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Welcome, Cactus Leaguer! We'd love to have you. Don't let the negative press here turn you off. It's a good area to live in and raise a family.

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

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http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/councilman_michael_polenseks_h.html

 

Councilman Michael Polensek's house purchase raises questions

Posted by Henry J. Gomez and Mark Gillispie/Plain Dealer Reporters December 21, 2008 09:22AM

 

CLEVELAND -- When Cleveland City Councilman Michael Polensek couldn't find a favorable loan to buy a foreclosed house on his street this summer, he called in a favor that the average resident in his ward would have been hard-pressed to receive.

 

Sickening what Polensek did.  He knew it was wrong and still went ahead and did it.  The fact that he is such an ethics watch-dog makes all of his bit**ing sound even more hypocritical.

 

Kudos to Zone for wanting the down-sizing to be open. 

 

Also, MTS, I think we finally agree on something.  All your points on Reed and White are well taken. 

 

Too bad this is only about City Council.  I would put B. Mason and his flip-flopping over open discovery in my cross-hairs.  He is also really fair in doling out punishment. 

Welcome, Cactus Leaguer! We'd love to have you. Don't let the negative press here turn you off. It's a good area to live in and raise a family.

Thanks.  I love Cleveland and I agree with you 100%.  We have to stay here for a couple of years, but then we hope to migrate to NEO, or Cleveland+, or whatever they're calling it these days.

 

The hardest part will be work - I have a great job here as a healthcare finance executive - hopefully I can hook in with CC or UH or someone when the time is right.

 

Housing will be a snap.  I can buy almost twice the house in the Cleveland area that I can compared to Portland.

  • 2 weeks later...

This is pretty interesting.  Excerpt from Northeast Shores Development Corporation's blog.  Northeast Shores is the CDC that serves North Collinwood and has Polensek as a councilperson.  Some of these answers are pretty bold in light of the fact that he is probably one of their funders.

---

 

http://northeastshores.blogspot.com/

 

In an effort to set the record straight, we want to share the following comments based on the majority of questions we have received.

 

Did Northeast Shores buy a home and hold it until Mike Polensek was able to proceed with getting financing?

No. Northeast Shores is not the Collinwood & Nottingham Development Corporation. Northeast Shores is the community development corporation for North Collinwood and Collinwood & Nottingham Development Corporation serves South Collinwood.

 

Isn't Brian Avenue in North Collinwood?

Yes, the home discussed in the article is in North Collinwood. We do not know why the Collinwood & Nottingham Development Corporation (whose mission is to improve South Collinwood) was conducting business in our service area. They do not consult us on their redevelopment plans.

 

Did the Councilman ask us for the same deal?

No. Councilman Polensek never asked Northeast Shores to purchase this home or even walk through it. Frankly, we didn't even know he was interested in the home. We learned about this whole situation by reading the paper just like you. The only reference the Councilman ever made is that he would mention even his street was experiencing foreclosures and was surprised how much value this foreclosure crisis is wiping out even on his own street.

 

Would Northeast Shores have participated in this transaction if asked?

Northeast Shores does buy homes throughout the community for rehabilitation and sale. Further, we work with people interested in buying in the neighborhood and improving our community.

 

Would Northeast Shores buy a home for an interested person to hold it while they sought financing?

Possibly, but only after a thorough understanding of why our role was catalytic in the transaction. In other words, why can't the individual proceed with the transaction without our help? Based on the news story, we do not have enough information to determine if we would have felt our participation was necessary. If you are interested in buying in the neighborhood and need help proceeding, please call us to see how we can help.

NEW at the Plain Dealer web site --

 

INSIDE CLEVELAND CITY HALL

Henry Gomez's Blog on Cleveland City Hall News and Politics

http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf

 

Readers write in to defend Councilman Matt Zone

by Henry J. Gomez/Plain Dealer Reporter

Friday January 16, 2009, 11:35 AM

 

Today's Plain Dealer features letters from two readers who don't understand City Council President Martin J. Sweeney's retaliation against Councilman Matt Zone. This week, Sweeney removed Zone from the Finance Committee for being too critical of council leadership.

 

Michele Sommerfelt of Cleveland wonders about the so-called tradition of sidelining critics:

 

I was appalled to read the quote from Sweeney in Tuesday's Plain Dealer that Matt Zone was removed from the Finance Committee because of a "tradition" that removes any member who chooses to oppose council leadership. Last time I checked, we lived in Cleveland, not China.

 

More at http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2009/01/is_cleveland_city_council_some.html

Is Cleveland City Council some kind of dictatorship?

Posted by Michele Sommerfelt, Cleveland January 16, 2009 05:04AM

Categories: Letters

 

I do not usually subscribe to the theory of "trickle-down politics," but in the case of Martin Sweeney, I wish the "hope and change for a better America" policies of the next federal administration would trickle down to Cleveland.

 

I was appalled to read the quote from Sweeney in Tuesday's Plain Dealer that Matt Zone was removed from the Finance Committee because of a "tradition" that removes any member who chooses to oppose council leadership. Last time I checked, we lived in Cleveland, not China.

 

I hope that the rest of the City Council demonstrate the "tradition" of democratic leadership by ousting leaders corrupted by the power of their positions.

-- end.

 

Bette S. Meyer of Cleveland calls the move "a backward step:"

 

The loss is compounded by the fact that the action was taken in the days following Councilman Zone's request to council leaders that there be transparency and inclusiveness in the current process to reduce the number of council wards. Why not promote citizen involvement in the process? An involved and knowledgeable citizenry is crucial to the election of strong leaders.

 

More at http://blog.cleveland.com/letters/2009/01/councilman_matt_zones_ousting.html

 

Zone's removal from the Finance Committee is generating a lot of buzz, for obvious reasons. Many wonder if Zone, a well-known politician with a reputable family name, has a counter move up his sleeve.

 

  • 4 weeks later...
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My councilperson should resign!

  • 2 weeks later...
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A start, but far from enough, imho.

 

Start with eliminating my ward and merging it with Ward 6 since a good portion of the SS "neighborhood" is in Ward 6

http://www.clevescene.com/stories/15/95/foul-trouble

 

Foul Trouble

How Many Shots Does Council President Sweeney Have Left?

By Dan Harkins

 

The All-City Drum Line is filling the just-renovated Artemus Ward School in Cleveland City Council President Marty Sweeney's West Park ward with a pep-rally vibe. The ribbon is cut in the gym, everybody half-cheers and the students file back to class, as Sweeney, pulling at his tie, settles into a cafetorium table with a worried look on his face.

Sweeney is the defiinition of why citizens don't trust public officials, especially in Cleveland. 

I wonder if this whole thing will boil down to race.  The east side has lost way more constituents over the years, yet they'll probably need to take 1 councilman from the east (who will be black) and one from the west (who will be white).  Now you have the Hispanics talking about wanting to get represented.  Viva race politics.

I wonder if this whole thing will boil down to race.  The east side has lost way more constituents over the years, yet they'll probably need to take 1 councilman from the east (who will be black) and one from the west (who will be white).  Now you have the Hispanics talking about wanting to get represented.  Viva race politics.

 

Whenever you hear east vs. west that's what they're really talking about.  It would be ballsy to take both seats from either side.  I think smaller wards are better for democracy, because it's easier for anybody to effectively campaign in one w/o big money.  But as long as there are few to no at-large seats, I'm comfortable reducing Cleveland City Council by several more wards.  It makes fiscal sense.

Agreed, council needs to be reduced.  I saw Zach Reed today and drew inspiration. 

 

Any reactions to the SOTC speech today?  I thought it was pretty good.  I disagreed with him strongly on his belief that it is Cleveland and its citizens fault for setting the bar too low when kids fail, but I agreed with most points, otherwise.

 

  Is there a separate thread for this?

  • Author

I think it should be drawn on population.  The guts of the eastside has lost population and we have to deal with and face that face.  The areas growing are within a 30 block radius of public square.

It is what it is and shouldn't be based on color!

I was at a Wolstein event in the CSU law school atrium and Zack Reed was in the audience too.  At the end of the speeches, the dean mentioned there was a basket by the door with gold-plated keepsake bookmarks for everyone there.  It wasn't until we both had our hands in the basket, a half-second later, that I realized I was fighting with Zack Reed over these shiny trinkets.  It was kind of funny how we both went straight for it as soon as the dean said gold.

hahaha; what ward is SS in?  Not 5, correct?

  • Author

hahaha; what ward is SS in?  Not 5, correct?

 

I want my councilman out!  Trust!  Merge us with UC!

For more information contact:

Cleveland City Council

Katherine Bulava, Communications Director

(216) 857-7362

 

 

Councilman Brancatelli Featured in New York Times Sunday Magazine

 

 

Cleveland City Council continually works to

Break the Cycle of Foreclosure and Abandonment

 

 

On March 8, 2009, the cover of the New York Times Sunday Magazine will feature a photo of Councilman Tony Brancatelli, Ward 12, as an introduction to the magazine’s cover story on Cleveland’s experience with foreclosure, progression toward recovery from the epidemic, steps being taken and warning flags being flown to prevent a second wave of foreclosures.

 

The story, written by acclaimed author Alex Kotlowitz, creates a vivid picture of the human aspect of the struggle against foreclosure and its residual effects and highlights the efforts of Councilman Brancatelli, Councilman Jay Westbrook and Cleveland Housing Court Judge Raymond Pianka to Break the Cycle of Foreclosure and Abandonment.  It also points out that people across the country, including national and international media, are looking to Cleveland to see how to deal with foreclosure, which has swept the nation.

 

While the story paints sometimes grim, yet realistic picture of Cleveland, it also stresses the real work being done and tells the story of several Clevelanders that have stood firm and made an impact in their neighborhood and on their street because they care.  Among those is a story of 81 year old Ada Flores, who takes good care of her property and diligently watches over and reports any activity in the vacant properties surrounding her.  Another story is of local store owner Jerome Jackson, who is slowing buying up and revitalizing the vacant properties around his store.

 

Councilman Brancatelli, who represents Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood, is quoted in the magazine saying that Cleveland is “one of the most resilient communities in the country. People are rolling up their sleeves and working.”

 

The New York Times coverage furthers Cleveland City Council’s goal of continually increasing awareness of the foreclosure issue and the City’s need for more resources, while highlighting the work that is being done.

 

“We have a wonderful community and working together with residents, stakeholders, business and government will make a difference,” said Councilman Brancatelli.  “We have to keep fighting and keep making people outside of Cleveland aware of our reality so that we may capture the resources we need to successfully Break the Cycle of Abandonment.”

 

Since the start of the current term in January 2006, Cleveland City Council has focused on the foreclosure crisis and the resulting presence of vacant and abandoned properties in the City of Cleveland.  Cleveland City Council’s efforts to Break the Cycle of Abandonment include a four step, holistic approach, addressing Detection, Prevention, Maintenance and Blight Elimination, and Redevelopment.  In February 2008, Council’s Initiative was highlighted in a day-long forum on foreclosure held for the presidential candidates.  Numerous national and international media pieces have also shed light on the battle against foreclosure.

 

Each and every Cleveland neighborhood is affected by the problem of vacant and abandoned properties. Cleveland City Council is committed to working with community leaders and all Clevelanders toward a solution that addresses the needs of the residents of these neighborhoods and makes Cleveland a place people choose to live, work, learn and play.

 

 

The New York Times March 6, 2009 Sunday Magazine article “All Boarded Up” can be found here.

 

More information on Slavic Village is available at: www.slavicvillage.org

 

Information on an important Re-imagining Cleveland Initiative that progressively looks at next steps in Breaking the Cycle can be found here:

 

http://www.cudc.kent.edu/ by clicking on “Re-Imagining a More Sustainable Cleveland”

 

 

###

http://oldbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2009/03/ward-15-and-political-redistricting.html

 

Ward 15 and Political Redistricting

 

Over the course of the last couple of days, news has surfaced about how the Ward 15 portion of Old Brooklyn and the entire Brooklyn Centre neighborhood may potentially be impacted by the political redistricting to take effect in 2010. The plan for new ward boundaries is to be completed and adopted by Cleveland City Council by April 1.

 

Here's somewhat of a timeline of recent events and developments relating to Ward 15:

 

* On Wednesday evening, Councilmen Brian Cummins, Matt Zone, and Joe Santiago held a public meeting at Applewood Center to educate community members about the redistricting process and garner input about what should be considered in the redrawing of wards. No new information about what is being proposed was presented, despite the fact that draft ward boundaries had likely been prepared prior to the community meeting. However, Councilman Santiago eluded that his ward will gain 2,200 residents. Attendees commonly remarked that the process should be transparent and inclusive, and that neighborhoods should not be divided politically. Anthony Fossaceca at Ohio Daily Blog has a full recap of the meeting, as well as videos here.

 

* Thursday afternoon, Cummins met with consultants to discover that they favor a plan to splice Ward 15 into three parts that would be incorporated into Tony Brancatelli's Ward 12, Joe Cimperman's Ward 13, Santiago's Ward 14, and Kevin Kelley's Ward 16. He posted on RealNEO.us that, under the plan conveyed to him, the area bounded by Valley Road to the east, Pearl Road to the west and Broadview Road to the north would be incorporated into Ward 13 (which includes parts of Downtown, Tremont, Ohio City, and St. Clair-Superior); Ward 12 (Slavic Village on the city's Near East Side) would encompass the South Hills neighborhood; and, the south and northwest portions of Old Brooklyn. Additionally, the Brooklyn Centre neighborhood would be divided along Pearl Road, with the western portion going to a new Majority-Minority Hispanic Ward 14 and the eastern part apportioned to Ward 13.

 

* Henry Gomez of the Plain Dealer states, "One of the consultants, Bob Dykes, said that the plan should not be seen as a slight to Cummins, a constant thorn in Council President Martin J. Sweeney's side." Cummins has been an outspoken critic of Sweeney, adding speculation that this is a retaliatory and retributive act to rid the council president and Ward 20 representative of his rival.

 

* Cummins writes in his post, "After a long and spirited discussion (after I explained what is proposed and after the official civic association meeting - a 501c3), there was, and now continues to be actions in organizing protests at City Hall this coming Monday and every Monday thereafter until these extreme measures to break-up these neighborhoods are reversed or at a minimum tempered so as not to damage both of them so brutally." Our friend Tim Ferris from Brooklyn Centre has posted on the Save Our Land Blog that Ward 15 community leaders are organizing concerned residents on Monday, March 16 at 6pm at Gino's on Denison Avenue at I-176. They will be going be loading onto busses to fight the proposed redistricting plan before Cleveland City Council. Further details will be posted on OB Blogs as they become available.

Thank's for continuing the conversation here.

 

Here is the latest posts on the Plain Dealer:

 

Cleveland Councilman Brian Cummins wants an alternative to carving up his ward in redistricting

Posted by Henry J. Gomez/Plain Dealer Reporter March 09, 2009

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/03/redistricting_worries_clevelan.html

 

EDITORIAL

As Cleveland draws new ward lines, it should let the public in on the process - editorial

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1236673945178760.xml&coll=2

 

I continue to try responding and posting more info primarily at the following site as well as within Henry Gomez's article:

http://realneo.us/content/brooklyn-centre-old-brooklyn-targeted-slice-and-dice-council-leadership

 

  • 2 weeks later...
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can my ward be merged with Univ. Circle.  Please. 

Here's the final version, but it does not have street names on it.  (PS - You need to view it in Internet Explorer because it doesn't work in Firefox.)

 

I think I remember someone saying or reading somewhere that individual wards would be posted on the Cleveland City Council website within a few days.

  • Author

Here's the final version, but it does not have street names on it.  (PS - You need to view it in Internet Explorer because it doesn't work in Firefox.)

 

I think I remember someone saying or reading somewhere that individual wards would be posted on the Cleveland City Council website within a few days.

 

It's ridiculous!  I'm so upset!

Here's the final version, but it does not have street names on it. (PS - You need to view it in Internet Explorer because it doesn't work in Firefox.)

 

I think I remember someone saying or reading somewhere that individual wards would be posted on the Cleveland City Council website within a few days.

 

Thanks.  I want to see the one with the streets as I have no sense of direction so I cannot pinpoint stuff.  So glad I have a GPS now -- I no longer need to drive while holding a map upside down to orient myself to "moving in a sotherly direction" just to find my way to Columbus.

I voted for this downsizing, but am still trying to figure out what a mess they've made of it.  What really needed to happen was eliminate half of the council seats (can anyone really argue that we need any more than about 9 council people), and figured out which wards should have merged making 2 neighborhood boundaries become 1.  Instead they just carved up a few neighborhoods and have butchered this process.

  • Author

I voted for this downsizing, but am still trying to figure out what a mess they've made of it.  What really needed to happen was eliminate half of the council seats (can anyone really argue that we need any more than about 9 council people), and figured out which wards should have merged making 2 neighborhood boundaries become 1.  Instead they just carved up a few neighborhoods and have butchered this process.

Agreed.

 

I mean, Why did they wrap ward 6 around Shaker Square instead of merging wards 4 & 6.  Shaker Square and University Circle should be united to get more done. 

absolutely.  The original intent of this I believe was to aleviate one more level of bearocracy which should make things easier to get done... instead they've just made scrambled eggs out of our wards.  Other than saving 140k in anual salary I don't see one thing this has done to make us better and more efficient, which was of course the intent and why people like me voted in favor of this.

Here's the final version, but it does not have street names on it.  (PS - You need to view it in Internet Explorer because it doesn't work in Firefox.)

 

I think I remember someone saying or reading somewhere that individual wards would be posted on the Cleveland City Council website within a few days.

 

Thanks.  I want to see the one with the streets as I have no sense of direction so I cannot pinpoint stuff.  So glad I have a GPS now -- I no longer need to drive while holding a map upside down to orient myself to "moving in a sotherly direction" just to find my way to Columbus.

 

Your wish has been granted!

http://www.clevelandcitycouncil.org/Home/CouncilMembers/FindMyWard/2010_Wards/tabid/652/Default.aspx

Now if only they'd figure out how to set the content type and disposition correctly we could use a real browser to view the maps!

  • 2 months later...
  • Author

If it was still open, I just know Zack would celebrate at the bar on Castro.  Ummmmmmmmm

 

Cleveland Councilman Zack Reed hoping for some San Francisco treats as campaign looms by Henry J. Gomez/Plain Dealer Reporter

Wednesday May 27, 2009, 10:30 AM 

 

Now that Cleveland City Councilman Brian Cummins has confirmed that he will seek re-election in the newly drawn Ward 14, attention is shifting to his colleague, Zack Reed.

 

Reed, like Cummins, lost most of his political base in a voter-approved downsizing. The outspoken councilman has pulled petitions to run in the new Ward 2 and the new Ward 6.

 

Ward 2 would be an open seat, since interim Councilman Nate Wilkes has agreed not to be a candidate this year. Ward 6 would pit Reed against incumbent Mamie Mitchell. Reed, eager to rattle cages, has talked excitedly about challenging Mitchell.

 

 

More at http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2009/05/cleveland_councilman_zack_reed_2.html

I nearly burst out laughing when I read that headline.  Ohhh the puns...

  • Author

I nearly burst out laughing when I read that headline.  Ohhh the puns...

Don't get me started....cause i'm not one to gossip, however, "how you doin??"

So they're gonna serve Rice-A-Roni at all of their fundraisers?

  • Author

So they're gonna serve Rice-A-Roni at all of their fundraisers?

 

No honey, it will be more like a rice crispy treat!

So they're gonna serve Rice-A-Roni at all of their fundraisers?

 

No honey, it will be more like a rice crispy treat!

 

But Rice-A-Roni is the "San Francisco Treat".  Don't you remember those commercials?

  • Author

So they're gonna serve Rice-A-Roni at all of their fundraisers?

 

No honey, it will be more like a rice crispy treat!

 

But Rice-A-Roni is the "San Francisco Treat".  Don't you remember those commercials?

 

Yes I got it, but I don't think you fully understand what I mean by a "rice crispy" treat.    >:D >:D >:D

So they're gonna serve Rice-A-Roni at all of their fundraisers?

 

No honey, it will be more like a rice crispy treat!

 

But Rice-A-Roni is the "San Francisco Treat". Don't you remember those commercials?

 

Yes I got it, but I don't think you fully understand what I mean by a "rice crispy" treat. >:D >:D >:D

 

No, I guess you gotta explain :(

I nearly burst out laughing when I read that headline.  Ohhh the puns...

Don't get me started....cause i'm not one to gossip, however, "how you doin??"

 

I think "it's" a little more than gossip...if you want real gossip, let's discuss Marcia Fudge!  :wink:

  • Author

I nearly burst out laughing when I read that headline.  Ohhh the puns...

Don't get me started....cause i'm not one to gossip, however, "how you doin??"

 

I think "it's" a little more than gossip...if you want real gossip, let's discuss Marcia Fudge!  ;)

 

Do tell!  I'm all ears.. literally!

I nearly burst out laughing when I read that headline.  Ohhh the puns...

Don't get me started....cause i'm not one to gossip, however, "how you doin??"

 

I think "it's" a little more than gossip...if you want real gossip, let's discuss Marcia Fudge!  ;)

 

Do tell!  I'm all ears.. literally!

 

We're getting waaayy off-topic here, but let's just say that the same gossip you were referring to in regards to Zack Reed would equally and with apparently good authority apply to Congresswoman Fudge. 

maybe when Zack goes to San Fran he can get some lessons on not being such a narrow minded homophobe

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