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Take the reins
Four vie for two spots on Lawrence County Commission
Originally published 12:43 a.m., October 26, 2008
Updated 10:50 a.m., October 29, 2008
Next month, Lawrence County voters will select two of the county’s three commissioners.
Incumbent Republican Jason Stephens is seeking his third term in office. His challenger is Wayne Pennington, a Democrat and the former mayor of Hanging Rock. Incumbent Democrat R. Tanner Heaberlin is seeking a commission seat in his own right. He was appointed last year to fill the unexpired term of the late George Patterson, who lost his battle with cancer. Les Boggs, who is the county’s sitting clerk of courts, is Heaberlin’s Republican opponent.
Stephens vs. Pennington
In addition to being a commissioner, Stephens, of Getaway, is a certified financial planner and co-owner of Stephens and Son Insurance. He said there are a number of positive changes that have occurred during his tenure that have improved the lives of Lawrence Countians.
On the economic front, Stephens is proud of the collaborative effort between business and government that has brought new business and has also allowed for the expansion of businesses already here. He pointed out Lawrence County’s unemployment rate is much better than that of neighboring counties.
“When we established the Lawrence County Port Authority three years ago, we set the framework that allowed St. Mary’s and Rumpke and other things to happen,” Stephens said. “And it seems to be working. We have jobs and businesses we didn’t have even a year ago.”
Stephens is also proud of the negotiations that brought Duke Energy to Hamilton Township — and the tax abatement agreement under which Duke agreed to make payments that enabled the Rock Hill Local School District to pay off its school bond early.
Stephens said another positive change made within the past few years — one that impacts quality of life — is the creation of the Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District and that entity’s efforts to clean up illegal dumping and littering and to promote recycling.
“It was non-existent a few years ago and now, it is getting accolades from the state,” Stephens said.
He would like to see the county step up its demolition of derelict houses as part of its comprehensive improvement effort.
Stephens acknowledged the county’s budget constraints have been a challenge. In spite of this, he said the county has managed to find ways to make government work.
He pointed to the commission’s ability to find alternate revenue streams to pay for services the county needs but doesn’t have the money for. For instance, by consolidating the county’s 911 addressing office, soil and water conservation office and building permit system into one entity, the county was able to get state funding to pay for half of the cost of the new entity.
In spite of a tight budget, Stephens said he is pleased that, even though the federal COPS grant used to hire sheriff’s office road deputies ended years ago, the county did not lay off the deputies hired with the grant.
“We’ve been able to keep deputies on the road and ambulances running at a time when other counties have had layoffs,” Stephens said.
Criminal justice is one of the biggest chunks of the county’s budget and Stephens said the commission has found ways to help alleviate the strain crime places on county finances. Lawrence County has a contract with Scioto County to house overflow inmates at a fixed cost in the Portsmouth jail. He is also pleased the commission and the county’s judges have been able to work together to employ alternatives to jail time for some inmates, such as home confinement, which saves money and alleviates overcrowding in the county jail.
Stephens said in the coming years he wants to pursue federal matching funds for the juvenile court system by pursuing a IV-E contract. He also said 911 is one area where the county can probably save money.
Stephens said his background as a certified financial planner has been and will continue to be an asset in wrestling with budget issues.
Why run for office?
“It’s an honor to serve as county commissioner,” Stephens said. “ I represent 63,000 people. I think we have a wonderful county with wonderful people. It’s an honor to serve and I understand it’s a privilege. I would appreciate the opportunity to continue serving.”
Wayne Pennington, of Hanging Rock, has served on the village council and as mayor. He is a safety and training specialist for Marathon Ashland Petroleum.
Pennington said he understands people are concerned about county finances. He said he has heard their concerns during his visits door-to-door to meet the people he wants to represent.
As for making ends meet at the courthouse, “I think we have to look at every aspect,” Pennington said.
And that includes job cuts if it is necessary. He said he knows job cuts are not popular and he realizes cuts don’t just affect a person but that person’s family. But those elected to serve sometimes have to make tough decisions.
“People are going to have to bear with whoever is elected,” he said. “No one wants to cut anything. I hope people realize job cuts are not made out of spite.”
Pennington said commissioners will have to look at what they’re spending and then decide what action to keep spending in line with revenue.
“There is not any one area that is not going to be looked at,” he said.
Criminal justice, from arrest to prosecution to probation, takes one of the biggest bites out of the county budget. Pennington would like to reduce the size of that bite by perhaps using home confinement to a greater extent.
He questioned why some inmates spend as much as 60 days in the Lawrence County Jail while at other county jails, inmates are incarcerated for as little as 12 days. He would also like to see if the sheriff’s office can charge back some of the services they provide to other entities.
Pennington said he has an open mind and good communication skills. He is also not afraid to make tough decisions, even when those decisions may be unpopular.
“I hope if I had to make an unpopular decision, even though it would be unpopular at first, later, the people could come to me and say that decision was necessary,” Pennington said. “A politician has got to be able to take the heat.”
And he said he is willing to tell people what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear.
“Some politicians go out and tell people what they want to hear just to get elected,” Pennington said.
He wants people to know he is not that kind of person, that he is not out to make a name for himself.
Pennington is in favor of consolidating emergency dispatching.
“I don’t want to lose jobs, but I want to make government run efficiently,” he said.
On the economic front, Pennington said while he would like to see new jobs and new business in Lawrence County, he is just as adamant about taking care of what is already here and building on assets. He pointed out that sometimes, putting one piece of the economic puzzle into place can be the catalyst for other pieces to fall into place. He used as an example the location of the Texas Roadhouse in Ashland. Once that restaurant settled near the Ashland Town Center, other businesses located there too.
Pennington said Lawrence County needs to find a niche it can use and expand on.
“We need to look and see if there is anything unique that we have and then build on that,” Pennington said.
Another idea Pennington has is to draw on the talents of Lawrence Countians by getting input from retired executives.
“I’d like to use them as a sounding board for ideas. Having been in business they have contacts, they know people. We need to tap that knowledge base and see if they can lend a hand,” Pennington said.
Why run for office? Pennington loves his community. He is also concerned about mistakes that have been made in the past and wants to be a part of the solution.
Heaberlin vs. Boggs
R. Tanner Heaberlin doesn’t like to call himself a politician.
“I’m a public servant,” he said. And that’s the way he wants people to see him.
“I want to restore the trust of the people in county government. I’ve heard people say, ‘I don’t trust that group at the courthouse’ and, ‘I want to change this,’” Heaberlin said. Lawrence County, he said, is his top priority.
Heaberlin, a Rock Hill High School history teacher, said he is not afraid to challenge the courthouse status quo if it means making government work better for the people. He is proud of his push to have commission meeting times changed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays, allowing working people the chance to attend these meetings without sacrificing part of their work day. He said he is also proud the commission approved his resolution to post future job openings in the newspaper, instead of using word-of-mouth to reach prospective hirees.
“This gives the people who are not as well-connected an opportunity to get these jobs and gives us a better chance to get the best qualified people possible,” Heaberlin said. “I think this takes away some of the nepotism. I would like to see other officeholders do the same thing.”
Heaberlin said the budget is the biggest issue Lawrence County faces and in spite of those who say the county has had the same money problems for years, Heaberlin is confident the problems can be solved with a little time and some hard work.
“It’s not going to change overnight,” he said. “I don’t think there is a magic wand, there is no one thing that can be done (to solve the problems). I think it’s going to take a multitude of things and I think we have to look at everything.”
One entity Heaberlin wants to protect is the entity that protects Lawrence County: the sheriff’s office.
“I think we saw this week how important it is,” Heaberlin said. “I know it’s a big chunk of the budget, but it is there for the protection of the citizens.”
He is in favor of saving money by merging the dispatching for the sheriff’s office and 911 and would like to establish a task force to do exactly that.
Heaberlin said he thinks the county should study the way indigent defense is handled, and make certain those people who claim to be indigent truly are unable to pay their own attorney fees when they are arrested for criminal offenses.
Health insurance for county employees is another area where Heaberlin thinks money could be saved.
Heaberlin said he is pleased with the efforts made by the area’s economic development team and points to the recent announcements regarding Mercier, Chatham Steel, the Liebert expansion.
“We have a good team, everyone is working together and I think we’re headed in the right direction,” he said.
Heaberlin said his goals for the next four years are to straighten out budget issues, create more jobs that will in turn increase sales tax dollars coming into county coffers. More sales tax dollars would likely mean fewer cuts at the courthouse,” he said.
“I want to keep people in line, but I think it is also important to add to the revenue stream,” he said.
Heaberlin said his greatest strengths are honesty, fairness and his dislike of politics as usual.
“I don’t want people to vote for me because I promised them a job. I want to do what is right. And regardless of the party, I will call people out for doing things that are wrong,” he said.
He said he is not afraid to challenge things he sees that are wrong.
“I’m willing to ask tough questions and I think people appreciate that,” he said. “I’m not afraid to call people on the carpet if I have to. There is nothing wrong in Lawrence County that can’t be fixed with what is right in Lawrence County.”
Besides being clerk of courts, Boggs is also a businessman and former member of the Dawson-Bryant Board of Education.
Why run for office?
“I believe I can help the county out of its bad financial state,” Boggs said, adding that trading his clerk of courts job for a commission seat would be a $7,000-a-year pay cut. “But I believe I have the financial background to help the county out of its crisis.”
Boggs said the biggest challenges facing the county are job creation and the county’s finances.
On the issue of job creation, Boggs would like to promote small business by helping prospective business owners learn the ins and outs of business operation.
“Ninety percent of the people in Ohio work for small business,” Boggs explained. “So it only seems right to focus on small business. A lot of people have a skill or know-how to provide a skill or a service, but some of them fail because they don’t know how to file their taxes or how to keep books properly.”
Boggs wants to provide free classes, perhaps through the chamber of commerce, that would teach prospective business owners how to operate a small business.
The small business start-up class is phase one of Boggs’ two-phased approach to job creation. He would also like to recruit jobs from outside the county and is willing to personally get involved.
“I’m not afraid to go to Columbus and meet with whomever to bring in jobs,” Boggs said. “I will work with the Ironton Port Authority, the Lawrence County Port Authority, the LEDC. Sometimes a cold phone call can get you jobs.”
With an eye on the budget crunch, Boggs has offered a plan he said will save at least $800,000 the first year and $1.3 million over two years on health insurance.
Boggs wants the county to switch its employee health insurance to Central States, the same company that already provides coverage to the employees of four county offices. He said by switching to Central States, the county could save money on its premiums, the employees would contribute less toward their coverage, the employees could keep the physician network they have now and still have the same or better insurance coverage.
“It has a $40,000 life insurance policy, short-term disability, and a peace of mind statement, which says, if I pass away and never get out of the network, my wife could have health insurance for next five years for free,” Boggs said. “And it has a dental plan, which our current insurance doesn’t have.”
Boggs has dubbed his health insurance proposal “The People’s Plan.”
Boggs said saving money on health insurance would free up money to help pay for the rising cost of criminal justice, an area he said should not be cut.
“We’ve got to get criminals off the streets,” he said. “In certain parts of this county, drugs are running rampant and I believe with funding we can get drugs out of our county.”
He is in favor of combining the county’s dispatching entities.
Boggs said his business and political experience would be an asset to the county.
“I’m proud to have created more than 125 new jobs in this county. I feel like I have served the county well, as a member of the Dawson-Bryant school board and as clerk of courts.
He said his other strengths are his employee/employer relations and problem solving and his ability to work with diverse groups to come to a solution on problems.
If elected, what are Boggs’ goals?
“To bring the county budget into a safe area, to incorporate the People’s Plan (Central State health insurance) and to work to bring more jobs into the county and create jobs within the county.”
He promises to “represent them in a way taxpayers deserve to be represented.” He promised to have an open-door policy.
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Comments
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 12:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Tanner Heaberlin went out and bought Les Boggs' children's dance recital video and put it on the internet as an attack add.
We don't need sick individuals like that running our county and representing the people.
I wasn't going to vote for Les Boggs, but I can't vote for a person that would stoop so low to do something so creepy.
Posted by ideaman (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 3:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, Tanner Heaberlin bought video of Les Boggs dancing to "Can't Touch This" which Les did as an opportunity to have his name and the office he is running for announced to a crowd. Heaberlin used that footage of Les dancing to make an ad for his campaign--so what he did was take the footage made by Les as an ad for Les's campaign and use it for Tanner's campaign. Nothing creepy there--except the dancing.
Posted by Neo (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just seems a little funny that the guy calling himself a "watchdog" would use such shady tactics.
May not be illegal but it is shady as far as I'm concerned. It says in the article that he doesn't like to think of himself as a politician. Well, those tactics are the tactics of a politician. It makes me wonder whether he's being straight with us about anything he's saying.
Posted by lawcoconcerned (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 4:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
wake up lawrence county,if you vote for mr boggs do you really think he is going to be a full time commis., he cant even be a full time clerk. right mr boggs, i have phoned and visited the clerks office several times to see him and he is never there. if not for his professionanl staff would anything get done. as for the video think about that it was a political stunt by mr boggs to, is he any better. i still belive tanner heaberlin is the best qualified to continue in the office he is curently holding. my vote on nov 4 will be for heaberlin
Posted by LCvoter (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 5:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Tanner Haeberlin is a shady politician. Getting a child's video and putting it on his web sight. I think all the families should get together and sue Tanner Haeberlin for using their childrens video for his political gain. That is the lowest thing a person can do is using children for political gain. And if you watch the debate, Tanner did not answer one question right, as a matter of fact, he was saying he was going to move one fund into the general fund, which is illegal, do we want to vote for a person who would do something illegal. He's never there so he doesn't know how to run the office. Our tax dollars are paying this man not to show up for work. And as for you lawcoconcerned, do you sit at the clerk of courts office and wait for him to come in or leave?
Posted by keta (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 7:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LCVoter, you're embarrassing yourself. You're Lawrence County's Sarah Palin, repeating things that are easily proved untrue. I'm guessing that, like Sarah Palin, you're speaking just to True Believers - people who don't mind if what you're saying isn't true when it's the kind of thing they like to hear.
Posted by yayasister (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In reference to lawcoconcerned "i have phoned and visited the clerks office several times to see him and he is never there."
MR. Boggs was attending The Ohio Sportsman gathering on OCT 24,during regular courthouse office hours. The film footage can be seen on WSAZ's website. Check it out at www.wsaz.com. In my opinion this footage would make a great political ad for any candidate running against Mr. Boggs.
As for Mr. Heaberlin's "dance ad," Mr. Boggs used the dance studio and a children's recital to promote his candidacy for county commissioner. Shame on Mr. Boggs, for his behavior as well as his pathetic performance as a dancer.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 8:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I can guarantee to all of Lawrence County voters that Mr. Heaberlin respects family unity, acknowledges the sanctity of marriage and is respectful to all the wives, sisters and daughters of our community. He will not lie, cheat or try to buy your vote. If you want someone truly honest that will watch out for all of us, bring in jobs and grow the County vote for Tanner Heaberlin.
Posted by Shooter (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 8:13 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 8:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
keta,
I think you summed it up very nicely. If anyone had half a brain it is not hard to find out the true nature of a person unless maybe you are bought and paid for. Facts are facts and all you have to do is seek the truth for yourself. It seems you have done this and I agree with you 100% because no matter what I know the truth also. (It was not too hard to discover).
Posted by epic (anonymous) on October 26, 2008 at 8:41 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by epic (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 8 a.m. (Suggest removal)
re: lawcoconcerned, have you noticed lately mr. boggs has been parking his vehicle out in front of courthouse, nevertheless he continues to slip out the back rather illusively!
Posted by epic (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I've got a serious question...why did one of my comments get removed and i mentioned no names? And why did shooter get removed when he referred to les, BUTTTTTT tanner can be called a shady politician and stay posted...what is going on here?
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Becauese one of the candidates threatens a law suit everytime you turn around and takes his ball and goes home if you don't play right.
Posted by Neo (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How are we going to get more jobs in Lawrence County? How are we going to balance the budget before the state comes in and does it for us? Those are the questions that interest me.
Lawrence county doesn't need a watchdog. It needs leaders. You cannot be a leader if you are legally bound to be at a teaching job for 40 hours per week, more than that if you're a good teacher. We need someone who'll be available to work with state officials to bring grant money here...and you can't say that you can accomplish this after hours or working "out in the county."
It's just the facts. Heaberlin says the Commissioner job is a 24/7 commitment, but he's already got a 40 hour per week...Monday through Friday dayshift...commitment. So if the commissioner job which Heaberlin himself calls a 24/7 commitment, happens to require him to be in the courthouse at 9am Monday morning, Heaberlin will not be able to meet the basic job requirements of the County Commissioner as he himself describes them. Even Stephens who works, but in his own insurance business, can write his own work schedule so he'd be able to perform the responsibilities of Commissioner....whenever and wherever that might be.
It's not personal. I'm sure Heaberlin is a swell guy. Given the alternatives, I'll take the guy who's run a successful business on his own and really is available 24/7.
I'm an Independent. I voted for Obama. So I am not a party loyalist nor am I swayed by arguments that are based in conjecture and gossip. We're in hard economic times. We don't have the luxury of piddling around like that. We need the best possible players on the team. As for the County Commissioner team, they will benefit by having a proven businessman that is not locked into a hard-scheduled, 40 hour per week, Monday through Friday dayshift job.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
God bless the naive. If voters could peer under the surface and truly see the bill of goods being sold in the commissioners race one would be astounded. I have never seen a County emergency that demanded a commissioner to be present for anything that could not be accommodated by personal or vacation time from their job if necessary. Emergencies that may arise aside from regular business in a four year term could be covered easily by a week or so of vacation/personal time per year. On the other hand the Clerk of Courts, the Auditor, the Recorder, etc. lend themselves to more of an 8 to 4pm job. If you have observed the offices over the years, one office holder in particular currently in the group mentioned above, have not worked even close 40 hours per work week. If they chose to do so this would save man hours, reinforces the attitude of the staff and saves the County money. Why would we believe the full time story now just because it sounds good?
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Neo and I agree on something, the 7th seal must have broken.
Seriously though, say there is a meeting in Columbus for the next day. I know it is very frowned upon for teachers to just up and leave without notice. Heaberlin doesn't have the time to be a '24/7' commissioner, and that is what our county needs right now.
I'd trust a proven business man any day over some kid who got appointed to a political position because of his commitment to his party.
Posted by lawcoconcerned (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 12:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
really do u voters belive mr boggs is going to be full time, get your heads out of the sand and look around. even when he had his business he still operated the same way he is now. it is his staff that get the everyday things done that come with a sucessful business. i do not think that just because u run a "sucessful" business can qualify u for a political office. look around the country and see what is going on elsewhere, banking, wallstreet, these to are run by people who run sucesful business. think about that.
Posted by ideaman (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 12:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes! Let's keep putting the same people into different positions in the courthouse. That has worked so well for Lawrence County for so many years. (Heavy dose of sarcasm there for those too dense to get it).
Seriously, though, let's utilize the new ideas that new people have. Maybe that would breathe new life into this county. It's gotten pretty stale through all the years of "same old, same old."
Heaberlin is 27. He is a college graduate, married, with two children. He's not a "kid."
Say there IS a meeting the next day in Columbus; he is allowed to take days off when he needs to. A meeting with no notice would probably present as much problem for Jason who would have to re-arrange his schedule to go. This "full time commissioner" is Les's big idea that doesn't hold water anywhere in the state of Ohio. He finds many things to do now during the 40 hours per week he COULD be in the clerk of courts office. Why is anyone supposed to believe he would change his stripes if elected commissioner?
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Vil,
In most instances I would agree with you but I know both candidates. I have watched business partners go down in flames and treated unfairly. Most businesses are built by a team of people but eventually most are pushed out at the top and one takes all the credit. I believe if a crisis should arise in their personal business (for any commissioner) the County would be put on hold. I would be amazed at any commissioner sacrificing his or her personal pocketbook for the County's well being. Just imagine a crisis in your personal business and it was crumbling down around you but you could not attend to the personal problems because of a commissioner's meeting. I don't think you would be very effective on those days for the County or your business. I feel this "what if" is just as probable and logical as any other argument for or against a job vs. owning a business. In my opinion many more problems would arise for one in the private sector that would demand your attention versus having a job. Most meetings are scheduled ahead of time so all attending can make arrangements. Crucial meetings are not normally called 24 hours in advance. That would be terrible planning if you would want several people to participate. There are as many pros as cons on being a private business owner. You can not fire a commissioner for not showing up but once every four years. If you want to believe they would be there at any meeting any time with bells on you may be quite surprised because they have not exhibited that type of dedication in previous positions they have or currently hold.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ideaman,
YOU GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Neo (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 1:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"I have never seen a County emergency that demanded a commissioner to be present for anything that could not be accommodated by personal or vacation time from their job if necessary."
-- With all due respect, just because you have never seen it doesn't influence my opinion. Maybe we need leaders who do see what we need and recognize other reasons to show up for work besides emergencies.
"Yes! Let's keep putting the same people into different positions in the courthouse. That has worked so well for Lawrence County for so many years. (Heavy dose of sarcasm there for those too dense to get it)."
-- No, let's put the same one back in the same position. Let's keep the same one who has no qualifications but does have a full time job (light dose of sarcasm for those too rude to get it).
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let's elect all the big feeling little men with egos big as houses. Let's elect the big money people that build influence and opportunity to fulfill their agendas through the positions they hold with the alliances and power they build while in office. Let's allow the great County leaders/business men buy the elections and collect the absentee votes like an Easter egg hunt. Let us allow them to jump from County office to County office until they can get all their relatives jobs and build a big retirement for doing nearly nothing for it. Let's keep our head in the sand and accept business as usual in the County. Why not just look at the past 50 years and look at the leaders we have put in office over and over again. They promised jobs, I'll be full time, I'll balance the budget, I'm different, I'll work hard for you.... It's almost ridiculous. Bottom line save a little for a rainy day because the pie in the sky some of these guys want us to see is not for all of us to eat
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
From your derogatory comments and tone pslate, it sounds like you have a personal problem with Les Boggs that has nothing to do with his abilities as an elected official.
You talk about alliances and power and such being built, how do you think Tanner Heaberlin got into office? He didn't get elected by the people, he was selected by the Lawrence County Democrat party to take the place of the late George Patterson. It had nothing to do with what the people wanted or how much of a hard worker he's been for the county. He was selected because he's alliances and deals with the 'powers' in the local Democrat party.
I'd rather vote for a man who stands on his own and is not a puppet with the county Democrat party's hand stuck up their back.
If you want to vote for someone who's independent and has proven they can lead and make changes where they need to be made, then you'll vote for Les Boggs. If you want more of the same political machine, then vote for Heaberlin.
Posted by turbo (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Your political machine is Jason Stephens and Doug Malone. Jason has held that office 8 years.
Posted by itsallgood (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Les Boggs owns property at the entrance to Dawson-Bryant Schools. Last year he allowed Randy Wise to display his political signs on his property. Randy Wise missed alot of CG council meeting on his prior term in office. Why would Boggs want to support someone like that?
Posted by turbo (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
itsallgood,
Les Boggs can support whoever he wants. Maybe your jealous because he would not support you. And wonder why??????
Posted by itsallgood (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Turbo,
I have never ran for a political office. I support candidates who take their elected office seriously.
Posted by turbo (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I never said you ran for a political office. Your probably not qualified anyway.
Posted by john_plumber (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Vil, When Dr. Payne retired who chose his replacement? The Republican Executive Committee did; they chose Dr. Hoffman to fill the corner position. The same way Sharron Hager was chosen when Sue Deeds retired; Sharron was picked by the Republican Executive Committee. When Ray Duty announces his retirement in the next few months, do you think the voters will chose his replacement? No, it will be the Republican Executive Committee. When a democrat leaves an office vacant, the democrat executive committee will chose the replacement. Both side plays with same set of rules set down by the state constitution.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Should Gary Hart, John Edwards or Bill Clinton run again for public office should their behavior be weighed as a factor when trying to decide who to vote for. Should you find out if candidates are honest and of strong moral character? Would these not be legitimate concerns. I feel a person has to respect his family and the friends around him before he can be an accomplished leader. Maybe not but in my opinion Mr. Heaberlin possesses these qualities.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 3:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
john_plumber
100% CORRECT
Posted by epic (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 4:38 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by MasterChef (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 4:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Vil either doesn't know much about county government or doesn't care to learn. Boggs was told he could have ONE term in his current office. But the party leaders already had somebody else in mind as his replacement.
And when a local officeholder resigns/retires/dies during a term, the party elders a/k/a Central Committee People (by the way, your Central Committee Person is elected by YOU in your own precinct) vote on a recommendation to the Governor. The Governor usually follows party recommendations, but may select someone of his own choosing, as long as he selects from the same party that has the vacancy.
Recent example of what CAN be done differently...Mary Wipert. After she was fired some people thought they'd pull a fast one and put her in as one of the BoE's directors. Secretary of State saw through that and rejected Wipert as being unacceptable.
Posted by cashmere (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 7:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As hard as it is to stomach, County Commissioner IS a part time job, even with that salary. In decades past, the salary was much lower, and the commissioners held full time jobs and the meetings were on Saturday morning. That is not to say that they weren't called all week, and didn't have to stop in the office to sign something, etc., but it IS a part time job. The state legislature has increased the salary, but not the job hours, which I don't think are even set.
Really, what would they do in the office all day? Budget meetings, meetings in Columbus aside, the reality is they would just rattle around the office, bothering others.
Their job is to oversee the budget. They can't pave a road, they can call the county engineer and tell him to. They can issue proclamations, okay the use of county land, but there's not a lot to the job, the salary notwithstanding.
And teachers don't work 40 hour a week jobs. some work 60, some 30, depends on the work ethic. Plus around 15 weeks off a year. Tanner has enough time for the job.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 8:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
One big reason why someone would choose not to run for Clerk of Courts or jump ship to run for another perceived easier race would be Mike Patterson. Mike Patterson is a proverbial chip off the George Patterson block that served so well for over 20 years. Mike like his father identifies with common folks and understands their problems. He is honest as the day is long and has an impecable character. He is bright and a truly caring father and husband dedicated to being a family man. He is a person that unites and promotes the common good. What you see is what you get. This man is genuine, no lies, cloaks and daggers with him. If I would chose to run for office I would look for an easier opponent too because it is my opinion Mr. Patterson is unbeatable and needs to serve our community for a long time.
Posted by yayasister (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 8:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"State auditor owes taxpayers prompt answers
By Mike Caldwell (Contact) | The Tribune
Published Sunday, October 26, 2008
“Who watches the Watchmen?”
Now may be time for someone to ask that question about the Ohio State Auditor’s office. Let’s audit the auditor.
the commission mandated some budgetary cuts by the office holders — some of whom complied and some of whom did not —
But now it seems that maybe someone in Columbus doesn’t want the voters to see the results of this audit until after the election.
It has likely been weeks since the two-week window passed.
Yet, still nothing
Is there some grand conspiracy at work? Probably not, but it sure seems that the state isn’t in any great hurry to provide the voters with information that could be vital to their decision in the voting booth Nov. 4.
The information in this audit could be vital to voters since several of the officeholders including two county commissioners are seeking re-election.
It is important that voters get the chance to fully analyze this performance review before being asked to put some of these same people back into office.
Citizens should analyze all the information in each race including track records, personal history, qualifications and more. But this audit could be another piece of the political puzzle.
If the Ohio auditor is watching out for the taxpayers, like the office claims, then it should put the information out there for all to see."
I would just like to point out a couple of things about this article....first of all the is there a conspiracy? Well, the state auditor is a republican. Who could be hurt by the release of the audit prior to the election? Could the officeholder that continued to pay a fired employee be in hot water? You can check the state auditor's website other county audits have been released.
Just a reminder for those of you so judgmental of our part-time Commission, Mr. Heaberlin... As I recall it was Mr. Heaberlin that put a stop to the office holders withholding information about illegal activities dealing with theft in office....that would lead me to believe that 1.Mr. Heaberlin has a record of doing right by the citizens of Law. Co. and 2. the state audit report would not look favorable on some of Lawrence County's oldest and most corrupt political families.
I also agree with pslate that Mike Patterson is going to make a great officeholder. He is a fine young man with integrity, a devoted father and husband.. a TRUE christian.
Posted by cashmere (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 9:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
any one can be a commissioner! Each commission, and I've observed them since the 1960's, has the prerogative to set the meeting time. Commissions in the past scheduled them to accommodate the commissioners/ full time jobs.
I have seen doctors, insurance agents, farmers, truckers, and other professions in the commission office. I think that was the intention, to have citizens from various backgrounds serve the community.
The state legislatures have jacked up the salaries so much that candidates in the past few election cycles have had to claim they would be "full time commissioners".
Posted by Neo (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 11:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This cynical gibberish about "let's elect the men with big egos and big money" is ridiculous. How about this. Let's elect the candidate with the best qualifications and then insist on the results they promise. We're in the internet age...we can do that now. How about a little optimism?? If you're just so jaded that you think the best we can hope for is to have a dog with foam dripping from the mouth sitting in our back yard watching our stuff and that's it, that's a pretty grim outlook my friend. Am I in favor of granting undue power or influence to someone because of their name or the balance of their savings account. Absolutely not! I am FOR electing those who've PROVEN they can succeed in the real world and then keeping the spotlight on them to ensure they duplicate that success for the benefit of Lawrence County. One of the problems here is that some of you are only taking into consideration what HAS BEEN DONE in the past. We need to consider what could be done in the future. Let's get the candidate who has demonstrated success in the business world and truly has the ability to honor a 24/7 commitment in deed and not just in word. Let's elect that candidate, Les Boggs, and give him an opportunity to prove that he can deliver.
Most of you folks post comments that make sense but, seriously, the vocal minority that just wants to wallow around in gossip, heresay and personal attacks really need to get off their soap box. We, the rest of the citizens of this county, aren't ready to serve your personal dislike for Boggs and elect some 27 year iold guy who only got in office because someone died...who already has a full-time M-F dayshift job...who has never accomplished anything in the business world and whose only claim to fame in the 1 1/2 years he was in office is taking a piece of gossip that was brought to him and going out and tattling on everyone he could in order to try to make a political name for himself. He never uncovered any wrongdoing by being a watchdog. He only demonstrated a propensity to listen to gossip and then run with it. Likelihood of anyone ever trusting him with gossip again = ZERO. So you can even rule out the "watchdog" baloney. SO, as I said, get off your soapbox. Quit making veiled references to gossip that is completely untrue. It's time to get some new blood and fresh ideas on the Commissioner team. The needs of our county are bigger than partisan bickering and personal issues some of you might have.
Posted by Neo (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 11:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By the way, good comment suzy007. That's the kind of thinking we need. That happens to also be the kind of thinking that is absolutely necessary to be successful in business. Again, that's why I'm supporting Boggs.
Posted by yayasister (anonymous) on October 27, 2008 at 11:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NEO
FOR YOUR INFORMATION MR. HEABERLIN WAS VOTED TEACHER OF THE YEAR A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO!!!! DO YOU EVEN KNOW HIM?? WHAT HE STANDS FOR?? ARE YOU DRINKING THE KOOL-AIDE THE FULL-TIME BUSINESS MAN IS OFFERING TO ALL THOSE WHO WILL DRINK? PERHAPS YOU ARE LIKE THE INNOCENCT NURSING HOME FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINED BY THE CHRISTIAN PIANO PLAYING CANDIDATE, WHO HAPPENS TO SHOW UP AT OUR AREA NURSING HOMES JUST IN TIME FOR RESIDENTS TO CAST THEIR VOTES. AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO CALL MR. HEABERLIN A POLITICAN. TEACHER OF THE YEAR - PUBLIC SERVANT VS. PREACHER PIANO PLAYING POLITICAN.
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 1:47 a.m.
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Posted by Neo (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 6:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yayasister,
For your information, I'm fully in support of Mr. Heaberlin continuing to serve as a teacher which, from what you're saying, seems to be his real calling anyway. Drinking the kool aid...come on.
No, I am an Independent who has supported and been active in the Presidential campaigns of Reagan in '84, Clinton in '92, McCain in 2000 and now Obama in '08. I have participated in phone banks, literature distribution, campaign events and more.
I sat down and spoke with Boggs face to face. There were a few questions I wanted to have resolved and he accomodated me 100%. I already knew his basic resume was superior to Heaberlin's.
Let me ask you this yayasister. Who are you voting for as President this year? Do you even know him?? Based on your rant above you are not even qualified to vote for President unless you've sat down for coffee with Obama or McCain on at least several occasions. Do you really expect anyone to buy into that line of "logic"????
Posted by Shooter (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 8:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Neo, How about me putting you in touch with someone who knows the true story. In your face-2-face I doubt you got the whole story. No pun intended.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Neo,
You seem to be a good intellegent person but sometimes even the best caring people can be deceived. Trust me the last thing I want to do is bash people but sometimes the person you think you know is not the real person. It is just a facade they build when necessary. The hurt never goes away when your trust is violated. You will most probably come to this conclusion given time. People that preach one thing and do another slips eventually. I do not want to argue back and forth time will tell who is right and who is wrong.
Posted by john_plumber (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If the Boggs Insurance plan is so great, why has Jason Stephens stayed away from it like a the pleague. He is an insurance guy; he should be the lead dog on this right. The problem with the Boggs insurance plan, it only covers those employees inside the court house and leaves out the employees at Children Services. It will also raise the out of the pocket expense to $2000-$2500. Jason is making the right choice by not supporting the Boggs Plan. It will fail. It will not save the county $800,000. It will break the county...We are not far from it.
Instead of making a new contract with a new company and one little policy, all of the county governments, city, and state team up create one large policy with several providers competing for the insurance plan with a lot of people being covered and low out of the pocket expense, more people in the insurance policy the cheaper the insurance.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 11:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
John_Plumber
Again 100% CORRECT.
The out of pocket expenses in the proposed plan would crush most the employees. Anyone that has dealt with insurance companies knows just like some politicians they will promise you the moon and the stars to get the business then tighten the screws down the second year when you have nowhere to go. Any proposed savings the first year will be swallowed up and then some the second year of coverage from increased premiums to cover the first year losses if any. Anyone that tells you that insurance companies are in business to lose money is nuts. They cleverly discount premiums the first year rolling the dice to have a good experience throughout the year and raise the deductables on participants to decrease overall premiums. This tactic does nothing for the employee. It actually costs them more money. If the year turns out to be a health disaster in utilization not only do you lose the chance the second year of reducing premiums the out-of-pocket would mostly have to be increased on employees again for the County to afford coverage. It seems like employees always have to sacrifice for the mismanagement.
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
One candidate for Commissioner we have not discussed is Wayne Pennington.
Now, Mr. Pennington has put a giant campaign sign in front of the 'Welcome to Ironton' sign on US 52. I know it is a place where some candidates put signs up, but nobody has ever been so disrespectful to actually cover the 'Welcome to Ironton' sign.
I called the Mayor's office last week and lodged my complaint, as have a few other residents because the sign makes our city look like trash. I just drove by it again today and the sign was still up. When I called the Mayor's office today, I was told that the city had contacted Mr. Pennington and told him of the complaints. Pennington's response was that the land owner told him it was fine to put a sign up and that he would not be taking it down.
That shows me right there that Wayne Pennington does not care about our town or county. Do you think new business is going to be attracted to our town when we let the 'Welcome to Ironton' sign look like trash. If that sign looks like trash, then what do you think businesses will assume about the rest of the city?
Pennington has proven he only cares about one thing, getting elected so he can cash that commissioners check.
Posted by Neo (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Shooter, all I can say is go in and talk to Boggs yourself. That's what I did. Pslate, thanks. If you or someone you know has a personal issue where hurt feelings are involved, I understand that. The only thing I was seeking along those lines when I met with him was whether there was any moral deficiency that would preclude him from being qualified to hold the officer of commissioner or anything that would bring shame to the county. I found nothing along those lines.
As for his plan, what john_plumber says is true. The $2000-$2500 he's referring to is the maximum yearly out of pocket expense. Every plan has this. It is the point at which, in this case, the employee would go from paying a reasonable 15% co-pay to paying zero co-pay. The current program's maximum annual out of pocket is about $1000 less. Note, doctor office visits are exempt from the max. out of pocket expense limit and it is $20 under the current plan and Boggs plan.
Here's the other side. The current plan has a lifetime maximum payout of $1 million per family. Sounds like a lot, right? Well, first of all, remember that this is the family limit. Second, understand that in the unfortunate event a catastrophic medical event occurs expenses can pile up fast and high. The plan Boggs promotes doesn't have a LIFETIME maximum payout. It has a $750,000 per year maximum payout. These catastrophic medical situations are the kind of thing that cause people to lose life savings and their homes. So, whether you're talking about the annual maximum out of pocket expense OR the maximum lifetime (or yearly) payout, you're almost definitely talking about someone in that family being in the hospital.
Which would you rather do. Roll the dice on the current plan and maybe have an additional period of time you pay the 15% copay (until that additional $1000 is paid) and take the risk of being the one in a hundred...or whatever the statistic is...that has the catastrophic medical event and possibly lose everything? You can debate it but you can't deny that it's a legitimate question. The plan Boggs presents also offers benefits that are non-existent in the current plan. If I remember correctly either dental or vision coverage is one area, short term disability benefits are another and a peace of mind package where the spouse gets continued medical coverage in the event of the spouse's death is yet another.
I'm just another citizen, but if I'm going to take the time to sit down and talk to someone...and take the time to post positive remarks about their candidacy...I'm going to make sure that I get some straight answers when I do. I did that with Boggs and am quite comfortable supporting his candidacy in terms of his character, his resume, his attitude about working with the other Commissioners as a team and his ideas for the county.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sometimes the information one seeks does not flow freely from the one being researched.
Posted by bargo (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 4:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NEO, how can we get in touch? i would like to talk with you in person, or should i say you really need to talk with me.
Posted by qwe123 (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Tanner Heaberlin is the best choice for Lawrence County. He is the candidate that has proven he is dedicated to the Commissioners job. Mr Boggs on the other hand, would be the biggest mistake. The only time that he does anything is if its going to benefit him in some way. He wants voters to believe that he came up with this wonderful plan to save the county money on the insurance. The insurance that the Clerk of courts office has was in fact already in place when he took over. He wants to ride anyone's coat tail that he can!!!!! The only thing that he has proven is that he has a lot of money to throw around in order to get what he wants. This man was supposed to be called to preach and that means you are called of God. I don't think that God uncalls someone to preach his word. I realize that he is a man just like the rest of us and we all make mistakes, but come on if you want people to believe in you then you should be able to walk the walk. Vote for Tanner he is the right choice!
Posted by epic (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 7:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
qwe123...Where have you been all this time? no one could have said it any better! i know that you also know this candidate very well.
Posted by pslate (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 8:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In my opinion one candidate takes on all comers and states the truth without regard to his campaign. He takes the high road the other would lie to you while looking you straight in the eye and most of the time convince you. One candidate wants your vote but he will not compromise his ethics to get it. The other candidate in my opinion will lie, cheat, deny, steal, buy, beat the bushes for absentees or take any means to capture votes just to win. Seek out the truth. Know your candidate. Vote for the one you can put your trust in.
Posted by lccitizen (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 8:59 p.m.
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Posted by yayasister (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 10:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
suzy007
Amen to that! In fact I would recommend asking Steve Harvey about the candidates.
Posted by bargo (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 10:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"watch me play softball because i'm a star player"
Posted by yayasister (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
suzy007
"I think you would get an honest answer and we could move on with the right candidate for our County." I thought you said you no longer lived in lawrence county in an earlier post. Technically, our candidates would not be your candidates.
Posted by yayasister (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 11:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
betrue
Womanizer, how funny and appropriate!
Posted by yayasister (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 11:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Suzy007 "Talk about savings!!! I would like to see commissioners demand courthouse employees work 40 hours per week. If a courthouse employee goes in at 8:00am and leaves at 4:00pm that would be 8 hours. What about lunch? Is it paid time. If those employees take 1/2 hour for lunch that leaves 1/2 hour paid non-productive time per day. That would equal 16 1/4 days of paid non-productive time per year. (260 work days x 1/2 hour). If they take and hour for lunch it equals a month of non-productive down time per employee per year. Take the first number and multiply that by an average of $12.00 per hour and that equals $1560.00 of paid non-productive time per full time employee per year. If indeed it is an hour lunch mutiply that $1560.00 by two. Do the office holders have the authority to just give this money to employees without working for it. This kind of accountability is what I would like to see out of a candidate not empty promises. If the office candidates are such great stewards of tax payers money and are looking for savings why have they not noticed this cash cow before now. Hard to get on your relatives."
You make an excellent point, I just wanted to add that the officeholders, (whcih would include Mr. Boggs)fail to adhere to the 8:00-4:00, 40 hours per week schedule at a much higher rate of pay than $12.00 per hour (non-elected workers). Mr. Boggs is seen throughout the county campaigning during regular county office hours. Could anyone have that much vacation time? I hope the performance audit includes a time study of how many hours current elected office holders spend seated at the lunch counter. I am talking about the full-time elected office holders. Talk about non-productive time!
Posted by wickedelphaba (anonymous) on October 29, 2008 at 10:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well said, yaya.
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