Tomorrow evening the Stark County District Library presents—at its Lake (Township) Community Branch—a unique opportunity (free to the public) to see and hear one of America's most astute observers of Ohio and Stark County politics as it unfolds in presidential politics.
From the Virginia Center of Politics website: Kyle Kondik is managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the University of Virginia Center for Politics’ authoritative, nonpartisan newsletter on American campaigns and elections. Kyle’s analysis of presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial politics has been cited by the BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BuzzFeed, and numerous other publications, and he is a frequent contributor to Politico Magazine. He also serves as the Center’s communications director and is based in Washington, where he manages the Center’s DC office. Kyle has analyzed American politics on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, and he has given speeches to groups at the U.S. Department of State, National Governors Association, Congressional Summer Intern Lecture Series, Princeton University, University of Virginia, and many others. Before joining the Center for Politics in 2011, Kyle served as director of policy and research for former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and as a reporter, editorial page editor, and political columnist at newspapers in Northeast Ohio. He is a 2006 graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, where he also served as editor of the university’s student-run newspaper, The Post.
At the 3:58 mark of a Public Broadcasting Corporation (PBS) video (LINK), see an example of Kondik's political analysis of the Clinton/Trump campaign in Trumbull County (Warren), Ohio.
Kondik's appearance is a "must see" event Stark Countians who wish to take in a scholarly political analysis on how the presidential race will play out across Ohio right down to the county and city level.
Just a quick comment to disagree with your Monday blog. You criticized my husband, Chuck Osborne, for not taking advantage of the chance to thank North Canton Council for opening up the dialogue process between Council and citizens during Public Speaks.
The problem is he would have had to "thank them" for breaking their own rules; there is to be NO dialogue from the dais to the audience during Public Speaks.
If the Council truly wants to open the door to dialogue, it needs to CHANGE the rules so they apply to ALL CITIZENS. This was not a "new day dawning in North Canton." This was a selective breaking of the rules for any citizen except Chuck and some others in the "raucous citizen activist core."
His cynicism--that you criticize--is perhaps his showing his "'due diligent' citizen activism ...the key to making hopes and prayer into reality," no?
Thank you, Rita Palmer
ORIGINAL BLOG
It could be that relations between North Canton City Council and the citizen activist core (probably the most vibrant in all of Stark County) are improving.
No Stark County media has been as critical of North Canton government in terms of administration/council lack of receptiveness to citizen input as has been The Stark County Political Report.
Two of council's members (council president Daniel "Jeff" Peters and long time Councilwoman-at-Large Marcia Kiesling) have prominent places on the SCPR Worst Stark County Political Subdivision Elected Officials Top 10 List.
And the primary basis of the attribution of "worst" has been their "in your face" attitude towards any who critique the processes of North Canton government and sometimes even on the substance of North Canton policies.
But, perhaps, at least on Peters part, change may be in the wind. And being council president and how he handles himself is a tone setter for all of council.
Up until last Monday's meeting, Peters has been a "negative" tone setter example
At that meeting, the SCPR was astonished to witness the back and forth that occurred between council members and various administration officials and the "Public Speaks" participant North Canton citizens.
Had he wanted to, Peters could have put a stop to that with the rap of the president's gavel.
But he didn't and North Cantonians should be hopeful that "change is in the air."
But, apparently, there are those who are not hopeful.
Listen and watch citizen activist Chuck Osborne's consternation at the easy and free council/citizen dialogue that took place.
Osborne and the SCPR have a different take on the night's interaction.
To Osborne, the change from the "rules are the rules" in terms of previous enforced "n o dialogue allowed between a Public Speaks participant and North Canton officialdom" is mind boggling (not Osborne's words, but the SCPR's interpretation) and therefore, the SCPR infers, to be criticized.
The Report agrees with Osborne that the "apparent" turnabout is confusing.
But welcome.
Let as trust that it is for real.
Does Osborne not welcome such a change, if last Monday's meeting was an indication of such?
What a missed opportunity on his part, no?
How about a: "Thank you President Peters, Mayor Held and council for opening up the process."
Monday's—September, 12, 2016—was presided over in a much, much, much different manner by President Peters than previously for most in not all of his time of being president of council.
But again, an unwelcome change?
Not at all!
The SCPR has taken the media lead in criticizing North Canton council for stifling dialogue with the city's activist citizens in the Public Speaks forum.
These citizens have operated as "a check and balance" on council and in doing so have done a terrific service to North Cantonians to have their government be accountable.
The "apparent" shift in Peters' attitude might lead to a constructive exchange of points of view which bring productive results to government.
In the past, council under Peters' leadership has only given ground to and listened to the activists grudgingly.
An example of the "grudgingly" was council adopting Osborne's legislative initiative of November, 2012 (passed 72% to 28% by North Canton voters, but invalidated in a court challenge) denying health care premium subsidy to part-time council members who have no alternative for health care coverage.
In the mix of council adopting Osborne's initiative, North Canton government officials (elected and unelected) taunted the citizen-activists about having lost in court on that issue and other issues that have been litigated over recent years.
How immature, no?
Maybe, just maybe the likes of Peters, Kiesling, Warren and Law Director Tim Fox are starting to gain some political maturity?
Only time will tell, but all of us who want civil, open, respectful and "I am listening to you" communication between the governed and the governors in Stark County are hopeful that "a turning of the page" is occurring North Canton.
An indicator of whether or not "real" change is taking place might come in the context of the consideration of council of what to do about North Canton Community Reinvestment Areas (CRA) legislation.
An example of North Canton Council hearing its citizens and moving to correct "an error in judgment" in what many, including the mayor of North Canton (Held), believes to have occurred at
the hand of former economic development director/housing officer Eric Bowles.
Correcting the error may subject North Canton to a lawsuit, but The Report believes that failing negotiations between the beneficiary (North Ridge Place, LTD) and the city (note: North Canton schools stand to lose nearly $900,000 over the next 11 years on account of the Bowles' action).
Mayor Held tells the SCPR that he agrees with Citizen Glenn Saylor's overall assessment (i.e. that North Canton should not abide the North Ridge Place abatement) as presented at last Monday's meeting.
Watch and listen:
The Report thinks that council/citizen relationships pell-melled into a dramatic nosedive when council hired former councilman Tim Fox (Republican, Ward 3) as the city's law director back in September, 2012.
It is hard to know why North Canton council chose to become hostile to anyone who came to council to take exception to the actions of council.
Was it because Fox (a former chief master sergeant in the United States Air Force, [the "enlisted ranks" equivalent to the highest level commissioned officer ranks]) at his initiative was out to prove what a tough guy he is, having read the "tea leaves" on the temperament of a majority of council members?
Or was it because "being tough" on anyone who questioned North Canton Council was an unwritten understanding between council (if true, likely communicated by personnel committee chair at the time Daniel "Jeff" Peters) that council expected him to rein-in North Cantons raucous citizen activist core?
That was the approach that Fox took with the SCPR as The Report sought to interview him at the conclusion of his very first meeting after being appointed law director.
As everybody who reads the SCPR on a regular basis knows, this blog is by far the most reliable Stark County media that citizens can rely upon to get to "the truth of the matter" on governance and/or political issues.
Even before the Fox's "I'm a tough guy, Martin, Councilperson Marcia Kiesling (councilwoman-at-large) had served up a "I'm a tough gal, Martin" initiative.
A clear messaging of "I am a really insecure government official," no?
That's how the SCPR always takes that kind of stuff.
From finesse attempts to bullying maneuvers, the SCPR has been the object of many different endeavors on the part of quite a number of Stark County government officials and/or political figures to blunt the candor of this blog.
This manipulation/bullhying phenomenon runs the whole way up the political chain to the national level of politics as exemplified by:
the Trump campaign's refusing to credential critical media outlets (e.g. the Washington Post), and
the Clinton campaign going seemingly forever in having press conferences.
One of the primary reasons The Stark County Political Report came into existence going on 9 years ago was to create journalistic space for citizen activists and to herald productive efforts on their part to make Stark County political subdivision government (i.e. county, city, village, township and board of education) more accountable.
But that does not mean that citizen activists get a blank check from the SCPR.
From time-to-time, The Report will get into the excesses of these well-meaning but perhaps have become misdirected folks.
Why would anybody criticize—even impliedly—a refashioning of the way North Canton government interacts with its citizens?
Skepticism is understandable.
But Osborne's seeming cynicism is something else.
A model example of how a citizen ought to interact with government is exemplified by former council president now everyday citizen Daryl Revoldt, to wit:
North Canton's citizens activists provide an invaluable service to the North Canton public and would be well advised to adopt the Revoldt way of dealing with North Canton government.
These good folks have much more to do in keeping the pressure on for North Canton government to be "of the people, by the people and for the people" in both democratic-republican processes and in promoting the substantive general welfare of North Cantonians.
We should all hope and pray that a new day in dawning in North Canton and that going forward citizen participation in the peoples' government will be welcome with wide open arms.
But "due diligent" citizen activism is the key to making hopes and prayer into reality.
... Sep 13 at 6:07 PM To: tramols@att.net Hi Martin: A future topic for your radar... If it was not already. I'd love to read your independent thoughts on the 12:00am Thursday online release from the state of the school district report cards. You have a very unique perspective... And are, to your credit, always transparent with respect to your wife's board seat at the county. I understand some seven or eight superintendents, likely with some support at the ESC level, recently visited with the folks who run the Repository in an effort to: 1) Obtain less than critical review/coverage of the scores from the Repository, which said report card scores are measurably lower than school leaders would like (pay careful attention to Canton Local's scores compared to, say, the City of Canton scores) 2) Showcase for the Repository what area schools are doing to improve 3) Explain why the expectations and evolvement of testing has hampered educational efforts - allegedly not making excuses for missing the grades, but also explaining why the schools won't take full ownership of the scores earned Personally, I don't know what to make of the situation and do enjoy your perspective. I'm also somewhat bothered by the preemptive effort to speak with the Repository, but can understand the attempt from their seats. The pen is quite powerful, as they say. I've read where the Repository is making a concerted effort to provide more positive review and coverage of public education. Sometimes, perhaps they are getting too cozy. Thanks! ... (Note: the SCPR eliminated the writer's name and other identifying information [i.e. ...] so that the writer does not become the object harassment on the part of those who might take offense at comments made. The writer did NOT request anonymity. AND the views expressed is this blog are the views of Martin Olson and not the views of Martin's spouse)
In the extended Olson family, we have always highly prized the value of formal education.
four professional degrees (medical, legal),
three PHDs, and
two masters degrees
While there are certainly many outstanding examples of highly productive/intelligent individuals across America who do not have a lot of "formal" (meaning classroom) education; for most of part a huge advantage that the United States has had over the rest of the world going back quite a few decades is the nations' commitment to making a formal education (K-12) to each and everyone of us.
At the K-12, the quality of American education has empowered the nation to become an economic juggernaut.
Moveover, the K-12 base often has sufficed as a solid educational base for many of us to go on to achieve advanced higher education degrees and their attendant increase in intellectual power.
But those times appear to have come to an end (LINK) in Ohio and perhaps across America as a whole and maybe in greater western civilization.
According to Education Week's Research Center (LINK), Ohio ranks 25th among the 50 states in educational achievement K-12 in being assessed a C- grade.
Ohio is America's 7th most populated state which means the financial/economic clout to do much better than coming in 25th of the 405 U.S. states.
It appears that state of Ohio education officials are working hard to change that picture.
As state Superintendent Paolo DeMaria has emphasized over the past week, Ohio needs to sets its sights higher for students if it wants them to compete and succeed when they leave high school.
“After all, what we want is the best for our kids.”
But the effort is not going over well with local school districts across Ohio including, of course, Stark County education leadership officials because the results are not flattering of the quality of that leadership.
The Report eagerly awaited The Repository publication (which occurred today) as confirmation of the e-mail writer's point that Stark's school leadership is now full bore into damage control (a public relations based mechanism, paid for in this instance by local school district tax dollars) apparently has persuaded the bigs at The Rep to be the vehicle of their excuse making.
In earlier blogs done by the SCPR, only four of Stark County educational leaders have spoken with or offered to talk with the SCPR about 2014-2015 school year ODE rankings.
Anybody who knows anything about The Stark County Political Report is that this blog has no sweetheart relationships with any subject/entity/institution who/which The Report scrutinizes.
Consequently, a number of Stark County political/government leaders refuse to engage a Q&A with The Report.
So be it.
The SCPR is undeterred and continues to provide Stark Countians a look at Stark County government and politics unaffected by the desire on part of some in Stark County government and political leadership to manage how they are presented in the media.
Apparently, the "powers that be" at The Rep have no qualms about being a medium in which subjects of newsworthy events can massage news articles and reports to lessen the public outrage at the obvious deficiencies in leadership that has been going on for some time now.
Here in highly vivid format is a jarring picture of how Stark County's 17 school districts fared in the latest ratings.
The SCPR picked three measures to get a picture of the "deplorable" state of affairs with Stark County educational infrastructure: (Here is a LINK to the ODE for readers who want to see the entire report)
(NOTE CELL COLORS ADDED)
And here a chart for the 2014-2015 school year: (performance index criterion only)
On "performance index," only Canton Local (Canton South) improved.
The SCPR applauds the effort of ODE officials to put the spotlight on the unacceptable level of educational accomplishment across Ohio.
Stark County taxpaying school district citizens should be very unhappy indeed that most of the county's 17 districts are "underperforming" the expectations of those of us footing the bills for the millions of taxpayer dollars that teachers and administrators walk away not to mention the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars that have gone into providing "state of the art" facilities.
(COLLAGE EXTRACT FROM HEAVY.COM VIDEO OF EVEN: LINK)
UPDATED AT: 10:12 AM
Janet Creighton ... Today at 9:57 AM
To: Martin Olson
Martin:
I want to set the record straight since you like to speculate about my support of Donald Trump.
I could not attend the event at the Civic Center. I put a personal and long time friendship above politics. My friend, Chip Conde, was honored for his leadership in the Hall of Fame Festival and it is tradition that he be awarded his green jacket. As a member of that same "fraternity" I chose to attend and had made my commitment 2 months ago. It was an easy decision given my 50 year friendship with him and his wife.
I am in full support of Donald Trump and my relationship with the Governor remains strong.
As the Women for Trump chair in Stark County, I will work to elect him as our next President.
I know you like the facts.
Thanks,
Janet Creighton
ORIGINAL BLOG A Stark County Political Report focus on the Donald J. Trump presidential campaign is how the campaign in playing in Stark County among office seeking/holding local Republicans.
It appears from taking in the video from last night's event that despite Trump having the best of times in Ohio (up by five points over Clinton in yesterday's Bloomberg poll) is not fully embraced by Stark County Republicans.
Especially among those (e.g. Janet Creighton, Kirk Schuring, Scott Oelslager) tied to Republican governor John Kasich who ran against Trump in the Republican primary.
From the national perspective, Stark County connected congressmen Renacci (the 16th) and Gibbs (the 7th) were missing. However, is told that both Renacci and Gibbs had representatives present. A source give as a reason given for their absence that Congress in now in session.
The most supportive of Trump of the above-exampled group has been Republican Stark County commissioner Janet Creighton.
On Tuesday, Creighton told The Report that she had a prior scheduled commitment an likely would not be able to make to the Canton Memorial Civic Center for last night's event.
Notwithstanding that Creighton is a loyal Kasich (who continues to refuse to endorse Trump) supporter, she has done a number of things for the maverick (in the sense of traditional conservative Republicanism) Trump.
She chairs Trump for Women and recently was out to the NRA-Canton "open-house" event in which the NRA placed a field office in Canton to support Trump and other NRA friendly candidates in the upcoming election.
Also missing was Stark County auditor Alan Harold. It could be that he was at the same event that kept Creighton from attending.
Republican Stark County commissioner Richard Regula was highly pleased for Trump's spending a significant amount of time talking about defining his America First theme in terms of the critical need to rebuild America's infrastructure.
Regula told The Report that before last night he was having a hard time warming up to Trump.
And, he said, he thinks Trump's night in Canton will go a long way in getting local Republicans "off their duffs" (the SCPR's characterization; not Regula's) and out on the campaign hustings for Trump.
As far as the SCPR is concerned, the move to include infrastructure in defining his America First campaign theme is a welcome expansion as to what the phrase means in terms of specifics.
Trump had been in Flint, Michigan earlier in the day yesterday and was treated with coldness and in fact chastised when he ventured into a political attack on Hillary Clinton.
The event was billed as information gathering and not a political pow-wow.
In Canton, he commiserated with the misfortunes of folks living in Flint.
The passage of campaign time could show that the Flint thing was a political-photo op and nothing more.
If so, he will have heightened the growing cynicism that many of us have on the sincerity of politicians national, state and local.
All-in-all it appears that Donald J. Trump helped himself in his Canton gig and, perhaps, breathed life into what before Wednesday appeared to be pretty much lifeless effort by the Stark GOP on behalf of Donald J. Trump.
IN EXPENSE OF PUTTING ON EVENT IN INSISTING ON AN "UP FRONT" PAYMENT FROM TRUMP CAMPAIGN
(BASE PHOTO PROVIDED BY TRUMP VICTORY CENTER [SMITH & JAKMIDES PHOTOS ADDED]) VIDEO RALPH CASE "EARLY ADOPTER" TRUMP SUPPORT ADDED COPY OF CONTRACT AGREED TO BY TRUMP
UPDATE 10:30 AM
Republican Stark County prosecutor candidate Jeff Jakmides has confirmed with the SCPR that he will be attending tonight's Trump campaign event.
It still not definite that local Republican candidates will get a introduction to the 4,500 or so expected to attend the event.
Stark's local Republican leadership is saying that they have been lead to believe that they will be permitted to recognize local candidates.
ORIGINAL BLOG
Republican Stark County commissioner Janet Creighton says that she has been attending Republican presidential campaign appearances since the candidacy of George Herbert Walker Bush (Bush '41) which, of course, takes us back to the 1988 election in which was victorious for Bush.
Creighton also says that one does not know what to expect on how the appearance unfolds. Each and every presidential candidate in her experience going back to Bush has had a different way of presenting their campaign appearances.
She is getting calls from Stark County 2016 candidates wanting to know whether or not they will be introduced at tonight's appearance by Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump's campaign.
Creighton simply does not know the answer to that question and The Report infers from the generalized discussion with her that local party officials have very little to say about how Trump's appearance will be choreographed.
For herself, Creighton is unsure whether or not she will be able be to attend as she had scheduled another commitment for the same time slot that Trump is scheduled to speak (7:00 p.m.). She does say that she is trying to rearrange things so that she can make a showing at tonight's once-every-four-years (at best) historical moment.
Republican commissioner candidate (for the seat vacated by Democrat turned political independent Thomas M. Bernabei when he became mayor of Canton on January 1, 2016) Bill Smith (now a Canton Township trustee) is going to be attending the event for sure and he plans on making the most of it in taking grandchildren with him.
He sees Trump's Canton/Stark County appearance as being something awe inspiring not only to himself but also for his extended family.
Smith thinks that an introduction as a candidate for county commissioner enhances his chances of being victorious over Democratic opponent Stephen Slesnick. Quite a number of Trump supporters are new participants in this election and so they are not likely to be all that familiar with down-ticket Republicans such as Smith.
Once such new participant is Plain Township resident Ralph Case. In March (see this LINK) Case on his own at his own expense opened a Trump for President storefront in Canton.
But he repeatedly prefaces any remarks on the Trump candidacy with "I am speaking for myself and NOT for the Trump organization."
He, as an individual doing his own thing, recently met with Creighton in her role as chairperson for Women for Trump in a endeavor to link up his effort with hers, the Stark County GOP, the NRA (Canton office on Whipple) and the Trump Victory Center to make Trump a Stark County winner in less than 60 days.
Creighton and Case are duly impressed with the turnout at an "open house" held at the newly opened NRA-Canton storefront. Creighton told the SCPR that she and her husband are long time NRA members.
Case is also a big time supporter of Republican prosecutor candidate Jeff Jakmides. While he knows, likes and is ardently supporting Jakmides, the SCPR doubts he is very familiar if at all with other Republican candidates which sprinkle the Stark County political skyline in the November 8th election. For those attending tonight's event, it would be a plus for those new participants like Case to able to identify them.
Last week the SCPR interviewed Case.
As reported in multiple northeast Ohio media outlets, Canton mayor Thomas M. Bernabei has held Canton taxpayers harmless on subsidizing the Trump campaign by absorbing added security costs of Trump being in Canton and in not providing a "free of rent" public facility (Canton Civic Center) for the event.
Back in March, 2016 North Canton mayor David Held made a splash in revealing that North Canton had sent a bill to the Romney/Ryan campaign for added costs to North Canton on account of a Ryan appearance at Walsh University during the 2012 presidential campaign.
Romney/Ryan blew off North Canton in 2012.
The point of Held's "early-in-the-presidential-politics-2016" play in the media (SCPR blog LINK) was to put all the candidates on notice that North Canton was not going to allow a repeat in the 2016 presidential campaign sweepstakes.
So far, Held has not been put to the test. But the SCPR has no doubt that he will stand his ground a insist on an "up front" payment for estimated increased expenses should either the Trump campaign or Clinton campaign wish to bring their respective campaigns to North Canton.
Canton mayor Thomas Bernabei has been put to the test and has come through with flying colors.
And that he defend the interest of Canton's taxpayers is critical in that for 2016 Canton had about a $5.1 million deficit and may be facing an additional deficit in 2017.
Bernabei tells the SCPR that getting the up front $20,000 payment from the Trump campaign for tonight's appearance was not all that difficult.
He credits the ease of getting the Trump campaign to pay upfront to SMG (LINK), a facilities management company which Canton contracts with to operate the Canton Memorial Civic Center headed up in Canton by Blake Schilling.
Bernabei tells the SCPR that extra costs (including the charges for the rental of the center itself) may make the final billing more than $20,000 as provided for in the contract language:
The mayor is confident that should extra expenses be generated that the Trump campaign will pay up.
He bases that expectation on prior experiences that SMG has had with the Trump campaign.
On a regular basis The Stark County Political Report checks public records in order to see whom is politically connected to whom in Stark County government and politics.
On Friday, The Report made a request of the Stark County auditor's office for a list of county employment records as of that date.
On opening the file, here is what jumped out! On August 29, 2016:
Margaret Elum, wife of Massillon Municipal Court judge Edward J. Elum is not a newcomer to Stark County political subdivision government.
As the "adjusted" government service column in the above graphic indicates, her first hire was on May 4, 2012.
The job?
As an administrative assistant to then-newly elected mayor of Massillon Kathy Catazaro-Perry (KCP).
Already a part of the KCP administration then was George T. Maier as her first safety director.
Maier who maneuvered his way up through Stark County political subdivision and state of Ohio policing ranks to become as a political appointee the #2 rank in the Ohio Department of Highway Safety at the hand of then Democratic governor Ted Strickland who, in this election cycle, is trailing badly in his quest to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman.
George's brother Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. has to be grieving mightily these days at the prospect of a likely Strickland defeat on November 8th notwithstanding the Republican ticket being headed by the controversial Donald J. Trump.
What a plum that would be for Maier, Jr, no? National appointments in the offing? Maybe Maier, Jr. loyalist Kathy Catazaro-Perry is getting restless being the "mere" mayor of Massillon and has higher aspirations?
For back in 2006 when Strickland ran for governor, Maier, Jr.—then the Stark Dems' chairman—prevailed on the local Democrats to endorse Strickland in a contested Democratic primary.
Normally, local parties do not endorse in such races.
But Johnnie saw a political opportunity in the offing and it appears he made the most of some of his collection of political devotees that dot (past/present, some elected, some not) the payrolls a various Stark County political subdivisions.
Who knows how many political bouquets Strickland threw Johnnie's way owing to the Stark Dems' "first in Ohio" endorsement, but all but the completely politically naive have to think that getting brother George appointed #2 in the Ohio Department of Highway Safety (ODHS) was one of them.
Another, likely, was Maier political mentor and supporter Gayle Jackson (a former Perry Township trustee and Stark County commissioner at the time of her appointment to the local office of the Ohio Lottery Commission.
It seems as if Sheriff George has learned his political lessons well (for the most part, but see this LINK for an exception) from older brother Johnnie. So at the the ODHS he didn't do so well. Nobody is perfect, right?
As the SCPR sees the Maier brothers and their political consort R. Shane Jackson (Stark Dems' political director and chief deputy clerk of courts in Massillon in the office of elected clerk Johnnie who serves the judges of Massillon Muny one of whom is Margaret Elum's husband Eddie), they have done quite well at politicizing employment in Stark County government all on the dime of Stark County taxpayers.
There have been some tough times along the way on the pathway of making George Stark County sheriff.
As The Report sees, the Maier brothers plus R. Shane Jackson and a number of their allies (e.g. Jackson fiscal officer, former Stark County Dems' chairman and chief deputy of the Canton Muny Court Randy Gonzalez) bullied George through Stark County political mayhem into becoming Stark County sheriff.
Now Stark Countians appear to be witnessing the complete politicization who who gets a non-union-contract job with the Stark County sheriff's office.
A part of the graphic that leads this blog, shows political contributions by George and Phillip Elum to the George T. Maier campaign for sheriff.
As of February 19, 2015 Amster-Kirtz was no long the commissary supplier at the Stark County jail.
Interesting, no?
Especially in light of the "on the surface, as-a-matter-of-public-record" political connection between George, Phillip and George T.
Of course, it could be that the political relationship had nothing to do with the switch over from Amster-Kirtz to Elum Music Company.
But, even if so, who is going to believe it?
The close personal/political relationship between the Elums and Maiers goes way back beyond the contemporary political environment.
Non-Maier-politically-connected but taxpaying Stark County citizens need not apply? Is that the state of things that the George and Johnnie has brought to Stark County political subdivision government.
To boot, it appears that the Stark County sheriff's office (and in the case of Joel Smith) and Massillon is becoming a "retire from my career job at the State Highway Patrol" and get rehired in Stark County political division government haven courtesy of the Massillon Maier Brothers Political Machine.
All at Stark County political subdivision taxpayers and it seems that it would be fruitless for an non-Maier-politically-connected citizen to apply.
Highly respected North Canton civic activist Miriam Baughman respectfully declined an invitation issued via text message to her by city council president Daniel "Jeff" Peters for her and fellow activist Melanie Roll, also well regarded in the larger North Canton community, to meet with him and Law Director Tim Fox so they could disabuse them of their being misinformed about council's activity on existing Community Reinvestment Areas (CRA) legislation in terms of reworking the CRA.
Baughman said she and Roll appreciated the overture but wanted to pursue an independent (the SCPR's characterization) investigation which The Report takes by implication to include resources other than Peters and Fox.
Here is the exact language of Peters' response:
I am very disappointed to hear this. What would you have me conclude from this response? Dou feel that the adversarial environment is a benefit to our community? I am stunned, but will honor your position, however misguided it is. Take care. Jeff
SCPR ANALYSIS:
There was nothing adversarial about the Baughman/Roll response.
It appears that when a citizen does not respond in the manner in which Peters thinks they ought to, he takes it as a personal affront and takes up negative language like:
"adversarial,"
the implied "not beneficial to our community," and
"misguided,
All of which offers additional evidence that Peters does not have the political maturity and temperament to handle even benign exchanges with North Canton activist citizens.
Chuck Osborne does get disrespectful of North Canton officials.
But Baughman and Roll do not.
Notwithstanding that Osborne in the opinion of the SCPR gets out-of-line on occasion, such is part of the territory for a government official and mature/skilled leaders develop effective ways to deal with such and certainly do not go on personal vendetta campaign against a citizen like The Report thinks Peters has and continues to do with Osborne.
The Report is not optimistic that council will censure Peters like it ought to on the Osborne thing alone.
Moreover, even with the likes of Baughman and Roll who are not in the slightest belligerent with North Canton officials including Peters, council seems to have a besieged mentality and, if anything, are likely to endorse Peters' over-the-top relationship with any North Canton citizen who dares question the actions of council.
The Report thinks that Peters' and at least Councilpersons Stephanie Werren and Marcia Kiesling view analytical/critical public interaction with council with hostility.
ORIGINAL BLOG
At least when former Alliance City Council president got censured by council on June 25, 2015, it was not for getting ugly with an Alliance citizen.
He had a disagreement with council on whether or not he could in good conscience sign off as council president on a piece of legislation passed by council.
And that was not the only censure of Okey by the Alliance City Council.
As the writer of the above-linked Alliance Review article Stephanie Ujhelyi penned:
"Through America's 200-plus-year history, censure can occur in politics when a body really wants to show extreme disapproval of a colleague."
That what the SCPR thinks is in order for North Canton council president Daniel "Jeff" Peters.
Peters seems to have been on North Canton civic activist Chuck Osborne's case for at as long as he has been North Canton City Council president, if not before.
Some might want to excuse Peters' conduct because Osborne is an intense civic activist who bores in on North Canton governance issues that he takes on and in the course of doing so tests the temperament of those council persons with whom he clashes.
Osborne has had repeated run-ins with North Canton City Council presidents including Peters' predecessor Jon Snyder and Snyder predecessor Daryl Revoldt.
In the course of expressing his intensity, he has been expelled from a number of meetings by a number of council presidents.
To the SCPR, Peters' focus on Osborne is different than other North Canton council presidents.
With Snyder and Revoldt, their action vis-a-vis Osborne was marked with a need to keep order at council meetings. Never did the SCPR think there was anything personal in their respective discharge of presidential duties.
In fact, Osborne is working closely with former president Revoldt on North Canton's—thought by some to be illegal— implementation of it Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) ordinances.
It appears to The Report that Peters—in his role as council president—for some time now has been hellbent on dogging Osborne, taunting him, humiliating him, disparaging him, smearing him in an endeavor that surely seems as if he is out to destroy Osborne's effectiveness as a civic activist.
And effective, Osborne has been. Make no mistake about it!
Returning to the CRA.
Just a few days ago, Mayor David Held told the SCPR that North Canton is in discussion with William Lemmon about mitigating what could turn out to be an upwards of $1 million tax abatement granted Lemmon's company by recently retired economic development director/housing director Eric Bowles, according to an adamant Held "on Bowles own initiative" without the counsel and advice of anybody in North Canton government.
Held says that, without a doubt, Chuck Osborne and other North Canton civic activists have prompted those discussions that may end up saving North Canton City Schools hundreds of thousands of dollars.
And who can forget Osborne's successful effort on his health care initiative whereby the voters of North Canton overwhelmingly voted to deny city council members with alternative ways of obtaining coverage the right to have North Canton pay health care premiums.
Oh yes, North Canton won in the courts in overturning the vote of 72% of North Cantonians voting in the 2012 election.
But part of the reason that council itself adopted the core of Osborne's legislative initiative, was that the political pressure on council members who received health care premium subsidy (which included Peters) to so was irresistible.
All the councilpersons (four of them) who received the subsidy repaid the North Canton treasury.
Osborne has been the impetus of considerable litigation against North Canton government at great expense to him. He has been unsuccessful in most of it. And he likely is going to file suit once again over the North Ridge Place LTD (Lemmon's company).
Such is his right as an American and a citizen of North Canton.
In the United States of America "check and balance" is a key feature of our system of government.
And "check and balance" includes citizens keeping our governors on "the straight and narrow."
Beyond exercising his constitutional and legal right and functioning as duty-bound citizen, Osborne has greatly aided North Cantonians in having an "accountable" local government.
To the SCPR, it is shameful for Peters to appear to be targeting Osborne.
Accordingly, someone among members Fonte, Warren, Kiesling, Griffith, Cerreta and Foltz should offer a resolution of censure condemning Peters'.
The Report is prompted to call for a Peters' censure as sort of it being "the straw that broke the camel's back" as a consequence of an text message sent to Osborne on last Friday when it became known that Osborne had lost a case before Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge John Haas on manner in which North Canton handled a parking lot construction issue adjacent to the former Hoover industrial complex which complex is being reworked to house companies to over time replace the jobs lost when Hoover was bought out and eventually moved out of North Canton.
Here is the message:
Chuck, just saw your email to Olsen [sic, Olson is the correct spelling] re; video streaming of council mtgs. Are you just trying to create issues out of thin air now? The quote was reasonable and kinks will be worked out. Now, we can have UNEDITED video of mtgs and not what you cherry pick from your recordings! As a side note, do you want me to forward the courts decision re; Hoover district parking lot? It is an interesting read. I can only wish to have as much money as you have to waste on losing court battles. Let me know. Have a great holiday wknd. Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone."
Moments after receiving the text above, Mr. Peters sends me an email with the ruling from Judge Haas attached along with a snide remark. (Osborne interjection)
-----Original Message----- From: Daniel J Peters [mailto:dpeters46@neo.rr.com] Sent: Saturday, September 03, 2016 2:32 PM To: C Osborne Subject: Osborne v North Canton, 2015CV02535, Stark Cty Common Pleas, Jmt Entry.pdf Here it is! Can you please forward the invoices for the legal fees?
What a smart aleck, no?
Conduct clearly unbecoming of a city council president.
Steven Okey kept his fight within the confines of Alliance City Council and his tiffs with various political opponents on council.
Never did he go after an Alliance citizen.
The Stark County Political Report in the nearly nine years of covering the city councils of Alliance, Canton, Massillon and North Canton ever seen the likes of Peters' who in a government capacity appear to abuse everyday citizens.
And The Report could go back through the many blogs written about Peters' conduct in relation to Osborne as abundant evidence of Peters' untoward conduct directed at him.
Undoubtedly, council members are well aware of Peters' conduct not only with Osborne but also with other members of North Canton's citizen activists.
As the SCPR sees Peters, anybody who takes exception to him in his capacity as a North Canton city official is likely to come under personal attack.
If North Canton council respects its citizenry, it will censure its president Daniel "Jeff" Peters.
Now is the time for council to demonstrate "extreme disapproval" of his conduct!
Does council have the ability to stand off from colleague Peters' conduct and chastise him for same?
B.A. - Political Science
J.D.
AN INDEPENDENT MINDED POLITICAL COMMENTATOR
Until 1976 I was a Republican. Since then I have considered myself a Democrat. So after long term stints of being a Republican, then a Democrat, I have come to the political position I feel most comfortable with - being an INDEPENDENT MINDED ANALYST who demands effectiveness of our politicians - Republican, Democrat or whatever.
I have changed my political affiliation to "non-partisan" by not voting in either political party primary election.
