WHAT IS THE QUESTION STARK COUNTIANS SHOULD BE ASKING THE COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES?

The question is:  WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO TURN AROUND THE STARK COUNTY ECONOMY?

One of the reasons (in addition to the generally troubled U.S. and Ohio economies) that Stark County is worse off than most other Ohio counties is that, over recent decades, Stark County has had the misfortune to have had some of the least imaginative, foreseeing and visionary commissioners in the state.

And the current slate of commissioners is nothing to write home about.  Commissioner Todd Bosley (VW plant, Biomass, et cet) is the only one among himself, Commissioner Meeks and Commissioner Ferguson that seem to harbor any "economic development" characteristics.

Commissioner Ferguson did try to get the defunct Doctors Hospital facility in Perry Township converted into a Veterans hospital, but he was way too late (he should have been working on it before he became commissioner) to have any chance whatsoever to pull that off.

Of course, there is former commissioner Tom Harmon and his (err Elizabeth Burick's) horse show arena project at the Stark County Fairgrounds.  This one may even get off the ground, but it is way, way to small (compared to what it could have been) to impact the 13.3% unemployment figure very much.

Remember, Harmon, when he was appointed in 2007, was full of promises (search the archives of the SCPR under "Harmon" for the list).  But when he got into office, it was mostly to just hold office.  Then he gets elected in his own right, only to serve less than a year on his new term.  Obviously, Harmon had no plan.

The SCPR suspects that among Bernabei, Walters, Windham, Meeks and Creighton; none of them have a plan either.

The SCPR promises each one of them that The Report will not rest during the time of the run up to the general election until each of them comes up with a plan.

If they doubt that The Report will be pressing them, they need go no further than ask Commissioners Bosley and Ferguson and former Commissioner Harmon.

In putting together their plans, the commissioner candidates should keep in mind that the SCPR will use their individually formulated plan as a standard to judge whether or not the electorally successful candidates are getting the job done for Stark County.