PD Endorsements

Submitted by lmcshane on Sun, 10/08/2017 - 10:41.

 Here's the PD's editorial board "endorsement" for Brian Kazy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Kazy for Cleveland Ward 16: endorsement editorial

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian KazyBrian Kazy

Brian Kazy hasn't been a standout on Cleveland City Council, and little wonder. He was hand-picked by former Council President Martin Sweeney to succeed him in January 2015 in the far West Side ward book-ended by interstate highways. Kazy was then retained by voters in the 2015 elections.

Though Kazy denied it, Sweeney's maneuver was a transparent reward for Kazy taking on a Sweeney foe, incumbent Ward 14 Councilman Brian Cummins, in the 2013 elections, when Kazy lost to Cummins narrowly. (This year, Kazy's nephew, Kyle Cassidy, ran unsuccessfully against Cummins in the primary, although Kazy disavows playing a role in that campaign.)

Brian Kazy appointment illustrates why Cleveland City Council needs to change its policies: editorial (2015)

But Kazy, 47, also hasn't been a total nonentity on council. When he finally was present to vote on it, Kazy opposed the dirt-bike track championed by council leadership and Mayor Frank Jackson. He's also worked hard to address quality of life issues and to keep small businesses and factories, and their jobs, in the ward, which borders both Lakewood and Brook Park. Kazy opposed a Cleveland-only $15 minimum wage on the logical grounds that it would prompt Ward 16 businesses to move just a few blocks into neighboring communities. 

Challenging Kazy's re-election is Ellen Cleary, 30, assistant director of housing at Case Western Reserve University. A native of Cleveland's West Park neighborhood, she wants to instill more progressive values at City Hall. But Cleary is less attuned to ward realities than a strong council member must be. Kazy's record is unremarkable, but City Hall experience counts. The voters of Ward 16 should re-elect Brian Kazy Nov. 7. Early voting starts Oct. 11.

 

The Plain Dealer has also endorsed Brian Cummins:

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UNREAL - why do we keep reelecting FAILURE?

Submitted by lmcshane on Sun, 10/08/2017 - 11:37.

Because the Plain Dealer/Clevelanddotcom editors tell us to?   The above "endorsement" essentially says Kazy is useless, but he is already in office, so vote for him.  Ditto, the endorsement for Kenneth Johnson.  Today, the Plain Dealer does not give an endorsement for either TJ Dow or Basheer Jones.  This media control of our electorate is killing us.

Spencer Wells, who once led Cleveland Tenants Organization analyzes the dysfunction:



Another difference between Cleveland and Pittsburgh may be their respective states of economic distress. A recently released survey by the Economic Innovations Group (EIG) ranked Cleveland number one among economically distressed urban areas in the U.S. The EIG notes that one feature of economically distressed communities is that residents are disconnected from policymaking and not engaged in civic affairs. It hardly seems a coincidence that Clevelanders have not read about this year’s EIG study, despite the fact that last year’s EIG study, which showed that Cleveland was the most distressed city in the U.S., was front-page news. The only local media mention of this year’s EIG study was a booster blog in Crain’s Cleveland Business.

Both Pittsburgh and Cleveland are buying tickets in the Amazon lottery, but only one has done the social justice base-building that might lead to success. Winning a high profile sweepstakes like Amazon HQ, an NBA All-Star Game, or the Republican National Convention while losing another generation to alienation and apathy is too high a price to pay.—Spencer Wells