"PONDER" RON PONDER' 'S OP-ED QUESTIONS RE: TRUMP'S STARK COUNTY REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP SUPPORT

"A picture says 1,000 words," the adage goes.

As the picture above shows, Stark County's leading Republican leaders:

• Stark County commissioner Bill Smith (then candidate Bill Smith),
• Stark Count commissioner Richard Regula,
• Stark County treasurer Alex Zumbar,
• Stark County GOP vice president Jane Timken (now Trump supported Ohio GOP chair),
• Stark County Republican chair Jeff Matthews, and
• Stark County 50th House District Christina Hagan 

in deciding to show up in September, 2016 to a Donald J. Trump campaign rally were "all-in" with the most outrageous major political party candidate to ever run for president of the United States of America.

Not there because of a "prior commitment,"  but equally supportive of the incorrigible Trump at that time, was Stark County commissioner Janet Creighton.  Countywide, Creighton is the most powerful vote getting candidate that today's local Republican Party has to offer.

In an Op-ed piece in The Repository yesterday former WHBC talk show host Ron Ponder (Points to Ponder) in writing about the Trump presidency to date  (Sometimes I hate to be right) had these poignant questions to ask of our local/Ohio politicos:

But what about local Republicans in locales like Stark County? Where do they stand? With Trump? And where do the candidates for state offices stand, such as the Republican candidates for governor? Do they support this man? Do they support his policies? Do they support his methods? 

Will the Republican Party itself be identified as being racist? Will this perception of the Republican Party “trickle down” to DeWine, Husted, Renacci and Taylor, Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidates? Would it be fair to do that? Should they answer for the sins of Trump?

It is "fitting and proper" to ask the posed questions of politicians that many of us rub shoulders with.

Compliments to Ponder for devoting yesterday's piece to pointing the "accountability" finger at local/Ohio political leaders.  The only thing missing was at the Stark County level; naming names.

The Stark County Political Report (SCPR) does name names and, of course, show pictures of those named "in action."

Look at Stark GOP chair Jeff Matthews clapping for Trump.

Moreover, it was a bit bizarre to see the 50ish Jane Timken acting the high school cheerleader at the Trump sited Canton rally of September, 2016.

Back to the Ponder piece:  "Should they answer for the sins of Trump?"

Indeed, they should except perhaps for Mike DeWine who seems to have kept a "I'm not too sure about this guy" distance from the irrepressible president.

Ponder does not mention him, but Republican and Governor John Kasich is to be lauded for his sense of political decency and his intuitive reflect of "ya know, there is something highly troubling about this guy" as a president of the U.S. stance.

Back on July 28, 2016 (right after Trump in mid-July had been nominated as the Republican Party candidate for president), Ponder emceed, in the wake of police/African-American citizen confrontations sprinkled across the nation, a local forum on police/community relations at the Canton Memorial Civic Center.

Before the event got underway, Ponder asked me what I thought of the Trump phenomenon.

My response:  "I can't get beyond (the largely Trumpian) lack of 'civility' aspect" of his rise to the head of the national Republican Party let alone his inflammatory policy pronouncements along with his disrespectful of women, Muslims, African-Americans and others rhetoric.

Who can forget his over-the-top aspersions cast on his fellow candidates.  Here are a few:

• Lying Ted,
• Little Marco,
• "Many lies by Ben Carson,"
• "Nasty," (Jeb Bush), and
• "No honor," (Lindsey Graham),

Daresay that none of the Stark County/Ohio Republican leaders listed in this blog would engage anyone who insulted them in the manner in which Trump insulted and continues to disparage those who differ with him.

Nor should they.

However, in embracing Trump (September, 2016), they all showed an incredible lack of sound judgement on discerning minimally acceptable political campaigning behavior or, alternatively, are so blinded to and by Republican Party political interests that they reveal themselves as being suspect in assessing and acting in the public interest over and above their political party identity.

As they stand now, the likes of Matthews, Hagan, Smith, Regula, Creighton, Zumbar, Timken, Renacci, Taylor and Husted have a lot of explaining to do.

Moreover, they carry the burden of offering that their "all-out" support of Trump was a rare mis-step in judgement not to be repeated.

Silence is not good enough.

A recent poll shows that most Americans including many Republicans are embarrassed by the rhetoric of Donald J. Trump.

The question is as a follow up to the Ponder Op-ed:  Are our Stark County Republican leaders sufficiently embarrassed in having supported Trump for president willing to admit in having made a "mistake in judgement" that has brought harm to the United States of America?

If not, Stark Countians should weigh-in on the lack of an apology in their having engaged the insupportable misjudgment in having  backed the caustic Trump in any their future election/re-election bids.

CANTON LOOKING TO LEVERAGE WATER INTO A MERGER WITH CANTON TOWNSHIP?

VIDEOS

Canton Councilman Bill Smuckler

"Whatever Happened to Annexation for Those Wanting Canton Water?"

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Canton Council Ponders/Passes Ordinance to Provide Canton Twp Water

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Canton Township Trustee Chris Nichols

No Canton Township/Canton Merger

..........

Canton + Canton Township = "New Canton, Ohio?"

After all, Canton Township virtually encircles Canton.

"Not in my lifetime, but perhaps decades down the road," says Canton director of annexation Sam Sliman who appeared at a Stark County commissioners meeting about five years ago or so and proudly attributed to himself as being the "Darth Vader of Annexation."

Probably a couple of decades ago, Canton water for Canton Township became a hot topic as a lone wolf township activist approached Canton officials about the prospect of Canton constructing a pipeline into the township and selling water to its residents.

At that time, there was a great push in Canton that water came at a price.

Price?

Indeed:  "ANNEXATION!!!"

Eventually, the whole notion of a Canton/Canton Township nexus on the leverage of "water for all" fell apart.

So what brings the issue of Canton water for Canton Township into view again?

Here's what.  An ordinance on the agenda of Canton City Council:

What's more is this Councilman-at-Large William Smuckler observation during Canton City Council's work session preceding its July 17th council meeting at which the matter was debated and passed by a 9 to 2 margin.  Councilman Smuckler and Ward 5 councilman Fisher voted "no."

Here is Smuckler's work session comments:



During council's regular meeting of the 17th, Canton water superintendent Tyler Converse explained why it was in Canton's interest to take advantage of the economies of doing the design work now so as to be prepared for Canton and its abundant water supplies to work out an agreement with Canton Township residents (short of annexation) to provide water to them.

Note: (regular meeting video picks up after Smuckler "work session" query)



Over the years since Canton Township water acquisition discussion first began under the Dick Watkins administration (1992-2003), the township has edged itself into getting Canton water for about 50% of its residences/businesses all without falling into the clutches of Sam Sliman—the self-described Darth Vader of Annexation vis-a-vis surrounding townships.

But make no mistake about it.

Canton Township has no interest whatsoever in merging into Canton.

Watch this Stark County Political Report interview of township trustee Chris Nichols as he says that while he and former fellow Canton Township trustee Bill Smith (a Stark County commissioner as of January 1, 2017) ran, in part, campaigns for township trustee on a model of inter-governmental cooperation, the answer to Canton Township merging into Canton is absolutely a "no!"



The SCPR does think that Sam Sliman may turn out to have been a seer of  geography of Stark County "decades down the road."

Just think.

There are cooperative agreements all over and among Stark County political subdivisions.

To name a few:

• Joint Economic Development Districts (JEDD) involving Canton and Jackson Township,
• JEDD consisting of Canton, Jackson Township and Plain Township,
• Note:  Landlocked North Canton bowed out in joining this JEDD on the insistence of North Canton mayor David Held,
• Collaborations among Stark County's 17 school districts, 
• Canton's recent decision (May, 2017) to join in with the countywide 9-1-1 emergency call receiving and dispatching service,

It is somewhat ironic that Councilman Smuckler raised the spectre of  "annexation as the price for getting Canton water" inasmuch as on other issues he is one of Stark County's foremost advocates for efficiency in government collaboration, cooperation and consolidation among Stark County's cities, villages and townships.

Smuckler now says that he has a somewhat different view on the Canton Township and Canton water.

But, to repeat, he did vote against the design ordinance.

Smuckler excitedly shared with me on this past Monday night that he led the way for Canton to pass an ordinance designed to bring Canton's 9-1-1 into being a full-fledged partner with the existing countywide 9-1-1 effort.

Why the excitement?

Because he has been criticized by some Stark County officials as being "all mouth and no accomplishments" on his "let's come together" advocacy.

Part of his problem, he says, in getting Canton on board before now was former Canton mayor William J. Healy, II insistence that working with the countywide effort was not in the interest of Canton.

Smuckler told me that he has received a call from Randy Gonzalez, the prime architect of Stark County's revamped and highly improved 9-1-1 (modernization began post-2008 and a report that Stark's system was broken) estatically congratulating him on being the lead in bringing Canton onboard.

Moreover, Sheriff George T. Maier contacted him and praised him for his successful effort.

The SCPR agrees with the implication of Director Sliman's forward looking projection.

In 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years, Stark County's political subdivision operating model if not the county geographical map is likely to be quite a bit different than it is now.

And, in the making, the likes of Smuckler, Nichols, Smith and Gonzalez will be remembered as pioneers in bringing Stark County together!

DISCUSSION: HEALY FAILS AGAIN WITH CANTON CITY COUNCIL - COUNCIL POISED TO REJECT "REWORKED" CONTRACT PROPOSAL

UPDATE: MARCH 19, 2009, 5:00 A.M.

Mayor Healy must read the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT and saw the numbers posted above.

- FROM THE REP 3/18/2009 (LATE EVENING POST) “It appears to me the (City Council) votes are not there to get it through council at this point in time,” said Mayor William J. Healy II, following a Finance Committee meeting earlier tonight.

It appears that only the sure "pro-Healy" votes were informed personally by the mayor what the changes he negotiated with Redflex Traffic Systems as a proposed contract to install traffic law enforcing cameras in downtown Canton.

As the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) has been saying all along, Mayor Healy is a "my way or the highway" type of guy who is considerate, nice and informative to those he thinks are his "yes" men and women.

The Report's source related how the Canton City County chair of the Public Safety & Thoroughfares Committee (Karl "Butch" Kraus) was snubbed by Healy and that Councilman Kraus learned of the proposed changes by reading the Canton Repository's account that the Healy administration had already shared with Councilpersons Casar, Smith and West, and, of course, The Rep.

The Report also learned that Councilman Griffin's meeting with the public last evening did not go well for the Mayor Healy and his staunch allies on Council (Casar, Smith and West),

Forty or so citizens show up at Griffin's meeting with only a couple or so supporting. One of the supporters is Cynthia Vignos who his running for council-at-large against the anti-Healy leading incumbent-candidates Mary Cirelli and Bill Smuckler.

The amazing thing about Healy is how he fails to learn from his experiences. He has had difficult relationships with Council from is taking office in January, 2008 through the present. The only way he was able to work with Council was via the facilitation provided by his fired safety director and chief of staff Tom Bernabei.

Unless Healy can twist some councilperson arms, he will suffer a humiliating defeat on this coming Monday, the 23rd.

The Report has learned that Council President Allen Schulman will be out of town on Monday which explains why he lambasted Healy on the "bad appearances" that accepting campaign contributions from folks who have an interest in obtaining city contracts this past Monday.

As Mayor Healy stumble bumbles his way around City Hall, Canton languishes and suffers.

The Report's condolences to the good folks of Canton.