LOUIS GIAVASIS: A STARK COUNTY CLERK OF COURTS IN WAITING? HE STEPPED ASIDE IN QUEST FOR FERGUSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER SEAT (NOT SEEKING REELECTION) IN FAVOR OF FELLOW DEMOCRAT BILL SMUCKLER.

UPDATE:  03/23/2012 AT 12:37 PM

Martin,

I read your blog this morning and had to chuckle at your assessment of what you feel is as back room politics.

I appreciate by your your political prognostication and assessment of the outcome of the commissioners race if I had stayed in but, I do not want to be a commissioner.

Bill Smuckler does and he will make a very good one.

If you want to call Bill Smuckler and I meeting on our own and discussing the commissioners race prior to my withdrawl, and the fact it was me on my own volition that called him on the the Monday morning when I did in fact with drawl to tell him I was fully supporting him as our next Commissioner back room politics, I guess it is maybe?

There was absolutely no party political involvement.  This was my decision, nobody was involved in my decision outside of my family.

I know in your line of work where you want to report your supposed dark side of local government you believe exists where you truly believe in all hallways there is always some political conspiracy at works but, when you called me last week and asked me why I had withdrawn from the County Commissioner's race I felt I gave you an honest answer.

You can believe what you wish but if you were going to report what you did  anyway why did you ask me.

I am very happy being a Plain Township Trustee and I could have run for the many various positions over the years even you yourself predicted and reported I would or should.

I am doing what I enjoy, that is representing and working for the community in which I live and, have served now going on 20 years. I have never ran for any other position nor do I  envision running for anything else.

In fact I am going to run again for Plain Township Trustee again next year for a 6th term.

As we ended our conversation last week, if I have any intent or prior knowledge of running for any other position in the near future I would not seek re-election to an office I have held at that point for 20 consecutive years. 

Louis Giavasis

Sent from my iPhone

On March 23, 2012 at 8:59 AM 

ORIGINAL BLOG

Not long ago, the SCPR had a conversation with a Stark County Democratic politico who had his own theory on why Plain Township Trustee Louis P. Giavasis withdrew as a candidate for Stark County commissioner for a post being vacated by Democrat Pete Ferguson.

Commissioner Ferguson announced right before the filing deadline for the recently concluded March 6th primary that he would not seek reelection to a second term.

Earlier this week Cleveland CBS TV outlet WOIO (Channel 19) did an expose type investigative piece revealing that Ferguson has been fined $600 because two unlicensed "to do X-rays" employees were seen doing x-rays by inspectors from the Ohio Chiropractic Board which Ferguson has formerly headed.

It does not appear to the SCPR that this situation had anything to do with Ferguson's decision not to seek reelection.  As indicated above, he decided months ago to step down, as of December 31, 2012, as county commissioner.

"Rumor is," the source suggested "that Nancy Reinbold will retire sometime after being re-elected as Stark County clerk of courts (she stands for reelection in November) and that Louis Giavasis is first in line to succeed her."

Hmm?  Sounds like "backroom politics" in full swing, no?

The Report immediately contacted Giavasis who essentially denied that there was any such plan in mind as a reason he opted out of the commissioner race, but he did say that if the conjecture (which he is highly skeptical of) by The Report's source materializes, he definitely is interested in becoming the top official in the clerk's office.

Interesting enough, Giavasis tells The Report he could have had the clerk of courts post had he wanted it when brother Phil moved on.

As matters stand now, he is Reinbold's right-hand-man and can write his own ticket into the clerkship should the scuttlebutt about Reinbold be true.

While he is somewhat of a maverick on a few issues (e.g. his fight with Giant Eagle on the vacancy at the Plain Township Oakwood Square shopping complex and his alignment with anti-frackers in the on going fight between Chris Borello of the Concerned Citizens of Stark County and the oil and gas industry), the Plain trustee manages to pull off being in good stead with what remains of the Stark County Democratic Party "good ole boy" network.

The Report believes that he is in a strong position to gain a Stark County Democratic Party appointment to the clerk post should it come up for consideration.

Giavasis gives various reasons why he filed and then withdrew as a commissioner candidate.

The preeminent reason seems to be (if one believes him) that after thinking it over and having conversations with his father, wife and others; he concluded that his heart would not be in a race for commissioner.  Ancillary as a reason as given by Giavasis is that he kept coming back to the fact that he is mid-term as Plain trustee and that his constituents in Plain are entitled to have him serve out his full term.

But he says he was never, ever going to run in a primary against former Canton Councilman Bill Smuckler.

Giavasis says (and Smuckler confirms to the SCPR) that the two had agreed after each had filed to run that one would withdraw prior to the final withdrawal date.

Hmm?  Another example of "backroom politics?"

By The Report's assessment, it is highly questionable whether or not (from the interests of the Stark County Democratic Party perspective) the right candidate withdrew?

While highly successful over many years as oft elected official within the political boundaries of Canton, Bill Smuckler has no political base in the rest of Stark County and will have to build countywide support from scratch.

With Smuckler being the Democratic candidate, The Report's analysis is that former Stark County Commissioner and Republican Richard Regula (notwithstanding his own weaknesses as a campaigner) is in a very good position to win and thereby give control of the commissioners' office once again to the Republicans.

Regula's strength is outside of Canton and Massillon, the two Democratic bulwarks in Stark County.

Giavasis, on the other hand, is a Democrat who would have done well in Canton and Massillon and even Alliance in a match up with Regula.  Moreover, Giavasis (a five term trustee in Plain) does have as much of a base out in Stark's townships as any Stark Democrat.

Stark Countians are very familiar with the Giavasis name in that Louis' brother Phil was Stark County clerk of courts for a number of years prior to "willing" the post to Reinbold and moving onto the Canton Municipal Court clerk's office which is more remunerative and a better financial base to build up his retirement account upon.

In the judgment of the SCPR, Giavasis would have been pretty much of a shoe-in to win had he chosen to stay in the race.

So Stark County Dems Chairman Randy Gonzalez (who works for Phil Giavasis in Canton and doubles/triples down as a Jackson Township fiscal officer) appears to be in line to take another political hit in terms of the numbers of Democrats who hold countywide office.

Under former Chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., the Dems had a near stranglehold on countywide offices.

But that all changed on April 1, 2009 when it was revealed that the then Stark County Treasurer Gary Zeigler (a Democrat) had fired his chief deputy Vince Frustaci.  Subsequently, an information was filed by federal prosecutors in U.S. District Court (Northern Ohio) for having stolen several million in Stark County taxpayer monies over an extended period of time.

Though Zeigler was not implicated in the theft, there was a seeming immediate loss of public confidence in the likes of Zeigler who many thought was a quintessential party insider who gained the office back in 1999 as the appointee of the Stark County Democratic Central Committee (SCDCC).

Republican Alex Zumbar, after some twists and turns (in office, out of office, back in again), is now firmly ensconced in the treasurer's office and certainly will be elected, having been placed, ironically, in office via political party appointment by a Gonzalez-led SCDCC on October 31, 2011.

The Report projects that he will win in a landslide come this November.

Another casualty of the Frustaci matter appears to have been Kim Perez, a one-time political pal of Zeigler.  He lost his county auditor post to Republican political neophyte Alan Harold in November, 2010 by a substantial margin.

So if the Dems lose the commissioners' office because their strongest candidate withdrew and if they lose the Stark County sheriff's office (which certainly is doable at the hand of Republican Larry Dordea), Chairman Gonzalez will be sent reeling at the reversal of fortunes since he has taken over the reins of the party.

And that may not be all.

While the SCPR expects Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero to survive in office on the challenge of political newcomer Republican Michael Grady; Ferrero could be vulnerable if Grady is able to cobble together an effective campaign.

As a former Stark Democratic Party chairman (who, in fact, was chairman when Zeigler was appointed county treasurer), Ferrero ought to be just a tad nervous about his November race.

If any (let alone, all) of the foregoing comes to fruition, it is unlikely that Gonzalez will survive as the Stark Dems chairman.

Backroom politics may be at play in the Reinbold, Giavasis and Smuckler interplay.

If so, it appears that only individual politicians' wants and desires are being served and not the interests of the organized Stark County Democratic Party.

Self-interest is the standard fare of backroom politics!

CHRISTINA HAGAN PROBABLY DID NOT REALIZE THAT SHE VOTED FOR A REDISTRICT PLAN THAT MIGHT RESULT IN HER BEING A SHORT LIVED STATE REP? PLAIN TWP TRUSTEE LOUIS GIAVASIS PONDERING A RUN IN THE "NEW" 50TH HOUSE DISTRICT?

Louis Giavasis has been a Plain Township trustee for 18 years.  And he has really enjoyed being trustee.  But now that his children are older and becoming more and more independent of the need to have constant parental contact, Giavasis is considering a run for the Ohio Statehouse for the "new" 50th Ohio House District.

But wait a minute, he lives in Plain, no? 

Yes, however, Christina Hagan (Republican - Marlboro), who was appointed state representative earlier this year when former Rep. Todd Snitchler (R - Lake - the 50th) took up the more personally lucrative position of being Governor Kasich's man in Columbus as chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), apparently did not realize that she may have voted against her own interest in remaining 50th District representative in approving the new redistricting plan for the Ohio House.

It turns out that Giavasis recently moved (08/05/2011) into a part of Plain that is included in the "new" 50th recently.  Likely that Christina was so involved in helping carve out a "safe" district for herself that she lost track of Giavasis.  He used to live south of Easton and in Kirk Schuring's "old" 51st District and still in Schuring's "new" 48th.

It is basic Political Science 101 that the best time to defeat an incumbent is her first time out for an election.

Well, that's Chistina Hagan this time around.

And Louis Giavasis tells the SCPR that he would not rule out running against her in 2012.

Hagan owes her office to "daddy John."  John Hagan held the "old" 50th from 2000 through 2008 when he got term limited out and then was out of government for a short spell when Democrat Pete Ferguson defeated him in a county commissioner's race in 2008.  Since then he has re-established himself as a Marlboro Township trustee. 

When Snitchler took off for more prosperous political/governmental haunts despite just being re-elected 50th District representative, John Hagan made it his crusade to get daughter Christina (who qualifications include being Carnation Days queen in 2007, a restaurant server and a university student) into his "old" district.  And, of course, his efforts paid off and we add to the "politically entitled" families that dot the Stark County political landscape (Republican and Democrat).

Giavasis himself appears to the SCPR to be a Democratic version of the politically entitled.  His brother Phil is Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts.

Phil used to be Stark County clerk of courts.  It appears that when he figured out, on Tom Harmon's retirement as Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts, that that clerk of courts was significantly more remunerative than the county position and that the higher pay would enhance his retirement benefits probably not that far down the road, he made the switch.

To the SCPR, the most interesting aspect of Phil's switch was that he felt like he was entitled to name his successor.  So when Lawrence Township Trustee Mike Stevens expressed an interest to him in running for the position, Phil got indignant with Stevens.  It seems that Phil did not want Stevens upsetting his plan to have his top assistant Nancy Reinbold (wife of now former Stark County Court of Common Pleas Judge Richard Reinbold) appointed by Stark County Democrats to replace him when he moved on to the city of Canton.

And guess who now works for Nancy Reinbold?

You've got it.  Coming full circle:  Louis P. Giavasis.  He serves as Reinbold's (as the SCPR likes to put it) "Car Title Czar."

So if Giavasis decides to run against Hagan, will it be a race of the entitleds, no?

The SCPR's take on a comparison of the two is that Giavasis does have a maverick/independent streak about him despite likely being a member in good standing of the Stark County Democratic Party "good ole boys" network.

Louis has a history of taking up causes and fighting them to the bitter end.

One example is his taking on Giant Eagle (the grocery store behemoth) when it vacated its Plain Township situated Oakwood store site for Washington Square only to maintain contract rights to veto its replacement at Oakwood by a competing grocery.

Another is his leadership in the anti-fracking movement.  Many Plain Township resident worry about the damage that fracking may do to the water they drink, the air they breathe and the township infrastructure (i.e. the roads) among many other concerns.

Giavasis started (in December, 2009) the Stark County anti-fracking movement in making noises about banning hydraulic fracking for natural gas within Plain Township.  He encountered heavy opposition from Stark county oil and gas interests.

Because of concerns about being caught up in possible litigation at the hand of the oil and gas industry, Giavasis has had to settle for Plain Township passing a resolution requesting a moratorium on fracking and a resolution banning fracking on Plain Township owned property and under Plain's roadways.

Chistina Hagan, on the other hand, gives every sign of being "owned by the company store:" that is to say - the Ohio Republican House Caucus to which she owes her appointment.  And, of course, she wouldn't want to cross "daddy."

Moreover, she is likely to be a person that if Republican Governor John Kasich (perhaps Ohio's foremost fracking enthusiast) were to ask her to jump, her response:  how high?

On this issue alone, their couldn't be a starker contrast between politically polar opposites that on the issue of fracking.

But there are certainly a bevy of other issues that Giavasis and Hagan would clash on:  Her votes for highly gerrymandered congressional and Ohio General Assembly redistricting, her vote for curbing collective bargaining (SB 5 - state issue 2), her vote to allow fracking in Ohio's state parks, to name a few of the many.

Should Giavasis decide to run against Hagan, the SCPR's take is that he would present a formidable obstacle to Christina Hagan returning to Columbus as state representative on January 1, 2013!

(VIDEO: SHERIFF SWANSON TELLS - THE REST OF THE STORY - HIMSELF) PLAIN TWP TRUSTEE LOUIS GIAVASIS COMPLAINS TO THE SCPR ABOUT THE REP'S COVERAGE OF TUESDAY NIGHT'S REGULAR TOWNSHIP MEETING. HMM? WHAT DO YOU EXPECT IN A "ONE NEWSPAPER TOWN?"

Yesterday, late afternoon, yours truly returned a call from Plain Township Trustee Louis P. Giavasis.

The SCPR had been at the regular meeting of the trustees on Tuesday (September 27th) and he wanted to know whether The Rep's report of the meeting told the full story of what happened at the meeting.

Here is the article he complains of:

First, Giavasis was unhappy that for a meeting that lasted about an hour, The Repository saw fit to publish two paragraphs (his words).

Second, he was upset with this sentence:  "Swanson said the sales tax campaign doesn’t affect the police service his department is contracted to provide for Plain Township." (enlarged for emphasis)

The Report's response:  "No! it doesn't."

An important part of the presentation by Sheriff Swanson and his Chief Deputy Mike McDonald (the jail division) was that: (paraphrasing) "Yes, the Plain contracted officers could come to the scene of the incident, but if there was a need for an arrest and jailing, Plain Township residents were in no better shape than any other Stark County police jurisdiction because booking will be limited to a specific block of time (not 24/7 as it is now) and except for murderers and rapists and the like, there will be no room in what will be a 122 bed jail should the November 1/2 cent on the dollar sales tax increase be rejected by voters."

For those readers who want to see a much more complete version of Stark County Swanson's presentation, a video of such is included in this blog at the conclusion of the written portion.

More and more the SCPR gets calls from the Stark County public complaining about the thoroughness and completeness of Repository reports of governmental meetings and political happenings in Stark County.

For years now (even before the SCPR began upwards of four years ago) yours truly has via letters to the editor and comments in The Rep itself complained that The Repository being a monopoly (i.e. "one newspaper town') has a special obligation to take measures to ensure that it compensates for the lack of competition.

But in the judgment of The Report, it hasn't.  To yours truly, it acts as if it were a public utility or, perhaps, a unit of government.  One of SCPR's favorite lines out of The Rep comes from former Executive Editor David Kaminski when he made a statement in one of his editorials equating The Rep to "An 800-pound gorilla which buys ink by the barrel."

Statements like that folks, is unbridled arrogance and we all know the arrogant just shove it down our collective throats and we get what we get in coverage and ability to respond or contest what is written and just go away and shut up!

July 3, 1930 was a day of infamy in terms of Stark County newspaper readers having a choice and The Rep being compelled to compete.  It was on that day that the then owners of The Repository bought out the Canton Daily News.  In hindsight, we Stark Countians would have lamented and wished that it would have been the reverse.

Of course, not many, if any, of us Stark Countians were around then to read the pre-July 3, 1930 competing newspapers.  But it is impressive that the in 1927, the Canton Daily News was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service on the work of prize reporter Don Mellet.

Apparently, the assassination death of the hard-hitting, thorough Mellett was also the death of the Canton Daily News.

As terrible as all of that was, it is only part of the story of tremendous loss visited upon Stark County.

Because the ownership of The Repository has basked in the comfort of being the only newspaper in Canton rather than take on "super-responsibility," the constituents of the seat of Stark County government and other Ohio political subdivisions (boards of education, villages, cities and township, et cetera) and the concomitant politics that goes with such government, have been poorly served in the "public service" aspect of newspapering.

Yours truly has lived in Stark County for nearly 40 years.  How much of that time has been spent as a subscriber of The Repository?  Six months, perhaps, a year total.  An avid newspaper reader until the onset of online newspaper editions, that says quite a lot about one estimate of the quality of The Repository.

About year ago, Reporter Robert Wang of The Rep told yours truly how much Executive Editor Jeff Gauger at The Rep hated Martin Olson and his Stark County Political Report.

Interesting, no?

A one-person-operation sought to be devoured by a self-described 800-pound gorilla?

So much for fostering a free press, no?

PLAIN TOWNSHIP TO TAKE ON THE STATE OF OHIO & THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY ("THE OTHER SIDE") ON TUESDAY?

 

UPDATE:  12/27/2010 AT 10:00 AM

A RESPONSE TO GIAVASIS INITIATIVE

John Fenno, a reader of the SCPR, has submitted a commentary on this blog about Plain Township Trustee Lou Giavasis' plan to offer a resolution to ban fracking at tomorrow night's regular trustee meeting.

Here, in its entirety, is Fenno's view:

Martin:

From SCPR, “The coming week Trustee Giavasis will - at a regular session of the Plain Township Board of Trustees - be offering a resolution that he says is intended to safeguard Plain Township fresh water drinking supply from pollution that some say come from the fracking process.

On January 20th (for pro and anti-fracking forces) and January 27th  (for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources) informational meetings will be held at Oakwood Middle School in Plain Township on the safety of the fracking issue.  The meetings will be hosted by WHBC1480's Ron Ponder of Points to Ponder (10:00 a.m. through Noon, Monday through Friday).”

Martin, now I am confused.  Mr. Giavasis has to know by now that a "resolution” (which carries no authority under Ohio law unless there is an ORC that I am unaware of) gives every appearance as being political posturing.  One would expect a seasoned politician and elected official such as Mr. Giavasis to solicit state assistance if he is sincere in his beliefs and knowledge on this issue. I am also troubled that he would use legal resources, taxpayers' money, to draw up such a meaningless resolution BEFORE the commencement of the two scheduled public meetings. Didn't he allegedly call for one of these meetings personally?  This is also a disservice to Mr. Ron Ponder whom he asked to emcee.  Why would he disregard his commitment to Mr. Ponder, whom I believe has every intention of hearing both sides of this issue?  This only leaves a cloud hanging over this whole discussion.  It gives every appearance as a "rush to judgement" with a resolution before allowing his own scheduled meeting to take place.  It is also unfair to Mr. Ponder in his effort to bring a meaningful dialogue and debate to the citizens of Stark County on this very important issue.

Respectfully,

John Fenno

ORIGINAL BLOG

Plain Township Trustee may end up feeling like The Lone Ranger this week.

How so?

He is and has been for some time the lead in Stark County to stop fracking (especially horizontal fracking) which is designed to release natural gas encased in deep underground rock.  He has had a resolution drawn up by legal counsel which he says he plans to move for adoption by his fellow trustees (Leno and Haws) this coming Tuesday at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Plain trustees.

For a while it appeared that he had an ally in Allen Schulman (president of Canton City Council).  But proponents of anti-fracking legislation being passed at local levels are beginning to doubt that Schulman is truly committed to such a quest in Canton. 

Chris Borello of the Concerned Citizens of Lake Township (CCLT;' now seemingly expanded to Concerned Citizens of Stark County (CCSC), put out this analysis of Schulman's position yesterday, to wit:

Canton City Council is also apparently stalling out now, despite the very strong proactive statements made at a Canton water meeting by Canton Council President, Allen Schulman, captured on Martin Olson's video camera at a water meeting we attended down in Canton ....See "Stark Poltical Report" (sic) by typing this in under google, (sic) and then scroll down...you'll see Shulman's face/video and some direct quotes about there not being a need for a debate or need to hear from both sides if their water is at stake, that the Canton water shed was valued at a billion, and must be protected from contamination at all costs.....Well, now we are hearing he has since gone silent ; isn't reiterating this strong stance for some reason, and so now there is major concern that Canton moving forward on a ban like Plain is being stalled out.....If our sources are correct, WHY has  Mr. Shculman (sic)  now backed away from his strong position suddenly?  We are disheartened, but hope this is only a temporary setback....

While the SCPR would be surprised if Trustee Al Leno (a fellow Democrat with Giavasis) did not end up supporting him, it is certainly possible and probably likely that Trustee Haws will not support him on an up or down vote.

One more thing.

The Report would not be shocked if Giavasis got cold feet between now and Wednesday.

Giavasis has had enormous pressure put on him to slow down the fracking prohibition process.

Readers of the SCPR will recall that Giavasis had originally planned to have a meeting on December 14th with Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), area governmental officials (including some of the Stark County members of the Ohio General Assembly) and anti-fracking experts to provide information to Plain Township residents, indeed, to all Stark County citizens so than they can make informed input with local officials pro and con on whether or not to prohibit fracking.

Giavasis also invited officials from the oil and gas industry to be present, but they declined.

Before the meeting of the 14th took place, state Senator Kirk Schuring (having been contacted by fellow Republican Scott Haws), intervened to undermine Giavasis' plan to discuss fracking on the 14th by getting ODNR and fellow Republican legislators Oelslager and Snitchler to withdraw.

Plain did have a meeting on the 14th with fracking issue on agenda, but the overwhelming drift of the discussion was anti-fracking.

While all the participants (including Giavasis himself) deny that there is anything political in the maneuvering that has taken place whereby it was arranged to have two meetings (one for the anti-fracking position proponents to inform and the other ODNR and area legislators to inform) to be hosted by Ron Ponder of WHBC's Points to Ponder (now set for January 20th and 27th, having been previously set for the week of the 14th), the SCPR is not buying.

The Report believes that some local Republican elected officials are concerned that the Giavasis move is a "rush to judgment" on the issue and that there is "the other side" of the fracking issue which needs a full airing.  The SCPR thinks there is ample evidence that the Republican Party in general is more comfortable with and allied with the oil and gas industry.  It was former Vice President Dick Cheney (a former Halliburton official) who lobbied Congress to exempt fracking from federal regulation.

Democrats, especially civic activists Democrats left of the political center, tend to be environmentalists and are prone to fight any economic activity that has the mere possibility of harming the environment and do not seem the least bit reluctant to rhetorically diss any attempt to present another point of view.

Chesapeake Energy company officials (the company set to do the fracking in Stark County where hundreds if not thousands of leases have been recorded) met privately with Giavasis on Friday the 17th.  Trustee Giavasis tells The Report that it was a frank discussion, but that his mind is made up and he is determined to push for a fracking prohibition this Tuesday. 

One should not be surprised if additional pressure is not brought on Giavasis to withdraw the resolution between today and tomorrow's meeting to, at the very least, delay a consideration of a resolution until after the Ponder hosted meetings of the 20th and the 27th.

An area civic activist tells the SCPR that when he sought out a copy of the proposed Plain Township resolution, he was initially told that it would not be presented tomorrow night, but rather after the first of the year.  To The Report, such is an indication that "behind the scene" maneuverings are still going on.

So, again, the SCPR will not be shocked if the resolution evaporates at tomorrow night's meeting.

It will be interesting to see what happens in Canton City Council tonight on the issue. 

Will Borello's suspicions on Schulman's commitment be borne out?

Recently, the SCPR received an e-mail from a reader pointing out that there is another side to the fracking issue and on the superior importance of water to oil as expressed on December 16th by Councilman/President Allen Schulman (see quote above).  The theme of "the other side" arguments is that "water is not the new oil."

Among the arguments:

• Oil gets used up, but water is inherently reusable.
• Unlike oil, our planet has a huge stock of water, at mostly known locations.
• Even fresh water, almost ready to drink, is quite abundant.
  Freshwater resources account for just one or two percent of Earth’s water (depending on what you count as a potential resource), but that’s still a huge amount, many times greater than what mankind consumes yearly.
• No substitution.  There’s no “renewable energy” analog in the water market. You can use water more efficiently ...  but you can’t really phase it out in favour of some alternative.
• Water is a local market.  Like energy, water is consumed everywhere. But whereas energy sources, such as oil, can profitably be traded across the world, from oil-rich nations to oil-poor nations, water is just too bulky (or, equivalently, too cheap per volume) to be transported cost-effectively, and thus be a truly global commodity.

Moreover,  the oil and gas industry argues that the fracking process itself is safe (having a safety track record of many decades) and while there have been some accidents; they are at the hand of drillers who do not drill according to regulatory standards and that they are few and far between.

In essence, the argument seem to boil down to, on the one hand, that water is such a vital human need that "no risk" is acceptable in terms of water getting polluted as against a countervailing argument that nothing is life is risk free and that it is critical to a continuance of the American lifestyle that exploration, drilling and production of abundant natural gas supplies be permitted under "reasonable" regulatory supervision at the state - not local - level (e.g. for Ohio, ODNR).

The SCPR believes that "the other side" of the fracking issue will be argued whether or not Trustee Giavasis presents his resolution tomorrow night or not and whether or not it is passed.

The battle over fracking is just beginning in the nation and in Stark County.

And, if it occurs, the passing of the proposed Plain Township resolution tomorrow night will be monumental Stark County event.

However, which side ultimately prevails is far from certain.

DID PLAIN TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE LOU GIAVASIS "BAMBOOZLE" RON PONDER OF WHBC-AM1480 "POINTS TO PONDER?"

UPDATE:  12/15/2010 AT 7:20 PM

Plain trustee Louis Giavasis, Points to Ponder's Ron Ponder and Senator Schuring will be meeting on Friday to determine the times of the two meetings referred in the original blog which are to be held in January.

Originally, Ponder reported that the meetings are to be held at Stark State College, but that is not the case. 

The meetings will be held in Plain Township at Oakwood Middle School, 2300 Schneider St NE.

ORIGINAL BLOG

To his credit, Ron Ponder host of WHBC-AM1480 Points to Ponder worked hard over the weekend brokering a deal among state Senator Kirk Schuring, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and Plain Township trustees (Lou  Giavasis and Scott Haws) to solve the conflict (in terms of timing) to do away with competing meetings on the issue of fracking (the removal of natural gas embedded in rock).

The competing meetings were set for tonight. One (sponsored by state Senator Kirk Schuring at the Plain Community Branch of the Stark County District Library and to be moderated by Ponder) was to feature ODNR officials who were to answer questions of the inquiring public.  And, the other (sponsored by Plain Township's trustees - mainly Lou Giavasis) was to feature so-called fracking experts from inside and outside Ohio, ODNR officials and, of course, the inquiring public.

Being the mediator he is, Ponder (who was set to moderate Tuesday's library sited meeting) worked over the weekend to end the competition and to set up complementary meetings for after the 1st of the year.  One meeting was to be with the pro and anti-fracking people answering the public's questions.  The other with ODNR officials answering the public's questions.  This plan was announced on today's edition of Points to Ponder.  Both are to be moderated by Ponder and are to be held at the Stark State College of Technology.

Obviously, Ponder thought he had everybody on board with his mediation effort.  But he did not.  At the tail end of Ponder's show (the last five minutes), Giavasis let it be known that Plain Township would be holding its regular bi-weekly meeting (2nd & 4th weeks of each month) at 5:30 p.m. (usually held at 6:00 p.m.) and that ODNR officials would be there to answer the trustees' questions.  While the public would not be allowed to question the ODNR officials during the meeting itself, they were to be afforded an opportunity to express an opinion on fracking.

Listening to Ponder, yours truly got the definite impression that he felt he had been hoodwinked by Giavasis.

Being the classy guy he is, Ponder did not outright accuse Giavasis of welshing on the agreement he had brokered, but to the SCPR, the disappointment in Ponder's voice was unmistakable.

Giavasis couched the going ahead with today's meeting as being his having no choice.  He said it was a regular township meeting and he could not unilaterally (there are two other trustees) make it anything other than what it was originally set to be. But political/government knowledgeable persons know that all it will take at tonight's meeting is for a motion to amend the agenda to be offered (by Giavasis' Democratic ally Al Leno) and the ODNR appearance and fracking issue discussion come flying off.  In fact, if an Akron Beacon Journal report published early this morning is accurate, the township is going forward with today's work session meeting and the fracking issue is not on the agenda.
 
In their radio conversation, Ponder made a trump point insofar, as the SCPR is concerned, in his telling Giavasis that he should not have agreed to the post-January 1 set up at all if today's township meeting was going to go forward nonetheless with the fracking issue and ODNR still on tap.

Ponder had dealt with him in good faith, but it appears to the SCPR that Giavasis was always playing politics with the meeting structure.  Giavasis stood by and let Ponder announce "the breakthrough" early in Points to Ponder yesterday, knowing full-well that ODNR official(s) were still scheduled to be at the Plain Township trustees' regular meeting this evening.

The expression "best laid plans of mice and men often go awry" seems to apply to Giavasis' handling of this situation.  The Report hears via e-mail from Giavasis supporter Chris Borello that the township meeting will go forward with out-of-town expert(s) appearing, but no ODNR. 

The Report is told that Giavasis talked with ODNR official Tugend before getting on the air with Ponder and received assurances that ODNR would be showing up at the Tuesday Plain Township meeting.  But those assurance did not last long. Senator Schuring tells yours truly that ODNR has  e-mailed Ponder confirming that they will not be appearing tonight in Plain Township.

The Report doubts that Ponder will reflect negatively on Trustee Louis Giavasis in public on Giavasis' conduct in dealing with him on the setting up of the fracking meetings.

As to Trustee Haws' and state Senator Schuring's involvement, the SCPR is somewhat skeptical of what Haws and Schuring say their position on fracking is, given that officeholding Republicans, in general, favor business and industry and seemingly whatever they want to do.  Moreover,  The Report is skeptical in Schuring's case, in particular,  because of his prior published strong support of ANWAR drilling and off-shore drilling.  He tells yours truly that "fracking" is an altogether different matter because it involves a potential harm to the drinking water supply.

Both Scott Haws and Kirk Schuring tell The Report that they are neutral on the fracking issue.  It could be that both will eventually join with Giavasis and oppose fracking in Plain Township and Stark County and, of course, in Schuring's case - all of Ohio.

The Ponder initiative appears designed to provide the space for such a possibility to eventuate. 

The SCPR believes it was very unwise for Giavasis to do what he did to Ron Ponder.  Clearly, Ponder felt he could trust Giavasis to back off today's meeting insofar as it was constructed to touch on the fracking issue in light of the agreement referred to above.  Who could blame Ponder if he refused to engage Giavasis in the future?  However, again, The Report does not believe this is how Ponder operates.

Fracking and whether or not it jeopardizes the safety of the public's drinking water supply is a top issue for localities these days.   Developments since the end of October emanating from Plain Township and Canton government defines "localities" to apply to Stark County in a big way.

It is commendable that Stark local governments such as the Plain trustees (and now, we hear, the Canton City Council because of the work of Councilwoman Mary Cirelli and Allen Schulman - president of council) are looking into the matter of protecting the safety of drinking water.

Fracking is not a matter to be playing politics over.  The health, safety, and welfare of Stark Countians could be at stake.  So shame on anyone who has political motives at play in the back and forth as to what meetings on fracking are to be held, and when and where they are to be held, and who the players are to be.

While there is no doubt that Ron Ponder has something to gain from entering the Haws/Schuring-Giavasis fray (i.e. the notoriety of hosting the controversy on air and moderating the events), the SCPR believes that in trying to broker a resolution of the stalemate that had developed between Haws and Schuring, on the one hand, and Giavasis on other, Ponder was bringing his considerable and valuable mediation experience to bear on the matter.

Points to Ponder is one of Stark County's most valuable assets in terms of getting controversies such as fracking before Stark Countians in an orderly manner.

Some months ago Ponder tried to bring Canton, Jackson and North Canton officials together on their annexation dispute, but was unsuccessful.  But he is to be applauded for trying.

While the SCPR and Points to Ponder have different styles, as yours truly sees it, the objective is the same:  prodding government officials to get their acts together to get Stark County moving forward in a constructive way!

KIRK SCHURING TO SCPR: THE OHIO DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES MEETING LOCATION ON HYDROFRACKING HAS BEEN CHANGED!

UPDATE:  12/10/2010 AT 1:48 PM

 

UPDATE:  12/10/2010 AT 12:22 PM

ORIGINAL POST

Louis Giavasis and Scott Haws (Plain Township trustees) have been working for several months to get a handle on hydrofracking and what, if any, harm the procedure poses to the drinking water supply for Plain Township residents, should natural gas drilling companies obtain mineral right leases from area residents and choose to drill for natural gas encased in subsurface rock.

Hydrofracking is widely defined thusly:

Hydraulic fracturing or fracking (vertical or horizontal) is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.

Gas drilling companies are active in Stark County obtaining mineral leases and are thought to be planning to begin hydraulic fracking in the county including Plain Township.

Accordingly, Giavasis and Haws have seized the initiative to gather information on the process in terms how Ohio regulates and what local governments can do to protect their water supplies (if it is determined that fracking threatens the safety of drinking water) and thereby lookout for the health, safety and welfare of their residents as they have a fiduciary duty to do given their status as elected officials.

All was going well with the joint effort and the two had set up a meeting for December 14, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. at township hall located at 2600 Easton NE for area residents to attend in order to get their questions answered by Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) officials and area Ohio General Assembly members (Senator Kirk Schuring as well as Representatives Scott Oelslager and Todd Snitchler).

However, all that changed between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and noon yesterday as Trustee Giavasis appeared on WHBC1480 AM's Points to Ponder (Ron Ponder, host) and made statements which were deemed by Giavasis' fellow trustee Haws,  Senator Schuring and ODNR officials to be prejudiced against the drilling companies.  In addition to Giavasis' comments on Points to Ponder, Senator Schuring told the Stark County Political Report that he understood that Giavasis has a resolution ready to go which is indicative that Giavasis has prejudged whether or not hydraulic fracking is a safe practice and that therefore a meeting at Plain Township Hall with Giavasis (as president of the Plain Township Board of Trustees) presiding would not be a proper forum for ODNR officials to engage.

Accordingly, Schuring has made arrangements for the meeting to be relocated to the Plain Community Branch of the Stark County District Library located at 1803 Schneider St NE in Plain.  Schuring says the meeting room holds about 100 persons (seated) but that there is standing room should an overflow crowd show up.

Schuring said he respects Giavasis' right to have an opinion of the efficacy of the hyrdraulic fracturing process, but in expressing that opinion on the air waves and in written form (i.e. the prepared resolution), he forfeited the right (and have state officials present) to have the meeting at township hall.  ODNR officials agreed to Schuring's request that they come to Plain on the condition that the session be moderated in a neutral setting by a neutral moderator.  According to Schuring, ODNR understands that there will be members of the public in attendance who will asking tough questions and that they (the Stark County delegation to the Ohio General Assembly and ODNR officials) do not object to same.

Giavasis' supporter Chris Borello of Plain Township and president of the Concerned Citizens of Lake Township (CCLT) disputes that the meeting has been changed and challenges Schuring's authority to effect the change in an e-mail (sent at 10:30 p.m. last night) to Executive Editor Jeff Gauger, to wit:

CANTON REPOSITORY      cc;  Akron Beacon Journal

Jeff Gauger, Managing Editor,   The Canton Respository  

Edd Pritchard, reporter covering Plain Twp.

Dear Mr.  Gauger:

WHY does the headline in the  Friday's edition of the Canton Repository state incorrectly that the meeting location for the Gas Hydro Fracking issue has been changed, when this is patently untrue?!  It appears a dirty trick is being played to thwart citizens from attending this important meeting dealing with an issue that could affect their health and welfare -  and we are truly outraged!

.I just spoke to Plain Trustee, Lou Giavasis, this evening, who will be chaIring this meeting, and he informed me that when he was called this afternoon by your newspaper reporter, Edd Pritchard, and informed that Mr. Schuring (for apparently arbitrary reasons)  took it upon himself to change the location( to a smaller venue),  Trustee Giavasis reportedly informed Edd Prichard of the paper that Mr.Schuring had NO authority to change this meeting location -that it had been called by Plain Twp. Trustees, and Mr. Pritchard was informed that it would indeed, REMAIN at the same time and place - at the Plain Twp. Hall , 2600 Easton Street, Plain Twp. on Tues. Dec. 14th at 5:30 pm.

So why does your paper's headline convey something entirely different? Unless the reader happens to read all the way down to the last sentence, they will clearly be misled and therefore show up at the wrong location Tuesday night!    We request that  the newspaper in the following edition , same page, provide an equally large headline -  that will correct this and properly inform the public to the right location - so that all that want to attend can and will know where to go. 

.

Chris Borello for Concerned Citizens of Plain and Lake Twp.s,

Apparently, The Repository's Edd Pritchard (a Repository reporter) got himself into the middle of the scheduling of the meeting dispute by virtue of two earlier communications he had with Borello.

The latest was on December 3rd email, to wit:

From: Pritchard, Edd <edd.pritchard@cantonrep.com>
To: crborello@aol.com <crborello@aol.com>
Sent: Fri, Dec 3, 2010 7:24 pm
Subject: Your Schuring question

Chris,

At the Nov. 23 Plain Township trustees meeting, Scott Hawes and Louis Giavasis announced plans for a work session and hearing on Dec. 14 about hydraulic fracturing. We had a brief about the meeting in the Nov. 24 paper.

During the meeting, Haws and Giavasis both mentioned that Haws had been organizing the meeting with the help of Ohio Sen. Kirk Schuring. Apparently Schuring's role was talking with ODNR and Ohio EPA officials to find people from their departments who can attend the meeting.

At this point, based on an announcement issued by the Plain trustees on Monday, Schuring, Scott Oelslager and someone from ODNR will attend the meeting to address concerns related to Chesapeake Energy and hydro-fracking.

I hope that clears up your question from you conversation with Jack Richards. Have a good weekend.

Thanks,
Edd

And then there was "apparently" a phone call he had with a citizen calling The Repository in which he is alleged to have said that the meeting was Kirk Schuring's idea, to wit:

From: crborello@aol.com
To: shaws@plaintownship.com
Sent: Fri, Dec 3, 2010 4:24 pm
Subject: Meeting on 12/14 to discuss Fracking Ban

Hi Scott,

I received a phone call last night from a concerned citizen involved with the fracking issue, and he informed me that he got a phone call yesterday from the Canton Rep reporter, Edd Pritchard, about your meeting on the 14th..

The strange part is, Edd told him that Kirk Schuring was putting this meeting together.  What gives?  I thought you had called the meeting.  That's what your Administrator told me yesterday. Please clarify. This is about our residents' concerns and our Twp. right? 

 Did you get a chance to watch GASLAND yet?

We hope you will find the time, because you will see what Americans have to say about this matter, citizens that have already had up close and personal experiences, after being smoozed that fracking was just fine, all the claims that we are sure to hear.....vs. the truth of the matter...  Have a nice weekend.

Chris  (emphasis added)

It appears to the SCPR that Schuring has reasserted (?) control of the scheduling and the conduct of the meeting.  Moreover, it seems that The Report's original blog on this matter was right on the mark.  There is a dispute between the two on the issue of fracking with Giavasis having made at the very least a preliminary determination that he believes those who say that fracking threatens the fresh water supply and therefore needs to protect Plain citizens and their water supply, whereas Haws questions the reliability of the opinion out there (in the public marketplace) supporting Giavasis' statements on Points to Ponder and his planned action via Township resolution.

The Report believes that the Schuring involvement was not originally to schedule and control the meeting, but, rather, to help Trustee Haws in his efforts.

However, being the Republican allies they are; when Giavasis (likely, he along with Mary Cirelli - a Canton councilwoman, the most populist official in Stark County) made it obvious on Points to Ponder that he was going to more or less be against any fracking in Plain Township on top of having attacked Republican Governor-elect Kasich for having supported - when he was in Congress - the former Vice President Dick Cheney's Halliburton amendment (exempting hydrofracking from regulation), then the two (Haws and Schuring) got their heads together and decided that Schuring would come out as taking over the scheduling/locating of the meeting to take the matter out of Giavasis' hands.

Folks, there is nothing "neutral" about this issue.  Environmentalists like Borello have already determined that the risks in fracking are too great to be permitted to be implemented widely across America and therefore are on a national campaign to get a reversal of the Halliburton amendment and, what's more, to gain authority for locals like township trustees and village/city councils to place moratoriums on fracking operations.  Environmentalists enjoy the support of many Democratic office holders.

On the other hand, the drilling industry is working through Republican office holders to stop the burgeoning anti-fracking sentiment that is threatening to sweep the country by storm.

Scott Haws is trying to clothe himself as being some kind of objective person (as is Schuring) in the argument that is in process.  But in the opinion of the SCPR, they are not any more objective than Giavasis and Cirelli.

Hence back to the SCPR's original blog.  Giavasis and Haws (as trustees) are at polar opposites.  No matter what the two of them say for public consumption.

So where will the meeting with ODNR officials actually take place?

If at all, The Report believes that Schuring will prevail.  For he is the person (being an Ohio elected official) who has the ear of the ODNR.  All he has to do is make a phone call to the ODNR and tell them, as he has obviously done, that the meeting has been relocated and they will show up to the site he directs them too.

Sure.  Giavasis can go ahead with his planned meeting.  But do not expect Schuring, Oelslager, Snitchler and the ODNR folks to show up!

Again, despite the Giavasis and Haws protestations to the contrary, the SCPR stands by The Report's original assessment:  there is a split between Haws and Giavasis and it does threaten to unravel the years of unity that have been emanating from Plain Township Hall.

IS PLAIN TOWNSHIP ABOUT TO UNRAVEL OVER AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE?

UPDATE:  12/06/2010

From:

"Lou G" <lougiavasis1@hotmail.com>

View contact details

To:  "Martin Olsen" <tramols@att.net>

 

Martin,

Trustee Scott Haws has done a fantastic job setting this meeting up at the direction of the board, he has made countless phone calls to Kenyon Energy, Chesapeake, ODNR and to our state legislators, he has also kept Trustee Leno and I informed of his conversations.  The purpose of the meeting on the 14th is to gather facts and information. This subject is not a Democrat or Republican issue, it is one that could very well effect every resident in Plain Township and the drinking water regardless of partisanship. 

 

In my conversation's with Chris Borello on this issue through telephone and email, I stated the same.  I have an opinion about this, as I have been talking with elected officials from PA, New York and West Virginia about what has happened in their respective states and communities.

 

I  am looking forward to hearing from our legislators and representatives from ODNR. Currently Plain Township as every other community in Stark County and across the state has implemented unfunded mandates to protect drinking water to extent that we must now make plans to move all equipment and machinery indoors under roof and take steps to prevent oil and gas from getting into drains, ditches, and storm sewers that could make its way into streams and other bodies of water. These mandates make even unlawful to allow something as bio degradable as grass clippings into our storm sewers because that will make into our waterways.  These mandates to protect our water cost and hit community budgets extremely hard. 

 

So, with that said I have my own questions to ODNR and our State Legislators about a process that will allow for millions of gallons of chemicals to be injected into the ground, they do not have to disclose what chemicals they are using. Gas drilling companies collect only 60% of these chemicals, and are allowed to store this chemical waist at the surface in storage ponds.  This has been proven to affect the under ground water table and air quality in states across the eastern U.S. 

 

I do not think Scott possess different concerns than mine. So we will have the meeting to gather facts and move forward from there.

Louis Giavasis

UPDATE:  12/05/2010


FROM TRUSTEE SCOTT HAWS

Since the group of concerned citizens participated at our October 26th meeting on the Chesapeake - Hydrofracking,  ...  I have worked dilligently to obtain information for OUR board to properly assess all aspects of this environmental concern.  This information and resources that have been obtained as a precursor to our December 14th meeting include and are not limited to:

• Made a visit to Kenyon Energy - Randy Bernauer 10-28-10 (Chesapeake Energy Lease Agent) on behalf of the Board of Trustees to request company representation at our TWP meeting to address Board and Resident questions. This was after no response was provided to our TWP Administrator
• 11-1-10 Contacted Chesapeake Energy Matt Berkely and Ryan Dean requesting attendance at Plain TWP Board of Trustees Meeting to address questions
• Procured information/material from Ryan Dean - Chesapeake Energy 11-18-10 to share with my peers on the Board of Trustees, all of which is available at TWP hall for my peers
• Engaged State Sentaor Kirk Schuring to identify ODNR and EPA representation to have to Plain TWP,
• Engaged the SCTA to invite and allow other elected officials to sit in our meeting to get educated on the matter so as to protect and address their residents
• Engaged representation from North Canton do to their expressed concern for their water fields
• Received and reviewed the over 201 articles since October 4th from Chris Borrello
• Spoke directly with citizens who have declined and entered into contracts with Energy Exploration companies pursuing land in Stark County - Plain TWP

Through every effort I have openly worked and communicated regularly back to my peers on the Board the efforts to properly vet this situation through with all parties involved.  Those parties including but not limited too:

Concerned Citizens
Energy Exploration Companies
Regulatory Oversight (ODNR & EPA)
Legislative Representation


ORIGINAL BLOG

The SCPR has written a number of times as to how Plain Township appears to be the best run township in all of Stark County and, perhaps, even in all of Ohio.

With Democrats Pam Bossart (no longer a trustee, having moved from the area), Al Leno and Phil Giavasis in control, Plain seemed to get it.  They have kept the fiscal house in order for a number of years.  Plain is an exceptional example of Democrats demonstrating that they can govern effectively.

But enter a Republican and "all Hell is about to break loose?"

Well, maybe; maybe not.  However, there are things going on among the trustees that indicate the a major disruption is taking place in Plain Township government.  And nothing has changed but the introduction of Republican Haws into the trustee picture.

The first sign of disharmony came with the surfacing of a "blanket" Project Labor Agreement (PLA) being promoted by Trustee Louis Giavasis.  In fact, on Giavasis' insistence he and Leno voted to approve a resolution that future Plain construction contracts be subject to PLA.  Republican Haws voted no at the October 12, 2010 meeting at which the matter was brought up.  For a history of developments and more detailed positions of Giavasis and Haws CLICK HERE to see prior blog on Plain's PLA.


Giavasis as a Democrat has typical Democratic ties to organized labor and in this instance is obviously doing their bidding.

Now to a new issue that seems to have surfaced.

On December 14th, there is to be a meeting held at Plain Township Hall on the issue of fracing.

Here is the contents of an e-mail from Giavasis to yours truly on October 7th which indicates a Giavasis interest in the issue, to wit:

Also, as you have been made aware of by Chris Borello about Kenyon Energy and subsidiary of Chesapeake Oil and Gas's intention to drill and mine over 800 acres in the Plain Township area through various methods that include fracking. I have instructed our township administrator to contact Kenyon Energy in North Canton and Chesapeake requesting that they send representatives to one of our next meetings. They have not gotten back with us yet for the meeting on the 12th about our request but I can sure you that myself and my board will do everything within our legal authority to make sure that what has happened in Paris Township recently to residents water wells and environmental damage this industry is causing across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York will not happen in Plain Township.

Here is an e-mail that the SCPR received yesterday from Borello (which is a copy of an e-mail she sent to Trustee Haws), to wit:

-----Original Message-----
From: crborello@aol.com
To: shaws@plaintownship.com
Sent: Fri, Dec 3, 2010 4:24 pm
Subject: Meeting on 12/14 to discuss Fracking Ban

Hi Scott,

I received a phone call last night from a concerned citizen involved with the fracking issue, and he informed me that he got a phone call yesterday from the Canton Rep reporter, Edd Pritchard, about your meeting on the 14th..

The strange part is, Edd told him that Kirk Schuring was putting this meeting together.  What gives?  I thought you had called the meeting.  That's what your Administrator told me yesterday. Please clarify. This is about our residents' concerns and our Twp. right? 

 Did you get a chance to watch GASLAND yet?

We hope you will find the time, because you will see what Americans have to say about this matter, citizens that have already had up close and personal experiences, after being smoozed that fracking was just fine, all the claims that we are sure to hear.....vs. the truth of the matter...  Have a nice weekend.

Chris

 

In a conversation with Borello on Wednesday evening, she indicated that she was concerned that Haws was weighing in with the oil and gas industry side of the issue.  Moreover, she extolled Giavasis as a protector of citizens rights and expressed confidence that he (as president of the Board of Trustees) would ensure that the citizens' perspective on the issue would be heard.  She cited Giavaisis' long history of siding with everyday persons on various issues that have come along during Giavasis long tenure as trustee.

Borello is correct about Giavasis.

He has taken on such corporate behemoths as Giant Eagle when the Pittsburgh based grocer vacated its Oakwood Square facility (but had a contract forbidding a re-let to a competing grocer).  He was among the first and most vocal of Stark's public officials in standing against American Electric Power on its request for a gigantic rate increase in electric rates made to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) a couple of years ago.  Also, he is supporting legislation in the Ohio General Assembly to "put reasonable limits on the fees publicly owned water works and sewage disposal companies may charge their customers for rate-case expenses."

But suffice it to say that Louis Giavasis is a mixed bag.  Though he can be a political maverick on occasion, he is also consummately connected with the leadership of the Stark County Democratic Party and organized labor.  His connections with the Stark Dem leadership appear to have been beneficial to him.  He is the title bureau czar for Stark County having been hired for that job by Stark County Court of Common Pleas Clerk of Courts Nancy Reinbold (wife of long time, but now retired Judge Richard Reinbold) who was tapped to be clerk of courts by  Louis' brother Phil (Reinbold's predecessor and now clerk of courts for the Canton Municipal Court).

Haws, on the other hand, is a much more conservative type who generally sides with business interests as is typical of Republicans.  His local political pals include Republican Todd Snitchler whom represents Ohio's 50th House District and whom the SCPR considers to be the captive of chamber of commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and manufacturer associations which typically finance Republican politicians.

The SCPR will be closely following the fracing (also fraccing or fracking) issue as it connects to Stark County.  Stark Countians should attend the Plain Township meeting of the 14th in great numbers.

Not only could this issue and its potential adverse effects on the county ground water supply prove divisive among the leaders of Plain Township, it could be the beginning of a local struggle between local civic activists like Chris Borello (who, by the way, lives in Plain), the oil and gas industry with Stark's politicians being caught in the middle.

PLAIN TRUSTEE LOUIS GIAVASIS ONCE AGAIN PREPARED TO GO TO BAT FOR THE PEOPLE OF PLAIN TOWHSHIP. WILL NORTH CANTON, MASSILLON, HILLS & DALES, JACKSON, LAKE, LAWRENCE, PERRY AND TUSCARAWAS TOWNSHIP FOLLOW HIS LEAD?

UPDATE/CORRECTION:  MARCH 24, 2010

As pointed out by a SCPR reader, The Report missed that Jackson Township passed a resolution on Monday night with The Repository reporting that Trustee James Walters termed the expected  request for increase (20%) as being "outrageous."

UPDATE:  MARCH 23, 2010 AT 4:15 PM.

The SCPR just received a call from Trustee Craig Chessler (Perry Township) to inform yours truly that Perry Township will also be considering a resolution objecting to Aqua's 20% requested increase to be made by Aqua to the PUCO

ORIGINAL POST

Last week it came out that Aqua Ohio, Inc will be asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on or about April 1, 2010 to allow it to increase rates 20% on its Ohio water customers which includes thousands of Stark Countians.

The commissioners will be considering a resolution soon to ask the PUCO to deny the request.

It will likely be the Plain Township trustees who will act first.  And, it is "fitting and proper" for Plain to be first.

Why is that?

Because one of Stark County's better advocates for the people is Plain Trustee Louis Giavasis.  He has written the SCPR to the effect he will be offering a resolution at tonight's regular township meeting.

Giavasis deserves credit for being the foremost Stark County government official to step forward to convince the PUCO to cut down on American Electric Power's request for a gigantic - over three years - increase about a year ago or so.

The Report applauds Giavasis for his work on behalf of ordinary types who need the voice of government to speak loudly and clearly on their behalf.

A SCPR "tip-of-the-hat" to Trustee Louis Giavasis for looking out for the people of Plain Township and by extension for all Aqua water users throughout Stark County!

WHAT CHANCE DOES STARK COUNTY HAVE TO GET VOTERS TO SUPPORT NEW REVENUES FOR COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN LIGHT OF THE LATEST COMMISSIONER HIRING? ALSO, QUESTIONS ABOUT RECORDER RICK CAMPBELL'S CONDUCT

Yours truly could scarcely believe his ears when a motion was presented at the Stark County commissioners meeting this past Wednesday to hire Jessie Boron (stepson of recently resigned Commissioner Tom Harmon, and, son of former Nimishillen Township clerk/fiscal officer Carlene Boron Harmon) as Stark County deputy dog warden.  This hiring took place 29 days after Tom Harmon's resignation effectivity date.

Why is it that Olson could "scarcely believe his ears?"

Because the hiring smacks of "political insider" stuff, no matter what Commissioners Todd Bosley (a former Nimishillen Township trustee) and Pete Ferguson say to rationalize the hiring.

So?

Well, with Stark's judges convening meetings of elected public officials plus others (including some of the "Vote No Increased Taxes" committee folks), one wouldn't think that county officials would want the Stark County voting public to think for one second that county funds are being spent to finance what some may think is the commissioners approving the hiring of a person with poltical connections.

One wouldn't think that such hiring will set well with the Stark County voting public.  And it certainly doesn't with the SCPR.

Commissioner Bosley called yours truly aside after Wednesday's commissioner meeting to explain why he didn't have any choice but to support the hiring of Boron.

To hear Bosley tell it, he actually did Stark Countians a good turn going along with fellow Commissioner Pete Ferguson in hiring Boron.  We (Stark County) got the best of the three finalist,  Bosley explained.

Yours truly believes that Bosley's explanation was done in an "affected" tone and manner (in the sense of having no other alternative) designed to get The Report to infer that Bosley did a public service by getting the best out a less than ideal field of candidates. 

But the SCPR is not buying.

There were 28 other candidates.  If it was agonizing for Bosley to approve the Boron hiring (and, it is a capital IF), why didn't he simply look at the 28 other applications.  Bosley especially should have been on alert because one of the finalists (according to Bosley himself) was the "handpicked" favorite of the Warden himself.

The SCPR reads the Bosley effort as being a ploy to put The Report off-the-track of a real alternative.

The Report's response?

Commissioner Bosley,   don't save us (Stark Countians) from the Warden, go look at the other 28 applications.  If none them measure up to Bosley/Ferguson standards, advertise again.  This time more widely.

When you advertise give the job the widest possible Stark County dissemination.  After all, Stark County does have an 11.5% unemployment rate!

After the Bosley justification session, the SCPR did some checking with county administrator Mike Hanke on Boron's remuneration,  qualifications for the job and how much of an effort was made to make the general Stark County population aware of the job availability.

Here is Hanke's response (in its essence) to a SCPR email, to wit:

His exact salary  ...  is $16 an hour (it is a union job)

Prior to deputy dog warden job ...  he worked as a Nimishillen Township Fire Dept. dispatcher, prior to that as a deputy auditor in the Stark County Auditor's Dept., prior to that as a security officer at Aultman Hospital, prior to that as a substitute teacher in Stark County schools.

He holds a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University, with a minor in sociology. He was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force Reserve in 2002.

This was a posted job, meaning it -- like all posted openings for commissioners' departments -- was posted on the wall outside our office.More importantly, it was posted under the jobs category on the commissioners web site. As a result, there were 31 applicants, according to the dog warden. The dog warden then narrowed them to his three recommended candidates.

As far as the SCPR can determine from Bosley's account; all three "finalists" had someone on the inside of county government that were "rooting" for them.  Bosley did say that neither stepdad Tom nor mother Carlene contacted him about the hiring, prior thereto.

It is interesting to note that Boron worked at the Nimishillen Township Fire Department.  Hmm?   What did his mother and Bosley have to do, if anything, with that hiring?

Bosley saying that the Harmons did not contact him about the stepson/son application,  cuts no ice with the SCPR.

The Report knows that most politicians, in this day and age, would not dream of direct intervention.  Political influence in the modern era is much more subtle and sophisticated than it was back in the out-and-out political boss days.

Stark County recorder Rick Campbell has tried this "Dad, (Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez) never said a word to me" on the Kody Gonzalez hiring ($53,560.00 annually - 2009).  According to Campbell, he would have picked Kody Gonzalez to be his chief deputy with its sizable income (to most Stark Countians) from a sea of applicants because of his obvious "best thing since sliced bread" credentials and presence.

It could be so, but who in Stark County is going to believe Campbell given Gonzalez's political pedigree?

Campbell does not stop at the Gonzalez hiring.

The SCPR has been critical of the hiring of his wife Lisa Jackson Campbell as Plain Township administrator because The Report is highly skeptical of two phone calls that were made relative to her hiring.

One by then Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. to Plain Township trustee Louis Giavasis (according to Lawrence Township trustee Mike Stevens - who was also vying for the job) to ensure that Lisa got "a fair chance" at the vacant Plain Township administrator's job.  Remember from previous blogs how the SCPR has spoken of the "family" atmosphere that exists between Maier and the Jackson (e.g. Shane Jackson is Maier'e chief deputy [Massillon clerk of courts])

A second one (the order may be reversed) by Campbell himself to Giavasis (this is a Giavasis account of the conversation)  to ask whether or not it was permissible for wife Lisa to apply for the Plain Township job.

Wow!  Is it permissible?  Sounds pretty disingenuous, doesn't it?

Lisa Jackson Campbell is not just anyone.

She happens to be the daughter of former Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson who now serves as Governor Strickland's appointee with the Ohio Lottery Commission.

Campbell's wife (his former chief deputy) may well be qualified for the job that she landed with Plain Township.  But the fact of the matter is that when she and Campbell married, Ohio Ethics law would not allow her to remain in Campbell's public office employment. 

The Report does believe that there quite of number of Stark Countians who were qualified for the Plain job including, perhaps, applicant Mike Stevens who is a Lawrence Township trustee.

The critical question (given that this is a taxpayer funded job) is whether or not qualifications were the only criterion for the job? 

Consider the following.

The SCPR believes that Giavasis may have set up Michael Stevens to apply for job to make it appear that there was "real" competition for the job that eventually went to Campbell's wife. 

Why would the SCPR posit that possibility?

Shortly after the SCPR did a blog on political patronage (Deember 9, 2009 CLICK HERE to see the blog), an interesting course of events occurred.

The SCPR on or about December 2, 2009 asked the Stark County auditor's office, in a public records request, for a list of recorder office employees (date of hire, income level, et cet ).   Well, little did yours truly know that he would get "special delivery" of the requested information from none other than Chief Deputy Recorder Kody Gonzalez.  He hand delivered the public records requested information to The Report at the December 10th Stark County commissioners meeting.

Gonzalez was accompanied by Rick Campbell, the Stark Counhty recorder himself. 

Who else would show up?

Louis Giavasis (who "just happened" to be at the meeting - according to him -  on an "unrelated" matter (Plain Township business) on a combination of his county job lunch hour and vacation).  Hmm?

No sooner had yours truly began preparing to video the commissioners meeting, when Campbell begin going after yours truly on the December 9th blog.  The opener:  "I understand that Mike Stevens is not happy about not getting the Plain Township administrator's job."

Who should join in?

None other than Louis Giavasis.   Remember, Giavasis just happened to be at the commissioners meeting on Plain Township business.

The Campbell/Giavasis "double-whammy" was obviously a planned event.

Lo and behold, Giavasis, at the invitation of Campbell, offered insight as to why Mike Stevens did not end up with the Plain Township job.

Giavasis volunteered at Campbell's urging that the first question he asked Stevens (when they were discussing the Plain Township administrator job) was whether or not Stevens was willing to give up being Lawrence Township trustee so he could devote full time to being administrator (a claim Stevens denies to the SCPR).

As a follow-up to the first point he made, Giavasis added that when he applied to be Canton service director; the first thing out of his mouth to his interviewer (presumably Healy) was that he - if selected -  would resign as Plain Township trustee. 

In Giavasis' mind, such as it is,  his Canton interview was proof positive that he had asked the same question of Stevens.  Hmm?

The Report refused to indulge the Campbell initiative and continued on with the business of recording the commissioners' meeting.

Campbell, who was a row behind yours truly,  sat there, muttering to himself for awhile about how qualified his wife was to be Plain Township administrator.

Fascinating, no?

The Report had not asked for the Gonzalez "special delivery" of the public records request.  In fact,  David Maley of  auditor's office was asked to send the requested information in electronic format; which, he did the day after Gonzalez's personal delivery.

A question?  Was Gonzalez being at the commissioners meeting an efficient use of his taxpayer financed time?

Count I.  Gonzalez did not have to deliver anything.  David Maley of the auditor'f office (to whom the request had been made) was handling the request.  Even Maley did not make a personal delivery.  He sent it to The Report electronically as requested.  Also remember, Campbell was at the meeting.

Count II.  Gonzalez also made about a 30 second presentation on the recorder's  willingness to help the commissioners set up a scanning and electronic publishing project.   And remember, Campbell himself was at the meeting.

So let the SCPR get this straight.  The two highest paid officials in the recorder's office (well over $100,000 combined income) spend about an hour each for one of them - Gonzalez  - to do 45 seconds of official business.  Wow!!! Taxpayers will really love this account.

The Report does understand that Campbell did spend pre-meeting time counseling with Commissioner Bosley as to whether or not Bosley should run for the Ohio House.

So what was the real reason Campbell et al showed up in force?

The SCPR takes the Campbell generated episode as a "gang up on and try to intimidate" The Report.

Some Stark County-based politicians take offense to the SCPR's endeavor to show the Stark County public how prevalent it appears political connections play a significant role in who does or does not get public jobs or, worse yet, who does or doesn't get the opportunity to apply for and be seriously considered for taxpayer funded positions.

The moral of this whole story (err blog) is that all too many politicians try to control press reports and analysis on political patronage phenomenon either by finesse or duress.

With the SCPR, neither works.

If abuse of the public trust is as widespread as it appears to the SCPR to be, then what effective remedy does the public have?

Cut off the money?

It may come to that. 

The SCPR is convinced that the Stark County general fund will be in dire need of additional revenues by 2011.  But there does come a point when enough is enough of the "political connections stuff" and voters should consider seriously cutting local government funding until such time as the politicos have shown they have gotten the message.

If county officials want to persuade the Stark County voting public that it should provide more revenues to the county general fund, then it would seem prudent that "wise"  public officials take measures with their  "unwise," offending colleagues to ensure that all public jobs are genuinely open to the public-at-large.

A sad side to the Bosley, Giavasis and Campbell sagas is that the SCPR believes that this these three are, perhaps, among Stark County's best elected officials.

However, in the view of the SCPR, all three have tarnished themselves in the machinations described heretofore in this blog and deserve special scrutiny in the performance of their public jobs.

Campbell in particular.

What The Report believes he foolishly tried to do is the height of stupidity and a case of someone being too close to a situation.

So if he can get that dumb in this situation, are the parallels of stupidity going on inside the recorder's office?

Hmm?