HB 70 - TODAY ITS YOUNGSTOWN; TOMORROW CANTON?

The immediate object of House Bill 70 (passed by the Ohio General Assembly last Wednesday) was to set up a mechanism for the State of Ohio to take over the highly academically distressed Youngstown City School District.

For Stark Countians and in particular Cantonians, it is an alarm bell that Canton City Schools could be next.

The alarm bells were set off locally by Akron Beacon Journal education writer Doug Livingston, to wit:

Livingston describes in the article the process whereby:

• the Ohio General Assembly - at the last minute in the legislative process of it current session passed House Bill 70 which might result for failing school districts:
• in teacher unions being removed,
• in local voters losing the right to control their own school districts, and
• turn operations over to "for profit" management entities,
• "the Ohio legislature introduced and passed legislation in a matter of hours with no opportunity for the public to deliver opposition testimony."

Only Melissa Cropper of the Ohio Federation of Teachers showed up at this last minute legislative gambit to present opposition to the bill.

However, only four "favorables" to the legislation including recently named Youngstown State University president Jim Tressel:

• former Ohio State University football coach who resigned when the program became troubled,
• who served as interim president of The University of Akron, and applied for the permanent job,

and three other including former Akron University administrator Connie Hathorn (on his way out as superintendent of the Youngstown City Schools) were allowed to testify.

The Stark County Report thinks Canton City Schools are vulnerable under the legislation because of the system's horrible rating by State of Ohio since Ohio has been grading the quality of local school systems since the 2005-2006 school year.

Be sure to take a look at Livingston's "Steps to a Takeover" (LINK).

Take a look going back three years:

Notwithstanding the Canton City Schools' effort to turn things around with its phased in three phase Brighter Tomorrow project, its hard to imagine the district pulling off this seemingly impossible feat so as to avoid the draconian measures included in HB 70.

Only one majority member (the Republicans control both the Ohio House and Senate) of the Stark County delegation to the Ohio General Assembly stood in opposition to the bill, that being State Senator Scott Oelslager.

Republican Kirk Schuring (Jackson, House District 48) who once referred to Cantonians as - "those people" - during his 2008 16th Congressional District race in a losing effort against Democrat John Boccieri to succeed long time Republican congressman Ralph Regula, was a "yes" vote to possibly put Canton in the crosshairs of HB 70.

Joining him was Republican Christina Hagan (Marlboro) of the 50th House District.

One may agree or disagree about the merits of the bill, but for Schuring and Hagan to support legislation that was offered with affording opponents the fundamental American democratic-republican values of "notice and opportunity to be heard" should be an outrage to Stark Countians.

Here are the recorded votes of the supersize Republican majority:

Despite Canton mayor William J. Healy, II repetitively in his annual State of the City messages since he developed the notion of "pillars" of rebuilding the declining for years Canton government infrastructure (one pillar being Education), The Report and daresay most Stark Countians see Canton City Schools as one gigantic mess with a school board that is probably among the state's very worst.

Some readers may think HB 70 is the only way to save the likes of the Canton City Schools.

And maybe they are right?

(VIDEO) UNDER "MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS" ON THE CANTON CITY COUNCIL AGENDA: COUNCIL PRESIDENT ALLEN SCHULMAN SHINES!

It would be a mistake to leave a Canton City Council meeting before the final bell.

The very last item on the meeting agenda before adjournment is "Miscellaneous Business."

The SCPR has learned over the years that some of the most riveting stuff occurs during this part of the Canton City Council agenda.

It is the opportunity for council members and members of the Healy administration to pipe in with just about anything that they want to get out into the public.

Council President Allen Schulman is a regular participant in "Miscellaneous Business" and is known to use this aspect of the meeting for going after various national, state and Stark County political personages on "issues of the day."

Monday night's meeting was Schulman at his finest insofar as the SCPR is concerned.

Earlier in the day, The Report published a blog (LINK) showing how disingenuous the Ohio General Assembly (OGA) can be and indeed is on the matter of K-12 public school funding.

The main point of the blog was working through the numbers from $45.4 million newspaper headlines in casino profits (per half) that the OGA has earmarked for local school districts and how by the time one gets to how much it means per student the amount gets whittled down to $20.

Compared to the cost of educating a student in Stark County's schools (ranging from a high of $11,631 in Massillon to $7,426 in Tuslaw), the $20 is "one big - though cruel -laugh" at the expense of public education.

But the legislators always focus on the $45.4 million like they really have done something for the financing of public education.

A particularly reprehensible part of the actions of the Republican super-majority (meaning governor veto proof) in passing the 2014-2015 biennium budget bill (including Stark County Republicans Scott Oelslager, Kirk Schuring and Christina Hagan was to make it more difficult for local school districts and other local government units to get new property tax issues passed.

Schulman picked up on the essential points of the blog plus other "screwings" of local government by our state government in his quintessential and unique style on Monday past.

He also got on the voting public for its apathy in just sitting by and dutifully accepting whatever the Legislature dishes out to the public's own detriment.

And he fired a shot across the bow to the local print media for largely ignoring what transpires at the Statehouse that damages the ability of local governments to responsibly and effectively serve their cities, villages, townships and local school districts.

For the SCPR's money, Canton City Council President Allen Schulman is a model of passion and political energy that other Stark County officials would do well to emulate.

Many, if not most Stark County elected officials, are like eating vanilla ice cream.

Few local officials have the spark and fire of Democrat Schulman.

Another Stark County political figure who has loads of "fire in the belly" is Republican Stark County commissioner Janet Creighton.

With a few other exceptions, in the view of the SCPR, Stark County officialdom is a pretty bland lot which explains in large part what local government is getting dumped on by the folks in the Washington and Columbus beltways.

Here is Schulman at his finest!

DISCUSSION: 52ND DISTRICT - DOES AGE MAKE A DIFFERENCE? EASTERDAY , AGE 69 VERSUS SLESNICK, AGE 30?

John M. Easterday (Republican - Canton) has been in business for 37 years.

Stephen D. Slesnick (Democrat - Canton and the sitting "appointed" successor to William Healy, II) is only 30 years old.

At age 69, Easterday makes the point that he is not likely to be a career politician. Slesnick was a surprise nominee coming out of Democratic primary because he did run against a number of career politicians. Does his youth and early political success suggest that Slesnick is on his way to becoming a career politician himself?

Easterday promotes, as an advantage to his candidacy, that he doesn't have to learn by his mistakes; that he as a business person for decades now, knows what works and what doesn't. In effect, Easterday is trying to use his age as a positive.

Slesnick is from a well-known Canton area scrap metal business who has been provided an avenue into business by his family. By virtue of his youth, it stands to reason that Slesnick has much to learn about the "lessons of life" that Easterday claims he has already mastered.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) in reviewing the contestants answers to questionnaires constructed by and published by The Repository (link to Easterday and Slesnick), assesses that Slesnick has a better handle on Ohio issues that impact Stark County. In fact, Easterday failed to respond to the question: "What are the Stark County issues that need attention in Columbus?"

In a previous write-up on this race, The Report noted that Slesnick impresses as a sitting "appointed" representative by his virtue of his initiative in communication with constituents and the media on his early work in the Legislature.

Easterday has a huge uphill climb to best Slesnick in November - a task that The Report believes in not doable; provided, of course, that nothing lurks in Slesnick's past or in his conduct through November 4th that dramatically changes the complexion of the 52nd District contest.

The Report believea that this contest's outcome is a safe bet for Slesnick and he will be focusing on helping Celeste DeHoff in the 50th to take away a Republican seat.

It makes sense for Slesnick to do so. If the Democrats gain control of the Ohio House; control will empower Slesnick to make headway on his twin campaign goals of fixing public education financing and Ohio's economical development.

The difference between Slesnick and DeHoff is that The Report looks for Slesnick to be given a leadership role in the Ohio General Assembly whereas DeHoff will not, if she makes it at all.

The questions: Will the Slesnick/Easterday contest devolve into a age issue? Is this a race at all? Will Slesnick be energizing the DeHoff face off with Todd Snitchler?