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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > March > 07 > Entry
Ellen Belcher: County’s Feldman will weather SCLC storm
If you just landed in Dayton and read about the scandal involving the Rev. Raleigh Trammell and the local Southern Christian Leadership, you might ask whose head is going to roll.
Lax monitoring of groups being paid tens of thousands of dollars to deliver services to the poor. Reimbursements for helping people who weren’t being helped.
Lesser embarrassments have cost people their jobs. But no one in high places is pointing a finger at Deborah Feldman, Montgomery County administrator. In fact, quite the opposite, they defend her fiercely and say they’re heartsick that she’s had to do most of the explaining publicly for the SCLC debacle.
The support for her stems from history, relationships and capital built up over almost 30 years.
Feldman’s entire professional career has been in Montgomery County. She was hired by former County Administrator Claude Malone, promoted by his successor, Don Vermillion, and has been at the helm since 1997.
Over the years, there have been times when elected officials have been so weak, many people have worried how things would have gone without her influence.
The fact that she’s stayed in her position and at Montgomery County counts for more than a little. Yes, her husband’s commercial laundry business is here, but she could have sought and gotten a different job locally.
Charged with managing an $851 million budget, she knows something about running a complicated enterprise.
Almost four years ago, Feldman’s name came up when Riverside City Manager James Onello was suspended for misusing his city credit card. He put in for reimbursement for taking her, among a cast of other local officials, to lunches at the The Living Room, a seedy gentleman’s club on North Dixie Drive.
Everyone denied having dined with Onello at the club, but Feldman’s quote was memorable for its emphasis.
“If you know me, you know the Living Room isn’t someplace I’d ever, ever, ever, ever, ever set foot in,” Feldman said.
Feldman, 52, is as protective of the county’s name as her own. Montgomery County, in the 1970s, had some certified crooks in elective office. But, after they were booted out or indicted, it has earned a reputation in state and national circles as progressive and clean.
(Trammell was central to one of the scandals in the 1970s; he worked at the welfare department and served time in prison for welfare fraud charges.)
The petite, deftly commanding Feldman is widely seen as the force that keeps independently elected officials from the prosecutor to the coroner to the engineer in general lock-step about the county’s priorities and how it’s going to spend its money. Her shuttle diplomacy when there’s a riff is always behind the scenes, and her discretion in mopping up after someone else’s mistake — the sheriff’s mishandling of the emergency dispatch center, for instance — has made her a trusted official with both Democrats and Republicans.
Especially close to former County Commissioner Vicki Pegg, she and Pegg are unabashed defenders of the county’s responsibility to the poor. Specifically, Feldman has gotten her hands dirty — not just chaired committees — with initiatives to help reduce homelessness and get high-school drop-outs back in school.
In this work, she’s among the people who has compellingly connected the dots, insisting that if the community doesn’t help drop-outs, it’s going to be paying for them when it has to build a bigger jail; that if homeless people are wandering the streets, eventually they’ll show up in emergency rooms or courtrooms, and their doctors or lawyers will be paid with tax dollars.
The major instrument that has allowed Montgomery County to show a sense of locally-supported compassion is its Human Services Levy.
Unlike so much other county money, it’s a tax that voters have a direct say about.
Feldman is not alone in worrying that, come renewal time within the next year and a half, voters might pause about it or even vote no if their confidence in the county has been shaken.
It’s that fear — not that she could be fired — that has Feldman angry at herself and her subordinates for not having a tighter rein on the SCLC and also the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, which Trammell is linked to and which also received substantial county money.
Feldman has to take her share of the blame. But, clearly, she is not the bad guy.
Permalink | Comments (39) | Post your comment | Categories: Columns, Ellen Belcher, Montgomery County, Social Services
Comments
By David Esrati
March 7, 2010 8:43 AM | Link to this
Is this Ellen’s way of saying we will look the other way? What about the overpayment of the “appraisers” by the Sheriff’s dept? How about the deal her husband’s family with other investors made on the old Sears property with the city for Riverscape ($8.6+ million on a $1.7k investment). Shuttle diplomacy is a nice euphemism for doing business behind closed doors. If we are to move to regional government, we’re going to need a lot more transparency and open debate. Under Feldman we’ve seen sales tax revenue get destroyed- property values drop, not a single major initiative to add value to the community other than tax breaks handed out like candy by Joe Tuss. What about the time they were trying to jack the hotel tax up in a hurry for an ice arena at Austin Road? C’mon Ellen- are you blind deaf and dumb? Or just good to your friends?
By jaybee
March 7, 2010 9:40 AM | Link to this
As expected the editorial board (Democrats deeply entrenched in county politics via friends, spouses) circles the wagons to protect the county administrator. Bottom line, Ms Feldman, ‘swapped’ the contracts with Mr. Trammel for votes to pass the last Human Services Levy which, I believe, at the time was called 11x bloated for amount needed. She knew he was convicted of county funds fraud in the past. She wanted the levy passed, and perhaps, one wonders, the amount was so bloated to perhaps pad for Mr. Trammel’s ‘payment?’ That is the same type of mentality that bundles the human services levies in groups of 3’s to include the services citizens actually support (children and seniors) versus the ripoff services (drug addicts, alcoholics, bloated administrative salaries) - think Mr. Trammell’s friend Ricky Boyd. Was surprised the paper’s reporters actually investigated - how surprising, then the DDN board blindly supports their friends over truth and trust - they apparently have that in common with the local SCLC board.
By Carol
March 7, 2010 11:00 AM | Link to this
Feldman had to step and hold Sheriff Plummer’s hand during the Disptach Center debacle because he was in a state of panic and shock. He looked like a deer in the headlights on TV when questioned by the reporters. If not for Feldman the Dispatch Center would still be in a state of confusion. She had to “mop up the Sheriff’s mistake” because as he has proven in the Foreclosure Appraiser mess, he is in over his head and had a lot of people fooled.
By Outraged
March 7, 2010 11:07 AM | Link to this
Ellen, How much did Debbie Feldman pay you to write this editorial? She doesn’t need to go? What are you smoking, and can I have some of it? Under Feldman, County departmarts have been cut to the bone, including housekeeping and maintenane. Yet, word around the County is that there is always money for Ms. Feldman’s projects. Unfortunately, the County Commissioners will roll over and do what she tells them, so her job is safe. A public accounting of the missing funds should be published, not swept under the carpet.
By bobby
March 7, 2010 11:17 AM | Link to this
The editorial implies that lax monioring with human services money runs in the tens of thousands out of a H.S. levy of 125 million. The taxpayer has no way of knowing whether this is accurate and neither does the writer until there is a full investigation..The League of Women Voters analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of combined human servic levies, notes: “corruption/scandal in one agency could drag down an entire levy.” Ms. Feldman and the county commissioners will have to throw a lot of the hospital’s money at the next levy campaign to make this stench go away. She should be worried.
By runner
March 7, 2010 11:46 AM | Link to this
Ellen have you ever read the Dayton Business Journal? 2/8/10, Since 2004 the Dayton area lost 35,000 jobs. Ms. Fieldman and the County Commissioners will havt to answer to this figure in November.
By Mike
March 7, 2010 2:18 PM | Link to this
Feldman has had to reign in Mat Heck, Jim Davis and Joe Litvin on more than one occassion. Their egos make working with them difficult, but, I have observed first hand how she effortlessly directs them toward the end result she needs for the good of the County. Her ability to handle the crisis’ in Sheriff Plummer’s shop is becoming an urban legend among those who are on the inside of County government. Thanks Deb for your dedication to the County, there are those of us who appreciate all your hard work.
By Tom
March 7, 2010 3:49 PM | Link to this
Feldman will weather the storm because we have no media in Dayton willing to take the county to task for the complete lack of management going on there. The question that begs to be asked is if the county can’t adequately manage funds it is giving to a known former criminal, how in the world can we be comfortable in their management of the $851 million dollar budget referred to in the article? In answer to David’s question above, yes Ellen is indeed good to her friends. Bobbie, the hospital’s money that Feldman/Commissioners throw at the next HS levy will be promptly repaid with gifts and grants from its passing. I for one blame Feldman more that the 3 blind mice running the county. Unfortunately, I can’t vote against Feldman. I can vote against her bosses if they choose to continue to bury their heads in the sand.
By The boy who cried wolf...
March 7, 2010 4:09 PM | Link to this
Esrati has marginalized himself so much that no one can take anything he says seriously and it appears to be all personal…calling the editor blind and dumb. I thought this is the sane editor that Esrati said was fired and ranted on and on and on about her leaving until the next day when he once again was wrong. Feldman works hard for the county and that is a major asset as she gets the benefit of the doubt because she does not make it person and tries to do the right thing. It looks like the new mayor has also had his fill of Esrati.
By bobby
March 7, 2010 5:49 PM | Link to this
Two items Mr.Esrati questions,the Sears sale and the Austin Road perks (Tuss breaks), could and should be addressed by the administrator, the commissioners and the Dayton Daily News. If the accusations prove to be baseless,then Mr. Esrati owes an apology, but they should be ignored no longer. His call for transparency, should be embraced by everyone….If there is an investigation, would it be possible for the County Auditors office to be included? An explaination of land values at the Austin Road interchange of $3600 per acre would be an enlightening exercise of transparency.
By David Esrati
March 7, 2010 6:44 PM | Link to this
@bobby- thank you for speaking up for me. Note: Signing my name to these posts- and allegations, should be enough of a clue to their veracity. There are personal costs involved in asking the hard questions- but, I ask them in the hope that enough other intelligent people start asking too.
By Liberal Love fest
March 7, 2010 6:55 PM | Link to this
OMG…could the love fest get any worse?? Belcher and Feldman may have a deeper relationship than we think…Maybe a 3rd party candidate..wink wink. I have seen Feldman and langer/belchers house before. This is truly disgusting editorial with the DDN once again, helping cover the incompetent tracks of another democrat. How does the DDN allow such Bias? Oh I know, they are all in the same bed together and in this case..who knows??
By It's Great in Dayton!!!
March 7, 2010 9:32 PM | Link to this
Dear Liberal Love Fest:—— “Belcher and Feldman may have a deeper relationship than we think”—— Gee, thanks for that digusting mental visual….
By Concerned
March 8, 2010 6:04 AM | Link to this
While there can be many points and people to take issue with here in Montgomery County, Administrator Deborah Feldman is not one of them. I greatly respect her ability to quickly get to the bottom of issues and keep things moving in a constructive and positive manner. The parties responsible in this matter would be Rev. Raleigh Trammell and his Board of Directors who had oversight responsibility on his operation. It would appear that some directors have attempted to provide some degree of oversight which brought this matter to the public’s attention and they should be commended. I would submit that if the voters change their mind about the Human Services Levy in the future, it will be more directly attributtable to Washington and the runaway deficit spending than the difficult actions taken at the local level in an attempt to balance the budget during hard economic times.
By Lynn
March 8, 2010 8:00 AM | Link to this
If it were not for Deb Feldman the Regional Dispatch Center would still be closed. She was the one who had to initiate the investigation by AT&T as to what realy happened. Sheriff Plummer was lost and unaware how to proceed during this emergency.
By runner
March 8, 2010 9:20 AM | Link to this
I’m looking forward to a Tea Party.
By David Esrati
March 8, 2010 10:52 AM | Link to this
For more on Ms. Feldman- and the cost of so much local government: www.esrati.com/the-real-costs-of-our-local-government/4477/ It’s not just how much government we have- but what we get from it. With Feldman we get a behind closed doors negotiator- who ducks responsibility for a whole lot of setbacks on her watch
By Tom
March 8, 2010 2:32 PM | Link to this
Mr Esrati is correct. There are lots of closed door deals getting done at the top of the tower downtown. “Concerned”, I am not dogging you but do you not think that County gov’t has any responsibility to make sure the tax payer dollars going to IMA and SCLC are used correctly? What brought this matter to the public’s attention was an alleged sexually harassed young lady not the board. Had that not gone awry we may still be giving them a lot of money. It seams the county even hesitated to fully take his funding away until after the FBI raid AND the DDN finding only one meal receiver, other alleged meal receivers in the VA, no water bills at the shelter, etc. It isn’t like there was some elaborate well conceived scheme going on here. It didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out the scam onece someone started looking. The problem is no one was looking until now. The question is WHY? As someone previously suggested the powers to be are either to ignorant to have seen it, too lazy to have looked, or simply have their head in the sand. Any of the three warrant losing their job. It would where most people work. This IS the County’s responsibility as far as I am concerned.
By Washington Township
March 8, 2010 7:02 PM | Link to this
The purpose of audits are to ensure that public monies are properly accounted for and spent for their intended purpose. Yet they were waived for “welfare” money sent to organizations controlled by someone who had a prior record of welfare fraud. This was exactley the kind of situation were audits were needed. And there is no accountablity for this because Feldman is the indispensible public servant? The Ms. Fix-It who cleans up administrative messes like the regional distpatch center? There are some serious issues with governance here and Ellen Blechers excuses and rationalizations don’t address the situation.
By Washington Township
March 8, 2010 7:11 PM | Link to this
“Feldman is not alone in worrying that, come renewal time within the next year and a half, voters might pause about it or even vote no if their confidence in the county has been shaken.”…….yes, this is indeed a big deal. Feldmans failure here has given people permission to vote “no” on the levy since they don’t have assurance the money is being properly spent.
By Sam
March 8, 2010 10:28 PM | Link to this
Lets don’t forget that the county gave our money to a convicted criminal. Welfare Fraud. What results do we expect
By Concerned
March 8, 2010 10:53 PM | Link to this
To Tom, My preference would be to remove the federal government from all funding of local welfare, thus clearing the way for greater fiscal responsibility at the local level when dealing with issues such as referenced above. Ultimately, We The People, bear the responsibility for oversight of how our public money is spent. The Human Service levy is an attempt to keep that control at the local level where it belongs. We need to reduce the amount of money being sent to Washington, DC just so they can add a “flavor enhancer” to make it easier to swallow when we get a little bit of it back. These “enhancers” are what make it difficult for any County Administrator, including ours, to police every dollar spent. Mr. Trammell still bears responsibility for what happened with his funding. I agree with “runner”, Tea Party on!
By Gregg
March 9, 2010 8:21 AM | Link to this
Who in their right mind, with an ounce of common sense can take anything the “blog” sniper Esrati spouts? He, at one time was interesting. He is now nothing more than a opinionated blow bag who NO ONE takes seriously.
By bobby
March 9, 2010 8:58 AM | Link to this
Gregg, Are you Ellen?
By David Esrati
March 9, 2010 9:56 AM | Link to this
At least I have a spine and sign my name. I don’t see any of you who add your 2cents putting either your name to your slander- or your name on a ballot. If you’ve got something worth saying- sign your name. And- can you refute Feldman’s score on the Sears property? I’m sorry- I don’t know what part of that constitutes “sniping”- it’s fact. Backed by a signature.
By Tom
March 9, 2010 10:10 AM | Link to this
Concerned, I too like the idea of less going to the Fed Gov’t. I also agree that we the people do have the ultimate responsibility for how our tax dollars are spent. The only way we the people can do that though is through change in leadership. We must hold them accountable. They are banking on us forgetting come election time. I am not suggesting throwing out our administrator for how the federal dollars have been spent here although those fed funds that ran through the county are indeed the county’s responsibility to oversee. There are pleanty of the county’s own tax dollars being spent here that nobody was watching or that nobody was willing to put a stop to either. A week or two ago I found myself agreeing with commissioner Foley when he said repeatedly “We dropped the ball”.
By Amazed
March 9, 2010 11:13 AM | Link to this
Let me see if I got this straight. Feldman and her Democrat croonies give money to a convicted racist felon, also a Democrat. She then ask another Democrat, Mat Heck to investigate any wrong doing. Lets see how far this gets. I also dont think Phil Plummer was Sheriff when the Dispatch Center was convieved and planned nor did he hire the appraisers or do anything wrong with tax payers money. He is a Republican so the DDN tried to blind side him. What a world.
By Bill
March 9, 2010 2:49 PM | Link to this
Sorry Amazed, Plummer was the chief deputy who coordinated the whole Regional Dispatch Center’s operational implementation. He was all the meetings coordinating with the City of Dayton, ECPC, etc… I know he has tried to run and duck alledging amnesia but that dog don’t hunt. He hired every single appraiser after he he was appointed and elected. It is his legislative duty to re-appoint or re-swear every employee in the Office. Get your facts straight. Plummer is absolutely responsible for his Dispatch and Appraisal blunders.
By Amazed
March 9, 2010 3:12 PM | Link to this
Bill, Sorry to disappoint you but Gary Haines came up with the concept of the regonal dispatch center long before Plummer was Sheriff or even Chief Deputy. It wasnt implemented until Dave Vore became Sheriff. This too was done under Feldmans watch. So far all that I have seen are some technical difficulties that happened at the beginning of the centers use and were addressed immediatley. The appraiser system is used throughout the state and again Plummer did nothing wrong.Just want you to get your facts straight!
By Bill
March 9, 2010 4:49 PM | Link to this
Nice try for some historical revisionism Amazed. Haines never started the concept of regional dispatching at all. The Sheriff’s Office always had a regional dispatch center. They dispatched for most of the county and smaller departments since the 1950’s. Plummer was the chief deputy and then sheriff and in charge of the operational plan for the latest attempt at regional dispatch. He also re-swore or should have re-swore all his employees when he was appointed sheriff. GET UR FACTS STRAIGHT>
By runner
March 10, 2010 8:26 AM | Link to this
What I don’t understand is why did the County have the Sheriff design, build and then install all the equiptment at the Reginal Dispatch Center? you would think they would would of given AT&T THE CONTRACT.
By Gregg Gibson
March 10, 2010 9:04 AM | Link to this
We all know Plummer and Esrati are non-players in the scheme of our area. Plummer will be lucky to survive his next election and Esrati will never be elected. Can’t we just ignore these two nabobs from now on?
By runner
March 10, 2010 9:35 AM | Link to this
It looks to me like the Sheriff is a good player:) He used the Dayton paper to expose there’s no checks and balance in the County. With the Auditor and one Commissioner up for reelection I wish them good luck, since the paper put their necks on a chopping block.
By what??
March 10, 2010 10:28 AM | Link to this
Would someone mind explaining why Miami Valley Fair Housing,funded in part by the Montgomery County Commission and the City of Kettering, is an advocate for “overtrurning the state constitution’s prohibition of Ohio gas tax revenue fees for non highway purposes, thereby freeing up more revenue for mass transit.” Has any polling taken place by those funding this organization confirmed that this is what their constituants want? Is this something else that the administrator and the commisssioners are unaware of?
By Washington Township
March 10, 2010 7:17 PM | Link to this
^ Sounds like a good idea. To free up gas tax revenue for mass transit. They could also free up the gas tax to support the 3-C rail line via operating funds and future capital investment.
By Concerned
March 11, 2010 2:05 AM | Link to this
Anyone who tries to take dollars out of the Highway Trust Fund for non-highway purposes is morally bankrupt. Pay your own way for transit and rail.
By tom
March 11, 2010 6:49 AM | Link to this
While the thought of the rail system may be nice, the reality is its ridership will resemble the RTA. We will see mostly empty trains as we see mostly empty busses. At least we can create more 6 figure jobs for the train operators though!
By Joe
March 13, 2010 9:14 AM | Link to this
Trying to re-direct the conversation away from Phil Plummer is a total “groupie” ploy. Plummer has demonstrated repeatedly he is incapable of leading the Sheriff’s Office and is way over his head. It started in the early 2000’s when he used poor judgement in his personal-professional life with subordinate. It has gone down hill from there, dispatch, sister who was his appraiser making 150K+, “mistake” over destroying foreclosure info, blames everyone for his mistakes, etc… Time for a change
By Joe
March 15, 2010 8:34 AM | Link to this
I think it is hysterical that Deb Feldman has to save Sheriff Plummer’s image after his dispatch debacle. The way he bad mouths her around town you would think he wasn’t gratful. Phil, get some class and send Deb some flowers and candy. Without her intervention you would still be standing in front the of the TV cameras with that deer in the headlight look.