Two years ago, before the petitions were turned in and certified for the upcoming special election (which was a mayoral and 2 commission seat year) I attended a candidates’ night that I described as:
the oddest candidates’ night of them all- 2 hours of people who may not be on the ballot, talking about what they won’t be able to do anything about if they got elected mayor.
I, being the candidate who believes in a well-informed electorate, went out and videotaped the very long, poorly structured event and put it up online.
Today I was sitting with Scott Sliver, one of the 5 candidates for Dayton City Commission that will have the field narrowed in May to four, and asked if there were any candidates’ nights so far? None was the answer, in fact the first is April 20th by the League of Women Voters. That’s just a few weeks before the election. None in BEH, Walnut Hills, Northern Hills, FROC, Patterson Park, McCook- not a one.
Full disclosure- my firm, The Next Wave [2] is doing printing and design for Mr. Sliver.
Lucky for me, because I’m going in for surgery tomorrow, and won’t be able to carry anything like a video camera for a few weeks. Not lucky for voters who still care.
Of course these stupid runoff elections 6 months before the real one are just something to make running for office more expensive and to give the overpaid people at the Board of (S)Elections something to do. Do we really need to narrow the field? Instant runoff balloting would make this easy. Just rank your choices 1 to 5 and then a computer runs a little routine and says if your number 1 choice didn’t get enough votes, your vote rolls to your number 2 and so on until the top two choices have more votes than the rest. One election, and you never have to worry about voting for “someone you like, but doesn’t stand a chance.”
For the record, the five choices in the upcoming election, 3 of whom I’ve never heard speak in public on political matters. are:
- Incumbent Matt Joseph [3]
- School Board Member Hazel Rountree [4]
- The God Squad of: Darryl Fairchild [5] and Scott Sliver [6] (both men of the cloth) who aren’t running together.
- Chris Shaw [7].
There is going to be an “open seat” since Commissioner Lovelace has been allowed to placehold for the last three years after his many strokes. Honestly, he should have been replaced in a special election after he missed 5 consecutive meetings according to the charter. Instead he took half a year off and then some. I’d like to give you more insight on the above candidates- but I can’t. No candidates nights. Lame-o websites.
I’m voting for Sliver, one vote, at this point. It’s called “plonking” around here- and it makes sure your vote doesn’t counterbalance by giving the guy who could come in above you that chance. As I’ve said earlier, I’ve known Scott for 25+ years, when we both started our own small businesses in the advertising field at the same time. He later closed up shop to become the touchy-feely pastor who feeds poor families in need.
After the League of Women Voters candidates’ night- I may consider Shaw or Fairchild. Rountree was just elected to School Board. I don’t like quitters, ever. Plus, I’m terrified who they may choose over much better qualified candidates to replace her (she was in the field of 8 [8] when they picked William Schooler instead).
I’ve yet to see anything resembling leadership or real effort from Joseph who is a very nice guy, but a place holder on the commission. He’s been there for 12 years and has a very thin resume of accomplishment.
At this point, if more than 8,000 people vote in the primary (early voting is open now) I’d be shocked. It’s the election that nobody cares about.
UPDATE
13 April 15 Candidates nights:
- Northern Hills Candidates Nights- Belle Haven School, 7pm 13 April 2015
- Riverdale Neighborhood Association- Tuesday 14 April 2015
- League Of Women’s Voters: 20 April, 6:30 p.m., Dayton Library Main Branch, 215 East Third Street Dayton
- 22 April, 6pm Dakota Center 33 Barnett Street Dayton OH 45402 (off W. 5th) Black Lives Matter.
- April 26, 11:30 am Wayman Chapel 3317 Hoover Ave.
…and apparently, from the lack of commentary, the noboby cares post…
Updated the post with 4 candidates nights info
I’m still angry about the City of Dayton Street Light Assessment that was passed unanimously by our City commissioners. This is an issue that should have been put to the ballot and decided by the voters! It cost me the owner of a $173,000 home $528 dollars. Luckily, I was able to pay this amount in a lump sum. Had I chosen to stretch the payment over 6 years I would of had to pay additional fee; how considerate of our City Commissioners. The big selling point of the assessment was how much the money the energy efficient street lights would save the city. Why couldn’t the savings derived from the new lights have been used to pay for the project, instead of passing the cost on to the residents? Matt Joseph voted for this assessment. I say it’s time to vote him out of office!
I’m trying to figure you out so don’t take this as malicious. You complained about 2 hours out of your life to listen to candidates who toy may or may not vote for but you watched 13 hours of Dare Devil over three days and recommended that others do it too. Why no reason that none of these candidates are worthy of your vote based on things like record, voting history. Instead you complained about a video presentation and overpaying. Please give a legitimate reason you wouldn’t vote for these guys, it’s obvious you want your opinions heard. Fine, I’m here to listen so please, based on record, experience, history give us your opinion.
Welcome to Esrati.com Jamie- I’ve had to change your name to Jamie C, since we already have another Jamie- and my informal rule is a name- and it has to be consistent, and not already taken.
You seem to be a bit confused- I’ll explain.
2 years ago, there were so many candidates nights- they even had one where people who weren’t going to be on the ballot were allowed to talk as if they were running for mayor- taking time away from the people who actually did turn in 500 valid signatures.
The Daredevil post had more to it- but got lost- and I’ve not finished reconstructing it-
but, that was pure entertainment- listening to Dashawn P. Romine,Derek O. Folley (aka Foley) or Eric L. Gregory was painful.
This time, without the “high profile” Mayor’s race (which is a joke, since the Mayor has the same power as each of the commissioners for the most part) there were very few candidates nights scheduled.
My view on candidates nights is that they are mostly poorly run- and the candidates don’t ever say much worth listening to.
I did go and tape the first one at Northern Hills- where I made clear what I thought of the candidates- or more specifically- what I thought of the one candidate who seems to be in it mostly for herself- and therefore unworthy of moving on: http://esrati.com/hazel-rountree-on-hazel-rountree/11999
since this is only an unnecessary thinning of the herd election- so to speak, after the Board of Elections does their normal thing disqualifying other candidates quite well (former candidate David Greer got tossed from contention for lack of valid signatures).