STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT

What readers of the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) have to like is The Report's commitment to "fair play."

How many times has The Repository or other media done an editorial or a reporter piece making or insinuating certain things about the person being written about but does not afford that person to defend/explain him/herself.

Many, many. As Gayle Beck, the editorial page editor of The Rep has said: "It's our newspaper and we will run it our way" (paraphrase). And, The Rep (in the opinion of The Report) does exactly that. The Rep has an agenda to promote/protect certain Stark County public figures/officials (e.g. former Canton mayor Janet Creighton)

This will not happen on The Report.

In an earlier piece, The Report questioned how Republican Travis Secrest (running against Democrat Tom Harmon) as part of his campaign could be promising to cut Stark Countians taxes in light of the crisis in funding the county is experienceing: Here is Secrest's reply:

Cut taxes - First of all, there is support coming from the board of commissioners for raising the county sales tax. I do not support raising our counties sales tax. With our counties economy struggling as it is, this is the wrong time to raise the sales tax. We also need to make things easier on the businesses in the county. This will be used as a way to attract new businesses to the county as well. I would like to cut taxes for companies or businesses who take the time and money to clean and use brown spaces in our cities.

I feel that Chief Dordea will manage his budget more efficiently than Sheriff Swanson. The criminal justice system (jails, courts ect.) take the largest chunk of the counties budget. They receive $18 million of the $56 million budget. I believe that public safety is one of the top priorities for our commissioners and that they should have the proper funding to do so. I also believe that their budget should be properly managed.

So there you have it folks. When you see the the "soapbox," you know that you are about to read the words of the candidate him/herself.

The Report running a sequenced interview format with candidates. For instance, note that Secrest in his remarks impliedly knows that one of the commissioners favors raising Stark Countians taxes. The Report has gotten back to Secrest asking him to identify and the basis of his knowledge.

The Report awaits Secrest's response. Once it is received, The Report will publish it. Of course, the response may generate more questions. You can depend on The Report to be thorough but fair.