CAN CREIGHTON/HAROLD PULL KASICH THROUGH OVER POLITICAL NOVICE "RALPH CASE" & HIS MAN DONALD TRUMP?

Stark County Commissioner Janet Creighton tells the Stark County Political Report that she is not the power player within Stark County Republican circles as The Report thinks.

Alan Harold also downplays his having a dominant role within Stark County GOP–land.

And, of course, yours truly's take is just an opinion.

A real test of their influence will come next Tuesday when their man—Governor John Kasich—tries to become the person to derail the seeming unstoppable Donald Trump as marches on the pathway to be the Republican nominee of the National Republican Party come the week of July 17–21, 2016 in Cleveland, OHIO.

What is intriguing about the Stark County part of the overall Ohio Kasich/Trump/Cruz/Rubio contest is that the political savvy Creighton and Harold are matched up against a political nobody:  Ralph Case who lives in Plain Township.

Kudos to the Stark County Republican leadership for giving all the candidates some play on its Facebook page (LINK), to wit:

It should be no surprise that Kasich is the major part of the page space.

Creighton and Harold were the main players in the Stark County GOP phase of the Kasich gubernatorial re-election effort in 2014.

Case (LINK to Trump Facebook page) in 2014, he could have cared less about politics at any level including Stark County.

At least, that is how the SCPR interprets his description of his prior political involvement.

The SCPR had a long conversation with Case yesterday.

And here are some of the things yours truly learned:

• He got involved with the Stark County Trump effort in early February of this year because:
• thinks that Donald Trump is the only candidate that tells the truth in the director the USA is heading in,
• he believes that Trump will restore America's greatness and thereby provide the kind of America that he wants his four and twelve year old to live in.
• The headquarters at 4817 West Tuscarawas was at his initiative and on his donation to the Trump cause.
• From the day that the headquarters opened on February 24th, he has be swamped with volunteers.
• Last Saturday, some 18 volunteers fanned out over Stark County in a door-to-door canvasing operation to increase the number of Trump voters,
• The Stark 
• The Stark County Trump headquarters operation are getting on the average some 200/300 telephone calls a day,
• Over 600 signs have been place on the Stark County landscape, and
• The make up of those contacting Trump/Stark include:
• independents,
• Democrats,
• mainline Republicans and 
• women,

Why the reference to women?

The Report cited to Case an anecdotal account of a Stark County leading Republican woman (not Creighton) who recited a recent poll taken among a relatively small group of establishment-esque Republican in which all the votes went to Kasich except for four votes to Ted Cruz.

Trump nada, absolutely nothing among the staunch Republican women, according to The Report's source.

Case seemed sensitive to that bit of information even though it was anecdotal and moreover a tiny, tiny sample size.

A lot of our talk focused on the large number of Stark County women (remember:  independents, Democrats and mainline Republicans) who Case thinks will be voting for Donald Trump come next Tuesday.

Creighton, who was Kasich's northeast Ohio campaign coordinator in the 2014 re-election campaign (Harold was Kasich's "designated 'political' hitter" for Stark County in 2014), says that she is working hard to make Kasich the GOP 2016 standard bearer coming out of Cleveland in July.

Last night she spent the evening at a phone bank making telephone calls across the nation for Kasich.

Between now and next Tuesday, she says, the focus will intensify on Ohio and of course Stark County.

Creighton likely is the foremost Stark County Republican in terms of knowing Who's Who in Stark County Republican politics.

Notwithstanding such, she says that she does not know any of the folks running the Stark County Trump effort.

And, she is not counting out  the "possibility" that Trump could win Ohio and/or Stark County.

She is seemed optimistic that Kasich can overcome the nearly 5% lead an average of polls indicate that Trump has over him.

But to reiterate, she is taking nothing for granted.

When The Report last talked with Harold (about two weeks ago), he was downplaying his effort on behalf of Kasich.

Of course, The Stark County Political Report is not buying into Harold account of his involvement in next Tuesday's Republican presidential primary on behalf of Kasich.

Kasich did not have a good night last night in Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii.

And he has an uphill climb in Ohio, to wit:

Beginning today, the rush will be on in Ohio and of course in Stark County by Creighton, Harold et al to put Kasich on top come next Wednesday morning.

Then we will know whether or not the local political pros Creighton and Harold can best political novice Donald Case.

Win or lose, one has to be impressed by the effort that Case is making for his man Trump and through Trump hoping by virtue of the Stark County Trump campaign effort to have a part in Trump's promise to American great once again.

VOLUME 6 - GETTING TO KNOW THE REPUBLICANS RUNING FOR STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER (THE BERNABEI VACATED SEAT)

UPDATED/REVISED 03/10/2016 AT 06:15 AM

CANDIDATE MUNGO ACCUSED OF DISSING AULTMAN HOSPTIAL

VIDEO

MUNGO & SMITH 

ON

CHANGES TO BE MADE IN COUNTY GOV'T

&

USING THE "BULLY PULPIT" TO EFFECT CHANGE

This blog is the sixth in a video-based series so that Stark Countians can get know the Republican candidates (recorded February 17th) for Stark County commissioner for the position vacated by "independent" Thomas Bernabei (12/31/2015) on his being elected mayor of Canton.

The SCPR wanted to do the same for Democrats but it proved problematic getting in contact with candidates Ferguson and Slesnick.  Slesnick for sure is out right avoiding the SCPR.

The Report has interviewed Canton Ward 5 councilman Kevin Fisher (LINK).

Up until yesterday, it appeared to the SCPR that his campaign was more or less a "love-in" of sorts in that the candidates as seemingly are, confirmed by the video session of the 17th, highly respectful of one another.  (Note:  see links to previous five videos below)

However, yesterday in a conversation with a person, whom the SCPR views as being highly credible, shared with The Report an incident in which the source claims that after a  joint appearance of Candidates Mungo and Smith at a Stark GOP women's organization event in February, Candidate Mungo in a chit-chat with the attendees on medical matters (Mungo is a prominent Alliance area orthopedic surgeon) expressed the opinion that Aultman Hospital is a terrible hospital.

The Report contacted Mungo and he responded to the allegation with these words:

Dave Mungo <dave@davemungo.com>
Today at 6:39 AM

To:  Martin Olson

That is ridiculous. 

I may have talked about how I think alliance [sic] does a great job at some things compared to others.  

I will have a discussion on healthcare if you want. 

I chose to have Aultcare insurance and my wife and I chose to have her get a recent surgery at Aultman. 

We had a choice also. 

I also know there were some good friends of Bill's at that meeting too. This sounds like a very peculiar statement that is not accurate. 

Dave

An interesting divergence of perspective, no?

To reinforce the SCPR's take on the apparent relationship between Smith and Mungo take a look at the following video of their February 17th  interview on the posed questions:

• Changes that they might bring to Stark County government if elected commissioner, and
• The role of the "bully pulpit" in county governance,

So, The Report was amazed to hear the report of Mungo dissing Aultman.

Yours truly does not whom to believe on the matter.

The Report's source—to repeat—has always been right on the mark in terms of credibility.

On the other hand, Candidate Mungo has given no indication of going ugly like the dissing of Aultman suggests.

As a SCPR sidenote, The Report URGES readers to avail themselves of an opportunity to meet with candidates Mungo and Smith together with all other Stark County political subdivision candidates for office in the Republican and Democratic primary elections and, of course, in the November general election by attending a Canton area League of Women Voters candidates forum (LINK) to be held at Downtown Campus (formerly Timken Senior High School) of the newly restructured McKinley Senior High School next Thursday, March 10, 2016, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

In this particular series, The Report will be publishing in digestible bites the nearly one and one-half hour videotaped interview of February 17th of Republican commissioner candidates Mungo and Smith.

Today's blog focuses on the candidates' responses to the SCPR posed question:  Changes to be made in how county government is run and the role of the "bully pulpit" as a tool of governance.

Here are links to prior blogs in this series:

• Candidates' narrative on their backgrounds (LINK),
• Candidates on values/experience (LINK),
• Candidates on the role of private sector in county government (LINK),
• Candidates on their respective motivations in running for county commissioner (LINK), 
• Candidates on the part that partisan politics plays in county government (LINK),

CANDIDATE BACKGROUND

First, candidate Mungo's self-published background document:



Next up, candidate Smith's self-published background document:



LINKS TO CANDIDATES' SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITE

Candidate Dave Mungo

• Website LINK
• Facebook LINK

Candidate Bill Smith

• Facebook page LINK

PART 2 (2016 PRE-PRIMARY CFR) NIST VERUS REESE

ANOTHER HIGHLY PARTISAN FIGHT OVER A "NON-PARTISAN?" STARK CO JUDGESHIP!

UPDATED:  08:30 AM

As far as The Stark County Political Report knows neither Republican David Nist nor Democrat Jason Reese are very well known out in the hinterlands of the Stark County electorate.

Even yours truly had the sketchiest knowledge of both before researching them for purposes of this blog.

Though the general election season will not begin until March 16th, the SCPR was stunned to see that Candidate Nist had pumped over $100,000 of his own money into his campaign already per revelations in his pre-primary campaign finance report (CFR) filed last Thursday, March 4th.

What does this fact mean?

Perhaps trying to be the Donald Trump of Stark County in the sense of self-financing his campaign?

Democratic opponent Jason Reese hasn't been exactly sitting on his hands.

But his $29,900 pales in comparison to Nist's $100,000 plus.

The Nist/Reese pre-primary CFRs indicate that yet another monumental political battle is shaping up in Stark County as to whom is going to be the next succeed Republican Michael Howard as one of three Stark County Family Court judges.

Note that the SCPR has taken a Stark County Common Pleas Family Court website photo of the three judges and outlined them in red.

And this is no recent development.

Yours truly personally recalls the line of Republican family court judges going back to the 1970s including the following (other than those pictured above):

• W. Don Reader,
• John R. Milligan,
• Bob Mylett,
• Julie Edwards,
• David Stucki

Only one Democrat going back to the mid–1970s; namely, John R. Hoffman, Jr.

Indeed, the Family Court jurists have been 87.5% (7/8) Republicans as contrasted with General Division which is comprised of four Democrats (Forchione, Haas, Heath and Chryssa Hartnett) and Republican Kristin Farmer (hence 80% Democratic)

The remaining Common Pleas judgeship (Probate Division) is staffed with Republican Dixie Park who might be (sarcasm folks, sarcasm!) the favorite SCPR Stark County judge.

While political considerations are not supposed to be part of holding public office in America, who believes that is the reality.  When it is apparent to more than a few citizens that politics has prevailed (e.g. Bush v. Gore), a great undermining of our democratic republic occurs.

Gubernatorial appointments of judges as in Ohio of of that ilk.

And Stark County has way too many instances of the best qualified person not becoming judge out of the gubernatorial process as do all of Ohio's 88 counties.

Voters ought to be suspect when a judge attains his/her office through the gubernatorial appointment process and/or is tainted by out-and-out partisan political battles.

The Nist/Reese battle appears to be more about political parties and their hold on Stark County's various offices than about the best qualified Stark County lawyers running for judge.

The Report believes that was the case in the Guardado/Werren match up for Canton Municipal Court judge last year.

Werren is embedded in The Report's thinking as being too politically based with Republican politics (e.g.  two Republican governor John Kasich appointment to Stark County judgeships) for the public to rest assured with his being a judge.

Angela Walls-Alexander was far more qualified in the opinion of the SCPR "on the merits" of  her work as an attorney to be Canton Municipal Court judge than was either fellow Democrat Kristen Guardado and Republican Werren.

As far as The Report is concerned,  both Guardado and Werren in terms of their relationship with "organized" political party officialdom, were at the time of their face off "like two peas in a pod."

The question in the Nist/Reese match up is whether or not either candidate is "among the best" Stark County family law attorneys, the best are running for the judgeship being vacated by Mike Howard.

The Report suspects that such is not the case.

Howard could have pulled a Sinclair or Brown (a former chairman of the Stark County Republican Party) and retired mid-term and in which case Republican governor Kasich appoints but "no Democrats—a la Hartnett, no matter how much more qualified—need apply.

But he didn't and so Stark Countians should be pleased, no?

In he case of Nist, why would someone pump $100,000 plus of his own money into his campaign at the primary elections stage unless it was to send a message that he is entitled as a Republican appointee by three Republican judges to keep the line of Republican succession in place.

And look at this expenditure list:

In January, February of 2016 for an uncontested primary?  Spending over $80,000!  Wow!!!

And, to boot, he went out and recruited one of Stark County's most accomplished Republican politicians in Alliance Councilwoman Julie Jakmides.

Seems as though Nist knows he is in a Battle Royale to keep the Stark County Family Court "all Republican," no?

Buckle up Stark Countians!

Things are likely about to get politically ugly in the Reese/Nist match up at least in the underbelly of Stark County politics.

Undoubtedly, the likes of he Gonzalezes (Randy and Kody) are smarting that there are no Democratic judges on the Family Court bench.

Ditto for former Stark County clerk of courts Nancy S. Reinbold who is the wife of former Democratic judge Richard Reinbold who is serving as Reese's campaign treasurer.

Nancy Reinbold, the SCPR believes, is totally committed to having Democrats in office.

To her credit, she did bolt the party in the Canton mayor election in coming out early and strong for former Democrat and "independent" in the mayor's race Thomas M. Bernabei.

More like her is her participation in what the SCPR thinks was seems to have been a political conspiracy with the Giavasis' brothers to pass the Stark County clerk of courts office from Phil:

• former Stark County clerk of courts,
• Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts, and 
• now chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party)

to Phil's brother Louis.

Ohio law prevented Phil from hiring Louis when Phil was the Stark County clerk of courts.

Solution?

Eureka!

• Tom Harmon retires as Canton Muny clerk of courts, 
• Phil Giavasis resigns as Stark County clerk of courts, 
• Phil is appointed by Stark Democrats as Harmon's successor,
• (August, 2007) Phil weighs in on having Nancy Reinbold appointed Stark County clerk,
• (February 4, 2008) She hires Louis (also a Plain Township trustee at the time), and
• (September 10, 2015) Louis on Reinbold's retirement is appointed by Stark Dems to replace her,

Absolute political magic!  No?

If could, of course, be that the all the above-bulleted points were mere happenstance and there was no concerted, conspiratorial political effort to keep the Stark County clerk of courts position in the Giavasis family.

But, even is such is the case, who is going to believe it?

Getting back to the campaign finance statements of Nist and Reese, let's take a look at Democrat Reese's list of contributors compiled by Reinbold:

The overwhelming majority if not all of those on the list have to be Democrats.  Note the number of judges and Stark County prosecutors supporting Reese.

It looks likes many if not most of all of Stark County Justice System (who happen also to be Democrats) are support Jason Reese for Stark County Family Court judge.

And nearly the entire Canton Law Department is on record of contributing to and thereby supporting his campaign.

Think these folks aren't hungering and thirsting for at least one Democratic judge in Stark's family court?

And you can add apparent Democratic partisans (except for Canton mayor Thomas Bernabei, who many suspect remains a "Democrat-at-heart") from among the Stark County attorney rolls.

Only surprise here is:  Where is Allen Schulman, Jr, the president of Canton City Council?

Look at the remainder of the Reese list.

Hmmm!

All those Akron-centered attorneys.  Looks like Angela Walls-Alexander's CFR when she ran for Canton Municipal Court, no?

And, to boot, a couple of Republicans; one a former judge the other from none other than Family Court itself.

PRE-PRIMARY CAMPAIGN REPORT SERIES - PART 1 - THE BERNABEI COMMISSIONER SEAT

BIG BUCKS FIGHT
IN TERMS OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS
BETWEEN SMITH & MUNGO!

HARD WORK

FUNDRAISING EDGE

HAS

SMELL OF A

FISHER POLITICAL UPSET IN THE MAKING?

 

Yesterday, candidates for the March 15, 2016 primary election filed their pre-primary campaign finance reports (CFR).

On the Republican side of the race to succeed Tom Bernabei (on January 1, 2017) as Stark County commissioner with his being elected in November, 2015 as mayor of Canton it is difficult to tell who might be the winner in the upcoming primary election.

Sometimes one can tell from campaign finance reports that the outcome of the election is trending towards one candidate or another.

Take a look at the list of the contributors for each of the Republican candidates. (LINK to previous blog(s) on this race)

First, Dave Mungo of Alliance.

Next, Smith's:

Unless there is a groundswell of big name Republican contributors, it appears that Smith could be in trouble in terms of making it out of the Republican primary.

Both Mungo and Smith have put $25,000 each of their own money into the campaign.

However, Mungo has the more impressive list of number of other persons contributors and the amounts contributed.

Most local political observers seem to think Smith will come out victorious on the 15th by virtue of his having been a Canton Township trustee for 14 years as contrasted to Mungo being a first-timer as a candidate.

One would think that by the time a week from this Tuesday rolls around, the combination of the two should have spent most if not all of the combined $72,000 in revenues they have raised for there is no tomorrow for the loser.

The SCPR expects Smith to win, but it appears that Mungo has done the better job in the campaign finance aspect of the contest.

Take a look at each Republican candidate's full CFR.

SMITH



MUNGO



On the Democratic side of the race, the SCPR's analysis is that it is clear that Kevin Fisher has worked harder in the door-to-door part of the campaign and, though under state Representative Stephen Slesnick in total reported pre-primary fundraising, his contributors list is far more impressive and meaningful than Slesnick's.  (LINK to prior blogs on Democratic side)

Take a look at their respective contributor lists.

 Fisher:

Slesnick:

If out-of-towners (Slesnick's Columbus connections by virtue of being a Democratic state representative for eight years [District 52 & now 49]) are difference makers, then Slesnick is far and away more impressive than Fisher.

Fisher more than matches Slesnick on Stark County-based officialdom financial involvement in their respective campaigns and obviously is the clear choice among Stark County unionists.

As important as the union campaign money is to Fisher, the really significant thing about union support is that along with campaign cash come "boots-on-the-ground" which translates into the "bread and butter" of political campaigns which along with direct mail literature getting into the hands of folks who will actually vote usually is predictive of victory.

Accordingly, it would not surprise the SCPR in the slightest if Fisher were to win on the 15th.

The conventional wisdom among Stark's politicos is that Ferguson will win because of his previous stint as commissioner (2009–2012) which in large part occurred because Ferguson seemingly has as a chiropractor treated nearly every ailing Stark County citizen for back aches and the like.

But he is not expending nearly the effort that Fisher is.  Nor is Slesnick.

And Ferguson's contributor's list is totally unimpressive:

As Eric Canton of Virginia proved several years ago as the U.S. House of Representative second most powerful member, a candidate should never take anything for granted.

Especially so when the opponent is out working everybody else in the field of candidates.

This Democratic side of the race to succeed Bernabei may be extremely close and it could be that the few votes that Katherine Baylock will get might be a difference maker.

Katherine Baylock has absolutely no chance to win on the 15th, but she might make Ferguson, Fisher or Slesnick a winner.

When Bernabei ran in the general election of 2010, he would not have won were it not for the drain off of votes from the Republican candidate (Jackson trustee James N. Walters) but for the presence of a third candidate.

Baylock should consider it a "moral victory" if she tips the election in one direction or another.

She only raised $180 in the pre-primary period of fundraising.

What follows is her complete pre-primary CFR followed by Slesnick's, Feguson's and Fisher's, in that order.

BAYLOCK



FERGUSON



FISHER



SLESNICK

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS RIPPING OFF LOCAL GOV'T TAXPAYERS?

As The Stark County Political Report sees it, presidential campaigns—when they come to town—rip off Stark County political subdivision taxpayers (i.e. the county's cities where they appear) in making security/emergency-services-in-the-waiting demands that cost our financially strapped local governments in terms of footing the bill.

In effect, these campaigns—in doing so— exact contributions from many of us who are otherwise unwilling to do so.

So The Report is delighted with North Canton mayor David Held (a Republican) in his having made a stand with the Mitt Romney campaign in 2012 demanding (in the legal sense of he word) reimbursement to the tune of $10,478.76.  Also included was a Stark Emergency Management Agency billing in the amount of $4,040.00.

And all the better that Held is making it publicly known that should any of the 2016 presidential campaigns be coming to the North Canton vicinity between today and March 15th (Ohio primary election day) or in the period leading up to the November general election, North Canton will not be providing an such services to political campaign events without UPFRONT payment; Republican or Democrat.

Held recognizes that getting campaign to voluntarily paying cities like North Canton after the fact is not an ideal situation to be in.  Hence, he "upfront" factor.

Newport Beach, California was successful in getting the Romney campaign to pay it $10,441 for extra expenses incurred by the city.  But not so in the case the Obama campaign to the tune of some $35,000.  (LINK)

In 2012, all presidential campaigns together raised some $1.35 Billion.

Of that, the Romney campaign raised $449.9MM.

Nonetheless, Romney's political operatives have refused to reimburse North Canton.

Here are the documents of the back and forth between North Canton officials and Romney campaign officials:

First, a Romney campaign official's letter, which takes the cake for disingenuousness, in which the campaign hides behind the United States Secret Service:

The Romney response was triggered by a letter (2nd document down in the pdf file document insert below)from North Canton head administrator Michael Grimes to the Romney campaign, said letter having been sent out by Grimes on October 31st which was five days after the Romney presidential political event of October 25th using North Canton City School athletic facilities, to wit:



On August 31, 2012, North Canton officials sent a similar demand as a consequence of additional expense that city taxpayers incurred when Romney vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan appeared at Walsh University on August 16th:



In the VP appearance (LINK to SCPR blog on event) the extra footing the bill by North Canton taxpayers came to $606.31.

In 2012, the Romney campaign spent $150MM for campaign ads. (Source for the $150MM LINK)

Now do think that the campaign could have cut just a few of the ads and set aside money to hold the taxpayers of North Canton harmless on bearing the cost of some $11,000 which in some way or fashion meant that some North Canton citizens had to go without some local government services/repairs/capital improvements?

Apparently, presidential campaign stop—at least of the vice president variety—do not have to be a burden on local taxpayers.

The Report is told that Vice President Biden's October 22, 2012 stop at the J. Babe Stern Southwest Community Center cost Canton's taxpayers very little if anything additional in terms of day-in, day-out police, fire and emergency services.

Mayor David Held feels as if North Canton citizens are behind his tough stand on not providing special police, fire and emergency services for political events.

He cites to the SCPR survey feedback in which his administration was commended for trying to get reimbursement for the 2012 Romney events.

The mayor is thrilled to have presidential campaigns come to North Canton but not at taxpayer expense.

With the upcoming Republican National Convention being in Cleveland in July (18th/21st), The Report has reason to believe that the United States Secret Service has reached out to the Canton Regional Special Weapons and Tactic Cooperative Team (SWAT) unit that services Stark County to be in state of readiness should the need arise.

An area media report (LINK) lists the following Stark County policing units (in addition to two Carroll County units) as being part of the SWAT:

• Canton,
• Canal Fulton,
• Jackson Township,
• Lawrence Township,
• Magnolia,
• Minerva,
• Perry Township, 
• Stark County sheriff's office

Standing ready undoubtedly means that the Canton Regional SWAT is not available to handle local area needs.

Consequently, provision will have to be made to staff a back up unit to serve Stark County needs during the Republican Convention.

And so, who is going foot the bill for that?

The Report has it on reliable sources that either the United States Secret Service or the Republican National Committee is going to have to pay and that unless an "paid up front" agreement is reached a la the David Held position, it is likely that the Canton Regional SWAT will not accede to the request.

The SCPR applauds local leaders for standing their ground with political parties raising hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions in not allowing these cash rich political juggernauts to use and abuse cash starved Stark County political subdivision communities.

VOLUME 5 - GETTING TO KNOW THE REPUBLICANS RUNING FOR STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER (THE BERNABEI VACATED SEAT)

VIDEO

THE ROLE OF PARTISAN POLTICS
IN 
COUNTY GOVERNANCE

CANDIDATES IN THEIR OWN WORDS

The most compelling of the two commissioner seats up for grabs in this election cycle is the one to fill the commissioner spot vacated by Tom Bernabei when he became mayor of Canton on January 1, 2016.

On Wednesday, February 17th,  The Stark County Political Report sat down with the two Republican candidates in the contest and peppered them with questions designed to assist Republican primary voters in deciding whom to vote for in the upcoming in less than 30 days primary election of March 15, 2016.

Early voting is already underway.

As a SCPR sidenote, The Report URGES readers to avail themselves of an opportunity to meet with candidates Mungo and Smith together with all other Stark County political subdivision candidates for office in the Republican and Democratic primary elections and, of course, in the November general election by attending a Canton area League of Women Voters candidates forum (LINK) to be held at Downtown Campus (formerly Timken Senior High School) of the newly restructured McKinley Senior High School on Thursday, March 10, 2016, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

In this particular series, The Report will be publishing in digestible bites the nearly one and one-half hour videotaped interview of February 17th of Republican commissioner candidates Mungo and Smith.

Today's blog focuses on the candidates' responses to the SCPR posed question:  What motivated you to run for Stark County commissioner?  And, whether or not the respective candidate plans on being a part-time or full-time commissioner.

Here are links to prior blogs in this series:

• Candidates' narrative on their backgrounds, Friday February 19th,  (LINK),
• Candidates on values/experience, Tuesday, February 23rd (LINK),
• Candidates on the role of private sector in county government (LINK),
• Candidates on their respective motivations in running for county commissioner (LINK),

CANDIDATE BACKGROUND

First, candidate Mungo's self-published background document:



Next up, candidate Smith's self-published background document:



LINKS TO CANDIDATES' SOCIAL MEDIA/WEBSITE

Candidate Dave Mungo

• Website LINK
• Facebook LINK

Candidate Bill Smith

• Facebook page LINK

VIDEO

VOLUME 5 - THE ROLE OF PARTISAN POLITICS IN COUNTY GOVERNANCE

PART 1: THE COST OF INEFFECTIVE "CANTON" LEADERSHIP OVER DECADES? $460,000 MM OR NEARLY 1/2 BILLION!

UPDATED:  WEDNESDAY AT 6:00 AM

VIDEOS

CANTON PLANNING COMMISSION

ROLL CALL

ON ADOPTING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

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

MEMBER DAVID KAMINSKI

MOTION TO ADOPT

 ==============================

CZB PRINCIPAL CHARLES BUKI
ON TIMELINE FROM
2012 RFQ TO 02292015 

============================== 

Yesterday late afternoon was the beginning of the end story for the proud city of Canton, Ohio.

The only question is:  What will the end story be?

Will Canton sink into oblivion and unrecoverable despair as seemingly Flint, Michigan has done.

Or will finally gets it act together and begin a long, tortuous road to recover at the cost of 460,000 millions of dollars?

Charles Buki of CZB Consulting was frank and direct in pointing his finger at former leadership of the City of Canton as being the reason that Canton has decayed since the 1950s

(SCPR Note:  Documents in this blog extracted from the February 20th published "Comprehensive Plan - City of Canton UNLESS otherwise noted)

The most telling document:

In this blog, The Stark County Political Report will take readers on a video trip (short, easily digestible video clips) through Buki's presentation so that all Cantonians can see for themselves the core history of why Canton is where it is in terms of being a depressed city and the harsh realities that present Cantonians and likely the city's future generations will have to face up to if the city is to recover her former greatness.

My goal with this blog is to make it a seminal document/video documentary on Canton's Comprehensive Plan  in terms of being a reference point as Canton's current generation of leaders move forward to implement the Comprehensive Plan as surely Canton City Council will ultimately adopt on the heels of the Canton Planning Commission having done yesterday.

Those present at yesterday's special Canton Planning Commission (CPC) meeting applauded (see video [1:18 in duration] of the vote and applause below) as the roll call by member David Kaminski (former Repository editor and now a Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce official) resulted in a unanimous approval of moving forward with the plan as a recommendation to Canton City Council (CCC).



And here is a video (7:07) of Kaminski's motion and the ensuing discussion:



Though I was born and raised in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, I do have a family connection to Canton, Ohio.

My maternal grandfather, Howard S. Weaver, worked for the-then Norfolk & Western Railroad (out of its Roanoke, Virginia base) during my mother's girlhood which ranged through the 1910 through 1925 era and I can remember of her child of her telling tales of Howard's travels as the employee of the N&W.

One of his very favorite cities in his travels was Canton, Ohio as he was impressed with the robust nature of life in Canton.

Consequently, I felt a special connection to Canton when I was employed as a lawyer for the Stark County Legal Aid Society in 1974.  I worked in Canton day-in, day-out for five years.  Moreover, even from the site of my private practice law office and home (Uniontown, Lake Township) I was a frequenter of Canton, Ohio for more than 40 years.  As a blogger since March, 2008, I have provided Cantonians with thorough and extensive coverage of Canton city government.

It was gratifying (from my days at Stark County Legal Aid, SCLAS) to see Canton assistant law director Thomas Burns at the table of the Canton Planning Commission as the commission's legal counsel.

Tom was one of a number of illustrious attorneys (including now deceased former Stark County prosecutor and Stark County Probate Court judge Robert Horowitz) with whom I served on the staff at the SCLAS.

Obviously therefore I have been a first hand witness to the decline of Canton over the 40 years.

And it is now gratifying through this blog to be in a position to prod current Canton/Stark County leadership to step-up-to-the-plate and begin the process of recovering from the 60, 70 years of decline.

It is likely that the process of recovery will take the better part of 50 years going forward.

And it will entail current proven effective leaders like Canton mayor Thomas M. Bernabei and Stark County auditor Alan Harold to take on a project of developing a higher quality of bank of leadership than currently exists in Canton/Stark County.

A STEP BACK FROM PASSAGE TO THE BUKI (CZB) PRESENTATION

BEFORE THE CANTON PLANNING COMMISSION

Buki's Background

In looking into the background of CZB principal Charles Buki, it did my heart good to see that he has a personal background in blogging.

I wonder how man planning commission members and Canton council members and staff of the mayor's administration (including Healy's and, of course, that of new the new mayor Thomas Bernabei) have done their homework to determine whether or not Buki and his CZB group has a viewpoint and track record of urban planning successes before making the decision to adopt the CZB generated comprehensive plan.

A good start is with the above-reference blog (LINK) that he last wrote on March 1, 2013; three years ago today which includes the following topics:

  
Other links:

• The CZB philosophy,
• Buki's professional history,

And, for sure, if they haven't already (which one would assume they have inasmuch as Canton has spent $350,000 of Canton taxpayer dollars with CZB) somebody on council and or in the administration ought to be calling present and past customers of CZB LLC before Canton council adopts the CZB generated plan.

Additionally, before Canton council adopts the Comprehensive Plan, it needs to as part of the adoption build into the adoption structures of plan implementation that it will be implement 100%; no matter how long it takes and no matter how many modifications of the plan are made.

As will seen in the video clips provided in this blog, Buki cites instance, after instance after instance in which cities have not "fully" implemented the plan.

Well!  How can city fairly evaluate the likes of CZB if council and the administration have not fully implemented the plan?

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS WITH SCPR COMMENTARY
ON
BUKI'S PRESENTATION TO THE CANTON PLANNING COMMISSION

TIMELINE VIDEO - BUKI (4:20)

In the following video, after being introduced by Mayor Bernabei and Deputy Mayor Fonda Williams, CZB principal Charles Buki details the timeline in summary fashion from the time that Canton City Council authorized the Healy administration to publish a RFQ (Request for Quote) in 2012 through yesterday (February 29, 2016).

The next noteworthy part of Buki's presentations as far as the SCPR is concerned was his general description of the parameters within which the plan was devised.

In the following video it is obvious that he is acutely aware of the severe financial limitations that Canton presently has in implementing the plan.  (Video length:  1:38)