ALSO
STARK BOE
RETALIATES AGAINST SCPR?
VIDEOS
STARK BOE DEP. DIR.
JEANETTE MULLANE
JUDGE FRANK FORCHIONE
STARK CO. COMMISSIONER
JANET CREIGHTON
FMR STARK CO. ADMINISTRATOR
MIKE HANKE
FMR STARK CO. JUDGE
RICHARD REINBOLD
STARK DEMS CHAIRMAN
PHIL GIAVASIS
FMR STARK DEMS' CHAIR
RANDY GONZAZLEZ
PROTESTER
CANTON COUNCILMAN
THOMAS WEST
PROTESTER
CANTON COUNCILWOMAN
CHRIS SMITH
PLAKAS LAW ASSOCIATE
PROTESTER
CANTON COUNCILMAN
EDMOND MACK
Here are links to prior blogs:
- First blog in this series,
- Second blog in this series,
The cast of characters appearing include:
- Deputy Director of the Stark BOE Jeanette Mullane as to conversations/actions vis-a-vis Bernabei regarding the mechanics of extricating himself from his formal association with the Stark County Democratic Party,
- Note: Mullane's work was done on a weekend, mind you (the BOE not being open for business for the general public),
- One has to wonder whether or not Mullane's standing within the Stark County Democratic Party has been damaged given her assistance to Bernabei above and beyond her normal working hours at the BOE,
- Lee Plakas refers to her political vulnerability in his examination of her,
- Former Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge Richard Reinbold as to conversations he had with Bernabei about whether or not to run as an "independent,"
- Revealed that he was the negative of Bernabei's friends as to his running as an "independent" in that Bernabei "does have another life" and counseled that there would be costly personal consequences which indicated to him that Bernabei's decision to pursue independent status was made "in good faith,"
- Observed that Canton is a "one-party-city" in that the Republicans are not fielding a candidate for mayor nor for any of the the 12 city council seats in the November, 2015 election and that such was likely a significant factor in Bernabei's decision,
- Notes:
- signed Bernabei's "independent" candidacy and his wife, Stark County Clerk of Courts Nancy Reinbold (retiring as of July 31st), circulated a petition for the candidate,
- Reinbold vied in a losing effort with Bernabei to become Canton law director when W. Scott Gwin resigned to become a judge,
- Fellow Stark County Commissioner Janet Creighton as to her discussion with Bernabei about his "independent" candidacy,
- Note: Creighton describes herself:
- as a cheerleader for Bernabei's run as an "independent,"
- as a "proud" circulator of his petition to run as an "independent,"
- as a "proud" Republican,
- Stark County Court of Common Pleas Court Frank Forchione who describes himself as a political confidant of Bernbei's on the issue of whether or not he should run as an "independent,"
- Note: One Stark County attorney tells the SCPR that it was unethical for Forchione to involve himself in the Bernabei political decision making to the point of being willing to testify on behalf of Bernabei,
- Forchione points out that:
- he is testifying under subpoena,
- he is not testifying as a judge,
- Former Stark County Administrator Mike Hanke (also a former Repository executive) who testified:
- That Bernabei and Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II
- who will be Bernabei's opponent in the November general election if Bernabei is certified to run as an "independent," and
- who fired Bernabei as Canton service director/chief-of-staff in January, 2009 after one year in the position,
- Bernabei and Healy had a businesslike, professional relationship notwithstanding the firing
- Note: Hanke has agreed to be Bernabei's campaign treasurer should his candidacy continue,
- Stark County Democratic Party chairman Phil Giavasis (also, Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts)
JEANETTE MULLANE
DEP DIR OF STARK BOE
FRANK FORCHIONE
JUDGE - STARK CO CT OF COMMON PLEAS
JANET WEIR CREIGHTON
REPUBLICAN STARK CO. COMMISSIONER
MIKE HANKE
FORMER STARK CO. ADMINISTRATOR
REPOSITORY EXECUTIVE EDITOR
RICHARD REINBOLD
FORMER JUDGE
STARK CO. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
PHIL GIAVASIS
STARK DEMS' CHAIRMAN
RANDY GONZALEZ
FORMER STARK CO. DEMS CHAIR
THOMAS WEST
PROTESTER
CANTON COUNCILMAN WARD 2
CHRIS SMITH
PROTESTER
CANTON COUNCILWOMAN WARD 4
EDMOND MACK
PROTESTER
PLAKAS LAW ASSOCIATE
CANTON COUNCILMAN WARD 8
ON THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS ISSUE
In Monday's blog, the SCPR excoriated the Stark County Board of Election board members for relegating the media to the very back of the room for Monday's hearing thereby hampering significantly the media's ability to hear, view and understand what was transpiring in the hearing so as to transmit same to the Stark County public.
Yesterday, at the Stark County commissioners' meeting The Report was greeted with this view upon entering the commissioners' meeting room.
Of course, this was done in good humor.
Moreover, the SCPR takes it as fitting ridicule (from my perspective) of the BOE itself and chief administrator, director, and chairman of the Stark County Republican Party Jeff Matthews.
The Report learned that Matthews was telephoning members of the mainstream media in response to complaints about the obvious "stifle the media" environment at Monday's meeting to say that the confined area really did not apply to reporters but only to those members of the media who do photographing and videotaping under the pretext that "they move around too much."
Member Cline was very rude on Monday in interrupting an in process SCPR interview of Attorney Vasvari immediately following the BOE's decision.
No "I've got to be somewhere soon, may I interrupt." No apologies for having forced himself in. Lots of class, no?
Its like he thinks he's entitled to be a boor.
An interview that took all of 1:14 and William Cline couldn't do the courteous thing and wait? Actually, divide that in half because Cline interrupted about midway in the interview.
The SCPR has never been and will never be so rude.
The Report takes the greatest care in being unobtrusive.
Just ask the Stark County commissioners and member of the various city councils which dot Stark County which The Report covers.
The SCPR thinks, given the long time adversarial relationship between yours truly (e.g. The Report challenged in 2010 the BOE prohibiting of the SCPR videotaping BOE meetings, the inefficiency of providing public records, et cetera, until, yours truly thinks Secretary of State Husted or his office intervened) and the BOE, Monday's action was directed at The Stark County Political Report.
Moreover, The Report has written critical blogs on various board members (e.g. Braden fails to get government discount for the benefit of Stark County taxpayers when he traveled to Columbus on BOE business) and Matthews himself as Stark GOP chairman and how he administers the BOE.
One of the reasons that Bernabei sought out "independent" status is because of Matthews' abandonment of cultivating "a loyal opposition" in Canton elective government.
It seems to yours truly that Matthews with some, perhaps all the BOE members, in doing their best to hamper in singling out the SCPR in exercise of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution of Freedom of the Press.
Why did the framers of the Constitution include Freedom of the Press?
Of course, this right was designed to make it clear to the likes of Director Matthews and the BOE members that they are not to be trusted and that the Fourth Estate is essential for a thriving democratic-republic in terms of holding public officials accountable and letting the public know what public officials are up to.
Matthews and the BOE members are only accountable to their hand picked friends in both the "organized" Stark County Democratic and Republican political parties.
Ohio Boards of Elections in the view of The Report are the most undemocratic, the most unrepublican institutions of government in the entire state.
In Stark County the institution with its attempt to interfere with the free flow of information to the Stark County public is egregiously undemocratic and unrepublican.
This, Mr. and Mrs. Stark County Taxpayer, is what our county sales/property tax dollars are, in part, supporting.
Everyday Stark Countians should be concerned that men charged with integrity of our elections do not seem to be above retribution when critiqued.
Who in Stark County thinks they are capable of discharging their statutory quasi-judicial duty of dispensing fair and impartial determinations of election law in the context of protests like the Bernabei one and the Cicchinelli one?
The Report vows to continue to the fight against what seems very clear to yours truly the use of public office power financed by all of us to attempt to knuckle under the likes of The Stark County Political Report.
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