GET IT ON!!! WALTERS? CURTICIAN? PETERS, JR.? OR WHOMEVER VERSUS BOSLEY - A REFERENDUM ON THE REPEALED SALES/USE TAX?

Republican Jackson trustee James N. Walters has taken out his petition to run against incumbent commissioner Democrat Todd Bosley.

So has Cantonian Steve Curtician.

If this proves to be the total Republican field, you can write Curtician off right now.

Curtician doesn't have the political savvy to answer when the media comes calling.  Yours truly called him several weeks ago to get a take on him to report to the readers of the Stark County Political Report.  No answer.  Silence, silence and more silence.

Strange for a man that nobody knows.

Ya just have to wonder about some of these folks who decide to run for office.

They don't seem to have a clue about running for office, let alone governing.

Whatever.

James Walters, on the other hand, has been very accessible.

Walters is a guy who had the smarts to see an opportunity when it presented itself.

In 2007, when Democrat Steve Meeks vacated his trustee seat in Jackson, he decided that the seat was a family heirloom and put his wife Patty up to running for the seat.

Who would stand up to Meeks' political arrogance?

Only one person in Jackson - James N. Walters.

Why only one name?

Likely, because most of the wannabes in Jackson were afraid of the power of the Meeks political name.  After all, Steve had just been appointed to a high level position by the incoming Strickland administration.

So Walters will "seize the day" and take on the mighty and powerful.  The win - 54% to 46% over Meeks was impressive indeed.

Interesting enough, if Walters can survive the Republican primary, the man he will oppose - Commissioner Todd Bosley - is a man in his own right "who has come out of nowhere" and taken on the politically powerful to become commissioner.

Bosley came out of the obscurity of Nimishillen Township where elected officials (Trustees Shafer and Lynch) and its fire chief  (Peterson) fight a rear guard action for provincialism in fighting Bosley's springboard to political success:  "the fixing of 9-1-1 with revamping of the system into a 'state-of-the-art' centralized, countywide dispatch."

While a trustee, Bosley took on Nimishillen's most powerful fellow trustee (Russ Goffus) and has seemingly retired Goffus from ever holding office again in Nimishillen.

Next up (2006), Richard Regula of the Congressman Ralph Regula political jaugernaught.

Nobody, including yours truly, have Bosley "a snowball's chance in Hell of winning."

But guess what?  He did.

The SCPR does believe that at least one other Republican (of note - dismissing Curtician), namely; Donnie Peters, Jr. (a Republican councilman in Massillon) will file.

Walters will have two obstacles to overcome in besting Peters, Jr. if he follows through and runs.  First, he is the choice of the Stark County Republican organization (reportedly Matthews has asked Peters, Jr. to run) and he is "best?" friends with former Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

The SCPR believes that Maier has never "really" liked Bosley because Bosley is his own man and does not take orders from anyone.

Could it be that Maier is looking for an opportunity the get "politically" even?

What is the basis for this statement?

An example.

The SCPR believes that Maier (back in 2007) through his political appendage - Shane Jackson (Stark County Democratic Party political director who is a member of the Stark politically ensconced Jackson family) tried to stymie Bosley on voting for the license plate increase.

Bosley refused the entreaty and voted for the increase.

So in addition to being close friends with Peters, Jr. notwithstanding their political differences (Maier - Democrat; Peters, Jr. Republican). Maier has this "being snubbed by Bosley factor" as incentive - to boot - that could be a problem to Bosley if Peters, Jr. does run and becomes the Republican nominee.

At the end of the day, the SCPR believes Walters will survive a Peters, Jr. challenge (if it comes) and Stark Countians will have a Walters versus Bosley race to ponder.

Should Peters, Jr. get in and win the nomination, then it will be interesting to see how Maier positions himself.

If Walters is the Republican nominee, the battle will clearly be over Bosley's connection to the "imposed" sales/use tax recently voted down 64% to 36% by Stark County voters.

Walters was seen at the "Vote No Increased Taxes Committee" celebration at the 356th Fighter Group on election night. 

The SCPR takes this alliance (Walters/the Vote No folks) to be a harbinger of framework of the fight on the prospect of a Walters versus Bosley November, 2010 showdown!