BREAKING NEWS! SWANSON/DARROW FILE MOTIONS FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER ON WHOM THE STARK DEMS CAN CONSIDER FOR SHERIFF AT THE SCDPCC MEETING SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 11TH~

ORIGINAL POST 1:07 PM

FINAL UPDATE:  3:53 PM



George T. Maier's effort to stay in the running to be appointed by the Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee (SCDPCC) may be in big trouble.

The SCPR learned yesterday that Swanson/Darrow attorney Greg Beck was in the process of putting together a Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and; alternatively, "for ancillary injunctive relief, "expedited" ... (emphasis added).

Today the motions got filed.

As soon as the documents are made available on the Supreme Court online docket, readers of the SCPR can depend on The Report to make summaries available.

ACTUAL REQUEST FOR TRO (UPDATE:  2:13 PM)

THE ENTIRE MOTION (UPDATE:  2:21 PM)

MEMORANDUM OF LAW (KEY PROVISIONS)
"EXTRACTS"

INTENT OF SCDP-CC TO ALLOW MAIER TO RE-APPLY

NO NEW VACANCY, NO NEW QUALIFICATION DATE

FAILURE OF SUPREME COURT TO ISSUE "INJUNCTIVE RELIEF"  WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN "NEW" QUO WARRANTO ON MAIER 2ND APPOINTMENT

SWANSON/DARROW MEET CRITERIA TO QUALIFY FOR A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER

THE CRITERIA

JUSTIFICATIONS OF MEETING CRITERIA

LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS ON MERITS OF CLAIM

 

SWANSON/DARROW STAND TO SUFFER IRREPARABLE HARM IF SCDP-CC IS NOT RESTRAINED FROM PROCEEDING ON IN INCLUDING MAIER

GRANTING OF INJUNCTIVE RELIEF WILL NOT HARM THIRD PARTIES

PUBLIC INTEREST WOULD BE SERVED BY SUPREME COURT ORDERING INJUNCTIVE RELIEF AND THEREBY ENSURE THAT "A QUALIFIED SHERIFF" IS APPOINTED BY THE STARK DEMOCRATS ON DECEMBER 11TH

WHICH IS IT WITH "NEW" CANTON MUNY COURT "CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK?

If you ask Stark County recorder Rick Campbell and Clerk of Canton Municipal Court Phil Giavasis  (ran unopposed in November, 2013, which undoubtedly explains his arrogance as a public official) to apply the SCPR above-posed questions to one Kody Gonzalez (son of heretofore Canton Municipal Court Chief Deputy Randy Gonzalez) they definitely would say "cream always rises to the top."

Giavasis was very upset when the Stark County Political Report contacted him on Wednesday to ask about a tip The Report had received earlier in the morning that Kody had been installed as chief deputy of the Canton courts this past Monday (November 18, 2013) as a replacement for his father Randy whose last day, The Report is told, is set for January 1, 2014.

Why was Phil Giavasis upset?

First, because he knew (from past SCPR blogs involving his being Stark County clerk of courts days) that I was going to ask some direct questions.

On May 1, 2008 (a mere 45 days or so after I began the SCPR), I wrote a story about how it appeared to me that he had cut off any competition (in favor of Nancy Reinbold, wife of the-then Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge Richard Reinbold) to whom his successor was going to be when he decided for himself that being clerk of courts for the Canton Municipal Court was a "greener pasture" than continuing to be the Stark County clerk of courts.  

Secondly, and undoubtedly, because he knew that the Stark County Political Report would not necessarily buy his line that "cream always rises to the top" in terms of his employing Kody.

Any more than the SCPR did when Stark recorder Rick Campbell pretty much used the same line when asked by The Report about Kody's leapedfrogging over longer-serving employees at the recorder's office (with only two years -  right out of college - of job experience [as a Plain (2005)/Jackson (2006) schools "entry-level" teacher]) to become the chief deputy recorder.

"How dare," Giavasis, Campbell and father Randy protested, that the Stark County Political Report would raise the question that, perhaps, Kody became an overnight Stark County/Canton government phenom because of the intervention of "it pays to be "politically" connected."

Randy said he was as surprised as anyone that Kody ended up with the next-to-the-top county recorder's job.  No doubt, it is a repeat "I was the-last-to-know" on Kody being handed Randy's soon-to-be "old job."

Don't you just love it when one of Stark County's most politically attuned and astute persons claims to be completely uninformed when a next-of-kin gets a top notch government job with everyone else being cut off from applying?

Giavasis told me in a telephone conversation on Wednesday (see a more detailed account of the conversation below) that Randy only learned after-the-fact that Kody had been hired.

What a coincidence?

As an "entry-level" teacher back in 2005, Kody (who graduated from Ohio University in 2005) was likely making somewhere in the low to mid $20,000s.

As Campbell's chief deputy less than two (2) years later, he likely was at $49,000 (according to the Stark County auditor) in cash salary and you can figure another $15,000 or so in fringe benefits.

As of October 10, 2013, he was making $54,461.60 plus, of course, the fringes.

So in the matter of six (6) years Kody received an increase of about 10% from beginning to end on his "uncompeted for" recorder's office chief deputy job.

Remember that this is a period of time that many other county employees were getting "zilch" in annual increases.

Probably because Recorder Campbell did not want to risk losing an employee who spontaneously emanates par excellence abilities, no? 

As Canton Municipal chief deputy clerk of court Kody Gonzalez will start out at $64,000 according to the Canton auditor's office.  Do not forget that the fringes boost the total take to about $90,000 per annum.

Hmm?

Since entering county/city "public service?," Kody has had an increase of 30%. 

I raise the "public service" issue because Randy claims that for the Gonzalezes working in the public sector is a family tradition of doing public service.

My response?

Well, it is certainly is "well-paid" public service.

Kody Gonzalez has to be the envy of many county/city employees.

Perhaps, that was what motivated a SCPR tipster to notify The Report of Kody's new hire status in a Wednesday e-mail.

The only time the SCPR gained any appreciation of Kody's work product was at the Stark County commissioners' annual  upcoming fiscal year budget hearings which occurred in January, 2013 for fiscal year 2013.

There was definitely "a spit and polish" (i.e. a fancy Powerpoint presentation) aspect to it that the SCPR will concede is beyond the apparent (to The Report) capabilities of Recorder Campbell himself.

However, I couldn't make "heads or tails" out of how much Stark County general fund funding for "new" (i.e. to be hired in 2013) recorder's office and microfilming employees was being asked for.

As the video in the linked blog above shows, Kody's work on the numbers appeared to be confusing the commissioners.  Especially, Commissioner Tom Bernabei.

If memory serves me correctly, the recorder's office had to do an follow-up presentation to clear things up.

But, perhaps, the budget presentation was an example of the proverbial "having a bad day" and not typical of Kody's day-in, day-out performance.

Anybody who knows anything about Stark County politics know that Randy Gonzalez is chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party and has been since 2009.   Moreover, he has been a Stark Dems kingpin for quite a few years before becoming chairman.

"Father" Gonzalez seems to have his hand in nearly everything political and governmental in Stark County over many years.

He is a one time Jackson trustee and currently fiscal officer and believed by many to be the foremost politically powerful person in Jackson Township who is "the-power-behind-the-throne" and effectively controls the likes of John Pizzino, Jr, Todd Hawke and James "Jamie" Walters.

The amazing thing about Democrat Gonzalez's clout in heavily Republican Jackson Township is that two of the three trustees (Hawke and Walters) are currently registered Republicans and Pizzino, Jr (a cousin to former Massillon mayor Franchis H. Cicchinelli, Jr) is a former Republican.

A couple of years ago in a conversation that I had with Trustee Walters, it was astounding to hear how Walters believed that Gonzalez was his political friend.

But that was not what I was hearing from Randy Gonzalez himself.

Which goes to say that the SCPR believes Gonzalez has honed a skill of being all things to all people (a considerable political skill) dressed in a cloak of finesse which can be beguiling.

Beguiling to many, except, of course, to the Stark County Political Report.

But suffice it to say, the SCPR believes the Gonzalez political factor has been instrumental in friends and family (direct or indirect on from key Stark officials ingratiating themselves unsolicited) in getting placed into government positions in various Stark County political subdivisions.

Gonzalez gets very angry when The Report writes such opinions.

While The Report thinks his preferred way of dealing with such situations is to "turn the charm on;" he is quite capable of and does play political hardball the equal or superior to the very best Stark County practitioners of the politics.

He has tried both with the Stark County Political Report.

When the SCPR wrote a blog questioning how son Kody was enshrined by Stark County recorder Rick Campbell as second-in-command in the recorders office in (June, 2007; no competitive interview conducted), father Randy contacted me to express his marked displeasure that I would suggest that he had anything to do (as Stark Dems chairman) with Kody's meteoric rise from relative obscurity as a "entry level" schoolteacher to becoming one of Stark County's very top public officials.

It could be that he had no direct involvement in the hire.

But it's certainly in the category of "who is going to believe that?"

Is anyone going to believe that Randy's role as party chairman had nothing to do with Campbell picking Kody from "out of nowhere" to become his chief deputy recorder.

There is no doubt that Randy has the requisite political skills not to "leave his fingerprints" on having anything whatsoever to do with his son's recorder office employment and now his landing a $10,000 increase in his move over to the Canton Muny Court position.

One local civic activist tells me that Randy Gonzalez is perhaps Stark's most highly skilled politician.

And I never argue the point.

Randy is a very likable guy with a terrific set of social skills, but, of course, with the Stark County Political Report, the blogs are never about whether or not I personally like/dislike this politician/government figure or that one.

For my money, "personality wise," he has it all over Stark Dems executive vice chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (chairman from 2003 through 2009).  However, the SCPR views Maier, Jr as the real power within the Stark County Democratic Executive Committee and from whom Gonzalez gets his marching orders.

But now back to the Kody Gonzalez hire as Canton Muny Court chief deputy clerk.

When public officials will talk to me, (some won't because of my incisive questioning style), I always hone in on "cut-to-the-bone" questions.

In a Wednesday phone call (I think I caught him by surprise that I knew about Kody's hire), I asked Giavasis whether or not he considered folks other than Kody to replace Randy.

Answer:  No.

Question:  Why not?

Answer:  Because I do not have to.

Question:  Whom contacted whom about the job?

Answer:  I contacted him.

Question:  Well, how about Stark County's (in this case Canton Muny court district) taxpayers?  Are they entitled to compete for the job?

Then he went on what I view as a rant about how one-sided the SCPR is as evidenced (according to him) by a blog I did on the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) that was not pleasing to him and Randy Gonzalez.

Stark Democratic Party stalwart Reinbold in 2012 was running for re-election as Stark County clerk of courts and I had written a blog wherein her opponent (Republican Jeff Heimbaugh) critiqued CJIS.

Consequently they invited me over to the the Canton clerk of court offices to take a first-hand look at CJIS in operation.

And I appreciated having been invited to see first-hand the Giavasis/Gonzalez cameo-esque presentation.

However, they should have known (as anyone who reads SCPR blogs know), I  always go to any such occasion with my full critical faculties intact.

Notwithstanding Heimbaugh's criticism, I am well-taken with CJIS which is largely Randy Gonzalez creation.  But I am not ready to coronate it as being "the best that it can be."  Apparently, that unwillingness has stuck in the craw of Giavasis, if not Gonazalez.

Randy's work on:

• CJIS,
• Stark County's 9-1-1 "broken" (according to a 2008 report) centralized dispatching system, and
• His very recent  effort to bring Jackson Township, Plain Township, North Canton and Canton into a collaborative economic development mode

is impressive.

Seemingly, single-handedly, Gonzalez has "kept hope alive" that some day in the foreseeable future he will realize his dream of Stark County achieving a "state of the art" 9-1-1 dispatching system.

From what I have seen of Kody Gonzalez, I he think is a "work-in-progress" with potential for leadership but not yet ready for prime time.

He has always been civil and courteous to me notwithstanding my inquiring blogs.

I think it is a fair question that Stark Countians should consider as to whether his ascendancy is due to:

• a case of "it pays to be politically connected," or
• a case of "cream rising to the top"

I cannot say that Kody's father mirrors his son's demeanor and temperament.

He gets more than a bit snarky with me when I write in a fashion displeasing to him.

Campbell, Phil Giavasis and Randy Gonzalez can try to cajole or bully (the most used technique) the SCPR "until the cows come home," but such efforts have been and will remain "all in vain" as long as I write the Stark County Political Report.

The Report understands that a father is going to react to questions raised as to how his son got to where he has gotten in the public sector.

President Harry Truman on December 18, 1950 did so when a music critic panned his daughter's piano recital, to wit: (Source:  Wikipedia)

I have read your lousy review of Margaret’s concert. I’ve come to the conclusion that you are an eight ulcer man on a four ulcer job … Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes and perhaps a supporter below. 

Margaret, of course, was not a public employee.

Kody Gonzalez is.

And, accordingly, he is open to media scrutiny as to how he got to where he has gotten.

Readers of the Stark County Political Report know that The Report will continue to raise questions, to repeat myself, such as was a given hire:

• "A case of  'being politically connected'" or
•  A case of  "cream rising to the top"

I do express my opinion in my blogs but the deciders who count in terms of the persuasiveness of my opinions are the readers of the Stark County Political Report.

No amount of flattery or flack from the subjects of my blogs or their supporters alters the SCPR's "cut to the core" observations.

As a "for instance" on the flack side, the SCPR has little personal regard for Stark County prosecutor John Ferrero as a consequence of his attack on me and my constitutionally protected right of free speech as a media type and as a citizen of Stark County under the guise that I happen to be a lawyer.

I am still waiting for his apology.

Nevertheless, I have blogged that I consider him to have been "a stand up guy" for the "rule of law" in the instance of his having filed an affidavit in his capacity of Stark chief interpreter of the law that he considered George T. Maier "unqualified" under Ohio statutory law standards.

Ferrero must have been the recipient of Maier-partisan's ire ever since.

When one is a "political insider" like Ferrero is within the Stark County Democratic Party politics (Stark County Democratic Party chairman from 2003-2009); it takes a lot of moxie to do what he did on February 5, 2013 in filing the affidavit for consideration by assembled Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee members.

In my view, Chairman Gonzalez humiliated Ferrero in suggesting that Ferrero was a "fly in the ointment" of the chairman's desire that the members appoint Maier as sheriff.

The SCPR says "kudos" to Prosecutor Ferrero for sticking up for "the rule of law."

Agree or disagree with me; like me or dislike me, readers of the SCPR get my candid assessment of Stark County politics and politicians and other Stark County public figures.

A big Thank You! for reading the Stark County Political Report.

Like no other Stark County media outlet, the SCPR keeps the Stark County public informed on the seamy side of Stark County politics and government.

(VIDEO) CRAIG CONLEY CONTINUES HIS CLIENT'S PURSUIT OF JUDGE FRANK FORCHIONE IN THE 5TH DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS

VIDEO

"COMPLETE"

OHIO V. FORCHIONE

5TH DISTRICT COA

ORAL ARGUMENT

Of course, November 5, 2013 was a significant date in that it was general election day.

For the likes of Richard Hart of Canton; Sarita Cunningham-Hedderly, and Ed Lewis, IV of Massillon; John Rinaldi of Canton and, moreover, the Canton Parks levy "a jewel of a day" because election results made winners of them all.

November 5, 2013 could turn out to have been a key date for Judge Frank Forchione of the Stark County Court of Common Pleas.

At about high-noon, Ohio's Fifth District of Appeals concluded oral arguments in the case of Ohio v. Forchione.

Judges Baldwin, Farmer and Wise listened attentively as Conley (for Demis: the complainant) and the state of Ohio legal representative Prosecutor Craig Morgan of the Akron prosecutor's office (subbing for the Canton prosecutor's out of conflict-in-interest concerns) made their arguments.

THE BACKGROUND

The Stark County Political Report started its tracking of the Conley/Forchione saga on January 25, 2013 when Conley demanded Stark County prosecutor John Ferrero file suit against Judge Forchione (Stark County Court of Common Pleas) for having redirected fine money assessed in a criminal case to a Massachusetts charity and to recover same to the Stark County general fund.

The Stark County Political Report continued its tracking of the Conley/Fochione story with a January 29, 2013 blog.

Some folks had raised the spectre that Conley was not so much concerned about "the rule of law" as he was to exact revenge of Forchione because Forchione would not initially withdraw from a case that Conley had before him and which Conley lost before the Ohio Supreme Court to compel Forchione's recusal.

Eventually, Forchione did withdraw at his own initiative and, interestingly enough, Conley settled on the merits in his favor and with considerable cash in his pocket.

So that why the SCPR did the "sour grapes" blog.

Ferrero refused Conley's demand and "a client" found Conley and Conley filed a lawsuit in mandamus against Forchione.

Of course, those who regularly follow the SCPR you need not click on the links above, but it might not be a bad idea just as a refresher on how things got started.

In the end, with Conley's filing of a lawsuit, the SCPR believes Conley's lawsuit (ultimately dismissed by Conley himself [at his client's direction, of course]) when his client Tom Marcelli was satisfied that Forchione had corrected what the law of Ohio does not allow a judge to do which is to say redirect fine money to a charitable purpose.

The motivation of the suit, remember, Conley said was to compel Judge Forchione to be what everybody expects of a judge that is "be a 'rule of law' judge."

For his efforts, Conley was rewarded with having a disciplinary action filed against him by an "anonymous" complainer for Conley having accused Judge Forchione for "grandstanding" in ordering the diversion of the fine to the charity, which complaint Conley ended up winning.

But still the matter was not over.

On February 28, 2013 up stepped a Franklin County resident; namely, Louis Demis (who is thought to once have lived in Navarre) who filed an affidavit authorized by Ohio Revised Code sections 2935.09 and 2935.10 wherein he claimed that in doing the diversion of the fine money that there was "probable cause" to think that Forchione had committed a crime of "theft in office."

Well, guess who got into that fray as legal counsel for Demis?

Of course, local attorney and frequent civic activist Craig T. Conley.

On a pro bono (for the public good) basis, when requested, he agreed to take on representing Demis.

The Canton law department deferred taking the matter on because of obvious "conflict-in-interest" questions as did the entire bench of the Canton Municipal Court.

A retired Barberton Municipal Court judge (Michael McNulty) received the assignment to hear the case in Canton.

Well, on April 23rd, about an hour and one-half after the hearing McNulty ruled against Demis.

It was kind of a bizarre hearing in that the prosecutor representing Ohio (on the Demis affidavit) actually argued against finding "probable cause."  Had it not been for Conley, there would have been no argument for "probable cause."

So "end of the matter," no?

Of course, not!

While it was up to Mr. Demis whether or not to call it quits, if Demis was game to keep the heat on Judge Forchione, you have to believe that Conley was going to be up to it.

And so on May 15th an appeal of McNulty's adverse finding to Demis on his affidavit was at Demis' request filed by Conley.

THE COURT OF APPEALS

And that brings to where we are on today's blog.

On election day, November 5, 2013, the 5th District Court of Appeals heard the appeal.

The SCPR is highly skeptical that the appellate court will reverse Judge McNulty but one has to admire Craig T. Conley's willingness to "put his money where his mouth is" in representing Demis "free of charge" in the important cause of advocating for what he thinks is for the maintenance of "the rule of law."

For anyone who has not seen an appellate argument, the Conley/Morgan face-off in the 5th District Court of Appeals is a classic.

Here is the full 5th District Court of Appeals video.

STARK DEMS CENTRAL COMMITTEE SHERIFF APP'T CAMPAIGN MOVES INTO "HIGH GEAR?"

 GONZALEZ

EQUATES

COMMITTEEPERSON GONZALEZ

TO

THE LIKES OF

STATE REP. SCHURING

&

STATE REP. SLESNICK

REALLY?

UPDATE:  11:20 A.M.

My wife, Mary J. Olson, a registered Democrat, made application today (post-publication of today's blog) with Chairman Gonzalez to be appointed precinct committeeperson for Precinct 13 in Lake Township in anticipation of the December 11th vote on whom the Democrats will appoint to be sheriff of Stark County.

Chairman Gonzalez got back to her and told her that the Stark County Democratic Executive Committee will not making any appointments of precinct committee persons before the vote.

ORIGINAL BLOG

For those readers who are not familiar with why the Stark Dems are selecting a sheriff, here is a LINK for your review.

Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez seems bound and determined to make George T. Maier the Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee (SCDPCC) appointee, once again, to be sheriff of Stark County.

Unless, of course, Sheriff Tim Swanson and his "top lieutenant" Lou Darrow are successful in their new litigation (writ of mandamus) to persuade the Ohio Supreme Court to order the Stark Dems to exclude Maier from the December 11th ballot.

As we all now well know, Swanson successfully convinced (quo warranto, filed Feburary 12, 2013) the high court that Maier, appointed by the SCDPCC back on February 5th, should be ousted from office as a usurper.  On the day after this year's general election, the Columbus-based justices found that the Dems appointment was illegal in that Maier was not qualified under the criteria of Ohio statutory law to be sheriff and moreover, as a consequence of his being disqualified, was never sheriff.

But it took Ohio's "court of last resort" nearly nine months to come to a decision and by virtue of its 5 to 2 vote for ouster threw Stark County government into a state of uncertainty.

If Stark County is in a state of uncertainty, then the SCDPCC is likely in a state of turmoil.

Maier, though he does not know whether or not he will be allowed by the Supreme Court to be on the SCDPCC December 11th ballot, has already sent out a campaign letter to SCDPCC members terming his ouster as being on "a mere technicality" and asking members to once again appoint him to be Stark County's "top cop."

And the SCPR is hearing reports that Chairman Gonzalez is betting that the Supreme Court justices will permit Maier to vy once again to be the lead person at 4500 Atlantic Boulevard and has already begun efforts to shore up support among the SCDPCC membership in support of Maier.

The SCDPCC membership by the SCPR's count based on the precinct races held in the 2012 primary election (they are up for '''political party' voters only' every two years) is at 285.

However, many (about 80 by the SCPR's count or approximately 30%) precincts go unfilled in the election and only a few are contested.

Of the unfilled variety, Lake Township (decidedly Republican) takes the prize on precincts not represented in the Stark County Democratic Party.

The Report hears that Chairman Gonzalez has called a special meeting of the Stark County Democratic Party Executive Committee (SCDPEC) scheduled between now and December 11th (the date of the sheriff appointment selection) one of the purposes of which is to fill "unfilled" precinct positions.

It will be interesting to watch Lake which has 18 unfilled positions.

That Lake has 18 unfilled positions appears to mean that those relatively few Democrats (my wife being one of them) are less than enthused about the state of the "organized" Stark County Democratic Party as it currently exists.

The dearth of Democratic Party precinct representatives from Lake goes back to the reign of George T. Maier brother Johnnie A. Maier, Jr stint (2003-2009) as party chairman.

Of course, Maier, Jr remains as a key player (some say that he is the de facto chairman) as executive vice chairman.

A favorite story of mine back in the days I was a member of the SCDPEC was one in which I took seriously Maier, Jr's call for executive committee members to find Democrats willing to serve as SCDPCC members.

So I got to work.

"Right off the bat," I found two willing to fill two of the many (even at that time) Lake vacancies.

I telephone Maier, Jr with the "good news."

In typical Johnnie A. Maier, Jr fashion, came back the response:  "Why would I do that?"  Which is to say, by my inferred interpretation, "are these folks Johnnie A. Maier, Jr supporters?

Just being a tad naive about my initial take that the call of filling vacancies was about getting "grassroots" Democrats involved in their political party and nothing else, I was taken aback by what I believed to be the chairman's clear implication.

There was no way in "God's little green acre" that I was going back to my prospects with a:  Can you assure me that you will supporting the chairman in disputes that come before the central committee?

That incident folks was the beginning of my disillusion with Mister Johnnie A. Maier, Jr as a party official.

So if reports are accurate that there is a major push prior to the December 11th selection date to fill the 80 or so vacancies, the "realpolitik" Martin Olson has to believe that it is an effort to shore up support for George T. Maier in light of his narrow 92 to 84 triumph over Lou Darrow back on Feburary 5th.

The SCPR thinks that Johnnie A. Maier, Jr political faction (one of a number) of the "organized" Stark Dems is overrated.

They do, from time-to-time, get cocky and "go asleep at the wheel."

Witness the 2012 elections in Massillon (Maier's base on the basis of his being Massillon's clerk of courts) in which and his political "gofer," namely; Stark County Political Director Shane Jackson, pulled off a big-time political coup in engineering the defeat of 24 year mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr.

But what they forgot in their post-election "high-fiving" was the Massillon City Council races.

Everyone (including the SCPR) was stunned, when Massillon Republicans took control of Massillon's council in the November, 2011 elections.

The Maier forces have not recovered even with the coming and going of the 2013 elections.

Of three candidates - what the SCPR believes to have been Maier front people (Irwin, Ward 2; Stinson, Ward 4; Litman, Ward 6) only Stinson won.  And that was by a relatively small margin in Massillon's most heavy Democratic registered voters ward over a candidate who does not seem to be a political cognosente.

While the Dems now have the votes (5 to 4) to control council, only Stinson appears to be a "Maier (Mayor Catazaro-Perry) centered Democrat.

But "you can bet your bottom dollar" that Johnnie and Shane are "as busy as beavers building a dam" working hand-in-glove with Chairman Gonzalez building up a defeat-proof margin from among the "unfilled" SCDPCC positions to ensure an easier ride for brother George to victory on December 11th.

Opponents to the Maier political machine were encouraged by the closeness of the February 5th vote.

The SCPR believes that it would be a major mistake by the opponents to assume that it is just a matter of convincing five of eight deciding voters to switch sides.

They must do much better than that.

We will see just how politically sophisticated the Maier opponents are in dealing with the many facets of political organizing that is going on in anticipation of the December 11th fight.

About a week ago, Chairman Gonzalez appeared on a local radio talkshow and took "softball questions" from the host on the Stark County Democratic Party squabble over the George T. Maier appointment.

The host left untouched (probably because he really doesn't understand "inside baseball" politics) Gonzalez's assertion that central committee members are "just like any other elected official."

Balderdash!  Pure and simple!!

Gonzalez's legal counsel don't say that.  They term the central committee persons as being "quasi" elected officials.

First of all, they are "elected" only to represent Democrats in their respective precincts.

Second, of the 285 positions, only 40 (less than 15%) were contested.  And 2012 was an exceptional year for precinct committeeperson contests.

The Report hears that there is considerable dissatisfaction with the Chairman Gonzalez and Johnnie A. Maier, Jr leadership of the Dems.

And there was in March, 2012 focused, but considerable, a play in Canton, Massillon, Perry Township and Plain Township precincts over which faction (among the Gonzalez/Maier, Healy and Ferrero factions) were going to be the main players in future intraparty issues.

Thirdly, while the Ohio Revised Code does assign to political party central committees the role to select replacements when a vacancy occurs, this limited role can hardly be equated to the power Ohio invests in non-political-party elected officials such as the govenor of the state, state legislators, judges, mayor, city/village council members, judges and school board members.

For the radio host to allow Gonzalez's glib comparison without challenge was truly amazing to the SCPR.

One of Gonzalez's phony-baloney (in the opinion of The Report) assertions was that just like elected officials (e.g. state representatives and state senators), the public is entitled to know how their precinct committee persons voted in the Maier/Darrow/Dordea contest of Feburary 5th and that is why the leadership of the Stark Dems required voting precinct committee persons to sign their ballots when they voted on the 5th.

Okay, Mr. Chairman, where is the list of how those 177 recorded as voting actually voted?

The SCPR gets peppered with emails from a Stark County Democratic Party gadfly-type who has been seeking since the vote to get access to the list and how each precinct committeeperson voted.

His success to date?

None!

I rest my case!!!