Right now there are two things that are making people shake their heads wondering what is going on. 1. Why is Carty for some odd reason not wanting to help one of the best development opportunities in a long time-the Intermodal at the Toledo Express airport? And 2. The coverage the Blade is giving to Jon Stainbrook.
So much so that many people are starting to ask uncomfortable questions. I don't think I have noticed so many people talking about the coverage over an issue like they are.
Lisa Renee makes a long and thoughtful post, while not mentioning many specifics, but Jon Stainbrook has a police record that has been ignored by the Blade, while not ignoring a similar record of Joanne Wack. Joanne is now not working for the party but Jon is still seeking the chairmanship.
http://glasscityjungle.com/wordpress/?p=3180
Maggie Thurber devoted an hour on Monday to asking questions on why the Board of Elections was brought into a profile coverage, without asking the same questions about other workers and wondering why they are even bringing the board of elections as an issue without taking a balanced look.
Michael Miller talked about it Monday morning on Troy Neff's show.
There have been multiple questions asked by many people about this in other mediums. But the Internet you have the power to look up information and process it and prove your point and there are some great points being proven.
My observations:
1. The Blade never reported who actually signed up that guy in North Toledo (James Arthur), who actually lived in Michigan and won spot on central committee. It was one of Jon's supporters who did so. While Joanne sent out letters, it was because she went down the list and sent out letters to everyone on the list, not looking at it, but the reporting made it appear Joanne recruited this person. If that small fact was reported, one would begin to wonder what was really going on. Nowhere was it mentioned who actually recruited James Arthur (Chris Mueller who is supporting Stainbrook) you read it here first.
2. Mathew Bartow is working with Stainbrook, but the Blade has never asked Stainbrook if he will repudiate Bartow, who admitted to taking money from candidates. If Stainbrook says that Wack should not be involved, Stainbrook should repudiate Bartow and say he is not welcome to the party. It has never been brought up. But fair reporting would have mentioned something about it.
3. The first I heard about court Stainbrook's record (not including the lawsuits he has brought against people) is Monday morning listening to Miller talk on Troy Neff's show. If Stainbrook has a record and thinks that Wack's record is important, than his record is also important and the Blade should have mentioned it.
4. Jon Stainbrook has made a history at portraying himself as being endorsed by the Lucas County Republican party.......long pause......grassroots coalition. When he complains multiple times about the party portraying candidates as being endorsed, no one asks him about his twisting of what is going on. You can listen for yourself at Jon portraying his recruits as endorsed by the Lucas County Republican party........long pause......grassroots coalition http://swampbubbles.com/a-new-group-has-formed-lucas-county-republican-p....
or
http://glasscityjungle.blogspot.com/2006/04/jon-stainbrooks-creative-cam...
5. Jon Stainbrook says he wants to welcome everyone into the party, but in the same breath then says Wack, workers at the board of elections, and others who ask questions, are eligible for expulsion.
6. Stainbrook says his original goal was not as chairman, but the Blade's own archives say that chairman is Stainbrook's goal.
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060228/NEWS09/60...
7. Jon Stainbrook specifically targeted board of elections workers in his recruitment campaign and no one has asked him if he wanted to build the party, why did he run people against other central committeemen instead of trying to fill empty slots?
8. A Stainbrook recruit told Troy Neff that she is not a Republican and does not plan to become one. If you read the Blade and listen to Stainbrook, they are all converts. Well something is not right.
9. Bob Reichert has personally donated over $75,000 to candidates. How much has Stainbrook contributed? At the Greater Toledo Republican club dinner last week, he was awol. It was only a $25 dollar ticket.
10. Why did Jon Stainbrook file articles of incorporation for the Lucas County Republican Party? One has to wonder, and no one has asked these questions.
These are all legitimate issues that are not being asked and should be.
I have said that a few of Jon's issues are legitimate, but his actions are not right and he would not be a good face of the Republican party, especially with the poor example he has set in the last 6 months. That does not mean that I think he should be ostracized or any of his real Republican recruits be ostracized either. He does like it to appear that when you don't like him, you don't like all of his supporters, but professional people are not like that. They can separate the issues and not make it personal.
When you put yourself up for vote, people make judgments and I have made mine.
I refused to say anything until I saw Stainbrook endorsing and encouraging the secret videotaping of Joanne Wack. Then the double speak of him trashing Wack, but encouraging Bartow to send out his newsletters. You can see what I have posted at:
http://swampbubbles.com/category/free-tag/jon-stainbrook
Encouraging and defending secret videotaping, regardless of what was said and the lame excuses that were made as to why it should be accepted, is a great way to ensure that no one will talk to you again.
Every time he had an opportunity to show leadership, I get reminded of Junior High school antics and reactions, even from his supporters. I am sure he and others have had legitimate issues with Reichert, but those issues do not pale with his issues and lack of professionalism he has shown in the last 6 months. I do know of some Republicans who are very frustrated with what is going on, which is why they are supporting him.
Jon is the one actually running and it would seem to me some of these issues would be more important than a party employee, which is a bigger reason why people are asking questions about the coverage. The reasons why the person with some serious questions who wants to be the leader is not being asked them, has made a ton of people scratch their heads.
The questions asked of Joanne are legitimate if they are equally asked of Jon, even though that is sort of apples and oranges because Joanne was not running for chair of the party and is out of the picture. It does seem like in all of this coverage, the critical eye has been turned on Joanne, Bob, and now the Board of Elections, and no questions asked of Jon. This is a serious issue and why people are asking legitimate questions about biased reporting.
I know Tom Troy through his reporting of events and have known him as a very good reporter, but one wonders if this is actually his work or someone else's. I find it hard to believe it is his work. Either he is very uncomfortable right now or is very comfortable with what is being published. We probably won't know, but we can see what was printed.
What are your thoughts? I won't debate 6th graders, who seem to magically appear when you ask these questions, and since school is out, there may be more than usual appearing here, but if you post an intellegent post/response I would be happy to talk.
... has such a presence with your party, is a clear indication about how weak the Republican Party is around here. You need to FIND Republicans and convince them to become public speakers. You need to FIND disenchanted Democrats and demonstrate how the Republican Party platform can address their concerns. Once you find enough of these people, and get them politically active, then a creature like The Stain will have less and less of an effect since he's such an obvious little weasel.
Whittle the platform to a very few, but SOLID set of Core Values™ that you just don't deviate from, and make them unassailable. You're on the verge of losing Toledo and all of Ohio to Socialism, where the government will become the primary economic actor. ACT now, before you find yourself surrounded by a new welfare state, where people only understand how to hold their hands out ... and as you well know, those hands will be trained to dip into your wallet.