35°MATT WESTERHOLD: Diedre Cole provides Sandusky with its moment
Aug 08
2010
It will be interesting to see how the addition of Diedre Cole -- and the subtraction of Brett Fuqua -- will impact the Sandusky city commission. Cole ran for a seat last year and snapped up the fourth-highest vote total among the seven-candidate field. Her status as the "next-highest" votegetter was enough to guarantee Cole a seat at the table should any commissioner step aside this term.
Fuqua was a nonstarter on commission; Cole will be in the race to win. The conventional wisdom always had it that Cole would step in when Nuesse wins back her job as police chief. Fuqua's decision to resign is a surprise. It could change the balance on commission in a way conventional wisdom did not previously contemplate. It might destroy any remnants of the old Craig Stahl voting bloc.
City commission under ex-officio mayor Dan Kaman already has accomplished more this year than previous leadership made happen in previous years. This commission has not been complacent: A balanced city budget; difficult staff reductions; and union contracts with concessions. City commissioners also kept important projects moving forward, including the transient docks in the Paper District, among others.
Cole's presence as a commissioner --in this moment with these colleagues -- could represent a rare moment for reform and progress for the city. A window of opportunity that could disappear as quickly as it showed up.
The next highest vote-getter after Cole last November was former Erie County engineer and city commissioner Ed Feick. But Feick won't necessarily get a seat should there be another vacancy during the current commission term. Should Nuesse get reinstated as police chief and step aside, the commission would select a replacement.
The city charter addresses a first vacancy by stipulating the next highest vote-getter get the seat. But the charter is silent on the subject of additional vacancies in the same commission term. And that means it's a selection process, as stipulated by state law.
Watch local talk show
Cole will be a guest on "Between the Lines Live" at sanduskyregister.com at 3 p.m. Friday. And be sure to check out the Between the Lines vault, where you can watch every episode "On demand" by CLICKING HERE.
Past programs include interviews with Sandusky city commissioner Kim Nuesse, NAACP executive director Gerald "Jerry" Garrett and others.
Cedar Point general manager John Hildebrandt is scheduled for next week also, and I'm hoping he'll spill the beans on next year's big ride project.
Dispatch
Perkins Township taxpayers might be scratching their heads when looking for the savings they were supposed to get when trustees worked out agreements to "co-locate" emergency dispatch. The price tag is going up for the known costs, but the unknown costs are still unknown.
Call it "centralized," "regionalized" or "co-located," trustees and county officials haven't been out front exactly with details on dispatch and remain without a financing plan. County officials expect community leaders to step forward on blind faith, and that would be a mistake given the track record.
Obviously the effort was not vetted very well.
"I originally thought the co-locating was going to cost somewhere in the $12,000 range," trustee Mike Printy said. "And I think it's going to be several times larger."
Even weirder is trustee Jeff Ferrell's knee-deep involvement in dispatch discussions. Ferrell recused himself previously after an Ohio Ethics opinion said it would be a conflict given his job as a Sandusky firefighter. But after further review, apparently, the conflict is not a conflict. It's difficult keeping track.
"It would not surprise me if it did not cost more," Ferrell said.
Huh?
"It would not surprise me if it did not cost more?"
What does that even mean?
Things go haywire when voters elect government bureaucrats.
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07:39 PM
SamAdams says
Lots of comments here. Some good, some not so good, almost all with valid viewpoints. Know what's missing, though? Any explanation whatsoever as to why the comments on another story about Diedre Cole were disappeared and the commenting disabled. Interestingly, most of the missing comments were repeated elsewhere -- here, or on another Cole-related column. So what gives, Register? Did Cole complain? Were you peeved not everybody is as in love with the idea of her joining the City Commission as you are? Or do you just have a problem with people asking the questions your reporters SHOULD be asking but aren't? Inquiring minds want to know...
06:16 PM
hancrack me up says
katelih wrote:
"Hancrack, If I wanted to find out the predators name you are referring to, what last name would I look up?I am curious to see who it is."
Here you go...
http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/flyer.do?personId=27817#
(I'm sure this will be deleted for "defaming someone who raped a 3-year old baby".)
10:07 AM
Colesthebomb0126 says
I wasn't sure how to post here with all of the pro-bloggers on this site. So forgive me while I get adjusted.
I would like to comment on the article about Diedre Cole, Sandusky's newest Commissioner. As an outsider who is not a Sandusky resident but who has been following Mrs. Cole's quest to City Commissioner; I would like to make a few comments on my observations thus far. For those of you who don't know Mrs. Cole personally, I think you should take a few moments out of your day to walk up to her in the grocery store or somewhere local (she's always around town) and speak to her, ask her some of the questions that you have about her stance and viewpoints. This will allow you to avoid the pre-judgment but rather put a face with a name as they say and know for yourself what she thinks and believes. For those of you who do know her, well....I'm glad you have the honor. In short, what I see standing afar looking in, is a lot bashing and sterotypical commenting with little to no merit. Really, in this age where the government has spent trillions on a war, where banks have created a new method of capitalism and where people don't have jobs to go to, are we really so scared of evolution that we can't open our minds to new and different approaches to fixing our problems? What Diedre offer here folks is new, exciting and different, something never done before, she offers you real opportunity, maybe just maybe if you give her your concerns, the things ailing you, she may be your voice, she just may be that small voice in your head telling you something has change and fast. What Diedre has done regardless of what you thing of her socio econonic circumstance, is changed the way government can operate, shown voters that when you vote you will see results and the person you vote for may actually be the person who wins. Allow Diedre to be the face of changing world and allow her to help you change Sandusky for the better. And on the issues you don't see eye to eye with her on; AGREE TO DISAGREE
08:25 PM
Connect The Dots says
Matt, just an interesting senereo. I was reading Jason's mailbag and there were some good ideas. My thought was what if Kim Neuse wins and she is reinstated as Chief of Police. This could very well be a difficult decission for Ms Nuess. She should receive all of her back pay and be compensated for how she was treated. But does she have to take the job back. She wouldobviously be a great Chief of Police, as she was before, but would she have more leverage staying on the city commission, especially after Fuqua has left. We could have quite the commission with the addiion of the Diedra Cole , and keeping Kim Nuesse on council. Hopefully there they would be in charge of picking the ne Chief of Police and there is a great possibility that Mr Icsman would be replaced. What a wonderful City this could be. Just think about it.
01:15 PM
Cityslicker says
Mike Will gave us Kimmie and then split. Brett Fuqua splits, and gives us Deidre. I'll bet both of them are sharing a good laugh about that.
12:36 PM
SamAdams says
Bailey, I'd posted on that Cole story, too. When the comments first disappeared, the little counter said there were 11 comments. You just couldn't read any of them anymore. Then that also went away.
Maybe Matt's afraid that his girlfriend, Kimmie, will be too busy for him if she gets her old job back, and he's lining up a replacement!
To those dumb enough to take the girlfriend comment seriously: I realize that Westerhold isn't having an affair with either woman, but his painfully obvious bias toward the two -- from nauseatingly admiring editorials to protecting them from comments -- is otherwise pretty much inexplicable!
06:27 AM
Woody Hayes says
Bailey:
Maybe it's my fault they took it off. All I said was for the Ragrister to tread lightly around Ms. Cole or Rufus and the NAACP would be camped at their front door.
Huronguy:
Dumpster Don is on deck, Taxpayer in the hole.
11:16 PM
Bailey says
I was the first to post about Cole and didn't know that there were others. How many posts did Matt take down?
The IRS has a rule that a business must show one year profit in five years. I'm not sure what the procedure is if a company doesn't. What about Cole? How convienent that she gets relief by operating a company that doesn't provide enough income and permits her to recieve assitance. WHAT A JOKE, anyone can open a fake buisness and take advantage of the taxpayers! If she can't run a business then what makes people think she can run a city!! Sorry Matt, I don't have to wait to see impact that Cole will have on the Sandusky city commission and when we do see the impact I don't think we will find it interesting~!
This paper took down my post with valid points and issues, somthing THEIR reporters should have asked and brought out in the article !
Im glad I'm not the only one who is starting to see slanted reporting like we did with Kim. I personally like Kim but it was obvious a slanted connection to her from someone with 'publisher' power.
10:29 PM
MINE says
The trouble makers that work for this newspaper are naaaaaaaaaaauseating. Where are some answers to some of these great comments?? The trouble they have made is just so unbelievable to me. The people they PROTECT is even worse. Are there any other towns around that have a newspaper actually "run" the town and make horrible messes? Where in the world is all this bias coming from? Who is the pit of all of this mess? What makes these people the experts?
09:42 PM
huronguy says
here's a good question. So if Kim Nuesse gets reinstated in the next few months who's taking her place? Seems like second string got elected and we may have to start playing our third string... 4th and long
08:36 PM
EZOB says
One comment and one question!!!!
Comment----WOW!!!!!!
Question-----Anybody think it's time to hire a Mayor and certainly not one who has been fired from their previous position???
07:21 PM
outsider says
So if I understand the Sandusky Register policy both Ms. Cole and the NAACP are off limits? How is the Sandusky Register going to protect Ms. Cole at commission meetings?
07:18 PM
outsider says
Another question? Why was there no comments allowed in regards to the NAACP story on lack of parent involvement. Not much of a fan of the NAACP but this stance hits the nail on the head. I support their involvement in this issue 100%. Why was I not allowed to voice my opinion on this important issue?
07:12 PM
outsider says
Can't wait for the Ms. Cole "Between the Lines" program. All these questions that were brought up in regards to your government entitlement will be presented to you on air. How will you answer? How will the Sandusky Register screen these calls? Freedom of speech..Hah
06:59 PM
SamAdams says
Brutus, drug tests are cheap. And you'd pay for them with all of the money saved by NOT paying benefits to those who turned up positive.
06:43 PM
brutus smith says
Who is going to pay for the drug tests sam a, you?
06:22 PM
SamAdams says
Julie, there's no double standard there. I DON'T support random drug tests (other than as conditions of a judgment against someone who's already been found guilty of drug crimes). But you'll note in my comments that I also pointed out that those tests are frequently conducted by a whole host of entities, and they've been repeatedly ruled to be legal. Since that's the case, why aren't we adding welfare recipients to the list of people who have to pass drug tests to keep "earning" their paycheck?
06:05 PM
katelih says
Hancrack, If I wanted to find out the predators name you are referring to, what last name would I look up?I am curious to see who it is.
04:49 PM
samiam says
Maybe so, but think of all the money the government would save by not paying the assistance to anyone who tested positive!
04:46 PM
Julie R. says
Ms. Cole could be on Metro for a hundred years and the cost wouldn't even come close to what the rent-a-judges and the out of town law firms have made from the Erie County taxpayers over the last 10-15 years-------thanks to the village idiots we have for public officials!
04:25 PM
Julie R. says
SamAdams: I'm afraid you have a double standard here. You say you oppose mandatory drug testing-----you consider it an unwarranted search-----that if you don't have CAUSE to test me then don't test me until and unless you do. Yet you then say that welfare recepients should be tested even if there is NO CAUSE but simply because they're on welfare. I'm afraid if the government did that the cost of all the drug tests would be astronomical to say the least!
03:55 PM
huronguy says
Wow I have noticed that as well.. Great questions everyone. Quite Odd that comments were removed for Miss Cole. We all Know if That was an article on Kevin Baxter we could've said anything about him or his Momma and nothing would have been removed. But let it be Miss Cole and all the comments get removed. I remember when I commented about a Militia member being charged with showing pornography to minors it was removed ASAP but then the next day That information was in a SR article. Are they getting angry because we know facts before they do. Are the Register and Norwalk Reflector owned by the same company? I was under the impression they were but I'm not sure so please inform me but of course the Reflector removes comments occasionally but not like the Register. Go look for yourself and see some of the comments they get away with. I'm gonna throw in the comment I made from the other Miss Cole article and hope some others get to view it before it's taken down. In Erie County TRUTH hurts....
Miss Cole Has been on Metro Housing for approx 18 years. How old is this grandchild of hers? I doubt that old, so this free housing has obviously been going on for a long period of time when her children lived with her she was on it then and will do what she can to remain on Metro. It's crazy that people in the hood and the trailer park are able to obtain free housing for such a long time Alot of times they have boyfriends and relatives live with them but it's not reported and I have heard before that they rent a room or charge someone to live there while they collect money so there basically becoming landlords living in taxpayer housing. Citizens should be provided with a list of all Metro Housing leaches and people that collect food stamps. If you have someone staying with you under 18 yrs of age and not approved to live there you should lose it and if you can't provide receipts for the food you purchased from our tax dollars you must work it off. Wash my car, mow my lawn I don't care just work for it! I also mentioned something about Miss Cole's "Business" Where is her business located? I hope she's not operating a business out of Government Housing. Don't metro have rules against that??? Maybe I should start a daycare facility out of my metro house and not report my actual income!!! I should quit my job get a girl pregnant have her say the baby daddy is not in the picture she gets foodstamps, housing paid for, utility incentives ect ect and Then I can move in her Metro housing sell me some dope and live happily ever after on Taxpayer expense.. And every year get a nice income tax return... Hell here's a better Idea why don't I get 4-5 women pregnant and do this? Even more money! and I have more houses to sell my dope out of. I was reading a article about a man Rick Scott running for Governor in Florida he has some great ideas. I'll mention 2 of them and you can Google him and find out more. He wants to pass a bill that if you are a welfare recipient you must have mandatory drug tests and he wants to pass an immigration bill as well. If these 2 things really do go through I'll be living in the Sunshine state Ocean front property is fairly cheap there right now.
03:25 PM
SamAdams says
concernedsubject:
If you look up "hypocrite" in the dictionary, there's a picture of Matt Westerhold. And if you look up "journalist," the first antonym on the list is "westerhold."
Nice to be so popular, eh, Matt?
03:21 PM
SamAdams says
Julie, I oppose mandatory drug testing. I consider it to be an unwarranted search. If you don't have CAUSE to test me, then don't test me until and unless you do.
That being said, if City workers are tested (and they are); if factory workers are tested (and they are); if even store clerks at Menard's are tested (and the sign on the door says they are); then why should politicians be exempt? Don't their decisions have at LEAST as much impact on others?
As for welfare recipients, well, when you accept government largesse, there's got to be a trade-off. Seems to me that's a fair one.
01:48 PM
Julie R. says
hancrackmeup says he would be interested in what Cole's opinion is on mandatory drug testing for welfare recepients...........
How about mandatory drug testing for all elected public officials? (and I'm not referring to the city commissioners, either)
01:42 PM
concernedsubject says
Quick Question:
What are the qualifications for city commissioner? Are their any qualifications needed at all to handle the city's finances? If no then that is a joke!!!!!
01:39 PM
concernedsubject says
I find it funny how westerhold always preaches... bring out the truth, no hiding of anythign, and preaches about corruption everywhere.
It's obvious Westerhold preaches this but does not show it. He will remove anything that is negative against him or anything he wants because he can't handle the truth when it isn't something he wants to hear.
That is the reason all of those comments were removed. He is a joke!
12:53 PM
dorothy gale says
There WAS a comment section on the Dee Cole story early this morning! Mr. Westerhold, can you please tell us why it has been removed? Censorship is a scary thing and it is disturbing that it appears to be alive and well in the agenda-laden Sandusky Register! There are negative, slanderous, hateful, libelous, racist comments on practically every story on this site! The really bad ones most of the time get removed. So what's so special about THIS story or THIS person? Current commissioners and all public officials have been shredded in these comment sections and I am not saying that's always okay, but what's so "untouchable" about Ms. Cole that she warrants being shielded from the opinions of the people? And why did HER court records get removed from a previous post when no one else is afforded that same courtesy? What's going ON here? What if someone wanted to make a POSITIVE, SUPPORTIVE statement? You have taken away that opportunity AND the opportunity for someone to maybe read something that was NOT hateful. This is really not okay.
12:31 PM
SamAdams says
If I had to guess, the comments on the Cole article were removed for one of two reasons: Ms. Cole doesn't think she has to answer to critics with legitimate questions, OR Mr. Westerhold has adopted a NEW cause celebre. Neither bodes well for free speech OR for reponsive (and responsible) government.
12:29 PM
SamAdams says
Westerhold hopes for "progress." Sure hope it's nothing like the "progress" Mr. Hopey-Changey in the White House has been shoving down our throats! But I'm not counting on it...
11:25 AM
hancrack me up says
re Cole: Monica Conyers comes to mind. "The DUD" just keeps getting more "dud-ley" than Dudley Moore!
Hey Mine, they took the comment section out of the Cole story because that wouldn't be politically correct for someone to speak negatively about someone clueless with somewhat dark skin pigment. I'd be interested in her opinion on mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients & also drug tests for fidgety hosts of poorly produced local on-line Friday afternoon public relations shows. If I were a sponsor of that hot mess I'd yank my ads before they even got a chance to air. Maybe the Ragister should bring in the sexual predator from the Circulation Dept. & have him host a special talk show while spitting chaw from his foul orphus.
11:04 AM
bjcard says
I believe this is a perfect example for our youth.It proves that you don't have to be a success to make it in Sandusky.Long live this tradition
10:56 AM
Salvatore says
I agree somewhat with MINE. Why were the comments taken down? Cole owns Sandusky Bay Organics, which makes organic healthy and beauty products? Google Sandusky Bay Organics. The website has been disabled. Why isn't this business registered with the secretary of state? I could not find the business filing.
10:49 AM
MINE says
Does anyone want to guess why Cole got so many votes?
10:48 AM
MINE says
No comment section in the story about Cole? Why? Never stopped any before when people were getting downright vicious about others! Depends who you are or who's side you're on or what?
10:05 AM
samiam says
No one has ever given any details or numbers about where the so-called savings from regional dispatch or lre-ocating the Perkins PD at the county jail. McClung pulled numbers out of the air and the trustees haven't done much better. If they will indeed save money, they should be able to show specifics as to where the savings will occur. Personnel? Utilities? Maintenance? Efficiency? Equipment? Come on, guys. Show us the money saved!!!
06:41 AM
Woody Hayes says
Very good, Matty. I've never seen tap dancing put to words before. Have you stocked up on Kleenex?