Gloria Ferris

My next scheduled installment in the Put It On The Ballot series was to be about the concept of leadership and how it has become rather perverse here in Northeast Ohio but then over on Brewed Fresh Daily George posted a letter that Roldo received and the comments it has generated made me think that the time was right for this post.

During the Put It On The Ballot campaign you may or may not know that many of the venues where we circulated the petitions a member of some union would pass out slick printed literature touting the benefits to Cleveland of the Medical Mart and how we needed the Convention Center as well for jobs-union jobs.  It amazed me that these union members could not see that a “right to vote” for those jobs for bricks and mortar was something that we should not be willing to give over to three county commissioners who had never really made a case for how this money poured into the general fund would be earmarked for this project.  Unions have come a long way but somewhere they have wandered off the path that their founders envisioned.   

My dad was a union guy- a stalwart union guy.  He wasn’t, at first, but when he came back from the war he went to work with his dad in a foundry in Wooster. It wasn’t a union shop, but some of the older guys wanted to make it so.  Dad was on the fence, and then. a big piece of machinery swung the wrong way and it broke his nose.  I think Mom said they sent a ham and a fruit basket and told him to “get well soon.” When he went back to work, he was bounced back to the first job he had ever had at the foundry-patternmaker.  He made much less money.  Then, he worked his way back up to the job that broke his nose. Wouldn’t you know the damn machine swung the wrong way one more time and broke his nose one more time. This time he was told by management that he was “accident-prone” and that he needed to be more careful.  Dad said the machinery was faulty and he was suspended for a week.  Needless to say, my dad signed on with the union organizers and, within a year, the shop was unionized.  My mother’s family and much of my father’s family was very chagrined that my mother and he had become a “union” family.  Democrats, no less.  I grew up in the heart of a Republican county.

Many years later, when I was in college I finally landed the coveted summer job wanted by all college students in my hometown–the job at Rubbermaid.  All I could see were the big bucks in my future.  I was going to make enough to pay for school and have a great summer besides with at least two trips to Virginia Beach.  Three weeks into that job, we were called in for a special meeting by the management.  The United Rubber Workers had threatened a strike and they were asking us college kids to sign on to work throughout the summer to keep the factory running.  I don’t remember the details but we would be making more money than we were at that point.  The only thing we needed to do was to sign up,  to agree to be carted in by bus, and to realize that we might be asked to stay in the factory.  Later,  I was telling my mom all the details when my dad came home from work.  He had left the foundry years before and now belonged to the Laborer’s Union in the construction trades.  He no longer felt the need to be on the front lines of the union giving up his days as union steward and organizer, but he still believed strongly in “The Union Way” as he called it.  He asked what was the reason for such serious faces. When I told him,  I never expected his reaction.  My mom was the disciplinarian in our family so very seldom had I ever seen my father the least bit upset with me.  In fact, he was my pal. my buddy, the guy that knew what it was like to be a kid. I swear his blue eyes threw sparks at me and his deeply tanned face became a mottled red. Profanity spewed out of his mouth as he told me that no *@&#@ daughter of his was going to be a @%&$@* scab. WOW! Was I floored.

Many hours later when I felt it was safe to approach him, I asked him “What’s the big deal? I will be able to pay for my year at college.  I’ll have some extra money. I won’t have to work the cafeteria job unless I want to do it. ” He then told me that “I” ”I” “I” was not the point in the discussion the point was that Union brothers and sisters felt the need to strike and that all unions and union families needed to support them.  It is in the numbers where unions make it better for the common good.  When unions gain benefits and safe working conditions all workers benefit-unionized or not.  If they can split us back into factions and have us thinking only of ourselves, we will lose. It turned out that summer that the Teamsters Union backed the URW and said that they would not cross the picket lines.  If Rubbermaid couldn’t move the goods they were producing, it would hurt the bottom line.  Everyone went back to the table and the strike was averted.

I think my dad was right, but I think what he talked about standing united and working together  is even more necessary today and much more farreaching and relevant than it was when we had that conversation in the early 70′s. Unions are a big part of the reason for our quality of life here in America, but I think that many unions have been overtaken by college graduates that are closer to corporate types than they are to the ordinary people who organized and made those unions great.  Somewhere along the way, they have lost their way.

When a newspaper can obscure a grassroots effort from being what it was-putting it on the ballot and giving the public the right to vote and make it about the Medical Mart/Convention Center which it never was because such an issue would have HAD to be put on the ballot and in front of the voters, we are losing.  We are losing something very basic to democracy.  We are losing because we are being split into factions  constantly. As long as we allow ourselves to be pitted one community against another we will not move forward and we will not prosper.  I was amazed that union members would not think of their brothers and sisters who would be paying increased taxes it was only about the promise of a job. Not the reality of a job, but the promise of a job.  That these union members would not know or did not care that a sales tax is one of the most regressive taxes known and that those least able to afford it would be paying the most is troubling.

Unions have come a long way since the beginning but maybe they need to go back to their roots to begin the transformation that so many people feel they need.  I believe this quote from the letter to the NY Times by the former UAW Regional Directors speaks directly to this issue “Our role as a union, in behalf of our members and the community at large, is not to help them escape their responsibility to their past commitments but to help them convert those commitments to the common good.”  There is a lot of discussion about what is the common good and who or what decides that definition, but I think that that is just an intellectual cop out.  To me,  these words of Hubert Humphrey exemplify”common good” -It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped. I believe that the noun government in this quote can be changed to many other words-society, individual, union member,  business leader, county commissioner and the list could continue. Place your own noun there, and see if it works for you.  How do we stack up here in NEO?

 These words demand action not intellectual conversation.  And it is imperative that Unions look back along the path they came when transforming themselves now so that they remain a part of our future because their role should be oh so much more than it has become.   

Last time I posted about the public hearing,  I covered–the pony show, Christopher Kennedy’s presentation and the barking dogs-the public show. And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the three act road show of Jimmy, Pete, and Timmy. Thanks to the commenter on the previous post for clarifying that Chris Kennedy did indeed enter the auditorium again and sat through the rest of the show. After the public comment portion of the hearing, each commissioner spoke to the issue.  Peter Lawson Jones in his usual senatorial tones spoke eloquently to the alternatives that could pay for a new convention center, how the public at large should not pay for a facility that would benefit private enterprise but those benefiting should shoulder the cost.

Jimmy the artful magician was up next. With one sentence, he made PLJ’s alternatives disappear.  In essence, he said that all of those alternatives had been looked at, they were not available and that the state didn’t care about us, the federal government didn’t care about us, and if anyone was going to save us it had to be ourselves. “Poof!”  All the alternatives gone in an instance.  And then, he conjured up the usual education and jobs illusion and again, there was no substance. He ended with we need this convention center to get this deal.  We need this money for this convention center to make this deal.

But we hadn’t seen anything yet. Taxin’ Tim Hagan, and he called himself that. not me, started throwing knives.  The first knife he threw was about “Taxin’ Tim” and how he was proud of that title.  That he had put Metroparks levies, arts and culture levies, and human service levies on the ballot and each time the people of Cuyahoga County had responded favorably. The man not only could throw knives but he too is a master illusionist. He simply erased the fact that he was talking about ballot issues that needed a public vote.   And then, he began lobbing knives at those of us in the audience who felt that the public had a right to vote on this issue. I thought at one point he called us unAmerican, but others don’t remember it that way, so maybe it was an inference that I felt rather than heard. He then, reprimanded the three Cleveland Councilmen who had the courage to stand up and say that the tax was regressive and would probably hurt their constituents more than others.  They also had the courage to say that there were rumblings of dissatisfaction in the city.  His answer was how dare they not be a partner with the County on this very important project that would benefit their constituents more than anyone.  He never got around to explaining just why or how that would be. 

And then, there was the obligatory shell game.  The resolution was read stating that the 1/4% sales tax would be deposited in the general fund.  It is my understanding that the general fund covers operating expenses, so how was this additional revenue going into the coffers going to pay for the Convention Center that was the answer to getting the Medical Mart? Of course, now there was no public participation, so no one could ask the question except maybe Peter Lawson Jones, but wait why hadn’t he mentioned this general fund language in his remarks?  And now, I understood the booming assertions of Jimmy Dimora we will use this money for the convention center. we will use this money for the convention center. It turns out that if the funds were earmarked, there would be no choice but to “put it on the ballot”.

Although we all suspected that the “public hearing” was only done because the commissioners felt they “had to”, they sure did pull the wool over my eyes. To me, a hearing has the converse word listening on the other side, but because of the ”urgency” of the situation which never was fully explained these public hearings were back to back and a vote was taken immediately after the last hearing.  No deliberation, no discussion among the three, just a vote.  Someone told me that was the way it had to be but no one ever told me why. Obviously, no need to “listen” to the public, thecommissioners have heard it time and time again, and they simply don’t need the public input.  After all, we elected them to represent us and therefore, we should let them do it.  Exactly, represent us but I ask you how do you represent someone if you are not willing to sit down and discuss things with those very people you represent-hearing constitutes listening, and in this county that just isn’t part of the dialogue.  And how do you represent people when you are so out of touch with the very people you are elected to represent-businesspeople and trade unions are only a part of your constituentcy and there certainly no indication in this sideshow that all sides had been looked at and weighed.  If so, there would have been a lot more substance in all three commissioners’ remarks.

But then, to the finale, the vote was taken. Nothing breathtaking or unusual there.  Although up to the last minute many felt that Jimmy and Timmy might do the “right” thing and put it to a vote, now wouldn’t that have been a showstopper?  But no the ending was predictable except for one thing, Peter Lawson Jones voted “no” and then disappeared. 

Disclaimer:  Apologies to all of my friends who are professional magicians. Don’t worry these guys are strictly amateurs. There illusions are easily seen.   

Before writing this post, I googled “define Public Hearing.”  The definitions were varied, and some were specific to situations.  This one probably fits my definition of what I thought a public hearing was better than the others, but parts of all of them would make a whole–”a formal meeting held pursuant to public notice by the governing body or planning agency, intended to inform and obtain public comment, prior to taking action in accordance with this act”.  Let it suffice to say that I think the County’s public hearings often fall very short of transparent and effective government, but that is a post for another day.  The purpose of this post is to show why, after the “public hearing,” I was more determined than ever that the “people’s right to vote” was essential to the public process.  

The public hearing consisted of three parts: Christopher Kennedy’s 45-minute presentation on the Medical Mart although it appeared rather thin concerning specifics, but  gave beautiful shots of the other Vornado Realty holdings that MMPI manages as well as some that they do not.  There was a passing reference to education and jobs in relation to Medical Mart coming to Cleveland but not much substance.  The investment of $2 million for architechural and site studies was stated, plus another $3 million investment as well.  It was rather vague on which private entity would be providing the private investment for the project, but basically it worked out to $5 million.

Then Commissioner Hagan laid down the rules for the public portion of the hearing.  No questions or comments were to be made concerning the Medical Mart presentation or directed to Mr. Kennedy–rather, all comments and questions needed to be addressed to the commissioners themselves.  It would have been extremely difficult to ask a question of Mr. Kennedy since he left by a side door immediately following his presentation.  I did not see him return.  I found it quite odd that 45 minutes of everyone’s time was taken up with a presentation that we could not then address or question.  My questions would have been these: On the issue of education, how would the Medical Mart collaborate with existing colleges and universities and medical institutions to strengthen our image as a health care industry leader–essentially making Cleveland the destination for students interested in the health care industry; the second part of that question would have been how far would the Medical Mart people reach into the schools here in Cuyahoga County–what would the opportunities be for high school students, and how would early childhood health education become a part of the collaboration.  Dreaming, aren’t I?  This is simply a private corporation whose only commitment will be to shareholders and not to strengthening our community.  Given the investment that our county was being asked to commit to the project, I felt that we should have  a return on investment and I believe that benefits in capital add more value.

Mr. Hagan also asked that county employees should shift their seating so that the public would have easy access to the microphones.  It was interesting to note the number of people who shifted to make room for private citizens. Public comments and questions were limited to two minutes.  The Put It On The Ballot people had decided earlier to limit our remarks to the “right to vote on tax issues” and we pretty much stayed on task, much to our credit since there were so  many unanswered questions about the project, but since we weren’t allowed to question the presentation, our task was made easier.  There were many speakers but I am going to limit myself to four. The first will be Mayor Georgine Welo who essentially said that she wanted to give the county commissioners their first 25 cents towards this wonderful project.  I feel for the people of South Euclid when their mayor doesn’t realize that the actual tariff is $7.75 not the 25 cents that she stated in her “oh so cute” two minutes. Be glad she doesn’t handle the books. The second will be George Forbes who spoke as head of the NAACP. Although we had been told by Mr. Hagan to limit our comments to the matter at hand. Mr Forbes was allowed to address the fact that Christopher Kennedy’s “team” showed  a “bunch of white people” and that Mr. Forbes was here to say that black people needed jobs and he was putting everyone on notice.  I found it interesting that Mr. Forbes did not address the regressive nature of a sales tax as did his counterpart in Hamilton County.

Then a lady rose to speak who had taken her lunch hour to come to this hearing, used her weekly budget for lunch to pay for parking in the belief that she would find answers to her questions.  She was disappointed that she was leaving without answers and that all she could do was still hope that the Medical Mart would do what was promised.  The last speaker, was a gentleman that agreed that we needed jobs but that we needed skilled jobs and not transitional entry level jobs.  He implored the County Commissioners to make sure that that was the type of jobs we would be getting.  

During this proceeding, I felt extremely uncomfortable.  There appeared to be a very antagonistic tension in the air between county employees, union workers, and private citizens who came looking for answers to some very pertinent issues.  The tension was palpable, and it was oh so apparent from the body language and the looks on the commissioners’ faces that we were all there because they HAD to have a public hearing.  It certainly was not because they were considering anything that anyone had to say-postively or in opposition to the project. Anyone can disagree with me, but when the public hearing closed, all three commissioners spoke and the vote was immediately taken.  Consideration, deliberation, done long before any public hearing was held.  I had the distinct impression if they could have had no public hearing that would have been the course of action.

Me, on the other hand, I am going to deliberate and consider my next post concerning the speeches, demeanor, and the arrogance of the county commissioners before writing the next installment. 

Tuesday, July 24th, I received an invitation to attend a meeting at Gypsy Beans and Baking Company.  I went.  I think it may have changed my life. I thought I was through with my days of political activism.  Turned out I was wrong.  When I went, I did not know the reason for the meeting other than it had something to do with the last public hearing about the convention center/medical mart. Turned out PutItOnTheBallot.com was born that day.

A group of activists and others were concerned that the commissioners were bent on adding 1/4% local sales tax to our state sales tax without a vote.  There were Democrats, Republicans, Greens, Libertarians and community activists in the room. Four things weighed in heavily on gearing up for a referendum: 

1. The Republican Party at their Central Committee meeting was supposed to adopt a platform that would come out against a tax levy without a vote;
2. Peter Lawson Jones would stand firm on his “no” vote for the automatic increase; 
3. 90,000 signatures would be needed to make the 45,254 signatures needed to put it on the ballot
4. Funding would  probably be necessary to reach our goals.

Everyone felt funding was our weak suit since all of the business leaders and moneyed people in town believed that a convention center was the next best thing since sliced bread.  Personally, I enjoy slicing my own bread, but then that is just me. A tired, old, overused idea as a loss leader was what we were getting with an untested, unproven Medical Mart idea thrown in for good measure. My take on it was it might work, but how would it work and what would be the benefits for the taxpayers?  Too many unanswered questions for my taste. I hadn’t attended the first public hearing but no way was I missing the second, and I was extremely uncomfortable with the voting public being left out of the decision.   I wanted some answers. So that was my take, but there were as many other takes on the issue as there were people in the room–some wanted no tax increase under any circumstances, others wanted the choice of a vote, others thought the med mart was a good idea but the convention center wasn’t, others debated that without the convention center the medical mart made no sense.  The only consensus in the room was  “the people’s right to vote on tax issues”.

Someone suggested that we needed a very narrow focus.  Someone else suggested that a web presence could overcome some of our shortcomings–we could use paypal for contributions, we could recruit volunteers, we could have a schedule of events where signers and circulators could meet, and on and on.  And then, the room grew silent for a minute or two as we considered the pros and the cons.  During that time, I decided that the overriding issue for me was “the right to vote,” and I would sign on to the effort if the group decided to go forward.  I would put aside my questions about the Med Mart/Convention Center until September 1st.

When the room erupted into sound again, it was decided that a website would be formulated in anticipation of going forward with the referendum, a printer would be waiting in the wings, we would all attend the public hearing, and if we spoke, we would speak to the issue of the right to vote on tax issues,  and we would make our final decision after the public hearing.  And so it began.

As many of you may know by now through local media outlets, we did not make our goal and decided to handle it in the following manner.

Zack Reed and Ryan Demro personally thanked Auditor Frank Russo for making his
office available for us today. (see Jeff Buster’s posting at http://realneo.us/blog/jeff-buster/put-it-on-the-ballot-com-fails-to-garner-10-of-reg-voters-in-30-days)

We then stood on the steps of the County Administration building and publicly thanked Auditor Russo and thanked the citizens of Cuyahoga County who gave up hundreds of hours to stand outdoors in the heat of August on the pavement to collect signatures and the thousands of citizens who drove to the petitioning locations to sign a petition.

One of our patriots was there yesterday at the press conference, but in the confusion and heat of doing things quickly, we did not introduce Mr. Lynch although Zack recounted that Mr. Lynch, on his own time, went day after day to the libraries in Cuyahoga County and gathered signatures for this effort.

As Zack said, it was never about the Med Mart or the Convention Center, to us, it was about all of you who deserved the right to vote on tax issues.

Lakewood Councilman Ryan Demro seconded this sentiment and said that the spending of our tax dollars should be done transparently and openly with the public having a voice. He also said that the fact that we came close but did not make the goal in thirty days speaks for the need to change the law so that it is easier for a grass roots group like ours without access to $$$ to exercise our rights as citizens.

Since we did not have the number of signatures required to put this issue on the ballot, and we recognized that we should not squander the county’s resources counting and qualifying what will be an inadequate number due to need of many more beyond the 45,000 required, we made the decision to not submit the signatures.

This does not mean that the fight is finished. It does mean that it has changed course, and we will assess how and what we as citizens can do to make sure that we the public have the right to referendum that will give us the right to vote on tax issues and other issues as they may arise.

Again thanks, and this is not “goodbye,” but “until we meet again.” The party has just begun.

 I plan to continue the party over the next few weeks, and months, right here.  There are so many enlightening moments, funny moments, and just plain weird moments that I could be writing for a long time about one short thirty days that I believe changed the way we think and act here in Cuyahoga County.

The following does make me pause. I received the following email a few days ago. I asked if I could share it since I considered someone in the medical business as more informed than many of us on this issue. Today, I received an email telling me to put this out there any way I could because the Plain Dealer still hadn’t called or printed his op-ed piece.

Hi Gloria–

I’m in the medical device business and per the following I don’t think the Medical Mart is a good idea.  I submitted this to the PD Forum section last Friday but I do not know if it will ever see the light of day. I thought you might have some use for it.

The Plain Dealer contends that a Medical Mart proposal from New York validates the concept.  Unless you think Field of Dreams was a documentary the only credible validation is commitments by device  manufacturers to exhibit. Here is an evaluation of the Medical Mart concept from a manufacturer’s perspective.

The Medical Mart will have permanent and temporary exhibit space.  The permanent space is supposed to draw shoppers, but medical device customers are used to a higher level of service. Products are brought to them for evaluation, not the other way around.  Institutions like the Cleveland Clinic have an office whose sole purpose is to control the army of vendors who are in its facility on a daily basis.  Customers have no incentive to invest time and money in a trip to Cleveland when they see company reps daily or can pick up the phone in the morning and have four reps in their office that afternoon.

Medtronic claims to have a representative in the operating room every time one of its devices is used.  Often the presence of a rep is required to answer questions about use of instrumentation or to provide assistance if
unusual complications develop. The manufacturer uses this one-on-one customer contact to explain the benefits and advantages of its new products without the distraction of a competitor doing the same thing. Manufacturers have no reason to incur the additional cost of showing their products in a medical device bazaar.

What about large capital equipment? A company plane will fly customers to the manufacturer’s facility for a plant tour, a meeting with technical specialists, product demonstration, and a sales pitch. Large companies like Medtronic also have tractor trailers outfitted with their products so they can take capital equipment on the road. Smith & Nephew has the MOBILAB that can accommodate 24 surgeons and includes a conference room with plasma televisions.

In regard to the temporary space, foot traffic is always an issue on the exhibit floor.  It would be even more of a problem at an off-site location no matter how close. If forced to choose between the main conference center meeting hall and Medical Mart space, no exhibitor would choose the Medical Mart, nor could they justify the expense of placing an additional exhibit off-site in Medical Mart space.

The potential number of meetings that could be drawn to Cleveland appears grossly inflated.  Downtown  Cleveland only has 4,000 hotel rooms. The numberof convention attendees alone routinely exceeds that number. Many meetings draw 15,000 to 50,000 attendees and exhibitors.  A primary draw of many
conferences is that they are always held in warm locations during winter months.  Some conventions are held in the same city every year. There are reasons certain medical meetings are not being held in Cleveland already, and the presence of a Medical Mart is not going to address any of those reasons.

Treat this like any other business proposal.  What unmet need does this address?  There is already a sales network that presents products to the customer in the customer’s own office.  Permanent display space duplicates one of the main draws of the national meetings; a chance to see all of the latest technology in one place. What is the financial benefit?  It actually costs companies money to set up and staff an exhibit that duplicates existing capabilities. What is your competitive advantage?  Minneapolis would be a better location than Cleveland.  They have a larger medical device manufacturing base, the Mayo Clinic, and less snow. How do you protect your position?  There is no way to protect it – any city could duplicate the concept any time they want.

Do not buy into a false sense of urgency; there is no way for Cleveland to lock up a Medical Mart.  Sign a petition to put the sales tax to a vote. Demand details from your elected officials and make an informed decision on Election Day.

Even if Cleveland isn’t destined to be a medical convention Mecca, if the same money were used to make it the cleanest, safest city in America, people might actually move here instead of just visiting to attend conventions.”

Jim Moran

Does it make you wonder, too, why is there such a sense of urgency?  Is the plan really what it seems? I don’t have time to think about it now because we are in the home stretch of the petition campaign to PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.  At the very least, the taxpayers of Cuyahoga County have the right to be informed by a media outlet that will tell both sides of the story.  I am hoping that one of the television stations steps up to the plate and gives us a balanced approach to this issue.  The Plain Dealer hasn’t, the City Club, the citadel of free speech certainly hasn’t,  who will? People have the right to decide to raise their taxes or not. Many of them are indignant that some many think that they do not have the ability to form well thought out decisions. I am too.

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.   

Just when you thought I had abandoned my blog for other interests, here I come again.  I have longed to take the time to sit and write a few words, but for the last two weeks I have been engulfed by the refrendum initiative to take the 1/4% Sales Tax Increase to the voters.  Some detractors say that it isn’t that much per person, that’s true, but if you read Bill Callahan’s blog post on that issue, the cumulative effect is huge, but that is not why I do it.  Others say but the Convention Center/Medical Mart will be good for our region.  Personally, I am not convinced, but could be if there were more documentation, a business plan or so on. But, that is not why I do it.  Others say it is time to tell Tim Hagan and Jimmy Dimora that they have overstepped the boundaries on this one.  But, that is not why I do it. Others say that a sales tax increase is regressive, it is, but that is not why I do it.

I do it because I believe that the American Public has the right to raise their taxes or not. No one else. My thoughts on the state legislature allowing something so foreign to the American way of raising taxes is a post for another day and time.  The bottom line is that our ancestors went to war because of “taxation without representation”, and I believe that that is where we are at now only now we have “taxation with poor representation”.  I believe that we the people agree to tax ourselves and our representatives at the county then administer those funds in our best interests.  That issue is again another post on another day.

Yesterday, I worked at the Booth at the Cuyahoga County Fair. One lady said, “I happen to believe that a new convention center would be a good thing.” As she walked away, I asked her this question, “Don’t you think that you have the right to decide to raise your taxes if you believe in it?”  She stopped, turned around, and said, “You’re right, I do believe that.  I should make the decision whether to raise my taxes or not to build or pay for anything.”

So there you have it.  I believe that we the citizens of Cuyahoga County are capable of making decisions on how and why our public dollars are spent. The idea of a group of politicians and so-called business leaders using a short-fuse time frame that they contrived appalls me.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Unfortunately, we have less than 12 days to gather all of the signatures we need to get this on the ballot so that We the voters of Cuyahoga Counnnty can decide our destiny. A friend of mine, Councilman Brian Cummins says, “Does any one realize that this has the potential to change the next 80 years?”  I say anything that crucial deserves consideration and delibration, not the type of hustle that has been apparent so far.

So I ask you to do what you can, sign a petition, volunteer to work somewhere gathering signatures for a few hours, circulate a petition, there are so many things we need done in these crucial dog days of summer.  Visit http://www.putitontheballot.com and help us “do things the democratic way”.

Only three days until the Cool Community Forum takes place at noon in the auditorium of the Louis Stokes Wing of the Main Library. i suggest public transportation or carpooling. Parking downtown is not easy or convenient at that time of day. The intention of this forum is to allow the public to air their questions and the issues they may have with the proposed 1/4% sales tax increase. I for one have many unanswered questions concerning the purpose of this tax, the use of this money generated by this tax, and the economic sense of another regressive tax to a struggling community. When revenues are down isn’t the prudent course of action to cut spending rather than increase spending.

There are two phrases that are often overused today “follow the money” and “connect the dots”, but in this case, they both seem very apropos. Mayor Jackson signs off on the sales tax increase which will benefit the county and Forest City Enterprises. Forest City Enterprises bankrolled a large portion of Mayor Jackson’s bid for his present position. The County considered Tower City as well as the East Ninth site for their new, “signature” county building. The East Ninth site won that bid helping the Jacobs Group out of a financial fiasco. Where do their contributions go? And now, enter the convention center/medical mart payback to Forest City Enterprises or another site somewhere close by owned by the Jacobs Group. Interestestly, we never hear the third option that the City Planning Commission is considering–the present site of the convention center with a beautiful view of the lake.

Now, none of this would mean a hill of beans to me, if we had a viable BUSINESS plan that shows economic impact, benefits and costs, but where is it? I have seen the sketchy thing that Merchandise Mart’s owners have placed on a few websites here in town, but there certainly seems to be a lot of statements without the accompanying backup statistics showing financial viability. And I don’t mean for the company shareholders. Where are the financial benefits to the city and the county? Where are the studies showing the best placement for this Medical Mart? I don’t know-I am just one of those “dumb” citizens- but it appears to me that placement nearer to University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic would be a better placement or what about placing it between Lutheran Hospital and MetroHealth Center?

And then, there is this tax increase thing. We all know that this is a regressive tax that will put a burden on those least able to afford it. If such a tax is levied by three commissioners and not by the voting public, we should have a good idea of what the long tail benefits will be for our region as a whole. The answer will be “jobs” but let’s talk about those “jobs. Day after day, we hear the lament that our “skilled” workforce is deficient, that our schools are in disarray and not ready for employment. How will this sales tax change these “facts”? Obviously, skilled workers will be imported from other areas to fill the new neighborhoods being built in and around downtown. Recently, the Plain Dealer reported that there had been a net loss of population in a four (?) county area. How are we going to market this area to a workforce that study after study shows trending toward picking a “place” and then, finding a job. This isn’t the fifties anymore when large workforces migrated north to fill manufacturing jobs, but sometimes, I think our government officials think it is.

Why do we have a government spending more money when revenues are down, population is down, and private citizens are tightening their belts? Shouldn’t they be leading the way with learning how to do “more with less”? And then, there is this troubling question in the back of my uninformed mind, if the medical mart is tied to the convention center, does this mean that both the East Ninth Complex and the Tower City complex will not pay real estate taxes? How much of the City of Cleveland proper is covered by the nonprofit sector that does not pay real estate taxes? Can we really afford this much more? Who will be responsible for the infrastructure? Who will be responsible for the safety of the visitors that attend the fifty conventions a year? In other words, whose services will be cut? And anyone who thinks this will not happen has not been listening to the continuing dialogue of shortages in the Cleveland Police Force and the cost of those forces.

And another thing, have any of you when you attended a convention had the free time to walk the city streets and explore the city proper? The ones I have attended have been so chock full of things to do within the venue that very little free time is available. And, when I have asked others if they wanted to explore with me I never get many takers. Most attendees are willing to simply gather in the lobby of the hotel for coffee or retire to the bar for a few drinks and conversation.

And why am I so troubled by the feeling that this latest “plan” is nothing more than a few old men way past their prime having their last hurrah at our expense? Why can’t I see how this works into the big picture of a prosperous and wealthy region? Could it be because this “plan” appears just to “Old School” with no input from the “new” thought leaders that will be stuck with these decisions? It is time for the informed community to step up and demand that our government serve the community that they were elected to serve. If they don’t, then it is time to take matters into our own hands and elect servant leaders who will.