A Valuable Lesson

Massillon's Mayor for Life taught 4th Ward Councilman Tony Townsend a valuable lesson at Monday's council meeting.

You do not do anything in Massillon without first grovelling to the mayor for life.

Yes, everyone knows the tremendous ego and thin skin that our beloved Mayor for Life possesses.

Frank Cicchinelli showed once more that he is willing to spend time and political capital on the most harmless of issues if he isn't paid the proper homage.

Being in government for 37 consecutive years has blown his ego to monstrous proportions.

When former President Bill Clinton wanted to come to town, Cicchinelli shut down the visit.

Why? The answer is simple.

"Though not faulting Cupples, (representative of Governor Ted Strickland) Cicchinelli repeatedly said he was upset to learn about the event in his Sunday newspaper. He even suggested people in his own party intentionally left him out of the loop" (The Independent, October 26, 2010).

He killed the Clinton visit because nobody came beforehand to kiss his ring and receive his blessing.

When King Frank was taking his celebratory victory lap at city council Monday night, for having his rubber stamps kill a proposal to name a park after the late T. Roy Roberson, he couldn't resist hinting to the newspaper why he really killed the proposal. After all, he was still giddy with victory;

"Cicchinelli added that he believed Townsend mishandled the renaming from the beginning by not reaching out to him and others" (The Independent, December 7, 2010).

There you have it. Townsend didn't kiss the ring.

But what of 'The Pledge,' where Cicchinelli assured the residents of the fourth Ward that he would help them rename the park?

Again, he lied.

The residents of the fourth Ward can all go pound salt. The Mayor for Life had bigger fish to fry. Frank wasn't shown the proper respect by Councilman Townsend.

"not reaching out" to the mayor is commonly defined as kissing the mayor's ass.

Tony Townsend, we readily admit, isn't very good at this.

Perhaps Townsend could take lessons from Taxman David Hersher, or Lap Dog of the Treasury Paul Manson. They are both very proficient at "reaching out" to the mayor.

Tony Townsend learned a valuable lesson in Massillon politics. No matter how innocuous the issue, if you don't rubber stamp for the big guy, he will work night and day to kill something as simple as a gesture to honor someone's memory.

The residents of the fourth Ward learned a valuable lesson as well. Mayor Cicchinelli is not a man of his word. He lied. His actions spoke much louder than his words.