City-gathered emails now being used for politics

When you pluck down your money and sign your son or daughter up for a recreation program in your community, you give them your contact information: name, address, phone number and email.

The LAST THING you probably want to receive on that email address then is a political communication.

Well, that’s precisely what’s happening in Broadview Heights.

Parent email addresses, used for Recreation Department purposes, received a political communication from Broadview Heights’ Economic Development Director, David Schroedel, on Tuesday, October 4.

The email is addressed to the personal first names of the recipients.

You can see a copy of this email if you click below.

schroedel political email

NOTE – If you have received a similar email, let us know please! Email us at Facts4BVH@gmail.com. We are just keeping count…

There are two “wrong” things with this action:

1. It apparently violates both public law and public trust. People don’t want political communication in the same channel they use for their children’s activities.
2. Mr. Schroedel did NOT use the legal and correct procedures. His email was a reaction to a literature piece, a four-page newsletter that was printed by the political action committee Standing Fast for Broadview Heights and distributed by volunteers, door-to-door, to thousands of homes on Saturday.

   The right thing for Mr. Schroedel to do, if he believed the literature contained wrong information, would be to complain to the Committee’s Treasurer and/or to the Ohio Elections Commission. The Committee has a treasurer and mailing address, clearly stated (twice) on the literature piece. The committee’s chair, Karen Thier, stated that as of Tuesday night, she had not received a single complaint about the literature by email, phone, or by mail.

If you did not receive a copy of this Standing Fast for Broadview Heights literature and want to see it, click below.

factor oct 2011

SAD PATTERN HAS DEVELOPED

This marks the third time in recent months that residents and taxpayers of Broadview Heights have seen taxpayer funds and resources used for political purposes.

First – BELIEVE IN BROADVIEW HEIGHTS: Mayor Sam Alai’s 2007 campaign slogan, became “governmentized” when he put it on city signs and on other city-owned property. He used the slogan again at his first fund raiser and on his first campaign flier.  When this blog pointed out that such usage violated the law, he stopped the practice.

Second – REC-gate: In August, City residents learned that “Volunteer” Recreation League scheduler Rick Howe was being paid tens of thousands of dollars under City Council legislation aimed at compensating umpires, referees, scorekeepers, and recreation class instructors. Howe’s invoices for the past 29 months ALWAYS total $4,975.00, because City Council MUST APPROVE contracts of $5,000 or more according to the City Charter. Howe’s real purpose has been to bad-mouth Sam Alai’s opponent Councilman Joe Price.  Howe’s payments BEGAN in May 2009, the same time Price announced he was running for City Council, and – in his paid contract capacity as Rec League scheduler – Howe had criticized Price in dozens of emails and in-person meetings with Recreation League commissioners and coaches.

(Aside – Mr. Howe has access to these personal email addresses.)

Third – Mr. Schroedel’s email yesterday.

More on the email – and the many untruths it contains — will appear on this blog tomorrow.

EDITORS’ NOTE: The committee Standing Fast for Broadview Heights welcomes your comments and/or financial contributions. You can write us at PO Box 470048, Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147.  Karen Thier is Treasurer of Standing Fast for Broadview Heights.