Hts121

Maybe it's a Rorschach test....

I've seen that May Co. building idea before and absolutely love it. It makes perfect sense. My question was as fair as yours. I don't disagree with anything you say. Please understand that. But we've saved a lot too. Playhouse Square for example. We still have a lot of history here and the demolition of the Columbia, as unfortunate as that may be, will not cause us to spiral. Admittedly, it will frustrate some idealistic goals, but it won't be the end of us either. I see the City's role as ensuring that other alternatives are explored and ruled out for rational reasons. Of course, there will be disagreement on what qualifies as proper rationale. One thing that Litt's article inferred, but I have not seen any discussion on, is the lenders' role in this whole fiasco. Litt seems to say that there is some kind of provision in the financing package which requires Gilbert to put a specific amount of spaces within "x" feet of the casino. The company’s lenders need to know the company has at least 1,300 dedicated parking spaces nearby, Forbes said I have to assume that "nearby" is defined somewhere in the agreement. If so, it should be somewhere in the documents submitted to the City. What would be interesting to see is an aerial of the area with a shaded radius for this distance requirement. At least then we would know which random ideas could even be considered.

^^^That's apples and oranges, Burnham. I don't 'favor' the plan, but I don't think it will 'destroy' the City or render us 'hopeless'. I understand the passion, but the overreaction is a bit harsh for these specific circumstances IMO. This is not demolishing large chunks of the WHD or the Hippodrome for surface lots. The Columbia is not the Terminal Tower. The City will live on and the momentum will continue. I have faith. I still encourage those who feel so strongly to present viable alternatives to TPTB. Here's a question. Who feels strong enough about this to scrap the casino plans in their entirety? Of course, the opinions of those who never wanted the cassino are irrelevant for the purposes of that question.

Duck, TMH.... duck

This? http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=cleveland,+ohio&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=28.529345,56.162109&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cleveland,+Cuyahoga,+Ohio&ll=41.499495,-81.695409&spn=0,0.027423&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=41.499497,-81.536217&panoid=0uo019Y8KAWXPlG5pziNGQ&cbp=12,233.61,,0,0&output=svembed

I didn't hear the interview, but I heard Triv's rant afterwards. He went on this holier than thou rant about how partisan politics are killing this country and that people need to give Kasich a chance. Funny thing is that Triv and his sidekick are as partisan as they come, even though they won't admit it. They try to gloss over everything that Kasich does and put Obama through the ringer on everything he does. It was the most unforgivable case of the pot calling the kettle black I have heard in a while.

Emmie was from Lake County, I believe. She moved to Lakewood. Glad to here you are enjoying yourself, Emmie.

It could be worse..... they could be demolishing the Columbia for a surface lot. Seeing the design in full, I am now officially in the camp of, if you have to take out a building, let it be the Stanley Block. It loses all of its character being jammed between the garage and the welcome center anyways. For those of you who are going to put up a fight, good luck to you.

Do you mean the strip that has Geraci's in it?

I think they used that siding because using brick was cost prohibitive for the size of the dorms they wanted to build. I do believe the price of brick has gone up dramatically in recent years. So I understand the use of alternative materials. That said, they could have done better than what they went with. I hate siding. I would have preferred a composite board or something along those lines.

If you have never lived here before, it is a great idea to rent. You can get a better feel for the area and really research where you want to buy. It would be helpful if you could tell us where you have lived and give some comparable neighborhood in those cities with the qualities you are looking for here. Downtown is an obvious option if you are going to be working there. It is the entertainment, dining, and public transportation epicenter of the City. Retail is lacking. Its vibrancy level varies, but is definitely on the upswing. University Circle, Little Italy, Coventry, Cedar-Fairmount, and Shaker Square are all popular suggestions on this board for the east side. Ohio City, Tremont, and Lakewood are commonly recommended on the west side. Coventry and Cedar Fairmount are in Cleveland Heights. Lakewood is its own city. The rest are all in the City of Cleveland. As a renter, there may be a tax benefit to both living and working in the City. Oh yeah, welcome! :wave: .... I wish I could say have a great summer :wink: You should at least be able to enjoy August.

Israeli medical device firm IceCure picks Cleveland for U.S. headquarters Israeli device company IceCure Medical has chosen Cleveland to be its U.S. headquarters, a move the company’s CEO hinted at in February. The company plans to open its U.S. headquarters at the Cleveland Clinic-led Global Cardiovascular Innovation Center campus on June 1, according to a statement from IceCure. http://www.medcitynews.com/2011/05/israeli-medical-device-firm-icecure-picks-cleveland-for-u-s-headquarters/

Yup

^^Definitely saving that post for other threads in which I have (unsuccesfully) tried to make the same point. Thanks.

Agreed with the double dipping. That is usually (if not always) done by management-level and elected officials, not those evil a-holes who make up the public employee unions. Sick time cash-out for McGrath is probably a good bet..... plus deferred compensation.

I am just spit balling ideas which may actually persuade, and don't merely stroke at the heartstrings of preservationists. You will not find one post of mine that denies the Columbia's 'potential'. I also disagree with your view on "Phase 1". It is just that, "Phase 1". Your doubts seem to arise out of the thought process that this is a "temporary" casino. But if Gilbert sinks $350 mill into a 'temporary' casino, I will jump right on board and call him nuts myself. The only way I think we will not see 'Phase 2' is if the Governor continues to affront the constitution and the courts allow him to do that.

Dam^..... it was more valuable when it was infested with asbestos!

Maybe you should bring Maron to the next meeting. Who is the owner? Has Gilbert acquired the property or does he maybe hold an option on it?

Given the demand, why are developers not jumping at the chance to convert this building into apartments? Seems like that would be a no-brainer, unless there is something we don't know. I would bet a ready, willing, and able developer could sway the commission to reject the demolition request.

There will be some inflated salaries in the safety forces for these next few upcoming years due to participation in the DROP program, which was signed by Gov. Taft, with bi-partisan support, and was intended for the benefit of not just the participants but also their employers. http://www.op-f.org/membersreport/default.asp?id=062002 http://www.op-f.org/drop/ Oh yeah.... McGrath is not a "public employee" as that term is defined by the Ohio Collective Bargaining Act and has no rights to collectively bargain. He is an appointed official and serves at the pleasure of the Safety Director. He is not covered by SB5, just in case you were curious.

Probably best to merge the thread I started.

What can the Chief of the Fire Department do if he gets fired? Nothing. How about his secretary? Nothing. How about Village and Township cops and firefighters? Nothing. Some members of the public sector are covered and some are not. Some members of the private sector are covered and some are not. I'm not. You're not. But nothing is stopping us from demanding an employment contract and seeking a job with more security if our employers will not give it to us. If you want union protection, you have to work in a union industry. Collective bargaining is not appropriate for every industry. In fact, for most industries in today's economy, it probably is not appropriate. For public school teachers, cops, firefighters, EMS, coal miners, factory workers, etc., it is vital. It all depends on the nature of the industry.

I have a hard time understanding why government employees should have rights, protection, bargaining, etc., that private sector employees do not have within the same state. I've worked for the same private sector employer for 12 years and they could fire me, decrease my salary, and take away other benefits, and I have no or very little recourse. I'm a former government employee (military), and my father worked in a union shop for over 40 years, so I've seen and lived both sides of the argument. It's hard for me to grasp why the people who pay the taxes that pay the government workers salary should have less protection/rights than them. At the same time, two wrongs don't make a right, so I'm actually undecided on the issue. Private sector employees can be unionized as well as public sector employees. I think the differences you are perceiving are not between public vs. private employees, but in unionized vs. non-unionized employees. The difference now is that the (unionized) public sector employees have LESS rights than their (unionized) private sector counterparts. Right. And you also need to keep in mind that the collective bargaining laws do not apply to all public employees. SB5 would increase the amount of public employees who are entitled to negotiate their contracts. The misconception quoted above (that private sector employees do not have collective bargaining rights) is confusing to me. What do you think we have the NLRB for? Further, those that complain about inequities in unionized shops conveniently forget the nightmares that existed prior to unions.

Have you read this thread? I have stated my position numerous times, pointing out flaws and irrationalities in the Bill. Specifically, look to my April 5th post which listed several objections I have to the bill. There is additional discussion in the Kasich thread as well. Simply put, the polling is correct. The Bill goes too far. Several provisions are not objectionable, but Kasich and Co. had no interest in sitting down and working out a fair compromise that would have kept the provisions that made common sense and eliminated the provisions which are bad policy / unconstitutional / unnecessary / etc. He wasn't going to pass up the chance to 'stick it' to his most ardent political opponents.

What reports from GMs? Can you provide some links? Also, did you watch Arizona this year? I wouldn't call what he played the "power forward". The Wildcats' offense was more run and gun than traditional. I've never seen a "4" play so much on the perimeter. Williams himself disagrees FWIW - http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/212573/Derrick_Williams_Sees_Himself_As_NBA_Small_Forward The kid is 6'8 240.... jumps out the gym..... shoots well from the outside (60% from 3 pt line).... is fast enough to beat Nolan Smith down the court for a loose ball in the Elite 8. He can certainly play SF. Film don't lie either. The kid is just versatile. To say he 'can't' play SF is simply not true. He would be an undersized, yet effective, PF. But he could be a truly dominant SF... IMHO.