By Roldo Bartimole

RTA has decided to cut the services to the most transit-dependent. Not enough money, they say. Can’t you just accept that? What are you crying about?

You know things are tight.

Our leaders, however, found $168-million – so far – for “needs” that aren’t so crucial.

Well, we all know our values and priorities are all screwed up, don’t we?

Our leaders – private and public - raised the money with regressive taxes that weigh most heavily on whom - the very individuals who qualify as transit-dependent. Did you expect better over the years from the likes of Mike White, Tim Hagan, Jimmy Dimora, George Forbes and George Voinovich?

There are no taxes left for you people who can’t afford to buy and run an automobile. Geez we can’t do everything.

We’ve already taxed the B’jesus out of you. You should know that.

Here we go.

The Med Mart sales tax in July produced another $3,060,667. The kitty now totals $64.9 million. You may have notice in the Plain Dealer that the County has already paid more than $1 million MMPI, the Chicago firm given full control of the construction and operation of the new Medical Mart/Convention Center. By the way, the property will be tax exempted.

County taxpayers contributed another $1.2 million for $7.9 million this year for the Browns Stadium. Have the Browns played a single game there yet this year? Has anyone? Expensive trinket, that stadium.

The total taxes - on cigarettes, wine, beer, liquor - paid by you generous County taxpayers for the Browns stadium and the Lerner family: $55,499,393. By the way, the stadium, used almost exclusively by the billionaire Lerner family is also tax exempted.

Another $1.5 million was gathered solely from tobacco users for the Arts & Culture tax. The tax has raised $11.9 million so far this year and $48.3 million since the tax took effect in Feb. 2007.

We can always find money for the things certain interests want. They take it, of course. Gladly.

Those who don’t have power are simply left to fend for themselves. Is it any wonder other self-interests – like health insurance companies now - can lead so many individuals to react to what can be made to seem a rip-off?

They did the same thing for the Browns. You remember. As if our lives and the lives of our children rested upon a football team - a lousy one at that – playing in Cleveland.

TIME TO LOOK AT MAYORAL ELECTION – NOT THIS ONE BUT 2013

Now is the time for those who believe Mayor Frank Jackson doesn’t meet the needs to be the Mayor Cleveland Needs. PREPARE. Not for election 2009 but for the next election in 2013.

I’m not kidding. It is a shame. Cleveland needs leadership now.

But this year’s election is over. We don’t need to count the votes.

The supposed lead opposition to Jackson for this election – former Councilman Bill Patmon – showed he wasn’t prepared to run with less than a month to go. He did that in an interview with Tom Beres, senior political reporter for Ch. 3. Find it here: http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=119480

Patmon was unimpressive in a near 15 minute interview available on WKYC’s web site with Beres.

No theme. No program. No pizzazz.

He was unimpressive because he didn’t have foundation for a campaign. An election that would be tough even if he did. Patmon seemed unprepared and depended upon trite, predictable answers.

He should be elected, Patmon said, because Jackson hasn’t provided leadership and “I kinda bring that leadership to the table.” Ho hum.

Well, he needs to add a lot more to be convincing before anyone is going to believe him.

Beres offered a final word from Patmon after noting people believe the Mayor has the money and political backing.

Patmon wasn’t ready. He said to vote for him and “thanks to those who do and those who don’t….” Well, it sort of ended with Patmon tongue tied and with a grimace.

What I noticed was that Patmon never smiled during the entire interview. He was too tight.

He did come over as overly serious. It seemed that Patmon was trying to use a serious tone to substitute for a serious candidacy.

It won’t work.

PATHETIC, PATHETIC PEE DEE

How pathetic can you get, Pee Dee?

The Downtown Cleveland Alliance (DCA), the Plain Dealer reports with a straight face, has installed about a dozen meter boxes into which you may drop coins to help the homeless. Laugh now.

I wonder how long these containers of coins last on the streets of downtown Cleveland.

DCA director Joe Marinucci – salary $210,000, plus $10,945 benefit package, plus $7,500 in expenses and allowances – wants to keep you from putting those quarters or dimes into the hands of someone begging on downtown streets.

“Those” people upset today’s yuppies.

“Downtown yellow meters raise money for homeless” says the Pee Dee headline for an article by Joe Guillen. As if that’s what it’s this is all about. Helping the homeless. No doubt, huh?

Joe, please tell us weekly how much money is going to the homeless from this pathetic idea. Tell us how many pennies are collected.

That’s an assignment your editors won’t give you.

“I’m not trying to get nothing but something to eat right now,” Guillen quotes one panhandler.

The Pee Dee wastes more than 30 inches with this Metro page one piece of crap journalism.

With the skimpy offerings, bolstered by blaring headlines, photos and graphs that the Pee Dee gives us, this is a waste the newspaper can’t afford.

Shouldn’t the story’s headline be: “Marinucci, DCA want to keep street guy from getting a bite to eat!?”

If we had newspapers that told the truth, newspapers that didn’t speak constantly – always – favorably about the needs of business and its “non-profit” agents. Then we might get some true information. The “non-profit” Downtown Alliance has $4.4 million budget (all figures from 2007 IRS returns.)

Let them buy an ad if they want to propagandize. You need the money, Pee Dee.

“This is not meant to be a financial windfall,” said Marinucci. With a straight face? Really? No kidding, Joe?

From Cool Cleveland contributor Roldo Bartimole roldoATroadrunner.com (:divend:)