Archive for May, 2010
Broke My Rule and Crain’s Shows Why I Shouldn’t
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Media, People, Politicians on May 27, 2010
I broke my standing rule about saying something nice about anything or anybody. Always disappointed soon after. I praised the Crain’s Cleveland Business daily blog recently. I don’t take that back. And I still congratulate the weekly business magazine on its 30th birthday. BUT…
Crain’s did a series on some Cleveland’s most influential (their selection) people in the last 30 years.
It’s fluff and puff at its worst.
Mostly done, of course, for blatant advertising revenue. The ads accompany the profiles and photos of Important People – a rogue’s gallery in my opinion. They are mostly Important People who helped produce the Cleveland of today.
Is there anyone who likes what they see?
Everyone profiled is a hero. From Art Falco at Playhouse Square to Peter Lewis of Progressive. And of course, the late Richard Shatten and the late Dick Jacobs. Fred Nance of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, of course. And even LeBron James.
And the saintly George Voinovich. Who could forget that? Get ready for the platitudes by the bushel as Voinovich’s Senate term comes to an end. If there is anything that has happened that isn’t GREAT we’ll never know. Because someone will have to explain (but won’t) why the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and the State of Ohio are in such bad shape after Voinovich served as Mayor, County Commissioner and Governor. It’s too difficult a task. And too embarrassing.
Voinovich, his profile says, should have copyrighted the term “public-private partnership.”
Yes, he should have. The problem is that the see-saw public/private sharing usually meant that the public paid and the private enjoyed. As in Gateway, the Browns stadium, downtown development, rock hall, Playhouse Square. None of these Voinovich fans ever even tries to tote the public cost, especially to the Cleveland schools.
The article says, “As he would throughout his career, Mr. Voinovich downplayed his own role.”
Of course, he did.
He had The Plain Dealer, Crain’s and every Cleveland television station doing it for him.
Somehow, Crain’s forgot George Forbes. I guess George’s law firm wouldn’t spring for the ad to accompany the flattery.
Nor did they profile former Mayor Michael White. No alpaca ads.
So they failed to highlight two of the most crucial figures – at least in politics – of the past three decades.
And it goes without saying that Dennis Kucinich didn’t make the cut.
Of course, it’s only Cleveland’s history by Crain’s Cleveland Business. So you know it’s limited.
But as the headline on the front of Crain’s 30 years special edition says, – “Make Your Own History.” Certainly, Crain’s did that.
Mayor Jackson Move Looks Like a Sham Retreat
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Media, Politicians on May 25, 2010
May 25, 2010… “I don’t have a problem except for the fact that I said something prematurely that I think taints the process,” said Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson of his bungled no-bid, 10-year contract with a no-record company from China.
Wow!
For any other mayor that might be called more than embarrassing. It might be called a major disaster.
“Prematurely?”
No, just plain wrong, Mayor. With tens of millions of city dollars – or more – at stake. This is no minor gaffe.
For Jackson, apparently it’s a minor infraction. Apparently, he thinks can be rectified very simply. Let’s start over, guys. Oh, yeah. It’s that simple.
How can there be any trust? Not only is Mayor Jackson liable for this almost-disaster. So is Council President Marty Sweeney. Sweeney, as usual, simply wanted to put Council’s stamp of approval to the measure. “Yes, Mayor, of course.”
We can’t continue doing business at City Hall this way.
We can thank Brian Cummins and Tony Brancatelli for taking to the internet to attack this program.
And click here.
And thanks to The Plain Dealer for editorially slapping at Jackson. But PD needs to be much stronger as Jackson tries to revive this mess.
Here was the mayor ready to sign on for a 10-year contact with this company from China when he himself admits he had documents, as the PD put it today, “in front of him showing that Henderson (Public Power Commissioner Ivan Henderson) and his staff were still seeking responses from other LED companies when he made that announcement.” No minor mishap.
Tell me, if he had more than 10 votes of 19 would Mayor Jackson have gone ahead with this half-baked idea anyway? Presumably, the only answer is “Yes.”
Usually biting Mike Polensek said, “It’s tough for any administration or mayor to acknowledge that…” Tough? Mike, it’s a sign that something stinks badly.
Jackson should not be allowed to back away from the criticism he’s been getting and go through a sham process to come to the same conclusion once some of the heat is off.
That his administrators came before Council plying this joke of a deal for hours last Monday suggests strongly that this administration is up to no good.
The administration and his administrators put forth as a great deal for the city something that they now admit had a tainted process.
But it’s even more than that. Council should look into the process, how it came to be and who is behind it. Otherwise, Council is just as negligent as the Jackson administration.
This isn’t something that should be allowed to pass quietly.