UPDATE: MONDAY MORNING AT 1:00 AM
UPDATE: SUNDAY AT 2:00 PM
Today the Akron Beacon Journal is reporting (Three local mayors sign resolution supporting same-sex marriage) that Mayor Healy (along with Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic and Stow Mayor Sarah Drew) has signed onto a resolution being pushed by a group which calls it self Freedom to Marry.
The article goes onto state that Healy and his fellow mayors signed onto the following statement:
“As mayors of great American cities, we proudly stand together in support of the freedom of same-sex couples to marry,” the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry resolution states. “We personally know many gay and lesbian people living in our cities who are in committed, loving relationships, who are active participants in the civic life of our communities and who deserve to be able to marry the person with whom they share their life.”Back on April 21, 2009 the SCPR did a blog (CLICK HERE FOR A LINK) on Healy campaign reports showing that Healy had received $15,070 from a Tony Dane of Las Vegas, NV known as "an utterly anti-gay basher."
Also, in that April blog, Cantonian Eric Resnick, who was formerly a member of the Canton City Board of Education reference was made by The Report to an email from Resnick, to wit:
The Healy administration has lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender support, and a gay cabinet member. There will be, as time goes on, some administration-led legislation very favorable to LGBT Cantonians. I doubt that contributions from Tony Dane will inoculate the mayor from local nut ball gay haters when that time comes.In light of the Beacon Journal report, one has to wonder whether or not Healy is now considering introducing legislation "very favorable to the LGBT Cantonians?" as predicted by Resnick.
ORIGINAL BLOG
THE REPUBLICANS: MARCH 06, 2012 PRIMARY
Among Stark County Republicans, the most interesting March 6 primary race is between Romney, Santorum, Gingrich, and Paul for the presidential nomination.
In this back and forth race, Romney, in winning Arizona and Michigan on Tuesday, might be building momentum to snare Ohio on Super Tuesday. Week old and older polls gave Rick Santorum the lead. However, recent polls show the the two in virtual dead heat with the momentum on Romney's side.
Ohio in terms of importance seems to be right at the top of the ten (10) states who are having either a primary or a caucus this coming Tuesday.
A national political blog, Politico, reports that Romney and a superpac supporting him has spent $3.39 million dollars on Ohio whereas his chief rival and current front runner Santorum has spent only $527,000.
A key Stark County Republican Stark County Commissioner Janet Creighton tells the SCPR that she had decided to support Mitt Romney for the nomination. With the announcement yesterday that former Stark County Republican Party Chairman Curt Braden and party headquarters stalwart Jane Timken will co-chair a Romney for President committee should he win on Tuesday, it appears that the Stark County Republican Party establishment is squarely behind the former Massachusetts governor.
To the SCPR, Romney's support comes mostly from urban/suburban areas whereas Santorum's strength is rural America. With Canton being Ohio eighth largest city, and Stark County being one of Ohio's more populous counties, it appears that Romney has a good chance to carry Stark.
And if he can get out the vote in the urban/suburban areas in Ohio, he may pull off a Michigan and overtake Santorum in the waning days leading up to March 6th.
Romney must feel that Stark County is a fertile field for him inasmuch as he has a rally set for 8:00 a.m. tomorrow at Gregory Industries located at 4100 13th St SW, Canton, Ohio.
THE DEMOCRATS: MARCH 06, 2012 PRIMARY
Among Stark County Democrats, the really big race Tuesday is one that most folks wouldn't believe, even political junkies.
It is the question of who is going to be the 29th District (which parallels the Ohio Senate district currently held by Republican Scott Oelslager), Democratic State Committeeman.
A lower profile race is at the Stark County Democratic Party precinct committee person level at which level it appears to the SCPR that Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II has begun a long range campaign to take over the Stark County Democratic Party
AT THE STATE LEVEL
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern is in the fight of his life to retain the chairmanship. Since the Democrats got "their clocks cleaned" last November, there has been a hue and cry for him to step down. But Redfern is going nowhere and is, in fact, running for re-election which is to be held shortly after the March 6th primary which selects the committeemen and committeewomen who will be voting on the chairmanship.
The anti-Redfern is sort of a political payback to Redfern who was part of a move to oust Harry Meshel as Democratic chairman after Ohio statewide Democrats suffered a political bloodbath in the 1994 elections. Of course, we all remember who was perhaps the prime force behind the massive Republican nationwide victory: none other than current GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.
Redfern has apparently concluded he cannot expect support from Stark County's Democratic political leadership and therefore has reached out to Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II to be his man from Stark. Healy was only too glad to accommodate Redfern who was a big help to Healy in his drive to be re-elected mayor in November, 2011.
Who are the Stark Democrats who, apparently, are abandoning Redfern?
Well you can start with the endorsers of state Rep. Stephen Slesnick listed below and add the Jackson clan (i.e. former Stark County Commissioner Gayle Jackson, her son Shane, and Stark County Recorder Rick Campbell, who is married to Gayle's daughter Lisa who is Plain Township chief administrator and who works for Trustee Louis Giavasis [and, of course, the other two trustees] who works for Stark County Clerk of Courts Nancy Reinbold).
A politically tight group, no?
A little bit confusing to the SCPR is the inclusion of Commissioner Pete Ferguson and perhaps Tom Bernabei on the list. They don't seem to belong.
Ferguson frequently tells yours truly that he does not include himself in the Stark Dems "good ole boy" network and, in yours truly's experience, Bernabei is a bit too much of a independent-minded person to fit very comfortably in a "good ole boy" network.
Moreover, both Republicans and Democrats have high regard for Canton's former long term law director, except maybe for Mayor Healy.
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
The SCPR believes and has written that Healy is, along with Stark County's union leadership, dissatisfied with Gonzalez's Stark County leadership (the SCPR broke the story of Healy's effort on October 13, 2011 - CLICK HERE FOR LINK) and are waiting for an opportunity to pounce on the chairman and wrestle control of the Stark County Democratic Party away from him.
One source does a good old fashion belly laugh to yours truly at the thought that Healy thinks for one New York Stern School of Business nanosecond that he has what it takes to take out the Stark County Dem "good ole boys"
But The Report's take on Healy is that he thinks big and don't tell him he can't do something when he sets his mind to it. For example, it is has been clear to the SCPR that Healy is out to take over control of the Stark County Democratic Party over the longer term.
Right now he is denying that such is the case because he understands the political realities that it will take successive party precinct elections to slowly but surely get the numbers he needs to name his choice for party chairman and his choice for party nominees for party appointed public official posts as they come up for filling when an Democratic official holder resigns, dies or otherwise removed from office.
With Tuesday's election he has started his project of party takeover and in due course The Report believes he intends to achieve his objective.
Should any of the countywide running Democrats lose this November (e.g. Bernabei, Smuckler, Ferrero, Campbell, Reinbold, Murthy et cetera), Healy's effort will pick up steam within the rank-and-file of the existing organized party. Healy will use any such losses (even of avowed Healy political enemies: e.g. Bernabei and Smuckler) to make his case to those who currently support Gonzalez.
If all the countywide running Democrats win, he will merely continue the long term approach.
For those of us who know Healy well, know there is no quit in Healy and that he is a man of the mind that it is Healy's way, or the highway, pure and simple!
THE HEALY/SLESNICK DYNAMIC: A MEASURE OF HEALY'S STRENGTH WITHIN THE STARK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC ELECTORATE
On the Healy persistence point, one just has to go back two or three years when his administration resembled a shipwreck and nobody thought he could win a Democratic primary race, let alone get re-elected as he did by a comfortable margin; however, not the landslide he likes to claim when in light of the total vote against him.
No one should underestimate William J. Healy, II. He has proven he is a political survivor and he will take on anyone, anytime that is in the way of his political aspirations and if he happens to lose (he lost to Smuckler in the Dem primary of 2003) he just redoubles his effort and comes back all the politically wiser for his losing experience.
He is about as slick and manipulative politician that ever has come down the pike.
Healy, who touts himself as a big union supporter, pulled off having the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce and AultCare sponsor a reception for him just prior to his State of the City address last night.
Unions, Chamber of Commerce, AultCare: strange bedfellows that Healy has cobbled together, no?
Slesnick, on the other hand, relies on his family name and being propped up by the likes of the Stark Dems "good ole boy" network. His innate communication and political skills are virtually non-existent.
Since he does have the support of the Stark County organized Democratic Party establishment, one would expect him to win next Tuesday.
But will he?
You can bet that Maier et al will be holding their collective breaths as the votes are counted in the evening hours of March 6th.
A Healy win (both personally and in the precinct races) will likely be taken by the mayor as some sort of mandate to go all out to reform the Stark County Democratic Party and to fight to keep his man in Columbus in control of the Ohio Democratic Party.
No comments:
Post a Comment