Lakewood Republican Organization Meeting - Matt Dolan

[Ryan Salo]

Matt Dolan, candidate for County Executive will be speaking at the LRO's monthly meeting on February 23rd. The meeting is at the Main Auditorium of City Hall and begins at 7:00pm. This is a free event open to the public. Call me at 216.288.9163 with any questions or if you need a ride.

Learn more about Matt Dolan below
http://www.electmattdolan.com/

Learn more about the LRO below
http://www.lakewoodrepublicans.org

[Ahmie Yeung]

Ryan,

I'm unlikely to support the guy (I'm a pretty darn reliable Democrat vote) but I want to personally express my appreciation that you thought to offer a ride to folks. Thank you for facilitating participation in our democracy to folks who might otherwise be disenfranchised from it due to transportation difficulties.


Ahmie

[Ryan Salo]

(I'm a pretty darn reliable Democrat vote)

That mentality in Lakewood brought you the democrats that are closing your school.

As Dr Phil puts it "How's that workin' for you?"

Maybe it is time to re-examine what we all stand for...

[Ryan Patrick Demro]

No kidding. Look at candidates, not parties.

[Jim O'Bryan]

(I'm a pretty darn reliable Democrat vote)

That mentality in Lakewood brought you the democrats that are closing your school.

As Dr Phil puts it "How's that workin' for you?"

Maybe it is time to re-examine what we all stand for...

Ryan

While I agree with Ahmie sentiments, and yours as well for re-examining.

It should be noted that one of the votes to close Grant
came from a Republican, John Kamkutis.


.

[Kirsten Reading]

I was not aware that school board members were identified by political party. Is it relevant?

[Bill Call]

I hope to make it although I'm leaning to casting my votes for Ed Fitzgerald in the probably futile hope that someone elected to represent this region will actually represents the region and gets Lakewood its piece of the action instead of just a series of dog and pony shows and public meetings where they all get together for another rendition of Woe Is Me.

[David Anderson]

Ryan -

Ahmie expresses sincere appreciation to you “for facilitating participation in our democracy” and you reply by degrading hers. Nice, real nice.

Boy, I really want to come and hang-out with you and hear Matt Dolan now.

[Ryan Salo]

David,

After getting slapped in the face by the very party she elected I wanted to remind her that maybe she should think out of the box. I am one of several R's that have come to her defense on the Grant issue.

Questioning someones allegiance to a party is far from degrading her.

Pick a fight elsewhere.

[Roy Pitchford]

Just wanted to point out that we're a republic, not a democracy.

[Ryan Patrick Demro]

Roy, correction. We are a democratic-republic.

[Ahmie Yeung]

Ryan, if this is the conversation you were asking about privately if I felt degraded, no worries - no offense taken.

I do actually look at the candidates and am not a mindless party-line voter by any stretch of the imagination. For instance, Ryan, if you were running for political office, I would listen carefully to what you had to say and see how it stacked up with my beliefs compared to anyone running "against" you, because you have earned my respect as someone who actually looks at facts and weighs things before committing to a conclusion and even seems capable of admitting when you've taken a wrong turn.

I also don't vote for someone just because they claim the Progressive mantel. I've never cast a vote for Nadar, for instance. I am rather pragmatic about my progressivism, but as you've seen I think - not without a backbone either. I'm actually rather irritated with Obama right now for not demonstrating enough backbone in the last 12 months (and that's one of the things I really respect about FDR - the man definately had a backbone even if he didn't have two functional legs. I don't go for political jellyfish.)

Generally, I [edit: DON'T] whine about my tax load and roll my eyes when politicians on either side of the aisle bring it up - if the money is being spent wisely (which no, I don't think it is, but much of that are legacy issues that take a LONG time to remedy and there's a LOT of dug in heels in every direction you look, at every level of government). Much of the services that make our society run smoothly (or could make it run smoother/in a more just fashion) are much more realistically obtained in a communal fashion, and I don't trust a private entity to provide that due to the lack of accountability. The current lack of accountability in our elected officials isn't a problem with the system so much as a problem with the populous - we've gotten complacent and haven't been doing our work as members of a free society in keeping track of the putzes, pure and simple. Now that we've got the internet to help with the task, and even laws that require that records be publicly available leading to much of the text of things (especially proposed legislation) being online and readily searchable, it's really getting pretty obvious how lazy (or just way too easily distracted by new shiney things on television) we are as a country. It's sad, and I have only the vaguest of ideas of how to go about fixing it.

I'm starting with me and mine, we're paying attention. You are too. We're both trying to actively do what we can to get others involved in the process in our own ways. I reiterate my appreciation for you remembering that not everyone has access to transportation and offering to assist with rides. Much of the damage that has been done to our country, in my opinion, is due to the decline of the "loyal opposition" - the side that is in the minority in whichever area is more interested in regaining power and scoring points (and getting reelected) instead of working toward the common good as they were elected to in the first place. Much of that is also true of those in the majority at any given point in time. It's pathetic. How do we change it? I think you and I reaching out to those who would otherwise be left out of the process is a good first step.

[Ahmie Yeung]

Oh, yeah - and I didn't cast a vote for either school board candidates this fall, and neither did my husband. We voted, but we skipped that section since it was pointless with them running unopposed and the best we could do was at least lower their total vote count in relation to other items on the ballot. Let's not see our school board running unopposed again, shall we?

Markling is also a Republican, from what I've heard. That man has gained a significant amount of respect and trust from me (as I've stated elsewhere on these forums and also to him personally in conversation a few days ago). If he were up for re-election tomorrow I would vote for him, and I would even consider doing what I could to assist him in re-election (which isn't much with my physical limitations as well as lack of ability to phone bank from home due to average ambient noise level), unless I have turned myself into too polarizing a figure for him to want my public support in which case I would be more quiet about it.

I think I may have also cast a vote or two for George Voinovich, once upon a time in the 1990s, because I respected what I knew of what he had done. The chances of my voting for any Republican to take his place in the US Senate are pretty slim, tho not non-existent. I haven't even settled firmly on who I plan to vote for in the primary yet.

Good luck in increasing participation on your side of the ticket. I hope that whomever is successful, those elected are true public servants.

[David Anderson]

Ryan -

Which party slapped you in the face? I believe R's and D's joined in the vote to close Grant.

Not picking a fight - just appreciating everybody's participation in elections (including yours).

[Ryan Salo]

Ahmie,

I wish more voters were like you, on both sides of the isle!

David,

The school my kids go to is staying, so I really didn't get slapped in the face directly. I guess this isn't a R vs D debate but it is just a shame that some of the very D's that claim to believe in helping those in need were so willing to strip a community of a school and divide neighborhoods. I was very disappointed in the process. You are correct that John joined the D's, but honestly I think he would have just as easily joined the other side if it was the "winning" side, he told me directly that "his vote didn't matter" the 3 D's had made up their mind. The state, controlled by a D and our state rep also a D did nothing to help us with this situation.