We all know that Stark County is in dire financial straits. The commissioners have gotten hit from the Sheriff, the Stark County Veterans Commission and the local Board of Elections for more money as 2008 has marched by notwithstanding a $2 million commissioners' shortfall this year.
It gets worse next year.
A $4 million shortfall.
Believe it or not, state (e.g. the state of Ohio) subdivisions (cities, counties, villages and townships, et cetera) can and do go bankrupt under Chapter 9 of the federal bankruptcy code.
Yes, it is rare indeed, when this happens.
But, given the current financial crisis in Stark County, the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) asks: Could a federal bankruptcy be in the offing for Stark County?
The Report makes it perfectly clear that The Report has NOT been in discussion with any Stark County commissioner or other county official suggesting that Chapter 9 is being looked at.
One person who could be of immense help to Stark County and all other political subdivisions throughout Stark, the state of Ohio and the nation is Congressman-elect John Boccieri.
The temptation for Boccieri has to be take time to "settle-in." But can the 16th Congressional District (especially, the Stark County part of the district) wait for Boccieri to settle in?
The Report says NO!
Boccieri, like Obama, must hit the ground running.
The Report advocates that Boccieri do so by pushing hard for a re-start of the federal revenue sharing program that once greatly aided local government finances.
To refresh readers, here is a Wikipeidia description of the program:
United States government revenue sharing was in place from 1972-1987. Under this policy, Congress gave an annual amount of federal tax revenue to the states and their cities, counties and townships. Revenue sharing was extremely popular with state officials, but it lost federal support during the Reagan Administration.The federal revenue sharing renewal idea comes from economist James K. Galbraith of the University of Texas.
A bold, aggressive John Boccieri has an opportunity in the midst of the national/local financial crisis to be a "top gun," does he not?
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