Whether or not the William Healy, II can get re-elected will depend, in large part, on Cantonians believe he has the city heading in the right direction.A huge part of the "heading in the right direction" enhancing job opportunities for Canton residents.
The revelation in today's edition of The Repository that the Healy administration has farmed out the city's workers' compensation business to a Cuyahoga County firm with the "merely" co-incidental factor that some of the firm's officials contributed to the Healy mayor campaign of yore, does not bode well for a second Healy term.
"Team Healy" apparently thinks that Canton voters are completely uninitiated about politics and buy the story that there is no connected between campaign contributions and the placing of business.
Even if The Rep's investigative reporter cannot directly tie the awarding of the contract some sort of "pro quid quo," Healy can rest assured that his action will be a major issue through his re-election bid.
There still will be whispers in the nooks and crannies of the voting precincts of Canton.
What will be talked about in public in a glaring sort of way in mayoralty debates and other public appearance by the candidate, is the snubbing of Canton-based AultComp.
The Healy administration says it is on a Canton/Stark County-centered economic development revival model. Really?
The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) believes that on economic development issues alone, the mayor has caused severe damage to his re-election prospects.
The Report believes that the Healy decision to go outside Canton/Stark County was unwise on every count.
And for him to become an evangelist for re-directing the Stark County commissioners from the county's present association with AultComp to 1-888-OHIOCOMP should be and is offensive to those of us who live outside of Canton but who demand that our government officials favor local business when they are competitive.
Is Healy really this politically uninformed? Wow?
One more question: Why did Kim Perez (Stark County auditor) receive political contributions from Cuyahoga Countians?
"There still will be whispers in the nooks and crannies of the voting precincts of Canton."
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think there will be screams, not whispers.
This has a LOT of political undertones and it will haunt some Stark County foks for a long time.
And, good question about Perez .... I'm betting there are strings attached to contributions from Russo & Dimora.