Norm -- Both parties have worked for months crafting a bipartisan Wall Street reform bill. But, just hours ago, Senate Republicans -- including Senator George Voinovich -- voted for a second time to protect their allies on Wall Street and block reform.

Maybe they think obstruction is a good political strategy in an election year. Maybe they're hoping the delay will give bank lobbyists time to water down reform with loopholes and exemptions.

"Kudos on providing a forum for hatred, racism and trolling. Hope you considered this project a "success"" - believelandd. I couldn't say it better myself... this comment by a Cleveland.com reader, posted on Cleveland.com today, condemning the departing "Chief Executive" of the smoke and mirrors PlainDealer/Newhouse's wretched little portal to spam. Hard to calculate anything that has harmed  development of the new economy in Cleveland so much in our history... and so The Chief Executive is being universally trashed in departure.

On May 11th you may benefit three important peace organizations while being smart and local about your foods... simply by grocery shopping. The Food Coop will generously donate a portion of your total bill, on the second Tuesday of every month, to benefit Cleveland Peace Action, InterReligious Task Force on Central America (IRTF), and Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice

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Come and start your Cinco de Mayo celebration one day early with great authentic Mexican cuisine and Dine Out for Peace! Dining Out for Peace continu

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When I last saw Rocket From The Tombs, for the sound check and performance, the band introduced a great new work just released as a vinyl 45 and for download from Hearpen Records - "Romeo & Juliet".  The new single from Rocket From The Tombs was recorded at Suma, in Painesville, Ohio, in January 2009.

Green Building Finance Consortium

The book is here!

2008 Lead Poisonings of children in Cuyahoga County, Ohio - do not move here

The Greater Cleveland Lead Advisory Council has released data on children in the neighborhoods of Cleveland and surrounding suburbs who were tested and documented as lead poisoned in Cuyahoga County in 2008 - about 3,200 of our Cleveland children were KNOWN to be lost to lead poisoning - about 4,000 children poisoned in Cuyahoga County overall. As only a small percentage of our children are actually tested for lead poisoning, the numbers of children in the County lost to lead poisoning is much higher... 1,000s of victims higher.

Cleveland's worst known mass-murderer, Anthony Sowell, is only known to have killed 11 people.... yet that has captured 1000s of inches of pointless newsprint... hours of pointless news coverage... to help nobody.

I have lived in Northeast Ohio most of my life... have founded the amazing realNEO... have done lots of other important work here and worldwide... have proposed the most innovative economic development platform in the region...

Interesting to see a man who has been responsible for lead poisoning 1,000s of children - 100,000s throughout his "political career" - now "DEFEND" himself about anything, yet here our Cleveland City Council PRESIDENT proclaims "I am not a crook". SO TYPICAL of our incompetent, irresponsible "leaders" to our deathcamp here.

A great movie about Cleveland leaders and justice?!?!

Home Depot uses Ohio U.S. Senator George Victor Voinovich in a failed attempt
to delay EPA rules protecting children and pregnant women from lead poisoning?!?!

Despite the foolish, incompetent, worst efforts of our disgraceful Republican U.S. Senator from Ohio, Genocidal-George Voinovich, who attempted to derail life-protecting lead poisoning prevention measures for America's children and pregnant women - supposedly as a favor to Home Depot, which we should all now boycott for life - I'm pleased to announce:

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that renovations and repairs of pre-1978 housing must now be conducted using safe practices to protect children and pregnant women from exposure to lead-based paint. Almost a million children have elevated blood lead levels as a result of exposure to lead hazards, which can lead to lower intelligence, learning disabilities, and behavior issues. Adults exposed to lead hazards can suffer from high blood pressure and headaches. Children under six years old are most at risk.

“Our lead-safe program will protect children and families from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation and repair activities in houses built before 1978,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “This rule requires contractors to follow some simple and effective lead-safe work practices to prevent children’s exposure to dangerous levels of lead. Lead poisoning is completely preventable.”

From: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/oil-rig-explosion-fire-photos.php

I was doing some research on lead paint on toys - still a huge problem in America and world-wide, as the lead industry keeps expanding - and I thought about all the lead American children were exposed to growing up in my generation, and the generations before me, during the foolish industrial era in America. Consider the harm caused to us - older Gen-X, Baby Boomers, down through "The Greatest Generation" - the greatest price for which is still to be paid in healthcare-costs, pain and suffering for industrially-impaired older adults and senior citizens suffering for such socially-irresponsible behavior as chewing their pencils in school, as kids.

This year, celebrate Mother's Day the way its Founders intended!

Join us for the Third Annual MOTHERS' DAY PEACE PARTY - Sunday, May 9, 2010, 2 - 4 pm, at the India Garden (by the Gandhi Statue), 1190 Martin Luther King Blvd., Rockefeller Park, Cleveland (free curbside parking). SPECIAL GUEST: SEPTIMA CLARK ("The Grandmother of the Civil Rights Movement"), portrayed by Sherrie Tolliver of Women in History. Come, bring your mother... bring a friend. Enjoy a peaceful afternoon among friends!

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Lessons From Eyjafjallajökull: Air Freight Is Going To Kill Us All

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Dear Norm,

I'm wearing red today, because today is Equal Pay Day. This is the day designated each year to mark how far into the year the average woman must work to earn what the average man made the previous year. Women working full-time and year-round currently earn about 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, so today marks the day using 2009 figures that an average woman would finally earn what an average man made in 2009. In Ohio, this pay deficiency ($33,628 per year compared to $45,214) for women and their families in real terms means they could buy food for another two years or pay mortgage and utility payments for nine more months.

Land banking is an idea that originated in Ohio, and with the passing of enabling legislation for Ohio, has now become a practice that will help significantly in blighted neighborhoods. There are still many, many foreclosures and walk-aways. Neighborhoods are being decimated, especially inner-city neighborhoods. This policy is being looked at in other parts of the country, and Rokakis has recently made presentations to national groups on the idea.

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Deborah S. Delisle is the state superintendent of public instruction. She oversees the public K-12 education system in Ohio. Prior to her appointment, she was the superintendent of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School Distric

Make reservations

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On May 4, Ohio voters will have an opportunity vote on Issue 1 -- a $700 million bond issue that will renew and expand Ohio Third Frontier, without raising taxes.  Since 2002, Ohio Third Frontier, the state’s most successful economic development and jobs program, has made strategic investments in emerging technology industries to accelerate commercial activity and create jobs for Ohio citizens.

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Richard T. Andrews writes an insightful blog called "The Real Deal", which he describes as "Periodic reporting and commentary from Cleveland Heights OH. Primary interests: Cleveland/NEOhio regional public affairs; African American politics, commerce, culture and society; public education; national and international affairs; Cavaliers∫Browns∫Indians." I receive it by email and suggest everyone on realNEO check it out. I strongly agree with his most recent posting "Brunner the Best for Ohio Democrats" and suggest all Ohio voters read through to his posting, which I introduce below:

In reflecting on the future of the food economy in America, one must understand the role of genetically engineered crops, which have blown-apart food economics and ecology in America and increasingly worldwode since their monopoly-mounted introduction 14 short years ago, driven by Monsanto covering the Earth in Roundup, AKA glyphosate.