ERIE COUNTY Election Guide for Tuesday, May 17th

County Council

District 7 – Albion, Cranesville, Girard, Lake City, McKean, and Platea Boroughs; Conneaut Township; Elk Creek Township; Fairview Township, all 5 Districts; Franklin Township, Girard Township, North and South Districts; McKean Township; and Springfield Township

Clayton Schulze

Residence: McKee Rd, Albion

Website or Facebook page? Yes! He has a Facebook page and a Website.

Why are you running for county council? As your representative on Erie County Council I will lead the fight to....
Reduce the size of county government
Reduce taxes
Hold government departments accountable
Use funds from the casino to pay down debt and reduce taxes.
Eliminate the $50 fee to appeal your tax bill
Hold the line on county employee wages and benefits
Create an environment that will attract businesses to Erie County

Quote from his website: In our political system, we are fortunate to have built-in term limits. It's called the ballot box. On May 17th we can put Erie County on a new course, one that will foster renewed hope for its citizens. Let's work together to restore Erie County to a place where families can live, work, and be free from excessive taxation.

Note: Clayton immediately has my respect because he is a Veteran. I also have heard nothing but good about him but I can’t go by popularity when I vote. It was a relief to see that his stances and game plan for Erie County are just as solid as his well-regarded character. Clayton is the only candidate endorsed by Firearms Owners Against Crime and he is the only candidate who has a Game Plan for Erie County.

Dan Galena

Residence: Happy Valley Rd, East Springfield

Website or Facebook page? No, couldn’t find one.

Why are you running for county council? On a Yahoo Groups page, he wrote the following: “We've all complained long enough. It's time to take action and change the way business is done in government. And we're going to start with our own Erie County !”

Dan Galena immediately has my respect as he is a Retired Army Veteran.

Now, according to an article and video recently on http://yourerie.com/fulltext?nxd_id=3891, Dan was escorted out of a County Council meeting on March 20^th because he ticked off Fiore Leone (Erie County Council President) by repeatedly objecting to moves made by the Erie County Council. Was that the best way for Fiore Leone to handle the situation? You be the judge. Dan Galena has since filed a federal lawsuit against Erie County Council. Is that the best way for Dan to handle the situation? Again, you be the judge. Dan Galena also filed a lawsuit against Carol Loll’s petitions.

NOTE: I had to dig to find any information on Dan. He should have at least had a Facebook page (it’s free and simple). If he had one, I couldn’t find it.

                                                                                               

Patrick Gehrlein

Residence: Cindy Lane Rd, Girard Township

Website or Facebook page? Yes! He has a Facebook page.

Why are you running for county council? According to a goerie.com article from 4/12/11, Pat Gehrlein said that if elected, I would push for "better regional strategic planning" when it comes to economic development in largely rural areas like western Erie County; programs and strategies that help protect and retain local businesses; and "sound fiscal management" of the county's budget.

Pleasant Ridge? From the same 4/12/11 goerie.com article, “Gehrlein said he favors "the county getting out of the health-care business" in regard to Pleasant Ridge Manor, which runs the two county nursing homes.”

"Not to say they don't provide great care," Gehrlein said. "But I don't think long term it's a good business model for the county to stay in."

Carol Loll (Incumbent)

Residence: Platz Road in Fairview

Background: Retired Co-owner of Custom Kitchens

Website or Facebook page? I couldn’t find a Website or a Facebook page.

Why are you running for re-election? I have no information to use.

Where do you stand on Pleasant Ridge? I don’t know. How do I get a hold of Carol Loll?

Community College? She initially voted for the Community College, but then she flipped sides and voted against it. Why did she do that? Is it because she saw which way the wind was blowing? She says she only voted for it the first time around because the state would be funding it. She changed her mind when she realized the state would not be funding it.

Will you vote against higher county taxes? I don’t know. No contact information for me to use. She has an email address on the County Council page but that is supposed to be used for business purposes only and not for campaigns.

Note: I have questions but no answers. Carol Loll should have put up at least a Facebook page. Carol joined County Council in 1996 as an appointee. Folks, she has been in the County Council position for over 14 years! I am a fan of Term Limits so of course I believe it is time for her to move on.

District 7 Summary: This is a no-brainer. Clayton Schulze is far and away the best candidate. He is the only one who has shown a game plan, and it is a good one. He is the most accessible with a website and Facebook page. He is also supported by the Tea Party, and the only candidate to be supported by FOAC (Firearms Owners Against Crime). I know exactly where he stands on all the issues. He is a breath of fresh air.