EDITORIAL: The galling [The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio]

Dec. 30--1. Kasich takes flight

In the 2010 race for governor, the Kasich campaign needled Ted Strickland for his use of the state plane. A Kasich spokesman even called for an examination of whether the plane's "cost can be justified at all."

What a difference a year makes!

Gov. John Kasich has discovered how effective the plane can be, taking flight far more often than his predecessor, discovering a tool for helping to bring together this balkanized state, for speaking to Ohioans as a whole. That spokesman? He recently told the Columbus Dispatch: "We wished [Strickland] had used the plane more." Oh, really?

And what about jabbing Strickland for having the plane make a short hop across Columbus so he could jump aboard closer to home? It turns out Mary Taylor, the lieutenant governor and the director of insurance on the Kasich team, has enjoyed that convenience of the job, too.

2. Mandel runs again

Josh Mandel has been a pol in a hurry. The former Marine, who served bravely and well in Iraq, sat on the Lyndhurst City Council not too long ago, and then ran successfully for the Ohio House in 2006, before jumping into the race for state treasurer last year. And a few months after stepping into the treasurer's office? He launched his candidacy for the U.S. Senate.

In his rush, interestingly enough, Mandel missed the deadline for filing his financial disclosure papers with the Senate. More, he couldn't find time to speak in Akron, telling the Press Club no thanks, seven months after the invitation arrived. If he did speak? He would need to elevate his game. What distinguishes Mandel the Senate candidate so far, beyond his formidable fund raising, has been his lack of readiness, unsteady on the issues, throwing wild punches, in need of the seasoning a full term in the treasurer's office would provide.

3. Batchelder hops to it

David Brennan needed some favors done in the new two-year state budget. A lobbyist would reveal that the owner of White Hat Management, a for-profit charter school operator, sought "several provisions" to ease oversight and restrictions on charter operators.

House Speaker Bill Batchelder and his team hopped to it. The House version of the budget vastly expanded the authority of charter operators, all but erasing oversight by sponsors and giving operators final approval of contracts between a sponsor and a governing board.

The funny thing was, House leaders claimed not to know how the proposals had materialized. Batchelder said it was "a damned lie" to suggest it had anything to do with Brennan's generous giving to Republicans. As it turned out, Brennan lobbyists worked directly with House staffers on the legislative language. Wisely, Republicans in charge of the state Senate stripped the bill of the shameless favors.

4. Efficient? Not this group

Russ Pry, the Summit County executive, had to get the attention of the county board of elections in tight budget times. He proposed a $4.7 million budget for 2012, close to its operating budget in recent years. He delivered a tough warning about inefficiency.

The board didn't get it. At one of the last bastions of patronage in county government, members rallied behind their initial request for a whopping $9.3 million, seeking, again, resources far out of line with elections board spending in similar-sized counties. Alex Arshinkoff, the Summit County Republican Party chairman, making his return to the board, vigorously supported the increase. The chairman's stance raised eyebrows in view of his ardent support of John Kasich, the governor frequently and aggressively pressing for much leaner local government. The governor advocates for the abandoning of old ways. The county board of elections responded: Not us.

5. Democrats fumble

Now Democrats at the Statehouse want to improve the way legislative and congressional district lines are drawn in Ohio!

They cried foul when Republicans in command of the process unveiled a congressional map designed to maximize the Republican vote, turning battleground Ohio into a 12-4 advantage in the U.S. House delegation. They outcry was justified. The result also might have been different if two years ago Democrats had embraced the proposal of Jon Husted, then a state senator, now the secretary of state, and a Republican, to add a decisive bipartisan element to the process. Democrats said no, hopeful that they would gain the advantage in drawing the lines.

The Republican landslide followed, leaving Democrats to complain hollowly about a process they chose not to improve and to suggest, yes, a bipartisan commission to fix it.

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(c)2011 the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)

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