He Just Doesn't Get It

In an article in yesterday's Independent, Massillon's Mayor for Life, Frank Cicchinelli, defends his annual, unvoted pay raise for 2011, a pay raise resulting from legislation he approved back in 1995, right after he was elected to his third term as Massillon's eternal leader.

Cicchinelli claimed the raise was "fair."

Cicchinelli then justified his 2.1 % raise by making the following statement;

"Other city employees are getting a 4% raise" (The Independent, January 20, 2011).

Yes Frank, "other city employees are getting a 4% raise" because...

YOU GAVE IT TO THEM.

Let there be no confusion, Frank Cicchinelli negotiated and approved 4% pay raises for the city's unions.

Knowing times were tough, and the city's budget was in the red, he felt it prudent to give 4% pay raises to city employees.

It has been speculated that our beloved mayor for life doled out these raises during his election year to curry support with city workers.

We know. He thought the dollars would be there.

Remember?

"We'll be able to pay for these increases," Cicchinelli said. "I'm not concerned about it. We will be there. I feel confident the dollars will be there to make it through this year and we'll have the dollars to make it through next year" (The Independent, July 6, 2010).

He doesn't have a clue, does he?

As tenuous as our mayor's grip on reality may be, we fortunately have a couple of elected officials who "get it."

Johnnie Maier gets it. Maier hasn't had a pay raise in three years as court clerk, and probably won't see another one for the next six years. If Maier is re-elected this year, he won't be eligible for a raise until his next term is over. That would be in 2018.

By the way, in 2018 we will still be paying the mortgage for the Hampton Inn.

Not every employee in city hall, however, received a pay raise;

"He (Maier) also froze the pay of his employees this year, saying in a letter to City Council in November that he could not justify raises "during these difficult economic times" (The Independent, January 20, 2011).

Common Sense. How refreshing.

Maier was joined in the common sense department by wayward Councilman Donnie Peters. Peters hasn't been rubber stamping for the mayor as faithfully as he ought to recently, possibly leading to the 'story' about Peters' tax problems.

"I'll give it back," 5th Ward Councilman Donnie Peters said. "I'll continue to make what I made last year. I'll inform the auditor tomorrow" (The Independent, January 20, 2011).

"People out there are hurting," he (Peters) said. "For me to take a raise is a slap in their face" (The Independent, January 20, 2011).

Perhaps Mr. Maier and Mr. Peters would take some time to explain to our mayor for life how difficult things really are for most people in our community. Perhaps Mr. Maier and Mr. Peters would explain to our mayor that people are indeed hurting, and that taking a pay raise at this time is truly a "slap in the face" to the citizens of our fair city.