Sunday, March 22, 2009

DISCUSSION: THE PUCO ALLOWED "AEP" A HUGE ELECTRIC RATE INCRASE; WILL OBAMA AND CONGRESSMAN BOCCIERI ACT TO HUGELY INCREASE YOUR NATURAL GAS RATE?



The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) is on the mailing list of Mike Brakey of Brakey Consulting which is a firm which advises business customers on ways to save on their energy costs.

A recent e-mail contained the following informative piece on the potential for all Stark Countians and 16th District residents to be paying substantially more for their natural gas heating fuel. Coupled with the Ohio Public Utility Commission's approval of a 24% increase (AEP/Ohio Power over the next three years) in our electric bill, we could all be struggling to pay our day-in, day-out living expenses. And folks at the economic margins might not be able to cope with the increase at all.

Here is the Brakey Consulting piece:
Maybe we all need to be asking our new congressman about this proposed legislation? Will support it or not?

DISCUSSION: SWANSON'S TWO CHIEF DEPUTIES (PEREZ) ON & TO BE ON (MCDONALD) RETIRE/REHIRE LIST? MUST BE CATCHING?


Earlier this week the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) learned that The Report missed a Stark County official who had retired and got rehired.

The Report is not one to slight proper recognition a retiree/rehiree.

Today, The Report adds Chief Deputy Rick Perez (brother of Stark County Auditor Kim Perez) to the STARK COUNTY PUBLIC OFFICIALS RETIREMENT HALL OF FAME. The Report apologizes to Chief Deputy Perez for the inadvertent omission.

The same source who chided The Report for missing Perez also informed The Report that Chief Deputy Mike McDonald (who is in charge of the Stark County jail) is planning a retire/rehire soon.

It is one thing for an elected official to do a retire/rehire a la Sheriff Tim Swanson (because he announced his plan before running for re-election). But it is quite another for the unelected to do the same. Of course, the sheriff bears responsibility for rehiring Perez. As he does, if McDonald follows through with retirement and then ends up back in his pre-retirement job.

Doesn't Swanson have officers in his department to promote when senior deputies retire?

Saturday, March 21, 2009

DISCUSSION: SHOULD THE DEVIES HAVE BEEN INDICTED?

UPDATED: 03/21/2009 AT 11:30 A.M.

The viewpoints in graphic format above are largely based on the viewpoint holders take on the factual underpinings of events that precipitated the Marlboro trustees referring the matter to the sheriff and the county prosecutor.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report, SCPR) takes a difference perspective in arriving at a point-of-view.

Although the indictments are fourth degree felonies (Disruption of Public Services [Kyle] and Complicity Disruption of Public Services [Ron], the The Report's point-of-view is that Trustees Wise and Wolf have created a public turmoil hugely disproportional to the allegations - even if one accepts the factual premise of the trustee, the sheriff, the prosecutor and the grand jury.

Much more serious allegations involving public officials may be in the process of being white-washed by Sheriff Swanson and Prosecutor Ferrero (reference: the Healy matter).

Why make that point?

Because The Report believes that there is a disparity in the Stark County law enforcement community, at the county level, as to who gets prosecuted and who does not. While the law enforcers will claim a factual distinction for the variations, The Report believes, when public officials are involved, the real reasons are too often tinged with political considerations.

In the Marlboro situation, The Report believes the sensible solution would have been for the sheriff and prosecutor to encourage and perhaps even facilitate a sitdown between the Devies and the trustees to iron this matter out without invoking the criminal process.

Now that the legal path has been chosen, it should be obvious to one and all that Marlboro Township will be ravaged by political vendetta after political vendetta after political vendetta.

The Report believes that Wise and Wolf were motivated in the first place by political vendetta. Chief Ron Devies is a strong personality and did not kowtow to the all powerful Trustees Wise and Wolf ("all powerful" in their own minds).

So now Marlboro Township and derivatively Stark County has a mess on its hands.

If Stark County had a sheriff and a prosecutor (who, by the way, was unopposed in the last election) with some social and community sense about them, they would have been instrumental in having "cooler heads" prevail in the Marlboro situation.

But Stark doesn't.

Swanson too often acts like a "bull in a china shop," and Ferrero, a former chair of the Stark County Democratic Party, has - in the opinion of SCPR - a tendency to look at matters from a political perspective. Political in the sense who are the players in the matter before him.

They will tell Stark Countians that they "play it by the book." The Report knows both of them and does not believe such protestations for one second.

Swanson and Ferrero have let the Marlboro matter get totally out-of-hand.

In the judgment of The Report, they could have prevented this escalation and therefore have failed the Stark County community.

Friday, March 20, 2009

DISCUSSION: MARLBORO POLICE CHIEF & SON INDICTED?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) has reason to believe on the basis of a report from a source close to the Devies that Stark County Chief Deputy Rick Perez has served grand jury indictment papers on Marlboro Township Police Chief Ron Devies and his son Kyle today.

At this writing The Report does not know what the specific charges are.

A source who is familiar with the investigation surrounding the Devies matter has told The Report that the source understands that the charges focus on the tracking of inter-trustee e-mails and from the reformatting of the confiscated computers' hard drives to remove traces of the tracking effort.

No matter which way this case ends up, The Report's sense of the community reaction is that there are gaping open wounds in the body social and politic that will take years to heal.

DISCUSSION: RIGHT WING CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN TONY DANE OF LAS VEGAS CONTRIBUTES TO MAYOR HEALY'S CAMPAIGN - RIGHT BEFORE ELECTION, HUM?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) has learned some interesting this about TeamHealy Committee contributor Tony Dane of Las Vegas just 5 and 6 days, respectively, before Cantonians went to the polls in the Healy/Creighton mayoralty contest.

Dane is reported in Las Vegas media has being:
  • an activist and political consultant (Dane & Associates)
  • an auto-dialer
  • a boxing promoter
  • sn snti-gay political activist
  • a staff member of the Duncan Hunter ( a very conservative Republican) for President
This is an odd pairing, no? Healy and Dane.

An arch conservative, anti-gay Republican contributes to the Democrat Willaim J. Healy, II campaign. Strange indeed when you know, as The Report does, that one of Healy's most ardent local supporters is a front and center gay person.

The Report wonders if Dane knew that?

Now for some tidbits from the Las Vegas media and from Wikipedia:
  1. In 2002, longtime Republican opponent Tony Dane (who [incumbent David] Parks [the first openly gay member of the Nevada legislature] defeated in 1996 and 1998) convinced a man also called David Parks to run against him for the Democratic nomination in the 41st Assembly district. Challenger Parks' name was removed from the ballot when it became apparent that he was not a resident of Clark County, nor indeed of Nevada. Incumbent Parks won the general election. (source: Wikipedia)
  2. ... As for Tony Dane: this man is a complete and total idiot. And he never does anything without a hidden agenda. ...

    ... Every political issue or campaign he's gotten his claws on has been doomed to fail. He knows nothing about politics. Any candidate who gets involved with him should know it's the kiss of death for their campaign.

    Dane is a snake in the grass. It will be interesting to discover just what his hidden agenda here really is. After all, you know he has one. (source: Vegas PUNDIT)

  3. But eventually it will have the exact same success as the recall of Gov. Kenny Guinn a few years ago by that right-wing kook Tony Dane. (source: Muth's Truth)
The Report has tried to get answers from the TeamHealy campaign about connections between Healy and these out-of-town contributors. Why are they contribution to a Canton mayoralty race? But they aren't talking.

As we all know, Healy himself likes to muzzle people who works for his administration. Apparently, he has told his campaign finance people that "mum is the word."

Is this a guy who be mayor of Stark County's largest city?

GUEST COMMENTARY - "ANONYMOUS" - COMMENTER FEARS RETRIBUTION. SUBJECT: RETIRE/REHIRE


In any crisis, financial or otherwise, we must seek solutions that are unique and innovative. Solutions that are achieved by thinking outside the box, so to speak.

I want to express my opinion about the controversial practice of rehiring.

This is the practice of hiring a retired employee back to perform a similar job as the one he/she retired from. I have to state that I am not opposed to rehiring employees, under certain conditions.

There are benefits to such a practice. With that said, the proverbial however is next. However, there should be some strict guidelines employed when rehiring.

Proposed Guidelines

  • NO benefits, no healthcare – this represents a substantial savings
  • Start at a wage that is well below the starting wage of a new employee or below the retiree’s position or industry standard wage. You get the benefit of experience and knowledge at a substantial cost savings. You could even cut the wage by 30% or more. This will weed out the greedy from the needy. Some professionals would do this to remain active in an occupation that they love. Tap into that sense of duty and service to the community.
  • Experienced trained ersons need no initial, basic training. They arrive already trained. You would not have to send an individual to a Police Academy or other training. more savings to the municipal, county or state governmental body.· The practice of rehiring at lower wages and no benefits opens funds for the hiring of full time Officers and Deputies.
  • Experienced retirees are intimately aware of the dynamics that exist within and without their respective law enforcement organizations.

Consider what I am proposing being instituted at the local municipal or township Police Departments or Sheriff’s Office level.

I am not advocating replacing Police Officers or Deputy Sheriffs on the street with retirees or disabled Police Officers. What I am proposing is that those individuals that have become disabled in the line of duty or are retired be utilized to supplement the sworn members of the law enforcement agency.

By replacing sworn Officers at positions that are inside jobs such as report desk or crime scene technician, this would permit more Officers/Deputies to be placed on the street or in other units such as gang task force, patrol division or the detective bureau.

The Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association, FOP and CPPA may not agree with my proposal, that is fine. They all should agree as to what is best for their memberships.

Is it in the best interest of their members to face financial crisis resulting in possible layoffs or permanent reduction in workforce numbers?

Is it best to consider all alternatives when dealing with our financial woes?

Consideration does not automatically mean agreement or implementation. Consideration means just that, consideration.

This practice of rehiring is already in place in a limited capacity. (Common Pleas Court Bailiffs)

Stark county must save money whenever and wherever it can. When money is saved and services remain static or improve then all Stark county residents win. Savings can be achieved without sacrificing public safety and service.

Thank you.

A concerned Stark County resident.

DISCUSSION: SCPR WILL PUBLISH COMMENTS "NOT FOR ATTRIBUTION" OR, IF YOU WILL, ANONYMOUS


The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) treasures readers comments on The Report's blogs.

Initially, The Report accepted "anonymous" comments posted on the blog. However, too many of the comments were "off topic," "in very poor taste," "attacking of persons" on factors that were loosely connected to the person who was the subject matter of the blog," or "way over the line."

Consequently, The Report reverted to a registration system available Blogger.

It seems as if commenters are more likely to be relevant to the topic at hand and self-disciplined to keep strongly felt opinion within proper bounds, if there is an identity factor.

So that is the reason The Report went with the registration system.

For readers who do not want to participate in the Blogger registration system, The Report will accept direect e-mails to tramols@att.net. If the commenter includes NOT FOR ATTRIBUTION or POST FOR ME ANONYMOUSLY, so long as the comments meet The Report's criteria for publication; then The Report will publish in an anonymous format.

The Report recognizes that there are a number of good reasons to withhold a commenter's identity.

So please feel free to e-mail The Report direct.