In today's Columbus Dispatch, John responds to the unfortunate process and decision the newspaper used to endorse John's opponent. John's response was so powerful, we wanted to share it with you today.
Paper's endorsement a disappointment
Monday, February 18, 2008 2:58 AM
After receiving the endorsements of the mayor, all three incumbent county commissioners, every City Council member, every Democratic representative and senator in Franklin County, the state chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party and the Franklin County Democratic Party, I am disappointed I did not receive the endorsement of The Dispatch. But you can't win 'em all.
In light of this, I would like to express what I believe Dispatch readers deserve to know about me, John O'Grady, and my campaign for Franklin County commissioner.
In 2000, the voters of Franklin County elected me as the first Democratic clerk of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court in decades. We inherited an office full of political corruption, fraud and inefficiency, and I promised to clean it up. We've accomplished what I said I would do. Today, the clerk's office has excellent customer service, state-of-the-art accounting measures and a great working relationship with Democrats and Republicans in our court system.
In fact, we're doing more with less. In 2001, the clerk of courts budget was about $12 million, with 240 staff members. Today, the clerk's budget is still about $12 million, with 231 staff members, who are handling 75 percent more foreclosure cases than seven years ago.
This is just the kind of county-level executive experience that matters in our primary.
As your Franklin County commissioner, I will apply this real-world county experience to the challenge of creating jobs and opportunity for everyone in Franklin County. This means investing in our strengths, like technology research, transportation logistics and health care. But we cannot accomplish this as a region without great working relationships with the business, union and elected leadership of Franklin County.
Voters can visit www.johnogrady.org to learn more about my campaign for a new generation of leadership in the March 4 primary.
I believe voters will see that I am the endorsed Democrat for a reason -- I have the experience that matters, the priorities they share and the proven ability to work with everyone to create real change in Franklin County.
JOHN O'GRADY
