REP EDITORS CONTINUE TO SHOW THEY ARE "OUT-OF-TOUCH"

It is the only countywide newspaper in Stark with a storied history, but more and more The Repository is showing it is lagging as a community messenger, guardian and initiator.

The SCPR has learned that The Rep itself is making internal cuts (except for the sports department) that has to affect - in a negative way - the quality of the reporting and investigating that Repository resources will allow for.

One thing that should not be affected is the editorial function.

But in has taken a nosedive since the likes of Schultze and Kaminski have left.

For instance, on May 26th the editors published a editorial on how H. Michael Miller, CEO/superintendent of the Stark Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD) was "(t)he right man for the times."

This is apparently a case of the editors finding an excuse for the draconian cutting that Miller has been doing at MRDD. This program was at one time was one of the very best in Ohio and perhaps in all of Ohio and perhaps all of America. But under Miller it has become a mere shell of its former self.

The reason?

The SCPR believes that Miller was asleep at the switch and was not proactively engaged to respond in a positive way to new financial realities (private sector competition) ahead of their onset. Earlier in the year yours truly attended an MRDD promotion for the then upcoming levy that eventually passed in May immediately passed.

Miller put up his charts showing the revenue and expenses and the carryover factor going back ten years. A quick look at the chart clearly show that Miller did not swing into action until well after the numbers warned of an impending financial crisis.

By then the time for preventative and curative measures was well past.

Hurriedly, Miller put together a levy effort for March, 2008 which failed mostly likely because The Rep Editorial Board did not endorse it.

The main reason The Repository gave for not endorsing?

More efficiencies had to be implemented at MRDD.

While more efficiency is always something to be focused on, MRDD was then at the point that more cuts would be "cutting into the bone."

For the editors to excuse and indeed laud Miller for "cutting into the bone," shows what an inrresponsible group of editors abide at 500 Market Avenue, South.

On June 30th, a citizen and former MRDD board member wrote a letter to the editor of The Rep (Stark MRDD: Changes need to be made, but not this way, June 30, 2009) decrying the kind of and manner of the cuts.

On June 22nd, Mary Parker (a commenter on The Rep and the SCPR) also had a letter published in The Repository: Loved ones of MRDD clients didn't dream so many layoffs were coming.

Particularly poignant is this portion of Mary's letter, to wit:

I hope that one day, we will again see some semblance of the great MRDD program we once had. I hope voters, the community, will continue to support it.

I didn't foresee ICFMRs pulling so many clients out of MRDD programs.

Did the board and Superintendent Michael Miller deliberately mislead us?

God, I hope not. I want to believe these people have our children's best interest at heart. That's getting harder to do.

It not sad - as the Rep editors put it - that Miller is retiring in January, 2010. Rather it is a ray of hope that a much more positively creative person will take of the helm and restore Stark MRDD to "some semblance of the great MRDD program" Stark Countians once had.

These editorial writers ought to be a prod to initiative, creativeness and the positive; not the excusers and honorers of those who disassemble Stark County's quality infrastructure.

As yours truly has said a number of times about this body of editorialists: Shame on The Repository!

NORTH CANTON'S MAYOR HEADING SOUTH?

By all accounts, North Canton's David Held is viewed as being a stellar executive director of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste District (Solid Waste).

On the other hand, he is viewed by many as a mediocre mayor of North Canton.

Consequently, it is difficult to get a fix on the administrative skills of Held.

North Canton could be a special situation. How is that?

Well, you have former mayor, councilman, Ralph Regula chief of staff and Bob Taft economic development official Daryl Revoldt sitting as the current president of North Canton City Council.

How does one top the Revoldt act?

Not easily and apparently David Held has chosen to let Daryl lead North Canton rather than challenge.

On the other hand, Held gains the plaudits of everyone the SCPR has spoken with as to the quality and strength of his leadership at Solid Waste.

Analyzing David Held's leadership skills is important because the SCPR has reason to believe that Held intends to apply to replace H. Michael Miller (who will be stepping down in January, 2010) as superintendent/CEO of the Stark County Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Board (MRDD).

Miller's retirement should be welcome news to Stark Countians. SCPR sources say that Miller has been presiding over the dismantling of the once "top-of-the-line" MRDD. Now the worry seems to be, whether or not there will be anything to salvage before a new MRDD leader takes over.

The next question is: what qualities should the successor possess?

First, the new leader should examine what has worked well for MRDD in the past and take these viable activities and projects and make them the bulwark of a reconstituted MRDD.

For example, SCPR's sense is that users want a MRDD that keeps its clientele active and engaged. One of the complaints against Miller was that he was bidding MRDD workers out of jobs because he raised the costs to area businesses beyond what they were willing to pay for the skill level MRDD could deliver.

To satisfy MRDD families, a new director will have to rebuild what the sources claim Miller has dismantled.

Second, the new leader should be exploring new opportunities to integrate adult users into the workaday community in a fashion that is highly remunerative to MRDD in the context of needing to be competitive.

Third, the new leader needs to strengthen MRDD's ties to the total Stark County educational system in its operation of Eastgate and Southgate schools. New leadership needs to aggressively pursue upping the ante on the share that the 17 Stark County school districts partner financially with MRDD to ensure that MRDD's critical education services have the financial resources to be top notch.

Stark County Educational Services Center superintendent Larry Mogan wrote a strong letter of support for MRDD in its recent successful effort to pass a 1.4 mill levy. Morgan was effusive in his praise of MRDD schools and emphasized what a financial disaster it would be if MRDD schools were closed.

Well, the question becomes this. Will the new MRDD leader have the skills and strengths needed to convince Morgan to lean on already financially strapped school districts to up their contributions to MRDD?

Just ask area teacher union officials (i.e OEA - Ohio Education Association). Larry Morgan is one tough negotiator. Yes, he is sympathetic to MRDD and mindful of their critical role in the success of the Stark County educational classroom infrastructure. But nevertheless he will fight tooth and nail not give you one more dollar.

Does David Held have the qualities referred to above as well as others not elaborated upon in this piece required to be an effective MRDD leader?

If so, Held ought to be a leading candidate to succeed H. Micheal Miller.

IS MICHAEL MILLER OR ARE THE STARK MRDD BOARD MEMBERS THE PROBLEM?

In January, 2009 MRDD Superintendent/CEO was asked to step down at the MRDD's January 22nd board meeting.

Only four months later, Miller yielded to this critics and announced he would be retiring as of January, 2010.

But will he and the Stark MRDD board, which - according to sources - does whatever Michael says, gut Stark MRDD operations in the meantime.

Recently, the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) met with persons connected with Stark MRDD operations in one fashion or another. Ironically, the meeting was only one day before Miller's resignation announcment.

The Report's sources cited chapter and verse on how Miller and staffers under his direction have pretty much gutted the services the agency is supposed to deliver to Stark's mentally and developmentally disabled.

According to these sources, MRDD's workshop centers are mainly centers for clients to sit around and do next to nothing. In the pre-Michael Miller days, these centers were beehives of productive activities. So say his critics. However, Miller is not alone in absorbing criticism. The board members are painted as being "whatever Michael says" types.

The sources expressed their amazement that board member Roger Gines (who had a history of being "in your face" vis-a-vis Miller before being appointed to the board on 12/16/2008 by Stark County commissioners), has knuckled under to Miller and is, in the view of the critics, How is it that Miller has managed to shut up Gines, they ask among themselves.

These friends of MRDD tell about how Miller is undoing many of the contracts that MRDD has had with area business to provide MRDD clients doing such things as janitorial work, restaurant work, et cetera at a certain dollar amount.

How is that Miller has done this?

Here is an example.

MRDD let's say signs an agreement with XYZ Bank to provide five MRRD clients to do janitorial work at $10.00 per worker. The worker gets $7.80 per hour and MRDD pockets $2.20.

As explained to the SCPR, in ensuing years Miller (or a staff member at his direction) hikes the hourly rate, let's say to $11.00 per worker.

Maybe the business goes along with the hike a year or so. But as MRDD continues to raise the hourly rate contract year after contract year, the business start bailing out.

The result: able MRDD clients are left with nothing to do. There is the obvious loss of income and what may be even worse, a capable client just wiling away his/her time.

Undoubtedly, Miller's detractors are elated that he is stepping. Their concern has to be whether or not there will be anything left for a new superintendent pick up with. Thse folks are convinced that Miller came to Stark County as a designated "close down MRDD" to a mere administrative apparatus. Send the clients out to "private" providers and just manage the money.

Seven months appears to be plenty of time for Miller to do his thing; assuming that those watching him are correct in their assessments.

A new superintendent may be the answer. However, the critics suspect that Miller has only been doing what the Strickland administration has been demanding. If this is the case, a new superintendent is likely to be more of the same.

The only other alternative is for the Stark County commissioners, over time, to appoint persons who will ask questions, who will scrutinize and who are willing to differ with the superintendent and assume control of a superintendent.

Of course, commissioners thought they had done this with Roger Gines.

So the moral of this story is that the commissioners have to check and recheck an potential appointee as to his/her willingness to be someone who does not walk "in-lock-step" with the superintendent and each other.

DISCUSSION: IS CEO/SUPERINTENDENT MICHEAL MILLER THE PERSON TO LEAD MRDD AFTER THE LEVY PASSES?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) believes that there is "an internal crisis of confidence" between many of the staff and the leadership at the Stark County Mental Retardation Developmental Disabilities Center (MRDD.)

The Report is in total support of the 1.4 mill levy that is on the ballot in May, but believes that only a change in leadership at MRDD will put the agency back on solid footing.

The Report will be doing a number of pieces on MRDD between now and the election. However, this series will be difficult because The Report so much believes in the essential work of MRDD, while questioning the leadership style of Michael Miller and, in fact, the MRDD board.

The Report has just learned that when Ron Ponder of "Points to Ponder" (WHBC - 1480 AM) a while back featured the MRDD operations, and it is obvious that an existing MRDD employee is calling in; the powers that be at MRDD listen closely to try and identify the caller.

Educators have told The Report that MRDD's Eastgate and Southgate schools are of superior quality. Moreover, Stark County Educational Service Center head Larry Morgan has gone on record as saying that it is critically important to the 17 school districts which comprise Stark County education that the levy pass. And pass, it must.

CEO/Superintendent Mike Miller is noncommittal about the future of Eastgate and Southgate except they will continue to exist in some way, shape and form. Stark County commissioners seem to think vagueness on the future of the schools is not an option. And The Report agrees.

The Report's impression is that Miller is in a world of his own making and sources tell The Report that he appears to think that he has MRDD employees and customers between the proverbial "rock and hard place" and acts accordingly.

DISCUSSION: IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE AT THE HEAD OF MRDD?

On January 17th, the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) took its camera to the MRDD (Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities) facility at Whipple-Dale to hear CEO/Supertendent Michael Miller's pitch for the upcoming (May 5) 1.4 mill operating levy.

First, The Report makes the point that we were not favorably disposed to MRDD because of negative experiences with MRDD's administration prior to attending the January 17th public meeting.

Why?

Because The Report made a request through its public relations arm for an interview with CEO/Supintendent Michael Miller and he totally blew yours truly off.

A public official is not entitled do what Miller did.

But The Report was undeterred by Miller's snub and went to the January 17th meeting and buttonholed the superintendent after the meeting.

The Report's impression of Miller did not improve with the "up close and personal" encounter him at Whipple-Dale Center.

As you can see from the chart in the graphic that accompanies this post, Miller and MRDD's board only got religion on the need to make cuts after MRDD's financial crisis was in full bloom.

When asked about MRDD's failure to see financial problems coming, he simply hem-hawed around the question.

Another issue that Miller has unsatisfactory answer for is the fate of its Eastgate and Southgate schools. The missions of these two schools are described this way on MRDD's website (www.yesstarkmrdd.com):

Eastgate Early Childhood and Family Center provides education from birth through age five and Rebecca Stallman Southgate School educates students up to the age of 22.

The Stark County commissioners, in particular Commissioner Todd Bosley, are concerned that one or both of these schools will be closed.

When asked, Miller simply says there will be changes.

What changes?

Miller refuses to get specific.

According to The Repository, he did say at last night board meeting that "another 190 employees at the Rebecca Stallman Southgate School and Eastgate School also could be laid off."

The Report has been hearing rumblings of great dissatisfaction with Miller from within MRDD operations and is in the process of tracking down the specifics.

The Report is inclined to support the levy, but is still mulling it over. Miller is a super negative. Everything else about MRDD is a positive.

Eastgate and Southgate are of critical importance to Stark County's 17 public school districts.

Witness this exchange between Miller and a citizen asking a key question. Why can't Miller take a 20% cut? Everybody else in Stark County seems to be taking cuts or losing the jobs altogether.

Here is the video of Miller and the citizen.