The slate of County Executive candidates is excellent, I must say... especially when taken en mass.

I know many of the people running for country executive and the ward seats and consider some of them the finest people in town, so the reform of county government has brought out a very good group of new leaders - or I'll say leaders who want to lead in new ways - and that is excellent

I especially like the range of independent candidates and the green candidate... and having those options.

David Ellison helped save the Breuer and fought the MedCon taxation without representation and is now taking a lead fighting pollution from burning coal in my neighborhood, which I appreciate - and he has fought other environmental injustice before - and as an architect committed to historic preservation he is unique among the field in many great ways the county needs now.

Don Scipione I know from his information technology work, which is excellent, and from his leadership for the arts. I also know he loves Northeast Ohio and really wants to make things here better. I spent hours talking with him about problems in Cleveland - around 2001 - and his AcmeX built what was a prototype of realNEO, before Drupal was an option... we just couldn't get the community leaders here back then to get IT... it took open source to make that possible. I know Don would do great things as County Executive, across the board... and trust him to succeed for certain. Look what great things have come from realNEO

I also think Tim McCormack and Ken Lanci bring good experiences to the table. Ed Hauser was a fan of McCormack so I am as well... he has a long history of working in health and human services, which is the primary service the county delivers, so he has knowledge that is valuable.

The democrats are all competent and impressive in their ways. I really don't know any of them, in person, but I think of AngelnWard14 like my neighbor, for her active participation in realNEO. So of course I love Dianna "AngelnWard14" Hill - who is an awesome citizen and realNEO member who promises to bring some military sense to government and some Disney to the people - combined with what I'm planning for Ohio that actually makes sense - her economic development vision works for me, and I like her style.

I can't support Hamilton-Brown for her lack of support for shutting down coal burning at MCCO, as she has long been a leader of East Side and University Circle planning - and because I don't like how the Opportunity Corridor has been planned - which was her baby for a while.

I don't know FitzGerald but I am sure he is honest - although probably still an agent for the FBI... I doubt you ever really get out of that business... like my sister once worked for the CIA. I will be testing FitzGerald on one interesting issue as some Lakewood residents want to make Lakewood the Brightest Greenest place on Earth, legalizing cannabis there, which would happen while FitzGerald is still mayor, and will need his support. To be seen... very interesting...

On the Republican side, I know Vic Voinovich from some meetings when I first moved back to Cleveland and he has interesting experiences, and is creative - I don't know his platform or ideology. I don't know Dolan at all - I hate his family mascot, and think sports teams should be turned over to cooperatives of the players and the residents of the cities where they play, so we are far apart in thinking.

I won't get into the ward level at all - I know lots of those candidates too and wish them well in the election.

As a last thought, for after you've voted and learned the winners and losers - everyone who stepped up to run for these offices showed something special about themselves and demonstrated the potential to lead. At least at the County Executive level, I think the best leadership would come from a team of many of the people running right now, working together. Weve got an IT oriented rocket scientist, a preservation and environment oriented architect/planner, a health and human services expert, a successful businessman, a women of discipline, and an FBI agent - put that together and you have superperson... if they work together well.

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