NEW SET OF COMMISSIONERS (LIKELY, CREIGHTON & BERNABEI" ) TO BE A REHASH OF THE PAST?

With this statement in The Repository's piece yesterday:  Commissioner candidates sound off on legal powers, (material obviously discussed in the endorsement interviews of the paper's editorial board) to wit:

Candidates agreed economic development is needed to move the county forward. They aren’t sure, though, if creating a new economic development office is the way to go about it. Stark already has public-private partnerships, for example, with the likes of the Stark Development Board. (emphasis added)

Stark Countians should be despairing.  "Not sure" about "creating a new economic development office."  Whew!

Leave it or a hodgepodge of "private-public" partnerships?

• Well, the fragmented approach makes sense if public official wants to unaccountable.  Is this what Meeks, Creighton, Walters and Bernabei are about?

The SCPR would say that Stark County voters should NOT vote for any county commissioner candidate who hasn't offered up some sort of long term economic development plan against which to be measured in four and two years, respectively.  However, that would mean not choosing among the four candidates vying for office because none of them have come forward with such a plan.

So a secondary approach for voters has to be:  whom among the four is most likely to see the light, take the bull by the horns once in office and lead the way with a bold, creative and comprehensive economic development plan with success/failure built in measurement to make the proposer accountable to the voters in 4/2 years, respectively?

Yours truly has been fighting for years now to get Stark County's leadership to to "lead!"

Although it was naive to take former Stark County commissioner Tom Harmon at his word when he was appointed by the Stark County Democratic Party in 2007 that Stark County's economic development would be his main game, all one has in these times is to hope against hope that the utterances of the one likes of Harmon (a representation of the consummate politico) really means what he/she says rather than just spewing out the political rhetoric.

Harmon never did produce on his political blandishments.  Unless, that is, his promotion of Elizabeth Burick's idea of placing a horse show arena at the Stark County Fairgrounds is anywhere near being an economic development plan.

Burick's idea is a start.  But that is all it is.  The Stark County Fairgrounds are potentially a huge Stark County asset which could with creative and visionary leadership be the anchor of a rebuilt Stark County economy.  After all, agriculture is the major economic factor in all of Stark County.

Clark County, Ohio has done a magnificent job of redeveloping its fairgrounds.  Perhaps Stark Countians can learn from Clark's experience and build upon what already has been done.

A thoughtful, energized commissioner candidate could begin with Stark's fairgrounds as a hub and showcase for an economic redevelopment project.  He/she might want to push for the creation of a "Stark Fairgrounds Economic Redevelopment Project Committee" which would be staffed by graduates of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce's (CRCC)  "Leadership Stark County Signature Program."

Perhaps a retired Stark County leader of proven accomplishment in economical development in the private sector will step forward and volunteer his/her time to lead eager LSC graduates on such a quest.

Their mandate would be clear and to the point:  work with Stark County-based resources to create a concept plan for the complete reconfiguration of the Stark County Fairgrounds into a new and modernized facility that will yield manifold economic benefit for decades to come.

Concept drawings would be generated, cost would be projected and alternative and complementary sources of funding (e.g. bond, a countywide hotel and bed tax et cetera) proposed.

The SCPR has long been critical of Leadership Stark County (LSC) because it seems to The Report that its Signature and Government leadership groups are more credential and resume building phenomena than an effective producers of hands-on leaders who get things done for the benefit of Stark County.

It appears to The Report that Janet Creighton and Tom Bernabei will be the winning candidates in November.  However, whomever wins, it is essential for Stark County to dig itself out of its financial and economic morass for the victors to adopt a plan of action for long term economic action.

Moreover, the winning candidate need to have a financial responsibility plan in mind from day one of taking office.

Those Stark Countians (e.g. Vote No Increased Taxes Committee) who demand full and complete efficiency in government must be heeded.

Beyond making local government totally efficient, a forward-looking commissioner must find ways to fund local government in ways that Stark Countians buy into.  A likely candidate is a sales tax which is dedicated to funding criminal justice in Stark County.  Criminal justice expenditures account for 70% of the current general fund budgeting appropriations.

All five candidates have been disappointing to the SCPR in terms of them having affirmative and specific ideas on how to solve Stark County government's economic and financial problems.

The SCPR for one will be pushing, pushing and pushing still more until the commissioners get it.

Get it?

Yes, get it.

The days are long past that Stark Countians are going to allow a commissioner more than one term in office when that commissioner has been a "mere" occupant of a commissioner's seat.

Productiveness and accountability are now the markers for all who get elected to this office.

In terms of meaningful economic development and financial planning, none of the current crop of commissioners (Bosley, Ferguson nor Meeks) have measured up.  It is interesting to note that of the three, only Ferguson is likely to remain after November's election.

The question is:  will the new commissioner(s) be a spark for a re-energized and re-invigorated Stark County or will they mirror the staid and stale approach of commissioners of the past?

Because Bernabei or Walters will filling a two-year term, Stark Countians will have an opportunity to go to two new commissioners in 2012 if Ferguson and/or the new commissioner has not moved the economic development and financial planning model forward.

The 2012 elections will be a time of holding the incumbent accountable!

SCPR POST-PRIMARY ANALYSIS ON COUNTYWIDE RACES: PEREZ OVER HAROLD, CREIGHTON OVER MEEKS & BERNABEI OVER WALTERS

The Stark County Political Report has created a Candidate Political Strength Index for the competitive countywide races this coming November.

By comparing indexes, The Report has come up with a statistical formula which when coupled with substantive factors, serve as a basis for projecting the likely outcome of countywide races for commissioner (2) and auditor.

For instance, statistically Auditor Kim Perez sets the benchmark for countywide running Democrats whereas former Canton mayor Janet Weir Creighton sets the standard for Republicans.

In pairing of actual candidates, the index provides quantitative guidance to which The Report adds subjective analysis in order to come up with a call as to whom is likely to win s particular match up.

First, the auditor's race:  Perez versus Harold.

This is a race that Republicans think they can win.

The Report expects Republican Harold and his Republican campaign force to invoke a strategy (already in evidence) of trying to tie Perez to Stark County treasurer Gary Zeigler and the troubles in the Stark treasury on the basis that both work with county finances and therefore by virtue of their responsibilities are somehow connected.

For this strategy to work, it will take "a smoking gun" revelation to turn a majority of the Stark County voting public against Perez on the apparent Harold strategy.

Perez is the strongest vote getting Democrat in all of Stark County.  The Report has heard him criticized by one leading Stark County Democrat on his lack of energy demonstrated in campaigning.  But The Report does not agree.  All Perez has done as a politician is to win and win with relative ease for each of he has run for.

The is a silver lining in this race for Harold.  He will get a lot of experience in what it is like to run against the wily politico Kim Perez.

The experience will put him in good stead to run for Stark County treasurer in 2012.  If Zeigler makes it to the end of his term, The Report cannot see any scenario that he can be re-elected should he decide to try.

If or some reason Zeigler does not serve out his full term, The Report sees the Stark County Democratic Party filling out his term with Steven Meeks who will likely be ex-commissioner Steven Meeks after his race against Republican Janet Creighton in November.

With the experience of having countywide twice, the Harold index will improve significantly and he will be in a position to actually win against either Zeigler or Meeks in 2012.

Second, the four year term commissioner race:  Meeks versus Creighton.

This is a race that Democrats hope against hope that they can win.

This is a corollary contest to the Perez v. Harold race.  Except this time it is the Republican who is the proven candidate.  Although Creighton did lose as a incumbent with a record to defend against Healy in 2007, that happened because Canton is a Democratic bastion on the slide (set in motion by Creighton's predecessors) and her normal "holding her own" with Democrats ebbed enough for Healy to win, but he had to work very hard to do so.

If Creighton had chosen to wait to 2011 and run against Healy, she would easily reverse that loss.

In running against former Jackson trustee Steven M. Meeks, Creighton is running in a highly competitive Stark County.  But Creighton has a strong track record of running and winning several times as county recorder and county auditor.

Moreover, she will run competitively in Alliance, Canton and Massillon whereas Meeks (being a suburbanite) will run weakly for being a Democrat.

Good luck to Meeks campaign advisers in coming up with a political strategy for defeating Creighton.

The former Canton mayor will run on having governed two county offices and the City of Canton.  Her never having had to co-govern on a board like the three member county commissioner board, could be the one question that Meeks could inject to question her suitability for the office of county commissioner.

If such a point were to influence voters,  the SCPR believes it will be lost in light of the fact that currently the board of commissioners in totally controlled by Democrats.  The Report thinks that if any such concern gets legs, it will be more than offset by voter desire to put come political balance into the staffing of the commissioner board by electing a Republican.  Not just any Republican.  Rather a Republican of the stature of Janet Creighton.

Another Creighton advantage will be the Creighton personality.  Some made light of her for being a cheerleader for the well-being of Canton.  But most Cantonians like the cheerfulness of Creighton and this personality trait will play well across the county.

Third, the two year term commissioner race:  Bernabei versus Walters.


Although the relative index appears close, the SCPR doesn't think it really is.  A factor here is that Jamie Walters (a sitting Jackson Township trustee) had a relatively close race against Lake Township Republican, an largely politically unknown, Dean Windham.

The SCPR termed the Walters/Windham contest as a flip-of-a-coin type decision for Republican voters.  The Report proved to be prophetic on this score.  And it appears that flipping a coin is exactly what voters outside of Jackson and Lake Township did.

Democrat Tom Bernabei (a former city councilman, law director and chief of staff/service director [Healy administration]) will roll up a huge majority in Canton for sure and very likely in Alliance and Massillon.

Walters' only hope is for him to run substantially ahead of Bernabei in the rest of Stark County.  This will not happen.  Why?  Because James N. Walters in no Janet Creighton. Bernabei will do in the rest Stark County (hold his own) as the reverse of what Creighton will do in Canton in her contest.

Walters is a rather obscure Stark County politician who has not distinguished himself as a Jackson trustee.  The Report believes he would never have become a Jackson trustee but for the audacity of Steve Meeks (when he left Jackson to serve in Democrat Governor Ted Strickland's administration) to try and keep the trusteeship in the family by having his wife Patty run.

Bernabei, on the other hand, is a well known Canton based political figure who Republicans and Democrats alike believe served Canton effectively and with distinction in the offices he has held.

Moreover, he has gotten tons of favorable press in the pages of the Canton Repository (like Janet Creighton) over many years and so he has very good voter i.d. notwithstanding the fact that he has never run countywide before.

Contrast the Bernabei public relations advantage to Walters sitting on his duff during the primary running (a time he could have been working on his low voter identity) a "front porch-esque" campaign.  Yours truly did not see one Walters political sign.  Did he send out any campaign literature? Hmm?

The election is about six months away, but the SCPR is confident that The Report countywide office Candidate Political Strength Index will be borne out come November.

COMMISSIONER STEVE MEEKS TO TAKE ON LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE MIKE STEVENS IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR A "FULL TERM?" HEALY FOE TOM BERNABEI TO TAKE MEEKS' PLACE ON THE "UNEXPIRED" TERM BALLOT?

 

Is Commissioner Steven M. Meeks about to switch county commissioner races?

The SCPR has been suggesting such a move for some time Meeks appears ready to make the change.

After Wednesday's regular commissioners' meeting, The Report asked Meeks if he was considering a move from the 2 years remaining on the unexpired term he was selected to fill by the Stark County Democratic Central Committee this past December 15th,  to the full term being vacated by Commissioner Todd Bosley.

Meeks' response:  "You are on the right track."

But the SCPR believes there is a problem for Meeks in making the switch.

And what is that?

Stark County Democratic stalwart (in terms of having a strong name i.d. and having run two strong campaigns) Mike Stevens is running for the full term seat.

Stevens tells the SCPR that he is not entertaining thoughts of standing aside for Meeks - who is a close, close political confidant of Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez.  The duo served together on the Jackson Township Board of Trustees with Meeks serving a trustee and Gonzalez as fiscal officer and having formerly served as trustee himself.

So if Meeks switches, is there going to be a fight for the nomination?

Yes, if Stevens means what he says.

Moreover, there is a Bernabei factor.

Bernabei factor?

Yes.  The Report has been increasingly hearing that former Canton councilman, former Canton chief-of-staff and service director (under Mayor William J. Healy, II) is considering a run for commissioner.  If so, with Meeks considering a switch, his entry would likely be for the two year unexpired term.

A Bernabei candidacy for the two year term would set up conditions for a Meeks/Stevens primary fight.

And here is a surprise for you.

As the SCPR sees a Meeks/Stevens race, Mike Stevens might actually defeat Meeks in a Democratic primary because it is becoming more of a liability with voters these days to have strong party ties such as the Meeks/Gonzalez nexus (Randy Gonzalez:  Stark County Democratic Party chairman).

Although the Republican party has tried to capture and control the Tea Party movement, true Tea Party types are disdainful of both political parties.  Political analysts across the nation, including yours truly, see weak party connections as a more and more positive factor and expects to see more Tea Party-esque groups coming to the political fore presenting themselves as an alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties.

In a Meeks/Stevens contest, Stevens would be perceived as less of an insider Stark Democrat than Meeks, but he has enough of a party identification that many Stark County unorganized Democrats would vote for him as a way to send a message to the likes of Gonzalez that the party is more than the backroom type that Gonazlez, Meeks, Harmon and former chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr exemplify.

Moreover,  it bodes well for Stevens in a Stark countywide election that he has served as a long time trustee in Lawrence Township, has served as state representative in the old 56th (now the 50th Ohio House district) and ran a very strong race against now retired commissioner Jane Vignos in 2004, losing by about 1,000 votes in an election that saw nearly 200,000 votes cast.

But make no mistake about it, Stevens has a tough fight ahead of him if Meeks makes the switch to the full term race.

Will Meeks make the switch?

The SCPR thinks so.  

Meeks knows full well that two years from now will be the worst of times to have to run for re-election as county commissioner.  One would think he understands that it is very unlikely that Stark Countians will approve an increase in taxes for the county general fund within the two year time span (and probably not even approve a renewal of the existing 0.25 levy) which, in turn,  will mean huge cuts in county spending.

When the cuts come, they will adversely affect the Stark County public in a very tangible and personal way and voters likely will take their frustration out on commissioners coming up for re-election in 2012;  even in the light of the commissioners having no other choice.

This is where Tom Bernabei comes in.

Tom Bernabei is probably the most able administrative/legislative type in all of Stark County (except in the opinion of Canton mayor William J. Healy, II who fired him a couple of years ago)  Moreover, he is not perceived by the general Stark County public as being a strong partisan.

He wins hands down against any Republican who decides to run against him, if he decides to run. 

Another plus.  Bernabei likely does not care if he is in a position to get re-elected in 2012.  He has had a storied public career. His getting fired by Healy hurt the Mayor big time in the public perception but bolstered Bernabei's reputation as being his own man.

If Bernabei does not run for the unexpired term, the SCPR could see  Stevens being pushed over to the "two years remaining" position. While the SCPR believes Stevens when he says he's not moving from the full time slot, The Report believes that "push comes to shove," Stevens will yield in a scenario in which Bernabei does not run.

Looking ahead to the general election, if the Stark Republican Party leadership does not get its head out its _ _ _, they will continue to be skunked out in countywide races.  

James Walters (Jackson trustee), Dean Windham (a Hartville builder) and Steve Curtician (a former Marine) are not going to defeat any of the Democrats who come out of the May primary, contested on the Democratic side or not.

this evening,  the Republicans have their annual McKinley dinner.  While the GOPers are chewing, they had better be jacking their jaws about who they can have pull petitions (for example Janet Creighton) who might actually turn the Stark County Republican Party countywide fortunes around.

If the Republicans don't, then the Democratic primary will be the end of the story on the 2010 county commissioner races!

NESBITT CHASTISES THE MAN WHO NEEDED CHASTENING; PRAISES THE MEN AND WOMEN OF CANTON CITY GOVERNMENT WHO DESERVE ACCOLADES

Former Canton safety director Tom Nesbitt must have a strong stomach.

He worked for one of the most egotistic men in all of Stark County for 19 months. Canton's safety forces are the better for having had the direction of Nesbitt.

The SCPR does question his buying the Healy line on Police Chief McKimm and working to do the mayor's bidding on Healy. McKimm has a lot of history going back into the Creighton administration and has created some "political" enemies over that time.

McKimm like any other public official certainly needs to be made accountable and responsive, but he should be allowed to be a man who speaks his mind to his superiors as Nesbitt himself is.

Otherwise, Nesbitt performed the way he should have in relation to the mayor. Former services director and chief-of-staff Tom Bernabei also performed the way he should have in relation to Healy. But, as we now know, any one who has the temerity to face off with Healy is history if Healy has any authority over that person.

So Nesbitt and Bernabei are history and Canton is headed for the worse because of their departure.And God bless Tom Nesbitt in his new ventures.

Shame on Mayor William J. Healy, II for what he is doing to Canton.

Nesbitt did the right thing in e-mailing the Canton city employees as he departed praising them for their quality work. Here is a copy of that e-mail: