IF A.R. "CHIP" CONDE IS TO BECOME MAYOR OF CANTON, HE NEEDS TO GET MOVIN!

As the Stark County Political Report sees the upcoming November Canton mayoralty race, it is Mayor Healy's to lose.  And he may just do that if Republican "Chip" Conde can put together "the perfect campaign."

The Report is skeptical that Conde can do so.  Having said that, the SCPR hopes that Conde can prove the skepticism to be ill-founded.  For Mayor Healy has demonstrated to The Report that Canton is going nowhere except perhaps towards further decline with the programs, policies and administrative skills (or, better said - "the lack thereof") manifested in Healy's first term.

Why is the SCPR "down-in-the-mouth" about a possible Conde victory come November?

A number of reasons:

First, in order for Conde to defeat incumbent Healy he will have to take the gloves off and hammer the mayor loudly and repeatedly.  

While Healy has a veneer about him that suggests that a "high road" type candidate, do not believe it.  The Stark County Political Report has steadfastly maintained that Healy is ethically challenged and The Report has seen nothing of recent vintage to dispel this take.

Conde, on the other hand, has a believable and authentic class about himself.  The SCPR thinks that Mayor Healy will correctly size Conde up this way and will attempt to use this quality against the challenger.

In a strange and bizarre way, if Conde buys into a formal Healy overture (thereby seizing the high ground) on campaign ethics, he helps rehabilitate Healy's tarnished ethical issues.

Conde appears to have an impeccable ethical record and merely needs to recite the fact of the matter and make it clear - that any Healy proposal on campaign ethics is a "thou protestest too much" maneuver.

In short, Conde's position ought to be:  Just forget agreements to be ethical and high minded.  Just conduct yourself that way (while pointing out specifics of Healy's past questionable ethical slips):  Mayor Healy!

Second, Conde must advantage himself on the "open door issues" that Healy and his administrative members provide him.  And he must do so as the doors are opened.

An example.

The Healy administration largely under the cover of Safety Director Tom Ream (a man who appears to the SCPR to be cut of the same cloth as Mayor Healy) have scuttled Canton's participation in rehabbing what has been termed as being a broken 9-1-1 countywide emergency services system.  However, both Ream and Healy have failed to articulate why Canton's participation is bad for Canton.

The Report thinks Conde should have done his homework on 9-1-1 by now (a key supporter is 9-1-1 project manager Tom Concatto) and he needs to step forward NOW with his analysis and what his position will be a mayor of Canton.

And there are other issues that Healy has opened the door on and banging it right into the knee of candidate Conde, to wit:  crime in Canton and Healy's claim that zero-tolerance is working (e.g. the shocking Sherrick Rd incident,  repeated anecdotal complaints to Canton City Council, et cetera); the faux quality of economic development efforts by the Healy administration and Healy's foot dragging on efficiencies of Stark County/City of Canton duplicative governmental services among others.

Here it is the eve of June 1, 2011 and the SCPR is pushing Conde to go full barrel on his campaign.

Absolutely!

Why?

Because Conde has so many barriers to overcome to become mayor, it is imperative that he start a very public campaign now rather than the traditional Labor Day kickoff dates that many politicians use.

Barriers?  What barriers?  Okay, here is the list:

• running against an incumbent for one.  As mayor, Healy will get built in opportunities to campaign while not being tabbed as doing such for, after all, he is mayor of Canton with official duties.  Moreover, he uses the power of office (via use of executive orders, board appointment powers, et cetera) to further his political agenda while appearing to some as being mayor-esque.

• competing with a master political fundraiser in Healy.  "Money is said to be the mother's milk of politics."  It is hard to see how Conde can out-fundraise Healy (with his bevy of well-heeled out-of-town supporters), but he needs to raise enough money that is essential to getting his message out clearly and frequently.

Third, having a party registration deficit of 9 to 1 in favor of the Democratic candidate.  Moreover, Conde has the prospect of Richard Hart (a former Republican Canton councilman) and John Miller (former Canton Police Patrolmen's Association president and arch-foe of the Creighton administration in which Conde served) also running.  Big time advantage Healy. 

So it may seem that five months is a long way off.  But its not in Conde's case.  Given the hand that he has been dealt, he will need every hour, every minute and every second to accomplish what appears to the SCPR to be an impossible task.

Observers will be able to tell early on (by the end of July) whether or not Conde has the proverbial "snowball's chance in Hell of winning."

As The Report told Republican Stark County Commissioner Janet Creighton a few weeks back:  Conde can win this race in the face of overwhelming odds against him.

The question is whether or not A.R."Chip" Conde is made of "the right stuff" to pull out a truly stunning victory?

(VIDEO) FIRST IN A SERIES: HEALY AND SMUCKLER "TRADE BARBS" APLENTY ON WHBC1480'S POINTS TO PONDER!

It took awhile but it wasn't long before the gloves came off and incumbent Mayor William J. Healy, II and challenger Bill Smuckler took barbs in hand and started throwing them at each other on WHBC-1480 Points to Ponder "special" primary election Democratic mayoral debate held at Taggarts:   Canton's famed ice cream eatery located on Fulton Road.

For nearly two hours these old foes battled over the right to run against Republican Janet Creighton in 2003.  Smuckler won the 2003 Democratic primary.  Can he repeat the feat this election year? 

At first it appeared that Healy was going to take the high road and that Smuckler would be a solo attacker.

However, by the end of the debate Healy was off his lofty perch and hurling political barb for barb in return to the barbs Smuckler started with, persisted with and ended with.

All-in-all, the SCPR's take on the debate overall is that Smuckler was more the aggressor than Healy. 

Because the debate was a long one, The Report is breaking the publication down into a series of blogs so that SCPR readers can get absorb it in digestible segments.

In this first blog, Candidate Smuckler opens (there were a few technical glitches in his opening presentation) making the following charges - some by implication; some direct - on the Healy administration:

• that the changes he promised in his successful 2007 campaign against incumbent Republican Mayor Janet Creighton have not been properly implement,
• that Mayor Healy does not have good working relationships with other Stark County-based elected officials and accuses him of building walls,
• that the administration is jeopardizing the safety of Cantonians in not providing for 24/7 ambulance service and in allowing the police department to be understaffed,
• that Healy has taken care of his staff needs over the staff needs of Canton's police in how he has configured Canton's "unbalanced" budget, and
• that  the Healy administration has "robbed Peter to pay Paul" in taking capital improvement monies and putting it into operations thereby causing a situation that Canton cannot fill chuck holes, maintain buildings and maintain vehicles.

Mayor Healy opened by citing the achievements (despite, he says, taking office in the worst economic recession that "we have seen in our lifetimes" ) of his administration, to wit:

• reducing crime by way of its "zero tolerance" policy for three straight years for a total 33% reduction,
• pushing for and through supporting (e.g. Mayor's scholarship program) Canton schools achieving an improvement of public education as shown by a dramatic increase in high school graduation rates,
• improving Canton's neighborhoods in demolishing over 500 dilapidated, boarded-up homes, and
• creating hundreds of new jobs for Canton.

THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY - PART I - IN A SERIES: HEALY TRYING TO DERAIL STARK 9-1-1 CONSOLIDATION & MERGER OF BUILDING DEPARTMENTS "FOR THE SAKE OF POLITICS."

 

It seems that Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II is out to use his well honed "divide and conquer" strategy to set Canton and Stark County back in terms of derailing the efforts to consolidate building departments throughout the county and to consolidate emergency 9-1-1 dispatching services.

In this blog the SCPR deals with Healy's effort to undermine the mergers of the building departments.

On Wednesday morning, the Mayor telephoned Stark County commissioner Pete Ferguson - apparently - to give Commissioner Ferguson (a Democrat) the lowdown on why a report by the CANTON STARK COUNTY BUILDING DEPARTMENTS IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE (formed jointly by Ferguson and Healy primary opponent:  Councilman-at-Large Bill Smuckler) to be issued at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, needed some work.

Ferguson tells the SCPR he has no idea how Healy got a copy of the report before the official release time

As soon as Ferguson figured out what Healy was up to, he stopped the Mayor in his tracks telling him that he wanted to read the report fresh and form his own assessment.

SCPR readers can view the entire committee report (the committee chaired by former Stark County Commissioner Tom Harmon) at the end of this blog.

Commissioner Ferguson is a board member of Canton Tomorrow (CT), as is Healy.  Ferguson tells The Report that at yesterday morning's CT meeting Healy said that he has been working on the building department consolidations going back three years.

Ferguson's response:  "not true!"

Now why would Healy be dumb enough to incur the wrath of Doctor Peter Ferguson by trying to massage him on the report.

Ferguson is a chiropractor of long standing in Canton and is beloved by many, many Cantonians.  And he has no desire whatsoever to get in the middle of the primary fight between Healy and Smuckler.

However, the consolidation/merger of county/city departments of government is a "really, really big thing" for Doc Ferguson.  And though he is the quintessential "nice guy," you gotta believe that Healy messing with his pet project will likely prompt Ferguson (at least privately) to tell Cantonian Democrats, who value his opinion, to support Smuckler.

Ferguson himself is likely to be running for reelection next year and The Report believes he wants to be in a position of having pulled off a very difficult thing to do:  get - territorial by their very nature - departments of local government to come together in the name of efficiencies and effectiveness in a common goal of serving citizens in a better way.

It is not lost on Ferguson that to be an agent of healing (being the doctor he is) is a very good position to be with the voting public come November, 2012.

Apparently, Ferguson's commitment is lost on "Hizzhonor."

Healy is a politician who thinks that in any assembly, he is the brightest person in the room who can manipulate anything in the direction he wants it to be perceived.

And he only tolerates close in advisers who constantly reaffirm his own estimate of himself.

If there is a more audacious Stark County public official than Healy, The Report has not met him/her.

Anyone who knows Healy's Democratic primary opponent Bill Smuckler, is clear that Smuckler is the most committed, passionate and long term in promoting regionalism and local government consolidations/mergers of any Stark County public official.

And that is the rub with Healy.

If he sees a "political advantage Smuckler" in a program or policy dealing with a Canton issue, The Report believes he will find one way or another to scuttle/alter the program/policy to his liking, even if there is a clear public benefit the way it is.

For Mayor Healy, it is and always has been since January 1, 2008 (the date on which he took office as mayor) been pretty much:  "my way or the highway!"

Between now and May 3rd (the date of the primary), the SCPR will being doing a series of blogs on the back and forth between Healy and Smuckler.

As readers of the SCPR know, yours truly has not been gushing about Bill Smuckler as a candidate for mayor of Canton.  The reason being is that he has been a part of Canton government going back many, many years and The Report questions how Canton can be heading in a downward spiral (according to Canton Council President Allen Schulman) and Smuckler not bear some of the responsibility.

Candidate Smuckler has agreed to do an interview with the SCPR in the near future.  The Report anticipates putting specific questions to this bulwark of Canton City Council (Council) as to what ownership he has - by virtue of long time service/leadership in Council - in his view, for the many problems that now plague Canton.

More importantly, what are his plans for a turnabout to get Canton headed in the right direction.

Here is the full CANTON STARK COUNTY BUILDING DEPARTMENTS IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE report.

MAYOR HEALY: "LAUGHING (OUT-OF-VIEW, OF COURSE) ALL THE WAY TO THE - POLITICAL - BANK?" VOLUME 4 - CANTON'S FINANCIAL MESS SERIES

Yes, "a political paradox."

How so?

Mayor William J. Healy's administration of the city of Canton has been one debacle after another with sideshows galore.

One would think there is no way he could be re-elected.  But think again.  The SCPR believes that he is now the odds-on-favorite to win.

Wow!

No one should underestimate Healy's ability to politically contrive as a vehicle to his own political survival.

A part of the "teflon William" vignette is now being played out in Canton via his "I've got religion" series of meetings on Canton's deplorable financial conditions.

He blames his predecessor Republican Janet Creighton (now county commissioner), he blames the overall economy and any other diversionary factor he can find.  But he does not blame himself and his utter lack of foresight.

Talk about diversionary.  He has one of his opponent's (Councilman Bill Smuckler) chief supporters focusing on the city's travel expenditures.  Councilman Greg Hawk is playing right into Healy's hands in introducing a bill to limit travel to "essential" travel.

Not that travel expenditures in a symbolic sort of way should not be monitored, but does anyone really think that this line item expenditure is going to resolve Canton's financial crisis?

Hawk's move is political posturing at its worst.  There are much more significant things to lambaste the Healy administration over.  Healy must be totally amused when he sees such stuff as this.

A clue for Smuckler/Hawk is contained in the following video at the first of a number of meeting that political-maestro Healy has concocted to make it appear he is dealing with Canton's financial crisis.

In this video Canton Finance Director Karen Alger talks about the "non-payroll" part of the Canton budget which in toto only amounts to 18% of a nearly $50 million annual budget or about $10 million. As she points out, a goodly number of these are mandatory.

However, the most significant item she talks about is the "underfunded" police and fire salary/benefits part of the budget.  Yes, "underfunded."  Underfunding is a "smoke and mirrors - creative financing" vehicle invented by Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. of Massillon and picked up upon by Canton's Mayor Healy.

As Council President Allen Schulman has said, Canton's finances are in a death spiral and no amount of meeting the public is going to solve that.

While Healy says everything is on the table, he then turns around and says the table is bare.

More political sophistry by a Mayor who is trying to survive politically day-to-day.

Here is Finance Director Alger's bio which is followed a video of part of her presentation on February 8th.

MAYOR HEALY: "LAUGHING (OUT-OF-VIEW, OF COURSE) ALL THE WAY TO THE - POLITICAL - BANK?" VOLUME 2 - CANTON'S FINANCIAL MESS SERIES

This blog is a second in a continuing series to share with Cantonians/Stark Countians the substance coming out of a string of meetings that the William J. Healy, II administration is putting together as a forum from which to "brainstorm" Canton's way out of a heightened financial crisis which appears to be just over the horizon because the state of Ohio is about to make sharp cuts to local governments throughout Ohio.

While the SCPR wishes Healy well - not for his personal sake, but for tens of thousands Cantonians and Stark Countians who depend on the city in a number of ways on a daily basis.  However, it is "too little, too late" and The Report sees this effort as being more about saving the political hide of the Mayor rather than creating enduring solutions to Canton's financial and economical development woes.

The Report does not discount Healy's political ability.

He may be the most masterful politician in all of Stark County.

Unfortunately, politics are ephemeral and Cantonians/Stark Countians will be left holding the bag after the politicians are long gone.

In this blog the SCPR features Canton Treasurer Robert Schirack and his assistant Chauntelle Skirtich who  present data which means absolutely nothing in terms of whether or not Canton is experiencing a financial renaissance.

While Schirack, Skirtich and Healy all issue disclaimers of the meaningfulness of the data, it is presented anyway.  Of course, Schirack and Skirtch are merely doing Healy's bidding.  Healy's disclaimer is akin to to an attorney asking a question of a witness the answer to which is given but is inadmissible to be considered by a jury in making a determination, does so knowing that the testimony will be ruled inadmissible for the purposes of impacting the jury's decision.  Once the answer has been uttered, the attorney has achieved his/her objective.

So with Mayor Healy.

"Don't take anything from this he says, but income tax collections were up $500,000 in January."

Ms. Skirtich makes the most compelling and worrisome point:  Corporate income tax collections are down, she says.  Being the intelligent person she obviously is, she sees in this number something to be disturbed about, to wit:  If corporate profits are down, cost cutting cannot be far behind and taxpaying Canton corporations will be laying off individual Canton taxpayers.

The Shirack/Skirtich/Healy video:

HEALY AT IT AGAIN. COLLECTING MUCH OF HIS CAMPAIGN MONEY FROM OUT-OF-TOWNERS! WHY?

After William J. Healy, II was elected mayor of Canton in November, 2007, it came to light that he got significant contributions from out-of-town.

And not just from anybody.  Two of notable contributors were Jimmy Dimora (a Cuyhoga County commissioner) and Frank Russo (Cuyahoga County's auditor) were two names that stood out in post election campaign finance reports. 

The question is this:  Why would Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Akron area folks be bolstering a Canton Democrat?

For good government?  

Apparently, they have lost their political affection for Canton's mayor as Dimora and Russo do not appear as contributors in a TeamHealy campaign finance report filed in January 29, 2010.

However, plenty of out-of-towners still do.

The out-of-towners outnumber Stark Countians by a count of 41to 28.  Moreover, by SCPR calculations the out-of-towners contributed 54% ($8,530 of the $15,780)  of the contributions reported on the January 29th filing.

Dimora and Russo did not contribute during 2009 according to Healy's 2009 annual report.

You can bet that Councilman-at-Large William Smuckler with be analyzing Healy's campaign finance reports with a fine toothed comb between now and the May, 2011 primary.  The Report expects Smuckler to run against Healy next year in a rematch of the 2003 primary when the two went up against each other with Smuckler winning.

One would think that one of the Smuckler campaign strategies will to be bring into question whether Healy really has his heart in Canton.

Here is a compilation of the Healy 2009 out-of-town contributors for 2009:

SMUCKLER RUNNING FOR MAYOR. HEALY RUNNING FOR MAYOR? A THIRD POSSIBLE "DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE" FOR MAYOR?

If the Stark County Political Report take on Canton's next mayoralty race takes hold, neither Councilman-at-large William Smuckler or Mayor William J. Healy, II would be the Democratic nominee coming out of the May, 2011 Democratic primary.

The SCPR has been saying for some time now, that Smuckler is in the race (The Repository Editorial Board finally squared up with the reality today) and that odds are good that Cantonians are going to see a rerun of the 2003 race between the two in which Smuckler came out the victor only to lose to eventual winner Janet Weir Creighton by a 300 plus votes in November.

Both Healy and Smuckler are yesterday's political news neither of whom, in the opinion of The Report, have what it takes to lead Canton out of its economic morass.  So why would anyone line up for either of them?

Rather, voters (Democratic primary voters) should be looking for a third way so far as the Democrats are concerned.

If the SCPR was choosing, who is a possibility to represent the Democrats in November, 2011?

Of course, this would take Healy deciding not to run.  For there is no way on God's green earth that Price would run against Healy.  But Smuckler?  Maybe.

The SCPR has not talked to Price about the possibility because to do so would be futile.  What's he going to say?  Anything he would say "can and would be used against him" by Healy.  Remember Bernabei and Nesbitt?

Rather, The Report will rely on Price's political history as a source for clues as to whether or not he would be interested in running on the condition that Healy gets smart and realizes he cannot be re-elected mayor of Canton.

Here is a brief bio of Price from the City of Canton website from when he was appointed service director [he has sense been appointed the additional role of being chief of staff]:

Prior to joining Mayor Healy’s administration, Price was the managing attorney at The Price Law Offices, LLC, which are located in Canton and Cuyahoga Falls.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Malone University (formerly Malone College) in Canton and graduated cum laude with a law degree from the University of Akron Law School in 2004.

“I am honored to have been chosen to fill this important position in the Mayor’s administration,” Price said.  “There is much to be done, and I look forward to working with everyone as we accomplish our goals and objectives.”

Price served one term on Alliance City Council (2006-07) before running unsuccessfully for Alliance Mayor in 2007.  Currently a resident of Alliance, Price said he is moving within City limits at the request of the Mayor.

Notice from the bio "running unsuccessfully for Alliance Mayor in 2007" in a pretty close race against Mayor Toni Middleton of Alliance.   So we know he likely has a hankering to be mayor somewhere.

The SCPR believes that "somewhere" could be the City of Canton if Mayor William J. Healy, II was to do the noble thing and step aside.  As readers of The Report know, yours truly was the very first Stark County political observer to get on to the reality that Healy is not up to being an effective mayor of Canton and if Canton is going to get its act together it will have to be under new leadership.  And, long time Canton political fixture Bill Smuckler is not the cure for what ails Canton.

An additional benefit of Price being the Democratic nominee is that it would likely prompt Stark Republicans to go all out to put a formidable candidate in the Canton mayor's race because they think they may be smelling political blood.

Republicans may or may not inject political competition into the race, if Smuckler is the Dem's nominee.

The SCPR realizes that the proposed scenario is highly unlikely, but it is a scenario that might get Canton the new political/governmental leadership it so desperately needs!

MAY, 2011 DEM PRIMARY IN FULL SWING? HEALY TRYING TO FORCE A VOTE ON CHRIS SMITH WATERPARK ISSUE?

It is "political" game on for Mayor William J. Healy, II.  He is in a delightful side of this game.

Which side?

Answer:  either side.

At last Council meeting, he had Communications Director Adam Herman agitating various members of Council to force an "up or down" vote on Councilwoman Chris Smith's effort to get Council approval of using $495,000 in Ohio grant money to fund the building of some version of a waterpark in Smith's ward.

Why and "up or down" vote?

Because Healy wants to put prime 2011 opponent Councilman Bill Smuckler on record one way or the other on the issue.

Smuckler's "real" position is that the finances on the project are shaky and that a prudent councilperson would vote "no" on Smith's pet project.

However, if he votes that way, he has no hope at all that Smith and others representing "inner-city" wards will be neutral in a Smuckler/Healy primary in 2011.

His preference?

Keep the measure bottled up in committee and then he does not go on the record at all.

For Healy's part, he thinks he wins either way.

If the the project gets approved, he can say that it was his Administration that provided the heft to get the bill out of committee and up for the approving vote.

If the project gets voted down - even if Smuckler votes for it; Healy can and will say that the Administration tried.

So what will the Smuckler game plan be?

Keep Smith's measure bottled up in committee.

Will Smuckler's game plan work?

Probably.

Smuckler's key ally Greg Hawk is chair of the Finance Committee!

HEALY'S PR AGENT STRIKES AGAIN. REP EXECUTIVE EDITOR SHILLS FOR THE MAYOR ONCE AGAIN?

Stark County has fallen on hard times, Canton has fallen on hard times and The Repository has fallen on hard times.

With the assignment of Jeff Gauger as executive editor of The Repository, GateHouse Ohio Media has delivered a telling blow to the quality of editorial work being done at Stark's only countywide newspaper.


With Respect to Mayor William J. Healy, II, The Rep's reporting and opinion page reflect more of a public relations stance than tenacious reporting and political/governmental analysis.

An ominous piece was written by Rep reporter Ed Balint on May 9, 2009, to wit:  Canton's quarterly newspaper produced in partnership with GateHouse Ohio [Media], (The Repository's parent company).

The SCPR was skeptical that a thoroughgoing news enterprise could remain separate and apart from a profit making commercial enterprise entered into by the commercial publishing wing of the same newspaper conglomerate.

“We’re excited to be able to assist the city in the publication of their magazine,” said Kevin M. Kampman, president of GateHouse Ohio and publisher of The Repository.

 Kampman went on to say:

“This business relationship does not involve our newspaper newsrooms and will not shape the independent coverage decisions made by GateHouse Ohio journalists.”

 Now that a year has transpired since Kampman's disclaimer, who believes it?

Let's see, here it is March 6, 2010.  Two days ago, The Rep gave over the pages of the paper to pushing its spin on Canton's crime situation.  By way of intro, editorial writer Gayle Beck gave this synopsis of the hand over:  (By the way, Beck assumes the "unassuming" role of "staff writer," really Gayle?)

We chose questions that we thought would have the broadest interest in the community. We skipped the handful of loaded questions. I can tell you, though, that the police chief takes exception to the notion that traffic tickets are a form of extortion.

Key phrases "[w]e chose questions ... ," and "[w]e skipped a handful of loaded questions."

This language indicates that The Rep editorial writers were filtering in "set up questions" to the liking of Healy administration officials at the same time they were filtering out "hardball questions."

The Result:  A Healy administration PR piece!

Shouldn't surprise anyone.

For Gauger, Beck et al to allow such use of The Repository shows the extent to which the Healy administration has been able to compromise the journalistic integrity of The Rep.

For instance, who believes for one New York minute (for Healy and his New York University connection) that 1,173 traffic citations in January, 2010 compares to only 57 in January, 2009 were primarily, according to Safety Director Thomas Ream (the same Thomas Ream who is said - as a leader in the Canton Police Department -  sat down with a Repository reporter over beers to have been bought by the reporter) for safety reasons.

Nobody believes this Administration propaganda.

And yet the Rep editorial writers let these statements go unchallenged.  Moreover, the SCPR labels the editorialists as being complicit in the deception:

More of the Healy administration pablum:

Decreases in calls involving criminal activity are letting police do “work that should have been done all along, if we’d had the ability,” [Canton Police Department Chief] McKimm said.

Healy anticipates that the traffic crackdown will force drivers to change their habits, leading eventually to fewer citations and less revenue for the city.

When you couple the March 4th publication with an overall look at how the relationship that The Rep has with the Healy administration, it is easy to conclude that there is a "sweetheart" relationship between Gauger and colleagues and the Healy folks.

The relationship gets manifested in photo ops (e.g. Healy meeting with J.L. Watson who was picketing in support of Canton firefighters and Healy picking up garbage) which obviously requires tip-offs being phoned in from City Hall to The Rep offices, and the failure of  The Rep generally to provide scrutinizing coverage of the administration.  Moreover, on more than one occasion, The Rep has virtually handed over its editorial pages to Healy as an avenue to pump his spin out.

It is GateHouse Ohio Media's newspaper to run as the ownership sees fit.

But with all its co-mingling relationships, who assigns it much credibility?

FIRST INSTALLMENT ON SERIES - "DO SOME STARK COUNTY GOVERNMENT UNITS ADVANTAGE THE REPOSITORY? IF SO, IS THE REPOSITORY "TRUSTWORTHY" AS STARK COUNTY'S MAIN NEWSOURCE AND PROVIDER OF EDITORIAL COMMENT?"

 

Yours truly got to thinking about The Repository's apparent "special relationship" with Mayor William J. Healy, "the second."

The musing prompted this thought:  are there other "special relationships" between The Rep and other Stark County - taxpayer funded - government units?

Mind you, The Rep is, as media, supposedly serving the public interest and therefore is entitled to public information to parse and analyze to determine, whether or not, the public interest is being properly protected in the halls of Stark County government.

The Stark County Political Report stands in the same place and is entitled to get the same respect and treatment as The Rep.

Healy blows off The Report all the time by refusing to directly answer The Report's questions.

However, if he thinks he can manipulate them, Healy hotfoots it over to The Rep's editorial office regularly.  Moreover, there are likely many, many phone calls between The Rep's editors and reporters and Healy.

The SCPR has indication that Rep reporters are phoned from Canton City Hall to give them a heads up on a breaking story.  The details of a specific incident will follow in a later installment of this series.

Healy doesn't have the the cojones to sit down in a "no holds barred" one-on-one with yours truly. 

To the extent that the SCPR gets answers, they come through  Healy's communications director on an inconsistent basis.

On more than one occasion Herman has defined the SCPR's request for a Healy response as not being a public records request, and, like his boss, just blows it off; knowing the SCPR - a one person operation - has limited resources with which to file lawsuits.

Now do you suppose this happens to The Repository?  (The Rep's number of employees is down from 70 to about 60 since since the SCPR first started up on March 12, 2008, but 60 is a lot higher than 1)

Probably not.

Take this example.

An email public records inquiry to Herman (note the date, December 28th), to wit:

 

Herman's answer: (On January 6, 2010 - 9 days after sent - Would The Repository would had to have wait this long for a response?)

Imagine?

Of course, "busy" catering to The Repository and the like! 

No way, would Healy and Herman take 9 days to respond to such a simple "answer at my fingertips" inquiry.

More importantly, if The Repository is getting preferential treatment, what does this say about the trustworthiness of The Rep as Stark County's primary news and editorial source?  Wouldn't want to p*** off those who treat you well in preference to others, would you?

In succeeding installments, the SCPR will bring additional examples to bear which suggests to yours truly that The Rep gets preferential treatment from taxpayer funded institutions of government and public officials.

Tomorrow:   Installment 2.

THE REP'S GAUGER DOES BETTER TAKING NEWS TIPS BASED ON RUMORS DISCUSSED AMONG TEN YEAR OLDS ON A SCHOOL BUS THAN HAVING A "LUNCHEON" EDITORIAL BOARD MEETING WITH CANTON MAYOR "SIR' WILLIAM J. HEALY "THE SECOND!"

One would think that Executive Editor Jeff Gauger of The Repository would get tired of being eaten alive by Mayor William J. Healy, II of Canton.

It seems that every time (yesterday? being the latest) The Rep editorialists meet with Gauger et al, the editors come out second best.  Healy, whether or not the meeting is his idea or The Rep's, must start salivating the instant a meeting is arranged between himself and the editors.

While Healy paying his parking ticket and taking furlough is of symbolic importance in the sense of Healy being amenable to the law as is every other Cantonian and in his participating in the pain of cutting the costs of Canton's government; that is exactly what these two "changes" that The Rep's editorial board is chortling about is:  "symbolic."  The serious problems of Canton go on - unabated.

The $4.5 million deficit remains and Canton is going nowhere fast in terms of economic development.

And The Repository editors want to dwell on parking tickets and furloughs?

The one extremely serious thing that the editors did bring up was the slowness of Canton's New York University Stern School of Business grad in identifying the coming financial/economic hard times and taking ameliorative measures from day one of his administration coming to political power on January 1, 2008.

But they didn't press him.  He effectively evaded them as he always done when these editors bring up significant and substantial matters which the SCPR thinks is rare indeed in and of itself.

How about the safety of Cantonians issue editors?  Twenty-eight firefighters laid off, Canton's homicide rate up 80% since Healy took office and on and on go the questions.

Mayor Healy has used the editors to spin his "repentant," "I have changed," spiel to the Canton public.  But he hasn't. 

Healy does have Gauger's number.

Mayor Healy reads The Rep.  He knows the quality of the executive editor's investigative side.  Healy had to break out in a smile when he read Gauger's revelation that he had taken a rumor from a ten year old heard on s school bus as something a major Ohio metropolitan newspaper (Canton is Ohio's eighth largest city) would deal with.

At the end of the day, with a mayor like William J. Healy, II and an editorial board headed up by Jeff Gauger, there doesn't seem to be much hope for Canton.

The next time The Report passes by The Repository offices at 500 Market Avenue, South what will be the scene?

A 800-pound gorilla likeness of Jeff Gauger pounding his chest screaming out:  "I showed that Healy.  He paid that ticket.  He's taking those furloughs.  All is well with the city of Canton because of the hard work of my paper - The Canton Repository!"

Hmm?

EVERYBODY IS FOR CIVILITY. IS ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS BEING UNCIVIL?

 Yesterday, The Rep Editorial Board wrote an editorial promoting a community wide resolution of civility, to wit:

Here’s one that our whole community would benefit from if more of us made it our resolution for 2010:

Be civil.

Who knows why these editors wrote this editorial?  It is the equivalent of asking people to be for mother, God, country and apple pie.

The SCPR believes The Rep editors did not want to appear to be "uncivil" in fingering their real target.

Could it have been prompted by what a source of the SCPR reports as having been an exchange between Canton Council president Allen Schulman and Canton mayor William J. Healy, II, after Council meeting two weeks ago today,  to wit:

... healy walked up to schulman and told him "don't you ever try to embarass me again-pointing his finger at schulman-and what followed was wild==schulman told him who  the F--- do you think you are--you can go F--- yourself ... .

Hmm?

The point?

Healy was upset that Mary Cirelli (Council-at-large) and Schulman had questioned Healy as to whom was responsible for negotiating/modifying/approving police and firefighter union contracts.


Healy's point:  "Council approved anything the administration had negotiated."

Schulman's point:  "The terms of the negotiation were agreed to by the administration."

The discussion itself was heated, but civil.

Mayor Healy cannot handle tough questioning.  That's why Tom Bernabei and Tom Nesbitt are gone from his administration.  That's why Healy won't answer the questions of the SCPR.

Allen Schulman, being the elected official he is, cannot be fired by Healy.  So what recourse is left to Healy?

You've got it!

Initiate an "uncivll" back and forth.

The SCPR has learned that when Healy cannot fire someone or arrange for them to leave the administration because the person does not work for the administration, his tactic is to start screaming and yelling at the person.

Did the conversation reported above actually happen?

The Report believes it did.

Neither Schulman nor the Healy administration would confirm or deny the source's report.

Yes, there is a need for civility.  But Allen Schulman was civil; his offense:  asking tough questions.

It is Healy-esque to become "uncivil" when things do not go his way.

Allen Schulman needs to keep asking the tough questions!

HEALY'S SIDE OF BREAKDOWN IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANTON PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTER ASS'N

As a lawyer, yours truly knows that there is always "two sides" to a lawsuit.

And the same play true with life in general.

Such is the case with the Canton Professional Firefighters Association (CPFFA) and the Healy administration flap over who is right and who is wrong in the fight to win the public relations battle.

The SCPR has presented CPFFA side of thing on this blog (CLICK HERE) to refresh on the CPFFA position.

Today, the SCPR presents the Healy version of events:

CANTON CITY HALL'S ACRIMONY CUP "RUNNETH OVER;!" COUNCIL PRESIDENT ALLEN SCHULMAN LEADING THE FIGHT TO REIN-IN THE HEALY ADMINISTRATION?

The Stark County Political Report knows that politics is "hand-to-hand" combat.  And the pugilism is in full swing at the moment at Canton City Hall.

Council president Allen Schulman (yesterday) wrote the following comment on an earlier story by the SCPR:

Martin... 

I read with interest your two part commentary on Herman and the Mayor. I trust you now understand my total disgust with the idea of retaining a " communications director"in this time of economic calamity. Moreover, it is my informed view that Herman is a bully and a political hack for the Mayor. Check out the city web site and you will see what I mean. I will continue to call him out.

Allen Schulman 

Schulman's comment was published by the report under "comments" at the bottom of the original story.

But the "I will continue to call him out" part of Schulman's comment deserve special attention.

Why's that?

It means that warfare at City Hall will not be stopping anytime soon.

The SCPR has a report that a nasty exchange took place between Schulman and Healy immediatly after the regular Council meeting on Monday.

It is totally believable that the exchange as reported actually took place, but The Report is in the process of getting the principals (sort of) to respond.

What do you mean by "sort of?"

Well, Mayor Healy will not talk to the SCPR so yours truly asked Herman, Allen Schulman's favorite "bully" and "political hack."

Herman, who was quick to jump in with an email denying that the Healy administration had blocked the SCPR access to city empoyeees, said he was not present at the alleged "verbal" altercation and therefore could not respond.

Hmm?

Let's see.

Herman knows that Healy will not talk with the SCPR and he is Healy's mouthpiece so why doesn't Herman go and get the Mayor's take?

Could it be that the report is totally accurate and Herman can't spin it in a positive way for Hizzoner?

We all know the history of the Schulman/Healy long standing acrimonious relationship that periodically breaks out into the press.

Folks, get used to it.  It is not going to end anytime soon.

By the SCPR calculus, the "hard feelings" between Canton City Council and Mayor Healy's administration (mostly limited to Healy himself and Adam Herman) will continue until the Democratic primary election, 2011?

"The Democratic primary election, 2011?

Yes!

If he lasts that long, that's when Schulman et al will have settled on a candidate to replace Healy as mayor.

The lamentable thing for Cantonians is that for two years they will have to wait until a new administration takes over for Canton to get on the move repairing itself from the damage done the city by Healy (I use the term loosely, folks) "leadership."

If Healy truely cared about Canton, he would resign today!

OH, COME ON MAYOR - IT'S ONLY $10 OR $0.75 PER HOUR - A WAY FOR YOU TO MAKE A "SMALL" ADDITIONAL SACRIFICE FOR THE GOOD OF CANTON

Mayor William J. Healy, II has been "the sour grape of Canton" for some time now.

And the question is:  will he bring down this once proud city all on his own?

Healy has a penchant for getting into one mess after another.  Some are triffling, like the parking ticket he got in October and others are serious indeed.  Cumulatively, this "sour grape" mayor may ultimately succeed in bringing down the "bunch of good grapes" (the citizens and many good public officials that staff other city offices).

Apparently, The Repository is turning on Healy.  Could it be that Gauger, Detore,  et al are starting to get it on Healy.  It matters not whether the economy is good or bad (the bad economy is now providing cover for Healy), it is very clear that William J. Healy, II is "not" leadership material.

Some people are leaders, some are not.  Healy is a part of the "are nots."

He is so well-taken with being  "Hizzoner," reveling in the perks and power of office, and playing his game of conquering by dividing others; that he has become a petty person in his own right who has no chance to inspire and rally Cantonians to recovery

The quicker the power structure of Canton and Stark County figure out the Healy game plan and coalesce to move Healy on, the quicker Canton has to chance to recover from its meteoric race to the bottom.

In a little over a year,  Healy has to stand for re-election.  Hopefully, a "new" leader will emerge to challenge him in either the Democratic primary or the general election. 

The time for new leadership to emerge is now!

CANTON'S NYU STERN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS GRAD CAN'T STOP THE BLEEDING IN CANTON

These are not emails that the SCPR likes to get:

 

Everybody in Stark County knows that these are tough economic times.  The temptation is to give Mayor William J. Healy, II a pass for the deterioration of Canton's finances/economy.

But Healy should not get a pass.

When he ran for mayor, he told Canton voters that because he was an entrepreneur, because he was a graduate of the NYU Stern School of Business, he had unique and powerful ways to pull Canton out of her economic stagnation.

According to Healy, he was a "value added" candidate.

Cantonians and Stark Countians know now that Healy campaign-speak was so much hot air.

Healy is nothing special in the positive light.

He may be something special in a negative sense.

Hizzoner is such a consummate political manipulator that he relies on his "eelish" qualities to avoid being held accountable for anything.

His economic development program is in shambles.  Even the stimulus money pumped into Canton by his political friend and ally Congressman John Boccieri, hasn't diverted the "knowing" from understanding the financial/economic disaster that Canton has become.

Healy friend and newly elected board of education member Eric Resnick, in a boldly courageous way, campaigned on the premise that he was going to be pushing for new millage for Canton City Schools, if elected.

But who will be left in Canton to  vote for the levy?  Who can afford to?

Wouldn't surprise the SCPR that Resnick turns out to be a one term board member.

Why?

Because people will want to punish him for doing what needs to be done.

Politics is not fair.

Canton is in one of the deepest financial/economic holes that yours truly has ever seen anywhere, anytime and the overall national economic downturn is not the primary reason; only a contributing factor.

Canton has lived off the "fat of the land" for too long now and not fertilized its fields for future yields.

The Canton City Council/Sam Sliman (Darth Vader to the Townships) notion of annexing its way out of financial/economic troubles is, to say the least, troubling to anyone who understands Economics 101.

Add to unimaginative (let's keep doing the same old things) Council, a mayor who is not "added value" as he portrayed himself in the 2007 campaign, and what you get is a "race to the bottom."

If you are a Canton firefighter, policeman or city worker, by December 31, 2009; the reality of a bankrupt city council and city administration becomes stark individual reality!

CANTON MAYOR WILLIAM J. HEALY, II HAS NEVER (AS MAYOR) ATTENDED A WESTBROOK PARK "HONORING VETERANS EVENT." WHY NOT?

A source of the SCPR e-mailed yours truly today with a startling bit of information about yesterday's (Veterans Day - 2009/the eleventh day, of the eleventh hour of the eleventh month) event.

Canton mayor William J. Healy was a "no show."

Here is the relevant excerpt from the e-mail:

Jim Gallagher introduced Mayor Healy of whom was asked to attend and according to Jim Gallagher; President of the Stark County Veterans Council, “he said he would be here,” he was a no-show.

And that is not the end of the story.

More from a later e-mail

I have attended every Memorial Day parade and McKinley Monument service after the parade since Richard Watkins 2nd year of his last term. Every year, the Mayor has always attended. Watkins and Creighton appeared in all the Memorial Day festivities. Mayor Healy has NEVER been in attendance. Because of this, I called Janet for who I know rather well and asked her if it was an obligated attendance or an option. She indicated to me that it was not mandatory, but an event that all Mayor’s in most towns, or cities commit too. 

The SCPR has called Adam Herman, the communications director for the Healy administration, for an explanation. 

So far, none.

If one is forthcoming, this blog will be updated with the explanation.

But do not hold your breath for an update.

Healy is thoroughly put out with the SCPR and has let it be known that he will not respond personally to any SCPR inquiry.

No surprise to yours truly.

The SCPR was the first Stark County media outlet to document Healy's arrogance.  The Rep folks are being toyed with by Healy and they are "none-the-wiser" for it.

It one thing for him to diss the SCPR, but to snub Canton/Stark County's veterans is quite another.

The Repository report (as pictured) above clearly shows Healy to be a "no show."

But why didn't "the powers that be" at The Rep dog Healy about his "apparent" snub of Stark County's finest?

From The Rep, Stark Countians get "a sanitized" account of Canton/Stark County political and government events.

From the SCPR, readers get the unvarnished truth!

AND HIS STRONG SUIT IS BUSINESS ACUMEN?

When Governor Ted Strickland came to Stark County to tour the Brewster Cheese Factory in early 2008 just after William J. Healy, II had taken office, yours truly spoke with Healy about the condition he found City Hall in on taking office.

Healy said, "Martin, you wouldn't believe it. Janet left things in an absolute mess."

Really?

With all the discussion that is going on these days to get Canton solvent again (a meeting Tuesday at the Civic Center on city finances and Allen Schulman - Council president - floating a "trial balloon" on a "temporary" income tax increase), yours truly decided to do a little fact checking.

So, the SCPR placed a telephone call to Auditor Richard A. Mallonn.

SCPR: "Richard, I have been hearing from readers of the SCPR that Janet Creighton left Mayor Healy with s carryover surplus, is this so?"

MALLONN: "Here is the number Martin: on January 01, 2008 the Healy administration had a cash carryover from the Creighton administration of $3,549.333.00.

The SCPR never has been a fan of Janet Creighton, but you got to hand it to her. She did a heck of a lot better job handling Canton finances than our NYU Stern School of Business graduate who is running things now.

So who created the mess?

Of course, the political cover for Healy is that the national, state and local economies have tanked.

And that is so.

But does that explain going from a $3.5 million surplus to a $3.0 million deficit?

Not to the SCPR. does it.

Could it be that Creighton (with no business degree) was better with finances that our MBA mayor?

HEALY'S PROPAGANDA PIPELINE TO STARK COUNTY? THE CANTON REPOSITORY EDITORIAL BOARD!

Somehow Mayor William J. Healy, II has gained the confidence of The Repository Editorial Board.

When things are not going well for Healy and he needs to explain his actions to the public or he needs to prime the positive publicity pump, he has his communications director Adam Herman go into action with The Rep.

An example from a July 12th editorial by Executive Editor Jeff Gauger:\

Healy asked Tuesday to meet with The Repository’s editorial board to discuss annexation. In the meeting later that day, Healy expressed reservations about whether the annexation agreement was good for Canton, saying the city might give up too much or get too little. He said a “cost-benefit analysis” was needed to determine whether the city should proceed.

One can imagine the following conversation going down on the eight floor at Canton City Hall.

"Adam, Adam!" (Adam Herman, Healy's communications director and closest confidant)

"Yes, Mayor, what is it?"

"Call Gauger"

"Why, boss, why?"

"Cause we need to get the word out how I am one up on Bill Smuckler."

"What word?"

"Adam, I am surprised. You ask - what word. You know, you know."

"I was just kidding, boss. There isn't a thought that enters your mind that doesn't hit me. You know we have a "wireless relationship" - instant communication." "Yeah, your right. We know that Bill Smuckler is trying to upset your re-election apple cart. And your annexation plan is brilliant, simply brilliant."

"Yeah, Adam and I came up with it on my very own (snicker, snicker, snicker). And they call Sam Sliman 'Darth Vader to the townships'"

"Okay, boss, I'll give 'good ole Jeffy boy' a call. He's always good to make The Rep available - on call - to get our message out."

"Yeah, Adam, with Martin Olson at the Stark County Political Report telling it like it is with my administration, we have done good counteracting him by greasing Stark's only countywide newspaper.

You're right boss, but I have work to do with Olson.

What's that Adam?

"I need to find the leaks that we have here on the eight floor. It's frustrating. Olson keeps coming up with story after story that don't make us look too good."

"Frankly, Adam (Healy, sneering) I don't worry about Olson and his Stark County Political Report. He can take his report and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. We got The Rep folks right where we want them - at a beck and call."

"You're right again, boss. Take Olson's story about your new safety director. What a stroke of genius - that appointment. Wow, how do you do it! Ream will do nothing but fortify our good relationship with The Repository. Just outstanding, boss; simply outstanding. How do you come up with these ideas"

Well, Adam, thanks. But you know where my genius comes from. After all I didn't go to the New York Stern School of Business for nothing. And throw Jack DeSario in there too. DeSario has to be one of the very best political consutants in the US of A as Archie Bunker says.

"You know, boss. You are too good for Canton, Ohio. You have skills that could help the nation in these times of trouble."

"Aw shucks, Adam. What you say is true. But Canton needs me. You make me blush. Well, you know before Boccieri decided to run for the 16th district congressional seat the Democratic National Congressional Caucus offered to finance a Healy campaign to the tune of $1 million cool smackeroos. Did you know that Adam?"

"Oh yeah, boss. I hear that little ditty in my sleep. You gotta remember, we're wireless!"