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Michael D. Pitman reports about Butler County, Ohio, politics, county government, countywide issues and Butler County people just like you for Cox Ohio Publishing (including the Hamilton JournalNews, Middletown Journal and several weekly papers in Butler County). He wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment for him here or e-mail Michael at Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2010 > March > 10
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Two sue to get on the May ballot for central committee
Two women are suing the Butler County Board of Elections to get on the ballot for the GOP central committee this year.
Both say they did everything they were supposed to in order to get on the ballot in the May primary, but were disqualified by the board. They have filed suit in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
The Board of Elections is meeting at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 11, to discuss the lawsuits.
One plaintiff is Courtney Caparella-Kraemer, a local attorney running in one of the most crowded central committee races in the county.
Even without Caparella-Kraemer, the ballot for that West Chester Twp. precinct — which contains 265 registered Republicans — will have three candidates for central committee.
One of them is Mark Haverkos, who filed the complaint to remove Caparella-Kraemer from the ballot on the grounds that she filed to run in two precincts at once.
Haverkos, a Tea Party activist who is also running to unseat the state central committee man, said there are so many other people in the race because “The party put them up to it.”
In her court filing, Caparella-Kraemer argues she was in the process of moving while filing for the race. She filed for her old precinct, then her new precinct, then withdrew from the first race.
She says that she did exactly what Board of Elections staff asked her to.
Board of Elections members say they consulted with the Secretary of State’s office prior to disqualifying her from the ballot, and were told she was ineligible because she filed for two races at once, and did not live in the precinct she wished to run in on the day she filed.
Caparella-Kraemer would not comment on the case.
“I shall leave it now in the hands of the Butler County Board of Elections without further comment or criticism and shall await their decision,” she said in a prepared statement. “My appeal is in place to proceed if necessary.”
The other plaintiff is Victoria Robertson, who was disqualified from the Republican ballot because records have her as a registered Democrat. She says this was a mistake by her pollworkers — that she has never been a Democrat — and her polling judge and the elections board agreed she is probably right.
Both women are asking a judge to order the Board of Elections to put their names on the ballot, which the board said it couldn’t do on advice from the Secretary of State.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Republican Party
TweetFox flirts with GOP central committee run
While awaiting his trial on federal corruption charges, Michael A. Fox flirted with the idea of running for election again.
Fox — former Butler County commissioner, state lawmaker and children services director — is listed as a candidate for the local Republican Party central committee.
Fox said in a phone interview he has been on party committees since 1970, and filed to run out of habit when he moved to his new precinct in Oxford. He thought it was an empty seat.
He decided to withdraw his name from the race, he said, once he realized the seat was held by his friend and longtime incumbent Jack Cohen.
“I’m going to do it (withdraw) this week,” he said. “The last thing I want in my life is a contested race.”
As for whether Fox was worried about being on a ballot while facing federal charges, he said “I’m optimistic about how we’ll ultimately fare.”
“I’m still the same person that spent my life working to help people in this county and making this county a better place to be,” he said.
If he didn’t withdraw, the roughly 211 registered Republican voters in the Oxford10 precinct would have seen both Fox’s and Cohen’s names on the ballot.
Fox’s trial has been postponed indefinitely, pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of other cases that could impact the statute under which he’s charged.
Fox and co-defendant Robert C. Schuler were indicted in October on charges of — among other charges — improperly benefiting from a contract between Schuler’s company and Butler County when Fox was commissioner. The indictment also alleges both men failed to report the income on federal tax returns.
Federal prosecutors allege that Schuler wired Fox $460,000 while his fiber-optics company NORMAP profited from a contract with the county. Both pleaded not guilty in November to an eight-count indictment charging them with conspiring to improperly benefit from the $2.75-million fiber-optics contract with the county.
The charges against Fox include four counts of mail fraud involving honest services. These are the most serious charges in the indictment — each carrying a sentence of up to 20 years.
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TweetTea Party to offer ‘School funding 101’ presentation
Press release from the West Chester Tea Party:
The West Chester Tea Party will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, March 16th at EnterTrainment Junction 7379 Squire Court West Chester, Ohio 45069. Registration starts at 6:30, meeting begins at 7:00.
Our main topic this month is ‘School Funding 101’. The presentation will focus on the school levy cycle, the Ohio school funding formula and addresses the question, ‘Why do we need another school levy?’ The presenters are members of the Lakota community with a passion for school funding and teaching residents how the Ohio school funding formula works. In addition to the school funding presentation, information on the Tax Day Tea Party Rally on April 15th and voter registration within our Tea Party membership will be presented.
The West Chester Tea Party is a grassroots, non-partisan organization of private citizens united by our shared values and opposed to wasteful government spending.
We believe in fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets. Our mission is to organize like-minded individuals, educate and inform others based on our core values, to secure public policy consistent with those values, and to positively affect the outcome of elections. For more information visit our website www.westchesterteaparty.org.
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TweetGerrymandering forum rescheduled
Press release from the League of Women Voters:
League of Women Voters Redistricting Forum in Oxford Rescheduled
The League of Women Voters public forum on Ohio’s upcoming legislative redistricting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 17. Longtime Republican state lawmaker Joan Lawrence will speak to the Oxford community on current bipartisan efforts to redraw fairly the boundaries of voting districts in Ohio. The meeting will begin at 7:30 PM in the LCNB Community Room on Park Place in Oxford. The event is free and open to the public.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: National issues
TweetCouncil on Aging to present strategic plan
Press release from the Council on Aging of Southwest Ohio:
Public Hearing to be held by Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio (COA)
Purpose: Present COA’s 2011-15 Strategic Plan and Area Plan for Programs on Aging When: 10 a.m. to noon, Thursday, March 25
Where: Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio, 175 Tri County Parkway, Springdale, OH 45246
If you cannot attend the public hearing, but would like to comment before or after the hearing, please send comments in writing to: COA at the address above, attn: Mary Gonnella, or via email to mgonnella@help4seniors.org. Comments must be received no later than April 2, 2010.
The Area Plan may be viewed beginning March 22, 2010 at www.help4seniors.org.
For more information, contact Mary Gonnella at 513-721-1025 or mgonnella@help4seniors.org.
This comes as officials weigh whether to go to voters with a new levy for the elderly services program in November, after the last levy collected millions more than the agency needed.
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