Mayor Jackson and "What Is Is" Campaign

If I were running against Jackson I’d say strongly and often, “What it IS should not BE.”

General election opponent Bill Patmon – who has no money and not enough name recognition city-wide – did attack Jackson for this anemic attitude of acceptance.

You’d think we have a monk, not a mayor.

“The message that the current administration does not care is clear. But the attitude, ‘it is what it is,’ is neither acceptable nor wise in a time when this city, and every other city for that matter, critically counts on its tax base for survival” Patmon told the Plain Dealer. He hit the right tone.

The problem also is that the news media have been turned off on the election. For Patmon that’s a disaster since he has no money to push any agenda into focus.

Patmon, of course, is correct. Mayor Jackson’s oath of acceptance is not good enough, not nearly good enough.

A city with no spirit isn’t going to be helped by some Buddhist-like mind-set. It’s not a brew that offers much hope.

Mayor Jackson seems to be in a go-along mode.

Two million bucks for an aquarium – which likely will be more like a fish tank - for Jeff Jacobs, okay. It is what it is. Hundreds of millions of dollars for a medical mart and convention center, alright. It is what it is.

Tens of millions of dollars for a diluted Wolstein project, why not? It is what it is.

A new port at the cost of hundreds of millions of dollars and one that negates other plans and studies? So? It is what it is.

Monopoly casino? Why not? It is what it is.

That’s not leadership. That is what it is, of course. But it is not what it should be.

Cleveland better start looking for new leaders NOW for the future. It’s already much too late for the city. It needs a leader who will do more than see acceptance as a policy.

NAACP- Civil Rights Or Plaything of George Forbes?

Does anyone believe that the Cleveland chapter of the NAACP is a civil rights organization and not the plaything of old man George Forbes.

The chapter on Friday endorsed Issue 3, a monopoly casino for Dan Gilbert, Cavs owner. Gilbert was on hand for the gift from the once civil rights organization, now apparently just another lobby group for those with power.

The Plain Dealer quotes the old man saying, “I could not say no to this. These are not normal times, with double-digit unemployment.”

That suggests to me that Forbes made the decision himself.

Is there no process at the Cleveland NAACP? Is Forbes the voice of the chapter? Anyone else have any say?

There are a lot of people who ought to be ashamed of what has become of the Cleveland chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

In Cleveland, it apparently is for the advancement of the Color Green.

Dan Gilbert Should Pay His Property Taxes

In the past two years Quicken Arena and Dan Gilbert have evaded $7.5 million in property taxes. I think if Gilbert has any real concern for Cleveland he’d pay those taxes, most of which comes from Cleveland school children.

Every year Gilbert has owned the Cavs and has use of the mostly publicly financed basketball arena he has been the recipient of a no tax deal worked out by former Mayor Mike White and County Commissioner Tim Hagan. (Every January, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County taxpayers pay some $8.5 million for bonds that go just for the extra cost of the arena.)

Add up $7.5 every two years and in a decade that’s $37.5 million. In 20 years it will be $75 million.

We are not talking chump change. That’s how the wealthy get super wealthy.

Gilbert, a billionaire, is the main backer of Issue 3, which would give him a monopoly position in a casino in Cleveland, and with others, in Cincinnati, Toledo, and Columbus.

That’s quite a gift to a billionaire.

Someone who is asking the public to give him a monopoly money-maker casino should show so real civic responsibility.

Paying his taxes could be a minimum sign that he would be a proper person to receive a state constitutionally voted reward.

It’s essentially a permit to print money from the public.

So every two years, $7.5 million of property taxes – just from the Quicken Arena – go unpaid because of an exemption of property taxes for all Gateway buildings, including a parking garage.

I know that the taxes are exempted but there is no law that says that Gilbert (and Larry Dolan for the baseball team) shouldn’t voluntarily pay their fair taxes.

Slightly more than 55 percent of the $7.5 million would go to the Cleveland schools.

C’mon Dan, show us you really are a concerned citizen and want to help the community. That’s your line. Prove it by paying your tax bill.

Truth About Gilbert's Gambling Charges

Dan Gilbert, Cavs owner and seeker of a monopoly casino here, laughed off a question about a felony gambling charge against him at the City Club debate here today. He described it as a minor infraction by an 18-year old.

USA Today in 2005, however, described it as an $114,000 betting scheme on football and basketball games by Gilbert and others. He was a student at Michigan State University at the time. The charges, according to USA Today, were “conspiring to violate state gambling laws.” A spokesperson for the Cavs said at the times that shortly after, the charges were “completely dismissed.”

The paper said that Gilbert was given a fine, a three-year probation and community service. After this was completed, the felony charge was erased.

Yes, he was young. Yes, he had gambling charges against him.

Not a very good combination for someone as owner of an NBA team or a casino.

Gilbert supports Issue 3, a monopoly casinos in four cities, including Cleveland, on the November ballot as a state constitutional measure.

Hopefully, you will not.

Pee Dee Shameless Promoting Issue 6 as News

The Pee Dee has become totally shameless in its promotion of Issue 6 and County “reform.” Totally shameless. News has become propaganda. Again.

The front-page story Monday said that voting for Issue 6 would be “costly to 4 elected Cuyahoga officials.” It’s the top story of the day.

Yeah, let’s get ‘em!

The Issue 6 campaign should have to list the Pee Dee for in-kind contributions. It’s that bad.

The Pee Dee story starts by telling us that four elected officials – Commissioners Peter Lawson Jones, Tim Hagan, Treasurer Jim Rokakis and Recorder Lillian Greene – will lose their jobs if Issue 6 passes. All four oppose Issue 6, of course.

They will lose $700,000 in pay. Jones and Hagan nearly each $185,000, says the Pee Dee, and Rokakis $190,000 (two-and-a-half years) and Greene two-years, $149,000. That’s the way the Pee Dee figures it.

What the Pee Dee doesn’t figure at all, however, is what the cost will be under the new system.

Issue 6 also calls for a County Executive who will have to be paid. Likely he or she will have to get something in the range of $200,000. Maybe more.

The measure also calls – instead of the three Commissioners - for 11 new positions as what they call council members. Ten are scheduled to get $45,000 each. That will mean a payroll addition of $450,000 a year. One – the president of the council – gets $55,000 a year. Expect those salaries to go up quickly near what Cleveland Council members get, about $70,000.

Isn’t that more than $700,000 for any single year? My adding machine says $450,000 plus $55,000, plus $200,000 equals $705,000. A year, that is. Without pay increase that surely will come.

That also doesn’t factor in any staff. My bet is that all 11 members – I’d call them all County Commissioners – will want at minimum at least one staff member and other staffing.

And don’t forget expense accounts for each of the 11 offices.

 If money is the issue, we already are outspending the old line-up. Significantly.

Besides setting up a situation with 11 districts fighting each other.

I suspect the Pee Dee, however, is looking for the public to be out to “punish” someone in County government. Who hasn’t gotten sickened by the corruption there?

That’s the Pee Dee impetus - to entice voters to take out their frustrations on someone by voting “yes” on Issue 6. But do you do this to spite yourselves?

We will have – instead of three Commission honchos – 11 district County leaders plus the County executive. One can see power struggles already.

It’s a setup not unlike Cleveland City Council.

And we know how well that works. Don’t we?

Pee Dee Gives Free Boost to Gilbert's Subsidized Restaurants

Well, thank you Pee Dee for the free publicity. Just what independent downtown restaurants needed – two new publicly-subsidized restaurants in the Quicken Arena to draw business away from other restaurants.

The Pee Dee Tuesday in a prominently displayed Metro front page applauded the opening of two new restaurants by the “Iron Chef” (Michael Symon).

The Pee Dee devoted four columns, eight inches deep with a nice headline: “Symon opens 2 restaurants at the Q,” accompanied by an attractive photo of the business and one of Symon.

“The superstars won’t all be on the court this season at The Q,” sings the Pee Dee. Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay. My, oh my, what a wonderful day! Plenty of sunshine headed their way.

Now we’ll have a celebrity chef on our subsidy list, too. What can be better in these dark days when so many can’t even find a job?

We – the public – paid dearly for the restaurant facilities at the Quicken Arena and now Dan Gilbert gets the benefit. So when he gets a monopoly casino, he can have more restaurants that compete with the independent downtown restaurant business.

Yes, let’s give it all to the billionaire. Doesn’t it make you feel good?

And remember, these restaurants have the luxury of not having to pay property taxes. Oh, boy. The entire Quicken Arena facilities are tax free! Tim Hagan and Mike White – flying to Columbus in a private corporate plane – got the legislature to exempt all the Q property FOREVER! What fun guys.

And isn’t this exactly what Dan Gilbert will do in the casino he can build if Issue 3 passes - build new restaurants that will attract or keep business from privately-owned restaurants throughout downtown.

Why aren’t they screaming?

Let’s shut down Cleveland street business and force everyone into the Quicken Arena, Progressive Field or Browns Field. Let everything be a sports bar.

Let me tell you again what we gave the sports franchise owners at the Quicken (formerly Gund) Arena. Sammy’s at the Arena has space for 323 guests, 63 at the bar. Didn’t matter that a Gateway board member – Denise Fugo – was given the restaurant business, requiring her, of course, to leave the board.

Here’s what taxpayers helped provide – a $1,841,380 restaurant sporting $178,750 of new furnishings and some $350,000 worth of kitchen equipment. Total bill: $2,370,134.

Remember: No burden of paying those nasty property taxes either.

No wonder Sammy’s says it serves “off-site private residences, yachts, businesses and anywhere else.” Yachts, of course.

Altogether, food concessions at the Quicken Arena cost $6,119,520.

Some of the cost at Sammy’s included 300 restaurant chairs, costing more than $100,000; bar stools at $500 each ($13,500 total); and terrazzo tables at $13,415 each. One sports bar kitchen cost $263,000.

Concession stands with grills and pizza service were well spotted on two levels, I wrote back in 1994, ranging in cost from $62,000 to $132,000 and totaling in cost $1,048,350. The Press, of course, got some special treatment with a banquet kitchen at $121,050. No wonder they’re such boosters and don’t write about the corruptive side of professional sports. Usually, right before their eyes.

Hey, nothing’s too good for our sports heroes and their owners.

The “beer room” (need it cold) cost $63,700. The automatic system for dispensing the beer cost $200,000 and to dispense soda, only $180,000.

There’s a lot more including ice cream outlets at a hefty cost of $198,000.

But when you’re having fun, what’s the difference. Especially when you don’t have to pay. The politicians – all legal, they say – provided major league service – free of charge essentially.

They’ll do the same for the Medical Mart, don’t worry.

The Pee Dee, of course, never told the public any of this. They only cheerlead, they don’t lead.

The Quicken Arena, in addition to Cavs games, has 175 special events during the year, Cleveland promoters tell us. The public, which sprung for most of the dough to build this special place, gets ZERO from the extra events, a gift to billionaires – both the Gunds and Gilbert.

That’s the way our system – free enterprise – works. Free.

By the way, if you can afford these fancy priced places in the Q, you won’t have to bother touching a Cleveland street. You can simply drive to the tax-free Gateway garage because we also provided – at great cost to the City of Cleveland – 1,700 free spaces to the sports owners in the garage for special people.

So when the Pee Dee promotes these new restaurant facilities without telling you the back story, do you think this is professional journalism at its best?

If you do, send a complimentary note to Susan Goldberg, the Pee Dee editor for her and her staff’s fine work.

He was a 2004 Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame recipient and won the national Joe Callaway Award for Civic Courage in 1991.