Welcome to REALNEO! We are an open, free social network & Content Management System of a non-profit coop of individuals-REAL.COOP-interested in arts&culture, economy, education, environment, health & technology with a focus on North East Ohio-NEO-but REAL.COOP has global membership & perspectives. Please enjoy the content. There is no need to register. If you have a comment, or wish to publish a report, then you need to have administrative approval for user status – please submit your prospective content to admin via the "contact" link above.

How real are the FBI and leaders of NEO about dismantling the Pyramid schemes that make this the most corrupt place in America?

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 09/20/2010 - 23:41.
michael-forlani small.jpg

I've sadly watched the better part of an important historic block, in an important historic neighborhood, fronting an important historic park, be demolished and cleared without so much as a peep of concern from anyone in NEO, other than on REALNEO. Are we really so disengaged, or are we just so dumbfounded by the rapid succession of bad plans coming from NEO leadership that we can't keep up and focus. The block I question, today's header above (full size image here), was a wonderful grouping of interesting mixed use urban landmarks, complimenting the astounding Rockefeller Park to the west, University Circle to the south, and the surrounding Wade Park neighborhood, now a massive demolition zone that looks suspiciously like a surface parking lot. In a few short weeks, "they" have done immeasurable damage, and that is exactly how leaders in this region operate... quietly destroying what they may and explaining what they must as they must, largely through their Plain Dealer. Already, I doubt there are many people who remember the buildings just demolished here, or the many mature Rockefeller Park oak trees ripped from their roots in the haste of greed (did they have a right and permit to do that)... see the earlier demolition picture here to see the beautiful setting before this eco-disaster. Seeing the trees gone made me wonder what evil "they" lurks behind this tragedy, and of course learned this is another Carney Port Authority bond deal, this time to be repaid at the expense of Cleveland taxpayers, to enrich a new character on the "developer" scene... Michael Forlani... CEO of Doan Pyramid Electric, of Bedford Heights, Ohio, and a major Republican contributor, who has formed a new company, Veterans Development, LLC, to process $ millions in federal and Cleveland taxpayer contributions to his bottom line, this time routed through the Federal Veterans Administration. This deal is an extreme example of what is wrong in Northeast Ohio and America today.

The fall of a few mafioso politicos is far from the end of the house-cleaning needed in Northeast Ohio and Ohio

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 09/19/2010 - 07:00.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer pimped the Opportunity Corridor into existence and has greatly disrupted our economy over that - the St. Louis-sourced publisher Terry Egger is the leader of the Opportunity Corridor whorehouse and bulldozing committee - flightless queen-bee-designee Terri Hamilton Brown exists for the Opportunity Corridor - ex-Con made Concilman Jeff Johnson pimps for it - RPM Prince Randell McShepard and Most-Made-Handmaid-to-the-Rich Ronayne Pimp for it - Gund top-gun Abbott Pimps for it - flabbergasting Cleveland Foundation flops Richards and Kuri pimp for it - and the usual suspects that profit from it pimp for it... Cleveland Clinic, all organizations UCI and all local universities, some churches and non-profits, the CDCs and their sponsors, the architects and contractors and their trolls, the unions... the web of crooks who have fucked up everything in this region for decades, and are the enablers of all the corruption now being dismantled with County and city government here, by the FBI. The state, county and city levels of government have failed and are being dismantled here, along with the entire statewide mafioso Democratic party regime and their networks of funders, contractors and colluders.

So when the incompetent, sell-out, paid-to-pimp Cleveland Plain Dealer proclaims in their latest pimping for the Opportunity Corridor that "The project is a top priority of elected, business and neighborhood leaders", I'd like to know EXACTLY who are the elected, business and neighborhood leaders that are not corrupt and benefiting financially from the Opportunity Corridor and are willing to step forward today, with the degree of corruption at all levels of leadership here, and say the Opportunity Corridor is the top priority for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio today.

I want to know, before the next election, which candidates for any offices are pimping that the Opportunity Corridor is the Top Priority of the region.

CITY OF CLEVELAND, DEPT. OF BUILDING & HOUSING, DIVISION OF CODE ENFORCEMENT

Submitted by jerleen1 on Tue, 09/14/2010 - 21:09.

Today, I spent the morning at City Hall.  My mission took me to the 5th Floor Records Window where a very pleasant young man ask if he could be of assistance.

It seems as though City Inspector Francis Cirvencic has been a busy man and from what I understand, he plans on spending some more time in Tremont.

As the helper pecked away at his computer, page after page after page of Violation Notices crawled out of the printer.

( categories: )

I Declare Dianna "AngelnWard14" Hill the Real Winner in Yesterday's Sham Election

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 09/08/2010 - 07:13.

Obama on TV during his Primary
Obama on TV during his Primary

It is my understanding that only 16% of registered voters were willing to be recognized in support of any political-party in Cuyahoga County by voting yesterday - 85% of voters including myself non-voted in Rage Against The Machine. Those non-voters now have to choose between non-voting against everything here... or voting for the party-machine candidates packaged for us by lawyers, monopoly media and industry here... or electing a green or independent candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive. This is an historic moment.

The biggest CHAMPION of the primary was certainly Dianna Hill, who chose to go with her party loyalty and run as a Democrat, despite the negative associations that brings to her in this corrupt region. She received 14% of the Democratic vote, despite being ignored by her party and mis-characterized by the hater media, like the Plain Dealer monopoly-machine, which still characterizes with assassination, like in reporting results of the election today, noting she's "a political unknown who described herself as an ignorant hillbilly" - nice detail to pull out of your asses, you white-trash hick "journalists".

Warn the World About Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown's Family Coal Fired Pollution Factory in University Circle - Disclose MCCO

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 09/05/2010 - 06:34.

I'm starting my deep research into the corruption that is Medical Center Company (MCCO) - Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown's family coal fired pollution factory in University Circle, Cleveland Ohio - and as I search the web for articles about Senator Brown's energy policy, I find good opportunities to educate the world about the harm his family pollution does here.

For example, the Breakthrough Institute has a posting about Senator Brown - The Sherrod Brown Test: Finding Consensus on Climate Policy... If we want to pass policies that will truly catapult the United States into a clean and prosperous energy economy, slash global warming pollution, and make clean energy cheap and abundant, we need to pass the "Sherrod Brown Test." - to which I posted the following clarification for the world:

You should disclose Senator Sherrod Brown's brother Robert Brown is Chairman of the Board of Medical Center Company (MCCO), which is a coal fired steam plant in a poor urban disadvantaged Cleveland neighborhood... burns 44,000 tons of coal a year... pumps over 4,000 tons of pollution into our air (since the 1930s) - all to heat private institutions like Case Western Reserve University (where Robert Brown is Treasurer), University Hospitals, the Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Museum of Art - and they want a license to burn coal for 5 more years... and want to build an additional coal plant in the same neighborhood... Sherrod is the King of Coal in Ohio.

What if environmental policy was based on minimum standards of environmental justice - Thou Shall Not Cause Thy Neighbor Cancer!

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 06:30.


Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter Headquarters, on the fringe of the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas

A few days after attending the EPA public hearing regarding the renewal of the license for Medical Center Company to continue burning coal in University Circle - which was OPPOSED by representatives of the Sierra Club, Environmental Health Watch, Earth Day Coalition, Women Speak Out For Peace and Justice, and all citizens who testified - I met with Neil Carman, Ph.D., the Clean Air Director of the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, in Austin, Texas, to discuss real NEO air pollution issues, the MCCO licensing situation, and next steps for improving the environment in Northeast Ohio.

ERICH HOOPER SELECTIVELY EXCLUDED FROM TREMONT EVENT OPPORTUNITIES

Submitted by jerleen1 on Mon, 08/16/2010 - 11:33.

Tremont farmer charges TWDC for selectively excluding him
from neighborhood marketing opportunities

by Jerleen Justus

(Plain Press, August 2010) When the Tremont Farmers Market (TFM) opened for the 2010 season Hooper's Farm was not among the listed vendors. Erich Hooper, the Farm's owner, says he did not fill out this year's application due to difficulties he encountered with the market management during the 2009 market exhibitions.

( categories: )

The results of poor leadership, poor management and poor strategies are measured in real econometrics, every day

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 08/14/2010 - 07:12.

As I explain to "outsiders" what obstacles to true economic development we are confronting here in Northeast Ohio, I point to the concluding half of my "Preamble: Real Co-op for Open Food, Information and Community Development 2009", where I explain "you can't manage what you don't measure. Leadership here does not want to be measured.

At that time - February, 2009 - I explained the risk from having poor local leadership was greatest then, as we had just brought into office a wonderful new President, who must stimulate bad local, state, national and global economies... we had tough battles ahead requiring good local footsoldiers, as $ billions in NEW federal funding initiatives was flowing our way.

They raise the stakes, in exploitation of the difficult economic times here, by attempting to corrupt the good will of our new President.

HoMiEs TiLL ThE EnD !! AnD AfTeR ThAt We StILL RiDe In ThE EcHo SiDe!

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 08/12/2010 - 13:14.

+88_________________+880_______
_+880_______________++80_______
_++88_____Homie____+880________
_++88_____________++88________
__+880___________++88_________
__+888_________++880__________
__++880_______++880___________
__++888_____+++880____________
__++8888__+++8880++88_________
__+++8888+++8880++8888________
___++888++8888+++888888+80____
___++88++8888++8888888++888___
___++++++888888fx88888888888___
____++++++88888888888888888___
____++++++++000888888888888___
_____+++++++00008f8888888888___
______+++++++00088888888888___
_______+++++++0888f8888888____
_______+++++++08888l888888____
________+++++++8888888888

HoMiEs TiLL ThE EnD !!
AnD AfTeR ThAt We StILL RiDe In ThE EcHo SiDe!

i have your back homie

I just came across this message from a friend and I was supposed to forward it to 10 friends whose Back I Got - so I thought it belongs here. I got your back, whoever is a real NEO homie of the 8,000+ realNEO members, and 10,000s of visitors a week... and 2.5 million Northeast Ohioans polluted here each day.

I'm off to Illinois, Colorado, California and Texas to rally support in those four of the nation's greatest and most powerful states to work on energy policy and innovation with Ohio for the nation, so all our great states and the nation may effectively address the pollution, energy and climate change issues heavily upon us.

We need to shut down major pollution source points and make others clean in all our states... especially in our largest, most industrial, most populous and most polluting states... and especially in Northeast Ohio, where we still have an active combination steel mill in the center of an impoverished urban community of over 400,000 people.

Video from University Circle coal steam plant hearing

Submitted by Mattie Reitman on Wed, 08/11/2010 - 11:47.

Check out this great video compilation of passionate citizen comments at the public hearing last night:

 

Make Friday the 13th Very Unlucky for Slacker, Failing NOACA Governing Board Members

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 08/10/2010 - 14:13.
08/13/2010 - 10:00
08/13/2010 - 12:00
Etc/GMT-5

NOACA Attendance Sheet through July

Beautifully timed, just days after the EPA Hearing about MCCO's permit to burn coal in excessively polluted Northeast Ohio for five more years, and in the middle of a Smog-Wave and air pollution crisis - as citizens awaken to the fact their air pollution monitoring for Northeast Ohio has been broken by NOACA (Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency - which is responsible for managing air quality here... for as long as there has been a NOACA) - the NOACA Governing Board is meeting on their unluckiest Friday the 13th ever.

The Cuyahoga Democratic Party has asked for the resignation of two of their most powerful and ineffective leaders - Jimmy DiMora is on the NOACA Governing Board and has not personally attended one meeting this year - neither has Tim Hagan. Neither has Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson - his planning Director Bob Brown only attended three... same with Commissioner Jones. RTA Boss Dixon - none. Port representative Raskind - none.  ODOT representative - 2 out of 6 meetings. NOBODY FROM THE EPA.

Citizens must now recognize the breadth of their influence and failure, causing failure of the region and state though such vehicles as the governing board of NOACA.

Location

NOACA
1299 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH
United States

TUESDAY MORNING IN CLEVELAND AND ALL AROUND NORTHEAST OHIO - THE AIR IS UNSAFE TO BREATHE

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 08/03/2010 - 09:45.


The NOACA Air Pollution Time Series line chart left above shows the region has had unsafe air quality since midnight, as per many monitoring stations - Cleveland is excluded from this chart but represented in the Rose Chart right above, which indicates the air in Cleveland was Unsafe at least at 5 and 6 AM, before they cut the data stream off.... meaning it is likely unsafe NOW. DO NOT TRUST THEIR DATA BEFORE 5 AM!

Right now - TUESDAY MORNING IN CLEVELAND AND ALL AROUND NORTHEAST OHIO - the air appears unsafe to breathe. According to data hidden throughout air quality monitoring reporting in the region, our air has been AT BEST UNSAFE FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS since MIDNIGHT. In other words... it is still UNSAFE from yesterday. Of course, the Ohio EPA forecast for today was "Moderate".

I am in contact with the Senator's staff about these conflicts of interest

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 08/02/2010 - 18:48.
MCCO/Case Coal Burner Robert Brown

Mattie Reitman with the Sierra Club just forwarded me his communications with the Chairman of Medical Center Company, Robert Brown - who is Treasurer of Case.... and Senator Sherrod Brown's brother... the PD's Connie Schultz' Brother-in-Law... major regional coal-burner and source-point polluter. Through Brown's leadership MCCO operates a secretive coal burning, polluting steam plant for University Circle in my backyard, causing 1,000s of tons of pollution a year in my backyard, harming us each and every day... which I am fighting with the Sierra Club to shut-down.

Sherrod Brown has proven to be a pro-coal Senator. The PD basically denies global warming exists, loves coal, and ignores the issue of environmental injustice entirely.

I am in contact with the Senator's staff about these conflicts of interest, as I am dealing with his brother's pollution, I don't like that my Senator is pro-coal, I don't like that his wife's monopoly newspaper ignores pollution.

As you will see below, Mattie politely asked Robert Brown to arrange for better communications between MCCO and neighbors like myself, including "putting energy into something like" forums on moving MCCO off coal... and Brown said no.

The header does not have our logo and is a distraction from what matters today

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 08/01/2010 - 19:40.

This header does not have our logo and is a distraction from what matters today - Jeff - just trying to piss off lots of loyal Cleveland Ford fans visiting from Cleveland.com to find Angel... and get people's minds off the real mess here.

Or is this about emissions from the Ford Plant killing people around there.

No logo - no relevance - we need standards for the headers and you know this does not meet the minimum...

( categories: )

Lesson In Bicycling Economics 101: Don't Forget To Include External Costs Like Pollution Exposure And Increased Mortality

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sun, 06/27/2010 - 13:49.

I have been disturbed to live in a community where pollution is a serious health crisis, and I am surrounded by smart young people, yet nobody seems to care they are being poisoned. The worst demonstration of that is the movement to put a bicycle lane along side a major pollution and so health hazard - the I-90 freeway bridge elevated high into the polluted air of the Cuyahoga River Valley, in downtown Cleveland. Clearly, there are engineering and construction cost increases to include such a feature on a freeway bridge - costs society may afford - but what are the negative externalities associated with such a bridge feature, which would encourage individuals to exert themselves in immediate proximity - within a few feet - of a known carcinogen - vehicular emissions. This would also encourage people to spend increased time exerting themselves in an elevated point above other Cleveland pollution, like the toxins from Cleveland Thermal and Mittal, also in close proximity to the bridge. As there is proof that short term exposure to such pollution increases risk of serious short and long-term health consequences, it is certain such a bridge feature would increase healthcare costs, human suffering and mortality rates in this region, as it would harm the health and shorten the lives of those who use it. To the extent the feature encourages broad public use, the harm could be very significant - the equivalent of 100s of life-years lost, and more. What is the cost of genetic mutation among our young? External costs associated with putting a bike lane on the I-90 freeway bridge would far exceed the cost of the bridge itself.

HUD ends deal allowing Cleveland to buy distressed foreclosed homes - "city officials are fuming"

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 06/26/2010 - 16:53.

In my neighborhood this year, I have seen many private INDIVIDUAL investors fixing up private properties, making my community better, and I have watched landbanked government owned properties blighted and demolished, which has been worst for all. In fact, the local government has done great harm here... latest East Cleveland leadership fuckup was demolishing our historic Rozelle School. Our government "leaders" should have control over as little real estate as possible - they are incompetent.

As local leaders are not competent to plan redevelopment of my community, I prefer to see property in the hands of the free market and citizens rather than government. As such, I am glad to see reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer today that "HUD ends deal allowing Cleveland to buy distressed foreclosed homes", as it has been clear to me (and realNEO readers in general, I believe) this program was an abuse by government of free markets and private property rights, without forethought of public interests.

Considering the widespread local government abuse of private property and citizen rights here, like with the Frank Giglio case, it is safe to say the last people on Earth who should control real estate in Northeast Ohio are local government officials.

ARE WE BLIND OR DONT CARE 2 SEE

Submitted by N8TE on Tue, 05/18/2010 - 00:03.
ARE WE BLIND OR DONT CARE 2 SEE

I SEE OUR WORLD DYING AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN A POSITION 2 DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT DON'T SEEM 2 CARE THAT'S SAD

( categories: )

If you want to feel your heart sink, watch the Deepwater oil flow and think of the Real Keys to America's Future

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 05/17/2010 - 22:20.

If you want to feel your heart sink in your chest, consider the forecast above shows the Deepwater oil flow is expected to round Cuba and the tip of Florida and head north into the Atlantic, within a week or so, and think of the Keys to the Future. The current progress of the flow of oil from the Deepwater drilling disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is following the forecast worst case expectations - and the amount of oil being spilled seems to be at the worst case level - and the efforts to stop the leak are nearly at worst case conditions... changing daily. This means Florida is in deep trouble, and oil will be flowing up the Eastern Atlantic coast next week.

Would realneo benefit by having a moderator(s) that enforces ground rules?

Submitted by westward on Fri, 05/14/2010 - 16:01.
Yes
80% (20 votes)
No
20% (5 votes)
Total votes: 25
( categories: )

Now this is a team Clevelanders can really fight for, and real NEO can really love! Go Sansai!

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 05/12/2010 - 02:06.

The ICEarth Welcome Wagon stopped by Sansai Environmental Technologies this weekend to tour the world's largest indoor vermitechnology facility and meet Cleveland's greenest, meanest, fighting machine - the 60 million worm team bringing the world "Magic Dust". See Sansai for more information on their amazing processes and products... here are some pictures of their crib, right in the heart of South Collinwood - Cleveland - Ohio.

Cleveland is SCRAP Marathon Gas Station on Route to Demolition

Submitted by Jeff Buster on Mon, 05/10/2010 - 21:11.

This triangular shaped Marathon Gas Station in Cleveland, Ohio is one of the most iconic gas stations in America - soon to be demolished in the ODOT inner belt bridge scheme. 

The pumps are pulled, it is getting ready for the ball. Who will measure it up and record it for history?
 

( categories: )

RTA HITS CAR - TWO INJURED - TRANSPORTED TO METRO BY EMS - POLICE ON SCENE

Submitted by jerleen1 on Mon, 05/10/2010 - 19:56.
Accident_on_Jefferson_003.JPG

Around 6:00 p.m. this evening two people were injured when an East bound RTA bus attempting to get through the crowded intersection of Jefferson and Professor Avenues struck a vehicle in the West bound lane.  Police and EMS were on the scene and the two victims were transported to a local hospital.  The extent of their injuries are unknown at this time.

( categories: )

Go Cavs, But Your Advertising On Our Landmarks Must Go. This is not art or culture, and is ugly!

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Sat, 05/08/2010 - 23:22.

In 2006, Gen-X Consultant Rebecca Ryan came to Cleveland to speak at the City Club and lead some roundtable discussions (hosted by realNEO) on making this region more desirable to the global Generation-X population.  She was working on Gen-X planning in Akron and Canton and proposed to the City of Cleveland some collaboration with her regional efforts - she was suggesting to brainstorm very openly at very little cost to the city. Her outreach received the cold shoulder here. The last time I remember communicating about this was with Chris Ronayne, then with the city of Cleveland, and I was basically told the development people were too busy trying to close a Nike Cavaliers advertising deal to bother with Rebecca Ryan's proposal - the city economic development resources were too focused on Cavaliers advertising to care.

Will the Plain Dealer ask the right questions?

Submitted by Lee Batdorff on Tue, 05/04/2010 - 11:37.

The following was sent as a an email message to many editors and reporters at the Plain Dealer and public relations executives at the American Public Transportation Association. You can find a list of recipients at the end of the this article.

The American Public Transportation Association is holding a national conference in Cleveland at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel through May 5th. Attendees at this conference will be touring the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's new Health Line.

( categories: )

I'm not a hero Street vendor Duane Jackson, the man who spotted the bomb, at his stand in Times Square a day after the incident

Submitted by Quest-News-Serv... on Sun, 05/02/2010 - 19:38.

 Street vendor Duane Jackson, the man who spotted the bomb, at his stand in Times Square a day after the incidentTerror in Times Square: Pakistani Taliban claim responsibility as police defuse crude but lethal car bomb in heart of New York I'm not a hero Street vendor Duane Jackson the man who spotted the bomb at his stand in Times Square a day after the incident At around 6.30pm the T-shirt seller a Vietnam war v

( categories: )