OHIO HOUSE - THE 50TH: DEBATE SCHEDULED - JULY 28, 2010 AT 10:00 AM.

REVISED & REPUBLISHED 07/12/2010 AT 12:14 PM

The SCPR has learned that the first political debate of the 2010 political season has been set up between state Representative Todd Snitchler (incumbent Republican of Lake Township) and his challenger Todd Bosley (currently Democrat Stark County commissioner.

A debate has been scheduled for July 28, 2010 beginning at 10:00 AM on 1480WHBC on Ron Ponder's "Points to Ponder" daily (Monday through Friday) radio talkshow.

Commissioner Bosley says that he is aiming for four debates with Snitchler:  one this month, another in August and then filling out the hoped for four with one each in September and October.

The SCPR puts this race in the "too close to call" realm, but there is a poll out showing Bosley with a low double digit lead.  However, there are about 10% undecideds according to the poll.

Snitchler's advantage is that this district is a gerrymandered Republican seat designed to be "safe" for Republican candidate.  Troublesome for Snitchler is the knowledge that Bosley came out of nowhere to defeat Republican Richard Regula (son of the former congressman) in 2006 for the commissioner's seat that Bosley currently holds.

Normally, incumbents are not that willing to debate challengers.  But if the Snitchler camp knows about the poll numbers, that could be the reason for this representative's willingness to engage Bosley on the SCPR and in other Stark County venues.

The SCPR believes this race for the 50th Ohio District could decide which political party controls the Ohio House of Representatives.  The Report expects record levels of campaign fundraising and spending between now and November.

The host for the July debate will be well-liked and respected radio talk show personality Ron Ponder.

Ponder and WHBC render outstanding public service to the Stark County public in providing Stark County government leaders and politicians with a forum in which to explain their actions and motivations in governing, and to take questions from Ponder and his radio audience that probe and test their answers.

This week the SCPR has gotten Bosley and Snitchler into a "blog debate" of sorts focused somewhat on who better represents the interests of everyday Stark County working men and women.

The last communication by Bosley on the blog challenged Snitchler to an immediate (in the sense of being held sometime in the remaining part of July.  Bosley had indicated to The Report that Ponder was ready, willing and able to provide the WHBC/Ponder "Points to Ponder" as an available forum.

Snitchler and Bosley both tell The Report that they have been in contact with Ron and he has confirmed that he is willing the host a debate.  The SCPR understands that each candidate is putting together a list alternative available dates so that they and Ponder can coordinate a date compatible with the schedule of all three.

A Stark County Political Report "tip of the hat" to Ron Ponder and 1480 WHBC!

$180,000 AND COUNTING. NORTH CANTON WAGES WAR ON CANTON AND JACKSON TOWNSHIP. IS THIS A WAR WORTH FIGHTING?

On December 28, 2009, Ohio's 5th District Court of Appeals (which sits midway between Stark County Court of Common Pleas - "the trial court" and the "the highest court in the state of Ohio - The Ohio Supreme Court - Ohio's "court of last resort," decided that North Canton and its annexation client (Dan J. Fosnaught) have no basis on which to stop a annexation agreement involving Canton, Jackson Township, Metro Regional Transit and - though a non-party to the suit - RM Investments.

It appears that to the SCPR (yours truly also happens to be an attorney), that North Canton is "dead in the water" on this case.

It is unlikely that the Ohio Supreme Court will agree to hear North Canton's appeal of the adverse 5th District decision.

Even if the Supreme Court does take the case up on appeal; it is unlikely that the august Court will overturn the lower courts.

If North Canton really gets the itch to carry the fight on (assuming that the SCPR is analytically correct (i.e. the Ohio Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal or does hear it but rules against North Canton),  officials could opt to spend taxpayer money by trying to get the case in the U.S. Supreme Court in the basis a denial of due process of law under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The chances of getting all the way the the U.S. Supreme Court are between "Slim and None and Slim just left town."

The real story in all of this.

Apparently, Ron Ponder of "Points to Ponder" (WHBC-AM 1480 on your A.M. dial - Monday through Friday:  10:00 AM to Noon), takes exception to the North Canton endeavor.

The SCPR has learned that Ponder is scheduled to meet with North Canton mayor David Held and North Canton Councilman Jon Snyder, Canton Mayor William J. Healy, Canton annexation director Sam Sliman and de facto Canton City Council leader Bill Smuckler on Wednesday next to talk the matter over.

A question that The Report has for North Canton Council president Daryl Revoldt is this:  Is this meeting on or against the "advice of counsel?"

It is the SCPR's experience with North Canton officials that when they want to withhold what the SCPR believes to be a public document they somehow arrange to have it labeled as attorney/client material and then "on advice of counsel" refuse to share the information/documents with media types like yours truly.


Back to Ponder and North Canton officials

Back on January 5, 2010 Canton Repository reporter Edd Pritchard did a piece:  North Canton officials to take annexation case to Ohio Supreme Court.  Although many of  The Rep's commenters are "off-the-wall," not all are.  Some demonstrate a lot of insight and food for thought.

And, sometimes prominent local public figures weigh-in on the article published on CantonRep.com.

In the Pritchard story, prominent and widely listened to WHBC-AM talk show host personality  Ron Ponder expresses his point of view on the Canton, Jackson Township and North Canton controversy with this comment, to wit:

n. canton had a chance to work with both jackson and canton and refused, wanting to take all the marbles. the voters and tax payers of n. canton now have to pay for more legal bills that did not have to be. good governmental leadership? they will also now have the chance to judge these elected officials in n.canton at the voting booth and decide if this is indeed good governmental leadership

The SCPR contacted Ron via email earlier this morning and he added to his Repository comment as follows: (edited structurally to make Ponder' comment easier to follow)

Hi martin...

your tentacles are everywhere! 

Yes, we are supposed to meet onweds afternoon at whbc's boardroom....

from the beginning, I knew this was a power play with daryl revolt (he likes to be called "dr. death")... 

it makes no sense for n. canton to continue to spend money to fight canton and jackson's agreement...he is just pissed off that he turned jackson down at first then realized canton would take n.canton's place 

they [North Canton] have spent over $100,000 of the city's money fighting this, and will spend more if they take it to the supreme court...this is virtually the same case that thecourt heard before and ruled that the agreement was valid...they may not even take this case...so, I want to try to make this go away for the elected
officials who are really trying to run their governments the right way (at least in this instance!!)... 

healy is balking, but I will call out him and daryl publically and show how foolish they can be if he continues to try to stop this....(BOTH OF THEM!)...he has no influence over me and what I do, and he has been told that and shown that in the past, so I have no problem in doing it yet again (as I'm sure you have proved that to him as well!).. 

the meeting will be with held, snyder, smuckler, sliman and healey...if you have any otherquestions, just let me know, and 

thanx...ron

Maybe Wednesday's meeting will produce positives.  The SCPR endorses Ponder's effort.

Ponder should keep in mind a key player lurks in the background.

Who is that?

North Canton's law director Hans Hilges, that's who.

The Report believes that Revoldt uses the law director, whomever that person may be, to shield the inner workings of North Canton city government from public view. 

A SCPR "tip of the hat" to WHBC's Ron Ponder to doing this public service!