Hi all --
I'm glad to join this forum that was recently brought to my attention. As a candidate for Council in Ward 14, I want to give my position on some of the issues that have been raised.
Noise barriers: The situation may be different from street to street. On Smith Ave. the houses face I-71 and the people there do not want to face a wall. They have all signed a petition against any kind of barrier, which I gave to Tom Sorge at ODOT. They support greenery and beautification. However, on Poe it is the rear of the houses and garages that face the highway so the people there may be more concerned about noise and security. My understanding is that ODOT is flexible and can adjust to what residents in each area want. What the residents want is the bottom line. Everyone agrees on maximum use of the funds for greenery.
CDC: I am inclined to agree with Debbie and Henry that we need to look at building a new CDC focused on Ward 14 -- one that draws on the best from the existing CDCs and employing the people who are committed to Ward 14.
My political beliefs: I am a lifelong Democrat. I have been working on Democratic campaigns since I worked for Lyndon Johnson in 1964. I worked on the campaigns of Gore, Kerry and, as part of Labor 2008, worked virtually fulltime for Barack Obama. I was an active member of the Ward 14 Democratic Club when it was functionning. I was also the labor coordinator for Dennis Kucinich's primary campaign last year.
Recently a poll was taken by Rasmussen that reported that 30% of Democrats believe in socialism. I am one of those. I believe corporate greed is at the root of the problems we face in our country and that it would be better if working people, rather than corporations, were running things. I belong to a number of groups including my union, the Communications Workers of America, Jobs with Justice and the Communist Party that defend the rights of workers and seek to shift resources and power towards working people.
When I served as the Ward 14 Councilman's Assistant I had the opportunity to assist a number of issues affecting working people. This included supporting union organizing drives at Dreisen and Peterson Nut, representing the Councilman on the Living Wage Committee and in Congressman Kucinich's Steel Summit, which was successful in saving Cleveland's steel mill.
I am a delegate to the North Shore (Cleveland) AFL-CIO and, if I elected to Council, intend to continue working with the labor movement as well as be an advocate for the people of Ward 14.
Rick Nagin