Still images of flowers at the Rockefeller Greenhouse, Rockefeller Park, Cleveland, Ohio, realNEO

29 December 2009

Lake Link Trail route protected

Why not get in line? Cities, counties, all levels of government are giving it away. So why shouldn’t American Greetings get in line. Crain’s Cleveland Business is reporting today that the Brooklyn, Ohio Company seeks to relocate because the city raised its city tax a half percent.

Researcher George Zeller still finds “job destruction” – his term – continues in Ohio. However, he gleans some “optimistic findings” in job figures for the first month of this new decade.

Not named nor indicted. Sound familiar? Keeping up with Forest City could be a full-time job. Forest City Ratner’s Atlantic Yards watchdogs are keeping a sharp eye on the Cleveland firm’s cousin in Brooklyn and New York.

Mayor Frank Jackson’s inaugural talk was uninspiring, tedious and lacking the very essence of what it said it was about – the future.

Jackson offered Clevelanders nothing.

After a conversation about Cleveland’s past and present problems a friend asked me the other night – what about solutions. Do you have any solutions? It is a question I’ve been asked before.

E. J. Dionne of the Washington Post has said what needs to be said. It should be said over and over again until people understand it.

It seems to be the time for looking back. Sometimes when you look back you are really looking at the present and future. Here was my “Saying Goodbye” swan song in December 2000. It was the final issue of a newsletter I wrote for more than 32 years.

You may have noticed that the Plain Dealer gave cover to its favorite Senator, George Voinovich, on the health care bill. Of course, Voinovich – who has spent more than 40 years on a government health plan – voted NO on a bill that could help more than 1.3 million Ohioans.

Santa Claus came often and generously to MMPI this year. It’s not a one-night trip in this case. Eight times – from May to December - he (played by Tim Hagan) dropped $333,333.33 checks into the Chicago firm bank account.

Veteran reporter Anastasia Pantsios has written a detailed and convincing piece on Ohio Daily about the Plain Dealer’s campaign to pass Issue 6 and how it failed to give the public a true picture about County reform and hid some of the characters behind the push.

COUNT THEM…KEEP COUNTING THEM… AND KEEP COUNTING THEM - YEAR AFTER YEAR, AFTER YEAR, AFTER YEAR. ONCE YOU GET HEALTH CARE TO THE PEOPLE YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO TAKE IT AWAY. JUST LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY. JUST LIKE MEDICARE.