THE "AD" THAT CAUSED JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR'S LATEST FLIP-OUT?

UPDATED:  08:30 AM

WHAT?

FRANK CICCHINELLI MIGHT BE COMING BACK!

The Stark County Political Report thinks that:

• Massillon clerk of courts
• former Stark County Democratic Party chairman,
• Stark County-based political confidant to former Ohio governor Ted Strickland, and
• the "would be" king maker in Stark County politics, namely;

Johnnie A. Maier, Jr  (JAM) must have been flipping-out big time when this advertisement appeared recently in a Massillon publication focusing on selling services and products in the Massillon area.

The Report has talked with the business owner of this advertisement and he says that the ad has absolutely nothing to do with the question of whether or not former 24 year Massillon mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. is going to run in the May, 2015 Democratic primary election against Massillon surrogate (i.e. the face of the JAM administration) mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry.

And, of course, you and The Report will take the man at his word.

But will Johnnie A. Maier, Jr?

The SCPR thinks not.

By the way, the copy of the advertisement was supplied to the SCPR by a person who The Report thinks is friendly with Johnnie if not an outright political ally.

A previous ad that Maier, Jr. apparently thought reflected negatively on him, The Report is told, resulted in his stopping by the business and having "a word or two" with the owner.

The owner says that putting up humorous ads is his thing and he is not getting political.

Hear that Johnnie?

The Report believes Maier is Stark County's foremost paranoid politician and likely has been flipping-out ever since the ad appeared.

It is nothing unusual for politicians - in general - to be paranoid about the security of their position and political power, but knowing him as well as the SCPR does; Maier, Jr. has to be the "King of 'Hill Political Paranoiac'" in Stark County.

The SCPR is being told by some who have access to Maier that he comes politically "unglued" on a regular basis with the publication of SCPR blogs dealing with his Massillon and Stark County political interests.

His sidekick R. Shane Jackson (see his credentials below) flipped-out on the SCPR with an email to a list of Stark County office holders months ago (LINK).

Even before that, way back in 2008, Jackson went ballistic with The Report at a Celeste DeHoff for State Representative political event in Canal Fulton (LINK).

It took SCPR "good friend" and former Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez to pull Jackson away from yours truly.

A belated thank you, Randy!

For some odd reason, the Maiers think (according to George T. Maier) that the SCPR singles them out for blogger attention.

All that is evidence of is that the politically-involved-Maiers ought to rethink being in politics at all.

Last time the SCPR checked: for "a responsible to the public media outlet," scrutiny of public officials and candidates for office is the order of the day, no?

What is the expression:  "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen," no?

Moreover, anyone who reads The Stark County Political Report in a non-narcissistic way knows that this blog is - in the words of former Local 94 Plumbers and Pipefitters Business Agent Dan Fonte - "an equal opportunity critic."

In the SCPR's journalistic fantasy world, The Report gets a phone call from either Johnnie, Jr. and/or George, to wit:  "Okay, Martin let's set a date and a time for a "no holds barred interview."

As readers of this blog know, subjects get every opportunity to respond to SCPR critiques.

But behind the bravado of Johnnie and George, the SCPR thinks, is cowardice.

Neither of them have the "b*l*s"  (let's be nice now) "intestinal fortitude" to do such an interview which the SCPR is certainly game for.

But no other Stark County media outlet is.

For anyone who can go toe-to-toe with them and whom they have no leverage over, they slink away and become incommunicado.
 
A number of Stark County politicians have tried to bully the SCPR including Johnnie's "political 'friend for life'" and Massillon Municipal Court judge Edward J. Elum.

No surprise here.

Elum has been chastised by nobody less that the Ohio Supreme Court for pushing around folks who have dealt with or appeared before him.

And including Johnnie's brother and sheriff-elect George T. Maier.

And including a number of other Stark County elected officials who are beholden to the Maiers.

And some (e.g. Stark County prosecutor John Ferrero) who are not and are, in fact, thought to be bitter enemies of the Maier politicos.

Apparently, quite a few Stark County politicos fear the political power of Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

And, no doubt, he, especially with the election of George is a mighty powerful man in our county.

These are folks who do not belong in the hurly-burly world of politics.

Stark County's only countywide newspaper and its sister publication in Massillon seemingly shy away from journalistically confronting either Maier, but not The Stark County Political Report.

Johnnie has to be riding high these days and probably is thinking like a lot of powerful politicians do; that is to say, to wit: he and his elected official followers are not accountable to the Stark County public.

But they are, and the SCPR will continue to focus on them as well as non-Maier beholdens who share the same grandiose mentality and resent anyone poking around to find out how they may be using political power for self-enhancement rather than for the public good.

Johnnie had an expert in the accumulation and use of political power teach him the fine art of power politics.  That was Vern Riffe, Jr. former long term speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, 1975 through 1995.

Johnnie served at Riffe's pleasure in a political capacity while he represented parts of Stark County in the Ohio General Assembly from 1990 through 1999 at which time he was forced to leave due to term limits (eight consecutive years).

In responsible hands, political power can be beneficial to people.

However, there are relatively few politicians who have the self-discipline to use political power responsibly.  And the SCPR does not count Maier, Jr. and many of elected officials and appointed officials followers of his as being among them.

The SCPR is particularly concerned about Johnnie's brother George being Stark County sheriff.

The Report has said in prior blogs that the SCPR thinks that it is only a matter of time until county officials will find themselves "in the soup" in trying to explain this or that official action by the sheriff-elect.

Hopefully, The Report is wrong because another county crisis could make it impossible for county officials to get a renewal, if not an enhancement, of the "to expire in 2019" 1/2 cent county sales tax.

If The Report proves to be correct in the expectation that George will somewhere along the line abuse his power of office, then those county officials who supported him in very his close election victory over Republican Larry Dordea will have some accounting to do with the Stark County public.

The SCPR in quite a number of blogs raised the specter of "unanswered questions" on allegations of Maier conduct (e.g. the Columbus Dispatch article on his #2 Ohio Department of Public Safety days, the Mike Stevens incident and the Altieri reserve deputy sheriff matter, among others).

However, the county's only countywide newspaper refused - as evidenced by its silence - to press Maier with obvious questions and, thereby, it too, better hope that Maier stays on "the straight and narrow" as sheriff.

For the SCPR will be there to hold "their feet to the fire," should Maier fail.

Of course, if he "turns over a 'new' leaf," The Report will be quick to recognize such.

Now that he has placed his brother in Stark County's most powerful policing office; Jr. will be focusing on maintaining himself as the de facto mayor of Massillon.

Anybody who thinks de jure mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry is the "real" mayor of Massillon clearly does not understand how anybody who is dependent on Maier, Jr. for political support and sponsorship cannot not be her or his own person.

Once the SCPR wrote a letter to the editor soon after Ted Strickland became governor that was critical of the way Strickland was handling education reform in Ohio.

Johnnie (then the Stark County Dems' chairman) was not a happy camper.

Consistent with "the control person he is," Johnnie tried that game on yours truly which, of course, fell on "deaf ears."

Up until the first incident, The Report had not seen much if any of that side of Maier, Jr.

Later on he tried to weigh-in on having yours truly vote in favor of validating his replacement of 13 year board member and Ironworker Billy Sherer as one of two Stark County Democrats who serve as Board of Elections members.

All that showed was that Johnnie is a slow learner.

The answer?

A straight to the point:  "No!"

Of course, Johnnie prevailed on the Sherer replacement.

But "the SCPR in the making" showed him - if he was looking and hearing - that there are those of us who can remain his/her own person when politically correct politics militates (in the interest of personal advancement) - for some - otherwise.

Interestingly enough, like when the curtain was pulled away from in front of the Wizard of Oz, there was nothing but a disappointed whimper from Maier at yours truly's refusal to vote Maier's way on the Sherer matter.

Ever since the direct confrontations did not work, it seems that Maier and friends work among the dark shadows of Stark County government and politics to get a handle on The Stark County Political Report.

Good Luck, Johnnie!

At one time, yours truly hoped that Maier would use his knack for acquiring political power for the public good.

But as the SCPR sees it, that is not what has happened.

The Report sees Maier as predominantly using his acquired political power for the benefit of himself and his group.  A group which by and large (but not exclusively) the SCPR thinks encompasses those pictured in the following graphic.

The SCPR thinks there is a 50/50 chance that Maier minion Kathy Catazaro-Perry will waltz uncontested into a second term as de jure, but not de facto mayor of Massillon.

The Report has written that it appears that former Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr will not challenge the Maier stand-in next May.

But Cicchinelli tells the SCPR that he has not decided and may well not decide until the filing deadline for the May, 2015 Democratic primary election.

He has sharpened his rhetorical attack on Mayor Catazaro-Perry calling her a "township-girl" and not a true Massillonian.  Her origin is Perry Township.

These are the SCPR's words not Cicchinelli's, but it appears to The Report in talking with the former mayor that a 2015 campaign would feature Frank Cicchinelli as "a political attack dog" going after the "political jugular" of Catzaro-Perry and her mentor/controller Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

If decides to run, he does have a Catazaro-Perry record to go after.  Something that was pretty much unavailable in 2011 when she had merely been one council person among ten.

Should Cichinelli not challenge Catazaro-Perry as the SCPR expects, then the next hurdle for the face of the de facto Maier, Jr administration is Councilman Ed Lewis, IV (Republican, Ward 6).

• Note:  The Maier Massillon Political Machine must have as early as the 2013 Massillon municipal election figured out that Lewis was a potential threat to Catazaro-Perry continuing as mayor.  They put lots of money and effort in trying to elect one of their own in Ward 6.

But maybe they have nothing to worry about.

Yesterday, a key Massillon Republican told the SCPR that it is appearing more and more as if Lewis will not challenge whomever the Democratic nominee is in the November, 2015 general election.

The Report thinks that should Cicchinelli and Lewis bow-out, it won't because be of a fear of the Maier Massillon Political Machine, but rather because Catazaro-Perry (err Maier [and Stark County Dems political director and Massillon chief deputy clerk of courts Shane Jackson]) have by their antagonistic relationship with most of the members of Massillon City Council made Massillon one huge financial mess.

The thinking has to be:

• Who wants to take on "cleaning the mess up?"
• Let Catazaro-Perry, Maier, Jr and Jackson field the irate input of Massillonans when the all but certain draconian cuts come as a consequence of two recent income tax increase failures, no?
• Note:  Catazaro-Perry outright did not support the first effort and was "lukewarm" at best on the November, 2014 effort.

And who can blame Cicchinelli, Lewis or anybody else from leaving it to the perpetrators of the mess to clean up and absorbing the political consequences for being the primary cause of it in the first place?

• SCPR Note:  Financial mess to get worse? 
• Recently, an article appeared in Crain's Cleveland Business which suggests that the vaunted Baker Hughes facility in Massillon (a key factor if Massillon is to get out of financial trouble) continued Massillon existence may be in jeopardy.
•  
  

Isn't it interesting that the mayor did not respond to Crain's Cleveland Business phone calls.

Did Maier, Jr. instruct her not to?

Johnnie, Jr. may have some skill at playing political "hardball" and, some think, "gutter" politics; but a citywide administrator for multiple departments of Massillon government - he is not!

Even The Report's take on Maier, Jr's political prowess is mixed.

Starting with the recent election.

Not nearly as impressive as Chryssa Hartnett's victory over Republican incumbent-appointed judge Curtis Werren, but you have to chalk it up to Maier, Jr's consummate effort for having gotten his brother elected sheriff.

But the SCPR thinks he had Republican help.

Had Stark County Republican commissioner Janet Creighton gotten off her duff and come all-out-for-Dordea, he would have won.

So the question is this.

Did someone from the Maier political operation get to her and persuade her to "sit this one out?"

Moreover, where were all those other Republican stalwarts (e.g. Stark County auditor Alan Harold) in being involved in the Dordea campaign?

Harold, in particular is troubling, because he ran as a more or less reform candidate against former Stark County auditor and stanch Democrat Kim Perez back in 2010, making some pretty serious charges on Perez about his political relationship with former Stark County treasurer Gary D. Zeigler.

Harold's alleged that the relationship caused Perez to be less than diligent in protecting the Stark County public interest in county financial operations.

To The Report, Larry Dordea has unquestioned character and is a highly competent policeman and police administrator.

What more could the Republicans want in a "Republican" election year?

Something does not smell right about how the Stark County GOP leadership seemingly - highlighted by Creighton's "refusal to endorse" - mostly sat the Maier/Dordea race out in an election that Republican governor John Kasich bested his Democratic opponent by over 37,000 votes.

The big political thorn in Johnnie A. Maier's side is that his cheerleader-esque mayor has to work for the most part (Note: the SCPR thinks it her and the Maier group "in-your-face-political style") with a hostile Massillon City Council.

While in 2011 Maier, Jr. and his Massillon political operatives were busy helping the insubstantial (in terms of government leadership ability) Catazaro-Perry take out Cicchinelli; they let control of council slip into the hands of Massillon's Republicans.

The Report is convinced that the Republicans were prepared to work with the public-relations-esque mayor, but she was having none of it.

Catazaro-Perry certainly understood that when one is beholden to Maier, Jr. and his ilk; one gets marching orders from "the power behind the throne."

And that is where political paranoia comes in.

The SCPR thinks, Maier's political paranoia undermines his ability to effectively function in the face of those who are willing to "stand front and center" with:

• questions, 
• criticism, and, 
• OMG! - the unthinkable - outright opposition.

It would be one thing if only Maier, Jr. and his political friends suffer because he cannot get a grip on his suspicious attitude in relation to anyone who differs with him.

But the SCPR thinks that much of the financial mess that the city of Massillon and its everyday citizens face today is the doing of the "wariness of everybody who questions me" attitude emanating from the Maier Massillon Political Club which, of course, is the culture imparted by the group's leader.

And, who in the end will suffer?

It certainly will not be the Maier and his loyalist friends.

One way or another they will be taken care of, even if they lose an election here and there.

However, it would be catastrophic should they lose "the big Kahuna:  the mayoralty of Massillon."

For it certainly would mean a long unemployment line for the Catazaro-Perry/Maier loyalists on the Massillon government payroll who some think have been placed on the job for their political loyalty and not necessarily for their up to doing the job for Massillon taxpayers.

In the main however sufferers from the current Massillon financial mess, which the SCPR thinks is now entirely owned by the Catazaro-Perry administration, is and will continue to be everyday Massillonians.

And as the complaints to Massillon City Hall kick-in, the question has to be - as in the Nixon presidency - will political paranoia click-in and ordinary Massillon end up on a Maier/Catazaro-Perry/Massillon Political Machine "enemies list?"

Catazaro-Perry has already let it be known that the SCPR is not welcome at the Massillon mayor's office.  As if executive office of Massillon's seat of government is her private domain.  But she is typical of how those who cannot handle media scrutiny react.

They try to ban, they select which media they will talk to and on and on goes the list of methods they used to punish those who persist with telling questions.

That's exactly where political paranoia can lead.

Currently, the SCPR is reading a book entitled "The Fifties" by David Halberstam.

One of the things that Halberstam glomed onto in his political analysis of the early 1950s was the beginning of Nixon's political paranoia.

Only one year into his presidency (1969), some think Nixon had already began to fill out his "enemies list."

And we know all too well what end that brought Nixon to.

Nixon got what he deserved.

But not the people of the United States of America.

Because of Nixon's early-on unchecked paranoia and his acting on it; political cynicism took a giant leap forward and has been added to by succeeding paranoiac politicians over ensuing years so that in 2014 very few Americans trust political party leadership.

Once public officials and political leader lose the public trust, "Katy bar the door," no?

Hopefully, somebody, anybody will step up in Massillon and prevent a Nixon-esque problem from developing in Tigerland, and, indeed, in Stark County as a whole.

To the SCPR, in Massillon it is looking more and more that it is not going to be Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr or Ed Lewis, IV.

And another surprise might be in the offing.

With the elections 2015, Mayor Kathy may actually get a council that will knuckle under to her will which, if it happens, could be an out-and-out disaster for Massillonians.

The Report hears that Republicans are having difficulty in getting leading Stark County Republicans (the likes of party chair Matthews, Creighton and others) interested in helping Massillon Republicans maintain the substantial gains the have made on council (i.e. Cunningham-Hedderly, Halter, Lewis and Chovan).

Whether or not that happens or Maier surrogate Catazaro-Perry stays in office, Massillonians can depend on the SCPR to keep the scrutiny going.

And Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. can just keep on flipping out!

American democracy is not the province of personal political interests.

American democracy is about our government officials and institutions providing for "the general welfare."

NOVEMBER 27, 2014 "SCPR" THANKSGIVING DAY RECOGNITION FOR STERLING PUBLIC SERVICE

The Stark County Political Report is known for its critical analysis of public officials in the performance of their duties throughout the past  year.

At Thanksgiving, The Report publishes a "special" blog that highlights the positives that various elected Stark County public officials have brought to bear on local government from Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving

This year's recipients of the SCPR Annual Thanksgiving Day "thank you" for a job well done:

LARRY DORDEA

A career policeman in the non-political sense of being a Stark County-based law enforcement official, Alliance resident Larry Dordea has been not only in the past year but for an entire career but has been exemplary model for all of Stark County's policewomen and policemen.

Dordea had an outstanding career as police chief in Alliance.  He is credited for making Alliance a very bad place for criminal drug dealers to try to ply their trade.

After he retired from the Alliance Police Department, he was called upon by Hartville to bring policing stability to the village on the heels of law enforcement leadership problems in this Lake Township community.

In 2008, he decided that Stark County as a whole needed an upgrade in law enforcement and decided as a Republican to take on law time Stark county sheriff and Democrat Tim Swanson.

Unsuccessful in 2012, he took up the cause once again in running against Democrat Mike McDonald.  

Unfortunately, McDonald came down with what proved to be a terminal illness and though elected over Dordea in a relatively close election he was unable to take office on January 7, 2013 and the fight was on to see who Stark Countians would ultimately elect as sheriff.

In the evaluation of the SCPR, there couldn't be a starker contrast in character between Dordea and his Democratic opponent George T. Maier as the two vied with one another in the election just concluded to fill out McDonald's term which ends in two years.

Anyone who has run in a political campaign knows what a difficult and tortured process doing so can be.

Because he is of such high moral character and therefore not nearly political as many who run for political office, it is the SCPR assessment that Dordea was thereby disadvantaged in the hurly-burly, rough and tumble and in some instances "downright dirty" world of elective politics.

The SCPR thinks that Dordea faced "all-of-the-above" in the 2014 campaign.  Being the classy person he is,  Dordea kept his dignity and honor in tact and in doing so set an example of electioneering that is a model for anyone seeking political office.

Dordea conducted himself as he should of.

His failure to get elected was not his doing, but is laid at the feet of a few powerful Stark County Republicans "who sat on their hands" and thereby missed an opportunity for Stark Countians countywide to experience highly competent policing administered by a man of the highest character.

The SCPR thanks Larry Dordea for all the sacrifices he made in running for Stark County sheriff.

CHRYSSA HARTNETT

Judge-elect Chryssa Hartnett's contribution to the Stark County public good is that she is a symbol of "merit" over "politics as usual" reigning supreme in Stark County government and politics.

When Republican judges Charles Brown and V. Lee Sinclair (both exemplary judges) retired, it was up to Republican governor John Kasich to appoint a successor until the next election to fill out the unexpired term.

While the SCPR thinks well of both Brown and Sinclair, The Report did not appreciate them leaving early in their terms and thereby making who was going to be their respective replacement a matter who has the larger political clout with the governor.

To the degree that government is "unduly" and "unnecessarily" politicized, it sets up a cynicism among the electorate as to the second place "merit" too often takes in who is selected for appointment to a vacant office and over time erodes the quality of our democratic-republican.

Accordingly, the SCPR is the only Stark County media who names names (even those The Report thinks well of "in general) of those who participate in the damaging in our system of government.

Chryssa Hartnett is a name that should long be remember by Stark Countians as a high quality applicant for both the Brown and Sinclair vacancy appointment.

Her sin?

She's a Democrat!

Never mind that she is likely the very best prosecutor that Stark County prosecutor John Ferrero has had on his staff and has a track record extolled by attorneys and judges irrespective of political alignment.

Her peers in the Stark County Bar Association ranked her as "highly" recommended whereas her Republican opponent Curt Werren (Kasich appointee on the Sinclair vacancy) in the election concluded on November 4th was ranked as "recommended."

One really doesn't want to hear John Kasich rallying Ohioans to any particular "above politics" cause he may have going forward in his second term as governor inasmuch as he can't even do the rather obvious and simple act of appointing a person of merit over a politically connected to a "fair and impartial" judgeship.

What a hypocrite the governor is!

But Chryssa Hartnett was not intimidated.

She tried twice for the appointment.

Having failed, she took her case to the people and won by a razor thin margin on November 4th.

Kasich won over his absolutely pathetic Democratic opponent by over 37,000 votes in Stark County.

And Curt Werren (as contrasted with Dordea) had the vigorous and undiminished support of key Stark County Republican elected officials and stalwart party supporters despite his not having practiced law in several years.

Moreover, Hartnett had a couple of herculean problems:

• How to raise enough campaign dollars to get her message of "merit" over "politics" to Stark Countians,
• How to get political foot soldiers to go door-to-door spreading the message,

in light of the political reality that the focus of the Stark County Democratic Party was primarily committed to electing its sheriff candidate.

She found a way; she pulled it off!

And on this November 27, 2014, The Stark County Political Report commends and thanks Chryssa Hartnett for setting an democratic-republican enhancing example in advancing "merit" over "politics."

ED LEWIS, IV

Massillonians should be especially thankful this Thanksgiving to Republican Ed Lewis on Massillon City Council.

Lewis is young man with the energy and intelligence "to fight the good fight" in the name of and for the benefit of government achieving for the general welfare of the people as contrasted to those in Massillon government who seem intent on feathering their own nest(s).

He came into office in November, 2011 while the Johinnie A. Maier, Jr "Massillon Political Machine" was focusing on Democratic Party infighting in deposing 24 year mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr in the Democratic primary of 2011.

A strange thing happened on the way to the coronation of Maier beholder Kathy Catazaro-Perry as mayor:  Massillon Republicans captured control of Massillon City Council.

While the Dems won control back in 2013, only two of them are dependable Maier Democrats (Townsend and Stinson), and though in a minority, the Republicans have worked with Maier-dissenting Democrats to protect Massillonians as best they can from the "screw-the-taxpayers" political cronyism of the Maier crowd.

A key in the effort has been Ed Lewis.

He is chairman of the powerful Finance Committee of the Massillon legislature and as such has lead the way in alerting the Massillon public to one scheme after another after another by Catazaro-Perry advance partisan and political faction interests over the interests of Massillon taxpayers.

Lewis, a minister, has the ability to turn mayoral insults (e.g. he and other councilpersons are racists because they oppose what appears to be a political boondoggle) into what they are:  "an attempt to intimidate.

Intimidation, the SCPR thinks, is the calling card of the Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. crowd.

Lewis keeps his composure, stays focused and, in the end, frustrates the Maier loyalists.

Had they known what a force Ed Lewis would one day become, the Maier political operatives would have undoubtedly focused and intensified efforts to keep him off Massillon City Council.

That he is on council and may be a viable Republican candidate to deny Catazaro-Perry a second term, should be comforting to everyday Massillonians who do not care about the Democratic/Republican thing, but just want "the trains to run on time."

For bringing some semblance of fiscal integrity, executive branch accountability and compelling a measure of executive branch transparency, the SCPR is and Massillonians should be thankful this November 27, 2014 that Ed Lewis is a leader on Massillon City Council.

EDMOND MACK

If Canton is going to rebuild itself into any semblance of a viable Ohio city that it once was, it will be at the hand of the likes of Edmond Mack (Democrat, Ward 8).

Like Ed Lewis, Mack is a member of the "Class of 2011."  It could be that though of different party identity these two have the political maturity and the interests of the people at heart to trump politics with "the interests of the taxpaying public."

Mack is making quite an impact on Canton City Council.

And he is doing it on measures that takes leadership to bring the citizenry along to agree with him.

One example is his work to bring the question of whether or not Canton should elect a charter commission to the ballot.  That issue will be on the ballot sometime in 2015 alongside Mack himself being up for reelection.

Potentially putting his own political fate on the line is something that Mack does not avoid.

Recently, he proposed the development of a Canton Park on land owned by St; Marks Episcopal Church in Ward 8.

A firestorm (at Canton City Council "Public Speaks" and at an October community meeting at St. Mark's itself) of opposition developed with some of the opponents promising to shepherd a drive to "unelect" Mack as councilman.

That will not happen because Mack, though young and a political neophyte, had the good sense to listen to Ward 8 residents and abandon the idea.

The SCPR has written a separate blog praising Mack for his unparalleled work (e.g. the St. Mark's October community meeting) in providing substance to the notion that our democratic-republican system of government is one in which elected officials hear citizens.

Mack is a vigorous proponent of the Healy administration Canton Citywide Comprehensive Plan.  

But Mack will not be a cheerleader for the plan. 

Though not as acerbic a critic and fellow councilman Frank Morris, III (who opposes the unfolding of the plan as it now stands); Mack has a first rate mind who has no problem whatsoever critiquing the specifics of that which he supports in-general.

Times have been bleak for Canton during most of the Healy Democratic administration years and even leaking back into the Creighton and Watkins Republican administrations.

On this Thanksgiving Day in 2014, Cantonians in Councilman Edmond Mack have a representative who has:

• demonstrated a high level of capability for leadership, and
• thereby offers hope that Canton has a promise of "a better day" in its future.

And for that, Cantonians should be thankful.

CONCERNED CITIZENS

OF

NORTH CANTON

POLITICAL ACTON COMMITTEE

Notice that the title of this group political activist group is highlighted in purple, the color of the "non-partisan."

It doesn't get any better in our democratic-republican form of government than day-in, day-out citizens working for community betterment:

• irrespective of political party identification they may or may not have, and
• irrespective of political party identification of those government officials they hold accountable,

And thereby,  strengthen America's, Ohio's and Stark County's and North Canton's political infrastructure.

And that is the forte of this group of North Canton everydays.

While there is a group which goes by the name:  Concerned Citizens of North Canton Political Action Committee, to wit: (at last count)

• Jamie McCleaster, president
• Miriam Baughman,
• Jeff Davies (former Ward 3 councilman), and
• Rod Covey, and
• possibly others

and SCPR includes this group in this "being thankful" segment of today,s blog;  it is the intent of the SCPR to honor with "thankfulness" all of Stark County's untitled citizenry who participate in government processes from the local through the national level.

However, it has been the effort of the Concerned Citizens of North Canton to try to rein in what the SCPR deems to be the anti-democratic conduct of North Canton law director Tim Fox in his seeming arbitrary and capricious interpretation of law that impacts negatively on citizens and their attempts to invoke our institutionalized sacred American tradition of dialogue between the governed and the governors.

Whether or not North Canton council members will admit it publicly or not, you can bet that the heat being applied to Fox is putting pressure on them to rein him in.

Thank you Concerned Citizens of North Canton on this 27th day of November, 2014 for going beyond what most citizens are willing to do in terms of being a "check and balance" on North Canton Council and Law Director Tim Fox.

PART 2 - A SERIES - STARK COUNTIANS GET "SHORT CHANGED" BY THE CANTON REPOSITORY?

UPDATE:  12:15 PM

The substance of an e-mail to the SCPR on today's blog:

List of "mistakes" made by Rep. during this campaign.

Food for thought?

.

Subject: Details of Rep's "mistakes"

1.  Refusal to print the campaign chairs' letter to the editor even though it was clearly stated that their positions were unpaid with the excuse that because they had a title it would not be printed.

2.  After refusing to print the letter mentioned above, the printing of a letter from Sal Pelegi without any identification of him as an employee of the sheriff's department even though Alan Harold assured me that Gayle Beck had been given a list of hires with Pelegi's name on it.

3.  The printing of Lou Giavasis' letter without identifying him as the person running the sheriff's campaign. It was known by the public in general that Giavasis was one of two people running the campaign with the other person being the candidate's brother.

4.  Omitting Larry Dordea's questionnaire responses on line for more than a week (until they were called out on it) and putting in the place where the responses were to be printed the words "No Response" even though Chief Dordea's responses had been submitted within the time line given. There was no apology given whatsoever.

5.  Overlooking and refusing to explore the information about the sheriff being involved in an investigation in his previous Ohio Safety Department position regarding his intimidation, threats and poor treatment of officers under him.

6.  Being told in the candidate interviews by Chief Dordea that there is no working relationship whatsoever between the sheriff and the prosecutor's office and refusing to investigate that charge.

7. No publication of the former Democratic sheriff endorsing the Republican candidate??? Has it ever been done before? Is that not news worthy?

8. The story of officer Thomas's successful law suit to get his rightful promotion. The story NEVER mentions the undeserving person that was promoted in front of him was "George Maier's son" WHILE George was the Safety Director with his Campaign manager the Mayor of Massillion making that decision??????????

ORIGINAL BLOG

It was interesting to read in Saturday's Repository editorial about the sentencing of Stark County businessman Ben Suarez to federal prison.

Suarez was convicted of witness-tampering (found not guilty on all other charges) in a case brought by federal prosecutors on the basis of a Toledo Blade investigatory journalism piece on allegations that Suarez had violated federal campaign finance law in prompting key Suarez Industries, Ltd employees (and in some cases their spouses)  to contribute to the 2010 campaigns of Republican congressman Jim Renacci (16th Congressional District) and Republican Josh Mandel who was running for the United States Senate seat held by Democrat Sherrod Brown.

(A SCPR extract)

Interesting?

In what way?

The Repository editorial board chose to credit political party or candidate "opposition research" using the Internet as the medium to make the contribution pattern by which Suarez fell on legal hard times, to wit:

But the fact of the matter is that The Blade scooped The Repository with first-rate investigatory journalism.

Investigatory journalism is "virtually" non existent these days at The Rep.

Which, the SCPR thinks, is further evidence that those Stark Countians who still subscribe to The Rep are getting short-changed.

The primary reason the SCPR is writing this series is to goad The Rep and its parent company Gateway Media, Inc.  to meaningfully engage "the first calling" of any daily newspaper serving a major metropolitan area (Stark County has a population of about 380,000) which is:

to hold politicians and those participating in the American democratic-republican system of government accountable for their actions.

Not only did The Rep fail the Stark County public in the Suarez matter; in the SCPR's assessment Stark County's "only" countywide newspaper failed Stark's "participating in the November 4th voters" on getting relevant information out on George T. Maier and whether or not he merited - on character issues - being elected Stark County sheriff on November 4th.

As to Dordea, there has never been one suggestion that he is of the finest character.

On Maier, the SCPR wrote a number blogs which provided citations to:

• a Columbus Dispatch journalism piece regarding allegations of improper conduct by Maier as second on command in the Ohio Department of Highway Safety, 
• a chapter and verse account by Lawrence Township trustee Michael Stevens (in the context of his being a Massillon streets department supervisor) of being bullied by Maier,
• specific allegations by Maier's opponent in the sheriff's race (i.e. Republican Larry Dordea) of "unbecoming" conduct by Maier connected campaigners

as well has other tangential conduct such as

• Maier soliciting employees of the Stark County sheriff's department "by rank" to make a certain level of contributions,
• a presumptive "we assume you want a George T. Maier for Sheriff" sign in your yard unless you indicate otherwise,
• campaign workers prompting two Canton auxiliary police officers to hang a "Maier for Sheriff" T-shirt outside a Canton Police Department cruiser (see "yard sign" link) during Hall of Fame festivities, and
• denying a highly decorated U.S. Marine and honorably serving 27 sheriff deputy "a reserve deputy commission" apparently because he opposed Maier remaining for sheriff

which the SCPR believes are matters that The Repository, the countywide monopoly it is, had a duty - for the benefit of a 'better informed' Stark County voting public - to deal with.

It is rather obvious that "the bigs" in the upper floor offices at 500 Market Avenue, South pretty much totally ignored anything that might reflect negatively on Maier's character qualifications to be Stark County sheriff.

Moreover, the editors ignored the wholesale politicization of the sheriff's office by Maier from the day he took office as a political appointee.

The Rep has never in the 40 years that The Report been a resident of Stark County been a superlative guardian of the public interest.

Nowadays, it appears that the newspaper has slipped to the bottom rung of the ladder as a credible source for county voters.

It may be co-incidental, but it is also interesting how many, if not most, of the big time contributors to Stark County Republican countywide campaigns were largely absent in Dordea campaign finance reports, at least through the pre-general filing which cut off on October 15th.

Stark County's two Republican commissioners (Creighton and Regula) refused to endorse Dordea.

It has been suggested to the SCPR that Stark County's political power brokers were very worried that Dordea would be elected in a landslide Republican year (Republican governor John Kasich outpolled Dordea by some 19,000) and that he would be a "I don't care who you are, who you are connected to" sheriff and would thereby uncover a huge "underside" of Stark County society which would send shock ways once again across Stark County.

Once again?

Yes.

When news broke on April 1, 2009 that federal authorities had charged Stark County chief deputy treasurer Vince Frustaci for (as it turned out) stealing upwards of $3 million to support an alleged gambling habit, confidence and trust in Stark County government officials plummeted to the depths.

Powerful Stark County political interests - the thinking is - would not likely want someone like Dordea poking around and finding skeletons of some of Stark County's supposedly "finest."

During the days that George T. Maier was the Stark County Democratic Party appointed sheriff, the SCPR is told that heroin use has magnified.

The problem is said to be out-of-control in Maier's hometown of Massillon.

The Report has a source saying that Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero recently held a training session on dealing with the growing Stark County drug problem and that nobody from the sheriff's department showed up.

Could it be that Maier political differences with Ferrero (Ferrero made out an affidavit that Maier was on February 5, 2013 unqualified to be sheriff) was behind the alleged "failure to show?"

If accurate, is this any way for a sheriff to act?

Larry Dordea (now the Hartville Chief of Police) made his reputation as an effective policing authority for reining in criminal drug activity during his nine (9) years or so as police chief of Alliance.

While the SCPR is not much on "conspiracy theories," the hands-off "the character question" by The Repository bigs does give The Stark County Political Report "pause for thought" as to what was going on in the upper reaches of 500 Market Avenue, South in its coverage of the Dordea/Maier match-up.

Whatever the motivation may have been for The Repository not fully vetting the Maier character issues, should the failure to vet backfire in the form of another major county government scandal as the SCPR thinks it may well (most likely and "abuse of official power"); then The Repository will have to take the major share of the blame.

It is obvious that The Repository is no Cleveland Plain Dealer, no Columbus Dispatch and certainly no Toledo Blade, "One of America's Great Newspapers," which, of course, The Repository is not.

In the meantime, we here in Stark County are left with what politicians can dig out on each other in the age of the Internet.

Rather than vet, rather than investigation, it appears that The Rep is relying on politicians to police themselves with charge and counter charge.

Such a stance may save Gateway Media money, but it certainly does not speak well of the willingness of the Stark County centuries old newspaper to protect the public interest.

Of course, for being a one--person-operation, The Stark County Political Report does a pretty good job of holding local politicos accountable.

The SCPR receives many, many "for the scope of what you are able to do with one person; it is a no-contest between you and The Rep."

The Canton Repository is a "for profit" enterprise that seems to know who it can afford offend or dare not offend in discharging its journalistic obligations.

The Stark County Political Report is  truly (pay attention Randy Gonzalez, a former well-paid local government employee) "a public service" that is totally independent of those about whom The Report writes, whether favorably or unfavorable viewed on a personal basis.

Was being too independent Larry Dordea's unpardonable "political" sin that prompted The Repository to ignore Maier's character issues in a thoroughgoing public discussion mode and for the Republican "bigs" to abandon him with financial and advocacy support?

Whose toes was a Sheriff Dordea going to step on, anyways?

HARTNETT, WERREN, DORDEA & MAIER MAKE IT AN EXCITING ELECTION NIGHT IN STARK COUNTY!

PHOTO EDITED "FOR EFFECT"

UPDATED AT 8:15 AM

WILL THERE BE A COURT FIGHT
OVER
WHICH
PROVISIONAL BALLOTS GET COUNTED?

But on the other hand:

PHOTO EDITED "FOR EFFECT"

The foregoing graphics tell the story of last night's election.

It appears that Democrat Chryssa Hartnett overcame overwhelming odds and defeated "incumbent" Republican governor John Kasich appointed judge - Curtis Werren - by a mere 29 votes.

This stunning turn of events resulting in a Republican defeat (likely, the SCPR thinks to hold up, even with 1,217 provisional ballots to be counted) is to be coupled with the additional Republican defeat of Republican sheriff candidate Larry Dordea, who, appears to The Report to have "snatched 'defeat' from the jaws of victory."

In surrogate sort of way, the two results reflect "behind the scenes" activity of two of Stark County's commissioners; namely, Thomas Bernabei (a Democrat) and Janet Creighton (a Republican).

Bernabei stepped forward and chaired Hartnett's campaign.

That Republicans Dordea and Werren lost or probably lose in Werren's case is a huge indictment of the Stark County Republican Party chairman Jeff Matthews leadership.

Word just came down that Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern has resigned in the light of the "as* kicking" Democrats took across Ohio yesterday.

Maybe Matthews ought to be resigning?

If he does, the SCPR has the perfect candidate for replacing him.

Really?

Who might that be?

How about Stark County auditor Alan Harold?

Though he is a thoroughly partisan person, the SCPR has a lot of regard for Harold.

He has youth on his side (at least compared to Matthews), he is much smarter and he has terrific social skills.

And The Report thinks he is the de facto leader of rank-and-file Republicans already.

Matthews has the support and ear of the, let's say, older, "establishment" side of the "organized" party.

Maybe just maybe under a Harold leadership, Republicans might compete once again in Canton city politics?

Matthews only lives by appointment, Harold actually gets out there and proves that he is very good at "retail politics."

Harold was there "stride for stride" with Governor Kasich yesterday in "competitive" Stark County races.

DORDEA/MAIER ASSESSMENT

Bernabei also weighed in on the Dordea/Maier match up.

From "the get-go," (he was in on the planning stages of getting Maier qualified under Ohio law) has always been an "enthusiastic" Maier supporter.

On October 1st, he affirmed same at the end of a commissioners' meeting.



Creighton slinked into political anonymity of sorts and was, the SCPR thinks, was very, very low profile in support of Dordea.

By the October  1, 2014 commissioners' meeting, when asked by an Akron Beacon Journal reporter whether or not the commissioners were going to endorse in the sheriff's race, Creighton became the Apostle Peter of the Dordea side of the contest, no?



And Creighton had the position to help Dordea pare off some 1500 votes of Kasich's Stark County smashing victory over Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald total of 37,012 votes.

She served as Kasich's northeast Ohio campaign coordinator.

Early on, it became apparent to the SCPR that Creighton was likely to be AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave) from the Dordea campaign.

The Report thinks that she bought into the "spit and polish' Maier campaign and thereafter was only a "lip service" supporter of Dordea.

In sporadic conversations with Dordea during the campaign, the SCPR frequently discussed with him The Report's take on Creighton's attitude towards his candidacy.

Dordea wasn't buying and had convinced himself that Creighton was wholehearted behind his effort.

As evidence, he cited to the SCPR that he and his spouse shared a table with Creighton and her her husband at a Republican event.

The Report, in hindsight, thinks his sharing of the "sharing a table with Creighton and spouse" occasion was a Dordea denial of the obvious.

In another give-and-take, Dordea noted that the SCPR was confident that he would win early on in blogs about his face off with Maier but that the confidence seemed to be waning.

And, indeed, Dordea was onto something.

On Monday night The Report had a conversation with Canton City Council president Allen Schulman that touched on the sheriff's race.

Schulman to the SCPR:  "I think George T. Maier is going to win."

SCPR response:  "Dordea should win (with the overall favorable environment for Dordea in mind), but I certainly am not counting the Maiers out."

While the SCPR repeatedly wrote that the circumstances of this campaign were such that Dordea was clearly advantaged.

The only disadvantage was that Maier, as the Stark County Democratic Party "appointed" sheriff, got to parade around Stark County seemingly 24/7 in his sheriff's uniform with his Coffee With A Cop program and the like.

But Maier has plenty of political baggage as pointed out by The Report in repeated blogs.

The Report does think that Dordea did an effective job in emphasizing Maier's foibles, especially in the latter days of the campaign.

However, he needed help to keep at least 1,500 Republicans who voted for Maier at home with him - the Republican candidate.

Here is where Creighton and Kasich campaign officials failed him.

Given that the SCPR thinks the Maiers (George and his political operative and power politician Johnnie A. Maier, Jr; a former Stark County Democratic Party chairman) are highly arrogant people, The Report thinks it is likely over the next two years that George with the advice and counsel of Johnnie, Jr. will pull an Eddie Elum caper.

An Eddie Elum caper?

Indeed!

Elum  (who's wife Margaret is the Maier campaign treasurer) got into a political fuss with Massillon Chief of Police Robert Williams in January, 2010 which the SCPR thinks was an instance of Elum "being too big for his britches" and which, in part, resulted in his being disciplined by the Ohio Supreme Court on October 18, 2013.

One of those speaking up for Elum before the high court was guess who?

You've got it:  Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

As far as the SCPR is concerned is that Elum and the Maier brothers are a perfect fit for each other.

So watch out Stark County.  And watch out Stark County commissioners Janet Creighton, Thomas Bernabei and Richard Regula.

• (SCPR Note:  Richard Regula, the SCPR thinks, though a Republican, has a very, very close relationship with the Maiers.  After being defeated by Democrat upstart Todd Bosley in 2006 as incumbent commissioner, he resurfaced in November, 2012 and was elected once again as commissioner.  
• He was sworn into office by Maier confidant Judge Eddie Elum.

George T. Maier, the SCPR thinks has the potential, (a likelihood in the mind of The Report) to embarrass Stark County along lines (i.e. an abuse of power of office) that could equal or exceed the travail that the county went through with the Vince Frustaci theft in office chain of events that surfaced on April 1, 2009.

If Maier "goes off the reservation," he and Stark Countians can be sure that The Stark County Political Report will be tracking him "every step of the way."

And, of course, The Report will be reminding Stark Countians whom among Stark County officialdom supported Maier's election and/or "dropped the ball" in supporting Larry Dordea.

Maier never was asked during the campaign by Stark County's only countywide newspaper about allegations made according to a Columbus Dispatch article about his conduct while second in command in the Ohio Department of Highway Safety under the Strickland administration.

A job, the SCPR believes, he got through the efforts of politico brother Johnnie, Jr. who appears to have had gravitas with the governor by orchestrating a Stark County Democratic Party endorsement of Strickland (the very first county party to do so) when Strickland was locked in a Democratic Party primary battle in 2006.

Prior SCPR blogs have referenced other alleged incidents of George T. Maier that indicate that this guy might have a problem handling political power properly.

HARTNETT/WERREN ASSESSMENT

While the SCPR thinks that as between Hartnett and Werren either will do a competent job as judge, The Report thinks Hartnett has the potential to be one of Stark County's all-time quality jurists.

It could be with only 29 votes (unofficial) separating the two that this election might - ironically - end up in the courts and ultimately be decided by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Really?

Really!

Provisional ballots (Ohio SOS Link) are provided to voters when there is some question about a given voter's qualification to vote.

Many political observers think (stereotypical thinkings) that the provisionals are likely to be predominately Democratic voters and therefore it is likely that Hartnett's 29 vote unofficial win is likely to hold up.

But, of course, supporters of Hartnett/Werren, respectively, (think there aren't a bunch of lawyers at the ready to put the legal magnifying glass to these ballots?) will be hovering over Board of Elections officials as these ballots are judged as to whether or not they should be counted (see this LINK), no?

We in Stark County could be about to witness Bush v. Gore in our very own backyards.

WRAP-UP

Since the Frustaci story broke in 2009, this has been one thing after another and after another, no?

So will Stark County be facing:

• "Provisional-ballot-gate" in the immediate future, and

Down the road:

• A George T. Maier "abuse of power-gate?"

Of course, the SCPR will be your source of all in depth information and analysis!

WHICH OF THESE THREE MEN MIGHT MAKE LARRY DORDEA STARK COUNTY'S NEXT "ELECTED" SHERIFF?

VIDEO

DORDEA CAMPAIGN

"JUMPS ALL OVER"

MAIER 

REFUSAL TO COMMISSION

DECORATED U.S. MARINE

As The Stark County Political Report sees it, one of the three men pictured above could be "the decisive factor" if Hartville (former Alliance) Police Chief Larry Dordea is to be the choice of Stark Countians as the county's next "elected" sheriff.

In short, the question of today's blog is:  Who is going to prove out as having been "the best man" for Larry Dordea if he wins on Tuesday?

In a sense it is more than appropriate today to talk about the "best man" for Larry Dordea.

For yesterday his only daughter Jill got married.

No politics in the Dodea household yesterday; only a day of celebration and rejoicing.

Knowing Larry Dordea and the family man he is, the SCPR thinks that his daughter getting married will top his getting elected Stark County sheriff, should he be victorious on Tuesday.

George T. Maier, the current occupant of the office, only has a total of 193 Stark Countians (Stark County Democratic precinct committee persons) who have actually voted for him.

Even at that, 150 voted against him in two tries (Maier was removed from office by the Ohio Supreme Court on November 6, 2013) before he was able to stick as a political party appointee.

While the SCPR thinks that nobody should underestimate the heft of the Massillon based political machine and Maier using the power and status of office (appointed or not), it appears that Larry Dordea should win on Tuesday.

WHY?

Because of the confluence of three factors!

 KASICH BLOWOUT WIN OVER FITZGERALD

(LINK TO COLUMBUS DISPATCH ARTICLE)

In the words of the Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial writer Thomas Suddes:

Bar-stool strategists have suggested the Kasich-FitzGerald tally could be a blowout like George Voinovich's 71.8-percent-to-25-percent victory over Democrat Rob Burch in 1994.  (Despite likely Kasich blowout, Nov. 4 includes two Ohio nail-biters, November 2, 2014)

As far as the SCPR is concerned, the Dordea has given too little play to this photo:

Some Dordea campaign strategists tell the SCPR that the reason for that thinking is that "arm-in-arm" with the governor will turn off Democratic/Democratic leaning independents in what they perceive to be an overall Democratic county.

And that could be.

But another way to look at it is that there are some Republicans who will likely - in the estimate of the SCPR - be voting for Democrat Maier.

And, perhaps, Dordea needs to do a political bear hug of Governor Kasich to persuade Stark County Republicans that he has the confidence of and the support of the governor and that they better be perceived to have been a Dordea voter come November 5th.

While he says he is neutral, the SCPR thinks that Republican Stark County commissioner Richard Regula in his heart of hearts supports Democrat Maier and will likely be voting for him.

Republican Joe Concatto (served in the Janet Creighton Canton mayoralty administration (2004 - 2007) is on record with financial support for Maier's campaign and therefore should be counted among Republicans who have or will be voting for Maier.

Ditto that for Republican Marlboro Police Chief Ron Devies.   Devies does have ties to Dordea and did make a financial contribution to Dordea's campaign.

Nevertheless, one (the SCPR) gets the impression that he will check his ballot for Maier.

And then there is Republican Stark County commissioner Janet Creighton.

The Report thinks she got a bit miffed with the SCPR when The Report ran a video a while back in which she refused when prompted by an Akron Beacon Journal reporter to declare "all-out-for-Dordea," refused to do so and - what's more - make herself look rather selfish in saying:

(paraphrase)  "The only people I am declaring for is myself (she's running unopposed for reelection as commissioner) and John Kasich (for whom she is the head of his northeast Ohio campaign).

The SCPR is not suggesting that Creighton is voting for Maier.

And as far as the SCPR thinking she is miffed at The Report?  She will have to get in that "long line of Stark County elected officials who share her pique!"

That's the price the SCPR pays for its independent analysis that is present in no other Stark County media.

Creighton could have been more helpful to Dordea.

The Report thinks she is Stark County's most powerful and influential Republican and should Dordea lose, her - apparent to the SCPR - lukewarm support may cause some to look at her as being the cause.

It remains to be seen as to whom is correct in an analysis of the Kasich factor in the Dordea campaign.

SECOND, THE SWANSON ENDORSEMENT

SWANSON'S ENDORSEMENT
After careful consideration I have decided I cannot remain silent any longer concerning the Sheriff's race. Having spent the last forty years of my life dedicated to serving the citizens of Stark County and for fourteen of those years you trusted me as  your elected  Sheriff (1999-2013), I must speak out. 

There is only one qualified candidate appearing on the November ballot, Larry Dordea. I cannot believe the audacity of the Democrat candidate, who was found to have illegally occupied the office of Sheriff by the Ohio Supreme Court. 

I implore you not to be deceived by the rhetoric and untruths being shared by Mr. Dordea's opponent. 

There is only one candidate appearing on the ballot who truly meets all the necessary qualifications. That candidate is Larry Dordea.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. -- Sir Edmund Burke  1729-1797   

Tim Swanson retired
Stark County Sheriff
Tim Swanson 

Remember those 150 "against Maier votes" in the February 5, 2013 (92 for Maier; 84 for Darrow, 1 for Dordea) and December 11, 2013 (101 for Maier; 66 for Darrow) Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee vote?

At the time, the man who the SCPR thinks was the chief architect of Maier prevailing; namely, the-then chairman of the Stark Dems Randy Gonzalez had to be think "the passage of time heals all things."

Well, do you think he is thinking that today in the light of the - in the past - staunchly Democratic former Stark County Democratic sheriff Tim Swanson broke ranks and endorsed Republican Larry Dordea.

The Swanson endorsement is clearly a signal to Democrats of Swanson's historical dedication that in - this one race - it is okay for them to vote for a Republican.

And, though they have not publicly said so, the SCPR has to believe that Stark County prosecutor John Ferrero and former top level Stark County sheriff department commander Lou Darrow have or will on Tuesday vote for Dordea.

It is hard to gauge the oomph of the Swanson endorsement.

At the very least he has to wash out those Republicans for Maier voters.

Most likely, the Swanson factor will outweigh the pro-Maier Republican and Republican leaning independent vote.

THE U.S. MARINE, 27 YEAR DEPUTY  DAN ALTIERI FACTOR

It is always surprising when experienced politicians like former Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. screw up.

But, from time-to-time, they do.

And that is exactly what the SCPR thinks happened in January, 2014 when (obviously after George "having thought it over") decided to do a very foolish thing.

He refused to commission Dan Altieri (as a reserve Stark County deputy sheriff so that he could qualify for a security job at an area college).

"A hard-to-believe-George T. Maier-refusal" in the light of Altieri honorably serving for 27 years as a Stark County deputy sheriff and as a highly decorated military hero (multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq).

The Dordea campaign has jumped all over this monumental George T. Maier political "blunder" witness this YouTube posted video:



How does the SCPR account for this screw-up?

The Maiers are so into political vendetta that they do "over-the-top" things that come back to bite them in the posterior.

Altieri had the audacity to exercise his U.S. Constitution right to support Lou Darrow in his contending with Maier for the Dems' appointment.

Nobody would deny Altieri (who risked his life defending our democratic-republican form of government) his right except - apparently - the brothers Maier.

As the SCPR has reported ad nauseam political loyalty seems to be an obsession with the Maiers.

Well, Sergeant Major Dan Altieri is loyal first and foremost to the U.S. Constitution and has amply demonstrated that potentially at the cost of his own life he puts on the line to preserve America as a freedom loving and enjoying nation.

The Maiers may well "live to rue the day" that George (who believes that he did so without the political counsel of Johnnie, Jr) refused an American military hero his merited and deserved reserve Stark County sheriff deputy commission.

WHICH OF THREE MIGHT TURN THE  ELECTION DORDEA'S WAY?

How about "all three in combination?"

That's what the SCPR thinks!