Gloria Ferris

Tim and I just arrived home from The Indians Game where we collected signatures before heading out to our stint at the fair.

As we walked down Bolivar, we looked up and there was a plane dragging a banner ad “DON’T SIGN THE PETITION! WE NEED MEDMART!” Truth in advertising would have been, “DON”T SIGN THE PETITION! PEOPLE DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE!”

I wanted to say “DON’T SIGN THE PETITION! TIMMY AND JIMMY NEED $880 MIL TO DO WHAT THEY WILL!” but then I focused and got back on message. See how easy it is for them to get everyone off topic? Two people voted to raise our taxes. TWO! JUST TWO! I don’t believe that is right. I wonder who paid for that plane. It won’t be cited in any public record will it?

So, one of us said, “Somebody must be nervous to spend all that money on little old us”. And then, we proceeded on to the park between the Q and Jacobs Field where Zack said that Jeff and he collected signature after signature on Friday night. Well, no such luck for our side today. We weren’t there ten minutes when we were told that we would have to move along by a security guard. I asked where we could stand, and he said I will get my supervisor if you want. I said no don’t bother I will ask that Cleveland Policeman over there. The security guard very politely kept insisting that I should speak to head of security at Jacobs Field. Probably because the police officer said he didn’t know what was public or private.

By that time, someone else in our group had talked to the head security guy who told him that three feet from the street in was public and everything else on Ontario, East Ninth and Carnegie was private property and we were not allowed to stand anywhere inside it. Of course, the cop told us that the three foot stretch would be too dangerous for people so our best bet was to be on the other side of the street. These locations were simply feeders into the main area and were not efficient for gaining large amounts of signatures.

I came home just to let everyone know that we must be touching some nerves here when my neighbor came over to tell me she wished I could have seen Tom Beres’ “Between The Lines” this morning. She said that Dennis Eckart and Mary Someone who is a communications consultant were talking about our effort. She said that they had very good things to say about our organization and our effort so we need to fall back, regroup and get around these roadblocks they are setting in our way.

Does it make you wonder like it makes me wonder? Why are they so afraid of allowing people to vote? Why should giving people the right to vote be such a scary prospect? And could you remember that this sales tax increase is not earmarked for the Convention Center as they promised in the Public Hearing, it goes to the general fund. There I go again getting off topic. No, maybe that is the topic–if this is put to a vote, there will need to be a lot more specific information. I agree–putting a sales tax increase that would simply say “into the general fund” probably wouldn’t pass, but why are they so sure that if they specifically TOLD us what it was for it would not pass? I don’t care what their reasoning is for DENYING us the right to vote. We HAVE the right to vote, and I intend to do everything I possibly can to see that we get that right.

See you at the fair!

Yesterday I faced some troubling events that I feel should be shared because I do believe that all of these things point to our freedom of speech being assaulted. First of all, let me say these are my observations and my opinions on what is at risk not only here, but I am worried that this scenario may be taking place in other communities such as ours, and it is not pretty.

We began our day fresh and ready to start gathering signatures for the Put It On The Balloot campaign.  And then, the stones began to fly.  First, we heard that several people had recieved nasty emails about the initiative and that they should think twice about helping us.  Then, we heard that a few people were told that they should stick to what their job was and to not worry about this issue of “the right to vote”.  Then, we ventured on over to the Burning River Fest, and as we entered the park, we received a flyer telling people not to sign our petition and that we were not to be believed because it wasn’t about the right to vote, it was to ruin our chances for a medical mart. I didn’t read the rest of it because I was too angry from reading the first little bit.

And, this is why I was so angry. I can tell you for a fact that that is not a true statement because I was at the meeting where fourteen people debated the medical mart issue, the convention center, the use of the tax increase, corruption in government and  many other topics before we settled on the one topic that had brought us to the table in the first place–THE RIGHT TO VOTE TO RAISE OUR TAXES.  We are all ages, all sides of the county, all political parties, you name it and I can point you to someone who meets those criteria.   We knew that we needed to focus on the one issue that we all agreed and that was http://putitontheballot.com. So, to the Tower City employee passing out the literature: You are all wet.

Now back to freedom of speech.  Yesterday, we were met with phrases that disturb me greatly.  “I don’t think I should sign because I am a County employee”. “I don’t sign anything like that because who knows who sees it”.  “I don’t think that the voters of Cuyahoga County should have the right to vote on this issue.” “Yes, I believe in the right to vote but the medical mart is more important”.  “I need to know more about the issue before I sign anything”.  The issue is the Right to Vote to Raise Your Taxes.  How much research is needed before we will have lost that freedom?

Where are we when people are afraid for their jobs if they sign a petition?  Where are we when people are afraid if they sign it will jeopradize funding?  Where are we when people believe that things shouldn’t be on the ballot because voters aren’t educated enough to make decisions?  Where are we when people stand across a parking lot and take pictures of people holding petitions that contain language about a basic right–the right to vote?  Where are we when legal teams debate whether or not you will be allowed to circulate petitions? I would say that we are on a slippery slope.  No, scratch that, we are on a very steep precipice and if we fall down, I am afraid we won’t get back up.

We need  to remember one thing.  There are three more opportunities to raise our sales tax without a vote.  If we do not block this money grab from the public for the general fund this time, they will be emboldened to try again.  Again, raising an additional $880 million for building “things” and not investing in “assets”. Before, I venture out today to again gather signatures, I wanted to let  you all know that there is something insidious going on here with the mindset of people in our midst.  There is a definite feeling of fear by some and a feeling of superiority in others.  Of course, I guess every society has those elements, but we sure don’t want them to reach a tipping point.

We still are at  a 3-to-1 ratio on signatures and in some places it is even better, so victory is attainable.  We need volunteers.  We have the signers, but we need those people to hold those petitions so that they can sign.  Yesterday,  we were allowed to use our ironing board at the shuttle stop and when people weren’t racing to catch a shuttle they were signing and signing and signing.  Today, we will be at Jacobs Field early in the day and for the afternoon we will be at the County Fair.  Come sign our petition and Help the cause.  Let’s Put it On The Ballot.