Yesterday's Stark County weekly commissioner meeting was nearly over when a Canton citizen and his "significant other" entered the commissioners' meeting room.
Much earlier in the meeting, the time slot for "Public Speaks" had long come and gone with nobody participating.
Nevertheless, commissioner chairman of the board Janet Creighton did not miss a beat in recognize the late coming citizen and inquired of him whether or not he wished to addressed the board.
As can be seen in the forgoing video, he did.
As it turns out, his problem was one that one that could not be solved by the commissioners but rather needs the attention of his Canton city councilperson (Councilman John Mariol, Ward 7) and, perhaps, Canton building department official and Mayor Thomas Bernabei all-around troubleshooter J.R. Rinaldi.
County Administrator Brant Luther took "the bull by the horns" and "on-the-spot" researched information to redirect the citizen to the likes of Mariol and Rinaldi.
An impressive thing about yesterday's commissioner/citizen interaction was that notwithstanding that the citizen had shown up way, way, way past the time for participating in Public Speaks, Commissioner Creighton was quick to recognize that the gentleman-citizen had something on his mind to address commissioners about and almost instantly departed from yesterday's official agenda to recognize him.
Should be standard practice throughout Stark County government, no?
Not to say that a citizen should be recognized mid-way in a meeting but after Public Speaks, but certainly before adjournment.
What Creighton did yesterday in breaking meeting protocol and providing a forum for the citizen with a problem that needs solving was to bring home to the citizen and the rest of us that with the Stark County Board of Commissioners "citizen participation" is a high, high, high priority.
And such is the kind of thing that is a "head-turner" for everyday citizens and is "superb example of" how a seemingly little thing like Creighton's citizen friendly act, if followed across government at all levels of U.S. government, has the potential to go a long way in rebuilding the alienation that exists across much of America between the governed and the governors.
As a contrast to what Commissioner Creighton did yesterday is to muse on what the response would have been had the citizen shown up beyond the official Public Speaks agenda slot in most Stark County political subdivision (villages, townships, cities, boards of education) jurisdiction.
Being the veteran of many such meeting, the SCPR is reasonably certain that such a late entrant would be summarily ignored. And, should such a citizen gain the attention of the government official running the meeting, "you can bet your bottom dollars" that the official would say something like "sorry, but time has passed, and you will have to come back next meeting."
In some Stark County political subdivisions, one can show up on time for a given meeting allotted Public Speaks slot, but if prior notice has not been given to the presiding officer (usually a day or two before the meeting), then, forget it; permission to speak will be denied.
While the SCPR thinks that the governor/governed model in North Canton is improving (LINK), there is no way that a late arriving citizen would get the type of reception that Creighton accorded the tardy Cantonian yesterday.
Americans anymore have a rather dim view of the receptivity/friendliness/facilitativeness of public officials to citizen input.
Commissioner Creighton's initiative yesterday is one that should be a model for all Stark County government political subdivisions to adopt.
Over time this kind of thing has the potential to reverse the skeptical if not cynical attitude that many ordinary citizens have toward government.
Miriam Baughman <m.baughman ... > Oct 11 at 11:17 PM To: Martin Olson Hi Martin, I read your blog this afternoon and thank you again for your concise and correct comments. I want to explain why we are against a Commercial CRA. North Ridge Apartments received a residential CRA at 100% for 12 years. This was because in the North Canton Zoning under residential, apartments are a permitted use. In the revised CRA that was recently put forward and then defeated, a sneaky thing was noted. All residential CRAs were deleted, and only commercial CRAs were permitted. And apartments for CRA purposes were now going to be determined commercial, instead of residential. So------what started the big "bru ha ha" was still going to be present in the commercial CRA. APARTMENT BUILDINGS! According to ORC, if a commercial CRA is 50% or less, schools have no say. So in the CRA that was proposed, apartment buildings could get a CRA since they would now be deemed commercial. That means a complex like North Ridge could have a 50% abatement and the schools would lose close to $500,000 over the 12 years. Ir is no secret that Dehoff and Lemmon are going to build apartment buildngs on the Waterside property on South Main street. as soon as their 10 year grant committment to the State ends in 2 years. This property is in the Main Street CRA district. The Waterside property is quite large and could hold multiple 20 unit apartment buildings. If apartments can get a 50% CRA the schools stand to lose millions, not thousands. Apartment buildings do not give the city any economic benefits, as there are very few employees and most if not all tenants work out of town. Apartment buildings drain city services such as roads, EMS and police. Probably there would also be kids attending schools. I would be supportive of a commercial CRA for businesses that would bring the city income tax and other business benefits. But very much against a commercial CRA that includes apartment buildings.
ORIGINAL BLOG
VIDEOS
OSBORNE PLAYS "FOX & HOUND?"
FOX SPEAKS TO ISSUE
GRIFFITH CHIMES IN ON CRA
Before the SCPR began covering North Canton government, were the days of Mayor Tom Rice and turmoil galore in the city's governance.
Current mayor David Held was fired as North Canton city administrator in 2004 by the-then controversial Rice.
In 2005, Held ran against Rice (both Republicans in a Republican dominated city council city) and defeated him resoundingly, to wit:
In a case of "the more things change, the more they remain the same," early on as mayor, Held faced a test on North Canton's economic development methodology and its effect on North Canton's public school system, to wit: (LINK to full "extracted" article)
So it appears that North Canton has not solved its community reinvestment area policy, practice and implementation (which was initiated under the administration of then-mayor Daryl Revoldt in 1999, [North Canton schools part of the process]) over the 10 years of Held's leadership.
But that may be about to change.
Of course, who else? former North Canton councilman Chuck Osborne is at the forefront of citizen action to force a resolution of the failure of North Canton government (Held, his administration and a succession of city council members) to deal effectively with the competing needs for the city to grow its financial resource base while protecting—arguably—(a la Mike Hanke) any community's "most important attraction for relocating from other communities: citizens and businesses.
Last night's meeting might signal that concrete changes are in process to achieve what North Canton government has not been able to produce for over 10 years.
First on the list of the graphic at the head of this blog is the need to kill off all traces of abatement in North Canton.
There are skeptics and cynics that 66-2016 will not become a reality and that the ordinance being on last night's agenda for a first reading (of three readings) before a vote is a mere "head-fake" and will somehow get side tracked.
A large part of the skepticism and cynicism is owing to the horribly deficient communication between North Canton's citizen activists and Law Director Tim Fox (since September, 2012).
As recently as last night, Osborne lambasted Fox and his handling of CRA related legislation.
If Mayor Held and council are to succeed in convincing North Canton's citizens that North Canton government is not hostile to them and is reaching out to collaborate with them, city leaders much somehow reassure the citizens that they will not allow Fox (seemingly the "tail" which controls "the entire body" of North Canton government) to "screw up" the work done by Held and North Canton city council president Daniel "Jeff" Peters (Ward 2), Ward 1 councilman Doug Foltz, Councilmen-at-Large Mark Cerreta and Dan Griffith in reaching out to North Canton to them (them being the citizens).
Citizens interacting with North Canton government distrust of and antagonism towards Fox could not be higher.
Second on the above-list is an authentic vetting of the process in which North Ridge Place developers Robert DeHoff/William Lemmon secured a potentially upwards of $1 million tax abatement over 12 years most of which would be absorbed by the North Canton City Schools.
On October 7th, new North Canton economic development director/housing officer Gary Fry filed a complaint with North Canton's Housing Council to seek a clarification of the whether or not the North Ridge Place abatement was/is in compliance with North Canton law, to wit:
And here is what Fry had to say last night:
A third item that North Canton must some day resolve is an "Ohio law compliant" hearing process for those seeking conditional use permits.
This issue is part and parcel of a seemingly unalterable negative view that a number of North Canton citizens have towards Law Director Fox.
Some of them think that he, in projecting that the hearing scheme as a matter of Ohio law requires a swearing-in, of any who have testimonial input with North Canton's Zoning Commission, is an example of his delighting in placing an unnecessary burden on citizen participation in local government and validating evidence of Fox's underlying hostility to the likes of Citizen Osborne and his fellow North Canton citizen activists.
See/Listen to some of Fox from last night's meeting:
Lastly, the list includes getting North Canton's CRA scope and process correctly nuanced (the concept advanced by Councilman-at-large Dan Griffith).
See/Listen to Griffith.
Some of the citizen activists want the CRA scrapped altogether.
The SCPR disagrees with those citizens and thinks that Griffith has the "best for North Canton" notion.
But whatever emerges should be a consequence of a meaningful dialogue between the mayor and his administrators, council and any North Canton citizen who wishes to part of a constructive government/citizen collaborative process.
One more matter.
The Report compliments North Canton Council president Dan "Jeff" Peters for handling the interactions between North Canton government and the city's involved citizenry in a much more receptive and civil fashion than he has in the past.
The SCPR does see growth in his leadership style from the days he was lashing out at certain citizens in the social media. The hope is that he keeps on maturing in his leadership modality.
Right now, it appears to the SCPR that only Councilwoman Marcia Kiesling and Ward 3 councilwoman Stephanie Werren have made very little, if any, progress in their basic negative attitudes towards ordinary folks interacting with North Canton government.
Over time Mayor Held, Peters, Foltz, Cerreta, Griffith and, perhaps, even the pronouncedly laid back Dominic Fonte (Ward 4) are on a path to set a tone of North Canton government positive receptivity to everyday citizen input.
Kiesling, Werren and Fox will either get on board on find themselves by their own hand ostracized from a process that promises a new day of citizen/government mutual respect and concomitant working together for a better North Canton.
Kiesling and Werren are subject one day to losing their jobs in an election if they persist in indulging an us versus them mentality vis a vis citizens.
The choice is theirs.
Fox is another case in that he is an appointed official and therefore can only be schooled in respecting and finding a way to lawfully accommodate citizen interaction with his office and the rest of North Canton government.
It seems, though, he is incapable of being gracious.
So the question becomes for those to whom he is accountable (four members of North Canton City Council is this:
Does the quality of his work as the city's lawyer outweigh the seeds of distrust, disharmony, distance and disregard that he seemingly plants in his relationship with any who make demands of North Canton government?
If it is the former rather than the latter and a majority of council does not move to ameliorate the latter, then there will be a limit on any effort to build a constructive relationship between the governors and the governed.
Here is a recent exchange between him and Osborne which clearly demonstrates anew that he gets ridiculous in the handling of requests for public records (note: the requested record was already out in the public domain) and one would presume is an attitude he carries over into other law director/citizen contacts.
From: Justine Avery [mailto:javery@northcantonohio.gov] Sent: Tuesday, October 04, 2016 10:37 AM To: Chuck Osborne Subject: Public Record Request McKinley Development Company Dear Mr. Osborne, In response to your request to the Clerk of Council for a copy of a letter sent to City Council by the McKinley Development Company, the clerk was unable to immediately satisfy your request because she had not been provided with a copy of the record you sought. State ex rel. Fant v. Mengel, 62 Ohio St.3d 197, (1991) (The Public Records Act, Ohio Revised Code (“R.C.”) 149.43, does not require that a public office create documents to meet a requester’s demand). As a courtesy to you, however, a copy was obtained outside of the clerk’s office and is attached hereto. Timothy L. Fox ...
Note: The SCPR takes the "as a courtesy to you" as being a case of being a smart aleck and unbecoming of a public official.
Otherwise, the improvements noted in this blog are owing to the core of citizens who for nearly four years now have made it crystal clear to the mayor and all of council that North Canton is going to be a government of, by and for the people.
The SCPR at this time cannot with a sense of certainty name factors in North Canton government who have gotten that message and have internally led an effort to have council and the administration approach if not get to a "come let of reason together" model of citizen/government interaction.
But it is clear that those personages have emerged.
And such is an example of government officials "doing the right thing!"
A further showing of good faith and a changing relationship, council and the mayor should join together as clients of the law director to direct him (waiving the attorney/client privilege which is owned by the clients; not the attorneys) to release a copy of the work of Brickner and Ecker on the matter of North Canton CRA as certainly exists as clearly indicated by this invoice submitted by the Columbus based law firm.
On September 14th, most Stark County Republican political subdivision elected officials/candidates for office in the November 8th general election made their way to Canton Memorial Civic Center for a "date" with GOP presidential candidate.
Mid-September through perhaps through late September and the first presidential debate of the 26th, Donald J. Trump was at the "high water mark" of his candidacy.
It was looking more and more up to the September 26th first debate and his post-debate trashing of form Miss Universe Alicia Machado it was becoming more and more plausible that Trump could actually be elected president of the United States of America.
Post-September 14th appearance. the SCPR spoke with Republican Stark County commissioner Richard Regula who said that up until the 14th and Trump coming to Canton, he was at best "lukewarm" to the Trump candidacy.
Fast forward to today, October 10th, and Regula in a telephone conversation with the SCPR said in essence "a pox on both their houses" (a SCPR characterization; not Regula's).
And, Regula, would not share with The Report whom he planned to vote for in this election citing his "secret ballot" privilege.
However, he did vigorously criticize Trump for the over-the-weekend (Friday) "caught on tape" revelation wherein Trump talked about women in a derogatory/obscene way and implied that he had taken sexual liberties with unwary "beautiful" women he encountered in his travels. (LINK to the video/transcrpit for those few readers who may not have seen the "caught on tape") In last night's debate, Trump denied that he had actually taken action on his words.
Moreover, it seemed apparent from the SCPR/Regula conversation that he is NOT likely to vote for Hillary Clinton in alluding to his belief that she in her own way is every bit as undesirable as Trump is.
On Saturday morning, incumbent Commissioner Regula's Democratic opponent John Mariol came out with this challenge to Regula and impliedly to all Stark County Republican subdivision candidates.
I think any Republican candidate or current office holder (my opponent included) that has endorsed and stood by Donald Trump needs to explain why they are putting party loyalty in front of the dignity of women. The Citizens and more specifically the women of Stark County deserve to know why party loyalty is more important then the dignity of women.
The SCPR has contacted many of Stark's Republican candidates for local office but has only received a smattering of responses, one being this morning's telephone interview with Regula.
One of the most understandable justifications of a local Republican candidate for countywide office in seeing appeal in Trump as the Republican presidential standard bearer came earlier today from a SCPR telephone interview with Republican prosecutor candidate Jeff Jakmides.
Jakmides says that his attraction to Trump is very, very narrow. And that is "the Wall" that Trump says he wants to build on the U.S./Mexico border stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illegal drugs (heroin overdose deaths are a huge problem in Stark County and accross America).
Jakmides says that if Clinton was stronger on the interdiction of heroin and the like from filtering in across the U.S./Mexico border, he would have no problem whatsoever despite his being a Republican supporting her over Trump.
But, he says, in his estimate that simply is not the case.
A local powerful/popular Republican countywide, Stark County Commissioner Janet Creighton, is not running for re-election this election cycle.
She has embraced Donald Trump from her perspective of being a woman in heading the Stark County unit of Women for Trump and "trumpeted" same to the SCPR a couple of weeks ago.
Has Creighton rethought her support of Trump given the "caught on tape" incident?
Not at all, to wit:
Janet Creighton <janetweircreighton@...> Oct 8 at 4:13 PM To: Martin Olson I am disappointed in his remarks but it does not negate the actions of Hillary as Secretary of State. She is not creditable. I am voting for Trump.
The SCPR agrees with Creighton, Clinton is not credible (ref: [for one] her private/public positions on Wall Street interests).
Being the father of three daughters two of whom are high ranking military officers (one of whom worked in the sexual assault prevention and response unit at the Pentagon) there is no they should be working for a commander in chief who sat by and allow even own his daughter (ref: Howard Stern interview) to be described as "a piece of a**.
The SCPR has been at the forefront in Stark County government and politics advocating and pushing for women joining as equal partners with men in bringing effective, efficient, honest, transparent, accountable government to Stark County government irrespective of the political party identity.
The Report has a high regard for a few of Stark County's Republicans who hold and are running for Stark County political office.
But the Trump "fusillade on women" (going back at least to 1990 up to the present) lack of articulated and meaningful response on the part of too many Stark County Republican officials/candidates and should be taken by voters as their being too willing to abide a hostile gender specific model of leadership in service of political party interests.
And the same applies to local "organized" Democrats in relation to Bill Clinton when they minimize or are dismissive of his outrageous historical relationship with women as being mere objects.
Yesterday's blog included Family Court judge candidate David Nist's failure to meet the Trump offense head-on and Saturday's 49th Ohio District candidate Dan McMasters non-response.
A family court judge candidate cannot roundly condemn Donald Trump by name?
Wow!
Finally, still no word from Republican Stark County treasurer Alex Zumbar.
It appears to the SCPR that there is a somewhat of a disconnect between Stark County's leading political figures as contrasted with a number of Ohio's statehouse Republicans.
Stark County's leading Republican countywide and Stark County commissioner Janet Creighton (as seen in the graphic above) is sticking by the GOP's nominated for president man: Donald J. Trump.
And here is what the Stark County Republican Party (presumably the words of [or at least approved by him for release] Stark GOP Chairman, Jeff Matthews (also executive director of the Stark County Republican Party).
Matthews has not responded direct to the SCRP in response to an e-mail inquiry sent him and other leading Stark County "organized" Republicans early yesterday morning seeking reaction as a consequence of a "caught on tape" video in which Republican presidential candidate Trump can be heard saying (in 2005) that he had attempted to seduce a married woman and seemingly he could do whatever he wished of a sexual nature with women he took a liking to by virtue of his, at the time, being a star.
The Report has received no response from Stark County treasurer Alex Zumbar and prosecuting attorney candidate Jeff Jakmides.
Republican Stark County commissioner candidate and current Canton Township trustee Bill Smith did respond saying that he was preoccupied with working on campaign matters and dealing with family located in Florida in the pathway of Hurricane Matthew.
Here is what Republican Family Court candidate David Nist had to say:
My parents always taught my sister and I not to say anything that we would not be willing to repeat to our grandparents. They also taught us the value of the golden rule. Despite our best efforts if we did ever offend someone we were directed to give them a sincere apology and hope the offended person forgave us. As parents, my wife and I try to instill some of the same values in our children. n our jobs, my wife and I try to always remember that the individual or people we are dealing with could be someones brother, sister, wife, husband, mother, father or grandparent and so we do our best to treat them with respect.
Several state of Ohio elected officials/federal officials and thereby public figures had these comments which are in marked contrast to what is coming out of the mouths of Stark County GOP officials (source: Columbus Dispatch article [LINK]):
State officials disapproving and NOT endorsing Trump:
State officials disapproving of Trump's "caught on tape" but apparently still supporting him pretty much in line what Stark GOP elected officials/candidates are saying:
Federal elected official disapproving of Trump's words and WITHDRAWING a previous endorsement which, of course, is tune with what Kasich and Yost have done.
And, finally, statements from two of Stark County's representatives in Congress which are pretty much in line with the Stark County/DeWine approach: (Gibbs, most of Stark County; Renacci the northern part of Stark County)
Notably "among the missing" (as of the time of publishing this blog) are state GOP elected Mary Taylor (lieutenant governor), Josh Mandel (Ohio treasurer) and Jon Husted (secretary of state).
There has probably never been a more trying time for "organized" and "elected to office" and "candidate for office" Republicans whether it be at the local, state or national level.
JOHN MARIOL ISSUES CHALLENGE TO OPPONENT RICHARD REGULA
&
ALL OTHER LOCAL REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES
ON
TRUMP
"CAUGHT ON TAPE" ATTACK ON WOMEN
I think any Republican candidate or current office holder (my opponent included) that has endorsed and stood by Donald Trump needs to explain why they are putting party loyalty in front of the dignity of women.
The Citizens and more specifically the women of Stark County deserve to know why party loyalty is more important then the dignity of women.
Councilman John Mariol II
Ward Seven
One of the Republican attacks on Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is her famous (24 years ago on CBS' 60 Minutes) in response to the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal:
"I'm not sitting here some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette." But that Hillary assertion was far from the truth of what she actually did.
And the SCPR agrees with the Republicans, in participating in the effort to discredit Lewinsky and others consorting with Bill, Hillary was disserving women.
Now we the have the GOP's Donald Trump's "war on women" that may date back to 1990, if not before.
The question in 2016 is whether "organized" Republicans care more about the continue viability of the party's presidential candidate and by extension Republican political party interest preservation over the dignity of women.
Going back to the days that Stark County commissioner candidate Bill Smith (trustee, Canton Township [Canton South]) was running in the March 15, 2016 primary election against fellow Republican Dave Mungo of Alliance for the Republican nomination for the commissionership, neither was for Donald Trump in the huge array of (16, 17 or so) of candidates seeking to be the Republican nominee for president in the November 8th election.
Smith said he was solid for Republican governor John Kasich.
Mungo said he was supporting Ben Carson.
On reflection, the SCPR's take away was that both had a dim view of the candidacy of Donald Trump.
One of Bill Smith's qualities is being a team player. As a Canton Township trustee, he for 15 years worked with the township's other to trustees to advance the interests of Canton Township residents in a positive way.
Accordingly, it is not surprising that this John Kasich supporter opted to perhaps put his individual self-interest political stance on the back burner and get on board in supporting Trump as a reasonably loyal Republican as demonstrated in his backdrop presence at Trump's September 14 Canton Memorial Civic Center appearance.
Less than a month later, Smith and other Stark County Republican candidates for countywide office and in one statehouse race (District 49, Democrat councilman Thomas West opposed by Republican Dan McMasters) are faced with having questions posed to them by the likes of The Stark County Political Report regarding their continuing support in light of the revelation yesterday of a Donald Trump videotape (the audio portion) which reveals a Donald Trump promoting marital infidelity in the context of just having married for the third time himself and his revealing, in his take, that because he is a rich and famous man he could pretty much has his way sexually with adoring women.
With that videotape hitting the airwaves, Republican supporters of Trump (officeholders/candidates from school boards through national office) now have to chose between staying with the GOP presidential nominee or backing off in protest to Trump's outrageous conduct in his relationship with women outside his immediate family.
Recently, daughter Ivanka (who Stark County state Rep. Christina Hagan, the 50th) is on record as being impressed with was out saying (paraphrase) my father is not a predator.
More than any other assessment/attribution, "predator" is the one the SCPR thinks is most used by political/social "on-air" analysts since the story broke yesterday.
If nothing else, Trump ought to be totally ashamed of himself for having allowed his daughter to be out on the political hustings on his behalf having to have known that he had engaged in conduct revealed by the 2005 tape.
The SCPR has contacted Smith and other Stark Republican candidates and officeholders via e-mail for a reaction.
It will be interesting to see what kind of response the Stark County media collectively will be have to elicit from local Republican candidates/office holders.
The Stark County Republican Party candidates cited by name and/or alluded to in this blog, all seem to the SCPR to be high quality human beings.
Yours truly is registered as a non-partisan voter.
To boot: the father of three terrific daughters; all highly accomplished academically & professionally, all highly thoughtful, all "respect" demanding.
In order: a USAF medical doctor, an attorney (near completing her PhD) and a public relations officer (Colonel) in the United States Air Force Reserve.
In the 1988 through 1996 era as the Olson girls were learning what it like to be a woman in American society, there were battles to be fought and won in alliance with their father.
For example, the Lake School System having vastly superior locker room facilities for basketball for boys as compared to those for girls.
Another example, the men of the North Canton YMCA trying to run the Olson girls out of the use of one of two gyms located in the bowels of North Canton facility notwithstanding that the Olson family was dues paying and therefore entitled to a shared use.
Accordingly, it is important that local Republicans holding/running for office to qualify for the Martin Olson support/vote to publicly disavow the Trump 2005 conduct and moreover to make clear disavowing statements that his "in being in an entertainer mode" could somehow in his screwy mindset could be a justification for calling women "fat pig, slob, dog, disgusting animal."
Trump's disparagement of women goes back to at least 1990.
The SCPR is fanning out across Stark County to get public official/candidate/citizen reaction (Republican & Democrat) to the Trump "caught on camera" revelation.
Here is a reaction from former Canton councilman (Ward 5) and Democratic candidate for county commissioners (would have been Bill Smith's opponent, if he had won the Democratic primary.
Kevin Fisher <kevinforcanton@gmail.com> Today at 9:04 AM To: Martin Olson Marty, I can't say that I'm surprised by the 2005 tape...Trump is a man who has built his celebrity and now his presidential campaign on bluster and outrageous comments. He has has spent his life and his candidacy insulting women, Latinos, Muslims, African-Americans, and just about anyone else who crosses his mind. I am, however, grateful that my 11 year daughter will not only see the first woman be elected president next month...but also see her do so by defeating the biggest misogynist to ever seek the White House. KF Stark County's most prominent woman officeholder is Stark County commissioner Janet Creighton.
The Report got into a little bit of a flap with Creighton on exactly how committed she is to Donald Trump as presidential candidate. (LINK)
The SCPR has a great deal of admiration for Creighton in light of her history of having had to struggle to get to the top of Stark County Republicanism in the face of her as a woman getting the respect of the men who have controlled the leadership of the Stark County Republican Party sense her days years ago as Stark County recorder.
Here is a re-post of Creighton's e-mail to the SCPR in response to the SCPR's questioning of her loyalty to the Trump presidency effort:
As the chair of "Stark County Women for Trump," it will be interesting to see if Creighton will respond to a SCPR e-mail inquiry as to whether or or not she stands by her presidential candidate man: Donald J. Trump, no?
Being as politically close to Governor Kasich as she is, it should have been a clear signal to her to "beware" Donald Trump in the light of the Kasich steadfast refusal to endorse the Republican presidential standard bearer.
Republican candidate Dan McMasters weighs-in with the SCPR in the following e-mail exchange, to wit:
Dan McMasters <dan.mcmasters.byg0 ... Today at 12:23 PM To: 'Martin Olson' It will make for an interesting debate topic tomorrow. This whole thing is headed into the gutter Dan F. McMasters ... -----Original Message----- From: Martin Olson [tramols@att.net] Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2016 11:22 AM Eastern Standard Time To: Dan McMasters Subject: Trump "caught on camera" matter Dan, As a leading Stark County Republican who has shown support for Donald Trump (e.g. Civic Center September 14th), your reaction to the Trump "caught on tape" matter of yesterday? Thank you, Martin Olson tramols@att.net 330 499 0465
Most media present at the Bill Clinton political rally for the election of Hillary Clinton as president on Wednesday at Local 550 Ironworkers' training facility located at 6th and High Street NW in Canton came away focused on what Bill had to say.
Not The Stark County Political Report.
Yesterday, The Report focused on the moving presentation by Massillon mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry and daughter Vanessa on behalf of Hillary (LINK).
Today, the focus is on the absence in the presentation of Democratic United States Senator Sherrold Brown on nary a word on behalf of the candidacy of former Democratic governor Ted Strickland in his quest to defeat incumbent Republican senator Rob Portman in a contest for Ohio's "other' U.S. Senate seat.
Take a look/listen of Brown as he prepared to introduce William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States of America. (video: 8:21)
Hear any mention of Ted Strickland?
An oversight?
Hardly.
Checkout this website (LINK) chronicling the political demise of Ted Strickland's U.S. Senate run.
Strickland being behind by some 17 points behind in the polls is now being taken for having politically succumbed and therefore about 30 days before election day being assigned a place in the "passed on from political viability" political graveyard.
With Portman having a lead of 17 percentage points, one would think that the likes of Republican candidate for Stark County prosecuting attorney would be imploring him and chief support for down ticket Republicans; namely, Republican governor John Kasich (still refusing to endorse Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump) to come to Stark County and have a very public event asking Stark Countians supporting Portman to be sure to vote for Jeff Jakmides, too.
The SCPR did e-mail the Clinton campaign asking about the slight of Strickland at Wednesday's rally.
No response as of the latest update of this blog. Hmm?
It was fitting a proper that Stark Countians Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., George T. Maier and R. Shane Jackson were present at Strickland's more or less "official" passing from the Ohio political scene.
While Strickland was among the "politically viable" living, the Maiers and Jackson (or at least his mother, former Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson) seem to have benefited enormously from Strickland having been governor.
And, no doubt, hopes were soaring among the aforementioned trio and their Stark County political loyalists that Ted Strickland would be making it to the political hustings of Washington, D.C.
But those aspirations are all dashed now unless Strickland becomes a political appointee of the likely to be elected president Hillary Clinton.
Never say never, but it appears that the Maiers' inside track to state and national prominence are also buried in the political grave site of Ted Strickland.
How long will it be before Strickland is listed for one reason or another in the annals of POLITICALGRAVEYARD.COM? (LINK)
Normally, one does not encounter heart rending stories at political campaign rallies.
But yesterday Bill Clinton's appearance at the Canton-based Local 550 Ironworkers Hall (High & 6th St NW) before some 500 persons was the exception.
The Clinton campaign accomplished two things yesterday in presenting Massillon mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry and her disabled daughter as a featured before Bill Clinton presenter at the rally promoting the presidential candidacy of Bill's wife Hillary.
First, it is the heart warming story of a carrying the burdens of being a public official mom who has a superlative personal history of being a caring person caring a torch for disadvantaged Stark Countians.
Second, it set the Clintons up as being empathic with and highly supportive of in terms of public policy for the disadvantaged in contrast to Republican candidate Donald J. Trump.
On or about November 24, 2015 Trump mocked a reporter whom he thought had a disability, to wit:
On or about October 1, 2016 Trump mocked Hillary Clinton for having had a health problem during a 9/11 memorial last month.
Contrast the foregoing the Clinton campaign providing center stage to Mayor Catazaro-Perry and her daughter yesterday.
In a mere 4:49 Mayor Kathy and her daughter makes the case for Hillary Clinton to all who have a sense of being attentive to human needs in the context of being developmentally disadvantage or something that we all encounter from time to time: being ill.
For those who might want to think that there is no objective evidence that Clinton has made children a priority going back in her political career of public life and office holding, they might want to take a look at these websites:
Whoever put together the pre Bill Clinton speaks part of yesterday's rally did Hillary Clinton a whole lot of good in provide space to the Catazaro-Perry family.
Will the campaign have the sagacity to put snippets of the Catazaro-Perry presentation in contrast to the Trump mockings in a 30/60 second ad?
B.A. - Political Science
J.D.
AN INDEPENDENT MINDED POLITICAL COMMENTATOR
Until 1976 I was a Republican. Since then I have considered myself a Democrat. So after long term stints of being a Republican, then a Democrat, I have come to the political position I feel most comfortable with - being an INDEPENDENT MINDED ANALYST who demands effectiveness of our politicians - Republican, Democrat or whatever.
I have changed my political affiliation to "non-partisan" by not voting in either political party primary election.
