At least Michener is able to find angels in this hell.. or at least angles to profit from the devils he may know.

Just out of curiosity, did Michener interview any of the National City Board members about how and why they destroyed one of our largest and most important institutions? The board is listed here.

Whether the "Cleveland Foundation continues to cripple Cleveland by prostituting creativity to cow tow to Foundation grants" is a question for an upcoming poll and analysis. In preparation, now is a good time to think long and hard about the Bush years of the Cleveland Foundation and their Fund For Our Economic Future, as NEO moves from Recession to Depression.

Disrupt IT

My father used to say, "Life is a carousel to hell"...

(He worked as a production engineer at Ford Motor Co.)

Everything you say Jeff is on target.  For the most part, the interviewees do not live in Cleveland.  I would love to give Mr. Michener a walk through my neighborhood and he has an invitation to see my side of the story any day.

Yesterday, I spent some time on the phone with my councilman's assistant Johanna Hamm--we are facing a second wave of foreclosures, this time on multiple properties intentionally bought up in bulk to be rented out for as many dollars the "landlords" can collect until they foreclose on the property.  I see the families (with kids) displaced by these "people."

Why has Cleveland not instituted point-of-sale inspections as Jeff has pointed out before?  Are the "cracks" there for a reason? 

Frank Giglio's house is an example of letting the "cracks work" for developers...the CDC in Tremont is "cracking" down on Frank Giglio with a vengeance because he sits on the "gateway" of Tremont.  The house will be demolished. Will the City of Cleveland attach a demolition lien on the property to add insult to injury? In Frank's case, my guess would be YES...because the City wants his land and will offer to "forgive" the lien, so he walks away, once and for all. (Actually ODOT, probably wants the land...and the land cleared by the "quick" demolition of the house damaged by "fire" on Starkweather...)

Let's also take a closer look at  2000 Denison, the bad deal, that Councilman Cummins doesn't want any one to analyze too closely in Ward 15.  Has NRP paid off the $10,000+ lien or will it conveniently be "forgiven?"  The demolition for 2901 Denison...the house "conveniently demolished" adjacent to the Steel Valley Credit Union and the commercial intersection of Pearl and Denison, DOES have a lien applied....

http://auditor.cuyahogacounty.us/repi/taxbill.asp?txtParcel=01404009

So how does this board game work?  I know that I would like to get "a handle" on it.

Yes the city will attach a demolition lien on Frank'sproperty. TWDC staff have been telling people interested in the hardwoods being "harvested" from Frank's property that the amount they pay for them will be deducted from the amount Frank "owes".

I'd say thats a little more than a slap in the face. I'd say what it actually is, but I dont think it would be permitted on this space.

I am very sad for you and for your neighborhood.  If it is any consolation to Frank, the same strategy has been perpetrated on a number of people who live in the proposed Opportunity Corridor...but that, as they say, is another story.

   Funny that when Jacobs owned the iconic and architecturally significant Coast Guard Station at the head of the Cuyahoga River the City of Cleveland allowed Jacobs to "maintain" the Station in a condition which was clearly a public safety hazzard and clearly in violation of the Building Codes. 

 No problem.

And did I remember to tell you?....Jacobs was also a million dollars in arrears on his real estate taxes for the Coast Guard parcel.   When Jacobs "gave" the Station back to the City, the City forgave the back taxes.

 But no problem there either.

 Equity in all its dealings makes Cleveland the strong City it is...and that's why businesses and citizens alike are moving here in droves. 

Jeff, we need your camera work on the Frank Giglio house in Tremont (and still standing as of 12/6/2008).  You can't miss it.  It is across from Grace Hospital on West 14th St.  Ironically, the two historic board-ups owned by Grace Hospital--one of these buildings is the historic Olney Art Gallery-- are in worse disrepair than Frank's property.  The back of these properties are now clearly visible due to the rampant demolition of properties that has recently taken place at Fairfield and West 11th--rumor has it for a "parking garage."  Could this be the "Greektown" project long ago championed by our county treasurer, who will soon hold the keys to our "land bank?"

I will go tomorrow and take in the scene on my Charged Coupled Device.  

It sounds as if an injunction may also be in order. 

Others in your community have expressed their concern to me that what seems to be transpiring is way too heavy handed and cruel. 

 Is this Cimperman's ward? 

Yes--and, as you point out, an injunction is in order.  I know we have forthright attorneys in NEO.  We need you now.
And if--as I suspect--Tremonter.com will be coming down (no doubt because of a little intimidation in the right places), here is a post that bears reading:

Better than THIS . . .
On December 6th, 2008 jb says:
Better than THIS . . .
Lmcshane your link to your post at realneo is priceless.
Connecting the dots as you do regarding the players in Tremont and who stands to benefit from Frank's demise. Yes ODOT is likely in the end to own, at least in part, the earth now known as Frank's property.
I have literally had that conversation with numerous friends, residents, business owners in the community since the alleged "imminent tear down of Frank's house" again looms in the collective psyche we call Tremont.
However you add the "blow up house" which we hadn't. Nice call! Yes that is on the ODOT radar too I guess.
You know the local politicos keep complaining that ODOT isn't answering their questions either. Which allows our local politico hero wannabes "plausible deniability" to be claimed when addressing seizure of lands due to crisis or tragedy.
"The house just blew up. Found a propane tank." Wow what an explanation. Isn't propane what suburban people use with their gas grills? Hasn't traces of such an "accelerant" been justification for requiring an arson investigation in other cases?
Behind Frank's house, west of 14th, north of Fairfield stood three structures, three parcels that ODOT began process to take in the early 2005, regarding the need for more property to eventually expand the bridge to allow more lanes (now only if ODOT could construct a bridge to bear the weight . . but i digress ).
Those properties were likely purchased by ODOT for somewhere between $300,000 - $400,000. The purchase prices usually do not get publicly reported. The one transaction reported on the auditor's site is that 1428 Fairfield parcel # 004-08-012 was purchased May 7, 2007 by ODOT for $190,000.
So I guess on balance with that sort of money flying around, it seems absurd that others would get nothing for their property.
And the process to access those proprties is getting exceedingly convuluded.
Funny side note regarding Frank and the Fairfield properties. Couple years back there was all this anger being vented on this board about the homeless and crimes in da hood. Calls to grab aluminum baseball bats to, "Crack some skulls and take the Mont back!"
Of course Councilman Cimperman was sympathetic to the crime issues.
Meanwhile the homeless camp that had set up on ODOT property behind Frank's house across the street from the houses ODOT subsequently purchased, was receiving free food from the Ignatius boys on Sunday night as part of their community outreach.
I sat with a friend on her porch one night that summer, just hanging out and got a treat to a wonderful scene, the St. Ignatius van pulls up, the good young Christian men jumped out, open the fence blocking the property as no-trespassing to carry the food they had brought to the homeless.
I mean you do realize Councilman Cimperman is an Iggy grad. What is learning about community service for those less fortunate as an adolescent, I guess as a grown man the less fortunate become criminals threatening our good residents.
Yes I get many mixed signals from our so called leadership.
jb