BASKETBALL & BEING "CCS - BOE" PRESIDENT DON'T MIX WELL WITH RYAN BRAHLER!

NOW HE SHOULD WITHDRAW AS CANDIDATE 

FOR 

WARD 3 CANTON CITY COUNCIL SEAT!

UPDATE:  03/10/2015

At the conclusion of tonight's Canton City Council work session Councilman-at-Large Jimmy Babcock (Ryan Brahler's cousin) complained to the SCPR that The Report had it all wrong in citing "an inside council source" saying that Ryan Brahler is supporting Canton treasurer Kim Perez for mayor as opposed to sitting mayor William J. Healy, II.

• SCPR note:  The Report has the distinct impression that Councilman Babcock did not actually read the blog he is so upset about.  In his passionate complaining to yours truly, he referred to Councilman Edmond Mack as his source on his take as to what was written in the blog. 
• Anyone actually reading the blog would necessarily have to note that the assessment that Brahler is perceived to be a Perez supporter is not the SCPR's.  Rather it is the take of "an inside council source."  The Report, in fact, noted in the blog that in a historical context Brahler was known for his support of Healy.
• The SCPR was surprised to hear the source's take and was passing "the inside council source's" perspective for whatever it was worth.

As the SCPR always does when challenged on the content of a blog, yours truly went back to the original source and confirmed that the source has reason to believe that Brahler is supporting Perez for mayor.

Of course, the person who should be talking to the SCPR about whom he does or doesn't support is Ryan Brahler.

When Brahler took out petitions to run for council-at-large in 2013, the SCPR attempted to contact him.  Brahler did not return The Report's call about his having taken out a petition.  Accordingly, The Report felt that it would be futile to try to contact Brahler given his current situation.

The Report did ask Mayor Healy tonight who he thought Brahler was supporting in his face off with Perez.  The mayor said that the last he knew Brahler was supporting, but he ended in saying "But, who really knows."

Councilman John Mariol says that his take is that Brahler still supports Healy.

And here is a copy of an e-mail from Kim Perez, to wit:

Sunday, March 8, 2015 Blog Post

 [From] Kim Perez   Today at 9:55 PM

To: tramols@att.net

Dear Martin,

To clarify your March 8, 2015 blog post, Ryan Brahler is supporting and always has supported Healy for Mayor.  He has no involvement with the Perez for Mayor campaign.

Sincerely,
Kim Perez

Maybe Councilman Jimmy Babock needs to have read for himself what he complains of or, if, per chance, he did read it learn to read with understanding.

In a sort of ironical twist, the SCPR's position is that Babcock is the one who is wrong about attributing the "inside council source" perspective as being the SCPR's.

That Babcock didn't get things correctly in erroneously attributing the inside sources' perspective to the SCPR is no surprise to yours truly.

The SCPR does not see Babcock as the brightest bulb on council.

ORIGINAL BLOG

For Canton City Schools (CCS) Board of Education (BOE) president Ryan Brahler (elected in 2011), 2015 has to be the year right out of the pits of Hell.

It was announced over the weekend that Brahler will be resigning as president of the CCS BOE effective March 16, 2015.

Here is the full text of Brahler's resignation letter dated March 7th:

On Monday, I attended a High School basketball game between the Canton McKinley Lady Pups and Walsh Jesuit. During the course of this game, I lost my temper, and I responded inappropriately. I expect better of myself and I apologize to any and all that I offended.

I care deeply about the City of Canton and the Canton City School District. It is disappointing to me that my comments have become a distraction to the District during this critical time. As this was to be my final term on the Board of Education and I had already announced that I would not seek another term, I feel it is appropriate to step down from my seat as the South District Board Member, effective immediately. This, in my opinion, is in the best interest of the Board, the District and our students. It is also the best way I can demonstrate that I realize that my comments were inappropriate and that I am taking accountability for them. As Board President, it is of the utmost importance that I hold myself to the same standard that we set for our students and staff.

I would finally like to take a moment to thank my constituents, fellow Board Members, our Superintendent and, most importantly, our CCS students. They have made my time on the Board extremely rewarding.

Respectfully, 
Ryan Brahler

Quite a stunning turn of events!

And it has nothing to do with his decision to join his fellow four BOE members on February 25th in a unanimous vote to dissolve Canton Timken High School into McKinley High School in a restructuring of CCS school facilities as part of Superintendent Adrian Allison's Brighter Tomorrow Phase III recommendation.

Here is a video of Brahler's comments, a BOE president, at a special meeting on the Timken/McKinley controversy "special meeting" of February 9th.



Anything less on the part of the BOE, the SCPR thinks, would have been tantamount to a vote of "no confidence" by the board on Allison.

However, Brahler's vote could be troublesome for him in his upcoming Democratic Party primary battle with Scaglione for the Ward 3 nomination for Canton City Council.

That is, IF Brahler stays in the race?

IF?

Indeed.

Why so?

Because Brahler last Monday got himself in a whole lot more political trouble than the Timken/McKinley thing was ever going to be.

And, it appears, that the reason for his self-inflicted woes was due to his being "an over-the-top" McKinley basketball fan in giving the middle index finger to a Hoover High School basketball fan who it is alleged by Brahler made a racist remark directed at a McKinley girls assistant basketball coach as he was exiting the gym on being ejected by referees.

•  Link to a more detailed media account.

The only thing remaining is whether or not Brahler is going to stay on as a candidate for Canton's Ward 3 seat which is being vacated by current councilman Jim Griffin (not seeking reelection) who has been councilman for 10 years.

Councilman Griffin is said to be "quietly" supporting Brahler in taking him under his wing and introducing Brahler to Griffin supporters.

One has to wonder whether or not Griffin will now be distancing himself from Brahler?

While Brahler was elected to the CCS BOE in November, 2011 as an "unopposed" candidate for a seat representing the southern part of the CCS district, the SCPR thought at the time it was not what he would had rather done.

It seems to The Report that his primary desire has been to be a Canton city councilman.

In 2013, the SCPR's recollection is that he took out or entertained thoughts about taking out petitions to run for one of three Democratic nominations for councilman-at-large.

It is likely that he did not file because his cousin Jimmy Babcock was running.

When one of the three 2013 Democratic candidates turned to be political novice Roland K. Burns, III (said to be an anti-Healy candidate) Brahler (at the time; not now, a pro-Healyite) he must have thought "Gee, I can beat this guy, why not run as an independent?"

• The SCPR is told by "an inside council source" that Brahler is now lined up with Cousin Jimmy to support Canton treasurer Kim Perez in Perez's run against Democratic incumbent mayor William J. Healy, II; 
• that is, if Perez in light of the "basketball incident will still have him?

So he tries that political gambit, all of which indicates to the SCPR that Brahler is a political opportunist who just wants an elected position. 

In 2011 there was a CCS-BOE position for the taking, so why not?  Moreover, the SCPR's recollection is that Brahler took out petitions to run for the Stark County Educational Service Center (SCESC) but which he learned he could not file, if he was prone to go in that direction, because voters in city school districts are prohibited by Ohio law from running for ESC positions.

To re-iterate, in the SCPR's mind, Brahler is an out-and-out political opportunist.

Now we know that he was "in over-his-head" in terms of having a proper boardmanship factor about him.

Yours truly was amazed to hear that Brahler had been elected president of the CCS BOE for this year.

One of the things that politicians do (more typically when they are running for reelection for the office they hold) is - if they are on a board - ask fellow members to elect them president of the board the year of the election so as to get a maximum of what is called "earned" media (e.g. getting their names in the media as BOE president whatever the media article may be about).

Think maybe his fellow board members regret that decision?

Well, of course, Brahler got that in spades in the Timken/McKinley matter.  Which may or may not have been politically good for him, depending on how many Timken connected voters there are in Ward 3.

On "the middle-finger-caper; not so good, no?

Hence, the resignation.

And now the SCPR is thinking that Brahler should be withdrawing his candidacy for the Ward 3 candidacy.

Not only for the dishonor he brought last week to the office of the presidency of the CCS in the basketball game incident, but also because it appears that he is not in politics for the right reason which should be public service rather than a ego fulfilling "I am your councilman" factor.

To provide readers more insight into in 2013 political machinations that Brahler invoked as he connived to get on the November, 2013 general election ballot, the SCPR brings forward an extract from a February 22, 2013 blog which has all the details, to wit:

Interestingly and "ironically," enough, had Brahler made it onto the November, 2013 ballot, after serving only two years of a four year CCS BOE term, he had a good chance - the SCPR thinks - to have beaten out Roland K. Burns, III for the third council spot.

Burns self-destructed as a viable candidate when local media published stories that did not reflect positive on him on his management of various residential properties he owns in the city of Canton and former Republican (and now, qualifying as a political "independent") Richard Hart won that third position.

As far as the SCPR is concerned, much, much, much better Hart than Brahler.

And, in Ward 3, voters should be highly wary of Brahler should he remain in the race.

The SCPR thinks he could do himself and Cantonians a huge favor if he were to withdraw his Ward 3 candidacy!

SO YA THINK WILLIAM J. HEALY, II IS SUCH A SMART POLITICIAN?

 UPDATE:  February 24, 2013 at 07.24 AM

Re:  Contact with Roland K. Burns, III

Yours truly has contacted council-at-large candidate Roland K. Burns, III and, among, other matters spoke to him as to whether or not he had be contacted by Healy administration/Joe Cole political forces about his withdrawing as a candidate after getting through the Democratic primary so that those forces could place Cole (assuming, of course, he withdraws from the 9th Ward race) could through its central committee apparatus (as provided for in Ohio statutory law) replace him as one of three Democratic candidates for Canton city council.

Burns response:  

He has not been contacted by Healy/Cole political forces.

And, if he had, he would not entertain any thought whatsoever about withdrawing.

For a blog likely sometime next week, the SCPR plans on putting together an "introduction to Roland K. Burns, III presentation which will include a SCPR analysis of where and how Burns will fit into the projected make up of the 2014 through 2015 Canton city council.

ORIGINAL BLOG (Revised)

Canton Councilwoman Mary Cirelli has a number of Canton Democratic politicians fuming these days.

The list?

Kim Perez, Joe Cole and his joined-at-the-hip supporter Dave Kirven (business agent for Local 94 of the Plumbers and Pipefitters) to name just a few.  And, oh yes, you can throw Canton mayor William J. Healy, II into the mix too.  And Healy worshiper Ryan Brahler, too.  And Healy suck up Jimmy Babcock, for another.

The Stark County Political Report has written quite a number of blogs about Canton's mayor Healy being an accomplished politician.

And he is in a certain sense of the word accomplished.

But he can make some pretty dumb moves too.

One of them, The Report thinks, might have been to take on and unseat Mary Cirelli from the Ohio House of Representatives back in 2004.

Call this "the pi??ing off Mary Cirelli move."

It is likely to result in a new Canton city council line up which is configured vote-wise 7 to 5 against Healy on key issues which come before council.

It could even go as low as 8 to 4, 9 to 3, 10 to 2? Who knows? But not a good thing for a guy who thinks he is Stark County's master politician.

Here is the background to the materialization of "the pi??ing of Mary Cirelli move:

This is what the SCPR wrote back on April 6, 2011:

Mary is not the most polished Stark County politico in terms of articulation skills and political sophistication, but most will tell you that she is a good-hearted and nobody advocates more for her causes and constituents than Mary.  She had gotten some negative press from The Rep's Paul Kostyu (the then Repository Columbus Bureau chief) for having been voted by the statehouse press in 2003 as the Ohio House's least effective member (the 52nd).

Healy jumped all over that designation and challenged Mary in the 2004 Democratic primary for the right to the representative for the 52nd.  While Republicans do run candidates in this Democratic stronghold; the 52nd is a "safe" Democratic district.

The SCPR has just learned (not from Mary herself) that in the Healy/Cirelli campaign (probably the last few months before the election), Healy hammered her for not attending Ohio House committee meetings.

What he did not tell voters - The Report is told - was that a member of Mary's family needed her full attention because of a critical care situation.

Anyone would be highly upset by such a tactic, no?  And probably would be an enemy for life, no?

Mary Cirelli, a nurse, was situationally and professionally and by her compassionate nature compelled to put first things first and attend to the family matter.

So there you have too very strong reasons as to why Mary likely could not wait for February 6, 2013 to arrive and the opportunity to work Healy and his political henchmen over.

And did she do it!

Well, by 2006, despite the 2004 setback, she was back.  And guess who was elected mayor the very same year?  Of course, William J. Healy, II.

Healy only lasted two years in the House.  William J. Healy, II:  1 of 99.  What a laugh for a guy who has to be center stage at all times, no?

So was it worth it to incur the wrath of Mary Cirelli?

He could have run against Republican Janet Creighton anyway in 2006.  Does anyone believe that he defeated her because of his undistinguished two years in the Ohio House?

No, the truth of the matter is that his timing could not have been better.

His election was probably owing to his father having been a long time Canton politician translated:

• he won, in part, on the name Healy, 
• he won, in part, on the fact that Canton has a 9 to 1 Democratic registration advantage and 
• he won, in part, because Creighton had inherited a city in decline (thanks to her predecessor and fellow Republican Richard Watkins) and four years was simply not enough to get a turnaround going

But anyhow, he did succeed in creating a political enemy in Mary Cirelli that plagues him to this very day.

At last council meeting Healy lashed out at Cirelli in a fiery exchange in which the mayor could not suppress his outrage at being dogged with Cirelli question after question after question in the given topic.

However, the big news was the political wizardry that Cirelli pulled off in luring Councilman Joe Cole into abandoning his at-large seat for an run at incumbent 9th Ward Councilman Frank Morris (which the SCPR thinks Cole cannot win).

In order to get the full flavor of how Cirelli made Cole, Kirven, Perez and, likely Healy, the laughing stock of the Canton/Stark County political world; you absolutely have to click on this LINK and read the particulars of how Cirelli hoodwinked Cole into abandoning his council-at-large post.

The Cirelli political gyrations which fooled Cole and friends are right up there with the SCPR's Phil Davision video (in which he shows how to be an "over-the-top" Republican and which went viral on the Internet and part of which appeared in this year's Super Bowl) in terms of being ONE HUGE LAUGH!

Even Stark Dems chairman and SCPR political friend extraordinaire Randy Gonzalez got a hoot out of The Report's blog, so yours truly is told.

Consequently, Perez, Cole, Healy and their political allies (e.g. Jimmy Babcock and political wannabe [and Babcock cousin] Ryan Brahler) are smarting.

First of all they (Cole et al) are blaming former and to soon-to-be again Councilman Bill Smuckler for being behind the Cirelli wizardry.  Smuckler denies that such was the case.

They simply refuse to accept the reality that Cirelli proved to be much smarter than any of them and all of them together.

Second, it seems that Cole and friends are scrambling to get a Healy supporter in position to get back on council notwithstanding that the Healy political gaggle on council appear to be losing Cole himself.

For in being finessed out of the council-at-large race by Cirelli, Cole provided an failsafe election to political newcomer Roland K. Burns, III.

The Report hears that he is an avowed Healy political enemy.

One gambit for the Healyites' recovery seems to be to have Brahler (currently an elected Canton Board of Education member, believe or not) to declare himself not to be a Democrat any longer and run as an independent/non-partisan for council-at-large.

Here is a copy of a Facebook post by Brahler (February 13th):

"Breaking News: Today I making two major announcements, first I will be leaving the Democratic Party.

I am leaving the party so I can run as an independent "Non-Party" candidate in the Canton City Council At Large Race this November.

Mind you this was a very difficult decision to make, but after reviewing all of the information and hearing from a number of concerned citizens, this is the best decision for me and citizens of Canton.

The Democratic Party has failed to provide a quality field of candidates in the Council At Large race and as a result the citizens of Canton could suffer.

It's time to act in the best interests of people before party, I thank everyone for coming forward and encouring [sic] me to do this and with your support we can make history and send a "Non-Party" candidate to city hall. Ryan A. Brahler for Canton City Council At-Large!!"

The SCPR is told that a BOE official is saying that "no non-partisan/independent candidate" that has a BOE identity as either being a registered (by virtue of voting in partisan primaries) Democrat or Republican will be permitted to be on the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate.

So forget that gambit, no?

Another gambit being talked about, according to a SCPR source, by Cole and friends is to talk Burns into withdrawing from the council-at-large race after he becomes the Democratic Party nominee in the May elections and thereby provide an avenue by Ohio law for Dems to get Cole back on the at-large ballot come November.

The Report is highly skeptical of the source's account.  Why would an avowed Healy political enemy be willing to give the mayor's supporters the time of day on such discussions?

"The political goof balls of the year" gave him a "free ride" into a councilmanic seat and he's going to bargain it away? Hardly.

3513.31 Withdrawal, disqualification, or death of candidate prior to general election.

(E) If a person nominated in a primary election as a party candidate for election at the next general election, whose candidacy is to be submitted to the electors of a subdivision within a county, withdraws as that candidate or is disqualified as that candidate under section 3513.052 of the Revised Code, the vacancy in the party nomination so created may be filled by a subdivision committee consisting of those members of the county central committee or ... .

The SCPR has tried to contact Burns to asked him whether or not The Report's source is correct that such a deal is being talked.  But as of the publication of this blog, he has not returned the call.

So it will be interesting to see if the pro-Healy-forces can recover from getting outsmarted by Mary Cirelli.

It appears to the SCPR that Humpty-Dumpty is indeed broken and all of the King's (Healy) and the King's horses (Cole et al) cannot put Humpty back together again.

And the real kicker is:  Mary Cireilli becomes Canton city treasurer (hear the "wailing and gnashing of teeth by Kim Perez) and rides off in the political sunset.

William J. Healy, II wasn't so smart after all, no?