STARK COUNTIANS TO BE SAFER AFTER JANUARY 1, 2019? NEW P-25 SAFETY FORCES INTEROPERABLE RADIO SYSTEM
Pictured above is an ebullient (arms raised in celebration) Commissioner Janet Creighton as discussion was wrapping up on the imminent Stark County commissioners' approval of what is named an "Exchange Agreement" (see full copy in the body of this blog) between The Board of County Commissioners of Stark County, Ohio and The State of Ohio Department of Administrative Services which agreement upgrades to "state-of-the-art" communications among Stark County-based public run emergency services, fire departments and police services under Ohio government's Multi-Agency Radio Communications System (MARCS).
In and of itself, the MARCS upgrade providing for:
was a exceedingly an "good for Stark County residents" occurrence which should make us all feel much safer in terms of our emergency needs witness this resolution passed unanimously by the commissioners yesterday:
A Resolution approving an Exchange Agreement between the State of Ohio, Department of Administrative Services and the Board of County Commissioners of Stark County, Ohio for participation in the Multi-Agency Radio Communications System (MARCS). It is the County’s intent to participate with the State of Ohio in thedevelopment of a P-25 compliant, 700/800 MHz, IP-based System benefitting
end users,
creating economies of scale,
reducing costs, and
eliminating duplication of effort
The joint development of the MARCS System will provide the County, and all participating jurisdictions within the County, including all existing MARCS subscribers statewide as they work or roam into the County, with more
complete, dense, and reliable portable radio coverage,
providing more
channel capacity in support of additional talk paths, and
facilitating direct communications between jurisdictions and differing safety services. The term of the agreement shall be effective as of the date of the last signature and expire on June 30, 2019. Thereafter, the agreement shall automatically renew at the beginning of each State biennium.
But there was more at yesterday's meeting.
Jackson Township officials (Fiscal Officer Randy Gonzalez, township legal counsel Mike Vacaro and legal counsel Randy Hunt (Krugliak, Wilkins) for ComDoc were at the meeting asking the commissioners to approve the following resolution:
In a subsequent blog within the next few days, The Stark County Political Report will deal with the Jackson/ComDoc agreement in detail and also present the SCPR video of the exchange between Hunt and Gonzalez and the commissioners.
For today the focus is on the Stark County Commissioners/OHIO DAS/MARCS "Exchange Agreement."
First, it is a relatively short (14 pages, including exhibits) agreement which "informed" Stark County residents ought to want to read.
(Photo as part of commissioners' signing MARCS Exchange Agreement)
Here is a SCPR videotaped interview published on December 1, 2014 with former Stark County commissioner Thomas Bernabei (now mayor of Canton since January 1, 2016) which digs deep on the time period going back that Stark officials knew that its "antiquated" safety forces radio system (a patchwork of countywide inadequate interoperability) would have to be replaced by the end of 2018 because the vendor for the old analog radios would no longer be servicing them (5 min, 32 sec).
The new Stark County/MARCS based system is scheduled to become operational January 1, 2019. As early as July 23rd, Stark Countians will be seeing Motorola technicians work on the the AEP tower located in downtown Canton.
Canton's "Cromer" site is already completed.
Next, the SCPR produced video of interactions of various Stark County/Ohio officials (11 min, 32 sec).
In a follow up blog within a few days, The Report will be sharing with readers this blogger's analysis of the positives and possible pitfalls implementation of the agreement is likely to bring.
UPDATE: 2:16 (7/12/2018) COA DENIAL OF MASSILLON MOTION TO INTERVENE
The SCPR has learned that legal counsel for Affinity did not make an appearance at the May 31, 2018 oral arguments session before the 5th Appellate District of Ohio. However, Andrea Scassa, law director for the city of Massillon, did pursuant to a Motion to Intervene. The COA on July 10th (not posted on CJIS) yet did file an entry denying Massillon intervention. Here is a copy of the COA order denying Massillon entry into the case on its Motion to Intevene:
That there is no mention of Massillon government in the court opinion issued on July 9th indicates to the SCPR that while the court panel made up of Judges John Wise (presiding judge), W. Scott Gwin and Craig Baldwin reportedly allowed Scassa to present on the 31st; the court, apparently, did not entertain Massillon's motion. The SCPR has publish a pdf copy of:
Massillon's motion to intervene,
a brief by Massillon Rotary Foundation Trust "in opposition" to Massillon's motion,
AMC's legal counsel waiver of oral argument, and
the COA denial of Massillons motion (in process of obtaining)
MASSILLON TO NAB RIGHTS TO $800,000 TRUST IF AFFINITY DEAL OK'D.
After reading the article interprets the confusing a perhaps contradictory text to the above-cited headline, it appears to the SCPR that Massillon's legal counsel David Dingwell "implied" that if council approves the settlement he will be filing pleadings with the 5th District Court of Appeals (COA) to supplant AMC as appellant in an attempt to get the COA to overturn Stark County Court of Common Pleas Court judge Dixie Park's June 20, 2017 ruling that AMC would not be entitled to the $800,000 from the trust, to wit:
Well, in the case of a la "the best laid plans of mice and men" going awry, here is the full decision of the 5th District Court of Appeals (headquartered in Canton) upholding Judge Park (Congratulations! Judge Park, for getting this one right) denying Affinity Medical Center (Massillon government now standing in the shoes of Affinity) participation in distributions from the Seymour trust.
JULY 9, 2018 RECORDED VIDEOS OF NORTH CANTON MAYOR DAVID HELD ON THE HOOVER PROJECT
It appears to The Stark County Political Report that North Cantons Hoover Rehab Project (Hoover) and the Professional Football Hall of Fame Village Expansion Project (HOF, HOF-VP) are going nowhere these days.
What is the common factor with both?
Master Developer (in the case of the HOF-VP) and "just plain-ol'" and if you believe some local media portrayals of being "folksy" (also, drives a 10 year old car and could care less about money) Stuart Lichter (developer, [never described as "master" re: Hoover project]) in the case of Hoover.
Laughable, no?
It appears to the SCPR that Lichter has outsmarted/out maneuvered many of, but not all of "the best and brightest" of Stark County political subdivision leadership.
The focus of this blog is on the Hoover project, however, one cannot from a Stark County wide impact not talk about Hoover without also noting the development stagnation afflicting the HOF-VP.
As this blog is written, both projects are pretty much at a "standstill:"
as desperately needed additional long term "private" financing is being sought for the reported $1 billion plus HOF-VP and,
in the case of the Hoover complex project, Lichter's company Maple Street Commerce, LLC (MSC) deals with bringing the complex up to standard on North Canton's building and fire codes and, of course, as graphically indicated in the lead of this blog curing deficiencies in a U.S. Environmental Agency mandated Facility Investigation Work Plan which is a prelude to MSC as a "potentially responsible party" (PRP) getting on with the work of remediating/removing documented hazardous materials that testing reveals to be on site at Hoover in unacceptable levels, and to monitor levels that are being dealt with measures other than in outright removal. (Note: MSC includes partner Chris Semarjian and 10% interest holder and North Canton developer Robert DeHoff)
By 2013 with jump-start "Kick Off" $5 million state of Ohio Jobs Ready grant in hand at the outset, there were to be a variety of office, retail, restaurant and residential housing factors in place in the 400,000 square feet that formerly housed vacuum cleaner industrial giant The Hoover Company (closed earlier in 2007) as a locally owned (1908 - 1986) enterprise that at one point provided about 40%, if not more, of the income for North Canton government.
At the time, it made sense for North Canton to bring Lichter in.
Though North Canton mayor David Held denies what once made sense has turned out to be a mistake, the SCPR believes that in his "heart of hearts" thinks it has turned out to be a nightmare.
In the course of reading this blog, readers are presented in segments (the full video will be published in the Annex section of this blog so that readers can determine for themselves if the segments are fairly contexted) as this blog moves along.
But first readers should read the entire EPA letter which is reproduced below:
NOTE: THE EPA HAS EXTENDED PLAN COMPLIANCE TO JULY 31, 2018
The most worrisome part of the findings at paragraph 8 of the EPA letter is the description of the environmental concerns regarding former Hoover Company owned ballfields transferred to the North Canton City Schools in March, 2018.
The SCPR is told by a person in a position to know that area youth do play on those fields except for a small part of the area. Beyond health concerns going forward should contamination be found, there has to be the incurring of expense that a "no room for 'financial' setbacks" North Canton City School system school system might have to spend to meet the EPA requirements should unacceptable levels of contaminants be found. That the US EPA has not banned the use of the fields pending testing for possible existing contaminants seems to indicate that the EPA does not think there are immediate health concerns. But what if the EPA is wrong? As soon as the SCPR got a copy of the June 13th letter, reading it raised concerns about the viability of the part of the Hoover complex covered by the missive. Mayor David Held brought the letter up during the public official comments section of last night's council meeting. Of course, the SCPR was going to follow up.
Here is the beginning of the Held interviews of July 9, 2018 interviews in which he begins to outline the environment outline (4 min,06 sec):
Held in the following video says that the 130 planned apartment units for the complex are still doable from an environmental standpoint notwithstanding the June 13 EPA to Maple Street Commerce officials. (1 min, 56 sec)
However he does enumerate two overall factors that outsiders (to MSC by virtue being outsiders) cannot gauge, which is to say:
Can MSC generate (through additional public sources the monies needed to finance completion of the project?
Does MSC in light of the complexities/complications of the project have the willingness to persist through the complexities/complications
Held thinks that Lichter's Maple Street Commerce does have the "willingness" given the Held's believe that MSC has $12 million of its (perhaps in combo with partners) money invested in the Hoover project IF (the SCPR's interpretation) there is more public money out there including a revival of a North Canton Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) property tax credit that covers the Hoover project.
Here is Held on those matters:
And even more in the context of laborious economic development can be and troubled when it comes to implementing CRAs and other tax relief
Moreover, he says there are three non-negotiable conditions (the latter two of which set forth in the bullet points below come in later video segments) being satisfied by MSC for the realization of the residential phase of the project and indeed for the completion of the estimated at the beginning to be a $50 million project, to wit:
Environmental problems,
Not being in compliance with North Canton's building code, and
Not being in compliance with North Canton's fire code
In this video, Mayor Held adamantly maintains:
that North Canton government will see to it that MSC comes up to standard on the city's building and fire codes whether or not the project is finally completed, and, of course
that the EPA will see to it that environmental standards are met (Held says perhaps at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars if not into the hundreds of thousandS but certainly not in the millions)
Additionally, he says that he is confident that the Hoover complex will not end up being put to the wreckers ball in the event MSC walks away from the project.
Here is the video (5 min, 40 sec)
The SCPR does not share Held's optimism on MSC completing the Hoover project.
As this blogger said to Held in the above-video, to Maple Street Commerce/IRG $12 million to $20 million is peanuts compared to the HOF-VP and the many other much larger projects Lichter is involved with across America.
Here is Held in a less optimistic mode at a Strengthening Stark meeting in January, 2018 which ironically was held at the Professional Hall Fame complex (which the SCPR thinks Lichter is paying attention to at the expense of the Hoover rehab) at 2121 George Halas Drive.
There has also been the need for MSC (a beneficiary of federal Historical Preservation tax credits [HPTC] used by MSC for restoring the Hoover smokestack to comply in its construction activities the standards of HPTCs.
As the SCPR sees it, North Canton over the longer term could be facing a "tear-down" and capping of the of the part of the Hoover complex (i.e. the section facing Main Street directly across from North Canton City Hall) should the lingering presence of hazardous materials prove to be financially strapping on MSC which consequently might cause the Lichter owned company to lose its will to complete the project.
If such were to happen or appear in the perception of North Cantonians to be inevitable, the political consequences for Mayor Held and long time council members could be ominous by the time the 2021, if not the 2019 municipal elections roll around.
As sort of a parallel to the HOF-VP, there are those in Stark County leadership circles who tell the SCPR that if the HOF-VP could replace Lichter as the master developer on the HOF-VP, a lot of the problems which has led to a stalling out of work on that project would get settled rather quickly.
However, those same leaders are quick to say that to think HOF master developer Stu Lichter will be replaced given his large owners equity in the project is "pie-in-the-sky" thinking and that he and his companies will be part of either the success or the short of success (i.e. the project as envisioned is never completed) realities.
Mayor Held right now, the SCPR thinks, is understandably in a "spin mode" as The Report is evidenced by his emphasis on the "success" (his characterization) of Phase I of the Hoover project.
Even that, the SCPR thinks, is ignoring what appears to be a high probability that the Schroer Group (about 300 employees) will be leaving the Hoover complex within the next two years because (according to Held and others) a difficult relationship (landlord/tenant) that Schroer is said to be experiencing with MSC.
Here is Mayor Held speaking about the impending Schroer Group exodus from North Canton and his overall take on North Canton's tax revenues going forward (6 min, 38 sec).
In the video he cites 1100 employees located in Phase 1 facilities at the rehabbed portion of the Hoover complex which, of course, will be reduced to 800, more or less, if Schroer does in fact relocate to a site said to be near Akron Canton airport.
In the following video (6 min, 19 sec) Held elaborates on the slow pace of most economic development projects and provides readers with some insights to some the problems inherent in putting together government financed incentives with a specific explanation of why the North Ridge apartments (DeHoff/Lemmon) proved to be troublesome.
At Wednesday's meeting of North Canton City Council, council held its second reading on raising the city's income tax from 1.5% to 2.0% on an affirmative vote of the voters of North Canton in the upcoming November 6, 2018 election.
Nobody is talking about the seeming imminent departure of the 300 Schroer group employees as a reason for the proposed income tax increase, but could that prospect be at least part of the reason for asking North Canton voters to approve the .5% increase.
While the proposal is for a 10 year life of the increase, who believes that in 10 years city officials will not find reasons why the voters approve an extension of the life of the increase?
As a side issue, Citizen Chuck Osborne presented a chart to North Canton City Council on Monday evening showing that North Canton is not making the most of the proposed increase when compared to other Stark County municipalities and their respective income tax rates/credits, to wit:
These are trying days for North Canton government and it appears that the city frustrations in dealing with MSC and its owner Stu Lichter is the overwhelming problem that the city faces.
Others can try to portray Lichter as an "aw shucks," unassuming guy, but the SCPR is not buying.
The Report believes Lichter is a hard-nosed business guy who does not miss a penny and any political/government leader who deal with him need to have the guard up at all times.
Mayor David Held has learned this the hard way.
And other Stark County leaders are learning fast.
Mayor Held had a tough time in the interview admitting in hindsight (which of course presents an opportunity to have 20/20 vision) that bringing Lichter in was a mistake.
Here is that part of the interview in which the SCPR presses Held on what this blogger thinks has been a mistake for having brought Lichter in (7 min, 50 sec).
It could be, that despite Mayor Held's abiding confidence that all will turn out well for what was once named "The Dogwood City," that North Canton will be stuck with Lichter like "chewing gum on the bottom of a shoe" that seemingly is cemented in place.
One has to question whether or not North Canton officials are to dealing with the hardscrabble Lichter.
The persistent questions in the minds of North Cantonians going forward some ten years later on the Hoover rehab with no end in sight likely will be: Will the ultimate outcome be that the walls of its nostalgic Boss Hoover industrial complex have to come tumbling down?
As opined before in this blog, IF SO, there could be political consequences in the 2019/2021 North Canton municipal elections!
Before the August 7, 2016 incident in which, according one online commenter, the paint on the field at Tom Benson Stadium was like a tar-esque goo which resulted in cancelation of the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts as they readied themselves to play the first professional football game of the 2016 season (i.e. the exhibition season) this is what Professional Football Hall of Fame (HOF, formally: National Museum, Inc.) president/CEO C. David Baker was reportedly saying about the company that was in charge of installing the playing surface:
After reviewing five nationally respected providers of synthetic turf, we selected UBU Sports for having the highest quality and safest product.
But as evidenced by a lawsuit filed against UBU (among other defendants), do you think Baker might be singing different tune today?
Maybe not. Maybe he thinks it was one of the other defendants which was at fault.
Or maybe it was the HOF itself and its propensity to be up against a deadline in nearly everything it does (according to multiple sources) on the HOF-VP may have played a part on the "for that game" catastrophe?
Readers should take the few minutes it takes to read the actual complaint filed in Stark County Court of Common Pleas (John Haas, the assigned judge). Reading it will not take long, it only goes on for 17 pages.
Here is the complaint:
On the one hand, lawyers of one Canton's most prestigious law firms (Krugliak Wilkins) say that Welty Building Company dropped-the-ball in a legal liability sense of the cliche phrase in ensuring that all was right with the playing field.
On the other hand, HOF public relations officials say that it has a "strong" relations with Welty and the two entities share similar values.
Having it every which way seems to be the order of the day these days starting with the executive branch of the United States government.
The Stark County Political Report's take is that when it comes to millions of dollars in losses allegedly sustained by the HOF; "strong" can become "hostile" and "similar" can become "different) "hostile" in nanoseconds.
It appears that Pro Football Hall of Fame public relations officials need to consult with the HOF lawyers in order to get the HOF's story straight, no?
The passage of time will tell the tale what the HOF/Welty relationship will be going forward.
The debacle of August 7, 2016 is nearly two years old and one would think that if the HOF/Welty relationship was "strong" and in accord "value-wise" a settlement on the damages the HOF says it sustained would have been worked out in the meantime.
It is interesting that in local media coverage the obvious contradiction in filing of the suit and the characterization of the HOF/Welty relationship does not get drilled down with some incisive Q&As.
But what does one expect of a publication which is the "official newspaper of the Professional Football Hall of Fame?"
The Repository managers could have chosen to include a copy of the HOF complaint. But they didn't.
Hmm?
Maybe just maybe Repository readers who actually have the opportunity to read the complaint with the SCPR's thoroughgoing work might raise an eyebrow or two to see the detailed and specific finger pointing at Welty language of the complaint in view of the pollyanna stuff coming out of the HOF public relations machine which, as pointed out above, apparently went unchallenged with a: "wait a minute, something is not squaring up here" follow up.
Repository publisher James Porter and his apparently close, close, close relationship with HOF officials would not abide "drilling down" on the aforementioned glaring contradictions any more than do the bigs at Fox News with a "select" group of national political/government figures that Fox covers.
Undoubtedly, Porter loves to have his newspaper compared to Fox News in terms of playing favorites because he and his fellows at the top of Repository management pretty much ape HOF coverage a la what Fox News does with the Trump administration.
It has just been reported that Bill Shine (a former Fox executive) has signed on to become communications director at the White House.
Following that example, when will we see an announcement from Porter that The Repository is providing space at 500 Market Avenue, South to a HOF communications official so that the two can coordinate more closely The Rep's fawning of everything HOF-VP and ignoring as much as possible anything negative in the management of the project.
Even The Rep's unionized employees worried when it was announced that the newspaper and the HOF had formed a contractual relationship:
Accordingly, the SCPR points the finger at the management at The Rep (not individual reporters) when it appears that HOF reporting is:
unduly laudatory of how HOF officials are handling the building of the HOF-VP,
not thorough enough on the matter of transparency when it comes to accountability for how federal/Ohio/Stark County taxpayer is being spent, and
lacking follow through with documents return on investment to the taxpaying public
It should be very good news to Stark Countians who want to know "what really went before, during and after the debacle" that there is a lawsuit (originated in federal district court in central California) now transferred to the Northern Ohio Federal District Court filed by none other than "the thorn in Donald Trump's side" on the Stormy Daniels lawsuit and Michael Avenatti.
Here is some indicated of the activity going on right now as the court decides whether or not to certify the case as "a class action:"
CLICK ON GRAPHIC TO ENLARGE
And look at the list of those deposed:
CLICK ON GRAPHIC TO UNLOAD
On March 16, 2018 an "amended complaint was filed in the Ohio case, to wit:
What an interesting read this is and is a mere 10 pages long.
The deposition of HOF president/CEO C. David Baker is "sealed" of course. One wonders if we will ever get to see it. Let's hope so! For the SCPR thinks it will reveal a lot about Baker that not many Stark Countians get to see.
While all the legal stuff is going on, the HOF is desperately seeking to get its financing for the HOF-VP in order.
It appears that it won't be that long until the HOF has to pay off its "up-to-$100 million" bridge loan with a permanent financing arrangement and the last the SCPR heard the HOF has not even been able to nail down a contract with supposed savior of the full HOF VP; namely, Michael Klein of The M. Klein Company.
What a quagmire err double quagmire that C. David Baker and his National Football Museum is in, no?
The Stark County Political Report (SCPR, The Report) does not often get enthusiastic about specific Stark County political campaigns.
Slowly but surely it has been dawning on this blogger that in the candidacy of Democrat Ken Harbaugh, the 7th Congressional District may have a candidate that may be earning the trust of voters that he will actually exemplify and produce on his "Country over Party" campaign promise.
Evidence of that commitment came on Saturday morning (June 30, 2018) at the Stark County Democratic Party headquarters located on Easton Street (close to township hall) in Plain Township.
Here you have Harbaugh with sitting Democratic congressman Set Moulton of Massachusetts 6th Congressional District (see Political article on Moulton [LINK])in Stark County to boost Harbaugh's candidacy and the SCPR question posed is:
(paraphrased) "Ken, even though you tout yourself as a "Country over Party" congressional candidate, it appears you have the full-throated support of organized Democrats?"
The Harbaugh then Moulton response: (1 min, 21 sec)
In the above-cited Political article on Moulton, here is language which explains why he was eager to come to Ohio to campaign for Ken Harbaugh:
This conversation—reported here for the first time—is precisely the type of talk that’s currently causing disgusted eye-rolling among significantly more tenured Democrats in Massachusetts and Washington. They dismiss Moulton, albeit never for attribution, as gratingly ambitious, a grandstanding backbencher who has advocated for the ouster of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to make way for new, younger standard-bearers—like himself. They see Moulton’s message of country over party as not so much admirable as annoying ... . (capitalization added for emphasis sake)
There was a staunch Republican everyday Stark County voter in attendance at Saturday's "Harbaugh canvassing Stark County event" who told the SCPR that he is a former Bob Gibbs voter who is convinced that military veteran Harbaugh is what he says he is in terms placing USA interests over those of the Democratic Political Party and therefore plans to vote for Ken Harbaugh in this fall's election.
As far as other candidates for public office are concerned, there have been and will continue to be instances in which it has been/is rather obvious whom among the candidates for public office The Report thinks would be the better office holder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, The Report stops short of outright endorsement of candidates for elective office because this blog cherishes a process in which voters study the candidates and makes an "overall, this 'individual' candidate merits my vote" decision without deference to political party affiliation and/or the opinion of political commentators.
Most recently, the strong SCPR preference throughout the campaign for Stark County prosecutor was Republican Jeff Jakmides.
Before him, it was former long term Democrat turned political independent (May, 2015) Tom Bernabei in his run to unseat two-term (seeking a third term) Democratic mayor William J. Healy, II.
Other campaigns on which the SCPR had a strong preference have been:
Democrat Chryssa Hartnett over Republican gubernatorial appointee Curtis Werren for judge in the Stark County Court of Common Pleas, and
Republican Larry Dordea for sheriff in the Dordea/Maier campaign
For now (remember there are little over four months still left in the campaign) readers can add another to the SCPR preferred list (emphasizing: for now); namely, Democrat Ken Harbaugh over Republican incumbent Bob Gibbs for Ohio's 7th Congressional District which includes Stark County.
The Stark County component (being far and away the largest voter population base) of the 7th Congressional District may well determine whom is elected in November.
Moreover, readers of the SCPR (going on its 11th year of publication) know that this blogger has no attachment whatsoever to either the Republican or Democratic political parties.
Accordingly, Harbaugh's "Country over Party" campaign theme is highly appealing to this blogger as was George Bush's "compassionate Conservatism" and Barrack Obama's "Yes, We Can" themes.
The SCPR deems the Bush and Obama appeals as not being realized and is skeptical that Harbaugh can over the long haul deliver on his "Country over Party" appeal. But as the saying "hope springs eternal," The Report is hopeful that he will deliver, if elected.
Readers of the SCPR can rest assured that if Ken Harbaugh is elected, this blog will focus on holding him accountable for his promise to deprioritize political party affiliation like The Report does on every other elected Stark County connected politician.
The Report thinks the most compelling/devastating problem in American politics these days is the rise of virulent political partisan interests in actual practice (as compared to political rhetoric) at all levels of American government but nowadays especially from within the halls of Congress and sadly in an "over-the-top" fashion emanating from the presidency.
Narrow, special interests are taking center stage and America as "the great melting pot" of "come let us reason together" is vanishing.
One the biggest disappointments in officials representing Stark County in the United States of America House of Representatives to the SCPR has been Republican congressman Jim Renacci and his political ballyhooing of his participation in a bipartisan "Breakfast Club (LINK)."
Take a look at this website which reports on Renacci's voting record (LINK).
Bipartisan?
Hardly!
The Renacci "Breakfast Club" rhetoric was, let's see (searching for a contemporary popular in scme cireles phrase): "a campaign hoax?"
While the SCPR is open to hearing the Bob Gibbs case as to why he is the better "Country over Party" candidate in this years 7th District election, it is hard to see how he can pull that off given his record in Congress over his years being there.
So far, the Gibbs campaign has blown the SCPR off.
Nevertheless, the SCPR remains open to posing the telltale question to Congressman Gibbs and if he can make a convincing case, The Report is open to shifting from its current bias in favor of Harbaugh to one of "you [District 7 voter] 'pick-em' stance, the SCPR is comfortable with either candidate prioritizing country/community good over his political party association.
Wouldn't that be a delight?
Voters having to pick which of two candidates puts country [community] over partisan/philosophical political interests?
The Gibbs campaign has already denied the SCPR journalist access to one of his Town Hall meetings (Shelby, Ohio in April) and has been largely unresponsive to The Report's endeavor to communicate with the candidate.
Whether anyone agrees with the SCPR or not, this blogger is known for a no-nonsense reporting/political analysis style which insecure politicians seek to avoid at all costs.
One local example that comes to mind is former Democratic state Representative Stephen Slesnick when he ran for Stark County commissioner in 2016 against Republican Bill Smith.
Slesnick spent eight years in Columbus achieving virtually nothing for the well-being of Stark County BUT he was a "good-for-the-party" Democrat. Along the way he repeatedly refused to answer e-mailed questions posed to him by the SCPR.
So when he was term limited out of the Ohio House at the end of 2016, he ran for county commissioner.
A local civic organization sponsored a "debate" between the two, which event Slesnick threatened to pull out of if The Stark County Political Report was permitted to videotape the joint Slesnick/Smith appearance.
Get this. There were to be no questions from the SCPR, ONLY videotaping which The Report subsequently did a political assessment of and Slesnick threatens to pull out.
Apparently, the Bob Gibbs campaign has a Slesnick-esque fear of having to deal with The Stark County Political Report's incisive questioning in quest of public official accountability upon which voters can make a determination as to whether or not they think he merits their votes.
Hopefully, for the sake of 7th Congressional District voters, Gibbs will change his ways and open up not only to the SCPR but all media so that district voters can be fully informed as to whether or not he fits their values as they cast their votes on November 6, 2018.
In the meantime, the Harbaugh campaign is "making [political] hay, while "the sun shines!"
And Saturday was a brilliantly sunshining day with temperatures hovering in the 90s as Ken Harbaugh brought his "Country over Party" campaign to Stark County. Upwards of 50 supporters gathered at the Stark County Democratic Party headquarters a Oakwood Square shopping center located in Plain Township.
The SCPR was there (as it will be for any Stark County connected political campaign if allowed/invited) in order to provide Stark County voters with a "hair down" look at the candidate and his/her supporters.
First up from the SCPR time at the Harbaugh "canvass Stark County voters" event, is this video of an exchange with group of four specially "campaign-adorned" college aged youth prepared to stomp for Harbaugh in Stark County on Saturday.
Next up is the The Report's video of Harbaugh (introduced by Bryan Haynes [the district leader for the part of District 7 which includes Stark County] followed supporter Massachusetts 6th Congressional Congressman Seth Moulton interview with the SCPR after having addressed the upwards of 50 canvassers present at Saturday's event:
Finally is this "entire" video of Harbaugh and Moulton interview following their addressing the crowd:
Although the SCPR thinks Harbaugh's "Country over Party" is authentic and will be fleshed out as a sitting congressman, The Report does not wear political blinders and between now and November 6th will be looking for signs and symbols that might bring the apparent authenticity into question.
And, as stated above, a Harbaugh victory in November will not put SCPR accountability in abeyance. Readers can depend on follow up on Harbaugh promises.
A vibrant, probing press is essential to holding politicians to their promises.
Political accountabilityis the currency ofThe Stark County Political Report.
At last Wednesday's Stark County commissioners' meeting, it was somewhat spellbinding to The Stark County Political Report (SCPR, The Report) to witness the apparent "made whole" again revelation about the health and well-being of the Stark County Dog Pound (Pound).
The occasion?
This county commissioner resolution:
A far cry from this (LINK) SCPR blog of February 27, 2010.
And for a deeper appreciation of the chronically persistent problems at the Pound to be inherited by commissioners-elect Bernabei and Creighton (actually Bernabei took up office in November), here are a few more links to prior SCPR blogs:
In the estimate of The Report, then-commissioner Todd Bosley
(now Nimishillen Township trustee from whence he came in November, 2006 having defeated then-incumbent commissioner Richard Regula)
was, in the opinion of this blogger, the main problem in fanning the fires of Pound problems in picking up on volunteer discontent with how the Pound was being run when he took office. The Report thinks he replicated that approach to government on a number of sore points (from the citizen/voter perspective) re: county government operations, and tried to turn the Pound and other county governance problems into a selfish political advantage for himself.
Unfortunately, there are way too many politicians in America, Ohio and, yes, in our local governments, who try to exploit citizen clamoring for solutions to problems they perceive in government with an eye towards: "How can I turn dealing with this dissatisfaction to 'my' personal political advantage" without necessarily finding an enduring solution?
Which is to say what the SCPR thinks former commissioner Bosley was mainly about.
None of his colleagues seemed to have the political gumption to challenge Bosley's apparent to the SCPR "divide and conquer" for my selfish interest strategy and become solution providers rather than aiders and abettors to countywide political/governance discord and concomitant community disruption. One consequence of the pre-Bernabei/Creighton era of the Board of Stark County Commissioners was the "deemed necessary" dissolution, in the view of the Bernabei/Creighton led board, of the Stark County Dog Advisory Council.
Commissioner Bernabei since his election in November, 2010 has moved on to tackling the gargantuan aesthetic (i.e. the neighborhoods)/financial problems of city of Canton governance (elected in November, 2015) that have been accumulating mostly unchecked since the 1960s/1970s.
Most impressively, he abandoned his lifelong association with the "organized" Stark County Democratic Party to become an "independent" so that he could take on two-term seeking a third term incumbent Democratic mayor William J. Healy, II.
Along with "solving" the Stark County Dog Pound problem:
Bernabei teamed up with Creighton to solve the diminution of "trust" in county government as a consequence of what local attorney and civic activist Craig T. Conley termed as being "Zeiglergate,"
which many believe led to (in conjunction with with former commissioners Bosley, Harmon and Vignos having in December, 2008 "imposed" a 1/2 cent county sales tax) to a county government financial crisis.
In November, 2011, due to "restorative-of-a-measure-of 'trust-in-county-government'" in large part due the the work of Commissioners Bernabei and Creighton, Stark Countians placed county government in a position to recover financially/fiscally which it has done largely under the watchful eye of county finance director Chris Nichols (also a Canton Township trustee) with his implementation of a "financial sustainability" standard of county budgeting and appropriation with the unmitigated support of the Board of Stark County Commissioners.
The SCPR could cite other examples of commissioner led restarts/reforms that have resulted in politicians running out government solving problems rather than creating them.
The point of this blog is that political change in terms of whom we elect can work to bring quality performance to governance when quality politicians step forward to run for office and voters are informed enough to vote them into office. The SCPR worried when Bernabei moved on to become mayor of Canton that we could not find a quality person to fill his shoes.
With former Canton Township trustee, it appears that in Bill Smith voters did pick someone who though different in style from Bernabei appears to be up-to-the-job in a qualitative manner. So it should be no surprise that he is in league with Commissioners Creighton and Regula in the commissioners' continuing quest to improve facilities and operations at the Stark County Dog Pound. According to Statista, dog ownership continues to rise. According to Warden Barber, Humane Society formulas indicate that Stark County probably has upwards of 70,000 citizen owned dogs.
Stark County dog lovers (by the way, this blogger is not and has not been a dog owner going back to the 1980s. However, all three adult daughters with families of their own are) should be thoroughly impressed and pleased with the work that has been done by county officials (i.e. the commissioners and Warden Jon Barber) to revamp the Pound and make it a high quality operation.
Below is SCPR video of Barber making his presentation to commissioners on the 27th for approval of the county to take funds from the county's capital budget (coupled with about $200,000 in private sector (citizens and businesses) to undertake a renovation of the Stark County Dog Pound. (Note: see follow up video below SCPR One-on-One with Warden Barber for details of the renovation financing details) The Barber to Stark commissioners video: (6 min, 28 sec)
As a follow up to his presentation to commissioners, the SCPR sat down with Warden Barber (who has been warden for about five years) immediately after the June 27th commissioner session and interviewed him on the history (of difficulties at the Pound), current operations and the prospects going forward. (12 min, 50 sec)
(Note: Due to a recording glitch part of the interview was lost and therefore is picked up mid-interview, The Report apologizes) Ohio/Stark County dog owners should be come aware of the legal obligations of dog ownership as a matter of state law. The Ohio State Bar Association has published a guide to Ohio dog ownership which can be seen at this LINK.
While The Stark County Political Report's main emphasis is to present to readers stories about problems in governance in Ohio's Stark County political subdivisions (county, city, village, township and board of education et cetera), and, of course, in state government relations with our local government; the most gratifying part of writing the SCRP is sharing with readers serendipitous examples of successes of our local governors in tackling and solving problems. The "rebirth" of the Stark County Dog Pound is a prime example of what can be achieved when our leaders look for a work at solutions rather than looking to unsettle and confuse in a quest for political self interest.
A SCPR "hat's off!" to the commissioners and Warden Barber and the many, many, many Stark County citizen-volunteers who have worked together with government to solve a long festering care of animals problem!!!
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.
