DISCUSSION: AREA "DEMOCRAT" EDUCATORS ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR SCHURING ON HANDLING OF STRS OVERSIGHT?

One should sit back and admire the "political spin" skills of state Senator J. Kirk Schuring (R), candidate for Congress (16th district versus Democrat John Boccieri).

Back in the summer of 2003, Schuring was on the hot seat with Ohio/Stark County teachers and teacher retirees when allegations of State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) of mismanagement surface.

How did Schuring get in the middle of this mess?

From his responsibility as a member of the Ohio Retirement Study Council even serving a stint as chair, that's how.

Paul Kostyu (fomerly of The Rep) in an August 20, 2003 piece set up the debate as follows:

A formal interpretation of state law says the Ohio Retirement Study Council has the power to look into the day-to-day operations of the state’s five pension funds.

That interpretation, by the Legislative Service Commission, runs counter to the position taken by Sen. Kirk Schuring, R-Jackson Township, and the council’s executive director, Aristotle Hutras. They maintain the council fulfills its oversight by annually reviewing legislation that affects the pension funds. They said the council does not have the power to delve into day-to-day operations.

Many of us, including yours truly, blamed Schuring for failing to spot and curb the abuses in the first place in his capacities on the Ohio Retirement Study Council.

But that's not the take of two Stark County teachers.

An excerpt from today's Letters to the Editor section of The Rep:

We are Democrats who will be voting for Kirk Schuring in November, hoping he will enter the U.S. House of Representatives this January. When in Washington, D.C., we know that he will still hear educators' voices, along with other Stark County citizens' voices, whether Democratic, Republican or independent.

SUSAN JACOBY, PLAIN TOWNSHIP

MARILYN GIBBS, LAKE TOWNSHIP

Question: Is Schuring a masterful political spin artist?

DISCUSSION: WHOM, AMONG BOCCIERI & SCHURING IS BEST EQUIPPED TO REPRESENT ORDINARY PEOPLE?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) has done a detailed analysis of the latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) report on individual contributions to both Boccieri and Schuring.

Republicans want to skewer Boccieri on his Youngstown connection.

Democrats want to lampoon Schuring on his connection to business to the exclusion of ordinary people.

What does the FEC data show on the Youngstown/predominantly business factors.

The Report's analysis shows that approximately 30% of Boccieri's money comes from Youngstown area supports.

The Report's analysis shows that approximately 61% of Schuring's support comes from business owners and executives in major area corporations. The Report believes that the number is actually higher than 61% because many of Schuring's contributors are listed as "retired." The Report suspects that a significant number of these folks are retired CEOs, CFOs, and business owners.

Question: Looking at this data, which candidate is most beholdened? If Boccieri is elected, will this mean that the Youngstown area has 1-1/3 in congressional representation (Tim Ryan represents the Youngstown area) and 16th district residents will get shorted? If Schuring is elected, does this mean "ordinary people" can forget getting their congressman's ear?

DISCUSSION: HAS SCHURING GOTTEN PUBLIC EDUCATION RELIGION IN TIME FOR NOVEMBER?

Has Kirk Schuring the consummate Republican lost his "GOP-esque" memory?

Ohio media outlets reported yesterday that Schuring was one of three votes against a Republican-initiated Ohio General Assembly plan.

Paul Kostyu of The Rep described the effort as being "Senate Bill 57, which the Senate passed 17-15 Wednesday, would create a five-year pilot program in the Department of Education for "scholarships" to allow families of special-education students to choose a school that best fits a child's individual needs."

Another quote from Kostyu's piece is very revealing (reading between the quote marks).

"State Rep. Kirk Schuring, R-Jackson Township, said he has a 'longstanding' position opposing moving money for programs that are better suited for public school systems."

For those who have known Schuring for the better part of his 14 years in public office know that he has been a Legislature voting supporter of charter schools, community schools, vouchers and other Republican contrivances to undermine public education.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) takes this vote by Schuring to be a political gambit. He knew that the bill, even if it passes, will not see the light of day because Governor Strickland has promised to veto it. His friends in the political Right will soon forget this vote but Schuring has begun to and will continue to use this vote to confuse the voting public on his true position on the charter school versus public school competition.

These are desperate time for Schuring. Political wisdom says that Schuring is substantially behind Democrat John Boccieri in the race to become long time Congressman Ralph Regula.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT spoke with Boccieri a couple of weeks ago when The Report did a piece poking a little fun at Boccieri over when he will move into the 16th District.

Boccieri who was mildly upset at the setting for the piece but seemed to settled down when there was no intended specific meaning of the make up of the crowd that Boccieri was seemingly lost in, told The Report that he would be moving into the district as soon as his childrens' school term ended.

Boccieri also said that "he hoped Schuring would continue to use the [carpetbagger issue - my phrase] as his main campaign issue." Meanwhile, Boccieri promised focus on issues he feels voters really care about: Iraq, the economy and healthcare insurance issues.

The Report notes that efforts to get a response from Kirk Schuring on various campaign issues failed. The Report notes that at least one other blogger experience similar experience from the Schuring campaign.

But all this makes sense. Last summer in a one-on-one talk with Schuring in Hartville (before the campaign began), Schuring confirmed that he knew he had favored status with The Repository Editorial Board.

So obviously Schuring is going to try to use The Rep as his public relations arm. Wise readers will read Rep opinion pieces on Schuring with skepticism.

A strange position for a man who is substantially behind in the race.

But the question remains. Will voters see how Schuring works the "chameleon effect" strategy of the Schuring campaign?