Wednesday, May 7, 2008

DISCUSSION: IS A "STARK COUNTY" STAR BEING BORN?


The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) has been a bit skeptical of Todd Bosley.

Why?

He appears to be a somewhat of a grandstander. Moreover, he seems to too ambitious. Witness his announcement (to Democratic Party confidants) right after winning a county commissioner's seat, that he was ready to take on Ralph Regula for congressman (16th District).

But in the judgment of The Report, perhaps, political realities have set in and he has tamed his grandstanding and his ambitions.

Bosley is an "outsider" who will never be accepted by the Stark County political establishment as one of its own. In contrast, Commissioner Tom Harmon is the quintessential "insider" who is not only accepted by the "powers that be" in Stark County, he could be the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain.

Bosley can be like a "bull in the china shop." Just ask former Nimishillen Township Trustee Russ Goss with whom Bosley served four years.

Now approaching two full years as commissioner Bosely has done more than any other county commissioner in recent memory in moving the ball forward in Stark County.

Bosley is the force behind getting the 911 consolidation (central dispatching0 closer to existence. He alone had the political courage to dig into the Stark County Job and Family Services fiasco. Now we learn (from a Repository report) that he tried but failed to get Volkswagen to come to Stark County.

If only Bosley had someone to work with. Tom Harmon is a huge disappointment to The Report. Harmon is not the "bold" factor that Stark County needs to rejuvenate itself. Neither are Pete Feguson and John Hagan, one of whom will be replacing the retiring Jane Vignos.

The question: Can Bosley drive Stark County into the 21st century on his own?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree that Harmon has been basically useless after being annointed - it took him almost a month to even begin the job - but will his opponent be any better?

Martin Olson said...

Dave k has made a good point. An experienced Harmon may be better for Stark County than the inexperienced Secrest.

But we should all be open to the possibility that Secrest has qualities that it is worth Stark Countians taking a risk on.

Do a search (Secrest) on the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL for a report I have written on Harmon's opponent Travis Secrest.

Link through to Secrest's website to see his specific platform.

I will be following up frequently on the Harmon and Secrest race and all the other political contests underway in Stark County this year.

Thanks for commenting Dave k.