SCPR "BOTTOM 10 LIST" #4 - A RETURN TO NUMERICAL ORDER

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Talk about an undeserved "positive" promotion on the SCPR "Bottom 10 List" (List) of Stark County Political Subdivision Elected Officials, that exactly how one ought to take Massillon clerk of courts Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. moving from #3 on the last update (August 28, 2015, LINK) to #4 this time around.

However, there is a logjam these days as several officials on the List appear to be scrambling to reach the top spot of #1 and thereby be known throughout the county as being Stark absolutely worst elected public official.

Maier, Jr., who The Report thinks is the political/power politician heir to Tammany Hall power broker Boss Tweed, Ohio House of Representatives arm twister Vern Riffe, Jr., could easily be #1 but for the supervening competition.

Up until his appearance at Massillon City Council on December 14, 2015 for the purpose justifying his clerk of courts budget, it was difficult to tie Maier's performance in as clerk of courts as being suspect in terms of quality.

Before the 14th, the SCPR tabbing of Maier, Jr. as one of Stark's worst elected officials was for The Report's belief that his being clerk of courts is a mere cover for his true vocation that being "the" premier Stark County Democratic Party power broker.

But with this, even his job performance is suspect, to wit:  (from the SCPR 12/15/2015 blog), to wit:

In one self-tribute, Maier, Jr. talks about benefiting Massillon taxpayers some $600,000 over 16 years and over $1M in another "how great I am" encomium.

Kind of like Canton soon-to-be ex-mayor William J. Healy, II blaming others (including former mayor Janet Creighton and the Ohio General Assembly) for Canton's financial difficulties going back 4, 5, 8 years and even decades  (e.g. prior Republican mayors) in casting the blame of his failures on others.

If The Report had the time and resources, the over-the-top self-laudation is a red flag that one ought to be looking deep into his management of the clerk of courts office.

As folks like Maier, Jr. are wont to do, their rhetorical excesses (a la Donald Trump?) prompt the discerning into wanting to check "what is behind the curtain."

So Maier, Jr. should not take much cheer that he actually moved a notch away because of "the logjam factor" from being Stark County's absolute worst Stark County elected official.

For The Report thinks he has done a whole lot of damage to the political infrastructure of Massillon and across Stark County from his perch of being the elected clerk of courts of Massillon.