The Titan's blessing may not be able to shield Mayor Coleman this time

Coleman's opponent William Todd might be the right man at the right time to exploit Coleman's weaknesses

Recently the Franklin County Republican Party officially endorsed a slate of city and county candidates for public office races this November.  Generally speaking, the move made by one of the weakest Republican county Party's in the state was no big deal.  However, the brain dead leadership of the Party accidentally made a good political move and gave long-time Party loyalist and attorney, William M. Todd the Party's endorsement to oppose Mayor Michael B. Coleman in November.

In The past, the Titans, Columbus's shadow government has used campaign donations or should I say withholding campaign donations to keep Coleman and Columbus city council members in office and away from stiff competition.  William Todd is a political insider but a local outsider that may prove to be both Coleman and the Titian's worse nightmare.

Todd has a history with two very powerful activist organizations that appear to have access to a lot of cash for political adventures or misadventures - the Ohio Chamber of Commerce's political arm, Citizens for a Strong Ohio and Common Sense Ohio, a non-profit group that took a few bites out of Ted Strickland's butt during his run for governor.

What is significant about these two groups is that they are not intimidated by the media.  Make no mistake about it, this time around that soft glow painted around Michael Coleman is going to turn into a ring of fire.  Have you ever noticed that when something good happens in Central Ohio Michael Coleman gets the credit and when something goes wrong then it just a matter of circumstances that the Mayor has to deal with.  An even better example of the media's painting Coleman as the Saint of all Good Intentions, is the issue of Red Light Cameras.  The city is screwing the public big time with those super hefty fines in the name of safety when the city's traffic signaling is messed up and, all but forcing you to run Red Lights because the Yellow Lights are intentionally set at different times so you don't know how much time you have to pass through the intersection.  The media gave St. Michael Coleman a lot of play for his forceful advocacy of our safety with the city's hand in our pocket.

Anyway, back to William Todd.  I've met with Todd a time or two in the past.  He did not strike me as an original thinker or a rocket scientist but he did strike me as a believer, committed to doing what ever it is he sat out to do and thats why I think Coleman and the Titans are in trouble.  If Todd can get outside Central Ohio money to flow his way, a Mayoral campaign ran on character issues will potentially destroy Coleman.  I'm not trying to say that Mayor Michael Coleman is a bad or shady character but, I am saying that the media has not let the public, for whatever reason, see Coleman's character.  When many issues in the past have occurred that are character defining Coleman was let off the hook or not pressed for a response like what is he going to about black-on-black crime in the city since his so-called committees and task forces are not getting the job done.  I predict that the Mayoral contest between William Todd and Michael Coleman is going to change all of that.

Comments

[Jomo B.]

I hear what you're saying but this William Todd is WEAK!
I mean I would've thought the Republicans could've done much better than this. I mean is this the best they can do for school board, city council and mayor?
It looks like it'll be another clean sweep for the Dems come November.
There's a lot you could get Coleman on but the stuff this Todd dude is talking about is weak like crime and all the other stuff.
There was high crime under Reinhart's last year as mayor then under Lashutka too.
I dont think character issues will fly locally if anything it'll work against him. Republicans are gonna damage Coleman by keep running weak opponents against him that way if he ever tries running for governor or Senate or Congress, the Republicans can then say hes never had to face stiff competition.

[Aberrant Equation]

1. Todd is a dirtbag lawyer

2. It's a "a Mayoral campaign RUN" not "RAN".

[Cornell]

Hey J. B., I can't argue much with your points. When it comes to Todd we are talking circumstancies here. Coleman is a political paper tiger protected by big-time developers who, most part, have gotten what they want from him not knowing his true character - a wild card.

If Todd publicly takes on the wild card aspects of Coleman and, get enough outside money to get his message out, Todd will defeat Coleman. Not because Todd is all that but because Coleman is not all that either. He's just a kepted politician.

Cornell

[Cornell]

Hey Mr. 0=0, I like dialog even if we don't agree but I think that you are a nut case so please go and play in somebody elses sandbox.

Cornell

[ANY]

I used to work for City Council. From what I hear Todd is the weakest of the weakest weak weaklings and doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell.

[Susan Coats]

My son was 1Lt Brandon Ratliff who committed suicide while working for the Columbus Public Health Dept.under Mayor Coleman in March 2004. Brandon came home after 9 months in Afghaninstan where he was a Executive Officer in a frontline surgical unit. The promotion he received at the Health Dept. before he was deployed was taken away from him while he was serving his country. Not only that but his previous job was also given away leaving him stuck in a cubical for 5 months without a phone, desk or computer and told to just "read". He struggled all those months to find out why they did this to him. He was embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed and mostly felt let down by his City. He wrote many letters trying to get help with his situation but was told by the Health Commissioner that "They didn't have to do anything for him." I worked with my son in the same building but I was in the Human Resources Dept. I was a excellent employee as was my son. After I filed a suit against the City for violating my son's USERRA rights, I was fired saying I was unfit to work there any longer. They took my son's job away and then my son. Then they took my job of 18 years away also. There is nothing more they can do to me but I will fight for my son's Honor no matter how long it takes. In the mayor's investigation of my son's death a lot of people lied to cover their butts. I know, I was there when this all was happening. When the Mayor was campaigning for Governor he visited a group of Veterans hoping to gain their support. One of these Vets asked about Brandon's suicide. The mayor replied that Brandon was a "lower level employee" and he had "family problems" and the Mayor even after my lawsuit was filed said to these Vets that he had never even heard of USERRA. One of these Vets taped this meeting and mailed me the tape of what the Mayor said about Brandon. I have that tape. My son did not have "family problems". He gave numerous interviews to the press about his battle for his job before he put a gun to his head and wrote countless emails for help which I am in posession of. As we know the Mayor withdrew from running for the Governor due to his "family problems", his wife's arrest. Maybe he should think about those problems and not run for mayor this time. The mayor sat out to destroy me and has taken everything in my life I cared about for defending my son who was a Hero and decorated 6 times. Is this the kind of leader we want for this City? I think not. Please visit Brandon's website at http://internetexplorer.memory-of.com.
Sincerely, Susan Coats

[Aberrant Equation]

Brandon Ratliff's death was, of course, a tragic and troubling event.

But is you are looking for someone to blame, maybe you should start with Scott Pullins.

[Aberrant Equation]

oh- and it's "else's" not "elses"

[Cornell]

Hi Susan I'm glad that you shared your story with us. Mayor Coleman is not a bad man, he is just a person with a lot of serious character flaws - flaws that tend to cause a lot of personal grief to himself and others, mostly unintentional.

No doubt about it, Coleman has the political pull as well as, the power of his office to have ensured that your son was taken care of job wise. There are valid political reasons and, the image of leadership, Coleman had a moral obligation to help your son and others in the same situation.

People are starting to see the real faces of Democrats. They (most Democratic public officeholder) have it down to a fine art, pretending to care - look at our governor's remarks regarding Iraq's refugees.

I believe that this is Coleman's swan song, somehow, someway, I believe during the course of this election that Coleman is not going to be re-elected Mayor of Columbus. Why? Because God is a just God and Coleman has to pay for the pain and suffering that he has caused, knowingly and unknowingly.

Cornell

[Susan Coats]

Hi Cornell, thanks for your response. Needless to say losing my only child especially by suicide has been a living hell. I never asked for anyone to be strung up on Broad and High. I simply wanted them to say, "you know we really screwed up". "What were we thinking treating him that way, a Hero protecting his country only to come home and have to wander the halls at work as he had nothing to do but wonder why they were doing this to him. When a article ran in the Dispatch on Monday the 15th of 2004, The Mayor called the Health Commissioner Dr.Teresa Long and told her to give Brandon his promotion or a equlavent position. No one told Brandon or myself Monday that the Mayor had called.I would have been the one to do the paperwork on it. No one told us Tuesday nor Wednesday not Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon my child blew his head off. Dr. Long said that "she didn't see the urgency to tell him right away". This came out in her deposition with my and the city attorney. Wouldn't even a idiot know that anytime you call the press on your employer that you must be pretty dam desperate?? Didn't she even think that maybe he was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as she did part of her internship in a VA hospital in California and was familiar with PTSD. Don't you think as he and I were long termed well liked employees there that maybe she would have taken the time to give him a warm hello when he returned?? No, of course not. I fault the Mayor because he being of higher power then her never even slapped her or anyone else on the wrist, nothing. The mayor stood by knowing that Dr. Long fired me because of the lawsuit I have against the City in regards to my son's death. He should of not allowed this. Haven't they done enough to me. In my son's last email he said that by his death that he hoped no other Vet would have to go through the hell he went through there trying to find out why they did this to him. No one had the balls to look him in the eyes and address this with him. They just each passed the buck and basically told him the "City attorney's told them that they didn't have to do anything for him". I have my son's email's to prove this. I don't give a dam about any money involved. I want my son's name in this City to be honored as the Hero that he was, someone that saved the wounded while being fired upon receiving the Medic Combat Award along with many others. The Mayor sat in my living room after my son passed and said they would put up a plaque downtown in honor of Brandon's service. I'm still waiting. The coverup with all of this has been unbelieveable. I am so looking forward to my day in court. Here's a good one. The City's attorneys are telling reporter's etc that Brandon did this over a old girlfriend. How low down. It goes on and on and so will I till I get the Honor Brandon deserved!!

Thanks,
Susan
Also wanted you to know I have always been a big fan of your with my views on things just about identical to your's.

[Scott Pullins]

Ms. Coats,

I have never met your son and did not know who he was until I read about him. I am sorry for your loss and sorry folks try to use it for political gain.

Scott Pullins

[Susan Coats]

Thanks Scott,

I have read the many blogs that refer you to Brandon's case but I am fully aware of what happened to push Brandon over the edge thus causing his suicide. Brandon and I worked together so I know all details surrounding his death. He just grew to tired to fight the Health Department for his job when he returned home from Afghanistan. I know that you had no part in anything related to Brandon or myself. Though the Health Department fired me when Brandon's case went to court, I remain diligent in my pursuit of justice for him and am now going to the State Supreme Court with his case.

Thanks,

Susan Coats