ARE ANY OF THE CANDIDATES FOR STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DREAMERS AND DOERS?

On February 1, 2010, Jeff Gauger, executive editor of the Canton Repository wrote in Without Stark's dreamers, our goose is cooked that his purpose in writing the piece was to "embolden the dreamers."

Let us all say amen, amen and amen!

Moreover, it should be the purpose of all Stark Countians to expand the Gauger quote to read "to embolden the dreamers and doers!"

While what is done in the private sector is important; it should be Stark public officials who create a great outline of possibility thinking for all of Stark County and its communities and then go to work at breakneck speed  breaking down barriers and generating revenues to get big, big projects going.

An interesting side to Gauger's editorial is that he cites no public officials as being in the dreamer class.  And the SCPR agrees with him, if his silence on public officialdom means he sees no dreamers in that category; Stark County is bereft of such.

Stark County is where it is today - on a downward spiral - because of the uninspired elected public officials who have held office in the last decade or so.

However, what is done is done and we have no choice but look to the future.

For Stark County "looking to the future," means examining very carefully who comes out of the Stark County commissioner races as the victors.

During the campaign that is to come, voters and media need to press each of the county commissioner candidates to come up with a dream for the future of Stark County and some specific ideas about how they are going to make the dreams become a reality.

Stark has had from its elected leaders a few ideas surface that approximate having a dream for Stark County, but darned few:  Commissioner Ferguson's VA hospital at the old Doctors Hospital (Perry Township), Commissioner Bosley's Biomass project and even former Commissioner Harmon's appropriation of the Elizabeth Burick horse show exposition arena idea.

None of these fit within any articulated grand plan.  They are hit and miss.  In fact, Ferguson's idea is a total miss.

The SCPR challenges each of the prospective Stark County commissioner candidates (Bernabei, Creighton, Meeks, Stevens and Walters [as of February 5th]) to construct a great plan for Stark County's future.

Stark County's voters should only consider voting for candidates who present such a plan that, with persistence, pugnaciousness and purpose, can become dreams realized.