WHAT STARK COUNTIANS LIKE ABOUT THE COUNTY'S ORGANIZED REPUBLICANS & DEMOCRATS: "TAKING CARE OF THEIR OWN AT PUBLIC EXPENSE!" STARK GOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TRAVIS SECREST BECOMES COUNTY EMPLOYEE. HMM?

When he burst onto the Stark County political scene, the SCPR's initial take on Canton Township's Travis Secrest was that - while he certainly had a political tint to him as a Republican - he had promise as someone who would not be a Kool-Aid drinker.

He is young, a graduate from Baldwin-Wallace College (Berea, Ohio) with a degree in political science.  Most impressively, he had not yet been jaded by the likes of Stark County GOP Chairman Jeff Matthews (the quintessential party pro) and therefore appeared to be "a person with a point of view" who realized that there are two points of view and could and would dialogue with others of different persuasions in order to get to a middling ground.

The SCPR has been watching Secrest closely and the evolution that yours truly sees into hyper-partisanism is a disappointment. 

Secrest has taken three political hits for Stark's organized Republicans.

With his appointment as a partisan (Republican) sponsored employee of the Stark County Board of Elections (BOE), it is now apparent to The Report that Secrest has donned the robe of full blown political partisanship and has seemingly made it pay off in terms of securing the BOE position.

One has to wonder who from the general (non-politically-connected) public that Secrest had to compete with to get the BOE job?  How about nobody? With Stark County unemployment at 10%, one would think that there would be quite a number of Stark Countians with much stronger employment history credentials than Secrest who would have liked the opportunity to vie for the $31,000 plus job, no?  And, after all, "competition" is a cardinal principle with Republicans, isn't it?  Apparently, in select situations only.

Over the the last year or so Secrest has been executive director of the Stark County GOP.  And who is the chairman of the Stark County Republicans?  You've got it!  Jeff Matthews (currently deputy director of the BOE)!  Moreover , with the November, 2010 Republican takeover in Columbus, sooner or later Matthews will become the "DIRECTOR" (once again) of the local BOE.  Matthews (including benefits) makes over $100,000 at the BOE.

The vote was 4 to 0 at the BOE for Secrest getting the job: Republican BOE members Cline and Braden joining with Democrats Giavasis and Ferruccio to give Republicans their turn at feeding their partisan interest at taxpayer expense.

The Rs and Ds do this sort of thing routinely not only in Stark County but across the entire state of Ohio.

The BOE structure in Ohio is kind of a political "cold war" a la the U.S. and the Soviet Union of yesteryear.  It seems that BOEs and the Ohio secretary of state office constitute turfs on which the two mainline parties war with one another over who is going to control the turf.  Ordinary citizens seem to be left in the dust of the political warfare.

Board member Sam Ferruccio Jr. (a Democrat) appears to the SCPR to have gotten his appointment as a consequence of the cold war mentality.

At least, if you believe former Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.   He claims that the then Ohio secretary of state, Jenifer Brunner, was advising him that organized Democrats across Ohio should be putting attorneys (which Ferruccio is one of) on BOE's in order to ensure Republicans did not play any hanky-panky in the Obama/McCain election.

Brunner denies Maier's account, but the SCPR suspects that Maier has it right and that the secretary of state "threw him under the bus" when the press came asking.  But being the thoroughgoing and committed Democrat he is, Maier "took it like a man!"

In order to do the Ferruccio appointment, Maier had to throw Stark County's organized labor (Billy Sherer - a former ironworker who had been on the BOE for 13 years) "under the bus."

Hey, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander," no?

Hey!  "All is fair in love, war and politics."

So what was an organized Stark Democrat sponsored "union" seat on the BOE, is no more.

It does appear that there is an "a designated-hitter-esque" (the Dems) seat at the BOE.

What is it?

A "clerk of courts seat."

That is until the seated member has to run for re-election, then he must step aside to be replaced by a non-running clerk of courts.  Recently, Maier (running for re-election as Massillon clerk of courts( had to step aside.  Who replaced him?  Canton Clerk of Courts Phil Giavasis.  Hmm?  And there is a prior history, to wit: Randy Gonzalez and Maier's "gofer" err chief deputy at the Massillon clerk of courts Shane Jackson - son of former Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson.

When folks like Secrest and Gonzalez say that they are doing this or that local government job as a "public service," one has to burst out into an uproarious laughter. 

Who believes that?

Stark Republican officialdom (like a Travis Secrest) have loved it when the SCPR has roundly criticized Stark's organized Democrats for seemingly providing jobs at public expense to favored and insider partisans.  At the time, Republicans held relatively few offices across Stark County.  That is changing.  The Report has always said that Republicans will get every bit as much scrutiny as Democrats, once they assume positions of political and governmental power. 

Now that "the worm is turning," it is likely that Republicans are not so amused.

What these folks do not seem to get is the apparent exponential growth they are fueling (with their inside dealing, political cronyism and the like) is public cynicism.

In the Stark County world of practical ramifications, political machinations have to be an added factor for a growing number of Stark Countians in promoting a no vote on the upcoming sales tax issue?

And what is really weird is when someone like Jeff Matthews (who has - as a public official - a huge stake in the well-being of the financial condition of Stark County) came out against the Bosley, Harmon and Vignos imposed 1/2% sales tax (Canton Tea Party, April 15, 2009).

Of course, that's the political Jeff Matthews acting as a party chairman trying to whip up sentiments against Democrat officeholders.

When the Stark commissioners had their meeting with county officials about a month ago outlining the huge cuts that will be forthcoming in 2012 and beyond if November's 1/2% sales tax proposal does not pass, The Report did not see Deputy Director Matthews stepping up to take a 40.7% cut on county appropriations.  He mostly deferred, when asked by Commissioner Ferguson to address the question, to Director Jeanette Mullane.

Hmm?

The Report has opinonated previously that Matthews in taking these contradictory positions:  (one as a politician opposing a levy for political advantage) and another as public official needing to keep the office afloat (and with that hat on - supporting the levy) shows what a hypocrite and political opportunist he is.

Hey!  In politics "one does what one has to do!!!"

And by the way - "the public be damned:"  Is that the message, Jeff?

(HEALY VIDEO): RANCOR AMONG STARK'S TOP DEMOCRATS AT CLINTON, STRICKLAND & BOCCIERI RALLY?

UPDATE: 11/02/2010 - 4:30 p.m.

Stark County Democratic Party Chairman Randy Gonzalez contacted yours truly with a different version of the event than reported in the original blog which came from a source who was in a position to know the account provided by the chairman.  Obviously, the source failed to relate to The Report everything that he knew or was in a position to know.

Gonzalez says he had no say over how Saturday's rally was handled.  Moreover, he says that the program of, the content of, the order of, the location of and the participants in the event were directed by a combination of Clinton and Strickland aides,

Gonzalez said that he was only able to get seven persons into the greeting/reception event that occurred inside Tozzi's.  The inside event was, according to Gonzalez, a fundraiser for Congressman Boccieri.


ORIGINAL BLOG

It was supposed to be a Stark County Democratic Party love-in.  But did it turn out to be that?

Perhaps not.

The Stark County Political Report has learned that there was a list of the top 40 Democrats who were allowed into Tozzi's on 12th Street NW to meet and greet former president Bill Clinton, Governor Ted Strickland, Attorney General Richard Cordray and Congressman John Boccieri when they arrived at the restaurant early Saturday afternoon to a "get out the vote" (GOTV) rally.

As usual at these events, the dignitaries were running late.  In this case about an hour, hour and one-half late.

It was cool and somewhat windy day, but not intolerably so for those (including the media) who were patiently waiting for the luminaries to show up.

However, a few of Stark's top Democrats apparently felt discomforted with the brisk weather and had the option to be inside of Tozzi's restaurant (the site of the rally being outside to the rear of the building). 

The Report hears that a couple of such persons were former Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. (also clerk of courts in Massillon, a member of the Stark Co. Board of Elections and a member the state of Ohio Board of Nursing) and his staunch Massillon political ally Kathy Catazaro-Perry (a member of Massillon City Council and thought by many to be in line to challenge Democrat Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. in next May's Democratic primary).

So as the story goes, one of the two says "let's go inside."  Standing nearby was Stark County Commissioner Pete Ferguson who apparently was also feeling the chill.  On hearing the talk about moving inside, Ferguson reportedly asked if he could go with them.

Answer:  "No, you are not on the list."

Hmm?  A list.

The Report hears that a list of 40 Stark County Democrats was put together and in addition to Commissioner Ferguson, some of Stark's top Democrats who were not included.  Not included was long time Stark County of Common Pleas judge Richard Reinbold (running today against Republican Scott Oelslager in Ohio's 29th Senate district) and Commissioner Todd Bosley (running against Republican Todd Snitchler in Ohio's 50th House district).

So, you have to cut the list off somewhere, no?

Of course.

But when you hear that Catazaro-Perry was on the list as well as Commissioner Steve Meeks (running against Republican Janet Creighton for the vacated Bosley commissioner seat) and Tom Harmon (who holds not an elected office) and a friend of Tom Harmon, you just have to wonder what the criteria was for being on the list.

Apparently, being on the list was a function of being politically close to Stark County Democratic Party Chairman Randy Gonzalez and Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. (who many believe did not "really" give up the party chairmanship about a year ago now).

Chairman Gonzalez has come under fire from Democrats running for office this year for not providing them time and space on the platform to ask the the estimated 1,000 for their vote and campaign support in the waning days of the 2010 campaign.

News clips of a competing Republican rally at congressional candidate Jim Renacci's headquarters, show that the Republicans did have their Stark County-based candidates on the dais.

A local Democrat who did get time and space before the 1,000 person throng was Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II.

To The Report, Healy's appearance was sort of ironic.

Healy's main point was to cajole members of the audience into staffing a GOTV effort for today.

Hmm?  Let's see.  A member of the Stark County Democratic Top 40 asking the "unprivileged" to make him and his fellow elites look good today and in some cases to put or keep them in office.

A neat trick if you can pull it off, no?

Here is a video of Healy exhorting the crowd.

(VIDEO INCLUDED) MASSILLION MAYOR FRANCIS H. CICCHINELLI, JR IS ONE STEP AHEAD OF HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS? HE KNOWS THAT IT IS NOT WISE TO TAKE ON HIGHLY MOTIVATED CITIZENS, EVEN ONES NOT ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN HIS UPCOMING ELECTION.

It appears that Massillon City Councilwoman Kathy Catazaro-Perry was about to deliver a political blow to Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr.

But not on your "political life," if you are Cicchinelli.

A fixture in Massillon politics since the 1980s, the tigerland mayor has been in many political fights and novices like Catazaro-Perry are at a real disadvantage when it comes to political infighting with Mayor Cicchinelli.

Of course, she does have the politically sophisticated Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (Massillon clerk of courts and former chair of the Stark County Democratic Party) in her corner as well as Massillon Municipal Court Judge Eddie Elum and Stark County Democratic Party Political Director Shane Jackson (Maier's chief deputy).

In the judgment of the Stark County Political Report, none of the three are much of a political match for Cicchinelli.  Sources (including Mayor Cicchinelli himself) tell the SCPR that for years Catazaro-Perry (KCP-Forces), Maier, Elum and Jackson have been working to oust Cicchinelli from being THE political power in Massillon.

A crucial, and probably the last political battle for Cicchinelli, will be fought between the mayor and the KCP Forces next May in the Democratic Party primary.  Mayor Cicchinelli is running for re-election and political observers speculate the either Catazaro-Perry or Judge Elum will be his opponent.

One of the ways that Massillon has been surviving economically/financially in these times is through a Cicchinelli-led drive of aggressive annexation.

In announcing his bid for re-election back in June, Mayor Cicchinelli cited unfinished business in the realm of annexation as a prime motivator for his running again.

Recently, he has caused an outcry from nearby townships (Perry and Tusarawas) for his annexation of the R.G. Drage educational facility in Perry and the Poets Glen development in Tuscarawas Township.

Massillon Council supported the Drage and Poets Glen annexations, but all of a sudden things changed when it came to the current effort to annex Bit-o-Eden mobile home park and the adjoining Tuslaw schools.

It's not Bit-o-Eden that has many Tuscarawas Township residents in a rage.  It was the attempt to annex the schools.

The Cicchinelli annexation attack of their schools got activist township residents  in a "we are mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore" modality.

And have they gotten organized!

So much so that the SCPR believe that the KCP-Forces saw an opportunity to gain allies in their effort to remove Cicchinelli as mayor of Massillon next May.

Obviously, Tuscarawas Township residents do not vote in the Massillon mayor's race, but nothing keeps them from campaigning for Catazaro-Perry, Elum or any other person who should decide to challenge Cicchinelli in next year's Democratic primary.

This is where Frank Cicchinelli's political wisdom comes into play.

In backing down from his plan to annex the Tuslaw schools (see The Independent Matt Rink's terrific piece: Massillon mayor drops plan to annex Tuslaw property, September 24, 2010), Cicchinelli demonstrates once again that he is one step ahead of the KCP-Forces.

It is one thing to run against another political power machine much like his own, but to have to run against highly motivated citizens (even non-Massillonians) is quite another.  This has to be his thinking in this political day and age when motivated citizens are showing more and more that they can organize and be quite politically effective.

The SCPR believes that Thursday's move by Cicchinelli was a stroke of political genius by the mayor.

In dropping the Tuslaw annextion he took a lot of the wind out the KCP Forces effort.  However, he is still in for the fight of his political life next May.

But - Mayor Cicchinelli is a political survivor.

Here is a video of Mayor Cicchinelli that the SCPR took on September 7, 2010 (the Stark County Democratic Party selection of a candidate for county treasurer event) in which he talks about the Tuslaw annexation issue.

SCPR HONORS CAMPAIGN WORKERS - BUT SOME OF STARK COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS DON'T. HMMM?

Yesterday, an old friend stopped by to see the SCPR.

This friend worked tirelessly on many Stark County Democratic campaigns.

He had a complaint.

He is being treated like last week's stale bread by certain Stark County elected officials and party leaders.

Not long ago, former Stark County Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr appeared in a SCPR blog having made a phone call to Plain Township trustee Louis Giavasis on behalf of Lisa Jackson Campbell (wife of Stark County recorder Rick Campbell, daughter of former Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson and brother to Stark County Democratic Party political director Shane Jackson).

The point of the Maier call?

To make sure that Lisa got treated fairly in her quest to become Plain Township administrator.

Such a call from the party chairman - at the time - was highly inappropriate.  Loyal Democrat Mike Stevens was also in the running for the positon.  Maier's role should have been one of neutraiity.  But Maier's relationship with the Jackson clan is so thick that he could not restrain himself.

Guess who got the job?

Of course, Lisa Jackson Campbell.

Think she got treated fairly?  Or, maybe more than fairly?

Here's an example of how inconsistent (being kind to him) that Maier is.

The SCPR's friend (hereinafter referred to as being "OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER,") looked up some job offerings by the Ohio Department of Transportation listed on the Internet.

So the OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER said to himself, "Gee, I have worked on a lot of Democratic campaigns over many years.  Maybe, just maybe, some of the influential people I have campaigned for, them knowing how conscientious and hardworking I am, will put in a good word for me so I get "a fair chance" at the job.

Inasmuch as former chairman Maier is for "fair chances," one would think he could not act soon enough for OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER.

But did Maier?

Never did.

Maier is not the only person who would not help OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER. Neither would current chairman Randy Gonzalez  nor former county commissioner Tom Harmon.

Gonzalez yes, but why did OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER go to Harmon.

Because Commissioner Bosely suggessted such.

Harmon, being the big time political guy he is,  is known to have "close contacts" within ODOT.   Harmon acknowledged to OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER that he does, indeed, have such contacts.

However, Harmon said he couldn't weigh-in without Gonzalez's approval. 

Apparently, Gonzalez had somebody else in mind.

And the basis for concluding such?

Because Harmon never did a thing for OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER.

Remember, all OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER wanted was:  "a fair chance."

He did not want the job given to him as a payoff for having worked on many Stark County Democratic campaigns, he only wanted "a fair chance."

OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKER did applaud Commissioner Todd Bosley for trying to help him in getting his fair chance.

The SCPR has heard numerous stories like OLD SHOE's.

Maier and Gonzalez have no problem at all helping "some" people.  For instance, The Report believes that Gonzalez is weighing-in big time (inappropriately so - in that he is supposedly a "neutral party chairman," for Steve Meeks to become the successor to Commissioner Harmon.

The SCPR is working on a number of stories about Stark County elected officials who use taxpayer money to help their friends, family and political loyalists to get "fair chances" at public jobs.  Moreover, these same officials are known to arrange for public jobs to be offered to troublesome public figures to shut them up or to move them on.

But OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKERS, they can forget it.

Never, ever will the Maier and Gonzalez type advocate for them to get their "fair chance."

OLD SHOE CAMPAIGN WORKERS, are,  after all, to be used, abused and ultimately sent to the political trash heap!

And party leaders wonder why less and less everyday citizens will do volunteer party work?  Hmm?

HE ALMOST BEAT JANE VIGNOS IN 2004, BUT HE CAN'T GET A SMELL FROM THE STARK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC HEIRARCHY!

He?

Michael Stevens, Lawrence Township trustee, that is "he" is.

The SCPR ascribes him as being the "Rodney Dangerfield of the Stark County Democratic Party now headed up by Randy Gonzalez.

How's that?

Nowadays Stevens gets "no respect" from the leadership of the Stark County Democratic Party.

Stevens would like to get the appointment to succeed Commissioner Tom Harmon when he resigns December 1st.

Well, he can forget it.

The Stark County Democratic Party leadership (Gonzalez and Maier, in the main) have decided that former Jackson trustee Steve Meeks is to get the appointment.  Meeks is close to Chairman Gonzalez (who is fiscal officer in Jackson).

Stevens is troublesome to Gonzalez and Maier because he does have the respect of  many people in the "unorganized" part of the Stark County Democrats.

Next to Congressman John Boccieri, Stevens is the darling of Stark County's organized labor.  In fact, his support among union members is likely the reason he got the party's appointment to succeed Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., when Maier quit the Legislature early to run for Massillon clerk of courts in the face of being term-limited out of the Ohio General Assembly.

So why did party matters go sour for Stevens?

Maier, who served as party chairman from 2003 through 2009, blames Stevens from running a "lackluster" campaign in 2000 against Republican John Hagan in the old 56th Ohio House district.

The SCPR thinks that is a bum rap.

Stevens ran a very competitive race losing by 1,023 in a total of over 50,000 votes cast.

Maier got lucky making it into the Legislature in the first place due to Republican "Red" Ash (a long term fixture representing the 56th - even though it was predominantly Democratic) falling out of favor with voters because of legal difficulties. 

By the time Stevens ran, the district had been gerrymandered by supermajority controlling Republicans (the Ohio General Assembly, governorship and all statewide offices) to be a largely rural conservative Republican district.

Maier had been able to survive for two reasons.  First, he is about as conservative as any Republican you might find (although in the opinion of the SCPR, he has no political philosophy; he's purely a party operative) and it is very difficult to defeat an incumbent; no matter what the voter registration is.

The SCPR believes that Maier has always held it against Stevens for losing "the Maier seat."

The first indications to Stevens that he was not a Maier "favorite," should have come with Stevens' running for county commissioner in 2004.

Initially, some disaffected  Democrats put Frank Ferraro of Perry Township up against Maier "best friend" and now former county commissioner Gayle Jackson.

Did Maier and Jackson scream about the Ferraro candidacy?  You betcha!

Result?

Under Maier/Jackson pressure, he switches races and runs against Mike Stevens.

It is a credible that Maier and Jackson cajoling Ferraro over to the Stevens race was the difference in Stevens general election race against incumbent Republican commissioner Jane Vignos.

Another factor in the 2004 race, as Stevens tells it, was current Stark County Party chairman Randy Gonzalez furor at Stevens running for commissioner in the first place because this was to be Steve Meeks (then a Jackson trustee) race.

Is 2009 "get even" time for Gonzalez now that Harmon is vacating his commissioner seat?

Seems so.

There are more goodies involving Stevens and his abrasive relationship with the insider Democrat leadership.

In 2005 Plain Township trustees arranged with township Mark Cozy (now Canal Fulton city manager) for an "amicable" parting of the ways.

Stevens tells the SCPR he was surprised to get a telephone call  from Plain trustee Lou Giavasis asking him whether or not he was interested in the post.

Stevens was and interviewed with the trustees.  In the interview, the trustees asked Stevens if he intended to remain trustee if he was selected as administrator.  Stevens said he did.

This is where the story gets dicey.

Giavasis told yours truly a few months ago that Stevens was not selected because he refused to give up being trustee.

Stevens says he was never asked.

The SCPR believes Stevens because The Report thinks that interviewing Stevens was a charade.

What was really happening is that Stark County Democratic Party chairman (at the time) - according to Stevens - called Trustees Giavasis, Leno and Bossart to "ensure" that Stark County recorder Rick Campbell's wife-to-be (Lisa "Jackson"  [daughter of then Commissioner Gayle Jackson]) got a fair chance at being selected as administrator.

What a laugh!

Also, apparently, part of the ploy was the fact that Recorder Campbell called Louis Giavasis (as told to yours truly by Giavasis) and wondered if Lisa would be permitted to apply for the Plain administrator job.

Lias had started out working in the recorder's office and Ohio Ethics law prohibited her continue do so when she marries Campbell.

Another ho! ho! ho! is in order on the Campbell call, folks!

Can she apply?  Harumph, harumph, harumph!

As readers of the SCPR know, The Report has had positive things to say about Giavasis and his role in running what is probably the best fiscally run township in all of Stark County.

But this little story stinks to high heavens and Louis Giavasis is up to his eyeballs in it.

Giavasis likes to complain how Mayor Healy treated him when he applied for various positions in the Healy administration.

Hmm?

Hey, Louis.  Ever heard of "what goes around, comes around?"

There is one more Stevens story that shows the disrespect and outrage that the Democratic Party kingmakers have for any one (not just Stevens) who would upset the "best laid plans of mice and men."

Phil Giavasis (Louis' brother) decided he wanted to switch over from being clerk of courts of the Stark County Court of Common Pleas to being the Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts when Tom Harmon (seems like a familiar name?) retired.

Why?

Likely for the higher salary and concomitant retirement benefits at the Canton Municipal Court post.

Kind of sounds like the Oelslager/Schuring "musical chairs" game in the back and forth between the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives?

Giavasis to Harmon's position.  Harmon gets appointed county commissioner.

So Phil runs for the office and wins.

Well, Phil's win left the Stark County clerk of courts post vacant?

Not really.

Phil had determined that his protege Nancy Reinbold at the clerk's office and - lo and behold - wife of Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge Richard Reinbold (at the time) would be his heir.

Kind of sounds sort of like Steve Meeks wanting his wife Patty to be his successor as Jackson trustee when he went to "serve" Governor Strickland.

So Mike Stevens - who had not been clued in on the "set aside" for Nancy - goes and asks Phil about the opening.

The normally affable Phil turned red and expressed outrage that Stevens would want to get in the way of Nancy.  And, by the way, guess who is Nancy's current second-in-command?

You've got it!  None other than Louis Giavasis!!!

So there you have it folks.

Public jobs are not so public.

Party operatives like Maier, Campbell, Gayle Jackson, Shane Jackson, the Giavasis brothers, Prosecutor John Ferrero (a former chairman), Auditor Kim Perez (a wannabe chairman) and Sheriff Tim Swanson (trying to inherit Kim's brother Rick into being his successor as Stark County sheriff) take public jobs and hand them out to party insiders, friends and relatives (indirectly a la the Campbell/Jackson deal) and designted heirs.

Although yours truly believes Stark County is approaching a financial crisis, it is difficult to vote the county more money when you realize how some of the money has been and likely will continue to be used.

Unless and until the politicos make public jobs truly public, the Stark County voting public should be reluctant, indeed,  to vote in tax increases.

By the way, in Lawrence Township Mike Stevens is highly respected by everyday people.

They keep voting him in as trustee.

What do they know about Mike Stevens that Maier et al  don't seem to get?

WHO IS THE STARK COUNTY DEMOCRAT WHO WILL "GET MANNA FROM HEAVEN" COME DECEMBER 15, 2009?

Go to the bank with it.

Steve Meeks, former Jackson Township trustee and currently Region 9 Director for the Governor Ted Strickland administration (Economic Development), will become recently announced resignee Commissioner Tom Harmon's replacement.

The SCPR spoke with Meeks minutes ago and he has confirmed with The Report that he will be submitting a letter to the Stark County Democratic Party (Randy Gonzalez, chair) to be considered for appointment as Harmon's successor.

Chairman Gonzalez will be convening an assembly of the Stark County Central Committee members who will vote on various candidates that have submitted letters of candidacy on December 15, 2009.

The SCPR has spoken with Trustee and second-in-command at the Stark County Court of Common Pleas clerk of courts Louis Giavasis (Plain) and  Trustee Michael Stevens (Lawrence) who are considering submitting letters.

However, the SCPR believes that it is unlikely that either will submit letters.

Why?

Because they both understand two things.

First, Steve Meeks has talked with the governor and his chief-of-staff John Haseley for their feedback on what Meeks tells the SCPR has been his long term desire to serve as Stark County commissioner.

While Strickland and Haseley expressed sorrow at Northeast Ohio's (and the Strickland's administration)  loss if  the commissionership materializes.  Moroveover, they gave their blessing to his effort.

Pretty powerful support, no?

Second, Steve Meeks is a long term political ally of Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez.  Gonzalez, as Jackson fiscal officer and former trustee himself, served along side of Meeks while Meeks was trustee in Jackson.

The SCPR is told that Gonzalez was very upset when Michael Stevens ran against Republican Jane Vignos four years ago.  Gonzalez (not party chairman at the time) was pushing hard for Meeks to be the candidate.

Both Stevens and Giavasis are politically astute enough to understand that a candidacy for the Harmon vacancy is not "really" an open process.  They understand that former Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. hand picked most of the members of the Democratic Central Committee and that his loyalists vote as Maier recommends to them.

You can bet that Gonzalez and Maier will be working the phones for Meeks.
 
Neither Giavasis nor Stevens are gluttons for punishment.   The aforementioned political realities will likely keep them for submitting letters to be considered.

Mike Stevens, for one, is looking at making the Democratic primary on May 4th to be a contested one.  He says he has been getting calls encouraging him to run.  Look for other Democrats to climb into this race.

One of them will not be Councilwoman Mary Cirelli.  She tells the SCPR that she's been there and done that and, moreover, she has a political adviser who has persuasively made the case to her that she should not run.

You can look for the same on the Republican side in terms of candidates lining up to run for the Harmon seat.

Next year will be exciting times for statewide races and countywide races in Stark County!

SCPR "ELECTION 2009 SERIES" (VOL 28): IS FORMER STARK COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR LOOKING OUT FOR REPUBLICAN MASSILLON WARD 5 COUNCILMAN DONNIE PETERS, JR?

Last week the SCPR learned that the Stark County Republican Party is leaning on Massillon Ward 5 councilman and Republican Donnie Peters, Jr. to run for the seat of incumbent (2010) Todd Bosley.

But the tale will not be told on who is running against Bosley until Stark County voters speak on Issue 5 Tuesday nest.

If the tax is retained, then Peters, Jr. and the likes of Jackson trustee James Walters will think twice about wanting to take on Bosley.

If the tax retention loses narrowly, Peters, Walters et al (remembering that Bosley has every prominent Republican politician in Stark County chomping at the bit to take him on), then the potentials will only be thinking once.

If retaining the tax loses bigtime, then Bosley could be right.  There may well be a huge fight within the Stark County Repubican Party as to gets the opportunity to take Bosley on.

Of all the candidates discussed, Donnie Peters, Jr. could well be the choice no matter which scenario set up in the preceding three sentences.

Why so?

Because Peters, Jr has "an ace in the hole."

Really?

Yes, really.

The "ace in the hole" is former Stark County Democratic Party chairman and current Massillon clerk of courts Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

What's the connection?

They are both juniors (i.e. Donnie Peters, Jr/Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.)

Only kidding.

The word is that both have daughters that play basketball for the Massillon Tigers and that is the "tie that binds."

Really?

Sounds crazy, but if you get Maier in a conversation about Massillon Lady Tiger basketball he will go on and on and on and on about what a terrific player his daughter is.

To be expected, no?

Of course, but isn't it a bit far fetched to suggest that a bond like this filters into Stark County politics?

Yours truly thinks so, but SCPR sources insist that the Peters/Maier basketball tie is why Democrats do not put anyone up against Peters (Peters is running "unopposed" on Tuesday, ran  "unopposed in 2007" but not in 2005) in the heavily Democratic Massillon 5th ward.

And Ward 5 is heavily Democratic.  Look at the numbers in the Obama/McCain race circa 2008:  30, 40, 38, 34 and 45 per cent in the five precincts.

For the SCPR, Maier's affinity for Republicans is nothing new.  Last time around, Scott Oelslager had no opposition in the 51st Ohio House District.  Moreover, yours truly knows from one-on-one conversations that - even as party chairman - Maier was sitting on his hands for some Democratic candidates.

An example?

Yes, Jan Schwartz when she ran for the Ohio Senate against Kirk Schuring.

The SCPR does not think that Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. is particularly fond of Commissioner Bosley.

So if  "basketball friend" does run and does survive a Republican primary, it doesn't take much of a stretch to see former Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, JR pulling for (and, perhaps, sub rosa) campaigning for the Republican over the incumbent Democrat.

REPUBLICAN SPY TIPS JANET CREIGHTON OFF THAT ALL IS NOT RIGHT WITH COMMISSIONER BOSLEY?

When you are "second banana" and are always getting your brains beat in by the competition, what do you do?

What is the prescription for what ails you?

For many it means spying on your competition to see what you can learn to turn things around.

For instance, many - if not most, countries around the world spy on American industry to learn our technological secrets and then one-up us.  Of course, international political spying has been around at least going back to biblical days.

 But Stark County politics?

 It seems so.

The SCPR has learned that former Canton mayor Janet Creighton didn't just wake up one morning as say to herself:  "I think I'll run against Todd Bosley for county commissioner.  You know what, I better get cracking on some Bosley research to find out what 'Toddy-boy' has been up to over the last three years at the good ole comish."

No, she got a phone call from a Republican/Republican sympathizing mole that works or once worked in the Stark County commissioners office.

THE SPY:  "Janet, I hear you might be running against Todd Bosley and do I have some juicy information about him for you.  But you'll have to ask for it by making a 'public records request.'  If I were you, I'd ask for 'a listing of all the boards, commissions or assignments of Commissioner Bosley, those he serves in his official capacity'"

Of course, Creighton's ears perked up. 

"Great idea!" she says.  And off goes the e-mail public records request.

What Janet forgot is that she was up against one of the wiliest politicians Stark County as seen in many a year.  And he plays political "hardball" too.

When Bosley got county administrator Hanke's e-mail informing the commissioner on Creighton's request, he embarked on a relentless quest to track down the "internal" Creighton/Stark GOP spy.

And he found the spy!

The spy had told Creighton that Bosley was not attending meetings on a commission that Bosley serves on as a representative of the county commissioners. 

But the spy was not in full command of the facts of the situation.  It turns out that another commissioner (Ferguson - an absolute favorite of the SCPR) has been attending in Bosley's stead.

The SCPR has learned that Bosley believes that fellow commissioner Tom Harmon was an "unwitting" facilitator of the Creighton/Republican Party spying.

What else can Bosley say?

Yours truly thinks Bosley is being very generous to Harmon in applying the label "unwitting."

The more profound part of this story is this. 

Does Janet Creighton really believe that whether or not Bosley attends boards/commission meetings is going to be a big deal with voters?


Bosley has handed her or any other Republican challenger at least three issues on a silver platter.

First, the imposed sales/use tax (if it gets repealed).

Second, his failure to fix 9-1-1 (an issue he used against Richard Regula to devastating effect) during his three years - so far - in office.  It is not likely that the fix will be done by November, 2010, even if the repeal is not successful, and

Third, he and his fellows have failed to reverse the slide in the Stark County economy.  The Republicans do own some of this negative because Republican stalwart Jayne Vignos was in office through 2008.

So what is all this "cloak and dagger" stuff, Janet?

Reminds the SCPR of former Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

Yours truly has heard Maier go on and on about a Republican who would call him up from time-to-time (apparently just ot chit-chat) that Maier was convinced was a Republican spy.

Also, Maier used to go on and on about a certain county elected official (a Democrat) that he suspected of passing inside Stark County Democratic Party information to the Republicans. 

The joke was that this official would be in a meeting with his fellow Dems where politically sensitive information was discussion and to party officials' astonishment, Stark Republicans had the information by the time the officials had settled in back at home.

All this Stark County political spying stuff is simply rediculous.

Although she looks good now compared to the disaster that William J. Healy has visited on Canton; Creighton was not the solution for the "already under way slide" that Canton was experiencing when she took office.

Creighton is personable and a good "rah, rah" type.  But she does not possess leadership qualities that are catalytic. 

Stark Republicans need to bring someone forward to run for commissioner who has a dynamism about him/her and has a track record of being imaginative, innovative and be willing to fight for what is good - long term - for the Stark County public.

Janet Creighton is yesterday's political bread.