FEDERAL, STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT ITSELF (e.g. North Canton City Council): "THE KILLING FIELDS OF 'LOCAL GOVERNMENT?"

ALSO, from the vantage point of federal/local government interaction:

PART "TWO" OF A "THREE" PART BLOG: LAKE TWP, STARK CO. RESIDENT PETRIFIED AT THE COMING OF "NEXUS PIPELINE" TO HIS NEIGHBORHOOD

LINK to Part One

UPDATED:  04:45 PM

 VIDEOS

as an example of local government
[North Canton] itself being
"it own worst enemy"
in terms of connecting with
everyday citizens 
 

North Canton

Councilwoman Marcia Kiesling

on

Reasons

 North Canton Parking Lot Appeals

Should Be Denied
========================= 
PAUL GIEROSKY
COalition to Re-route Nexus 
on
Timeline & Politics
on Nexus Pipeline
(in process)

Yesterday, the Ohio Supreme Court (i.e. "the State of Ohio) dealt a blow to the sustainability of local government.

But there was telling dissent, to wit:

And going deeper than yesterday's Beck decision, we can blame locals (i.e. Stark County-based elected officials) for participating in the laying of the ground work for Beck, to wit:

Stark County connected legislators (to emphasize to point of local participation in loss of local control) helped create legislation which was the basis of Beck.

How so?

From the 2010 SCPR blog:

Kudos to Giavasis and Cirelli for doing their part to preserve the power of our local governments to have a say in what and will not be permitted in our collective backyards.

PART "TWO" OF A "THREE" PART BLOG: LAKE TWP, STARK CO. RESIDENT PETRIFIED AT THE COMING OF "NEXUS PIPELINE" TO HIS NEIGHBORHOOD

On the federal government front, Stark County's Lake, Marlboro and Nimishillen townships are threatened with the probability that the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) will allow 42" (that 3-1/2 feet folks) diameter 1400 psi powered natural gas pipeline to be built mere feet from some residences thereby endangering the lives and property (over 2,500 feet spread) of  our friends, neighbors and relatives should the pipeline rupture.

Probably?

The SCPR thinks so.

The main protagonist on getting federal government approval to construct the pipeline is investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to our legislators and political parties likely designed to bring in legislator pressure on FERC should the commission bulk on giving the approval.

And, again, local and Ohio based legislators are part of the problem, to wit:

The foregoing list only includes legislators and candidates for office in the Northeast Ohio area (the location of the proposed pipeline:  "Nexus").

Spectra Energy (Spectra) made a total of some 75 contributions in the 2013/2014 campaign finance reporting cycle.

•  SCPR note:  DTE Energy is a partner of Spectra's on Nexus.  Accordingly, readers of this blog who want a full appreciation of the campaign contributions being made as Congress is being lobbied to support Nexus should go to the Federal Elections Commissioner website and lookup:
• Committee ID : C00081547 (DTE Energy PAC) 
• Moreover, be sure to check this LINK to Spectra's website to see what the corporation has to say about its lobbying activities and this LINK to DTE Energy to see what the corporation has to say about its lobbying activities.

Of course, Spectra was a big-time contributor to Governor Kasich and the Ohio Republican Party.

And Spectra really outdid itself at the federal legislature (Congress) level.

Over $400,000 in the 2013/2014 cycle.  Here is a list of the Ohio congressional delegation contribution list as well as donations to the political parties.

So what chance to you think that CORN (COalition to Re-route Nexus) and other citizens activist groups have in getting FERC to compel Spectra to relocate the pipeline?

The SCPR spoke on camera with Paul Gierosky of CORN  a week ago today.

He discussed the timeline of the project and CORN's political lobbying and speculated a little of what Spectra's political action committee may or may not be doing.


 
It will be interesting to see whether or not the Stark County commissioners (Bernabei, Creighton and Regula) will go to bat (no formal power; only "bully pulpit" power) as requested by CORN.

On February 24th, Stark commissioners will hear CORN's detailed presentation.

But it is not just federal and state government that deprive us who live in Stark County's cities, villages and townships of our right to be secure in property and neighborhood rights.

Just last night, the North Canton City Council ("NCCC," which the SCPR assesses to be absolutely the worst city council in all of Stark in terms of listening to and heeding the desires of its citizens), seemed to be in consensus at a work session to deny an appeal of some 17 North Canton appellants challenging the city decision to allow a parking lot be built on their front doors.  The formal vote will take place next week.

Last night's NCCC meeting (see video below) is pitifully humorous.

Let The Report make the "pitifully humorous" point via a couple of e-mails received today:

•  My observation --
  
  When you entered the council chamber 2-17, Mr. Fox looked surprised. Within a few minutes he gathered a few documents and exited to the back room, I'm guessing to make copies of the document stating the reasons the NC citizens did not have standing to appeal.
  
  Mr. Fox then distributed to each council member a copy of what Ms Kiesling read. She obviously had not seen the document prior to having it placed before her, so much for "professional courtesy" by the law director. Other council members also seemed unaware of what was going to be presented.
  
  Until you arrived to film, I believe Mr. Fox intended to make the presentation himself. A coward?
  
  Thanks for attending the meeting.

And on what the SCPR thinks are concocted and tortured legal analyses (by the law director; not by Councilwoman Kiesling as she seemingly implies in the video) reasons why the appeal is apparently going to be denied, take a look at these comments from a person, though not a lawyer, is certainly in a position to know, to wit:

• Where the heck is Marcia getting these conditions?  Meeting attendance? The order only says adversely affected   it imposes no other conditions. 

The SCPR thinks the video shows that Kiesling embarrassed herself in making the "deny the appeal" presentation.

But she can only blame herself.

It appears that Law Director Fox is so in control of council that the members will allow him to put them in to the embarrassing situations.

Here is the video of Kiesling's recitation from last night's meeting:



Several years ago, North Canton City Council on the advice of the city imperial law director (Tim Fox) ignored the vote of 80% of North Cantonians not to provide health care insurance coverage to part-time elected officials (translated city council members) who had other available coverage.

So the erosion of day-in, day-out citizens confidence that we are heard by our governments continues.

There are names and faces attached to the erosive process.

The point of this blog is to emphasize those names and faces.

The question becomes:  When are everyday citizens going to wake up and quit re-electing the culpable politicians.

Then and only then will they get the message!