Hoverman ad needs answer; public needs debate

Look for the Allen County sheriff's race to turn into all-out election warfare in the next 29 days.

Up until now, it's mostly been about character attacks, with Steve Hoverman raising questions about whether Sam Crish is a legal resident of Allen County, and later taking Crish to task for not voting since the mid- to late 1990s.

Then last week, Hoverman took out a newspaper advertisement in which he accused The Lima News of not allowing him to respond to an editorial.

Now, outgoing Sheriff Dan Beck is diving into the fray head first in support of Hoverman. After chastising Crish last week for "cuddling with the politicians," Beck is expected to announce today that he plans to investigate Crish for violation of election law in regards to the residency issue.

Let's first talk about the newspaper advertisement, because it appears Hoverman is getting that "selective memory," which is convenient among so many politicians, as well as receiving bad advice from his campaign adviser, John Brentlinger, who Hoverman says helped him write the ad copy.

Last week, Hoverman approached The Lima News about publishing his response to an editorial on our Commentary page, which said voters will ultimately decide if the residency issue is a good campaign strategy. In his advertisement, he states the newspaper "maintains they didn't have room to print it on the editorial page."

Our editorial page editor, Ron Lederman, did have a conversation with Hoverman concerning the publication of his response. Ron informed Hoverman we were not publishing guest columns from any candidate before the election, and pointed out that Hoverman's opponent had also requested a guest column and was turned down.

Ron suggested Hoverman instead publish his response in the Letters column, which has some of the highest readership in the newspaper. Ron did note that Hoverman would need to trim his letter to 300 words. That's not any different than what is required of any letter writer, and it's a policy published every day on our Commentary page.

We're not about to make an exception for Steve Hoverman, or any other candidate.

As for Beck, his involvement in the race is not all that surprising. Crish decided four years ago that he would run for sheriff in 2008, even if it meant running against Beck.

Still, several weeks ago, Beck sat in my office and said he would remain neutral because both Crish and Hoverman had long, distinguished careers in the Sheriff's Office.

We knew then that would be a tall order for Beck. He has always spoken out, and he has every right to change his mind about remaining neutral in this race. Some would even argue he should share his opinion on who he believes is best to succeed him.

However, launching an investigation of Crish would smack of politics because the Allen County Board of Elections already has ruled Crish has met the residency guidelines of living in the county for more than a year.

The voting issue is also smoke and mirrors. Some of us may not like the idea that Crish hasn't voted in recent elections, but is that really a "qualification" for being sheriff? It's as if experience in law enforcement and management is suddenly a secondary qualification.

More open discussion is needed about the real issues facing the next sheriff in Allen County. Hoverman and Crish did that last week when they met separately with The Lima News for a candid discussion about resources, cooperation among county law enforcement agencies, and handling a budget during tough fiscal times.

The public deserves the opportunity to hear them debate.

The residency issue has been used as an excuse as to why Hoverman won't debate Crish. Hoverman believes that by doing so, he would legitimize Crish's campaign. Yet, candidates in the county have always agreed to such debates in the past. It's served the public well.

There's still time for Hoverman to change his mind and agree to a debate. His ad last week began by stating he "firmly believes in the intelligence of the voters of Allen County."

In that regard, so do I.

ROSES AND THORNS: Ouch! The thorns are back this week, but first the roses:

Rose: To Tyler Priest, 13, of Van Wert. He's fought back from critical injuries from a July farm accident. On Thursday, he was released from the hospital and was honored at Friday's football game, where his dad, Bob, is coach of the Van Wert Cougars.

Rose: To Richard and Rosalie Taylor, of Elida. The senior citizens were busy at work this week cleaning up the wheelchair ramp at the picturesque Zion United Methodist Church on Conant Road. Rosalie has been a church member since age 12 and says she "likes for it to look nice."

Rose: To Jerry Lewis and Jesse Lowe, of Lima. Lewis was honored as Visionary of the Year and Lowe received Visionary Citizen of the Year honors by the Allen County Vissionaries.

Thorn: To Jacob D. Jones, of Beaverdam. He was charged with felonious assault for the severe beating of a 3-year-old boy. It's another case of child abuse slipping through the system. Both Allen County Children Services and the Allen County Sheriff's Office had been called about possible abuse, but neither found grounds for action. Jones has a criminal record that includes a conviction for endangering children in 2005.

Thorn: A thief in Lima won't have to worry about washing his clothes after he made off with 58 cases of Tide from a break-in at an Otis Wright & Sons warehouse on East Wayne Street.

Thorn: To the hooligans who painted graffiti on Cairo United Methodist Church.

PARTING SHOT: Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

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