Posts Tagged Terry Stewart
When Propaganda is Propaganda by Propagandists
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Media, Politicians on May 8, 2009
April 30, 2009… The Plain Dealer made another big story out of nothing with the spin that Cleveland is city on the verge of becoming… what… Hollywood?
All in the continuing effort to give Tower City a chance at the Medical Mart & Convention Center.
Will this shamelessness ever stop?
The interesting part of the story on the PD website isn’t the story. It’s the comments from readers. They see right through the humbug.
Also, the story quotes Ivan Schwarz as executive director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission. He’s of course all in favor of preserving the entire Cleveland Convention Center for movie-making. Leave it alone.
Alone is about what it is. The one “film company” – promoted by Schwarz – at the center doesn’t pay a penny in rent. Must have been very heavy arm-twisting to get them to take a free lease.
Readers seem to understand propaganda when the Plain Dealer can’t smell it. Or won’t smell.
Here’s a link. Have a few laughs. We need them:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/04/some_worry_medical_mart_deal_c.htmlhttp://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/04/some_worry_medical_mart_deal_c.html
The following is a link to the Greater Cleveland Media Development Corp., which is the correct new name for the former film commission:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/341/884/2007-341884733-049dbb7d-9.pdf
It will give you some interesting information. For example, the “development corporation” gets about three-fourths of its more than $500,000 income from the government. Doesn’t everybody?
According to this filing of 2007, Schwarz as second in command then earned $100,594 with an $18,667 in benefits and Chris Carmody got $92,700 plus a $5,495 in benefits. So you see where your tax dollars go.
And you can understand – Carmody being a creature of the White administration, which was a subsidiary of Forest City Enterprises – why the story spin goes against the use of the Mall site for the unnecessary Medical Mart and new Convention Center. Hint: Shouldn’t it be at Tower City?
You’ll also find some familiar wheeler-dealers on the board, including Terry Stewart of the Rock Hall, chief establishment boosters Dennis Roche and Dennis Eckart and the Dolans, Larry and his wife, Eva. Larry has been out propagandizing against the County Commissioners choice of the Mall site, too.
It’s propaganda upon propaganda originated by propagandists and passed on to us by The Plain Daily Propaganda.
Rock Hall a Heavy Financial Load for Cleveland
Posted by Roldo Bartimole in Economic Development, Media, People, Politicians on April 9, 2009
Hopefully, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in Cleveland will help put money into the pockets of waitresses, waiters, some downtown businesses and panhandlers.
Millions and millions of public dollars have gone into the mostly private organization and for its mostly private parties for the elite and politicians.
So one hopes that the ordinary guy gets a little something out of it.
We’ve paid an enormous price so Sen. George Voinovich and his buddy Dick Pogue of Jones-Day can get some face time with the rockers.
Most people don’t know that millions of dollars every year from the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County go to the Rock and Roll Hall & Museum.
Most people don’t know that property taxes from Tower City – ah, yes that name again – are diverted from the city, county, city libraries – most important to the Cleveland School system – to pay for Rock Hall bonds. To give you an idea of how much money is being diverted every year I checked a few years ago. I found that between 1995 and 1998 more than $3 million of Tower City property taxes were diverted from the Cleveland schools to pay for the Rock Hall. The total diverted was $5 million. Such taxes will be paid until 2015.
The money went to pay $39 million in Port Authority bonds for the Rock Hall.
The Rock Hall started as at an estimated $28 million. It ended up costing a cool $93-million plus. Read the rest of this entry »