"I am proud to be your County Commissioner, and I ask for your support on November 7th so we can keep moving forward toward a future full of promise and opportunity: a future that makes us proud to say we're from Portage County."
Chuck Keiper, Democrat
Portage County Commissioner
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Endorsements - 10.22.2006
And the Endorsements keep on coming! We received notification yesterday that I have received the endorsement of Asbestos Workers Local #84. I would like to thank that group for its support and for its interest in my race.
To date we have garnered a dozen endorsements including Tri-County Building & Construction Trades Council, Carpenters Local #639, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local #306, Iron Workers Local #17, Iron Workers Local #550, Painters Local #841, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local #219, Teamsters Local #348, Unite HERE Local #10, BrickLayers Local #7, and the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL (10-9-06). I would like to thank all of these organizations for their faith, trust, and confidence. I promise to continue carrying the torch for working men and women.
Portage County Sheriff and union - 10.20.2006
I've gotten a number of calls in the past 12 hours about the bargaining unit contract between the Portage County Sheriff and union representing his employees. The calls, all anonymous, raise a concern that somehow the Board of Commissioners has been unfair to these hard working folks. I've received enough calls that I thought I should respond here.
First, let me tell you that I believe in the right of workers to organize. I am a former AFL-CIO Boilermaker member and currently am a member of the American Federation of Musicians, Local #24. I support our law enforcement community and the men and women who make our safety their life's work.
I have been hearing lately that an attorney in those negotiations spent a good deal of time bad mouthing me - in fact one of my several anonymous phone messages was very direct on this subject. I have no idea what caused such a behavior on that person's part or whether, in fact, such a behavior really did take place. I am certainly aware that those negotiations are occurring but I have had no voice in them. This bargaining unit, after all, belongs to the Sheriff - not the Board of Commissioners. As for health insurance, the Board has been trying to unify the language in all of our contracts (I believe that there are 14 separate bargaining units under the entire Portage County Umbrella) for nearly 5 years now. We have successfully negotiated a standardized language in nearly all of them at this point. We are not "going after" insurance coverage. We are trying to manage it, however. With over 1200 employees it can be quite challenging to have more than a few plans. It just makes managing our cost of health care nearly impossible. The Board of Commissioners is dedicated to providing the best package of benefits to its dedicated employees as is possible. If you'll check the offerings of private and public employers in the region you will find our current offering in the upper 5 or 10%. You will also find that we are among a group of very few employers who still offer a plan that does not cost the employee a single penny. We have three plans currently; a gold plan, a silver plan and a basic plan, for lack of a better way to describe them. Employees make a contribution on the first two, but the third remains free.
To date, no member of the leadership or bargaining unit representation has ever had a conversation with me - either directly or indirectly. And I mean NEVER. I am not the elected official to whom these folks report, I am not in their chain of command. I have never said yes to any request and I have never said no to any request because, of course, I have never been asked. No one has ever reported a problem or concern to me nor has my help ever been enlisted. Had such a request been made I would have certainly stepped forward (within the limits of SERB requirements, of course) but no one has ever made such a request or reached out to me in any way. In fact, I only learned there was a problem today!
NEOUCoM gift - 10.19.2006
Congratulations to every Portage County resident and a great big THANK YOU to an anonymous donor who is helping to change ALL of our lives! The Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine announced today that it has received a $1.1 million anonymous gift toward to construction of a medical clinic which will serve the needs of the medically underserved in Portage County. The clinic has been a dream of a number of community leaders, myself included, for well over a decade now.
For the past 5 or 6 years I have been meeting with Steve Colecchi, CEO of Robinson Memorial Hospital; Mark Frisone, CEO of Family and Community Services of Portage County, and Dr. Jay Porter, Associate Dean at NEOUCoM. Our singular purpose? How to create such a facility in Portage County. During that time we have made great progress. With this generous gift we hope now to be able to move forward. Keep watching my blog and I'll keep you up to date! With a little luck, we hope to be open within the next 12-18 months!!
Vote Tom Sawyer (and Chuck, of course)! - 10.18.2006
Chris Smeiles and I spent a long, fun day putting out Chuck Keiper signs. My thank to Chris and to the dozens upon dozens of folks who asked for our signs! It's all of you who are going to help me win this election.
TN and Christine Bhargava hosted an event for Tom Sawyer at Mangiamo's in Twin Lakes. Many of you will remember Tom as our long-time US Representative. Tom is now a candidate for the State Board of Education. Tom has, without doubt, the best background for this job possible! An educator himself, Tom has a been one of the strongest advocates for education throughout his career. He will be a part of the solution for Ohio's educational mess. He is the ENDORSED DEMOCRATIC candidate. SO when you're voting for change in Ohio make sure you vote for Tom Sawyer. He's going to change the way we think about education in this state!
Parks, open space, and farmland preservation - 10.17.2006
There's been an awful lot of wind out there about which candidate will best support our parks, open space, and farmland preservation. I also know that during an election year some folks will say just about anything to get your vote. I prefer to let my record speak for itself.
For 13+ years now I have, without a doubt, been the strongest voice for our county parks on the Board of Commissioners. I advocated for a dilution of the Board of Commissioners funding by allowing a portion of our inside millage to be split with the Park Board thus providing the very first solid, undisputed and irrevocable funding in the history of the Portage County Park Board. I fought for the health of the middle Cuyahoga - and won. There is now a guaranteed amount of water going over the Lake Rockwell Dam and the middle Cuyahoga is healthier than at anytime in my lifetime! I brought the initial funding for the Kent Dam Restoration Project (about 3/4's of a million), helped where ever I could with the Portage Project including fighting for federal funding for the State Route 261 footbridge as well as Natural Resource Assistance Council Funding for purchasing some of the land along that remarkable footpath. I fought for the inclusion of local voices at the Summit superfund site, fought against the burning of old buildings at the Arsenal, and have been a creative and powerful part of making our recycling program the best in the State. I have carried the torch on loans extensions and loan forgiveness for the Parks Board. I believe that our last, best chance to leave a legacy of high quality park land for future generation of Portage Countians to enjoy is today. I support open space zoning, farmland preservation, purchase of development rights programs, and have supported each with my voice and my vote. And the list goes on and on.
So before you go to the polls make sure you check the record of each candidate. My record is strong and clear. Don't fall for some empty promise. Check the record. Whatever else you might be hearing is just a lot of wind.
Campaigning, "Change Ohio" and Issue 3 - 10.15.2006
We spent quite a long day campaigning yesterday! Signs duties have arrived - one of my favorite parts of the campaign, actually. Bonnie and I formed one of our several crews putting out 4X8 signs. Our thanks to everyone who helped. We will be placing about 750 more little yard signs over the next couple of weeks. You can sign up for a Keiper or Bogo sign right here on this site or you can call my home.
We went to a great breakfast sponsored by the Ravenna Men's Civic Club. While the event was billed as a Strickland-style "Change Ohio" Rally, it was really more an opportunity for that organization to meet all candidates. The breakfast was spectacular! Sausage gravy and biscuits, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits . . . mmm, mmm, mmm!! Hats off to the cooks!
My good friend Peter Lawson Jones, Cuyahoga County Commissioner and former democratic gubernatorial candidate was the key note speaker. An eloquent, intelligent man, Peter is passionate about why we all ought to be supporting Ted Strickland. He was equally passionate about his support for State Issue 3 - the slot machine issue. He believes that this issue is absolutely necessary for the State to be able to compete with our neighboring states. Those states provide college educations to their young people for a fraction of the cost of education in Ohio. As a result, Ohio continues to lose our best and brightest kids to out-of-state colleges. Many never come back. If Peter is any where close to right, you may want to give this issue a good look before deciding how you're going to vote.
Annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner - 10.14.2006
The Portage county Democratic Party held its annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner last evening. Jennifer Brunner was the evenings key note speaker. Jennifer is going to be Ohio's next Secretary of State. Her speech was moving and right on target. This is one bright and talented leader. Be sure you vote for Jennifer Brunner and the entire DEMOCRATIC TICKET on November 7th.
I was able to perform "Rise Up Together" at the banquet as well. For those of you who came up to me afterward, thank you for your kind and enthusiastic words. The song never fails to motivate and invigorate Democrats!! All you interested folks can hear the song right here on this site and download it for free. We'd love to have you download a better quality copy and make a contribution to our campaign efforts. Incidentally, we were posted recently on Arriana Huffington's blog and the song had a few thousand visitors take a listen! AND Ted Strickland recently released a collection of songs called "SONGS FOR CHANGE." You'll find "Rise Up Together" right in the middle of the disk. Ted tells me that he listens to the song every day and especially when he needs encouragement or fired up before a big event! Thanks Ted!! I wonder if he'll let me sing it at the inaugural?!!
Bonnie Jane - 10.13.2006
I'm going to spend today's blog saying nothing about politics, work, or my philosophy of life! Instead, I just want to tell my bride, Bonnie Jane, how much I love her. We have been married two months today! There is simply no way to tell you how you have transformed my life. I can't wait to find what our future holds. Thank you for your support, for your patience, and for the warmth you have brought to my life. I love you.
Absentee Ballots - 10.11.2006
There's a movement afoot. Can you feel it? Are you a part of it? Odds are you are. I just picked up a set of absentee labels from the portage County Board of Elections. For the uninitiated, during every election cycle people can apply to vote absentee. The Board of Elections (BOE) then mails a ballot to those individuals who in turn complete and return that ballot to the BOE. For a small fee, candidates, like myself, can purchase a set of labels so that they can send information to those absentee voters about their campaigns. During the course of the dozens of elections in which I have been involved, those numbers tend to hover around 3,000 absentee voters on average in Portage County. We have already sent nearly three thousand out after just 4 days!! That is remarkable. The estimates indicate that the number will reach 10,000 before we're done. Why?
The answer is in how folks feel about the new computerized voting process. A good number of folks feel that they never had their votes counted in the last couple of elections and that those two elections were "stolen" in Ohio. Voting absentee assures your ballot gets counted and because it is a paper ballot through which your vote is cast, a verifiable paper record is left behind. This appeals to a lot of folks and the numbers of folks requesting absentee ballots has more than tripled! The last day to get in touch with the BOE to get an absentee ballot? November 4th is the very last day if you order by phone. You can walk into the BOE up until 6:00 on November 6th (the day before Election Day) and get an absentee ballot as well. I recommend it!! Let's all send a message to Columbus and Washington that the old system of voting was fine and that we no longer want our elections manipulated!
DEMOCRAT, and proud of it! - 10.10.2006
If there's anything more beautiful than a crisp autumn day in Ohio I don't know what it is. What a glorious day today. I spent a full day working at the County Building then headed over to a Mary Jane Trapp fundraiser. Mary Jane is running for the 11th District Court of Appeals and is the Endorsed Democrat in that raise. She's going to make a great judge and deserves our support.
I spent the evening with the Portage Democratic Coalition, the progressive organization in Portage County. We shared a lovely meal and then I was able to share some thoughts about myself and my office. During the Q & A session that followed I was asked what being a Democrat meant to me and what having the Democrat next to my name should mean to voters.
Folks, it's real simple. The commitment I have made is a lifelong commitment to ALWAYS place the value of common folks above everything else. I am a DEMOCRAT. I am proud of the things for which the Democratic Party stands. I believe in a family supporting wage. I believe in accountability. I believe in the right of workers to organize. I believe in the right to free speech. I believe that we are only as strong as our ability to lift up the weakest among us. I believe that we have a right to expect affordable medical and pharmaceutical coverage and that retirees should be able to count on the pensions they earned from the companies they gave a lifetime to. Every single time I am faced with a decision I will always, 100% of the time, err on the side of the common man. I don't hide behind the label "DEMOCRAT". I wear it like a badge of honor!!
A brief note about my mom. - 10.09.2006
A brief note about my mom.
So many of you have been calling and asking lately about my mom that I thought I would take only a second here to keep you all up to date.
Mom finished her radiation therapy today (three lengthy sessions overall with the final one this morning). Things look promising and we are all praying very hard that her ordeal may be coming to an end. There is no doubt that she will not ever again be as independent as she once was. But we all pray that she will be able to enjoy family, friends, and community involvement for many years to come.
Thank you all for you prayers, your words of kindness and encouragement. If you have been waiting to call or stop in to see Ida, then wait no more. Pick up your phone, drive to Mantua, drop her a note. She'd love the company and she's ready to see you and the world.
A Remarkable Week - 10.08.2006
It has been a remarkable week in a number of ways. We have gone to more places, attended more functions and made more phone calls than I can count. Streetsboro's Community Day event was full of fun folks and informative booths. We attended a Sherrod Brown Rally at the Kiva (KSU) along with 7 or 8 hundred students. The young ladies seemed to enjoy actor Luke Perry, but really went crazy for young actor Adam Brody. It was a room full of cell phone camera flashes when he stepped to the podium. Sherrod, of course, was the focal point - what a race he is in. With all of your continued support he's going to be our next Ohio Senator!! It was a great rally!
The Kent Bicentennial Picnic at Plum Creek Park was another of the many great weekend events. Kent has had a remarkable history and it was exciting to be a part of this moment in their history. That reminds me that the Portage County Bicentennial Committee is working hard planning a year full of Portage County Bicentennial events for 2008. If you'd like to be a part of that process call my office at 330-297-3600 and we'll get you hooked up!
One of the Jewels of Portage County is Robinson Memorial Hospital and on Saturday night about 375 folks got together to celebrate just that. The black-tie gala was held at the Bertram Inn in Aurora and featured a silent auction. The highlight of the evening was the giving away of a $10,000 diamond which was donated by Piccones Jewelers of Ravenna. Neither Bonnie nor I won the diamond, but we did have a wonderful evening. The hospital foundation, incidentally, raised almost $100,000 in their first time at bat with this event. Congrats to all and to the people of Portage County who ultimately benefit from the generosity of the attendees.
Sunday was spent at Beckwith Apple Orchard. One of my favorite annual events, the Beckwith Harvest Festival has something for everyone and everything to do with apples!! I have been performing there (with Pat Flynn and the rest of Green Blossom Special!) for nearly 20 years. Over the years we've shared the venue with the likes of Ben McGinnis, Kent Poet Laureate Merle Mollenkopf and a number of traditional dance and clogging groups. The weather Sunday was spectacular! Pat and I performed as a duo! We saw lots of old friends and made a few new ones. If you haven't been to Beckwith's yet you've simply got to go!! It just isn't autumn without a stop at this remarkable orchard. Our thanks to Charlie and Marilyn and all the fine folks at Beckwith's for their hospitality and for making our day so special!
Bonnie and I actually were able to squeeze in a full family meal on Sunday!! Now that's a rare treat these days! We put on a large pot of beef barley soup in the morning and invited Pat and MaryAnn Flynn to join us along with my sister Linda, her husband Joe, their two kids, Nathan and Lauren, and my sister Faith. A loud noisy bunch we were! What a delight for us to hear the roar of family and friends around our table. I love campaigning but simply pleasures like that get pushed aside for a while. So a full-table, in-your-face reminded felt simply heavenly!!
After the mess was cleaned up, Bonnie and I spent the evening with Leigh and Anita Herington working on 4X8 signs for the campaign. They'll be going out over the next 10 days. If you want one give us a call at 330-626-1106. We've got a few left. We'll also be putting out a ton of smaller signs - you can get one of those at the same number. We'll bring it to you, put n in for you, and pick it up within 24 hours of the election!
Really cookin' today! - 09.26.2006
Today was another very long day; and a very good day. I started the morning off at the county senior center in the County Administration Building. The group was holding its annual fall elected officials breakfast - great sweets, coffee and fruit and an opportunity for seniors to ask their elected officials questions or simply share what's on their minds. About 40 seniors attended and we talked about a number of federal, state, and local issues including voting changes and a possible new levy to support services for seniors which could be on the ballot as early as the coming spring. One this is for sure, our seniors are smart and able to tell you exactly what is on their minds. Congratulations to Senior Center Director Sally Kelly for another successful event.
I left that event and headed "uptown" to buy some bread. I made a pot of split pea and ham soup for our staff and wanted to get some fresh bread to go with it. While I was waiting in line I met another of the areas senior citizens. While she did not share her full name with me she did tell me that her name was Edna and that she was having a significant problem with her social security benefits. I directed her to the office of our good congressman, Tim Ryan. Folks, Tim's people are simply among the best at cutting the red tape and helping you to get your issue resolved. We called his Youngstown office from right there in the store and Edna was able to take the first step in finding resolution right over the phone! She promised to let me know the outcome and I promised to keep my fingers crossed. Good luck Edna. Incidentally, the staff loved the bread and the soup!!
A long day at the office ended with a couple of brief campaign meetings followed by a trip to one of my favorite annual events. The Portage County Chapter of the Salvation Army was holding its annual meeting and silent auction. We were entertained by a group of young folks in a tambourine drill and a great speech from a gentleman who was serving in the Salvation Army in New York City on September 11th. Retired Judge and Salvation Army board member, Jerry Hayes was honored this evening for his dedication and commitment to serving others. A well deserved recipient, Jerry has spent many years working o make the world around him a better place. Congratulations Jerry!
As a final note I did successfully bid on an authentic Lyndon B. Johnson autograph. The signature was on a letter written in 1956 by the recently defeated Johnson. Johnson had lost his re-election bid for his House of Representatives seat and wrote a supporter regarding their kindness during that loss. A great letter and I'm very pleased to have it. The letter was donated by Judge Hayes, who, many of you may be aware, collects signatures of presidents and statesman.
Car Show and Randolf Heritage Festival - 09.24.2006
A late start today, I began at the Kent VFW on Mogadore Road. They held a cruise in style car show as benefit to local charities and boy did they have some great cars. I don't know how many they had exactly but I would guess easily a couple of hundred. In fact if the event grows any bigger they are going to need to find a bigger space. The contestants took up the entire parking lot area and all the visitors had to park at the facility next door. I saw cool old trucks, a great bunch of classic cars, hot rods, convertibles, you name they had it. But the coolest thing was the burn out contest. Yep - an honest to goodness burnout contest like you used to see back in the day! The smell of rubber and clouds of dense white smoke filled the air! The best burnout I saw was by an early 70s GTO with a blower motor. I think the guy must have gone 40 yards! Awesome! As some early 50s type of guy told me as I was leaving, it may smell funny and burn your eyes a little but sure is cool as h$&#. No doubt about it!
We ended our day at the Portage County Fairgrounds and the Randolph Heritage Festival. Although a little smaller than in years past (they must be coming up on their 10th year by now- I think I've been to every one!), the folks I met were all enthusiastic. Everyone, it seems, is trying to soak up all of the remaining rays of summer that they can. A little windy and cool at times, the day was full of the crispness that you can only feel in the winds of autumn. Before long the long, cold hand of winter will be pulling the scarves up over our faces. Let's enjoy what's left while we can. I'm thinking I need a tall glass of crisp, cool fresh squeezed apple cider!
So many events, so little time - 09.23.2006
A great many events were held throughout the county today and we tried to get to as many as we could.
Bonnie and I headed over to the Rootstown Congregational Church for the September meeting of the Federated Democratic Women of Portage County. The meeting featured Portage County Clerk of Courts Linda Fankhauser and was a delight. I have gotten to know and love a number of different churches in our county for the great meals they provide. The Congregational Church in Rootstown is famous (at least to me!) for two outstanding meals. On Memorial Day they always have the best doggone chicken on a biscuit meal you can find anywhere. I have only ever had it better in one place- Crestwood Schools! That's right. Back in the 60's and 70's Crestwood made some of the best meals I ever ate and their chicken on a biscuit remains my all time favorite (they also made the worlds best peanut butter cookies!). That was, of course, before the Reagan administration turned catsup into a vegetable and cut the heart out of the school lunch program. But . . . I digress.
Those lovely church ladies in Rootstown also make the worlds best "ham balls." And that's just what we had for lunch today. Now for those of you who are uninitiated, a ham ball is chopped ham, cracker crumbs, and spices. You roll all that into a ball set it atop a pineapple slice put a cherry on top, bake and serve with green beans and cheesy potatoes. Now that's good eatin'! Thank you ladies for a great meal.
I want to share some not so good news as well. I also can't go to the Congregational Church in Rootstown without thinking of my good friend Mary Ann Peck. I know many of you know Mary Ann whose warmth and work ethic are nearly legendary. One of the kindest and most giving people I have ever known, Mary Ann was recently diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. It would be very much appreciated if you wouldn't mind remembering Mary Ann in your prayers. She has given so much to so many. She could use all of the help she can muster in this fight for her life. Mary Ann will be participating in the annual walk for ALS. Linda Marcial (wife of Portage County Coroner Roger Marcial) is heading up the local effort on behalf of Mary Ann. You can pledge or help push Mary Ann in her wheel chair at the event. I'm afraid I can't remember the exact date but Linda can tell you all about it. You can also check in with the Portage County Board of Elections where Mary Ann was a long time employee before her retirement a year or so ago. They'll be able to get you all the info you need.
We also spent some time and shared a meal with our friends at the Thomas-Anderson Development Corporation. The group was celebrating their 25th anniversary. 25 years of making a difference to the people of the Kent and Portage County communities. Bonnie and I saw a number of old friends and met a number of new ones. My old friend Bea Mitchell was out and about. If you look in the dictionary under community leader you'll find a picture of Bea and her late husband Mel. The pair used their tireless energy to transform the McElrath neighborhood. It was great to see her out! Our old friends Tom and Joyce Sawyer were there as well. Tom is running for the State Board of Education. He'll do a great job there without a doubt. He was a great mayor and legislator and his background as an educator makes him the best candidate by far in my humble opinion. Eddie Renfroe was there. I love his green suit - now that's an attention grabber. I got a picture taken with him and if we can we'll try to load it up for everyone to see. So many community leaders, candidates, and volunteers attended. So many people helped over the years by the efforts of this fine organization. Congratulations on 25 remarkable years!!
We left right after dinner and headed south to Randolph for another anniversary. The Randolph VFW was celebrating the 50th Anniversary of their facility there. I'd be hard pressed to count the number of events I've attended at that hall over the years. Reverse raffles, Habitat for Humanity fundraisers, weddings and so many others all seem to focus on this lovely facility. Again we met so many old friends and met an awful lot of new ones as well. Mike Staschak was there. I don't believe I have ever met anyone more committed to staying involved and making a difference than Mike. A Rotarian form way back, Mike has started a good number of Rotary Clubs as the club sponsor. That takes a couple of years worth of commitment. When he's not doing that you'll find Mike involved with the Catholic War Veterans. At any rate, everyone there treated us so kindly - we had a wonderful time. Now if you've never been to a party at the VFW in Randolph I mean to tell you that you've never really partied. Those Randolph-ites are known the world over for their ability to have a great time! Thanks for showing Bonnie and I such a good time.
We had hoped to get to the Randolph Lions Reverse Raffle but we were torn away toward Kent and the Kevin Colman Foundation Annual Fundraiser "Right at Home". This annual art aution is always held in someone's private (and remarkable) home and features art (mostly paintings) which is auctioned off to the highest bidder. We really arrived as the event was ending but we got to say hello to Nelson Burns, Coleman's CEO and a number of the guests. We ran into Chris and Debbie Smeiles who looked like they were having a great time. Chris is a fellow County Commissioner and all around great guy. We ran into dozens of others, too many to name really, but it appeared that the event was a huge success. Congratulations Coleman Foundation and thanks for all of the remarkable things you do for our community.
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