Charita Goshay: Portage County Fair Board's politics policy is smart
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Right now, you probably should be glad you aren't a member of the Portage County Fair Board.
Its recent decision to decline a request from former President Donald Trump to hold a rally at the fairgrounds on April 24 has catapulted the board into the national spotlight.
Even in this era of celebrity obsession, unless you're getting kudos for saving a kid or a cat, national media scrutiny is the last place most ordinary people should want to find themselves.
Just imagine the blistering phone calls and social media posts some of those folks probably fielded when the story broke last week.
Board members informed the Portage County Board of Commissioners that they've had a longstanding policy against allowing political events. Fair Board members also expressed concerns about potential damage that could be done to the grounds this time of year.
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Who's the Trumpiest?
Imagine the pressure. Trump remains a star in Ohio, which he won in 2016 and 2020. Anyone with a working set of eyes who attended his campaign stop at the Canton Memorial Civic Center in 2016 knew he had a real shot at winning the election.
Even two years after he lost reelection, you still can throw a rock and hit a Trump flag, sign, or bumper sticker in Stark County.
Like kids fighting to sit with dad in the La-Z-Boy, the current slate of Ohio's Republican candidates are squabbling over who's the "Trumpiest." But Trump hasn't been stumping much for anyone in Ohio other than for former White House staffer Max Miller, who's likely to take outgoing Rep. Bob Gibbs' seat.
Some people doubtlessly see the Fair Board's decision as political, but the policy is a smart one. Bending the rules for one politician — even a former president — is a recipe for unforeseen disaster.
Fair boards in Canfield and Geauga counties also turned down the rally, citing the same reasons as Portage County.
If the former president is serious about visiting Northeast Ohio, there are numerous venues available. But he's now a private citizen, which means he should adhere to the rules like everyone else.
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Though members of the Fair Board would never say so, Trump's campaigns also have stiffed too many communities to be fully trusted. A 2020 investigation by the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit investigative news organization, found that Trump's campaigns have yet to reimburse a number of cities for their services including:
$8,000: Burlington, Vermont, January 2016
$9,000: Green Bay, Wisconsin, August 2016
$16,000: Lebanon, Ohio, October 2018
$33,000: Wildwood, New Jersey, January 2020
$35,000: Erie, Pennsylvania, October 2018
$43,000: Billings, Montana, September 2018
$47,000: Eau Claire, Wisconsin, April 2016
$64,000: Mesa, Arizona, October 2018
$65,000: Spokane, Washington, May 2016
$82,000: Tucson, Arizona, March 2016
$93,000: Battle Creek, Michigan, December 2020
$211,000: Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 2019
$543,000: Minneapolis, October 2020
$569,000: El Paso, Texas, February 2019
Barn door
The report found that former Sen. Hillary Clinton, former President Barack Obama and Sen. Bernie Sanders have also stuck some cities with unpaid campaign bills. They, too, ought to pay what they still owe.
Certainly, no one should be staging more campaigns and rallies until they make it right.
Portage County Commissioner Tony Badalamenti blasted the board's decision, arguing that such a happening could draw 20,000 visitors, could generate as much as $4 million, and squanders an opportunity to shine a spotlight on Portage County.
But all money isn't good money. Sometimes, the cost is more than it's worth.
No one should be surprised if some of members of the Portage County Fair Board aren't somehow shown the barn door, though they serve on a volunteer basis. It's always the chance you take when you do the right thing.
Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Charita Goshay: Portage Fair Board's anti-politics policy is smart
