Local leaders see opportunity
WEST CHESTER TWP. — Community members and local leaders say the promotion of U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., to Speaker of the House will mean good things for the country and Butler County.
“He’s one of us,” Liberty Twp. Tea Party participant Susan McLaughlin said. “I think we all identify with John. He works hard. He does what he thinks is right. His kids went to public school. His daughter graduated with my son. He’s just a normal person. His job is to represent us.”
McLaughlin called Boehner “loyal” and said he has earned respect for keeping the country’s best interest in mind as he leads with a humbleness.
“I view his service as a sacrifice. In the same way that a solider goes over seas. He goes to Washington. He gave up things to serve.”
Ohio Congressman Bill Coley, R-West Chester Twp. said he is proud of Boehner and the stance he has taken against earmarks and the spending attached to them.
Because Boehner has held firm to that position, Coley said he expects to see positive changes.
“It’s really, really exciting. John Boehner is a guy who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk,” he said.
West Chester Twp. Trustee George Lang said Boehner was instrumental in helping the Union Centre Boulevard project move through the red tape at the federal level, and has help with numerous local projects.
“With Boehner being Speaker of the House, the eyes of America are on West Chester, and I’ll tell you what. We look good.”
Lang said Boehner’s beginnings as a township trustee proves he knows what it takes to create a smaller more efficient form of government.
“As speaker, he will be in a powerful position to advance the values and priorities of the folks of West Chester and across Butler County… I know Boehner will continue to assist our community in building a brighter tomorrow for our kids and our grandkids, just as he has in his last 20 years in Washington.”
— Staff writer Lindsey Hilty
WEST CHESTER TWP. — It was his blue eyes that caught the attention of Debbie Boehner.
She thought she knew every employee at Merrell Chemical Company in the Hamilton County suburb of Reading, so when this man showed up at a company softball game, she took notice.
Later, one especially early morning at work, she saw that same man, John Boehner, emptying her garbage can.
The current House Minority Leader and the presumptive Speaker of the House for the 112th Congress was working the night shift to put himself through college.
The two crossed paths again when John Boehner applied to work in Debbie Boehner’s department — customer service.
“He made a statement when he showed up with those blue eyes,” she said.
A few months later, the two began to date. By April 1973 they were engaged and married by September.
Debbie Boehner never would have imagined then that she would be standing next to the man who is set to be the 61st Speaker of the House nearly four decades later. He was elected on Nov. 2 to his 11th term representing the 8th Congressional District, which includes all or parts of Butler, Darke, Mercer, Miami and Preble counties and parts of east Dayton, Huber Heights and Riverside.
“It’s just overpowering,” Debbie Boehner said. “I don’t think I have a clue what this means right now. Life is going to change. I don’t know how or when. We’ve never been in this spot before.”
Congressman's wife is still frugal
Lawn care is a chore Debbie Boehner takes seriously.
While the sight of a United States Congressman’s wife mowing the grass might turn some heads, Boehner said she wants neighbors to know she and her husband are just regular people.
There may be changes in their lives due to his recent promotion to the highest position in Congress, but she said who they are has not changed.
U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp. — who was tapped last week to be the top House Republican for the 112th Congress — spends much of his time in Washington, D. C., while Debbie Boehner cares for their home in West Chester Twp. and maintains a career as a Real Estate agent.
It often means missed birthdays and anniversaries, but, “After 20 years of this, he has his job to do and I have mine to do,” she said. “It’s just accepted. It’s just the nature of the beast.”
The wife of the presumptive Speaker of the House said in her spare time she’s busy visiting friends and family, and with household chores, like cleaning and grocery shopping.
Her down-to-earth approach to life doesn’t change when she is surrounding by some of the world’s most famous and influential leaders.
“It’s an awesome feeling to know that you’re sitting in a room with powerful people,” she said.
But at the end of the day “they’re just people.”
Boehner, a bargain shopper, once got her purse chain stuck on her embroidered shirt while trying to pose for a photo with former President George W. Bush.
“Here comes George Bush to the rescue,” she said. “He’s standing there trying to get the threads out of this chain, and said, “If Boehner would buy you an expensive purse ….”
There are funny and embarrassing moments, but she said, “You take it all in stride.”
When she met Queen Elizabeth II, the White House was filled with women in beautiful gowns. Boehner said she didn’t stress about what to wear, but rather focused on the honor and opportunity of the visit.
“I’m pretty casual,” she said. “I don’t relish the idea of having to get dressed up. When we went to the Queen’s dinner, I went to Dillard’s and found a dress on sale for $100. I felt comfortable.”
Wednesday, she spent time with other political spouses at a bipartisan reception at the Congressional Club.
There, she and Paul Pelosi chatted about the roles their spouses were about to take on, and how much has changed since they began the political journey years ago.
“I never dreamed in my life I’d ever be meeting a queen much less presidents,” she said. “It’s an awesome honor. It’s heartfelt. It’s something everybody doesn’t get the chance to do. There’s so many things happening. If you blink, you won’t remember. It’s been a great ride, and I appreciate the opportunity.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com.
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