IS THE "REPUBLICAN 'RISING STAR' STATUS OF JULIE JAKMIDES TARNISHED?

PHOTO EXTRACTED FROM A CAMPAIGN FLYER

Right now Stark County's most pre-eminent Republican is Stark County commissioner Janet Weir-Creighton.

Creighton is the most passionate, popular and progressive Republican in all the county.

But it hasn't always been that way.

In the early days as an aspiring Republican politician, Creighton was being sniped at by looking over their shoulders fellow Republicans on ticky-tacky but nonetheless below-the-belt jabs designed - no doubt - to put her in her place likely because she was a woman making her way in a realm that many men think is their world.

She has had a set back on the way to the Stark County political pinnacle that she now occupies.

Namely; being defeated by the now electorate disposed (the November, 2015 election) William J. Healy, II in the November, 2007 general election.

But she rebounded in being elected Stark County commissioner in 2012 and The Report daresays that had she chosen to take on Healy this past November, she would have had a much easier time in putting Healy on the political sidelines.

Creighton is not finished yet, but she and her fellow Republicans have to be wondering who will take her place when she moves on to the sunny climbs of Florida in retirement.

Looking over the field of aspirants now, one likely candidate is Republican councilwoman Julie Jakmides of Alliance.

The SCPR figured not long ago that there is no stopping Jakmides on her Stark County (if not beyond) political stardom streak.

But she may be in the process of stopping herself.

REASONS WHY JAKMIDES MIGHT BE SELF-DESTRUCTING

THE WHITAKER CAPER 

Jakmides getting in her own way started with public opposition to the re-election of fellow Republican Jennifer Arnold as law director of Alliance.

A clear violation of the Republican (reference:  Ronald Reagan, LINK) 11th Commandment:  "Thou shalt speak no ill of a fellow Republican."

And did her support of Democrat Mark Whitaker cause an earthquake with Alliance if not Stark County Republican politics. (LINK)

Some of Whitaker's fellow Republicans in the hierarchy of the Alliance Republican Party are thinking in the words of one such Republican - "she hasn't put her sword down yet," referring to Jakmides' exceptions to Arnold continuing on as the elected law director of Alliance.

The Report told that at the January 4, 2016 meeting of Alliance City Council, Jakmides expressed dissatisfaction with a settlement between Alliance and the Stark County commissioners on the matter of how much money Alliance pays for the prosecutorial services of the Stark County prosecutor's office. 

One has to wonder whether or not veteran, incumbent Republican Councilman Roger Rhome's refusal to appear on a campaign flyer with "the Republican Team" had something to do with Jakmides' support of Democrat Whitaker who narrowly lost to Arnold.

 

Jakmides is the daughter of a prominent Stark County lawyer (Jeff) who will be the Republican nominee to run for a second time (early 2000s being the first time).

It could be that Jakmides herself (a second year law student at The University of Akron School of Law) is projecting herself as an opponent to Arnold three years hence.

The question is this:  Is at its very heart Jakmides opposition to Arnold a self-serving jump start? 

Jakmides says that the opposition is for "conduct unbecoming of a law director."

Which is it?  

Or is it a mix of the two?  

Alliance Republican honcho dissatisfaction with Jakmides' approach vis à vis Arnold, the SCPR thinks, lingers to this day and may come back to haunt her on her seeming jaunt to the political top spot of Stark County Republican politics.

STICKING UP FOR STEPHAN WERREN

Jakmides and yours truly got into a little bit of a tiff on North Canton Republican councilwoman Stephanie Werren in the run up to the 2015 elections.

The Report wrote a blog in which reference was made to Werren having reached out a The Repository 200th Anniversary Gala and pulled a female acquaintance down by the hair reportedly unprovoked.

Jakmides jumped all over yours truly for having published material which Jakmides said was outrageously untrue.

Jakmides source:  Stephanie Werren.

Wow!  

At the time, the SCPR had a lofty take on Jakmides and her assessment of things and temporarily removed the Werren reference in order to check a second time with the source on the matter.

A second time the matter was confirmed by this source who was a person who personally viewed the incident and by name published an account of the occurrence on Facebook.

Everybody knows what happened next.  The Werren hair pulling incident was re-inserted into the blog.

While The Report still regards Jakmides as a quality Stark County politician (she is #6 on the SCPR "Top 10" Stark County Elected Officials List), her word is not quite a good as it once was with yours truly.

As readers of the SCPR know, yours truly has no problem whatsoever in critiquing public officials, even if The Report thinks well of those offcials.

On the other hand, the SCPR will recognize those officials that The Report has a dim view of for surprising us all and do good things for Stark County or one of its political subdivisions. 

She let her personal/political relationship with Werren cloud her willingness to entertain the notion that Werren might be a tad self-serving in making the denial that the incident ever occurred.  

In the SCPR's book, Jakmides is a world ahead of her friend Stehpanie Werren.

In as sense it is admirable for her sticking up for her personal/political (re:  11th Commandment) friend, but the Whitaker/Arnold thing shows that Jakmides is fully capable of separating herself from indefensible conduct.

So what happened on the Werren matter in terms of applying the Arnold standard to Werren?

TRYING TO CONTROL ALLIANCE CITY COUNCIL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING

The SCPR has reason to believe that Jakmides tried to control the organization of Alliance City Council on January 4th.

Which, if The Report is correct, is clearly an undermining of the place and authority of fellow Republican Art Garnes as the newly elected president of council in his defeating incumbent Alliance Democratic Party (i.e. the central committee members) president Steve Okey in November, 2015.

Yours truly understands that Jakmides wanted to be:

• chairperson of the Finance Committee,
• a member on Safety and Justice, and
• president pro temp,

Well, anybody who knows anything about Alliance Republican politics knows that notwithstanding Jakmides' demonstrated vote getting ability as a candidate for an at-large position on Alliance City Council, is that Larry Dordea is seen as "the real leader" of council.

Out-of-the-box, on the fourth, Republican at-large Roger Rhome nominates Dordea to be president pro temp.

End of story!

Dordea is already being talked about as a successor to Mayor Alan Andreani when he decides he has had enough of being  mayor.

Garnes had his own list of which councilperson should be in what role.

Jakmides was only listed as chair of the Finance Committee.

Garnes had his way.  Two Republicans (Dordea/Rhome) and the two Democrats voting in favor of the Garnes plan.  Three Republicans vote no:  Jakmides herself, Councilman Kline and new councilman Edwards voting "no."

Interesting, no?

So Councilwoman Jakmides has to be frustrated that she did not get to be president pro tem nor on Safety in Justice.  The latter had to be particularly stinging in view of her being on the cusp (next year) of graduating from law school and becoming a lawyer, no?

If she is listening, the SCPR thinks that she should be hearing a message from "the powers that be within the Alliance Republican Party" to back off.

For The Report's part, yours truly loves it (a la Thomas Bernabei and Frank Cicchinelli) when partisans show an "independent" streak in themselves.

And it could be that Jakmides is not being self-serving, but merely bucking the Alliance Republican Party establishment.

Sadly, The Report thinks she is being self-serving and not truly an independent minded partisan.

That her father Jeff is running for Stark County prosecutor as a Republican, you can bet your bottom dollar that Julie Jakmides will not wanting to hear from the likes of Law Director Arnold that she is supporting Democrat John Ferrero.

Undoubtedly, Arnold has a good working relationship with Ferrero.

Supporting him would be the perfect opportunity for her to get back at Jakmides.

But don't count on it.

Jeff Jakmides did support Arnold.

So there you have it folks.

The Alliance Republican Party in turmoil at the hand of Councilwoman-at-large Julie Jakmides!

Only on The Stark County Political Report will you get this kind of insight as to what is going on in the bowels of  Stark County "organized" Republican and Democratic politics!!!