It's Going To Get Nasty

When Massillon's Mayor for Life, our Lord Mayor, King Francis the Eternal, announced he was running for a seventh term as mayor for life, he shared his beliefs about the tone of the coming campaign.

"I absolutely anticipate (personal attacks)... It's going to get nasty" (Mayor Frank Cicchinelli, The Independent, July 31, 2010).

He of course was correct.

As it is Frank Cicchinelli and his loyalists who couldn't wait to start slinging the mud.

From the Independent's editorial on February 7th;

The ink had barely dried on Kathy Catazaro-Perry's petitions to run for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Massillon when mayor Cicchinelli began slinging mud, using terms such as "sneaky" to describe his opponent in the May primary election and "carpetbaggers" in reference to some of her supporters.

Already the mayor has gone so far as to allege that Catazaro-Perry "could care less about the city of Massillon."

Harsh words from a man who claimed he wanted to "keep it clean."

Now our mayor for life can witness his supporters attacking his opposition.

The Cicchinelli faithful have speculated about Kathy Catazaro-Perry's church attendance.

"Why does she go to St. Joan of Arc church? Is it really Massillon first with her?"

Ah yes, salvation may only be attained within the corporate limits of the City of Massillon.

Then a supporter verbally attacked the child of a candidate who is challenging one of the mayor for life's council rubber stamps in the Democratic primary.

And now one of our faithful readers informs us of an attack on the special needs day care center that Catazaro-Perry helped start.

Guess what's wrong with it?

It's in Canton!

Maybe it is in Canton because it's mission is, according to it's web site, "Specializing in daycare for special needs children in Stark County, Ohio."

Stark County.

All of it.

And Canton is in the middle of the county.

Probably would be hard for parents in Alliance and Louisville to get their kids to Massillon every day.

This line of attack plays in to Cicchinelli's allegation that Catzaro-Perry "could care less about the city of Massillon."

And this complaint that because Catazaro-Perry's special needs day care facility is in Canton, that she is some how unfit to be mayor, is the kind of sad, pathetic allegation that this election season can do without.

Of course, it is tough for the mayor's supporters to talk about the issues.

Because city government is broke.

And the mayor is to blame.

Whether he takes responsibility or not.

And on Election Day, the buck may finally stop where it should.

At Frank Cicchinelli's desk.