REP EDITORS HAVE TO BE THE ENVY OF STARK'S "CHEERLEADER-IN-CHIEF" AND FORMER CANTON MAYOR JANET CREIGHTON: NO?

When you don't have the moxie to challenge Stark County's leadership to excellence, what is there left to do?

Cheer-lead, that's what.

Even losing teams have cheerleaders.

And cheerleading seems to be a quality that The Canton Repository editorial board is set on honing and emphasizing these days.

For the life of yours truly, there's nothing to cheer about with the Stark Education Partnership (SEP), if you judge the organization by its president Doctor Adrienne O'Neill (PhD) and her interaction with the hoi polli public.

O'Neill is a lady who did not have the good sense to respond to an e-mail question yours truly sent her about the performance of the SEP about a year ago. As the SCPR is wont to do, the unanswered e-mail was followed up with an "embarrassing to her" telephone call. If that had not worked, then at one of her frequent public appearances, the question(s) would have been asked in that forum.

The goal of the SCPR is not to embarrass, but to get answers to incisive questions. and to prod Stark community leaders into questing for excellence. Undoubtedly, on the Stark high brow social circuit O'Neil gets a steady diet of "softball" education questions. Accordingly, she would not be practiced in handling the really difficult ones.

If O'Neill's take on improving Stark education is indicative of what is going on in Stark County education, then we should all embark on a fervent prayer life.

Back to The Repository Editorial Board.

The Rep editorial board picks up O'Neill's and SEP's claim to fame in touting the increasing number of graduates from Stark's high schools (which apparently is the "main claim to fame" achievement stretching over 20 years). The truth of the matter is that rates could not go anywhere but up from the abysmal levels that existed when SEP took up this project. You have to start somewhere.

The more important question of SEP and O'Neil is what do Stark's graduates know (core knowledge) and what are the graduates' processing skills (ability to think critically, creatively and innovatively)?

Wouldn't want to spoil a good cheerleading session with questions like those, would you?

Last week Governor Ted Strickland was in town to tell us that the Jackson school system has arrived to the point that if all Ohio schools were like Jackson, Ohio would have no need for educational reform?

Unbelievable!

And guess what we got out of The Rep's editors?

Yes, yes and yes again: SILENCE.

The governor failed to mention Jackson's 36% remediation rate when its graduates go to college and the heavens only know what employers have to spend in extra - make up for what was missed in high school - "education" dollars when these grads hit the workplace.

The SCPR has asked educators throughout Stark County (including O'Neill) about the extraordinarily high remediation rates and has gotten no meaningful answers: only a shrug of the shoulders or some nonsense like "we didn't have the college evaluative tests beforehand."

O'Neil takes a page out of a politician's book and "changed the subject when asked by the SCPR about what is being done about the high remediation rate. All she wants to talk about is the increasing rates of graduation among Stark's high schools. Why shouldn't she. Changing the subject is working. She and SEP gets cheered on by The Repository on cherry picked data that has not been examined critically as to the "real" significance to quality education occurring in Stark.

So Doctor O'Neill, if a school with a 50% graduation rate and a 70% remediation rate increases its graduation rate to 95%; what, pray-tell, would be the new remediation rate?

Since the emphasis is pushing more students out the door with degrees, wouldn't it stand to reason that the remediation rates will escalate. Maybe a little sacrificing quality for quantity might be going on?

Yours truly, in the comments sections of The Repository and perhaps in a "letter to the editor" or two used to chide former Canton mayor Janet Creighton for functioning mainly as a cheerleader in her role as Canton's chief executive.

But for Creighton there was nothing else to do.

Stark County's leadership infrastructure has evaporated with the loss of Canton's industrial base.

The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce sat and watched and wringed their hands. The chamber is the only game in town as a specific attempt to rebuild Stark's lost leadership capability. But yours truly suspects its curriculum and regimen is not nearly tough enough. Not everyone who engages the program should be able to get through it. And, for the ones who do, there ought to be an accountability-esque report on the chamber's website detailing how the leadership school experience enabled specifically identified graduates to produce measurable results for Stark County.

Back to The Repository Editorial Board.

If Canton had a newspaper with aggressive, thoughtful, reflective, penetrating and a "no nonsense" public accountability qualities about its editorial board, there would be reason to be cheered about the future of Stark.

But the opposite is true.

The Rep appears to be in death throes. The folks at 500 South Market Avenue appear to be just trying to get from day-to-day. Just talk to the everyday Rep employee. Despair abounds everywhere.

Except that is with the editorial board.

Like the cheerleaders for the bottom dwelling team, they will cheer on until the bitter end.

IS THE WORM BEGINNING TO TURN OF HEALY? HIS HERETOFORE ALLY STARTS PRINTING POINTED STORIES - FOLLOWING SCPR LEAD?

Mayor William J. Healy, II's worries just got compounded.

Following the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT'S LEAD, The Canton Repository has taken a much more critical turn on Mayor Healy.

On April 27, 2009 the SCPR went with the story: Healy on conversation about Hawk: it was private. Can you believe this guy?

On June 07, 2009 (41 days after the SCPR piece), Ed Ballint writes a story: Was mayor's remark at charity event politically motivated?

Here a link to the SCPR original story.

Compare it to Balint's.

Wow! Almost a carbon copy.

But The Rep's piece is 41 days down the pike.

The SCPR is complimented that The Rep many times follows up on inside political stories that originated in the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT.

The Report does believe The Rep "powers that be" have ethical problems of their own. Anytime the SCPR uses The Rep's material, there is full credit and attribution.

But the reciprocal is not true.

Moreover, the SCPR believes The Rep has ordered its reporters from crediting the SCPR with originating stories, has ordered that references to the SCPR in the comments section be edited out or the comments refused and, of course, Executive Editor Jeff Gauger himself refuses to apply journalistic ethics vis-a-vis the SCPR and, obviously, has ordered his fellow editors from properly crediting The Report when they get their ideas on editorial topics from reading the SCPR.

The Report has learned that there was a celebration at The Rep a few months ago when they thought they had beaten the SCPR to the punch. They hadn't. Again, The Report is complimented when Stark County's only countywide newspaper with staff galore (when compared with the SCPR - which only has yours truly) feels challenged.

The SCPR is the only alternative to The Rep on political news and analysis. Frequently, The Report gets e-mail compliments lauding the SCPR as being much higher quality than the political news reporting and analysis at The Repository.

The Rep has never been a great paper, but with the introduction of executive editor Jeff Gauger, managing editor Don Detore, publisher Kevin Kampman and the whole GateHouse Media Ohio, Inc team; The Repository has sank to new journalistic lows.

Nevertheless, The Rep's is Stark County's only countywide newspaper which buys ink by the barrel and likes to think it is the 800-pound-gorilla of local journalism and Mayor William Healy should be more worried than ever that media scrutiny of his every action is to be magnified considerably.

In addition to Balint's piece today, there is the editorial offering Mayor owes Hawk, citizens apology and Mayor has put the cart before the horse (June 4, 2009).

The evidence is clear to the SCPR, Mayor Healy's romance with The Rep has come to an abrupt end. Undoubtedly, this is painful for The Rep's powers, for all the criticism that yours truly levels at The Rep; there is no question that they want Healy to succeed as mayor. So does the SCPR.

However, Healy is chasing failure at a fast, fast rate.

As one high level city official within the last few days told The Report, "Healy just continues to shoot himself in the foot. For those of us working in the administration, all these incidents are distracting. We just want to get the job done for Cantonians. Healy is huge problem in that regard."

The same source told The Report: "Healy has no close friends in the administration. He is not a friendly guy. It is reduced to him and communications director Adam Herman making command decisions for the adminstration. The departure of Safety Director Tom Nesbitt is a huge blow."

These are horribly bleak times for Canton city government. But Mayor William J. Healy, II has made them much more bleak than they need be.

REPOSITORY EDITORIAL BOARD INSULTS RON/KYLE DEVIES & SNICKERS AT "SMALL TOWN" MARLBORO?

In his own mind Repository Executive Editor Jeff Gauger - even though he hails from Rockford, Illinois (Rockford where?) - is a very important guy.

From the tone and the smugness that emanates from yesterday's Rep editorial Chief, trustees must move on, the SCPR is guessing that Gauger was the editorial writer.

Yours truly would e-mail Gauger and find out who wrote the editorial, but it would probably be blown off; like his sidekick Gayle Beck blew off an e-mail asking a mundane question about whether or not The Rep had endorsed in the Chandra/Dann attorney general primary race in 2008.

The SCPR had been hearing that the Rep editors were unhappy with the penetrating critiques that The Report has been doing on their work.

Beck's blow off was all the confirmation the SCPR needed. The SCPR is pleased to put "only countywide newspaper" under the microscope. As former editor David Kaminski once said, The Rep likes being the 800-pound gorilla. Even though he is gone, his statement accurately reflects the attitude among the editors at The Rep today.

The Canton Repository is fast fading as a respected investigatory newspaper. Staff cuts galore are being made at The Rep except for the sports department - of course, many Stark Countians cannot do without their sports.

New owner GateHouse Media Ohio is disliked by the folks who work at The Rep about 60/40 (with 60 being the negative number) according to a source from deep inside the bowels of the Canton daily.

The biggest drop off at The Repository has been with the quality of the editorial staff headed by Jeff Gauger. Let's put it thise way: he is no M.L. Schultze!

The editorial being commented by the SCPR on is about as bush as editors get.

It's done in what the editorial writer thinks is a clever way to demean the Devies and Marlboro Township without it being clearly apparent.

Some examples.

"Let’s put aside the snickering about small towns ... " The writer goes on to cover his/her tracks by bringing in Canton, Massillon and North Canton and their "silly politics."

Not so fast. Apparently, Gauger (et al?) betray themselves and conversation that has been going on in The Rep editorial board room. Frequently, such is the case. He who disses "anonymous" others is covering up his own dissing.

A clever attempt to ridicule Marlboro, while appearing to take the high road.

The clincher is this line: "It’s time for the trustees to put Devies back to work, for him to drop any thought of a lawsuit, and for both sides, now, to put the public first."

The Devies have always put the public first. But not Wise and Wolf. No! They got this mess started. And Marlboro has suffered at their hands. Not the Devies.

To equate the Devies with Wise and Wolf is a huge insult.

And, the Devies are "to drop any thought of a lawsuit."

No, no and no again.

It is obvious that the member(s) of The Repository editorial board do not fully understand the American system of justice.

There is a civil side to our system of justice. The Devies unjustifiably experienced the criminal justice side. Now is their turn to have justice. That is the beauty of the American system.

If the Marlboro trustees damaged the Devies in violation of legally recognized rights in established tort law, then making them pay money damages is the civil side of the American system of justice way sending a message that such conduct could be costly and therefore is check on any who would follow their example.

Where were the editors when the trustees made a mole hill of a matter into a gigantic mountain?

Why weren't the editors editorializing the trustees to not make this a criminal justice matter? Why weren't they editorializing the Stark County sheriff to proceed on a criminal basis with the greatest reluctance. Why weren't they editorializing the Stark County prosecutor to make double, double sure they had a solid case before going to the grand jury?

It is said that a prosecutor can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich.

The Devies matter is a classic case of the Stark County prosecutor doing just that? Except the Devies are not ham sandwiches. The Devies are real breathing, feeling and thinking human beings. With his sloppy work (as confirmed by Judge Sinclair), Ferrero and his involved staff deeply hurt and damaged a pillar of the Marlboro community. Feel good about that John?

There was no case against the Devies. As one who attended a good part of the trial, that became apparent to me by noon of Tuesday, the 19th. Of course, yours truly knew that long before the indictments came down. Check The Report's blogs.

But where was The Rep editorial board?

Nowhere to be seen!

But now they want to weigh in.

Go get a life Rep editors - outside the editorial board room!

GAUGER OF THE REP SAYS THAT "PAY FOR ONLINE CONTENT IS COMING;" WILL YOU PAY FOR IT? VOTE!

Listen to Repository Executive Editor Jeff Gauger (on a excerpted clip from a WKSU audio news report by former Repository editor M.L. Schultze) as he tells a meeting of the Akron Press Club (very recently) that his company GateHouse Media Ohio is "seriously" considering charging readers for content on CantonRep.com.

Once you listen, take the poll below the audio link and send a message to The Rep as to whether or not you are willing to pay for content.

JUDGE JIM JAMES MAKES A GREAT POINT: CLASSLESS (THE SCPR'S WORD) NEWSPAPER UNDERMINES PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT!

Jim James is one the most respected jurists in all of Stark County. This judge is calm, cool and collected, above all. For James to write the headlined "letter to the editor" to The Repository is a real slap in the face of lead editors Jeff Gauger and Don Detore.

Gauger, somewhat of a popinjay, got on his high horse at the beginning of the Schuring/Boccieri 16th district congressional race and pontificated about how he was going to see to it that the dialogue concerning the candidates remained civil.

Well, Editor Gauger what is in good taste about allowing readers to demean a profession?

As Judge James puts it:

It is inappropriate to debase any profession. This is a surprising tack for a news organization that aspires to high journalistic standards.

Judge James is generous in attributing "high journalistic standards" as among The Rep's aspirations. All yours truly can say is that hopefully such is the case. But one does have to wonder and there is room for skepticism.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) believes that The Rep is desperate just to stay in business these days. Because of the pressure to sell newspapers and draw online readers in order to to drive up or maintain advertising rates which is a function readership volume, readers should expect see more and more sleazy journalism emanating from The Rep.

So which is going to be Editor Gauger: a step up a la the Schuring/Boccieri standard or a step down a la the solicitation of lawyer jokes?

The Report will be taking silence as a vote for a step down; an apology for a step up.

DISCUSSION: IS THE REPOSITORY SERIOUS WITH ITS CANTON CITY COUNCIL-AT-LARGE SERIES?

The city of Canton has never faced such dire times as it is in the midst of right now.

It is critically important to the future of Canton that the numerous council-at-large candidates be forced to answer eyeball-to-eyball hard questions about what prescriptions they have for what ails Canton.

So what does Stark County's only countywide newspaper do?

It does a powder-puff series in which the candidates make self-serving presentations (one written, the other video - "whoop-de-doo" - The Rep knows how to use technology without substance).

Today, The Rep puts Jimmy Babcock and Guy Bertram on. Undoubtedly, the other candidates are to follow. If the Babcock and Bertram pieces are any indication of what is to follow - save your time.

The Report is being facetious with its graphic representing a Rep employee handing out campaign literature. However, that is what yours truly thinks The Rep's series amounts to.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) has asked all the council-at-large candidates for a "no holds barred interview." Any takers? Yes, to her credit Cynthia Vignos. Apparently, the rest know they cannot stand the probing questions.

For Cantonians this means that Canton will likely get a replacement for the retiring Don Casar that will be unwilling and unable to provide answers for the manifold problems pressing in on Canton.

Repository Managing Editor Don Detore, Executive Editor Jeff Gauger and their newspaper is failing the Canton voting public.

Note that The Report says "their newspaper." And that's all it can be. For they are not pressing The Rep's staff to do the hard journalistic work that they ought to be doing. Being the "easy mark" they are for public officials and candidates, The Rep has not commanded the respect of the Stark County public to adopt The Rep as "our community - ever vigilant - newspaper."

Indeed, hard times have fallen on Canton, Ohio!