Today’s title is somewhat misleading since almost everyone reading today’s bloggy thing will not be able to vote for me. I'm running to be my precinct’s central committee member of the Medina County Democratic Party. The Democratic electorate of my precinct consists of a few hundred voters. Odds are you’re not one of them.
I have often said Medina was way too white and way too Republican for me. But I’ve now lived here for over 35 years and, despite my irritation and downright ire with a city run by an elite who stay in their offices, elected and otherwise, way past their expiration dates, I love my city. I plan to die here. Hopefully later rather than sooner.
I felt pride when the Medina city council recently passed an LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance with bipartisan support. It was the right thing to do. I was disgusted but not surprised when all those who voted for the great ordinance found themselves with single-issue opponents in their reelection campaigns. The single issue was, of course, that those opponents wanted to discriminate against the LGBT citizens of Medina.
In my ward, the opposition candidate was a vile zealot who railed against the LGBT community on his social media. His faux-Christian beliefs included subjecting women to male domination and forbidding his daughter from having male friends. I couldn’t countenance this man representing me on the city council.
I wrote a letter to the local newspaper praising the city council candidates who supported the ordinance and condemning the bigotry of those who opposed it. My family and I took it one step further.
Using screen caps of the zealot’s rants, we mailed a letter to all the Democratic voters in our ward. It cost us three hundred dollars to do this. Naturally, we were accused of smearing the opposition candidate because how awful of us to share his own words with the voters. We also had people coming to our home to thank us for the letter and the revelations included therein.
Our incumbent councilman crushed his opponent in the election. Even better, every single-issue candidate was defeated in their quest to discriminate against some of our fellow citizens. Once again, as is my wont, I wrote a letter to the local paper praising the citizens of Medina voting for fairness and against bigotry. It was a victory lap of sorts.
Most recently, the Christian Coalition, the same group I fought two decades of ago when they tried to inflict their version of “Sharia Law” on our award-winning library system, has re-branded itself as the Ohio Christian Alliance. They want to place revoking Medina’s LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance on the ballot. Decent citizens must always be watchful of such bigots, especially those who cloak their bigotry in the guise of religion.
The above is one of the reasons I am running for the Medina County Democratic Party Central Committee. I need to be on the front line of that battle and others.
I believe with all my heart, intellect and soul that the solutions to the problems facing our cities, states, nation and world can be found in progressive liberal philosophies and policies. It has been proven over and over again that the Republican Party offers succor only for the already wealthy. They are gutting the middle class of our country. They are vilifying the poor. They oppose the diversity that has made our country great and can make it truly great again.
The Central Committee does not have many responsibilities. Our two main ones are electing a slate of fellow Democrats who will set the goals of our party...and appointing people to fill any positions left vacant by the elected official leaving their office before the end of their term. I am far and away the best choice for this position in my precinct.
I’m running against an incumbent Democrat who has been involved in our local and country politics for decades. It would be fair for me to describe her as one of the “elites” I mentioned above. She has become complacent in opposing Republicans, even going so far as to endorse the Republican mayor of our city in his election. Though she was in favor of the LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance, she stayed well on the sidelines when the council members who voted for it were challenged for their seats. She is no longer effective in promoting progressive policies. I can do better.
I don’t want to work with Republicans. I want them to work with us. We have allowed them to set the agenda for far too long, especially given how little that agenda offers the vast majority of Americans. They have worked against the best interests of our citizens and of democracy itself. We need to change that.
Several of my online friends have asked if they can contribute to my campaign. According to my campaign manager - my son Ed - I can accept donations via my PayPal account. That account is the same as my e-mail. But, please, if you make a donation, specify that when you make it. I am required to keep close track of all donations and expenditures in this election.
Your donations will be used for election materials. That would be signs, mailings and possibly advertisements in the local newspaper or on the public channel of our area cable provider. Any donations not spent on my campaign will be donated to progressive candidates in my area. All spending will be recorded and made available when required by law.
I have often said Medina was way too white and way too Republican for me. But I’ve now lived here for over 35 years and, despite my irritation and downright ire with a city run by an elite who stay in their offices, elected and otherwise, way past their expiration dates, I love my city. I plan to die here. Hopefully later rather than sooner.
I felt pride when the Medina city council recently passed an LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance with bipartisan support. It was the right thing to do. I was disgusted but not surprised when all those who voted for the great ordinance found themselves with single-issue opponents in their reelection campaigns. The single issue was, of course, that those opponents wanted to discriminate against the LGBT citizens of Medina.
In my ward, the opposition candidate was a vile zealot who railed against the LGBT community on his social media. His faux-Christian beliefs included subjecting women to male domination and forbidding his daughter from having male friends. I couldn’t countenance this man representing me on the city council.
I wrote a letter to the local newspaper praising the city council candidates who supported the ordinance and condemning the bigotry of those who opposed it. My family and I took it one step further.
Using screen caps of the zealot’s rants, we mailed a letter to all the Democratic voters in our ward. It cost us three hundred dollars to do this. Naturally, we were accused of smearing the opposition candidate because how awful of us to share his own words with the voters. We also had people coming to our home to thank us for the letter and the revelations included therein.
Our incumbent councilman crushed his opponent in the election. Even better, every single-issue candidate was defeated in their quest to discriminate against some of our fellow citizens. Once again, as is my wont, I wrote a letter to the local paper praising the citizens of Medina voting for fairness and against bigotry. It was a victory lap of sorts.
Most recently, the Christian Coalition, the same group I fought two decades of ago when they tried to inflict their version of “Sharia Law” on our award-winning library system, has re-branded itself as the Ohio Christian Alliance. They want to place revoking Medina’s LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance on the ballot. Decent citizens must always be watchful of such bigots, especially those who cloak their bigotry in the guise of religion.
The above is one of the reasons I am running for the Medina County Democratic Party Central Committee. I need to be on the front line of that battle and others.
I believe with all my heart, intellect and soul that the solutions to the problems facing our cities, states, nation and world can be found in progressive liberal philosophies and policies. It has been proven over and over again that the Republican Party offers succor only for the already wealthy. They are gutting the middle class of our country. They are vilifying the poor. They oppose the diversity that has made our country great and can make it truly great again.
The Central Committee does not have many responsibilities. Our two main ones are electing a slate of fellow Democrats who will set the goals of our party...and appointing people to fill any positions left vacant by the elected official leaving their office before the end of their term. I am far and away the best choice for this position in my precinct.
I’m running against an incumbent Democrat who has been involved in our local and country politics for decades. It would be fair for me to describe her as one of the “elites” I mentioned above. She has become complacent in opposing Republicans, even going so far as to endorse the Republican mayor of our city in his election. Though she was in favor of the LGBT anti-discrimination ordinance, she stayed well on the sidelines when the council members who voted for it were challenged for their seats. She is no longer effective in promoting progressive policies. I can do better.
I don’t want to work with Republicans. I want them to work with us. We have allowed them to set the agenda for far too long, especially given how little that agenda offers the vast majority of Americans. They have worked against the best interests of our citizens and of democracy itself. We need to change that.
Several of my online friends have asked if they can contribute to my campaign. According to my campaign manager - my son Ed - I can accept donations via my PayPal account. That account is the same as my e-mail. But, please, if you make a donation, specify that when you make it. I am required to keep close track of all donations and expenditures in this election.
Your donations will be used for election materials. That would be signs, mailings and possibly advertisements in the local newspaper or on the public channel of our area cable provider. Any donations not spent on my campaign will be donated to progressive candidates in my area. All spending will be recorded and made available when required by law.
I recognize that it’s somewhat incongruous for a 68-year-old man to consider himself part of the “new guard” of Democrats. But, look at it this way...in two years, I’ll be old enough to run to be the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.
I’ll be back soon with more stuff.
© 2020 Tony Isabella
"I don’t want to work with Republicans; I want them to work with us." Every single Democratic candidate for ANY office in this country should use that line this year. Good luck Tony!
ReplyDeleteIt's for the betterment of the entire country if more Democratic candidates with a social conscience and HISTORY of activism and outspokeness for equal rights like Tony Isabella has, runs for local office.
ReplyDelete