Who's Your Daddy?

In 2003, Donnie Peters ran as a Republican for City Council in Massillon's Ward 5. He ran against incumbent councilman Glenn Gamber. Peters, by all accounts, ran a good campaign, but came up short by only 8 votes. Peters vowed to run again in 2005. Gamber, realizing that Peters would probably beat him this time, decided to "retire" from politics in 2005. Yes, he "retired" until a miracle from above, and by above, we mean Massillon's Mayor for Life. Gamber was a loyal rubber stamp for Massillon's Mayor for Life, and needed to continue in public service.

The City Council President in 2005 was Dennis Harwig. Harwig filed petitions to run for President again. On the last day a candidate can file petitions for the 2005 elections, Glenn Gamber shows up at the Board of Elections, and files petitions to run against Harwig. It looks like their will be a Democratic Primary for City Council President. Nope. The fix was in.

Massillon's Mayor for Life creates a city job for Dennis Harwig as "Income Tax Investigator." Harwig is supposed to make sure that out of town construction company employees are paying city income taxes. Harwig doesn't do much, and is often caught sleeping in a city hall office. During last year's Annual Summer Budget Crisis, Harwig "retires" as their is pressure to eliminate his job because real city employees are forced to take layoffs and furloughs.

To take his "job" as Income Tax Investigator, Harwig resigns as a candidate in 2005, and resigns as council president. Gamber, by default, as the only remaining Democratic candidate, is appointed City Council President without a fight. The only losers are the voters, as they are tricked by Gamber's "retirement."

Donnie Peters then becomes Ward 5 councilman without much of a fight, as the incumbent, Glenn Gamber, is maneuvered into the council presidency.

Peters promised to use his business experience to focus on jobs and the economy. He was conservative, a Republican, and promised to be his own man. Unfortunately, Peters is spending his time cozying up to Massillon's Mayor for Life. Peters generously contributes to the Mayor's campaigns. Peters does the Mayor's dirty work on council, attacking, embarrassing, and setting up the council members that Cicchinelli sees as "anti-Cicchinelli." Peters, an alleged conservative Republican, was the fifth and deciding vote needed to pass the Mayor's unbalanced budget. Some people have speculated he did this in return for getting Tremont road paved, which magically got moved up on the city's paving list after the budget vote. Peters faithfully votes to spend our tax dollars for the mortgage on a private hotel. And the Donnie Peters who was so violently opposed to city council cutting their meeting schedule in the Summer of 2008, so opposed that he threatened Councilman Larry Slagle with physical violence, now worked with Slagle this year to reduce council meeting days in the Summer.

What happened to Donnie Peters, the conservative Republican? How did he turn into a Repubican in Name Only (RINO). Who's your daddy?