WHEN DID PUBLIC DISTRUST OF STARK COUNTY GOV'T ACCELERATE? DECEMBER 30, 2008 OR APRIL 1, 2009?

Today - APRIL 1ST -  is a anniversary date of dubious distinction for Stark County government.

News broke on April 1, 2009 that Chief Deputy Stark County Treasurer Vince Frustaci was accused by Stark County Treasurer Gary D. Zeigler of stealing taxpayer money which resulted in Zeigler firing Frustaci.

Many Stark Countians believe that this revelation was the onset of a cascade of revelations which was the beginning of the almost total disintegration of trust that Stark Countians have for their government.

Others say:  "Hold on a minute, the real date of the unraveling of the trust that Stark Countians have for their government actually began on December 30, 2008 when Stark County Commissioners Todd Bosley, Tom Harmon and Jane Vignos 'imposed' a 0.50 of 1% sales/use tax."

The truth of the matter is that the two occurrences combined (as the primary cause) to wipe out any residual trust that Stark Countians formerly had in county government.

Of course, it is basic civics that the American system of government is built on basic distrust of government.  Checks and balances in the constitutional framework of government amounts to an institutionalization of the framers' (of the Constitution) distrust of government.

So, in a sense, it can never be said that the citizenry trusts government.  But, it can be said that trust in government has it high points and it has its low points.  At the local level, Stark Countian trust of county government may be at its lowest level EVER!

The SCPR believes that Stark Countians were absolutely stunned when they learned that Frustaci had stolen from them.  While the treasurer himself was completely exonerated by county and federal prosecutors of having any part whatsoever in the theft, Stark Countians were aghast that measures were not in place to prevent the theft which occurred over an approximate six years period of time.

Zeigler (who was removed from office by county commissioners on August 23, 2010 by the provisions of Ohio Revised Code Section 321.38) has steadfastly denied that he was remiss in terms of having in place safeguards to prevent employee thefts.  It appears to the Stark County Political Report that he stands alone  among former and current Stark County officials (and state auditor officials) in that point of view.

The State of Ohio Auditor (SOA) on June 25, 2010 (as part of the theft investigation) issued a report citing a number of deficiencies in procedures and standards within the Stark treasury.  Moreover, successor treasurers (Allbritain, Koher and Zumber [who was elected in November, 2010]) have made judgments agreeing with the SOA assessments, as well as having made their own determinations of additional safeguarding changes needed and have instituted them.

Initially, it was not known how much Frustaci had stolen.  Eventually, it came out that he stole either $2.46 million (the SOA finding) or $2.96 million (in the opinion of federal judge John Adams).

The financial implications for Stark County?  Devastating!

This is the point at which the missing money combines with the commissioners imposition of the 0.50 of 1% sales tax (December 30, 2008) to deal county finances a lethal blow.

How's that?

Well, there were a group of citizens who called themselves the "Vote No Increased Taxes Committee ("VoteNos") that formed to gather signatures to repeal the imposed tax.

They were not taken seriously by many county officials (especially Commissioner Bosley, so it seems) until "lo and behold" they - the VoteNos - collected the necessary thousands of valid signatures to force the matter onto the ballot.

Well, with the revelation of the theft of county monies, it was a "walk in the park" for the VoteNos in their quest to convince Stark Countians to repeal the imposed sales tax.  By a 2 to 1 margin, the tax was repealed in November, 2009.

The job of repealing the tax was made easier by the campaign of those promoting retention of the tax.  In their campaign, almost nothing was said about the fact that most of the money collected by the tax was going to county general fund operations.

The VoteNos jumped all over what they said was a deception by county officials as to what the publicized  purpose of the imposed tax was, to wit:  "fix Stark County's broken 9-1-1 system."

So now you have:

• the loss of $2.96 million in taxpayer money and the public perception that adequate safeguards were not in place to prevent it or to discover it early on,
• an imposed sales/use tax, and
• a downplaying of the "general fund" revenue generating aspect of the tax which many Stark Countians took as a act of government deception

And the question rises: which was the beginning of the plummeting of Stark Countians trusting their government?

Answer:  A combination of the two.  Moreover, the SCPR would add the phenomenon whereby all too many local government officials have plied the public payrolls with their political loyalists, friends and neighbors and have had the good fortune to have relatives - in some instances - hired by non-relative government officials as Ohio ethics law forbids the direct hire of relatives.

Restoring trust is is the utmost importance for the financial health of county government.

With the loss of the $2,96 million and the determination of county commissioners (the current board:  Creighton, Bernabei and Ferguson) that public trust is so low that they dare not ask for a renewal of 0.250 of 1 percent tax passed initially in 2003 on the May, 2011 primary election ballot, the county has just completed a round of 16% cuts across county government.  A new round of more severe cuts (perhaps as high as 30%) are in the offing in 2012, if a replacement 0.250 is not politically viable by November, 2011.

The Report believes that the current Board of Stark County Commissioners is making progress on restoring trust to county government, but "the jury is still out" (i.e. the Stark County public perception) as to how soon the public trust will be restored to such a degree that commissioners can consider asking the public to approve sorely needed additional revenues to county government.

Let's throw in a wild card into this whole discussion.

The SCPR believes that former Stark County Treasurer Gary D. Zeigler has a 50/50 chance to win his Quo Warranto original action in the Ohio Supreme Court based on the legal arguments presented in the case.  Arguments were held on March 23rd and the decision could be out relatively soon.

So the "wild card" discussion point is:  How will the Stark County public respond to Zeigler being restored to office, if such happens?

The commissioners reaction to the possibility?

Pretty much, to paraphrase:  "We'll cross that bridge if it comes up on our path."

FORMER CANTON MUNICIPAL COURT CLERK AND FORMER STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER TOM HARMON IS BACK?

 REVISED:  01/28/2010 AT 10:30 AM

Harmon retired from being Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts several years ago, only to be appointed county commissioner by Stark Democrats (succeeding newly appointed Ohio Lottery official Gayle Jackson).  He got retained by voters in November, 2008, only to resign on December 1, 2009.

Well, former clerk of courts/commissioner Harmon is back once again according to The Report's source.

This time it is not in an official capacity, but rather to head up local attorney  Elizabeth Burick's proposed Canton-Stark County Agricultural & Livestock Expo Arena.

Burick is a well connected Stark County Democrat who is a horse lover who hails from Lake Township.

Yesterday, Steve Paquette, president of the Stark Development Board was at the regular weekly meeting of the commissioners to give the recommendations of the Board for recipients of Recover Zone Economic Development bonds which are part of the provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed recently by Congress to stimulate the American economy.

The connection?  Harmon, Burick, Stark commissioners and the Stark Development Board.

One of Paquette's recommendations was that the Burick initiative get $500,000 in bond backing to aid in the Burick's nonprofit corporation effort to raise $7.5 million to build a horse show expo arena on the Stark County fairgrounds.

Harmon, of course, is a former commissioner (as outlined above) who was pushing the Burick project while he was yet commissioner.  In fact, he represented to yours truly that the expo arena was his idea of Stark County economic development.

But the SCPR is not buying the spin.

No, it appears to The Report that it is a quest for Burick to realize her individual dream with government assistance.  The proposal falls far short of what it ought to be (a la Clarke County) to be a major economic factor for Canton and all of Stark County.

If the "Burick Plan" was scaled up to redo the entire Stark County fairgrounds complex on a grand scale - over time, it could be a "real" boost to Canton's and Stark County's economy and bring many jobs to the area.

Stark County commissioners should establish a working relationship with Clarke County's commissioners and other Clarke County involved folks to reconfigure the Clarke County concept to take advantage of the Stark County agricultural community's unique qualities.

More about Harmon.

According The Report's source, Harmon is to head up the Burick project.  The Report further understands that Harmon's role has the backing of Stark Commissioner Steve Meeks.

Meeks has been meeting with Harmon, among others, on the Burick version of an expo project.

For several years the SCPR has been prodding the Stark commissioners (pre-Meeks) to get something going on economic development.  The Report was encouraged by Harmon's rhetoric on taking office in mid-2007.

While commissioner, Harmon never did deliver on his promise to produce economic development in Stark County.  But he did vote to "impose" a county sales/use tax on Stark Countians.

What about Paquette and the Stark Development Board?

While a number of plans were submitted to the Stark Development Board, only Hercules convention center project and the Burick plan survived the vetting.

The SCPR is skeptical of the "vetting" that Paquette claimed the Stark Development Board did.  The Report came away from the presentation made yesterday with the feeling that there was more to the selection of Hercules and the expo arena than presented by Paquette.

The Report will be digging more into this matter.

COMMISSIONER HARMON RESIGNING - EFFECTIVE TUESDAY, WILL STARK COUNTIANS REMEMBER HIM AS COUNTY COMMISSIONER?

The SCPR had high hopes for Tom Harmon when he was appointed by the Stark County Democratic Central Committee back in the summer of 2007 to be Gayle Jackson's successor as county commissioner.

And he said all the right things.

But as with ever so many politicians, he never delivered on his rhetoric.

To be sure, these are tough economic times and getting economic development rolling is easier said than done.  In hindsight, The Report believes that Harmon was not a good fit for the office.  Rather, he was a Stark County Democratic Party power broker who was assigned the task to hold the seat for former Jackson Township trustee Steve Meeks who was to have been the commissioner to succeed Republican Jane Vignos until Lawrence Township trustee Michael Stevens got in the way.

Harmon has been a competent caretaker.

However, Stark County desperately needs a commissioner with a fresh perspective, with inexhaustible energy and drive to be a catalytic force in refashioning Stark County into idea an incubator that results in Stark Countians becoming an economic garden spot in Northeast Ohio.

Stark does not need leadership that merely gets us from day-to-day.

Over the long haul, ho-hum leadership turns negative in consequences and Stark Countians suffer.

Harmon's one economic development idea (err, shall we say Elizabeth Burick's) about building a horse expo center at the Stark County Fairgrounds has promise, but it does not go nearly far enough.

As Harmon pointed out in promoting the plan, agriculture is the largest economic unit in Stark County.  What would be better than take the fairgrounds which are located in the heart of Canton and convert them into a a year-around, robust, job producing enterprise that would serve as a collecting point for Stark Countians to come together on a continuing basis.

The fairgrounds idea has enormous potential.

But the realization of the potential will only come with Stark County having a trio of county commissioners who have initiative, creativeness and vision to put such a project together.

Harmon has not been such a commissioner nor does Pete Ferguson seem to have the wherewithal to make such a project a go.  Bosley might, but he needs help.

In the final analysis, the SCPR believes Commissioner Tom Harmon has been a caretaker commissioner.

Will his "apparent" successor be more productive?

Probably not.

Steve Meeks is cut out of the same cloth as Tom Harmon.

As long as Stark County sees a succession of  Tom Harmons, Stark County is going nowhere economically anytime soon.

In the end, Tom Harmon:  "bang or bust?"

Neither.

Just muddling along.

TOM HARMON RESIGNS AS STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER AS PREDICTED MONTHS AGO BY THE STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT

UPDATE 3:  11/17/2009 AT 12:30 PM

One name that has come up as a possible successor to Commissioner Harmon is Democrat Plain Township trustee Lou Giavasis.

Giavasis has been Plain Township trustee for years and was re-elected to a new four year term two weeks ago today.

Many political observers (including yours truly) believe Giavasis has been an effective trustee in Plain who working together with Al Leno and Pam Bossart have made Plain one of Ohio's most fiscally responsible townships.

Clearly, to the SCPR, Plain Township is the best run township in Stark County.

Giavasis tells The Report that he has had many telephone calls inquiring as to whether or not he is interested in running for the "Harmon seat."

All Giavasis will say now is that he is mulling over the idea, but has yet to sit down and talk it over with his family.

UPDATE 2:  11/17/2009 AT 10:00 AM

The SCPR has contacted former Canton mayor Janet Creighton about her reaction to the Harmon resignation.

Creighton (who is probably the best known Republican in all of Stark County) first of all expressed concern about the status of Commissioner Harmon's health.

Beyond that she says that the combination of an auditor's race and two commissioner races in 2010 offers Stark County Republicans and opportunity to show that they can be competitive countywide.

Moreover, Creighton believes that the Republican statewide candidates (vis coatails) will help local Republicans win in November, 2010.


UPDATE:  11/17/2009 AT 10:00 AM

"I'm shocked, I floored," that's what Jackson Township trustee James Walters had to say when the SCPR informed him of Harmon's resignation.

Walters told The Report that he had been assured by "an inside the commissioners' office" confidant of Commissioner Harmon that Harmon would not be resigning anytime soon.

Hmm?

The SCPR has been reporting for months now that Harmon could be resigning at any time.

Obviously, the "powers that be" in the Stark County Democratic Party have determined that they want Steve Meeks (the presumptive appointee to the vacant seat come December 1st) to run in 2010 rather than 2012.

Interesting?

ORIGINAL POST


Tom Harmon has submitted his resignation as county commissioner today.

The resignation is effective December 1, 2009.

This resignation will send shock waves throughout the Stark County political/government community.

But it shouldn't.

The SCPR has been writing for months that Harmon would not fill out his term.

Political observers will be looking to see if the other part of the Harmon-departure saga materializes.  Yours truly has reported that Steve Meeks (former Jackson trustee and Region 9 director (economic development) for the Strickland administration will be replacing Harmon.

Another thought occurs to the SCPR.

Today, James Walters (a sitting Jackson trustee) announced that he will be seeking the seat of incumbent commissioner Todd Bosley which comes up for election in November, 2010.

Will the Harmon resignation change his plans?

Could we be looking at a Walters/Meeks (repeat, sort of) face-off rather than a Walters/Bosley face-off?

SCPR "ELECTION 2009 SERIES" (VOL 21): ISSUE 5 - THE REPOSITORY EDITORIAL BOARD GIVES "NO PLAY" TO REASONS OTHER THAN A 9-1-1 AS A BASIS OF VOTING FOR THE ISSUE

Readers of The Repository could well have quit reading The Rep's October 26th editorial endorsement of Issue #5 after the first sentence.

Now isn't that "in depth editorial" journalism?

No discussion about the tax being imposed!

No discussion about the camouflaged "for the county general fund" aspect of the sales tax!

Wow!

It has been a long time since the SCPR has seen such a super-superficial and incomplete  editorial analysis of a very large issue facing Stark County voters.

Does Gauger, Beck et al expect Stark Countians to give any weight whatsoever to this example of empty, conflict-in-interest - editorializing.

Conflict-in-interest?

Right, conflict-in-interest!

Explain yourself in more detail Olson.

The SCPR has long maintained that the movers and shakers at The Repository are so in-bed with the "powers-that-be" in and of Stark County that Rep readers cannot trust the editors to give them incisive political analysis.

Let's just take one example:  the Hanke hiring by the Stark County commissioners.

As soon as Commissioner Todd Bosley could arrange it (within months of taking office), former county administrator Jeff Dutton was out and the commissioners were looking for a new man.

Guess who should become available?

None other than former managing editor of The Repository Mike Hanke.  After 35 years at The Repository, Hanke retired, but not really retired.  He figured (in the opinion of the SCPR) that he could cash-in on his "close" contacts with the likes of Commissioner Tom Harmon.

Right out-of-the-box, Harmon said that he was Hanke's man inside the commissioner's office. 

Once Harmon said how enamored he was of Hanke, the other 69 candidates could just forget it.   It was Hanke once, Hanke the second time and Hanke the third time.

Was The Repository (Stark County's only countywide newspaper) going to complain?

Of course not.  Hanke gets teary-eyed when he fondly reminisces his 35 years at the Rep.  He still carries a torch for his former employer.  Undoubtedly, tears reverse-flow from the biggies at 500 Market Avenue South too.

Add to this mix that Hanke is the chief spokesperson for the Yes for Public Safety Committee.

He takes on-the-job time at taxpayer expense to go out and campaign for Issue #5 (e.g. Points to Ponder, October 22nd).

Gee, if any other public official goes out and campaigns on the taxpayer's time clock, The Rep is going be all over it.

Think maybe?

The short and long of The Rep's editorial is that a discerning voter will dismiss The Rep's editorial as pure pabulum.

There are good reasons to vote to retain the levy and there are good reasons to vote against retention.

If you were Rip Van Winkle and woke up on November 2nd, how in the world would you garner from Vote yes to retain the 0.5 Stark sales tax that there are a number of arguments for voting one way or another on Issue 5?

Answer.

There is no way in the world.

Now isn't that splendid journalism!

TOM HARMON HAS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT HE IS PUSHING. IT COULD BE THE BASIS OF A REBIRTH WITH AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLUS FOR ALL OF STARK COUNTY, IF HE CAN TAKE OFF HIS "NARROW VISION" GOGGLES?

Anyone who has been reading the Stark County Political Report knows that The Report has been pushing Commissioner Tom Harmon to make good on his promise to make economic development happen in Stark since he got a "political" appointment to be commissioner back in 2007.

The SCPR is highly skeptical of politicos, not just Harmon, and whether or not they want to do anything for anybody other than themselves.

With a "you have been wrong, Martin" demeanor, Commissioner Harmon handed yours truly a copy of  a  "Proposed Canton-Stark County Agricultural & Livestock Expo Arena" at last Wednesday's commissioners' meeting with the verbal:  "How this for a guy [Harmon - teased the SCPR] who doesn't know anything about economic development" (as the SCPR has written about the commissioner).

Because the SCPR has been waiting for Harmon to act for nearly two years, the proposal got devoured on-the-spot.  Only kidding.  The Report applauds Harmon for taking this idea and moving it forward.

Moreover, it could be that Harmon is on to something with his "proposed" project of what his written proposal names the "Canton-Stark County Agricultural & Livestock Expo Arena.

The SCPR gladly eats a little bit of crow after talking with Harmon about 45 minutes today about the proposal.

It is obvious to yours truly that Harmon has worked this project hard trying to get government grants (stimulus & earmarks [aka known as "pork"]  to the tune of $5  to $10 million to build the facility) and at some personal expense in terms of footing the bill for some travel, food and lodging in visiting similar facilities located in Wilmington and Springfield, Ohio.

What drives Harmon?

The prospect that the facility and its activities could bring as much as $12 to $15 million to Stark County businesses each and every year.

When it to comes economic development for Stark County, the SCPR relishes being wrong on saying that certain public officials are not getting the job done.

Please, please public officials, prove me wrong over and over and over again.

While Commissioner Harmon is clearly working arduously on this project, it is a long way from producing a tangible benefit in terms of jobs for Stark Countians.

This idea is not Harmon's.  It belongs to Attorney Elizabeth Burick of Lake Township who is a horse lover.  Burick is a former Lake Township trustee who is well connected with the high reaches of the Stark County Democratic Party. She has served on former Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr's campaign committees (as treasurer) and has worked for him at the Massillon clerk of courts office.

At first blush, the SCPR - after talking with folks who understand the horse show circuit - believes the  proposal is misnamed.  To accurately reflect the purpose of the arena as conceived by Burick, it should be named "The Equine Expo Arena."

Harmon tells the SCPR that the envisioned Expo Center could be used for other purposes than horse shows and related activities, but he cautions that the horse show community plans to use Expo about 46 weeks a year.

A SCPR source is very skeptical of the "46 weeks a year" and says it will likely be more like 20 weeks a year.  A big difference, if the source is accurate.

Another point made is that horse lovers are highly territorial in terms of the facilities they use.  The thought is that any other projected use of the Expo Center would face difficulties if the activity was not to the liking of the horse show folks.

So right out-of-the box, it appears that the concept is way too narrow to justify the county to allow Stark County owned land to be used by a very narrow set of Stark Countians who have incorporated as the "non-profit" Canton-Stark County Agricultural & Livestock Expo Arena with Elizabeth Burick as its head.

A curiosity?

If this project is projected to be lucrative for Stark County businesses, why is a non-profit being formed and not a profit-making entity?  Hmm?

Another negative.  Fair parking (on the north side of the fair grounds where Expo is slated to be built) would be diminished by the construction of a facility that will have a very narrow use.

But the idea of the project could be the first spark of a vision that some Stark Countians have to renew the Stark County Fairgrounds so that it can be a huge economic/financial positive for Stark.

Harmon didn't say so, but the SCPR wonders if the commissioners will use the development of the fair grounds to kill off the Stark County Fair eventually.

A source (not Commissioner Harmon) tells the SCPR that most of the buildings (including the Grandstand) are in poor condition and in desperate need of repair.

One of the ideas behind the Expo Center is that it might help the Stark County Fair Board become self-sufficient and thereby in a position to generate funds to repair the degenerating buildings.

A much more stimulating idea would be to take Burick's idea and expand it considerably.

The SCPR likes the idea of an Stark Countian with huge connection with Stark County's and Ohio's agricultural community that a project be put together to build an arena complex which could accommodate Burick et al but also serve serve the larger Stark County agricultural interest as well as the general public.

But the complex would "replace" the dilapidated (the SCPR's opinion) buildings.

Such a complex would dwarf the $12 to $15 million that is currently enticing Harmon.

It could link up with Hall of Fame activities, perhaps, serve as an indoor soccer facility and be used to establish and run "youth character development center" for Stark County's younger generations who do not have access to farm-like facilities.

You name it,  Everything should be on the table.

Stark County sheriff Tim Swanson is said to have stated recently that he cannot remember the last time his officers arrested a person with 4-H experience in his/her life.

Commissioner Harmon pointed out to yours truly that "agriculture" is the biggest economic factor in Stark County.

A terrific point.

And Stark County government needs to play to this countywide strength and not limit the county to the micro-vision of Burick and her friends in the horse community.

One of the SCPR's quarrels with the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce is that the organization's leadership development program is not producing visionaries that can take Stark's strengths and parlay them into a sterling local economy some what disconnected from state and national trends.

The SCPR feels as if the Burick proposal is a done deal among the movers and shakers who lead Stark County. 

If such is the case, then Stark County will settle for the micro when what is called for is macro economic development.

Stark County needs a much grander plan than the "Canton-Stark County Agricultural & Livestock Arena."

STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND AND FIRST ENERGY JOIN FORCES TO TAKE CHOICE AWAY FROM CITIZENS AND CONSUMERS?

In recent days, there has been a multifaceted rhetorical assault on the exercise of "free choice" by Stark County citizens and consumers.  And, its just not rhetorical.  In Stark County, the words (reference:  Commissioner Tom Harmon - see below) told us what we already knew about Stark County commissioner action in December, 2008 to "impose" a 0.50 sales/use tax on Stark Countians.

CASE 1


COMMISSIONER TOM HARMON

On September 30, 2009, Commissioner Tom "I'm too dumb to come in out of rain" Harmon "let the cat-out-of-the-bag" in saying “We didn’t believe it would pass ... " (Canton Repository, Government officials, residents debate merits of sales tax hike, Robert Wang) as the reason why the commissioners denied Stark Countians the right to vote on the proposed increase.

Of course, after the fact, when it became obvious that he had done great political damage to county government officials' effort to retain the imposed tax; Harmon, reportedly, didn't mean to say what he said.

Although Harmon has a smooth (urbane) manner about him, when one examines what he has to say; it usually turns out to be "nothing" or, worse yet, he damages his own cause.

CASE 2


FIRST ENERGY PLAN TO DISTRIBUTE FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS

The SCPR took note of the First Energy plan from an Akron Beacon Journal yesterday (Betty Lin-Fisher) to distribute by hand two fluorescent light bulbs to each and every Ohio Edison customers.  Ohio Edison serves part of Stark County.

What did not appear in the Lin-Fisher piece was the fact that customers were having $21 added to their electric bills to pay for the "unasked for" distribution.


First Energy is under the gun from the Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to enact conservation measures.

Of course we consumers know who pays for anything that First Energy does.

But to force "unasked for" light bulbs at a super-premium price of $11.50 each on consumers of electricity shows the unmitigated arrogance of company officials.

So enter the politicians.


CASE 3



GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND

After the Ohio Supreme Court struck down his plan to place thousands of slot machines at Ohio's racetracks in order to generate about $900 million to balance the 2010-11 state biennium budget "without a vote of the people, he came up with an alternative "anti-democracy" plan.

What was that?

"We will 'freeze' the final year of a voted on (by the Ohio General Assembly) income tax decrease," he says.

So it is hard to take when Strickland weighs in on the First Energy plan (see below) to force $11.50 per fluorescent bulb on Stark County users of Ohio Edison electricity.

Why so?

Here is what Strickland had to say, in part, in a letter he wrote to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) asking that the First Energy Plan be delayed:  "the bulb program has been thrust upon them without their approval or prior knowledge."

Isn't this good that the governor wants to stop the First Energy abuse of its customers.

Indeed, but highly hypocritical and Strickland needs to take the logs out of his own eyes.

What the governor needs do in addition to his "stop First Energy action," is to put the brakes on himself and his arrogating to himself the role of taking away of "citizen say" on Ohio's revenue raising decisions.


FINAL WORD

Whether its local or state, "it is becoming fashionable to take choice away from citizens and consumers!"

WAYNE COUNTY GETS IT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; STARK DOESN'T?

Since 1991 Wayne County has had an Economic Development Council. Here is a link to the Council website.

Stark County? Nada.

Stark County commissioners Tom Harmon and Pete Ferguson are comatose when it comes to economic development. Ferguson did a few meeting ago bring up (the SCPR believes "on the spur of the moment") the idea of converting the closed Doctors Hospital (Perry Township) into a Veterans treatment center. He alluded to his contacts with the U.S. Defense Department which the SCPR is highly skeptical of.

Commissioner Todd Bosley is working on a promising project in biomass with Chevron Energy Solutions to supplement fueling of Stark County jail boilers. But it is primarily a energy savings project and does very little if anything in terms of creating jobs for Stark Countians. Moveover, he has tried to interest Volkswagen and Fiat to come to Stark.

Even if (and it is A BIG IF) the commissioners (collectively or individually) are looking into job creating opportunities for Stark, are they doing it effectively.

Obviously, the answer is no.

Stark needs to send emissaries to Wayne to find out what Wayne County has done, how their efforts are working and what mistakes have they made that Stark can learn from.

Stark County needs its own economic development council and needs it now!

Moreover, Stark County should be looking at North Canton Council president Daryl Revoldt to lead the effort. He has economic development experience galore both from the private sector standpoint and from a government perspective.

Indeed Wayne County has a "leg up" on Stark. For citizens who care about Stark County and its 11.5% current unemployment rate, they should be knocking down the commissioners' doors demanding the creation of a Stark County Economic Development Council.

The SCPR will continue hammering away at the commissioners to get rolling on Stark's organized effort.

And you should too!

DISCUSSIONS: COMMISSIONER TOM HARMON PASSING OUT PUBLIC JOBS AGAIN?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) has learned from a highly reliable source that Stark County Commissioner Tom Harmon is at it again.

At what?

Helping his political friends get public jobs that the general public never gets a shot at.

Harmon himself was originally appointed by Stark Democrats as county commissioner when former commissioner Gayle Jackson left for a Strickland administration job (probably at the behest of and certainly with the assistance of Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.)

The beneficiary this time?

Canton City Councilman Greg Hawk who is the owner/operator of Original Arcade Coneys (located at 215 West Tuscarawas St) and who is Canton City Ward 1C precinct committeeman.

In addition to owning and operating his own business and being a paid Canton City Council member, Hawk is now also working for Massillon elected official Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. Hawk joins Stark County Democratic Political Director Shane Jackson (who is Gayle's son) in the Massillon clerk of courts office. Shane's sister Lisa is the Plain Township administrator. A job she landed after she left the Stark County recorder's office because she had married Recorder Rick Campbell.

Why is The Report making a deal out of the Hawk hiring?

Let's see, three jobs he has. Okay he owns and operates his own business. This is wonderful. His second job is as an elected official. This is fine too. He went out got himself elected.

And The Report would be fine with him having a third job with local government, if The Report believed that he was the best person for this job. He may be. But who did he compete with to get the job? Let's see the list. Many very able Stark Countians have no job.

Stark organized Democrats (as Republicans like Janet Creighton and Jane Vignos did) are really loading up political insiders with jobs in taxpayer provided jobs.

If the general public only knew the degree to which Stark Republicans and Democrats alike set aside taxpayer funded jobs for their political cronies and allies, Stark Countians would likely be less likely to support city income tax issues, county sales/use tax issues, et cetera.

Yours truly has generally supported tax initiatives. Because? Because government does take money. However, our elected officials need to run government operations as if the money was coming out of their own pockets.

When we taxpayers get a growing sense of being abused by our elected leaders in their hiring practices, then it is time to stop and take a hard look.

These elected leaders may think they are playing us taxpayers for being fools, but they aren't. We are very much aware of what they do. A word to the wise: unless these leaders stop excluding the general public and stop it soon, we (voters who normally support funding government) will dry up their money.

The Report knows of and has reported on and will continue to report on Stark County politically connected folks who seemed to end up with a disproportionate number of public, taxpayer funded jobs.

A mission of The Report is to give readers an independent look at how political partisans use taxpayer dollars to provide for their political friends and for their families. Oh, they don't do direct hires. But they mask the hirings by having fellow officeholders do the hiring.

The issue is not the competence these folks have for these jobs. In some cases, the hirees are not competent (remember Ohio congressman Wayne Hays and Elizabeth Ray), but out-and-out incompetence is the exception rather than the rule.

The prime issue is whether or not the general public had a fair opportunity to get these jobs?

The Report has also learned that there may be something in the works at the hand of a Stark County Democratic Party and elected official to send a Stark Countian to Columbus to the Ohio treasurer's office so that a local taxpayer funded job opens for that official's relative.

Stay tuned. The Report is on this story and will be watching closely to see if it materializes.

The Report's guess is that this official is so utterly arrogant that the plan will proceed notwithstanding that the official is being watched with hawkeye precision.

DISCUSSION: STARK COUNTY ANTI-SALES TAX PEOPLE OUT IN FORCE AT CANTON TEA PARTY EVENT

UPDATE: 04/16/2009 at 11:10 PM. A source (no full name or return e-mail address given) who claims to be close to Jason Wise, the person who organized Tax Day, Tea Day - Canton, Ohio, tells The Report that Wise did not personally pay the bill referenced below that somehow ended up at the Stark County commissioners' office though, according to the source, the Stark County commissioners' office address was not on the invoice.

ORIGINAL POST

Stark County Republican operative Jason Wise was in his glory yesterday as he viewed the thousand or so folks who showed up for the Wise-organized Canton, Ohio Tea Party.

A funny and perhaps ironic twist to this event as told to the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) by a source, is that an invoice for an event expenditure directed to Jason Wise showed up at the Stark County commissioners' office. The Report's source said the bill was for nearly $800.

Hum? Found its way to the Stark County commissioners' office? Could it be that Wise is telling folks that he plans on running for commissioner next year (against Commissioner Bosley) and he was misunderstood as currently being a commissioner?

Wise did take command of the microphone for a time (see video below) and asked the crowd to find one of the "green-shirted" Stark County Right to Vote Committee members to sign up to put the 1/2% sales/use tax (passed in December, 2008 by county commissioners for funding to fix 9-1-1 countywide and for additional general revenue fund monies) on the ballot for repeal in November of this year.

The Report continues to believe Canton Tea Party was opportunely adadapted by the organized Stark County Republican Party as a preparatory prelude to taking Bosley on in the 2010 general election. Although the WHLO provided emcee insisted that this was a non--partisan effort focusing on state and national tax issues, it seemed to The Report that the Stark County sales tax issue got major play at the party.

The "Green Shirts" were all over Canton's Central Plaza trying to coax attendees to sign up on the sales/use tax repeal petition.

The Report is not sure whether Bosley's opponent will be Wise or fellow Republican Travis Secrest. Secrest spoke with yours truly and did definitely commit himself as running for commissioner. However, he is still determining whether his run will be against Bosley in 2010 or Ferguson or Harmon in 2012.

Secrest lost to Harmon by a substantial margin in 2008.

DISCUSSION: IS THERE A BIGGER WHEELER DEALER IN ALL OF STARK COUNTY OTHER THAN STARK CO COMMISSIONER TOM HARMON?

A consultant, heh? That's Tom Harmon's "backdoor" way of rehiring Mike Armogida (Stark County sanitary engineer until April 30, 2009). (Reference: Commissioners debate new supervisor of county sanitary engineering department, The Rep, 04/08/2009)

Why doesn't Harmon just go to law school and get his law license or declare himself to be an agent so he can upfront negotiate with the county on behalf of his political favorites?

Harmon is a likable guy (he has a schmoozy, smooth, urbane personality), but seems to have no sense whatsoever of appropriately distancing himself from his friends when it comes to the county's business.

Harmon has been part of political wheeling and dealing so long that he has forgotten that there is another way to do the public's business.

Remember how he told everybody how Randy Gonzales was "his best friend" before voting Gonzales way on the Canton/Jackson annexation. How can one possibly vote "no" on an issue that is "near and dear" to his best friend. Has Harmon ever heard of abstaining?

Is Armogida another "best friend?" It is unreal how intent Harmon is to land Armogida the "consultants" job even in the face of Mike Rehfus saying: "... there’s a lot of good people that use (sic) to run sanitary departments and now work for consulting firms ... ."

This is a comment that Harmon posted in The Rep on Armogida:

Mr. Armogida earns (including benefits) $145,000 per year. Engineer Rehfus proposed hiring a consultant for a maximum amount of $85,000 annually. Mike Armogida is a professional engineer that directed the 4th largest metropolitan sewer district in Ohio that happens to have the lowest user rate of $22.00 per month per household , also the lowest rate in Ohio. I think it benefits Stark County to take advantage of his 32 years of experience while saving OUR money. Excluding him from bidding on the proposed contract would be discriminatory and irresponsible.

Tom Harmon, Stark County Commissioner

Never mind that before what seems to be Harmon's backdoor move to rehire Armogida, Mike Rehfus has said that he will not rehire someone who takes a retirement buyout.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) wonders what discussions have taken place between Commissioner Harmon (at Harmon's initiative), Mike Armiogida and Mike Rehfus before the most recent commissioners' meeting. This whole scenario is way to well planned to have just sprung up serendipitously.

The Report believes that Mike Refus would be happiest if one of the "lot of good people" would get the consultants job.

It is obvious to The Report that Harmon has a "hidden" agenda for wanting to hire Armogida and has enlisted the support of his acolyte commissioner Pete Ferguson to pull it off.

Do we need to remind Commissioner Harmon that these are public jobs that should be open to whom?

How many other best friends will Commissioner Tom Harmon be fronting for down the road?

Harmon's conduct as commissioner really makes one want to go out a vote "no" on the repeal the 1/2% sales/tax issue, if it comes up in November; doesn't it?