Former Boardman Trustee Kathy Miller distinguished herself once again, this time not by idiotic forums and decisions she made as a local public official, but on the national stage as the Mahoning County campaign coordinator for U.S. Presidential Republican candidate Donald Trump.
      In a published statement, that was widely distributed, Miller made so-called racially-charged remarks, particularly saying there wasn’t any racism before President Barak Obama’s election. She also made a broad statement that low voter turnout among blacks could be related to “the way they are raised.”
      In light of those comments last week, Miller promptly resigned from her post as Trump’s Mahoning County campaign chair, a position that neither Mahoning County GOP chairman, Mark Munroe, or Miller’s replacement, Tracey Winbush, know how she got.
      Mrs. Miller’s remarks and forced resignation come as no surprise to The Boardman News.
      We recall during the tenure of then Boardman Trustees Miller, Thomas Costello and Elaine Mancini, when Jeffrey Patterson served as Chief of Police; and Curt B. Seditz served as Township Administrator; there were some two dozen or so applicants for the position of dispatcher. The list of applicants was reviewed and whittled-down to the top-six candidates, one of whom was a black woman who was a college graduate and most-importantly, well-qualified for the position.
      “The last thing we need is to start filling the place up with unqualified blacks,” Miller said of the dispatcher applicant. One of those sat in on the meeting and who asked not to be named, told The Boardman News that Miller made the statement not once, but twice.
      Mrs. Miller’s method of governance as a township trustee was perhaps, best described by current Trustee Larry Moliterno, who once opined at a township meeting “What bothers me...I am frustrated by [Mrs. Miller] who makes no meaningful contributions...and yet stands on the sidelines and attacks decisions that are made.”
      Mr. Moliterno only scratched the surface of Mrs. Miller’s ignominious tenure as a township trustee, when upwards of a dozen police officers resigned (fled), a fire station was closed down, overtime use in the fire department reached hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars, and ‘other’ township officials were constantly debased on social media. At one point, Mrs. Miller sought to replace the township’s computer specialist with her own son.
      If the truth be known, Mr. Trump’s campaign was advised in early June, 2016 that Mrs. Miller needed to be fully vetted before being named Mahoning County chair of Trump’s campaign.
      “You need to turn this one away. This lady will be bad news to you,” the Trump campaign was told via a series of e-mail exchanges.
      Look what happened!
      And despite the furor over her remarks, Mrs. Miller still stands by her statements, a reflection of her knowledge of the history of not only Mahoning County, but the United States.
      Mrs. Miller’s resignation from Trump’s campaign, also shows how the Mahoning County Republican Party had to re-think and adjust its positions on this year’s presidential race.
      Prior to the party’s national convention in Cleveland, the Mahoning County GOP stood solidly behind Ohio’s quirky Republican Gov. John Kasich, who stayed in the presidential race despite an inability to gain voter approval in primary elections.
      The governor even failed to show-up at the national convention in Cleveland, if only to welcome all the delegates to the Buckeye state.
      Finally, when Trump was nominated, the Mahoning County GOP got behind the nominee.
      That was after Winbush made a host of comments on social media that criticized Trump. So, after Winbush was named to replace Miller, she immediately was criticized for her ‘pre-convention’ remarks about Trump.
      Winbush readily admits those pre-convention remarks were “a mistake” and has pledged to work tirelessly for Mr. Trump.
      With that simple admission, already Winbush has shown character that Mrs. Miller has never displayed.
      Recall, when Patrick Berarducci resigned as Police Chief in Boardman, when Mrs. Miller was a Township Trustee?
      “The job here is affecting my health,” Chief Berarducci said upon his resignation.
      Mrs. Miller has had the same affect on the Trump campaign.