‘Chairman’s Dinner’ raises a smile for Betras

The event raised $100,000 for the county Democratic Party, its chairman said.

YOUNGSTOWN — It was hard to get Mahoning County Democratic Party Chairman David Betras to stop smiling.

Betras’ goal was to raise at least $100,000 at Thursday’s “Chairman’s Dinner” that included a “who’s who” of statewide Democratic officials. Betras acknowledged it took a little arm- twisting and many telephone calls to get people to attend his first fundraiser as chairman but said he reached that goal.

Tickets cost $500 apiece, with a private reception with some of the elected officials costing an additional $500.

The money will go toward the county party’s operating expenses.

More importantly, Betras said the event shows that Mahoning County is a powerhouse when it comes to supporting Democrats, and once the voters of the county help get Democrats elected, the winners don’t ignore this area.

“Thank you for never taking us for granted,” Betras told an audience that included Gov. Ted Strickland, Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, Attorney General Richard Cordray, Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish and several 2010 statewide candidates who came from as far as Hamilton County to attend the event.

The event was at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitors Center at Mill Creek MetroParks’ Fellows Riverside Gardens.

Even a crowd of about 300 Delphi hourly and salaried retirees angry about the loss of their health coverage and pensions through Delphi and General Motors’ Chapter 11 didn’t dampen Betras’ excitement.

The chairman made sure several of the elected officials spoke to the retirees.

“The bottom line is, we need help,” said Nick Frangos of Liberty, who worked for 35 years for GM and six years for Delphi. “We were guaranteed pensions and health care from GM, and it was taken from us. We’re asking state officials to help us in our plight. We want them to lobby federal officials.”

Donna Bobeck of Youngstown, who spent 33 years working for Packard, said the protesters at the “peaceful demonstration” weren’t there to ruin the event or embarrass Betras.

“We’re calling attention to our situation and hope enough attention will help influence the president to fix this,” she said.

Fisher said he and Strickland were unable to persuade top Delphi and GM officials to address this issue, but they’ll continue to work at it.

Fisher and Brunner, who are both running for the U.S. Senate in next May’s Democratic primary, were talking to groups of Delphi retirees only a few feet from each other.

Brunner said she didn’t realize Fisher was that close to her. Fisher said he wanted to talk to the protesters, and having Brunner do the same wasn’t an issue.

Both Democrats said the Mahoning Valley is of vital importance to the success of any candidate running statewide.

Strickland also stressed the importance of the Valley in the 2010 election.

“Next year is going to be a more competitive election than I had” in 2006, he said. “It will be important next year to both parties. If I’m going to win next year, I’m going to have to do well here.”

Statewide Democrats elected in 2006 received a little less than 75 percent of the vote in Mahoning County.

Betras has vowed to get at least 80 percent of the county’s vote for every statewide Democrat running in next year’s general election.

“I don’t care if I have to vote 10,000 times, I will deliver that vote,” he quipped.

skolnick@vindy.com