State Senator Teresa Fedor (right) was in Jackson County Thursday to serve as the keynote speaker for Democratic Jackson County commissioner candidate, Lisa Parker (left).

And she was not afraid to come out firing when she spoke at her campaign fundraiser last Thursday evening at the OSU/County Extension Office near Jackson.

Parker is seeking the January 3rd term commissioner’s seat in November’s General Election and faces the Republican candidate, former County Commissioner Jim Riepenhoff. Also speaking at the event on Parker’s behalf were State Senator Teresa Fedor and one-time Democratic state representative candidate, Nick Rupert of Vinton County.

Parker, who is seeking county office for ‘the first time, was assertive and on the offensive much of the time against Riepenhoff and accused him of ducking her challenges for a debate. She cast herself as the underdog running against a powerful and wealthy opponent. Using the David-and-Goliath analogy, she even pulled a slingshot out of a brown paper bag for full effect. “I’m not afraid of money and billboards, but he must be afraid of me, because he won’t debate me,” Parker declared.

She also claimed Riepenhoff missed 20 percent of the commissioners’ meetings during his previous term from 2003 through 2006. She noted that she had missed only six commissioners’ meetings since she began attending them in September 2007 — and that these absences were due to work-related obligations. *

Riepenhoff’s campaign literature touts “experience, integrity and fiscal responsibility,” but Parker challenged him on each topic.

“Money doesn’t equate to integrity and fiscal responsibility is living within your means,” she stated. “Yes, he’s outspent me, but what is he going to do with your tax dollars”?

As for own platform, Parker says the county needs to be more aggressive in seeking jobs and that local officials failed to secure available grants. She says all parties need to work together to show that “Jackson County is open4or business,” and added that Republican County Commissioner Tom Walton deserved “tons of credit” for being present for her event.

Parker also feels the county should work to expand broadband Internet service and is in favor of establishing a commissioners’ website to better communicate the public. In order to reach out to more people, she thinks it would be a good idea also to conduct meetings from time to time in the evening and in Oak Hill and Wellston. 

Fedor spoke positively of Parker as a person and feels she has ihe dedication and commitment to be an outstanding public servant and would strive to “do the right thing.” They struck up a friendship after they met at a governmental event in Columbus.

“She has been attending every commissioners’ meeting, every single week for more than a year,” Fedor commented. “Now, that’s commitment.”

Fedor concluded, “Lisa just loves people — you can tell. She just wants to help. I am very proud to call her a sister soldier and great friend.” 

In his remarks before introducing Fedor, Rupert noted that Jackson County Democrats have five candfdates bn the ballot this fall, the largest representation in 40 years and that all them are working hard to get elected.

An unscheduled speaker was Jackson City Auditor Jim Humphreys, who was extremely critical of the federal financial bailout plan that has been proposed by President Bush. He was also fearful that race will be a factor in Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama gaining support from white voters.

– original article by Pete Wilson - The Telegram News

I have spent time in the Auditor’s office learning about the budgeting process, where our budget comes from, General Fund account, line items, cost centers, and departmental budgets. What costs are “fixed’ what costs are “fluid”.

I have learned about our investment accounts and how the drop in interest rates affect our bottom line.

However, I have also learned that due diligence is not always excersised in spending our money. I have found waste in the utilities of the dog kennel, over billing by a contractor that went unchallenged, consultant fees, and it goes on.

Most of the time, the budget process is “fixed”, but where it is not, questions, whether the amount or project is solid or not, needs to be scrutinized and questions. Final bills need to be reviewed. When it involves an area where there is no expertise on the board, then the board owes it to us to educate themselves so they can make better decisions.

I have been attending the commissioners meetings since early Sept. Every week. According to my notes, the first mention of a Port Authority was on Nov 15 by Mr McNelly. He had been speaking with TJ Justice, a former county resident, who is running the Coshocton Port Authority. Mr McNelly said he wanted to get a county Port Authority before “someone else” does it. (The Cityof Jackson)

On Nov. 19, Mr. McNelly said he felt a since of urgency before the new city administration was seated to put through this Port Authority. He and the other 2 commissioners had spoken with Dr. Dingus of Lawerance County (where, by the way, the City of Ironton also has a Port Authority) and in fact did get Dr Dingus on the phone to explain his Port Authority to the Press. All was upbeat and positive…there was no “downside” to a Port Authority…..I shall discuss later.

Mr McNelly introduced, and read into the minutes, verbatim, Lawerance county’s charter for a Port Authority for Jackson. Mr Armstrong, doing damage control, entered the motion for a Port Authority, but with no other items, so it could be fleshed out and written at a later time for Jackson County….all of this is in the papers.

HOWEVER,  in this rush to vote in the county Port Authority, no other county with both a Port Authority and an Economic Development Board was interviewed!  

 AT NO TIME, did the commissioners have an open meeting with the cities, villiages, and townships for their input or to build concensus! The cities, villages and townships will have to help support this! At no time was the public told what a Port Authority was or what it meant to them.

AT NO TIME did the commissioners consult the Economic Development board about input prior to the vote, how this will affect their operation, or how the Port Authority will be managed! YET, for the press at the time of the meeting, the Head of our ECON DEV board was suggested to head it up…without consultation.

Now the sticky part: The Port Authority has ‘eminent”  domain…and that is a concern for many citizens.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many good things a Port Authority could bring to the community, but if everything was so on the “up and up”, why weren’t there formal meetings with Jackson County Cities, villiages, townships and the Econ Dev group to set up a committee to do study the upside and the downside of this Port Authority?

What other counties have discussed, is that with both a Port Authority and an Economic Development Board, outside firms are confused as to who to contact, and the 2 entities wind up in a power grab….so not every county painted such a  rosey picture…but then, you have to contact more than 2 counties where someone will tell you what you want to hear.

This is what happens when too many “like-minded” people take control….there are not different perspectives as to the “Murphy’s Law” factor…and these people do not think they need to have concensus, or even consultation with the rest of us.

What are your thoughts?