A FOR SURE WINNER IN NOVEMBER!
WILL SHE BE HER OWN PERSON
OR
BE PRIMARILY MINDFUL OF
"WHO BROUGHT HER TO THE DANCE?"
INSET SOURCE: BOE
Folks (candidates, committeepersons, and members of the public) filed into Courtroom 5 of the Canton Municipal Court last evening right before 5:00 PM at which time Chairman Sam Ferruccio, Jr of the Stark County Democratic Party gaveled the "select a successor to resigned councilperson-at-large Corey Minor Smith as of April 8, 2019.
Local Republicans are telling the SCPR that "organized" Democrats have "gamed the system" in terms of Corey Minor Smith after resigning staying on the primary election ballot of May 7th and winning a slot so as to preclude a Republican being elected in November.
The SCPR thinks they have a point. However, this blogger thinks that the likes of Republican chair Jeff Matthews would have counseled as it appears Dems chairman Sam Ferruccio, Jr appears to have done in order to look out for his political party's interest.
Both political parties, this blogger thinks, hold the political party interest over the public interest of having a politically competitive governance environment.
If the SCPR sees evidence re: the complaining Republicans, that they would do things differently than what it appears that Ferruccio and the Dems have done, which The Report hasn't, then this blogger would be duly impressed and herald the occasion.
But do not hold your breath!
Local Republicans are telling the SCPR that "organized" Democrats have "gamed the system" in terms of Corey Minor Smith after resigning staying on the primary election ballot of May 7th and winning a slot so as to preclude a Republican being elected in November.
The SCPR thinks they have a point. However, this blogger thinks that the likes of Republican chair Jeff Matthews would have counseled as it appears Dems chairman Sam Ferruccio, Jr appears to have done in order to look out for his political party's interest.
Both political parties, this blogger thinks, hold the political party interest over the public interest of having a politically competitive governance environment.
If the SCPR sees evidence re: the complaining Republicans, that they would do things differently than what it appears that Ferruccio and the Dems have done, which The Report hasn't, then this blogger would be duly impressed and herald the occasion.
But do not hold your breath!
All-in-all it only took a little over 28 minutes for the Stark County's largest urban Democrat fiefdom to select Christine Schulman (wife of recently deceased longtime Canton City Council president Allen Schulman) as recently resigned Councilperson-at-large Corey Minor Smith's replacement.
Here is the uncut, raw video of last night's proceeding:
While Schulman has no legislative experience as contrasted with candidates Slesnick and Kraus, she and Allen for years have been the cornerstone of organizing and hosting (at Allen's law office; the former Carnegie built Canton Library) many, many, many prominent local, state and even some national Democrats.
And they put their money where the mouths were in making numerous and substantial campaign finance contributions to Democratic candidates.
Schulman does bring with her a wealth of being a highly successful businesswoman.
The Stark County Political Report believed going in the last night's meeting that Schulman's chief rival would be former state Rep. Stephen Slesnick who surprised nearly everyone, including this blogger, when he became the Democratic nominee to replace Representative William J. Healy, II who opted to the leave the Ohio Legislature to run for and win the mayoralty of Canton in ousting Republican incumbent mayor Janet Weir Creighton.
Note that only 29% of voting registered Democrats support Slesnick; 71% preferred someone else. Not exactly an overwhelming endorsement of the expectations that Democrats themselves had of what he would bring to government.
Of that group, only Rinaldi and West have qualities that equip them to be attentive, inclusive and transparent in relation to "all" of the district's citizens.
Of that group, only Rinaldi and West have qualities that equip them to be attentive, inclusive and transparent in relation to "all" of the district's citizens.
Like most (e.g. Republican John Hagan) "once elected-now I am entitled to be elected to something, anything!" termed out public officials such as Slesnick was in 2018 from the Ohio House, Slesnick has run for county commissioner and last night sought to be appointed by local Democrats as Corey Minor Smith's replacement.
Once on the "public 'tit,' it is difficult for most to wean themselves off.
Stephen Slesnick, who, in the opinion of the SCPR was (as this blogger has written many times) a nearly worthless state representative perhaps rivaling former representative Mary Cirelli who Healy had ousted.
Readers of the SCPR hear this blogger harp incessantly about how "sure to be elected" Democratic/Republican candidates for public office bring some very marginal at best elected public officials into our democratic/republican form of government.
Being a Canton councilperson-at-large candidate in highly Democratic Canton is almost guaranteed to be elected whether an incumbent or a first-term appointee.
Of course, Stark County Republicans engage in the same thing. The Ohio Republican Party through its elected Ohio General Assembly (OGA) members have gerrymandered federal and state legislative offices so as to ensure whopping Republican majorities.
In Stark County, we have Scott Oelslager, Kirk Schuring and Reggie Stoltzfus in what are "impossible for Democrats" to compete in highly gerrymander seats. District 49 (Democrat Tom West) is gerrymandered too. For Republican lawmakers have more or less put as many registered Stark Democrats into the 49th to give the likes of Oelslager, Schuring, and Stoltzfus more "Republican" registered voter districts.
To boot, Oelslager and Schuring have circumvented the voters of Ohio expressed will that they be limited to eight consecutive years in the Ohio General Assembly by trading districts (between the Ohio House and Senate) when each is about to be term limited out of either the House or Senate.
While legal, it is an arrogant move that is the equivalent to an "in your face" to the voters of Ohio.
Moreover, what have they done for the well being of Stark County in their nearly combined 60 years in the OGA?
Undoubtedly, there are some things they have shepherded through the OGA but not nearly what it should have been in light of nearly everybody else being limited to eight years in the body as compared to their combined 60.
To boot, Oelslager and Schuring have circumvented the voters of Ohio expressed will that they be limited to eight consecutive years in the Ohio General Assembly by trading districts (between the Ohio House and Senate) when each is about to be term limited out of either the House or Senate.
While legal, it is an arrogant move that is the equivalent to an "in your face" to the voters of Ohio.
Moreover, what have they done for the well being of Stark County in their nearly combined 60 years in the OGA?
Undoubtedly, there are some things they have shepherded through the OGA but not nearly what it should have been in light of nearly everybody else being limited to eight years in the body as compared to their combined 60.
Tell me, how does "unaccountability" in terms of having "a safe seat" advance the cause of our democratic-republic.
To me, the politicos who support lopsidedness do a great deal to undermine the American system of government.
Despite her impressive Democratic credentials as outlined above and now that she is councilwoman-at-large, the SCPR trusts that she will endeavor to be the representative of "all the people of Canton" and not cater "to her base group" as to the detriment of America, the president of the United States is currently doing.
The SCPR trusts that Christine Schulman will be an exception to "the rule of staying with a partner who brought you to the dance."
Canton City Council, the Ohio General Assembly, and the Congress are not "dances."
They are about attentive, inclusive, transparent governance.
To the degree that political parties incorporate the foregoing democratic-republican values, terrific!
To the degree organized political parties undermine core democratic-republican values, "a pox on both their houses."
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