Summit County Republican Party Update
Many of you are well aware of the recent developments in Summit County regarding the Republican Party. My state senator, Kevin Coughlin, was good enough to answer 5 questions about the situation for KPR. The website of the New Summit Republicans, and it is fair to say this is a Coughlin led group, can be found here.
1. Why do you feel the change at the top is necessary?
The Summit County GOP was once lauded for being competitive in a difficult county. Today, the demographics of Summit County are more favorable than ever, yet our party has slipped into a pathetic state.
Despite all the money raised over the years, the party's last victory in a competitive non-judicial countywide race was in 2000 with the election of Sheriff Drew Alexander. Worse, opportunities to gain key offices are being passed up as resources are squandered. When Mr. Arshinkoff has backed a candidate his record is dismal. Since 2003, he has chalked up 6 wins and 42 losses. There is a great chart on the website that illustrates this http://www.newsummitrepublicans.com/about/losing-streak.aspx
This year's county party operating budget is $600,000. That's not for races. That's for overhead. Where is the money going? In addition to salaries, benefits, and a huge credit card bill, our contributions to the Summit County Republican Party having been:
*Paying over $900/month to lease Arshinkoff's Cadillac Escalade.
*Buying Arshinkoff $6,683.97 worth of meals at a posh downtown restaurant in 2006.
*Paying for Arshinkoff's $5,007.89 tab at Portage Country Club.
*Lavishing well over $500,000 for the county headquarters, payroll, and administrative operations.
I'm also concerned with the way the chairman treats candidates, officeholder, activists, and public employees. People are sending us their Arshinkoff stories of threats, intimidation, incompetence, you name it.
I think the party should work for the candidates and the officeholders, not the other way around. It should offer the services, expertise, and support needed for our candidates to win elections, build an organization, raise money, and navigate the minefield of the public arena. The party should also encourage and develop new talent. Talented people are viewed as a threat by this chairman and are all too often sidelined.
The bottom line is that our party needs be focused on winning elections again. We cannot be a strong player on the statewide and national stage if our party infrastructure has been hollowed out.
2. Is it appropriate for the Summit County GOP to endorse a candidate who is not a Republican? If so, when?
Under no circumstances should the party or it's leadership endorse a candidate of another party. Nor should the party cut deals with the Democrats to leave races uncontested. If we are unable to field a candidate, fine. But it should not be the result of an agreement between the parties.
Mr. Arshinkoff and his allies have been quoted in the media basically endorsing Don Plusquellic's leadership as mayor of Akron, saying that he is the strong leader Akron needs right now to retain and attract jobs. Mr. Arshinkoff uses this as justification for failing to run a Republican candidate. That is unacceptable.
It's also a rather stupid thing to do. Four years from now, the situation in Akron may be so dire that voters will be willing to give a Republican mayoral candidate a chance. Mr. Arshinkoff has written a commercial for Mayor Plusquellic with his laudatory comments.
From a tactical point of view, the party should be running a credible candidate to make Plusquellic spend money. Those are Democrat dollars that would not be spent on other races. In the bigger picture, people deserve a credible choice. The mayor has his backers. But there are plenty of people in Akron concerned about crime, neighborhood neglect, and poor services. They should have a choice and it's the party's responsibility to develop and back candidates who can offer that choice.
The county party's formal by-laws prohibit any party leader or member of the central or executive committee from supporting anyone but an endorsed Republican candidate. Technically, Mr. Arshinkoff should resign or be removed from his position for his comments.
3. How do you think the local and state landscape looks for the Ohio GOP in 2008?
Very difficult. The national scene has not improved and 2008 could be worse than 2006 in the Congress and United States Senate. The national elections will impact us here but I do see a couple silver linings.
First, the Democrats will probably nominate Hillary Clinton. In 2004, Republicans turned out the vote like never before. If any Democrat can galvanize that kind of energy and turnout among Republicans, it's Mrs. Clinton.
Second, the 2006 election outcome was not a defeat for conservatism. It was a party defeat. Polls show that a strong majority of Ohioans agree with us on our basic conservative values of limited government. Most are skeptical of using government action to correct the problems of our day. And a vast majority believe that if government had more money, it would go to waste. In the Statehouse, I don't see any challenge to the Republican majority in the Senate.
Democrats are energized about potentially regaining the House of Representatives and in truth, that could go either way. Dems could either win a slim majority, or Republicans could actually pick up a few seats. The Democrats continue to trail in the money race, despite this new enthusiasm.
Locally, I do not see much reason to be optimistic because of the dismal state of the county Republican party. There are not many up-and-coming candidates and there is evidence that Mr. Arshinkoff is cutting deals with Democrats to leave their vulnerable countywide officials unopposed. If the party won't do it's job, the New Summit Republicans are considering backing Republican candidates for these offices next year.
4. What do Republicans need to do at the county level in 2008 so that 2006 does not repeat itself?
I've been winning elections for a decade in this competitive county. During that time, I've learned that hard work, resources, and the right message can overcome demographics and political trends. Our party shouldn't curl up and hide inside it's "Fort Apache." Here are a few things we can do to win again:
1) Vote for a slate of candidates to the Summit County Republican Central Committee in the March 2008 Primary Election that are committed to electing a new party chairman.
2) Audit the party, cut the fat, and refocus resources on winning elections.
3) Field qualified and impressive candidates for office and back them.
4) Get back to our roots. Mr. Arshinkoff's party is devoid of an ideology. The party should be a megaphone for conservative ideas and values. While people may not be wild about the Republican Party at this moment in time, most still consider themselves conservative. Appeal to that.
5) Get tougher with the Democrats. Stop cutting deals to avoid campaigns and start using the party to educate the public on Democratic corruption, incompetence, and loony leftism, where appropriate.
5. Name one thing your opponent / the current county leadership has done that you see as an accomplishment.
It's an accomplishment to raise large sums of money. But what good is that accomplishment if the money is squandered?
This year's county party budget calls for operational overhead of $600,000. That's way too much. Mr. Arshinkoff has only raised $742,000 for this cycle, so that does not leave much for candidate races.
Out of all that money raised, only $42,000 (at most) is budgeted for local candidate races in 2007. This is one reason why Summit County's two-party system is a farce. We have two parties. But one party raises all the money and the other party wins all the elections.
So it's nice that Mr. Arshinkoff still has a few big donors to squeeze, but I think a thorough audit of the party is needed.
Once again, thank you to Kevin Coughlin for taking the time to send back detailed answers.
In the interest of fairness, the other side is welcome to answer the exact same 5 questions. I attempted to contact them through their website, but it is no longer in operation. I am not going to hunt them down, though. Someone is welcome to contact me.
Many of you are well aware of the recent developments in Summit County regarding the Republican Party. My state senator, Kevin Coughlin, was good enough to answer 5 questions about the situation for KPR. The website of the New Summit Republicans, and it is fair to say this is a Coughlin led group, can be found here.
1. Why do you feel the change at the top is necessary?
The Summit County GOP was once lauded for being competitive in a difficult county. Today, the demographics of Summit County are more favorable than ever, yet our party has slipped into a pathetic state.
Despite all the money raised over the years, the party's last victory in a competitive non-judicial countywide race was in 2000 with the election of Sheriff Drew Alexander. Worse, opportunities to gain key offices are being passed up as resources are squandered. When Mr. Arshinkoff has backed a candidate his record is dismal. Since 2003, he has chalked up 6 wins and 42 losses. There is a great chart on the website that illustrates this http://www.newsummitrepublicans.com/about/losing-streak.aspxThis year's county party operating budget is $600,000. That's not for races. That's for overhead. Where is the money going? In addition to salaries, benefits, and a huge credit card bill, our contributions to the Summit County Republican Party having been:
*Paying over $900/month to lease Arshinkoff's Cadillac Escalade.
*Buying Arshinkoff $6,683.97 worth of meals at a posh downtown restaurant in 2006.
*Paying for Arshinkoff's $5,007.89 tab at Portage Country Club.
*Lavishing well over $500,000 for the county headquarters, payroll, and administrative operations.
I'm also concerned with the way the chairman treats candidates, officeholder, activists, and public employees. People are sending us their Arshinkoff stories of threats, intimidation, incompetence, you name it.
I think the party should work for the candidates and the officeholders, not the other way around. It should offer the services, expertise, and support needed for our candidates to win elections, build an organization, raise money, and navigate the minefield of the public arena. The party should also encourage and develop new talent. Talented people are viewed as a threat by this chairman and are all too often sidelined.
The bottom line is that our party needs be focused on winning elections again. We cannot be a strong player on the statewide and national stage if our party infrastructure has been hollowed out.
2. Is it appropriate for the Summit County GOP to endorse a candidate who is not a Republican? If so, when?
Under no circumstances should the party or it's leadership endorse a candidate of another party. Nor should the party cut deals with the Democrats to leave races uncontested. If we are unable to field a candidate, fine. But it should not be the result of an agreement between the parties.
Mr. Arshinkoff and his allies have been quoted in the media basically endorsing Don Plusquellic's leadership as mayor of Akron, saying that he is the strong leader Akron needs right now to retain and attract jobs. Mr. Arshinkoff uses this as justification for failing to run a Republican candidate. That is unacceptable.
It's also a rather stupid thing to do. Four years from now, the situation in Akron may be so dire that voters will be willing to give a Republican mayoral candidate a chance. Mr. Arshinkoff has written a commercial for Mayor Plusquellic with his laudatory comments.
From a tactical point of view, the party should be running a credible candidate to make Plusquellic spend money. Those are Democrat dollars that would not be spent on other races. In the bigger picture, people deserve a credible choice. The mayor has his backers. But there are plenty of people in Akron concerned about crime, neighborhood neglect, and poor services. They should have a choice and it's the party's responsibility to develop and back candidates who can offer that choice.
The county party's formal by-laws prohibit any party leader or member of the central or executive committee from supporting anyone but an endorsed Republican candidate. Technically, Mr. Arshinkoff should resign or be removed from his position for his comments.
3. How do you think the local and state landscape looks for the Ohio GOP in 2008?
Very difficult. The national scene has not improved and 2008 could be worse than 2006 in the Congress and United States Senate. The national elections will impact us here but I do see a couple silver linings.
First, the Democrats will probably nominate Hillary Clinton. In 2004, Republicans turned out the vote like never before. If any Democrat can galvanize that kind of energy and turnout among Republicans, it's Mrs. Clinton.
Second, the 2006 election outcome was not a defeat for conservatism. It was a party defeat. Polls show that a strong majority of Ohioans agree with us on our basic conservative values of limited government. Most are skeptical of using government action to correct the problems of our day. And a vast majority believe that if government had more money, it would go to waste. In the Statehouse, I don't see any challenge to the Republican majority in the Senate.
Democrats are energized about potentially regaining the House of Representatives and in truth, that could go either way. Dems could either win a slim majority, or Republicans could actually pick up a few seats. The Democrats continue to trail in the money race, despite this new enthusiasm.
Locally, I do not see much reason to be optimistic because of the dismal state of the county Republican party. There are not many up-and-coming candidates and there is evidence that Mr. Arshinkoff is cutting deals with Democrats to leave their vulnerable countywide officials unopposed. If the party won't do it's job, the New Summit Republicans are considering backing Republican candidates for these offices next year.
4. What do Republicans need to do at the county level in 2008 so that 2006 does not repeat itself?
I've been winning elections for a decade in this competitive county. During that time, I've learned that hard work, resources, and the right message can overcome demographics and political trends. Our party shouldn't curl up and hide inside it's "Fort Apache." Here are a few things we can do to win again:
1) Vote for a slate of candidates to the Summit County Republican Central Committee in the March 2008 Primary Election that are committed to electing a new party chairman.
2) Audit the party, cut the fat, and refocus resources on winning elections.
3) Field qualified and impressive candidates for office and back them.
4) Get back to our roots. Mr. Arshinkoff's party is devoid of an ideology. The party should be a megaphone for conservative ideas and values. While people may not be wild about the Republican Party at this moment in time, most still consider themselves conservative. Appeal to that.
5) Get tougher with the Democrats. Stop cutting deals to avoid campaigns and start using the party to educate the public on Democratic corruption, incompetence, and loony leftism, where appropriate.
5. Name one thing your opponent / the current county leadership has done that you see as an accomplishment.
It's an accomplishment to raise large sums of money. But what good is that accomplishment if the money is squandered?
This year's county party budget calls for operational overhead of $600,000. That's way too much. Mr. Arshinkoff has only raised $742,000 for this cycle, so that does not leave much for candidate races.
Out of all that money raised, only $42,000 (at most) is budgeted for local candidate races in 2007. This is one reason why Summit County's two-party system is a farce. We have two parties. But one party raises all the money and the other party wins all the elections.
So it's nice that Mr. Arshinkoff still has a few big donors to squeeze, but I think a thorough audit of the party is needed.
Once again, thank you to Kevin Coughlin for taking the time to send back detailed answers.
In the interest of fairness, the other side is welcome to answer the exact same 5 questions. I attempted to contact them through their website, but it is no longer in operation. I am not going to hunt them down, though. Someone is welcome to contact me.
posted by Ben at
9/04/2007 01:05:00 PM
24 Comments:
Anyone want to bet you aren't contacted by the other side??
Doesn't Mr. Arshinkoff realize that his party began to fall apart when he became involved with S. Kotsatos. Kotsatos doesn't want anyone who has been a long time active member of the party around Arshinkoff!! He and his mother terrorize people!
The arguments stemming from the pro-Arshinkoff circles hold up little to scrutiny. First, even with the $432,000 cited by the KeepSummitStrong blog, there is little money left for fielding a strong competitive campaign throughout the county. Using the proposed fundraising numbers distributed by Arshinkoff, even at the low end of the spectrum there would be little money for candidates in the outlying communities. For instance, the mayoral race in Tallmadge would receive money in the other campaigns category. As such, they campaign would receive less than the $25,000 allocated. It seems to be a case of promises made, promise broken. Second, Deborah Owens Fink cited that Democrat Republicans. There is a Republican mayor. Third, the Arshinkoff camp has been trying to deflect the argument making the issue about Kevin. This is not about Kevin, this is about leadership or lack thereof in the county. The noose is slowly being tied around this King of Failure and Complacency that will end in disgrace to a once formidable chair.
The site's up and running. They had some glitch on their address. Try: http://keepsummitcountyrepublicansstrong.blogspot.com
Coughlin has been a proven winner over the last decade and Alex A. has been a proven loser. Something has to be done to turn around local fortunes.
No where has the Summit County GOP or Arshinkoff ever endorsed a Democrat. Notice Coughlin's language "basically endorsing". It's complete manure. There's a difference between recognizing an race that cannot be won and making an endorsement.
Arshinkoff told both the Beacon Journal and WAKR that he didn't run anyone against Plusquellic because the cty needs his strong leadership and advocacy right now to keep Goodyear and attract more jobs. '
It was PRINTED IN THE BEACON, AIRED ON WAKR, and printed at Akron NewsNow.com!
Genius! Alex handed Donny a commercial to use nect time he has a Republican opponent. Nice job, jackass.
I'm running for central committee and I will vote Alex out.
I cannot wait to see Alex Arshinsquellic (nice one above) get dragged out of the Central Committee meeting next spring by his ear and thrown out on the pavement.
I'd run just for that.
Ok where are your football picks though
The name of Arshinkoff's website is deceitful. Before one can "keep" the Republicans in Summit strong, maybe he should focus on "making" the Summit County Republicans strong.
Coughlin's "wins" have been against weak candidates only with the help of Alex's headquarters and staff Alex paid for in 2002 and funded with millions of dollars over the years - all leveraged by Alex's contributions from the SCRP to the Senate Caucus - contributions Coughlin now criticizes. Talk about biting the hand.
Of course this campaign is about Coughlin - no one else has stood up. It's Coughlin's campaign. He wants to be chairman or he wants a weak sister chairman who will endorse him for any office he wants to run for - including Steve LaTourette's House seat. He said as much to a prominent Republican State Senator - who then told LaTourette.
When the whoppers start flying, you know Arshinkoff is in desperation mode.
I was a tough opponent.
Ben, good work on getting this information for your readers. I think it is helpful as they try and figure out what direction to take the county party in the coming months.
Good comments.
As I stated in the post, the other side is welcome to contact me via email if they wish to be afforded the same opportunity.
Maybe there should be a third option
Rumor is that Arshinkoff is stepping down to make way for puppet Bryan Williams to become chairman. Arshinkoff would get a big salary as a "consultant" to the party.
But Williams is just another Alex and is under investigation for theft in office. Along with the other vice chair of the party who is under investigation by the FBI for stealing money from the party and losing it on illegal gambling.
Don't run away Arshinkoff. Stay and take your beating.
COUGHLIN'S TEAM BACKS A DEMOCRAT!
http://keepsummitcountyrepublicansstrong.blogspot.com/
Another Arshinkoff lie. None of these people are on Coughlin's team.
Let's just review the Arshinkoff lies:
Croghan's a Democrat. Wrong.
Coughlin's wife has left him. Wrong.
Currin's a Democrat. Wrong.
Coughlin is under investigation for using Tom Noe's condo. Wrong and Wrong.
Coughlin wants to run against Steve LaTourette in a primary. Wrong.
Kim Hoover and Wayne Jones do coke and swap wives. Wrong.
Coughlin is a centaur. Wrong.
Joe Haefner just has an axe to grind becuase he didn't get a judgeship. Wrong.
Grow up you sad pathetic soul.
Green Republicans supporting Padrutt? First, this has nothing to do w/the New Summit County Republicans and their call for new leadership. Mayor Croghan who got absolutely no support from Alex in 2003 when he ran for re-election is supporting Norton even though Padrutt was suppoted Croghan 4 years ago just so the kooks wouldn't take over. The other three, who I understand are just friends of Andy's, do NOT want to see Arshinkoff get his grubby fingers on their city just because he's run out of jobs to give his inexperienced political hacks. Anybody else heard the desperate cries of a desperate chairman is desperately trying to find "someone" a job or they'll blab. No thanks, Not in Green.
Why is Coughlin and his cronies David Reilly, Joel Reed, and Don Croghan supporting Democratic Green Mayor Candidate Andy Padrutt?
This is all old news.
Probably to keep Alex from screwing up everthing he touches
When this "Chair" looks you sqare in the eye and says he'll give you money and is nowhere to be found when you hold out your hand, When he promises $100,000 to a good candidate for congress and only gives $23,000 and routes the rest to another candidates campaign and ends up a big loser to a mob attorney from Youngstown who hires felons and excons for his office in Columbus, when he promises over $200,000 in inkind monies and does not follow thru when Godfather in the closet comes out, what option do we have?
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