Posts Tagged Gilbert
Getting Stuff Off My Chest
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Media, Politicians on May 28th, 2010
May 28, 2010… It’s Friday and time to get some things “off my chest.” I have three items that I need to yell about. So here goes:
REP. FUDGE – YOU MADE THE WRONG DECISION
I guess my Congresswoman – Rep. Marcia Fudge – believes nothing she does will ever put any stress on her holding the 11th District job.
Maybe she thinks no one will notice that she sided with the big telecommunication companies and against her constituents. The big communications companies would like to control the internet and how much it costs to access it.
Fudge, along with 74 other Democratic Congress members, allied themselves with AT&T, Verizon ad Comcast by signing a letter that will undercut the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “ability to make a fast, affordable and open internet available to everyone in America,” as a watchdog labels of the letter.
Fudge – who represents a district with many low income people – took the side that will deprive rural and low income communities from adequate internet access.
Shame on the Congresswoman.
Tell her she’s on the wrong side: 216-522-4900.
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CHINA ON MY MIND
Clevelanders and Ohioans should be angry about labor practices that discriminate against workers. Let’s start with China since we have a mayor that wants to marry Cleveland to a Chinese manufacturer.
I don’t know about you but I’ve been opposed to slavery for a long time.
Apparently, the Chinese government isn’t.
The New York Times had several articles that point to how the government there tramples all over its citizens. And that includes its state companies.
I guess developers here would like to have the same privileges the government has in China to spur development. People in the way? Just push them away.
They say new rules are being set to correct these problems. But before they take effect the Times reports the inhumane process. Some people are pressing back but not quickly enough:
“Today in Laogucheng, a dingy warren of apartments and shops slated for redevelopment on Beijing’s far west side, the fruits of that effort are on vivid display: a powerful developer is racing to demolish the neighborhood before the rules are passed, says the Times. What’s occurring around the country, says one holdout to the demolition, are “sudden and violent demolitions.”
Read the entire front page story from Thursday:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/world/asia/27china.html?th&emc=th
POOR WORK CONDITIONS PROMPT SUICIDES
The Times on its business page Thursday has a startling article about a firm, which supplies a number of American companies (Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard). It has such harsh work standards that a number of young workers have committed suicide. The company is Foxconn.
“There were bows and an apology from Terry Gou, one of the richest men in Asia and chairman of Foxconn Technology, reports the Times. The company employs some 400,000 people. Workers get some $32 for 40 hours work, the article says. Workers are housed 10 to a room.
Apologies are totally inadequate.
“Foxconn’s production line system is designed so well that no worker will rest even for one second during work; they make sure you’re always busy for every section,” says a spokesperson for China Labor Watch.
That’s great. Who needs a one second break?
Just what we need in Cleveland, right? I guess there are a few more questions Council can ask the Jackson administration about its no-bid deal to bring a Chinese LEDs company’s U. S. headquarters here.
No thanks.
The full Times piece on the China suicide company can be found here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/technology/27suicide.html?th&emc=th
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PD NEEDS MORE PROOF THAN A TELEPHONE CALL
The Plain Dealer led the newspaper today (Friday) with a front-page headlines advertising a sparkling new Casino in downtown Cleveland. I know the PD wants to push positive stuff for the city. But it can’t be created by articles in the paper.
Shockingly, the basis of the article comes from a telephone call. That’s putting a lot of trust in talking to someone you can’t even see.
We’re not even shown the typically phony sketches for the advertised “sleek, contemporary building with large areas of glass at two main entrances along Huron Road and a row of restaurants and shops between them, facing the street and sidewalk.”
We’re to expected believe the developers. No thanks. The story is by Steve Litt, the Plain Dealer’s architect critic. Steve, you can do better than this.
We are given a lot of promises, including “the majority of the infrastructure will be borne by us,” meaning Dan Gilbert, who won the rights to build a Cleveland casino. I hope Steve saves that quote when the time comes for these “entrepreneurs” to do private enterprise. Without public money, that is. Laughable.
There’s a whole lot of flackery being peddled here.
Game Being Played by Larry Dolan and Gateway
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Media, People, Politicians on May 20th, 2010
May 20, 2010… It was a pleasure to see The Plain Dealer’s front page today. The PD for the first time in my memory asked a question that needed to be asked: “If Progressive Field needs improvements, who will pay the bill?” It was played prominently on Page One.
If there is any other board that needs PD probing besides the Port Authority it is the Gateway Economic Development Corp., the entity Cuyahoga County set up to own and operate the baseball field and the basketball arena (Progressive Field and the Quicken Arena).
It too has operated in vacuum, unwatched and unattended.
The answers to question about the so-called improvement at the baseball field are evasive both from the Cleveland Indians and from Gateway. True to standard.
Here’s what Indians PR spokesperson Bob DiBiasio said about the big but undisclosed plans, “We’re not there yet. It’s not a question that needs to be asked yet.”
Doesn’t need to be answered? That is strict PR bullshit from someone who never gets challenged by the news media. A happy face he has but not a trustful one for me. If you believe him on this one I have some special mortgage bonds to sell you.
“The Indians have not made any requests for alterations or payments,” was the answer from Gateway’s top operating official Todd Greathouse. Equally evasive. But not unexpected.
Don’t you think that the owner – Gateway – might want to inquire and have that information, especially when it has been in Crain’s Cleveland Business, online in my posts and now in the PD? And it could cost you millions of dollars? Oh why get testy.
It’s the disgusting proof – long tradition – that the owner are not in control of their facilities. The tenants are.
The question is WHO WILL PAY – THE TEAM OR THE PUBLIC?
Let me tell you. You will pay.
The PD – and I hope this ends the marriage the paper has had with Gateway – has been wed to Gateway and its desires from the beginning.
But the writing was on the wall.
Here’s what I wrote in the City News in April 2005:
“Gateway Economic Development Corp. Chairman Bill Reidy let it drop quietly, almost nonchalantly, during a non-eventful quarterly meeting a week ago.
“Reidy said that ‘the city and county would have to step in’ and put up money for Gateway’s capital fund when major repairs are necessary at Jacobs Field and Gund Arena (the original names for the two facilities
“What?” I wrote. Did I hear that right?
“Haven’t taxpayers paid enough for Gateway? Now Reidy wants the taxpayers to dig into their pockets for possibly hundreds of thousands of dollar in capital expenses that Gateway should have been putting aside itself,” I continued.
“Gateway, however, can’t put money aside because it has never charged the teams enough to maintain Jacobs Field and Gund Arena,” I went on.
“What’s so upsetting about this is that at that same meeting new representatives from the city – Chris Ronayne, Mayor Jane Campbell’s chief of staff – and Dennis Madden –Cuyahoga County Administrator – said nothing about this raid on their respective treasuries.” Somebody wake up our officials.
Let me tell you what I expect is happening.
Larry Dolan – and I expect Dan Gilbert won’t be far behind – has set in motion “improvements” at Progressive that will cost in the millions of dollars.
It will take some time.
But there will be money around. The sin tax extension of 10 years has a stipulation that the revenue up to $116 million will go to help pay for Browns Stadium for the City of Cleveland. However, once that total is reached the money – some $68 million had been the estimate – will go to the County. The tax has raised $94.3 million. So it’s not far from the $116 and is coming in at some $13 million a year.
The new money is not to go to Gateway. It is supposed to go to the County general fund. Where it is needed, I might add.
Watch County officials for the rest of this year. They must not be allowed to make any revisions that would send this money to Gateway.
At the time of the Reidy statement, I quoted a County official and wrote:
“’This is our money,’ said a County official. He went on to say, the County has paid an extra $100 million on other bonds and has to continue to paying. Now, it should derive the benefit from the 10 extra years of the sin tax, he said.”
So that’s the game – using more public dollars to boost the revenue of the teams.
My other suspicion, Dolan will use the improvement to help the revenue for the team and make it more valuable for sale purposes. Forbes in assessing the value of MLB teams puts the Indians at $391 million team value. Dolan bought the team for $323 from Dick Jacobs.
Do you think we ought to put a Dolan in as the County Chief executive to help rule whether the Cleveland Indians should get a helping of that $68 million coming due.” Matt Dolan has moved into Cuyahoga County to run for chief executive. Who would he represent in such a deal – his family or county taxpayers?
I think I know the answer.
My question is whether the Plain Dealer will deal with this money grab honestly. I hope so. But the PD’s record on this score is about as good as guys named Hagan, Dimora and Russo.
Here is the PD story:
Here was my take on the improvement deal: click here.