Rasor for Stow

If anyone is interesting in attending the swearing-in ceremony, it will be on the evening of Monday, Jan. 4. A reception will follow the ceremony.

If you would like to attend, please use the CONTACT ME box and send me your address. The council’s clerk, Bonnie Emahiser, will send you a fancy invitation.

I apologize for not posting recently. I have two decent excuses: 1) My computer has been at Best Buy for two weeks getting fixed. 2) My exams are approaching, so I’ve been studying and working more than usual.

As an update, I am continuing to meet with city officials. I met two weeks ago with city engineer Bill Drew, who was very gracious to give me more than an hour of his time to explain the goings on in his department.

I had breakfast with several of Stow’s business leaders this morning. It was productive. I enjoyed hearing what their opinions and ideas are.

In my campaign, I focused on hearing what’s on the residents’ minds. In the coming months, I hope to meet as many business leaders to hear their opinions. I don’t care if it’s an off-the-wall idea or a mainstream concern; Stow government should ensure that every business owner feels like he or she has a place at the table when it comes to decision-making.

Browns Pro Bowler Josh Cribbs showed up to Stow’s Senior Night football game to walk on the field with senior Michael Drake, whose late father coached Cribbs at Kent State.

What a kind gesture from a classy player! We need more athletes who are so devoted to the community.

In other news, I met with my three election opponents last week. They were each gracious. I look forward to working with Sara Drew and Janet D’Antonio. I must remind everyone, however, that I wasn’t elected to go along with the status quo. My election is an indictment on that status quo. We can all get along, but I won’t budge on my principles of sound governance and fiscal responsibility. Not for anyone.

I am very excited that the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that will rename Stow’s post office as the “Cpl. Joseph A. Tomci Post Office.” At 415-1, the vote was nearly unanimous (one member accidentally voted “no”).

The bill must go to the Senate, then to President Obama’s desk for signing.

Joe was a close friend of mine. As I watched the proceeding on C-SPAN, I realized just how big of a deal this is. The entire U.S. Congress was considering this bill. It wasn’t just slid into a bigger appropriations deal; this was a single piece of legislation devoted to Joe Tom. Very touching, especially considering that three members of Congress spoke on the floor about Joe’s life.

I urge you to thank Congressman Steve LaTourette and Stow councilman Matt Riehl for getting this bill in motion. It is a lot of work to put something like this before Congress.

Because of the impact Joe has had on my life, I will donate $1,000 of my council salary to the Cpl. Joseph A. Tomci Memorial Fund, which goes to help underprivileged families of soldiers.

I haven’t posted in a while. Rest assured, I’m going to keep the blog running. The past seven days have included a lot of celebrating and a lot of catching up on sleep. The final weeks of the campaign were very taxing. I sincerely appreciate all of the congratulatory messages. I’m still working to respond to everyone.

Ron Alexander has been very gracious. He offered to meet me for lunch, so I look forward to that. On Wednesday, I will meet with Sara Drew and Janet D’Antonio. Today, Mayor Fritschel was nice enough to take me out to lunch.

The mayor pointed out that the Charter Review Commission is set to propose changes to Stow’s constitution. The commission is assembled every 10 years. Its recommendations are provided on the next ballot. The mayor appoints members of the commission. You can get an application by calling her office at (330)689-2800.

One big change that I will push for is putting city council on term limits. Whether it’s four, six, or eight years, I don’t mind, but we need something to ensure new voices are coming to council.

I have received a lot of good advice since my election. One particularly good piece of advice came from a professor of mine. He told me to do a lot of listening. There’s a reason we have two ears, two eyes and only one mouth. I will do my best to be a humble member of council. With that said, I will never relent on my insistence that council be a wise steward of the people’s money.

I have a load of “thank you”s to give…

I must thank the dozens of supporters whom I met while on the campaign trail. These people absolutely worked their tails off for me, distributing yard signs, calling neighbors and encouraging me when I felt that beating 32 years of incumbency was too daunting. I have noticed that people at city hall have brushed some of these folks off as “radicals.” If that’s the case, I wish our whole town was full of radicals.

My family, obviously, was a huge help. My sister and her friend Lyn Simonovski were always eager to pull off an impromptu lit drop. My dad was always willing to lit drop for me. Always. In fact, he performed his final lit drop while jogging (I know, that’s weird). My mom was my No. 1 advocate. Wherever she went, she was sure to pick up votes for me. My brother Nate was also a big help when I asked.

I have already mentioned the great importance of Elgie Underwood and Brian Lowdermilk. To fight this fight alone would have been incredibly difficult. These two stuck in there with me, and I fully expect them to serve the city in some way within the next few years.

Kiel Fleming is the real game changer. He was the Art Director when I was Editor-in-Chief of the Buchtelite. When I told him I was running, he asserted himself and took the role as Art Director of my campaign. He immediately began to build a Web site with blog capability that would allow me to stay in touch with Stow residents on a real-time basis. The blog wasn’t my idea; it was his. I can almost guarantee that I would be on the outside, looking in, if not for Kiel’s vision and leadership on my campaign.

I want to thank my financial donors. Being a law student, I am not independently wealthy. In July and August, I was really struggling to keep the campaign going, so your contributions were a HUGE help. I also want to thank the elected officials and experts who provided their support and advice. I have never run an election before, so I tried to soak up advice like a sponge.

I absolutely must thank “The Organization,” which is the cheesy name for my group of friends from Stow High School, class of 2003. These guys gave a great deal of their valuable time to furthering my campaign in the past four months. Some of them registered and voted for the first time. Politics doesn’t come easily to my generation, but these guys ate it up, and I couldn’t have covered as much of the city without them.

We were all close friends with Cpl. Joseph A. Tomci. I must thank Joe for many things, mostly his inspiration and passion for bettering the world. He is a serious cause for the fire I hold. Joe died on Aug. 2, 2006, while serving as a Marine in Iraq. I can’t say how much I admired Joe Tom’s willingness to stick up for what he believed was right and set aside his own self-interests. It was remarkable. A great deal of him rubbed off on each of us.

The last “thank you” goes to the voters of Stow. I concede that voting for a 24-year-old is a leap. You showed your confidence in me. And I will do my absolute best to uphold it. I can guarantee we won’t agree on everything. But if I stray from the principles I have preached on this Web site, I want you to let me know. In the mean time, please know that I appreciate your support. I am humbled.

One last note…

I plan to re-launch this Web site in January after my inauguration. Why? Not for campaign purposes, but because Stow residents need to know what’s going on in their city.

Change is coming.

11:00 p.m.

The race is over. I finished in first place with 4,452 votes. Janet D’Antonio and Sara Drew will join me on council with 4,011 and 3,977 votes, respectively.

I want to commend Elgie Underwood and Brian Lowdermilk for their great effort during the last four months. These are men who care deeply about their community, and they wanted nothing more than to provide their gifts for the good of the public. While I am heartbroken that Elgie and Brian will not join me, I urge both of them to come back next time. During this race, I have become close with both of them, and I sincerely admire them.

I also must urge the Stow community to thank Ron Alexander for his 14 years of service. A political race requires one candidate to differentiate himself from another. This was no different, but I truly admire the amount of expertise and intelligence with which Alexander approached his work. His attributes and presence will be missed at City Hall.

This was an amazing night. I have always shot for first or second place, but it was only a far-away goal that seemed only attainable in a miracle situation. The support I received from my friends has been incredible — both moral, physical, and financial. My family has been there for me during the rollercoaster turns and dips of an election. I am blessed to have every one of them.

I’ll collect my thoughts and post more tomorrow.

10:15 p.m.

With 70 percent of the votes counted, I am in first place by 375 votes. I am very grateful for the support.

9:30 p.m.

Janet D’Antonio and I are tied in first place after absentees.

9:15 p.m.

The county has a huge problem due to ballot shortages in many cities, but not Stow, although Stow’s turnout was much higher than expected. Therefore, some people were waiting to vote. They couldn’t start scanning the absentee ballots until just now.

9:00 p.m.

Apparently, polls are still open in Summit County, so the board of elections cannot yet post the absentee results. You can keep refreshing your page to check for them here.

8:30 p.m.

Still waiting on absentees to come in. I expected them about 30 minutes ago. Stay tuned.

While the time passes, I’m writing down my predicted order for the election. Based on the results, I might let you know how accurate they are.

7:30 p.m.

The campaign is officially over. Polls have closed. I spent the afternoon and early evening at Fishcreek Elementary, Echo Hills Elementary and St. Stephen’s Church. Voters were VERY positive toward me with thumbs ups, waving and well-wishes. I am thankful for these uplifting gestures.

As I said, the campaign is over. There will be no regrets. Period. I fought as hard as I could. I talked to as many people as I could. I spent every moment thinking about how best to get out my message. If it is not enough, I will congratulate the winners and move on with my life. The citizens of Stow have been so gracious to me, and I’ll never forget it. If I lose, then it’s not in the Lord’s plans.

Absentees should be coming in soon. Check back on the site for updates.

1:45 p.m.

After seven hours of greeting voters at Fishcreek Elementary School, I took a lunch break. Despite the cold winds, everyone has been very pleasant. I feel like this is going to go our way. I plan to switch polling locations midway through the evening.

5:30 a.m.

Off to the polls! Be sure to say hi if you see me.

1:30 a.m.

I just finished distributing the last of my flyers. My car is a lot cleaner!

I heard that a disturbing rumor is going around about me in Janet D’Antonio’s neighborhood. I’m not going to even mention it, but it’s not true. It’s 100 percent false. For people who know me, it’s not even believable. I’ve done my best to lead a clean life, and if my opponents and their friends feel that a last-ditch smear campaign is the only way to win, that is very sad.

Remember, today is Tell-a-Friend Tuesday. Every voter you tell is important.

I am going to get four hours of sleep, then head out to the polls to greet voters. Keep checking back as the day goes on for updates.

I met dozens of people today out on the campaign trail. I finished knocking on doors in the ninth precinct since the primary. It was the 15th precinct where I have knocked overall. Once again, the residents of Wyoga Lake are very concerned about the direction this city is heading. They are ready to toss out the at-large incumbents, who have been in office a combined 32 years.

It was also great to see the senior citizens at the Stow Sunshiners meeting. It is uplifting that a large majority of seniors recognize that this town needs new blood. Ron Alexander showed up at the meeting, and he boasted to everyone how he spent $109,000 of city money to buy a new bus.

Here’s the thing: Anyone can spend money. It’s very easy. However, if you do nothing but say “yes,” it leads you to financial ruin — whether you’re running a government, a business or a household. The hard part is saying no. The hard part is making cuts. And that is the climate we are in.

The fact is, this city should never have had to decide between replacing police officers and replacing an old bus. If Ron Alexander hadn’t spearheaded this Stow Municipal Courthouse debacle, the city would have an extra $1 million to spend EVERY YEAR. We could have purchased the bus, replaced the three police officers, continued paving roads and made a significant investment into the Wyoga Lake storm sewer problems. Instead of all of these things that actually improve people’s lives, we have a courthouse. Thanks, Ron.

Indeed, we are only in this dire financial situation because of politicians like Sara Drew and Ron Alexander who barely know the word “no.” Sara Drew has only voted “no” on THREE pieces of legislation in FOUR years. How is that possible? There are two ways: 1) She lacks the ability to think critically and independently. If someone presents it, Sara will go along with it. 2) She has no grasp on the importance of protecting taxpayers’ money. She thinks cliches like “quality of life” grant her some license to spend taxpayers’ money as if it doesn’t matter.

Although Sara Drew and Ron Alexander have a hard time saying “no,” it is my hope that Stow voters say “no” to them at the polls tomorrow.

Please remember that tomorrow is important for two reasons. 1) It is election day. 2) It’s Tell-a-Friend Tuesday. Let your friends and family know what’s going on at city hall, and tell them which candidates are best equipped to solve the problems. That means Rasor, Underwood and Lowdermilk for at-large. That means Matt Riehl for Ward One. That means Mark Hickin in Ward Two. That means John Wysmierski in Ward Three. That means Joe Hickin in Ward Four.

With enough victories tomorrow, a new voice could hold the majority — a voice that says city council is there to serve the public (not their friends), a voice that says government is not supposed to enter private industry, and a voice that will always ask, “Is this a necessary expenditure?” and “Are there higher priorities?”

With your help, Tuesday can be a positive turning point for our city. I am very excited about it.

Please check back tomorrow. I will try to provide updates throughout the day.

I am very grateful to the volunteers I had today. We passed out flyers to a good chunk of the city.

I especially want to thank Nathan Kemp, a University of Akron student who has been reading this Web site and decided he wanted to give a couple hours to help me get my message out. I am flattered that so many people like Nathan, whom I have never met, have volunteered to give a serious chunk of time for my campaign.

It’s important to realize, it’s not about me. It’s about the message of efficient government. I’m happy to carry the flag.

If this is your first visit to MikeRasor.com, I appreciate that you stopped by. Please read up on the issues by clicking the links to the right, or at the top. You can also contact me with questions. I update this Web site daily. The journalist in me wants to give Stow residents an inside look at the campaign.

Tomorrow, I plan to meet the senior citizens at the Stow Sunshiners meeting, then to finish knocking on doors in my ninth precinct since the primary. It will be my 15th precinct total, which is just about half the city. I think it’s critical to meet people. How can Ron Alexander claim to represent Stow residents if he never bothers to ask what they want?

Tuesday, of course, is Election Day. It is also the third Tell-a-Friend Tuesday. The theme I would like you to convey is total change. The at-large council needs a fresh start.

Tell your friends about Elgie Underwood, a small-business owner with big-time financial knowledge. He is a straight-shooter who won’t let anybody get away with wasting money. He is a conscientious, spiritual man who would be a serious asset to city council.

Tell them about Brian Lowdermilk, a down-to-earth gentleman whose ability to foresee problems is almost prophetic. In 2005, he stood up to city council before it agreed to move the courthouse. He told Ron Alexander that this was a mistake. Ron told him to buzz off, and to call Judge Hoover if he didn’t believe the court would pay for itself. History has proven Lowdermilk was right on the money, and he will save taxpayers plenty of it if they elect him.

I would also appreciate if you tell your friends and family about my work ethic and leadership. I have big hopes for this city. Sara Drew says she is positive. Being positive goes beyond repeating cliches over and over. It involves assessing the city’s direction, forming a plan to combat the problems and being confident that we have the ability to improve the situation.

We do! Change is coming.