The Observation Deck

Pretty sobering.

$7.01 > or less spent by Meghan F. George:

$32.50 < or much more spent by Sam O'Leary

Hopefully, there is something learned here.

.

Wowee!

Here’s a tip - don’t hire Ed Fitzgerald and KEVIN Butler’s “campaign strategy” company.

Save the money.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Pretty sobering.

$7.01 > or less spent by Meghan F. George:

$32.50 < or much more spent by Sam O'Leary

Hopefully, there is something learned here.

.

How do these numbers comoare to past yearsn?
$32K is ridiculous but $7K seems pretty high too.

Dan Alaimo wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Pretty sobering.

$7.01 > or less spent by Meghan F. George:

$32.50 < or much more spent by Sam O'Leary

Hopefully, there is something learned here.

.

How do these numbers comoare to past yearsn?
$32K is ridiculous but $7K seems pretty high too.

not K, $$$$ per vote received.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:$32.50 < or much more spent by Sam O'Leary

To put this in perspective, let's compare Sam to most wasteful and inefficient campaign in modern political history: Hillary 2016

The Hillary campaign (and its PACs) spent less than $22 per vote. (see link below)
Hillary had an expensive campaign office in Brooklyn that was filled with well paid professionals.
She had a full staff of spin doctors, consultants, analysts, etc. (most of which were clueless, but that's another story.....)
Hillary had private jets to travel around the nation....and an ample budget for clothes, makeup, etc.
She had an avalanche of TV, radio, and online advertising....including lots of ads on premium TV shows like NFL football.

Even with all that, her cost per vote was about one-third less than Sam.
Ironically, Sam's Facebook trolls were badmouthing Meghan's spending during the election.
Isn't irony wonderful??

https://www.cato.org/blog/dollars-vote-2016-election

Mike Deneen wrote:

Ironically, Sam's Facebook trolls were badmouthing Meghan's spending during the election.

They also accused her campaign of being funded by “out of town” backers.

Now that we’ve seen O’Leary’s first finance report, it’s clear that HE was the one being pushed by out of town bigwigs.

What a hypocrite.

Disaster averted!

Bridget Conant wrote:

Mike Deneen wrote:Ironically, Sam's Facebook trolls were badmouthing Meghan's spending during the election.

They also accused her campaign of being funded by “out of town” backers. Now that we’ve seen O’Leary’s first finance report, it’s clear that HE was the one being pushed by out of town bigwigs. What a hypocrite. Disaster averted!

Amongst many, it seems to be the "in" thing to project one's own corruption and hypocrisy onto others.

the figure goes up if 95 percent of the people who voted for you were going to vote for you regardless of the amount spent on campaigning.

ryan costa wrote:the figure goes up if 95 percent of the people who voted for you were going to vote for you regardless of the amount spent on campaigning.

Great point.

.

I’m not convinced that the amount of money spent in a campaign per vote, win or lose, is any real indication of an election. Had Sam O'Leary won, it would be said he bought the election. I would hope the voter’s perception of the candidate's platform would be a more important reason for the results of an election.

I don't think it mattered who was elected mayor because Lakewood's political policies are ingrained in both of the candidates. Mayor-elect George had an opportunity to make changes when elected to a seat on the city council, which is the ultimate power in the city. Did she make any significant changes?

Very few of the city’s appointed officials will change. The policy of high taxes, poor fiscal oversight, obscene staffing compared to similar-sized cities creating a future retirement debit that will have a significant impact on the city’s financial stability in the future will not change.

The city will continue with unnecessary and redundant social services provided by other agencies, expansion by increasing density in the most dense city in Ohio, approving high density project that must push their driveway snow out upon city streets in violation of a city ordinance, the lack of commercial and industry employment, attitude of form over function at any expense, inept and inert fire and building department that does not inforcing life safety codes, a police department in denial over high crime levels and a sanitary system that been ignored and abused by past city city administrations.

The city is now it's facing a financial and political dilemma, how can a Democrat managed city politically survive when they mandate that homeowners spend thousands of dollars to separate their sewage and stormwater lines to satisfy the EPA in one of the highest property tax districts in north Ohio? Additionally, the mandated separation of all the roof and driveway storm drains will be to an inadequate city storm drain system not designed to handle the volume of water.

Richard, I think, that many of your points are valid. However, while Mayor-Elect George does not need anyone to defend her, I want to say, that as Council-At-Large, she was at times treated with disdain. Whenever she posed a question - in order to get a clearer understanding of a particular subject - she was responded to in a patronizing manner. (I am referring to the mayor and some members of council.)

I know this..... because I was in the auditorium and witnessed it first-hand. I thought she showed incredible strength to put up with what she did.

Perhaps behind closed doors, Tristan Rader was treated in like manner, but I never witnessed it in a public meeting.

I'm not sure, what you expected her to accomplish, when the rest of council (excluding Tristan) were opposing her.

As for the police, I was under the impression that they take their directives from the Safety Director of Lakewood. That role belongs to the Mayor. Soon, that role will belong to Meghan George.

Whenever she posed a question - in order to get a clearer understanding of a particular subject - she was responded to in a patronizing manner. (I am referring to the mayor and some members of council.)

Yes, that sounds typical.

But it makes her victory all the more sweet!

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Dan Alaimo wrote:

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Pretty sobering.

$7.01 > or less spent by Meghan F. George:

$32.50 < or much more spent by Sam O'Leary

Hopefully, there is something learned here.

.

How do these numbers comoare to past yearsn?
$32K is ridiculous but $7K seems pretty high too.

not K, $$$$ per vote received.

.

Sorry, but the question remains, how does this spending compare to past mayoral contests. That should be a matter of public record.
Bridget's comparison to the Hillary campaign helps, but it's not quite apples-to-apples.

Is the reason that no one takes an at large council member seriously is because they don't represent any specific area. What Lakewood needs is a strong mayoral and city council form of government with eight aldermen, two each from each district.

The mayor, who has veto power or a tiebreaker vote, will chair the council meeting. The council members that head the various committees will have their business and motions presented at the council meeting eliminating backroom committees of the whole and secret executive meetings. The mayor and his administration will be held accountable in a public forum rather than backroom maneuvering and intimidation of the council members.

How could any elected public official allow someone to respond to them condescendingly? That is even less encouraging about Mayor-elect George's ability to make any significant change to the city's businesses as usual. If Mayor-elect George allowed herself to be intimidated as an elected representative of the people, she better mature, become a leader, have an agenda and grow a pair to be an effective mayor if she expects to make any meaningful changes. For those who think that being a woman grants you special privileges in politics and Hollywood charm will gain you everything, you better wake up, or you will be used more than flappers on a fifty-year-old pinball machine. Are women less influential than men, absolutely not because, in the end, the wise and calculating know that regardless of sex, it's all about the vote?

We’ll see when the mayor-elect posts the list requesting confirmation of the appointed officials are posted.

[quote="Richard Baker"]Is the reason that no one takes an at large council member seriously is because they don't represent any specific area. What Lakewood needs is a strong mayoral and city council form of government with eight aldermen, two each from each district.

The mayor, who has veto power or a tiebreaker vote, will chair the council meeting. The council members that head the various committees will have their business and motions presented at the council meeting eliminating backroom committees of the whole and secret executive meetings. The mayor and his administration will be held accountable in a public forum rather than backroom maneuvering and intimidation of the council members.

***********************"
Dear Richard Baker,. I wish for you six months as a business woman with the standard set of males around! Good Luck. ***Your statement directly below this*** ( am doing this by phone and cannot fix the placement of this comment) shows that you are unaware of the backlash against women in recent years. Society is back to questioning women's rights and blaming the working woman for all sorts of problems from children's issues and struggles to the moral fiber or deterioration they see around them.

That said, the Summer's administration has been condescending over the years to anyone who speaks to them and differs with their agenda. Both Mary Louise Madigan and Sam O'Leary have been champs in this arena and the rest - Bullock, Marx, Litten, Anderson etc joined right in. Summers and Butler make an art form out of condescension.

Meghan George will find her way, be impactful and Lakewood's future looks better and better the more of the Fitzgerald/Summers that are replaced with respectful officials. Again, my comments refer to your statements directly below.
*******************
Richard Baker:
How could any elected public official allow someone to respond to them condescendingly? That is even less encouraging about Mayor-elect George's ability to make any significant change to the city's businesses as usual. If Mayor-elect George allowed herself to be intimidated as an elected representative of the people, she better mature, become a leader, have an agenda and grow a pair to be an effective mayor if she expects to make any meaningful changes. For those who think that being a woman grants you special privileges in politics and Hollywood charm will gain you everything, you better wake up, or you will be used more than flappers on a fifty-year-old pinball machine. Are women less influential than men, absolutely not because, in the end, the wise and calculating know that regardless of sex, it's all about the vote?

We’ll see when the mayor-elect posts the list requesting confirmation of the appointed officials are posted.[/quote







]