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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.
Scott Elliott is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He writes about education, city and suburban issues, politics, business, workforce and consumer issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > October > 06 > Entry
Editorial: Mandel plays gutter politics, Boyce worse
2010 Election
The race for state treasurer between Kevin Boyce and Josh Mandel is thoroughly awful. Neither candidate has much experience in banking, and the debate has been ugly and partisan. But the deciding factor is the performance of the incumbent, Mr. Boyce, a 38-year-old former Columbus city councilman.
In less than two years since he was appointed, several of his decisions raise red flags and his explanations often don’t add up. Some examples:
• In his first six months, Mr. Boyce’s office spent more than $32,000 on promotional items with his name on it.
• A significant number of Mr. Boyce’s hires are personal friends or have political connections. He hired the 24-year-old son of two top advisers to Gov. Ted Strickland; the 22-year-old daughter of Toledo’s former mayor and the sister of Cincinnati’s former mayor.
He also hired former Democrat Party staffers and personal friends from high school and his church. Mr. Boyce says qualifications were the only factors in each case and that he didn’t know some of the connections critics have cited.
• One case of close personal connections is particularly cozy. Noure Alo, a personal friend of Deputy Treasurer Amer Ahmad, was hired as a lobbyist by a Boston bank just days before it landed a $1.27 million contract with Mr. Boyce’s office. Mr. Alo’s wife also landed a job as an administrative assistant in the treasurer’s office. Mr. Boyce says the timing of these hires was coincidental.
• Mr. Mandel’s staff counts eight people at the director level of Mr. Boyce’s office or campaign who have departed, and he claims they are fleeing because of “ethical” lapses.
Mr. Mandel has not provided evidence for that charge, but Mr. Boyce recently responded that many of those individuals were fired or asked to leave. When the Cleveland Plain Dealer called several of them and researched their personnel files, there was little evidence that anyone was fired. Most reported they left on good terms, contradicting Mr. Boyce.
• Mr. Boyce claims he has created thousands of jobs as treasurer. But his office was, in many cases, just the agency that passed through the funding for them.
Mr. Mandel, a 32-year-old state legislator from suburban Cleveland, has plenty of complaints to work with. Unfortunately, his campaign raises doubts about his judgment.
In campaign literature, he refers to Mr. Boyce’s friends as “comrades” and relentlessly repeats an allegation that the only place one job was posted was in a “mosque.” The wording of a TV ad seems intentionally designed to leave the impression that Mr. Boyce is a Muslim. (He is Christian and Mr. Mandel is Jewish.
An ex-Marine and Iraq war veteran, Mr. Mandel is shamelessly appealing to stereotypes and fears about Islamic fundamentalism.
Mr. Mandel also has criticized Mr. Boyce for outsourcing work. In some cases, out-of-state firms have been the low bidder and won contracts with Mr. Boyce’s office. When asked if he would reject cost-saving low bids in favor of more expensive contracts with companies closer to home, Mr. Mandel admits he likely would pick the lowest bid, just as Mr. Boyce has.
Mr. Mandel and his campaign have made your vote in this race a tougher choice than it should be. Nonetheless, Ohio needs a change in the treasurer’s office. Mr. Mandel is the only choice for change.
Letters of recommendation for the candidates can be found here.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: 2010 endorsements, Editorials, Ohio politics, Scott Elliott
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By Philman
October 6, 2010 8:05 AM | Link to this
The only thing WORSE is A completly BIASED Media, our Founders gave of freedom of speech & free Press, so the Press (media ) would keep an eye on the Government, and report to THE PEOPLE, but it seems the Majority of media, ABC< NBC
By ironmyke
October 6, 2010 9:03 AM | Link to this
I’ll think I’ll pass on this one. What an embarrassment this is for both parties that neither came up with anyone qualified.
By Paula
October 6, 2010 9:16 AM | Link to this
I am voting for Josh Mandel. Boyce is a sorry excuse as an elected official and Mandel is just calling him out on it.
By Disgusted
October 6, 2010 10:05 AM | Link to this
Mandel is a thoroughly repugnant human being. But there’s a chance, slim though it may be, that he’ll be a decent Treasurer. The other guy isn’t. We don’t have to like the people who work for us.
By rotroost
October 6, 2010 10:18 AM | Link to this
There is a Libertarian candidate in this race. Try thinking out of the box and vote for him. Reject the two party nonsense in this race.
By Mark
October 6, 2010 10:26 AM | Link to this
Gutter politics? It pales in comparison to what Democrats did to President Bush. Get over it.
By Rob
October 6, 2010 10:55 AM | Link to this
When in doubt, pick the Marine. Semper Fi.
By null
October 6, 2010 6:20 PM | Link to this
The libertarian will get my vote. I am no more likely to vote for Boyce or Josh Mandel as the no talent- Howie Mandel.
By Nick Parker
October 7, 2010 2:37 AM | Link to this
Josh Mandel couldn’t even handle college politics when he went to OSU years ago… he embarrasses the entire OSU community and should just give up. Why anybody would chose this loser over Kevin Boyce is a mystery…
By Nick Parker
October 7, 2010 2:38 AM | Link to this
Josh Mandel couldn’t even handle college politics when he went to OSU years ago… he embarrasses the entire OSU community and should just give up. Why anybody would chose this loser over Kevin Boyce is a mystery…
By Nick Parker
October 7, 2010 2:39 AM | Link to this
Josh Mandel couldn’t even handle college politics when he went to OSU years ago… he embarrasses the entire OSU community and should just give up. Why anybody would chose this loser over Kevin Boyce is a mystery…
By Anastasia P
October 31, 2010 2:01 PM | Link to this
I predict that if Mandel is elected, it will be a matter of months before he has surpassed all the things he has accused Boyce of. No, there is NO way that “Boyce is worse” than the hate-stirring Mandel has done, and as for doing favors and being for sale, look at Mandel’s record. I predict he’ll go down mired in scandal before the end of his term because all the signs are there now.
By Anastasia P
October 31, 2010 2:02 PM | Link to this
I predict that if Mandel is elected, it will be a matter of months before he has surpassed all the things he has accused Boyce of. No, there is NO way that “Boyce is worse” than the hate-stirring Mandel has done, and as for doing favors and being for sale, look at Mandel’s record. I predict he’ll go down mired in scandal before the end of his term because all the signs are there now.