Rasor for Stow

Today, Congressman Steve LaTourette endorsed me in the race for Stow City Council At-Large.

His letter reads:

It is with great pleasure that I lend my full support to your campaign for Stow City Council. Your strong leadership, your tireless work ethic, and positive attitude would truly benefit the city of Stow.

For these reasons and more, I am endorsing your candidacy for election.

I am absolutely ecstatic that the leader of Ohio’s Republican delegation believes I am the right person for the job. As I have said, however, it’s not about Republican/Democrat. My other support has come from two Democrats: Summit County Clerk of Courts Dan Horrigan (endorsement) and County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh (donation).

Community leaders see that Stow needs a change in direction. It’s doesn’t matter your party or how you stand on hot-button issues. It’s about removing complacent politicians and inserting energetic leaders who have a vision for improving their constituents’ lives.

In other news…

I am very thankful for my volunteers this morning. Kenyuana Jofferion and her sorority sister took care of one precinct. Kenyuana worked for me at the college newspaper. John Conner walked door-to-door with me. He has been an avid reader of the Web site and volunteered to help on a campaign for the first time in his life. My family was a big help as always.

I received a donation from a supporter based solely upon Ron Alexander’s attack ad. The supporter wrote a note: “This mailer from Alexander was too much for me.” So, I suppose I need to thank Ron for the boost in Web traffic, as well as the donation, which is enough to pay for the Web domain for 2.5 years.

I also knocked on doors for four hours in Wyoga Lake. The people there are rightfully upset. City council has long ignored their flooding. With the Seasons Road development, it’s sure to worsen. I wanted to visit them to promise that I have their backs. We need storm sewer infrastructure there, and we need it now. We also must do whatever it takes to minimize the short-term effects of development until we can get the sewer in place.

Despite having a member of council who lives there (Mary Bednar), this neighborhood almost seems ignored. Voters there should consider what, if anything, Bednar has done for them before they ever think about writing her onto the ballot.

Regardless of those issues, it was great to meet everyone. I have never had a day when so many people told me, “Yes, I know who you are. We are already voting for you.” It’s a great feeling to know my message has preceded me, and that they are receptive to change.

Tomorrow is a big day on the campaign. We are mounting a huge volunteer effort. If you want to be a part of it, please use the CONTACT ME button above.

A supporter gave me this advice: “Run through the tape.” That means, of course, don’t let up until the race is absolutely, 100 percent over. There is no way I will slack one bit in the next 72 hours.

Change is coming.

I heard about Ron Alexander’s attack ad from people on the phone, and it sounded awful.

Then I saw it in person and almost burst out laughing. Does Ron think that people will be upset that I intend “to do some serious fundraising”? The other quotes are taken out of context (see below).

Ron, what’s your point? I’m a student. I’m not a lawyer who charges clients $200 per hour, so yes, I do need outside support from people like my grandmother, my father, and my neighbors to get my message out. And yes, if a successful politician like Don Robart wants to give advice — not about policy, but about campaigning during the rain — then I will listen.

Goodness gracious. And what’s with the cheesy moneybag graphics? Before today, I respected Ron Alexander a great deal. We never agreed much, but I thought of him as a dignified, intelligent man. This attack ad, however, shows a new side of Ron that is disturbing and sad.

Ron’s campaign theme is “Keep partisan politics out of Stow council,” but let’s compare that rhetoric to the facts:

1) Ron Alexander was the only candidate who appeared on a partisan slate card sent out yesterday.
2) Ron Alexander is the only candidate who has even USED the word Republican or Democrat in mass communications.
3) Ron Alexander is on the same ticket as someone who received campaign contributions from the Stow Republican Club. Janet D’Antonio received $400. The club gave me nothing.

I really like how Stow has nonpartisan elections. It’s not about Republican vs. Democrat. It’s about truth vs. falsity. It’s about wise spending vs. wasteful spending. It’s about sound decisions vs. reckless decisions. It forces Stow residents to choose based on something other than party.

In fact, I just received a phone call from a former elected official in Stow. She told me that she has hope in this city because of me. By the way, she is a staunch Democrat.

This isn’t about red states and blue states, and I don’t want it to be. But Ron Alexander is introducing this partisan element that really has no place in this election. THEN, he talks about how he will be the person to keep partisan politics off Stow council. THEN, he talks about his honesty and dignity.

Who does he think he’s kidding?

Ron Alexander continued his barrage of baseless attacks today. Ron quoted me as saying multiple statements. They are all taken out of context. I’ll address them one by one…

On August 12, I wrote on Twitter that I discovered $6K in campaign funds. I’m not talking about a donation. In fact, my campaign finance report would be required to show that. On my report, I had only $985.16 in donations and almost all of it has come from close friends and family. The comment about $6,000 was an inside joke between my friends that I would use student loan money on my campaign, but, as my finance report shows, I have not.

On August 20, I wrote on Twitter that I would follow Cuyahoga Falls mayor Don Robart’s advice about knocking on doors in the rain. Alexander told everyone that I admitted to accepting advice from Mayor Don Robart. It’s nothing sinister, folks.

On July 1, I wrote on Twitter: “Had a good meeting with the GOP bigwig today. As each day passes, it seems like the campaign’s focus is becoming clearer.” … Look. I’m new to politics. I didn’t know how to campaign. I met with a leader of the Republican Party, and he discussed the importance of knocking on doors to meet people. I took that advice to heart, and I feel that you can’t represent people you don’t know. Does that mean I’m going to act however the party wants me to in office? Of course not. You can read this blog and see that I’m not influenced by anything except what I believe is right.

More is coming later tonight. Be sure to check back. I also have a big announcement.

I knocked on doors for another four hours today. Many residents told me it’s the first time they’ve seen a politician come visit them. In my opinion, you can’t be a leader without knowing your constituents. With today’s work, I finished my eighth precinct since the primary. My goal is nine.

Today, Ron Alexander’s name was on a flyer from the Summit County Democratic Party that gave the names of each Democrat that will appear on the ballot in the county. This is the same Ron Alexander whose motto is “Keep Partisan Politics Out of Stow Council.” What a hypocrite!

No other candidate (to my knowledge) has sent a mass flyer advertising his or her party affiliation. You can use the search box on my blog to see I’ve never even used the words “Republican” or “Democrat” until today. Yet Ron Alexander consents to the very action that his campaign aims to cure. If this doesn’t convince you that Ron Alexander will say anything to get elected, I don’t know what to tell you.

Meanwhile, Sara Drew said the most jaw-dropping quote possible in tomorrow’s Beacon Journal:

”The court has brought in economic development and put us in a position to have a voice in this county,” Drew said. ”It’s a linchpin for the future development of that area.”

Economic development? In the last 40 days, three businesses within a tenth of a mile of the courthouse have closed due to revenue problems. Plus, is it worth $1 million per year to have “a voice in this county”? And besides that, what sort of voice do we have? We don’t even get to set the court’s budget, despite the responsibility to pay for it.

This was about city council wanting headlines, and doing so at the taxpayers’ expense. This year, the municipal court bailed the city out with a $750,000 check. Next year, the deficit will be $1 million. Thanks to Sara Drew and Ron Alexander’s pet project, YOU get to foot that bill. Well, at least we have a voice in the county… Sort of.

Sara Drew and Ron Alexander have misled us for long enough. Their departure is long overdue. I have been asking you to tell your neighbors about my campaign and the ideas I want to implement. An equally important message is how poorly Sara Drew and Ron Alexander have done. Voters need to know that.

I will make an exciting announcement tomorrow. Stay tuned.

I spent 4.5 hours today knocking on doors. I can’t understate the beauty of Stow in autumn. When these leaves are changing, it’s absolutely gorgeous. In the neighborhood I visited today, the Japanese Maples were particularly majestic in their shades of brilliant red.

Speaking of leaves, Ron Alexander continues to tell people that I oppose the leaf-pickup program. That is absolutely false. I support the program. I would have voted YES to buy the leaf machines. It’s unfortunate that someone who claims to hold the monopoly on integrity/honesty has to rest his campaign on misleading people.

The good news is, only one person has asked me about Ron’s misstatement so far. It happened today, and she was very happy to hear me clear things up.

The campaign themes have been consistent. Ron Alexander has attacked me, and he will continue to attack me. I almost guarantee that he will have some sort of nasty newspaper ad or mailing against me in the next five days.

Let me tell you three things, Ron. 1) It motivates me. If I have a spare 15 minutes, and I could turn on a basketball game OR I could go distribute flyers, you can guess my decision. I want your sleazy attacks to be the tool that buries you in this election. 2) Stow residents know I’m working hard. They know I’m not the negative or partisan person you claim. People’s first-hand knowledge of me will always trump your misleading claims. 3) Your attacks have been a great boost for my Web traffic. During the five-day stretch where you cited my Web address, I had an extra 100 new visitors on top of then normal trend. I appreciate the free publicity.

As for Sara Drew, she continues to say the same political rhetoric — things that EVERYONE agrees about. I implore you to find one topic where Sara Drew takes a stand that you disagree with. She thinks that’s a good thing. She says that makes her the “positive voice for Stow.” My goodness! You can’t be positive solely because you ignore the problems. Being positive is this: Identifying the problems, having faith that the community can do something about them, and envisioning a better city because of it.

Rather, Sara Drew prefers to pump out patently obvious cliches. This isn’t a beauty contest. Stow residents want real solutions and a real choice at the polls. You have spent more than double of everyone in this race, but your message is almost completely void of substance.

I appreciate everyone offering to volunteer on Saturday and Sunday. I printed off 4,000 pieces of literature. It will be our challenge to distribute all of them before Monday.

Change is coming.

I didn’t get a chance to walk today, but I did contact almost 30 voters. Even on days when I’m not knocking on doors, I’m working on printing, mailing, dialing, dealing with yard signs, etc. To be frank, I am excited for the day when my hard work goes toward crafting policy for my hometown or toward helping residents in their individual problems with the city.

Tomorrow, I will return to the campaign trail. It might rain, but that doesn’t bother me. It’s no time to slow down. One high-level, unelected city employee encouraged me this weekend by saying: “Work like you’re in sixth (place).” That is exactly the spirit I want to carry through the last week.

I appreciate everyone who participated in the second Tell-a-Friend Tuesday. In exactly a week, we will know if all of this hard work has paid off. I have faith that it will. Please keep up the good work!

In the news:

I want to give my support for the students at the Stohion who halted publication of Stow High’s newspaper. Regardless of whether the principal censored them unreasonably, I am proud that they did something about it. The Framers of our Constitution also would be proud of you standing up to the government. As the Editor-in-Chief of the Stohion for two years and Editor-in-Chief of my college newspaper, I want you to know that journalists battle these issues almost monthly. Keep your chins up and keep fighting for what you think is right.

In the past 40 days, three businesses have closed near the Stow Municipal Courthouse. I realize that construction made some customers shy away from Damon’s, Rico Latte, and Quizno’s. However, this is also an indictment on Ron Alexander’s promise that the courthouse would be an economic jolt to the area. Rather, the courthouse has its own cafe, so it’s essentially the government competing with the private sector — except the government has an unbeatable location. Here is what I would have done to help these business owners: 1) Require night-time construction, so as to minimize the effect on these businesses. 2) Hold city functions at the restaurants or use them to cater events. That is the least the city could do to help out.

The Huntington Bank across the street from City Hall was robbed for the second time in four months. This is at a time when Janet D’Antonio thinks it would be “ludicrous” to hire more police officers, despite the fact that the force has not replaced two officers who retired and a third who is on medical leave, and crime jumped from 1,200 arrests in 2007 to 1,800 arrests in 2008. How are people supposed to be comfortable in investing in this community as business owners or homeowners if they see these trends? I want to reverse them.

Today was another gorgeous fall day. I knocked on more than 100 doors in the five hours I was out there. More and more, people recognize me before I introduce myself. I think that means that the Web site and flyers are working. The long day of knocking/talking allowed me to finish my seventh precinct since the primary. (My goal is nine.)

Tomorrow is supposed to be another decent day for walking. It is also the second Tell-a-Friend Tuesday. When you see someone at the grocery store, or at work, or outside doing yard work, please tell them that this election is a big deal. We have a chance to pull out the stagnant politicians and replace them with energetic leaders who are full of ideas how to improve the city’s services while cutting the budget.

I am also still looking for volunteers for this Saturday and Sunday. If you have never done any work for a campaign, I would recommend it. It’s fun to know that you are helping distribute a message that you feel strongly about.

Unfortunately, I am out of yard signs. I have had close to 25 requests since my supply ran out. Word of mouth is more valuable than a yard sign, however. Please tell the neighbors and friends you see, because that is what will give me the biggest boost on Nov. 3.

Change is coming.

I spent a couple hours today knocking on doors. It was nice to meet everyone!

This pleasant weather has been great for my campaign. When it rains, I stay inside and cannot meet as many people. The report calls for a lot of sunshine between now and Nov. 3, so I am optimistic that I will be able to reach each of the precincts that I targeted.

The Ten Day Surge really gets underway starting tomorrow. The word-of-mouth effort is still running strong, as well. I appreciate everyone who is working for me in that way. I am still looking for volunteers next weekend. If you have a couple hours to spare, I’d love to have you help out!

It was nice to meet Stow residents this afternoon. As we near the election, more and more people have questions, and I’m happy to answer them. Although I would like to knock on every door in Stow, I don’t have the time before Nov. 3. So I’m happy to answer any questions you might have through the Web site. Please use the CONTACT ME button above.

As the election nears, Sara Drew continues to put empty rhetoric in the newspaper. Ron Alexander continues desperate attacks. Janet D’Antonio is trying to fly under the radar and hope she squeaks through as she has done in seven previous elections.

My strategy is different. I want to talk about the issues. I want to give voters a real choice. Tomorrow, I will continue to knock on doors in my seventh precinct since the primary. Change is coming.

If you would prefer to vote from home or prefer to vote early there are two options for you:

1) Visit the Summit County Board of Elections between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on any weekday before the election. It is located at 470 Grant Street, Akron, Ohio 44311. Click here for directions through MapQuest.com.

2) Print, fill out, and submit an absentee request form, which can be found by clicking here. They mail the ballot to your house. You vote from home. Then you mail it back to the Board of Elections. The instructions are on the sheet. Time is running out to vote absentee. The application form must be turned in to the Board of Elections by noon on Saturday, Oct. 31.

You don’t need any specific excuse to vote early or absentee. Just show up or request the form. It is very simple.