DICK REINBOLD TO RUN "HIGH BROW" CAMPAIGN - NO PAC MONEY; NO ENSORSEMENTS SOUGHT: WILL IT WORK?

As readers of the SCPR know, The Report has written off former Stark County Common Pleas judge Richard Reinbold as a viable candidate to unseat long term (25 years) combined senator/representative W. Scott Oelslager.

Oelslager endeavors to get back to the Ohio Senate one more time.  He has already some 17 years in the Senate before being term-limited out eight years ago.

The Report has been highly critical of Oelslager and J. Kirk Schuring for defeating the purpose of the term limits law (which was the brainchild of Ohio General Assembly Republicans) in switching back and forth between the 29th Senate district (which covers all but Alliance and the eastern most townships of Stark County) and the 51st House district in a "musical chairs" fashion except that in this version of the parlor game each gets a seat:  just a different seat.

Also, The Report's position is that for all the time this duo has spent in the Ohio General Assembly (about 40 years), they have been unproductive in being factors in making Ohio one of the top states in the 50 despite being in a majority (supermajority) for a good part of the 40 years.

So there is nothing more than the SCPR would like to see than for somebody, even Dick Reinbold, take Oelslager out.  But, as The Report sees this race, Oelslager has very little to worry about in terms of returning to the Senate.

In an interesting series of moves and statements, it appears that Reinbold is trying to become a local version of an "outsider" type candidate.

Back in February, he told The Independent's Gregg Kohntopp (Richard Reinbold, Tom Bernabei, Steven Meeks join Democrats 'team' for Nov. election):

“I’m 63, I’ve finished my career,  It doesn’t matter to me what party somebody is from if they have an idea. Even if it’s not a great idea, maybe a lot of people working on it can make it a great idea. I just want somebody to do something. People in Columbus pass laws and make mandates and we feel it back home.”

Then on this past Wednesday The Repository's Lori Monsewicz wrote Reinbold says he'll reject PAC money, endorsements.

Hmm?

Sounds like The Report's type of candidate, no?

Sort of.

However, The Report is skeptical of Reinbold's conversion from "insider" politics.  Dick Reinbold has been the quintessential Stark County Democrat "insider" for his entire political career.

The Report takes the Reinbold "come to Jesus" politics with a grain of political salt.  It could be a case of seeing the handwriting on the wall.  Take this endorsement of Reinbold opponent Oelslger by a traditional Democratic candidate supporter Service Employees International Union (SEIU):

Well, if as a Democrat you cannot get the endorsement of a SEIU, why bother at all.  Undoubtedly, the Ohio Education Association will be, if it hasn't already, endorsing Oelslager.  Moreover, the SCPR expects that a number of traditional Democratically inclined organizations will be endorsing and supplying PAC money to Oelslager.

So it could be that Reinbold, understanding the political realities, is trying to turn a negative (among those who practice "realpolitik") into a positive by positioning himself on the high moral ground as far as politics go.

The latest campaign finance reports are due to be filed today.  As soon as they become available, The Report will do a follow-up to this blog.

However, the April filed (pre-primary reports) show Oelslager skunking Reinbold on fundraising.

Reinbold's report is only to designate a campaign treasurer.  Apparently, because the law requires it.  Not that any money had come to his campaign.

So it is as of the pre-primary reports Oelslager $45,647.36 to Reinbold $-0-.

And to underscore the hopelessness of Reinbold's PAC prospects, look at the following graphic.  Of seven contributors that Oelslager had on his 2010 pre-primary report FOUR were PACs, to wit:

Yes, the SCPR is an anyone but Oelslager supporter, but the political reality is that "it ain't going to happen" with Reinbold. 

The SCPR believes that the Reinbold candidacy is a "hoist the white flag" operation by the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus.  But at least this time the Democrats have a candidate.  In his last run for the Ohio House (51st), Oelslager was unopposed.

AN INTERESTING REVELATION IN CHICAGO ABOUT RICHARD REINBOLD NOT BEING THE TOP CHOICE OF THE OHIO DEMOCRATIC SENATE CAUCUS FOR THE 29TH

The SCPR is writing from Chicago today.

The Report, until today, has not revealed that periodically yours truly writes the Stark County Political Report while traveling across the country.

Why make the "traveling while still writing" point today?

Because there was the strangest confluence of events that clearly makes underscores that "it is a small, small world we live in," at least - sometimes.

As The Report got settled in to take a bus ride from the hotel in Chicago to McCormick Place (the convention center in the Windy City), a fellow-rider started talking with another Stark Countian in the Stark County traveling group about Stark County politics.  The fellow-rider was from a nearby northeast Ohio county.

Obviously, the conversation caught the attention of the SCPR.

Yours truly sort of interrupted to ask the fellow-rider about whether or not he knew certain Stark County politicos or politically connected persons.

Answer?  Indeed!

Just to name a few: Congressman John Boccieri, William J. Healy, II (Mayor of Canton),  David Held (Mayor of North Canton) and former Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.  And it became clear to The Report that Fellow-rider (his anonymous name for purposes of this blog) had/has extensive Columbus political connections, too.

It was Fellow-rider's Columbus connection which was the basis of the conversation becoming very interesting.

The Report made an observation to Fellow-rider about the significance of Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish having made a trip to Stark County to talk Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley into making a run against incumbent Republican Todd Snitchler (Ohio House - 50th).  Fellow-rider retorted:  "But you know, Bosley was  not Budish's first choice."

"Really?" The Report retorted.

Fellow-rider than went on to explain that Stark County Auditor Kim Perez was Budish's first choice.

Well, this assertion swung the SCPR into action, to wit:  making a serious of phone calls:

First to Bosley and then to Perez.  For yours truly knew that Perez is about as Canton-based (living outside the 50th) as one can get.

Bosley protested that Perez could not have been a candidate preferred over him.  For he had seen the names on the list of possible contenders to vie for the Snitchler-held seat and Perez's was nowhere to be seen.  Bosley speculated that the Perez as "top choice" was the Ohio Senate - 29th race.

Well, Bosley suggestion made sense to the SCPR inasmuch as The Report was astounded to learn of the Ohio Senate Caucus' interest in former Stark Common Pleas judge Richard Reinbold as a candidate.

As far as The Report is concerned, a Reinbold selection is about as close as one can get to running nobody as one could get (which happened last time when "musical chair" candidate and incumbent Scott Oelslager ran for his final term in Ohio's 51st Ohio House District).

Why is The Report so negative on Reinbold?  Because he has no political pizzaz, no legislative experience and no real experience in running for "competitive" political office.

The Report believes that Oelslager has been largely unproductive over much of his 25 years in the Ohio General Assembly.  Moreover,  the Democrats, under former chairmen Maier and Ferrero, have pretty much given him an "undeserved" pass in terms of meaningful opposition and is concerned.  Apparently, the Oelslager charm on the Democrats will continue under current chairman Randy Gonzalez - as a Reinbold choice seems to indicate.

Back to the Chicago story.

Next up on the "to call" list:   Kim Perez himself.

Perez, indeed, confirmed that the he had been approached by the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus to run against Oelslager.

Aha!  The Report was vindicated in believing that the Ohio Senate Caucus had to know - one would think - that there were better choices - in terms of electability - than Reinbold

But Perez declined Caucus entreaty out-of-hand because he is in the midst of revamping and reconfiguring computer operations within the Stark County auditor's office.  However, he did not rule out a run against Oelslager in 2014.

The moral of this story?  No matter where The Report finds himself, readers can be assured that the SCPR is working to bring them the latest on the inside story of Stark County politics.

From Chicago, this is the SCPR signing off.

Have a good day!

And thanks for reading the Stark County Political Report!

SCPR CALLS 29TH OHIO SENATE RACE FOR OELSLAGER - TOO BAD FOR STARK COUNTY?

Even though they have not gotten through their respective primaries (both running unopposed), the SCPR is ready to call the 29th Ohio Senate (the 29th encompasses all but extreme eastern Stark County) race for "musical chair" candidate Scott Oelslager.

Oelslager does not deserve to be re-elected to public office, but he will be.  He will handily defeat Democrat Richard D. Reinbold, Jr. in November.

How is it that the SCPR says that Republican Oelslager does not deserve to be re-elected?

First, he has achieved very little being a state legislator despite being in office for a quarter of a century.  The worst part is that for a good part of the 25 or so years Oelslager was part of a majority (i.e. the Republicans controlled the Ohio General Assembly)  and for a space of time a supermajority.

Second, though he likes to point out his connection to public education (his parents were educators), he has not been an - despite enjoying senior legislator status - effective force for the fixing of the inadequate funding of public education in Ohio.  He merely repeats the Republican legislative caucus talking points that they (the Republicans as majority) did put more absolute money into pre K -12, which is true.  More true is the reality that the funding and structure of Ohio public education remains broken a la the DeRolfe line of cases.

Third, Oelslager and Kirk Schuring, who currently holds the 29th (he is term limited out this election cycle and is running for the 51st - which Oelslager currently holds) have broken the trust of Stark Countians on the issue of term limits.

Both supported term limits when the Republicans were in a minority as a vehicle to majority status.  Now that they are in office, they play this game of switching back and forth between the 29th Senate and the 51st House as an "in effect" defeat of the will of the voters of Ohio.

Fourth, he does not brook criticism very well. Several years ago, when yours truly criticized his failure as a legislator he blew off yours truly in a face-to-face encounter and he persistently fails to answer the Report's emails on legislative questions.

The foregoing are some of the reasons why Oelslager should not be re-elected.

However, the Ohio Democratic Senate Caucus, in picking Dick Reinbold (a retired Stark County Common Pleas Court judge) came up with one the most colorless and uninspiring candidates the Caucus could possibly have found in all of Stark County.

If Reinbold is indicative of the Caucus's picks, then the Democrats have very little chance to make inroads on the 21 to 12 majority currently held by the Republicans.

The SCPR thinks Stark County could do better than Oelslager, but is clear that Dick Reinbold would not be better.  He has no legislative experience whatsoever and therefore would merely be a foot soldier for the likes of Capri Cafaro, the Democratic leader in the Senate.

If Oelslager does have anything to recommend himself, it is, that on occasion, he does cross the aisle and vote with the Democrats.  Moreover, a number of Democrats (e.g. Healy and Slesnick) have told The Report that he graciously extends a hand of bipartisanship in helping newly elected legislators "to learn the ropes" of being a legislator)

In the end, this race is a "no-brainer" for the SCPR and The Report hereby declares this race as a "lost cause" for the Democrats and candidate Richard D. Reinbold, Jr!

DISCUSSION: THE TESTIMONY IS IN - JUDGE SINCLAIR TO MAKE DEVIES "MOTION TO SUPPRESS" DECISON IN ABOUT 72 HRS

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) was at the Devies' generated (Attorneys Richard Reinbold [Ron] & Jeff Jakimedes [Kyle]) Motion to Suppress hearing before Stark County Common Pleas Judge V. Lee Sinclair this morning in Canton.

Here is a short video in which Judge Sinclair is seen and heard stating his timetable for issuing a decision on whether or not to suppress the evidence gathered by investigators when three township computers housed in the police department part of township hall were taken by sheriff deputies and sent to a crime lab for analysis.