MAYOR CATAZARO-PERRY IS - LET'S SAY - "INCONSISTENT?" MASSILLONIANS THINK CRONYISM IS OKAY?

Whatever hope that there may have been that newly sworn-in Massillon Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry (C-P) would be her own person appears to have vanished like the warm weather on being pushed out by a strong cold front.

Last week she (err the Parks & Recreation Board) acted in emergency fashion (on the abrupt resignation of former Mayor Frank Cicchinelli supporter Kenn Kaminski) in naming campaign team member and transition arranger Bob Straughn as the Parks & Recreation Department director.

Who likely arranged for the the Straughn appointment?

Apparently, Safety Service Director George T. Maier who was invited into the Parks & Recreation Board executive session midway.

The SCPR does not believe for one New York nanosecond press reports quoting Maier that the Catazaro-Perry administration had a "wait-and-see" posture vis-a-vis Kaminski.  The Internet mouthpiece for the mayor and her political sycophants have been all over Kaminski for some time now. 

Of course, Straughn is just one of quite a number of  C-P political friends who ended up with jobs with Massillon city government since she took office at the beginning of this year.

One hopeful from the Cicchinelli administration thought he was going to have the opportunity to remain with the city, but as it turns out he seems to be the victim of what appears to be a cruel political hoax on the part of the mayor (she had to know better).

Former Roads and Streets Superintendent Michael Stevens tells the SCPR that back in July he received a "surprise"telephone call from Catazaro-Perry.  She was calling him to induce him to buy a ticket to a fundraiser for her campaign against Republican Lee Brunckhart to be held within a matter of days.  He says the tone of the call was as if his association with the Cicchinelli administration was not a problem.

Stevens responded to C-P that once the November election had come and gone, he would surface as a wholehearted supporter.

While he could not attend her fundraiser because of a conflict he had with the need to tend to Lawrence Township business (Stevens is a Lawrence Township trustee), he did send her a check for her campaign.

Then he says two days after the November election (mind you the Catazaro-Perry folks have had the check since July), he received his uncashed check back with no word of explanation in an anonymous-esque mailing package.

In the meantime he had information from mutual acquaintances that C-P was telling them that as far as she was concerned Mike Stevens was an okay guy.

Then the returned, uncashed check?

Stevens was let go by personal notice delivered by George Maier and Bob Straughn on December 27th or 28th.

According to Stevens, Mayor Catazaro-Perry fabricated a tale that she was telling mutual friends that she could not keep Stevens on because of blemishes in his personnel file.

Interesting, no?

Catazaro-Perry's seeming politization of Massillon city government is drawing a lot of attention these days in Tigerland.

The Massillon Independent yesterday put up a poll, to wit:

The Report is receiving word that the political mentors to the mayor have sent out an e-mail to her supporters rallying them to skewer the vote.

Notwithstanding this apparent effort by C-P loyalists to "stack-the-deck," 38% of voters (presumably Massillonians) simply want the very best in governance.

Filtering out the campaigning element, it is likely that the "real" numbers are exactly the opposite those that the poll shows:  60% or more in favor of the "best qualified" and 40% or less for political cronyism.

The tragedy of the hyper intra-partisanship (one Democratic faction against another) with, perhaps, a number of Republicans joining in or the good government side, is that Massillonians are apparently getting less than the best city employee (at the management level) in place to deal with some very serious if not critical problems facing the city of Massillon.

The SCPR no longer believes that a plausible case can be made that Mayor Catazaro-Perry is separate and apart from the political shenanigans being foisted on Massillon government operations.

The Stevens incident has the hand and footprints of Stark County Democratic operative Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. all over it (i.e. - the return of the campaign contribution check and his rejection as a Catzaro-Perry administration member).

While The Report finds it believable that the mayor has no problem with Stevens at a personal level, it is equally believable that decisions like whether or not he should be permitted a place in her administration IS NOT HERS TO MAKE!

CAN THE DEMOCRATS RECAPTURE THE 50TH HOUSE DISTRICT? LAKE'S JEFF URY ANNOUNCES AS CANDIDATE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION

In the memory of the SCPR, the 50th (formerly the 56th) Ohio House District has never had a representative that put the people over partisan politics. Moreover, they all have been journeymen - at best - in the sense of getting helpful and significant legislation passed to benefit Ohioans and citizens of the 56th/50th.

Republican Red Ash from Canton Township is the first that yours truly remembers. He was the long time successful basketball coach at Canton South who rode his notoriety into the Ohio House where he was deemed to be a fixture until he ran into personal and family difficulties.

In those days, the district was the 56th and was registration-wise a Democratic district because it included Canton Township, all of Perry Township and the heavily Democratic Massillon.

If memory serves correctly, Maier first ran against Ash in 1988 and lost. Then with Ash's troubles Maier triumphed in 1990 and served through 1999 quitting early in his 5th term to give Lawrence Township trustee Mike Stevens a job start.

But by the the time Stevens ran the 50th was totally different. Massillon was gone, the most Democratic part of Perry was gone as was Canton Township.

The Republicans had gained control of the Ohio Apportionment Board and "gerrymandered" the old Democratic safe 56th into a safe Republican seat. Even with that Stevens nearly retained the seat, losing by a mere 1000 votes.

Republican John Hagan (Marlboro Township trustee) defeated Stevens and retained the seat for 8 years.

In 2008, the Democrats thought they had a real shot at this seat. But they were wrong. Despite putting about a quarter of a million dollars in the race, Democrat Celeste DeHoff (Tuscarawas Township trustee and Maier protege) lost by a margin similar to previous candidates from 2002 through 2006.

DeHoff lost to Republican Todd Snitchler of Lake Township who currently holds the seat.

The SCPR had a difficult time with the 2008 DeHoff/Snitchler race. Neither candidate seemed to have the ability to break out of the thrall of others. With DeHoff, it was the Maier machine of the Stark Democratic Party. With Snitchler, the chamber of commerce crowds and "apparently" right wing Republicans.

Snitchler seems to be the most able of all the people who have held the office. However, being a Republican he is a minority member. And his attachment to the chamber of commerce types and right wing types, makes it unlikely that he will accomplish anything to benefit the "blue collerish" 50th.

A few days ago, the SCPR caught a new name running in the 50th. He is Jeff Ury, who, like Snitchler is from Lake Township. Ury lives in Lake's 6th precinct on Middlebranch Road.

Ury's background is definitely working class. His dad was a Teamster and Jeff started out as a carpenter.

He has worked his way up through the home building industry and is listed on online LINKED-IN as being president of Winsome Builders and he has obtained a real estate license and is listed as working with the DeHoff Agency. He has a associated degree in drafting from the University of Akron (1990-94).

Now in his early 40s with a wife (Tiffany) and four children, Jeff is in his first try for political office.

The following in an except from Jeff's bio which provides information for voters to consider:

As a small business owner, Jeff understands the need to enact health care initiatives that are affordable for both employees and employers. It is our duty to see that all Ohioans have access to the care that they need. Jeff also believes that funding our state school system is possible without overburdening property owners, or sacrificing the quality of our children’s education. Jeff believes that the future of Stark County relies upon a firm commitment to the continual growth of our local economy and workforce.

Twenty-five years in the homebuilding industry has allowed Jeff to witness first-hand the importance homeownership plays in revitalizing our economy, neighborhoods, schools, and even families. Jeff has advocated at both the state and national levels to: keep residential construction costs low; advance quality and safety standards; invest in “green building” initiatives; and develop high school and college construction-related programs. He is also actively involved with the Stark County Building Industry Association, which supports the growth of the building industry in Stark County while keeping housing costs affordable. Jeff served as their President in 2007. He believes strengthening the building industry will create jobs and play a leading role in Ohio’s economic recovery.

Jeff serves his community through several local organizations. He currently volunteers for Wishes Can Happen, Relay for Life, and holds the office of Vice-President of Hammer and Nails, an ecumenical Christian ministry that helps disadvantaged area homeowners with needed home repairs. Jeff has enjoyed coaching his children in Lake Youth baseball and softball for almost 15 years. Jeff will also be a participant in the 23rd Signature Class of Leadership Stark County.

One thing that is impressive about Ury is that apparently understands that one must announce and get out and running at least a year in advance to have any chance at all to beat an incumbent. He has his first fundraiser in August.

With DeHoff spending about $250,000 in 2008 and having all the "big guns" (Strickland and his wife, John Glenn, Sherrod Brown and Richard Cordry coming to the 50th for DeHoff) and still losing big time to Snitchler, the lesson should be abundantly clear to Ury.

His quest to defeat Snitchler is more than a uphill battle and it doesn't help that there will be no Strickland coattails this time around.

The SCPR takes the position that Todd Snitchler will win re-election in Ohio's 50th barring some earth shattering event occurring - whether Ury is the Democratic candidate or the nod goes to another Democrat.

That's how lopsided the 50th is for Republicans.

Will the Democratic nominee prove the SCPR wrong?