Originally Posted at www.OHIO.com
By the Beacon Journal editorial board
Published: October 9, 2016 – 05:00 PM
Steve Albrecht and his partners in forming SummitPAC have highlighted a collision of interests that has troubled other local Republicans. What is the top priority of the Summit County Republican Party leadership? The question has hovered since Alex Arshinkoff launched his lobbying business in the late 1990s. Is the longtime county party boss interested first in his lobbying work or in positioning the party to win local elections?
Albrecht and allies see the former in the top spot. They draw a logical conclusion as they watch political money raised locally land in the coffers of statewide candidates, Arshinkoff inviting the impression of using the money to enhance his influence and lobbying at the Statehouse. The same goes for Bryan Williams, the executive chair of the county party.
For Albrecht, that means local candidates lack the resources to be competitive. SummitPAC seeks to fill the gap. Money raised by the political action committee will go toward attracting and supporting Republican candidates for local races. If Albrecht overstates at times the city’s troubles, Akron benefiting from new faces and ideas at City Hall and Republican business leaders long with access there, he is right in the main.
Akron and surroundings face steep challenges, in the form of rising poverty, falling incomes, a declining city population and underperforming city schools. Part of moving forward involves attracting talented people to public office, not ideologues but the practical-minded prepared to apply evidence and best practices in addressing problems.
As Arshinkoff and Williams readily point out, capturing elected offices will be tough for Republicans in the city, where Democrats hold an overwhelming advantage. Yet, surely, there are opportunities at the county level, with Republicans, aided by independents, in a better position to win at the polls.
Consider this election season, the Democratic sheriff and engineer without opposition, the Democratic prosecutor and fiscal officer nearly in that position. The Republican candidate for county executive is a retired executive and former County Council member, yet he is unlikely to have resources reflective of the stakes.
Arshinkoff argues that a focus on the state level generates dividends in judicial appointments and drawing favorable district lines. No doubt, state policy matters in big ways. At the same time, Arshinkoff has preached for years what Albrecht is stressing: Two parties are better than one. In this instance, a more engaged Republican Party would benefit the city and the county in sharpening and expanding the local debate.
The thinking isn’t that Republicans have all the answers. One look at the Statehouse reveals as much, or at the University of Akron board of trustees, where the party long has held sway and must take its share of responsibility for the troubles there. (UA pays Arshinkoff $10,000 per month to lobby on its behalf.)
Steve Albrecht and the SummitPAC want to add new voices, concluding, correctly, that the city and county urgently need the energy and perspectives. There’s no conflict about what they intend.