COUNTDOWN - days it will take to get rid of Martin Sweeney

Submitted by lmcshane on Fri, 01/11/2013 - 13:10.
01/11/2013 - 13:00
11/04/2013 - 13:00
Etc/GMT-4

https://change-production.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/6/sf/ll/wuSFllXqBNrxVgq-556x313-noPad.jpg?1357906350

 

Please help speed up the countdown-sign the petition and forward to as many CLE folks as possible:

https://www.change.org/petitions/cleveland-city-council-city-council-pre...

It is also possible to force a recall.  I encourage residents in Martin Sweeney's ward to do so.

 

...and this is what passes as "hard-hitting" journalism:

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

 

 

AttachmentSize
RedistrictingProcessandTIMELINE.doc71.5 KB
( categories: )

Why is Cleveland Council public business often a secret?

 

The image above was taken at a phony AmpOhio Cleveland City Council meeting.  Matt Zone - one of the main charaders in the Amp OHio 50 year coal contract, went up to whisper some strategy to Mr. Sweeney.  

Where these guys are on the public payroll, why are they whispering to each other? 

What's their secret?

Public business should have no secrets. 

 

Council Ward lines - Dump Sweeney NOW!

UPDATE 3/4/2013

 

Council members have had a preview of their new wards.  As expected Tony Brancatelli will get Tremont...and Brian Cummins retains Brooklyn Centre and Clark Fulton.  There is still an unknown on how monies allocated to Jay Westbrook (who will retire) will be redistributed.  This is the SICK program that we live with in NEO...sick..

 

https://www.change.org/petitions/subject-city-council-president-martin-sweeney-to-an-independent-ethics-investigation

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

 

Credit to Sarah Buduson at News Net Five for her story on council expense funds:

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/Cleveland-City-Council-members-use-expense-accounts-on-lunches-employee-salaries-car

See also:

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/list-revealed-cuyahoga-county-cracks-down-on-dirty-dozen-delinquent-taxpayers

 

WKYC also revealed the parking perks awarded some City Hall folks, including REALNEO favorite Martin Sweeney:

http://www.wkyc.com/news/investigative/article/272523/230/Investigator-Free-parking-for-public-officials

 

 

Does ANYTHING EVER CHANGE around here???

 

All part of the machine set in motion in the 1990s when CDCs took off as money laundering for the council members who were guaranteed power structure and kick backs through the Council Leadership Fund -established under Mike White administration with Forest City. La di dah..and no one cares...

 ...

 

TC3: Charitable activities....

Charitable Activities

TC3 Properties was founded with the belief that we have a moral responsibility to give back to the communities in which we live and work. The following is a growing list of organizations that TC3 Properties has had the opportunity to work with in an effort to achieve that goal.

  • Detroit Shoreway Community Development Org.
  • West Side Catholic Center
  • TC3 In-house Rent Subsidy Program
  • Stockyards Redevelopment Corporation
  • Stockyards Neighborhood Bike-a-Thon
  • American Cancer Society

 

 

 

 

The GAME

more Sweeney crap-

 

Imagine their surprise when they saw an “emergency ordinance” last Monday night, proposed by Councilman Jay Westbrook, calling for immediate approval to tack $25,000 onto the $100,000 tab for Dyke’s Triad Research Group. It’s to cover all that extra work revising the maps in the final days.

“This thing was like a whisper. Not even a whisper,” said Councilman Joe Cimperman, who voted against the new ward boundaries and objected to Monday’s emergency vote. He said council members usually get a heads up on emergency spending ordinances.

http://www.cleveland.com/tipoff/index.ssf/2013/05/cleveland_city_council_members.html#incart_river

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~```

Passed:

http://www.cleveland.com/tipoff/index.ssf/2013/05/cleveland_council_president_ma.html#incart_river_default

$25,000 of your money....down the toilet...be sure to thank your council rep:

That was fast: Tipoff told you last week about the tiff between council members opposed to the new ward maps and those who favored approving another $25,000 for the consultant who drew them up. At the time, the opposition – Council members Mike Polensek, Jeff Johnson and Joe Cimperman – got a planned vote on the payment to Bob Dykes’ Triad Group scuttled. A week later, the roll was taken and the measure passed overwhelmingly with no votes coming from four council members: Polensek, Johnson, Cimperman and Dona Brady.
 

Are you there GOD?? It's me, Laura

Please DEAR GOD - don't let this criminal a-hole anywhere near state office.  Please PRAY this doesn't happen:

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2014/09/any_questions_for_candidates_f.html

Mr. Sweeney, as a current 'double-dipper' would you, if elected, work to change the law to ban double-dipping by public employees in the state of Ohio?

Also, if elected, would you then be eligible for 'triple-dipping' through the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System? 

 

So Marty, when Jimmy Dimora asked you if Ferris Kleem was sending you money and you replied "minimal" how much was it, what was it for and where did it go. 

Kelley shows he is cut from same cloth as Sweeney

Not a surprise - but why do we tolerate this??

Cleveland Public Power 'illegally' billed customers more

than $128 million, former director alleges

http://www.cleveland.com/cityhall/index.ssf/2015/10/cleveland_council_president_sa.html

Sweeney Slush Fund -how PD runs interference...

 
... days and counting....

By PD standards --they have closed the case:

A Plain Dealer analysis of the leadership fund for 2008 did not find any patterns to the contributions suggesting $20,000 had been given on behalf of Forlani by intermediaries.

Everybody go home...and watch mind-numbing football in a stadium named for First Energy and powered by Cleveland Public Power...INSANE!  Don't ask yourself ...why the redistricting is overdue since July 2012:

http://realneo.us/system/files/RedistrictingProcessandTIMELINE.doc

 

(and BTW I am HOME today-not at work....)

 

AND -PD deleted my comment related to this mysterious allocation of monies through "Foreclosure Guru" Councilman Brancatelli in 2011:

Cimperman said he and two other members of Council, Phyllis Cleveland and Matt Zone, voted to eliminate funding for Flats Oxbow in November, instead of recommending the traditional allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant Funds. 

 

Newman said that nevertheless, the city provided $20,000 in funding, approved in part by Mayor Frank Jackson and Councilman Tony Brancatelli. He said that Flats Oxbow had no plans to dissolve and that it can survive without block grant funding.

 

 (HOW much money in leadership funds can be traced to "Land Bank" and "Opportunity Corridor" supporters??????)

http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2011/02/brainstorming_session_on_flats.html

REMEMBER Newman???

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/11/post_69.html

 

Ex-chief of Cleveland Flats Oxbow embezzled $583,000, feds say

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stories on CLE Council corruption -to what end?

 So Leila Atassi has been given free rein at Northeast Ohio Media Group to go after CLE Council ?  To what end?

Sam Allard covers the same nightmare racket in 2017:  https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/kevin-kelleys-community-chest/Content?oid=13049277

 

Submitted by lmcshane on Sat, 02/23/2013 - 14:56.

My response to Councilman Cummins at Civic Commons:

http://theciviccommons.com/conversations/are-local-development-organizations-effective

 

NO-I returned to CLE in 1992 and began involvement with Tremont West as a volunteer and then hired briefly to help apply for grants.  At the time, Tremont was still reeling from arsons and disinvestment due to construction of inner belt, which cut the neighborhood off from most parts of the city. One of the causes at time was reopening Abbey Rd. bridge. CDCs at the time were still based on community organizing model and not on development of new housing.  And, funding was next to nothing.  Tremont West was to be merged into Southwest consolidation that would have included Clark-Fulton, Brooklyn Centre.  It didn't happen because your predecessor in Council -Emily Lipovan organized and worked her council support at time Paulenske.  Councilman Gus Frangos appointed Paulenske. He and his WRLC buddy had a Greektown a la Detroit scheme to develop the area around Annunciation parish. It's ironic that he doesn't include his stint as council in his bio or his time working at Board of Revision.  We have a funny way of revising history around here.  Frangos handed his council seat to Paulenske (who also worked BOR) and Paulenske handed off to Skrha who had family with Slavic Village ties who did not make it-he lost to Joe Cimperman in 1997:
 

BUSINESSES CHIP IN TO KEEP MAJORITY OF CITY COUNCIL

Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) - Friday, September 17, 1993
Author: BENJAMIN MARRISON and CATHERINE L. KISSLING PLAIN DEALER REPORTERS
Big Business is PAC-ing in the money for Cleveland City Council. 
 

PACs, or political action committees, account for nearly one-third of the money raised by a newly formed "Council Leadership Fund," which has collected $135,563 to retain a majority of council members who face re-election this year, according to documents filed yesterday with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. 



Political action committees representing area law firms, businesses and developers, many of which represent interests that do business with the city, contributed $42,800 to the fund. 



The fund is controlled by Council President Jay Westbrook. Mayor Michael R. White and businessman Sam Miller have pledged to help Westbrook raise $300,000. 

(the article continues)


In Ward 13, Gary Paulenske , who was appointed to his seat, has raised $10,385 since January. Gus Frangos , who appointed him to the seat, gave about 20% - $2,000 - of funds so far.Paulenske , who has spent all but about $600 of his money, also received $1,000 from Jacobs.  

So you see Brian - nothing changes except the names.  Frangos, Rokakis and their ilk found way to make CDCs work for them. And, their real estate games are killing this city. Foreclosure, flipping, demolitions and shoddy tax-abated new construction.  And, their little empire started with selling tax liens.

Law OKs speedier foreclosures

Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) - Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Author: Thomas Ott, Plain Dealer Reporter
A new state law will allow counties to more quickly seize many abandoned properties. 

The law will let county boards of revision instead of the courts rule on foreclosure of abandoned property for back taxes. 

The Ohio House voted 86-1 Tuesday to concur with Senate changes in the bill, sending it to the governor for his signature. 

The change would be particularly helpful in Cuyahoga County, where the court system is flooded with foreclosures. The move would require approval from the county commissioners. 

A recent count showed that of 13,597 pending foreclosures, 2,053, or 15 percent, were filed by the county for back taxes. The other cases were filed by lenders against owners who were behind on their mortgages. 

Most of Cuyahoga County's abandoned tax-delinquent properties are in Cleveland and East Cleveland, said County Treasurer Jim Rokakis, whose aide, Gus Frangos , wrote the original bill. State Rep. Sally Conway Kilbane, a Rocky River Republican, sponsored the legislation. 

Frangos , a former Cleveland councilman, said a tax foreclosure may stretch out for more than a year in court, but the Board of Revision could wrap up cases in four or five months. 

The board 's main job is to hear appeals of property valuations. 

If no one challenges the foreclosure, the board could immediately transfer the property to a new owner, Rokakis said. 

Properties that fail to draw interest from private bidders may be turned over to city land banks or nonprofit neighborhood groups for redevelopment. 

More than 20 other states have similar procedures, Frangos said.

 

Posted Feb 14, 2013

 

Search "Council Leadership Fund" here:
 

http://www.boe.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/campaign-finance-reports.aspx

No surprise that Triad Group in Rocky River (responsible for redistricting) funds the slush fund....

Expect Sweeney to resign

Expect Sweeney to resign so redistricting can absorb his ward, thereby insuring the current slate of council folks can get put back in office-Brian Cummins is again in the hot seat along with Tony "mug-for-the camera" Bracatelli--of course, Rybka may want to retire from Building and Housing and that would put Land Bank Tony in charge of demos, which, of course, is what everyone wants...

New York Times

http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/12/cleveland.html

 

The balance of power will be changing in council....unless we go along with the same old...

 

Support all challengers.  They have a right to run against this status quo and should be supported in their efforts to destroy this machine.

 

Why RICH people are protecting FRANGOS....$$$$$$

 

Engineered by Rokakis-Frangos BEFORE subprime mortgage scandal: 



Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH) - Wednesday, May 17, 2006 

Author: Thomas Ott, Plain Dealer Reporter
 

A new state law will allow counties to more quickly seize many abandoned properties.  

The law will let county boards of revision instead of the courts rule on foreclosure of abandoned property for back taxes.  

 

The Ohio House voted 86-1 Tuesday to concur with Senate changes in the bill, sending it to the governor for his signature.  

 

The change would be particularly helpful in Cuyahoga County, where the court system is flooded with foreclosures. The move would require approval from the county commissioners.  

 

A recent count showed that of 13,597 pending foreclosures, 2,053, or 15 percent, were filed by the county for back taxes. The other cases were filed by lenders against owners who were behind on their mortgages.  

 

Most of Cuyahoga County's abandoned tax-delinquent properties are in Cleveland and East Cleveland, said County Treasurer Jim Rokakis, whose aide, Gus Frangos , wrote the original bill. State Rep. Sally Conway Kilbane, a Rocky River Republican, sponsored the legislation.  

 

Frangos , a former Cleveland councilman, said a tax foreclosure may stretch out for more than a year in court, but the Board of Revision could wrap up cases in four or five months.  

 

The board 's main job is to hear appeals of property valuations.  

 

If no one challenges the foreclosure, the board could immediately transfer the property to a new owner, Rokakis said.  

 

Properties that fail to draw interest from private bidders may be turned over to city land banks or nonprofit neighborhood groups for redevelopment. 
 

 

While Rokakis controlled Treasurer's Office

and Frangos controlled Board of

Revision!!!!

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

My comment to Eric J Brewer on FB -regarding Challenger article on Councilman Jeffrey Johnson :

Again - I would say please focus this article on the real criminal - puppet Frank Jackson and the underlying racial politics that the cops use to drive real estate market in NEO. Jeffrey D. Johnson

 knows a thing or two about the sick plan and has tried to speak out against the demo machine using federal monies controlled by City of Cleveland and City Land Bank hatched ages ago by Frangos starting in Tremont and growing from there with massive swindle of HUD monies via CDCs - Housing Court started by Jim Rokakis to control code enforcement duplicating city inspectors and massive job creation for friends and family. Rokakis-Frangos controlled Treasurer's office and Board of Revision. Plain Dealer doesn't want to evaluate that real give-away program - it uncovers too many "investors" who made out all prior to subprime.

 

Sadly, Brewer's attack on Jeffrey Johnson only plays into the machine politics of dividing voters so that the machine controlling federal monies keeps humming along...sad.  We all love to watch people fight...look away and don't see the real crime.

 

Frangos / Rokakis Ten Million $$$$ Property- one of many

Cuyahoga County Land Bank - Creators dabble in TEN MILLION DOLLAR Property Jim Rokakis & Gus Frangos

 

 

 002_crop.jpg
 

 

003_crop.jpg
 
The LLC name changed from Icarus Development Group LLC to R & Z Development Group ( R = Rokakis   Z = Zarnas )
 
 
001_crop.jpg
 
004_crop.jpg
 
 
One of the properties  sold for $ 10,300,000.
 
PARCEL ID 543-19-048
OWNERS NAME STILLWATER THREE LLC
ADDRESS 12105 VALLEY LN
CITY GARFIELD HEIGHTS
ZIP 44125
Parcel Deed Type Vol / Page Sales Amt Convey. Fee Convey. No Multiple Sale / No. of Parcels
543-19-048 Warranty Deed / $10,300,000
 
 
Public Servants or serving THEMSELVES??
 
 
 
 
 

* My blogs expressing my Freedom of Speech Rights, especially on matters of public concern, are my opinion and not the opinion of my friends, family or employer*

Get rid of Martin Sweeney

I hope Sweeney goes down in the tiide of #metoo #timesup fury. Today is the Women's March downtown. Yesterday, Chris Quinn spoke on Ideastream about the failed Amazon HQ bid. Cuyahoga County and City of Cleveland lost because we prop up the careers of people like Martin Sweeney. There is much dead weight at Cuyahoga County and City of Cleveland. Cleveland has potential to be an economic powerhouse, but not with the entrenched politics that protect people like Martin Sweeney. We are stuck with Jackson for four more years - but at Cuyahoga County we can and must get rid of Budish. Who is the most likely contender to run against Budish?

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2018/01/martin_j_sweeney_dogged_by_200.html

 

 

It is always interesting, no puzzling, when Naymik and his colleagues go after a Democrat politician.  Sweeney has been and is a Dimora type clone.  He was never taken to task--those receipts for home repairs--should have put him in the Dimora-Russo gang and resulted in his doing some jail time.  

 

BUT on no.  He stayed on top and wielded his power.  He chose his council presidency replacement.  He appointed Kazy who had been rejected by voters in a council election.  He retains power in our city council and that power will help should he run for mayor.  

 

And the folks at the Plain Dealer should not forget that Sweeney is one of their own.  The Plain Dealer and Larkin helped create the single party system in Cleveland and in Cuyahoga County.  Now when one of their key players is exposed as a total scumbag, a crook and a stereotypical Cuyahoga County Democrat Mark Naymik is offended.  

 

As for this remark:  The Democrat Party can do better.  Now that is laughable.  Any government--state, county, city or Federal defy reasonable governance when that government is controlled by a single party system.