Todd Portunes comments in the enquirer article earlier this week really put experience in to perspective. Thanks Todd! In my 50 plus years in Hamilton County I have come to know Charlie Luken and Ted Winkler fairly well. I served with Charlie Luken while I was on Cincinnati City Council and I worked with him in partnership after I became a Hamilton County Commissioner. Ted Winkler and I have worked together on issues at Hamilton County. But Ted and I go back even further. So far, that while I was in college I was Teds camp counselor when Ted was a cross country runner at Colerain High School. Because so little is generally known about the position of Probate Judge, their race may come down to simply a battle of name recognition. And with both of them having well known political names in Hamilton County, this race may likely be decided, without more, upon name recognition alone. Due to its vital importance to the county, our next Probat...e Judge must be decided by much more than that. From my seat on the County Commission I see the influence of the Probate Court at every stage of life. Our Probate Judge requires a wide array of life experiences in order to bring that broad world view to the issues that the Court administers - issues involving mental competency; life ending decisions; issues directly affecting how children grow up and who is involved in taking on the role of mother, or father, or both. In reading Ted Winklers letter I walk away with the conclusion that Ted believes the vote for Probate Judge should be decided by which of them is best able to apply the rules of civil procedure, or which of the two of them put more bad guys in jail. Being Probate Judge may well require a working knowledge of the rules of procedure [which both Charlie and Ted possess] but it has little to nothing to do with the prosecution of crimes. Instead, being a Probate Judge requires hands on experience at overseeing a large bureaucracy. The position requires being able to serve as an executive CEO while managing a large organization. The courtroom qualifications of a Probate Judge are mostly about bringing the wisdom of a life of experiences to the courtroom in ways that equip the Judge to be able to balance the thorny issues of family relationships; life ending decisions; mental competencies; and to provide guidance and direction to the fractured youth who emerge from broken homes. As I have weighed what is most important about this position, and considered the relative experiences and strengths of both candidates I have made up my mind and that is to vote for Charlie Luken for Hamilton County Probate Judge. Charlie brings the proper blend of a wide array of lifes experiences to the diverse roles and responsibilities of Hamilton County Probate Judge. Lukens resume is much stronger and broader than the limited comments about him made by Ted Winkler in his letter above. Quite the contrary, Charlie Luken sat in the CEOs chair at the City of Cincinnati in three different decades, balancing budgets larger than Hamilton Countys and facing the lonely task of having to make decisions that oftentimes impacted an entire region. Charlie Lukens multiple career experiences, both here and in Washington, will uniquely serve us all when he is called to judge the myriad issues from birth to death that are presented by Hamilton Countys diverse metropolitan population. Charlie Luken is nothing, if not battle tested. A quality that a Judge must possess in order to maintain an even keel while forming the decisions he must make as a Judge. And, Luken is a consummate professional with a proven track record of hiring the most qualified people, and of making the right decisions, without regard to Party, or to other improper influence. Charlie Luken will serve our county well and is the candidate who is deserving of your support. I urge you to vote for Charlie Luken for Hamilton County Probate Judge on November 4th. Sincerely, Todd Portune Hamilton County Commissioner
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 13:29:18 +0000
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