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As Jill over at WLST pointed out in a comment on my post from this morning’s CuyCo BOE meeting, you’ve got to love the irony associated with now former Cuyahoga County Elections Board member Edward Coaxum’s (pronounced coax - just like the word ; and sum - like the arithmetic answer from adding a list of numbers - as in coax sum) name and his decision to tender his resignation from the Board. No matter what Coaxum’s intentions toward his fellow board members, he couldn’t coax ‘em to come along with him in resigning.

I was never a fan of Mr. Coaxum’s contrary style on the Board, but I’ve got to give him his props for stepping down. Especially in light of when he chose to make his announcement following Board President (and Ohio GOP Chairman) Bob Bennett’s lengthy dissertation of who’s to blame for the board’s recent shortcomings. Mr. Bennett began his prepared litany (which he delivered at the beginning of the meeting) by singling out former Board employee Fran Lally and board legal counsel Reno Oradini as the real culprits for allowing recently convicted BOE employees Jacqueline Maiden and Kathleen Dreamer to commit the acts that resulted in their sentencing. As I said in an earlier post, this board spends an inordinate amount of effort placing blame and seldom is willing to accept some responsibility.

Following Mr. Bennett’s claims, Democratic party appointee Loree Soggs insisted on pointing out that Mr. Bennett did not speak on his behalf, nor should the statement be perceived as the voice of the collective board. It was at this point that Mr. Coaxum spoke up and said that he had considered staying on with his fellow board members to fight the Secretary of State’s demand for their resignations, but in light of Bennett’s statement decided that enough was enough.

Good for Edward Coaxum.

Since coaxing them didn’t work, perhaps we need someone named Ken Vince to fill the now vacant seat and finish the job.