Thursday, September 29, 2005

Endorsements

This morning I woke up the Lakewood Sun Post on the doorstep and an endorsement on the inside!
The paper did a write up on each of the candidates with a snippet of everyone's platform.

Mine they used the incentives idea for absentee landlords to rehabilitate their properties with the potential to sell them to the tenants. My belief on that is if we can take out some of the problem rental properties, we create pride of homeownership, some additional tax dollars and take away some of the supply of rentals and stem the upward swing of Section 8 housing that the City has seen over the last 4-5 years. The other benefit that I see is that the other landlords will have the ability to charge a little bit more and get the quality tenants that will stay in their properties.

This is a biggie for me, as this vaults me up into the name recognition list for next Tuesday and for the November election as well. Since the Sun Post endorsed 5 others it puts me on a level playing field, something which I have worked hard to obtain.

Add this endorsement to the one I received earlier in the week from the Lakewood Republican Organization, of which I am truly grateful to the members who have supported me from day one! Also, it goes with the endorsement from the Cuyahoga County Republican Party, that I received back in August.

5 DAYS TO GO!

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

7 Days

Well, here we are 7 days until the Primary. Voters are starting to ask questions about what the issues are in the City and how each candidate is stands on those issues, the endorsement interviews keep coming, the Newspapers will be doing their work this week. The Sun Newspaper is going to be making their decision known on Thursday. The Plain Dealer is doing a voter guide based on a survey of 4 questions on the theme of regionalism and sharing of services.

Am I nervous, not yet -- I am sure I will be next Tuesday.

The reason I am not nervous is that we have had a strategy for the campaign and for the most part we have worked that strategy to the letter. Whether it was a winner or not we will know on October 4th. But I strongly believe that is a winner!

What I am nervous about is whether the Indians will make the Playoffs! They have been exciting!

Well, we are still scheduled to go to trial next week, so must get into trial mode. I moved into a new office after 6 years of being on the inside part of the office I now have a window that faces the west, so I will be able to see some of the spectacular sunsets that we get during this time of the year.

Friday, September 23, 2005

2 WEEKENDS LEFT

It is now down to just a few days, endorsements and interviews are starting to come at a brisk pace, haven't picked up any unexpected endorsements, but hopefully we will get some beginning next week. Our final financial report prior to the Primary was submitted. Folks are continuing to request absentee ballots and we keep sending out letters to remind them who I am and what I stand for.

Now I know I promised photos from the Blitz weekend, so here we go:

Above is my Mom and my Cousin Carol Wagner, they are packing the 2500+ packets with my latest literature.
Lets see who else!!

Ahh (left to right) my brother Charlie, Mary (Rita's Mom), Cassie (Niece), Mary Jo (sister), Molly (Rita's sister) and Dee (Super Volunteer).

One More!


Rita's Dad Roger was stepping it up as well!

Also involved was my brother Peter and another volunteer Lamara and of course Ryan Demro in making sure we got to the areas that needed to be hit.

We were able to knock out 7 precincts in a little more than 3 hours. My Mom and Carol were able to make about 75 -100 calls to Republicans in Lakewood.

All I can say at this juncture is that no matter which way this race ends up, I have no regrets and have been proud of the work of that has been done by the Carroll for Council team.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

2 WEEKS!

Well, here we are! Two weeks to the Primary, most of the candidates are starting to work. Signs are popping up all over town, although mine were first. The endorsements are coming out. The Lakewood Hospitality Association apparently did not endorse me as I have not gotten the letter.
Oh well! We will have to work that much harder.

The absentee ballots are out and my letters to the voters are out as well. Saw one of my competitors at the Board of Election yesterday picking up his set of labels.

Blitz day went well, we had a mostly family in to put packets together and drop them at various locations across the city. I have some pictures to add later.

We had a fundraiser last week, met some great people who are truly interested in my views of Lakewood. It was a mix of Democrats and Republicans. One person who was there was hosting an event for one of my competitors at some point in the future.

Work will be keeping me busy for the next few weeks with a trial coming up and I received word that they want to move my office next weekend, so add that to list of things to do the weekend before the Primary election.

Well, we just moving on! New day! New Challenges! New Answers! Bring on the Election!

Saturday, September 10, 2005

BALLOT

With 24 days left, those individuals who ordered absentee ballots started receiving them in the mail today. It was kind of cool to see my name at the top of the list. But I know that they alternate the names, so someone got a ballot with my name last (bummer!) Just keep looking for it!

I will probably have it framed along with the results from the Primary and General Elections!

Summer is over! The Lakewood Community Festival was today, it was a beautiful day and a lot folks were out enjoying the good food, pretty decent music and dancing. Saw most of the Competitors in the race, didn't see two of them. All in all some decent people wanting to see Lakewood move in one direction.

If you live in my old home town of Youngstown NY, we would all be heading over to the Peach Festival in Lewiston.

Tomorrow is football season begins and its a March to the Motor City for the Super Bowl. Lets hope Romeo has the same type of start as his former colleague over at Patriots does with Notre Dame, going 2-0.

WOW MAJOR SPIKE


Was just checking my sitemeter, someone is actually reading this blog. I have 122 unique hits and they are staying for a 1 minute and 22 seconds on average. As you might notice the sitemeter says the number is 154, but that means some of those numbers are returning IP addresses (such as me). Do you recognize your IP or website?

So if you are a competitor (or one of their supporters), a member of the media or someone just surfing Welcome! BE ADVISED This sole intent of this blog is to catalog the journey of a candidate running for the first time. I did this because when I started conducting research on running for office I found very little in actual useful knowledge for a candidate learn from on their own. Now its original intent has probably not been fulfilled to anyone reading this, but, it certainly been a useful tool for me.

Just make sure that if you want to use the information, please use it in its full context. Since I am the sole editor of this page, not you!

THUS ENDETH THE LESSON!

Thursday, September 08, 2005

SUN NEWSPAPER

Yesterday, I interviewed with the Sun Newspaper, they publish a variety of Community Newspapers in the Greater Cleveland area. It is viewed that this paper holds a lot more sway with the voters than the Plain Dealer, so I needed to do well.

Two Editors and a reporter covering the City were asking questions. They had split up the Candidates, I sat with Mike Dever (incumbent) and Nicki Anontio(Challenger). Two other candidates went in the next segment after us. So as my information has it, that makes only five of the 8 candidates were interviewed yesterday.

The topics were;

1) Why we are running;
2) What are the issues that we have been hearing while talking to voters (Streets, Taxes, Garbage Hauling etc);
3) Asking our views on how to answer the questions posed by the voters;
4) Taxes;
5) The use of Eminent Domain;
6) The Smoking Ban in Bars and restaurants;

How did it go you ask? I believe I held my own in the Q & A.

We move on!

Tonight, the Ohio Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell will be visiting my house to meet with local leaders prior to a meeting here in Lakewood. I honored to have him here and ready to ask a couple of questions. I will post some photos to have a record of his visit.

Maybe I will get a call from Jim Petro's people and Betty Montgomery's people to visit here too!

Saturday, we have the Community Festival, the last summer event for the City of Lakewood. Overt politicking can be done! All my political stuff will be out in full force.

26 Days

Monday, September 05, 2005

Less than 30 days

We have 29 days to go, the schedule is filling up and time to go door to door is dwindling!

This week I have the endorsement interview with the Sun Newspapers, they are the Community Newspaper for the Cleveland Area. That interview occurs on Wednesday, Thursday we have the LRO Forum with Ken Blackwell. On Saturday is the Lakewood Community Festival, which marks the last summer event for Lakewood, we are trying to get a good size crew out and wandering about with Carroll For Council gear on.

I have a fundraiser coming up and the Blitz Day will be on a weekend. So there is a lot to do and time is running short.

I should also mention that my work with Squire, Sanders will added into the mix as a law suit I am working on is scheduled to go to trial the week of the September 19th or 26th or quite possibly October 5th. All of that is dependent on the schedule of the opposing counsels.

So as you can see, juggling will be the word of the month!

Yard Signs

This past Saturday, we had family and supporters over to help with the signs. While we were at it we did some envelope stuffing for absentee ballots;

This is my sister in law Amy, putting together the absentee packets, my Niece Colleen and her brother Christopher helped as well.
My brother Peter (orange shirt) got his hands dirty along with the rest of the volunteers putting the wires into the signs.



While the signs were being put together, Ryan Demro (sitting Councilman and Chair of my Campaign) and Colleen Wing (President of the Lakewood Republican Organization) were conducting a strategy session

Of course the true quarterback of the whole operation was my nephew Christopher, he was throwing spirals in the front yard with his sister Colleen and Benjamin Wing.

Thanks to all who helped in putting the signs together, they soon will dot the city of Lakewood

Hurricane Katrina

Can not comprehend the amount of damage inflicted on the Gulf coast states. As it has been with every other web site please help in the relief effort in what ever fashion that you are able.

Chief Justice

Interesting way to handle the death of Chief Justice Rehnquist, by nominating Judge Roberts for the slot. Politically it makes sense, since Roberts has already been vetted and was set for hearings this week. It also provides for SCOTUS not to be leaderless during the early portion of the Court's sessions.

I AM TIGER HEAR ME ROAR








(Don't worry, she is just yawning -- Note she is also missing a tooth!)