One Canton's most effective neighbor association (the Vassar Park Neighborhood Association, VPNA, located in Councilman Frank Morris' Ward 9) put on one terrific civic engagement event last night at the Canton City Schools' Arts Academy@Summit located at 1100 10th Street NW for candidates for the proposed Canton Charter Commission to their particular cases for election to the commission on the premise that Canton voters first vote to form such a commission.
President Tom Phillips and Secretary-Treasurer (pictured above) led the way for the VPNA.
A couple of hundred Cantonians including some 33 candidates themselves gathered at 6:00 p.m. and continued through to approximately 8:00 p.m. in providing a civic forum in which the citizens of Canton who yet are to vote on the issue of whether or not Canton will form a charter commission (Issue 47) and, if so, who will comprise a 15 member commission to be formed contemporaneous with the issue being approved.
Today's SCPR blog will focus on the convening of the meeting by VPNA officials Hershberger, Phillips, Laughlin and Brewer (the official VPNA timer on the candidates' one minute presentations).
Subsequent blogs beginning perhaps later today will focus on:
a "difference of opinion" on whether not Canton mayor William J. Healy, II who is locked in a battle with politically "independent" candidate and currently a Stark County commissioner Thomas M. Bernabei for the mayorship of Canton on:
whether or not Healy, II (also a candidate for the commission) had before last night's meeting declared he was against the charter being passed,
the one minute presentations of the candidates themselves,
a SCPR "assessment of the event" interview with leading Canton community activist Lee Cote,
SCPR interviews of charter commission initiator and Ward 8 councilman Edmond Mack and his strong supporter on the initiative Councilman John Mariol who represents Ward 7, and
SCPR post-presentation interviews with candidates from Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8,
In this series of blogs, the SCPR will be presenting in segments nearly two hours of video for those Cantonians who were unable to attend the VPNA sponsored event to take in the proceedings.
JEAN HERSHBERGER OPENS THE VPNA FORUM (5:01)
WARD 8 COUNCILMAN EDMOND MACK "INITIATOR" OF CHARTER COMMISSION ISSUE
Before posting the video of Councilman Mack's presentation last night, The Report reviews for readers Mack critically important role in bringing Issue 47 to the fore for Cantonians to weigh-in upon in this year's general election.
First, readers should take just a few minutes to read a blog put together by the SCPR way back on July 1, 2014:
Also see update in Mack effort at this LINK to a June 15, 2015 SCPR blog,
Second, readers should take a minute to appreciate specifically what Mack endured in having to sit and watch a majority of his council fellows reject (nothing personal, mind you) his effort to get council itself to place a Issue 47-esque matter on the ballot,
Third, readers should take a look a blog (LINK) where the SCPR provides:
a history (the guts of which was based on Stark County District Library research by Councilman Mack) of charter government failed initiatives in 1913, 1921 and 1962 by virtue of "poison pills" being inserted in the charter provisions formulated by 1913, 1921 and 1962 commission members that ensure the defeat of charter government for Canton,
Fourth, readers should scrutinize this SCPR blog (LINK) in which The Report takes Ward 5 councilman Kevin Fisher "to the political woodshed" for the absurd dramatics that that he and four fellows on council (West, Ward 2; Smith, Ward 4; Morris, Ward 9 and Babcock, at-large) engaged in a "Custer's land stand-esque" legislative maneuver to deny Cantonians the mere right to vote on whether or not Canton should try to put together a charter,
Generally, the SCPR likes Kevin Fisher as councilman, but shame on him for leading this fight.
The foregoing is a rather comprehensive history of the progression of the Canton government initiative in terms of Edmond Mack's involvement.
The Mack video from last night: (5:51)
Next up from last night event, is guest speaker and participant in the VPNA John Laughlin.
Laughlin raises a key point that that the SCPR agrees with. Elected officials:
William J. Healy, mayor of Canton,
R.A. Mallon, auditor of Canton,
Kim Perez, treasurer of Canton,
Joe Martuccio, law director of Canton,
Sam Sliman, civil service director of Canton,
have vested interests in maintaining he "status quo," the SCPR thinks, therefore have conflicts-in-interests (Laughlin's point) on the Issue 47 matter and therefore should out-of-hand (not necessarily Laughlin's point of view) be rejected by Cantonians as members of the charter commission.
The Laughlin video from last night: (4:32)
A sequel to the candidates' formal presentation last night was a "let's move to the cafeteria" shift in proceeding for citizens to engage the candidates in one-on-ones.
The SCPR took advantage of this setting to engage on video a couple of VPNA officials.
First, there is VPNA member and vice president and strong neighborhood community activist Bruce Brewer: (0:33)
Secondly, but certainly not least, The Report caught up with VPNA president Tom Phillips: (1:44)
Again, "a SCR 'tip of the hat' to the VPNA" for hosting and implementing a sterling presentation on voter information content from the candidates themselves so that voters can make informed decisions whether or not Issue 47 should be passed and, if passed, whom should serve on the commission.
CANTON PARKS LEVY ====================== NORDMAN (FULL VIDEO) SETTNG FORTH HISTORY & CURRENT STATUS OF GROUP 175 FIGHT WITH HEALY
One of Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II's goals for his entire nearly six years in office has been and continues be to restructure Canton's parks and recreation over a three-year period so as to make it more efficient and responsive to the needs of Cantonians and, I might add, to many outside-of-Canton Stark Countians who use Canton's parks.
There appears to be no organized opposition to the 4 mill levy to be voted upon by Canton voters next Tuesday. It is designed to raise about $2.9 million per year and, if passed, would free up about $1.2 million for other general fund applications.
Currently, the Canton park system is run by an independent (of the mayor and city administration) by a Board of Commissioners, to wit:
On the Canton Parks "levy committee" website there is a thorough discussion of what park officials plan to do with the $2.9 million if it becomes available.
And, undoubtedly, there are a number of interests both in and out of Canton government who will be pressuring the Healy administration and Canton City Council to use "the new found money," if it materializes for pet projects.
One interest that has already surfaced is one named Group 175 formed by Vassar Park (located in Ward 9 - Councilman Frank Morris, III) residents Bruce Nordman and Bruce Brewer (president of the Vassar Park Neighborhood Association).
Earlier this year, this collection of Cantonians prevailed on Councilman Morris to sponsor an "informal resolution" wherein council goes on record as putting the Healy administration on notice that should the park levy pass, the resulting new infusion of $1.2 into the general fund is to go towards beefing up Canton's safety forces (police and fire) numbers.
The measure passed unanimously.
The goal of Group 175 is to get the police force up to 175 strong (now about 150) and the fire department to 175 strong (now about 140).
Because the mayor is proceeding cautiously (acceding only to step increases of 12 new hires for the police and fire departments; likely over the next year) and not committing to Group 175's goals within the foreseeable future, Group 175 is taking a "hands off" approach in terms of supporting the levy.
Parks director Derek Gordon has tried to get Group 175's endorsement but has failed to corral it due to Healy's refusal to commit to the 175 with a timetable certain satisfactory to Norman, Brewer, et al.
For a full presentation on the history and the current status of Group 175's ongoing fight with Mayor Healy, the SCPR presents the following videotaped October 30, 2013 interview with Nordman that provides all the details:
To the SCPR, should the park issue fail, in terms of cobbling the available financing together to fund Group 175's goals; it seems that the loss of the $1.2 million would severely damage the prospect that the Healy administration would have the financial wherewithal to get to the 175 policemen and firemen level.
However, The Report suspects that in the mind of the Group 175 folks, there is this plan to seize the day should the parks levy fail and generate a citizen initiative for an income tax increase specifically designated as being for police and fire operations only.
Such a levy (if for a reasonable amount) probably will be relatively easy to pass.
County officials were surprised when in November, 2011 they were able to pass a 0.5% countywide sales tax increase on the promise that the $22 million, more or less, that it generates would be dedicated to spending for "law enforcement purposes 'only.'"
It passed by a surprisingly comfortable margin.
Nordman will not admit to the SCPR that a "for police and fire manpower only" tax issue is in Group 175's future and therefore the group sits on their collective hands on the parks issue.
A dedicated "for police and fire ONLY" levy would be the surest past for Group 175 to ensure that Canton achieves and maintains the 175 police and fire staffing level, no?
Reading between the lines, it seems to the SCPR that Group 175 does not trust Mayor Healy to energetically and with purpose to work with them to find funds (including the $1.2 million) from various sources to get Canton's police and fire to 175 in force each.
While the SCPR above all understands the "lack of trust of Healy," it does appear that his plan for restructuring makes sense and should be supported by Canton voters.
Councilwoman-at-Large Mary Cirelli opposed the plan when the levy issue was up for a council vote because 4 mills, she says, generates too much money. She would support it at 2 mills or $1.45 million.
Councilman Edmond Mack (Ward 9) also voted "no" because, he says, that the 4 mills is too expensive for what Ward 9 residents will get out of it.
Nearly all city officials (including 11 of the 13 councilpersons) are supporting the parks levy.
Impressive is the list that promoters of the levy have come up with in terms of contributors to the levy campaign, to wit:
In the pre-general report filed on October 24th, the levy committee shows that it has raised some $23,000.
But in the end, the levy's passage or failure could boil down to the "silence" of Group 175.
But have they thought of this possible consequence should the parks levy fail?
Given this is a "pet project" of Mayor Healy and if he is convinced that the failure came at the hands of Groups 175's "silence," won't he prove to be much more resistant to their achieving their goal any time soon?
For two elections now Cantonians have bought into what the SCPR thinks has been Mayor William J. Healy, II's ongoing political scam on solving the Hall of Fame city's rampant crime problem.
It appears to the SCPR that Canton's citizens are finally wising up to what The Report believes to have been a political ruse and are about to - re: the Healy administration and some Healy-aligned-members of Canton City Council - call checkmate on the chess-like stratagem called Zero Tolerance.
If he really had the smarts that he thinks he has, the mayor should have figured out three weeks ago that "the gig was up" on his: it amounts to a political rhetoric only Zero Tolerance.
In his State of the City message of March 14th, Healy feigned that he was dealing with the police shortage problem in announcing that he was adding 14 new police to the Canton force.
But even that announcement was a "smoke and mirrors" exercise because in the end, in working through retirements and other personnel adjustments, the Healy administration is likely to be adding a half-a-dozen or so officers perhaps to as high as a police force of 150.
The SCPR believes that civic activists Nordman and friends are committed to - not as a matter of political rhetoric -but as a matter of reality to make Canton zero tolerant of crime and thereby begin to restore Canton to her former greatness.
It appears to the SCPR that the Vassar Park folks have thrust themselves into a lead role in actually solving Canton's crime problem in a multifaceted approach.
Their number of approaches appear to be expanding as the activists get more understanding of the dimension, scope, and factors at play in their grappling with the problem too much crime in Canton.
So far they have a three-pronged program of action, to wit:
Get the jail fully utilized at 501 beds,
The Healy administration has used the underutilization as an excuse for continued unacceptable level of crime in Canton
Get the police manpower levels up to 175 officers,
Note: Focus on the decline in numbers of officers/number of arrests in the Healy years as mayor. Accordingly to Healy, Canton is less crime infested than with 33 less officers in the Creighton administration: who will believe that?
Get the quality of the CPD higher by offering competitive wages in relation to other area police department
Healy administration opposes ordinance to raise beginning officers' pay
These folks are not politicians. Mayor Healy is. Who do you trust to make zero tolerance of crime in Canton anywhere near becoming the actual state of affairs in the city?
On March 4, 2013, Bruce Nordman appeared before Canton City Council and got on Council and the Healy administration to do something in the way of getting the Stark County sheriff to bring the county jail capacity up to full utilization at 501 beds. On the 4th about 400 beds were in use.
Here see Nordman in action.
That particular Nordman initiative was an easy one for council to dispose of inasmuch as they have no say in how the Stark County jail is run.
Of course, every public official at the council meeting was sympathetic and supportive but powerless in terms of correcting the deficiency.
The following day Nordman appeared at the regular weekly meeting of the Stark County commissioners.
At that meeting he succeeded in getting the commissioners to bring the sheriff in the following week for some answers.
The result?
On March 13th, Sheriff George Maier (an appointee of Stark County Democratic Party) under bizarre circumstances (i.e. told a local reporter before the meeting about his decision to increase bed space before telling the commissioners, an omission he later apologized for), jacked up the bed use to 450 beds.
Interestingly enough during the meeting itself (after having already made the decision to go to 450 beds [unbeknownst to anyone other than the reporter) that it would take months to get to the 501 level.
Hmm?
Pretty impressive that Nordman could get action so soon, no?
Again, the point is that if Healy is so bright he should have figured out that he would be next in Nordman's sights.
Here is an extract from Canton City Council minutes of what Nordman said on March 18th which should have been a heads up to Healy, to wit:
Good evening....good evening, my name is Bruce Nordman. I reside at 1623 Logan Avenue, NW. Good evening to Council President and the Mayor. A belated thank you also to the Council... to the Council Members.
This evening I’m coming before you because I would like to talk about police ranks as it relates to crime in the City.
At the end of this meeting we are going to pass out the crimes as they have gone from 2,400 with a strength of 175 Police Officers to about 1,600 last year. We would ask that you give this some study.
We’ll be back next week and would be looking for your answer.
Again, I thank you for your time and interest. (emphasis added)
Afterwards Nordman tells the SCPR that Council President Allen Schulman told him:
To marshal his forces (i.e. the Vassar Park folks) to get the Ohio Legislature to provide adequate local government funding to the likes of Canton so that the city has the funding to bring on more policemen, and
To look at the city budget and come up with a plan of his own whereby monies would be available to hire more policemen
Hmm?
On Schulman's item #1, take a good look at this goody.
Can you believe it?
Canton's representative - Democrat Stephen Slesnick - to the Ohio House of Representatives is going to be in Akron tonight after having been asked back in February by Councilman Schulman to come to Canton City Council to explain the state funding cuts.
The SCPR has asked Slesnick's office when he is going to be appearing before Canton City Council.
Guess what? No response.
He can't answer the Stark County-based Stark County Political Report nor Canton City Council, but he can appear in Akron.
Now if Slesnick's insult to Canton and Stark County is not enough for Cantonians to find another state representative come next year's Democratic primary, then nothing is, no?
On Schulman's item #2, Nordman tells the SCPR that "Hell will freeze over first" (the SCPR's interpretation; not Nordman's actual words) before he takes on the job of the administration and/or council members.
Tonight look for Nordman to tell council and the Healy administration such in his three minutes before council.
Healy et al should take Bruce Nordman very seriously.
A quote: "The gauntlet is down. We intend to pursue this aggressively (i.e. the increase of the Canton police force to 175 officers).
The day after his appearance at Canton City Council on the increase of police strength (to 175 officers), he was back to the commissioners with a Canton Citizens Award to Commissioners Bernabei, Creighton and Regula and to ask them to help in applying pressure on Canton City Council and Mayor Healy to get the Canton police force up to 2007 levels, the year Healy was elected as mayor. (emphasis added)
As Nordman sees it, for Stark County to be a safe community to which businesses are likely to be attracted, it is of critical importance that Canton get its crime problem under control.
Here is Nordman's full presentation at the Stark County commissioners meetinglast Wednesday.
(Note - video includes the commissioners' response and also including remarks/inquiry by Vassar resident Bret Moore):
The SCPR completely agrees with Nordman.
For Stark County to thrive economically, the first order of business is for the county seat to be relatively crime free.
An ancillary issue to this citizen group call for an increase in police department strength is the matter of the pay that new police officers get.
It is absolutely ridiculous.
Entry pay in Canton is $26,000 per year (which becomes $33,000 when a hiree becomes certified generally a year or so later; an experienced police officer hires in at $33,000). This according to Sam Sliman who is Canton's civil service director.
Also, last Monday Nordman colleague Bruce Brewer said this:
Yes, my name is Bruce Brewer. I reside at 1520 Harvard Avenue NW in Canton, Ohio.
Ladies and gentlemen of Canton City Council, it has come to our attention that the beginning wages for the new recruits for the City of Canton is so low that candidates applying for the spot and...and trained by the City of Canton would seek employment in a different County or different City.
We are asking Council to re look at the starting wage for the new officers. We sit here at City Council, the average wage being $17,000.00 for a part time job. We ask our Police Officers as a new recruit to strap on a weapon and...and go throughout the City of Canton and put their lives in danger, whether it be a girl or a man for $24,000.00 [SCPR Note: actually $26,000] a year. ... .
Guess what it is in Akron?
$42,390 TO $49,504.
Well, if you were going to lay your life on the line which would be the more attractive pay incentive?
And guess what?
The politicized zero tolerance mayor is resisting a move by about half of Canton City Council to raise the pay for new officers.
It is stuff like the lowering of the numbers of policemen on the street and their pay level which tell a good part of the commitment or lack thereof of Canton officials to zero tolerance.
Councilman Joe Cole (a Democrat) is in particular, in the opinion of the SCPR, a political hypocrite.
Below is a video of Cole when he was running for Canton council-at-large (he is running against fellow Democrat Frank Morris in the 9th Ward) back in 2009 had to say about his commitment to policing in Canton.
On October 19, 2009 at a community forum for candidates seeking office Cole made the interesting observation that he observed that it would be community activists who would solve Canton's problems.
Moreover, it is ironic that he (at-large and Finance Committee chairman) and Councilman Griffin (Democrat - 3rd Ward) were the Healy administration's point men on council to kill a request in January of this year by Members Cirelli, Fisher, Hawk, Mack, Mariol and Morris that Canton get competitive in attracting quality applicants for its police force.
Here is the October, 2009 Cole video with him speaking on policing issues and in particular his Popsickle Stick Index of Safety: "It is an unacceptable standard of safety in which a child cannot be allowed to go to a neighborhood store for a popsickle."
Even if the rest of council opposed the measure, Council President Allen Schulman would have had the deciding vote and thereby could have helped that Canton do the right thing in terms of making the beginning salary attractive enough that the very best candidates would apply to become a Canton policeman.
The SCPR believes that Schulman would side with the proposers of the change.
Schulman has a history of putting his money where his mouth is.
And this proposed legislation provides him an opportunity to do so.
Leader Dougherty needs to revive the effort and thereby provide a vote opportunity which will show who on council cares about the quality of Canton's police force and who does not.
The SCPR ends this blog with the video of Mayor Healy on June 6, 2011 defining zero tolerance and the Canton effort at zero tolerance.
As far as The Report is concerned, this presentation is a political performance. And note the soon-to-be-resigned safety director (Thomas Ream) nodding his head in full agreement with the mayor. No wonder Canton's crime footprint has in reality grown larger notwithstanding Healy's protestation to the contrary.
And to further show his commitment (sarcasm) to effective Canton policing only this past week announced that Canton would no longer have a full time safety director for the next six to 12 months.
Warren Price is a capable city official. However, there is no way he can be an effective service director, chief-of-staff, safety director, and annexation director all-at-one-time.
No way!
To the SCPR, Mayor William J. Healy,II has by his downgrading of the numbers of Canton police on the street, supporting a non-competitive salary, and going to a part-time safety director and thereby overburdening Price shows his true stripes.
The SCPR believes Healy's zero tolerance political rhetoric is a political scam on the people of Canton and, moreover, anyone who has an occasion to be in Canton, either as a resident or to visit to do social, cultural, government or business activities, has their personal safety hanging in the balance on the outcome of the good work of the Vassar Park residents.
These folks live in the heart of Canton. Mayor William J. Healy, II lives out on 52nd Street.
Not quite the same vulnerability to the effects of crime, no?
If one lives on 52nd Street, it is easier to game zero tolerance for political purposes, no?
B.A. - Political Science
J.D.
AN INDEPENDENT MINDED POLITICAL COMMENTATOR
Until 1976 I was a Republican. Since then I have considered myself a Democrat. So after long term stints of being a Republican, then a Democrat, I have come to the political position I feel most comfortable with - being an INDEPENDENT MINDED ANALYST who demands effectiveness of our politicians - Republican, Democrat or whatever.
I have changed my political affiliation to "non-partisan" by not voting in either political party primary election.
