Saturday, October 31, 2015

IF HE FILES A LAWSUIT, WILL WILLIAM J. HEALY, II BE UNLEASHING 8 DEMONS ON HIMSELF?

UPDATED:  5:00 P.M.


There is no doubt about it.

The receipt on Thursday by some 4500 Canton voting households of a mailer generated by a suspected non-de plume (Duncan Edwards [Edwards]) and at least on the surface a third party to the  mayor's race between incumbent Democratic mayor Wiliam J. Healy, II and "found new religion err politics" opponent, namely; "independent" Thomas M. Bernabei had to rock the campaign of the mayor who is seeking a third term.

The mailer (LINK) is filled with a number of allegations about the personal conduct of the mayor.

The Report's take is that Edwards in creating and sending of the mailer wanted to be absolutely sure that Healy is not elected to a third term.

The SCPR long ago declared this race to be over (LINK).


So why the overkill?

The claim is that mayor must be made an example of to protect women in the workplace.

The timing of the release of the mailer is such that one has to believe that it was no mere coincidence that it occurred week.

Whether or not the Bernabei camp or at least some supporters of Bernabei knew of the impending release before it happened is a proper question raised by Mayor Healy and his supporters.

Should it turn out that the Bernabei folks knew and yet denied knowing, then Bernabei, if elected, will start with a blight on his otherwise sterling ethical record as a public official.

The problem with "last minute political releases" is that they could be completely bogus but the object of the attack has no effective way to deal with it in the waning days of a political campaign.

So if the perpetrator(s) of the accusative mailer has been sitting on this story for months (a media interview of Edwards' apparent attorney Craig T. Conley seems to indicate such) and if Edwards is operating from a position of "principle," how is it that the timing of the publication to Canton voters was timed to be days before final voting day (early voting has been in progress since October 6th)  which happens on this coming Tuesday.

The Healy camp undoubtedly is upset with local media for picking up on the story.

But can anybody imagine either the SCPR, The Repository or let's say WHBC's Ron Ponder Show not picking up on it?

Who would take any of the foregoing seriously again when it comes to political reporting and analysis going forward?

The Healyites likely focuses on the SCPR on having some particular vendetta on the mayor.

To think such is to completely ignore the plethora of Stark County political subdivision politicos and officials who yours truly has written prolifically on over the nearly eight years of the existence of this blog.

While Healy vehemently denies that there is any substance whatsoever to the guts of the allegations, we all know that such is generally the reaction of politicos who have the political misfortune to have similar accusations made against them.

So Healy is left with the standard fare when the like of the Edwards' mailer surfaces.

"Sue the bastards!" is the typical response.

Only problem with that is that once litigation is filed,  "the genie is let out of the bottle" and who knows what is in the offing for the person suing and those politically/governmentally associated with him?

Hence the SCPR's  play on "Pandora's box" out of Greek mythology.


As the SCPR has written many, many times since The Report came into existence (March, 2008), a mere 2-1/2 months after Healy took office
  • on defeating Republican incumbent mayor Janet Creighton (now interesting enough, an ardent Bernabei supporter) 
about Healy escapades during his time in office, the baseline question he and his legal team undoubtedly are considering is this.
  • In filing of a lawsuit which brings with it the inherent right of any party to the suit to make a gut wrenching examination into any relevant material that may impact on the controversy joined in the filing,  will it end up with much more coming out than the initiator ever imagined in his wildest dreams?
The Report thinks depositions and other discovery devices done under oath of Healy and other Canton city  and county officials officials including police officials could reveal fascinating details about some of the Healy's past scrapes which seemed to get brushed to the sideline when they occurred.

If Healy wins, notwithstanding the last minute mailing, even the normally (in the opinion of the SCPR) vindictive and recriminatory mayor will likely pass on filing litigation.

If he loses on Tuesday, what does he have to lose in pursuing a lawsuit in an endeavor to vindicate himself on the current controversy?

Perhaps, plenty.

Even if he is able to show the Edwards' mailer to be partially or totally bogus, what about all those other skeletons that a number of Stark County government leaders think are hidden away in Healy's political closet?

Though the SCPR thinks that William J. Healy, II is Stark County most skilled politician in that he seems to have a knack of maneuvering his way out what The Report thinks are "self-inflicted" problems, there is a certain quality about him that yours truly shows him to be a "political" klutz.

Because of his escape artist skills, the SCPR has come to using the expression "Healy is the envy of the proverbial cat of 9 lives."

Getting back to the discussion of this blog, at the end of the matter, the question is:

Would the filing of a lawsuit lead to the unleashing of the mayor's political demons and lead to a media labeling of the suit as being "Healy's Pandora Box?"

One final thought.

In yours truly's 73 years of life experience, folks like William J. Healy, II usually, in the end, self-destruct - all the while - blaming others for his own obvious short comings and his failure to deal with them to remediation!!!

CHARTER COMMISSION SERIES: HERE COME THE "ANTI" CHARTER GROUPS IN DISGUISE?

UPDATED AT 08:30 AM


For those Cantonians who want to separate the sheep from the wolves on the Canton Charter Issue 47 matter in next week's election, it can be somewhat difficult.

But within the last couple weeks or so, what some think to be the "anti" charter government groups surfaced with campaign mailers.

From what the SCPR understands from sources,  the first was one put out by Local #94 business agent David Kirven a couple weeks ago.



For those who think David Kirven and his trade unionists are not the primary force behind the "Truth About Charter" flyer/mailer, take a look at this campaign finance report filing on October 22nd with the Stark County Board of Elections.



In reviewing the above pdf file, note the following:
  • Campaign treasurer:   Richard A. Mallon, II,
  • Only two contributions:
    • $10,000 - East Central Ohio Buildings & Construction Trades, PCE which David Kirven is president of and which his union Local #94, Plumbers and Pipefitters is a key union unit member of,
    • $500 - Jefferson Jackson Club of which Kirven was president until recently to be succeeded by Canton City Council's Ward 5 councilman Kevin Fisher is probably THE MOST VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED person in all of Canton to Canton considering going to a charter government format,
Of the three, the SCPR is most disappointed in R.A. Mallonn.

Why would that be?

Yours truly goes back some 13 years with Mallonn who during his 2002 campaign for Stark County commissioner against Republican Richard Regula reached out and help the Olson for State Representative campaign.

During that campaign, he got to know Mary Olson, my wife.

R.A. when he sees me always asks about Mary which of course is gratifying.

Of late, his asking has been especially pleasing as Mary recently went through open heart surgery.

Why is the SCPR so disappointed in R.A. Mallon?

Because it appears that he looked me in the eye (err camera) and to put it euphemistically told an untruth about the Truth About Charter PAC being a mix of pro/anti charter folks.

Take a look at this video.



What does the Truth About Charter mailer say about the organization's stance?


Though the SCPR favors Canton having a charter, there is plenty of room for disagreement and folks are entitled to oppose it.

But why the subterfuge?

To say it again, how disappointing that R.A. Mallon (Canton's auditor) could not just be out with it.  He is clearly opposed to the charter as are those behind the Truth About Charter.

The PAC is not about the truth in the objective sense.  It is about "the subjective truth" as the embodiment of union interests and the interests of elective office holders who fear they will ultimately be out of a job if a charter were to be implemented by the citizens of Canton.

Apparently, another anti-charter voice is Canton treasurer Kim Perez.

Like Mallonn, Perez has become a fixture in Stark County political subdivision government and seemingly thinks he is entitled to remain a fixture.

The Report's take on the likes of Mallonn and Perez hanging on beyond their prime is that their doing so stagnates Canton because they are core representatives of "old school" politics and government more focused on the preservation of the status quo as the rest of world goes flying by.

Mayor Healy does have one thing right, there has been way too much of this style of government and politics in Canton going back decades much of it at the hand of deficient Republican executive leadership.  So much that such is indeed a reason why Canton is so far behind in the year 2015.

He sees himself as something different, the SCPR does not.

Until recently (Perez), he has surrounded himself with the likes of Mallonn and Perez and and thereby shows that "birds of a feather do indeed flock together" in terms of unimaginative leadership.

It would have been no answer at all for Cantonians to have selected Kim Perez over Healy in the Canton Democratic primary in May.

Perez gives the appearance of political/governmental dynamism, but that he collects genuflecting supporters such as Canton councilman-at-large Jimmy Babcock and Ward 5 councilman Kevin Fisher around him is evidence that the appearance is a mere mirage.

Take a look at the Perez sponsored mailer which the SCPR is told went out very recently.



A number of things to note about this mailer:
  • It implies, the SCPR agrees with a source of The Report's copy of the mailer, that the list of 15 are endorse by the "organized" Stark County Democratic Party, 
    • Note:  10 of the 15 on "the Kim Perez" approved list have pretty much nowhere to be seen in terms of making themselves accessible to the Canton public on Issue 47.
  • in that it is paid for by the Kim Perez campaign fund clearly suggests that Treasurer Perez is pursing his self interest in maintaining the Canton treasurer's office and must figure that the 15 mailer endorsed candidates will help his protect his turf even if such is not in the best interest of the city going forward,
Of course, Kirven and Perez did not volunteer to make copies of the mailer available to the SCPR.   A specific request was made of Kirven.  What he doesn't understand is that The Report is kept well stocked with such materials and therefore he cannot be effective in his attempt the deny yours truly to these materials in order to keep the Canton/Stark County public informed.

His denial of the SCRP having camera access to Jefferson Jackson when he was president and his latest refusal to provide is a denial in the final sense of the word to the Canton/Stark County public.

The Report's source who provided copies of the mailers (only identified for purposes of SCPR disclaimer as the spouse of a pro-charter candidate for he commission) said that Stark County Dems' chairman Phil Giavasis and was told that the use of the Stark Dems' logo for purposes of the mailer was unauthorized and that the Stark Dems are not endorsing charter candidates.

Shame on Treasurer Perez for allowing the mailer to be constructed in such a fashion to strongly suggest otherwise, no?

Suffice it to say, those readers of the SCPR who favor the construction of a non-poison-pill ladened charter should Cantonians approve going forward, ought to think twice about voting for any of the 15 on the Perez list.

The Report notes that the list includes Law Director Joe Martuccio who has an interest in preserving the law director position in Canton government as an elective office.

To present a balance blog, the SCPR notes that Edmond Mack (the principal proponent of Canton having a charter) has also allied himself with fellows in forming what the call The Canton Good Government PAC.


The main support for The Canton Good Government PAC comes from Councilmen Edmond Mack (Ward 8), John Mariol (Ward 7) and council president Allen Schulman.

Moreover, there are actual candidates supporting the charter as Mack and Mariol envision it (merely mirroring Canton government as it currently exists) who put there money where their mouths are.

Kudos to these candidates.

To the SCPR Issue #47 as conceived by Mack and Mariol is a no brainer.

It provides an additional tool to help Canton structure itself so as to be responsive to the needs of its citizens.

Friday, October 30, 2015

GUARDADO & WERREN PRESENT POLTICOS AS "OUR COMMUNTY LEADERS" AND "YOUR STARK COUNTY TEAM. REALLY?



A SCPR ANALYSIS OF

GUARDADO & WERREN CAMPAIGN FLIERS

WHICH

JUST ARRIVED IN THE MAIL

WHO WILL WIN?

The Guardado/Werren for Canton Municipal Court judge match up may be the hardest race to call in all of the Stark County political subdivision campaigns in this election cycle.

The outcome in this election "depends on" a number of factors materializing or not materializing.

And there are plenty of political ironies at play at this race.

For example, one of Guardado's key supporters is Stark County commissioner Thomas M. Bernabei who is, as any politically "aware" Stark Countian knows, is running as an "independent" (as of May 4, 2015) against Democratic incumbent mayor William J. Healy, II who is seeking a third term.

Healy, II supported Angela Alexander in the Democratic primary in May whereas Bernabei (not yet switched from being a long time Democratic elected to office many times as a Democrat to being a political "independent") supported Guardado and was up until a few days before May 4th.

If Guardado is to win in the Canton Municipal Court District:


She will have do to exceptionally well in Canton itself.

Otherwise, she loses.

One of the problems with Guardado doing exceptionally well in Canton is that a good part of "independent" Bernabei's support is coming from Republicans who have no candidate in next Tuesday's face off.

The Report figures Bernabei to win with relative ease because he likely will take about one-half the Democratic vote (especially in Wards 7, 8 and 9) and will get nearly every Republican vote.

And, of course, it is common political knowledge that Republicans do and likely will in the Healy/Bernabei race vote in significantly higher percentages than do Democrats.

However, there will be no coattails advantage for Guardado in having a close association with her former campaign treasurer.

Republicans, to the degree the turnout to vote, will switch from Bernabei to Republican Werren in a nano-second.

The strategy that each Guardado and Werren are playing out is assuming that their respective loyal political party voters will turn out in greater numbers that the opponent's.

POLITICAL PARTY TIES EMPHASIZED IN A JUDICIAL RACE?

That partisan political party politics is playing such key role in a judicial race should be dismaying to voters in the Canton Municipal Court District.

After all, the official line is that judges are above politics in their administration of justice.

But with the campaign flyers that each side put out within the past few days emphasizing their respective political party ties, one has to question whether or not Guardado and Werren could administer justice should one of the listed politicos in their respective flyers run afoul of the Stark County system of justice and end up appearing before a Judge Guardado (in the case of the Democratic politicos) or Judge Werren (in the case of the Republican politicos).

Of course, the obvious answer is that such a scenario would not unfold because either would recuse her/himself and have another judge hear the case.

Even it there is a workaround, it is alarming the degree to which judicial candidates immerse themselves in partisan politics in terms of it undermining the general public's confidence in the integrity of our system of justice and not just off somewhere else but right hear in Stark County, Ohio.

DISSECTING THE FLYERS IN THE CONTEXT OF GUARDADO & WARREN BECOMING THE NOMINEES OF THEIR POLITICAL PARTIES

In that vein of interest, the SCPR dissects the flyers referred to above.

Note:  At the end of the blog the entire flyer of each candidate is to be seen.

There are two notable "political" happenings in the 2015 cycle political history of both candidates.

WERREN

Werren for the second time got a political appointment from Republican governor John Kasich (see LINK for the history).  He did have a competitor (who even went so far as to take out Board of Elections petitions for the May 5, 2015 Republican primary) for the appointment, but as the SCPR looks back it is apparent that it was Werren all the way with the governor.

A SCPR blog from the June, 2013 first appointment:


So is it surprising that in the flyer mailed out in support of his second candidacy for The Report, in analyzing it, to see this?


Of course, not.

The word is that Werren did do a credible job in his first appointment as a Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge, but not good enough in the judgement of Stark County voters to be retained as a judge.

Upstart Democrat (upstart in terms of taking on a incumbent judge) Chryssa Hartnett convinced voters that her time in the Stark County criminal justice system as a county prosecutor was more impressive than a man who up until he was appointed judge was most recently the president of the Canton chapter of the American Red Cross and not a practicing attorney.

Such fits perfectly with the SCPR's theme that Werren would not be a person ever heard of - but for - his Republican Party political connections through his father John Werren.

Kasich:  "I work hard to appoint the best possible Judges."

Really?

Well,  Democrat Hartnett asked Kasich to appoint her.

Of course, her's was a pipe dream.  But in appying she showed that the governor is all about politics, no matter his "the best possible" rhetoric.

It took the Stark County voting public to override what was clearly a Kasich political loyalist decision.

After all, as Werren's wife Stephanie (a Ward 3 North Canton councilwoman) was heard to say in apparent bitterness after husband Curt lost to Hartnett:  (paraphrase)  "But she already has a job, it's not fair."

Fair?

What's fair about somebody getting a political appointment based on a pedigree of political party loyalty?

GUARDADO

Guardado is pretty much a creature of politics, too.  Only not to the degree Werren is in The Report's opinion.


Guardado faced a stiff primary election challenge in May against Stark County native Angela Alexander who, unfortunately, for purposes of that election had to rely on having had most of her distinguished career in Summit County.


Man oh man! did the bigs (e.g. the Giavasis brothers and former chairman Randy Gonzalez and his son Kody) in the "organized" Stark County Democratic Party work Alexander over.

They had assured Alexander that the official Dems would stay out of the primary and she would have an opportunity to run on her merits.

That did not happen.

For the SCPR's money, Alexander is vastly superior in terms of legal experience which would have parlayed into her being a much better judge than wither Guardado or Werren.

A HISTORY OF A PRIOR STARK COUNTY JUDICIAL APPOINTEE

As the SCPR has been saying for years, quality of candidates appears to be happenstance with both mainline political parties.

One need look no further than Stark County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division judge Dixie Park to understand the legal mayhem unsuspecting day-in, day-out Stark Countians may suffer at the hands of a person who got her job as a judge by the hand of the Ohio Republican Party and then Republican governor Bob Taft.

One consequence of her going unconstitutional (LINK) was that a everyday Stark Countian unjustly spent over one week in the Stark County jail.

Of course, that indignity was visited upon an ordinary citizen.

Not the relative, friend or acquaintance of some influential public official.

So the typical answer:  "stuff happens!"


Park who seemingly has unlimited campaign finances at her beck and call, the SCPR thinks, has embarrassed herself in being overturned on Constitutional law abridgments on several occasions within the past several years.

One has to wonder whether or not there isn't a bevy of administration of just shortcomings that have gone publicly unnoticed?

Just on the instances cited in the linked to blog, ne would think that Republicans from Kasich on down to the Stark County Republican Party chairman would want this woman off the bench as being a telling and continuing indictment of the political party appointment process for judicial appointments.  Especially judicial appointments.

Think maybe just maybe the contending for an appointment process ought to have as the main criterion: "I am the least politically connected" rather than the real politik, "I am so and so in the Stark County political world?"

That is if the fair and impartial administration of justice is a real goal and not some kind of legal fiction, no?

One Republican who does deserve credit for quelling Park's appetite to run for a spot on the 5th District Court of Appeals is Republican David Gormley of Delaware County.

Stark County Republican Party connected officials, present and past including judges and attorneys except for Craig Conley and Jeff Jakmides sit by and do nothing to encourage Park to step aside.

POLITICAL FALLOUT & REVERBERATIONS

The public is getting wiser by the day to "organized" Dems and Republicans and are more apt than ever to opt for anybody but a loyalist Democrat or Republican if given a choice.

Recently, the SCPR checked with John Alexander (Angela's husband).  He tells yours truly that Angela is supporting Guardado but is not taking much of role in the campaign.

And Guardado like Werren is playing to her strength.  Not, in the opinion of the SCPR her magnificent credentials to be a judge.  But, rather, her political connections.

Sorry state of affairs and implications for the quality of the bench in the Canton Municipal Court District insofar as The Report is concerned.

It is interesting that Hartville police chief Larry Dordea is weighing in so prominently for Werren in what the SCPR thinks as being a factor of political party loyalty when he himself was thrown under the Democratic Bus George T. Maier/Johnnie A. Maier, Jr with merely a whimper coming from some of the very same Republicans who are pictured standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Werren in the picture below.


Had the key Stark County officials pictured below (except for Alex Zumbar who was Dordea's treasurer) and Stark County Republican Party officialdom stepped forward much stronger for Dordea, he would be Stark County sheriff today and The Report thinks Stark County's sheriff's department of government be much less politicized than it currently is.

The Report has thought and written Dordea to be several notches above - in character - over Geroge T. Maier.  Moreover, yours truly has written extensively on what appears to be Maier's wholesale politicization (LINK) of the Stark County sheriff's office.


Maybe this is too much of a leap, but it could be that Dordea as evidenced by his endorsement of Werren is as nearly infected with excessive partisanism as are others that The Report writes about?

Dordea's endorsement is in the guise of being a law enforcement official, but is that really the basis of the endorsement?

The Report suspects the Dordea endorsement is more borne of political affiliation than of Werren being the best choice in the interest of having effective Canton Municipal Court District law enforcement.

As such, his involvement in the Werren support group is a major disappointment.

DEMS & REPUBLICANS TAKE TOO MUCH ON THEMSELVES

One final point that the SCPR advances in this blog.

It is interesting how in each respective flyer an attempt is made to pass off supporting politicos as being the equivalent of  "our community leaders" and "your Stark County team."  (emphasis added)

Our?

Your?

You've got to be kidding Werren and Guardado, no?


Readers will note in looking closely at the graphics offered that the SCPR x'd out the "our" and "your" and substituted the proper terminology, to wit:  Guardado's "our" equals loyal Democratic Party elected officials; Werren's "your" equals loyal Republican Party elected officials.

That's the truth of the matter!

Political party first and foremost.

There have to be plenty of lawyers among Stark County's bar that are more qualified to be judge than the politically connected Werren and Guardado, no?

But therein lies the rub.

Generally, one does not get to be a  judge in Stark County unless one is politically connected.

While Stark sitting judges like to present themselves as being the best in terms of mental, legal acuity and temperament; the SCPR thinks the odds are against such actually being the case given the rank degree of politics involved in getting to be a judge in the first place.

And Stark County is particular seems to be a haven for a lack of competition between qualified candidates in both political parties competing on the merits of their experience and inherent wisdom as human beings for judicial posts.

Angela Alexander marveled in a campaign Q&A at the Dems' party headquarters at the lack of competition for judgeships in Stark County as compared to Summit County.

In Summit County, there are many vigorous judicial competitions within the political party structure itself.

But not in Stark County.

For the SCPR, the Canton Municipal Court District voters (one of whom is yours truly) have only be given the choice of picking our poison in terms of one political party connected person as against another.

Doesn't it tempt one to opt out of the election process altogether or have the option a la the following graphic on the Healy/Perez May 5, 2015 Democratic primary race?  (LINK)

The Report thinks Healy and Perez are both shop worn politicos who, if they differ at all, only do so in the degree of how politically manipulative they are.


Actually, opting out is not an option for yours truly.

But there have been quite a few election contests over some 50 years of voting that yours truly has declined to exercise a similitude of a "Hobson's choice."

It's fine for folks including elected officials to be passionate about their political party affiliations.

But not to the point of damaging the institutions of government by the endorsement of and appointment of people whose major qualification being politically connected.

For the SCPR it is satisfying in terms of politics coming back to haunt appointing officials as seemingly was the case recently with Massillon mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry.

Politics is a necessary evil for our system of government, but it can be made less evil and damaging of the public interest if Republcan and Democratic were to develop a finely honed quality called:  DISCERNMENT!

THE FULL FLYERS

GUARDADO



WERREN



Thursday, October 29, 2015

IS OCTOBER 29, 2015 THE DAY?

UPDATED:  FRIDAY, 4:40 PM

Here is Healy's comment on his campaign Facebook page:


The Repository reported last night that Tom Bernabei denied that he or his campaign had anything to do with the mailer.

However, a SCPR, source who is unwilling to be identified,  just shared with the SCPR that the source thinks that is is reasonable and plausible for Healy to think that Bernabei not being entirely forthcoming on the matter.

The source thinks that Bernabei, while not likely to have participated in the creation of the mailer himself, might have had a "heads up" (The Report expression not the source's) on the imminence of a negative on Healy mailer being sent out.

Earlier in the week before the SCPR had access to the actual mailer, yours truly contacted a person close to the Bernabei campaign who denied any knowledge that a mailer was in the mail.  But this source is not as far as the SCPR knows an official part of the Bernabei campaign.

Healy in his comment does put on Bernabei a challenge "to condemn and disavow."

The question now is:  Will he?



UPDATED:  FRIDAY, 08:30 A.M.

Here is a response to the Healy threat to sue from the mailer/flyer producer going under the name Duncan Edwards (at his initiative; not solicited by the SCPR):

Duncan Edwards <duncan.edwards23@yahoo.com>  Today at 4:06 AM

To:  Martin Olson

If Healy follows through and sues then I will file a countersuit and donate any proceeds to a charity that support women who have been sexually harassed.


UPDATED: FRIDAY, 5:00 A.M.

An area media outlet is reporting that Healy denies all allegations made the the flyer (see below) mailed to some 4500 Canton households late last week which began being received yesterday.  Moreover, he is reported as saying that he plans on filing an Ohio Elections Commission complaint and lawsuit against the person(s) "responsible for the matter."

FLYER RECEIVED AT SOME CANTON VOTER HOUSEHOLDS




Also:

The mailer has reached some recipients

Duncan Edwards <duncan.edwards23@yahoo.com>  Today at 1:48 PM

To:  Martin Olson

She has not been named because she is afraid that it will make her look bad.  She is the victim.  He has some people contacting her to intimidate her.  If he denies that these thing happened then I will release to you his text messages to her. 

ORIGINAL BLOG


Do they (Martuccio, Perez and Griffin [see below]) know something?

(Source of photos:  Bernabei Facebook page)

Within the past few days they all jumped on the "independent" Bernabei for Mayor bandwagon.

With "independent" Richard Hart and Ward 1 councilman Greg Hawk, and Councilman Bill Smuckler having been on board, the addition of retiring Ward 3 Councilman Jim Griffin to the "Bernabei for Mayor" brings to four the number of councilpersons supporting the challenger to incumbent Democratic mayor William J. Healy, II who is seeking a third term.

The worrisome thing for the Healy campaign is that Martuccio, Perez and Griffin are all solid Democrats.

So why are they jumping on board which appears more and more to be a Bernabei express which is likely to produce (the SCPR thinks) at least a comfortable victory for the sitting former Democratic party elected county commissioner?

The Report thinks that word has leaked out and perhaps some of the new endorsers have learned about (i.e. seen) the content of a  "highly negative to Healy" flyer that was mailed out last Friday to over 5,000 likely Canton voters by not the Bernabei campaign but by a third party.


The SCPR has a copy of the flyer ready to publish but has agreed to withhold publication until one confirmed Canton household has received the flyer.

The Report has obtained a copy of the mailing list and has confirmed that Mayor Healy himself is on the list.

So it appears to the SCPR that it is only a matter of time until the flyer starts showing up in the mailboxes of Canton voters.

The question is this:  Is today, the day?

But the ultimate question is:  Can the man the SCPR has dubbed "the man who is the envy of the proverbial cat of 9 lives" politically survive the allegation(s) contained in this flyer?


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

PART 3 OF SERIES: VASSAR PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASS'N CANDIDATES CAMPAIGN PRESENTATIONS

FINAL UPSDATE:  10:05 A.M.

Supplemented:  11:30 A.M

A big thank you to SCPR readers for your patience!

STARK COUNTY'S MOST COMPLETE
CANTON CHARTER RESOURCE


A STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT
PUBLIC SERVICE

VIDEOS PRESENTED WITHOUT COMMENT

29 VIDEOS ABOUT 1 MINUTE EACH
(See Photos Above)

3 VIDEOS ABOUT 5 MINUTES EACH



Between videotaping some 13 candidate presentations (up to 5 minutes each) and videotaping the 29 Canton Charter Commission candidates who entered an appearance at the Vassar Park Neighborhood Association (VPNA) Candidates Night at Arts@Summit (a Canton City Schools facility) on Tuesday, October 20th, The Stark County Political Report has the most comprehensive and extensive "video" presentations (32 of the total 53 charter commission candidates) of any media in Stark County.


Another excellent source of "written" Canton Charter Commission candidate information is also available from the Canton Area League of Women Voters Website (LINK).

Other links include the following:
  • (LINK) to the Stark County Board of Elections for a listing of candidates and a recitation of Issue 47 which, of course, is THE Canton charter government issue,
  • (LINK) to the Canton Charter Commission Facebook page,
Fifty-three candidates remain on the ballot for next Tuesday (Joel Daniel Harris having withdrawn his candidacy) for the selection of 15 commission members IF voters vote to establish a charter commission presented on the ballot as Issue 47.


Here is a LINK to the SCPR's blog presenting the 5 minute presentations offered to all candidates for this office as a public service.

Ten of the 13 who took advantage of The Report's office appeared at the VPNA event of October 20th.

Appearing on the SCPR blog but not at the VPNA forum were Kristen Bates Aylward, Wendy Kuster and Robert Capestrain.

In alphabetical order, the SCPR presents the following videos.

EMIL ALECUSAN



JIMMY BALL, SR



KATHERINE BAYLOCK



KATHRYN BURGETT



EUGENE CAZANTZES



MICHELLE CURRAN



ROSEMARY DIAMOND



ROBERT FISHER



RICHARD GATIEN



LEMUEL GREEN



PATRICK HARPER



ROBERT HARPER



WILLIAM J. HEALY, II



HARRY KLIDE



DAN McMASTERS



RYAN MILLER



NICHOLAS MUSSULIN



DON PETERSON, III



JASON REESE



STEPHEN RICH



JOHN RINALDI



ROBERT ROLAND



FRED SCOTT



RODERICK SIMPSON



JULIA SPARKS



NICOLE THOMPSON



SCOTT WARNER



CHESTER WARREN



PATRICK G. WYATT



In order to round out the videos available on candidates, here are embeds of 5 minute videos taken by SCPR of candidates:

KRISTEN BATES AYLWARD



ROBERT CAPESTRAIN



WENDY KUSTER

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

BREAKING NEWS!!! HEAR CANTON LAW DIRECTOR JOE MARTUCCIO ENDORSE TOM BERNABEI FOR MAYOR OF CANTON

UPDATED:  6:00 PM



Another case of William J. Healy, II being counterproductive?

The SCPR thinks so.

The Report has learned that a few weeks ago Healy found himself on a one-on-one situation with Canton's highly respected law director Joe Martuccio.

Being the numbskull yours truly thinks Healy is in terms of his egoistic arrogance, The Report understands that in that environment he applied pressure on Martuccio to endorse him for a third term.

Well!  That was never, ever going to happen.

Give me a break Healy!

Generally, the SCPR thinks that Healy is one of Stark County's savviest politicians.

But in this particular instance Healy demonstrated that even a highly skilled politico can get stupid.

The way the SCPR sees it, Healy's arrogance got the best of him and he put the political squeeze on Martuccio.

It seems that Healy miscalculated on Martuccio probably on the basis of his knowing that the law director is - the SCPR thinks - Stark County's most sensitive and caring officeholder.

The most Healy could hope for out of Martuccio was for him to be "officially" neutral.  Even if he maintained "for the record" neutrality, anybody who knows the personal, interactive history of Joseph Martuccio and Thomas Bernabei would also know that "in his heart" Martuccio was a Bernabei supporter all the way.

But of course for the "your either for me or against me" Healy, there is no place for neutrality.  Moreover, he will finesse, cajole or do whatever it takes in his unceasing quest to make a William J. Healy, II supporter out of everybody.

Some readers of the SCPR may think because of the many critical blogs that yours truly has written about Healy in his capacity as mayor of Canton that there is a personal dislike as a if not the motivating factor.

Such is not the case.

Over the 12 years of so, yours truly has had many convivial conversations with Healy in exploring the depths of the world of politics at all levels of American politics and government which of course means local, state and national politics.

Unfortunately for this incumbent mayor, he lives in a world of his own making.

Healy lives in a fictionalized world (a notion the SCPR borrowed from a source) like Mr. Rogers' Never, Never Land.  A fantasy world that does not square up with reality.

How can a guy with that approach be an overall effective mayor?

Oh! sure he has had some successes.  But so has anybody who has sat in the Canton mayor's chair.

Only a spinmeister like Healy make his limited successes into the grandiose stuff he is claiming in his campaign literature.

His approach to Law Director Martuccio was self-defeating.

As a consequence, this political "cat" (Healy) may have run himself out of political life.

For any Cantonians who have mixed sentiments about who to vote for, the highly respected Martuccio endorsement should seal the deal for Candidate Bernabei.

HEALY CAMPAIGN HIT BY "LATE" OCTOBER SURPRISE?

UPDATED:  10:00 AM


HOW WILL HEALY "SPIN" THIS ONE?

The Stark County Political Report has learned that likely today a mailer to some 4500 Canton households will be showing up at home of "likely to vote" Cantonians that reportedly will be making a very, very serious allegation regarding Canton mayor William J. Healy, II.

If the mailer materializes (The Report is told that it was mailed on Friday), the SCPR thinks it will move the political vitriol of the campaign for mayor of Canton to the highest possible level.

THE BACKGROUND

With a continuing political life of William J. Healy, II as mayor of Canton being on the line, it should be no surprise that "the knock down, drag out" nature the challenge of Stark County commissioner and former Healy service director/chief of staff Thomas M. Bernabei has been ratcheting up notch after notch after notch especially since the October 15th radio debate (See video as this LINK) between the two.


Here is a copy of a particularly nasty ad (which smacks of being "despearation" campaign literature) put out by the Healy forces within the past few days:


One of Bernabei's principal political attacks on Mayor Healy has been to put his honesty and integrity in heightened question

Go figure! then that Healy and his political adviser(s) would try to turn tables on Bernabei who is generally held in very high ethical regard even by those (e.g. Stark Dems' chairman Phil Giavasis) who are extremely unhappy that former Democrat Bernabei is challenging an incumbent Democratic mayor of Ohio's eight largest city seeking a third term.

The Report has known that there was "bad blood" between Bernabei and Healy since Healy fired Bernabei from his first administration in January, 2009.

If the animosity was not generally known before, it became abundantly and publicly clear in the above-referenced radio debate.

The SCPR believes that those who were not committed to one candidate or another and in attendance at the debate at Canton Grand McKinley hotel came away thinking the debate was pretty much a tie.

Yours truly does.

Only if one is a political Kool Aid drinker as mixed up by either the Bernabei or Healy's campaign officials, could one think that either candidate was a clear winner.

That was not the case the night before in Massillon the night before at Massillon's historic Lincoln Theater in which Republican Lee Brunckhart clearly bested incumbent Democrat mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry and  newly "independent" and former 24 year former Democratic Francis H. Cicchinelli.

THE DESARIO FACTOR

A common component of both races in Mount Union University political science professor and political consultant Jack DeSario.

DeSario is a key factor in the political management of both the Healy and Cicchinelli campaigns.


The SCPR posted the foregoing blog, of course, on February 17, 2009.

The foregoing graphic was inserted into a May 4, 2015 blog (LINK, ironically, the day Bernabei filed with the Stark County Board of Elections [BOE] to run against DeSario client Healy) showing that Healy had paid DeSario $26,000 in his Democratic primary race challenge from Canton treasurer Kim Perez.


Also, in Healy's latest campaign finance report:


A day or two or so after the May 4th blog, DeSario telephone The Report to complain about the use of the word G*df**th*r.

He told yours truly how offensive the use of such a word could be to someone of Italian heritage like himself.

To The Report, his sensitivity was quite a stretch and was more an expression of dissatisfaction of the continuing stream, going back nearly to the beginning of Healy's first administration, of blogs which have been highly critical of the mayor's handling of Canton's chief executive responsibilities.

Actually, as yours truly explained to DeSario, the use of word was intended as a tribute to the guru quality of his highly sought out political campaign advice.

Readers of the SCPR know that Healy is not the only Stark County politician that have been a continuing target of The Report's criticism.

Accordingly, in deference to DeSario's professed sensitivity to the use of the word  G*df**th*r hereby resolves to abandon the use of the word in describing DeSario's political sophistication as a campaign political consultant.

In a word, The Report thinks that DeSario's complaint was disingenuous at best.

As was, The Report thinks, this communication by DeSario's wife after the October 15th radio debate, to wit:
  • Note: (as to this part of her e-mail "[And even though Jack is politically involved, this is solely my opinion.  He is too busy right now to even know that I am writing to you]. 
The e-mail:

Mary Jo DeSario <desariomj@... >  Oct 18 at 10:22 PM
To: tramols@att.net

I am outraged by your comment that it appeared that everyone in attendance at the Mayoral debate thought it was a tie.  I want to know exactly how you know what everyone thought.  Were you watching ever single person's reaction?  No, I was sitting right behind you and your focus was on your camera, not the audience.  Did you poll the audience?  No, because I went up and spoke to you and you didn't ask me what I thought.  What gives you the right to speak for an entire audience?  I actually have proof that your statement is incorrect.  About 15 of those in attendance actually called my house or were present in my house and said that Mayor Healy was the clear winner.  One person, who is not affiliated with Mayor Healy in any way, said Bernebei was so bad that they should have cut the debate short.  One said he was embarrassed for Bernebei.  Two said that Bernebei sounded old and confused.  And the person sitting next to me and I couldn't get over how poorly Bernebei did.  And I was quite vocal in my opinion.  So clearly your statement that "it appeared that everyone in attendance thought it was a tie" is incorrect.  So again I ask you, what gives you the right to speak for 50 people?  You should print a correction and say that you are speaking solely from your own opinion.  

Mary Jo DeSario. 

(And even though Jack is politically involved, this is solely my opinion.  He is too busy right now to even know that I am writing to you). 
Sent from my iPad



As everybody knows who reads the SCPR, yours truly is good to publish e-mails, letters, videos wherein those who disagree with The Report are pretty much given unfettered opportunity to respond.

Certainly, the DeSarios know this.

And being the politically crafty person Jack DeSario is, it is likely (the SCPR thinks) that the e-mail was part of a plan to get space to rebutt The Report's take on the take away by the relatively few folks not committed to either campaign.

To repeat, The Report's response Mary Jo DeSario is quite simple:  Only the Kool Aid drinkers (or those with a clear self/family-interest bias) on either side of the Bernabei/Healy match up could walk away thinking that either was a decided victor.

Undoubtedly, Mrs. DeSario thought yours truly was going to bury her objection.

Not at all.

The Report was only waiting for an appropriate context to publish her retort.

And, of course, yours truly is complimented that Mary Jo and/or Jack DeSario even care what the SCPR thinks.

As has been seen in a number of articles published of late in The Repository and the SCPR,  it is obvious that both Healy and Bernabei had both their good moments and their bad moments in making their respective cases for election one week from today.

There was no clear winner.

Unless, of course, one is a true believer in either campaign.

TODAY, "THE NIGHTMARE IN THE HEALY CAMP?"

Coming full circle from the opening paragraph of today's blog, the SCPR thinks that when it dawns on the insider Healy campaign group beginning with today's mail that third parties have injected themselves into this highly charged campaign with a mailer making some very serious allegations on the mayor in very late October (only one week before final voting takes place on November 3rd), there is likely to be an Mount Everest reaction generated by the political consultant guru who also is a Mount Union University based political science professor who has a Ph.D in political science.

The Report has been promised a copy of the mailer once the author has confirmation of its receipt by one of the 4500 Canton household to which it is said to have been mailed.

Stay tuned folks!

As yours truly told a local reporter at last night's Canton City Council meeting last night, the next week is likely to be a very turbulent political week in the annals of Canton politics.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

SCPR "CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT" WEEKEND!

UPDATED:  MONDAY, 7:00 AM

CHANGED BLOG CFR COVERAGE

MASSILLON MAYOR'S RACE:

BRUNCKHART, CATAZARO-PERRY, CICCHINELLI

CONNECT TO IT IN BODY OF THIS BLOG


WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES 

ARE BEHOLDEN TO!

Over the weekend, Friday through Sunday, The Stark County Political Report will be providing readers a comprehensive analysis of the campaign finance reports of those November 3, 2015 races that yours truly deems to be competitive and of interest the readers of the The Report.

They will be presented in alphabetical order A to Z with the first named candidate keying the order in which the CFR is presented.

The first such analysis will be the Arnold (Jennifer) versus Whitaker Alliance law director race by virtue of keying on the name Arnold.

LINKS
BY
ALPHABETICAL LISTING

To access blog from this index, click on the LINK:

LINK:  ARNOLD VERSUS WHITAKER
Law Director of Alliance

LINK:  BABCOCK, HARMON, HART & SMUCKLER
Councilmen at Large, Canton, 3 to be elected

LINK:  BERNABEI VERSUS HEALY
Mayor of Canton

LINK:  BRUNCKHART VERSUS CATAZARO-PERRY & CICCHINELLI


2015 GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORT SERIES


THREE-WAY RACE

BRUNCKHART
(Republican)

CATAZARO-PERRY
(Democrat)

CICCHINELLI
("independent")

One would think that a candidate with Republican Lee Brunckhart's campaign finance summary sheet like this:


would have "a snowball's chance in Hell" of winning Massillon's November 3rd general election mayoralty race.

But he probably has better odds than the "no chance at all of surviving" snowball.

He certainly will receive votes on the 3rd but the questions is can he survive as a winner.

Probably not.  

But nobody thought that the powerful, well financed and articulate Eric Cantor (2014 congressional elections, Virginia - LINK) would get bounced out of Congress by someone somewhat similar to Lee Brunckhart in terms of campaign finance.  Cantor had a $1 million to $100,000 campaign finance advantage over his opponent.

He did clearly best Mayor Catazaro-Perry (the Democratic candidate)


and former mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. (the "independent") in their October 15th "candidates forum" presentation hosted by the Canton Area League of Women Voters, The Repository and The Independent.




The Report hears that Brunckhart has caught the eye of Massillon Cable TV's Bob Gessner on the strength of his outstanding presentation at the October 15th candidates' forum.

As a follow on, that performance gained him the endorsement of The Independent

Both of those factors are a "really" big deal.

Gessner has always been a huge Kathy Catazaro-Perry support.

And J. David Ress, the highly "inexperienced" Democrat that Catazaro-Perry barely defeated (87 votes) in the Democratic primary in May, says had The Independent given him a fair shake, he would have won the primary.

If Ress is correct, with The Independent endorsing Brunckhart within days of the Lincoln Theater candidates forum, perhaps, the powers that be at The Indie have learned that the mayor is not good for Massillon.

It has been suggested to the SCPR that Gessner maybe had more that his fill of Mayor Kathy as her appointee on the Massillon Financial Planning and Supervision Commission (Commission).

Gessner is a very bright guy and is nobody's fool.

Maybe just maybe he figured he was being played the fool by the mayor and the likes of Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., R. Shane Jackson and Eddie Elum.

The SCPR was impressed with Gessner and the questions he was asking on the occasions The Report covered Commission meetings.  It was obvious to the SCPR that Bob Gessner was way ahead of other Commission members (except, of course, the folks from Columbus.

It was interesting to see his frustration with the mayor bubble to the surface in the meeting just before the meeting when the Commission settled on a plan.

The Report thinks it was at that meeting that Catazaro-Perry and her "kitchen cabinet" figured out that she needed to get much more reasonable in working with Massillon City Council and the terrific Commission chairperson (Sharon Hanrahan) or she was going to be looking "really, really" bad before the Massillon voting public not all that far in advance of the 2015 mayoralty election(s).

As it was, he had already made it obvious that she was the problem.  Not city council, not the Commission chairperson and her fellows from Columbus, but, rather Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry.

In the process of being obstinate just for the sake of being obstinate she may have got Gessner looking for somebody else to support for mayor of Massillon.

He probably thought that he was going to have no choice but to stick with the incumbent mayor.

But then came along Republican Lee Brunckhard and his stellar October 15th performance.

Undoubtedly, Gessner and others are bother by the seeming lack of government experience on Brunckhart's part.

However, Brunckhart has the perfect answer for there concerns.

He is telling one and all in response to concerns about his lack of hands on government leadership experience:  (paraphrase)  "Okay, you had Frank Cicchinelli for 24 years, you've had Kathy Catazaro-Perry for 4 years and Massillon is in fiscal emergency, why would you be worried about Lee Brunckhart's ability to lead?"

And the SCPR thinks and perhaps Gessner and a growing number of Massillonians that:  "You know what, the guy has a helluva point."

The Report hears that Gessner has been in touch with Brunckhart asking what he could do to help the Brunckhart candidacy.

What did Brunckhart suggest?

Keep running the video of the candidates forum on Massillon Cable TV.

And The Report is told that such is exactly what Gessner is doing.

As a consequence, Brunckhart is getting a steady stream of calls from everyday Massillonians asking for campaign signs.

So notwithstanding that as of October 15th "the balance on hand" on the summary sheet at the top of their respective CFRs shows:
  • Brunckhart:  $104.03
  • Cicchinelli:  $2,930.47
  • Catazaro-Perry:  $10,016.83
Could it be that both Catazaro-Perry and Cicchinelli, the media and the Massillon public is in for huge surprise somewhere about 11:00 p.m. on election night?

The SCPR sees he possiblity of a Brunckhart upset notwithstanding the figurative millon to one odds against him as turning out to possibly being the "real" story of the Brunckhart, Catazaro-Perry and Cicchinelli.

In a little over a week we shall know the answer to that question.

It could be another very exhilarating night for Lee Brunckhart, no?

In the meantime, take a look at the respective campaign finance reports for the candidates:

LEE BRUNCKHART



KATHY CATAZARO-PERRY




FRANCIS H.CICCHINELLI, JR