Put It in Writing

Massillon's beloved Mayor for Life, Frank Cicchinelli, will be presenting his annual 'State of the City' address a week from this Friday (January 28) at 8AM, at the Massillon Fraternal Order of Eagles.

This annual event is sponsored by the Massillon Chamber of Commerce, who is so thrilled to have the mayor participate in a community event which is not related to the Tiger football program, that they cheerfully allow him to set the ground rules.

The ground rules are such;

Questions may be asked of our beloved leader, by the audience or by the media, but the questions must be in writing.

Why must they be in writing?

So they can be screened.

Heaven help us if our mayor for life gets an uncomfortable question like;

"Back in July you said the "money would be there," and now the city can't pay its bills. Why?"

or

"Why are we paying $211,000 in annual mortgage payments for a private hotel?"

or

"Why did you hijack park funds to subsidize the failing Legends of Massillon Golf Course when you said you wouldn't?"

Remember? The mayor's plan to merge the parks department with the golf course was "not a big scheme to have the parks department cover the golf course's expenses" (The Repository, December 17, 2002).

Perhaps the mayor would be uncomfortable if someone asked;

"Why did we spend almost $200,000 dollars to buy the restaurant at the golf course and not even have a business plan in place when we took it over?"

No, the questions must be submitted in writing. Even the press must submit questions in writing.

Shame on the Independent if it participates in this sham event and allows it's reporters' questions to be pre screened. If our city's newspaper is not permitted to have it's reporters ask serious questions, then it should not cover this event as a serious endeavour.

The Independent should cover this event for what it really is.

A staged campaign speech.

We can well imagine the tough, probing questions that will be 'selected' from the mayor's lackeys dutifully sitting in the audience, faithfully cheering their beloved leader on;

"Mayor Cicchinelli, while you do a fantastic job as mayor, aren't you tired of the anti-Cicchinelli, anti-Massillon mayor haters who wrongly criticize the selfless work you do as our beloved mayor?"

or

"Shouldn't council members who dare question the wisdom of your vision for our city be forced to resign?"

Yeah, we expect some real tough questions arising from the "written" submissions.

Glenn Gamber, Paul Manson, Dave Hersher, Ron Mang, Dave McCune, Mike Loudiana, and Jayne Ferrero, and the bevy of city employees who will be in tow better bring their crayons Friday morning so that they may ask the mayor "tough, but fair" questions.

In writing of course.

Who is responsible for organizing this sham event?

Massillon Chamber of Commerce President Bob Sanderson.

Before Sanderson was Chamber of Commerce president, he was Massillon's Economic Development Director under.... wait for it....

Massillon's Mayor for Life Frank Cicchinelli.

Sanderson was involved in such fine city projects as our 6,500 seat hockey arena.

Oh wait, it was never built. We did, however, manage to spend a million dollars not building it.

Thanks for your help, Bob.

It appears that Mr. Sanderson brought his Frank Cicchinelli pom-pons with him from city hall to the chamber of commerce.

Perhaps the Independent should lay down some ground rules of it's own.

If their reporters can't ask the mayor real questions, then they shouldn't be covering this "event."

If Frank Cicchinelli wants to have a campaign rally disguised as the 'State of the City,' then the press should just ignore it.

And if Frank Cicchinelli doesn't like this idea, he can put his objections in writing.