candidate’s night in Tremont

Submitted by Devil in Ward 14 on Wed, 10/07/2009 - 16:57.

 

So I hear there will be a candidate’s night in Tremont.
Now that’s a shock...     NOT!!!
 
Why is Tremont West Community Development Corp that is located in ward 13 hosting a Ward 14 candidate’s night?
 
Because they know if Rick Nagin gets elected they will no longer have access to the thousands of dollars that were meant for ward 14.
 
Rick Nagin has come forward and stated he will support and fund a CDC inside of WARD 14. That means TWDC will loose approximately $100,000 a year. (Of funds they should have never had in the first place).
 
What about Brian Cummins? He has yet to give a straight answer to that question. How will he spend our money.
 
TWDC should stay out of politics as a 503 1C they should be non political.
 
But since they have city Cleveland employees with political aspirations on their board like Katherine Bolivia and Lynn Murray they feel they can continue to do what ever they want.
 
Ask yourself people why are all of the debates or candidate’s night being held at the outskirts of the ward?   Who will attend or influence these functions?   The Beautiful people of Tremont/Old Brooklyn who want our money  for their own pet projects.
 
It’s time to demand the disenfranchised residents of ward 14 get the funds that were intended to help the area grow and recover.
 
Why is it that Tremont, Brooklyn Center, Ohio City even Flats Oxbow get funded to improve there area?   Yet the poorest area on the west side the Clark –Fulton area gets pushed aside.  
 
Is it possibly a racial thing?    Maybe the poor uneducated Hispanics, Afro-Americans and Appalation’s don’t deserve to have a nice or safe community.  
 
I’m really not the biggest Congressman Dennis Kucinich fan but I know that if Rick is elected he will help Nagin get a CDC open in our ward.
 
 I have personally asked the congressman get TWDC investigated for miss approbation of federal funds as well as ethical issues with there board.
 
We have to stop the Carpetbaggers
 
Devil
 
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out of touch

 you ask a very good question: why would TWDC host a debate? I also ask who would come? The ones with the self interest who very much need the $$$ flowing to TWDC? You bet. Last night I was talking to a disabled woman on SSI in Old Tremont, Ward 14, who needed some home repair assistance. The closest CDC was TWDC and she said she was going to call them. I am interested in what they tell her.

Cummins has said that he will bring in Detroit Shoreway. That is not a solution, be it Detroit Shoreway or another. The needs of the entire Ward 14 is so big, and the problems so deep, that this is an insult to the residents. It shows how out of touch Cummins is with the ward.

I was wondering that

I was wondering that myself.  I think lmcshane suggested the debate be held at Lincoln West High School.  What happened to that idea? 

I agree that Ward 14 has been overlooked for far too many years...probably more than 4.  But, I don't think it is based on ethnicity, race, creed, gender, age, or sexual orientation.  It is probably all based on income level and also the lack of political clout.  How many people in this ward actually get out and vote?  How can anyone who does not take the time to learn about the issues and the candidates and vote have the right to complain when things don't happen that will benefit their neighborhood?

If you want to see things get better in Ward 14 you will have to help your neighbors learn about the candidates and the issues and get out and vote for the candidate that will best meet the needs of the majority of residents, not the minority. 

Please, please, please vote!  Don't let apathy ruin your neighborhood. 

majority not the minority of residents

 Ward14resident, voter apathy is such a huge problem and has been bemoaned for years. But let's talk about the old part of 14 that will be in the new part of 14, no change in the ward. I do think that part of it is ethnicity, race, creed, and gender. I have spent most of my life here, and most of that in ward 14. Ward 14 currently includes Ohio City, where millions upon millions have been spent, to restore historic homes and build new town houses. How many new homes have been built south of Vega? How much public funding has been invested in the housing stock south of Vega? By public funding I am including tax abatements, tax credits,  paint programs, low to no interest loans, etc. One of the things that I have wanted for a long time was an accounting of all the dollars, that in the end, are tax payer subsidized, that have been spent in the last 25 years in the historic district of Ohio City.  The area south of Vega and Barber, etc, have some beautiful old housing, and I really don't want to see that fall to developers the same way that the northern part of the current ward has gone. If, though, it should go that way, you can bet that the minority residents will get pushed out first. Ohio City is no longer the diverse community that it purports to be. Being a diverse community sounds good, being a minority community usually means that you get shafted, lied to, and used. It happened in Ohio City to make way for what is there currently

 

I don't think it is

I don't think it is minorities that are not wanted...I think it is the poor that are not wanted.  This is the new way to discriminate against people, based on income.  There is no law against it.  No consequences for it.  The poor are powerless, unless they vote.  Therefore, my plea for everyone to get registered to vote and get out and vote. 

too late to register for this election

 The deadline has passed.

I know.  I just thought of

I know.  I just thought of that after I posted.  But, there is always the next election...

but bravo

 on the not wanting the poor analogy - B-I-N-G-O!

Lincoln West and Metrohealth

Well, I think until the

Well, I think until the people that reside in Ward 14 can get past the prejudices that divide us there will be nothing but more of the same in this area.  As long as we continue to divide ourselves into 'groups' we will have no power to bring prosperity into this area.  It is an age old trick...divide and conquer.  We have to realize that ALL residents of ward 14 live here and are impacted by the decisions or lack of decisions made by our leaders.  As long as they, the powers that be, can keep us fighting amongst each other they will be able to do whatever they please because we will not show a united opposition to their proposals.  We all lose when we divide ourselves into 'groups' instead of uniting for the benefit of the community. 

divided community

 That is what it all comes down to is a united community no matter who your elected representative becomes. 2 people can start it on their street, and it takes a lot of work. It is hard for people to believe that they can make a difference, and sometimes people lose interest. It is even harder when you don't have a community organizer to help (and hard to find a decent organizer). We used to have organizers. Powers to be don't like community organizers cause those worth their salt bring all sorts of people together and then we cause problems for the powers to be. When we all get in a room together, wow. we find that we have some common concerns and we want action!

Exactly right! At least we

Exactly right! At least we have realneo now.  This didn't exist when I was young and raising my family here.  This is a good start, it gets us communicating and interacting and voicing our concerns. 

we have to do more though

 We have to do more then just speak up on realneo. It is a good starting point but we need to figure out how to use it to mobilize. There, I used a dirty word.

I like that word.  If we

I like that word.  If we can rally 'round a common cause we would wield some power. 

common cause

yep but how do we get people together to figure out what the common cause is to be? Step one is who is interested in even coming together. Who is interested? People have to have a reason, so there will be multiple reasons, then people have to set priorities but it is the getting together that starts it all. And people have to be comfortable with differences.

That is a tall order.  I

That is a tall order.  I don't mind meetings, like in meeting people, but when there is too many agendas at the meetings and too many pulling in all different directions I find it a waste of time and energy.  I would rather speak my mind here in the comfort of my home, and voice my choices of representatives and other issues by the 'secret ballot'.  No need to have get in your face discussions now that we have the internet to use as a communication tool.  Just my opinion. 

It is a tall order

I think that this is why people remain divided, it is a lot of effort to unite, work through the crap and the agendas. I like to do this stuff, but have to take breaks to regroup or my brain implodes. You can always just start with coffee with a couple of neighbors and see where it goes. Remember 2+ people can make a difference.

I don't have the stomach for

I don't have the stomach for planned meetings.  I think I do better with informal meetings and discussions on the run, rather than with planned meetings.  Maybe I am an undiagnosed ADHD person.  I like improptu discussions about issues while talking with a neighbor that happens to be taking her trash to the tree lawn, or a neighbor that is outside planting flowers in the Spring.  I am not a meeting type of person.  I find it to be counterproductive.  Maybe I can learn to overcome my dislike of meetings.  I might be willing to try since the stakes seem to be so high.  But, I truly understand the reluctance that many people have about meetings. 

My son and his wife attended a meeting on their street not too long ago and he said it went well but he was concerned that not all the neighbors were invited to attend.  If you saw the most recent Nagin flyer their pictures were on it.

 

I really admire people that organize and put themselves out there for criticism. 

meetings

are hard when you are putting people that don't know each in a room and they have to get to know each other and that is always tense the first couple of time , then it gets easier. But it sounds like you are doing some organizing in your own way and that is important work. When you talking to a neighbor who is taking out the trash or the one gardening, you are building the blocks, and that is a good first step. Getting to know people is good.

Of corsue I am not your son, I would have asked why other people weren't there, and if it was because they have different views, I would have challenged that decision to exclude them. If they would not change the viewpoint, I would leave but tell them why I thought that this is wrong.

My son did mention it to the

My son did mention it to the person who was organizing the meeting but I am thinking that since he did not organize the meeting that it was not up to him to invite the attendees.  Maybe the next time he will invite people to his home and then he can invite everyone on his street.  I don't like exclusion either.  I like to hear what people have to say even if their viewpoint differs from mine.  Sometimes I even change my own viewpoint after listening to someone else's point of view.  I sometimes realize that what I thought to be true may in fact be false when I am presented with enough facts that prove me wrong.  Discussion is good.  Information is essential to making good decisions. 

a strong leader

 I'm reading the above comments and what is coming through to me is we need a strong leader (disjointed meetings, too many issues, etc.)

SO - traditionally that is what a council person is paid to do (which Santiago obviously failed miserably at, but that horse is so dead it hurts my foot when i kick it).

WHO - is best to lead in Ward 14?

Cummins, who has a demonstrated propensity to cater to powers that be

or

Nagin, who has a long history of standing up for people without and making them stronger (its a union thing, folks).

it aint high math to me.....

 

I agree dbra. 

I agree dbra. 

I agree too

 dbra and Ward14resident. It is amazing the way that people are talking about this in the neighborhood, and there is such a strong positive feeling about Nagin. People are excited and it has been a long time since I have seen this good vibe. I just hope that they get their wish: Nagin for Ward 14.

Ladies, I just have a minute

Ladies, I just have a minute before I trudge up to join the Hitler Brigade and listen to the autocrats tell everybody wtf is going to happen over the next few weeks with regard to the by-law mail out process, etc.

But just as my two cents since I don't live in Ward 14, I've been reading and listening and I don't think that Brian Cummings has the brass to handle TWDC.  I think that he will either knuckle under or take the money to Detroit Shoreway and either way, people in the Ward 14 and Clark Metro area will get short changed once again.  I truly believe that Rick Nagin is the only one with enough backbone to say enough is enough. 

Amen and hallelujah! 

Amen and hallelujah!  Thanks for your post Jerleen.  And your honest opinion.  It is worth more than a pound of gold.