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Top Democrats to attend Betras’ fundraiser
Published:Friday, July 24, 2009
David Betras had specific goals in mind when he took over as Mahoning County Democratic Party chairman in April.
Among his most important:
1. Make Democrats throughout Ohio recognize the importance of Mahoning as one of the largest and most important counties in the state for the political party. While statewide Democrats need major margins of victory over Republicans in the Mahoning Valley to win, the area had lost some of its luster because of long-standing conflicts between state party officials and former Mahoning Democratic Chairwoman Lisa Antonini.
2. Raise a lot of money to help make the county party a powerhouse in Ohio.
On Aug. 20 at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitors Center at Mill Creek MetroParks’ Fellows Riverside Garden, Betras will have the opportunity to make significant progress on those two major goals.
Using his goodwill as the new Mahoning chairman and “a lot of cajoling and being a pest in a good way,” Betras was able to get commitments from some of the state’s most prominent Democrats to attend the Aug. 20 fund-raising event.
Those on the confirmed list include: Gov. Ted Strickland; Attorney General Richard Cordray; Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, a 2010 candidate for U.S. Senate; Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper, the party’s 2010 candidate for state auditor; U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan, Charlie Wilson and John Boccieri; and Ohio Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro.
On the list of those “leaning very heavily to come, but aren’t 100 percent confirmed” are: Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, a 2010 candidate for the U.S. Senate, and Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish.
It should be fun to be in the same room as Fisher and Brunner.
Those invited who cannot attend because they’ll be on vacation are U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Treasurer Kevin L. Boyce.
Brown’s not up for re-election until 2012 and can afford to skip this event, particularly because he is in the Valley often.
Boyce is making a huge blunder by not being here for the Aug. 20 event. Boyce was appointed treasurer by Strickland in January, has next to no name recognition and is probably the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent on the 2010 ticket. If he continues to vacation rather than show up for events like this, Boyce will be on permanent vacation from the treasurer’s office at the end of 2010.
As I mentioned above, this is a great opportunity for Betras. But it comes with a huge risk.
“This is the first time in a long time we’ll have this much political might in Youngstown,” Betras said. “By all of these officeholders coming, it shows how much support they want from this area.”
But equally important is how many people will pay $500 a ticket for the dinner. And perhaps the most important aspect of this event is how many people will pay the additional $500 for a private meet-and-greet. (Betras is also seeking contributions from corporations.) To buy tickets, contact Betras at (330) 503-9696.
Betras wants to raise $100,000 from this event. The money will go toward the county party’s operating expenses.
To date, Betras has raised about $20,000.
Betras has come to realize that raising money is a bigger challenge than he anticipated.
“It’s a tall order in the middle of a recession,” Betras said of raising $100,000. “This is my first big event as chairman. It’s a lot of work. I didn’t anticipate it would be as hard as it is to raise money, but there’s a recession going on.”
If the event falls short of his goal, Betras said it’s not a test of his ability as chairman.
Under a different economic climate, it would be, he said.
Betras has vowed to make the local party one of the most important in the state. One of his goals is to provide at least 80 percent of the Mahoning County vote next year to Strickland in the governor’s re-election bid.
These are lofty goals, and the success of the Aug. 20 event is his first major test.
Comments
Great, Taxin' Ted Strickland is coming out. Wonderful.
Ryan and his girlfriend (Pelosi's daughter) will provide all the after-dinner valium, straight outta Nancy's medicine cabinet.
$50 a piece or 2 for $75.
Tim Ryan has time to be with Betras,but NO TIME to hold meetings with the people who elected him from this area to hear how they feel about GM,Bailouts,HealthCare and more(OPEN TOWN HALL MEETING).Hey COWARD,Meet and Greet Us!
This is very funny. The Demorat party has ignored the Mahoning Valley for decades; I can't blame it, they still vote socialistic Democrats and elect and re-elect them and the party knows it can rely on the support of all those ethnic, hyphenated "Americans" who still believe capitalism evil. USEFUL IDIOTS!
Kasich 2010
Foxtrot, you are exactly right....John Kasich in 2010, but the people in Mahoning Valley won't vote for him! They love the Dems. They always deliver what they say, right? Obama has really helped out the auto industry, right?
www.kasichforohio.com
Wow! Scary that they elected "Marc Dann Lite". What the hell is this valley thinking - last one out turn off the lights. Talk about electing a media ~~~~~, the only competitor he has for the honor is Bob Hagan.
As long as "Free Ticket" Hagan and "Free Meal" Gerberry are in attendance, we'll be "Safe and Sound" in the Mahoning Valley. Did anyone see the Campaign "coffers" Report of both Ron and Bob in the Vindy (Sunday's Edition) and see all the PAC supporters for each? They are "in-bed" with the best of them. State TAX, Sin TAX, and Double-TAX the "working stiff"!
Well, we can only hope we get rid of Taxin Ted and all of these crazy democrats that have hijacked the party. I don't associate myself as being a democrat but I know that the democratic party is better than what these screwballs like Hagan, Tim Ryan, and Betras have made it, same can be said for the republicans. I guess I believe in the American people much more than I do in the parties.
TYPICAL POLITICIANS PAY TO PLAY
I'm proud of all your comments so far! It's hard to believe you're all from the Mahoning Valley because you're real Americans who know better to accept handouts; we believe in personal responsibility, hard work and helping each other. Of course the Valley is important to the Democrat Party. It doesn't have to do anything to win the vast plurality of votes here. Just keep promising the voters more freebees and make a token visit now and them because they are too stupid to depend upon themselves; they need daddy big government to pat them on their collective dumb heads a toss them a crumb after they obey the command to sit up and beg.