What will it cost us if we build it (and what would we gain), and what would it cost us if we didn't build it, but instead spent the money (maybe up to $½ billion or more) towards other efforts (the lakefront, the arts, downtown housing, innerbelt reconstruction). And the big silent handshake among public officials and businesses a few weeks ago to agree to suspend discussion on the convention center so the community could focus on passing Issue 15 (an admirable goal—see below—but shouldn't we be using this down time to begin the long convention center public discussions—there's a fair chance that this community can focus on more than one important issue at a time) is either a good example of city leaders lining up and managing critical issues one by one, or a desperate move to squelch public comment. Either way, probably inadvertently, it's a little of both. See Plain Dealer http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1050312773106070.xml (:divend:)