CAN STARK CO. COMMISSIONER RECOVER FROM SUFFERING THE WORST DEFEAT EVER FOR A 50TH HOUSE DISTRICT CANDIDATE?

What a difference from 2006 to 2010!

On the day after the election in November, 2006, Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley was riding high after narrowly defeating incumbent Commissioner Richard Regula.  It was a win nobody except Todd Bosley expected.

On November 2, 2010, Bosley suffered the worst defeat "ever" by any Democratic candidate for the Ohio House - 50th.

And this after spending the better part of a half-a-million-dollars on his campaign.

How could this happen?

After all the Ohio House Democratic Caucus had come riding into town in December, 2009 with their big gun - Ohio Speaker of the House Armond Budish - to convince Bosley not to run for re-election as commissioner but rather to run for state representative.  This even though Bosley had suffered a rebuke at the hand of Stark County voters for being the leader of the December, 2008 county commissioner move to "impose" a 0.50 sales tax on Stark Countians.

There was no doubt that after the November, 2009 vote against retaining the tax, Bosley could not have been re-elected commissioner.  But state representative?  Maybe.  At least that is what polling done by Budish's caucus was suggesting.

False!

So what happened?

The SCPR believes Bosley became the biggest loser ever for three reasons (in order of significance):

1.  He and his Columbus benefactors went over the line with their campaign ad approach.  The worst was the flyer and a TV ad suggesting that Republican incumbent Todd Snitchler was placing Ohio's school children at risk of being subjected to sexual predators among a whole host of criminal offenders in opposing House Bill 19.  Before the HB 19 flyer, Bosley's Columbus group put out a flyer comparing Snitchler to a rat for co-sponsoring HB 400, a bill to do away with Ohio's income tax over a ten year period of time.
2. His leadership of and support of imposing a 0.50 sales tax increase under the guise of being to fix 9-1-1, but which had an unpublished aspect (50% of the  tax) to raise revenues for the county general fund.
3. His run in a gerrymandered Republican district in a Republican year.

Towards the end of the campaign, both Bosley and Snitchler were telling the SCPR that they had polls showing each about 10% ahead.  As it turns out, Snitchler's poll was the more accurate of the two, but even it did not indicate the freight train that was bearing down on Bosley.

Quite a turn of events for a campaign thought - at least one time - to be a close race. If the race was ever "really close," Bosley has only himself to blame (except for the Republican tidal wave factor) for his huge loss.

So the question is this:  Is Todd Bosley finished as a viable political figure in Stark County?

Could be.  Losing is one thing, but losing by 21+ percentage points in the context of the "imposed" sales tax (something that voters are not going to forget - or, allowed to forget) is another.

One could tell that Snitchler was more than annoyed with Bosley's campaign tactics.  But he handled himself with class.

Unless he does something completely stupid, it looks as if Snitchler can look forward to six more years as the representative for Ohio's 50th House District.

Look forward?

Well, there is that $8 billion deficit he now has to tackle with newly elected Governor John Kasich, the man who has said he wants to take a look at eliminating Ohio's income tax over time.

Should be interesting folks.

DISCUSSION: STARK GOP TRYING TO MAKE SALES/USE TAX IMPOSITION A "REFERENDUM ON COMMISSIONER TODD BOSLEY?"

UPDATE: The SCPR stands by the assessment (notwithstanding the COMMENT published below) that in Canton this effort is being used by Stark County Republicans to test the anti-sales/use tax sentiment as a prelude (in the testing the waters sense) to challenge Commissioner Bosley. The Report's source, a high local Republican leader, tells the SCPR that Jason Wise (a Stark County Republican Party operative) is a leader if not THE leader of this event.

The Report is opininizing as to why the local GOP is heavily involved in the Canton event. Nothing in the original piece speaks to the national implications of the event.

Here is the COMMENT referred to:

dr. john has left a new comment on your post "DISCUSSION: STARK GOP TRYING TO MAKE SALES/USE TA...":

I hope you realize this is a non-partisan event. I am a democrat and I plan to attend. I think you, Mr. Olson, need to stop criticizing both parties without really checking your facts. The nationwide tax day tea party coalition is sponsoring all national events happening on April 15th, and it was a requirement for these to be non-partisan.


ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Because the Stark County Republican Party has such little political muscle these days, tha party has gone sub rosa in its efforts to defeat first-term county Commissioner Todd Bosley (Democrat - Marlboro) come November, 2010.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) does know that the Stark GOPers will be looking at the numbers very closely when the repeal effort on the 1/2% sales/use tax imposed by (all Democrat) county commissioners this past January comes to a vote this November, if it makes it to the ballot.

Bosley used an overhaul of Stark County 9-1-1 as the justification as he spearheaded the effort for imposing the tax. The measure will also reise millions annually for the county's general budget.

Leading Stark County Republicans have acknowledged to The Report that they know they cannot defeat Bosley unless they can tie the tax issue as in "albatross around the neck" to Bosley. After all, he narrowly defeated a local Republican star (son of retired 16th district congressman Ralph Regula; Richard) as "the" sunning result of the 2006 general election.

In order to attract a candidate with the financial resources and countywide name recognition to match up with Bosley, the Republicans are trying to get Stark Countians to buy into the tax-repeal movement/Bosley linkage. Party worker and stalwart Jason Wise (who was the Republican candidate against Democrat Nancy Reinbold for Stark County clerk of courts in 2008) is the Republican point man.

So on tax day 2008 (April 15th, of course), Republicans will gather in front of the Stark County Office Building to rally for the tax repeal (petitions have not yet been filed with the Stark Board of Elecltions) in an effort to lure Democrats and political independents into supporting the effort.

If the rally fizzles; so will the effort to run a meaningful candidate against Boslye. If, however, it is successful, then the Republicans will be heartened and Bosley will likely be in the fight of his political life.

DISCUSSION: AN ELECTED REPUBLICAN THINKS IT WOULD "LITTLE BIG HORN" ALL OVER AGAIN, IF TRAVIS SECREST WERE TO TAKE ON COMMISSIONER BOSLEY IN 2010?

The color depictions are reverse (red for Democrat Bosley; blue for Republican Travis Secrest), but a Stark County local government elected Republican used "Little Big Horn" to describe what this STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT 'S (The Report - SCRP) source thinks would happen in a Secrest and Bosley head-to-head, if it materializes in 2010.

It appears as of now that no other Stark County Republican wants to tangle with Bosley.

Along with The Report, the source likes Secrest but mused on the likelihood that Secrest could find himself emulating the Zeigler model of getting elected to office were he to take up the charge against sitting Commissioner Bosley.

The Report has heard various reports on the actual number of times that Treasurer Gary Zeigler ran before coming home a winner. Suffice it to say, God Bless his persistence, Gary ran a lot before "bingo!" was called at his election night party.


Secrest has run for public office twice so far. One for Canton Township trustee (losing by a mere 103 votes) and by substantially more to long time Stark County politician Tom Harmon in a 2008 race for county commissioner.

If the Zeigler model is the way Secrest chooses, then a race against Bosley makes sense.

lf his desire is otherwise, then maybe he ought to choose a more winnable race.

DISCUSSION: HEALY, GONZALES & HARMON "PUSHING FOR CANTON SAFETY DIRECTOR - TOM NESBITT ON 9-1-1 PROJECT MGR JOB?

While the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) believes that Canton Mayor Jamey Healy is trying to squeeze Safety Director Tom Nesbitt out as safety director, it is obvious that Randy Gonzales (the man with a powerless title - Jackson Township Fiscal Officer - but seemingly "all powerful") is pushing Nesbitt into the 9-1-1 tube.

The Report has reason to believe that Canton Mayor Healy in his singular ("you don't know this is happening to you - because I am much smarter than you") mode, "but I just want to know what Tom Nesbitt's chances are to become 9-1-1 Project Manager because I need to plan" This is a phone call The Report believes Healy made to all 9-1-1 Project Manager interviewers over the weekend.

Get it?

Healy is not directly lobbying for Nesbitt for appearances sake, but "really" he is. The Report believes there is a concerted effort on the part of Mayor Healy, Jackson Township Fiscal Officer Randy Gonzales (the de facto head of the Stark County Democratic Party) and Stark County Commissioner Tom Harmon to relocate Nesbitt to the 9-1-1 Project Manager position.

Why Healy?

Because Nesbitt humiliated him about a month ago when he let it be known that he was applying for the 9-1-1 Project Manager job. Nesbitt's application was confirmation to The Report of what was already known; all was not well within the Healy administration. What's more, Nesbitt has been unable to get Canton Police Chief Dean L. McKimm fired as The Report has reported is at the top of Healy's "to do" list.

The Report was the first Stark County media to speculate that the Healy administration was a "sinking ship."

Was The Report correct in your truly's analysis?

You be the judge?

After the Nesbitt incident, you have the Bernabei (Services Director and Chief of Staff) firing, you have the campaign contributions to Healy from figures being investigated by the FBI in what has come to be known as the "Cuyahoga County corruption; you have the campaign contributions from folks associated with 1-888-Workers'Comp (whom Healy awarded Canton's workers' compensation processing contract to - largely on his own); you have Stark Countian Jack DeSario (who has had records of his D&R Consulting subpeoned by the FBI in its Cuyahoga County investigation) and who has former connections with Gary C. Johnson who was recently given a labor negotiation contract by Healy and from whom Healy initially received $1400 in campaign contributions.

The Report is still looking into other campaign contributions that Healy received and The Report is beginning to connect more dots. Of course, the TeamHealy and Mayor Healy himself is refusing to answer the telling questions of The Report.

Stay tuned on the campaign contributions thing.

Mind you, The Report has largely stayed away from the allegations that Healy has had an "inappropriate" relationship with an area 16 year old.

If The Report is so correct, when will the "Ship Healy" finally sink?

Who knows. These things seem to take forever to resolve one way or another. Effective investigators are extremely careful to dot each and every - i - and cross each and every - t -, and doubly so when the subject of the inquiry is a powerful public figure.

Back to the 9-1-1 hiring.

Why Gonzales?

Gonzales started months ago when he was making the rounds of the villages, townships and cities of Stark County lobbying for support of a countywide 9-1-1 system. Only recently The Report learned that Tom Nesbitt was with Gonzales on many, if not all, of the stops that 9-1-1 circuit rider Gonzales made.

Why Harmon?

The Report suspects that Gonzales teamed up with County Commissioner Tom Harmon and Nesbitt several months ago and forged an agreement that if and when the money became available to take a re-worked 9-1-1 countywide, Nesbitt would be the candidate of choice.

The Report believes that Harmon is politically jealous of fellow commissioner Todd Bosley because of the many Bosley attention-getting activities as commissioner and is fomenting troubles for Bosley; unbeknown to Bosley. For appearance sakes, Harmon seems to be working harmoniously (no pun intended) with Bosley.

Does Bosley have difficulties in pressing his support for Peterson?

It is common knowledge that Bosleys man for the 9-1-1 Project Manager job is Nimishillen Township Fire Chief Rich Peterson. However, in the inter circles of 9-1-1 turf struggles, Peterson has created avowed enemies. An expression of the animosity towards Bosley and Peterson was evident in an e-mail recently published in The Report's blog of several days ago. CLICK HERE to see the blog containing the e-mail.

The Report believes that the e-mail may have come from Gonzales or one of his Stark Democratic Party loyalists.

So how will all this work out?

The Report believes that Gonzales will win the day and get Nesbitt appointed.

However, it could devolve into "a battle royal" between Gonzales and Bosley and a compromise candidate will surface.

The Stark County political scene is rich in political intrigue these days!

Only the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT brings you Stark County political developments from the bowels of political infighting.

DISCUSSION: SCPR READER EVALUATES STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER TODD BOSLEY - AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley generates a lot of passion either pro or con in the Stark County political scene.

Witness this e-mail sent to yours truly in response to the blog: JACKSON TWP FISCAL OFFICER RANDY GONZALES "THE QUINTESSENTIAL - BACKROOM POLITICIAN?" PUSHING FOR HEALY "OUT-OF-TOWNER" NESBITT?

Now the e-mail: (from a person who identifies him/herself as "Stark Citizen")

while there certainly are politics going on behind the scenes, its much less about who they DO want than who they DON'T want. they do not want anyone tied to Bosley. Bosley is disliked (more by D's than Rs) and not trusted. He's not one of the D insiders. And frankly, he is seen as a hot head with poor judgment by just about everyone who knows him, has worked with him, or observed him as commissioner. CenComm is a disaster....huge debt, few communities it services...Bosley wants HIS guy in there, and that aint gonna happen.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) understands the passion that Commissioner Bosley generates in Stark County politics. So that is why The Report set up this discussion on Bosley with the graphic "Hothead or Fire in the Belly.)

The Report take on Bosley is that he is a "fire in the belly" guy who is on quest to bring Stark County back to life after years of a string of mediocre at best commissioners.

But The Report understands the different perspective (hothead with a personal agenda who is bent on having his own way) and will, from time-to-time revisit this discussion.

Democrat Bosley started out his political career being elected trustee in Nimishillen Township over incumbent and fellow Democrat Arthur Lynch. This was a signal that Bosley was not going to be a party loyalist. And if there was any doubt, it was eradicated when Bosley took on fellow Democrat Russ Goffus in a dispute in which Bosley questioned Goffus' ethics in his circuitous purchase of a township vehicle.

From the perspective of The Report, Bosley's challenge of Goffus took someone with a lot of political nerve. Mind you, Bosley sat next to this guy in Nimishillen Township meeting after meeting after meeting and conducted township business until Goffus was defeated in November, 2005. Was the Goffus defeat a vindication of Bosley?

In 2006, Bosley decided to take on the son of the then Congressman Ralph Regula, Richard Regula. No other Democrat in Stark County was ready to take on this fight. Bosley was little known in Stark County outside of Nimishillen Township.

No one, including yours truly, thought Bosley could win. But Bosley did and he ran a superlative campaign focusing on incumbent Regula's failure with fellow Republican Jane Vignos to fix 9-1-1.

Here is a graphic of Bosley's Nimishillen/Stark County electoral prowess:
Bosley defeats Regula who had the notorious Stark County political consultant (D&R Consulting) and Mount Union political science professor Jack DeSario managing his campaign.

Shortly after being elected, Bosley, feeling full of himself, announced to astounded Stark County Democrats that he was ready to take on Congressman Ralph Regula two years down the road.

Yours truly's take on this political egoism was to say in print (via the comments section of The Repository) to Bosley: "do a job as Stark County commissioner first, then think of other offices to seek."

That in the judgment of The Report is exactly what Bosley had done.

Let's just tick off some the things Bosley has generated and/or worked upon since he became commissioner (not in any particular order and not intended to be an exhaustive list).

* for taxpayer efficiencies:

• pushed to have the health departments of Canton and Stark County merge.
• pushed to have the Stark County sanitary engineering/county engineer functions merge.
• pushed to sell Molly Stark
  

* for fixing 9-1-1:

• introduced and gained passage of the imposition of the county sales/use tax to provide funds to create a true countywide, state-of-the-art, 9-1-1; all to the astonishment of the likes of Randy Gonzales and at great political risk to his chances for re-election
  

* for bringing 5,000 jobs to Stark County as promised in is 2006 campaign:
(which The Report thinks is the least impressive part of the Bosley track record to date; the question - has Stark County realized any net gain in new jobs due to a Bosley/county commissioner initiative?):

• worked to get VW to Stark County and now is working to get Fiat to come here.
• is setting up a program with Chevron to replacing "on their last legs" Stark County jail heating boilers with alternative energy "wood fired" boilers.
• is working with Stark State College of Technology solar energy folks to devise a solar energy collection system on the expansive roof of the jail.

* efforts at conciliation among Stark County political subdivisions and
departments:

• worked out a deal with the Stark County Veterans Commission to provide more of county budget monies as required Ohio law even in the face of a very tight county budget.
• worked with Lawrence Township officials and Summit County's city of New Franklin to solve an roadway access dispute.

* efforts to solve county's budgetary problems:

• voted, in the face of countervailing pressure from then fellow Commissioner and fellow Democrat Gayle Jackson (now with the Lottery Commission) to approve an increase in the Stark County license plate fee which provides the County Engineer Mike Rehfus with the resources to maintain Stark's highway system.
• as part of the imposed 1/4 of 1 percent (net) sales/use taxes took Stark County off the brink of financial insolvency.

Now it comes to what you think of Bosley.

Make your view known by participating the the following vote and/or make a comment on this blog.

DISCUSSION: JACKSON TWP FISCAL OFFICER RANDY GONZALES "THE QUINTESSENTIAL - BACKROOM POLITICIAN?" PUSHING FOR HEALY "OUT-OF-TOWNER" NESBITT?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) showed up at the interviews that the Governance Committee of the Stark County Council of Governments (SCOG) had scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at the Stark County 9-1-1 Center for candidates of the Project Manager position of the "new" Stark County 9-1-1 countywide system.

The Report learned long ago that politicians with an agenda abhor the light of day. Who was the first to object to The Report sitting in on these interviews for a "public" position. You've got it. None other than Randy Gonzales.

The conversations posed in this blog are paraphrases of the actual conversation.

Gonzales: (to The Report) You don't think your going to sit in on these interviews, do you?

THE REPORT: Yes, I do. These interviews are to fill a public position.

Gonzales: We may be asking questions the answers to which could prove embarrassing to the interviewees. The answer could cause an applicant to lose a currently held job. (this answer is actually a combination of reasons for the exclusion given by Gonzales, Stark 9-1-1 Director Tim Warsler and Massillon Fire Chief Tom Burgasser)

THE REPORT: That's part of the territory, when people apply for public jobs. If I am need access, I will be looking into whether or not there has been a violation of Ohio's Sunshine law, and if so, filing litigation for remedies provided for in law).

Gonzales: We are going to call the prosecutor's office to find out whether or not we have to let you sit in.

============================================================

The assembled interviewers asked The Report to vacate the interview room while they check with Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero's office.

============================================================

Predictably, Ferrero's people (remember John Fererro was formerly the head of the Stark County Democratic Party) (also, Ferrero is a member of SCOG at large: a conflict-in-interest?) - being part of Stark County's political network - sided with Gonzales, et al.

All of the foregoing raises the question: Why The Report thought it important to cover the interviews?

Answer: The Report believes that Randy Gonzales had a pre-interview agenda to push for Canton Safety Director Tom Nesbitt to become the selected Project Manager. He wouldn't want the public-at-large to know about the credentials of the candidates before the decision of whom to hire was a done deal. The "privacy" thing is phony-baloney. It's like an attorney who asserts the attorney-client privilege to protect the attorney; not the client.

Busto, Kerstetter and Tenan had no chance at all from the get-go because they are not politically involved and connected. The Report did talk with Mark Busto before his interview and it is clear to The Report that Busto is as qualified, if not more, on "9-1-1 credentials" as Rich Peterson (the fire chief of Nimishillen Township). But he is apolitical. Peterson, in addition to Nesbitt and Concatto, are very much politically connected.

Back to Jackson Township Fiscal Officer Gonzales (who also works for another Stark Democratic Party kingpin Phil Giavasis - Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts).

The Report has written before that Gonzales is the de facto chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party. All one has to do is go to a Democratic candidate fundraiser to see Gonzales huddled up with one or another of his political confidants.

The Report believes that all important Stark County open public positions are filtered through Gonzales more than titular party head Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

Does a party stalwart or a stalwart's relative need a public job? Check with Randy. He has the political clout in Stark County. Gonzales' own son (who ran against Scott Oelslager - the 51st - two elections ago) works for Stark County Recorder Rick Campbell. Best qualified of 300,000 plus Stark Countians for the job? Could be. But it also could be that his father is a jauggernaut Stark County politico.

The Report has not figured out why Gonzales is fronting for Nesbitt. A newcomer to Stark County, who is an out-of-towner that Mayor Healy brought into Stark to be Canton's safety director and who already wants to leave? In time, as the recently deceased Paul Harvey used to say, we will get "the rest of the story."

Had The Report been allowed into the interview, non politically connected folks like Busto, Kerstetter and Tenan would have fared much better. Because the interviewers would have known that The Report would share the credentials of the non politically connected with the Stark County community.

In the opinion of The Report, Randy Gonzales is a backroom political deal maker of the first degree. But he is not the only one in Stark County: Phil Giavasis, Kim Perez, Gary Zeigler, Janet Creighton-Weir, Jane Vignos (especially in their days as county auditor), et cetera.

The Report's objection?

These are public jobs. They are not Gonzales' or for any of the other Stark County politicos' (Democrat or Republican) to hand out.

The Report predicts that either Tom Nesbitt or Rich Peterson (sponsored by Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley) will be the choice presented to the full SCOG assembly.

Peterson is a Stark Countian who has vast experience in 9-1-1 operations (reference: CenCom of Nimishillen Township) is a no-brainer choice over Nesbitt.

The Report ends this discussion with the following question: Mark Busto with all of his experience and "time-in-grade," doesn't even get a smell?

Doesn't this whole process smell to high heavens?

DISCUSSION: IS TODD BOSLEY THE VISIONARY THAT STARK COUNTY HAS BEEN WAITING FOR?

Yours truly has been a resident of Stark County since 1975. Over the nearly 25 ensuing years, Stark County as well as its major city Canton, have wasted away to "a struggle to survive stage."

Cantonians turned in 2007 to William J. Healy, II as "a needed change" from the "ways things have been done." But as much as Healy likes to trumpet himself as an "agent of change," the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) is unconvinced. Healy has wedded himself to out-of-town interests and there The Report questions whether or not he has a "real" commitment to Canton or, is it, as The Report suspects: all about Jamey Healy?

With Healy, The Report thinks what Canton has bought into is "rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic." The turmoil that Healy and his imperial-esque "I'm in charge" attitude has brought to Canton and Stark County is a major distraction.

Canton will not move forward in a meaningful way a a viable economic entity (even with the "Darth Vader to the Townships" [Canton Director of Annexation Sam Sliman as he describes himself] annexing every thing in sight as a desperation move to save Canton) until the Healy matter is resolved.

If Sliman realizes his goal to annex everything in Stark County that is worth annexing from his and Canton City Council's "generate income tax money flow from the county into Canton" perspective just to survive, then Stark County's economy could be doomed. To The Report; Healy, Sliman and Canton City Council are not about positive area leadership, but about surviving "one more day."

Meanwhile, Stark County does have a burgeoning leader who seems to get it. In today's Alliance Review (Hats Off! to The Review), reporter Laurie Hoffman does a splendid piece on Bosley's effort to work with Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson to recapitalize the heating plant at the Stark County jail without costs to Stark County taxpayers.

How is Bosley going to pull this one off?

Through grants and cost savings in terms of wood waste products in to fuel for the the wood fired furnaces.

Bosley is like a juggler these days. Working on: a consolidating county operations (the engineering project), a confluence of the Stark County/Canton inspection units, pushing for a reconfiguration of 9-1-1 into a state of the art countywide collaboration; just to name a few.

When The Report talked with Healy several months ago at one of his "Townhall meeting" he wasn't the least bit enthusiastic about the work of Todd Bosley.

Why would that be?

Perhaps because Bosley doesn't have the credentials, the pedigree - if you will. After all Mayor Healy graduated from the New York University Stern School of Business.

Where did Bosley get his education from?

From tiny Wheaton College (Billy Graham's alma mater) and from the "school of hard knocks."

The Report's money is on the highly practical Bosley to lead Stark County into the 21st century. Not the dapper and comopolitan William J. Healy, II.

DISCUSSION: ARE STARK COUNTY'S CITY, VILLAGE & TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS OUT TO DESTROY STARK COUNTY'S ECONOMIC FUTURE?

Stark County is indeed a mess.

There are a lot of family fights going on (i.e. the annexation fights).

But is it a zoo?

No.

Stark County is in the midst of a "fits and starts" modality in which the county moves one step forward and two steps backward; then two steps forward and one step backward.

The problem with this "fits and starts" reality is that Stark County is kind of walking in place, at best.

What Stark County lacks is a visionary leader. The best the county currently has is Commissioner Todd Bosley. But our county needs more than one person.

Who could, if they would - first, cleaning up their act in terms of shedding their ties to parochial interests - to step-up-to-the-plate to help Commissioner Bosley.

Here is the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) list of possibilities:

Randy Gonzales could perhaps be a visionary witness:

* his work-in-progress making 9-1-1 a first-class countywide emergency services unit,

* his overall work in the Stark County Council of Governments [SCOG]

* his work in putting together the Stark County Criminal Justice System (SC-CJIS).

From his overall "what is good for Stark County" perspective he (as Jackson Township fiscal officer) steps back into the world of provincial, parochial interests and actually feeds a mindset counterproductive to his Stark countywide work. By wearing "conflict-in-interest" hats, Gonzales has undermined his ability to be that additional piece to complement Bosley's effort.

Daryl Revoldt of North Canton. Daryl probably is the best government finances and economic development mind in Stark County.

Daryl served has a top aide to former Congressman Ralph Regula. From this perspective, he not only gained a countywide perspective, but also a regional appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of our area.

Little wonder why Bob Taft selected Revoldt to be Regional Director of the Ohio Department of Development office located in Akron.

The Report in particular believes this Revoldt quote to " jumpstart news" (2005) shows that he understands the elements that need to be brought together to make economic development work, to wit:

"What is driving companies to open ... here is a skilled workforce and the lower cost of living," ... "Because of our good transportation grid it's easier for companies to draw employees from several counties, and the lower cost of living in this area means there is less pressure on wages."

With all due respect North Canton, The Report believes Revoldt is a potential countywide asset that is wasting away in North Canton city government (he is county council president).

Perhaps the Stark County commissioners should entertain the idea to appoint one of these as Stark County Economic Development Czar?

Or, do you have somebody else in mind?

GRAPHIC "CALL TO ACTION" BY THE STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT

DISCUSSION: STARK COUNTY CITIES & THE COUNTY ITSELF PARCEL OUT OUR MONEY. WHERE'S THE ACCOUNTING?

A question that every Stark Countian ought to have on his or her mind?

What are taxpaying Stark Countians, Cantonians, North Cantonians, Massillonians and Allianceites getting for their economic development money?

Yesterday, the Alliance Review ran an outstanding AP wire piece which critiques how government accounts for our tax dollars in the area of economic development.

When the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) visited with Democrat Mayor Francis Cicchinelli a few months ago, he decried the absolute need to ante up taxpayer money as a precondition to even begin discussions with companies about expanding in or relocating to Massillon. Cicchinelli doesn't like this reality, but a reality it is. Being kind, one would call this an "entitlement attitude," but to be brutally honest about this corporate economic development reality would be to term it: "we have you over a barrel and we are going to put the screws to you - grin and bear it."

A couple of days ago, The Report e-mailed Commissioner Todd Bosley an asked him whether or not Stark County could account better than Ohio does. No answer as of the writing of this piece. But The Report will be patient, with the storm and all.

The Report turns attention to Ohio House 50th District candidate Republican Todd Snitchler on this "reality." Here's a guy who has unbridled faith in the goodness of corporations and their "PR organizations" to wit: Stark County's local chambers of commerce and, of course, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

As far as The Report is concerned, Snitchler's fascination with the chambers has more to do with his deficient ability to think of new approaches to get at solving severe Stark County and Ohio economic problems than anything else. The chamber of commerce thing is a cover for his inadequacies to think outside-the-box. He is so utterly unoriginal in thought that he needs the chambers to have any economic program whatsoever, notwithstanding Ohioans' clear understanding that the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has been and continues to be a failed key player in solving Ohio's economic problems.

By his own account, his own Lake Development Foundation is floundering. How's that? Snitchler says on a video published by The Report (prior article) that the foundation has no money.

With ties like his, it is not likely that Stark Countians can count on him to push for greater accountability in the slipshod relationship between government and the corporate world on the matter of economic development.

Snitchler's only consolation in his race is that his opponent, Democrat Celeste DeHoff, is even more anemic on this front. All she has to do, if elected, will be to call on former state representative Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., (now clerk of courts in Massillon and chair of the Stark County Democratic Party and her chief sponsor) for direction. We all remember what a "giant of a legislator" he was in the Ohio House, don't we?

There is a growing citizen suspicion that taxpayers are getting worked over by companies who are working a system they invented and who are insulated from public scrutiny by bumbling government officials or those who are in the hip pocket of corporate interests.

We have "No Child Left Behind" to document achievement/non-achievement as a check on educators. But what to we have to measure how state and local governments are "investing" taxpayer dollars and whether or not recipient companies are producing according to their promises.

Ohio, for its part, in The Review piece admits that it has no way to tell whether or not the 200, 000 promised jobs over the past 10 years have materialized for the $1.7 billion in tax breaks, et cetera.

How about this for a laugh (to the lament of the taxpaying public)? Ohio is going after Skybus which is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. What genius in the Ohio Department of Development (Lee Fisher?) helped this company with taxpayer money? A company which was offering $10 fares (a terrific business model). Gee, maybe it would have been prudent to require the company to post a bond with the state of Ohio?

All Ohio has is a fragmented, case-by-case, way to track. And currently, it is obvious that the fragmentation reduces to some Department of Development bureaucrat scrambling to come up with a scintilla of data to satisfy an inquiring newspaper reporter for the moment.

And remember, in January, 2006 Governor Strickland, in his Inaugural address, promised government accountability as well as personal accountability. Now, according to the AP report, in the light of big deficits that Ohio is currently running - there's a question: Is there money for devising a tracking system that will provide the promised accountability.

Returning, for a moment, to Todd Snitchler and his chamber friends. Next we will hear how requiring corporate accountability and requiring them to return taxpayer money for promises unkept will hurt Ohio's and Stark County's ability to compete.

The question: (Republican or Democrat) Will Ohioans, Stark Countians, Cantonians, North Cantonians, Massillonians, and Allianceites ever get accountability from our government executives? From beneficiary-corporate executives?

DISCUSSION: COMMISSIONER TOM HARMON DOESN'T RETURN PHONE CALLS?

Commissioner Tom Harmon thinks he is above returning phone calls to everyday citizens? If you believe one of the Stark County Political Report's (The Report) sources.

If this is so and if Stark Countians elect John Hagan county commissioner (Hagan v. Ferguson), then none of us will get our phone calls returned, unless, of course, we call Commissioner Todd Bosley.

A The Report source located at Stark County Jobs and Family Services tells us that
Harmon's words to the source were to the effect: "I don't return phone calls - people call me and may or may not get me - but I do not return phone calls." Also, Harmon dubbed himself as management that does not soil himself in dealing with everyday people issues.

Harmon sounds like 50th district Ohio House representative John Hagan (Republican - Marlboro) who is running against Doctor Pete Feguson for county commissioner.

Hagan filters his calls for devoted supporters and followers, or, powerful media he cannot ignore, and those are the only people who can get through to him. The moral of the story: Never take exception to John Hagan or you will end up on his ____ list and you certainly will not get your phone calls answered or returned.

So there you have it folks. County commissioner candidates who think they are not accessible and, it stands to reason, not accountable to everyday citizens?

Question: Do Stark Countians want Ivory Tower commissioners?