Hungry Children

"You bet John Ferrero knew. He was at council. So was ALL of Jayne Ferrero's staff."
(A response from a faithful Massillon Review reader).

According to our faithful reader, Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero must have whole heartedly supported his employee, Chief Counsel to the Prosecutor, John Kurtzman's pleas against reducing the tax credit, so that Massillon residents who pay no city taxes would have to pay some city taxes.

“You are now pitting families against families,” he said. “When these people file their tax returns in April, they have to pay more taxes...They are taking food away from their children" (John Kurtzman, The Independent, February 8, 2012).

And the children should already be a little hungry from the food money they lost to the tax John Kurtzman and John Ferrero were successfully pitching just last Fall.

Prosecutor John Ferrero was campaigning hard for a county sales tax.

Because he couldn't sleep at night thinking about cuts.

“I can’t sleep at night thinking about that scenario (cuts). How did a proud county come to this? It’s a situation that’s going to be a nightmare” (John Ferrero, The Independent, October 29, 2011).
Cuts would be a 'nightmare.'

So he needed a county sales tax.

But Massillon doesn't need more money for city operations.

Where he lives.

And where he and his chief counsel pay no taxes.

And that's a good thing.

Back to cuts.

According to our reader, the entire Auditor's staff was at Monday's city council meeting.

We assume they were there to cheer lead Deputy Auditor Pat Pentello as she pleaded for council not to freeze, or cut wages. Pentello works for Auditor Jayne Ferrero.

"Deputy Auditor Pat Pentello told council that non-union employees should not be the first group asked to make sacrifices" (The Independent, February 8, 2012).

So, in a nutshell.

The Ferrero plan for city government, which is facing a multi-million dollar shortfall, is twofold.

Auditor Ferrero wants no cuts.

Prosecutor Ferrero wants no additional money.

Which still leaves us with a multi-million dollar shortfall.

Why are they doing what they are doing?

Is it their political relationship with the former mayor?

Is it a desire to see the city go bust?

And with no cuts, and no new revenue, we would imagine that city workers will be laid off.

And it will be their children who will, in the words of John Kurtzman, have their food taken away.

But they should know who to thank.

Auditor Ferrero who opposes cuts.

and Prosecutor Ferrero who opposes raising revenue.