NORTH CANTON'S MAYOR DAVID HELD: ANOTHER STARK COUNTY POLITICIAN YOU CANNOT BELIEVE?

The SCPR has had numerous conversations with North Canton mayor David Held dating back several years.

One consistent thing he has always said is that he is a "transparent" public official thereby implying that he stands head and shoulders above most public officials in that regard.

The SCPR takes area politicians at their word until they prove otherwise.  Disappointingly, Mayor David Held is in the process of showing that he shares a common characteristic of many officeholders:  "doublespeak!"

Held himself generated a letter and the SCPR believes encouraged others within his administration to write letters regarding certain allegations regarding the conduct of Councilman Jeff Davies.  CLICK HERE to link up with a previous SCPR blog which reveals the content of the letters (the letters were obtained by community activist Chuck Osborne and provided by him to The Report).

When the SCPR learned that North Canton law director Hans Hilges investigated the allegations of the letters and issued a Report (about two weeks ago), a "public records" request was made to Held and North Canton Council president Daryl Revoldt for a copy of the report.

Held, who only the night before the request, encouraged yours truly to make a request of Revoldt (Held did not want to be the one to release the record), all of a sudden - the next day -  "on the advice of counsel" decides to join Council (led by Revoldt) and assert that the report is not a public record but privileged material protected by the "attorney/client" privilege.

In some ways, David Held is worse than Canton mayor William J. Healy, II.

Healy has a storied history from the beginning of his administration of revealing only what makes William J. Healy, II look good.  Otherwise, if he can't spin information making him looking good; he doesn't talk about it; he doesn't answer questions about it; and, if he can lawfully keep it from the public, he will do that too.

Everyone in the Stark County media knows that about Healy.  So we have to become very creative in endeavoring to ferret out Healy's deep, dark secrets and/or to wade our ways through the Healy spin.

In an interesting aside, Revoldt has told The Report that he thinks that Healy and Held are very close.  Revoldt's assessment did not seem to make sense at the time.  But now it does.

Revoldt is likely thinking these days, however, that it is not all that bad that Held is mimicking Healy.

Revoldt, in the opinion of the SCPR, is - perhaps - the foremost "anti-democrat" in all of Stark County.  Revoldt has refused a citizen his right to speak at  a North Canton City Council "Public Speaks."  Moreover, he seems to have an obsession with hiding or, at least, not talking about stuff, which - in his judgment - does not fit his image of North Canton which he is pushing as the cornerstone of getting economic development done in "The Dogwood City."

Revoldt is "the wise one" who will determine what it is good for you - as a citizen - to know; and what it's just as well that you do not know.

The Report believes that Revoldt came up with the attorney/client privilege idea.  Revoldt was upset that Held pushed the thing on Davies.  For some time after the letters were sent to Law Director Hilges, nothing happened.

But Held pushed and pushed.  He told the SCPR that it was a matter of principle to him.

Revoldt and Held normally do not get along all that well.  They kind of tolerate one another.

Revoldt has let it be known that he thinks Held is a "weak" mayor and even has some of his fellow Council members saying so.

Held tells The Report that Revoldt has never liked Earle Wise, Jr  being city administrator essentially because he is a Democrat in a Republican city run for the most part by Republicans.  Held says that Alex Zumbar is North Canton's finance director under Revoldt's sponsorship because of his Republican bona fides.

So it is interesting that Revoldt and Held are in accord about withholding what the SCPR believes is a public record under the attorney/client label.

David Held has enormously damaged himself in terms of credibility in the estimate of the SCPR on this matter.

The Report does not believe the Revoldt/Council/Held obfuscation is over.

Citizen Osborne has made a specific public records requesti for the Hilges investigative report.

The question is:  will the Revoldt/Held alliance hold?

A STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT "WELCOME" TO COMMISSIONER STEVE MEEKS!

 Jackson Township's Steve Meeks was sworn in as Stark County commissioner yesterday.

"it is only fitting and proper" that Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez (a man of many Stark County political and government portfolios) swear in newly Stark County Democratic Central Committee appointee Steve Meeks as the replacement commissioner for the recently resigned Tom Harmon (12/01/2009).

The SCPR has examined the consummate political history of Meeks and has concluded that he is "of politics, by politics and for politics."

When Gayle Jackson was commissioner, either son and Stark County Democratic Party political director or her chief political sponsor and then Stark County Democratic Party chairman could have stepped in, if need be, and no one would have noticed the difference.

Likewise, if  Steve Meeks needs to be out-of-town for some reason, he need only call in Gonzalez and no one will notice the difference.

Meeks and Gonzalez are about as close as two people can get politically and still end up with two individual people.  Moreover, by his own words, Meeks says he is close, also, to former commissioners Jackson and Harmon.

All the political indicators and associations are such that one shouldn't look for Meeks to distinguish himself as Stark County commissioner.

He will serve his political party well, but he will not be an energetic, innovative, creative thinker who proves to be a transformative, catalytic leader that Stark County so desperately needs these days.

For the sake of Stark County's future, let us all hope he proves the SCPR wrong!

Gonzalez says that no one  comes better prepared for this job than Meeks.

From Gonzalez and his political perspective, who could argue?

GOLLY GEE! HOW MANY AUDITS IS STATE AUDITOR MARY TAYLOR GOING TO DO ON THE STARK COUNTY TREASURER'S OFFICE?

 UPDATE:  01/06/2010 - 9:20 AM

UPDATE:  01/05/2010 - 2:00 PM

From the Stark County Treasurer's office:

HI MARTIN 

THIS IS ROTA, FROM THE STARK COUNTY TREASURER'S OFFICE. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THE SPECIAL AUDIT TOTAL IS $210,000., THE INFORMATION THAT WAS IN THE REPOSITORY, ABOUT THE AMOUNT BEING $360,000, PLUS WAS WRONG INFORMATION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONFIRM IT, CALL RICK FLOREY, AT THE STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, WELCOME, TO CALL ME AT THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, THERE IS A CONTRACT AGREEMENT, THAT THE TREASURERDEPARTMENT, HAD TO SIGN FOR THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE AUDIT. 

 ORIGINAL POST

According to Terry (who emailed the SCPR yesterday), Treasurer Zeigler has already passed seven state of Ohio audits, to wit:

The treasures [sic] last 7 audits are in perfect or very good shape with very few suggestions from the State''' They are public record and I suggest you read them before making your comments'''' You will change your tune'' don;t you think the rep' read them'''    READ"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" They could not find anything wrong or you would have read about it'     Terry

Yeah Terry, so why is Ohio spending anywhere from $210,000 to nearly $400,000 (depending on whose estimate you believe) on an eighth audit - a forensic audit?

Hmm?

Could it have something to do with Zelgler firng Vince Frustaci (his chief deputy) after alleging that Frustaci had made off with county money back in the spring?

So what are you suggesting Terry?

Something like:  "Since the state auditors in their previous seven audits and The Repository (via the opportunity to do or the actual doing of a public records check) didn't catch the missing money,  taxpayers have no right to determine exactly how much is missing?"

Is that it, Terry?

Remember, Terry, Zeigler himself says money is missing.

Somehow the SCPR doesn't think Stark County taxpayers agree with you Terry. if that is what you are suggesting.

Sources are saying that maybe as much as $2 to 3 million is missing?  However, a county official has been saying of late to the SCPR that with bond money ($500,000, according to media reports) might cover most of the missing money.

And perhaps $2 to 3 million is missing, but nothing is wrong with the books?

Really?

Might merit some checking via an eighth "forensic" audit - don't ya think?

If the $2 to 3 million turns out be the missing amount and there is only a $500,000 bond, who do ya suppose might be looked to make up the difference?

Maybe the person elected by Stark County voters and taxpayers to mind the store?

Nobody?

After all Ohio's auditors and The Rep didn't catch it in those seven previous audits!

STARK CAN HAVE A FIX TO THE 9-1-1 SYSTEM WITHIN 6 MONTHS: WHY WOULD ANYONE PLAY POLITICS WITH STARK COUNTY SAFETY ISSUES?

Towards the end of last week, the SCPR got a telephone call from a county official saying that Stark County's fire chiefs had met recently and voted to reject Nimishillen Fire Chief Rich Peterson's "alternative" to centralized, countywide 9-1-1 dispatch.

The official said that the information had come from Stark County Council of Governments (SCOG) Governance Committee chair Randy Gonzalez.

The Report immediately began contacting alternative sources for confirmation or disaffirmation of the reported Gonzalez read.

This is what yours truly has learned.

North Canton Fire Chief John Bacon told the SCPR that the Peterson Plan (which he now calls the Fire Chiefs' Plan) is the plan that  Stark's fire chiefs will present to the Technical Advisory Committee of SCOG at its January 22nd meeting.

Bacon said that not only did the fire chiefs not reject Peterson's alternative, but that they voted "unanimously" to adopt the plan as their own.

One of the leading proponents of a centralized, countywide Plan; namely, Ted Heck, fire chief in Gonzalez's home area (Gonzalez is the elected fiscal officer in Jackson), voted in favor of the alternative plan.

Bacon said that the vote was not anti-centralized, countywide dispatch, but that the Peterson Plan is doable within six  months whereas the Gonzalez Plan (a SCPR phrase coined by The Report as a shorthand reference to the centralized, countywide plan) will not be up and running for two years.

The fire chiefs believe they are putting community safety first by doing the fix now (within six months) and not delaying the project for up to two years.

The Peterson plan, according to Bacon, can be done with the money currently available to support 9-1-1 (the cellphone surcharge and the small property tax levy) and no money collected from the commissioner  "imposed" sales/use tax (December, 2008) will be needed.  However, the Peterson Plan does not include all first reponders having 800 megahertz radios.

Bacon does not deny that there may be a turf issue involved in the Peterson Plan for the benefit of Peterson and Nimishillen Township trustees.  However, he said that he was willing to abide that possibility because he feels that the alternative, in terms of the timing issue, puts the safety of Stark Countians first.

The SCPR maintains that the Peterson/Nimishillen self-interest is a primary motivation for Peterson's Plan.  The Report accepts Bacon's take that parochial interests can be accepted when "the greater county good" is also achieved contemporaneously.

More troublesome to the SCPR are the positions of Commissioner Bosley and Governance Committee chair Gonzalez.

Why were they so set on going centralized and countywide dispatch in "one fell swoop?"

Why not get the fixes done immediatley within the concepts of four to five dispatch centers with up-to-date equipment which makes calling 9-1-1 seamless to callers and which will be state-of-the-art in terms of identifying locations of cellphone callers?

The Report suspects that if there are politics involved, it is coming more likely from the commissioners' office and from Gonzalez than from the professional emergency services folks.

A main ingredient in Bosley becoming commissioner was his embracing of Peterson's Plan , as a central aspect of his campaign, when he decided to take on incumbent Republican county commissioner Richard Regula in 2006.

Along the way Bosley got off of the Peterson Plan and bought into the Gonzalez Plan.

It was Commissioner Bosley who conceived the idea of imposing the 0.50 percent increase in the sales/use tax and sold fellow commissioners Republican Jane Vignos (since retired) and Democrat Tom Harmon (since resigned) on the idea.  In December, 2008 the commissioners imposed the tax.

A major part of the tax was splitting the revenue with the county's general fund.  County administrator Mike Hanke has been saying for some time now that substantial cuts in county department budgets would be in the offing by 2011, if additional revenues were not found.  In fact, the county is looking at a average of 3.5% cuts (on average) across Stark County government dependent on general fund monies.

The SCPR believes that Bosley saw the imposed tax as being a way to further his future political ambitions (i.e. the "fixer" of  9-1-1 is a natural progression from his 2006 campaign) and, at the same time, he could make his future as county commissioner financially viable by bringing additional funds in to county general fund coffers.

Gonzalez has many government roles in Stark County, one of which is being Stark County Democratic Party chairman.

As readers know, the SCPR is not wild about party chairpersons having a government role.  The Report repeatedly expressed a sour attitude about John Ferrero, county prosecutor, having been Stark County Democratic party chairman before becoming prosecutor.

Party chairpersons are about "political power" and what it can do to enhance them  and their constituents (candidates for office and elected officials).  In the opinion of the SCPR, Gonzalez and "his many political irons in the fire, is not the best person to be heading up the Governance Committee effort.  It should be someone who is not so ensconced in Stark County politics.

Gonzalez and Bosley have already locked horns over who should be the 9-1-1 project manager.  Bosley fought long and hard to make Nimishillen Fire Chief Rich Peterson that person.  In a classic and ironical "politics makes strange bedfellows" twist; it is interesting that Peterson and Bosley - once bosom buddies -  are now squaring off on 9-1-1.

Politics have a way of working themselves out (i.e. "shifting political alliances), and longer term Stark County may well indeed get over the politics of fixing 9-1-1 and eventually get to the Gonzalez Plan.

Bacon is hopeful such will be the case.

One lingering issue is, if the Technical Advisory Committee accepts the chiefs' recommendation, what to do with the money collected for the Gonzalez Plan from the imposed tax?

Bosley has already suffered one defeat on this issue.

While Harmon was still a commissioner, he brought up for a vote what to do with the monies collected post-voter rejection of retaining the tax.

The decision:  put it into a "stabilization fund (aka a "rainy day fund").   Administrator Hanke had asked the commissioners  for guidance on the tax revenues because the formulation of the 2010 budget is underway and Hanke and his fellow administrators needed a financial basis on which to project cuts to county departments. 

Bosley vigorously objected.  He insisted that half the money go towards implementing the Gonzalez Plan.

By the way, Hanke tells the SCPR that the "rainy day fund" could reach $6 to 7 million  before the county needs to dip into it come 2011.

Some final notes:

The SCPR was not well taken with the "Vote No Increased Taxes Committee."   Now The Report has somewhat of a changed look at the work the Committee did in convincing Stark Countians not to retain the imposed tax.

The Committee did create conditions for the Peterson Plan to see the light of day and the SCPR recognizes the Committee for this contribution of time and space for a reconsideration of how and on what timetable Stark County fixes 9-1-1.

However, a big negative remains.  Stark County does indeed need new money beginning in 2011 for its general fund.

One more thing.

If the Technical Advisory Committee accepts the Peterson (err) Fire Chiefs' Plan, what will come of the money being held for the Gonzalez Plan implementation?

Bacon says that is for the politicians (Bosley, Ferguson and Meeks) to figure out.

The SCPR does believe that the commissioners and Governance Committee chairman Gonzalez care about the safety of Stark Countians.

However, the SCPR trusts the fire chiefs, police chiefs and emergency medical chiefs to filter out the politics inherent in the situation  more effectively than folks running for elective office.

HOW WILL CONGRESSMAN BOCCIERI'S FRIENDS IN ORGANIZED LABOR TAKE HIS "WAFFLING" ON HEATH CARE?

Democrats in Medina County of all places are up in arms about Congressman John Boccieri's "anti-the-people" stance on the national health care bill which is now in conference between the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

Perhaps Boccieri had better pay close attention to a blog done on December 31st by the Medina County Democratic Action Committee (MCDAC) castigating him for his waffling (to be kind) on whether or not he will support final passage of the bill.


CLICK HERE to link to the MCDAC blog.

Clearly, they are unhappy with Boccieri with his evasive, seemingly anti-everyday-person stance on the imminent federal legislaqtion.

The MCDAC folks figure they delivered Medina County to him in November, 2008.  But will they work for him in this year's election?

Maybe not.  However, they are not likely to support a Republican.  What they might do is sit on their hands.

John Boccieri owes his political existence to organized labor.  The unions walked the precincts for Boccieri and provided ample campaign funds to him when they prevailed on him to run against the virulently anti-union and Republican Ron Hood who, at the time, lived in Alliance.

The AFL-CIO is on record as supporting health care reform and is on record as saying that any Democrat that does not support the President Obama on this issue will not get any support from organized labor.

Again, it is unlikely that the national, state or local unions will support the Republican nominee that comes out of the May, 2010 Republican primary, but will they be less than enthusiastic in their support for Boccieri.

The SCPR believes that Boccieri could be creating "the perfect political storm" that could retire him from the U.S. House of Representatives after a single term.

Stark County Republican Party chairman Jeff Matthews spearheaded an effort among the Stark, Medina and Wayne county chairmen to support former Wadsworth mayor and car dealer Jim Renacci in a united effort to defeat Boccieri and reclaim the 16th congressional district that had, before Boccieri, been held by Republicans for decades.

The Ashland Republican chairman did not vote to support Renacci, but undoubtedly will if favorite son Matt Miller once again loses in the Republican primary.

With his political enemies lining up against him, Boccieri can ill-afford Democrats and Democratic supporting organized labor to be sitting on their collective hands during the run up to November's election.

EVERYBODY IS FOR CIVILITY. IS ASKING TOUGH QUESTIONS BEING UNCIVIL?

 Yesterday, The Rep Editorial Board wrote an editorial promoting a community wide resolution of civility, to wit:

Here’s one that our whole community would benefit from if more of us made it our resolution for 2010:

Be civil.

Who knows why these editors wrote this editorial?  It is the equivalent of asking people to be for mother, God, country and apple pie.

The SCPR believes The Rep editors did not want to appear to be "uncivil" in fingering their real target.

Could it have been prompted by what a source of the SCPR reports as having been an exchange between Canton Council president Allen Schulman and Canton mayor William J. Healy, II, after Council meeting two weeks ago today,  to wit:

... healy walked up to schulman and told him "don't you ever try to embarass me again-pointing his finger at schulman-and what followed was wild==schulman told him who  the F--- do you think you are--you can go F--- yourself ... .

Hmm?

The point?

Healy was upset that Mary Cirelli (Council-at-large) and Schulman had questioned Healy as to whom was responsible for negotiating/modifying/approving police and firefighter union contracts.


Healy's point:  "Council approved anything the administration had negotiated."

Schulman's point:  "The terms of the negotiation were agreed to by the administration."

The discussion itself was heated, but civil.

Mayor Healy cannot handle tough questioning.  That's why Tom Bernabei and Tom Nesbitt are gone from his administration.  That's why Healy won't answer the questions of the SCPR.

Allen Schulman, being the elected official he is, cannot be fired by Healy.  So what recourse is left to Healy?

You've got it!

Initiate an "uncivll" back and forth.

The SCPR has learned that when Healy cannot fire someone or arrange for them to leave the administration because the person does not work for the administration, his tactic is to start screaming and yelling at the person.

Did the conversation reported above actually happen?

The Report believes it did.

Neither Schulman nor the Healy administration would confirm or deny the source's report.

Yes, there is a need for civility.  But Allen Schulman was civil; his offense:  asking tough questions.

It is Healy-esque to become "uncivil" when things do not go his way.

Allen Schulman needs to keep asking the tough questions!

WHAT CHANCE DOES STARK COUNTY HAVE TO GET VOTERS TO SUPPORT NEW REVENUES FOR COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN LIGHT OF THE LATEST COMMISSIONER HIRING? ALSO, QUESTIONS ABOUT RECORDER RICK CAMPBELL'S CONDUCT

Yours truly could scarcely believe his ears when a motion was presented at the Stark County commissioners meeting this past Wednesday to hire Jessie Boron (stepson of recently resigned Commissioner Tom Harmon, and, son of former Nimishillen Township clerk/fiscal officer Carlene Boron Harmon) as Stark County deputy dog warden.  This hiring took place 29 days after Tom Harmon's resignation effectivity date.

Why is it that Olson could "scarcely believe his ears?"

Because the hiring smacks of "political insider" stuff, no matter what Commissioners Todd Bosley (a former Nimishillen Township trustee) and Pete Ferguson say to rationalize the hiring.

So?

Well, with Stark's judges convening meetings of elected public officials plus others (including some of the "Vote No Increased Taxes" committee folks), one wouldn't think that county officials would want the Stark County voting public to think for one second that county funds are being spent to finance what some may think is the commissioners approving the hiring of a person with poltical connections.

One wouldn't think that such hiring will set well with the Stark County voting public.  And it certainly doesn't with the SCPR.

Commissioner Bosley called yours truly aside after Wednesday's commissioner meeting to explain why he didn't have any choice but to support the hiring of Boron.

To hear Bosley tell it, he actually did Stark Countians a good turn going along with fellow Commissioner Pete Ferguson in hiring Boron.  We (Stark County) got the best of the three finalist,  Bosley explained.

Yours truly believes that Bosley's explanation was done in an "affected" tone and manner (in the sense of having no other alternative) designed to get The Report to infer that Bosley did a public service by getting the best out a less than ideal field of candidates. 

But the SCPR is not buying.

There were 28 other candidates.  If it was agonizing for Bosley to approve the Boron hiring (and, it is a capital IF), why didn't he simply look at the 28 other applications.  Bosley especially should have been on alert because one of the finalists (according to Bosley himself) was the "handpicked" favorite of the Warden himself.

The SCPR reads the Bosley effort as being a ploy to put The Report off-the-track of a real alternative.

The Report's response?

Commissioner Bosley,   don't save us (Stark Countians) from the Warden, go look at the other 28 applications.  If none them measure up to Bosley/Ferguson standards, advertise again.  This time more widely.

When you advertise give the job the widest possible Stark County dissemination.  After all, Stark County does have an 11.5% unemployment rate!

After the Bosley justification session, the SCPR did some checking with county administrator Mike Hanke on Boron's remuneration,  qualifications for the job and how much of an effort was made to make the general Stark County population aware of the job availability.

Here is Hanke's response (in its essence) to a SCPR email, to wit:

His exact salary  ...  is $16 an hour (it is a union job)

Prior to deputy dog warden job ...  he worked as a Nimishillen Township Fire Dept. dispatcher, prior to that as a deputy auditor in the Stark County Auditor's Dept., prior to that as a security officer at Aultman Hospital, prior to that as a substitute teacher in Stark County schools.

He holds a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University, with a minor in sociology. He was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force Reserve in 2002.

This was a posted job, meaning it -- like all posted openings for commissioners' departments -- was posted on the wall outside our office.More importantly, it was posted under the jobs category on the commissioners web site. As a result, there were 31 applicants, according to the dog warden. The dog warden then narrowed them to his three recommended candidates.

As far as the SCPR can determine from Bosley's account; all three "finalists" had someone on the inside of county government that were "rooting" for them.  Bosley did say that neither stepdad Tom nor mother Carlene contacted him about the hiring, prior thereto.

It is interesting to note that Boron worked at the Nimishillen Township Fire Department.  Hmm?   What did his mother and Bosley have to do, if anything, with that hiring?

Bosley saying that the Harmons did not contact him about the stepson/son application,  cuts no ice with the SCPR.

The Report knows that most politicians, in this day and age, would not dream of direct intervention.  Political influence in the modern era is much more subtle and sophisticated than it was back in the out-and-out political boss days.

Stark County recorder Rick Campbell has tried this "Dad, (Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez) never said a word to me" on the Kody Gonzalez hiring ($53,560.00 annually - 2009).  According to Campbell, he would have picked Kody Gonzalez to be his chief deputy with its sizable income (to most Stark Countians) from a sea of applicants because of his obvious "best thing since sliced bread" credentials and presence.

It could be so, but who in Stark County is going to believe Campbell given Gonzalez's political pedigree?

Campbell does not stop at the Gonzalez hiring.

The SCPR has been critical of the hiring of his wife Lisa Jackson Campbell as Plain Township administrator because The Report is highly skeptical of two phone calls that were made relative to her hiring.

One by then Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. to Plain Township trustee Louis Giavasis (according to Lawrence Township trustee Mike Stevens - who was also vying for the job) to ensure that Lisa got "a fair chance" at the vacant Plain Township administrator's job.  Remember from previous blogs how the SCPR has spoken of the "family" atmosphere that exists between Maier and the Jackson (e.g. Shane Jackson is Maier'e chief deputy [Massillon clerk of courts])

A second one (the order may be reversed) by Campbell himself to Giavasis (this is a Giavasis account of the conversation)  to ask whether or not it was permissible for wife Lisa to apply for the Plain Township job.

Wow!  Is it permissible?  Sounds pretty disingenuous, doesn't it?

Lisa Jackson Campbell is not just anyone.

She happens to be the daughter of former Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson who now serves as Governor Strickland's appointee with the Ohio Lottery Commission.

Campbell's wife (his former chief deputy) may well be qualified for the job that she landed with Plain Township.  But the fact of the matter is that when she and Campbell married, Ohio Ethics law would not allow her to remain in Campbell's public office employment. 

The Report does believe that there quite of number of Stark Countians who were qualified for the Plain job including, perhaps, applicant Mike Stevens who is a Lawrence Township trustee.

The critical question (given that this is a taxpayer funded job) is whether or not qualifications were the only criterion for the job? 

Consider the following.

The SCPR believes that Giavasis may have set up Michael Stevens to apply for job to make it appear that there was "real" competition for the job that eventually went to Campbell's wife. 

Why would the SCPR posit that possibility?

Shortly after the SCPR did a blog on political patronage (Deember 9, 2009 CLICK HERE to see the blog), an interesting course of events occurred.

The SCPR on or about December 2, 2009 asked the Stark County auditor's office, in a public records request, for a list of recorder office employees (date of hire, income level, et cet ).   Well, little did yours truly know that he would get "special delivery" of the requested information from none other than Chief Deputy Recorder Kody Gonzalez.  He hand delivered the public records requested information to The Report at the December 10th Stark County commissioners meeting.

Gonzalez was accompanied by Rick Campbell, the Stark Counhty recorder himself. 

Who else would show up?

Louis Giavasis (who "just happened" to be at the meeting - according to him -  on an "unrelated" matter (Plain Township business) on a combination of his county job lunch hour and vacation).  Hmm?

No sooner had yours truly began preparing to video the commissioners meeting, when Campbell begin going after yours truly on the December 9th blog.  The opener:  "I understand that Mike Stevens is not happy about not getting the Plain Township administrator's job."

Who should join in?

None other than Louis Giavasis.   Remember, Giavasis just happened to be at the commissioners meeting on Plain Township business.

The Campbell/Giavasis "double-whammy" was obviously a planned event.

Lo and behold, Giavasis, at the invitation of Campbell, offered insight as to why Mike Stevens did not end up with the Plain Township job.

Giavasis volunteered at Campbell's urging that the first question he asked Stevens (when they were discussing the Plain Township administrator job) was whether or not Stevens was willing to give up being Lawrence Township trustee so he could devote full time to being administrator (a claim Stevens denies to the SCPR).

As a follow-up to the first point he made, Giavasis added that when he applied to be Canton service director; the first thing out of his mouth to his interviewer (presumably Healy) was that he - if selected -  would resign as Plain Township trustee. 

In Giavasis' mind, such as it is,  his Canton interview was proof positive that he had asked the same question of Stevens.  Hmm?

The Report refused to indulge the Campbell initiative and continued on with the business of recording the commissioners' meeting.

Campbell, who was a row behind yours truly,  sat there, muttering to himself for awhile about how qualified his wife was to be Plain Township administrator.

Fascinating, no?

The Report had not asked for the Gonzalez "special delivery" of the public records request.  In fact,  David Maley of  auditor's office was asked to send the requested information in electronic format; which, he did the day after Gonzalez's personal delivery.

A question?  Was Gonzalez being at the commissioners meeting an efficient use of his taxpayer financed time?

Count I.  Gonzalez did not have to deliver anything.  David Maley of the auditor'f office (to whom the request had been made) was handling the request.  Even Maley did not make a personal delivery.  He sent it to The Report electronically as requested.  Also remember, Campbell was at the meeting.

Count II.  Gonzalez also made about a 30 second presentation on the recorder's  willingness to help the commissioners set up a scanning and electronic publishing project.   And remember, Campbell himself was at the meeting.

So let the SCPR get this straight.  The two highest paid officials in the recorder's office (well over $100,000 combined income) spend about an hour each for one of them - Gonzalez  - to do 45 seconds of official business.  Wow!!! Taxpayers will really love this account.

The Report does understand that Campbell did spend pre-meeting time counseling with Commissioner Bosley as to whether or not Bosley should run for the Ohio House.

So what was the real reason Campbell et al showed up in force?

The SCPR takes the Campbell generated episode as a "gang up on and try to intimidate" The Report.

Some Stark County-based politicians take offense to the SCPR's endeavor to show the Stark County public how prevalent it appears political connections play a significant role in who does or does not get public jobs or, worse yet, who does or doesn't get the opportunity to apply for and be seriously considered for taxpayer funded positions.

The moral of this whole story (err blog) is that all too many politicians try to control press reports and analysis on political patronage phenomenon either by finesse or duress.

With the SCPR, neither works.

If abuse of the public trust is as widespread as it appears to the SCPR to be, then what effective remedy does the public have?

Cut off the money?

It may come to that. 

The SCPR is convinced that the Stark County general fund will be in dire need of additional revenues by 2011.  But there does come a point when enough is enough of the "political connections stuff" and voters should consider seriously cutting local government funding until such time as the politicos have shown they have gotten the message.

If county officials want to persuade the Stark County voting public that it should provide more revenues to the county general fund, then it would seem prudent that "wise"  public officials take measures with their  "unwise," offending colleagues to ensure that all public jobs are genuinely open to the public-at-large.

A sad side to the Bosley, Giavasis and Campbell sagas is that the SCPR believes that this these three are, perhaps, among Stark County's best elected officials.

However, in the view of the SCPR, all three have tarnished themselves in the machinations described heretofore in this blog and deserve special scrutiny in the performance of their public jobs.

Campbell in particular.

What The Report believes he foolishly tried to do is the height of stupidity and a case of someone being too close to a situation.

So if he can get that dumb in this situation, are the parallels of stupidity going on inside the recorder's office?

Hmm?