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  (or because of) home foreclosures, negative job growth, and high unemployment (pretty much what the nation is fed up with); and fed up with burglaries, 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 some of the homeowner face lift its received, without county money loaned to homeowners to fix up (or repair) their properties.  Unfortunately, homeowners are still losing their homes to foreclosure because of high unemployment, etc. 

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)] Figures most likely have changed for 2012, so if you click the link, you may see other figures, but question the accuracy.

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. 

& Southgate USA was foreclosed on ... Is it up for sale?  Wouldn't it be funny if .......

Cuyahoga County Election Results

2010 (Wikipedia) Population, etc. data

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 (if they're allowed to), ... 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

LANSKY  VAN WITH CAMPAIGN SIGN PARKED IN FRONT OF THE POLLS.  NOTE DATE AND TIME STAMP IN FRONT OF THIS POLLING PLACE / also WE WERE TOLD, A CITY OF MAPLE HEIGHTS EMPLOYEE DROVE THE VAN (PLEASE CHECK)

MAYOR'S CHARACTERIZATION OF HIS AFRICAN AMERICAN FEMALE OPPONENT

LANSKY LETTER TO RESIDENTS WHO HAD A LANSKY CAMPAIGN SIGN PLACED ON THEIR LAWN  (SOME WHO CLAIM THEY DID NOT GIVE THE MAYOR PERMISSION TO PLACE THE SIGN) - IS THIS AN ACT OF VOTER INTIMIDATION?

-

We, of course, have the most of the originals which are much clearer.

HEAVEN SAVE US FROM A CENTRIST

There are a number of so-called centrist organizations (ex. "No Label") or centrist entities popping up all over the place. These centrists say they are simply people who are sensible, who don't want to yell and scream, who just want to work things out, who are willing to compromise.

Don't confuse "centrist" with "independent".

Right now (in my opinion) we don't need a centrist ... because the one thing you don't need when your house is on fire, is for someone to politely try to work out a solution to put the fire out. Yes, be rational, ... but hell, your house is on fire!! Muster all the people, money and other resources on heaven and earth and put the damn thing out now!

I don't want someone who is watching their family being murdered and raped, say "you can rape and kill him and/or her, but leave what's left of my family alone". I want them to move heaven and earth, and do whatever they can, and find whoever they can, to stop their entire family from being slaughtered and raped.

See centrists (again, my opinion) are status quo people. These are the folks who would leave the poor and disabled to fend for themselves in order to arrive at some kind of "compromise", or because they need certain folks money to campaign and win elections. They never think to stand on street corners, go house to house, and walk from city to city, state to state with a message, ... that in America (with my family) some things are worth fighting for.

Centrists were the ones who politely compromised on health care reform while women who had breast cancer were dying (are dying) because they couldn't (can't) afford treatment.

Some things you simply don't compromise on. For example: It is a woman (not you or me or the state) who decides what to do with her life and her body (and no one should put barriers up or should stand in her way) ... non negotiable. For example: Our children deserve to be (and because they can't do it all by themselves) protected, fed, clothed, sheltered now, to have health care now ... non negotiable.

No one can see far into the future. What we do know is ... that people are unemployed, and people are dying in America because they can't afford food, proper shelter, and affordable and proper health care. What we do know is ... that there is no prosperity for all when there is no Middle Class. What we do know is ... All workers have a right to collectively bargain and be treated fairly; and one of the reasons why, is because that organization/entity cannot survive without them. What we do know is ... trickle down economics doesn't work.

What we do know is .... that the entities, [that caused the collapse of a world's economy, and the destruction of many persons/families livelihoods], and the people who reaped benefits from the collapse of a world's economy, must pay monetary restitution. The world's economy (and the people whose lives they destroyed, and the families that were destroyed) must be made whole. There is no compromise ... it is non negotiable.

There is another word for a centrist ... when the shoe fits ... that word is "coward" ... and/or a person who is not willing to take a strong stand for what is right, ethical, moral (and let's not get into the pro choice/anti choice fight), and good. I've already stated what is non negotiable.

Right now, in this place, at this time, ... I need, we need .... people who are willing to take a strong stand. To fight back against the insanity that is taking place in the "peoples chamber" in Washington and across this nation. I want fighters, not peace keepers, to say, "you will not destroy any more lives, ... that there are some things that are non negotiable and worth fighting for, ... and I will not you hear me, ... will not back down". I want them to take an unshakable stand, place the blame where it should be, ... demand that those responsible for the destruction, the carnage, and those who reaped the benefits from it, to make us whole.


In other words, ... I want a progressive. (1)