Phil Responds to Anti-Phil Van Treuren Letter

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Phil Van Treuren, the Amherst City Councilman, can expect more of this type of criticism as he vies for the Lorain County Commissioner seat currently held by Ted Kalo. In fact, after reading the writer’s statement that he is concerned about Vets who “proffer Veteran status as an automatic qualification for public office” begs me to ask about why he did not include an anti-Mandel sentiment in his letter as well.


Mr. Van Treuren is a well qualified candidate, boots or no boots, and his commitment to protect the People of Lorain County from higher taxes and an expanding push to suppress personal rights is one we need to support.


Note to Critic: I Didn’t Run For Office to Make Government Bigger or Create More Laws
July 20, 2012

A critic of mine recently sent in a letter to local newspapers slamming me because I haven’t tried to create more laws or expand government during my time as an Amherst City Councilman.  Here’s the letter:

To the Editor:
Voicing an opinion regarding Veterans is often a tricky proposition.  Accusations of being anti-veteran or anti-patriotic are usually leveled by those who oppose a stance taken by a Veteran.
I am a Veteran, I have been a USO volunteer and an advocate for legitimate Veterans’ rights and benefits for years.  And, I am becoming increasingly concerned about candidates, such as Phil VanTreuen, who  proffer Veteran status as an automatic qualification for public office.  Mr. VanTreuen is running his “boots” campaign for Lorain County Commissioner against Ted Kalo.  While I applaud and thank Phil for his military service, his performance as an Amherst Councilman is a clear indication that his “boots” campaign should be ‘given the boot.’

In 3+ years on Amherst City Council, Mr. VanTreuen has not submitted a single piece of legislation.  Minutes from council meetings over the last 3 years indicate that he has been nearly silent, almost never offering opinions on issues.  He has voted a straight party line on virtually every issue put before him.  This is clearly not the performance of a leader.

So again, let’s thank Mr. VanTreuen for his for his service, but let’s also recognize that service in our military does not necessarily translate into the courage and leadership needed for effective governance.

–James J. Vargo, North Ridgeville


Phil’s response;


“First of all, I doubt that someone who had supposedly spent hours studying “minutes from council meetings over the last 3 years” would still not know how to spell my name correctly.  And any Amherst resident who watches our council meetings on the local cable channel knows that I don’t hesitate to ask questions or make comments on issues if I think it’s necessary . . . saying that I’ve been “nearly silent” over the last three years is a bit of a stretch.
But neither of those falsehoods are the most important issue here.  Mr. Vargo implies in his letter that an elected official must sponsor or make new laws in order to be effective.  I couldn’t disagree more.
Remember: the more laws that we add to the books, the more we make our citizens into law-violators.  I didn’t run for Amherst City Council to create more laws that further restrict the freedoms of our residents, and I have no interest in expanding the power of local government.
In the last several years, the amount of legislation that Amherst City Council has passed has sharply plummeted . . . and I think that’s a good thing.  We’re on target this year for a record low amount of legislation at about 50 pieces if the current trend continues.
I believe in the old saying that “the government is best that governs least,” and I don’t think that simply introducing new laws and legislation makes a good elected official.  If I have the honor of being elected as your next Lorain County Commissioner, you can expect me to continue to fight against the expansion of government’s control over our lives.”


Learn more about Phil Van Treuren at http://www.philvantreuren.com/

Mr. Vargo, if you don’t think you are over taxed and under represented at every level of government; you must think that continuing to increase taxes and robbing the People of their money and property is the “courage and leadership needed for effective governance”. I do not.

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