MAPLE HEIGHTS MIRED IN CONTROVERSY

What a crappy day  ...

Things don't look so good for those lovely residents in Maple Heights.  Actually they look horrible.

Here's what's happening.  Various residents in Maple Heights are exercising their employer/legal rights (asking for public records and public information), and it looks like they're  being stonewalled by John Montello, the law director.  Remember, Montello is the Mayor's guy (the chosen one) and we figure  if the Mayor gets swept up in a scandal, so does the law director and vice versa.

We think (our opinion - feel free to disagree) this guys picks for negotiators for Maple Heights, is not helping the residents in Maple Heights.  Not only that, but it appears too much (for us at least) of this guy's actions have been to the detriment of some of his employers (resident tax payers).  His  legal opinions  (which he published) helped (we feel) disenfranchise his employers in district 5.  According to what we read and heard, he drafted legislation (?) on behalf of Mayor Lansky, that took money away from certain residents in district's 3 and 5 (restricting them to only 20% of  money set aside for them for damage done to their homes due to the railroad - to which they state they haven't received a dime yet).  He allowed the Human Services director to dodge answering serious questions asked of her by one of her employers (a taxpayer), and now he's decided to block certain information that is crucial to determining if affirmative action agreements have been violated, or if the leadership in Maple Heights is "giving away the store" to people who don't live in Maple Heights.

Oh yeah, we've also been told he couldn't find any affirmative action agreements entered into by the city of Maple Heights [wonder if he billed them that $95 an hr - or is it more now?], even though he was able to find a 1924 case law (or was it Mr. Blair Melling) that led to the residents/voters/his employers  in district 5 being eventually disenfranchised (our opinion), and possible intimidation of members of council (declaring a council seat vacant for any reason).  

One of his employers/a resident found the chief negotiator  of  those affirmative action agreements, and he gave her copies of those agreements.   So what's up with Montello? You were given a hint, but still couldn't locate those agreements?  

There's a lot more to this story, and you can dig up our old posts on Maple Heights.    Here's a bit of advice Montello and Mr. Mayor, ...

You don't want to do anything that even looks like/smells like you're trying to cover up wrong doing. 

And FYI, we bet a lot of you are just itching to find out what other information we've uncovered about the city of Maple Heights.


Here's a small tidbit.  We were told by a credible source that there were over 560 foreclosure filings in the city of Maple Heights in 2012 so far (in a city of  about  23,100 residents), and that there are many houses vacant. It also appears that the population declined from about 26,000 to the now about 23,100 (according to 2010 census) during the current Mayor's term in office, and the school's student enrollment has also declined (see our other posts).  Now before we allow these city employees to say that things are bad all over Ohio, Maple Heights is one of the worst in terms of home foreclosures,  and the market values and assessed values of the homes in Maple Heights has declined significantly.  

A suggestion:
If any employee who works for Maple Heights government  knows of a cover up,  or any acts of wrong doing, or acts of racism  by Maple Heights public employees, our suggestion is to come forward now.  If there's a scandal coming, you don't want to be swept up in it.


Update 12/20/2012:

Mr. Blair Melling has decided to dip his toe .. wait ... no, dip his foot into the muck and mire in Maple Hts.  Did Mr. Montello sick Mr. Melling on those poor folks in Maple Hts?  Careful Mr. Melling, do you really want to get caught up in these murky waters?  Just asking.  [Re: Melling and Montello, click Here (about 10 paragraphs down) and Here. ] We'll keep you updated but it looks like besides issues stated on this post, constitutional issues also keep popping up.


This post is open to further editing if corrections or additions need to be made.

MAPLE HEIGHTS IN LOCKDOWN MODE August 10, 2012

How Little Old Ladies Got Thrown Under the Bus in Maple Heights March 20, 2012

And the Razzle Dazzle Continues in Maple Heights January 19, 2012

Who Does John Montello, Law Director for the City of Maple Heights Really Work For? December 29, 2011

The Boys Are Back in Maple Heights , November 9, 2011

and there is more

MAPLE HEIGHTS IN LOCKDOWN MODE

What's that famous "Godfathers" line?  Oh yeah,   Michael Corleone: "Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in."

Okay, okay ... nothing bad on my end, however ...

What the hell is wrong with these guys in Maple Heights.  Rumor has it that certain government officials (and/or MHTS public employees) have been given orders not to talk to or release any, or is it any really important information to certain residents in Maple Heights (who shall remain nameless). 

Look, Ohio has a public records law and there are sunshine laws.  What you Maple Heights public employees are doing, ... honestly looks like a cover-up.  You shouldn't be going around deciding who and who you are not going to release public information to.  You can't be that dense.  Now a whole bunch of people want to know what you have to hide, and now I want to know what you have to hide?

If there's nothing, release the damn information that you are legally required to release. 

And here's a question: Can a public official become an "accessory after the fact", and can "obstruction" be charged against a public employee?



Update 8/24/2012: 
A few friends thoughts  "Are these guys Republicans, cause they certainly act and sound like it?"



Update 8/23/2012:
It is official.  Requests by a person, who shall remain nameless, for public information/records were sent to a Ms. Waller, Ms. Gambosi, Mr. Montello, Ms. Vopat, and a Charles Crews Jr.  As of this date, the individuals named have not given the information requested. 

It also appears that Mr. Montello or/and Mayor Lansky (two public employees who work for the taxpayers in Maple Heights, and not the other way around) may have put the "lock" on the release of certain public information (that they call inquiries).  And since when did public employees get the impression they don't have to answer questions from taxpayers/residents (again, who pay their salary)?  The words "arrogance" and "insubordination" come to mind (my opinion).  Yep, something doesn't smell right.   

To be continued

2012 Ohio Sunshine Laws

**Related post:

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

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.  [Remember, this was Mayor Jeffrey Lansky's choice for law director]  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?.

Is this the attorney who helped negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the police union, where it looks like 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 financially 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. (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? [Update: Gee Mr. Mayor, have you no sense of humor - lighten up.  Also, just who do you think wrote this post? Do you have ESP or do you have spies lurking around?  Careful, you might be letting the "cat out of the bag".]

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? 
-

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 almost every department are white - most  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):