After a poll yesterday showed Governor Kasich tied with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald, the Republican Governors Association (RGA) released a document dump claiming that FitzGerald “wastes taxpayer money” as Cuyahoga County Executive.
In reality, FitzGerald has been recognized nationally for reducing Cuyahoga County’s budget and cleaning up county government after a historic corruption scandal. Not to mention, RGA has a history of lying about FitzGerald’s record.
Governing Magazine Headline: “How Ed FitzGerald Restored People’s Trust in Cuyahoga County, Ohio”: “It’s possible to find people who will criticize the job FitzGerald’s done, but it’s not easy. He’s lowered the number of non-courthouse county employees by 1,600, or one-fourth. He’s created an economic development fund that is bigger than those run by all the other counties in Ohio combined. And he has encouraged greater cooperation among local governments in the region, while saving the county itself millions by consolidating and cleaning up offices that once seemed like little more than personal piggybanks for corrupt officials.” [Governing Magazine, 2012]
Inside Business Magazine: FitzGerald “Upended Patronage System”: “By upending the patronage system and helping to restore confidence in county government, the Cuyahoga County executive tops our list of the region’s most powerful players. After just a year in office, Ed FitzGerald is stepping into some of our biggest civic conversations, from regionalism to downtown Cleveland’s future, and expanding our sense of how a political leader can lead.” [Inside Business Magazine, January/ February 2012]
FitzGerald Cut $10 Million in Payroll And Invested $1 Million in Community Policing Initiative: ” Executive Ed FitzGerald has made plenty of changes in his first six months leading Cuyahoga County government. Here are the 10 accomplishments he rates most significant: Cut $10 million in payroll and more than $1 million in unnecessary contracts. Established the highest county government ethical standards in Ohio, with an inspector general who can independently enforce the rules. Dedicated sales tax to create a $100 million economic development fund. Launched an open-government initiative to provide greater public access to information and the workings of county government. Hired high-quality and diverse leaders from the public and private sector. Invested $1 million in community policing resources to lend sheriff’s deputies to local police departments.” [Plain Dealer, 7/4/11]
RGA Claim that FitzGerald is Corrupt Receives “Pants On Fire” Rating from PoitiFact Ohio: “They have no proof that FitzGerald engaged in corrupt politics. And they misleadingly hide behind the cryptic and nuanced ‘Public Official 14’ designation while ignoring the much more direct and meaningful exculpatory statement from the lead prosecutor. They also ignore the work FitzGerald has done to clean up after the corrupt regime that preceded him. Facts lay waste to any effort like this one that explicitly brands FitzGerald as a corrupt politician. Pants On Fire!” [PolitiFact, 4/24/2013]