In Toledo, Ohio, there is a fellow seeking election to the position of Mayor who labels himself as an "outsider." I refer to Wade Patrick Kapszukiewicz, who was born on October 30, 1972 in San Diego, California.
In 1995, after having just reached the age of 23, Wade Kapszukiewicz was elected in November to the Governing Board of the Lucas County Educational Service Center.
Very soon afterwards, while in the middle of his elected 4-year term on the LCESC Governing Board, Wade announced he was having a political fundraiser as he proclaimed his intention to run for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. He abandoned that political goal when the Lucas County Democratic Party tapped Toledo City Councilwoman Jeanine Perry for State Representative; and in return, Wade received a promise that he would be appointed to the unexpired term on Toledo City Council vacated by Jeanine Perry upon her election to the Ohio House seat. Wade resigned his seat on the LCESC Governing Board in order to accept the appointment to Toledo City Council.
In 1999, after having been first appointed to an unexpired term on Toledo City Council, Wade sought and won election to a full term on Toledo City Council.
In 2002, while on Toledo City Council, Wade unsuccessfully sought appointment to a vacant unexpired elected term on the Board of Lucas County Commissioners.
In 2004, while still on Toledo City Council and shortly after having won a new elected term to that seat, Wade sought and won election to become Lucas County Treasurer. While the election for Lucas County Treasurer takes place in November, the term of office for Lucas County Treasurer actually does not begin until September of the following year. Rather than fulfilling his elected time on Toledo City Council, Wade lobbied almost immediately to be appointed to the office of Lucas County Treasurer many, many months prior to the official beginning date of the term to which he was elected. An early appointment did not happen, and Wade had to wait until September 2005 to take over the Treasurer’s office.
In 2015, Wade announced his desire to run for Mayor of the City of Toledo, Ohio in the special election that was being held due to the unfortunate death of incumbent Mayor Mike Collins in mid-term. However, Wade dropped those plans and instead publicly announced his support and endorsement of Paula Hicks-Hudson to be elected as Mayor.
In 2016, Wade ran for re-election as Lucas County Treasurer. He won that election in November: but, the new term does not begin until September 2017.
So, here we are now in the year 2017 and Wade has decided he really doesn’t want to be Lucas County Treasurer, after all. Instead, he has decided that he would rather be the Mayor of Toledo, Ohio.
The following is a direct quote from Wade's mayoral campaign website:
"We know what the status quo looks like. We know what doing the same old thing and making the same old decisions will produce: more of the same.
I’m not a member of City Council. I’m not the Mayor. If you are happy with the status quo, I am not your candidate. If you think Toledo government is headed in the right direction, I am not your candidate. If you think the answers to Toledo’s problems reside within city government, I am not your candidate.
But if you think we need fresh ideas, new energy, and an outsider’s perspective, I will be your voice."
Note: Within the quote, I have placed in bold type part of Wade's campaign rhetoric in order to draw attention to the irony and the hypocrisy of the words he uses with the reality of Wade's political history itself.
Now you tell me: How can a person who has held one political office or another in the same community for the past 22 years be considered an outsider?
Wade reminds me of a joke. Let me tell you the joke and decide for yourself if it doesn't seem to allude to Wade.
Question: How do you tell when a politician is lying?
Answer: When his lips are moving.
Presently age 44. it sure seems to me that Wade Kapszukiewicz of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio is nothing short of being a Career Politician.
