Posts Tagged Kevin O’Brien
Medical Mart Money Piling Up at County
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Politicians on April 3, 2010
April 3, 2010… Cuyahoga County taxpayers in these depression-like times have paid $91 million into the fund for the Medical Mart deal. Does anyone notice?
The Plain Dealer, our news media of record, appears to have forgotten that we have a near – or more – $1 billion project. The Med Mart has slipped off its radar apparently. Coverage seems to be much more interested in who is running for county council in who knows where and who cares less.
How about telling us something about the biggest money project since Gateway, PD. Hundreds of millions of dollars to be spent. All public dough. Or is it going to be the same old story – we’ll tell you when the overrun is drowning us.
Also, where ARE those candidates for new County offices on this issue?
As of the end of March, the extra tax burden on county residents here has produced $91,310,921.10. It comes in dribbles. But that’s a lot of money.
Where is the Tea party? Where is our public money watchdog Kevin O’Brien?
So far this year the quarter-percent sales tax increase by our County Commissioners – Tim Hagan, Jimmy Dimora and Peter Lawson Jones – has produced $10.6 million.
That appears to be at a rate to produce some $42.4 million a year. The tax originally had a duration of 20 years. At this quarter’s rate of $42.4 million it would produce $848 million. One can expect prices and sales tax receipts to go up over 20 years. The tax commenced at the beginning of the year 2008.
So with the economy picking up slightly it appears the sales tax will be bringing in much more than first predicted.
Kevin O’Brien… Isn’t the Tea Party Your Cup? Why Are You Still Here?
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Media on March 29, 2010
March 29, 2010… Why does The Plain Dealer print Kevin O’Brien? That was the headline atop Sunday’s letters page in the morning newspaper.
So why does the newspaper put up with his nonsense?
There were eight letters all taking O’Brien, a PD editorial page editor and columnist, to task for – even for him – an unusually strident, stupid and ignorant column on the recently passed health care measure.
The column cited screamed out for such a response.
Kevin is upset.
But he is upset in a mean-spirited and dishonest way.
O’Brien’s most onerous paragraph, cited by the first letter writer Philip Pellett, tells it all.
“The Democrats in Congress and the White House have forced upon the United States of America (music please) a federal health care plan designed for people who are too stupid, incompetent and weak to managed their own affairs.”
Anyone who has lived even a little should take offense to that.
Anyone who has lived even a little knows that there are bumps, if not crashes, in almost everyone’s life. You don’t have to be stupid, incompetent or weak to know this. You just have to live.
I think Editor Susan Goldberg and Editorial Page Editor Elizabeth Sullivan should give this some thought.
They need to ask themselves, “Why do we print Kevin O’Brien?”
Lots of people really want to know. Why?