Note the Mayor still had over $1300 in her coffers to spend. One can’t help but wonder what that is headed for.

Recently I posted this meme after the campaign financial reports came due to the Franklin County Board of Elections. The stats reveal something about this year’s campaign for the at-Large council seats up for grabs: that, apparently, the only one fighting and campaigning for those seats is me and (oddly), the  Mayor. The three other contenders for those seats (already in them) don’t seem to be putting much effort at all into ‘winning’ those seats. Its almost as if they feel entitled to them or something.

Every time I’ve run for office, I was under the impression you were supposed to make an effort to win the position you were running for, call me crazy. That meant campaigning: an effort to convince the voters why you were the best candidate for the position and why your opponents weren’t. In that effort, over 3 elections, I’ve spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours delivering literature door to door, putting out signs, writing blogposts on various topics and meeting people. That was always the standard and expectation for candidates running for office. Sadly, here in Whitehall, that doesn’t seem to matter.

When I first ran in 2015 against the same three I’m running against now, outside of a few signs placed around town, this was the only real literature I saw, something Whitehall City Auditor Dan Miller produced for them*: a small Xeroxed flier touting the three of them together, thereby foreshadowing the Mayor’s campaign three years later. (Apparently, for some reason… Auditor Miller and Mayor Maggard seem desperate to keep me out of City Hall. I wonder why?)

Now, this year, whereas Karen Conison and myself answered all the questions put to us by the Whitehall News and Columbus Dispatch, Wes Kantor only answered the Whitehall News and Bob Bailey answered questions for neither. Outside of that, a few recycled signs were placed around town, and literature paid for by ‘Citizens for Kim Maggard’ was placed door to door, for the benefit of everyone running, not just my three opponents but, all 7 candidates (besides me). Apparently, the only person putting in any real effort to win the seat they’re running for, is myself. Even the Mayor is not doing anything other than putting herself on a flier with everyone else. They’re now like a 7-headed conglomerate named ‘The Team’ (No one else allowed in ‘their’ government!!)

The bottom line is this: In America, a seat in government is not something that is guaranteed anyone but rather, something you work to obtain, its called a campaign. Why don’t they feel the need to campaign? Is it because they’re the incumbents and their monolith of power alone will re-seat them? Is it getting too comfortable and so one becomes lazy (or disrespectful) to the voters who decide? Is it relying on the status quo itself to ease them back into the seats of power they’ve held for so long (After all, there must be some reward for their silent, nodding allegiance to their ‘Team leader’)? Why don’t they feel compelled to fight for that seat, at least those who have a challenger?
I feel that, once in, something happens to them: perhaps they have nothing else to do, perhaps the power is too intoxicating, perhaps they prize politics over personal principles. Whatever it may be, I do know this: these seats were meant for all the citizens to participate in and not simply guarded by the power of the status quo for a select few, and most certainly not for the dominant power of any one person. I have fought hard to do my share of our civic duty, always for the citizens, always for ethical principles. I have proven myself, year after year, to be passionate and dedicated to that which drives me and have more than made my case to my fellow Whitehallians . In other words: I have campaigned to earn their vote.

Tom Potter, unchallenged candidate for President of Council: ZERO effort. Silence.

Kim Maggard, unchallenged incumbent candidate for Mayor: No individual effort but, ALL for her ‘Team’***

Michael Bivens, unchallenged incumbent candidate for City Attorney: ZERO effort. Silence.

Steve Quincel, unchallenged incumbent candidate for City Treasurer: ZERO effort. Silence.

Karen Conison, challenged incumbent candidate for at-Large Council: minimal effort. Silence.

Bob Bailey, challenged incumbent candidate for at-Large Council: near-zero effort. Silence.

Wesley Kantor, challenged incumbent candidate for at-Large Council: very minimal effort. Silence.

Gerald Dixon, challenged candidate for at-Large Council: Full effort. Vocal.

(Apparently when you’re elected to serve in City Hall, after your swearing-in ceremony, you’re asked to check your opinions and tongue at the door)

*

Do you think the flier cost a combined total of $750 or was it $250 divided by three that should’ve been calculated? Making it $83.33 In-Kind contribution that Auditor Miller made to each campaign?

**
Kim Maggard: 16 years
Bob Bailey: 12 years
Wes Kantor: 12 years

*** I fully expect the Mayor’s picks, through signage, like last years ‘Yes on Issue 37 signs, to suddenly flourish in front of businesses and apartments like daffodils in Spring the last weekend before the election.