Warner Mendenhall says he'll let someone else lead the campaign and keep the books, at least when it comes to Change Akron Now, the group trying to oust Mayor Don Plusquellic from office.
In a group e-mail sent Wednesday evening, Mendenhall warned of today's ABJ article highlighting his $178K tax lien and promising to have it paid back within 12 months.
Mendenhall penned: "Nevertheless, if the co-chairs of this campaign and its thousands of supporters feel that my roles as spokesperson and treasurer of Change Akron Now is detrimental to the recall effort, I am offering to stop filling those roles."
Knowing the group, I would expect most would still rally around Mendenhall and encourage him to stay in on in both capacities. Who else would want those roles?
Still, it's a second major setback to the group this week. On Monday, a Can email charged that an electrical worker's firing by his private company somehow meant that Plusquellic had allowed new Akron School buildings to be constructed with safety concerns just didn't get any traction .. and the ABJ again followed the bread crumbs that showed it to be a stretch at best.
Copies of the Mendenhall's tax lien were sent out to the media by the pro-Plusquellic folks on Tuesday. Those loyal to the Mayor seem focused on the spin that if you can't believe the messenger (Mendenhall), you can't believe the message (recall).
As the daily darts keep flying, I can hardly wait for what arrives today! (sarcasm)
From the calls and e-mails I'm getting at the newsroom, a great many folks are really sick of this campaign already, and they just want hard facts from both sides to make a decision should this get to the ballot. Others just don't want to see it on the ballot -- period.
I wish I had more time to explore this issue on Channel 3, but we'll discuss it at length this Friday on NewsNight Akron. More will come on Channel 3 in the coming days, but to date, our coverage has only covered the basics because we haven't had the available news crews.
With so much on the line, many Akron folks just want the headlines (and the few journalists left in town) focused on local businesses, schools, and the economy instead of this political pillow fight.
Thoughts?
18 comments:
Mendenhall has two purposes of the recall.
1. Become mayor himself.
2. Promote the law office of Warner Wendenhall.
It's too bad the ABJ can't devote any time investigating the Mayor, instead they are doing the Mayor's biding and attacking the messenger.
Warner's tax liens have no baring on the recall effort.
The Mayor has abused the city credit cards, has travel excessively (and doesn't even justify it to the City), abuses campaign finance law and abuses the employees and citizens of Akron.
Miss Tia
Miss Cleo,
Where's your proof? ChangeAkronNow.com is too bias for my taste.
Miss Tia,
You are so far up Warner's behind that you can't see the forest through the trees. Here is a guy that is challenging the mayor on his financial management of taxpayer dollars, yet seemingly cannot keep his own financial house in order. As the old saying goes, "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones".
Warner is a rabblerouser that often goes off half-cocked. He loves to raise questions without ever bothering to answer them himself. He is a typical lawyer/huckster that has garnered a rather large flock of followers that are starting to see some tarnish on their idol.
The recall effort is about MAYOR DON PLUSQUELLIC not WARNER MENDENHALL. Thank God for people like Warner who put themselves on the line to get the change we need. I support websites www.changeakronnow.com and www.akronwatch.org - KEEP IT UP!
The problem is that this is an absolute distraction from what needs to be focused on, that being the work of the city. Plusquellic was voted back into office in 2007, let him do his job. We have recall elections every four years, in the form of primary and general elections, and the majority spoke loud and clear that they wanted to keep Don Plusquellic the mayor. Can we move on already or do we have to continue wasting tax dollars in this tough economy. This is unwarranted and I'm over it. In regards to Mendenhall, though, it must be said: Those that live in glass houses...hahaha. I think we all got a kick out of this one.
This attempted recall is ABSOLUTELY about Warner Mendenahll. To say otherwise is simply disengenuous. No one but Mr. Mendenhall brought this forward and without him it would not be happening now. It is simply a transparent attempt to aise the stature of Mendenhall at the expense of the current mayor. I am surprised (maybe shocked) that Mendenhall was not smart enough to take care of this tax problem BEFORE taking on the Mayor (again). It says a lot about his ethics, politics, and intelligence. Poor guy.
MY GOD DO YOU REALLT THINK TAKING THE MAYOR OUT IS SO DAMN IMPORTANT AT A TIME WHERE PEOPLE ARE LOSING JOBS & HOMES??? USE YOUR ENERGY AND TIME TO HELP YOUR FELLOW MAN! FEED A FAMILY OR DONATE ALL YOUR TIME TO ONE OF THE FOOD SHELTERS OR EVEN HELP A FAMILY TO KEEP THEIR VEHICLE. THERE ARE SO MANY OUT THERE THAT NEED OUR HELP. WAKE UP!!!!!!!
There is some really good information over at www.watchingakronwatch.org.
I am a volunteer on the recall effort, among many actually, and our names are not Warner.
My wife and I are devoted fans of the Newsnight Akron program.
Thought you should know that there was someting wrong with the sound tonight.
And which of you started this silly and unnecessary recall campaign, anonymous?
Oh, that's right. It was some guy who IS named Warner. Not you and not any of the other volunteers who say carefully name.
Call it what you want but it is and always will be simply transparent.
The recall is really about us. Do we want a Mayor who is reckless with our tax dollars, vicious with city employees and working people like the parking lot attendant, and retaliatory against local businesses. Do we want a Mayor who denies civil rights and ignores Charter laws? Or do we want the chance to vote for someone who is decent and good?
I choose the latter.
Real Warner posts will have my picture. Please disregard the idiot who posted above under my name pointing people to a website that is anonymous and unaccountable.
Warner, get off the internet and go bill some clients! And what do you mean reckless with OUR tax dollars?? That would imply that you pay your taxes?
Warner, I have never voted for the Mayor, but believe your efforts to oust him through a recall go way over the line. I believe it is an abuse of the intent of a recall. It should be reserved for gross negligence, which there is none. Is the Mayor a bully at times? - yes. He speaks his mind. Would I rather have a Mayor who talks in circles and says nothing in order not to offend a voter - no. The charge about violating the charter and denying civil rights is an opinion not a fact. Your charges about the debt leave out the fact that $400 million is for the schools and there was a voted increase in the sales tax to service that debt. I used to respect your trying to bring accountability to the city administration. Unfortunately, you now come off as bitter, and an abuser of our court system with your constant lawsuits. It seems you should pay a little more attention to your business at this point in your life.
correcting my post above - the school debt is serviced by income tax, not sales tax
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