Whatever's Fair: The Political Autobiography of Ohio House Speaker Vern Riffe (review)

Ten years after his death, Kent State University Press has published a "political autobiography" of Vern Riffe (1925–1997), the longtime Democratic speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. Mostly written after his retirement from politics in 1994, with the help of a journalist and former aide, seven chapters recount Riffe's early life in the southern Ohio town of New Boston, his rise to power through a thirty-six-year career in the Ohio House, and his personal assessments of the four governors with whom he worked, from James Rhodes in the 1960s and 1970s to George Voinovich in the early 1990s. The book presents one insider's view of an era of significant change in the character of state government, both in terms of policy outcomes and in the financing and operation of political campaigns.

Except for military service in North Africa and Italy during World War II and two years working for the Norfolk and Western Railroad in the later 1940s, Riffe lived all of his life in a small industrial town just outside Ports-mouth, Ohio. As the son and namesake of a popular long-time mayor of New Boston, he benefited from family and political connections to win his first legislative race in 1958, part of a Democratic majority that came to power with Governor Michael V. DiSalle. Riffe paid attention to his district and kept winning reelection, although Republicans controlled the General Assembly and governorship for most of the 1960s. Even so, Riffe happily worked with Republican James Rhodes, also of southern Ohio roots, to get state projects for his district, most notably in that period the 1968 decision to build the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility at Lucasville to replace the aging state penitentiary in Columbus. The 1970s brought substantial gains to Ohio's Democrats, beginning with the election of John Gilligan as governor in 1970. Two years later Democrats took control of the Ohio House, and in 1975 Riffe successfully challenged A. G. Lancione for the speakership.

During Riffe's twenty years as House speaker, the number of legislative committees increased, General Assembly oversight of the state budget and state agencies expanded, and in 1989 a new state office building, the Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts, finally afforded to each legislator his or her own office and staff support. Riffe expected loyalty and discipline from his Democratic caucus, and usually received them, at least until the last few years of his speakership. He could tolerate a desire for independence on specific issues of concern to particular lawmakers, and he details the sometimes turbulent but basically cooperative relationship with African American Democrats, led during most of his tenure by C. J. McLin of Dayton. Riffe also details the great attention he paid to fund-raising for Democratic candidates. He was determined that the party would raise sufficient funds to keep its candidates competitive for years to come, and his birthday party became a major annual fund-raising event. At the same time Riffe asserts throughout the book that he didn't particularly enjoy raising campaign money and that he supported campaign finance reform.

Riffe used his power base in the House to shape public policy and budgetary decision making during the Gilligan, Rhodes, Celeste, and Voinovich administrations. He has positive things to say about all of them, although it is clear that with George Voinovich he had the least effective working relationship. Riffe speaks forcefully, even eloquently, about his support for greater state funding for education and human services and the increases in state taxes required to pay for them. Differences in his social and personal background with those of urban-oriented John Gilligan and Richard Celeste are noted, but for the most part Riffe saw eye to eye with his fellow Democratic leaders. During the 1980s he continued to be effective for...