Election 2013: "A Betrayal of the Public Trust"...will be titled again if...

  Information voters should know before casting votes in the next election.

Index of All Open Letter Topics for 2010 & 11

2010 Rotten Tomato Award: goes to Councilman Brian Cummins  

January 25, 2010

To the Citizen’s of Cleveland,

Members of Cleveland City Council,

Mayor Frank Jackson.

When Jackson lied about the budget, he didn’t shoot himself in the foot. He did that to many naïve voters when they felt the pain of falling for his deceptive act. Does Jackson feel a wrong has been done? No, not at all. It is acts like this one that led to his Plain Dealer endorsement.

The lie was only a return to the beginning of his first campaign for mayor. At that time I documented a lie he stated in a campaign flyer. In part it stated…

" Helped save hundreds of Cleveland area jobs by working to keep Office Max, Bearings...

In part I responded…

"Jackson is showing his behind-the-times, knowledge of current local happenings by placing " Bearings " in the track. For about the last 7 years, the name " Bearings, " was changed to Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. Upon relocating, the name was changed. However, the move was within the region and employees had no problems with the move."

Jackson's response was traditional, silence to the people.

For source of info go to HomePage, and type or paste in, Who Are the Protectors of White Collar Crime?

The lie Jackson spread in the November election, for the main purpose of tricking "naive voters" was a whopper compared to what he stated in the flyer above.

But he did tell something closer to the truth a few weeks after the election. The budget suddenly changed colors from black to red. To a deep red shade of a projected 23 million removal, to balance this years 2010 budget.

Now Jackson's confession in telling "something closer to the truth" should have had a rippling effect among Council members. They knew all was not "peaches and cream" with the budget during the election campaign, but they too remained "silent to the people". If the right hand don’t know what the left hand is doing, the next four years in office is going to be nothing but blind leadership. RESIGN! And if they all are treating the budget as if it is a private family affair, RESIGN! And do not point to graphics (the budget shaped like a pie with pieces of it in colors) on a city Web site page, because it is an insult to the public’s intellect.

Before Election Day, Jackson knew the truth. He didn’t hire a finical director with a degree that came out of a "Cracker Jack" box? He may have wanted to try the "Cracker Jack" approach, but the THINKERS behind him would have advised differently. Jackson most likely would tell the public, he hired the best among the best.

When Jackson dropped the "projected" 23 million "something close to the truth" on the public, he also stated in so many words, we didn't see this coming, another lie. Part of the responsibility of finance directors is in the "projection" of funds in meeting the needs of business operations months before the next budget year arrives. And that "projection" just does not come out of a "Cracker Jack" box, which if it did, would not foolishly state something like, "we didn't see this coming."

So the men in blue have become the targets of layoffs to help balance the budget. In government, these men and women happen to be the most important to citizens, more significant then politicians. The safety forces put their own lives on the front line, in part to ease the fear of citizens. Citizens who already have felt the rise of crime since the layoffs of hundreds of officers during Jane Campbell's rain as mayor. Jackson had ordered...and not one of the 19 Council member, stood tall for citizens who fear another safety crunch is coming their way, and said something like...

The men in blue deserve raises instead of layoffs. An independent review of the city budget is in order. A hard core review to find the fat, the excess is certainly there, and protected by special interest groups, and will remain protected by high priced attorney's if needed (paid for by tax dollars). Am I wrong Jackson and fellow members? Where is the political courage voters was looking for when they voted for safety measures last year in part, because over 3,000 people took civil service tests in hopes of being chosen among 200 new police officers to be hired? Was that another big lie played on the public for the sake of winning the election? Did the city's finance director already know the act was a fluke?

No, there was not a Council member who stood tall and spoke out on behalf of citizen fears. Council members have fears too, of being scorned out of politics if they dare THINK and speak exclusively.

Well, many common folk did THINK and I wrote about their thoughts. And the echoes lead to writing about Jackson’s symbolic Rotten Tomato Award for 2009 in last years * November 3, letter.

Recently, Jackson pointed a finger and demoted his director of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Omayra Feliciano for lying on her employment application. If it was not for a report from WOIO Channel 19 News, the action may never have occurred. Now Jackson needs to point the finger at himself and reveal how easy it is to lie in public as some politicians do…with praise coming from the civic elite (not all) for protecting their interests (in this case the city budget). To be fair, lies are lies, verbal or written, Jackson should demote himself for his deceptive act or acts to Chief Inspector of past and future employment applications.

But Jackson should not feel proud as the lone Rotten Tomato Award choice for his deceptive campaign practices. Martin Sweeney deserves the award also for his crude actions against the citizens of Cleveland. Without feeling any guilt (conscience buried in the sub-conscious) Sweeney allowed legal payment of fees to be handed down to citizens as payment in taxes, for his alleged sexual transgressions. Only a politician in good standing with the civic elite (not all), could screw the public to the tune of $17,000 for legal services, in a case that was settled out of court with more tax dollars going to the victim. Some citizens feel the case was nothing but a hoax to spread some tax money around. Could be, because Sweeney and the victim were seen afterward working on a mutual political cause. But really, citizens should think of the misspent taxes as…just a drop of fat from the city budget. Sweeney and Jackson must feel proud of their actions. Being unpopular with the public majority has its advantages. It causes citizens to stay behind closed doors and vent their anger privately…until some find ways to mobilize against acts that would not be tolerated in the private sector of business.

In Ward 18, Sweeney’s territory, there were 14,159 registered voters in 2009. 3,347 voted for Sweeney’s re-election. 10,812 (correction made 9,703) did not vote for either candidate.

Is it reasonable to believe that at least half the voters in his ward who did not vote, was discontented with his leadership?

Does the above figures matter to him? No, not at all. Only the votes he now receives from the civic elite…and most of them live in the suburbs.

Councilman Zachary Reed stated, Sweeney is a "terrible" leader. Reed is the only Council member who did not vote for him this month for Council President. 18 members did, but did they poll the citizens of Cleveland for a yes or no vote? Reed did not have to. All he did was listen to the echoes of citizens across town.

PS If Brian Cummins were listening to the echoes of citizens in Ward 14, no doubt he would have also voted "no" on Sweeney’s Council leadership. But Cummins did not, and that raises a concern among citizens. Will he listen to the will of the people in the future?

To be continued…

* November 3, 2009 Click on...

 http://clevelandcitizenechoesonline.com/PP-5-8.htm  

Index of All Open Letter Topics for 2010

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Index of All Open Letter Topics for 2010

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March 5, 2010

To the Citizen’s of Cleveland,

Members of Cleveland City Council,

Mayor Frank Jackson.

When citizens vote politicians out of office, in favor of voting for somebody new, expectations are high that the choice will bring some kind of change for the better. Change for the better between the common folk and the civic elite. But too often what happens is the expectations become a tug-of-war between the prosperous and the not so fortunate.

Ward 14 citizens are no deferent then others citywide when it comes to the vote for Cleveland City Council leaders. Voters by the thousands in every ward are staying away from voting. And the ultimate reason is not hard to understand. Nina Turner couldn’t have said it better when she said in so many words, I am a legislator, not a point person for citizens to dump their concerns on. And that kind of attitude, not just from Turner, is why citizens in huge numbers no longer care to vote. Turner was not completely standoffish; she did remind citizens that City Hall has many departments that could handle most of the concerns they have. That is wishful thinking in too many cases, even for Turner. Before she joined ranks with the "I am a legislator" crowd, surely one of the reason she wanted to a councilwoman, was the "red tape" jargon she received from calling City Hall for whatever the reason.

Citizens in Ward 14 whom voted for Brian Cummins and Rick Nagin on Election Day totaled 2,629. Registered voters who did not vote were 14,116. These citizens were not eager to vote for either candidate. And the reasons may not have anything much to do with them, but may have had everything to do with previous Council leaders who may have carried this attitude of "I am a legislator," during their terms. Cummins did not take the peoples vote by storm. In fact Nagin was no pushover. He came up short in the election by only 305 votes. Among all the council leaders who won their elections, Cummins came in second to the bottom. Councilwoman Phyllis E. Cleveland of Ward 5 (Jackson’s home ward) came in last place with 1,309 votes. And she even came close to loosing that election by 117 votes.

One of the reasons voters voted for both Cummins and Nagin, is the way Clark–Metro Development Corporation had been treated in the past four years by City Hall officials. Many citizens did not understand what caused the fallout mainly from the city’s Community Development Department. I addressed this issue in e-mail to Cummins and included a copy of it in my last letter to citizens dated, February 11. He replied the following day, and I felt his answer followed along the lines of traditional responses. In other words, the answer did not directly provide an answer to the issue citizens was looking for. However, this is my opinion, and should not be considered the opinion of citizens in Ward 14. Cummins stated…

"I cannot explain the decisions made by my predecessors or those made by the Department of Community Development as related to funding of the Clark-Metro Development Corporation."

I never expected Cummins to address his predecessors shortcomings, but concerned citizens do expect him to, probe and provide, answers to problems related to decisions made within City Hall that shuts out the community. I am encouraging citizens who support CMDC, to contact Cummins and encourage him to find out the why of it all. Cummins should already know or probe in getting the reasons why before being asked, if his work ethics for the people is in the right place. As a representative of the people, this is his responsibility. If citizens continue to ask but silence persist, it reveals a broken link in a politician’s obligation to follow the ideals within democracy, to be true to the people. Silence is permissible, but only in arias such as matters of defense, of protecting our city, our country, against harmful acts of injustice, etc. If my rationale is wrong, I welcome an email debate with Cummins.

But if citizens cannot budge Cummins to do the right thing, they should petition Daryl Rush, director of the Department of Community Development, to write a letter of mutual respect to CMDC. This would clear them of any suspected wrong doings or of poor business practices, if indeed negative happenings were not the reason against eligibility for federal funding. The letter is important when CMDC petitions for grant money elsewhere to stabilize their operations. The funds are needed not only in continuing current services but expansion wherever they are needed in the Clark-Fulton community. A letter from Daryl Rush could put to rest questions citizens been seeking answers to over the past four years.

CMDC serves all citizens, the greatest being the Latino community. And this is a culture, like all others, prefer to be serviced wherever possible by citizens kin to brotherhood. In the past, many of these citizens have been helped by the presence of CMDC. Now CMDC is struggling to stay on course and is in need of support from all citizens. Leaders in the Latino community need to monitor CMDC’s progress. Because there are forces within City Hall who are confident CMDC will shortly go under. And in my opinion, City Hall is sending the wrong message to the Latino community, which counteracts the good works they are achieving and striving to achieve in the future either at CMDC or elsewhere.

Because of the relining of Wards 14, 15, and 16, the Stockyard Redevelopment Organization is in the "THOUGHT" stages now of expanding services beyond their current neighborhood boundaries. The first meeting regarding the expansion took place on December 10, 2010 with Cummins in attendance. One sensitive area of expansion that was noted, was a move to extend services into the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. And it seems to me, at least at this point in time, Cummins is not against the move. He claimed in his email to me…

"In my last meeting prior to the November election, the board was clear to indicate that they we’re not interested in being a part of a consolidation of organizations/services."

Well, I’m not surprised over CMDC’s reaction. And if Cummins does not understand the direct response, walk a mile in their shoes, backward to four years ago when CMDC’s federal funding was stopped. The "Big Bad Wolf" (officials at City Hall) was huffing and puffing to blow their corporation down, in favor of supporting SRO and other development centers outside Ward 14 with federal funds they should have received.

Cummins stated in his memo, "I am waiting for their response to confirm a meeting and will continue to explore collaborations with organizations."

They may be thinking of Cummins as a defender of the "Big Bad Wolf" and does not feel a meeting would be productive. Ward 14 is made up of various ethnic groups, and if Cummins wishes to treat all as equals, he must start doing what he spoke about prior to the election. Cummins must not wait for them to call for meetings, City Hall has not been vary friendly to Ward 14 citizens and for too many, the councilman’s allegiance has little to do with them. If Cummins wishes to change that image, he is going to have to reach out to the community now and start the social healing process. If not, maybe Joe Santiago, former councilman for Ward 14, can help him find a good job four years down the road.

About half way between Santiago’s term, I was invited to a Hispanic citizen block club meeting. What the president of the club said to me was disturbing, but not surprising. She mentioned inviting Santiago to meetings with the group several times, but he never showed up at the gatherings. She not only shared her upsets with me but also no doubt, echoed her feelings to others outside the group. A few months before the Primary Election, I heard that Santiago was attending a few block club meetings. I’m Sure he shook a lot of hands, spoke and hoped for the best, but the best turned out to be just a pipe dream.

If Cummins is wise, he well look back, think on, and avoid the mistakes Santiago made. But even if he got all his ducks in a row, his works could fall by the wayside if most of the voters, 14,116 of them in last year’s election, still do not vote. This possible mistake can be avoided, if indeed Cummins is working for the people, by using the best PR source that is already in circulation. The newsletter that is delivered to homes of Ward 14 citizens. NOTE! I hope the newsletter is not being considered as a budget cut. One of the biggest complaints among citizens in all wards is the lack of communications, knowing of the progressive actions being taken.

Santiago used it as a directory of information of city services, community social events and messages which is good, but he left out the most important info of all. Including a guide that informs of his past works and future goals for the community. If Cummins is disturbed by the 14,116 "no vote" count, change for the better is in his hands. If Cummins has not done it by now, including "a log of past works and future goals" in future newsletters would be a welcome change. Cummins will never get all his duck in a row, but if people know he is doing his best, by avoiding the lazy politicians 101 excuses to maintain the status quo, by getting his best in print, sent to homes, and (I’m still urging) on the internet, he well achieve what colleagues like Sweeney, Polensek, Zone and Westbrook do not have. Their claim to political fame, for the most part, is name recognition. Cummins name is yet to become a household word, but what should be more important, is achieving the word "honorable" before his name, and that will only happen when citizens recognize his works and spread the long awaited good news among other people.

If it is Cummins choice to put his best foot forward for the citizens (in all ethnic groups), a challenge his colleagues may frown upon, his image most certainly would surpass the one Jackson lift behind in Ward 5. Phyllis Cleveland’s low vote count among voters, 1,309, does reflects on Jackson’s work ethic in the ward as councilman, which in turn, no doubt, also tarnished the image of local government in the eyes of the people. Ward 5 had 17,760 registered voters in 2009. 15,258 did not bother to vote. When Jackson became mayor, is it really hard to imagine he left behind a dismal image of "local government" among Ward 5 voters? Is it important to Cummins to change that dismal "local government" image that Ward 14 voters also have? If that depressing image changes for the better, he just might be the first Councilperson to start a movement among lethargic politicians in other wards. Now that is something concerned citizens should encourage among leaders, and then hope to see it come to pass on the future.

The email I sent to Cummins and his response can be read by clicking on

I have written extensively in the past (from a distance) about the Clark-Metro Development Corporation and the issue dominant over what I planned on writing which was…

"What kind of government would the Plain Dealer execs like to see in Cleveland? A government by the people (democracy), or one dictated by the affluent (anti-democracy)? Does the PD endorsements of incumbents provide a clue?"

PS I just wrote the first paragraph…

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Index of All Open Letter Topics for 2010

http://clevelandcitizenechoesonline.com/election_2009%20-%202.htm

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