Cuyahoga County - Paying for the Democratic Party's labor.

I just saw this in Scene Magazine

First Punch Published: February 7, 2007

In last week's cover story on Commissioner Jimmy Dimora ("King Cuyahoga," January 31), Scene chronicled the rampant patronage in county government, where workers have long been used as free campaign labor for the Democratic Party.

But according to one former intern, our thesis was wrong. The labor isn't free. You pay for it.

"I got paid," says the intern, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of exposing the patron who got him the job, "which was totally handed to me via nepotism . . . I campaigned, on county time, for [former County Commissioner Tim] McCormack's bid for mayor. Besides the fact that I'd be receiving overtime -- I later found out interns aren't eligible -- I wanted to further my career."

He campaigned three or four times while on the clock. It worked like this: A supervisor would round up workers, go door-to-door in West Park, then out for beers afterward.

But the intern doesn't put the blame solely on Dimora. He says the county is loaded with ladder-climbers following in the chairman's footsteps.

"Sure, we can skewer Dimora, but what about the middle-management pantywaist biding his time until he's the big fish? There's thousands of them, and they'd all really love it if you came out in support of their boss' campaign for mayor. It's from 3 to 5, but don't worry; you don't have to clock out."

The former intern in the story is right - Why fault Jimmy because the local democrats are a bunch of sheep?

Is it not the voters fault for continuing to vote for these failed leaders?

Or is it our fault as republicans in the area, for not better educating the voters?

KING