(VIDEO) STARK CO. BOARD OF ELECTIONS (BOE) PROVES, ONCE AGAIN, THAT IT IS NOT CITIZEN FRIENDLY!

BOARD OF ELECTIONS
 MAY BE ON A COURSE

TO MAKE A "MAJOR"

LEGAL MISTAKE

UPDATE 10:31 AM

STARK CO. ASS'T PROSECUTOR
DEBBIE DAWSON
REPSONDS TO SCPR
QUESTION ON
SHERIFF CERTIFICATION

VIDEOS

ENCORE PRESENTATION
COMMISSIONER RICHARD REGULA
ON
STARK BOE
JOB POSTING
(LAUGH, LAUGH)

====================================

STARK BOE MEETING

OF

JANUARY 22, 2014

 UPDATED AT: 08:52 AM

Being a White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant (WASP), I have not had very many occasions to experience the sting of discrimination in my entire life.

But the Stark County Board of Elections (BOE/Board) has managed to bring that bitter lesson home to this WASP in making it plainly obvious that the Stark County Political Report is not welcome to its meetings.

Derivatively, Braden, Cline, Ferruccio and St. John will be affecting the Stark County public's right to know the "complete" story of what goes on at the Stark BOE.

And, this from an entity of government supported by your tax dollars and my tax dollars.

It all began in February, 2010 as I showed up to a meeting of Stark County Board of Elections meeting with my camera.

William Cline and Curt Braden (the-then Republican members who remain to this day) and Democrat members Johnnie A. Maier, Jr and Samuel Ferruccio, Jr (a remaining member) composed the Board.

Here is a lift from a February 22, 2012 (see May, 2010 blog on the same topic) that explains the historical hostility:

Well, why was the SCPR at this particular [the regular February, 2010 BOE meeting] meeting anyway?

The Report had asked Director Jennette Mullane (an appointee of the Stark County Democratic Party which board member Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., is a former chairman of and who recently hired Mullane's sister to work for him as clerk of courts in Massillon), to place an item on the Board's agenda.

What was the item?

That the Board set up a plan with a timetable to scan in petitions and campaign finance reports as they are filed so that these documents are speedily and readily available to the Stark County Public.

Well, was the matter on the agenda?

No!

So, what did The Report do next?

After the meeting, yours truly asked Mullane about the omission.

Her answer?

The Board would not allow her to place the matter on the public meeting agenda.

So that was complaint #2 filed with the Ohio secretary of state.

Complaint #1?

Board member and Chairman William Cline (Republican of North Canton) denied the SCPR's effort to video-tape the meeting.  No vote was taken of the entire Board.  No.  Cline, unilaterally makes the decision. But after having to delay the meeting's start to have a private tete-a-tete with board member Maier.

Hmm?

What do you suppose that little confab might have been about?

While the discussion with The Report and Cline was going on, member Maier (in a sub voice) set upon disparaging blogs and the audacity of a blogger to be expected to be treated on a par with the likes of The Repository (which did have a reporter present).

The SCPR understands Maier's disdain for blogging because for him blogging appears to be a partisan political weapon; not the equal opportunity incisive critic that the SCPR is.

While Stark Politics was still up and running, Maier and his  Stark County Democratic Party political director Shane Jackson (who is Maier's chief deputy at the clerk of courts office) were going bananas over the blogs attacking Democrats and a scant few Republicans who were less extreme than the anonymous Stark Politics blogger..

They wanted yours truly to do a countervailing blog.

What an insult!

But Maier is, in the opinion of The Report, a master of political insult and arrogance.

Of course, the rest is history.  Not only did yours truly reject the request, but went totally the opposite and put together the SCPR to put both Republican and Democrat officeholders and candidates under intense scrutiny.

Mutual acquaintances have fed back to The Report that Maier has been known to go into spasm with some of the political critiques appearing in the SCPR.

Earlier this month a rather hilarious exchange between took place between Stark County commissioner Richard Regula on the occasion of BOE executive director Jeff Matthews (a target of quite of few SCPR blogs) presented the 2014 BOE budget request (all of which - to make the BOE/taxpayer tie once again to the bigs at the BOE - is funded with Stark County taxpayer dollars).

Here is a repeat from that blog so that readers can fully understand the BOE pique at the SCPR.

One of the things that the Bernabei, Creighton and Richard Regula of the Stark Board of County commissioners zero in on in the course of budget hearings are new hires and the year-to-year salary increases that Stark County departments of government hand out to their employees.

In the course of the back and forth between the commissioners and Director Matthews was Matthews' revelation that the BOE 2014 budget included the hiring of four additional employees in the year 2014.

Here is Richard Regula with his questions and Matthews' answer.

What a hoot! - no?

Not only the Stark County Board of Elections but any Ohio Board of Elections posting job listings for the taxpaying general public citizenry to apply for prompts a  "you have to be kidding!"

The public perception is that these jobs only go to the politically connected, plain and simple.

To say it again:  "job posting"  by a Board of Elections.

 Laugh, laugh, laugh and laugh some more!  Ha!, Ha!, Ha!

The SCPR thinks that Matthews stumbled and bumbled all over the place answering Regula's question and the latter revealed (as least that is what The Report thinks) that three of the four "non-posted" to the public have already been hired, subject to official BOE approval.

It is irony upon irony that each of Ohio's 88 counties have a department of government that is all about citizens having a choice (called elections) run by unelected, politically appointed folks who only have to account to the county Democratic and Republican party chairmen. 

Hmm?

One more sharing of the "very special history" between the SCPR and various members of the BOE.

From a February 26, 2010 blog:

In late 2009 or early 2010, BOE member Curt Braden had traveled to Columbus on official BOE business and "lo and behold" where does he spend over night?

You've got it!

At one of Columbus' most posh hotel and, of course, at Stark County taxpayer expense.

While the SCPR understands that public officials do not necessarily concern themselves with being frugal with your tax dollars and my tax dollars, one would think that a guy like Braden would at least take care to get the very best rates at one of Columbus' finest hotel, no?

Not on your life.

"Who cares," he must have said to himself.

Consequently, he signed up for a room at $144.00 a night whereas if he had gotten prior Stark County government approval - as he is required to do according "to the rules," the rate would have been $80.00 per night.

So while Braden and his fellows are careful to rein in the Stark County Political Report with rules, he is not so careful about himself nor with our taxpayer dollars.

SCPR rules?

Yes at Tuesday's meeting, Director Matthews told me (seated in the first row in order to get the best picture of "our Stark County Board of Election members in action) that "the rules" did not allow me to sit in the front row (where nobody but a Repository reporter was seated) but that I would at least have to remove to the second row and once seated "was not to move about."

While my experience is in no way, shape or form the equivalent of that experienced - even in 2014 America by African Americans and other minorities - the Matthews' (Board supported) rebuke caused me to reflect just a little as a WASP what it must feel like to experience somebody's prejudice.

After Tuesday's meeting, I was told by one in the room that "the Board"  [Cline, Braden, Ferruccio and St. John) obviously does not like you.

I hope that St. John (an African-American) - if he does not like me and the work of the SCPR - will disassociate himself from the discriminatory work of he fellow BOE members.  For it would be a bit hypocritical of him to take offense about African-Ameriocans are treated but not care about bloggers and the obvious put-down that I experienced by Maier (back in February, 2010) and the entire BOE in the fashioning of the discriminatory rules in favor of the mainstream press.

Now to the reason why I attended the January, 2014 BOE meeting.

First, to see Matthews' explain to the Board how he/Mullane (the Democrat deputy BOE director) labored long and hard to screen from among many, many applications the hopefully received for some of the best - if not the absolute "best" - paying Stark County government entry level jobs ($32,000 plus about another $10,000 in benefits) in all of Stark County.

Second, to see whether or not the Board dealt in any kind of detail with the necessity of setting a date before February 18th for the Board to meet in order to pass on whether or not those Stark Countians filing partisan petitions (deadline:  February 5th) had done so properly.

Mostly, the review includes making sure that the would-be candidates have obtained the minimum required "registered voter" signatures to be qualified.

However, this year there is a wrinkle to the qualification process.

The 2014 primary ballot will include sheriff candidates.

As far as the SCPR is concerned, the BOE has to make a determination of whether or not the sheriff candidates meet the criteria of ORC 311.01 that specifically set out in Ohio law as being mandatory if one is to legally take office as a sheriff.

The Report doubts anyone reading this blog does not know about the fight within the Stark County Democratic Party to appoint a sheriff.  Rather that regurgitate that fight and how George T. Maier got bounced by the Ohio Supreme Court from being sheriff, here is a LINK for readers to get up to speed.

The SCPR hears that there is talk among the lawyer members of the BOE to ignore ORC 311.01 and merely deal with the sufficiency the validty/number of the signatures on the sheriff candidate petitions.

The Report can assure the BOE members that if they go that route, they will face a legal challenge.  Perhaps the should be taking a look at this Ohio Supreme Court case which is an expression of current Ohio law on the matter.

The BOE is truly between "the deep blue sea and the Devil" on this issue.

For if the Board finds Maier to be disqualified, "you can bet your 'bottom dollar' that the Maier forces will be filing litigation.

In viewing the videotape of Tuesday's meeting (posted at the end of this blog), readers can see what transpired in its totality unfiltered by the SCPR.

What more could one ask for?

Particularly noteworthy are the comments of member William Cline that make it clear that the BOE itself was not interested in vetting Matthews/Mullane, to wit:

• about the specifics of how many applications were received, 
• how the general public might have known about the job openings,
• whether or not political affiliation or any other connection (laugh, laugh, laugh Commissioner Regula et al) had anything to do with whom got hired, and
• what were the critical criteria which separated the applicants in the Matthews/Mullane determination of who would be recommended for hire.

Cline's laudatory comments are clear indication to the SCPR through the words of Cline - who is an attorney and clearly knows how to cross-examine - was not interested in showing that the Board had done its "due diligence."

Folks, it is this very blog you are reading and the revelations it contains that has put the SCPR in the category of receiving discriminatory treatment as being a second class citizen compared to the mainstream media representative.

I expect any day to get a call from the bigwigs at The Repository - because of their devotion to the journalistic values of "Sunshine Week" coming up soon - with the message that they are going to weigh-in to insist that I and my blog be treated with respect (which nearly every other public entity/official accords The Report) and "the equal protection of the law."

The Rep bigs uttered nary a word back in February, 2010?

Should I hold my breath on this January 23, 2014 waiting for that call?

Tuesday's meeting video follows:

5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT. FIVE YEARS OF BRINGING SUNSHINE TO STARK COUNTY!

On March 12, 2008 yours truly started the Stark County Political Report.

And has the time flown by!

It is the nature of government to hide things from its citizenry.  Such has been going on for time immemorial.

Accordingly, it is up to everyday citizens aided by the media to dig, dig, dig in order to bring "embarrassing to government officials" material to "the light of day."

The point of the digging is to hold elected officials (the politicians) accountable for their nonfeasance, misfeasance and malfeasance.

In 2002 the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors started "Sunshine Week."

Why?

From the website of Sunshine Week:

The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors launched Sunshine Sunday in 2002 in response to efforts by some Florida legislators to create scores of new exemptions to the state’s public records law. FSNE estimates that some 300 exemptions to open government laws were defeated in the legislative sessions that followed its three Sunshine Sundays, because of the increased public and legislative awareness that resulted from the Sunshine Sunday reports and commentary.

Several states followed Florida’s lead, and in June 2003, ASNE hosted a Freedom of Information Summit in Washington where the seeds for Sunshine Week were planted.

With an inaugural grant from John S. and James L. Knight Foundation [of Akron Beacon Journal fame], which has continued to support the effort, Sunshine Week was launched by the American Society of News Editors in March 2005. This non-partisan, non-profit initiative is celebrated in mid-March each year to coincide with James Madison’s birthday on March 16.  (LINK)

So it  is propitious that the Stark County Political Report was birthed during Sunshine Week.

The SCPR has had an abundance of revelations to share with the Stark County public from the first date of this blog's publication.

The list of Stark County governmental and political figures who likely have not appreciated The Report sunshine generating activity is long indeed.

"Letting the sunshine pour in" is an apt metaphor for the idea behind the beginnings of the SCPR.

Yours truly is gratified at having been instrumental in informing many, many thousands of Stark Countians of the hidden and unseemly activities (in terms not being in the public interest) being perpetuated by government officials.

Of course, not everything is hidden in the dark recesses of government.

Some of our officials themselves have been the generators of sunshine and for their effort the SCPR has been quick to publicly acknowledge their contribution towards maintaining a healthy democratic republic.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has been a prime generator of sunshine.  Readers of the SCPR should obtain a copy of the 2013 Sunshine Law Manual at this LINK. (the "Yellow Book")

The SCPR encourages readers to follow the lead of the likes of Bruce Nordman of Canton's Vassar Park (9th Ward) who, last week, made appearances at Canton City Hall and at the Stark County Board of Commissioners in an effort to find out why government officials have not produced on their leading-up-to-the-election of November, 2011 promises to have the Stark County jail up to full capacity (LINK).

The Report sees folks like Nordman as being "bringers of light."

For old times sake, yours truly brings forward the original blog (Mach 12, 2008) published by the Stark County Political Report:

Thank you readers of the SCPR for your encouragement and support!

SCPR RETURNS FROM CHINA: CENSORSHIP IN FULL PLAY IN THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA - PREVENTED PUBLICATION OF BLOGS FROM CHINA

One should not be fooled by the fact that many U.S. companies (e.g. McDonald's) are flourishing in the People Republic of China (PRC) these days in terms of the liberalization of Chinese political freedoms.   Business is business and politics is politics and nowhere is the separation more apparent and marked than in the PRC.

For the past two weeks yours truly and spouse were guests of daughter Kasi's in-laws family (the in-laws themselves live in Louisiana).

Kasi(the youngest of three Olson daughters) graduated from Lake High School in 1996.  She went on to participate in the Northeast Ohio College of Medicine (NEOUCOM) accelerated BS/MD (Bachelor of Science/Medical Doctor) degree program on a full United States Air Force (USAF) scholarship.  She served a residency in pediatric medicine at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) located in Dayton, Ohio.

While at WPAFB she met and married Chinese-American and U.S. Citizen William Chu who, as of July 1 of this year, will be a flight surgeon with the USAF.  An interesting sidenote on Kasi's husband is the fact that he came to the U.S. as a 9 year old not knowing a word of English but nevertheless was enrolled in an American public school (New Orleans, Louisiana) immediately where he excelled academically and led to his achieving a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas (at Austin) and a medical degree from Texas Tech University.

After completing a fellowship at the Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) located in San Antonio, Texas in adolescent medicine, Kasi was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA - Academy) as one of a number of physicians providing medical care to the USAF's future officer corps.  Pictured above receiving an "Above and Beyond Award" from USAFA commanders, she will become the medical director of the medical clinic as USAFA.

The foregoing is the background of how yours truly and spouse were afforded to opportunity to accompany the Chus, their two children Austin and Aspen and Williams parents to China for the last to weeks of this month.

The SCPR has been published for over three years without missing a single day posting a blog.  The hope was that continuity could be sustained from China.  However, such was not to be the case.  A blog was prepared and ready for publication on May 15.  But on attempting to log onto the Blogger dashboard to publish, access to the publishing platform was denied.

The Report has included at the end of this blog a list of subject of Chinese Communist government censorship as compiled by Wikipedia.

On this Memorial Day, 2011, yours truly has a fresh and renewed appreciation of those who have fallen in battle to preserve the very freedoms we Americans enjoy because of their ultimate sacrifice.

Source:  123glitters.com


All one has to do is to spend time in Shanghai, Hangthou, Tianjin and Bejing as leading centers of the PRC as yours truly did to be reminded that there are those who very much want to stomp out the like of our Constitutional freedoms.

Frustrated at not being able to publish a daily blog which, of course, does not typically deal with the PRC, yours truly focused on capturing family footage like the one which follows which features Kasi, her husband and her children eating a traditional Chinese meal.

Here is a list of the Internet gags instituted by the Peoples Republic of China as set out by Wikipedia in its footnotes:

STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (MARTIN OLSON) AGREES TO REPORT ON BOCCIERI CAMPAIGN FOR "THE HUFFINGTON POST"

Yours truly has agreed to write weekly articles for The Huffington Post (HuffPo) on the campaign of Congressman John Boccieri (Democrat - Alliance) to be re-elected to the United States House of Representatives.

The Huffington Post is known to be a politically progressive (to the left of center) online publication.

If The Reports' submission is selected to be on the front page of the HuffPo, then the online publication will link to the Stark County Political Report.  A link will make the SCPR accessible to 40 million HuffPo readers.

As readers of the SCPR know, The Report is an independent-minded look at the Stark County political and governmental landscape.

The Boccieri/Renacci (the Republican challenger) race is one of the top quests in the country in terms of Republicans trying to take control of the U.S. House.  Republicans must win 59 seats to be the controlling party.

The SCPR has been published since March, 2008 and followed the Bocceri/Schuring (a Republican Ohio state senator who hails from Stark County) contest closely through November, 2008.  The Report accurately predicted that Boccieri would win by about 10%.

Most recent polls show Renacci leading but within the margin of error for polling.

A NEW "SCPR" FEATURE: SHARING YOUR FAVORITE SCPR POSTS WITH YOUR FRIENDS. IT IS NOW AS EASY AS CLICKING A BUTTON!

The word out in Stark County officialdom is that Stark County's elected and appointed leaders appreciate the "bouquets of love" that The Report hurls their way on a daily basis.

It is likely that they are busy at work making sure that The Report's expressions of love get the widest Stark County dissemination.

But they need your help.

How can readers of the SCPR help our public leaders?

For instance:  Each of you has an e-mail mailing list that is the living end.  Use this list for the benefit of Stark's official community.  Simply click the "M" (see graphic below - highlighted in yellow) at the end of the blog you have just read and send it pell-mell to your online friends.

Of course, there are additional "click-on" buttons to share with your friends:  on Blogger, Twitter, Facebook and Google Buzz.

So help the egos of Stark County's leading officials by sharing the SCPR's love notes with the Stark County public-at-large!

SCPR RETURNS TO "DELUCA IN THE MORNING" THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3RD AT 9:05 A.M.

Frequently, the SCPR is told:  "Everyone in Stark County needs to come to the Stark County Political Report to find out what is really happening in the backrooms of Stark County government and politics."

Growth in the SCPR readership has grown dramatically since March, 2008 when the Stark County Political Report launched.

And steady, weekly growth continues.

The SCPR growth so far is totally the product of readers who encourage their Stark County friends and family to visit The Report.  The SCPR does no advertising.

The Stark County Political Report is content for Stark County citizens to learn over time the value added of  the SCPR's incisive political analysis to citizen knowledge of our local government and the officials who staff it.

Yours truly thanks SCPR readers for their work in bringing new readers.

In time, the SCPR will become "the source of choice" for anyone who wants an independent minded look at Stark County government and politics.

Since October, the SCPR has been a regular guest on Pat DeLuca of DeLuca in the Morning (Q92/WDJQ-FM in Alliance

This is your opportunity to ask Olson for his take on Stark County political happenings.

Tune in, call in!

GET INSIGHT ON THE NOVEMBER 3RD ELECTION RESULTS - THE SCPR ON Q92 THIS COMING WEDNESDAY

November 3, 2009 produced some significant changes in the Stark County political landscape.

Be sure to tune in to Q92 (92.5 on your FM dial) on Wednesday at 9:05 AM to hear yours truly's take on the results.