Michigan: Oakland County Clerk to run with DeVos for governor...

[livvy]

and she has no plans to step down from her current position to do so.

This is from Scamway Dick's website....(ewww...I feel dirty just visiting the site.)
08/14/2006
DeVos names Ruth Johnson as lieutenant governor nominee

Dick DeVos today announced that Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson would join him on the ticket to bring change to Michigan this November. Johnson is a former state legislator, county commissioner, social worker and public school teacher who has devoted her career to public service.

>snip

Johnson is the first woman elected clerk in Oakland County's 176-year history. She reformed the office, providing many online services to residents and saving Oakland County taxpayers millions of dollars. Her resume includes serving three terms as a state legislator in Lansing where she was Assistant Whip in the House. Johnson's experience as a county official and state legislator means she understands the unique local and municipal government challenges Michigan residents face and can get the job done in Lansing.
http://www.devosforgovernor.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=155

Here is an editorial published in today's Oakland Press. What they fail to mention is the conflict of interest her position as county clerk is to running for office.

It just doesn't seem right

Web-posted Aug 19, 2006

EDITORIAL

Oakland County taxpayers have a couple of good reasons to give special attention to the top of the Nov. 7 general ballot. Two of our top elected officials - Sheriff Michael Bouchard and Clerk Ruth Johnson - will be difficult to overlook on Election Day.

Bouchard won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in the Aug. 8 primary and soon will be facing off against incumbent Debbie Stabenow. And it was in this space last Saturday we pointed out the good deal he's got - spending a lot of his time running for Senate while still collecting his $133,588 annual salary as sheriff.

Meanwhile, Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos this week selected Johnson as his running mate in the GOP's effort to oust incumbent Gov. Jennifer Granholm. So, for the next couple of months, Johnson will be traveling the state in her role as candidate for lieutenant governor while continuing to collect her annual clerk's salary.

Coincidentally, it's also $133,588.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/081906/opi_2006081943.shtml

Finally, here are some bits from the County's website:
>snip
Online access is now available to the county's Assumed Names/Co-Partnership business database, the State of Michigan's Notary index and absentee ballot applications. The county's veterans can easily access military discharge applications electronically too.

Her accomplishments include obtaining - with the help of local clerks, the Board of Commissioners and the Secretary of State - more than $5 million in grants for the purchase of new M-100 voting equipment for all of Oakland County's 61 communities.
>snip
http://www.oakgov.com/clerkrod/elected_off_bio/

Looks like we have some work to do in Michigan.

[UrbScotty]

1. From the Michigan Democratic Party

http://www.michigandems.com/081806prs.html

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

2. my county hired a Michigan Election Director

Hey, my county (Forsyth) refused to buy Diebold touchscreens
back in December, and our election director got mad and QUIT!

Halleluiah I say, except of course our State Board of Elections
promoted her to a position of district manager.
(that way she could spread her bad attitude).

Anyway, we got a guy from Flint.

We don't elect our election officials, our appointed county
board of elections hires them.

Each county has 3 BOE members, 2 are of the governor's party
(democrat right now) and 1 is of the minority party (GOP right now).

There are no certified third parties, and only the two majority parties
can be on BOE even if they were certified.

[muntrv]

3. DeVos latest add blames Governor Granholm for not beating out

Indiana for a Honda Plant. The other 48 states didn't compete for the plant either, so why blame Granholm?

[MichiganVote]

4. Cuz' he's an asshole