From the Leader’s Desk Andrew C.M. Mizsak, M.A.P., MBM Democratic Leader City of Bedford & Village of Walton Hills

This, I am now quite sure, is going to be a recurring theme… ALL HANDS ON DECK. 

Let me repeat…. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, ALL HANDS ON DECK. It seems like time after time we keep asking for volunteers, grassroots advocates, people who claim they are Democrats to act like Democrats, and it’s like I am shouting into the Grand Canyon.  Yes, the message is echoing off the canyon walls and through the valley, but it’s a one way message.  There is rarely a return call. Now, there are those who have stepped up lately and sent the post cards, made the telephone calls, and been a great part of our SB 5 Opposition efforts.  I cannot thank them enough. There are those volunteered last year at the Southeast Cuyahoga Democratic Center… some have stayed involved, while others have not.  If you are one of those great folks, THANK YOU… AND WE NEED YOU BACK. Ladies and gentlemen, here’s the deal… I cannot promise you fame or riches, but what I can promise you is that I will thank you time and again for your time, talent, efforts, and treasure.  And when I am done thanking you, I will most likely thank you again. I can also promise you that you will be part of a worthwhile cause that will, in the end, serve the people of Ohio. You will never hear a cross word from me… one of the things I learned as a volunteer swim coach is that you never yell at a volunteer or criticize them because they are giving of themselves.  Nor will I ever ask you to do something I would not do myself. What you will hear from me is thank you, and how can I help you help us be even better? Yes, I can be demanding at times, and I am sure there are times when you get really sick of hearing me ask for funding or volunteer hours. However, I do it because we have spent a lot of money over the past 7 years trying to communicate with our constituency, and more importantly, because our core volunteers have given thousands of hours of themselves, and they need some relief.  And for the times I can be a little demanding and seem like a royal pain, I apologize. I, too, am a volunteer, and I, from time to time, would appreciate an extra set of hands, too. You will never hear me complain about this position I have aspired to. I love being your Democratic Leader, and I feel so fortunate that the Central Committee has entrusted me with a four year term to do this job I love so much. It, however, is with the knowledge that we will be embarking on our biggest continuous campaign efforts, that I ask you to once again pitch in and serve. Over the next few months, we are going to need your help with gathering signatures for a referendum to repeal SB 5. We will also need you to staff outreach booths, march in a few parades, and help our local candidates. Additionally, it would be great if you would join us at our regular meetings.  Believe me, people far greater than I attend our meetings.  I know you can make a significant contribution too. We need you at this critical juncture. We are not going to lessen our campaign efforts for a while, so we need as many people to help as possible. I thank you, our volunteers thank you, and I know you will enjoy pitching in. I know I do. So, I repeat my earlier message… ALL HANDS ON DECK. And yes, for those who were wondering, I did, from time to time, clean the bathroom at the Southeast Cuyahoga Democratic Center.

Thank you again,

Andrew Mizsak