Letters to the Editor in Support of Arshinkoff...

Here are letters from two folks NOT in the Coughlin column...

Published on Sunday, Aug 26, 2007 in the Akron Beacon Journal.

Dogfight at the GOP Corral

Mark Twain commented: ''If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man.'' This quote could be applied to state Sen. Kevin Coughlin, R-Cuyahoga Falls, who's turned to name-calling as a way to challenge Summit County Republican Party Chairman Alex Arshinkoff.

Let's look through the mudslinging to examine what's really going on.

Coughlin has lost the financial backing of the Republican Party as a result of his record as a do-nothing legislator. In my opinion, he has mistaken name-calling as leadership. This is emblematic of an officeholder who is all image and no substance.

Coughlin has stated that he has supporters in his movement to dump Arshinkoff, but they wish to remain anonymous until after the November election. This is leadership?

Paul Schweikert Trustee, Sagamore Hills Township

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's eating Coughlin?

Published on Thursday, Aug 23, 2007 in the Akron Beacon Journal.

State Sen. Kevin Coughlin, R-Cuyahoga Falls, has great experience and many excellent attributes that position him as a strong leader to assist Ohio to overcome its downward spiral in terms of job losses and the exodus of young people. He is intelligent, articulate and nice looking all necessary attributes for successful, modern-day political leaders.

Thus, his most recent conduct, reminiscent of a spoiled child in a schoolyard, was all the more surprising (''Summit GOP's Arshinkoff challenged,'' Beacon Journal, Aug. 18).

It is no secret that Coughlin was upset that Mary Taylor, former state representative, was
supported by the local Republican Party to run for statewide office, while he was not.

The incumbent mayor of Akron, a Democrat and one of the longest-serving mayors of a major U.S. city, has been a steady leader for Akron and the entire region. Don Plusquellic has gained the respect of many on both sides of the political aisle.

As a conservative Republican, I personally may not support all of Plusquellic's policies, including his proposed tax increase, but I do acknowledge that his long tenure has delivered economic benefits and greater prosperity for the area.

To ask for new leadership for the county GOP on the grounds that Chairman Alex Arshinkoff did not run a candidate against a well-liked and successful long-term mayor is ludicrous.
Coughlin's letter rant also claimed that Summit County demographics are more favorable than ever for Republicans. Where are his figures coming from? Recent statistics show that for ''likely voters'' (those who actually vote) in Summit County, 43 percent are Democrats, 37 percent are independents most of whom vote for either the Democrat or the best-known candidate (likely to be a ''D'') and only 20 percent vote Republican. Democrats have better than a 2-to-1 advantage over Republicans.

The real accomplishment is that, despite Summit being a strongly Democratic county, Republicans have been able to consistently maintain a strong county party that is envied throughout the state and the country. The reason? Simply, Alex Arshinkoff.

Arshinkoff has been a stalwart supporter of the party and its candidates locally and in Columbus and Washington. To suggest that he is somehow aligned with the local Democrats is laughable.
He's been one of the strongest supporters I have known for GOP candidates and the Republican values of freedom for all, less government, traditional values and a strong military.

It is unclear what has motivated Coughlin to act in such an irrational manner that is so at odds with his normal, reasoned approach to leadership and governing.

Deborah Owens-Fink Richfield Editor's note: The writer is a former member of the State Board of Education.