Save Shepas Now!

Our Mayor for Life has not been one to actively participate in the robust civic life of the community he lords over with an iron fist.

He spends most of his time brooding and scheming in the mayoral bunker, worried about who is out to get him (i.e. - who is running for mayor).

It is rare that you see him at a community event, unless it is some how related to the Massillon Tiger Football team.

Frank Cicchinelli, if nothing else, is a loyal 'friend of the program' football booster. It is so much a part of his DNA that it defines his priorities. It means that football comes first.

The mayor sees himself as 'Mayor of the football team,' as much as he sees himself as mayor of the city.

Our Mayor for Life isn't worried about trivial things like not having enough money to pay for police and fire fighters. That's council's problem. But mess with the football program, and watch out.

Back in the day, when the mayor was worried that the school board wasn't renewing former football coach Rick Shepas' contract fast enough, Cicchinelli and the First Lady of Massillon orchestrated the Save Shepas Now! campaign. They showed up at school board meetings with their 'Save Shepas Now!' signs, until the school board renewed Shepas' contract.

Oddly enough, it was eerily reminiscent of the sign campaign orchestrated by a number of 'friends of the program' trying to force school board member Tom Seesan to resign earlier this year. Remember the 'Seesan Must Resign' yard signs and the 'picketing' at the school board meetings?

Tom Seesan drew the ire of the 'Friends of the Program' when he refused to 'reorganize' the Washington High School Athletic department to make the head football coach the athletic director, and make the offensive coordinator the assistant athletic director, thereby formally putting football at the top of the school food chain.

For Frank Cicchinelli, it's all about priorities.

And Monday night, the priority wasn't the city he is paid to lead, and its budget chasm, it was a fund raiser at the Eagles Club for the Massillon Tiger Football Library.

According to an editorial in yesterday's Independent, Cicchinelli was 'miffed' because he was late to the fund raiser. He was late because he was at Massillon City Council taking pot shots at the council people who dared to vote down his unbalanced budget.

We can just hear him, too... complaining about the idiots on council who "just don't understand" how things work.

More importantly, it is quite evident that the Independent has moved from its former role as mayoral cheerleader and chief defender of the administration to a more objective position. This, of course, as drawn the enmity of the mayor, as he is no doubt perplexed by this change of philosophy by the city's newspaper. This change has led our mayor to periodically 'boycott' the paper until they print more favorable news and commentary regarding his lengthy mayoral regime.

While we don't always agree with the Independent, nor should we, because in a free country the press will often print stories contrary to our own views, we believe they have finally seen the mayor for what he is. The Emperor is no longer wearing fine silken robes.

"As hard as we try to remain positive about the Cicchinelli Administration, the mayor's actions - specifically his lack of respect toward City Council and the legislative process, as well as his disdain for anyone who is not perpetually in his corner - makes it quite a challenge to give him the benefit of the doubt" (Editorial, The Independent, December 29, 2010).

Enough said.