JOHN BOCCIERI: ON THE ROAD BACK TO WASHINGTON?

One of outgoing Congressman John Boccieri's best political friends is Governor Ted Strickland.  Strickland has be sort of mentor to Boccieri and may serve (by way of his own political history) as a guide as to how Boccieri can find his way back to Congress.

In 1992 Strickland defeated incumbent Republican Congressman Bob McEwen in the newly formed 6th Congressional District (a merger of the 6th and 10th district because of census driven redistricting).  In 1994, Strickland was defeated by Republican Frank Cremeans whom he defeated in 1996 to regain his district.  Thereafter, Strickland was pretty much an automatic in the 6th.

If he runs to regain a seat in Congress, Boccieri may have the reverse of Strickland's situation.  It is unlikely that the 16th as we know it will exist insofar as Stark County is concerned.  It is less likely that both Boccieri and Renacci will actually live in the same district (whatever the number assigned to it is).  However, as the politically knowledgeable know, it is not a requirement that you live in a district in order to run for a congressional seat.

The SCPR would not be completely surprised to see Boccieri to relocate out of Alliance.  It appears that the main reason that he moved into the district in the first place was to blunt criticism about not living in the district by then opponent Kirk Schuring.  It should not have been surprising that Boccieri moved into the eastern fringe of the 16th congressional district.  After all, his lifelong base has been Mahoning County (the Youngstown area).

However, there is no chance at all for Boccieri to become the congressman for Mahoning County as that is locked down by sitting Democratic congressman and Boccieri friend Tim Ryan.  So maybe Boccieri will stay put in Alliance.

Should Democrat Boccieri choose to run for Congress again, will there be a rematch with Republican Renacci?  Probably not, because of the redistricting.  But it could be and if such turns out to be the case, then an attempted political resurrection of John Boccieri could have an added element of drama to it.

The SCPR has little doubt that Boccieri will be running for Congress somewhere in Ohio in 2012.  This past week the Boccieri's communications director Rebecca Kershaw was busy sending out press releases on Boccieri's vote supporting the Obama/Republican compromise on the Bush tax cuts and the continuance of unemployment benefits for the long term unemployed.

So while Strickland - in sort of a way - is a structural model for a Boccieri pathway back to the United States House of  Representatives, whether or not the soon-to-be ex-congressman can make it back in 2012 is tied to Barack Obama and his success in convincing the American voters that he has achieved over four years what he did not achieve in two years (likely causing the defeat of the likes of Boccieri), and therefore should be re-elected.

Despite noises to the contrary on various issues during his term in office ("Cap and Trade," and the healthcare bill), Boccieri has proved to be an Obama loyalist.  In the long run this probably was a wise decision by Boccieri.  While the loyalty and merely being a Democrat officeholder likely cost him his seat in 2010, he remains one of the bright stars of the Democrats' political aspirations and should Obama pull off a political renaissance, Boccieri should realize political dividends for his loyalty.

In the meantime, will the Obama administration find a White House political appointment for Boccieri as a way station from which to plan his political comeback?

One has to believe that such will be the case.

In the final analysis, look for John Boccieri to be spending the next year and one-half (until the 2012 Democratic primary election) positioning himself for a return to Congress.

STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT "SNAPSHOT"

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OHIOANS & STARK COUNTIANS HAVE AN AWFUL CHOICE TO MAKE THIS FALL. STRICKLAND OR KASICH? FOLKS, IT DOESN'T GET MUCH WORSE THAN THIS!

About the only folks who are "bananas" for Governor Ted Strickland these days are the likes of former Stark County Democratic chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.  And who on God's green acre in Ohio could be enthusiastic about his Republican challenger John Kasich?

This race is sort of like when Republican Bob Taft ran for re-election against Democrat Tim Hagan (how a Cuyahoga County commissioner).  The choice clearly is a Hobson's Choice (a free choice in which only one option is offered):  a twiddly dee,  twiddly dum (ho-hum) one, if ever there was one.  Maybe ever worse than "ho-hum."  Either could accentuate Ohio's downward spiral.  To the SCPR, "twiddly dee or dum" would be a better choice.  At least, they are not live human beings and therefore can "do no harm."

Strickland is trying to be folksy again.  Remember, last time out in 2006, he ran as "the man from Duck Run."

This time he wants to appear to be "the man who is in touch with Main Street, Ohio."  Another ruse in the making, no?

But it certainly does not appear that he is a "main-streeter."  Get this.

Man alive!   Strickland apparently was on his way to Main Street, Massillon, Ohio (Cicchinelli-de-ville) but ended up at 900 Path Ridge NE which is Catazaro-Perry-de-ville (home of Kathy Catazaro-Perry, a likely Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. foe in 2011 - if he decides to run)..

Downtown Massillon is a neat looking community.  Mayor Cicchinelli's administration has done a great job keeping Main Street, Massillon looking spiffy.

But it ain't no Mill Ridge Path!

It is interesting that Strickland could not find his way to Main Street.  To The Report, his misdirection is indicative of how much he has lost the affection of Main Street Ohioans and Stark Countians.

By his own definition, he is a failed governor.  He said that if he failed to fix public education funding problem, he would own up to being a failed governor.  Now, like most politicians, it is one excuse after another, after another, after another as to why he hasn't.

Strickland will likely win in November because the Republicans have made a major mistake in selecting Congressman John Kasich to run against him.

Kasich is spending a lot of time these days explaining how he came to be associated with the discredited Lehman investment banking house that went belly up during the recent banking aspect of the end of the Bush administration financial crisis.  Apparently, Kasich made big money with Lehman, while scores of investors (presumably including Ohioans and Stark Countians) lost their investment dollars.

One has to wonder whether Ohio has an chance at all to dig itself out of the economic/financial doldrums with the likes of Strickland and Kasich leading the way.

Doesn't look like it, either way.

Indeed, Ohioans and Stark Countians DO have an awful choice to make this fall.

And its probably one on which, in reality, there is only one choice.  Whether the choice is Strickland or Kasich,  the result is likely to be more heartache and failure that hits the folks on Main Street the hardest.

The folks on Mill Ridge Path, NE?  Oh, they will do just fine.  They always do!

STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND AND FIRST ENERGY JOIN FORCES TO TAKE CHOICE AWAY FROM CITIZENS AND CONSUMERS?

In recent days, there has been a multifaceted rhetorical assault on the exercise of "free choice" by Stark County citizens and consumers.  And, its just not rhetorical.  In Stark County, the words (reference:  Commissioner Tom Harmon - see below) told us what we already knew about Stark County commissioner action in December, 2008 to "impose" a 0.50 sales/use tax on Stark Countians.

CASE 1


COMMISSIONER TOM HARMON

On September 30, 2009, Commissioner Tom "I'm too dumb to come in out of rain" Harmon "let the cat-out-of-the-bag" in saying “We didn’t believe it would pass ... " (Canton Repository, Government officials, residents debate merits of sales tax hike, Robert Wang) as the reason why the commissioners denied Stark Countians the right to vote on the proposed increase.

Of course, after the fact, when it became obvious that he had done great political damage to county government officials' effort to retain the imposed tax; Harmon, reportedly, didn't mean to say what he said.

Although Harmon has a smooth (urbane) manner about him, when one examines what he has to say; it usually turns out to be "nothing" or, worse yet, he damages his own cause.

CASE 2


FIRST ENERGY PLAN TO DISTRIBUTE FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS

The SCPR took note of the First Energy plan from an Akron Beacon Journal yesterday (Betty Lin-Fisher) to distribute by hand two fluorescent light bulbs to each and every Ohio Edison customers.  Ohio Edison serves part of Stark County.

What did not appear in the Lin-Fisher piece was the fact that customers were having $21 added to their electric bills to pay for the "unasked for" distribution.


First Energy is under the gun from the Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to enact conservation measures.

Of course we consumers know who pays for anything that First Energy does.

But to force "unasked for" light bulbs at a super-premium price of $11.50 each on consumers of electricity shows the unmitigated arrogance of company officials.

So enter the politicians.


CASE 3



GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND

After the Ohio Supreme Court struck down his plan to place thousands of slot machines at Ohio's racetracks in order to generate about $900 million to balance the 2010-11 state biennium budget "without a vote of the people, he came up with an alternative "anti-democracy" plan.

What was that?

"We will 'freeze' the final year of a voted on (by the Ohio General Assembly) income tax decrease," he says.

So it is hard to take when Strickland weighs in on the First Energy plan (see below) to force $11.50 per fluorescent bulb on Stark County users of Ohio Edison electricity.

Why so?

Here is what Strickland had to say, in part, in a letter he wrote to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) asking that the First Energy Plan be delayed:  "the bulb program has been thrust upon them without their approval or prior knowledge."

Isn't this good that the governor wants to stop the First Energy abuse of its customers.

Indeed, but highly hypocritical and Strickland needs to take the logs out of his own eyes.

What the governor needs do in addition to his "stop First Energy action," is to put the brakes on himself and his arrogating to himself the role of taking away of "citizen say" on Ohio's revenue raising decisions.


FINAL WORD

Whether its local or state, "it is becoming fashionable to take choice away from citizens and consumers!"

DEMOCRAT SPEAKER OF HOUSE (BUDISH) & GOVERNOR (STRICKLAND) HAVING A TOUGH WEEK? MAYBE A TOUGHER ELECTION IN 2009?

Can you see it?

See what?

Strickland and Budish "high-fiving" and "gafawing" over the number they did on Ohioans in the budget negotiations back in July.

First, there was expansion of gambling in Ohio and Governor Strickland and Armond Budish (Democrat Speaker of the House) structuring it to deny Ohioans the right to vote on the issue.

Well, they (Strickland and Budish) lost that one when the Ohio Supreme Court ruled 6 to 1 that "LetOhioansVote" could go forward to contest, with a referendum initiative,  their "thwart the voters" plan.

By the way, Kirk Schuring (Republican/Jackson - 29th - Ohio Senate) and Todd Snitchler (Republican - 50th - Lake) tried to stop the gambling expansion.

Second, it came to light in The Repository yesterday (New fee just a way to drive down deficit) how Budish working hand-in-glove with the Strickland administration "snuck" in a late fee ($20) for those who are more than seven days late renewing their drivers' licenses and license plates.

Schuring and the Republicans in the Ohio Senate thought they had it out, but the guv and his speaker are sneaky-sneaky.

If the voters decide to stop expanded gambling in Ohio, it will put Strickland and Budish right in the middle of a state government fiscal nightmare.

Why's that?

Because they were depending on the expanded gambling to raise about $851.5 million for FY 2010-2011.

But they do have a Plan B?

It appears so.  If the expanded gambling is rejected, the rumor is that Strickland, Budish and their "expanded gambling supporters" in the Ohio General Assembly will be begging Ohioans to be late in their license purchases.

Yes, late.  For they desperately need some way to make up $851.5 million dollars even if at the rate of $20 at a time.

Indeed, Ohioans may well have the "last laugh" on "the best laid plans of  mice and men" gone awry by voting "no" on gambling expansion and paying for their licenses on time.