The more and more the SCPR looks at the political side of William J. Healy, II, it appears he is putting together a master campaign to attain another term as mayor of Canton.
A paradox, a true paradox!
Despite his credentials of being an accomplished business/finance man, Mayor Healy has not been able to keep Canton from sliding into what Council President Allen Schulman says is a financial death spiral.
Healy has long heralded his sophistication and expertise at "all matters business" in pointing to his attaining an MBA from the New York Stern School of Business. And yesterday, on the Ron Ponder Points to Ponder Show (WHBC1480), he was bragging about his Wall Street and Silicon Valley connections.
The Report believes that Healy's self-proclaimed financial and by implication economic development bravado is exactly that bravado.
However, he does have a skill and it is being the master political manipulator.
Between his announcement of running for mayor and May 3rd, Cantonians are seeing and will continue to see Healy using the power of incumbency to facilitate his retaining office.
It does appear that Stark's Republicans are taking serious aim at Healy in November. If Healy deems the Republican effort to be a threat to his continuing in office, Canton will see the quintessential politically-accomplished Mayor go full bore on his political mastery against the Republican who survives their May primary.
At February's "Monthly Financial Review Meeting," Healy proclaimed that Canton has survived the nation's economic downturn, BUT there is, he says, a huge threat on the horizon that threatens Canton's recovery, to wit: the state of Ohio and the Republicans' coming assault on local government funding.
The BUT is political cover for Healy. He knows full well (as he has to have known for upwards of a year now) that there are going to be substantial cuts by Ohio on local government funding. They would have occurred even if Democrat GovernorTed Strickland had been retained by Ohioans.
The SCPR's take on Canton's finances is that with zero cuts in state monies to local government, Canton still is in financial and economic development free fall. However, with the state cuts (15%, 50% or 100%; whatever they turn out to be), Healy will blame Columbus for Canton's failure to rebound.
No doubt the coming state cuts will make it tough for all localities. BUT those with foresight and the political will to cut local government services will survive as a workable unit of government.
On yesterday's Ponder program, Healy revealed that he had been contacted by Governor Kasich and that he was to meet with Kasich at 5:00 PM last evening and would report on Ponder today, the results of the meeting.
Here is Healy speaking for himself.
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