Enough is enough

Enough of Judge Timothy Grendell’s use of our public money for blatant self-promotion shenanigans. Why are we paying to have his photo on local diner placemats, on church bulletins and on every piece of Geauga Park District literature meant to advertise park and nature programs? Is this why the court budget for expenditures has increased over $1 million, according to the court’s own Annual Reports, since 2011?

Enough using our public money to publish “Quarterly Newsletters,” costing well over $50,000 mailed to all residents, filled with outdated quotes, self-aggrandizing articles and information easily found on the court’s own website.

Enough using our public money to pay for the big blue signs ($800) that have graced our county since April 2019 that say “SAVE MONEY – FREE”  over the judge’s name, as if he is giving away candy at a carnival.

Enough using public dollars to, in essence, fund a perpetual political campaign. He can do that on his own dime, not on ours.

And, while I’m at it, enough yelling at people, at a policeman, at other public officials, at his own staff and even at me.

Enough already.

We need a judge who is fiscally responsible and has a judicial temperament both on and off the bench.

We need a judge we can be proud of.

Vote for Matthew Rambo for Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge on the Republican March 17 primary election ballot.

Barb Partington

Munson Township

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Vote for Matt Rambo

It seems that virtually every letter to the editor promoting Judge Timothy Grendell comes from his honor’s employees, past employees or folks who have some vested economic interest in promoting the good judge.   The latest is from  Laura Cooke, an apparent past employee of the good judge at the probate court. It deserves a response.  As far as I know, none of us folks who are supporters of Protect Geauga Parks (ProtectGeaugaParks.us)  have any economic interest in criticizing the judges actions.  Criticizing the good judge typically has negative repercussions to the critic. Check out our website.

One might well wonder if the huge raises and bloated salaries the good judge pays to some of his employees (our tax dollars, of course) are paid with the understanding that they will promote him and contribute to this re-election campaigns. Check their salaries and see how they compare with employees of other similarly sized probate courts.

Ms. Cooke states that his decisions have “always been fair.” Was it a fair decision for him to get into fights with the past and the present auditor and county commissioners with jail threats emanating from the good judge? Was it a fair decision for Judge Grendell to appoint people as park commissioners who have essentially shown no past interest in parks, natural areas or conservation? Was it a fair decision for him to appoint Mr. Johnston as a past park commissioner, knowing that he was running for county commissioner and would have to resign as park commissioner if he won his election?

Was it a fair decision for him to fire any park commissioners who by chance did express concern for protecting endangered species? Was it a fair decision of the good judge to plaster his photo in every park newsletter to gain publicity for himself? Was it a fair decision for the good judge to allow the purchase of two large parcels by the park district at prices vastly over the appraised value?

We citizens are facing a fork in the road this March. March 17 is the primary election in Ohio. Tim Grendell and Matthew Rambo will be the only two folks vying for the probate court judgeship on the Republican ballot.  Whoever wins will be the next probate judge as no Democratic opponent will be on the November ballot, so the winner in March will be unopposed in November. If you wish an opportunity to have your voice heard in this matter you need to request a Republican ballot on March 17. A Democratic or Independent ballot will not give you that opportunity. One path of the “fork in the road” will lead to more wasteful spending, like $100,000, plus plastic climbing walls and million-dollar-plus remodeling of the Nassau Observatory that did not allow the observatory dome to turn to all areas of the sky and still does not enable disabled folks to actually look through the Nassau telescope. That road will mean a probate judge who uses tax dollars for his own publicity and thus his own benefit. The other path will mean bringing back honor to the probate court. Which path we take is up to you on March 17, so please do make your voice heard.

John G. Augustine

Parkman Township

 

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Protect Geauga Parks endorses and supports Matt Rambo for Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge in the March 17 Republican Primary election.
Please request a Republican Party ballot and vote for Matt Rambo.

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