A month or so ago the SCPR had a discussion with a Healy administration official who lamenented "if he could only stop shooting himself in the foot."Or, to use another metaphor: "quit fumbling the football" in cruicial situations.
As everybody who is familiar with Canton politics knows, Mayor Healy insists as mayor on being the star on everything and he and he alone carries the football. Only trouble is that time-after-time-after time he fumbles the ball at critical times.
The big laugh about Healy is that he named his campaign organization "TeamHealy." A Stark County countywide elected official has told the SCPR that Healy is impossible to work with. "TeamHealy?" "Really?"
His administration, not that far from half-time of his four year term, cannot advance "the betterment of Canton ball" because of all his fumbling: Bernabei, Schulman, Hawk, Nesbitt, ethics questions, "achieving zero-tolerance," and on-and-on-and-on goes the Healy fumblitis.
Recently Healy appointed Canton Police Chief Deputy Thomas Ream as safety director to replace the outgoing Thomas Nesbitt (Ream to replace Nesbitt as safety director, The Rep, July 1st). Question is: Has Healy fumbled again?
If so, Healy may have squandered his last chance to regain the confidence of Cantonians.
What are opinion upon that the Ream appointment may be another Healy political fumble?
First, there is the problem with the Ream appointment (effective August 4th) in that the beleaguered (at the hand of the Healy administration) McKimm working for his former deputy who The Report believes will be under continuing pressure from Healy (as yours truly believes Nesbitt was) to terminate McKimm.
Moreover, there may be a question of Ream's judgment.
The SCPR has learned Deputy Ream went to the White Crown Cafe shortly after a triple murder occurred outside the bar - in his words or to the effect thereof - "to establish a police presence in order to reassure neighborhood residents of their safety."
The Report's understanding is that even though Ream was there to establish a police presence (apparently in uniform), he may have been off duty at the time. Does this make sense?
Furthermore, he was seen allegedly consuming alcohol at the time. And to boot, he was observed being in conversation with a Repository reporter Lori Monsewicz who reportedly purchased Ream a beer?
The SCPR did place a telephone call to Monsewicz for a confirmation, denial or an explanation. However, the call has gone unanswered. Moreover, Monsewicz has not answered the SCPR's e-mail on the subject matter. A reporter not answering telephone calls? Not responding to e-mails? Very interesting indeed.
"A reassuring police presence?" Sitting around talking to a reporter allegedly drinking beer? Doesn't sound like very good judgment to the SCPR on Deputy Ream's part, if true. The SCPR has telephoned Canton-safety-director-to-be Ream to ask about all the matters touched upon by this report. But like Monsewicz; no response.
There's another interesting tidbit about Ream. The SCPR has learned that he was high on the list of candidates to be hired as Perry police chief (at the time Escola ended up getingh hired) until he refused to take a lie detector test. Taking such a test is probably routine for anyone applying for such a sensitive position.
What are Ream's reasons for refusing the test? A matter of principle? Perhaps Ream and the Healy administration owe the public an explanation.
And finally it is noteworthy that when Healy hired Nesbitt as safety director, Ream reportedly was a candidate. So, Ream was not good enough in late 2007, early 2008, but now he is?
Does Healy have an explanation about what changed over the course of time?
To the SCPR, this Healy choice of Ream as safety director is the equivalent of carrying the ball in one hand as a easy target for approaching tacklers to knock out. Bingo! Another fumble. If this appointment proves to be a fumble, could this be a fumble that costs TeamHealy (and, unfortunately, Canton) the game?
Or, at the very minimum, the Healy administration and Canton is back on defense once again. Of course, defense is familiar territory for this administration. Just when it appears that Canton is going to get its offense started, what happens? Another fumble?
Time and time again that is exactly where Healy has placed Canton with his malady of "political" fumblitis.
Does Healy care about the well-being of Canton at all?
Or, it is all about William J. Healy, II?
How much more can Canton take?
I've come to the conclusion that if you REALLY want to know what's going on in Canton, come to the Stark County Political Report. Can you get an honest, full report on what's going on in Canton's political arena from reading the Rep? I think not. They ration out the 'going on's' like they rationed sugar during the war. (Telling my age there) Seems they'd rather do cover-ups than an ex-po-ses`. Of course that's nothing new for them. That's the kind of reporting they've done since I was kid.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the reporting they did, back in the late 40.s, 50's, and 60's, when Canton was riddled with more crime and illegal activity than it is now. Born and raised in the infamous 'Red Light District', I saw a lot of the kind of reporting or lack of reporting, back then as I see now. The Rep and it's reporters knew what was going on, the prostitution, gambling, numbers, racketeering, and they knew that the administration, and the police were turning their heads to what was really going on. Every now and then, the sheriff would go over the heads of the city cops and pull a big raid, then you'd see front page coverage, like what was going on in our otherwise quiet, nice place to raise your kids community, was a big shock to the mayor and city police. Even as a kid I knew it was all a crock.
Good job SCPR. I vote for "it's all about Healy". By the way, did the cop have his gun on while visiting this bar off duty? I know another cop got into serious trouble for taking a gun into a restaurant-bar not too long ago. Just wondering. That's another issue.