MEAGAN TODARO KIRCHNER "HAS AN ACE UP HER SLEEVE" WITH WHICH TO DEFEAT DEMOCRATIC KINGPIN JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR AS MASSILLON CLERK OF COURTS?

 

Any candidate will tell you that the ultimate endorsement is for supporters:  (1) to give money, and (2) go out and do door-to-door campaigning.

While the SCPR does not know that viral YouTube phenom Phil Davison (Republican - Minerva councilman) will be going door-to-door for Meagan Todaro Kirchner in her quest to unseat, perhaps, Stark County's most powerful Democrat (Johnnie A. Maier, Jr), he has graced her with a campaign contribution.

Davison could be the "ace up her sleeve" that Kirchner needs to take out the incumbent Massillon clerk of courts.

Kirchner's main problem in Massillon is name-ID compared to Maier.  A second considerable problem is that she is a committed Republican running in a Democratic town.

In 2005, Maier administered a political smashing to the then Meagan Todaro:

An artfully crafted campaign using Davison as an attention-getter could put her in play (ID-wise) against the former Stark County Democratic Party chairman who has rubbed shoulder with the likes of former Governor Ted Strickland and Preasident Bill Clinton.

On the party ID front she needs to convince defeated incumbent Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr to come out full force for her this race.   Cicchinell's wife - Joy - as a proxy for the mayor - contributed to Todaro-Kirchner's campaign as witness her post-primary campaign finance report:

 

It appears that Cicchinelli and political friends are prepared to put all their eggs in the Todaro-Kirchner/Maier campaign and concede to Kathy Catazaro-Perry the mayoralty over Republican candidate  Lee Brunckner.

Together with his spouse's proxy contribution, Cicchenilli's chief administrator (Safety-Services Director Mike Loudiana) also made a contribution to Todaro-Kirchner.

If Todaro-Kirchner can package her assets effectively (Davison and Cicchinelli et al), she can show why Maier took great offense for her having run against him in 2005.  Yours truly remembers the outrage that Maier burst out into when the topic of his having had opposition came up at a political event post-November 2005 election.

His outburst was a real eye opener to yours truly.  Wow!  The man defeats his opponent by nearly 40 percentage points and he's bitter about having had an opponent?  

The Report has always known that Maier is a power politician.  His political idol is the now deceased (2006)  Vern Riffe who served has Ohio's longest serving Speaker of the House (1975 - 1994).  In a phrase Riffe and his disciple Maier was/is "might makes right" politicos.  

Other than staffing the Massillon clerk of courts office with a number of political friends (e.g. Shane Jackson who is the son of former Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson and who is paid more than the mayor of Massillon), it appears that Maier runs the clerk of courts in an effective fashion.

With this office operation track record, why should Maier not be returned as clerk of courts?

Answer:  to get some political balance in Massillon government.

Maier and his allies (with the near certain election as protege Kathy Catazao-Perry as mayor of Massillon) are on the cusp of taking over the reins of political power for all of Massillon.

The SCPR thinks this should be a frightening prospect for Massillonians.

Remember his outrage of the temerity of someone running against him and remember what his school of politics (power politics) is.

As The Report sees it, a defeat of Maier would send a message to Maier and those who would mimic his political style that Stark Countians are not into political power.  Over the long haul political power disciples are the ones who -  because they come to believe they are above accountabilty - bring government into disrepute with the electorate.

The defeat of Cicchinelli has left Massillon with out a "check and balance" political force and, in the view of the SCPR, Massillonians would be doing themselves good by electing Meagan Todaro-Kirchner as their next clerk of courts.

The Report believes Massillonians are wise enough to make this best choice for themselves.

However, Todaro-Kirchner will have to show she has the political skills needed to use every asset she has - wringing out every ounce of value - in order to take down Maier.

The clerk of courts function is pretty much pro forma and there should be no reason that Todaro-Kirchner cannot match the operational qualities that the Massillon clerk's office has under Maier.

The "value-added" that she must commit to is to take the political factor (i.e. hiring political connected persons) out of the clerks office.  These positions are paid for by Massillon's taxpayers.  A clerk of courts should endeavor to hire from the citizenry-at-large the best qualified person.  Not some politically connected person who may or may not be able to effectively and efficiently serve the public.

The odds are heavily against Todaro-Kirchner defeating Maier.

But the times for this kind of change seem to be riper in 2011 than any other time that Maier has run for this office.

Are Todaro-Kirchner and her supporters in the Massillon/Stark County Republican Party capable of pulling off what would be a stunning political upset?

CATAZARO-PERRY (THROUGH HER PROXY - JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR) SEEKS TO BRING OUTSIDERS INTO MASSILLON MAYORALTY RACE? HOW WILL MASSILLONIANS RESPOND?

 

In a rather naked "fear factor" play, the campaign of Kathy Catazaro-Perry, through one of its architects, Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (former Stark County Democratic Party chairman and current Massillon clerk of courts), is endeavoring to bring Tuscarawas Township residents into the Massillon mayoralty race.

Earlier this year Massillon Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. opened the door (perhaps, wisely; perhaps, unwisely) for prospective candidate Kathy Catazaro-Perry (now filed) to bring "foreigners" into the Massillon mayor's contest.

Cichinelli, Jr., one of Stark County's most ardent economic development through annexation advocate and activist, came upon a plan to annex a mobile home development next in Tuscarawas Township which was adjacent to the Tuslaw schools.  The real prize was the Tuslaw schools and the sales of school district employees as a base to apply the Massillon city income tax rate to.

The Mayor earlier in the year authored an annexation to bring in (in a tortured way) the R.G. Drage vocational school complex which is located in Perry Township.  Again, the goal - get those teachers and their salary base added to the Massillon income tax formula.

Catazaro-Perry supported the R.G. Drage annexation move, but not the Tuslaw schools initiative.

Hmm?

Why the disparity.

Enter Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., his acolyte Shane Jackson and maybe even Municipal Court judge Edward Elum (all long time foes of Mayor Cichinelli).

Maier, a resident of Tuscarawas Township who is eligible to serve as/run for Massillon clerk of courts because Tuscarawas is part of the Massillon court district,  knows up close and personal of the rivalry between Tuscarawas/Tuslaw and Massillon.  Many of Tuscarawas' residents have exited Massillon, Canton and their like for the "rural" flavor (no zoning laws) Tuscarawas.

So why not use the Tuscarawas residents and their fear of ultimately being absorbed into Massillon proper as a campaign core to tromp through the neighborhoods of Massillon (door-to-door)?

It is getting increasingly difficult to get ground troops to staff door-to-door efforts. 

The SCPR doubts that Catazaro-Perry had the political foresight to see that in opposing the Tuslaw annexation, she would have the opportunity to tap into a Tuscarawas/Tuslaw campaign force.  But either Maier, Jackson or Elum (or a combination thereof, more likely) do and so it seems reasonable that such is the source of Catazaro-Perry playing playing politics with the issue.

What Tuscarawas Township residents need to ponder is this.  Should Catazaro-Perry become mayor, can they depend on this politician to keep her word?

Massillon, like many other local government entities, is under tremendous financial pressure to be able to balance it budget.  In fact, Mayor Cicchinelli has offered what The Report has told him is a "creative" budget.  It has the appearance of being both balanced and unbalanced:  only time will tell.

Beginning in July of this year, Massillon will begin to experience substantial state of Ohio local government funding cuts to continue through 2012 and 2013 with an added take away of Ohio estate tax revenues in 2013.

The pressure will be enormous on whomever is elected in November, 2011 to find additional sources of revenues.

So it could be that the Catazaro-Perry folks are correct, the Tuslaw annexation could be revisited.

Of course the Catzaro-Perry campaign wants Tuscarawas volunteers to "assume" (a_ _ out of 'u' and 'me') that Cicchinelli alone is to be feared on this score.

Not so quick folks.

The SCPR knows politicians well enough to caution that, if political factors dictate such, they - the politicians - can and do find a way to betray their promises, implied or otherwise. 

If elected mayor, Catzaro-Perry's sole obligation is to the residents of Massillon.  There should be no doubt that she will revisit the Tuslaw matter (probably through a proxy arrangement) if it appears that such is the shortest route towards solving Massillon's financial problems; even if in the short term.

In addition to Tuscarawas/Tuslaw residents being set up for ending up having been "politically bamboozled" into supporting a candidate who has no accountability to them, there is the phenomenon of Massillonians having their mayor - indirectly - chosen by non-Massillon factors.

Think about it.  Here you have a Tuscarawas Township resident (Johnnie A. Maier, Jr) playing a lead role along with his "go-fer" chief deputy clerk of court (Shane Jackson - a Perry Township resident) formulating a campaign plan for Catazaro-Perry for mayor to be primarily staffed by Tuscarawas Township residents.

Hmm?

THE ISOLATION OF THE 'ORGANIZED" STARK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY? CONSEQUENCE: MAKING THE REPUBLICANS THE MAJORITY PARTY IN STARK?

It appears to the SCPR that in naming Phil Giavasis (Canton Muny clerk of courts) to the recently vacated Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. (Massillon Muny clerk of courts) post at the Stark County Board of Elections, the Stark County Democratic Party Executive Committee is expediting the process where Democrats will soon hold less countywide offices than the Republicans.

The turnaround could happen as soon as the 2012 elections.

Boosted by what local attorney and civic activist Craig T. Conley has tabbed as Zeiglergate and a general Republican resurgence in much of the country and certainly in Ohio, Stark County Republicans are on a roll in its quest to go from zero countywide offices just three months ago to majority status.

An important "unwitting" ally in the quest appears to be former Stark Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr and his political disciple and current chairman Randy Gonzalez.

Several years ago Maier obtained the "acquiescence?" of 13-year Stark Board of Elections (BOE) member Billy Sherer (a strong, strong unionist from the Ironworkers) into stepping down so that the Dems could appoint a lawyer (Sam Ferruccio); in accordance with - said Maier - the wishes of then Democratic secretary of state Jennifer Brunner to have a Democrat lawyer on each and every county BOE.  Brunner denied Maier's claim.

Maier's move caused a huge rift between the local organized Democratic Party that remains to this day.  Negotiations, the SCPR is told by union officials,  have been underway to heal the division.  But as long as labor remains ousted from what it feels is "a labor position" on the Stark BOE, the unions will stay with their "pick and choose among the Democratic candidates on a case by case basis" model.  For the unchosen, the unions have and will continue to sit of their hands.

Stark's organized Republicans could not be more delighted.

Undoubtedly, Stark's unions will see what the SCPR sees in terms of the evolving of a Canton/Massillon "clerk of courts seat" for the Stark Dems.  While Ferruccio continues to hold what was once "Labor's seat," Maier, Gonzalez et al have turned the other Democratic seat into a "clerk of courts seat."  All of the holders of the second seat in recent years are either clerks themselves or key officials in the clerks' office.

Until the recent turn of events in which Stark's Democrats have lost the treasurer's office, the auditor's office and one county commissioner seat, the union element of the Stark County Democratic Party likely seemed irrelevant to the bigs at 4220 12th Street NW.

One would think - with further electoral losses looming in 2012 with the most likely being the Stark County prosecutor's office, and perhaps, the sheriff's office  - Chairman Gonzalez would be pursuing a reapproachment with the unions.

If he is, the creation of a de facto "clerk of courts BOE seat" in an "in your face" to the unions, is hardly the way to go.

IF JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR. WERE TO LOSE THIS FALL IN MASSILLON, WOULD MASSILLON EVER BE THE SAME AGAIN?

There is some good political news coming out of Massillon these days insofar as the SCPR is concerned.

Really?

What's that?

First, Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., apparently, is going to have a general election opponent this year.  For The Report it is particularly good to see because Maier is an "old school" politico who sees political power in and of itself.  Power used to place in office those whose primary goal seems to be to have a public job.  The public good for these folks is an afterthought at best.  Moreover, The Report believes that Maier is a "divide and conquer" type politico for his personal political advantage.

Second, Ward 6 Councilman David K. McCune, it seems, is going to have opposition to retain his seat.  McCune generated a flap in Massillon over trying to get the administration of Frank Cicchinelli to "forgive" his daughter's handicap parking place ticket (which was refused), and, then got into a imbroglio with other Massillon councilpersons over his effort to get Massillon's timeline for paying parking tickets extended.  Problem was, he never told the chair of the appropriate committee (Kathy Catazaro-Perry) about the personal element to his pursuit.

Third, it could be that there is going to be a Republican candidate for council-at-large that may be a threat to Democratic dominance at that level.

ON THE MAIER RACE

In 2005, Stark County Democratic kingpin Maier was challenged by Republican Megan Todaro.  Well, it wasn't much of a race as Maier swamped Todaro.

One would think that Maier would have been happy to win and just let it go at it.  But not Maier, he took offense that Todaro had the gall to run against him.  From a blog of May 5, 2009:

Hopefully, the passage of 6 years will make Todaro-Kirchner more competitive.  The SCPR believes that Massillon would be a whole lot better off if Maier was not part of the political mix in Massillon.  Undoubtedly, the mayor would at least "privately" say amen! to that.  One has to wonder as to whether or not Cicchinelli will be lurking in the background rooting for Todaro-Kirchner. 

ON McCUNE

When one acts the way McCune did on the handicap parking incident, the remedy is for voters to remove the politician from office.  The SCPR has the feeling that McCune is a political bully.  It is wonderful to see that there is a possibility of opposition come November.  It would be icing on the cake if a Democrat were to surface to take him on in May.


ON COUNCIL-AT-LARGE

If only Massillon Republicans could elect someone citywide for any office, it would be good for Massillon just to give a political competition (not Democrat fighting with one another) factor at play.

However, the mayoralty does not look likely and probably not even the clerk of courts race (which probably includes more than just the city).  Perhaps, council-at-large?

Chovan appears to be a serious candidate.  He has a website up and running in which he deals more with issues than personalities.

So if Massillonians would vote Maier out, an opponent to McCune in and, perhaps, a Republican councilman-at-large to boot, then maybe things would change for the better in Tigerland?

VIDEOS (2): WHY WOULD STRICKLAND VIA HIS LOCAL COORDINATOR SNUB A MAYOR RUNNING FOR A SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE TERM?

On Friday, July 30, 2010, Massillon Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. announced he is, indeed, running for a seventh term to continue as mayor of Tigerland.

Here is his announcement confirming that he will run for a seventh term along with his reasons for running.



Most Stark County and Massillon political junkies expected the "I will run again" statement.

It was a bit of a surprise to see and hear the mayor taking off on the "carpetbaggers" feasting off Massillon government and his being snubbed by Strickland and his local event coordinator Catazaro-Perry when Strickland came to Massillon for a "Main Street" campaign event on July 23d.

Here is a video of that part of the press conference.

Who exactly was Cicchinelli referring to in speaking of the "carpetbaggers?"

Cicchinelli did not say specifically, but the SCPR thinks his reference probably was to Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., (Massillon clerk of courts and former Stark County Democratic Party chairman who lives in Tuscarawas Township) and, perhaps, arch political enemy Massillon Councilwoman Kathy Catazaro-Perry, who is a relative newcomer to Massillon.

The other topic of interest to those interested in Stark County "inside politics," was his addressing being snubbed by Governor Ted Strickland and Catazaro-Perry on July 23rd.

Cicchinelli did not directly say so at his press conference he held this past Friday (the 30th) to announce his run-again decision,  but the SCPR believes that the snub by the  politically allied group of Strickland,  Catazaro-Perry and Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. was a large factor in Cicchinelli deciding to run again.

Cicchinelli only decided "for sure" to run within the last week.

Though Strickland's coming to Massillon was billed as a "Main Street" meet with the people event, the meeting was not held at a site on Lincolnway (Massillon's "Main Street").  Rather, it was held at 900 Ridge Mill Path, the home of Catazaro-Perry, which is located in one of Massllon's more affluent neighborhoods.
Reports are that the "Main Street" event was attended by some 40 persons.  Included on the Mill Ridge Path list were Catazaro-Perry (of course), Maier, his "shadow" at the clerk of courts, namely; Shane Jackson (who also serves as the political director for the Stark County Democratic Party),  Judge Eddie Elum (of the Massillon Municipal Court - a long time political enemy of the mayor), Stark County Commissioner Pete Ferguson, Stark County Commissioner Steve Meeks and  Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II's political pal and operative Demetrius St. John.

In commenting on the size of the Mill Ridge Path event, Cicchinelli sort of belittled it in saying that he understood that later in the day Strickland was in Youngstown and some 400 attended his Youngstown "Main Street" event which obviously was held at a much more public venue than the one selected for Massillon.

Mayor Cicchinelli said at the press conference that had he gotten more advanced notice, he too would have been at the Catazaro-Perry sponsored event.

But the SCPR thinks not.

Here is a copy of the Catazaro-Perry invite:  (Note the "in the wee hours of the morning e-mail and that the e-mail was not addressed direct to Cicchinell, but that he only merited being copied)

Moreover, the SCPR doubts that the politically aligned combo of Catazaro-Perry, Maier and Elum wanted Cicchinelli at the event as there is rampant speculation on "Political Street," Massillon that either Catazaro-Perry or Elum will be taking Cicchinelli on in the May, 2011 Democratic Party primary.

They mostly likely want the governor to themselves.

Governor Strickland's staff also did not follow proper political protocol in making sure that Cicchinelli was timely-invited.  The Mayor says that a voicemail was left on office telephones "after" work hours on Thursday.  for a Friday noontime event.

What an insult!

Like the mayor of a significantly-sized Ohio city could just drop everything and go to a political event on "at the last minute-esque" type of notice.

Mayor Cicchinelli won't say outright that he was snubbed, but is clear to the SCPR that is exactly was done to Cicchinelli.

How could a proud man like Frank Cicchinelli attend the Strickland event after it was obvious to him that he was an afterthought.  Of course, he had to be busy with other matters.  The perfect out for a man who had been embarrassed by a sitting governor.

The SCPR believes that there was no way on "God's green earth" that Cicchinelli was going to attend the event in the face of his being an afterthought.

Maier has said repeatedly how utterly enamored he is with Ted Strickland.

Well, does he want his "patron saint of politics" to lose in November because of what appear to be calculated, but stupid slights like this one?  All indications are that the Strickland/Kasich race is going to be a very close race.  Could this be one of those rare statewide contests that will be decided by a handful of votes?

Will offended Cicchinelli supporters be the difference?  They could number in the hundreds, if not more.

Cichinelli appears to be politically smarter than the Catazaro-Perry led group.

He dashed off this letter to Governor Strickland.

The Cicchinelli stub may be one the dumbest Stark County political goofs Ted Strickland, led down the Mill Ridge Path by his Massillon supporters, has ever made.

Obviously, Cicchinelli is looking for some apologies.

It would appear that the savvy thing to do is for someone on the Governor's staff to write a letter of apology and have Catazaro-Perry do the same.

Otherwise, it could cost him a second term as being governor of Ohio.

With friends like Catazaro-Perry, Maier, Jackson et al, who needs any enemies?

SWANSON AND MAIER - ARE THEY LOOKING FOR EACH OTHER?

Could it be that Stark County sheriff Tim Swanson and Massillon clerk of courts are out looking for each other?

Makes sense to the SCPR.

The Report is getting persistent input that each of these public officials are among the missing when it comes to being on the job.

Why doesn't someone turn them in?

Turn them in to whom?

Both are their own bosses being the elected the elected officals they are.   If the reports are true that they are not putting in full weeks of work, then there is only one person to complain to>  In the case of Swanson, it's Swanson.  In the case of Maier, it's Maier.

The only real remedy is for the public to take action at the next ensuing election and not re-elect them.

With Swanson, the public will not have that opportunity.  The SCPR believes that Swanson is in his last days as sheriff.  He denies that he is about ready to quit.  But The Report does not believe him.

The SCPR remembers one meeting of the Stark County commissioners within recent months that Swanson showed up donning his sheriff's top dress but wearing blue jeans.

Let's say that an emergency came up and the good sheriff got the call to go and apprehend someone.  Would he be taken seriously if he informed "the to be apprehended person," that despite his garbled garb, he is Stark County's sheriff with authority to arrest the person?

Swanson, remember, is the guy who said words to the effect (again at a commissioners meeting in December, 2008), "poop on the public."  Moreover, he bragged about dipping into public monies to get as much retirement as he possibly could, and the public be damned.

Maier, too is not shy about getting as much from the public as he possibly can.  He's the clerk in Massillon, he's on the Stark County Board of Elections, he is on a state board and, likely, he is looking - like Swanson - for other opportunities to expense the public.

A SCPR source tells The Report that Maier's (undoubtedly "preferred" ) parking space at Massillon City Hall is largely unused.

But maybe the vacant parking space is not what it appears to be.  Perhaps Johnnie's wife Debbie (also a public official - being the elected fiscal officer in Tuscarawas Township) drop him off for the day at Massillon City Hall.

Hmm?  Probably no one believes that this scenario is the case.

In any event, as with Swanson, the only real recourse, if the public believes the "missing-in-action" reports, is not to re-elect Maier the next time he comes up.  And he must be planning on running again.  The Report hears that he has a fundraiser scheduled.

In the opinion of the SCPR, public officials like Swanson and Maier and their reported "missing-in-action" modality should be an outrage to Stark Countians and Massillonians.  Moreover, other Stark/Massillon public officials should be putting the heat on Swanson and Maier - a kind of elected official peer review group - to admonish the two on their reported "missing-in-action" habits.

To quote a famous Maier line: "Why would I [err they] do that?"

Because the likes of Swanson and Maier bring a cloud of presumptive dalliance over all elected public officials.

Some, perhaps even many,  in the public start believing that the Swansons and Maiers of public offcialdom are the rule rather than the exception.

Is this how the self-disciplined, responsible and "I'm on-the-job" daily types want to be perceived by the public?