Evidently, City and County workers needed an excuse to get out in the sunshine today during Sunshine WEEK.

Complaining that Kasich cut the funding to construct a state hospital on Euclid after the City of Cleveland spent 4 million dollars of your money to clear the lot for development...

A bunch of Democrats sitting in folding chairs on a vacant lot in the middle of the City.

Sunshine Press Conference

Was $16 Million ...now $20 Million of your money spent to build a CMHA Taj Mahal in the "Forgotten Triangle."

John Kasich I hope you have pulled the plug on the Opportunity Corridor.

Five years ago, a controversy developed. It came to light that taxpayers paid to clean up the property and paid again for CMHA to buy it at what some called an excessive figure of about $152,000 per acre for 25 acres.

Wow! Investment Opportunity! Can you say B-R-O-W-N-F-I-E-L-D!!!

***Update*****PD did delete the comment above from ItstimeforRICO (see Criminally Insane)--so let me archive this comment, too :

 NEO Democrats HAVE squandered  federal and state tax dollars unchecked for decades. 

I am grateful, as a taxpayer, that Kasich pulled the plug on the Euclid Ave. mental hospital.  I would like Kasich to also examine how much money has been wasted to build the CMHA Taj Mahal in the "Forgotten Triangle." 

I have not had time to examine Kasich's budget. Please, if someone else--has fully examined it.  I would like to know how ODOT monies have been allocated and whether or not we can nail the coffin on the "Opportunity Corridor."  

 http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/03/mental_hospital_belongs_in_cle.html

I am reposting these here to archive these comments:

unpaysan March 27, 2011 at 8:37AM

Wow, Itstimeforrico, has said it all.

Advocating for another social service facility to be dumped in the city is just what we don't need. The RTA Health Line along Euclid Avenue was supposed to serve as an economic engine. It was supposed to connect Public Square--now an outdoor homeless, vagrant encter--and University Circle with Cleveland State University, Playhouse Square, the Cleveland Clinic and hoped for, businesses along the way. We need businesses that pay taxes, that bring folks who will spend money in the neighborhood.

Move on to the really weak story by Henry Gomez about St. Herman's. Read the story carefully to see the many mistakes and the many failures of the city to stop the mess before it started. The place is and always has been a scam.

Notice the letters of support for the recent series about the Imperial Avenue mess. Of those offering support, nearly all were suburbanites. There message is clear: keep taking care of social problems in the city. Just make sure these problems don't come to my neighborhood.

The Plain Dealer must write more forceful editorials. The reporting must name names. The reporting my offer solutions even though those solutions may be politically incorrect.

Imperial Avenue is an example of a culture that was created by Democrats and now is supported by the entire liberal left. This is not what we fought for in during the Civil Rights Movement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WRLC and Nature Conservancy

Following the corrupt model established by the Nature Conservancy--the Western Reserve Land Conservancy--in their emulation of the Nature Conservancy, hires Jim Rokakis.

 

 

From :

Paulson Pick Goes From Bad to Worse

by Robert B. Bluey

05/30/2006

“The Nature Conservancy is one of the most feared environmental groups throughout rural America,” said R.J. Smith, CEI Adjunct Scholar. “While promoting itself as a ‘private’ conservation group, small landowners, family farmers, ranchers and tree farmers know it as a strong-arm real estate agent for the federal government. It acquires land at fire-sale prices from landowners bankrupted by environmental regulations, then turns around and sells most of it to the federal government at inflated prices. The last thing America needs is more range and forest land for the federal government to mismanage and burn down.”

See also:

New program expands land bank to other counties in the region

Published: Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 7:13 AM

By Harlan Spector, The Plain Dealer

 

See Washington Post coverage of Nature Conservancy:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/specials/natureconservancy/

Awhile back, Lily Miller exposed how "Land Bank" lots are only available to the right people--investor Carl Hirsch admitted that he visited REALNEO for over a year. 

 

How does one join the investment club??

 

(Sadly, this classic real estate flipping scheme, taken to the federal level, most likely drives the delusions of our perennial presidential candidate and his buddy Jimmy ...the napoleon complex taken to the extreme.)

  FitzGerald shows that he is part of the same pathetic crew that continues to give away the whole county to the mob:

“Looking around the room, these are the people and the faces that drive a lot of real estate in Cuyahoga County,” Mr. Jeffers said. “This project is about more than real estate. Instead, it's about finding the most cost-effective home for the county to serve the taxpayers."

In addition to Mr. Carney and Mr. Minshall, this morning's event attracted many of the region's top development professionals. Among them were Andrew Brickman; Kevin Callahan of Premier Development Partners Inc.; Fred Geis of Hemingway Development; Rick Foran of Foran Group; Lou Frangos of The Frangos Group; Mark Horton of Weston Inc.; James Kassouf; Ken Lapine; Chip Marous of Marous Brothers Construction; Robert Rains of Landmark Management Ltd.; and Chaim Schochet of Optima Management Group LLC.

http://www.crainscleveland.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120807/FREE/120809872

Why is dirty dozen tax scofflaw Lou Frangos even allowed to attend a county event?  Shouldn't he be shackled?

Update 8/19

My comments and Concerned Citizens deleted by John Kroll who will read the comments here, since he regularly trolls REALNEO...

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/08/talk_with_the_boss_gus_frangos.html

Land Bank Frangos is a CROOK--and I have officially given up on Ed FitzGerald...who thinks he will be Ohio's next governor...where's Superman??

Cleveland leaders have done little to promote Superman's Cleveland legacy and 75th Anniversary, which is April 18. City leaders can't even claim credit for the Superman Welcome Center at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, which was organized and paid for by the Siegel and Shuster Society. (Photo by Thomas Ondrey, Plain Dealer file)

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2013/03/supermans_75th_anniversary_des.html

Waiting...waiting... waiting....

Why are Frangos and the Land Bank still not exposed????

 http://realneo.us/content/vadxx-energy-build-medical-waste-burning-facility-residential-area-gus-frangos-will-profit-p#comment-33944

To: http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/08/northeast_ohioans_discover_tha.html

Renate_Jakupca_473

>As you can see from the comments there is a problem with Cleveland's Non-Profit Sector.....and most agree that Ed Fitzgerald must make a change. 
IN THE BEGINNING: The International Center for Environmental Arts (ICEA) was founded in 1987 to meet the compelling needs of ordinary citizens for access to current, balanced, understandable information about complex global issues. (That would be You Mr Abbott and Mr Richards!) 
 
In 2012, ICEA is celebrating 25 years of grooming the future leadership of Cleveland in the Environment, Humanity's and the Cultural Arts. The founding visionaries of ICEA realized the need for a one-stop center for international business and cultural development in Northeast Ohio, celebrating the regions global diversity and contributing to the economic development of the region. ICEA has been that organization that has assisted in launching careers and sustainable businesses of the Greater Cleveland Community, America and the World for the 21st Century. The "Theory of Iceality" is the cornerstone of all green practices in Cleveland and worldwide. 
 
The current Cleveland non-profit system breeds waste and fiscal mismanagement on a multi-million dollar scale that would make Jimmy Dimora crimes look like an amateur. 
 
Fund for Our Economic Future funds a select collaborative of organizations all with the same interests. Example of a few: 
ECO-CITY CLEVELAND - a collaborative of organizations with the same interests. 
ECO WATCH - a collaborative of organizations with the same interests. 
NEO SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES CONSORTIUM - a collaborative of organizations with the same interests. 
ARTS AND CULTURE ORG - a collaborative of organizations with the same interests 
EARTHDAY COALITION - a collaborative of organizations with the same interests. 
GREEN CITY BLUE LAKE ORG - a collaborative of organizations with the same interests. 
 
Several of these similiar funded organizations gave individual positive environmental impact reports for the East Bank Development project!  
 
So the people need do need a change, as Roldo, Peter Lewis and our own David Jakupca has been saying for the past decade.....and most agree that Ed Fitzgerald must make a change.

pee deed

More of the stale preaching from the civic elite to justify their well paid foundation positions. 
 
Many of the area's consolidation changes would have happened regardless of the lame efforts of the Partnership.  
 
Facts remain the city and area are controlled by an elite few who, with a few exceptions, continue to blame everyone else for the region's failings, yet fail to invest or engage in the region themselves. 
 
Facts are an overwhelming number of suburbanites prefer their little city rather than to be a part of Cleveland. And regional governments only work if they are well operated and efficient, which greater Cleveland's are not. Note the recent indictments at the Regional Sewer District, problems at the Port Authority, ineptness with the Cleveland Water Dept. and so on. And County government is still, regardless of what the politically correct say, an inept mess. 
 
Plus, as Peter Lewis so accurately points out, the lawyers dominiate our civic elite, yet they have never made an investment or have constructed anything. 
 
Since the late Dick Jacobs and the retired Sam Milller, the only civic investors in greater Cleveland has been non-resident, Dan Gilbert. 
 
Cleveland's so called civic leaders need to get past the preaching and step up to the plate. Gilbert didn't face insurmountable obstacles to his projects. And rather than blame parochial residents for being hesitant to join regional efforts, regional governments need to be held accountable.

neononprofitwaste

Great post Pee Dee, 
 
Mr. Abbott's entire career has been either in government or as a non-profit exec. It is insulting that someone who has never had to sink or swim in the private for profit sector is lecturing us on how business and jobs are created.  
 
Can someone please explain why the Fund for our Economic Future is needed besides creating some nice six figure jobs for the executives (the CEO earns over $220k).  
 
People like Mr. Abbott who makes a healthy $350k like to write these nice op ed pieces about their fellow highly paid executives at other non profits. These groups do a great jobs and comming up with new awards to give to each other so everyone thinks they are doing a great job and no one questions why NEO has more than a half dozen "non profit" economic development groups (Jumpstart, Bioenterprise, Magnet, Nortech, Fund for our Econ Future, etc), many who get their money from taxpayers, and all have the basic overlapping mission while each group employs numerous C level people with CEOs taking hime $300-$500k. 
 
If Mr. Abbott wants to encourage collaboration for the sake of saving money, maybe all these non profits should be merged and fire all the overlapping huge salaries.

 And related-it takes HUD 7 years to crack down on embezzlement of $650,000 in funds:

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/03/federal_prosecutors_charge_may.html

We are all waiting for Superman and it's taking forever.....

SAVE US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

http://www.coolcleveland.com/blog/2013/04/roldo-is-it-time-to-cry-yet/

Entities known as Community Development Corporations-funded in large part through your tax dollar--are politicking in the school and port levy issues. Is this kosher?  These are recent email blasts sent out by Ohio City Development Corporation and the University Circle Development Corporation...

Support Issues 107 & 108!    Ohio City Incorporated is proud to support two critical issues for the continued growth of Ohio City and the region.   The Cleveland School Levy, Issue 107, will give the Cleveland Municipal School District the resources it urgently needs to increase the number of children in high quality schools, close under performing schools, attract exceptional teachers, and provide each student with an opportunity to succeed.   Issue 108 will give the Port of Cleveland the ability to make much needed public capital investments in and along the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie. This issue directly impacts Ohio City as it will provide the resources to rebuild and stabilize the hillside from West 25th Street down to the Cuyahoga River. This hillside will not only become safer for our residents but it will also help connect the neighborhood, the River and the Lake.   Volunteer for Issue 107   We need volunteers to help pass these important issues:   Help phone bank for issue 107: Oct. 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd & 30th. Fridays from 3-7pm and Saturdays from 10am-2pm. Phone banking will take place at the Cleveland Teachers Union located at 1228 Euclid Avenue, Suite 600, Cleveland.   Help canvass door to door on October on any of the following Saturdays (Oct. 13th, 20th, 27th) at 10am. Contact Luis Hernandez at lhernandez [at] ohiocity [dot] org" shape="rect" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:lhernandez [at] ohiocity [dot] org" style="color: #857458; text-decoration: underline" href="mailto:lhernandez [at] ohiocity [dot] org">LHernandez [at] ohiocity [dot] org for meeting locations.   Talking directly to other voters is the best way to educate voters on the importance of both issues. Spread the word!   Yard Signs   Yard signs for Issue 107 & Issue 108 can be picked up any weekday at the Ohio City Incorporated office at 2525 Market Ave, Suite A, Cleveland. Show your support and put up a sign!   Register or Update Your Voter Registration   If you have moved since the last election, TODAY, October 9th, is the last day to update your registration. You can update your information easily online on the Ohio Secretary of State website: http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001apAE9SYN5SUv6EjWOGtRACmgsI6-t7FYyHWMhI-U-PZ15I0yWZi1KZc-gCIT5v8a4pdANKN66wSgdUSNU6OfhchYIAy9tavDmVTYq9l8VYbAKtmH-AhGB5Zr2gfXwVqbBWu-urKXtGjbYEV7YSfLlygIo2IbuqAFmdoh59IkGrQ=   TODAY is also the last day to turn in voter registrations to the Board of Elections. Located at 2925 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, Ohio, 44115. They will accept registrations until 9pm.   Feel free to email Luis Hernandez at lhernandez [at] ohiocity [dot] org" shape="rect" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:lhernandez [at] ohiocity [dot] org" style="color: #857458; text-decoration: underline" href="mailto:lhernandez [at] ohiocity [dot] org">LHernandez [at] ohiocity [dot] org with any questions.   Thank you for considering these essential issues as you head to the polls.   Sincerely,    Eric Wobser Executive Director, Ohio City Inc.

Another important issue for you to consider this fall is Issue 108, the Port of Cleveland's levy. Through Issue 108, The Port is asking voters to provide support for its plans to tackle critical public capital investments in and along the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie.   The Port has helped secure nearly $2 billion for construction and expansion projects in University Circle, Cleveland, and throughout our region. It also manages a beautiful 88-acre wildlife habitat called Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve (formerly Dike 14) that is open to the public and benefits institutions like the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in University Circle.     For more information on Issue 108 and The Port's plan, you can visit: portofcleveland.com/about-the-port/port-levy    Early voting has begun. All voters are welcome to visit the Board of Elections at 2925 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland during regular business hours and cast their vote through Friday, November 2nd.

I have outstanding and unfilled requests through Kim Roberson at City of Cleveland.  Most of my requests relate to shady demolitions.  I also put in a FOIA request with Cuyahoga County, too - it goes unfilled, in violation of federal laws pertaining to the public's right to information: