OK, OK, let me say that I am still upset with Tina Meranda and her leading move to push for no endorsements. I still think it was a poorly thought out decision, and that the people did not understand that they could have voted on each race to endorose or not endorse. I did not think it showed true leadership. However, all satire of "hurt feelings" and "making people feel better" aside, Ms. Meranda has been an improvement over the previous clerk of Courts, Jay Anderson. Mr. Anderson's time as clerk of courts was a chaotic and scandal filled time for the office. Ms. Meranda came in and descandaled the whole office. Hiring practices were stabilized and were no longer so based on knowing the clerk, as they had been under Jay Anderson, where there were was always a veneer of impropriety.
Ms. Meranda has also brought money into Brown County. Clerks of Courts have been losing money over the past many years as the way titles have been done have been changed. No longer do you have to have the title done where you live, car dealerships can get them on demand in the counties they are in. That is revenue lost in fees and taxes for the counties of residence. Ms. Meranda has taken it upon herself to talk to dealers in other counties and to get Brown Countians titles sent to Brown County to be processed. This has brought in revenue to make her office more viable and more dollars available for the county.
She also has been chosen as one of the few women to take an exclusive leadership course seminar in Columbus. Chairman Paul Hall called her a rising star in the county party.
I think Mrs. Meranda has done a decent job as a clerk of courts, and has done well in the bureaucratic role. I just believe that she made a poor decision and one not based on what is right for the county party, but rather what was best for her chosen candidates.
And let me put this into furthe perspective...I am a political realist. It would truly take a lot for me to vote for a Democrat against Ms. Meranda. For all my faults, I will vote for who I think will do the best job in the office. And, unless they presented a better case than Ms. Meranda, I would not vote for anyone else. However, if she is challenged in the primary, I will take a seriously look at the opponent. I think Ms. Meranda failed in her leadership and in making the hard choices of being a leader as it pertains to moving the executive committee to not endorse at all. Part of the reason Brown County is not viewed as being really relevant is that we don't take a stand....and we will continue to be ignored until we take stands on candidates and issues.
