DISCUSSION: SCHOOL FUNDING PROBLEMS? JACKSON RESIDENTS CAN'T BE HAPPY ABOUT OELSLAGER RUNNING UNOPPOSED

Jackson Township residents (who are paying up to $1,000 per household for their school-aged children to participate in extra-curricular activities) can't be very happy about the fact they cannot register a "no confidence" vote on 51st Ohio House District Representative Scott Oelslager.

Why can't they?

Because he's running unopposed!

Stark County Democratic Party Chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., has a lot of reason to be puffed up about the Democrats' success across Stark County. But he should be ashamed about how under his chairmanship, for many years now, Stark County Republicans have controlled the Ohio General Assembly (OGA) seats for the county.

Jacksonians have to be particularly perturbed because they have no way to impress upon the Republican dominated OGA - let's say by defeating an Oelslager - of the extreme importance that the Republican-led OGA deal with fixing public school education funding.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) lays "the running unopposed" right at the feet of Democratic Party Chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. It is super-easy for The Report to come up with a Democrat name that would be a strong opponent to Oelslager - let's say a Randy Gonzalez: Jackson Township Fiscal Officer.

Not Randy's political neophyte son Kody (now working for Stark County Recorder Rick Campbell), who Maier put up as a "sacrificial lamb" candidate last time around.

The Report posits that in certain races, Stark Republican and Democrat chairman have "wink and nod" agreements that certain offices will be uncontested (mostly judgeships). These agreements serve the parties well but not the voters.

The question: Do you agree/disagree with The Report - Party chairmen Maier (Democrats) and Matthews (Republicans) have an special obligation of trust to the voting public to make each and every partisan political race in Stark County competitive.