The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) knows politicians all too well.
There are some really good ones who are a credit to the profession and serve their communities admirably and effectively.
But most are mediocre at best who one hopes will heed the physician's dictum: "do no harm."
A few are like Dave Wolf and Tim Wise who are trustees in Marlboro Township. Together they unleashed an unfounded investigation on Marlboro Police Chief Ron Devies and his son Kyle that was one of, if not the very worst, of experiences that the Devies have had in their entire lives. The best that can be said of Wolf and Wise is that they are blundering political leaders who lack the people skills to manage a community.
All over a misunderstanding as to coordinating the transfer of computer management functions.
Subjecting the Devies to a criminal investigation over a misunderstanding was a very, very cruel thing to do - especially in light of the legal slam dunk administered to the complainants by Judge Lee Sinclair on May 20, 2009. A cruel thing indeed! Moreover, the legal smashing was easily foreseeable - even by a non-lawyer. A cruel thing indeed!
So let's get this straight. Wolf has the gall to tell folks assembled at Marlboro Township Hall this past Monday that "the attacks against him on the Internet were cruel." Presumably, Wolf was talking about the SCPR.
A fair minded person would say there was nothing cruel about the SCPR's work. Hard hitting and to the point, and sometimes - a tad humerous (both graphically and in writing)? Yes, indeed. Ever heard of straight forward journalism? Could be that Messers Wolf and Wise are used to the milquetoast that comes out of The Repository?
Weren't The Rep editors the ones who said the Devies needed to move on. Don't consider suing? Just act like it didn't happen.
Kind of like Wolf's 55 seconds at the lectern at the meeting to reinstate the chief. "Opps! The prosecutors made a mistake. We just did what we were told" (paraphrase)
Or Wise: "nothing personal."
How disingenuous!
The Wolf game is as old has humanity as existed.
His cruelty statement is his projecting his own behavior onto others.
In a bizzare and ironical sort of way, it is being too kind to Wolf and Wise to say they were merely cruel to the Devies.
There are much more harsh things some Marlboro residents are saying about this duo. Go to a trustees meeting and listen up.
Remember it was Wolf and Wise who requested the unwarranted investigation that caused the Devies dearly in terms of the humiliation visited upon them in a community that they had served with distinction. The waiting, the waiting, the waiting until they had their day in court. Five long months. The expense of it all. The sleepless nights. Wondering, wondering - would the system of justice work? Could they depend on the system to find them innocent of committing fourth degree felonies as they knew they were?
It is hard to believe that this can happen in America. But it did. And at the hands of "local" (your friends and neighbors as trustees) government in the bucolic community of Marlboro. Go figure!
Trustee Wayne Schilig told yours truly just a few days ago that this incident got way overblown and should have be settled way short of launching an investigation which resulted in the indictments being brought against the Devies. Moreover, he said that the township would be talking to the Devies about compensating them for what they went through.
Wayne Schilig was the compassionate one. He tried to mediate what was obviously an inadvertent action based on miscommunication. But Wolf and Wise stood firm. No second of Schilig's motion to reinstate. Just the taciturn Wold and Wise sitting there unconcerned - apparently - in the midst of a community wrecking process that was agonizingly painful to the Devies.
And The Report doesn't buy Tim Wise's "nothing personal." Trustee Wise needs to try that one on the uninitiated.
Marlboro and the Devies will get no apologies from Wise and Wolf. Undoubtedly, they have from Trustee Schilig.
Supporters of the Devies should encourage Trustees Wise (has taken out a petition) and Wolf to run for reelection.
No way! Many will say.
But think about it. What could be a more civilized way to give these two the boot?
Or would Wolf think voters exercising the franchise is cruel too?
Believe it or not; he probably would.
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