I must be doing something right...

[Rotobeast]

My ego will never be the same....
I was asked to run for City Council, by a City Council member.
I'm not sure if I will or not, yet.
I need to see if the correct district seat comes up, or an at large seat.

If I win and piss them off, I'm blaming you guys and pointing them here.


Anyone here have experience in local government ?

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

What city do you live in? I'm asking so I will never accidentally pass through in the future.  

I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member. Lol


- - - - - -

More seriously, congrats. If you end up deciding to do it, good luck.

[Rotobeast]

(03-18-2017, 10:53 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: What city do you live in? I'm asking so I will never accidentally pass through in the future.  

I don't want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member. Lol


- - - - - -

More seriously, congrats. If you end up deciding to do it, good luck.

Coshocton.

If you end up here, you're likely lost.


Thanks TLL.

[Vas Deferens]

You'll do well by your constituents. Just slip a bunch of dick jokes into the bills and rezone that plot for a GD rally's already!

Do it

[xxlt]

(03-18-2017, 11:11 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Coshocton.

If you end up here, you're likely lost.


Thanks TLL.

Highlights from my curiosity satiating research on the Greater Coshocton Metropolitan region:

Coshocton: There's a place for you! (Depending on how you say that the meaning can radically change!)

Coshocton contains Roscoe Village.

Roscoe Village... tourist attraction.... showcasing the region's canal history. (It sounded a lot more interesting when I thought it said "anal history" and not "canal history.")

Chief Newcomer founded Coshocton, moving his people west from... Newcomerstown... (pre-canal)

Coshocton Tribune is a daily newspaper that serves the community of Coshocton, Ohio, USA, and the surrounding Coshocton County


I'm sure we've just scratched the anal, I mean canal surface of the region's rich history and culture. But rather than reading more dry accounts about canals and Newcomers, let's hear from a seasoned Coshocton resident just wandering home from the Coshocton wine trail. We'll just give him a moment to secure his Roscoe... OK, he's ready: Mr. Rotobeast, how does life in Coshocton feel?

[Benton]

(03-19-2017, 09:55 AM)xxlt Wrote: Highlights from my curiosity satiating research on the Greater Coshocton Metropolitan region:

Coshocton: There's a place for you! (Depending on how you say that the meaning can radically change!)

Coshocton contains Roscoe Village.

Roscoe Village... tourist attraction.... showcasing the region's anal history. (It sounded a lot more interesting when I thought it said "canal history" and not "anal history.")

Chief Newcomer founded Coshocton, moving his people west from... Newcomerstown... (pre-anal)

Coshocton Tribune is a daily newspaper that serves the community of Coshocton, Ohio, USA, and the surrounding Coshocton County


I'm sure we've just scratched the anal, I mean anal surface of the region's rich history and culture. But rather than reading more dry accounts about canals and Newcomers, let's hear from a seasoned Coshocton resident just wandering home from the Coshocton wine trail. We'll just give him a moment to secure his Roscoe... OK, he's ready: Mr. Rotobeast, how does life in Coshocton feel?

anal

[*Nately120*]

(03-18-2017, 11:11 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Coshocton.

If you end up here, you're likely lost.


Thanks TLL.

Wowza, I was in Coshocton twice.  My gf at the time had to get a pug from some dog shelter that was under a thrift store.  I now realize that you are 100% going to know I'm not making this up now.  That town had zero internet, the GPS petered out a few miles away from the destination, and I got one of those "empty town but everyone is watching us and it's clear we aren't from around here" vibes from the place.

Lordy, what a memory.

[Rotobeast]

(03-19-2017, 09:55 AM)xxlt Wrote: Highlights from my curiosity satiating research on the Greater Coshocton Metropolitan region:

Coshocton: There's a place for you! (Depending on how you say that the meaning can radically change!)

Coshocton contains Roscoe Village.

Roscoe Village... tourist attraction.... showcasing the region's canal history. (It sounded a lot more interesting when I thought it said "anal history" and not "canal history.")

Chief Newcomer founded Coshocton, moving his people west from... Newcomerstown... (pre-canal)

Coshocton Tribune is a daily newspaper that serves the community of Coshocton, Ohio, USA, and the surrounding Coshocton County


I'm sure we've just scratched the anal, I mean canal surface of the region's rich history and culture. But rather than reading more dry accounts about canals and Newcomers, let's hear from a seasoned Coshocton resident just wandering home from the Coshocton wine trail. We'll just give him a moment to secure his Roscoe... OK, he's ready: Mr. Rotobeast, how does life in Coshocton feel?

Honestly, the area is very depressed.
It was a factory town, but there are one a couple left to sustain the economy.
I intend to find ways to help people start businesses to compliment the the tourism for Roscoe.
One thing will be to apply for the red cup district permit, so we might allow people to drink wine/beer while shopping and walking place to place.
Crime and drugs have probably tripled.
There is not much entertainment to be had, apart from bowling and bands in bars.
We do have some reasonably nice wineries, as you alluded to.
Our museum is fairly decent.
It has a Rosetta Stone.
I do not hunt, but we have the largest whitetail deer here.
That is why Dale Earnhardt Jr purchased a bunch of property here, that and it's cheap.
I guess Jr hangs out at local restaurants, goes to Wal-Mart, etc..here.
I'm not a NASCAR fan, but people talk about it, like it's a selling point.
I do appreciate any money he brings to our economy though.

Let's see, what else....
Bob Brenley is from here.
Cy Young, from Newcomerstown.

Oh....our school team name is Redskins, so yeah....we get to be relevant for that bit of fun.

I guess it could be mentioned that the factory I work at produces 95% of Oscar Mayer bacon.
That's gotta be cool, right ?

I can't believe you threw culture in there.
Thanks !


We have a small theater that runs about 4 plays per year.
We have an art gallery that is predominantly local artists, but hosts traveling displays, occasionally.
We are building a new planetarium.
Does that count for anything ?
Roscoe has festivals where people dress in 1800's garb and whatnot.

Honestly, it's quite boring here.
Most people travel to larger surrounding towns, for entertainment.
We are 30-45 minutes from Zanesville, Newark, New Philadelphia, and Cambridge.

We do have a movie theater, with TWO different screens !
Only $3/person on Tuesdays. (My wife and I get in free, because we're awesome)

[Rotobeast]

(03-19-2017, 11:10 AM)Nately120 Wrote: Wowza, I was in Coshocton twice.  My gf at the time had to get a pug from some dog shelter that was under a thrift store.  I now realize that you are 100% going to know I'm not making this up now.  That town had zero internet, the GPS petered out a few miles away from the destination, and I got one of those "empty town but everyone is watching us and it's clear we aren't from around here" vibes from the place.

Lordy, what a memory.

Please tell me it was not "The Bargain Shack" ??
(Puppy mill, pups)


But it was probably "Four Paws" animal rescue and thrift shop.
I've never been in there.

Most of the people are pretty friendly, but they all do watch outsiders like a hawk.
That's something that will have to be conditioned out of people, if we are to switch to and depend on service industry jobs.

[Belsnickel]

In all seriousness, what kind of questions do you have as far as local government? I mean, I'm an admin/policy wonk, but I'm also an appointed official for my city on a board regarding land use. I am also sitting on an advisory committee for my city's comprehensive plan this year. I haven't held or run for elected office (though some have tried to get me to) but I interact with elected folks and staff on a regular basis and understand city government.

I do see that your city's government is a different structure than I deal with hands on (we, and every city in Virginia save one, are council-manager systems rather than strong mayor-council), and every city is obviously different. Not knowing much about your city, what support comes from the state, what the economic situation is, what issues are on the minds of the voters, etc., makes it hard to really talk about your situation.

[Benton]

the unsolicited advice I've given friends running is: Take any issue and imagine what the opposition is going to say is why it shouldn't /wouldn't /couldn't work. Then see if they're right.

a friend of mine just got elected to city council for the first time. She said the thing she wished she had known was not to give an answer or make promises until you have more info than you need. She wanted to respond to city employees/constituents quickly, but said she was surprised by how am issue evolves with each person that becomes involved.

[Belsnickel]

(03-19-2017, 05:26 PM)Benton Wrote: the unsolicited advice I've given friends running is: Take any issue and imagine what the opposition is going to say is why it shouldn't /wouldn't /couldn't work. Then see if they're right.

a friend of mine just got elected to city council for the first time. She said the thing she wished she had known was not to give an answer or make promises until you have more info than you need. She wanted to respond to city employees/constituents quickly, but said she was surprised by how am issue evolves with each person that becomes involved.

So very true. I want to know both sides to an argument. Not only do you want to ensure you have it right, but also know what their argument will be.

Also, giving the response that you don't have a firm answer on that, but will look into it further and get back to the person asking is a fantastic response. The key, of course, is follow up. People that actually care about the issue will appreciate the truthful response and follow up. There is always more going on policy-wise than you realize as a candidate. A friend of mine is running for our state legislature this year and when she asked me about my legislative concerns she had no idea that the issues I was bringing up were being kicked around and that there were going to be reports released this fall about the issues that would make them big topics next session. I doubt her opponent has a clue, either, but there are so many things out there that a legislature does that it is just difficult to follow it all. And a city council is a legislative body.

[Rotobeast]

I didn't have anything specific lined up, as far as questions.
I will give it some thought.
I appreciate the interaction and invitation to further question.

I'll need to research the amount of time the job requires and how much campaigning usually costs.

[Belsnickel]

(03-19-2017, 07:45 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: I didn't have anything specific lined up, as far as questions.
I will give it some thought.
I appreciate the interaction and invitation to further question.

I'll need to research the amount of time the job requires and how much campaigning usually costs.

Every situation is obviously different. The job itself, as far as city council, obviously will take some time but it won't be as time consuming as most elected positions. Having some flexibility with your job will be helpful if you are elected because there will be things during the day that you may be called on to do. For the campaign, you can expect a steady increase in time commitment as you get closer to election day. Most of this time will be spent fundraising. If you are going in with a party then they will have an infrastructure that will assist you. Either way, though, you will likely have to take off from work for the whole of October to really do it right. This is just based on my knowledge of city council races here in my city.

Costs will differ and depend on a large number of things. This is, again, where having a party infrastructure can help out.

[xxlt]

(03-19-2017, 11:10 AM)Nately120 Wrote: Wowza, I was in Coshocton twice.  My gf at the time had to get a pug from some dog shelter that was under a thrift store.  I now realize that you are 100% going to know I'm not making this up now.  That town had zero internet, the GPS petered out a few miles away from the destination, and I got one of those "empty town but everyone is watching us and it's clear we aren't from around here" vibes from the place.

Lordy, what a memory.

Proposal for new motto: Coshocton! There's a place for you - under a thrift store!

[xxlt]

(03-19-2017, 01:09 PM)Rotobeast Wrote: Honestly, the area is very depressed.
It was a factory town, but there are one a couple left to sustain the economy.
I intend to find ways to help people start businesses to compliment the the tourism for Roscoe.
One thing will be to apply for the red cup district permit, so we might allow people to drink wine/beer while shopping and walking place to place.
Crime and drugs have probably tripled.
There is not much entertainment to be had, apart from bowling and bands in bars.
We do have some reasonably nice wineries, as you alluded to.
Our museum is fairly decent.
It has a Rosetta Stone.
I do not hunt, but we have the largest whitetail deer here.
That is why Dale Earnhardt Jr purchased a bunch of property here, that and it's cheap.
I guess Jr hangs out at local restaurants, goes to Wal-Mart, etc..here.
I'm not a NASCAR fan, but people talk about it, like it's a selling point.
I do appreciate any money he brings to our economy though.

Let's see, what else....
Bob Brenley is from here.
Cy Young, from Newcomerstown.

Oh....our school team name is Redskins, so yeah....we get to be relevant for that bit of fun.

I guess it could be mentioned that the factory I work at produces 95% of Oscar Mayer bacon.
That's gotta be cool, right ?

I can't believe you threw culture in there.
Thanks !


We have a small theater that runs about 4 plays per year.
We have an art gallery that is predominantly local artists, but hosts traveling displays, occasionally.
We are building a new planetarium.
Does that count for anything ?
Roscoe has festivals where people dress in 1800's garb and whatnot.

Honestly, it's quite boring here.
Most people travel to larger surrounding towns, for entertainment.
We are 30-45 minutes from Zanesville, Newark, New Philadelphia, and Cambridge.

We do have a movie theater, with TWO different screens !
Only $3/person on Tuesdays. (My wife and I get in free, because we're awesome)

Down in Kentucky they gave the Newport economy a boost with a red light district for decades. Maybe that would work better than a red cup district?

Seriously though, it sounds like so many towns throughout Appalachia and the foothills thereof. It fills me with a sense of shame that America doesn't work for so many people in so many towns like yours. And it also fills me with memories of passing through so many towns like yours and often meeting delightful people in restaurants, movie theaters, bowling alleys, and taverns. Those fond memories of good people and good times then roll right back into the shame that our country isn't working for so many... the idea that we could leave a better world for our children and grandchildren seems to be on life supports, if not to have died.

I'm excited for you that you got the invite to run for office. If you don't do it, I hope you find another way to engage "the system" for your fellow citizens. They need good people working for them. And until some come along, a deranged lunatic like you will spice up Coshocton city hall.

[Belsnickel]

I have to say, even though I know we often get frustrated with each other around these parts, I'm surprised we haven't heard about more involvement in this sort of thing from our P&R regulars. Being engaged in the issues and paying attention to them is really the most important thing.

[Rotobeast]

(03-19-2017, 07:59 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Every situation is obviously different. The job itself, as far as city council, obviously will take some time but it won't be as time consuming as most elected positions. Having some flexibility with your job will be helpful if you are elected because there will be things during the day that you may be called on to do. For the campaign, you can expect a steady increase in time commitment as you get closer to election day. Most of this time will be spent fundraising. If you are going in with a party then they will have an infrastructure that will assist you. Either way, though, you will likely have to take off from work for the whole of October to really do it right. This is just based on my knowledge of city council races here in my city.

Costs will differ and depend on a large number of things. This is, again, where having a party infrastructure can help out.

Thanks !
Even though the Libertarian Party is not recognized in Ohio, they would probably still guide me through things.
The regional coordinator for the party is also a board member of The Feldman Foundation, so I can get support through them as well.
I only work Friday-Sunday, so having 4 days off every week will afford me ample time.
I also have 4 weeks of vacation left, just in case.
My campaigning should fair well, as I am friends with the majority of business owners, my wife working at the radio station, and the fact that I've always socialized with everyone in my town.
Also, having the support of a current, popular council member probably won't hurt.
I will have to start grilling him and the other member I know for information.

(03-19-2017, 08:06 PM)xxlt Wrote: Proposal for new motto: Coshocton! There's a place for you - under a thrift store!

Jealous much ?!?!?

[xxlt]

Belsnickel
Every situation is obviously different. The job itself, as far as city council, obviously will take some time but it won't be as time consuming as most elected positions. Having some flexibility with your job will be helpful if you are elected because there will be things during the day that you may be called on to do. For the campaign, you can expect a steady increase in time commitment as you get closer to election day. Most of this time will be spent fundraising. If you are going in with a party then they will have an infrastructure that will assist you. Either way, though, you will likely have to take off from work for the whole of October to really do it right. This is just based on my knowledge of city council races here in my city.

Costs will differ and depend on a large number of things. This is, again, where having a party infrastructure can help out.



On that point... a few years ago I was chatting with a fellow who knew quite a bit about national, state, and local politics. He would advise you to have lunch with your party precinct chair and county chair (probably separately but perhaps together). According to that chap these people will "know everyone" that you are going to want and need to know. So, there's something to consider...

[Belsnickel]

(03-19-2017, 08:25 PM)xxlt Wrote: On that point... a few years ago I was chatting with a fellow who knew quite a bit about national, state, and local politics. He would advise you to have lunch with your party precinct chair and county chair (probably separately but perhaps together). According to that chap these people will "know everyone" that you are going to want and need to know. So, there's something to consider...

If you're going in with an established party, this is absolutely the case. For a city council race, the city chair is the gatekeeper.