Yours truly has known Kevin Fisher for approximately 14 years.
Before Monday night's debate about an amendment (#2) to a ordinance to require approximately 1,200 signatures by September 1st for a Cantonian to get a place on the November 3rd ballot seeking to be elected to one of 15 Charter Commission members on the condition that voters in that same election authorize the formation of such a commission, the SCPR has had a positive take on Fisher.
That is all changed now.
Fisher repetitively cites his promise to Ward 5 voters that he would never support a Charter government initiative for Canton; elevating the promise to a point of personal and official honor on Monday.
Moreover, he allowed his foolhardy promise as a basis upon which prompt him to violate a ruling by Judge Frank Forchione of the Stark County Court of Common Pleas that Fisher's fellow councilman Edmond Mack (Democrat - Ward 9) had complied with the Constitution of Ohio and Ohio statutory law as interpreted by case law in, in offering up to Cantoninans, a fourth opportunity since 1913 to go charter government.
Foolhardy promise?
Indeed!
Who as a responsible, rule of law and oathed "I will support the Constitution" (of the United States and Ohio) elected official would make a promise that might place him in the position Fisher found himself on Monday night past?
The defect in Fisher's argument and his comment in Monday's debate to wit:
And I’m about to make liar out of myself in a few minutes on final passage. So, I’m going to
offer what, an Amendment that will change that number from, I believe the previous was 25 signatures, up to 10% of the electorate voting in the previous Governor’s election. If Members wish to vote that way, that is fine, I’m going to vote yes on that Amendment ... ."
is what he had to know from get-go that he had not made a "rule of law" consistent and therefore unsustainable promise.
And this ridiculous and disturbingly anti-democratic-republican-system of government statement from Majority Leader Frank Morris, III:
I compliment Member Fisher for coming up with a great idea. We’re not going to vote no, we’re going to put it on ... we’re going to give you the right to vote on it. And to comment on Member Smuckler’s remark that we’re going to make it hard, no, we’re going to make it downright damn impossible.
To carry The Report's argument forward, Fisher's unvetted promise suggests that he lacks the judgment to be seriously consider as a candidate for Stark County commissioner.
In order to make it impossible for him to even make it to the ballot he should as a matter of applying his own defined standard (ramped up equivalency wise because he supposes to run countywide; not merely with Canton) as indicated by his support of and vote for the aforementioned Charter Government ordinance Amendment #2 suggests should be proportionally applied to him - unless, of course - he does mind being thought of as an out-and-out hypocrite.
Accordingly, if Fisher is truly the man of political honor that he attributes to himself, he will self-impose the SCPR suggested 5,000 signatures all with seven days from yesterday the day he sent out a press release announcing his candidacy for Stark County commissioner.
Of course, such is not going to happen.
Now - all of a sudden! no - there will be extenuating circumstances, don't you think?
Though Fisher's focus on countywide economic development is an attractive feature of his candidacy announcement, his anti-democratic role on Monday night's Canton City Council vote causes yours truly's ears to be afflicted with deafness.
One of the things that Fisher likes to chortle about is his role as campaign manager for the 2006 Democrat Todd Bosley campaign for Stark County commissioner in which Bosley surprised every Stark County-based political pundit in his defeating incumbent Republican commissioner Richard Regula (son of retired longtime Congressman Ralph Regula [16th District which then included all of Stark County]).
Actually, that credential is not very flattering.
Consequently, Bosley became a political pariah in Stark County and probably cannot be elected to anything anywhere in Stark County.
We will know one way or another soon about Bosley.
He is one of four candidates for Nimishillen Township trustee (from wench he cameth in his 2006 upset of Regula) in November.
Could it be that the Nimishillen race is one step towards reuniting with Fisher in the Stark County commissioners office in 2018?
Let's hope not.
For if that happens, the new day of open county government which dawned with the election of Janet Creighton (a Republican) and Thomas Bernabei (formerly a Democrat; now an "independent") in 2010 will be in jeopardy.
Fisher has in conversations with yours truly shared that he has bounced back and forth between running for commissioner or getting out of government altogether.
In the past, yours truly has thought Fisher to be "an up and comer" younger politician (e.g. one of the "four young turks [Fisher, Mack, Mariol and Morris]) that bode positively for Canton, Stark County and perhaps even the state of Ohio level.
But that is all gone now.
The SCPR has now seen enough of Kevin Fisher to know that he lacks the overall qualities that Stark Countians should want in one of their commissioners.
In time, he may redeem himself.
But on Monday he showed bad. Really, really, really bad on issues of first order importance to those of us committed to a vibrant easily accessible democratic-republican system of government.
To say it again. Fisher's unsustainable promise (if one is committed to the rule of law) was foolhardy and demonstrates a flaw in his judgement.
Everybody makes mistakes and politicians make blunder after blunder after blunder as daily news headlines attest day after day after day.
But when one makes a mistake on fundamental American democratic-republican values (e.g. Bosley on the "imposing" issue; Fisher on the Charter government issue), such is not the equivalent of a "bad hair day."
Voters cannot afford to hope that these folks are changed persons going forward.
The burden is on them to convince.
And Kevin Fisher has some convincin' to do!!!
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