committee (SCC) and may be funding them. I am running for the first time ever for SCC for Senate District 32, which includes all of Ashtabula County, Trumbull County and most of Geauga County (excluding Bainbridge, Auburn, Troy, Parkman and Middlefield townships).
The Republican SCC bylaws do not allow elected officials to serve on their committee. For the past 12 years I have served on Chardon City Council (two years as mayor), but I am no longer an elected official. No one recruited me to run for this and I am self-funding my campaign.
I am running because I know am a strong voice and advocate for Republicans and conservatives. I have been the Geauga County Republican Party Chairman the past eight years and was just re-elected to another four-year term. I have many years of campaign and fundraising experience, and have fostered great relationships with my fellow NE Ohio Republican Party chairs.
We are seeing NE Ohio becoming a strong red district, but we have a way yet to go. Since I have been the party chair, Geauga County has been in the top five for percentage of voter turnout in the entire state and sometimes number two or three in the General Election.
I am proud to say that six Republican county elected officials have endorsed me: Prosecutor Jim Flaiz, Auditor Chuck Walder, Treasurer Chris Hitchcock, Commissioner Jim Dvorak, Engineer Joe Cattell and Coroner John Urbancic.
Sandy O’Brien, our Republican State Senator for District 32 and an Ashtabula County resident, has also endorsed me.
Please vote by absentee ballot, in-person now at the board of elections or at the polls on Aug. 2.
I respectfully ask for your vote. Once elected, I promise to work hard, keep you informed and do my best to represent all Republicans in our district. Thank you.
Nancy McArthur
City of Chardon
