How Little Old Ladies Got Thrown Under the Bus in Maple Heights

We were going to resume commenting on national politics, when the following came across our desk ...


According to the Plain Dealer, on October 17th, 2007, because of a plea by Councilman Paul Priebe to dedicate money from the Northfolk Southern Railway Company, to people who directly abut the railroad  [for "other problems" created by the railroad], money was placed in a special fund for those special people. Please read the story here. [click on the word "here"]

Many of those special people have grown quite some years older waiting for that money so they could repair their homes.

Well, we guess, council decided that they giveth, so they can take it away, and we're sure the law director probably gave his blessing on that. Sources tell us that the council president asked various members of council to author a resolution that would allow council (or the finance director) to take that money in the special fund and throw it into the general fund to spend it however the finance director "needed" to spend it [and council, the mayor, and finance director (?)  agree they really needed it].

Well, those various members of council did in fact, author such a resolution which would only give 20% of that special fund (which is now worth around $800,00 or more?) to those special people; and, it appears they also put in a little extra wording which basically says that any further monies going to the city from railroad fees,  would not go to those special people , but would go directly into the general fund (?).  Some (or more than some) of these special people are little old ladies, (many of whom are African American by the way).

Now this resolution was discussed for (what?) a few months, before ... the final vote, which would take place on Wednesday, March 7th. 

Now, ... from what we hear, ... the newly appointed council person for district 5 (African American, Charles Crews Jr. who represents some of those who directly abut the railroad, which includes those little old ladies), came up with a proposal to give the special people an additional 10% of that special fund money (again, money that was set aside for them for "other problems created by the railroad"). Cefaratti (?) (who represents district 3, ... the other people who directly abut the railroad) was agreeable with that idea. Sources told us that Cefaratti (?) asked the finance director about that extra 10% ... and the finance director concurred with Cefaratti. .... Here's what appears happened though ....

The mayor (we hear) did not fight for the extra 10%  proposed  by Crews, or even suggest he would give back some of his own salary, or suggest that council agree to give those special people (many of them - remember - little old African American ladies) more from future fees from the railroad ... no, this mayor, who said he was one of the founding sponsors "of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C.", who said he was a "Wall of Tolerance Honoree in Montgomery, AL with recognition from Rosa Parks", who used a picture with President Obama and Mrs. Obama on his campaign literature ... no, inside sources said he ("threatened (?)") further layoffs of government employees (something, we guess, he felt he would have to do to help pay the bills) to get those "yes" votes on council's resolution, ... to get a "yes" vote from a person who calls the mayor by his first name (according to one of his constituents) though probably in private conversations, ... this council rookie who was appointed by council, with the law director's blessing, that disenfranchised  Crew's constituents/employers in district 5 ... who are also some of the law director's (and council, and the mayor's ) employers.

Was the mayor right to do what he did (if in fact that's what he did)? You judge.

So did the newly appointed councilman for district 5 stand fast to get more money for his little old ladies who directly abut the railroad?   Nope, ... he along with every other voting member of council except for Anthony Cefaratti (who represents those special people in district 3), and Richard Trojanski (district 6 ) voted to throw those little old ladies "under the bus" with what we feel is a raw, raw deal. We applaud Trojanski and Cefaratti.

You do some real digging into this matter and see if you agree with us.  Oh yeah, while you're digging, ask those little old ladies (and the others) that are entitled to that special fund money, if they think 20% was fair, and enough to compensate them for the horrible noise and damage to their homes caused by the railroad.



[To be further edited, with corrections made if necessary]

Lord Save Us From Passive Agressive Politicians

[Updated March 19, 2012, with corrections]

We’re sorry, but we just had to get this off our chests. 

On February 15^th, a piece of city council legislation was passed that was one of the worst pieces of legislation we've ever seen.  A councilman (a politician) authored (or was it council president's idea) a piece of legislation under the guise of accountability that looked to be essentially passive aggressive at its core.

The legislation appeared to be targeted at  1 present, and 2 former council members (politicians) who missed the last public council meeting of 2011, … one member who was stuck in traffic or whatever, the others who had given prior notice that they were not going to be at that council meeting because of an important Democratic function. 


There was one other council member missing; however, we think the 3 were the main targets, though we've been told there are some who aren't fond of the other missing council person (and we really don't know if he had said previously that he would not be there).


Anyway, there was no addendum for the meeting,  there were no committee reports, and  of the 7 department reports, 2 of the department reports were to wish everyone a nice holiday;  while most of the other department reports were not an emergency, and didn't need the presence of the missing council members. 


[Big Hint] The 3 people, by the way, had been endorsed by the Democratic Party (in last year’s election) while the others (except for two at the local level) weren’t.

At that last 2011 meeting,  one of the pieces of legislation the council president, and several others wanted  to vote on, was a union contract (collective bargaining agreement) where we noted (in a previous post) … allowed police union members to continue to pay only $20 individual / $40 family a month for their health insurance (that included dental and vision).    Anyway, council needed a quorum to pass the minutes;  and also, due to a lack of a quorum, several pieces of legislation (mainly involving police collective bargaining agreements) were not read or passed. 

This city has 1 or 2 African American (real, not auxiliary) police officers in a city of about 70% African Americans.

The council president (a politician) at that last 2011 meeting, publicly scolded those 3 people, and the other (in grandstanding style) for not showing up (as if it had never been done before, though one of those she scolded, had only missed [we believe] that one meeting her entire 2 yr term), and the mayor (a politician) in council caucus, etc went on and on about them being sore losers, etc (because two of those same people did not win in last year’s elections).  We think some other words that came out of the mayor’s mouth were  “get over it” (you lost).

That last 2011 public council meeting …  well, … seems members of council (politicians) met later on and passed the damn thing (and most of the other things they wanted to vote on) anyway. 

Now get this … what this piece of legislation (at the Feb 15^th public council meeting) boiled down to was … if you don’t let us (? council president, or ? council secretary) know you are going to miss a council meeting, we’re going to fine you.  [However, … if you get sick, or a relative dies, or for a myriad of other acceptable, arbitrary reasons, you don’t show up without prior notice, … you won’t get fined.]

Didn’t the mayor (last year) do an almost last minute endorsement of a person (a politician) who had been very ill, and could very well have missed many meetings in 2012?  [Oh, … and that mayor endorsed, elected individual, … well, (and this is not funny, or meant to be a “dig”) he died about a month after the November 2011 election, causing all kinds of problems for his district's residents.]   So give us a break.

These members of council (politicians) apparently go to a bunch of closed door meetings all year long.   Suggestion:  Inform and open up all meetings to the public, and have 1 official public council meeting a month (since they all pretty much know how the other is going to vote anyway, and you could save on electricity.)

Instead of all that passive aggressive bullshit legislation, the councilman could have said (one of a number of possible scenarios), "Look, ... I'm pissed off because the Democratic Party endorsed them and not me ... And damn it, we needed a bunch of council members at our last public council meeting in December, so I and a bunch of other politicians (who may or may not have read the union contract) could have "kissed ass" and voted yes, on that collective bargaining agreement, etc. ... and not mess up our Christmas holidays".

Three things we’re tired of, … passive aggressive politicians, passive aggressive (worthless) legislation, and (although we love our unions) police unions who may have bullied their employers with contracts that could potentially cause financial burden on a city (current or further down the road).  The police unions know their members will be the last to be laid off. 

If there is one group of public employees that shouldn’t have a union … it’s the police.  Their leadership can put anything they want into a union contract, … and, who in their right mind would vote “no” on most of the important things (to the union) in that contract … knowing the police could show up at your or your relative’s door, or put you six feet under, or plant false evidence, or throw you in jail, or give you a ticket … and, you’d be almost powerless to do anything about it.   

What's comical ...  even though Republicans hate unions, a lot of union  members lean toward the Republican Pary ... certainly the FOP is conservative leaning (to their credit, they give to good causes).  We'll let you figure out why Republicans tolerate police unions.

Though most police are just doing their job, don’t tell us you have no fear of the police … Don’t tell us you don’t think about abuse of police power.  A big humongous suggestion:  Make sure your city has a civilian review board.

And … while we give a pat on the back to most public employees, ... we’re still watching all you politicians, and a host of other potentially dangerous public employees, ... and most, if not all, large corporations.

[To be further edited, with possible corrections if necessary]

What the Hell is Going On at City Hall?

Just so you know where we’re coming from:

Ever since a politician decided to tear his African American opponent (in last year’s mayoral race), to shreds in public (and calling her a criminal), we decided to take our focus off national politics, and zero in on a local political scene.  

Please do read our headline … part of which says “we’re progressive, political, controversial, provocative, thought-provoking  ...”   We also “connect the dots” when other folks won’t.

If you’ve been following us for years, you know that Clevelands Secret Club members are predominantly African American.  It now appears that a local politician (and/or his supporters) set his/their sights on finding out just who our members are, and taking close aim at who they think are the members.  It also appears that this politician or politicians (and/or their supporters) took aim, and/or are now taking aim at the African American women who were endorsed by the CC and local Democratic Party, and/or are taking aim at those who stood by his opponent.

The one thing we won’t tolerate is intimidation or being harassed by politicians (elected officials), because (to us) harassment means that the politician, and/or politicians (and/or supporters) doing the harassment, have something to hide, and/or are extremely dangerous and vindictive. 

Our club has always been critical and weary of politicians, as is most of the world.  These politicians have made the decision to become public servants, and so they’ve opened themselves up (and rightly so) to public scrutiny.  If they don’t like the public scrutiny, then they probably should leave public office.

 

Outside sources told us, that an African American former councilwoman had two police officers show up at her home to demand that she give them two keys to city hall (?).  Now, correct us if we’re wrong, but we believe that every council member gets one key to city hall(?).  And why was it necessary to have police officers show up at her home, when (we were told) she called ahead of time, and told them she was going to city hall to drop off her key.  This same former councilwoman’s son was beaten before the elections; and then after last year’s elections (she ran for council president) her home was burglarized. 

We don’t know if all these things are just coincidental, or related to the elections, and/or her former position; however, we won't tolerate having her and her family victimized, and we will be paying close attention to all public servants that may be responsible.  We (their employers) have given them tremendous power over our lives, and all of us should be extremely watchful of what they do. 

Our suggestion, again, to every resident in any local municipality ... make sure you  have a civilian review board, and report any suspicious activity by politicians and/or police, to federal authorities.  Intimidation is what unscrupulous people use to get what they want, and in  this day and age, there is a plethora of unscrupulous and dangerous people.

Addendum:
Word to the wise.  If after you've criticized a politician, or a member of law enforcement, or some law enforcement agency, ... and police start driving by your house at all times of the day and/or night (and you've never encountered this kind of thing before),  jot down that cars tags and anything else that will help authorities identify who the culprits are.  If you get audited for taxes, or something having to do with a government agency and it happens within a month or two, or three, etc. of the time you've criticized that politician or member of law enforcement or law enforcement agency, you need to contact your lawyer a.s.a.p., your friends, your family, your congress person, the ACLU, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and anyone else you can think of.  Definitely keep your friends close, because they may go after them too, and a pattern of behavior can be documented.  If you feel you're being followed, turn into a side street to see if they continue following you.

If you contacted that offending law enforcement agency about a prior matter unrelated to your critique of them ... they may see that as a vulnerability and they may prey on that vulnerability.  

Don't let them worry you ... just keep a  journal, and note anything that seems suspicious.  You can't remember everything, so write it down, and have back-up copies online just in case your home is burglarized.  [You may think this is funny; however, if it happens to you in the future, you'll thank us.]

Again, the most important thing is to keep good records and don't keep silent.  Put them on the defensive.  It's a shame, and while most public employees are good people, all it takes are a few bad apples to ruin an entire profession (as we've seen in the past and present).

It would be great if the offending politicians/agencies/departments clean house.

Black Girls Rock

I'm over 60 years of age, and I thought I'd seen alot; but (a few days ago) when I witnessed a room full of Black (so called) men allow a white man to disrespect two sisters without any repercussions, ... I was through. Did you hear what I said? ... I was through ...

First, I don't dislike men, ... but what in God's name has happened to Black men?  Our voting rights are being rolled back, women's rights (and that includes a "sister's" rights) rolled back, unemployment sky-high in Black communities, poverty rates climbing in Black communities, Black men continuing to be incarcerated in unprecedented numbers,  ... and what do (far too many) Black men do? .... Many do nothing; and some of them do worse than nothing (if that's possible).  ... Yep, ... they do the "Uncle Tom" or "Stepin Fetchit".  Yes sa, Mr. White man, ... go ahead and disparage, disenfranchise, and spit on my mother, my grandmother, my sister, and my aunt. 

So why should I be surprised when I see a room full of Black males allow an arrogant, "full of his own self-importance",  Caucasian male,  disrespect two good sisters and a lot more before that?   Why? .. because I'm a sister, ... and what I witnessed made me nauseous, and shocked the hell out of me.  I can't help it, but I really do expect so much more from Black men than what I've seen.  

Sisters have been fighting the good fight since before slavery, ... Strong Black sisters, who despite all the racism, unspeakable horrors, and disrespect they've had to endure through the centuries by (too many) Black males and (far too many) white males, ... still rock on. ...

They still rock in their community, ... They still rock going to school, and work, and then church on Sunday, ... raising and feeding their family (and sometimes other folks children) ... They rock on. 

A couple of weeks ago, I watched a show called "Black Girls Rock" on BET.   Hosted by Tracee Ellis Ross (co-star of "Reed Between the Lines") and Regina King (co-star of "Southland") , it was an awesome celebration of Black women, and dedication and tribute to Black women who have  amazing accomplishments.  If you can, catch it in reruns.

Award recipients:

Grammy award winning legendary gospel singer, Shirley Caesar

Civil rights activist, writer, professor and scholar, Angela Davis

Philanthropist, businesswoman and powerhouse president of the Women's National Basketball Association , Laurel Richie

Academy Award-nominated actress , Taraji P. Henson

Young, Gifted, and Black actress, Tatyana Ali

Imani Walker and Malika Saada Saar

Performers:

Mary J. Blige

Erykah Badu

Jill Scott

Shirley Caesar

Estelle

Mary Mary

Melanie Fiona

Elle Varner

I am so proud of these strong, talented Black women,  and many, many more (African American women - athletes, singers, song writers, playwrights and other authors, politicians, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, performers, producers, directors, community activists, scientists, physicians, lawyers, teachers, engineers, businesswomen) who did not receive an award that evening.

Everyone of you ... Keep Rocking!

Be sure to catch "The Help" on DVD or Blu ray.

Update:
Just published in the online Washington Post, 1/22/2012 / 9:21pm ..
Survey paints portrait of black women in America

And the Razzle Dazzle Continues in Maple Heights

Okay, we've got the skinny on last night's Maple Heights City Council Meeting, and lo and behold, the Mayor orchestrated another grand display of "Razzle Dazzle". 

[Background]
When "Extreme Makeover" came to town, the mayor robocalled all the residents; but when Richard Taylor, the man who was elected to represent district 5, died before being sworn into office, no one bothered to  robocall all the residents in district 5 of that man's passing. No one robocalled residents of district 5 to let them know what course the law director, the mayor, and the council president were considering to fill that council seat or ask for suggestions. [There are still residents in district 5 that don't know Mr. Taylor died.] We were even told that a resident of district 5 called the law director asking for a special election, but the law director asked her was she going to pay for it. So clearly, there were other courses of action that the mayor, the law director, and city council could have taken. They chose the path of disenfranchisement ... and they used the (what some say as ambiguous - open to interpretation) city charter to do it.

Maybe we're wrong, but it appeared to us,  that council and others who attended caucus last night, met behind closed doors the previous day to put the finishing touches on a scheme to calm any rustling of dissent from the employers (taxpayers) in district 5 (those who knew of his passing wanted to vote for their council person to replace Mr. Taylor).  In addition, it also appeared to us, that council and others wanted to  make sure that most of the residents in Maple Heights didn't catch wind of the economic tsunami coming their way (actually its been coming their way for quite awhile now -  see Kasich budget cuts back in June 2011, and previous audits and budgets of Maple Heights).

City council's hand-picked African American councilman for district 5  .. (who we understand may have been asked by the mayor, or someone in his inner circle, or someone on the city council, to apply for the vacant council seat in district 5), was sworn in by his wife, Pamela Crews who is the President of the Maple Heights Board of Education.  From what we've gleaned, Mayor Lansky and the council president have a close relationship with the Maple Heights Board of Education. 

Next, the mayor bestowed praise and honors on a group of young African American males for coming to the aid of a man who needed help. 

Heads of various departments then gave their reports,  and then the  employers (the constituents/taxpayers) were allowed to speak, and trust us ... district 5 did not bite their tongue.  They believe (and we believe) that their civil rights and political rights (yes Mr. Mayor ... there is such a thing as political rights)  were violated by the mayor, the law director, and the members of city council when they decided that members of council (who are from different districts) would choose district 5's council person. 

What is absolutely astounding is that the mayor, the law director, and council members are pleased with what they've done.  They seem pleased that they've disenfranchised their employers.  They state they were simply following city charter ... the law.  Well, we know what that charter was built upon ... a city that has  had many civil rights violations, real estate redlining, segregation, ... / case laws going back to 1924, when African Americans could not own a home in Maple Heights, and racism was rampant in the great state of Ohio.  What a fine legacy.


When you glance across that council table, you see a sea of white faces (fire chief, police chief, heads of other departments) ... and now 2 lone African American males who are council members who work  for  a  city (of an est. 23,000) that has about  65-70% African American residents (with unemployment numbers for African Americans around 10-15%).  If you haven't read our previous posts regarding Maple Hts, please do so.   [Would have been a sign of good faith to the predominantly African American community if the recently retired fire chief had been replaced by an African American fire chief ... but, oh well ... he wasn't.] 


Ask the mayor's administration about the people who lost their homes to foreclosure ... We bet most were African American ... and the number of African Americans in Maple Heights who have lost their homes to foreclosure, or are in jeopardy of losing their homes to foreclosure continues.  If they receive real help to stop foreclosure ... that help will almost always come from outside Maple Heights.

To continue:
We were told that, despite the fact that petitions (re: district 5's right to choose their own council person) were presented to city council from residents in district 5,  the mayor kept nastily harping on one, of several online petitions that were meant to bring social media attention to the issues that residents of district 5 were dealing with.  When you bring social media attention to an issue, you don't really care if the signers actually live in the area. The idea is to put pressure on the people who are the source of the problem.  Signature goals are chosen  by the organizer of the petition, however, the standard goal is 100.   Again, district 5 decided to do online petitions (several) and going door to door.  They would have continued going door to door; however, at a district 5 meeting attended by Ohio Senator Nina Turner; Senator Turner advised them to not waste their time pursuing their goal to vote for their council person.  Senator Turner has ties with the suburban mayors and business community - (she sided with them regarding issue 6, thereby causing a fire storm in the African American Cleveland community who supported issue 5).  Interesting note: She used the same wording Lansky used.

-

This bunch ... city council, mayor, law director, ... are out there selling Maple Heights, ... telling folks that Maple Heights is a wonderful place to live in, do business in, etc.  Well, that's one of their jobs.  They take credit for whatever good happens in Maple Heights, and can place blame elsewhere for things that go wrong.  They won't talk much about burglaries, thefts, unemployment rates, poverty rates, or bad things that happen in Maple Heights.

If you were to call the mayor regarding the concerns of  his employers from district 5, we could almost guarantee that this mayor would state that what he, city council and the law director have done is legal, and the people making all the noise about their civil rights are just sore losers and whiners. 

"It's unfortunate, but this mayor's behavior (I feel) demeans the office of mayor, because he is disrespectful, and has belittled not only his employers, but also others ...  This is the same mayor who chose to smear the character of an African American woman who ran against him in last year's mayoral election.  It's bad enough that he belittled African American women senior citizens in council meeting, but he did it when there were Afican American children in the room" [Quote by Maple Hts resident]

Council members probably won't cross him ... **Remember,  ... the law director used a 1924 case law to declare the district 5 council seat vacant; stating that the leadership (or a majority of council members) could declare any council seat vacant, for any reason.  Seems to fit  right in with that whole climate of intimidation.

This dear friends is why blogs like ours are crucial.  We give no one a free pass ... not a Democrat or Republican.  Our job is not to sugar coat.  Our job is to shine a light on what's underneath all that razzle dazzle.

Three more things ...

1. With the city in such dire financial straights, will the mayor take a nice, big ole pay cut, or if that's not possible, give back some of his pay voluntarily?
2. Will council take a pay cut,  or if that's not possible, give back some of their pay voluntarily? 

3. Is there a conflict of interest with the appointment of Mr. Crews?

    a. His association with the UAW which endorsed Mayor Lansky for mayor last year.

    b. Married to the President of the Maple Heights Board of Education - teacher's union endorsed Lansky for  Mayor last year, and the mayor has a close relationship with the board. 

    c. Did the mayor or a member of council or both, approach Mr. Crews (or his wife) to ask  him to apply for district 5's council position? We understand that around 9 people had applied.

    d. Lansky backed Jackie Albers for council president, and we believe she has close ties with the board and/or teacher's union. 

    e. So is this appointment of Mr. Crews (married, parent, African American, associated with labor and the school board), really all about the mayor and his agenda (which may be about getting himself elected again), and needing someone to rubber stamp whatever the mayor and/or council leadership wants?   Remember, the council president rode in on the coat tails of the mayor.   Without the mayor (Remember that slick campaign piece?), Ms. Albers could very well have lost the election (as council president) to Carolyn Gamble (who spent very little money campaigning, and had some, but no major endorsement outside of a poorly supportive Democratic endorsement). 

Question:  How many council meetings has Mr. Crews attended in the past?  Ask him.

We predict: Now that Ms. Albers has her ducks in a row, she will instruct her minions to follow a plan to take money meant for residents who abut the railroad in districts 3 and 5.


Just to be very, very clear ... Any politician, or public servant that threatens, intimidates, harasses, or tries to disenfranchise anyone, or take money or land meant for African Americans (even under the guise of legality), ... they will be scrutinized and called to task.  We don't tolerate illegal, or unconstitutional,  or unethical (especially a pattern of) behavior from any politician.   They will be reported to the proper authorities if warranted. 

We're going to be digging deeper into this ...

[to be further edited]

**Related post:

Who Does John Montello, Law Director for the City of Maple Heights Really Work For?

Addendum:

While people are getting  a nice fuzzy feeling about those 5 new schools that cost residents about $50 million to build, ... and all that publicity around those new schools:

Here's something that's distressing to us.  A great number of residents started  losing  their homes beginning in 2007 while elected officials and the superintendent were pushing to pass a levy for new schools and other bond/levies, even through most of 2008.  [Property owners provide a major source of revenue in paying bond interest payments, etc.]  Their explanation for the new schools was the schools were becoming too costly too repair, and the state was going to give half of the money for those projects.  Why wasn't there talk of reducing  the number of schools, and letting private developers come in (with a requirement that they hire residents on projects)  to (develop that land) bring new businesses into the city that would create jobs for residents, and help train residents for the jobs of the future?  Who really made money in the building of these schools, and just how did Maple Hts residents really fare?  How much money did residents really gain from these projects? 

A lot of money flew out of Maple Heights resident's pockets into a lot of pockets of people and businesses that did not reside in Maple Heights.  A lot of money appears to be still flying out of their pockets to pay bond interest payments, and into (still) a lot of pockets of people that don't live in Maple Hts,  and into the pockets of business owners and large businesses that don't reside in Maple Hts. 

Hey, if we're wrong ... show us where the money went.

6 schools (which includes those shiny new schools) for about 3,900 students, with a declining city population?  It may be good political strategy to build those schools if you want to get elected mayor in Maple Heights; however, we don't call that forward thinking.

What American corporatists are getting away with now

AWESOME JANE STILLWATER

From:
Jane Stillwater's Web Log

After I got my long hair caught in a vacuum cleaner the other day, my first thought was pure terror -- like I had just been attacked by werewolves or vampires with claws! But then my second thought was, "Gee, at least I HAVE a vacuum cleaner".

Despite the recent huge economic downturn, most Americans are still relatively well-off right now, even me. Sure, our infrastructure sucks eggs and we mostly have run-down schools and hospitals, but at least we still have them. Old and run down. But still functioning at least.

But wait! Perhaps help for our hospitals is finally on the way! Is it really true that American corporatists have recently decided to spend over nine billion dollars to build at least 20 brand new state-of-the-art hospitals in Georgia? According to RT News, yes indeed this is true.

The only problem here, however, is that the corporatists who currently own our country are now in the process of building these 20 wonderful new hospitals in the former Soviet-bloc state of Georgia -- not in the American state with the same name that's famous for peaches and Braves. http://rt.com/politics/us-georgia-iran-war-441/

How bizarre is that news?

And now I've just read where American corporatists have recently sent in the U.S. Coast Guard to break up a strike by American longshoremen. That's even more bizarre than getting one's hair sucked into a vacuum cleaner -- and even more painful. One can always just cut one's hair off, but forcing America's military to act like low-life strike-breaking scabs? That's a cut to our democracy that may never heal.

ILWU members had been promised jobs in Longview as a priority condition for allowing corporatists to receive massive federal subsidies to build a new terminal at the Washington state port. But after the terminal was safely built, greedy corporatist slugs then fired the longshoremen's union members point-blank -- and not only got away with it but used the U.S. military as their own personal enforcers and thugs. http://www.longshoreshippingnews.com/2011/10/san-francisco-unions-support-ilwu-local-21-at-egt/.

Am I the only one that finds this news a bit bizarre?

American coproratists seem to be getting away with EVERYTHING these days. Cheating on elections, throwing people out of their homes, never paying taxes, robbing our treasury blind, fighting undeclared wars for fun and profit on our dime, beating protesting citizens with clubs, buying off Congress, etc. But almost nobody in America seems to want to stop them.

Here's more bizarre news -- Stephen Cobert's video explaining how corporatist superPACs steal our elections: http://www.colbertsuperpac.com/

Had enough yet? Or do you want to read some even more bizarre news about what corporatists are getting away with now? Yes? Then take a long look at this: The unassailable New York Times, the esteemed Gray Lady herself, recently reported that the IAEA had accused Iran of using its nuclear program to develop military weapons. But guess what? The IAEA had said no such thing. Now the esteemed Gray Lady has lied to us (again) in order to get us into a useless and unnecessary war (again) that would only benefit corporatists. http://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/times-errors-irans-nukes-sfs-voting/

Very deja vu. Very bizarre.

But -- to me (but apparently to nobody else) -- this is the absolute most bizarre news of all: Perry, Santorum, Obama, Romney and even Newt Gingrich and JEB Bush are all running on a platform of being good Christians. Huh? What?

NO ONE who either calls for the bombing women and children in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and America -- or is actually out doing it -- can EVER call himself or herself a good Christian. Ever. These people are no more good Christians than was Attila the Hun.

Send drones to kill babies? Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus did that?

Leaving the meek of the earth to starve to death and the peacemakers of the world to be jailed? Jesus is down with that too? Not!

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," said Jesus. Beating down non-violent OWS protesters with pepper spray, tear gas and truncheons? NOT CHRISTIAN. Not Christian at all.

Yet no one seems to be calling these monsters out on their uber-hypocracy. No one calls them out at all. That's bizarre.

And it's also rather bizarre that all these corporatist presidential candidates are happily telling us that they are in favor of "Democracy". There is NOTHING less democratic than a corporation. Face it, CEOs are tyrants. Corporatists worship the dictatorship model. To tell us that they want America to remain a democracy is absurd.

Corporatists by definition are top-down kinds of guys, "Do what I say or else you will lose all." Corporatists by definition are bullying-type authoritarians who spit on America's treasured democratic principles -- and don't you ever forget it!

Now let's turn to the comic-page section of the news.

The average American today seems to more and more resemble that Peanuts cartoon character Charlie Brown -- always trusting that somehow Lucy will let him finally kick the football. But guess what? No matter how many times you vote for the party of Bush-Obama-Romney-Santorum-Clinton-Paul or believe mainstream media reports or trust corporatists to finally hold the ball upright, you are still gonna get tricked every time. And you're still gonna land flat on your face while corporatist secretly laugh at you as you lie there in the mud. And it's still gonna hurt.

How's that for bizarre news?

by Jane Stillwater

Who Does John Montello, Law Director for the City of Maple Heights Really Work For?

It's beginning to be a mystery to us as to who John Montello (Maple Heights Law Director) actually works for; considering that the taxpayers of Maple Heights (his employer) pay his salary.  He recently put out a legal opinion regarding what he deems a vacancy in city council with the death of Richard Taylor, who just recently won the seat of council person in district 5.  Mr. Taylor who had been ill for quite awhile, never was sworn into office.  

District 5 residents are now becoming aware of Mr. Taylor's passing, and where that leaves them in regards to representation.

NEWS FLASH ... according to the law director, it appears the residents of Maple Heights (district 5) will have literally nothing to say about who will represent them for the next .. what?.. 2 years?.

This is the same law director who helped negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the police union, where we learned that police officers in Maple Heights would still only be paying $20 individual/ $40 family for their monthly health insurance premiums (dental and vision care are included in that small premium they are paying).

In case you forgot what Maple Heights residents are dealing with economically and racially, see our other posts regarding Maple Heights.

Will the law director try to confuse or intimidate the residents of district 5 with legal minutia and legal language (Well,  ... in our "non-legal" opinion, haven't his actions already done that)?   

Regardless of what the law director puts out, it's just his legal opinion (emphasis on "opinion").  Only district 5 residents matter here.  They have to live with the consequences of his actions, and the actions of the Mayor of Maple Heights and Maple Heights City Council.  

What's important is... are the actions [of Maple Heights City Council, and the city law director] ... unconstitutional?  Do their actions violate district 5 residents civil and political rights (constitutional rights) regardless of what's in the city charter?  

Come to think of it, .... are sections of Maple Heights City Charter unconstitutional; or is the whole charter unconstitutional?

What's definitely not funny in any way, shape, or form ... is that this law director, and this city council appear to be using Maple Heights resident's money (yes, that includes the residents of district 5), to disenfranchise them.  We'll say it again, ... use his employer's money to disenfranchise his employers.  Unbelievable!

Bear with us (cause we just thought of this) ... Did this law director go looking (digging) for (1924) case law  ... that (in effect) resulted in the residents of district 5 (his employers) being stripped of their right to vote for their own representative in council? 
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The employees of Maple Heights government need to tread lightly ... cause their employers (the residents of district 5) are getting very upset.

Let's look at three wiki articles regarding voting rights:

    Under Jurisdictional Differences/United States, paragraph 2

        (note paragraph 5, in Montello's legal opinion - appears to be targeting one individual in particular 

         (but also targets 1 particular group) in that paragraph - this opens up a "whole can of worms".
         Interesting what Ron Paul says about our military and court system (and he's not wrong about that,
         though we don't like his views about the Civil Rights Act of 1964)

    15th Amendment

    Voting Rights Act of 1965

   
    Interesting Wiki article (1) Interesting Wiki article regarding segregation in Ohio (2)

        [The leadership (where the power rests) in Maple Heights is predominantly white -  actually, the heads of every department may be white - most or all (call to see if all) high salaried positions are held by whites (who may or may not live in Maple Heights); Maple Heights District 5 is predominantly African American, and 70+% of Maple Heights population are non-white]

History of Maple Heights (population, etc)


Addendum: The use of the 1924 case law by this law director, could be construed by members of council, as an act of intimidation ... that if they do not go along with the leadership and majority rule, they could find their seats declared vacant too.

THE LEGAL OPINION  (CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VIEW):

CLEVELANDS SECRET CLUB WISHES YOU A FANTASTIC HOLIDAY 2011

WISHING YOU A FANTASTIC HOLIDAY 2011

Confronting Stereotypes of the African American Woman

Poor People Are Just Shiftless ... At Least That's What Newt Gingrich Believes

I'll give it to conservatives.  They don't bite their tongue.  They just come out and say exactly what they think of minorities, women, poor people, and especially poor children. 

These people cannot wait to bask in the shade of an Orwellian society.  Well, actually it's pretty dark in that kind of society;  .. but they must think existing in an Orwellian society will be fantastic.  Personally, I don't get it. 

Now we all know how they hate minimum wage laws and child labor laws; and how they love outsourcing to countries that have cheap labor.  They totally embrace and  "tap dance for"  the 1%ers and we know that too. ... So how in the hell do they think they'll get elected?  Here's the reason ... they believe most of us have short memories, and most of us are just plain dumb. ... And judging by the results of the 2010 elections, they must be right.

Comedian George Carlin on the 1%and politicians

Remember what George Carlin said about Republicans?

Why are there so many conservative lunatics among us?  Anyone have an answer?

Let's listen:

On "The Ed Show"




The Rachel Maddow Show

National Day of Action, Thursday, November 17, 2011

Break out your tennis shoes. Thursday will be a "National Day of Action" ... and the "We are the 99% " will be peacefully gathering at events all over the country. 

In Chicago: Occupy Chicago

In Portland: Occupy the Banks

Facebook: Out of the Park and into the streets 

Events Near You 

More

Daily Kos

Undaunted by Crackdown, Occupy Wall Street and New York Activists Plan Massive Day of Action | | AlterNet  by Sarah Jaffe, November 16, 2011

On the international front, people all over the world (Belgium, Germany, Madrid, etc.) will take part in the two month anniversary of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement (#OWS).  

Twitter: #N17 

Thursday's Day Of Action - A Big Deal | OurFuture.org  by Dave Johnson, November 15, 2011

The Evictions Won't Stand: Make Nov. 17 A Day Of National Occupation | OurFuture.org (Isaiah J Poole), 11/15/2011

The Boys Are Back in Maple Heights

While the nation has woken up with a fighting spirit, saying "hell no" to a host of efforts to strip them of their civil liberties, women's rights, worker's rights and consumer rights, ... Maple Heights voted back almost the same old crew of years ago.  

Nasty (stinking) politics, arrogance, intimidation, and money rocked Maple Heights, and we don't think the place will ever be the same. 

Folks are leaving Maple Heights, ... fed up with home foreclosures, negative job growth, and high unemployment (pretty much what the nation is fed up with); and fed up with burglaries, rising taxes (and receiving less for their money), less than desirable student academic performance (2) and racial disparities. 

Malaise permeates the city of  Maple Heights. 

What is and is not funny about what just happened in Maple Heights, is that for all the mayor's focus on county corruption, his city would not have the homeowner face lift its received, without county money loaned to homeowners to fix up their properties. 

What is and is not funny about what just happened in Maple Heights, is that for all the mayor's focus on issues surrounding issue 6 (and his love of issue 6),  progressive Democrats, and not the business community, were responsible for most of the large projects in his city.

What's depressing, is that a lot of that money, flowed to people (businesses) who largely did not live in Maple Heights, and who hired little to no minorities from Maple Heights.

We see the mayor of Maple Heights doing what (we think)  he does best ... suing people (we aren't saying always successfully) who oppose him.  Perhaps he's delivering a message, ... if you criticize him, ... if you oppose him, you may just get sued or perhaps investigated.  Will someone please give Ciaravino a phone call? 

What will remain (we feel), unless the minority community and all residents of Maple Heights wake up, ... is high unemployment, poor job growth rate, home foreclosures, increasing taxes, continued decline in population and  less than desirable student academic performance.  

What will remain (we feel), is residents (especially property owners) who will be faced with paying a lot of salaries and benefits to a large majority of people who work in Maple Heights government, but don't live in Maple Heights. 

Remember:
[Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2009: 13.2%(8.7% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 15.7% for Black residents, 13.3% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 0.0% for American Indian residents, 0.0% for other race residents, 24.1% for two or more races residents)]

What Maple Heights residents must not forget, is that the people  they just rehired (people who have worked for them before), ... do in fact, work for them and not the other way around; and that, they better pay very close attention to the finances, legislation, and projects ... very close attention.  We don't think that these are financial wizards the residents just rehired.  We believe most of them have no clue with regards to innovation, social media, and new technologies; and sorely lack vision for this 21st century.  We believe most of them are stuck in the past, and most are the same ones who were around when the decline started.

*And you folks near the railroad ... make sure no one messes with your money that is in a special fund. 

And will someone tell us who bought Southgate USA?  Wouldn't it be funny if .......

Cuyahoga County Election Results



Update 11/21/2011:
 'Income Achievement Gap' Almost Double Black-White Performance Gap, Report Shows
by Louis Freedberg 

What Role for Labor in the Progressive Uprising? A Conversation With Labor Strategist Stephen Lerner | | AlterNet by Amy Dean

We love our unions, but damn, ....

Did this portion of a collective bargaining agreement go through?:

     [collective bargaining agreement regarding health insurance premiums - yep, it says that this group of gov't employees will pay only $20 (individual) / $40 (family) a month - if Maple Heights residents want to see the entire bargaining agreement, ... call Maple Hts City Hall]

December 12, 2011 UPDATE: When last we heard, Maple Heights approved this bargaining agreement. 

[Seems after some Maple Heights residents became aware of this bargaining agreement, the next day Maple Heights City Council held a special meeting and approved the bargaining agreement.]

Interesting:
December 21, 2011 [Politifact Ohio] 
Governor's health benefits claim a favorite from 2011

2010 (Wikipedia) Population, etc. data

Don't Forget Bank Transfer Day November 5th

Don't forget!!  Saturday is "Bank Transfer Day".

Can't stand big ole blood sucking banks?  Well, you've got a chance to take part in the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, even if you can't physically be at an #OWS event.  If your bank has horrendous fees, is getting on your last nerve, and you just can't take it anymore ... move your money.  The official national "Bank Transfer Day" is Saturday, November 5th.

["Bank Transfer Day" is not affiliated with "Occupy Wall Street"]

Bold Progressives "Banxodus" website


4 Simple Steps for Taking Your Money Out of the Vampire Banks | | AlterNet, by Lynn Parramore, October 30, 2011

Move Your Money Project

Bank of America Campaign on Change.org

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Maple Heights Town Hall Meeting Reveals Shocking News

While Southgate in Maple Heights quietly slipped from receivership (2009) into foreclosure a few days ago (potentially taking a major source of revenue from Maple Heights), allegations of voter suppression, voter intimidation, and [perhaps] financial nonfeasance were revealed. 

The Town Hall Meeting at the Maple Heights Library last night (held by the endorsed Democrats in Maple Hts) revealed such shocking news, that even we were not fully aware of, but had sensed for some time (check previous posts).

So that there is little guess work ... the targets of the voter suppression and voter intimidation are Mrs. Mitchell's supporters.  There have also been allegations that white males in camouflage attire have been following the endorsed Democratic female African American candidates; and Mrs. Mitchell has complained that quite a few of the  (vote for Neomia Mitchell) yard signs have been removed by people driving around in trucks (she also states that when she ran against the mayor previously, a lot of her yard signs were missing).  Mrs. Mitchell has also complained that there were voter registration applications she turned in to the Board of Elections that could not be found at the Board of Elections.  The stuff we've heard about or seen for our very own eyes is shocking.

Here is something interesting:
In an early piece of campaign literature put out by the mayor, it shows a picture of a bunch of Mrs. Mitchell's yard signs in a big heap in front of former Mayor Ciaravino's yard signs.  Where did he get that picture?  Better still ... how was he able to get a picture of Mrs. Mitchell's yard signs conveniently placed  in a pile in front of a pile of Ciaravino's yard signs?

The Democratic Party (given the problems that confronted them in Cuyahoga County) we believe, would not endorse a candidate that they felt had any real and substantial and highly incriminating evidence  linking her to any crimes or scandal.   That's why, we think, they chose Mrs. Mitchell.  It seems the mayor wants people to think otherwise (maybe trying to have her investigated).  We feel this is unbecoming of a mayor of any city (see Mayor Lansky's pictorial characterization of his African American female opponent) . 

We also learned that some of the salary raises that were given over the last few years, may not have gone thru city council as they should have (correct us if we're wrong).   Why the council president did not take a stand when it happened, is a mystery to us.

Please remember (Maple Hts statistics):
[Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2009: 13.2%(8.7% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 15.7% for Black residents, 13.3% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 0.0% for American Indian residents, 0.0% for other race residents, 24.1% for two or more races residents)]

The job growth rate in Maple Heights is in the negative figures (around -10%).  Most of the people who work in Maple Heights (esp. those who draw high salaries with fantastic benefits), do not live in Maple Heights.

Where has television and print media been in investigating what appears to have been going on in Maple Heights?  Where are they now?

While the scandal unfolds, we expect public officials to continue to deflect attention away from them unto what they'll state as "politics as usual" (and we think the nasty smear campaign against Mrs. Mitchell will continue ... and probably will get worse); however, this is not "politics as usual" and the people who are suffering, and will continue to suffer (esp. from the repercussions of all this), are the residents (esp. property owners) of Maple Heights. 

We'll update .. as we gather more information.

Information on the Maple Heights financial state audit that was recently completed (which includes information on the 2009, 9.95 million dollar note (debt) which now puts Maple Heights over 18 million in debt) ... www.auditor.state.oh.us 

[By the way, Mrs. Mitchell, the mayor's opponent,  was not a member of council in 2009.  We also just learned that Maple Heights general fund may be in the red. Bond interest payments, (and salaries if we're correct) come from the general fund.]

What Role for Labor in the Progressive Uprising? A Conversation With Labor Strategist Stephen Lerner | | AlterNet  by Amy Dean


Several residents complained that a "Re-Elect Lansky" yard  sign was placed on their lawn without their permission and the letter below was left at their house (we have permission from them to post it).  We leave it up to you if you consider this "voter intimidation".  (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

That Damn Tax Levy and Those Pesky Municipal Bonds

City government administrations and city council ask residents to approve levies every now and then (usually dealing with schools and safety departments); and  they will also take out loans (for big projects) by issuing bonds.

Did You Know?

"A levy gives a local government a claim on a specific property; and if the taxpayer does not repay the levy, the government can foreclose on the taxpayer's house and sell it to pay off the levy. If the taxpayer sells his house, the new home owner will have to make the future levy payments. Existing levies can make properties in an area more difficult to sell."(1)

Scary ... right?

There can be sound reasons for levies and sound reasons for issuing bonds; however, I ask you ... why do they always come to the property owner for help in times of fiscal trouble?  And further, how do you justify asking property owners and other tax payers to fix past mistakes, or fund things, when residents are losing their homes and their jobs, sometimes because of those past mistakes? 

What to think about before issuing a bond: What's the bond for?  Is the community stable? Can the project wait til the community is financially stable before issuing a bond? What kind of bond will it be? Is the bond insured (if it is, by whom, and who is responsible for the insurance payments?)  Who will be the bondholders? With what are the bonds secured?  What happens if your city defaults? (Think back to 2008)

Note: "GO bonds are secured by the full faith and credit of the issuer, meaning that the borrower is committing to raise taxes and other revenues sufficient to cover the amount owed".

If you're going to say "yes" on some tax levy your city administration and school system ask for, ask them (mayor/city council/school superintendent/ whoever is asking) to take a cut in salary and/or benefits first.(2)

Also consider: 
Are property values stable?  Is the community stable, and the population and number of homes stable and growing?  What are the projections for property values?

Whatever the city administration and city council (or superintendent of a school via mayor) ask you (tax payers) to do, ... as stated before, ... those levies will usually be paid on the backs of property owners. And with bonds, tax payers will pay the interest until the bond matures.  When it does mature, and if you can't pay, you may be able to refund; however, you can't refinance the loan forever.  

(1)Bonds and Levies

(2)MHSD

(2)Superintendent Keenan in 2011

This post is not meant to give investment advice, it just points out risks to bond issuers.

Mayor of Maple Heights Does the Razzle Dazzle

UPDATE: 10/17/2011

Okay everyone, ... let me back up with a rewrite because folks have been calling, ... and have said in classic Ricky Ricardo style, ... "Lucy, you've got some splaining to do".

So the explanation:

A friend of mine called to tell me that there was a huge piece of campaign literature from the Maple Heights mayor, stuffed in her mailbox.  Like so many of you who saw it, ... she was almost speechless.  Anyway, she gave it to me, and I was also, ... at first,  speechless.  Me, ... speechless ... but not for long.

Well, those who know me, know I always do my research.  After my eyes got adjusted to all that gloss and ego, I focused on the resume portion of his campaign brochure.  While there was quite a bit of stuff there, I jumped to his "education" ..  He says he is a graduate of Maple Heights High School ... great, .. then he hit me with the "WOW"

I was beginning to give the mayor his propers about the "Graduate of Cleveland State University", but dag gum it, my eyes caught the words,  "Leadership Academy" ... see, most people just saw the words graduate of "Cleveland State", but not that Leadership Academy part.  What they don't know is that the Academy holds leadership training, (up to) 2 week courses that cost a pretty penny; but  there's no pass or fail test at the end.  Right?  I then saw "Graduate of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government Leadership in the 21st century".  Harvard U's Leadership for the 21st century program is a 5 to 10 day program (depending on the topic). The program requires participants to be actively engaged in the classroom, in small groups, and in individual reflection. One does have to apply; however, there is no formal educational requirement. Even though the mayor didn't actually graduate from Cleveland State or Harvard University with a Bachelors or Masters Degree, I totally give him his props for wanting to improve his leadership skills.   And, the David C. Sweet Award in 2002 .. you have to be an alumni of the Cleveland State U Leadership Academy (which he says he was) to receive the award (and I'm not sure of the nomination process).

By the way, Mrs. Mitchell, the mayor's opponent (who doesn't boast about her credentials, memberships, associations, etc) is a college graduate.

The mayor also lists "memberships" and "community service". I saw "Founding Sponsor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C."  See, I'm also a "Founding Sponsor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial ..."  How did I become a Founding Sponsor?  I donated money a couple of days ago:. ... and that "Wall of Tolerance Honoree in Montgomery, Al with recognition from Rosa Parks (click here).

Like I said, I always do my research; and I always ask questions (esp. of politicians) ... like ...what do you have to do to become an honoree or a sponsor?  Did you get an invitation in the mail (etc.) to become a member, sponsor or honoree, and does that designation get secured by sending money?

The other thing I want to see are dates ... did this event/honor/service/etc. happen before you started campaigning or after you started campaigning? .....Actually, that question is sort of ridiculous,  since politicians are always in campaign mode.  Anyway, you can do the rest of the research about the mayor's resume, on your own.

This is what get's me about politicians (they throw things out there, and they know you probably won't dig deeper), and this current mayor said it himself ... he's a pro when it comes to campaigning ... and this man is a career politician.

The professional, expensive, glossy brochure (with items referenced above) is a step up from those negative campaign pieces he had previously; however, WOW, this piece was enough to dazzle any number of  African American residents in the (predominantly African American) Maple Heights.  But I'm sure he knew that ... that's probably why the photos, glossy, American flag background, resume, and sports center spread.  

And, ... Oh Lord, ... that "photo op" front page?, ... with people who black folk love, ... Right?

Maple Heights:
[Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2009: 13.2%(8.7% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 15.7% for Black residents, 13.3% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 0.0% for American Indian residents, 0.0% for other race residents, 24.1% for two or more races residents)]

And the final razzle dazzle ... endorsement from (not the Democratic Party), but lo and behold .. the mostly conservative editorial department of the Plain Dealer - Plain Dealer Publishing Co. (member of the mighty and self interested Chamber of Commerce via the Greater Cleveland Partnership).

I think the mayor has definitely learned some valuable lessons from those leadership workshops/seminars, and advice from others.  One lesson he's learned?  The man does make connections, and he does network. Well done!  If he had to switch parties to do it, he did it.  Nothing illegal about that.

God love ya Maple Heights residents ... but you damn better "wake up and smell the coffee", and start asking some important questions about your city finances and those  salaries and benefits that may be sucking you dry. Take a look at those salaries and compare them with other similar size cities with the same economic conditions  (residents, .. if need be, use the Ohio Public Records Law to get information on city finances and salaries;  or ask your council person for them).

 Maple Hts population / Cleveland population / Cleveland Mayor's salary / Shaker Hts population / Shaker Heights Mayor's salary

The mayor is probably a likeable guy in public (definitely not if you oppose him), and he does do some good things; however, the major criticism is, ... not opening the financial books up (esp. the audit) for every resident to see ... and what Maple Heights residents (the mayor's  boss) should be laser focused on; ... If you're in deep (decided to take out the word we previously used) debt (personal, as well as city debt), and residents are paying these higher (compared with ..) salaries with benefits (especially higher than average salaries and benefits to a lot of folks that don't live in Maple Heights) ... and residents are not paying attention (at all) to the legislation, those projects, the revenue losses that are going to shock them, and those smaller dollars that add up, ... and if the council president is just a "yes" man/woman to the mayor (and we're not saying that's what's happening, but Maple Heights residents need to be vigilant), ... at some point, the shit's going to hit the fan, ... and no amount of razzle dazzle is going to shift the focus then.

[While property owners started losing their homes in great numbers to foreclosure starting around the end of 2007, read what Mayor Lansky, along with Superintendent Keenan, were celebrating.  Interest payments on some of those bonds comes due in 2012. Just learned that the general fund is in the red. Interest payments on the bond come from the general fund. One would think that with all these new schools, Maple Heights students would do better.  Wonder whose taxes are going to go up?]

A suggestion: Maple Heights residents, you need to form a watch dog committee of representatives from every district, who will not  "rubber stamp" everything the mayor or council does. Please attend caucus (before council) meetings and ask questions.  Go over legislation, go over every line, every expenditure ... have them justify the expense, and justify the projections.  Take an interest in what your police do? Examine, Examine, Examine, ......Question, question, question ...  Make suggestions.   Make sure you have someone on the committee that understands finance; and if you have to call your elected officials on the carpet, do it ...
You are their boss, but you gave them, and other government employees, the power to change your life considerably (for the better or the worse).  Share the power or take it back.

What are these candidates plans going forward? What are they going to do to make Maple Heights a better place for all the residents? 

Addendum: 
Let me make something clear. ... salaries are paid from the general fund .. which is tax dollars.  If people are jobless (which many are), and there isn't enough money in the general fund, those in the administration will try to come up with creative ways to get the money.   Municipalities almost always look to pass levies for a host of things (school and safety expenditures).  The people who usually pay for these levies are property owners.

Now Maple Hts was one of the worst hit by  home foreclosures ... so who bears the burden of these levies?  Well if these politicians can't get money from property owners, they may dip into money set aside for other things, .. but if they can't legally dip into other funds or those funds are not there,  they'll either raise taxes some other way or borrow (and when you borrow you must pay it back with interest).

Whatever the mayor's administration and city council (or superintendent of a school via mayor) ask you (tax payers) to do, ... as stated before, ... those levies will usually be paid on the backs of property owners. And with bonds, tax payers will pay the interest until the bond matures.  When it does mature, and,  if you can't pay, you may be able to refund; however, you can't refinance the loan forever.  You see where I'm going here?   Think end of 2007 into mid to late 2009 ... businesses closing, people losing their homes and their jobs in the hundreds of thousands.

Maple Heights residents, the shit is about to hit the fan sooner than you think. ... You're losing revenue faster than a train crossing the country. 

In addition: Keep in mind, a majority of the salaries and benefits you are paying are going to people who don't live in Maple Heights; and many of the businesses who are reaping the rewards of  doing projects in Maple Heights  (like building schools), probably don't live in Maple Heights either.

Maple Heights 2007

Maple Heights 2008


Maple Heights 2010 - Charter Amendment

Maple Heights 2011

Superintendent Keenan in 2011

What Role for Labor in the Progressive Uprising? A Conversation With Labor Strategist Stephen Lerner | | AlterNet  by Amy Dean


Update 11/21/2011:
 'Income Achievement Gap' Almost Double Black-White Performance Gap, Report Shows
by Louis Freedberg 
 

Maple Heights:

Job Growth (2000 - 2011):	-10.8%
Unemployment Rate:	10.3%

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