Endorsements

Committee

Authur "Ozzie" Haddad, John Brown, Ann Baird, Kim O'Brien, Dr. Andy Davidson, Rita Hollenbacher, Carl Bowman, Bill O'Brien, Anne Huffman, Ron Thuma, John Frigge, Lydia Callison, Chris Peeples

Miami County Needs Jack Evans to Win

_{From: Dayton Daily News
Opinions
Page A22
Thursday, February 14, 2008}

State Rep. Diana Fessler is not the first legislator to deal with term limits by returning home to run for local office. Typically, though, people in her position eyes a job that Is open or held by the other party or an incompetent member of one’s own party. Not in this case, though.

Rep. Fessler is going after Republican Miami County Commissioner Jack Evans, about whom such complaints do not prevail. Things are going smoothly in a county where keeping things going smoothly is what public office is often about.

Mr. Evans was first appointed to fill a vacancy. Then he won a full four-year term without opposition. He was a township trustee for many years before joining the commission.

Miami County’s commission is notably cohesive, though previous commissions have not always been. Mr. Evans cities with particular pride his part in keeping the county budget balanced in tough economic times, without eliminating jobs. He has also been responsible for overseeing several county departments. (The commission divvies up responsibility for the departments.)

The latter role has been important, because Miami County has not had a county administrator. The commission has not been impressed with applicants and has decided not to fill the position for the time being.

Rep. Fessler is finishing the last of her allotted four terms in the Legislature, where she has not been either an effective legislator or an effective voice. She has been idiosyncratically conservative, even in a conservative environment. She was the only legislator to vote against the current state budget, saying she opposed an education initiative. She was removed from an education committee by Speaker John Husted. A home-schooler, she came to office with the support of hard-core social-issue conservatives, she never enlarged that support or put it to much advantage.

Now she runs partly on the charge that the county commission functions too privately, engaging in and hosting little public discussion. Her complaint is not enough.

Also running is Robert Clawson, 84, who was a commissioner for 24 years, ending in 1990. He says he finds retirement boring. He has kept up with local affairs mainly by reading the newspapers.

Commissioner Evans is running as the down-to-earth problem-solver with decades of experience in local government, facing the often isolated legislator, Rep. Fessler. He cites the support of local officials. He is campaigning aggressively, as he presumably must, to overcome Rep. Fessler’s advantage in name recognition.

Commissioner Evans is pointing out, for example, that a legislative ethics committee ordered Rep. Fessler to return $1,300 to a lobbyist for meals and Cincinnati Bengals tickets and to undergo ethics training.

This primary contest is a test of the Republican establishment in Miami County. The party is officially neutral in these matters, but, in fact, active Republicans know that she is not the right choice. The question is whether they will stand up for Commissioner Evans.

Rep. Fessler first won a primary for her House seat over a more down-to-earth, more qualified candidate. The local party has chosen to live with her all these years, lamely citing her work on constituent casework as a reason.

The history should not be repeated. In truth, a 99-member state legislative body is a less bad place for her than a three-member governing commission at earth level.

Jack Evans: ‘Team management approach’ is model

This endorsement of Jack Evans was provided by D. Ann Baird, former Miami County commissioner from 1994-2006.

The March 4 Republican Primary for county commissioner is critical to every Miami County taxpayer.

Jack Evans is the only candidate in this race who will not take our county government backward and risk the significant accomplishments of the past 15 years.

Evans is intelligent, hard-working and applies conservative moral and fiscal values to each decision.

His experiences as a 30-year local business owner and veteran were quickly apparent. He asked hard questions and made common-sense decisions based on what is best for taxpayers.

_{from: Dayton Daily News
Opinions
Page A22
Thursday, February 14, 2008}