TUSCARAWAS TOWNSHIP: DEHOFF WAS SMART ENOUGH NOT TO RUN AGAIN; DEAN GREEN WASN'T - TOWNSHIP VOTERS SHOW HIM THE DOOR. IS SUNSHINE ABOUT TO BREAK OUT IN TUSCARAWAS TOWNSHIP COME JANUARY 1, 2010?

Tuscarawas Township residents owe Trustee Celeste Celeste DeHoff a debt of gratitude.

How's that?

She chose not to run for re-election as township trustee.

Dean Green, on the other hand, had to be pushed out the door by township voters last night.

DeHoff and Green have been driving forces over the past four years to keep Tuscarawas in a state of turmoil.

Trustee Speicher is not all absolved from the shenanigans in Tuscarawas.  He has sat and watched and to a large degree participated in the decisions pushed by the DeHoff/Green duo.

It seems as if they have kept the "Mustang" community in one fight after another after another with neighboring Massillon:  annexation fights and "which community is to maintain shared roadways" fights.

Recently, DeHoff and Green got into a tiff with The Massillon Independent over an alleged Ohio Sunshine Law violation.

Going back to 2006, they and Trustee Speicher got Tuscarwas Township in an extended legal fight with two of its Road Department employees whom the trustee board fired on October 25th (of 2006, mind you).  One would think the fight would be over by now.  Is it?

No, it is not.

 

Readers can see that the trustees filed an appeal from the SERB decision finding for the employees.

So on and on and on and on it goes.

Readers have to remember that while township officials drag this out, real "live" human beings are suffering.  And, all the Township has done is loose each step of the way.

As an attorney, yours truly can say that the odds of the Township of turning this case around are not very good.  As a "rule of thumb," reversals or modifications of lower court proceedings and administrative rulings have a extremely low percentage chance of success.

And get this.

Township legal counsel has already asked for an extension, to wit:

One has to believe that part of the reason Green lost was his role in pursuing this case to "seemingly" - "the end of the earth."

The biblical saying is:  "How much longer, O Lord, how much longer."

The answer as provided by the voters of Tuscarawas Township is:  "until January 1, 2010."

On the dawning of the new year in Tuscarawas Township, it surely will be with "a burst of sunshine!"

HARD TIMES EQUAL HARD CHOICES?

A few years ago Tuscarawas Township trustee Celeste DeHoff had caught the eye of the then Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. She landed a job working for him in the Massillon clerk of courts office which, of course, he head as the elected office holder.

Then two years ago, she, as a recent grad from law school and admitted to the Ohio Bar, had another stroke of good fortune in being hired by Jackson Township. A key figure in Jackson is fiscal officer and former trustee Randy Gonzalez who is current Stark County Dems chair and close, close political ally of Maier.

But, alas for her, when economic times get hard for government, even political loyalists are not safe. Her $47,560 is a bit too steep for Jackson Township these financially stressed days. The cut was one of a number to be made within 30 days according to a report in the Massillon Independent yesterday.

One reader of the Stark County Political Report apparently believes the initial hire was a political boondoggle. Witness this comment:

How can you turn such an expenditure into looking like a budget cut when there is no justification for the initial expense? I would be curious to see her work product for this two year project.

DeHoff appears to be on on her way out as trustee in Tuscarawas Township, too.

A source has told the SCPR that DeHoff took out a "blank" petition from the Board of Elections.

Why a blank petition?

Maybe she's trying to sandbag. If so, it's not working. Three non-incumbents have taken out petitions for the two slots up this time (one of which is one currently held by DeHoff).

She got clobbered by Republican Todd Snitchler in her race against him in 2008 for the Ohio House (50th) - in her home area Tuscarawas Township and across the entire district despite huge help from Maier getting big Columbus-generated bucks to put into the race and despite Maier getting the Stricklands, John Glenn, Sherrod Brown and Richard Cordray to come to the district to campaign for her.

Undoubtedly, Maier is grieving over the hard times his political loyalist DeHoff is experiencing.

Don't be surprised to see DeHoff surface on the staff of a Democratic elected official somewhere across Stark County.

Could she be in for another stint at the Massillon clerk of courts office?

WHY IS STARK COUNTY EXPERIENCING SO MUCH INTERGOVERNMENTAL FIGHTING?

Why so much intergovernmental fighting in Stark County?

As the SCPR sees it, for two basic reasons.

First, Stark County is a bastion of turfism.

A little over a year ago Merle Kinsey of COMPASS (Community Objectives Met through a Partnership with all Segments of Society) appeared at the Belden-Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce meeting (reference: Are 'turf wars' hurting county, The Repository, Monsewicz, May 21, 2008).

Kinsey had some revealing comments, to wit:

"People here, when they meet you, they want to know what high school you went to because they know each other there, or at least they know something about each other. We're at a point in time where we have to move out of that."

"Stark County has 23 government jurisdictions, 18 school districts, five library systems, four health departments. ... Why do we need 18 school superintendents in Stark County? ... We have 11 dispatchers in Stark County. You have one point in Stark County where you have four dispatchers for one accident,"

Second, Stark County has mediocre leadership at best.

Only Stark County commissioner Todd Bosley seems to be making much of an effort to bring the county together. He has mediated between the Stark Veterans Service Commission and the Stark County commissioners, a neighborhood access dispute out in Lawrence Township and attempted to mediate between Sheriff Swanson and the cities of Alliance and Massillon over the cities failure to pay for county incarceration services.

But Bosley is more the exception than the rule. And, to be fair, he can go to war as well as if not better than most. However, when he does so, it is usually for larger community issues rather than parochial interests.

More typical is the leadership (if that's what you can call it) of Trustees Celeste DeHoff and Dean Green). It seems as if it is one fight after another with these two against Massillon. They seem to want to fight with Massillon at the drop of a hat. But, then again, they even fight with their own citizens (e.g. Tuscarawas Township v. Faber, et al)

It is a more than a little bit interesting that Celeste DeHoff''s campaign treasurer when she ran for state representative in 2008 was, guess who?

Massillon Councilperson Kathy Catazaro-Perry.

Who is Catazaro-Perry always at war with?

Hmm?

Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr., that's who.

Maybe these fights are more personal that meets the eye?

If such is the case, doesn't that say something about the quality of government leadership coming out of Tuscarawas Township.

Currently there is a road maintenance issue going on between Massillon and Tuscarawas Township.

It is a bitter war of words as evidenced by Massillon Public Service and Safety Director Mike Loudiana calling Trustee Green a liar. In the past DeHoff has talked how she cannot trust Mayor Cicchinelli.

Who loses in these battles?

The good folks of Tuscarawas Township and Massillon, that's who.

As a specific consequence of the acrimony (mostly, if not completely, emanating from DeHoff and Green), Tuscarawas Township residents now have a "partially" repaved road.

Who pays the the legal fees that are engendered in these skirmishes when they escalate into lawsuits? Of course, the taxpayers.

It is not just Massillon and Tuscarawas Township who are at intergovernmental war.

There are many more:

• Massillon versus North Canton (economic development competition)
• North Canton against Canton and Jackson Township (economic development)
• Canton v. East Canton (annexation)
• Nimishillen Township contending Stark County Central Dispatch

And on and on goes the list.

No wonder Stark County can't seem get its act together.

What company would want to come to Stark County with all the intergovernmental warfare that is going on?

DISCUSSION: A DEMOCRATIC RISING STAR NO MORE? ALSO, DETAILS OF STARK CO DEM PARTY POLITICAL DIR SHANE JACKSON & SCPR CONFRONTATION AT DEHOFF EVENT

UPDATED: (ADDED TO AND REVISED) 03/14/2009 at 11:45 A.MS

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) had not given Tuscarawas Township trustee Celeste DeHoff much thought lately.

But in an exchange of e-mails with a source of The Report, the source told The Report that the word is that DeHoff is getting out of politics.

Does that mean she will not be running for township trustee?

Not necessarily.

Trustee races are "non-partisan." Even if DeHoff says she is getting out of politics as reported, she can justify running as an incumbent for re-election as township trustee because a case can be made that it is also non-political.

Do voters, when they vote on township races, know the politics of the candidate? Do they check on the political affiliation?

DeHoff, if she wished, could change herself from Democrat to non-partisan by not taking a partisan ballot the next primary election and voting on issues only. Undoubtedly, she knows the process well. After all, that's how she recently (about 5 years agl) came to be identified as a Democrat after being a Republican prior to her switch.

DeHoff's political patron Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. (Stark County Democratic Party chairman and Massillon Municipal Court clerk of courts where DeHoff once worked) will certainly be disappointed if DeHoff's "political retirement" report is correct.

Why?

One less person to tell him what a great political operative he is.

To Maier's credit, he pulled out all the political guns in supporting DeHoff in her run against Todd Snitchler (Republican - 50th). Both Stricklands came to the 50th, as did U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, the then Secretary of State Richard Cordray, former U.S. Senator and American space hero John Glenn.

To boot, Maier persuaded Stark County and Columbus-centered contributors (including well-heeled Political Action Committees [PACs] to fork out generous contributions to the DeHoff campaign.

Never has a Democrat been so well financed in a 50th District campaign as DeHoff was.

By the way, it is virtually impossible for a Democrat to win in the 50th since it was gerrymandered to be a "safe" Republican seat after Maier got term-limited out of the predecessor district (the 56th). But that wasn't Maier's analysis. He persuaded the powers that be in statehouse Democratic politics to put the 50th on its highest priority list.

Nevertheless, the DeHoff's campaign clearly proved that gerrymandering works by hardly making a dent in the vote margin - notwithstanding her substantial resources in campaign funds and heavy hitter politicians - by which previous Democratic candidates lost races for the office.

Only Michael Stevens, a Lawrence Township trustee, has made this race relatively close; having lost to Republican John Hagan in 2000 by about 1,000 votes. Stevens (who had been appointed on Maier's blessing and therefore was the incumbent in 2000) attributes his loss to "dirty political tricks" played by Hagan on a tax policy matter.

So why were "all the king's horses and all the king's men unable to" make DeHoff a viable candidate?

Other than the daunting task of running her in a gerrymandered district, because DeHoff did not come across as someone who had a thought out policy agenda. Snitchler was far superior to DeHoff on this count.

Moreover, being a relatively recent convert from Republicanism, DeHoff did not have the support of large part of the Stark County Democratic Party (even in the face of the party chairman's "you've got to run Celeste" type of support).

DeHoff got a minority of Democratic support in the overall vote in the Democratic primary. This should have told the party pros (how about it Stark County Democratic Political Director Shane Jackson?) a thing or two. But DeHoff and the pros did nothing to bring the party base together.

In fact, a case can be made that they thumbed their collective noses at the losers in the primary (perhaps most of all Michael Stevens). DeHoff went so far to complain to a friend on Massillon City Council because Stevens was post-primary hired by the Democratic Cicchinelli administration.

A real smart way to run a campaign?

Who was giving the expert political advice to DeHoff? The Report believes the list included: Political Director Shane Jackson (already cited), Chairman Maier and presumably the Ohio House caucus political guru and, undoubtedly, Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern and his staff.

A final note on the DeHoff campaign.

The Report went to one of her campaign events in which supporters Strickland, Glenn, et al were the "star" attractions. Talk about walking into a den of hostility? And The Report was not disappointed.

Political Director Jackson launched into a couple of tirades against yours truly as "never having anything good to say about DeHoff," "not one good thing" and went on to calling me "a mean, nasty man."

It took Jackson Township Fiscal Officer and Stark County Democratic Party honcho Randy Gonzales to settle Jackson down.

The Report says this the "not one good thing" part of Jackson's outburst is mostly but not entirely accurate.

In The Report's view, DeHoff had very few redeeming political or policy idea qualities as a candidate for the Ohio House. Moveover, The Report was not enamored with Republican Todd Snitchler. Snitchler’s supporters complained - of what they thought was unflattering coverage of their man's campaign - to The Report.

Yours truly is his own person who tells it like I see it and if Jackson, in the context of his political interests, thinks that yours truly is being "mean and nasty," well, he is entitled to his opinion.

The Report will let the Stark County public-at-large be the judge.

One more sidelight point of interest.

If the DeHoff "getting out of politics" report is true, does this mean Snitchler has a free ride in the 50th in 2010?

Probably. And he will continue to have a easy ride until Democrats gain control of Ohio's Reapportionment Board (OAB).

A huge collateral issue in the 2010 statewide races will indeed be which party (Democrat or Republican) will control the OAB. This board will be charged with the task of realigning Ohio's congressional districts as well as Ohio House and Senate Districts.

If the OAB did reapportioning today, Democrats control 3 to 2 and you can bet that Todd Snitchler would have a much differently composed district to run in.

If and when that happens, you can be sure that Democrats will rework the district to make Snitchler vulnerable.

The make up of the board is as follows:

* the Governor of Ohio,
* the Ohio Secretary of State,
* the Ohio State Auditor,
* a member selected by the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives and the senate leader of the same party
* a member selected by the house and senate leaders of other party.

(Source: Wikipedia)

TODD SNITCHLER: A FIRST- RATE STATE REP IN THE MAKING?

As readers of the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) know, The Report, during his campaign against Democrat Celeste DeHoff (Tuscarawas Township trustee), was skeptical of Todd Snitchler's ability to represent everyday citizen interests given his historical connection with chambers of commerce from the state level to the local level.

Despite The Report's critical look at his candidacy, Snitchler (pre and post election) has always been cordial and responsive in personal encounters. Snitchler is beginning to remind me of Kirk Schuring (whom The Report tabs as the most mature of all Stark County's legislators).

Oelslager will get ugly with you, if you get critical. Otherwise, you wouldn't find a nicer guy in Stark County politics.

John Hagan, well, John has no business being a public official at any level. When he was state representative (and thank God he got term-limited out and lost to Dr. Pete Ferguson in the recently concluded county commissioner race), Hagan was notorious for not getting back to constituents. Criticize him? He wouldn't even say hello.

Getting back to Snitchler.

Snitchler seems to be really into doing his job as a state representative. A number of Stark Countians, including The Report, are unhappy about a provision in SB 221. This bill is the legislation which set up procedures for Ohio's public utilities to adhere to in seeking rate increases.

Because of Jon Husted (the Ohio Speaker of the House) insisted (and some say that current minority-leader Billy Batchelder concurred and was really the force-majeure), that a provision be inserted in SB 221 which gives electric utilities the right to veto any rate increase modified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).

A leading Stark Countian in the quest to get the veto provision taken out is Trustee Louis Giavasis (Plain Townshi0).

State Rep. Mark Okey (D-61st) has shown some interest and now The Report learns so is Snitcher (R-50th).

Here is the text of an e-mail sent by Snitchler to Trustee Giavasis that has been released to The Report (by Giavasis), to wit:

Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 09:22:06 -0500
From: Todd.Snitchler@ohr.state.oh.us
To: lougiavasis1@hotmail.com

Mr. Giavasis,

Thank you for your e’mail on the issues surrounding S.B. 221 and its implementation. I was not a member of the legislature when S.B. 3 or S.B. 221 were passed, but as a consumer have followed these issues with some interest.

As you may know, I filed a letter of opposition to the AEP-Ohio Power rate increase proposal with the PUCO. As I stated in my letter, at a time when Ohio is struggling economically, a rate request seeking at 15% increase for three consecutive years is not good corporate citizenship. I can certainly understand that the cost of doing business has increased for AEP, but I have not seen anything to suggest that the 52% increase is warranted.

I have spoken with some of the other members of the Stark County caucus (and hope to catch up with the others soon), as well as other legislators on the recently announced Public Utility Committee, in an effort to understanding of both the intent of the bill when it was considered and what actions may be taken to respond to this specific issue.

I welcome your input and look forward to talking with you. Thank you for your proactive stance on the issues affecting Stark County citizens.

Respectfully,

Todd Snitchler

State Representative – 50th District
614.466.9078
330.858.4930

The Report does not know if Snitchler's reference to "other members of the Stark County caucus" was intentional or not. But as readers know, that the state senators and state representative who have a representational duty to Stark County think of themselves as a caucus who come together a develop a common agenda (irrespective of party affiliation), has been a prime project of The Report.

In any event, The Report compliments Representative Snitchler for getting started on the right foot as a legislator.

The Report is beginning to believe that Snitchler was be a bold representative who will aggressively look out for the interests of 50th District constituents, Stark Countians and, indeed, all Ohioans.

DISCUSSION: STARK COUNTY CITIES & THE COUNTY ITSELF PARCEL OUT OUR MONEY. WHERE'S THE ACCOUNTING?

A question that every Stark Countian ought to have on his or her mind?

What are taxpaying Stark Countians, Cantonians, North Cantonians, Massillonians and Allianceites getting for their economic development money?

Yesterday, the Alliance Review ran an outstanding AP wire piece which critiques how government accounts for our tax dollars in the area of economic development.

When the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) visited with Democrat Mayor Francis Cicchinelli a few months ago, he decried the absolute need to ante up taxpayer money as a precondition to even begin discussions with companies about expanding in or relocating to Massillon. Cicchinelli doesn't like this reality, but a reality it is. Being kind, one would call this an "entitlement attitude," but to be brutally honest about this corporate economic development reality would be to term it: "we have you over a barrel and we are going to put the screws to you - grin and bear it."

A couple of days ago, The Report e-mailed Commissioner Todd Bosley an asked him whether or not Stark County could account better than Ohio does. No answer as of the writing of this piece. But The Report will be patient, with the storm and all.

The Report turns attention to Ohio House 50th District candidate Republican Todd Snitchler on this "reality." Here's a guy who has unbridled faith in the goodness of corporations and their "PR organizations" to wit: Stark County's local chambers of commerce and, of course, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

As far as The Report is concerned, Snitchler's fascination with the chambers has more to do with his deficient ability to think of new approaches to get at solving severe Stark County and Ohio economic problems than anything else. The chamber of commerce thing is a cover for his inadequacies to think outside-the-box. He is so utterly unoriginal in thought that he needs the chambers to have any economic program whatsoever, notwithstanding Ohioans' clear understanding that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has been and continues to be a failed key player in solving Ohio's economic problems.

By his own account, his own Lake Development Foundation is floundering. How's that? Snitchler says on a video published by The Report (prior article) that the foundation has no money.

With ties like his, it is not likely that Stark Countians can count on him to push for greater accountability in the slipshod relationship between government and the corporate world on the matter of economic development.

Snitchler's only consolation in his race is that his opponent, Democrat Celeste DeHoff, is even more anemic on this front. All she has to do, if elected, will be to call on former state representative Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., (now clerk of courts in Massillon and chair of the Stark County Democratic Party and her chief sponsor) for direction. We all remember what a "giant of a legislator" he was in the Ohio House, don't we?

There is a growing citizen suspicion that taxpayers are getting worked over by companies who are working a system they invented and who are insulated from public scrutiny by bumbling government officials or those who are in the hip pocket of corporate interests.

We have "No Child Left Behind" to document achievement/non-achievement as a check on educators. But what to we have to measure how state and local governments are "investing" taxpayer dollars and whether or not recipient companies are producing according to their promises.

Ohio, for its part, in The Review piece admits that it has no way to tell whether or not the 200, 000 promised jobs over the past 10 years have materialized for the $1.7 billion in tax breaks, et cetera.

How about this for a laugh (to the lament of the taxpaying public)? Ohio is going after Skybus which is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. What genius in the Ohio Department of Development (Lee Fisher?) helped this company with taxpayer money? A company which was offering $10 fares (a terrific business model). Gee, maybe it would have been prudent to require the company to post a bond with the state of Ohio?

All Ohio has is a fragmented, case-by-case, way to track. And currently, it is obvious that the fragmentation reduces to some Department of Development bureaucrat scrambling to come up with a scintilla of data to satisfy an inquiring newspaper reporter for the moment.

And remember, in January, 2006 Governor Strickland, in his Inaugural address, promised government accountability as well as personal accountability. Now, according to the AP report, in the light of big deficits that Ohio is currently running - there's a question: Is there money for devising a tracking system that will provide the promised accountability.

Returning, for a moment, to Todd Snitchler and his chamber friends. Next we will hear how requiring corporate accountability and requiring them to return taxpayer money for promises unkept will hurt Ohio's and Stark County's ability to compete.

The question: (Republican or Democrat) Will Ohioans, Stark Countians, Cantonians, North Cantonians, Massillonians, and Allianceites ever get accountability from our government executives? From beneficiary-corporate executives?

DISCUSSION: WHAT OHIO HOUSE 50TH DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE HAS IN COMMON WITH GOP VP NOMINEE SARAH PALIN?

From the Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Board writing yesterday on the DeHoff (Dem) v. Snitchler (Rep) 50 Ohio House race:

Troubling about her candidacy is an openness to teaching creationism in the biology classroom, a distraction to an understanding of science.

What in the world is Celeste DeHoff thinking? This is an issue that will not play. She says she's not political. Maybe this stance proves it. For if she rides this horse, she will lose in November.

DeHoff need check no further than James Craig (Plain Township) a former member of the Ohio Board of Education. He played footsie with this issue back in 2006 and it got him defeated.

Question: Is being pro-creationist in Stark County schools evidence of DeHoff self-destructing?

DISCUSSION: THE PERFECT FIT?

Of course, Democrat Governor Ted Strickland is obligated to support Democratic candidate Celeste DeHoff who is Tuscarawas Township trustee and Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.'s protege.

But wouldn't it make more sense for Ohio if he were to take a page out of the book of Democratic U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman and do what's best for the state (in this instance) over his political party?

Since the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has a huge stake in the success of the Strickland administration plan, doesn't it stand to reason that Strickland would want a solid chamber of commerce guy in the Ohio House to support his economic development efforts - the one one issue in Ohio these days?

Todd Snitchler, the Republican candidate for the Ohio House (50th) has vastly superior chamber of commerce credentials over the Democrat candidate Celeste DeHoff. He's a past president of the Lake Chamber of Commerce and currently president of the Lake Development Corporation which has a very strong association with area chambers of commerce.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) recalls a recent presentation that Snitchler made to the Uniontown Business Association (the non-political, political event it was), outlining how he went to the Massillon Chamber of Commerce for advice on setting up the Lake Development Corporation.

It is somewhat mystifying to The Report why Strickland has turned to the Ohio Chamber.

Hasn't the Ohio Chamber of Commerce had a large role with the Ohio Republican Party (which some say are joined at the hip) in constructing economic development plans over the past 20 years? Haven't those 20 years been a economic disaster for Ohio? Is the Strickland administration so bereft of new ideas that it has to turn to the "old idea" machine?

The saying is: "If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten."

Apparently, the Strickland administration has dipped, once again, into the reservoir of stale ideas that haven't worked.

Ohioans and Stark Countians can only hope that Strickland gets lucky and pulls a rabbit out of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce hat.

Who better, The Report asks, to help Strickland than chamber devotee Todd Snitchler? Who does Strickland care more about - the future of state of Ohio or the success of a Democratic candidate for the Ohio House?

What choice do you think he should make?

AWARD: 2008 POLITICAL CHUTZPAH AWARD

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT wasn't present but undoubtedly Stark County Democratic Chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. was the man in charge of handing out Democratic Party awards on May 1st.

Especially deserving of an award was Party stalwart Billy Sherer (a long time member of Ironworkers Local 550). Billy (as his friends call him) deserved to be recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Billy Sherer is a class act and it is more than ironic that the man behind the award (Maier) finessed Sherer out of his Stark County Board of Elections post after 13 years of service by concocting a scheme to make it appear that Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner had demanded that an attorney (Feruccio, Johnnie's ally) be selected. A less mature person than Sherer might have balked at taking an award initiated by Maier but it needs to be said again: Billy Sherer is a class act who more than deserves any award the Stark County Democratic Party issues.

Not to take anything whatsoever from Sherer's honor, the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) muses on Maier's ulterior motive (in light of Maier's insult on Sherer in the Board of Election caper), but in the judgment of The Report, Maier does nothing without having some perceived advantage flow to him as a consequence of acting.

Many folks in Stark County's organized labor movement do not see the chairman as being labor friendly. They see him and some of the Democratic candidates/officeholders as taking them for granted and a good source for fundraising.

The Report believes there are two factors in the Maier turnabout. First, he desperately wants Celeste DeHoff elected as 50th House District represented. She brings her own baggage vis-a-vis organized labor. As a Tuscarawas Township trustee, she participated in the firings of several union workers. Moreover, she is viewed with suspicion by some in the party as not being a real Democrat. Up to as recently as four years ago, she was a registered Republican.

Second, it could be that the Strickland people in Columbus have told Maier to mend fences with Stark County organized labor. Stark County unions really like Governor Strickland and it is thought they have complained to Strickland's confidants about Maier's seeming anti-union attitude. Local unions have found Maier hard to stomach. They demonstrated this by running their own candidate for Sherer's Board of Elections seat when his immediate successor Randy Gonzalez had to resign because of a conflict with his government job.

Make no mistake about it, Maier is a political manipulator, extraordinaire. As a state representative, Maier grew up politically under old style political boss Vern Riffe and to this day reveres the man. His applies the lessons learned with precision.

There you have it folks; "hats off" to the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT'S 2008 POLITICAL CHUTZPAH AWARD winner - Stark County Democratic Party Chairman - Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

Discussion Point: Can Celeste DeHoff catch Snitchler - Ohio House: 50th

A BATTLEGROUND DISTRICT THAT DEMOCRATS MUST WIN IF THEY ARE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE OHIO HOUSE

Historically, since the days that Ohio Republicans gerrymandered the 50th District to ensure that no one other than a Republican can win this seat, Republicans have indeed won this seat by an approximate 58% to 42% margin since the 2000 election.

So in my estimation Democrat (recently a Republican) Celeste DeHoff (acolyte to Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.) has a long way to go to catch up to the true Republican candidate Todd Snitchler on the numbers alone - let alone a discussion on the relative merits of the two candidacies.

As if those odds are not enough to overcome (i.e. 58% to 42% historically), DeHoff who got only 38% of the primary vote in the Democratic primary on March 4th, has to convince yours truly, Mike Stevens, Vincent Strasavich and Nick Guarnari (the other candidates in the field) to support her candidacy.

It may seem to be a no brainer. Why wouldn't Democrats (in my case, a former Democrat - now self-declared independent), support the party nominee?

A possible answer? State party chair Chris Redfern at the behest of DeHoff patron saint Maier put state party money into the DeHoff campaign - not a smart thing to do especially in the case of Lawrence Township Trustee Mike Stevens who narrowly lost to DeHoff.

Especially bitter in my opinion: Mike Stevens, a former state representative, had asked for but was denied state party assistance going back the last two elections cycles.