GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG GROUP GETS $1000 FROM ANONYMOUS DONOR

Submitted by Susan Miller on Tue, 06/12/2007 - 23:32.

For Immediate Release
June 12, 2007
Contact:  Ms. Daryl Davis,
216-310-0557 (day) or daryl [dot] davis [at] sbcglobal [dot] net

GOVERNMENT WATCHDOG GROUP GETS $1000 FROM ANONYMOUS DONOR

Yesterday at 4:15 pm $1000 and a letter from an anonymous donor arrived at the D. H. Ellison Co. addressed to Taxpayers Against Waste, one of the organizations concerned with Cuyahoga County’s plan for a new administration center.

“It was a complete surprise,” said David Ellison. “The letter really focuses the issue.  Our problem with this project was never about the Breuer building, but with the outrageous waste of money.  Up until now our work has been funded by personal and in-kind donations.  This donation makes things a little easier.”

The letter’s contents include a numbered list of questions regarding the money and financing of the proposed county administration center.  

Two questions pertain to R. P. Carbone’s involvement and current indictment over racketeering, conspiracy, money laundering, bribery and unlawful interest in a public contract.

Two more questions involve R. P. Madison International’s role and its inability to present a complete application to the Cleveland city planning commission, making a justifiable case for demolition.

The other questions included in the letter relate to the apparent flaws in the overall strategy of economic development conceived in the project.

Daryl Davis added, “This whole issue has been diverted into historic preservation, aesthetics and environmentalism.  While these things are important, the money, cronyism and political patronage are what are so disgusting.  A good economic development plan would conserve our assets and resources, create the maximum number of jobs, and the most spin-off development, all at the least cost to the public.
Hagan and Dimora have created a bad plan with mediocre architecture at the highest cost possible; never mind the facts, put aside the values of democratic process, and just keep repeating lies and half truths until people start believing them.”

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Attached are the two supporting documents in pdf files.

AttachmentSize
Anonymous Donor Letter.pdf909.17 KB
$1,000 donation.pdf611.97 KB
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Save our land

Thanks Susan for tirelessly tracking information.  Keeping everyone in the dark is the plan.  People have families, people work, people need to sleep.  When I wake up tomorrow, what will be demolished next??

you didn't have to wait until tomorrow

Rick and Denise's back yard, it seems...

http://save-our-land.blogspot.com/2007/06/gone-forever.html

This is all so, so wrong.

more Breuer/taxpayer indignities

In the ongoing saga of the beautiful building designed by Marcel Breuer and built by our financial forefathers, I wish to direct your attention toward this great post on the subject by Gloria Ferris: Word on the Street vs. Fact

And remind us all that the Cleveland Scene had their eye on this in 2005: White Elephant

Let's have your eye on this again Cleveland Scene!

Here's the thing I choked on the most though from last week's Cleveland City Planning Commission meeting-- our county planners remain unscathed in this debacle. Why? Because they were not consulted, informed or involved!!! Unbelievable! No wonder they have remained silent. I imagine this hot potato is not one that anyone in County Planning would like to be tossed. There was a lovely gentleman who spoke about being across the desk from Marcel Breuer as the plans to build the tower came together, Robert Miller who was on the board of Cleveland Trust at the time. He spoke about Severance Milliken whose influence encouraged the presence of Breuer both at the CMA and Cleveland Trust. I almost cried for joy as he spoke. Finally someone from the building's past who cares to see it saved. By the way, Breuer's work was not all Milliken gave to Cleveland. He and his second wife Greta made a huge contribution of art work to the Museum as well.
 
A walk back in time: Interestingly this is called "Faith in the Downtown Area -- New Building to Alter Cleveland Skyline"
1967 Cleveland Trust Annual Report 1
1967 Cleveland Trust Annual Report 2

Gloria packs a punch for city planning

From Tim Ferris in an email tonight: "Gloria Ferris weighs in with her second post of the day regarding the tipping point we've come to so quickly on the issue of the demolition of the Breuer Tower.

http://www.gloriaferris.net/2007/06/the-world-is-watching/

Here's an excerpt--

The World is Watching...
...and so are we.  The City Planning Commission decision concerning the Breuer Tower is being watched worldwide by architects, preservationists, historians, and artists.  But will the most important segment of society being watching and sitting in those chairs tomorrow when the City Planning Commission decides tomorrow whether the Breuer Tower lives or dies?  As sad as it may be to see that building die through demolition, sadder still will be if the Cleveland Planning Commission allows itself to slip into obscurity--something that will be inevitable if they allow a demolition permit to slide through without the seven-step process that Hunter Morrison so eloquently and succinctly outlined June 8.

When a partner doesn’t feel you are worthy of consideration or consultation or for that matter does not think that the guidelines you have put in place are even worth addressing, is that partner truly a partner?  When that same partner doesn’t think it important to consult with their own planning commission, where do you stand in the order of what they find important?  How insulting to have someone come before you with concepts and the latest buzz words and expect you to hand what they want to them on a silver platter with no questions!"

I'll be there tomorrow.

Good!

How do we suggest a roll-call vote? We need the individual accountability.

stay of execution for the Breuer

At this morning's Cleveland City Planning Commission, Meeting the Breuer Tower received a stay of execution, but questions as to the efficacy of this project for the county administration building remain. 

 

I found it interesting that the person who was there to present the County’s case for support of the demolition was not someone from the firm of RP Madison (though he was in attendance), nor someone from the county at all, but instead was Linda Henreichsen who is on the City of Cleveland Planning staff.  Though she did use the word “neutral” when describing what her presentation would entail, her words and tone were clearly supportive of the applicant’s plea for the demo permit.  We can thank Tony Coyne for an impassioned speech about the importance of this monumental decision and his point that they have not nearly enough information (none of the questions that were asked to be answered at last week’s meeting were addressed except a lame attempt to address the ceiling height issue and some more scare tactics about seismic activity).  Historic tax credits remained a mystery as yet researched. Why didn’t someone from the County Planning Commission make this case? Isn’t it the county taxes that should be used to support a case for support of the county administration project? Why did city of Cleveland residents and businesses alone have to pay for this work?

 

Still there is no plan from Madison’s office, and Henreichsen said that they are having difficulty planning a new edifice without knowing if the building will remain or not. Did Sasaki have this problem envisioning Gateway? Now, I thought that this happens all the time with architecture. I am not an architect, but I could easily see how one can take a site, erase what is there and imagine what could be there, draw it, propose it and defend one’s design planning.  Excuse me, but don’t architects do this all the time?  If it is so difficult for Madison why was he awarded a contract by the county for $13.5 million already? 

 

I am also curious as to why an elected official serves on this planning commission. Cimperman’s remarks both last week and this week with regard to the county being our “partners” seem to have politicized an issue that should be a design and planning issue not one for political gain or loss.  Already we know that Hagan and Dimora as arbiters of taste is a joke – even the parking attendant at City Hall had a good laugh when posed the question, “Who made Tim and Jimmy the arbiters of taste for the county?”  

 

There should be an apples-to-apples comparison between what is best for the citizens of Cuyahoga County as regards the county budget, the city and regional environment and the efficiency of the space for the offices of the county with adaptive reuse and raze and build anew options considered side by side.  We need a decision matrix. We’re not talking about a small sum or an insignificant site. So far, the adaptive reuse option is looking much smarter on all counts, for the environment, for those who will work there and for our wallets. 

 

If the County Commissioners are dead set on building their new administration building as a monument to their heft and power as a political legacy, they should give away the Breuer Tower and the Rotunda and begin anew on a surface parking lot somewhere in the County.  The logical place, mentioned again and again is the Northwest Corner of the “PUBLIC SQUARE”, a space which has been an embarrassment to the city and the county for years since the planning commission allowed the demolition of buildings there prematurely for an office tower that never was built.  Thank god we have been awarded more time.  Maybe it is time enough to begin an investigation as to the palm greasing that clearly is at play in this scenario that wastes taxpayer dollars, destroys a piece of significant architecture and promises even more destruction to our built environment for no apparent reason aside from egoism. And Dennis Madden can “keep his eye on" what happens with Carbone’s indictment in Lorain County… we’ll see. For today though, I can breathe again.

carbone's problems and my tiny violin

Let me get out my tiny violin while Carbone Company files for bankruptcy protection... Carbone Companies files for bankruptcy protection

I'll play a tiny sad sad song. Can't we say - you can't file for protection while in jail?